Close

Good Morning,

We used to say, “Close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes." Close has been a long-term weapon of Satan.

2 Kings 18:32 “Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The LORD will deliver us.”

When the Assyrian army was attempting to conquer Israel, they said they would bring them to a place like their own, close, but not the real thing. After Solomon’s death, Jeroboam took over the northern kingdom. One of the things he did was appoint feast days and priests that were close to what God had set up for Israel – but close is not the real thing.

When I started our church in 1982, I did not know a Jehovah Witness, Mormon or Catholic who would call themselves Christians. They were called Latter Day Saints, Witnesses or Catholics, but they did not call themselves Christians. That term was reserved for those who put their faith entirely in Jesus Christ. Now it is very common for all of these religious groups to call themselves Christians. They are trying to make it look like we are the same with only small differences – but close to the same.

The Bible church is not the Baptist Church, otherwise it would be called a Baptist Church. The Bible church roots are different than the Baptist roots.  Community churches are not Baptist, they are not really even close.  Close is not the same; close is different!  

Close may be okay when buying generic products, but in choosing a wife? I do not want close; I want the right one. When picking a church, I want the one that is what the New Testament says it should be, not something close.  

When it comes to the Gospel, close might send you to hell.  We do not want close in the eye glasses we wear.  We do not want close in shoe size.  When we are almost in an accident we might exclaim, “That was close!” We do not want to be in an accident; we want to stay far from wrecks.  When it comes to instructions on how to rebuild a motor or to assemble a complex electronic device, you do not want directions that are close you want the correct directions.

No, close is not good enough when it comes to truth and biblical obedience.  The church you are attending may seem as if it is close to your old Bible-believing Independent Baptist church, but unless it is an old-fashioned, Bible-believing, separated, Independent Baptist church, and using exclusively the King James Bible, they may pretend to be close, but we do not need close, we need the right thing.

The Accountability of Children

Good Morning,

We often consider children innocent or unaccountable for their actions, but that may not always be true, depending upon the age of the child. I want to point out from the Scriptures that children can make spiritual decisions, that children are accountable for their behavior, and that God is actively involved in the lives of children for better and for worse.

Any of us who have worked with children know that some are bent one direction or another. We jokingly ask, “Who is your daddy?” But in seriousness, we know there are some root differences, and some children lean toward wrong and others lean toward right.

Make no mistake, there are children who do evil at an early age. There are young people who turn from right very early in their lives, and God knows this better than anyone on earth. On occasion, the media reports a child killing a parent or friend. Schools have had rare occasions when one child violently assaults another.

At twelve years of age, Jesus began outwardly doing His Father’s business (Luke 2:49). The world hates to hear things like this, but God begins to deal with people in their youth according to their own hearts. YES! A child has a free will; YES, a child can be good or bad, and YES God does deal with people differently according to how HE sees them according to their hearts and their behavior.

1 Samuel 1:27 “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:”

vs. 28  “Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.”

Hannah prayed for this child, and after he was weaned she gave him to the Lord.

Why not wait until he is an adult?

Because children count!

Because children can serve God!

Because from a child, he was lent to the Lord and the Lord wanted him as a child.

Mark 10:14 “…Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

Our Saviour lovingly asks that we bring children to Him; this is why Satan works so hard at ruining the hearts and lives of children – because they matter. Of course, many are the stories of children who come from difficult circumstances yet still choose to honor and serve God. Children can choose sinful or spiritual paths.

America has enough sense to have age limits on movies, smoking, and of who may gamble or attend nightclubs. Yet, now, perverted men are being given access to “story time” with little children to influence them for wrong or to prey on their innocence. There is no decent motive for these actions.

Samuel was dedicated to the Lord from conception. Although Eli had failed miserably training his own sons to serve God, God allowed Samuel to be left in this man’s care from the early years of his life. Regardless of what kind of an environment Samuel had to live in, there was a clear decision in Samuel‘s heart that he would live for God.

1 Samuel 2:18 “But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child…”

Samuel wanted to do right, and he did so in spite of his environment.

As a little child, I heard my mom say why she named me… she said, “I never met someone named Bruce who was not kind.”

Those words mattered. That thought was with me from then on. That thought – a casual comment – took root in my heart and influenced many decisions. In kindergarten two older boys, maybe 8-10 years of age, came to me and showed me a dirty picture. I turned away and they laughed. I was ashamed to have had seen it at all. Children can choose!

A few years later, perhaps second or third grade, I stood with friends and heard unkind words spoken to a girl who was a little odd. I stood there and watched the grief in her eyes and saw tears well up. I determined never to hurt people. As a little child I made that decision.

Consider the son of Jeroboam:

1 Kings 14:12 “Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.”

vs. 13 “And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam."

The subject is not salvation, but an honorable death and burial compared to the rest of the family dying in shame and suffering was noted. The Lord dealt with this boy differently than the others because of what God saw in him. There was found some good towards the Lord, that much is clear. The age of the child is unclear, as in many other passages of the Scripture; at times, a young adult is called a child. We cannot build doctrine on supposition, but this is one more passage where it appears a good “youth” is known and treated differently by God.

One of the last kings over Judah was Jehoiachin. Like Josiah, his grandfather, he was eight years of age when he was anointed king. Unlike Josiah, Jehoiachin was an evil king, even though he was only eight years old and sat on the throne three months and ten days, God called him evil. Who cares what psychologists think, God said it! Josiah, his grandfather, at eight years of age did right, and, at sixteen years of age, turned the nation to God and righteousness.

2 Chronicles 36:9 "Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.”

This is not an obscure thought or doctrine built upon one vague passage.

Proverbs 20:11 “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”

Proverbs 22:15 “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child…"

Psalm 58:3 “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

At twelve years of age…

Luke 2:47 “And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.”

Luke 2:52 “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."

We excuse far too much in the behavior of a child. Our laws treat minors differently than adults and that is the decision of lawmakers, but the items that are stolen or the people who are murdered remains the same whether the person is seven, seventeen, or twenty-seven years of age.

A child is most certainly able to have faith and place that faith in Christ, as Mark 10:15 makes clear: "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." The phrase “child-like faith” was probably adapted from this verse. It is adults whose faith is doubted by God, not that of the child.

Concluded from these examples is that children have a mind and a free will! From early in their lives, children have a spirit of submission or a spirit of conflict, a spirit of concern or a spirit of rebellion.

Consider the wrath God poured upon Israel in the days of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 9:5 “And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:”

vs. 6 “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.”

God sent angelic executioners into the city, and some people were to be left unharmed – those whose heart was grieved over the wrong in the city. The remainder, old and young (little children included) were to be slaughtered. In this passage, God identifies that some children (little children) are grieved over wrong doing and some are not. God takes note of those children.

In another national situation, there was public preaching, prayer, and weeping over the sins of their country, and it was mentioned that children participated.

