He Lives

And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. Mark 15:20

Betrayed, falsely accused, humiliated, scourged, crucified and buried. These are words we use to describe what happened to Jesus on Good Friday as the Lamb of God lay down His life for the sins of the world.

Risen, victorious and alive are words we use to describe the resurrection of Jesus on Easter morning. The stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty!

Because He lives, we shall live also!

Rev DB

Victory over our enemies!

Victory over our enemies!

Psalm 60:12 Through God we shall do valiantly: For he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Victory in Jesus is one of our theme songs. We have victory through what He did on the cross. We win through Him. He is the One that defeated sin, Satan, and hell. It is through the Lord that we have all that we have that is of any value.

I can also live a life of victory thanks to what Jesus did on the cross. I can see God do ministry in and through me. I can have victory over temptation. I can see Satan defeated. There is no reason I shouldn’t live in victory because I know Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

It is He and His power that gives me victory.

Rev AG

The Lure of Momentary Pleasure

The Lure of Momentary Pleasure

Genesis 25:29-34

You probably read the story of Jacob and Esau today and thought, I can't believe Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of soup. How foolish! But let's think beyond birthrights and soup. Is there anything of true value that you are trading for something of lesser worth? In other words, what is your "bowl of soup"?

Have you pursued wealth and a career at the expense of family? Maybe your busy schedule has kept you from spending time with God in His Word each day. Some people become involved in extramarital affairs, trading the well-being of their family for the satisfaction of lustful desires. Others sacrifice their health by consuming harmful or addictive substances, or even by overindulging in food. The list of ways we make foolish, shortsighted choices is endless.

Some of the decisions we make today could rob us of the blessings God wants to give us. When you yield to temptation in a moment of weakness, you're actually sacrificing your future for momentary pleasure. We can't afford to live thoughtlessly, basing our decisions on immediate desires or feelings. Since the principle of sowing and reaping cannot be reversed, we need to carefully consider what we are planting. The harvest will come, and we'll reap what we have sown--and more than we've sown.

Are you contemplating anything that could have serious long-term ramifications if you yield to the yearning? A wise person evaluates choices by looking ahead to see what negative consequences could follow a course of action.

Don't let "a bowl of soup" hinder God's wonderful plans for you.

Rev CS

Rejoice evermore

Rejoice evermore. 1Thess. 5:16

Paul says rejoice! Rejoice because our sins have been forgiven! Rejoice because our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life! Rejoice because Jesus is alive and because He lives we shall live also!

Paul says rejoice evermore. Rejoice today, for this is the day the Lord has made, Rejoice for eternity because He has prepared a place for us with Him. Rejoice in the Lord! 

Again, I say rejoice!

RevDB

It came true

It came true

Job 8:6 If thou wert pure and upright; Surely now he would awake for thee, And make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. 7 Though thy beginning was small, Yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

The first thing that impresses me here is the way God will make this hurtful comment come true. If you were right then, God would bless you, and you would end up better than you started. That is precisely what will happen with Job by the end of the book. He will end up much better off in every way. God will vindicate him also.

This friend must have felt like a fool at the end of the story. It would be better for me to keep my thoughts to myself instead of making such a fool of myself. I do not know what God is doing in the life of my brother. I would do well to worry about my own spiritual life more than trying to correct my brother.

You might wonder why God isn’t coming through for you. You might be considering why things are not working out as you wanted. Give God time to do what He is going to do in your life.

He is at work, and in the end, you will see His hand.
REV AG

Children for Jesus

A couple of days ago Sarah and I walked into the kitchen to find Jack searching through drawers and looking on shelves...it seemed like he was really intent on finding something in particular. Naturally we asked what he was looking for and if we could help him. I wasn't expecting him to reply with anything profound, and yet I'm still rejoicing about what he said. Jack told us that he's been talking to one of his friends about Jesus and that the little boy doesn't go to church, he doesn't really know much about God, and "he doesn't even have a Bible." Jack said he knew we had extra Bibles at our house and he was looking for one to give to his friend. So today he gave his buddy a brand new pocket sized New Testament with the plan of salvation inside.

 I'm so thankful that my children want to introduce their friends to Jesus!
REV JH

Reap what you sow

Reap what you sow

Job 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, And sow wickedness, reap the same.

It has been pretty evident throughout history that you reap what you sow. If you plow twisted sin, and plant wickedness you will receive the same. You get back what you dish out. What goes around comes back around to you. Sin will always hurt us. We can’t escape that reality. We must realize that sin has consequences.

The only way that cycle is broken is by Jesus taking our sin on Himself and paying our sin debt. Thank God that He loved us enough to send Jesus to die for us and to pay our sin debt.

Lessons are be saved and get the forgiveness of your sins. Another lesson is to break the cycle by not sowing more sin. 

Let’s begin to sow righteousness and allow that to be our harvest.

Rev AG

Seek and save

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

Jesus told a parable about a sheep that was lost. It had wandered away from the flock and did not know how to get back. Separated from the shepherd and the other sheep, the lost sheep was alone and in danger. The shepherd left the flock to seek for the one that was lost and when he found it, he laid it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Like sheep, we have all gone astray. In His parable, Jesus is talking about being spiritually lost – separated from God by sin, alone and in danger with no way to get back home. Jesus is the good Shepherd who left heaven to seek and to save that which was lost. 

If you ever feel lost, listen for the voice of the Shepherd, for He is seeking for you.

Rev DB

Shaken Mind

I've been taught all my ministry; the church was born in the fire and will be taken out in the fire.
It's birth was in a fire of persecution. It involve the body.
Its departure will be in the midst of the fire involving the mind.
According to Paul in 2 Thess 2:1,2
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Here we see the mind will be a factor in the end times.

Some things that will shake the mind.
1. Doubt
2. Defeat
3. Depression

REV DN

Still

Still

II Chronicles 33:16 And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.

He repaired the altar. He made sacrifices. He commanded the people to serve God. But, the people still offered their sacrifices to the Lord in the high places. They should have taken their sacrifices to the temple. They were not to offer their sacrifices. They were not supposed to offer them in the high places, but they still did. They compromised. They improved but didn’t really obey. They went to the same old places and only changed which God they worshipped.

Compromise! Now, look at how we do things. We tend to want to do right but on our terms. We want to serve God but only if we can do it our way. We will do right but just as we see it.

God had a way He wanted to receive sacrifices and worship. It wasn’t up to the men to choose how the offering would be given. When I accommodate to my desires or opinions, then I am making me the authority and taking God’s place in the authority structure!

Rev. AG