After Christmas

The Message today Now that all the celebration has come to a close we face a brand new year. It is wonderful how God has planned our days. There is His Word for all things in our life.  I hear His Word:  Phil 3:13-14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” In this New Year before us let us examine our Christian experience. God has set the pattern for our life through His Son Jesus Christ. In Him we can do just that, leave last year and its shortcomings and press onward. He can make all things new.  We have this sure Word from our Father God.  “As God, 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.”  In the midst of New Year’s Resolutions why not make a spiritual resolution?  “This year I am going to “Increase in Wisdom!”  Jesus is our example: After Christmas, after His Birth; “Jesus grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.  And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”  We can make resolutions as to our habits, our goals, and dreams; or we can make a New Dedication spiritually to truly follow in our Lord’s foot steps. It is a strategic hour for Christianity; will we pull away from the things of this world and make sincere preparation for the Coming of our Saviour?  Will we set Spiritual goals?  Goals of Spiritual growth, gaining strength in the Holy Spirit, filling our life with Biblical Wisdom, and seeking favor with God; which will ultimately bring favor with humanity! Jesus is our example, let us “Increase in Him!”   Together we press onward; Loving you, Pastor

“Thou Hast Done Wonderful Things!”

The Message today Our Theme in this Christmas Season has been Thankfulness!  Thankful for God’s mercy, Thankful for His hope, Thankful for Jesus joy, and Thankful for The Holy Spirit that brings peace through the Sacrifices of our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ! We were comforted by the MERCY of God that overwhelms us when we think of all that He has forgiven us!  And daily His Goodness and Mercy follows us, not just today, but “all the days of our life.” Let us be reminded that Mercy is –  “compassionate treatment shown to an offender, and implies Compassion is that which forgives punishment even when Justice demands it! What a Wonderful Father in Heaven!  O the Wonderful Things of God!  The Glorious Promises in His Word that fills the soul with HOPE.  God takes pleasure in us when we fear Him and Hope in His Mercy!  Hope is a strong word brought into our life by a Loving Saviour: Hope is a desire accompanied by expectation! O saints, we need this “Earnest Expectation” as the creature of God as we wait for Jesus return! Let us wait with JOY in our heart for Jesus has given us His Joy!  His Joy can overcome the circumstances of this life and bring us victorious into His Powerful Presence!  His Joy in us, the Hope of Glory!  Jesus has given us “fullness of Joy” through His shed Blood, the offering of His life for our Eternal Life.  This should awaken PEACE in our life even in the midst of this broken and wicked generation. We have this Sure Word: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great JOY, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Jesus has given to us a Peace that passes all understanding, a Peace that will endure the adversities of this natural life. He was given as a Child which we celebrate today, however the Greatest Advent is yet to come ... Jesus the once Child has now become our Resurrected Lord & Saviour!  He shall return, hear the Word of the Lord ... “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him ...”!  He will be clothed with vesture dipped in Blood: and His name is called The Word of God!  He is our Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace!  Wonderful, wonderful Jesus! Have a Wonderful Christmas as you celebrate Jesus, Loving you, Pastor

Benediction

O Lord God, The Gift of Your Son has opened to us to many Gifts You prepared for us. The Gifts of Love, Joy, and Peace! Now the God of Peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd, through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength Advent Week 3

The Message today ♬♪O the JOY of the Lord is my strength! ♪♪ – A great song with a Message!  Today the Pink Candle is lit; it is the Candle of Great Joy! It symbolizes the great JOY that we feel as we anticipate the Birth of Christ. I’m thinking it should be a great Joy everyday as we reflect not only on Jesus Birth, but the fact that He is our Resurrection King!  He lives within our heart! Joy is a great testimony of His Presence in our life. It speaks volumes, sometimes more then we can ever speak.  Think of the Joy that filled heaven at the Message of Jesus Birth, the Advent of His Coming! The angel descended in the midst of great glory and for a moment the Shepherds were sore afraid, then they heard –“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great JOY, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Just take a moment to meditate upon this glorious occasion!  There would be a ‘sign’ “Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And then the heavens was filled with a “multitude of the heavenly host Praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth Peace, good will toward men.”  Can you sense this JOY?  165 times Joy is mentioned in the Word of God. And the Greatest Joy in Scripture is the moment of Jesus Birth, the moment when our Saviour was born. He would not remain a Baby, but would be our reigning King, our Healer, our Baptizer, and our Soon Coming King! O saints life up your heads and let His Joy be revealed in you! “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.” ~ Psalms 24:7 “When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your Redemption draweth nigh.” ~ Luke 21:28 If there was ever a day that our head needs to be turned toward heaven, it is this moment. The battle rages, and the Advent of our King draws nigh. But for the JOY that was set before Him and His Strength of obedience; He gave us the Gift of Salvation!    Praying for His JOY to fill our hearts as we celebrate Christmas! Pastor

O Give Thanks Unto the Lord, Part 2 “Our God of Hope”