Ezra 10:1 “Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.”

Consider Elisha walking to Bethel; it had been only a short time since Elijah had been taken into Heaven in a chariot of fire. Little children came from town mocking Elisha, and the man of God pronounced a cursed on them; two bears showed up and attacked the children. Children make their own decisions and carry their own blame.

2 Kings 2:23 “And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.”

vs. 24 “And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.”

Allow me to make a few observations regarding all of these thoughts from the Scripture:

1. If a trial enters the life of my child, I will seek to lead him to trust in the goodness of God and to remind him that God has a plan.

2. If my child suffers an injustice, I will prayerfully assure him of the love of his parent and of God, and that God oversees authorities, even bad ones. (Of course, I would consider the punishment of the evil doer if appropriate, that is also scriptural.)

3. When hardship comes into the life of my child I will urge him to have faith and not hatred, forgiveness and not vengeance.

4. If my child does wrong, I would do my best to lead him to confess the wrong to God, and then to accept responsibility for the action rather than blaming others.

5. If my child seeks to make spiritual decisions, I will not forbid them.

6. I will not allow a “victim” mentality to be nurtured in my children.

7. If my child wishes to fast or spend unusual time in prayer, I will encourage them in the activity.

As the Lord allows, our church will run buses to the community to pick up children who desire to come to church, for children can make spiritual decisions.

Pastor

A Price Tag

Good Morning,

Everything we purchase has a price tag. Some high-end stores that cater to rich people who do not pay attention to price tags may not have a tag, but the average person considers the price tag when buying something.

In America, as in many other circumstances throughout history, people are trying to create social and political solutions, but their primary complaint is the cost. If we balance the budget, some people will see their businesses suffer. If we change the political world by term limits or other political reform, a price will be paid. People do not like it. In a culture where we know we have to pay for everything, people want to reform wrong business or social philosophies, but they do not want it to cost anything.

If someone wants to control immigration and deport those who are not in our country legally, there is a price tag that will need to be paid. The problem will not be solved without someone paying a severe price. Many folks think the solution is to not pay the price and not correct the problem; they simply want to live with the situation. If a teenager is a drug addict and a whore monger, but the price tag of trying to correct the problem is too high, should we simply allow the child to continue the next thirteen years as a perverted addict? That’s not the solution most of us would want, but we must ask ourselves if we do want to pay the price of fixing the problem. 

I know people who’s private businesses have suffered greatly with the world of tariffs, but these are the kind of people who understand business enough to know we need these changes, and they are willing to pay the price. The better the product, the higher the cost. If you want a great country, it will cost.

Ezra 9-10 bring us into a very tragic situation. Ezra and some spiritual leaders had returned to Jerusalem after the seventy-year captivity. The people who remained in the land or those who had returned to their own land, had mingled their lifestyles with that of the land. The chief sin was marrying the women who were not Jewish or taking the girls of the land and giving them to their Jewish sons to marry. The wrong committed was monumental. As they wept and prayed, the people gathered with Ezra and hammered out a solution, but it was a very costly one.

Ezra 10:3 “Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them…”

Even as many Christians read this text today, there will be a question of whether this was the right thing to do or not. How could it possibly be right? How could it be right to take the wife you chose and the children who were born to the two of you and put them away? What about responsibility? What about vows?  The big question that should be asked is what about right? What about holiness? What about obedience to God? We will find the same people questioning the Scriptures and doubting the behavior of biblical characters; especially Jepthah, who made a vow to sacrifice the first thing that came out of the gate after the battle was won.  (Judges 11:30) 

I would like to remind you that in order for God to solve the sin problem in the world, He had to brutally punish His own Son. The Father had to take His only begotten Son and punish Him beyond description, humiliate Him publicly, shame Him before society, and put Him through tremendous physical pain and suffering of the body and soul - a pain words cannot express.

Fixing the problem of sin has a price tag attached. It may be that someone needs to give up a good job to do right. It could be that a young couple who is serious about marriage needs to break their relationship because of right and wrong. It could be a parent who dearly loves their child, but needs to take a stand against the behavior of that child. Sin has a price. Sin and the byproducts of sin cannot be corrected without someone paying a price.

This warm and fuzzy culture of nice people who want to play with sin, ignore the Scriptures, drift in and out of church as is convenient, and ignore the Bible will have trouble – and that trouble will be costly to repair. Someone will need to pay a high price. The Christian who marries someone who is not saved, will pay an incredibly high price for being bound in marriage to someone who clearly was not the will of God. If they are to try and be the spouse God commands them to be, it will be extremely difficult and in some cases the suffering will be great.

There is a price tag on our behavior. There is a price tag on correcting the suffering that goes with our behavior.  It would be far better to carefully guard our thinking so that we do not need to correct things in which we foolishly became involved.

Pastor

What Do You Savor?

Good Morning,

Matthew 16:23 “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Jesus explained that He was going to need to be crucified and die. Peter simply wanted Jesus to live. Was that so bad? Jesus’s reply was, "Get thee behind me, Satan."

God wants us to savor, to relish, and to have a passionate taste for the things of God. You might put a bite of good steak in your mouth and say, "Mmmm."   That is savoring something. While we were out of town, my son brought me an apple fritter. Of course I wanted it, but I did not want all of it; they are just too big. I broke it in half, and the inside was filled with chunks of apples covered with lots of sugar; I savored that apple fritter.

Most prayer requests are about our bodies: health, safety, and food.  We savor the things of this world.  

Prayer for souls to be saved and for God to call young people into the ministry will reveal the eternal things that we savor.

We savor earthly things, but not necessarily sinful things.  Peter did not want Jesus to go into town or to get killed. There is nothing wrong with that except it was seeking the will of man not the will of God.

After Stephen preached his first sermon, God allow him to be killed. That is not the prayer we would have prayed.

God had the apostle Paul spend years in jail. Again, this is not something for which we would have prayed.

God allowed Abraham and Sara, Zacharias and his wife, and others the burden of not being able to bear children.  We need to develop a palette that savors the spiritual and the eternal. Yes, we need a new building (that goes without saying), but have we prayed that every one of our members would trust Christ? 

What do we savor? 

Colossians 3:1 says that our affection should be set on “things above, not on things on the earth.”

In the garden, Jesus said, "not my will but thine be done.” (Luke 22:42)

Jesus refused to change the stone into bread because it was Satan’s suggestion.

Let's pray for our children to get saved and to surrender their lives to God, and yes, of course to pray they will also be well.

If we are sick, as all people are at times (some people even die), there's nothing wrong with praying that God will heal and restore our health; but let us pray more that we will glorify God while we are ill. 

What do you savor? 

