Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Bring a Friend to church Sunday! I think it's a pretty big deal. When I was growing up we had a special "high attendance" Sunday every Spring and Fall. It was always exciting to see what we were going to do to encourage our community to come to church.

These special Sundays have kind of fallen to the wayside in recent years. Every Lord's day is special for sure, but there is nothing wrong in getting excited and having one special day together. Thousands of churches across the US are participating. Just think, maybe this could be the start of a national revival!

So regardless if your church is "participating or not take time right now and pray. Ask God to lay on your heart who you can talk to today about joining you in church tomorrow. It could be a life changing experience for both of you. Amen?

Invite someone to church today! See you in church tomorrow. Amen?

Church Feelings

I recently was reminded about a guy who complained to his mother that he didn’t feel like going to church that morning.

His mom said, “What are you talking about. Get out of bed and get going. Why on earth would you stay home from church?”

The man said, “I’ll give you two reasons. First, I don’t like those people. And second, they don’t like me.”

His mother said, “Well I’ll give you two reasons you should go. First, you’re fifty-nine years old. … And second, you’re the Pastor!” 

Regardless who you are sometimes we don't "feel" like going to church. There's lots of good reasons why we should go.Sociologist’s studies over the past twenty years show that those who attend church regularly have:

·         lower blood pressure

·         happy outlooks

·         better marriages

·         less divorces

·         and longer lives! 

The biggest reason to go is that you'll meet Jesus and His people there. I hope you have taken advantage of this Lord's day, and went to your church. There is no better place to be!

Amen?

Church Hope

The local church is the hope of the world. - Bill Hybels

Hebrews 10:19-25 says,

¹⁹ Brothers and sisters, because of the blood of Jesus we can now confidently go into the holy place. ²⁰ Jesus has opened a new and living way for us to go through the curtain. (The curtain is his own body.) ²¹ We have a superior priest in charge of God’s house. ²² We have been sprinkled with his blood to free us from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with clean water. So we must continue to come to him with a sincere heart and strong faith. ²³ We must continue to hold firmly to our declaration of faith. The one who made the promise is faithful. ²⁴ We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. ²⁵ We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming. (GW)

Only 20% of Americans make it to church on Sunday mornings. I believe Hybels has it right. We, believers in Christ, must be his hands and feet to the world. May we not be ashamed of the Gospel of be afraid to be the church God wants us to be. Amen?

This Sunday, May 1st is Friend Day. See you in church! 

Amen?

Prompts

We have all heard that we are to live out our faith so that others will see Christ in us. Some times we have to use words and say what we believe in order to get people to understand.

Even Jesus had to do it at the tomb of his friend in John 11:41-42 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 

 Continue to live a life of grace. Look at 2 Timothy 1:9 -  He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

Always be ready to speak when God prompts you. Amen?

Birthdays

Birthdays are an interesting subject. When we are kids we can't wait, but as adults they are a reminder of our mortality. Not that I dread having a birthday. This year's has been fantastic! I had a great surprise with my son and family blessing us over the weekend. We had a lot of fun. Our family needed a good "coming together" experience. The last couple of months haven't been so happy of occasions...

Which takes me back to a reminder of mortality. Besides speaking at Dad's funeral I have officiated at 5 other funerals in the last ten weeks. Now that's a shot of reality especially when two were my age. As I shared yesterday I try to go in to "Biblical application mode" when hard times hit and use Romans 5:3-5. My interpretation on how to deal with hardships: 

I need to be patient, quiet, still, and wait for the Lord's help (and not try to "fix" it myself). 

I need to learn and apply my hurt to ministering to others (starting in my home and family).

 I need to never lose sight of the Great Hope Christ offers even in my circumstance (keep my focus vertical even when the world is falling apart to my right and left). 

I need to apply my walk and life experience with God to everything I do or think (by putting Jesus first it helps bring order).

I hope I apply Paul's philosophy about life and death - it's all bonus! If I die I'm with Christ. If I live I get to tell others about Jesus, and have the Holy Spirit living in me.

Pretty good deal right?

I am looking forward to see what God has in store for my family, church, and me in the years ahead. Whatever it is I'm sure it will be awesome as long as we keep looking up for our direction!

Amen?

May God bless you in a special way today and may you put a smile on His face.

Love in Christ, Pastor Ty

Handling Hard Times

No one likes, hardships, troubles, loss, pain, or suffering. The Bible calls it tribulation. The good news is that we can grow, learn, and even benefit from them.

 And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  - Romans 5:3-5

 I like this break down of this teaching from Paul.
1. Tribulation brings patience.

