| Date: |
Wed May 14 14:17:53 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Many years ago Habbakuk asked a question that still sounds so relevant for today, “How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds (1:2-3).” Have you ever asked this question of God? Why does it seem that he tolerates wrongdoing – why doesn’t he do something about the evils that exist in the world? From our perspective, this seems like a logical question. And, in one sense, it is. Yet we need to back up from this question and put our understanding of God in perspective. For one thing, we really don’t know how much God is actually restraining evil. We sometimes have the mistaken notion that the world is really as evil as it could be. That is really not accurate. As bad as the world is, it would be so much worse without the restraining power of the Holy Spirit.
Another aspect we need to remember is that God will deal with evil – all that evil has done will be undone by our just God. In the last chapter of Habakkuk, God’s intervention is assured – He will right all that is wrong. He is not incapable, unwilling or impotent to do this, he is just operating according to his sovereign timetable which is best. Habakkuk comes to the place where he affirms his trust in God even though nothing is going to happen (although he knows it will). He says in 3:17-18, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” We can be joyful because we know that the judge of all the earth will do right. It only seems like evil is winning – but that is not the case. God cannot be defeated or frustrated. He will set things right.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Tue May 13 17:15:28 2008 |
Today's Commentary
My grandparents were a little leery of banks. Now, they used a bank, but they had been stung by the stock market crash and bank failure of 1929, so they were a little leery of them. And, you really couldn’t blame them. The old adage, “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” probably could have applied. They were not alone in their concern. Many folks shared this fear after 1929. That is why the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was established. Of course, even this entity could fail – any of man’s institutions can fail. There are no absolute guarantees in life with anything. Well, that isn’t entirely accurate. We know that God’s promises to us are absolute. He will never ever break any of his promises to us.
As you read God’s Word an come across his promises, you can rest assured they will not be broken or done away with. You will never experience a stock market crash with God. When he says, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5),” he means it. Life is indeed uncertain at times, but God is infinitely superior to the FDIC. So – put your trust in him because he will never let you down!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Mon May 12 17:47:09 2008 |
Today's Commentary
I often marvel at how easy copying things has become. I am referring specifically of making copies of documents and things of this nature. The “Xerox” machine certainly revolutionized paperwork of all sorts. When I first started teaching, we were still cutting stencils on a typewriter and running them off on a mimeograph machine. The mimeograph revolutionized things in its day as did the copier in its day. Things got easier and faster. This is great when it comes to making copies, but there are some areas where easier and faster may not be better. This is especially true in our development of our spiritual lives. We are so used to putting an original in a machine and receiving a great quality copy in just a few seconds that we sometimes mistakenly think others things should be just as fast.
When it comes to our spiritual growth, time needs to be spent. We need time in God’s Word, time in prayer, time in fellowship with others, time in study time reading things that will benefit us spiritually. You can’t take God’s “plan for discipleship”, make a copy, and then think that is all that needs to be done. Time needs to be invested! God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Psalm 119:97 says, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.” Both of these verses speak to time being involved in the process of spiritual growth.
Don’t use the “Xerox” method of spiritual growth! Take time with the Lord – allow him the time to help you develop the kind of relationship with him that you should have! There is something to be said for copying things by hand!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sun May 11 06:50:49 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Happy Mother’s Day! I want to wish all of you ladies a most special day today, you deserve all the accolades that can be given you. There are so many mothers in scripture that give us examples of how a mother should be. One of these is Naomi. I think of the tremendous role model that she was in her relationship with her family and her relationship with God. Her life was so much of a role model of godliness and faith that her daughter-in-law, Ruth, would be no where else but with Naomi. Upon the death of Naomi’s husband and her 2 sons, one of whom was Ruth’s husband, Naomi had decided to return to her homeland. Ruth was determined to accompany her. Naomi tried to discourage Ruth, but Ruth was not to be swayed.
Ruth made one of the greatest attestations of faith found in the scripture as a response to Naomi’s argument for Ruth to stay put and not follow her. “But Ruth replied, ‘Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.’ When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her (Ruth 1:16-18).” Naomi had made such an impact on the life of Ruth that Ruth was unwilling to be anywhere else than with Naomi.
I know there are many ladies out there who are making an impact on the lives and your family and others by how you are living your life before them. I praise God for you, and certainly hope that God will richly bless you today and all the days of your life! Happy Mother’s Day!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sat May 10 16:07:34 2008 |
Today's Commentary
This morning I went to the church to make sausage gravy for the Mother’s Day Breakfast. The men from the church treat the ladies to a breakfast on Mother’s Day. We really enjoy doing this and it is a way of showing the ladies how much we appreciate them. I make the gravy a day ahead so I can get out of the way of the rest of the cookers on Mother’s Day. I was taught how to make sausage gravy by one of the ladies in our church many years ago. One of the things I was taught in making gravy was that it is important to stir the gravy continually while it is cooking. This makes it nice and smooth and prevents it from being lumpy. It is what helps the gravy become gravy. All the ingredients get mixed together really well - they “get happy together” as Emeril would put it.
One of the things that can help our lives be less “lumpy” and run more smoothly is constant stirring - that is, consistently focusing upon activities and endeavors which sharpen our relationship with God and with others. Deuteronomy 7:12-13 tells us, “If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers. He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land--your grain, new wine and oil--the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you.” These verses show us the benefit of consistent stirring - constant attention given to the desires of God for us. God tells the Israelites what is necessary to “prevent lumps” in their lives. Life is lumpy enough - don’t beg for more by allowing your attention sway from following God! Keep stirring!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Fri May 9 09:20:18 2008 |
Today's Commentary
The tragedy that hit the Indian Ocean country of Myanmar (formerly Burma) this week is almost unfathomable. Here is an excerpt from an internet news service, “Myanmar's state media said Cyclone Nargis killed at least 22,997 people and left 42,019 missing, mostly in the Irrawaddy delta. Shari Villarosa, who heads the U.S. Embassy in Yangon, said the number of dead could eventually exceed 100,000 because of illnesses.” Our prayers and thoughts go out to this nation - and we also need to pray that the government will let in outside agencies to help with the relief efforts.
There is no real answer as to why such unspeakable tragedy occurs in our world. What it does show is the tenuous nature of our existence and why faith in God is so important. Our lives are fragile. We really don’t need such a cataclysmic event to remind us of this. We have all experienced loss on a more personal level. We need help - we cannot stand on our own. We need help because of what we experience in life. We need help because we cannot assure for ourselves eternal life. We need God’s help, and he is willing to provide this help. Psalm 118:7 declares, “The LORD is with me; he is my helper.” Deuteronomy 32:36-37 declares the capability of our God to be our source of help, “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
God is always there to help us. He is there for us at all times. He will intervene on behalf of those who experience great tragedy such as in Myanmar. He will intervene in our lives when we experience personal tragedy. Be grateful for God’s help.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Thu May 8 14:19:35 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Little Timmy was really troubled. He had broken his Grandpa’s reading glasses, and he didn’t know what to do. No one had seen him take them from the table by his Grandpa’s favorite chair. He had been told not to bother the glasses – but he enjoyed pretending he was Grandpa, and the glasses added to the effect. Now, he didn’t know what to do because he had dropped them and watched helplessly, as both of the lenses popped out. What was he going to do? He could put them back on the table and say he didn’t know how they got that way. He could hide them, and then Grandpa would just assume he had laid them somewhere else (he was always losing them anyway). But he knew the right thing to do was tell his Grandpa what he had done and tell him he was sorry. If he did this, he knew his conscience would be clear. That is what he did – and Grandpa wasn’t too mad after all. Of course, the best part was the fact that he had a clear conscience.
