“The Time is at Hand!” ~ Church of Sardis “He that Overcometh, I will confess his name before My Father!”

“He that hath an ear, let him what the Spirit saith to the Churches, Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die;”

Today we are in Rev. 3:1-6; Jesus, the Angel of the Churches, identifies Himself – “These things saith He that hath the Seven Spirits of God, and the Seven stars; The Introduction calls for a “pause” – Seven Spirits – Seven Stars? In Ephesus He tells us He walks in the midst of the Church and He holds the Stars/Pastors in His hands. In Smyrna His introduction is: “Saith the First and the Last, which was dead, and is alive!”  And in Pergamos, “He which hath the sharp sword with two edges.” To Thyatira, These things saith the Son of God, who hath eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass! Now as we enter the sixth Church, Sardis, we pause to meditate upon Jesus’ as He introduces Himself: “He that hath the Seven Spirits of God, and the Seven stars!” Theologians have many varied thoughts regarding the Seven Spirits: my simple thot: There is the strength of the Holy Spirit in the Church! In this case Jesus, the Angel was addressing Seven particular Churches and He Himself was providing the Power of the Spirit to each Church, it is notable that He is speaking to Seven Churches and their Pastors. Seven Spirits of God represents the “fullness of the Spirit of God!” --  Which is given to the Church. There is but One Holy Spirit, and He was given to us as Jesus’ life flowed out of Him at Calvary: John 16:7 Jesus said: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” In the Holy Spirit of God there are abundant operations, He guides us, He nudges us, He protects us, He illuminates God’s Word to us … etc. It is sobering as we hear Jesus say: You have a name to live, but thou art dead.  I believe we are watchful, but we need more strength for the day lest we die, and that is spiritually! Again we “Hear” - Hold Fast – Repent - Overcome, “Let us have an ear to hear what the Spirit of God is saying unto the Churches!”  Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain.  Loving you, Pastor

“The Time is at Hand!” ~ Church of Thyatira “I Am He which searcheth the reins and hearts

He that hath an ear, let him what the Spirit saith to the Churches,

     And I will give Him the Morning Star!”

Today we are in Rev. 2 18-29; Jesus, the Angel of the Churches, identifies Himself as the “Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire and His feet are like fine brass;” This is part of the introduction which we saw in Chapter One, as He was revealed to us. Christ desires to be seen in the Church and He introduces Himself personally to each one of them. His introduction to Thyatira is powerful, “The Son of God!” The flame is burning in His eyes and He stands solid in the Midst of the Church. Thyatira was in West Turkey between Pergamos and Sardis. Jesus always see the potential in His people, even when He must chastise them. This Church is full of Works, Charity, Service, Faith, Patience and again more works then at the first! Remember as we begun the study of these Churches, Ephesus was reprimanded because they had left their First Love! This Church continued strong in Charity/Love. It is important that as we work, as we serve, and even as we walk in Faith and Patience; His eyes are ever upon us and nudging us to grow in His Grace, His Mercy, His Word!  It is important in our day to note that evil spirits try the Churches of the Living God. It seems that the “Stars” of today are always searching for ways to build the Church, but it is Jesus desire and His Father’s desire to ‘Build the Kingdom’! We are all on a mission in this world and that is to know the Doctrine of our God! For it is in false doctrines that the Church is sorely draw up short – this is why His Word says: Study to shew thyself approved unto God – but in our world today it seems there is study going on by how to build the Church and evil doctrines arise. This Church at Thyatira with all the good things, works twice mentioned, has once again failed to set itself apart from false teachings, that of Jezebel. The only way one can identify false teachings is to “know the Word of God!”  It is interesting to know that this woman who was teaching false doctrine was given space to repent. When she rejected His call of repentance – well -- you can see in VS 22-23 the pending judgment of such evil activities. There is Promise for obedience to God’s Holy Word! Please note “Unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many that shun evil which have not known the depths of Satan; “That which ye have already hold fast till I come.” He that overcometh … I will give him the Morning Star!”  Loving you, Pastor

“The Time is at Hand!” ~ Church of Smyrna

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; He that Overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”  ~ Rev. 2:11 “Fear none of those things!”