2. Patience brings experience.

3. Experience brings hope.  

4. This hope enables us to not be ashamed. 

 Are you going through trials right now? Most of us are to one degree or another. The difference is how we approach and handle them. 

Here's my working interpretation: 

I need to be patient, quiet, still, and wait for the Lord's help (and not try to "fix" it myself). 

I need to learn and apply my hurt to ministering to others (starting in my home and family).

 I need to never lose sight of the Great Hope Christ offers even in my circumstance (keep my focus vertical even when the world is falling apart to my right and left). 

I need to apply my walk and life experience with God to everything I do or think (by putting Jesus first it helps bring order).

Apply God's Word and the world's hurts to your life. Honor Jesus through it all . Amen?

Great Hope!

All believers are God’s children, and we given a Great Hope! We are promised this in His Word.

Let's look at 1 John 3:1-3 from The Message:

 What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to. But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.
 

When God's Hope becomes our Hope, then it can become the World’s Hope – If we share it!

Receive and tell of the great Hope that God has given you. Amen?

Living Life

People always want to know a secret, but with God there are no secrets only promises! Let's look at Romans 8 today, and God's promises to believers.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. ²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.  

Believers have a new prayer guide:

A. His identity - the Holy Spirit
B. His intercession - prays for us when we don’t know what we should pray for
C. His intensity -The Holy Spirit is the power source we need to be plugged in to. Look at:
1. How He prays - in our groaning
2. What He prays - for us to be in harmony with God’s will

Believers have a new confidence.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

What is God calling you to do today?

Live your life God's way. Amen?

Wiser

All of us carry with us the collective wisdom passed on to us by the people who’ve been most significant in our lives. We’ve picked this wisdom up from parents, friends, teachers, leaders, relatives, and all the people who shaped and molded us as we were growing up. The Bible says in Proverbs 4:7-8, Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.

What wise sayings have you taken hold of that guides you?

Here are some “pearls” on being wise you may have heard:

Knowledge talks, wisdom listens.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!

Only the wisest and the stupidest of men never change.

Don’t let your victories go to your head, or your failures go to your heart.

I don’t know what the key to success is, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone.

When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends.

The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work unless it’s open.

Don’t look where you fall, but where you slipped.

If you are not part of the cure, then you are part of the problem.

The only time you run out of chances is when you stop taking them.

The best things in life are not things.

An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.

Think like a man of action, and act like a man of thought.

He who knows others is learned; he who knows himself is wise.

What kind of wisdom did people pass on to you?

Some of it was probably pretty good, and some of it was probably wrong. Part of growing up is sorting through that stuff, keeping the truly wise, and rejecting the unwise.

Seek wisdom - start with the Word it will help you sort it all out. Amen?

You Can Do It

Have you ever heard? Whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you’re right! Today let's consider the Word of God on this subject.

                                                                                                                     Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. Matthew 21:21

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17

Let's always do it God’s way. Amen?

Truth Sharing

I love Romans chapter 10 for many reasons. It tells us how to receive Christ as Savior and how to witness this truth to the world. Look at verses 8-9, But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:  That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

A few years ago my son who was on a mission trip worked at a VBS in Haiti. In spite of a language difficulties they were able to share the Bible's timeless truth of salvation through Christ. Praise the Lord that 71 said Yes to Christ, and are now part of our spiritual family, the church.

 We are all told to be God’s witnesses for the sake of Christ. Look at verse 17, Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

We need to: 1. Know Jesus. 2. Know the Word. 3. Know how to serve and Go!

Remember to always preach Christ, if necessary use words. Amen?

Kingdom

If you don’t know the King how can you live in His kingdom? In John 3 Jesus says: “you cannot enter (the Kingdom) unless you are born again”  and Mark 10:15 tells us that the kingdom of God belongs to those with an open acceptance of Christ like a child. Romans 10:9-12 declares;  If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

I pray you have taken this step, and with fear and trembling are taking steps toward wisdom. We see in the story of Solomon and the temple the acts of preparing, asking, and receiving godly wisdom. His calling to be king is fulfilled by the acceptance to be God’s servant. To do great things in the kingdom we too must accept the role of a servant. Consider these avenues of acceptance:

1.     Admit inadequacies – When we ask, “How God?” it reeks pride, lack of belief, and remembering God is able to do all! We are the ones who need Him.

2.     Surrender – May we be like Isaiah who exclaimed, “Here I am, send me!”  Remember: Saved souls = Changed lives!                             

Deuteronomy 7:6; For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.                                 

Colossians 3:12; Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Accept the calling to abundant living in Christ! Amen?