Understanding The Bible

Good Morning,

The people were divided over the teaching and life of Christ.  

John 7:12 “And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.”

No man could be any better in his personal life than Jesus was. No man could be a better teacher than our Lord.  No man can go for years without sin as Jesus did.  When it came to teaching ability and communication skills, how could anyone surpass the Creator of the universe – yet, the people were divided. 

Do not be surprised when everyone does not like the pastor you like. Do not go into shock if some try to take the words of your pastor and seek to twist them to say what everyone knows he did not say.  

Matthew 22:15 “Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.”

Mark 12:13 “And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words." 

Luke 11:54 “Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.”

The reality is that Jesus did not intend for everyone to understand or to like all of His teaching; there were times when He hid the truth from people.

John 12:40 “He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.”

Matthew 13:11 “He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”

vs. 12 “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.”

vs. 13 “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”

When you believe, trust, and seek to learn from our Saviour, He will open the truth of the Scriptures to you.  If you do not seek truth and submit yourself to Divine instruction, God will help you NOT to see or to understand. 

The Bible is not an intellectual textbook understood best by the most intelligent.  Rather, it is a spiritual Book, understood by those who humble themselves before the Creator and ask for His guidance. This is why some of the biggest idiots and critics of the Bible are found in seminaries and gatherings of “scholars.” 

God owes us nothing; in His mercy, He teaches us.  When an earthly preacher brings biblical truth to a congregation, only those who humbly seek truth will find the Holy Spirit instructing them. 

Pastor

Our Focus

Good Morning,

1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 

vs. 9 “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.”

vs. 10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

I have noticed among our young people that there is a stronger draw toward healthy lifestyles than when I was young. Young people are drinking water more than soda. Healthier diets are attracting the attention of young families, and exercise has become a big part of the younger culture in America.

Sadly, the desire for godliness is minimal. It seems few of our young people are concerned about teaching the Bible to their children, being involved in the bus ministry, or winning souls with the family. Paul told Timothy that godliness with contentment is great gain. Then to make his point clear, he follows it with the evils that come with the desire for financial gain.  (1 Timothy6: 6-10)

Of course, we need to work and provide for our own as the Bible clearly says, but the desire and hunger to “…be rich…” is the great passion of so many today - and that desire is deadly beyond words.

It seems our younger generation values the body much more than the soul. There are bicycle helmets, elbow pads, knee pads, vitamins galore, and every kind of medical, dental, and optical treatment imaginable in the lives of our young people. I have visited the homes of young couples who are raising children, and sadly, I have not noticed God.

To spend a few hours in a home and never see a Bible, a Bible verse in a picture on the wall, or have no conversation regarding spiritual matters seems as if God is tragically missing, while the spirit of the entrepreneur lives and prospers.   I have noticed that contentment is missing too.

In Matthew 6, our Saviour warned his followers to be careful about seeking the same lifestyle that their unsaved friends seek.

Matthew 6:32 “For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”

vs. 33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

I hope my grandchildren find good careers, find a good spouse, raise good children, and have happy homes. More than all of that, I long for my children and grandchildren to know God and to please Him – that is our purpose on earth!  What is the point of houses and lands, cars and comforts, and vacations and travel if God is not pleased, and if we do not know Him?

Are we raising fools? God very clearly called some people fools. The man who prospered so much that he had nowhere to keep his harvest was a fool if he was not rich toward God.

Luke 12:19 “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.”

vs. 20 “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”

To seek after wealth and earthly treasures, yet have nothing intimate between you and God is as foolish as a person can be.

Luke 12: 21 "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

I want my family to have skill sets that make them useful to society, but far more, I want them to know God. It was not a Harvard business degree that gave Solomon his wisdom, nor was it wise investments in the stock market that gave Abraham his riches. These men gained what they gained because they knew the ONE Who provided for the needs of their families.

With the presence of God comes contentment, peace, and purpose. Most importantly, when we seek God first, we please Him. It is God Who made us. It is God with Whom we will spend eternity. It is God Who holds the kingdoms in his hand, and it is He Who provides peace and contentment or allows strife and dissension. SEEK GOD! 