As we enter the Book of Revelation once more we hear these Words: “The Time is at Hand.” God’s timing is perfect, and we see He is sending Jesus to visit the Churches. First, that we might renew our Love, strengthen our love and be mindful that it is a command written in scripture that we “should love the Lord our God with everything within us. Second, now hear Jesus say “Fear None of These Things!” Today we explore the Church at Symrna. It was a rich city in Turkey, now called Ismir. It is about 50 miles from Ephesus and on the Aegean Sea. In Each Church we will be reminded “The Time is at hand”  --for spiritual growth in the Body of Christ, for preparation for His coming, and to Overcome! At Symrna there is no reprimand, but a very strong warning. As we enter the Church at Symrna we hear Jesus identify Himself. He is the first and the last, was dead and is alive; The Lord always sees the work we do for Him. The witness we are for Him. The good and “right” things we accomplish … we must never forget He also sees our tribulation:---something that causes great trouble or suffering in our life. And when there is lack, He also sees our headships. We know these things but when trouble knocks at our door we need to be reminded that God sees everything! Again we know this, but tend to forget and stress/anxiety tries to enter into our mind. Poverty is mentioned, but then He says “Thou are Rich!” It is good for us to see our Salvation as wealth, wealth for our soul, and wealth for Eternal Life! Symrna, while there is no rebuke from the Lord, there is great demoniac activity trying to disrupt the saints in this Church. Perhaps we get a glimpse of this even in our day. Jesus uses strong Words as he declares there is a group in the Church who professes Jewism, but is of the synagogue of satan. There are many professions in the Church at large today, but all are not from God. Then this striking statement comes forth – “Fear None of Those Things!” What things? Vs10 of Rev. 2 “…Things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” There is no more explanation – “He that hath an ear, let him Hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; Overcoming, Faithfulness will bring a Crown of Life!  Loving You  ~Pastor                                     

“The Time is at Hand!” ~ Church of Pergamos

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches;

How awesome to hear the Lord Jesus say … “Thou Holdest Fast My Name!” This would be even in martyrdom! This is the second Church so far to hear of a pastor being martyred. History believes that Antipas, the martyred one, was the pastor of the Church at Pergamos. And he was put to death by being placed in a burning brazen bull. Suffering was a great part of Church in those days. For the Christ they served they were willing to die. It reminds me of our beloved scripture in Rev,12:11 “They overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”  It is believed that this Church was the headquarters of satan; for it says “even where satan’s seat is:” but what is so powerful is: the next statement of Jesus is: “Thou Holdest Fast My Name!” I had to stop here and meditate a while, can the Church hold fast is such a crisis? We are in a Crisis at the moment, and think how it has devastated the lives of God’s people and even Church leaders. It is not in any way to be compared with the crisis of these Churches and their suffering. We know martyrdom is rampant in the nations and there is strive, heartache, murder, disrespect for human life in our own streets … The time of the Lord is at hand – time for repentance, time to shun evil, time to have a testimony of Christ in our life … Time to strengthen our worship!  Jesus commended Pergamos of their works, holding fast to Christ’s name, and not denying the faith. Christ identifies Himself to the Church has One Who hath the sharp sword with two edges. In most of these Churches Jesus cuts into their heart with praise and then is the same cases He cuts into their lives with… “I have a few things against thee.”  I thought how many times we might just walk away when the Christ in us should be revealed… or with loved ones, when they need to be enlightened of their wicked ways. We must be aware of the doctrine of Balaam, lest we be a stumbling block in someone’s life, that sincerely needs to see Jesus in us. Jesus cries out “overcome – repent.” He promises hidden manna and a white stone! Loving you, Pastor

“The Time is at Hand!” ~ Church of Ephesus

Jer. 22:29 “O Earth, Earth, Earth, hear the Word of the Lord.”

Twice in the Book of Revelation we hear these Words: “The Time is at Hand.” It is sincerely “time” to evaluate our Love for the Lord as we explore the Church of Ephesus. In Each Church we will see “The Time is at hand” for Spiritual growth in the Body of Christ. As John turns to see the voice that is speaking to Him, He envisions the Alpha & Omega {Jesus} standing in the midst of seven candlesticks. Seven is important, for it spiritually says “whole” ~ could it mean these are Messages to the “Whole Church,” yes, even to the Churches of this very day! He holds seven stars in Has hands and out of His mouth went a two-edged sword: The Word of God is still going forth to those who will have an “ear to hear what the Spirit will say.” John hears these Words – “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter!” Here we see the weaknesses of the Church, the things which are – in each Church, and then the things that shall be hereafter – The Things which are concerns the Church then and now as we wait for the Rapture.  The Candlesticks represents the Churches and the stars are the angels, messengers, ultimately pastors.  Our text today comes from Rev. 2:1-3 “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;² I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: ³ And has patience, and for My name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. It appears this is a good Church, they had works, labour, patience, against evil, they endured, they did not faint! But something had transpired that caused Jesus to say: “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee … this we will explore in the Message today. We will begin to have a greater understanding of “The Time is at Hand!” Yes, it is time to take inventory of our Spiritual lives, for sincerely it is “Spiritual things that matter” to our God, and our Saviour, such things will bring us into a greater relationship with the God of our Salvation! The first of the Seven times Jesus says … “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.” Be sure to check out what is Promised to those who will hear and overcome! I love every one of you, Pastor

“The Time is at Hand!”