There is something to be said about a clear conscience, isn’t there? When we do things we shouldn’t, and then try to cover up our error, there is always something inside of us saying, “Hey, you know better!” We read of folks in the scripture who were stricken in their conscience because of something they had done. After an ill-advised accounting of his fighting men, we read of David, “David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing’” (II Samuel 24:10). David did the right thing by confessing to clear up his conscience. Job 27:6 says, “I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.”
Keep your conscience clear! Do the right thing, and if you fail to do the right thing, ask for forgiveness. If you break Grandpa’s glasses, own up to it! You will feel better, and you certainly will be happier!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Wed May 7 09:15:47 2008 |
Today's Commentary
This time last week, I was sort of sweating out something. I’ve written you about the music festival we attended this past weekend (or will it be this coming weekend? Sorry, I won’t start that again!). Well, as of this time last week, we had not received the tickets. Now, I had ordered them in plenty of time, and the folks told me the tickets had been mailed, but here we were 2 days before the event, and no tickets! They didn’t come last Wednesday either. So I called the folks back and made other arrangements since they had not arrived. What we were going to have to do was going to be inconvenient, but we had no choice – the tickets weren’t here!
Thursday’s mail arrived at the usual time. Guess what? You got it! There were the tickets – the day before the event, right on time! All was well. The tickets, which really were of no use to me until that day, were in my possession and we were just fine. Why the worry? It hadn’t really helped much – even my making alternate plans was not all that helpful because now the plans were moot. If only I had exercised patience. Sometimes, that is hard to do. We often experience this in our relationship with God. We think we need something and we think we need it now, so we ask God for this something, and then get frustrated when we don’t receive whatever it is for which we were asking when we asked for it. We often become a little irritated when we think our prayers are not answered when we need them to be and in the way we think they should.
We really need to trust God. His timing and his wisdom are impeccable. He knows far better than we what we need and when we need it. Christ assures us about our father in Matthew 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” God knows exactly when we “need the tickets.” We need to trust him. The song based on this scripture says, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.” And so he does.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Tue May 6 11:56:16 2008 |
Today's Commentary
I was very happy that I was able to get yesterday’s article posted yesterday, as I had some connectivity problems with the internet. This used to be almost an everyday occurrence, but with DSL and the improvements, we rarely have any issues with connectivity anymore. So, I was a little frustrated at first when I tried to call up our home page and got the message “Internet Explorer cannot display this webpage.” Along with this message was a listing of possible problems. The first solution I tried was to refresh the page, but that didn’t help. I rebooted the computer, didn’t work. Then I unplugged the modem and router and plugged them back in. Hey, we’re working again! This was a good thing! I was off and running again.
Aren’t you glad you don’t have to worry about connectivity problems with God? You are always online with him. You don’t have to refresh your page, or reboot, or shut off your modem, or reinstall software – he is always there. Job 22:26-27 tells us, “Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.” We are further assured of his hearing us in Psalm 4:3, “Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him.”
There are no connectivity problems with God – at least not on his part. If we feel he isn’t listening, the issue is with us, not him, as he has promised to hear us when we come to him. Be grateful that we have an ever-listening Father. He always sees, always hears, always knows, of this we can be assured. Praise God that we are always online!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Mon May 5 10:01:48 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Today is Cinco de Mayo. This is celebrated as a holiday in Mexico and by many in the United States, although many do not know why. Some think this is Mexico’s Independence Day, but that is not the case. This is a celebration of the Mexican Army’s defeat of invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The Mexican Army was led very capably by General Zaragoza, and turned back the French who were intent on occupying Mexico City and taking over the entire country. As stated earlier, many people of Mexican descent living in the United States celebrate today as well. However, it may be a day that should be celebrated by the all of the U.S. Why? Well, the French, under the command of General Napolean III, had more than Mexico in mind. They wanted to create a means of supplying the Confederate Army during the U.S. Civil War. Had they been successful, who knows what might have happened? They had invaded Mexico under the pretense of wanting to collect Mexican debts to France. But they had an ulterior motive because of Napolean III’s hatred of the U.S.
Deception was at the heart of the French effort. This should not be too surprising. Deception has played a huge part in human events throughout history. We as believers face an enemy who is the Master of deception. Satan’s trickery is what causes us to constantly be on the alert. Paul comments on this is II Corinthians 11:13-14, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
We need to be aware of Satan’s propensity to use disguises and deception to trick us into doing and believing things that are not true. How do you avoid these? The best offense is a good defense, a coach once said, and that is true in our Christian life. Know the Word, continue fellowship with other Believers, exercise your prayer life, and you will be prepared for this deceit. Say, since today is a holiday, official or not, let’s celebrate our independence in Christ! Happy Cinco de Mayo!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sun May 4 08:57:43 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Well, I told you yesterday (or was that the day before yesterday? Sorry – I won’t get into that today!) that I would be in the middle of a large field with others when you read the article. That was what took place, although I wasn’t in the field the whole time – I might have been at our campsite, or other places, but I was at the event! And what an event it was! There were indeed thousands of people there from all over the Midwest. The groups were excellent, the crowd was great, food was good, the weather was, well, let’s just say the weather was what the weather was. It was cold for the first weekend in May! But, we didn’t get the rain that was predicted, so I am not complaining at all (whew, that was close – I haven’t moved my bracelet for a few days!).
What struck me most was the crowd. It was largely kids from churches all over the place. And what an atmosphere they created! There were a few incidents, but for the most part you walked around feeling very secure. We didn’t push this much, but we did leave stuff out most of the time in plain view with no problems. It helped your realize what the Holy Spirit can do with folks when they are gathered for one purpose at one location. It also helped me realize that God is working in a powerful way with the current generation. We often fret about the future, wondering how the upcoming generation will be prepared to “take over,” so to speak. Of course, this has been the worry of folks from time immemorial. They worried about my generation. Of course, I grew up in the 60’s. There was a reason to worry about us. But, the Church is still going, growing, and accomplishing things for God. From what I saw this weekend, that will be the case in the future. We still need to take Paul’s admonition to Timothy to heart, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others (II Timothy 2:2).” But, it is evident that the Church of Christ is alive and well and continuing to reach others.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sat May 3 08:04:31 2008 |
Today's Commentary
As you read this, I am in the middle of a large field with thousands of other people listening to Christian groups. This is one of those articles that I wrote ahead of time because I knew I would be gone and needed to make sure an article was written. So, the opening sentence of this article could be accurate, or it may not be accurate. I’ll have to let you know tomorrow (or day after tomorrow, depending on your perspective). The point is, the day after tomorrow, I will be able to write more definitively about what I did yesterday than what I am saying about what is happening today because today is actually tomorrow from the perspective of when I am actually writing this article about what I am doing today.
Confused? Well, life can be confusing at times, especially when we dabble too much in trying to figure out the future. We really don’t know what tomorrow may bring - and that is why we need to place our lives in the hands of the only one who knows the future, our heavenly Father. Gods tells us in Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” When we are exercising faith in God, we know that whatever tomorrow may bring, we will be able to stand because of the strength that he will give us. We need to trust him because we do not know what will happen tomorrow. We need to trust him in order for us to not get too overconfident about tomorrow. Trusting God does make life less confusing. I’ll write to you about this tomorrow, or is that today?
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Fri May 2 11:45:47 2008 |
Today's Commentary
I received the following article from “American Minute” yesterday. I found it very compelling and wanted to share it with you.