Pastor 

Not An Easy Process

Good Morning,

While reading through the books of Exodus and Leviticus, we will find many instructions that may wear out a reader: take off the head of this dove, put the blood here, put the other sacrifice on the altar, take the ashes out of the altar, and then change your clothes and take the ashes to a clean place. If the priest uses a ceramic pot to cook the meat, then the pot has to be broken, but if it is a brass pot, then it has to be scrubbed.

If you have read Leviticus, you have wondered, “What in the world does all this have to do with me?” We are not Old Testament Jews; we are not bringing blood offerings. Christ is our “Lamb slain” to take away the sins of the world.  

I will not say I have all of the “whys” figured out, but we can all agree that one lessons from these tiring details is that the work of redemption is no easy task. To make a sinful man acceptable before a holy God is not a simple process. To take a man who is condemned and dead in trespasses and sin, and cleanse him to be accepted by God is a complex and demanding process.  To keep that man in a daily relationship with His God is a continuous complexity.

For the priest to fulfill all of his requirements would make his heads spin (and it was nonstop): the fire of the altar was never to go out, the candles in the holy place were never to go out, and every day, fresh loaves of bread on the sacred table were to be replaced.

For those who brought a sacrifice, the process was likewise complex. To stay right with God required constant attention. Some sins needed to be cleansed, but the one who committed the sin was ignorant of the wrongdoing. When the sin was found out, action was needed to address the wrong.

The reality that the priests drifted from God, while people became casual and complacent is not difficult to grasp.

Reading through these lesson reminds us that though our sin was atoned completely on Calvary, our daily walk with God, requires constant attention. The “dos and don’ts” of our New Testament can become a toil rather than a willing offering. The Christian who humbly says, “Not my will, but thine be done,” could easily replace those words with, “What’s the difference?” and “Why is it such a big deal that we do this or don’t do that?”

For sinful men to stay in a daily walk with a holy God is still no flippant task. He is God, Almighty God, and while He invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace, He frequently reminds us in the New Testament about living a holy and separated life.

May we not become weary with the sanctified or consecrated life.  Notice the way people keep every bit of chrome on their motorcycle sparkling. Consider the time, expense, and care many ladies put into their fingernails.  I have a neighbor that brings in a special team to detail his giant motorhome every two or three months. Not just washing it, but waxing the entire thing. When we love our stuff, we take good care of it, to the smallest detail.

Can God be expected to have no concern over those Whom He loves?

The fact is, you are important to God, and some things matter very much to Him that He would like you to take seriously. There are things that bother God, and he does not want His children to be around those things. The apostle Paul said, “let us not grow weary in well doing.” May we take this to heart.

Pastor

Disappointed

Good Morning,

The reason I left home to attend Bible college is because I wanted my life to make a difference. I believed that God had a purpose for me. I believed that somehow, in the eternal perspective, my life mattered. As such, I knew I must get trained to be able to do what God designed me to do.

When I arrived at Bible college, I was a very young Christian; I had only been saved about eighteen months. In those eighteen months, I had read my Bible by the hour; it was my daily joy and fulfillment. I showed up at Bible college believing one thing – the Bible was my guide.

Within weeks of salvation, I turned from the crowd of young people who were drinking liquor and going to the parties. I had walked away from the fraternity dances and secular gatherings. They simply did not match up with what I had been reading in my Bible. I had already determined that there was something called “modesty,” and something that was immodest. Although I did not yet know where to draw the line, it was obvious that one existed.

I had already been witnessing to people, and had led people to Christ. That too was obvious.  Though I probably fumbled through way too many verses and talked way too much, the message got across.

Seven years from the time of my salvation, I was knocking on doors, introducing myself as the pastor who is starting a church. As one man said, “I was green enough that if you stuck me in the dirt, I would grow roots and leaves.” I knew very little. I did know that my faith was based on my Bible and that it was God Who wrote it – not men!

I started my Christian life trusting God - not people. If someone disappointed me, I was disappointed IN THAT PERSON, NOT IN GOD.  The failure of another believer had nothing to do with my faith, my convictions, or my lifestyle. If someone who attended church with me in the early months of my Christian life dropped out of church and became a doubter or a critic, their actions had no bearing on the Book in my hand or my God in Heaven.

If a Bible college teacher or a pastor changed or acted in an inappropriate manner, it had no bearing on my beliefs. I did not put my faith in men. I put my faith in my Bible, my Father in Heaven, and in my Savior.

David said if his father and mother forsook him, God would not. (Psalm 27:10) Paul said that his own friends forsook him, but God did not. (1Timothy 4:16) There is no doubt that Jesus had friends and countryman forsake Him, but His faith was secure.

The idea of giving up your faith because someone hurt or disappointed you, or somebody else gave up the faith only proves one thing – your faith was not in the Bible, in Jesus, or in the Heavenly Father – because those do not change.

Settle it now: people are frail, people are weak, and people make sinful or unwise decisions. Expect people to “disappoint you,” for it is only human. You ought to have faith that is based on a Book and a God that never changes.

You may be hurt by the actions of another Christian, but the truth is still the truth. You just go on wounded.

Pastor

Strange Things

Good Morning,

Genesis 6:2 “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”

vs. 4 “There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.”

I do not know how many times a young Christian has come to me with these two verses in Genesis and asked, “Who are these sons of God?”

A literalist regarding our Constitution is someone who truly believes it was written as intended, and nobody is supposed to change it. Accept it or reject it, but do not change it to pretend you are clarifying the writer’s original intent.

The same is true with the people who comment on and write about the Bible; they are rarely literalists.  They believe what they think is reasonable, and then they explain away what seems awkward, difficult, or does not make sense to them.

For me, there are multitudes of things that do not make sense in the Bible. John 3:16 is a good start. Why would God so love the world? The Trinity is a big question. Another question might be, “Why would God want our bodies?” When I die, and my soul goes to be with the Lord, who cares what happens to my body? God cares because he will need it again. I do not understand everything, and I do not need to; but I do believe every word.

When God talks about satyrs and unicorns, I have no problem believing that those things exist or existed. (Isaiah 13:21; 34:14) Unicorns are mentioned nine times in the Scripture, and I am okay with that.  He is God! He can make anything He wants. We do not need to rename it or pretend it is a more "reasonable” modern creature that we see in our present world today.

If we want to find out who these “sons of God” were in Genesis, then maybe we should read the Bible. Some reference Bibles say the sons of God were the good guys, the sons of Seth, and the sons of men were the bad guys, the sons of Cain.  That hypothesis is fabricated – like Charlie Brown.  Look at the Bible and read what It says; that is always safe.  

Job 1:6 “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.”

Job 2:1 “Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.”

These sons of God can appear in Heaven before God.

Job 38:7 “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

These sons of God can shout while the stars sing, and they did so before the world was created. 

Would you like me to go on?  The Bible says a great deal about stars, and we can be assured that some of those stars are angelic, not inanimate.