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His Angel unto His servant John: VS3 Blessed is he that Readeth, and they that hear the Words of this Prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: For The Time Is At Hand.”  ~ Rev. 1:1-3

Twice in the Book of Revelation we hear these Words: “The Time is at Hand.” It is a time to pause in our daily activities and give God time to speak to His Children. We have been in a “hurried” mode for a long time. Everything around us is fast and it seems for some, we arrive at the end of the day exhausted and weary. In this “time oriented season” it is apparent that God often gets left out. “Our Father” desires time with us! As we meditate upon Him and His Eternal Plan, He draws nigh and surrounds us with His Holy Spirit. There is no better way to meditate upon “Eternal Matters,” then in the Book of Revelation. As the Scripture above tells us – God desires to reveal the power of His Son to humanity. Could it be as Christ draws near, evil seeks to prevail and seems so intense in this point and time? As we open the Book of Revelation in a time that it seems evil is prevailing, we hear the Word of the Lord --- “He that Readeth, and they that hear the Words of this Prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand!” There is a Blessing for the “Reading of the Book of Revelation.”  Somethings we can only ponder until the mysteries be revealed, but this one thing we know, God is revealing His Son and saying: “The Time is at Hand.” For sure I know this, the time of shoring up our Christian life is at hand. It is a time to draw nigh unto our Father in Heaven. It is a time to meditate upon His Word, for there are signs that point to His return. O let the Church hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the Church. The Revelation Prophecy of the “End Time” begins with the Church as we hear the Lord say — “He that hath an ear let him hear!” Seven times we hear this statement in the Book of Revelation. The Christian must “hear” what the Spirit of God is saying to us in this hour; For the Time is at Hand, and the signs of His Coming are prevalent!    Loving You, Pastor

My Father

Today we celebrate our fathers, we are thankful for every one of you. We ask the Heavenly Father to bless you in a special and unique way today! We not only celebrate our fleshly fathers, but our Heavenly Father! When we say my Father it tells us we have been fathered, it’s personal. Some have had painful experiences, and some have had good experiences; but we all have had an eternal father who has given us Promise and has not failed us. Jesus said: “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with Power from on high.” Luke 24:49 – Jesus talks a lot about His Father in Scripture. Jesus referred to “My Father” fifty some times in the Gospels. Jesus also called God “Our Father” some twenty one times in the Gospels. This is awesome for Jesus clearly shows us that those who believe on Him share the same relationship with God in Heaven that Jesus does. We probably need to pause here and give this statement some thought. It seems that relationships are thin in this moment and time, but we have a Father who desires to be in relationship with us at all times. --- There are many Fathers in Scripture who in the midst of danger, difficulty, and misfortune, maintained a Godly Fortitude. We also note the strength of our Forefathers who placed the foundation of a Godly Nation before us and fought for our Liberty. Some gave up their livelihood for the Freedom to Worship our Heavenly Father. We are grateful for our Fathers who have faithfully served in the wars and those who are serving still today.... Not only is Jesus “My Father” but He calls God “Your Father” twenty-one times in the Gospel. Here is a powerful thought: The Israelites had no concept of God as “Father.” They saw Him as Jehovah, the transcendent God. Usually they never thought of God in intimate terms. So, when Jesus arrived calling God “My Father,” it was a totally new concept and it even angered many of them. Jesus revealed this to His disciples in Luke 11:2 “Jesus said, When ye “Pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.” Immediately we note as we come into Salvation we are intimately related to God through Jesus Christ. Rom. 8:15‑16 “...ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the Children of God!” Just as our human father has certain responsibilities for his children, God has taken responsibility for us, “His Children.” Thank God for our Fathers and Thank You God that You are Our Father! Loving U, Pastor

“The Cup Of Blessing

“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.”  ~ Jer. 29:11-13

As we read this Passage of Scripture in Jeremiah, we see the Revelation of “The Cup of Blessing!” We have Communion with our Heavenly Father when we partake of the “Emblems of His Body and Blood!” Communion has a strong meaning –It is the sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a Spiritual level. -- It is a relationship between an individual and the Lord Himself. It is the Service of Christian Worship which the Bread and the Fruit of the Vine [Jesus called it the Fruit of the Vine in Mt. Mk. & Lk.] are consecrated and shared. Consecrated is: Something sacred; dedicated exclusively for a Divine Purpose. This is the theme of the Message today, His Divine Purpose for us as we partake of the “Cup of Blessing!”  This “Cup” that we share today is a most powerful sign of our relationship with Christ. It is said we are partaking of the Communion of “The Blood of Christ!” and in “The Bread” that we partake of, it is said to be the Communion of “The Body” of Christ! And as we follow this Exhortation, we see the Word of God tell us: “For we are all partakers of that One Bread!” Over the many years that some of us have been partaking of The Lord’s Communion, we sometimes forget the Power of this action. I hear Paul say in 2 Cor.13:14 that “The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you…!” Christianity is not just a “tradition” it is a Divine Purpose for the Believers in Christ. Something that should be noticed in this Scripture is the “Holy Trinity” of God. In Holy Communion as the  saints lift “The Cup” – take “The Bread,” the whole Trinity attends the Holy Moment. It should effect us as it did the two men who met Jesus on the road to Damascus … When they sat at dinner and Jesus took the Bread and Blessed it, Broke it and gave it to them; their response was – “Did not our heart burn within us!” O may our hearts burn with the presence of the Holy Ghost today as we receive the Emblems of our Saviour!  Let us remember “we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that One Bread! 

Loving You, Pastor

What Shall We do?