On May 1, 305 AD, the most powerful man in the world, Emperor Diocletian, stepped down from ruling Rome, only two years after he had begun a systematic persecution to exterminate Christianity. Diocletian forbade worship, burned books, arrested clergy and
demanded pagan sacrifices. From Europe to North Africa, thousands were persecuted and martyred. Suddenly, Diocletian was struck with a painful intestinal disease and resigned.
Eight years later Emperor Constantine ended the persecution of Christians.
In 1984, President Reagan said:
"In the fourth century, a monk thought he heard God telling him to go to Rome...He followed a crowd into the Coliseum and saw the gladiators. He realized they were going to fight to the death. He cried out, 'In the Name of Christ, stop!'... made his way through the crowd and climbed the wall into the arena... As he was pleading with the gladiators... one of them plunged his sword into his body... his last words were, 'In the Name of Christ, stop!' Suddenly the gladiators stood looking at this tiny form...In dead silence, everyone left."
Reagan continued:
"That was the last battle in the Coliseum. One tiny voice...'In the Name of Christ, stop!' We could be saying that today."
Are we truly taking a stand for Christ, or are we just going with the flow of society? You are the only person who can answer that question for yourself.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Thu May 1 08:58:35 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Well, today is the first of May, May Day. There are a number of holidays in various countries associated with this day. So, it is a significant date on our calendar. Of course, there is another kind of “May Day,” the “mayday” distress signal that is used in air, sea and boating emergencies.
According to Wikipedia, the Mayday call sign was originated in 1923 by Frederick Stanley Mockford. A senior radio officer at Croydan Airport in London, Mockford was asked to think of a word that would indicate distress and would easily be understood by all pilots and ground staff in an emergency. Since much of the traffic at the time was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris, he proposed the word "Mayday" from the French m'aider.
There are times in our lives when we may feel like sending out a “mayday” signal. We feel like things are crashing down around us, we are trying to hang on as best we can, we feel like the waves are crashing in over the bow of our “boat.” Rest assured - our mayday signals are heard by God. He is there for us in the crisis events of our lives. Psalm 46:1-3 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
Your mayday signals are not falling on deaf ears - God hears you and knows your distress. He will not let you keep flailing around helplessly. God will not fail you!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Wed Apr 30 09:04:10 2008 |
Today's Commentary
We are blessed with a lot of young children in our church. It is so fun to watch them grow and develop. I especially love to watch the kids go from the crawling stage to the walking stage. That is always such a big change - it is a significant milestone for the child, the parents, everyone! What is neat is that you don’t see the little ones sitting around debating the merits of walking - “Do you really think walking is superior to crawling?” “Do you think there is truly any advantage in walking? What is in it for me to move from crawling to walking?” “You know, I am just not sure I want to head that direction.” “What if I fall?”
What a laugh! Of course, there is no debate - the kids just simply walk! They don’t let what might be “concerns” keep them from doing what they want to do - walk! They especially don’t let the last concern stop them - yes, they will fall. But they get back up and go at it again.
Don’t let “fear of falling” keep you from moving into a new stage in your spiritual development or trying new endeavors for the Lord. Sometimes you will find that you will stumble - but don’t let that be an excuse for not trying, for not growing, for not moving ahead. Psalm 37:24 tells us, “though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” God is there for us - so walk! Run! Jump! Grow! Go forward with God - and just watch and see where those steps take you!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Tue Apr 29 10:19:30 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Today I am going to write a “complaint free” update. At our church, we have been wearing purple bracelets for about 6 weeks. Folks are still working at becoming complaint free. This movement, started about 5 years ago by Will Bowen at a church in Kansas, is still growing with more than 5 million bracelets distributed. You put the bracelet on and move it to the other arm if you catch yourself complaining. The goal is to go 21 days without moving the bracelet. I think it has helped a great deal in general, and I know it has made an impact on me. Oh, by the way, we do have one documented success story in our church. Actually, he never moved it from the first time he put it on. Knowing this man as I do, I can see that he would be able to do that. “Well,” you say, “maybe he didn’t have anything to complain about.” Actually, yes, he did. He faced a pretty grave health situation since putting on the bracelet. Things turned out better than they could have, for which we praise the Lord, but he did have what we might say would be a legitimate reason to complain. He simply didn’t. Of course, there are times when we do have a legitimate reason to voice a complaint. What we want to do is eliminate those complaints that are simply “gripes.”
How do you do this? Well, we’ve offered a number of suggestions. One is to follow the advice given to us by the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:11-13, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” He tells us further in I Timothy 6:6-7, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.”
So, keep working on this! By the way, as a reminder, if you would like a bracelet, write or email us. We would be happy to send you one! “Complaint free is the life for me.”
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Mon Apr 28 10:03:58 2008 |
Today's Commentary
When I was a small boy, I enjoyed playing church. We would come home from church on Sunday evenings and “set up church” right in our living room. We had hymnals, a piano, a TV tray served as the pulpit, and, of course, my 2 brothers and I had our Bibles. We would sing hymns, have testimonies, prayer time and I would preach. We would even take up an offering! I told my church yesterday it is a shame they didn’t hear me preach back then. I was a much better then that I am now! We did this not to make fun, but we really enjoyed our church and we enjoyed mimicking the services in our home. The genes to do this must be strong because my two girls would do this when they were small. They would often be here at the church with my secretary’s two younger children, and one of the things they would do was play church. They had quite a choir!
Playing church is all well and good when you are kids, but too often we as adults are doing the same thing – playing church. We go to church because we think it is what we are supposed to do, but we don’t spend any time preparing for our worship, we don’t think about what we are doing when we are involved in worship, and we are here only for what we see as a benefit to us. We forget that our worship is God-centered, not us-centered. We are here for God, not for us. We are here to praise and adore our Father, to offer sacrifices of praise through our songs, prayers, testimonies, our giving, and time spent in his Word. Don’t just play church when you go to church – remember what you are doing and why you are there. God’s Word invites us to worship. Psalm 95:6&7 tells us, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” Psalm 96:9 tells us to “Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.”
The next time you go to worship, give some careful thought as to what you are doing. Spend some time thinking about why you are going and what you are going to do for God during the time you are there. He is worthy of our worship!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sun Apr 27 08:00:48 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Paul says in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” We agree with him - we should rejoice! But, what Paul is saying is to rejoice at all times. Now, this is hard to do - and if it came from anyone else, we might say this enjoinder simply cannot be followed. However, Paul not only encouraged his readers to do this, he modeled this behavior to show that it could be done. We read about one of his examples of modeling this behavior in Acts 16:22-25, “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Praying and singing after what had just happened? Don’t minimize this story just because we know the outcome; we know they are miraculously released. Paul and Silas didn’t know what was going to happen - they had no idea they were going to be all right, yet they still praised God. The impact upon the others led to belief.
Praising God is easy when all is going well. What we need to work on is our praise when things aren’t going so well. Dr. Jack Graham writes, “The Bible says that we will have hard times in this life. The question is how will you choose to respond when those hard times come? Learning to praise the Lord in every circumstance is so important. It doesn’t mean that you are happy about the situation… or that you are denying the very real problem you are facing. It simply means that you are making a choice to remember who God is in the midst of your crisis, and you are lifting Him above the situation. You are declaring that He has power and wisdom in every situation… and that is something to be thankful for!”
We cannot choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond in our circumstances. Responding through continuing to trust in him and giving him praise will bring us strength we didn’t think possible. We will truly experience peace and strength that is not our own.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sat Apr 26 12:50:16 2008 |
Today's Commentary
In the Shakespeare comedy “As You Like It”, you have players donning disguises in order to fulfill their desire to learn more about some other characters. They find that, in disguise, they do other things they wouldn’t do if they weren’t in disguise. They find it is easy to be something that they were not. Sometimes we do this in real life - we “put on airs” and pretend we are something we aren’t to impress others. We try to be something we are not in order to attain something we think we want. In some cases, we get by with it. But more often than not, we aren’t successful with our charades.