Some of those stars will fall to the earth, and some can fight in earthly battles.  (Revelation 8:11; Judges 5:20; Daniel 8:10; Joshua 10:11)

Who are the sons of God?  I know this – they are not men,  and those stars are not gigantic, burning planet-like spheres drifting around space (at least not all of them).  

Believing what we read is relaxing and enjoyable.  Twisting the Scriptures is like lying; you must keep remembering what you said before to be sure it lines up with what you are about to say now.  I understand it may be strange to our culture and our current world, but I say, “I believe the Bible!”  (That decision is easy.)

Pastor

The Ultimate Purpose

Good Morning,

There are endless religious, political, and philosophical ideologies scattered across the globe, but my question is, what do you hope for?

What do you hope to accomplish? What do your philosophies offer others? Whether they are political or philosophical, what can you offer the cancer patient? What can you offer the widow? What can you offer the poor? 

A dedicated Christian can offer something more wonderful than words can describe. I have preached to 2,000 high school students in the Philippines, young people who, for the most part, will never live beyond a meager existence. They will probably end up working in a sugarcane field and having just enough rice for the day, and never even considering the idea of indoor plumbing, a car, or a vacation.  I can talk to that group of teenagers and tell them how to have a wonderful eternal home. I can tell them of the sin and shame that have destroyed their country. I can tell them of a Savior Who died for them, bearing their sins in His Own body.  What do we, as Christians, have to offer the world?  A personal relationship with the creator of the universe! Nothing urgent or important like getting solar panels mandated on new construction sites or requiring a certain percentage of the cars to be electric – what eternal value does that have?

I would like to introduce a group of people from India, who live where poverty and unemployment range to 90% in some villages, where the death of children is as common as the death of both parents, leaving children to abject poverty, prostitution, or worse.  Telling that group of people about the golden streets and mansions is extremely valuable. Let me bring a group of Christian young people to the streets, to the colleges, and to the high schools of a third-world nation (where a pen and paper are a luxury) to tell them of the city that does not need the sun – for Jesus lights the entire city! Let our young people tell them of the glory and wonder of a city with walls and buildings, constructed like giant prisms, reflecting the most glorious light and immersing the entire city with beauty beyond words.

What do people who have invented some new medical procedure that lengthens life hope for? Death is still inevitable, and the reality of eternity is absolute. I am certainly in favor of developing ideas that help with health and care for humanity, but what hope do they have even if all of their ideas come to fruition?

What shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?

What is the hope of a young couple who get married and bring children into the world? This is a wonderful scenario; the joys in the anticipation are indescribable, but where will that little child go when he dies? When that little child buries his mother and father, will he have any idea or hope of seeing his parents again?

If you are not an active Christian, what hope does your career offer? No matter how good the financial situation or quality of education, what hope do you offer to your children?  What hope do you offer to your spouse or your children if there is nothing to hope for after death? 

What hope does a person have who boasts of millions of followers on social media?  What long-term hope does someone have who maintains a high batting average or breaks some NBA scoring record?

Always consider the end. What is the goal, ultimately?

What is the hope at the end? What long-term or eternal help does this event offer to others?

I might pay my bills by driving a garbage truck or building houses, but I would like my life to be part of offering hope to someone for eternity.

One cannot ignore the simplicity of passing out tracts, teaching a Sunday school class, or working for the Lord in another ministry.

Pastor

Screens

Screens

Good Morning,

Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." 

Psalm 5:1 “Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.” 

In our society, people reach for their phones first:

• First thing in the morning

• First thing, when they have a moment's break

• First thing when they go to bed at night

If someone reaches for something every time they have a spare moment, they are addicted or have a serious “habit” (to say the least). 

Years ago, if a guy tried to quit smoking, he would often reach into his shirt pocket; a lady would reach into her purse or wherever her cigarettes were kept.  That reach identifies an addiction.

People used to gather around the television in the living room, but with the shift in culture, parents began putting a television in every bedroom. People with good sense knew that was a bad idea, and wise parents would never let any child have a television in their own room.

Addictions start small and innocent: a casual touch, a smoke, a certain food or drink, not something that seems like a big deal at the time; one can take it or leave it. Over time, that addiction grows until it consumes the thoughts.

People used to watch the six o'clock or the ten o'clock news. Crazy people with no self-control might watch both. These people watched the same stories multiple times, but they still did it because an addiction to the screen in the living room was developing.

How many times a day do we see the same news story? (On the phone?) Digital information states that our phone receives updates every few minutes. Recent surveys suggest that the average American picks up or checks their phone about 180–200 times per day. One widely-cited 2025–2026 survey from Reviews.org stated the number was 186 times a day (roughly once every five minutes while awake) – that is an addiction! 

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” 

Are we filtering all that information through the Scripture command in that verse? Absolutely not! We are simply absorbing that which the media (or the prince and power of the air) sees fit to feed our minds.

I believe…. 

Our lack of peace

Our lack of fellowship

Our lack of prayer

Our lack of family communication 

Our lack of romance

…. Are all tied to screens.

There is no way to accurately determine the tragic harm that is being done to: 

• young minds

• teens who stay up late playing video games

• perverted men who gaze at vile and shameful media

• ladies who escape to a digital or entertainment world 

We need to seriously consider how much screen time we personally entertain. Then we should seriously ask ourselves how much time our children may be subjected to that influence.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Set a time limit on the number of hours a day that children may look at screens – no matter what is on the screen.

2. Likewise, adults should set a time limit on how much non-work screen time is wise for them.

3. No children should ever be allowed to watch anything that the parents cannot see when casually passing by.

4. No game should be allowed in which our children are playing with people on the Internet whom we do not know. There could be no end of simply perverse young people or child predators who frequent those online gaming sites.

5. We should never allow screens to be so much a part of our evenings at home that when Dad or Mom says it is time to read the Bible, people are disappointed. 

May God give us wisdom to protect our minds and our children's minds.

Pastor

Faithfulness

Good Morning,

The Bible speaks much about the faithfulness of God:

1 Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Lamentations 3:23 “…great is thy faithfulness.” 

God will bring us into a relationship with Him, in faithfulness.

Hosea 2:20  “I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.” 

God is faithful to afflict us.

Psalm 119:75  “I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” 

We also ought to be faithful.

Matthew 25:23 “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

We ought to be faithful to our job, faithful to not only show up but to do our job well.  We ought to be faithful in the training of our children as well.  A faithful person will manifest their faithfulness in every area of life.  The real pressure in life is being what you are supposed to be in every area of life. 

Faithfulness means that others can depend upon you.  If you say something will be done, others know that a faithful person will absolutely make it happen.