O come Let us Adore Him; O come Let us adore Him, Christ the Lord! What a glorious season to commemorate our Saviour!  The Christmas carols ring out across the land, the ancient of songs that are still relevant today. The First Verse this song rings out “O Come all ye faithful, Joyful and Triumphant!  Are we joyful and are we triumphant?  Psalm 31:24 comes to mind “Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that Hope in the Lord.”  He is the God of our Hope!  I love Psalm 42:4 “When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the Voice of Joy and Praise, with a multitude that kept Holyday. The Words of Isaiah the Prophet fall upon my ears ...  “O Zion, that bringest Good Tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest Good Tidings, lift up thy Voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!  Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.  He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” O the glorious Promises of God they fill us with Hope!  Psalm 147:11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that Hope in His Mercy.”  Hope is a strong Word brought into our life by a Loving Saviour: Hope is desire accompanied by expectation. The fact that the Prophets said Emanuel would come, be born of a virgin and  in Bethlehem; a Star would guide the wise men to Him! This brings a ‘great Hope’ to my heart for the Word of God also proclaims:  Rom. 15:44 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope. Praying for you a Blessed Christmas filled with Hope & Loving you, Pastor

O Give Thanks Unto the Lord, For His Mercy Endureth Forever

The Message today Scripture teaches us, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven!”  God has set forth a season, a time, wherein all humanity comes to a day of Giving Thanks.  May our heart turn to embrace a “Thankful Spirit” and to meditate upon the Goodness of God!  May our Praise today encompass a Thankful heart. When we embrace Thankful, Mercy comes to my mind; how grateful I am for the Mercy of God! 276 times the word Mercy is used in the Bible. Over and over in the New Testament we hear voices cry out for the Mercy of Jesus to heal, to set free, and to open eyes. Mercy was a part of their Prayer to Jesus!  As we move through the ‘healings’ of Jesus, we see that once His Mercy was applied, victory was obtained. What is Mercy? There  is quite a lengthy explanation in Webster’s dictionary and the following is what stands out to me and has become the reason for this Message.  Mercy: A price paid – Lenient or compassionate treatment shown to an offender –

Blessings, Divine favor – Mercy implies compassion that forgives punishment even when justice demands it! Mercy is a great part of God’s Grace. These statements will preach for they are the attributes of our Saviour. We can be Thankful for God’s Mercy in giving a fallen world to Jesus!  And then there is the Mercy of Jesus who offered His Life “in that while we were yet sinners,” and died for our Salvation. Perhaps it is not just that Thanksgiving was put on the calendar because some president wanted us to have a day off – but just maybe, God planned it for a moment for us to reflect upon His Mercy and the awesome power of Jesus’ Sacrifice to cleanse us from sin, to reveal His bountiful Mercy, His Divine Favor, and His Compassion that never fails. The Message today hinges on the beginning Scriptures: “O Give Thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His Mercy endureth for ever. And say ye, Save us, O God of our Salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may Give Thanks to Thy Holy Name, and glory in Thy Praise. Let us Give Thanks unto the God of our Hope, the God of our Eternal Salvation! Giving Thanks for everyone of you & Loving you! Pastor

O Give Thanks Unto the Lord

Scripture teaches us, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven!”  God has set forth a season, a time, wherein all humanity comes to a day of Giving Thanks.  May our heart turn to embrace a “Thankful Spirit” and to meditate upon the Goodness of God!  May our Praise today encompass a Thankful heart. Thankful for the Shed Blood of Jesus that Redeems us and Thankful for His Broken Body that brings healing to our soul. O Give Thanks Unto The Lord!  As we read the Congregational Scripture Reading today, you will note that over and over in the Reading we are admonished to “Give Thanks!” This admonishment comes from various areas of God’s Word. Beyond being Thankful for our life, our family, our jobs, and our friends – Note the Spiritual things that we are Thankful for: His Mercy that endureth, His Mighty deeds among His people, we are admonished to Sing of His Wondrous Works, and to enter into His gates with Thanksgiving! And most of all “Giving Thanks” must come from a faithful heart, a true heart that understands the Mercy of God!  And our Thanksgiving that comes as a sacrifice must come of our free will given us by a Faithful God!  Loving you & Thankful for you, Pastor