Pastor

Farewell

Good Morning,

I write and speak often of our eternal future.  I have heard some people say that they are more concerned about how we live today and that eternity will take care of itself. Perhaps that is a good view, but if you knew a policeman was down the road a mile, would you not adjust your driving according to your future? 

Let me assure you, a policeman is down the road, and far more significant than a policeman, a righteous Judge. The parable in Luke 19 speaks of a king leaving a pound for each of his servants to “steward” in his absence. Upon returning, the king asked for an accounting of what each servant had earned: one earned ten times what he was given, one earned five times what he was given, and one nothing at all. 

Luke 19:15 “And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.”

vs. 16 “Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.”

vs. 17 “And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.”

The third came before the king and faced a horrible moment.

vs. 22 “And he saith unto him, out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant.”

Most people believe that only evil people will be judged, but there is no end of Scripture indicating the saved will also be judged.

Let me urge you to use your talents for God while you can.  Whatever God has given us was given for His glory, not for our pleasure. Use what you have to make God look good, to bring pleasure to God, to honor His Son, to lift up His Book, and to bring folks into His house.

There is an old song about the return of Christ that has this line, “fare thee well.”  That phrase became a farewell statement to most people, like “goodbye,” but originally the intent was to wish people well. “I hope you fare well” meant to fare well at the market, in farming, or in business.  The song says, when Jesus comes, I hope you “fare well.”

“In That Great Gettin’ Up Mornin’"

I'm gonna tell you about the comin’ of the judgement,

fare thee well, fare thee well.

I'm gonna tell you about the comin’ of the judgement,

fare thee well, fare thee well.

There's a better day a comin’, fare thee well fare the well.

There's a better day a comin’, fare thee well fare the well.

In that great gettin’ up mornin’, fare the well, fare the well.

In that great gettin’ up mornin’, fare the well, fare the well.

Let us so live that when Jesus comes, and we face the judgment, we “fare well.”

Pastor

Just Right

Good Morning,

How do you respond if you speak with the doctor about doing a surgery, and he says, “There are some medical professionals who like everything just right. They want every medical “T” crossed and “I” dotted. But I am of the more relaxed philosophy medically. We may or may not wash our hands before the surgery. We will do our best to get all of the injured parts of your body repaired and back in the proper place, but it may not always work out.”

How about your mechanic? What if you bring your car to be fixed and the mechanic says, “I will see if I can get it running. And just so you know, I am not worried about everything being just right, as long as it starts when you push the gas pedal and stops when you put on the break. I may cut some corners. In fact I’ve been known to put in used parts because they save money, even though they’re not the best idea.”

I think all of us would agree that we do not want that kind of doctor or mechanic. If someone is building my house, I would like the corner to be square. I would like the proper headers over doors and windows. I would like the roofing to be the proper thickness, and the floor to be capable of carrying the load of refrigerators, pianos, and other heavy objects. 

What is strange to me is the number of people who want their religion to be relaxed, less rigid, and less insistent on things being right and wrong. If your doctor or your mechanic does not do things exactly right, there is a good chance you will survive, but if your religion is not right, you will go straight to hell. If your religion is not right, your children or grandchildren will go straight to hell. If you do not follow biblical principles in dating, there is a much higher chance that you will lose your marriage and your children will be raised by someone else.

I want things “just right;” and that is why God does not make directives optional. He gave us Ten Commandments. God made it clear about which things to do or not do. He named several things that are unpopular in our compromising culture.

Proverbs 30:6 "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” 

God does not want you to add one word to the things that He has said; follow instructions as closely as possible. 

Revelation 22:18 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:”

vs. 19 “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

God does not want you to add anything to His Word, and He does not want you to take anything away from His Word. What He said is what He meant, and He does not want anyone changing His instructions. Obey exactly the way He instructed.

This relaxed and “do what you feel like doing” kind of Christianity is far from scriptural.

Do what you do just the way God said to do it!  

- Pastor Bruce Goddard

Good Advice

Good Morning,

Proverbs 20:18 “Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.”

