Ascribe Greatness to Our God

The Message today comes from a Song that God gave to Moses and he sang it for the Israelites. In Deut. 31:22 Scriptures tells us that Moses writes a song in one day and charges Joshua to “Be strong and of a good courage:” In 44 verses the song talks about the “Greatness of God, Israel’s character toward God, His tender care for Israel, the Israelites lack of appreciation for God, the sins of Israel, God’s Judgment on Israel and concludes with … “Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people: for He will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will be Merciful unto His land, and to His people!” Often, I am mystified at the doings of God, And His enduring Mercy! The song begins with a powerful thought that of God’s Doctrine is free and abundant. His instruction drops as rain, a drop at a time filtrating the mind and the soul of mankind. It lays for a moment on the heart as a dew, tender as it saturates the being of His people, then the showers come refreshing the ‘growth’ that has taken place. Now we catch a glimpse of God’s Greatness in Verse 3-4 “I will publish the name of the Lord: Ascribe ye Greatness unto our God. 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.” O the Word of God is so precious! The song continues, and I hear Vs. 9 “For the Lord’s portion is His people;” Yet if you read the entire verses from 1 to 44 He laments that they “forsook God which made them, and lightly esteemed the Rock of their Salvation!”  So, the message today is “Ascribe Greatness to God!” I want to thank Him for the 35 years He has placed me in this house and this Ministry, the glorious things that He has wrought through our Worship and Service together. Next week I want you all to have an opportunity to “Ascribe Greatness to God” for what He has done in your life these 35 years! As we have worked together for Him. I’m looking forward to a glorious day of celebration, memories of loved ones who were a part of our Church Family who have preceded us into Eternal Life, and the testimonies of  God’s People  of His Faithfulness!   I’m a happy camper – camped out here at Commerce Community Church with you and Jesus!    Loving you, Pastor

I Am With Thee

Perilous Times are here even as the Lord Jesus has forewarned us in Scripture. Yet it seems humanity moves on without the knowledge that troublous times are approaching. Mark 13:7-8 we hear the Words of Jesus … “When ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.” Most Christians have read these Scriptures, but sometimes we scurry on through life not diligently giving attention to the times and seasons of God. We are nearing the end of the “Growing Season” on the Church calendar and soon the Thanksgiving Season will be here and then the Advent Season. In all seasons it is good to remember that God said: “…I Am with thee, and will keep the in all places whither thou goest …” Throughout the generations of time, God has revealed Himself as “always being with us!”  And Promising this as found in Heb 13:5-6  “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear …” It is so true that we are encumbered about with the ‘cares of this life’ until we sometimes forget “He is with us!” Even though the Message today talks of the Perilous Times to come, it also tells us that God is for us, and no weapon against us will prosper. God had Eternal Plans in store for His Children!  His thoughts that He thinks of us, are thoughts of Peace and to give us an expected end.  For when we call upon Him, when we commune with Him and Pray, He hears us and responds to our needs. He is the Everlasting God, more powerful then the Perilous Times, the troubled times, and the cares of this life. His Word tells us in Ps.5-6 For in the time of trouble He will hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His Tabernacle and cause me to sing Praise! So in this season of “growing” we take in His Word, we hear His Promises afresh and we renew our Covenant with Him. We are strengthen against the works of darkness, and the things that perhaps easily beset us and we turn to the Power of our Christ, our Saviour, our Redeemer, our God who never leaves us nor forsakes us, but is our constant companion! “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being! Loving you always, Pastor

The Works of God, Questions

Questions, Questions, and many more Questions walk through our life and especially in these days of great changes in our society. Will America survive the total lack of respect for God’s Instructions? And then there are the troubles that haunt us in our lives. Do we find ourselves communing with the Lord only when we are in stress? When the trials are of great devastation do we wonder where God is? What about His Works in the earth that is, in the heart and the welfare of mankind? What goes on in our Spirit as we face difficulties? The Psalmist [77] asked these questions. God is so faithful to guide us in His Word. We see the difficulties of mankind over and over again. Job had many questions, as did his friends who questioned him. Have you ever been questioned about your belief in God or in the things of the Holy Spirit? We find answers in God’s Word. The Psalmist here begins to complain as he remembers God in his trouble. He says “I was troubled: I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed,” and then he pauses with a Selah.”  Perhaps he gave some depth of thought to his trouble and sought to encourage himself with “I call to remembrance my song in the night:” he began to commune with his own heart and his spirit made diligent search. In the time of Questions, we might just do that: Commune with our heart and search our spirit. There is never a doubt, God is for us, He will never leave us, we need only to seek Him with a sincere heart and He will bring us forth triumphantly! Pray, Commune with Him, and Search for Him in the crisis, He will always be found in His Word. The Psalmist asked, “Is His Mercy clean gone forever?” He soon responded: “This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the Right Hand of the Most High. I will remember the Works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. O Lord, let us remember!  ~Waiting for Jesus, and loving you, Pastor

The Works of God, Judgment, Hell

The Works of God are seen in His Word in many places and today we explore His Work in Judgment. Truth and Judgment go hand in hand. As much as He loves us, He corrects us and there is Judgment to the one who rejects God’s Son. It is true we don’t often preach on the subject of Hell. Hell is a real place, it is hard to think about “burning” for ever. Some might dismiss it as a mental thing, or some other way, but as we look at Scripture we see it is a place of torment and a place of reality. The mention of Hell comes right at the beginning of God’s Word: Job mentions it in 26:6 – “Hell is naked before Him, and destruction hath no covering.” Again in Deut. 32:22 “For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.” I believe most of all humanity has heard of hell, as you know, to some, it is one of their favorite words in adverse conditions. Little do they know they are speaking of a real place, a place of God’s Judgment. A place of horrid torment … David in the Psalms has knowledge of Judgment and Hell, [Ch.9] There we read: “The Lord is known by Judgment which He executeth: and the wicked is snared by the work of their own hands … The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God.”  David pauses at this thought with a “Selah.” A study of Judgment and Hell quickly causes us to understand the words of Jesus, when He said “I Am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life.”  [John 8:12] We need the Light of Christ because the darkness of our society has become wicked and corruption of humanity is an all time high. We only have to read the Account of the rich man and the beggar in Luke 16. “The rich man ended up in Hell and we read he said: “I am tormented in this flame and he begged Father Abraham to tell his family, lest they end up in this place of torment.” In II Peter 2 we again hear of the Judgment and damnation; Vs 4 is powerful: “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to Hell …” In this Chapter we are reminded that God spares the righteous. Righteous meaning the one who is “right with God.” God delivered Noah out of the wickedness, He delivered Lot who was vexed with filthy conversation. Jesus is our deliverer, His Sacrifice is our Salvation! God is calling for His followers to come close and deliver the message of Judgment!  Loving you, Pastor