The Burden

As our Message opens today, we hear the cry of Habakkuk as he laments the burden of his soul.  Habakkuk is one of God’s faithful prophets, He is full of questions concerning violence, sin, strife and contention. While He is a Prophet of many years ago, we can quickly see his Prayer reaches into our very day.  Violence was on every hand, against God, government, and authorities.  In my devotions I felt the Lord ask me a question. It went something like this; is there a cry in your heart unto Me regarding the condition of your country?  Habakkuk’s burden was for Israel, his Country, as he could see prophetically what was happening to his Beloved Israel.  So the question among many is basically do we have a burden for America?  I know we are concerned, I know we see the wickedness compassing the Christians, but do we intercede as Habakkuk?  Is there a grief in our soul as we see the signs of the unrighteous prevailing in many circumstances, laws being changed, more power to the wicked and less respect for God’s people.  Habakkuk has questions: “How long shall I cry, and Thou will not hear?” – “Why dost Thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?” – “Art Thou not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, mine Holy One?” Habakkuk is having a heart to heart talk with the Lord in the midst of his Prayer and Prophetical vision.  We have Prophets in the land, the question is do they see the vision of the End-Time that is fastly approaching our nation. There is a cry in the heart of God that His people might comprehend; the hour is upon us to Pray, to intercede for our nation and to include in these Prayers and Fastings Israel. There is a purpose for this Burden of the nations.  God reveals it in Hab.1:5 “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.” May our response be as Habakkuk; [1:12] “O Lord my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.” This burden of a Prophet’s vision is much like our day and God tells him; the vision is for an appointed time and it will surely come, wait for it! – The Just shall live by his Faith!  O Lord, strengthen our Faith Father God that we will be attentive to the hour in which we live!   Loving you, Pastor  

The Things Which Be Hereafter - Part 3 of Three End-Time Things

It is my Prayer that you have looked into Revelation Chapter 1-3 as we have walked with John the Beloved in his vision that God gave to him.  We have looked at the “Things which we have seen” – We have have looked at “The Things Which Are” and to day we explore “The Things Which Shall Be Hereafter!”  To really have the knowledge of The Things that Shall Be Hereafter one must read the entire book of Revelation. Most basic Christians refer to not read the Book because it is scary or they can not understand the symbols that the Book contains. To glean a keen understanding of The Book of Revelation one must have a good study Bible, King James, and carefully begin your study by including the foot notes of the study Bible as you read.  Libraries are filled with explanations of this Book and you will find great authors that you trust, yet they will disagree with other great authors. The Book of Revelation holds the mystery of the End-Times for the saints of God.  It will unfold periodically as God allows the vision to be known.  As we read the Scriptures of the End-Time in Scripture, we realize that we are in the End-Time. Joel 2:28-32 is excellent reading for it is again mentioned in Acts 2:17-21. It is the record of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost which has come to the New Testament Church. What is interesting is to see what is attached to this “outpouring of the Holy Spirit:”and it is mentioned in both of these Passages of Scripture Acts 2:17-21 “I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be Saved.” and Joel ends with: “Joel 2:32 “It shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.”   The Word of God is filled with ‘warnings’ of “The Things that shall be hereafter!” We must respond to the cry of the Spirit; “He that hath an ear let him hear ... sixteen times it is heard in the New Testament and even in the Old Testament as God spoke through Ezekiel [3:27] When I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house. There is a cry in God’s heart that we might hear “The Things that shall be hereafter.”   Loving you, Pastor

Three End-Time Things! Part 2b “Things Which Are!”

“The Things Which Are!: We continue this second part Revelation 1:19: Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are;  As Jesus is unveiled in the midst of the Churches of Revelation we learn what He is looking for in His Church! We sense His sorrow over the shallowness of their love, and the fact of some being a stumbling block to the Children of Israel. His heart hurts over the false teachers and the false doctrines that He hates. There is great warning to those who seduce God’s people with false teachings. He cautions the Faithful: “Be watchful, strengthen whatever remains, and keep your works perfect before God.” Watch that no defilement overtakes you! He challenges us, if we will keep the Word of His Patience, and not deny His name, He will keep us from the hour of temptation. We continue the Message today with the Church at Pergamos; again the Lord tells them He knows their works. He reminds them that Antipas had been a faithful Martyr slain among them.  A close look at history discloses some information about Antipas; it seems that he might of been the Bishop of Pergamos and he was put to death by being enclosed in a burning brazen bull.  Even though they dwell where satan’s seat was, they held fast to Jesus name; they did not deny the Faith. False doctrine continues to be rampent, even as it is in our day. The seat of satan is swelling as we see the wickedness in our own world today. The doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes invaded the Church and we will see them even in our world today, as they are uncovered in the Message. The Spirit continues to speak to the Church of Thytira, much is said of the evil spirit of Jezebel. She is given a space to repent and if she does not the consequences are devastating as the Message of Repentance is set before this false prophetess. Time does not allow me to go into the depth, but read Rev. 2; Jesus Message to Churches ends with Overcome, hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church! In Sardis we hear “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.”  And in Philadelphia there is no rebuke: “Because thou hast kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” And finely we arrive at Laodicea, the luke warm Church. Perhaps that is where our Church world is today. Jesus stands at the door and knocks – He desires to sup with He desires to sup with us. Let us respond to His Spirit that is drawing us! Loving you Pastor