With God, we can never be successful at pretending we are something we are not. I have often paraphrased a famous quote from Abraham Lincoln this way, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all of the time, and (my edition) you can’t fool God at any time.” I Samuel 16:7 tells us, “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’”
Remembering that God is always aware of what is going on in our lives should help us to keep things real. As we live our lives to please God, it will help us be more genuine with all of our relationships. Donning disguises is great for Shakespeare, but not in real life.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Fri Apr 25 09:19:20 2008 |
Today's Commentary
No one likes conflict, and yet conflict comes into our lives on many occasions. Some people take the stance that all conflict is bad, and that Christians should avoid conflict at all costs. Well, conflict isn’t pleasant, but not all conflict is bad. Positive things can arise from conflict, if handled properly. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Now, this is indeed good advice, but we know from other scriptures that Paul was no stranger to conflict. Acts 15:37-39 records one disagreement, “Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus. . .” We also read in Galatians 2:11, written by Paul, “When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.” As you read further about these situations, you find that both had positive outcomes. Why? Because the conflict was handled correctly. Mark became a trusted friend of Paul’s, and the conflict in Galatians helped Paul, Peter, and the early church to get on the same page regarding the doctrine of salvation by faith alone.
Stephanie Zonars gives some tips on handling conflict:
1- remain calm: when we attack, others are more likely to attack back; when we are calm, others are more likely to follow suit
2- give personal examples: “when you _________, I felt __________”; stay away from “you always” or other accusatory statements
3- listen: give the other person an opportunity to be heard – it’s amazing what you might learn!
We don’t like conflict, and conflict that is handled badly can be very destructive. However, many constructive ideas and actions are born from conflict that is handled correctly. When the inevitable happens, use it as an opportunity to build!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Thu Apr 24 09:36:04 2008 |
Today's Commentary
One of my favorite Simon and Garfunkel songs is “The Sound of Silence.” Although the title is a sort of an oxymoron, silence is a sound we should experience a little more. However, silence seems to make us uncomfortable. Matthew Kelly writes about a survey taken in the U.S. last year where folks were asked what they most feared. What was feared most was death. The second object of fear was silence. People are afraid of the absence of noise, of sound. We are so used to having sound around us – radios, traffic, machines – that the absence of these things is a frightening proposition. Taking time every day to be silent is a good thing. Taking time every day to sit and pray, meditate, focus on God’s word, focus on our thoughts, is a positive thing. We don’t need to spend a great deal of time in this exercise to reap benefits. Matthew Kelly suggests that just 10 minutes a day can bring us a great deal of peace.
We avoid such things – but it is interesting to see that Christ didn’t. We read in Matthew 14:13, “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” He did this in response to the news of the death of John the Baptist, but there are many other instances where we read about his withdrawal to a private place. If Christ could benefit from such an activity, it would be wise for us to consider doing the same thing. We read Christ’s words in Mark 6:31, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”
Take some time to do this – you will be amazed at the benefits you see in your life. Don’t be afraid to try it – just spend some time in silence. You will probably be amazed at what you are able to see and hear in silence.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Wed Apr 23 09:14:45 2008 |
Today's Commentary
We borrowed a power washer this week to do some cleaning. Have you ever used one of these? They can be really helpful, and they really do a great job of cleaning. One of the tasks we did (to be more accurate, that my wife did) was to clean our deck. The deck is constructed of pressure treated lumber and it had become a little dingy, along with some mold and other goodies attached. The power washer took care of it – cleaned all the “gunk” off, restored the grain of the wood, and got it ready to be stained and sealed. It was really neat to see how clean the deck was after the effects of the power washer!
We need a “power washer” in our lives as well. Sin has stained us, and we do not have the capability of doing anything about this stain. The scripture tells us, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) David understood this. He cried out after he had sinned against the Lord, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me (Psalm 51:3).” But he knew that with the Lord, there is a way to have your sins removed. In Psalm 51:2, 7, & 10, we hear his request, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. . .Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” He knew that God could cleanse his sin – wash his innermost being – and restore him. That is indeed what God will do when we come to him and ask his forgiveness.
We do need a “power washer,” but not of the mechanical variety. Only God has the power to wash our soul and cleanse us from sin. Have you allowed him to cleanse you? If not, let him do what you can’t do for yourself. He will cleanse you, restore you, and seal you by the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). He can do it!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Tue Apr 22 09:11:04 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Dr. Bob Pierce was the founder of World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse, two marvelous ministries. Dr. Pierce died of leukemia in 1978. David Jeremiah shares a story of Dr. Bob’s great heart and compassion. Dr. Bob kept traveling as much as he could, even though he was in great pain from his disease. A doctor prescribed some medication for him to help him sleep. He was on a trip to what is now known as Indonesia and visited the ministry of “Borneo Bob” Williamson. While there, he noticed a young lady lying in the mud by a river. He asked “Borneo Bob” what was wrong with the lady. “Leukemia,” was the reply. “Then why isn’t she in one of the beds in the clinic instead of down by the river?” Borneo Bob told Dr. Pierce that this was the girl’s wish – it was cooler there. Dr. Piece went to talk with her. He asked how she was feeling. “Not well”, she replied through a translator, “I do not sleep because of my disease.” Dr. Pierce thought of his pills. He gave them to Borneo Bob and said, “See to it that she takes these so she can sleep.” It was many days before Dr. Pierce was where he could get some more medicine, so he suffered. When he returned home, a letter was waiting from Borneo Bob. He told Dr. Pierce that the young lady had died, but one of her last statements was “be sure to thank the man who gave me the medicine so I could sleep.”
Who have you helped today? We may never be in a situation where we feel led to make as great a sacrifice as did Dr. Bob Pierce, but we have opportunities to help others at every turn in life’s road. It is just that sometimes we are not willing to make even the smallest sacrifice to help others. What was it that Christ said? “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
(Matthew 25:40). When you have a chance, be sure to help someone else.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Mon Apr 21 14:48:58 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Christ was angry – I mean really angry. He was so angry that he began turning over tables, scattering animals and money everywhere. He was so angry that he made a whip and drove the merchants responsible out of the temple area. It was Passover, and Christ went to the temple to worship – what he found there made him mad. We read about this in John 2:14-16, “In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!’” This actually happened twice in Christ’s ministry. The other event was close to his crucifixion and is recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke.
What was at the root of Christ’s anger? Well, he stated one reason – his Father’s house had been turned into a market. What should have been a procedure for worship had turned into a money-making enterprise. Hmmm. I often wonder what he thinks of some of our activities today. But, I digress. I think another aspect to consider was his knowing what would be happening on a Passover not too far in the future. He was going to die on Passover. He would offer his life for these people, and for us. Let us be sure that we, in our worship, don’t fall into the same trap as did the folks at the temple. Our worship needs to be pure – it needs to be done in honor of what has been done for us. Let’s be sure to please our Lord with our worship, not anger him with our actions. He deserves it!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sun Apr 20 19:14:43 2008 |
Today's Commentary
This morning in our service we studied the gifts that were given for the purpose of building the tabernacle. Exodus 25:1 – 7 tells us “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give. These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.’”
As you can see from this, a lot of wealth was donated for the purpose of building the tabernacle. My point this morning was that the offering of the Israelites was a demonstration of faith. They were showing they truly trusted God because they were giving up part of what would have been their hope for sustenance in their new home. Yet, they freely gave because they knew God would take care of them.