“When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” 
~ Acts 2:1-2

From the Happy Pastor’s Study: Not only am I happy to come into the Lord’s House, but even happier to remind the Church it is Pentecost Sunday! The Holy Ghost is our strength, He helps us discern the times, He fills our life with Joy and He has gifted us with the Power of His Holy Spirit!  Awesome! When I come to an annual Service that is on our Church Calendar, it is always to remind us of the Life of Christ. Jesus said; John 15:26 “When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me: Anyone who has been in this Church knows about this Day. We celebrate it because it is the Day of the Outpouring of God’s Gift, The Holy Spirit. Today’s Message spot lights Peter, for He was a great part of this Historic Message that God sent to the Church. Peter’s Message begins in Acts 2 Vs 14. Now remember the Disciples had hid out when Jesus was Crucified, and especially Peter had promised – “Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee.” Pretty much everyone knows -- Peter had three opportunities to “not deny” Jesus, but failed all three! But now something has happened to him, Peter has experienced the wind of the Holy Spirit, the Sign of a new language and he is empowered to stand before the very ones who Crucified Jesus and “boldly” exhort them – the murderers! How wonderful to celebrate Pentecost Sunday at this very time when we need a refreshing of such Power to strengthen us, to embolden us, to breathe upon us this Promise of  Jesus’! John 14:16-17 “I will Pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”  Well Peter’s Message flamed with Holy Ghost fire: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have Crucified, both Lord and Christ! The multitude was pricked in there heart, and they said unto Peter, What Shall We do?” Humanity is at this very point today: “What Shall We do?” Be ready, Be a witness, Be full of the Holy Ghost and His Power!  Be a Living Epistle!  Please know you are in my Prayer daily and since we are “Over-comers” we shall Overcome! Loving you Pastor

Stand Up – Stand Fast!

“For the Lord will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment shall return unto Righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it. Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? or who will Stand Up for Me against the workers of iniquity?” ~ Psalm 94:14-16  --- “Watch ye, Stand Fast in the Faith, … be strong.  ~1 Cor 16:13
   I am like David of old, when he said: “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go unto the House of the Lord!” There is no place for me like the House of the Lord! This is a wonderful Song of  David as he declares his Joy in the House of the Lord. Very interesting the Psalms just before this one, Ps. 120 a Psalm of great distress, then Ps 121 – David begins to lift up his eyes unto the hills, from where his help cometh and he proclaims his help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and earth! Now we come to the Psalm of this Message: Ps. 122 Joy overtakes David as he visualizes coming into the Tabernacle, the House of the Lord! The Tabernacle, the Temple was David’s chief concern in life. The House of the Lord does not save us, but it is God’s place for humanity to gather and come collectively into His Presence together. The Family of God is of great importance and thus it will be even more from these days of crisis.  In Psalm 94 above we take courage, for we are reminded that God will not cast off His People. However it is time to return to righteousness, to Stand for God, to Stand fast in Faith, and be strong! Oh Church remember who God is! Isa 48:12-14 -–“Hearken unto Me, …My called; I Am He; I Am the First, I also Am the Last. Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they Stand up together. All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among you hath declared these things? The Lord hath Loved him:” What an awesome time we are living in, if we could get pass beyond the works of the enemy and see the Salvation of our God. He has given us Jesus and He has written in His word the antidote for this crisis! “Put on the ‘whole’ Armor of God, that ye may be able to Stand against the wiles of the devil!” Another part of that Passage says: Put it on to “withstand” the evil day, and having done all, Stand! I want to encourage the saints today to Stand Fast in One Spirit, with one mind striving together for the Faith of what we believe – and that is God is in charge.  Loving you and Praying for you, Pastor

Who Am I?

WOW!, how I’ve missed being in Service with the saints, worshiping in the Sanctuary of the Lord! It is good to be together again! O How faithful our God is! The Solo today goes something like this “Who AM I, that a King should bleed and die for … This is my Message today, giving glory to Jesus our King who has died to give us Eternal Life! In these days of health issues, we give thanks for our safety and our health, His protection, and we Pray for those who have suffered lost or are suffering. God is sincerely the Author and Finisher of all things. It is His hand that guides our life and our country. I come quickly back to “Who Am I?”  Six times this statement is mentioned in the Word of God … Moses said it, David said it several times, and Solomon said it. These are men who God used greatly in His Word. Today this is a question before us. “Who Am I? Well… The “Born Again Believers” are the righteousness of Christ. They are greatly needed today, to band together for the Kingdom of God in near. I’m speaking of the Eternal Kingdom of God. We as “Born Again Believers” have much to do and we must not think …” Who am I? with disbelief that we can not be used in this strategic moment in the history of our time. This is the hour of our Faith to shine, the moment to entertain God’s Grace and Mercy and move forth as a witness of “Who Jesus is!” – Who Am I that a King would bleed and die for? Let us be reminded of a Rom. 5:8-9 “God commendeth His Love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Humanity is undeserving, yet Jesus shed His Blood for us, so then, He is our strength, and our Hope in this hour of devastation. His Word tells us who we are … We are the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! 1 Cor. 1:30-31 Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Right-eousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord! And as we Glory in our Saviour we are strengthen, and covered by His Precious Blood unto Eternal Life. Who am I? We might not feel important, yet Jesus’ Love has Redeemed us.   ~~ Loving you, so Happy to be together,  Pastor

Camping Round About!