Part 2 - Three End Time Things - Things Which Are

Perhaps we should review a moment, it has been a couple of weeks since the First Message, “The Things Which Thou Hast Seen.” There are the three things that open the Book of Revelation. We have opened the Revelation of Jesus and there is a quickening in our spirit as we see evidence of the End-Time of things. There was a call for Pray that we might discern what the Spirit of the Lord is saying unto the Church in this day; and remember the “gates of hell shall not prevail! The First of the Three things were spoken to John, a disciple of Christ who was exiled to the Isle of Patmos while the rest of the Disciples suffered martyrdom, John the Beloved was caught up into the Throne room of God with the End-Time Revelation of Jesus the Slain Lamb of God – and commissioned; “Write the things which thou hast seen!” John saw the miracles of Jesus, he saw the dead raised, he learned the Word of God as he sat at Jesus feet. John saw Jesus persecuted, beaten, and he saw the Lamb of God crucified! In this Revelation John saw Christ walk in the midst of the Church.  “That which John had seen, was Salvation revealed, sins forgiven, and Eternal Life promised. The question arises; “Does Humanity grasp the Life Blood of Jesus that was poured out for them, a covering for their sin, and an Eternal Destination?  In Part 2 of this Message we explore the second thing –  “The Things Which Are!: This deals with the Church, the saints. As Jesus is unveiled in the midst of the Churches of Revelation we learn what He is looking for in His Church! We hear the Promises that Jesus gives to the Faithful, we sense His sorrow over the shallowness of their love, and the fact of some being a stumbling block to the Children of Israel. His heart hurts over the false teachers and the false doctrines that He hates. There is great warning to those who seduce God’s people with false teachings. He cautions the Faithful: Be watchful, strengthen whatever remains, and keep your works perfect before God. Watch that no defilement overtakes you. He challenges us, if we will keep the Word of His Patience, and not deny His name, He will keep us from the hour of temptation. His great desire is that we be hot or cold, never lukewarm! Truly in these three chapters of Rev. The heart of Christ is revealed! Savor His promises, burn for Him.   Loving you, Pastor

Rev. Greg Wood Mexico Orphanage

We the Commerce family are blessed to support several Missionaries. Dr. Janet MacArthur who just returned from Nepal. We features her report a couple of weeks ago and rejoiced at what the Lord has done through her work in the nations and especially these past weeks in Nepal. Dr. Gene and Mary Lois who live most of the year in Jerusalem. They keep us abreast of what is happening in our beloved Israel.  Rev. Eva Couglin who is several months at a time in Burma [Myanmar]. She serves there in various avenues of Ministry and with an Orphanage also.  Rev. Debra Slight who has returned to Liberia. These are Ministers of Shalom Ministry.  We also remember in Prayer along with the above another Shalom Minister who is a Pastor in Japan, Rev. Ruth Wehrer. We are also blessed to have a Home Missions Program. Headed up by our Assistant Pastor Jewelly Hyden and Members of our Church Family which serve every Thursday as people come into the Commerce Cupboard to receive groceries. We especially want to thank these folks who faithfully serve the Food Ministry – Beverly Smith, Lennert Boecher, and Rev. Doug Messiner along with many other volunteers. Under Rev. Doug Messeger’s Ministry, members of our Congregation serve three Saturdays a month at the Homeless shelter and under his direction we serve several Tent Communities. Today we welcome our Missionary from Mexico.  We are blessed to have Bro. Wood with us in service and look forward to his report from the Orphanage in Mexico. Bro. Wood served with his Father in Mexico as a young boy. Pastor was blessed to have Greg in her home while he finished high school. Greg is her son in the faith. A several teams from Commerce has been blessed to visit the work in Mexico several times. On the last visit we were able to teach in the Bible College, the Church and Minister with Dr. Wood.  We were honored to visit the grave of Greg’s Father. Bro. Greg’s Father and our Pastor were Teachers together at Bible College many years ago. The Wood Family is very special to Pastor and we are pleased to have him in service with us today.  Commerce Community Church has a Mission Heart and God continues to bless our efforts.

Celebration of 33 Years

How awesome it is to Celebrate 33 years with the Commerce Family! It rejoices my heart to walk among you all and to be your Pastor. As I muse over the past 33 years I immediately note quite a few of our Commerce Family has continued on into Eternal Life. I remember them and most often the place where they sat and worshiped with us. When I came to you those many years ago there were 12 members and I was shocked that they had decided they wanted me to Pastor and I didn’t even know I was a candidate.  It was my first Pastorate, and O how green I was!  God has blessed us as we have sought to fulfill His will in this little country Church.  We are no longer a little country Church for the city has caught up to us big time. But what you see here on this hill is truly not what we are, for we are blessed to be so much more.  In these 33 years, with the Commerce Family’s faithfulness to the Lord’s House – your servitude, your giving, your concern for the less fortunate – together we have taken the Gospel of Jesus Christ into many nations, into many prisons, and all around the good old USA. And in our midst, God has raised up Teachers, Ministers, Missionaries, and Servants for the Kingdom of God. Together we have done exploits for Jesus; with about 35 people we added on to the Church in 2000 at a cost of approximately $150,000. The Lord met the need daily as we worked. And in 2012 we burned the mortgage! We continue to have a “vision” to expand one more time!  At the 25^th year we opened the Corner Stone and saw pictures of the past – but the most important item was: One Page of the Bible and circled in red on this page was “I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matt 16:18 – We are a Blessed People as we sought to obey the Word of God!  Our Quest Matt. 25:34-36; It is our quest to send forth the Word of the Lord and to Minister to the less fortunate and together we have accomplished this. Our desire is to be a Lighthouse on this Hill and to send forth the Message of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour! On a personal note, thank you for always voting one hundred percent each year, when a vote of confidence as comes before the congregation. I am overwhelmed at your trust and love for me!    Loving you, Pastor