Our offerings should be a demonstration of faith. We show we trust God through our giving. We need to give him our best, knowing that he gave us his best, and he will take care of us. Show your faith!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sat Apr 19 00:55:45 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Yesterday morning we Midwesterners were awakened by something that tends to be more common for our West Coast brothers and sisters - an earthquake. The epicenter was located about 35 miles south of where we live. Although it was not all that destructive (a very good thing for which we are thankful), it did measure 5.2 on the Richter scale, and made us aware if its presence. From a scientific point of view, an earthquake is caused by the shifting of rock plates deep below the earth’s surface. The result is vibrations which are experienced as an earthquake. From a biblical point of view, there is something else going on. We read in Romans 8:20-22, “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” From this, it seems that the “groanings” of the earth are the root cause of many of the earth’s violent tendencies.
We do know that when Adam sinned, not only humankind was affected, but the inanimate part of creation was affected as well. God states in Genesis 3:17, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.” That is why the creation yearns to be “liberated,” and this liberation will occur when our Redeemer sets up his Kingdom, frees the world of sin and the effects of sin, and ultimately ushers in the eternal state. We read in scripture not only about a redeemed people, but a redeemed earth. Until that time, we know things such as earthquakes will be part of our experience. When these happen, they serve to remind us that we should be yearning for what is to come. We need to remember we are strangers and aliens on earth (Hebrews 11:13). But while we are on earth - we need to live as kingdom people. Live as models of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Actually - we need to live in such a way that we shake things up - in a good way, of course!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Fri Apr 18 10:32:30 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Yesterday we talked about how important it is to listen to God. We need to be sure we hear what he says, and heed what we hear. Another important aspect of listening is making sure we hear others. I think one of the great weaknesses among folks today, including folks in churches, is that we don’t listen to one another. We don’t take the time to hear what someone else is trying to say. Listening to each other is an important part of communication, and it certainly needs to be part of our relationships. It is so easy to get into the rut of not truly listening to what other people have to say, including those with whom we are closest - our spouses, our children, close friends. An important part of these relationships is that we are willing to take the time to listen to each other.
James 1:19 tells us, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. . .” Are you quick to listen? Many times we are so enamored with our own voices and what we are saying that we fail to take time to listen to others. Sometimes it may just be a general statement, sometimes it may be something good that has happened they want to share, sometimes it is a problem they want to share. Listening to others is so important. Work on developing your listening skills - it will improve your relationships, it will help you help others, it will help you be helped by others. Be a listener!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Thu Apr 17 08:51:58 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Robins are out in full force now. Yesterday I stood on my front lawn and watched as one after the other swooped down from the sweet gum trees in my neighbor’s yard and enjoyed a buffet dinner of delicious earthworms. There must have been a lot of unsuspecting invertebrates because there were dozens of birds. I used to think that robins used hearing to detect their prey, but upon further research found out they are visual hunters. Of course, the best “hearers” in the bird world are owls. In the dead of night, an owl can hear a mouse running across a field from a ¼ mile away. Can you imagine that? And they are able to “trap” that sound and use it to program their attack. That is truly amazing.
We need to be good “hearers” as well. We need to listen to God, hear what he has to say to us, and “trap” the sound to guide our lives. He encourages us in Psalm 78:1, “O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.” That is great advice! God has much he wants us to know, but we often don’t take the time to hear what he wants to say. It is a shame when he has to say about his people, “You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing (Isaiah 42:20)." Christ said to his disciples, “Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? (Mark 8:18)” We need to keep our ears open! We need to listen to God’s instruction! He will never say anything to us that we don’t need to hear. The problem is, a lot of times, we simply do not listen. Be an owl!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Wed Apr 16 10:40:50 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Last night my wife, my youngest daughter, and I went out to eat. At the restaurant, we were seated by the hostess who asked us if we preferred a booth or a table. We told her our preference and then were seated. My daughter made the remark that when she used to work as a hostess, she never asked the preference, she just lead folks to the best available location. I asked her if anyone ever asked for a different place, and, of course, they did upon occasion. Her remark was, “You should always trust your host or hostess because they will know the best seat – where you will be served the fastest, where the view and atmosphere will be the best. At least, that is how I always worked to seat people.”
Now, I don’t know much about the restaurant business or if this is true at all times, but it did get me thinking of an analogy. You need to trust the host or hostess because they know the best place for you. Hmmm. Sound familiar? Proverbs 3:4 & 5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own undersdanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.” Whether or not this can be stated as a general fact in restaurants, it certainly is true of our Lord. He will always lead us to the best places, he always has our best interests at heart, and he (with apologies to hosts and hostesses everywhere) is never wrong! We sometimes ask to “be seated” elsewhere, but God does know the best place for us!
Whether or not you trust your host or hostess, that I will leave up to you. However, trusting God is another matter! Let him seat you where He wants to!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Tue Apr 15 09:21:01 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Well, today is the day! Do you have yours done? “What did I need to have done?” you say? TAXES!!! Did I hear an “AAAAHHHHHH!!” out there? Yep, it is that day! Have them done by midnight tonight, or, well, I don’t want to discuss the consequences here. Now, I know that most of us don’t like to pay taxes, but do you want to ride on really bumpy roads? What about state parks? What about police protection? Yep, taxes, as much as we don’t like to say it, are necessary.
Christ didn’t argue with paying taxes. When he was asked about paying taxes by the Pharisees, he replied, “ ‘Show me the coin used for paying the tax..’ They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, ‘Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?’’Caesar's,’ they replied.Then he said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.’” (Matthew 22:19-21). At another time, when asked about the temple tax, he performed a miracle to obtain the coins necessary for the tax (Matthew 17).
We don’t like taxes, but they are a way to pay for things we like to have around. Christ demonstrated his feelings about the taxes – and as we pay them, we know we are fulfilling the statement of Romans 13 to submit to governments. All I can say is, I need to get to the post office!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Mon Apr 14 10:01:17 2008 |
Today's Commentary
One of my tasks at home that I usually do anywhere from late fall to early spring is prune
our hydrangeas. The old growth needs to be cut back so that energy can be channeled to develop new growth. I am really late this year – and to be quite frank, I don’t know what I am doing. I haven’t killed the plants yet, and I really don’t know the best time to do it or the best way. I just know it needs to be done and what I do has allowed the plants to continue to grow. I haven’t killed them yet (which would be a shame)!
We often need to do some pruning in our lives. There needs to be some things done to allow us to continue to grow and develop. Sometimes we are talking about some physical pruning – making changes, eliminating things that are not good for us, adopting healthier lifestyles, and things like this. These exercises (and maybe the pruning process involves exercise) are helpful and can improve our way of life.
There are times when we need to do some spiritual pruning – doing things that help us grow spiritually. This, too, may involve making changes, eliminating things that are harmful, adopting things that would be beneficial and would enhance our relationship with our Lord. Paul says he prays for his readers in Colossians 1:10, “And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,” In order to produce good fruit, pruning is a necessary operation. And, we must also remember that self-pruning can help us to avoid pruning from our Father!
So, get out those clippers! Do away with what is harmful – let the good grow up! In this way, you will indeed bear good fruit and be pleasing to God!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sun Apr 13 08:12:43 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Do you like where you live? I mean, do you like the house in which you live? Some folks are just fine with where they live. Some folks are not satisfied with where they live - they want something better, something bigger, something flashier. If you’ve lived where you lived for awhile, you have probably done some redecorating, maybe even some remodeling. We also need to do repairs on our homes from time to time.
We are studying the tabernacle in our morning service. God gave instructions to the Israelites for the tabernacle - the place where he would dwell. This tabernacle was made of the finest materials, it was made in a specific way. God’s intention was to show his people that he wanted to dwell among them. He told the people in Exodus 25:9, “Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.”