Our theme today is, good advice. I am thinking of a man who’s marriage lasted only a matter of days; good advice would have saved him the heartbreak. 

Another man’s children were just getting attached to their stepmom, and she left. Good advice could have prevented the problem.

There was a young man who completed his first year of college with $17,000 of credit card debt, and nothing to show what he spent the money on. Good advice could have saved this young man some financial headaches. 

People pack their families and move across the country without advice. 

People choose a career without advice. 

People choose a college without advice. 

People choose their spouse without advice. 

It is no wonder we have a 50 to 70% divorce rate, and that the vast majority of college graduates do not get a job in the field they studied in college.  NO ADVICE! 

I’m thinking of the young lady who swallowed the romance of an oceanography degree. The thought of swimming with Shamu and being on the boat with Jacques Cousteau won her over.  After an enormous amount of money and several years, she finally completed her degree. The problem was there were no jobs in oceanography. She worked as a volunteer in a hospital. Her situation could have been prevented with good advice.

Proverbs 15:22 “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” 

Proverbs 20:18 “Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.”

Proverbs 24:6 "For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.” 

Many other verses remind us of the importance of good counsel. The Scriptures likewise warn of bad counsel. Getting advice alone is not adequate; we need good advice. I would also like to point out that the Scriptures are filled with warnings not to trust our own hearts.  

In law enforcement, as well as many other careers, when an investigation is too close to the officer, perhaps a family member or a close friend, that officer is usually not allowed to be a part of the investigation because they are too close and their heart is potentially tied to the circumstances.

Ironically, a police investigation has better sense than a Christian in making life plans for their family. We are often far too close and too emotionally involved in our own decision-making to make truly spiritual choices.

There is a reason God gave parents to young people, and a pastor or spiritual leaders to the church members. Guiding the flock is the pastor’s job. It is not his job to intrude uninvited, neither is it his job to insist that people listen to him. He is to be available to those who seek good advice.

Proverbs 20:5 “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.”

The pastor and spiritual leaders are to be like that well, filled with help and wisdom, but waiting for someone to draw that wisdom out. Nobody wants to walk by a well and have it splash all over them.  The decision is yours; you may “lean to your own understanding,” or get “good advice.” 

Pastor

Enemies

Good Morning,

1 John 2:16  “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 

Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” 

I wanted to remind us all of the verses above to alert us to the idea that drugs and liquor are not the only things that ruin us. A summary might be, the world, the flesh, and the devil: they are our enemies.

When we talk about the world, we do not refer to the dirt we walk on, we refer to the world system, the stuff, the prosperity, the “rat race” (as some used to call it). I do not have to work more hours; I do not have to get more things; and I do not have to have toys to compare with the neighbor, but I do have to face God (and so will my children). The philosophy of the world is not helpful when it comes to pleasing God.

Not only is the world our enemy, but so is our flesh. This body we live in is not spiritual: it would rather sleep than get up, eat than fast, or watch television than pray. This body is not going to help us to be better Christians. 1 Corinthians 9:27 reminds us to “… keep under my body, and bring it into subjection…” We have to keep this body under control much like we need to keep our cars under control while we drive. The car is a great tool, but if we are not careful, it will kill us and others. Our bodies are no more spiritual than our cars, but as living organisms, our bodies are far more dangerous than a car.   

The world is our enemy; the flesh is our enemy; and of course, the devil is our enemy. 1 Peter 5 reminds us that the devil is a roaring lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour.  The devil does not have our good in mind. When he tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, she thought he was saying good and proper things, but he was trying to bring ruin to the whole human race. Any idea that comes from the mind of Satan is a lie, and it will bring death and destruction. We need to resist the devil and seek godly thinking.

The world, the flesh, and the devil are upon us 24/7. There is no safe place where we cannot be drawn away by the cares of this world, the worries of this world, or the lust and desires of this world. There is nowhere we can hide that our flesh will not try to get us to fear, to covet, or to lust.  Satan desires to move us to self-destruct in countless ways.