Song of the Ages

What an Awesome sight; Amid the host of heaven, thousands upon thousands stand before the Lamb, singing a New Song: “Thou art worthy, to open the seals: for Thou wast slain, and hast Redeemed us to God by Thy Blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests:...”  O God give us a  longing for the “time” to just sit in Your presence, with no agenda and take in the majestic awesomeness of His Holiness.  The hour is upon us wherein we must take the time to commune with Him, to see Him high and lifted up – a time when we are caught away from the cares of this life and focused upon this Glorious Lamb that was slain from the foundations of the world for us – for you & I!  As we focus on Jesus the Lamb of God, a song arises   ♪“Behold the Lamb, Slain from the foundation of the world!♬  As we look to the Old Testament we see the origin of a Blood Sacrifice, “The Day of Atonement” – however it had to be repeated and repeated, every year there must be an offering for the sins of mankind. Jesus’ God’s Lamb was Sacrificed once and for “all!”  The writer of Hebrews wrote regarding the New Testament Sacrifice of Christ’s life: “Not by the blood of goats and calves, but by Jesus own Blood, He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained Eternal Redemption for us!”  How often do we think about this Sacrifice of our God and His Son?  There should be a daily remembrance of this precious Gift. Many military men and women have sacrificed for which we are grateful — but the Sacrifice of the Ages liberated the world!  Not only are we free today, but because of Jesus’ we are made complete and our soul has an Eternal destination. Worshiping with you and loving you, Pastor – Ps 105:1

He Is In Our Midst

As I Ministered on the “Rock” last week, it has constantly been on my mind how Great our God is!  If only we could bring our flesh under control and live in the Presence of our Lord and Saviour. There are earthly things that must be accomplished in our lives, but God promises to never leave us!  What a powerful thought!  He has grounded us in Him, on the Solid Rock! Believe me, the winds of adversity blow against the saints of God – Yet He is there, even in the midst of the storm! “He is in our Midst!” If we could just settle down to meditate upon Him and the thought that He is in our Midst – well, we realize He is there even when we are out of order, or discomforted: Yet He sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comfort! Perhaps we should start each day and welcome Him into our day, and maybe there are those who do just that!  How comforting it is to know He dwells in our midst!  But if He dwells in our midst then He knows us very personally. Something is lost today in our society, we perhaps don’t always think of Him being in our every day business.  We love the thought that He never leaves us, He’s always there, we can call on Him in the midst of trouble; Think on this, He is always there in our midst! Remember He sees our heart as no one else can. Is there anything in our heart that should not be there? We are truly in a warfare not just with the elements of our world but with our own flesh and our spirit.  Interesting to note the Apostle Paul’s thoughts in Rom. 7:18-19 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”  Paul confesses he delights in the Law of God and in VS 23 “I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” This is why God sent Jesus and this is why Jesus sent the Holy Ghost, that there would be an ever present conviction in our life. O Lord be ever present with us! Dwell in our Midst is our Prayer! Loving you, Pastor    Matthew 12:35

Upon This Rock

“...Upon this Rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!”   ~Matthew 16:18 

In a day of ‘sinking sand’ it is good to know that our Hope is built on an unmovable Rock. The above Scripture talks about the Church being build upon a Rock. The question may arise, “Who is the Rock?” Know that The Rock was, the Rock is, and the Rock always shall be! We hear about this Rock in Deut. 32:3 “...Ascribe ye greatness unto our God. Vs4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of Truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.” All through Scripture we hear about the Rock. I believe the Lord would inspire us in this Message if we ‘hear’ what the Scripture is saying to us.  We need to know that we are grounded-safe-secure; as we see the ‘signs’ of the time – There is a time of evil; which if we have read the Scriptures, we know that God has burned up a city for less sin then reins in our society today! What is staying the hand of God from the wickedness of our world, His Grace, His Mercy, His Everlasting Love for His people. The People of the Rock!  Questions arise, are we wise men & women, are we building our house upon the Rock? Only a house [talking spiritually here] that is built upon the Rock can stand against the winds of adversity, the floods of trouble, the vehement heat of strife and discontentment in our day. Such things unfolded as the Israelites wondered in the wilderness – but then see who was with them! 1 Cor 10:4 They “...did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. Jesus the Chief Corner Stone is the power that holds us firm in the Fathers hand. No wonder the Psalmist sings, “He is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my defense, I shall not be moved!” Loving you, Pastor