“O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him.” ~ Psalm 34:9

Fear is gripping our country and the news excites the fear each time you turn on the Radio or Television. It is good to know that we have a shelter in our God.  Psalm 61:3 encourages the hearts of God’s people! “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” The enemy comes in all sorts of ways to detour the saints from their position in Christ. In this Lenten Season as we discipline ourselves it seems the enemy is more rampant then usual. All over the world there is a Lenten Discipline going on in the true Church of our God. How the devil rages to see the saints taking stock of themselves and bringing there desires under the control of the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is our strength and constant companion. He will guide us through the difficult places. I turn to the Psalms for guidance, strength, comfort, and encouragement. David was constantly harassed by the enemy of his soul, but he never wavered in his Hope in God. Our country is at a turning point, will it honor God or accept the consequences. Those who honour God can depend on Him in any crisis. Psalm 34 calls for us to “Bless the Lord at all times: His Praise shall continually be in our mouth!” How do we measure up to continual Praise? This is the purpose of the Discipline to reflect on our Spiritual condition. David goes on to say “O magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together.” This is the purpose of having a Church Service, that we might Worship together. In the time of trouble [Ps 27:5] “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a Rock.” This day we will Pray together as we Worship and ask for the Blood of Jesus to cover our families from the distress of the day. David declares “I sought the Lord, and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.” Know that the “Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivered them. O taste and see that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man that Trusteth in Him. O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him.” Ps. 34:7-9. Our Lenten messages began with the Joyful Path, a Path of Trust – this in not mere words, this is our passion, our trust is in the Lord. As we are Faithful to our Lenten Discipline which honors our Lord Jesus Christ, God rejoices! We are on the Joyful Path, it is called Salvation and it calls for Trust in our God! Ps.37:39 “The Salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble.”    Loving You, Pastor

The Joyful Path

“Let all those that put their Trust in Thee Rejoice: let them ever shout for Joy, because Thou defends them: let them also that love Thy Name be Joyful in Thee. For Thou, Lord, wilt Bless the righteous; with favour wilt Thou compass them as with a shield.”  ~ Psalms 5:11‑12

         

Who here is Joyful? Salvation should be a Joyful Path, however we are harassed by the enemy of our soul who hates our Salvation. We are admonished to “Put our Trust in God?” I know we do, but alas, the temptations of the evil one and his harassment seems periodically to overwhelm us. Good News, I’ve found some nuggets in Scripture that will help us follow the Path of Joy! We sing a most appropriate song, “It is Joy unspeakable and full of Joy” yet again it is hard to obtain that “fullness” of Joy. It is not we doubt the Joy that Jesus had in obeying His Father, that caused Him to accomplish the 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. There He was tempted by the devil himself and He overcame by the Word of His Father! We too must come to the place where the enemy of our soul cannot tempt us to loose the Joy of our Salvation. When we are “short” of Joy, and I’m sure everyone understands what that means! Well it means the devil is messing with our Salvation. I read in Scripture [Isa. 12:3] “Therefore with Joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation.”  Consider the Lenten Season when you think of Jesus’ Joy – the Joy that was set before Him. We must learn to approach our difficulties with the “Joy” – His Joy! For it is He who has redeemed us! Happiness can easily be short lived, but sincere Jesus’ Joy is Eternal. God had a Path for Jesus, it lead to Gethsemane and Jesus was willing to obey His Father, He considered it a Joy. But with that Joy He had to “give” His life. That is called a “Joyful Sacrifice!” Because He gave His Life, we now can draw Joy from His Sacrifice. What a Savior. Finding a Joyful Path is not easy, just when you think you’ve found it, it requires sacrifice. I hear the Wisdom of the writer of Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all thing heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy Paths.” In this Holy Season may we find a fresh Joy as we journey on His Path of self-discipline.  Let us embrace this moment. “Thou wilt shew me the Path of life: in Thy Presence is fullness of Joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Ps. 16:11 Loving you as we Join in this Disciple together, Pastor

Overcome Adversity

“Blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth, O Lord, and teaches him out of Thy Law; That Thou mayest give him rest from the days of Adversity …  For the Lord will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His Inheritance.”  ~ Psalms 94:12-14