Satan can use the desires of the flesh and the pride of life to get a Christian foolishly involved with someone or something that would limit or prohibit them from accomplishing the will of God in the future. Be on guard! It could also be a tempting financial opportunity; there is simply no end to the ways Satan can attack us. 

Our enemies are the world, the flesh, and the devil.  We are to be sober and vigilant to work for God, to care for family, and to help build our church ministries; but we also need to stay guarded because Satan is looking for that moment when you are discouraged or when long hours make you weary.

Do not despair! We have the “shield of faith” that will quench all the fiery darts of the devil. You can do well, stand firm, and finish your race while honoring God.  (Ephesians 6:16)   

Stay sharp and keep that shield up and ready.

Pastor

Deceit

Good Morning,

Mark 12:13 “And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words." 

There is great freedom in simply loving people. We have all read or watched a spy story in which someone was not who they pretended to be, or maybe a double agent was seeking to blend in with another nation's enemies.  What a tense, ugly life.  

A life of loving people, honoring truth, and being unashamed to speak that truth brings freedom! For a man “to be” outwardly what “he is” inwardly offers peace and great security.  There is a wealthy immigrant named Dinesh D'Souza, a conservative media figure, who genuinely loves America.   He produced a few movies with political goals exposing corruption.  He was briefly jailed for revealing the truth.  People in power hated him for showing the world what they truly were.

These religious leaders in Jesus’ time were deeply afraid of the truth Jesus preached. Our Lord would often expose their hypocrisy, deceit, and evil. These men could not tolerate the truth being spoken and were so hostile that they would stop at nothing to eliminate Him; twisting the truth was their obvious weapon.

Luke 11:54 “Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.” 

I once listened to an attorney who was confronted with the truth, and this was the response: “I don’t care about right or wrong, I care about winning.” When you have to pretend to be honest, you are not! When you have to pretend to be sincere, you are not!  When winning means more than truth, you are a hopeless, worthless person whose name and values were long ago tossed in the trash. 

Luke 20:20 “And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words…” 

When it is said of our Lord’s enemies, they would “feign themselves just men,” it is obvious that they were NOT just men.  

Here are a few thoughts about this idea:

1. Be honorable, true, and so live that you do not need to pretend to be what you are not.

2. When you discover a double standard or hypocrisy in your life, stop it, and fix it immediately. 

3. When you discover someone is intentionally a fraud, pretending to be what they are not, cut off any serious relationship with them. If you do not, you will always be unsure and at risk. You will never be able to depend upon them. 

4. In politics, media, and religion, keep up your guard; understanding that men who desire the power to influence others frequently use such tactics.  Do not soon believe what you read or hear.  

5. Develop long-lasting relationships that have been proven over many years, insuring the nature and character of people is true, then you will be able to relax and to accept their words as sincere. 

6. Never accept the words of a stranger or a newer acquaintance against a person proven over decades. 

Pastor

Controlling Music

Good Morning,

I guess all of us have been in a situation when music was turned on, and we saw a toddler start bouncing to the rhythm. Music affects people. Try an experiment; mute the volume during the next movie chase scene and see how exciting the movie is. You will find it suddenly becomes very boring. The same can be said for most commercials; an acceptable commercial becomes a group of stupidly-dressed imbeciles acting as if they were having spastic seizures.

It is difficult to imagine someone who is not aware of the non-stop presence of music in our world. With a small amount of logic and thought, any rational person would be aware of the power and influence of music in our world. In any primitive tribe or sex-and-drug gathering place like Woodstock or Haight Ashbury, the music ingredient will be dominant.

We have watched old western films with Indians dancing around fires or heard old jungle stories where natives use drugs, wear only a few clothes, and dance to a pounding rhythm without a melody. If you were a music person, someone could say jazz and it will produces an entire ambience. If they said blues, you will see a different mental picture. This also works with ragtime, big band, rock ‘n’ roll, modern rap, and similar sounds that entered our world the last fifty years.

Music moves people. 

1 Samuel 16:23 “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.”

The above text shows how music affects the body, mind, and spirit. 