The First Commandment

Who can quote the First Commandment? Probably many people can, and even those who are not of the Christian Faith.  Sometimes we hear things so often that the depth of such a statement becomes a very common place and so shallow.  Jesus proclaimed this Commandment when He was asked “Master, which is the great Commandment in the Law?”  Jesus answered: “Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Strength, and with all thy Mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” Luke 10:27 everything we do stand on this Commandment of God. How we serve one another, how we Minister, how we live our life as an example of God’s way! Love today is a common word, rarely meaning what it is to activate God’s Love. What moves the hand of God in regards to Love?  A good look at 1 Cor. 13 should cause a “selah” in our spirit, that is to stop and give some depth of thought to the meaning of Love; for we are given a “First & Great Commandment” to Love God! To be brief: If we speak in tongues, have a gift of prophecy, knowledge, and great Faith that even moves mountains and feeds the poor ... we are nothing if we do not have God’s Kind of Love. What is God’s explanation of Love?  Well, it suffers long, it is kind, it does not envy, nor display boastfully vainglory, does not behave itself unseemly [act indecent in sacred matters], is not self-centered, not easily angry, and thinks no evil. God’s kind of Love rejoices in Truth, Believes, Hopes, and endures the trials of life. Such Love never fails and abides in Faith, Hope, Charity, and the greatest of all is Charity! Charity defined by Webster’s Dictionary is: “Christian Love!” Christian Love can only come by sensing the depth of God’s Love, a Love that would send His Only Begotten Son to die for OUR sins. What will we do for those who trespass against us? To trespass is a violation of moral or social ethics, or to put it simply “hurt our feelings or disagree with us, etc.”  This is truly a day of moral decay and could the God kind of Love have lost it’s valuable meaning in our lives? Let the Church of the Living God arise and truly display His Love!  For such “Love will cover a multitude of sins.”  -1Peter 4:8 “Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”  Not that God will overlook sin, but He will give us the Grace to overlook the faults in one another and not hold grudges!
Loving you, Pastor

Who Shall Prosper?

A lot has been said in the Christian world regarding Prosperity so I thought we might see what the God’s Word has to say about it. We are truly living at a point in time where we need to have the knowledge of God in respect to Prospering.  Scripture has a lot to say about those who desire to Prosper. In the above Scripture it talks about Meditating in the Law of God day and night. The Promise that comes with Meditating in the Laws of God is a Fruitful Season in your life, without any withering. I think that “Selah” should follow that thought! The Word of God is an awesome power that strengthens one and causes them to Prosper!  The emphasis here is not to Prosper in ‘monies’ but to Prosper in the things of God, which is the Power of His Word and the Spiritual strength that comes from Meditating in the Scriptures. An admonition was given to Joshua [1:8-9] – Joshua 1:8-9 Again we hear that the Law of God “Thou shalt meditate therein day and night,” and “observe to do according to all that is written: for then thou shalt make thy way Prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”  The Promise here as to “Who Shall Prosper” is one who Meditates in the Word of god and observes to follow it – they shall have good success!  How great is the Word of God, it is such a powerful strength to our life, if only we would Meditate upon it! Meditation in the ‘night watches’ is talked about in Ps 63. Such Meditation begins with Blessing God and being satisfied with Him; having a mouth filled with Praise and Joyful lips! Remembering Him, meditating upon Him as sense sleep in near–remembering He has been your help, you have been in the shadow of His wings, this brings forth more rejoicing and causes your soul to follow hard after Him as you fall asleep! We note God’s desire toward us in 3 John 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” Loving you, Pastor

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth

and forsaketh them shall have Mercy.  Happy is the man that feareth

alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.”  ~ Prov. 28:13-14

God Be Merciful Unto Us!

Today we move into the Psalms and explore a Psalm that was given to the Chief Musician on Neginoth. Neginoth is an ‘epigram’ which is to simply say:  it is a Psalm or song, on a Stringed Instrument; dealing with a single thought or event.  It is always good to know in depth the meaning of Hebrew. The single thought here set to Worship music is God’s Mercy is Blessing us! It is awesome, as we look into the depth the Word Mercy and the Word Blessing!  We know our God is Merciful, but to have a greater understanding of Mercy is needful. When we truly have a knowledge of Mercy we will be a humble people! A very brief statement regarding Mercy is: ‘Compassion that forbears punishment even when justice demands it.’ With Mercy comes with Blessing! The Biblical Blessing is: ‘to be consecrated by Blood, that is set-aside for Eternal Life in Heaven through our Lord and Savoiur’s Sacrifice!  Sense we live in a fast paced society we are prone to not take time to ‘meditate’ upon the depth of the Word of God! 267 times Mercy is mentioned in the Word of God, not to count Mercies, and merciful. Meditate upon this: “Mercy triumphs Judgment!” Where would we be without the Mercy of God?  The first of 86 times this phrase is heard — “His Mercy endureth for ever,” is found in 1 Chron. 16:34 “O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His Mercy endureth for ever.” Sometimes I think the Body of Christ truly believes this because we often forsake righteousness knowing that God is Merciful.  Three requests is found in this Psalm: [1] Be Merciful unto to us; [2] Bless us; [3] Cause Your Face to shine upon us; All three requests are found in the first verse and followed by a “Selah!” There are varied explanations of “Selah!” – A Pause – a da capo in music directing reputation – the subject should be meditated on by the reader.  O how we need to “Meditate” upon the Mercy and Blessings of our God!    Loving you, Pastor

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.” ~ 1 Tim. 4:15

Partakers of His Divine Nature Part 2

“We are given exceeding great and Precious Promises: that by these ye might be Partakers of the Divine Nature – Give diligence to your Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, kindness, and Love. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” See 2 Peter 1.