God wanted a house, not because he needed a house, but because he wanted to show all the people he wanted to be with them. And he always seemed to be happy with his house - it never wore out, despite all the travel and use. The problem was, the people did not always show him that they were happy that he was there. That is a shame. Yet, he still showed that he wanted to be among them.
He still wants to live with us - but now he wants to live within us. For those of us who know him, we know that he lives within us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 6:19 tells us, “What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” Do you suppose he ever gets tired or dissatisfied of where he lives? Do you suppose he is always happy with where he lives? I hope we make him feel welcome and always live in a way that shows we want him there. Make sure God likes where he lives!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sat Apr 12 22:10:23 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Did you watch the NCAA basketball finals this past week? The women’s final was a good game, but didn’t provide nearly the drama as did the men’s because the game was not nearly as close. Tennessee took care of business in the women’s final. It is sort of a shame that Memphis didn’t as that would have meant that both national champions would be from the same state. Memphis could have, and should have, won their game. They were up by 9 points with 2 minutes to go, but then Kansas tied the game in regulation and won the game in overtime. What happened? Well, Memphis had a problem. All season long the team was plagued by poor free throw shooting. Now, when Coach Calipari was questioned about this during the season, he would usually dismiss it by saying they would make up for this problem in other areas, and they would come through when they needed to. He even got a little irritated at the questions.
Guess what happened? Well, if you watched the game, you know what happened. Kansas started fouling the Memphis players at the end of the game. Memphis players missed 4 out of 5 free throws, and the rest is history. If they had made just one more free throw, they would have been national champions. What they had said was not a problem certainly was a problem and it came back to haunt them.
Sometimes in life we tend to treat problems this way – just ignore them and hope that other things will “compensate” for the problem, or hope that the problem will just go away. Maybe it is a sin problem – something that is going on that simply shouldn’t be done. The problem needs to be confronted, confessed and steps toward change need to be made. Psalm 32:5 encourages us to deal with our sin, “’Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.’ I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD -- and you forgave the guilt of my sin.’”
Had the Tigers addressed the problem of their free throw shooting, who knows what might have happened? They would probably be national champions. But, they didn’t. If we don’t address our problems, there will be consequences as well. Confront, confess and change!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Fri Apr 11 08:15:35 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Are there things you use in your life, perhaps at home, at work, or at other times, that you really don’t have a clear understanding as to how they work? I am sure that if you thought for just a few moments, you could come up with quite a list. For one thing, I am not sure exactly how the color printer that is attached to this computer works. I mean, I put text, pictures and graphics on a project that is on the screen, hit the print control, and out pops a printed project with all the right colors where they should be, text where it should be, and so forth. Now, I understand fundamentally that ink is sprayed on the page in just the right amounts and colors to produce the project, but exactly how does the printer know all the right information? That I don’t understand. However, this doesn’t keep me from using the printer for things I need to produce!
Many folks don’t follow the Lord because they say they “don’t understand how what the Bible says could be true.” They don’t understand the miracles, the resurrection, Christ’s teachings about heaven and hell, many other things. And they use their inability to understand as a barrier to following Christ. There is a simple answer here - there are many things we don’t understand and yet our lack of understanding does not hinder the benefit we receive from what we don’t understand. Case in point: the illustration I used above. Ecclesiastes 11:5 tells us, “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.” God’s Word tells us there are many things about God we do not, and actually cannot, understand. He tells us in Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways. . ."
Don’t let your inability to understand all you think you need to understand about the Lord stand as a barrier between you and the Lord. There are many things in life we don’t fully understand. There are many times we put our trust in things we don’t fully understand. So, what is keeping you from fully trusting God?
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Thu Apr 10 00:10:50 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Mart DeHaan cites a Baylor University column in a recent article. The article is about peoples’ beliefs concerning God’s anger. It states the following: A 2006 Baylor Religion Survey found that Americans have very different opinions about whether God is inclined to be angry. According to the Baylor study:
• 23 percent believe in a God of goodwill who shows up in our lives and is not inclined to be angry.
• 31.4 percent believe in an authoritarian God who is very involved in our lives and s us to do.
• 24.4 percent believe in a critical God who, although not so involved with us, will show His displeasure by punishment in the hereafter.
• 16 percent believe in a distant God who is neither involved with us nor inclined to be angry.
• 5.2 percent say they are atheists.
This survey shows that very few believe in the anger of God. Now, it is not a pleasant thing to think about, but the reality is God does get angry and will reflect his anger against those who continue to oppose him. Psalm 86:15 does tell us that “. . .you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” However, we are also told in Psalm 7:11 “God is angry with the wicked every day.” Christ expressed anger on more than one occasion during his time on earth. We also read of his anger and judgment when he returns to judge the world at the end of the Tribulation (Revelation 19:11-16).
Now, we don’t like to think about God’s anger. But, for those who continue to oppose him, they are on a path where they will experience God’s anger. I don’t want to be in that position - I don’t think you do either. Avoiding his anger requires aligning with him through faith in his Son. Avoid his anger - trust him!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Wed Apr 9 07:50:25 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Do you have a good friend? One of the greatest things we can have is someone we consider a good friend - someone who laughs at our goofs, is there for us in our sorrows, helps us to be accountable, and, now this is sometimes hard, is not afraid to give us sound advice, even when the advice is hard. In other words, they just won’t tell us what we want to hear. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” It takes time to build such a relationship, but it is time well spent. Going through life without such a friend makes the road less enjoyable and sometimes makes it more difficult.
The scripture tells us much about friendship, and even gives us some examples. One was the friendship that existed between Jonathan and David. Despite his father’s hatred of David, Jonathan was determined to stick by his friend at all times. This caused him some unpleasant moments, but he never deserted his friend. We read some about this friendship in I Samuel 18:1-5, “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.”
Take time to develop friendships - they are so important. And remember that true friendships are two-way streets - the best way to have a good friend is to be a good friend! Enjoy your friendships!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Tue Apr 8 09:18:19 2008 |
Today's Commentary
We all know that we need sleep, but many of us don't pay any attention to this. We don't get the rest we need because we are pushing too hard, struggling with the "tyranny of the urgent," trying to meet deadlines. This isn't good for us and can cause many problems. I got this from a website on the importance of sleep: Skipping one night's sleep makes a person cranky and clumsy. After missing two nights of sleep, a person will have problems thinking and doing things; his or her brain and body can't do their normal tasks nearly as well. After five nights without sleep, a person will hallucinate (this means seeing things that aren't actually there). Eventually, it becomes impossible for the brain to give its directions to the rest of the body without sleep - the brain needs sleep! This is simply the way we were made!
There are many references to sleep in the scripture. There is some warning in Proverbs about excessive sleep, and laziness, but for the most part the references are simply acknowledging the reality of sleep. However, we do find some references as to how one can ensure sound sleep. A profound trust in God brings to us the ability to sleep soundly – knowing that all is well in his hands. Psalm 3:5 says, "I will lay down and sleep. I wake again because the Lord sustains me." Psalm 4:8 says, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make dwell in safety." Proverbs 3:23 tells us, ". . .when you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." All these verses give us a great tip on how to get good sleep: Trust God!
We can rely upon him, and when we do, he brings peace to our lives. This can be better than a sleep number mattress! Remember what a lack of sleep can do – get the rest you need. And to enhance your sleep time - give whatever is on you mind to God. Pleasant dreams!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Mon Apr 7 10:34:37 2008 |
Today's Commentary
We have been hearing about the importance of missionary endeavors during our prophecy conference. Our speaker, Dr. Henry Benach, has been involved in many evangelistic endeavors in a number of places all over the world. The following article was sent to me by “American Minute” and I thought I would share it with you. It is the story of how the Gospel came to the Hawaiian Islands.