With that in mind, let me be blunt about this matter of being faithful.  We hear about people being faithful or unfaithful to their marriage vows.  I would like to challenge that thought.  We say that if a man gets physically involved with another woman that he is unfaithful, but what about the rest of the vows?  “To have and to hold, from this day forward…” The man or lady that stops “holding” violates the same vows!  God calls a lack of physical attention, fraud.  You defraud your spouse when you fail to be faithful in your physical relationship.  

1 Corinthians 7:5 “Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”

(You probably did not see that one coming.)

Faithfulness has to do with Bible reading, and if you expect to have a close relationship with God, you need to be faithful to Him.  Read daily, and attend church faithfully. Of all relationships, we ought to be faithful to God.

While training our children, we must be sure to develop a passion for faithfulness.  May we be faithful, but also instill a desire to be faithful in our children so that in the days ahead, others can depend upon the word of our child. 

You can depend upon God; He will be faithful to keep His Word and care for you.  Let us also determine to be trustworthy or faithful in our dealings with people and with God. 

This is probably one of the most vital and wonderful characteristics a Christian can possess.

Pastor

God Will Cut Them Off

Good Morning,

Isaiah 29:20 “For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:”

vs. 21 “That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.”

A points mentioned in these verses really bother God, and God promised to cut off these people.  (I can hardly wait!)  

The scorner will be cut off.  Some people criticize, mock, and speak scornfully toward things that are good and honorable.  There is also a crowd that glories in mocking churches, Christians, and those with moral values. God will cut off the scornful crowd that mocks marriage, morality, and old-fashioned family values.

vs. 20 “… all that watch for iniquity are cut off:”

You find these people on social media or lurking around a good business, church, or family. These people seek out any weakness or misstep.  One cannot read the New Testament without seeing Jesus have mercy and forgiveness, and literally overlook the personal sins of people. To the woman taken in adultery, He said, “…neither do I condemn thee go and sin no more.”

The book of Proverbs tells us that love covers sin. (Proverbs 10:12;17:9) There may be a need to deal with sin personally, but it certainly should not be publicized or scattered across the Internet.  If a person who violated company policy needs to lose their job, that is between the employer and the employee. At least in California, it is against the law to tell others why certain things were handled in a certain way. Decency wants to correct a problem without destroying a person. I may tell a future employer about a character risk in hiring, yet to ruin a person is far from godly.  God says, those who watch for iniquity will be cut off.

As children, we were told that we should not point at people because there are always three fingers pointing back at us. There were simple, cultural practices that taught us the right way to deal with people. We live among a new generation of people who seek out any weakness or flaw, and then they seek to amplify that flaw to somehow gain notoriety themselves.  

Another group that God promises to cut off, are those who make someone a criminal because of a spoken word. It may be a casual word that is not politically correct. It could be a thoughtless word (as all of us have done at one time or another), or a word that, had we redone the situation would not have been said. The culture around us watches for any ill-spoken word.  This crowd of vile tools in the hand of Satan will ignore years or even decades of good, helpful living and seek to destroy the person because of a word or comment – this really bothers God!

It may shock this current generation, but God loves people. The second greatest commandment in the entire Bible is that we too would love people. Clearly, when God loves people, He loves sinners. When God tells us to love people, He means we are to love sinners.

I say this on occasion from the pulpit, but if someone’s background includes bank robbery, they will not be allowed to count the offering, but if they get saved and turn to a Christian life, they could sing in the choir. If someone has a hot temper, they will not be allowed to teach a children’s class or work in our parking lot dealing with the public, but there are many places they can serve that do not make them vulnerable.

From the pulpit, I would never explain why someone cannot count the offering or why someone cannot drive a Sunday school bus. Our bus drivers make a commitment to never use illegal drugs or drink liquor. If someone is drinking liquor, I will not announce from the pulpit why they cannot drive. They can serve elsewhere.  Whatever happened to loving people?

The world of attorneys who dig for one word or one comment will come crumbling down when they face Jesus Christ and bow before His throne. I can hardly wait!  God is going to cut them off.

Luke 11:54 tells a similar story.  Those who criticized Christ tried to catch Him in His words. “Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.”

Today, our legal world most often seeks money not truth; it seeks financial settlements rather than right and wrong. If destroying someone’s reputation helps them get a big settlement, they could not care less – but let us remember, God cares.  

We shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

“…it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) There will be no arrogance or boisterous comments about what was heard or seen. There will be absolute shame and embarrassment, and then judgment.

May we seek to love people and to treat them as Christ would treat them.

Pastor

Doctrine

Good Morning,

One of the most challenging things to find today is someone with convictions. Someone who truly believes something will still believe it, even if it affects their life, whether it has a positive or negative effect on them.

Jude 3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

When Jude wrote that we should earnestly contend for the faith, he had a motive behind the statement. The following verses refer to individuals who will attempt to lead believers astray; a similar concern is also found in Acts 20. Paul said there would be people who would try to lead church members astray. These deceivers would come from outside, as well as within the church. 

Someone must have convictions.  Someone needs to be willing to stand for what they believe in and not be swayed by others.

As a boy, a family lived near us who went to the Nazarene church. Until recent years, the Nazarenes were quite distinct in their dress and practices. In fact, our neighbor had a church bus parked in front of their house. I also had friends who attended a parochial school, and the nuns were very distinctly Catholic nuns. Their clothing and mannerisms were unique. They were who they were, whether or not they were comfortable or fit in with others. They strongly believed certain things.

The old-time Pentecostals were easily recognized by their simple hairstyles, long sleeves, long skirts, and high collars on the girls. These people might have had different beliefs than we do about many things, but at least we can say that they truly believed in something.

I noticed a new church in our area; I looked at the name and thought, “That name means absolutely nothing.” Honestly, observe the name of the average church and tell me what it says about their theology, doctrines, beliefs, or associations. It almost seems as though churches are trying to choose a name so ambiguous that it could not affiliate them with anything except a warm and fuzzy “Jesus loves me” kind of religion – no doctrine. In America, churches used to be Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, or have other distinctive names that revealed their beliefs.

Doctrine is a vital part of our Christian faith. John was so concerned about proper doctrine that he wrote instructions on how to respond when someone came to them with any other doctrine; they were not to fellowship with them or even bid them, “Good day.”

2 John 10 “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:" 

Paul wrote to the Ephesian church. He was concerned about people who might be influenced by “every wind of doctrine,” and that the Ephesian believers might lack enough conviction to stand for what they believed or be swayed by other beliefs. God truly expects us to believe some principles, but He also wants us to believe them strongly and to hold tightly to them.

Ephesians 4:14 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;”

Paul warned Timothy that if anyone presented doctrine that did not align with the godly training he had received, he was to stay away from those men. Paul described them as proud individuals who knew nothing.