  

Hebrews 3:14 says “We are made Partakers of Christ.” To be a “Partaker” means we are a Part of Christ, for God sent Him for us, that we might Share in His Life and receive Eternal Life! To be “a Part” of Him; Scripture tells us we are Partakers of His sufferings, Partakers of a Heavenly Calling, Partakers Hope, and Partakers of the Glory that one day shall be revealed! In all this we have a Faithful High Priest. We are being ‘called’ away from the elements of this world into a heavenly calling. There are desires that overtake us and keep us from fulfilling our commission to be a “Partaker of Christ’s Divine Nature.  Yes the Lord is calling His people away from the things of the world, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life; the sins of the flesh lest we reap the consequences of our fleshly nature. We have a Heavenly Calling to be Partakers of our Lord & Saviour! He has given us exceeding great and Precious Promises; that we might truly be “Partakers of Christ’s Example; His life in the flesh is an example to us: He walked in the midst of humanity–He experience the flesh that we now live in. It is eminent that we appropriate this Divine Nature for it assists us in escaping the corruption and the lusts of this world! Our Lord has Promised that He has made us to be “Partakers of an Inheritance!”  Such Inheritance Redeems us, forgives us and delivers us from the powers of darkness and prepares for a future in the Kingdom of God. There may be suffering and affliction in serving Christ; 

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are Partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His Glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding Joy.”   Loving you, Pastor

Partakers of His Divine Nature!

“We are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be Partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”   ~ 2 Peter 1:4

  

Twelve times in Scripture I have found the Word “Partaker.” As I came to the above Scripture ... it brought a ‘Selah’ to my spirit. How awesome that we could be a ‘Partaker of the Divine Nature of God!” I don’t think we often feel we are such a Partaker of this Holy and mysterious thought. This is why Jesus came to bring us into the family of God. Heb.3:14 says “We are made Partakers of Christ.” To be a “Partaker” means to share in a like quality, to participate or take Part of; Please take a moment to take this in, for it is powerful when we comprehend we are a Part of Christ for God sent Him that we might Share in Eternal Life! This is an awesome and wonderful thought because sometimes we don’t feel like we belong anywhere or to anyone. To be “a Part” of Him; Scripture tells us we are Partakers of a Heavenly Calling, we have a Faithful High Priest! Think about this, “we can confess our sins to Him, and He is Faithful and Just to forgive us!” The problem is, do we recognize our sin? Sometimes we vere from the right path, and we experience chastening. If we respond to His correction, it yields the Fruit of Righteousness and we are Partakers of His Holiness! [Heb. 12:9-12] In Rev.18 it speaks of Bablyon, known to us as the world ... John the Revelator hears a voice say “Come out of her, my people, that ye be NOT partakers of her sins, and ye receive not her plagues.” Yes the Lord is calling His people away from the things of the world, the sins of the flesh lest we reap the plagues. We have a Heavenly Calling to be Partakers of our Lord & Saviour! He has given us exceeding great and Precious Promises; that we might be “Partakers of His Divine Nature” escaping the corruption and the lusts of this world! Our Lord has Promised that He has made us to be “Partakers of an Inheritance!”  He will deliver us from the power of darkness, He will Redeem us with His Precious Blood and He will forgive our sin! Peter writes [1 Pt. 5:1] “I am a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed.”  The moment is upon us that we come out from among the world and be a particular people! Loving U, Pastor

Above All Things

In devotions this week a Scripture touched my spirit in a unique way so I begin to meditate upon what the Lord had brought my attention. It was a powerful statement given by the Holy Ghost through the Apostle Peter in his First Book – 1 Peter 4:7-8 “The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore Sober, and Watch unto Prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” I began to think upon “First Things.”  For this Passage of Scripture seem to say to me; “Here are some things that need to be brought into order as I prepare to come.” We have heard that Jesus will return, it is written in Scripture and it is the Christian’s great Hope. Yet all around us in Christianity it doesn’t seem that there is an expectancy of Jesus Coming.  We know this, but we need a Passion that will desire Him to return.