From the Pastor’s Study: When so much is going on around us, let us take it as a sign that we need to go a little Higher, and get away from the noise and draw closer to God. We see this in Jesus Life as He faced the Adverse conditions that the enemy brought against Him. Remember the times that Jesus went alone to Pray. Jesus rose above the Adversity. While we rise above the crisis, or the circumstance, it often exercises our Faith. Sometimes things are not going the way we planned, and we think God is not giving us the attention we desire – He is, it might be “no” or “obey Me.” He knows what is needed in our life to bring “Spiritual growth!” The Lenten Season comes now to challenge us to Discipline ourselves Physically and encourages us to take on a greater depth of Spiritual experience. No matter where we are Spiritually, there is always room for growth! Join in this Holy Season -- we are called to go higher! A Passage of Scripture that is quite familiar to the Christian is found in Isa. 40:31 “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as Eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint!”  Eagles is mentioned quite few times in Scripture: Consider the Eagle since we are reminded of them in that Passage of Scripture: Eagle’s don’t allow Adversity to get in their way. When faced with quarrelsome birds like the cackling crows, the Eagle simply files above them and with his great strength he soars higher than most birds can fly. Learn to ignore your enemies, rise above the ‘cackling’ that they try to disrupt you with. Always remember, when you’re distracted if is difficult to hear from God.  Could it be the Eagle is referenced in God’s Word because it symbolizes Great Strength as it soars above the distractions? God describes His eagles: Ez. 17:3-4 “Thus saith the Lord God; A great Eagle with great wings, long winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours …” How great is our creative God!  Pastor

God's Offering

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” ~ John 3:16

The season on the Church Calendar is approaching, which is the Lenten Season. A time of humbling ourselves before the Lord by taking on a Discipline and adding a Spiritual Discipline as we remember Jesus Suffering. It is a 40 day commitment between the Christian and God. It is a time of not only recognizing Jesus Suffering and obedience to His Father, but it is a time of remembering God’s Offering.  God’s Offering is sometimes forgotten as we see the suffering of Jesus. God’s Offering was “His Only Begotten Son!” As we worship Jesus we must remember the heartbreak in God’s heart as He view the suffering of His Only Son. In the Message today we will see what God’s Offering did for us. I’m sure you know that the “Only Begotten Son” of God came to take away our sins and to give unto His followers Eternal Life. This is God’s great Offering that we might have Eternal Life. Perhaps we don’t often think of Eternal Life until there is a death close to us. But Eternal Life is our goal, it is our destiny! It is our Hope!  In Joel Chapter 1 – The Word of the Lord came forth and God commanded that the children be told and their children must tell the next generation. What was so important for God to speak in this manner?  VS 9 “The meat Offering and the drink Offering is cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests, the Lord's ministers, mourn. The field is wasted, the land mourneth; there’s a languishing in the land! In there mourning, which is a type of death/separation; an expression of great sorrow there is an uncontrollable languishing in the land. To Languish means “listlessness, weakness, laxness, lackadaisical, and most interesting – spiritless! That’s just the explanation of Wester the dictionary – but we quickly recognize spiritless --- we recognize this as in our own land today! The things of God’s creation such as the Fruit of the fields, the trees, the vines, are found withered! Because “Joy is withered away from the sons of men. Could this be true today?  We might be caught up in the stresses and anxiety of our day until the “Joy of the Lord’ is not operating appropriately in our life. Jesus came in “Joy” – “Who for the “Joy that was set before Him: Jesus endured the Cross!” [Heb 12:2] How does this Joy live in us? It was an Offering given to us in this Holy Season by the Father through His Son -- “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, will bring Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost!”   Pastor

“Lovest Thou Me?”

“Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the Faithful God, which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that Love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations;”   Deut. 7:9

We hear these words from God as He speaks to Abraham: “Take now thy son, thy only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon the mountain I tell thee.” We hear Mary and Martha saying, unto the “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick,” and finally we hear the Words of Jesus as the Resurrected Savior speaking to Peter as the disciples set around the fire: “Lovest Thou Me? Three times Jesus asks this question of Peter. Perhaps it was necessary for He had told His Disciples many times what was going to happen concerning Himself, and yet, they did not discern His hour of suffering and Resurrection. In this Valentine Season, a season of love, we hear Jesus Words once more – “Lovest Thou Me?” There is so much to be said about Love in Scripture. Let us pause for a moment and look at 1 John 4:8-11 – “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is Love. In this was manifested the Love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is Love, not that we loved God, but that He Loved us, and sent Jis Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so Loved us, we ought also to Love one another.” There is often Sacrifice in True Love! Can I say that again? There is often Sacrifice in True Love! Our society today is full of love – love of the things of this world, lustful love, love for power and praise! The heart of God is still calling for pure Love, as in the moment He spoke to Peter: “Lovest Thou Me?” Sacrifice is involved, as in God’s offering of Jesus; Consider the painful sensation in the heart of Abraham when God said to him, offer thy son for a burnt offering. Let us recognize afresh the desire in God’s heart for our Love. His desire is not just for words, but action, as we see the day of Jesus return approaching. The call is still going forth; “Come and Dine!” Sit at the table with the Lord, make room for Him in our daily routine, muse upon His Goodness, consider Eternal Life, meditate upon the Holy Ghost which came to comfort us, guide us, and reveal the power of God’s Love and Presence to us! A part of Loving God is Loving our neighbor! Know I sincerely love every one of you and as we worship Him, may His power be revealed to us afresh!  Love, Pastor

“Heart Burn for Jesus!”