1 Timothy 6:3 “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;”

vs. 4 “he is proud, knowing nothing…” 

Writing to Titus, Paul said that the young men (not the pastor) in the church should have sound doctrine that is not corrupt. (Obviously, this means that corrupt doctrine was already present in the first century.)

Titus 2:7 “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,"

As I knock on doors and meet people in our community, I am surprised by how little they know about the beliefs of their church. Some are Christians, and some are not, but mostly, the people we encounter door-to-door have almost no biblical convictions. Our Christian society has become a “worship” culture that enjoys the music and casual atmosphere, but they genuinely have few or no biblical convictions. Doctrine is simply not a priority. I recently heard someone say that love unites and doctrine divides – which is true and logical. In each of the passages mentioned, and in many others, God instructs His people to understand what they believe, to stand for those beliefs, and in many cases, to separate from those who believe differently.  Of course, doctrine will divide; that is why we have doctrinal beliefs. 

I encourage you to discover what you believe from the Scriptures and firmly establish those doctrines in your heart and mind. Hold tightly to those beliefs and do not waver from them.

Pastor

The Righteous & The Wicked

Good Morning,

Psalm 36:1 “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.”

When David looked at the evil people around him, he learned a few things: First, in verse 1, he learned that they do not fear God. 

vs. 2 “For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.”

Second, in verse 2, he sees the evil people so proud of their action.  The wicked are often proud of their planning and getting away with a wrong.  Evil people will speak well of themselves until it turns to hate.  Why?  Because they know they are lying; they know they are pretending to be something they are not.  Evil people turn to hate when they see the righteous doing right and not crumbling under the weight of the attack launched by the wicked. 

vs. 3 “The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good."

The lack of the fear of God is followed by flattery and hatred.  Hatred needs to break free, which enables words of iniquity to follow.  The wicked speak evil and then rant and rave to cover their insecurities; but they only succeed in proving they have no wisdom or ability to do good.  

While the wicked boast, the righteous continue to do good, to seek the Lord, and to find wisdom and understanding; this, of course, only makes the wicked more angry.  

vs. 4 “He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.”

The wicked find no victory, no satisfaction, and no accomplishments; thus they lay awake at night following further down the path of wrong and evil. While the righteous hate evil, the wicked follow it.

Of the righteous, David writes:

vs. 8 “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. 

The remainder of chapter 36 tells of the righteous.  The righteous learn of the mercy of God, His righteousness, and His loving kindness.  They find themselves ABUNDANTLY SATISFIED – something the wicked will never gain.

Pity the wicked, for they will never find what they desire. 

Pastor

Pastor Blue

Good Morning,

I was thinking about my pastor and the influence he had on so many people. I decided to take a moment today to challenge you to “believe God.”  Pastor Blue was definitely a man who believed that God would do great things for those who sought after Him.

It was at Pastor Blue’s church where I was challenged to memorize Scripture. We started out memorizing one verse a day, and then, after a few weeks, two verses a day, then three, then four, then five, and then up to six a day! We worked at memorizing, and it was not an easy task that simply happened. When we all did it together, it was an enjoyable challenge for high school and college students.

At Pastor Blue’s church one of the assistant pastors took me soul winning. At Pastor Blue’s Bible Institute, I learned solid Bible doctrine, and we memorized much Scripture to back up every doctrine we learned and believed.

Pastor Blue was a farm boy from Nebraska and a World War II veteran in the Navy. After graduating from college in 1951 he started working with a church in the Pasadena area. He held Bible clubs in the local high schools and colleges. He had a youth group of 900 teens by the time he left to start North Valley Baptist Church in Redding, California.  

Pastor Blue said he believed there were two great sins that every preacher needed to vigilantly guard himself from, a passive indifference to what God is saying or doing and a love for money.

While he was at North Valley Baptist Church, seventeen churches were started and fifteen churches were rebirthed. Pastor Blue baptized twenty-nine people in the first month of his church. 

Pastor Blue said the greatest lesson to to learn is “Giving.” 

He told me he never had a savings account. He said the things he did, he did by faith. He believed Ephesians 3:20 and that God was able to do “…exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…”

I did not write it down, but if I remember right, he told me that in the first eleven years of his church, he had nine separate building programs. On top of that, he never went to the bank to borrow money.

At one point, as the ministry grew exponentially, he was asked to take over a larger church with great buildings and economic ease. They told him money would be no problem.  His response was, “If money is no problem, then faith is no factor.” He was not interested in that kind of a ministry. 

In memory of my Pastor, I would like to challenge you to find some verses on answered prayer and claim them before God. There are so many verses that promise the ear of God and the merciful attention of our Heavenly Father. Not so you can be rich or proud that you are better than others, but so God can do great things to bring glory to Himself and to draw you to love Him more.

During the time I was close to Pastor Blue, he had a rescue mission, a full-employment rehabilitation program, a radio station, a beautiful camp facility with two lakes, a Bible college, a garage for his buses, a lighted baseball diamond, a three-story educational building, a giant two-story youth facility, a gymnasium, and several different auditoriums – and again, it was all built by faith, he never went to the bank for any help. 

In the foyer of his church, you could see the pictures of many men who were put into the ministry from North Valley. I was one of those pictured, and I am very thankful and honored that I was allowed to be a part of the ministry of Pastor Royal Blue.  

Pastor

Deflection

Good Morning,

Deflection may not be the term some use; it may be referred to as “passing the buck,“ or “the blame game.” The reality is, since the Garden of Eden, people have been trying to blame others for their wrongdoing. God asked Adam about eating the forbidden fruit, and the first thing Adam did was blame the woman that God had given him. He blamed the woman and God.  Notice that God did not try to defend Himself in the least. Everyone knew the truth, and God was not going to allow Himself to be on trial or examined by this pitiful man. Then God asked the woman about Adam’s blaming her, and she deflected blame to the serpent.

David was the king and the most powerful man in the country, a man who could pronounce the death sentence on anyone he chose. One of David’s most amazing attributes surfaced when Nathan, the prophet, pointed his finger at David and said, “Thou art the man.” David humbled himself and admitted his guilt. He was a man after God’s own heart! 

Rare are people who simply accept guilt when they are confronted with their own wrongdoing. Most often, they try to blame a co-worker or another student in the school. The husband blames his wife for his bitterness, while the wife blames her husband for her coldness. We are constantly trying to deflect the blame when we should be willing to accept it.

There is something powerful about admitting to your friends that you are weak and need their prayer that brings you into the presence and powerful aid from Heaven. 

