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