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;” ~ Luke 12:34-35

Do you feel a burning sensation of anger or strife or untruth as you watch the primaries? As you hear the promises and you know that they are impossible … it is impossible to get all the departments of our government on the same page, if you know what I mean. In division there is failure. This is a powerful Truth! In Luke 11 there were those tempting Jesus to show them a sign; I hear His Words from Luke VS17 “Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. We are no longer “One nation under God!” That of course is God Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are seeing signs today, warning signs of Jesus Coming. The question is: Do our hearts burn for Christ? To burn is a sensation, it also calls for action. A dictionary describes it: as a flame that consumes something, or a source of Light, a source of energy as fuel … Herein is the mandate for this Message. Christianity’s Light seems to be diminished and evil is on the rise. Before you feel a negative thought, this is an alert for Prayer, a cry for a hunger for God, a need to exercise our Faith, to walk in the power of the Holy Ghost, and a time to step up to the plate and be victorious in the God we serve. Politics without God will bring destruction. Too many worldly changes to His Church will also bring effect the Body of Christ. [Heb. 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” – Mal. 3:6 “For I Am the Lord, I change not;” I believe the saints of the Gospel of Christ see the signs of our time, but perhaps we fail to sense the urgency of our day. When you study Jesus Life, as we will note in the Message today; He warned them, blessed them, taught them, and revealed Truth to them. Yet when He was crucified, they each one handled it differently without continuing strong in His teachings.  A couple of them headed out for another village – after they heard the news from the women who had been at the grave and talked with the Angels. The Angels had confirmed Jesus’ Words to them; “He is not here, but is Risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be Crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered His Words, And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. Fear & unbelief ruled.  Ad you no doubt are aware of this Account in the Life of Christ, Jesus joined them on the way to Emmaus. Did they recognize Him? No fear and doubt had blinded them. Eventually they sat at dinner, Jesus took the Bread, and blessed it, brake it and gave it to them … The emblems of His Sacrifice opened their eyes and they knew Him. He vanished and they said: “Did not our heart burn within us!” O God may we discern our moment, Pastor

Wisdom for Tomorrow

Isaiah 34:16  “Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and Read:”

Are you anxious for tomorrow, the government proceedings, taxes being raised, impeachment, the evil of our day, fear of the future, etc … I’m sure there are numerous items that can be added, but to say the least we often say; “what would we do without Jesus!” The Hope we have in Him and our Eternal Life. There is Wisdom that can be attained for our future and for tomorrow. I don’t often just skim through the Scriptures … most often I search before and after the Passage of Scripture, but I have found some Wisdom in “bits” of Scripture as I’ve browsed contemplatively through my Bible. Usually it is in silent Prayer meditation longing to find a source of comfort for the moment. This is the Message today. Bits and Pieces of Wisdom for the tomorrows that follow. There is always comfort in God’s Word, but sometimes it is the last place we go to be comforted. One such verse that caught my eye was in Isaiah 34:16 and almost audibly I heard the Words … “Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and Read …” How potent that was to Seek the Lord from His Word! Simple, yes, but how often do we pass up the simple for something, hmmmm unusual or perhaps revelatory? In this Message today we will give attention to simple requests of the Word of God that will be “Wisdom for the Future, for tomorrow!” As I mused on Scripture I remembered the disciples, actually Thomas who said: “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finer into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.” I wander if that attitude still exists today? If we could just see with our eyes a miracle, we would have greater Faith? The whole Message of Christ is that we walk in Faith, trusting that what God has said, He will bring it to pass. We need greater Faith for tomorrow, greater dependence on God for the days ahead. We need His Wisdom to be the strength of our life for it is in Him that we trust and not in the arm of flesh. The simple Word that we explore is “Seek” Seek Me … A “Bit” I picked up was in Luke 6: “But I say unto you which hear …” This is my Prayer for tomorrow, that we might “Hear” what the Spirit of God desires of us in this moment and time!  Loving You, Pastor

At Thy Word, I Will

 “Jesus said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. Simon answering, said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy Word I will let down the net.”  ~ Luke 5:4-5

Let’s go fishing! What shall we fish for? Crappie’s or Northern Pike, Salmon? And then there is a Muskie, Bigggg Fish! Of course we in Scripture note the “Big Fish” that swallowed up Jonah!? This question that Peter asked Jesus could be a Spiritual question? Crappies do not require much depth, but one must go deeper if they are to catch a “Big Fish!” So the Spiritual Question is “How deep do we want to go? As we check out this confrontation that Peter had with Jesus, we see the natural application and then we see the Spiritual application come into view! Let’s meditate for a moment on the depth of our Salvation. Do we sometimes feel like Peter: Jesus calls to us to “Launch out into the deep!” This would be the depth of Who He is, in our life! We hear Peter’s response; “But Master we have toiled all night, and I have taken nothing!” – We would say, “nothing is happening!” I’m sure everyone of us has had this feeling at some time in our life. But as we hear Jesus say “Launch out into the deep …” we turn to the Fruit of the Spirit given to us for a deeper experience in our Salvation. Not only the Fruit of the Spirit, but the simplicity of God’s Word reveals Truth that will sustain us when we are toiling through a night experience! In a crisis we must do as Peter did, respond with “nevertheless at Thy Word I will...!” Jesus is our example. As He faced the insurmountable task of shedding His Blood for our Salvation, we hear Him say; “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this Cup from me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.” Our United States are at a cross road, there must be a surrender … And even as this is true, there must be a “surrender” in the Body of Christ! Jesus warned Peter in Luke 22:31-32 “The Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have Prayed for thee, that thy Faith fail not: … strengthen thy brethren.” Strengthening one another is a “Worship” that shows our obedience to help one another, it is called “Charity!” I thank God every day when I Pray for the Kindness and Love I see in our Church Body. We are a Blessed people! As we face the New Year, and the crisis of our government, may we dig a little deeper into God’s Word, give more time to Him, have a listening ear, and continue in Faithful Worship unto Him! Let us read the Proverbs and Psalms together, it will strengthen our desire for Jesus!   Thankful and Loving you, Pastor