James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Lest we become arrogant and act as if this is always the other person, we ought to admit that our first response is usually to “pass the buck.”  Decades ago, a new nursery superintendent took her position to organize our church nurseries. (A difficult job to say the least.) Another lady, somewhat older, approached the superintendent, and corrected her about how she was doing something. Because of age and years in our church, the older lady felt she had that right. She was not correcting a dangerous or morally wrong decision, it was simply procedural. I approached the older lady to assure her that she was not the nursery superintendent and that the superintendent job belonged to someone else. I also reminded her that she needed to stay out of the situation or pass any information to me to decide if the matter needed to be corrected. To my shock, that lady never returned to church; I am still shocked. She simply could not acknowledge that she was out of line; perhaps she could not accept that she had been corrected.  We were dear friends, and our families had even vacationed together; yet, she did not speak to me for many years. Eventually, our paths crossed at a few social events and she was very kind. I regret losing her as a friend and as a valued church member, but it appears that it was all rooted in accepting the blame.

Even salvation requires a confession – an admission that we are unworthy and that Christ is the only Saviour.  

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

After salvation, believers need daily cleansing in order to stay right with God; that cleansing requires a confession and an admission of guilt with no blame.  

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Parents may be prone to defending their children.  When a teacher notes some wrongdoing in a student’s life, and the parent immediately defends the child by making statements similar to “all the kids act that way,” or “other kids have done worse and gotten away with it.” 

I am not saying this is always the correct way to deal with trouble at school, but anyone over fifty years of age knows the old saying, “Get a spanking at school and…” 

Most of us have read a book or seen a movie in which the spoiled brat of a rich or powerful person faced no repercussions for corrupt behavior. That child will always be faced with disdain, whether as a child or an adult. Typically, those children turns into tyrants when they gain wealth or power from their parents.

To take personal responsibility for one’s behavior is a godly character trait. To train your children to do the same will make their future much more useful, not to mention much happier.

Pastor

Being Nice

Good Morning,

Being nice is the culturally appropriate behavior for Christians.  In light of helping everyone stay sharp, I bring another thought that is not all that nice.

The church at Galatia had been infiltrated by people bringing heretical doctrine; specifically, the matter of works and salvation. I will discuss the four categories of philosophies regarding this subject that most people believe, but ONLY ONE IS CORRECT.

1. Those who believe good works will get you saved.

2. Those who believe you must repent (turn from sin and do good works) and then put your faith in Christ.

3. Those who believe you get saved by putting your faith in Christ, without any works attached.

4. Those who believe you get saved by faith, but you must be good in order to stay saved, or to prove that you really did get saved.

Only number three is correct. Much of the book of Galatians is dedicated to correcting the improper thinking regarding salvation and good works. Paul made it clear repeatedly in Galatians that salvation had nothing to do with good works or keeping the law.

Galatians 2:16 “…for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” 

Galatians 3:11 “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” 

In Galatians, Paul shows several other instances when the law is of no value when it comes to salvation. In fact, Paul refers to the law as “weak and beggarly elements.”  Those words are a bit insulting, but when it comes to forgiveness of sin, we understand that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.

(Hebrews 9:22) 

That which was purchased by the blood of God's Son needs no assistance from human elements, whether they be religious acts or simply good deeds. As the songwriter wrote, “ Jesus paid it all.”

As we consider these verses in Galatians, this is not the point this morning, but we need to decide what Paul’s attitude was toward the people who are bringing works into salvation.

Galatians 1:8 “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

vs. 9 “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

You will notice that, twice, Paul wishes these people who bring works into salvation to be “accursed.”  That’s not very nice, but when someone starts messing with the Gospel, it determines whether people will go to Heaven or to Hell. Paul was passionate about this. When he mentioned that he wanted them cursed, did he mean to go to hell? Did he want them cursed to have a miserable life? He revisited this thought a little later in the book.

Galatians 5:12 “I would they were even cut off which trouble you.”

Cut off? Cut off from salvation? Cut off from fellowship where they bring this heretical doctrine into the good churches? Whatever Paul means by, “cut off,” it is not nice.

Again, the thought this morning is being nice not the theology of works in salvation.  Paul felt no compulsion to always be nice, kind, and warm and fuzzy.

Galatians 2:14 “But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”

This would be like a church picnic, a gathering of believers who were primarily Gentiles. When folks arrived from the big church in Jerusalem, Peter was a little intimidated; he slipped away from the Gentile’s fried chicken and potato salad in order to save his reputation in the eyes of important people.   Paul scolded Peter publicly, calling him by name.  In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, and we are all one; Paul made this a matter demanding a public scolding.  This matter of salvation is vital. The matter of being nice is not vital. Disciplining a child is not nice. Firing an employee is not nice. Arresting a criminal in front of his family is not nice. Many instances in life are necessary but are not nice; the Scripture certainly supports this idea.

I am certainly in favor of being nice. Those who are around me often would probably say that most of the time, I am nice to people; but I will not be nice when it comes to sin, people messing with our Bible, or someone telling folks that they have to give up certain sins or be religious in order to be saved. There comes a point at which someone needs to say, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Pastor

Believer- Priest

Good Morning,

John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the One Who gives us access to God, not a preacher or priest, and certainly not Mary.  Once we receive Christ, you and I can enter into the presence of God on our own.

Access to God is clearly pointed out in Paul’s writings. 

Ephesians 2:18 “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”   

3:12 “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” 

In the story of the crucifixion, we read about the veil in the temple being torn from top to bottom. If you read back in Exodus and Leviticus, you will notice that the veil separated the holy of holies from the rest of the tabernacle. No one had access to the holy of holies, except the high priest once a year.  When Jesus died and paid our sin debt, the curtain that kept men away from the presence of God was opened as a statement that all men are invited into God’s presence.

When you get saved, you have a very special privilege, something no other religion offers to people; you have personal access to God without the church or any minister. In fact, the book of Hebrews tells us that when we have a need, we are to come boldly to the throne of grace.

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” 

God further explains our unique relationship to Him by calling us “priests.” 

1 Peter 2:5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 

vs. 9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” 

This title of priest is spoken of in the book of Revelation as well. (Revelation 1:6; 5:10)

As a Christian, God makes it very clear that we have access to Him. He is not in some distant place that only a select few may approach; He invites all of us into His presence.

The idea of lifting up a special man with a religious title and telling us we need to confess our sins to him is found nowhere in the Bible.  No one in the Scriptures ever confessed sins to a man!

The idea that Mary was special enough to allow access to God by bringing our requests to the heavenly father for us is an absurd, heretical idea, and it is certainly not found in Scripture. No verse in the Bible states that anyone ever prayed to Mary! Once we are saved, we can go straight to God ourselves.

Once you are saved, if you need God, you not only have access to Him in prayer, but you also have His Holy Spirit living inside you, and he has already given you the title of priest. You can go to God on behalf of others. You need not wear a long robe, pledge celibacy, and speak Latin. You just need to be born again.

Never play down your privileged position as a believer-priest. You and God have something spectacular.