Peter proclaims “The end is at hand.”  He exhorts the Body of Christ several things, and to “have Charity among themselves!”  As we make ready for the return of our Saviour, Jeremiah gives a strong warning which we will consider in our Message today. Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”   James 5:12 Exhorts us “Above all things” beware lest ye fall into condemnation.”  And in the Third Book of John, John speaks to the Elder Gaius, he calls him “Beloved, and wishes above all things that he prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth!” There many many things to think on as we muse on the term “Above all things!” And then to add to our Meditation this stirring Truth, “The end of all things is at hand. O Yes dear saints Jesus is Coming Soon!  The signs of the time are prominent and every day they loom even larger! And while satan stirs a storm against us, Jesus makes ready for the sound of His Father’s trumpet when it shall sound and we hear ... “Come up hither!”  Above all things may we be Sober, Watchful and in Prayerful Communication. Loving You, Pastor

“Happy is that People, whose God is the Lord!”

Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this Word, and say, Hear the Word of the Lord ... The question is posed; Are you a Happy Christian?

 

Ps 144: Blessed be the Lord my strength, ... My goodness, my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust; Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! ... I will sing a new song unto Thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing Praises unto Thee.  It is He that giveth Salvation ... That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace: That our garners may be full,... that there be no complaining in our streets.  Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.

  

The Word of the Lord exhorts God’s People to be Happy. Not just when things are going good, but in all circumstances of our life!  We are admonished that Happiness occurs when we get Wisdom and Understanding, this comes by Hearing the Word of the Lord!  Scripture talks about being happy in suffering, affliction, and patience, and I quote “Behold, we count them Happy which endure!”  Happiness in God, in our Saviour is not just when everything is going our way, but when we are facing great obstacles of devastation.  We are to rejoice, inasmuch as we are partakers of Christ’s sufferings. And if we be reproached for the Name of Christ, Happy are we; for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon us! Perhaps we should check our Happiness!?  Even when we receive the Word in much affliction, let it be with Joy in the Holy Ghost, thus they will know we are ensamples of the Believer. We have this Promise from God’s Word: “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in His ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.” ~ Ps. 128:1-2  Happy and Loving You, Pastor

Hear God's Thoughts For You

“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this Word, and say, Hear the Word of the Lord, To day as we Hear the Word of the Lord, we Hear His Thoughts. What does He think about us. Does He have plans for our life, is there some special purpose, and what is His Promises?”  We will examine briefly these issues in prayerful hope that such exploring of God’s Thoughts, will inspire us to search out in detail His Thoughts, His Plans, His Purpose and His Promises. We will also note Scripture that relates to “O earth, Hear the Word of the Lord.” In Duet. 32:1 ... It is a precious song of Moses as he encourages his people to; “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and Hear, O earth, the words of my mouth...vs3 Publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.  He is the Rock, His work is perfect: There is also “warning” that comes forth for the earth to here.  Isaiah proclaims [1:2] “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.”  AND Jer. 6:19 “Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto My Words, nor to My Law, but rejected it.” This is the condition of a Nation that was birthed by Father God, it was a sure foundation but now has rejected God’s Law. But as we listen to the Message and Hear God’s thoughts they are still full of Love for His people. Jer. 29:11-13 “For I know the Thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, Thoughts of Peace, and not of evil, to give you an Expected End.  Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and Pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” God’s ways are so much higher then ours! If only His people who are called by His name will humble themselves and Pray ... O Lord let us Hear Your Word! O earth, earth, earth, Hear the Word of the Lord!  Loving you Pastor

Expect to Receive

“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this Word, and say, Hear the Word of the Lord, all ye .., that enter in at these gates to Worship the Lord.” Jer.7:2 — It is my Prayer that you have read the Parables of Matt. 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8; and last week we added Psalm 18; Today I request that among these Scriptures please focus on and Read Psalm 119.  It is God’s desire that the Seed, the Word take root in our heart for it is the greatest weapon we have against the enemy of our soul! We must Hear, Give Attention to the Word and Trust the Word of God. Today we examine our “Expectation to Receive” the Word of God. What is our Expectation when we Read the Bible? Expectation must be in our heart as we read the Word of God or when we Hear His Word. The Psalmist writes [62:4-7] “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my Expectation is from Him. He only is my Rock and my Salvation: He is my defence; I shall not be moved.  In God is my Salvation and my glory: the Rock of my Strength, and my Refuge, is in God.”  We often experience a lot of Expectation in our life, but perhaps not much of it, is an “Expectation” to receive Help from God. Often we begin with an Expectation in the Lord, but as time passes and this Expectation is not realized, our hope drains to a minimum and we perhaps become complacent in our Salvation, in our waiting. When the Lame Man in Acts 3 reached out to Peter and John “Expecting” to receive something from them; he never expected what he was going to get! The point is, he never gave up, he sat in the gate daily expecting a few coins, but when he leased expected, the Word of the Lord came with power and might and his wait paid off.  How much more should we as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ live in Expectation when we hear the Word of the Lord?  There must be an “Earnest Expectation” in us as we wait for the “Manifestation of the Sons of God.” Wherein the Spirit ministers to our infirmities and makes intercession for us according to the will of God. God says: “The thoughts that I think toward you, are thoughts of Peace to give you an Expected end!”  O Hear the Word of the Lord! Loving you, Pastor