Henry Opukahai'a was an orphan raised by his uncle to be a pagan priest but he became disillusioned with rituals and chants and left Hawaii for New England with a friend, Thomas Hopu. They were befriended by Yale students and became the first Hawaiian Christians. Henry studied Greek and Hebrew and translated parts of the Bible. In his memoirs, which sold 500,000 copies after his death in 1818, Henry Opukahai'a wrote:
"My poor countrymen, without knowledge of the true God, and ignorant of the future world, have no Bible to read, no Sabbath." This inspired Thomas Hopu and Hiram Bingham to be the first missionaries to Hawaii, arriving MARCH 31, 1820. Devising a 12-letter alphabet, they translated the Bible, set up a school, a church, and a newspaper.
Idolatry and human sacrifice had previously been ended by King Kamehameha II and his Queen mother Ka'ahumanu. Just prior to her death, Queen Ka'ahumanu, who had helped spread the Gospel in the islands, was presented with the newly completed version of the New Testament in the Hawaiian language. Her last words were: "I am going where the mansions are ready."
This is just one of many stories that show us the importance of supporting missionary endeavors. It is a way of fulfilling the Great Commission, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20)."
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sun Apr 6 08:16:19 2008 |
Today's Commentary
I know you have times in your life that you look back upon and remember as a time when you learned how to do something for the first time, or you learned some lesson that still makes a difference in your life even now. One of those times for me was when I broke an antenna off of my grandpa's 1954 Ford sedan. I don't remember how old I was, but I was fairly young. He was at our house. I saw the car, I knew the radio didn't work, so why did he need an antenna? Off came the antenna! Do you know what my grandpa did? He sawed a piece off an old broom handle, drilled a hole in the center of the wood, put the antenna in the handle, and made a rather unusual, but usable, fishing pole. Then, he took me fishing. Believe it or not, I did catch fish with that pole!
I not only learned how to catch fish, I also learned the importance of forgiveness, of second chances. My grandpa was good at doing this - forgiving people. He developed this characteristic through his desire to emulate God. God is also good at forgiveness. He is good at second chances. If we could not depend upon the forgiveness of God, we know we would not have a hope of eternal life. Psalm 130:3-4 tells us, "If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness. . ." I learned about this in many ways - but one of the first lessons and one of my most memorable lessons about God's forgiveness came from a broken antenna. I have never forgotten that lesson - and I never will.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sat Apr 5 09:36:00 2008 |
Today's Commentary
I caught the last few seconds of the men’s basketball National Invitational Tournament championship Thursday evening. Ohio State defeated the University of Massachusetts for the NIT championship. Now, many of you know that the NIT has become more or less a “consolation” tournament for those teams who don’t make it into the NCAA tournament. The NIT is an older tournament by one year over the NCAA (1938 was the first year it was played), and until the 1950’s was the preeminent tournament as it was played in New York. TV changed that, and now the NCAA is what is coveted by college teams. Of course, the NIT does offer a consolation for those who don’t make it to the main tournament, the NCAA, and many teams are grateful for this opportunity.
While this is a nice scenario for basketball, it is important to remember that there is no “NIT” is God’s game plan. God has made it plain he only has one plan - one way - to please him and receive his favor. This is only accomplished through placing your faith in God’s Son - Christ - as Savior. Jesus himself says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” There is no consolation path for those who don’t follow God’s way. While this may sound exclusive, remember that God was the one who paid the price for entrance into his “tournament” - the gift of his Son. And, you don’t need to walk around hoping you might make it in, admission is guaranteed when your accept God’s gift.
Remember, the idea of consolation games and tournaments are great for sports, but not in real life. God has taken care of the entrance requirements for the best for us - why should we want to settle for a consolation?
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Fri Apr 4 10:46:50 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Starting this Sunday, we are having special services at our church featuring Dr. Henry Benach of Jewish End-Time Ministries. Dr. Benach is a Jew who has accepted Yeshua ha Meshiach (Jesus the Messiah). He has a real burden for his people and his ministry is establishing ministries in many countries of the world to spread the good news of Christ to those there who do not know Him. We are looking forward to hearing from Henry and his sharing with us many insights on how God is working to bring about his purposes in his people, and also to hear about prophecy concerning the nation of Israel and end time events.
Much of what we see happening in the Middle East now lends to the idea that God is indeed at work bringing things about which will usher in the end times. We don’t know how close they might be, we can’t predict the exact time, but you can see the stage being set if you have an understanding of biblical statements about end time events and circumstances. For example, Ezekiel predicts the restoration of Israel as a nation in Ezekiel 36, “For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.” In addition, Ezekiel predicts a time when nations surrounding Israel will align against Israel. Ezekiel 38:15-16 tells us, “You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.” This is yet to happen, but the modern political climate in the middle East certainly demonstrates the possibility of this reality.
Come hear of these things and much more during our services next week – they start each evening at 7 – we hope to see you, if you can make it! For those of you who live to far away to travel – start reading and looking, the Lord is near!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Thu Apr 3 11:02:08 2008 |
Today's Commentary
I sing with a group from our church called The Believers. Some of you know this. We just learned a new song that I really enjoy. The name of the song is “He Saw It All.” It is based on some of the miracles of Christ and has some rather ironic lyrics, such as the last line of the chorus, “It’s hard to believe, but if you don’t trust me, ask the blind man, he saw it all.” Let me share with you the lyrics of the entire refrain:
I was trying to catch the crippled man, did he run past this way?
He was rushing home to tell everyone what Jesus did today.
And the mute man was telling myself and the deaf girl
He’s leaving to answer God’s call.
It’s hard to believe, but if you don’t trust me,
Ask the blind man, he saw it all
Isn’t that a great hope? This is the hope we have in Christ – that someday through him we will all be restored. Most of us experience physical afflictions of one sort or another and to varying degrees of intensity. There will be a time when all of these afflictions will be thought of no more. Christ promises, for those who know him, complete restoration when we achieve our final home with him. Revelation 22:2-3 tells us, “On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse.” That is the hope of all who know him. I’m looking forward to meeting some of the people Christ healed during his earthly ministry. I have the hope that one day I will because of Christ’s provision for me. Make sure you let him provide for you.
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Wed Apr 2 09:21:56 2008 |
Today's Commentary
It may be April, but it’s still chilly. I had to start our cars this morning to take care of the frost on the windows before we could leave. When I started our van, I noticed something interesting – the reflection of the sun in the driver’s side mirror had already melted a “mirror shaped” portion of the frost on the side window. Of course, it was obvious that it was the sun that actually did the melting, but the mirror helped to focus the sun.
This is what we as believers should be doing in our lives – reflecting God’s light to others. When Moses came down from the mountain the second time, people couldn’t look at him because his face shown so brightly. We read in Exodus 34:29ff, “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. . .When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the LORD's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.” Now, it was not Moses who was doing the shining – his face was simply reflecting the glory of God which he had been privileged to witness. But, it was so bright, he had to put something over his face in order to talk with the people!
Our lives should be reflecting God just that strongly. It was not the mirror that was doing the melting, nor was it actually Moses’ face doing the shining – they were both reflecting something else. But, the mirror and Moses were reflecting so well, it was evident what they were reflecting! Do you reflect God in your life? I don’t just mean every now and then, but every day! If not, better get the Windex out and start doing some polishing! Let others see what God is like as they see you living a life that reflects God!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Tue Apr 1 10:50:43 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Well, guess what today is? April Fool’s Day! No, no fooling – it’s April 1, and you know what that means. I never was an avid “April fooler.” Seems like one can make better use of time than to think of a practical joke to pull on April Fool’s Day. Grief, who am I kidding? I may not be one to pull many April Fool’s jokes, but when one gets pulled on me or I see a good one, I enjoy it about as much as anyone.