Pastor

On The Throne

Good Morning,

None of us would openly accuse God of not caring or of not being involved in our lives. In pious Christian conversation, we sincerely say that God knows what is going on and has His glory and our good in mind no matter the circumstances. To be honest, there are times when we begin to crumble or doubt God. There are also times when our trouble distracts our eyes from the Savior and into the storm.

Jesus invited Peter to walk to Him on the water. Peter got out of the ship and began walking. That in and of itself is enough to say that Peter was a man of faith, but the text says that Peter started looking at the storm instead of the Savior, and it was then that he began to sink. 

Matthew 14:30 “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.” 

One of our fine families has faced more than their share of adversity: heart surgery on top of other internal issues and surgeries, an accidental fall that broke a vertebrae, and then the spouse ended up in the hospital as well. Sending a text of encouragement to this dear Christian I received the following text in return, “Proverbs 11:30, thought for the day.”   In case you are not familiar with this verse, it says, “ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” 

With multiple visits to the hospital, multiple organ problems, and husband and wife both in and out of the hospital, the thought for the day was winning souls.  This family believes God is on His throne, and that serving God is the biggest thing in life.

God is on the throne. We need no added comments. We need no explanations. On our good days or bad days, God is good, and He is faithful. When we doubt Him or when we trust Him, God is good. Not only that, but when situations are difficult or easy, we are supposed to obey God. There are things God wants us to do whether it be from a full stomach or an empty one. God wants us to represent Him to a lost and dying world, whether work is good or employment is scarce. God wants us to rejoice always; that means even when a political leader is completely idiotic or un-American.

May we remind ourselves today that our perspective on good and bad may be far distant from what God thinks is good and bad. God allowed Stephen to be murdered after his first sermon. God allowed the apostle Paul to spend his ministry with a handicap. God allowed Jeremiah to be thrown in prison, Daniel to be carried away captive, and Job to lose his health, children, and wealth. Yes, God is good, and He is still on the throne.

Pastor

Virtuous Woman

Good Morning,

Proverbs 31 speaks of a virtuous woman. The title “virtuous woman” is not a specific lady, but a type of lady, like a great athlete, builder or statesman; this type of lady is different from others.

This lady is careful enough with money that her husband does not have to feel the pressure of making more money through his career (no need of spoil).  This lady sewed and sold the things she made. She bought land, planted crops, and sold them. She found ways to supplement her husband's income.

There is much more about this lady that made her value far above rubies, but the characteristic I would like to point out is her focus on home over career.

We became acquainted with a neighbor, but our relationship was only for a short time because she moved away soon after we moved into our home. She was a sergeant in the highway patrol. She made a point to tell us that as a lady, obtaining her rank was a lot of work, a lot of fighting, and a lot of labor. She had a cute little dog, but no husband or children.

The difference between the average career woman and the virtuous woman is that one focuses her attention and her time on a home, while the other focuses on a career. I have met several ladies who had career positions who were very good at their jobs. These were ladies who could help you in their area of expertise. I have met lady lawyers, educators, business managers, and even a bulldozer operator.  In my opinion, which is obviously only one in 7 billion, these ladies had several things in common.

1. They had only one child; sometimes none or once on a rare occasion two, but never more.

2. They had lost their marriages, but kept their careers (not in every case, but in most).

3. They were determined to be known as a success in their career world.  Those who were still married spoke little of their marriage, if any. 

4. They were determined to be just as good as any man.

Their success was measured by their job performance, not by their marriage and children.

5. Rarely did their children arise in conversation, not even as often as their dogs, which most of them had.

6. They were not bad ladies; they were usually enjoyable to be around, but they had a totally different perspective on life.  A perspective vastly different from the virtuous woman about whom God writes.

In Proverbs 31, the Scripture says that this lady’s husband was known in the gates. “The gates” was a place where local business took place. It was a place of politics, business, and a courtroom. This lady was so successful in her marriage and child training that her husband was elevated in his community, not herself. (She would not have had her name on a political poster, running for office.)

At the end of Proverbs 31, it says that this lady’s husband and children will rise up and praise her at the end of her life. Our current culture has pressured many good ladies into a world in which a career is vital. Their career becomes the focal point of every waking hour; so much, that when they are old, they find themselves alone (except for their dog).

I realize some ladies never marry; God does not have that work for them. (They are certainly in a different category than what I am referring to.) For the average lady, the apostle Paul said that these younger women should: marry, bear children, guide their homes, and give Satan no opportunity to speak ill of her or her home. (1 Timothy 5:14)

If you are bringing up little girls, do your best to keep them around mothers and ladies who love and lift up their husbands. If you are training boys, work to get them around men who love, provide, and protect their wives, and whose wives focus their attention on their husbands and children (a wife whose career is a sideline not a focus).  As you raise your children,  be sure to speak highly of those families, and never to reproach homes with many children.  

Pastor

Source of Trouble

Good morning,

Daniel was one of perhaps the three greatest men in our Old Testament. In Daniel 9:23, he was called “greatly beloved.” In Daniel 10:11&18, there are many other statements made about Daniel and things he did that set him apart from others.

In Daniel 9, we see a lengthy prayer with much time devoted to confession. Although Daniel left Israel as a child and probably had little to do with any of the great sins of Israel, in his prayers, he took the blame: “neither have we hearkened” (9:6). Daniel includes himself in these prayers by often using the words we or us.

Daniel 9:13 “As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.”

vs. 14 “Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.”

As Daniel confesses the sins of Israel, he gives us a clear prescription of judgment or mercy in this chapter. Notice in verse 13, they did not pray, they did not turn from their equities, and therefore, they did not understand God’s truth. 

In this passage, I think we can see much of America’s folly.  Honestly, how much prayer happens in the average home or the average Christians life? We must examine ourselves and ask how much time we spend in prayer.

Prayer brings us into God’s presence, and when we see how clean and holy God is, our natural response is to turn from our iniquities. The end result of much praying and turning from our sin is that God gives us understanding. The mess our country is in is because people are thoroughly confused, blind in identifying right and wrong, and have no moral compass to guide their decisions.  

The passage does not stop there; notice verse 14: “Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us…”

When we choose to ignore prayer and fail to turn from our iniquities, the result is a tragic lack of understanding about truth and error. As such, being our own decision to ignore prayer and to refuse to turn from our sin, verse fourteen tells us that the Lord watches the evil that is brought upon us. We have no grounds on which to blame God or some political party; it is we who drifted from God, failed to clean up our lives, or lost the ability to understand truth, and when evil comes, God simply watches.

My desire is that God will see evil coming my way and that He will shield me from it or push it away. If that is my desire, then there is a mandate to pray, clean up my life, and beg God for help to understand truth.

The book of Daniel has a great deal of practical instruction and amazing prophetic truth, but this basic principle is brought before us by the man who opened his windows three times a day and prayed toward Jerusalem. (Daniel 6:10 & 13) 

Pastor