The Worship Offerings

On the Church Calendar, today we celebrate Epiphany. Why is this day so important to us? It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ being presented to the Gentiles. We know that Jesus came for His People, the Jews, however He included us, the Gentiles in His Salvation! We know this because of the Miracle of the Wise Men. One might wonder why I say it is a Miracle. But think about this: The men of the East were hundreds of miles away, they had barely a Prophetic Word. Note: From the Book of Numbers 24:17 they read this Prophetic announcment: “I shall see Him, but not now: I shall behold Him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel …”  Matt. 2:1-2 records this Historical Event: Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His Star in the East, and are come to Worship Him. I wonder would we set out on camels to travel a couple of years through dangerous difficulties to see if a Prophetic Word was correct? The Word of God is filled with Prophecy, yet Christianity does not seem to comprehend what God is revealing to them. This very day Prophetic Word, is being revealed con-cerning the End Time, things are happening in Israel, and to the Jews. The Wise Men came with Gifts to offer unto this King. It is well to consider such “Gifts” for they were truly gifts not only of material worth, but we would soon learn of the greater Gifts that Jesus would give. “Spiritual Gifts” that came with the birth of this New Born Child. The Material Gifts are symbolic of Christ Himself. Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Often people refer to the Three Wise Men, this is because of the three Gifts mentioned. No doubt there were a group of Wise Men that followed the Star. One day we will cast our crowns that we obtained spiritually before His Throne and say, “Thou art Worthy, O Lord, to receive Glory and Honour and Power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.” May we, His Gentiles Worship Him! Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, the Kings brought … what will we bring to Worship Him in this New Year? The Greatest Offering we can bring is ourselves … search His Word, lift up our voices in Praise and Adoration, and bring unto Him the Tithe of our Labor. Loving You and wishing you a Joyful Year in our Lord!  Pastor

Plenty in Two Thousand Twenty

What a wonderful season as we celebrated the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Now we face a new Year! What will this year hold for the Christian, the people of God? There will be “Plenty” of opportunities to Trust the Lord, to share His Goodness in a corrupt Generation, to show His Love as we walk among His Children. The Psalmist proclaimed “Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and “Plenteous” in Mercy! The important issue of our day is to “remain Faithful” under all circumstances for the Lord is preparing a people to live with Him in Eternal Life. So much was given to us as we celebrated Jesus Birth. He had given many Gifts to His People. In this New Year, may we explore in depth the glorious Gifts that He has provided for us. There is Salvation, the forgiveness of our sins, and then follows all the Fruit of His Spirit. These Fruits are enlarged as we go deeper into the Baptism of His Holy Ghost. There is no limit in God, and as we see the wickedness on the horizon we must press in for more of our God! What can we expand in our Christian conduct, our Christian example, and our Gifts that He has given to us. There is “Plenty” of opportunities to grow in His Grace, His Mercy, and in His Forgiveness! O the Plenteous Mercy of God! This may be the Year that God desires to restore unto you as He did in the days of Joel. Here the Restoration of “Plenty!” Joel 2:25-27  ^“I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm … And ye shall eat in Plenty, and be satisfied, and Praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I Am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.” I sincerely believe that in the midst of all the clamor, God’s Love and Mercy will keep our hearts in tune with Him! I read in the Psalm as I prepared this Message and it strengthen me … Psalm 86:15-17 “Thou, O Lord, art a God full of Compassion, and Gracious, Longsuffering, and Plenteous in Mercy and Truth. O turn unto me, and have Mercy upon me; give Thy strength unto Thy servant …” There will be “Plenty” of opportunities to wait for the Lord also. But in our waiting, we will “Hope in His Word! [Ps.130] Let us focus on Israel as these days unfold remembering God is excellent in power, and “Plenty” in Justice {Job 37:22-23} As we explore the opportunities that come to us let us remember also what Jesus said when He saw the multitudes … “He was moved with Compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no Shepherd. He said unto His Disciples/His followers … The harvest Truly is “Plenteous,” but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His Harvest!” May Jesus Compassion be our Quest.                   Happy New Year!  Loving you Pastor