You know, it really is interesting to see how much the Scripture has to say about fools. One of the more straightforward statements is found in Psalm 14:1 and 53:1, “The fool says in his heart, ’There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Pretty straight talk, isn’t it? God does want us to know he is serious when it comes to the need of believing in him and his plan of redemption through his Son, Christ. He warns there are consequences for not following him, and this is no April Fool’s joke. Some treat the belief in God as a joke and scoff and what the Bible has to say about our lives, but this is not something at which to scoff.
So, don’t be an “April Fool,” Allow God to be a part of your life. Let the words of Psalm 91:1 (instead of 14:1 or 53:1) characterize your life: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Mon Mar 31 09:00:42 2008 |
Today's Commentary
I was watching the news yesterday afternoon when a name I hadn’t heard for years came across the telecast - Bernie Carbo. Now, unless you are a Cincinnati Reds or a Boston, Red Sox fan, you probably won’t recognize this name. He came up with the Reds in 1969, had a great rookie year in 1970, hitting 21 home runs. Carbo didn’t fit the “conservative” mold of the Reds because of his flamboyance, so he was traded, eventually ending up with the Red Sox. There, he did some things in the 1975 World Series (against the Reds, as many of you remember) that has made him the answer to a couple of sports trivia questions: “Who holds the record for the most pinch-hit home runs in a World Series?” (Carbo, 2,actually shares this record) and “Who hit the home run which tied the game and set up Carlton Fisk’s famous game winning home run in the 6th game of the 1975 series?” (Carbo).
What I found more interesting is what Carbo is doing now - he is an evangelist who travels and speaks at churches across the nation. In the interview on TV he tells of how he wants to impress on as many people as he can that God loves them and wants to have a relationship with them. He also speaks in schools on anti-drug themes and positive self image themes. It was great to see the impact he is having on folks now. I was a Carbo fan, and was disappointed when the Reds traded him in 1972, but it is nice to see that we are indeed playing on the same team. As many people as he might have influenced as a professional baseball player, more are being influenced by his ministry now. And the message he now conveys has a greater impact - we can live forever with God if we make the right decision.
God asks the question in Isaiah 6:8, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I (Isaiah) said, "Here am I. Send me!" It is good that Bernie Carbo answered God’s call. But we don’t have to be a former professional ballplayer to be used of God - he wants to and can use you, if you say yes to him. I hope that you have because it is indeed time to “play ball!”
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sun Mar 30 08:28:46 2008 |
Today's Commentary
As I have written before, we are going through Exodus in our Sunday morning worship service. Today we start a study of the tabernacle – its construction and its relevance (You can read about this starting in Exodus 25). I am looking forward to this study as I hope it will be challenging and also a reminder of a wonderful truth – God wants to live with us. That is one of the reasons for the tabernacle – to be a perpetual reminder of the reality that God wants to be with his people. A big question is: Do we want to live with him?
When I was a young child, I really looked forward to going to my grandparents. These were my maternal grandparents – my paternal grandfather died before I was born and my paternal grandmother died when I was pretty young. Mom’s folks were really special to me and I really enjoyed packing a bag and going to stay with them. They only lived about 3 miles from us, but there was something about going there and know I was going to get to stay. I enjoyed being with them, I enjoyed staying with them. Now, mind you, I loved my parents, but when it was time for me to go back home, well, I really didn’t like those times. I enjoyed being with Papaw and Mamaw.
That is how it should be with God and us. We should want to be with him. We should want to spend time with him. I would imagine that our loved ones who are with him right now would protest greatly if they had to come back here. While we are here, we should demonstrate with our lives how much we want to be with our God. We sing the praise chorus, “Better is one day in your house than thousands elsewhere,” which is based on Psalm 84:10. Do we really mean that? I hope we do! I hope you like spending time with God. He has proved to us in so many ways how much he enjoys spending time with us!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Sat Mar 29 14:20:43 2008 |
Today's Commentary
What is it about getting behind the wheel of a car that can turn us into fire-breathing dragons at times? This used to be the stuff of jokes, but in recent years the increase of “road rage” incidents has taken the laughter off of the road! Incidents of people being hurt, and even killed, because of road rage incidents are on rise – up to about 1,200 cases per year! There are websites (such as www.roadragers.com) designed to help folks deal with road rage. This condition is caused by a number of factors such as overcrowding of road systems, too many stressed-out drivers, a decrease in civility in society in general. Still, these are not good excuses for allowing road rage to develop. Proverbs 29:11 tells us, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”
How can you be wise and control this specific type of anger? One thing is to work on anger in your life in general – do some things to help with that – slow down, decrease your stress, do whatever it takes to help. Some specifics about managing road rage are: adjust your expectations on how much time you think it should take to get from point A to point B; leave a little earlier to get where you are going, talk to yourself before getting behind the wheel – remind yourself that the unexpected should be expected; and check out some of the tips given at websites such as the one listed above! Be safe! This should be an extension of your Christian witness, and also can help others to be safe as well!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Fri Mar 28 09:22:15 2008 |
Today's Commentary
Well, the weather is at it again! We are getting more rain, and our nice spring temperatures have gone away for now. Now, mind you, this is not a complaint! I don’t want to move my bracelet (see my devotional for Sunday, March 16th , for an explanation of this), and I really am not complaining. Too much water can pose problems, but we need water to live. You can go for many days without food, but just a few without water. We need water for the crops, our gardens, our flowers, our animals. All plant life needs water. You just can’t get along without it!
This is why the woman at the well of Sychar (John 4) was so interested when Jesus first spoke to her of drinking from a well and never thirsting again. I would imagine she (and so many others) would enjoy not having to make the daily trek to the well to draw water. No more carrying heavy pots. No more lifting pots out of the well. She said to Christ, “Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water (John 4:15).” However, the water she was seeking was not the water to which Christ was referring. As he continued to expound, it became clear to the lady that he was talking about something more than just water she could get from a well in the ground. What he said to her amazed her, and caused her to go get some more of the townspeople.
The water Christ was describing was himself – and the reality he was describing was that when one accepted him, one’s spiritual thirst would be eternally quenched. We need this water even more desperately than we need H20. I hope you have taken a drink from this well that is supplied by Christ. One drink, and your will be eternally quenched. If you haven’t, drink today, and know that you won’t thirst tomorrow!
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Pastor Steve
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| Date: |
Thu Mar 27 09:18:29 2008 |
Today's Commentary
The NCAA and NIT basketball tournaments are going on. I enjoy watching the games. Those gyms are certainly not very quiet places! From what I read in the Scripture, Heaven is really not going to be a very quiet place. I know that Revelation 8:1 says, “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” But this silence is in response to the revelation of the terrible judgment that is going to be poured out on earth. Other than that, we see a number of references to noise in the Scripture. Psalm 150 is devoted to this, “"Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." This is a description of our praise here on earth, but I think it is indicative of the perpetual praise that will be going on throughout all eternity.
There is a time for silence, and there is a time for noise. We as followers of Christ should not be silent about our relationship with the Lord. We need to let others know what Christ has done for us, and let others know what Christ can do for them.
As Christ was entering Jerusalem on Sunday of the Crucifixion week, a large crowd gathered and was calling out to him. Some Pharisees told Christ he should silence the people. We find Christ’s reply in Lu | |
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