The Word to Live By! January 22, 2012

Welcome to a brand new year, a time to regroup, a time to challenge our selves to greater spiritual depth. We trust you sense the presence of the Lord as we join together to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth! May we work at being more involved in the things of the Lord as we walk through this brand new year.  You are always welcome in this Church family.

“That He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. − Deuteronomy 8:3

I am so blessed to have a Church family who loves me and prays for me! I want to thank you for your love, prayer, flowers and encouragement that you have given me in this unsettled time of my life.  God has been gracious to me and all is well.  I exceedingly want to thank Dr. Anderson for filling my pulpit these past weeks and for the faithfulness of our Church family to carry on in my absence. My greatest joy last year was to hear my brother made eternal reservations. Now as we move forward in the New Year, let’s talk about the power of the Word. I have always preached concerning the Word of God and have encouraged the saints to “fill up” on the Word of God, this is still my message for 2012.  The Word of God gives life!  But it must go beyond our understanding into our heart where it grows into the strength of our life!  I read somewhere these past few weeks that it is good to set aside a “Word” to live by for the New Year!  You know I loved that remark for I thought of the Word of God!  Words like Peace, Joy, Lovingkindness, change, forgiveness, grow; all Scriptural Words that could bring great growth and life to the individual as we face this wonderful new year. Isa 11:1-2  comes to mind:  “And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of His roots: And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; … This is the kind of ‘Growth’ that we need – As we ‘grow’ in the Branch, Jesus, The Spirit of the Lord will be implemented in our life!  We need the Spirit of God in this Coming New Year to fill our life with the power of His Holy Word.  Choose a Word, pursue the Scripture regarding that Word and seek to keep that Word in front of you in this New Year! My Word-Grow …Eph. 4:15 “Speaking the truth in Love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:  ─ Loving you, Pastor

The Midnight Hour - January 15, 2012

“Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.“  Lk. 12:40

Thoughts given by Dr. Nancy Anderson:
As I contemplate on my own life, my thought is: “Am I ready to meet my Savior — do I diligently follow after my Lord, seeking Him with my whole heart and living it. As I look at the church in general, I fear not every professing Christian is ready to meet the Lord. Although Douglas MacArthur graduated from West Point at the top of his class, he continued to prepare to serve his country. He studied every military textbook he could get his hands on, visited battlegrounds, reviewed the tactics of victors and losers. While other young officers were playing cards or practicing their golf swing, MacArthur ignored the social whirl to make himself better prepared as a future leader. He even insisted on having his appendix removed just in case it would ever cause him to be incapacitated with an attack at a crucial time. We know his battle plans were vital in the victory of World War II. Why? Because he was prepared! Are we as diligent to prepare for the coming of the Lord? Scripture tells us He will come at a “midnight hour” ... not necessarily at that time of night, but at a time when we are unaware of his coming. Will we be found sleeping, unprepared? Whatever time He calls, I pray we will hear the Bridegroom’s voice as our Beloved says: “Rise up, my love, my fair one and come away.” What a glorious day that will be! 

Continue in Prayer! January 8, 2012

We are blessed that you have come to celebrate the New Year with the Commerce family, may the Blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ overtake you in the New Year and may His Presence surround you throughout the New Year!  You are always loved and welcomed in our Church family.

“We will give ourselves Continually to Prayer, and to the Ministry of the Word.”  ─ Acts 6:4

It is interesting to note the large portion of Scripture that illuminates the subject of Prayer. Prayer brings Promise! [Romans10:13“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”] Prayer enforces God’s Laws, and there are many examples of petitioned prayer along with answered prayer in the Scriptures. As we open the Bible we readily see that from the beginning, “Men began to call upon the name of the Lord” [Genesis 4]. The Word of God is full of individuals who knew the power of Prayer. Just to sight a few: Hannah Prayed a Prayer of desperation and rejoiced as God answered her Prayer. Daniel Prayed three times a day and for a season suffered the consequences of his “Continual Prayer,” and yet, he received a victorious answer to his petition.  David communed with all his heart and called upon God in Prayer over and over in the Old Testament and especially in the Psalms. Prayer is made throughout the Chronicles, the Kings, and the Prophets, particularly Isaiah and Zephaniah, etc. Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus and cried out unto God because of the unbelief of the multitude. Jesus blessed the loaves and the fishes and God multiplied them to feed thousands. Jesus, our greatest example of Prayer; He Prayed in the garden as the Cross loomed before Him. On the Cross in great suffering again He petitioned the Father.  In the midnight hour of great suffering, Paul and Silas prayed & sang praises! The Sacred importance and necessity of communion with God in Prayer! We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in His Word, He intended it to be conspicuous in our lives.  Much has been said about Prayer in Scripture, this is because we have great need of communing with our Heavenly Father. So needful are our necessities, that we should understand the Passage “Pray without ceasing.” Prayer is our strong hold as we face the future. Let us Pray that this year we may be more zealous for a closer Communion with Christ, and enter more often into the banqueting-house of His love. The Bible begins and ends with Prayer  ─ note the last Scripture in the Bible: [Rev.22:21] “ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”  Let us Pray for opportunities to be an example and a blessing unto others, that we might live more to the Glory of our Saviour, that our Motto this year might be, "Continue in Prayer." Loving you, Pastor

“He That Overcometh!” January 1, 2012

“He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these Words are True and Faithful.” – Rev. 21:5  

New Year Thoughts from the Pastor: As we walk into the New Year, it is good to once again make a commitment to our Lord and Saviour!  It is always good to renew our Covenant with Him!  We look to the Book of Revelation as we face a new season of our future.  In this last Book of the Holy Scriptures we glean some powerful Truths. Among them we are reminded that He is the Alpha and the Omega, which means He is our beginning and He is our end. There is a call in the heart of God that His people might have a thirst for Him, for He says He will give all who thirst, Water of life freely! We are also admonished to “overcome!” This might sound strange since we are born again believers in our Lord Jesus Christ …  But there is always room to “overcome!”  What would you like to overcome in this brand new year that has begun today?  Take a few minutes to meditate and think upon these things as you enter into this fresh year.  We are living in such an instant society that there is rarely time to contemplate serious matters about spiritual condition or our life. I challenge you to take a few minutes, close out the stresses of the moment, and draw into the quiet of His presence.  There must be a least one thing that we would like to change, to overcome: maybe an attitude, a specific thing that worries us, a responsibility that seems to allude us, a habit that we are unwilling to change, a dislike for someone?  Maybe we need to develop a new pattern in our devotions each day, or maybe we need to read the Word of God more each day: If we will take the time to sit quietly before the Lord and listen, the Holy Ghost will nudge our heart and give us guidance in personal spiritual matters. Vs 7 in that Passage of Scripture reminds us:  “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”  Paul spoke concerning the believers in Thessalonica:  He thanked God, that their faith had showed “exceeding growth” and that “Charity abounded” among the believers, there was love one to another. This is a good pattern for us today, may we grow in Faith and in His Love!  To overcome is to grow in God’s Grace and to gain spiritual strength for the New Year. This is a serious time, a time to grow spiritually!   Wishing you a Joyous New Year!  Loving you, Pastor