We will rarely find a group of young people sitting around drinking beer or smoking pot unless music is playing. Religious groups have their own style of music, and different ethnic groups also have music that sprouted from their culture. The big question is how influential is the music?

I believe that music is a tool in Satan‘s pile of weapons to use against people. I believe Satan uses certain music to draw people into rebellion, drugs, immorality, and much more. The gangster clothing styles, gang signs, and world of drug, sex, and violence all go together – and they all have a certain sound.

Simply put, you should know what kind of music is infiltrating your child’s mind. The music on video games, in cartoons, and on children’s toys are all places where music is introduced into the life of a child. Parents should not only be aware but also be willing to veto certain music. I watched one of our adult children take the batteries out of a toy that played wrong music; another time, the same child disabled one feature of a toy that played garbage music - music matters!

As a teenager, my daughter had a radio/cd player in her room. One day the radio was on a classical music station, and I did not simply say, “Shut the radio off,”  I met the need. I told her I would buy her any classical CDs that she wanted, but I was not going to allow the radio to control what she heard. I am in control of the CDs I allow in my children’s rooms; I cannot control a radio, Internet, YouTube, or other podcasts.

Music will move your children spiritually, physically, and mentally. Determine to take control of the music in your world because it will be a tool of Satan or tool of God.

Pastor

Scattered

Good Morning,

Today, I would like us to consider the word scattered, or the idea of dividing. Most of us have heard the military phrase, “divide and conquer” - that is the principal I am referring to today. Consider the story of  Ahab and Jehoshaphat and all of the false prophets (those who wanted the affections of their leader) These false preachers gave the prophetic encouragement to go into battle. They assured the king all would be well; but such was not the case, and the prophet Micaiah came along speaking the opposite. Micaiah assured the king that the battle would be a failure and that all Israel would be scattered.

2 Chronicles 18:16 “Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.” 

When people are scattered, they lose unity, purpose, and focus, which produces a very unsteady future.

Regarding the Saviour’s arrest, crucifixion, and death, Jesus said that His followers would be scattered. Without the powerful leadership of Christ, there was no clear-cut direction.

John 16:32 “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” 

Mark 14:27 “And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” 

Remember the story in Genesis chapter 11; the people built the tower of Babel. God confused the languages, and thus, scattered the people. The tower was not completed, and the objective was lost.

After the stoning of Steven in Acts chapter 7, Acts 8:1 tells us that the believers were scattered throughout all Judea.  In this case, instead of focusing on the churches in Jerusalem and Israel, the Christians carried the Gospel message across the region.

The book of Proverbs teaches the same principle when it talks about a wise king scattering the wicked (Proverbs 20:26). If the wicked men cannot gather together to get direction and focus, their evil purposes will be greatly hampered.

In John 10:12, we are told that the wolf scatters the sheep, moving them from a place of security and stability, near to the Shepherd who guides, feeds, and protects, and leaves them wandering aimlessly, vulnerable, and in many cases, helpless. 

When we consider the word scattered or divided, I think of the familiar passage in Matthew, “A house divided can not stand….” (Matthew 12:25) 

Allow me to draw a few simple principles from these passages. If I am teaching a Sunday school class, and mischievous children are sitting next to each other, I will “scatter them.”  I will move them to different parts of the audience, so the trouble makers will not encourage each other to disrupt the class.

I can also apply this principal to someone who criticizes my church. In forty-two years of pastoring, I have noticed that some people come to criticize our church, but I have never seen them show us a better place to attend. If someone comes along

Science From the Bible

Good Morning,

I am willing to say that probably all of my audience would choose the Bible over science, if the two were in conflict. Not that we are anti-science, but if there is a problem between science and the Bible, we will trust the Bible, and I do not think there would be much debate over that idea.

I find it interesting that in the areas of life which demand more faith, we would choose science (more often than we would like to admit).

Allow me to give you a few examples:

1. On six different occasions, God speaks of the unicorn. 

Job 39:10 “Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?”

Psalm 29:6 “He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.”

Psalm 92:10 “But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.”

(Several more verses clearly speak of a unicorn.)  

2. Then there is the satyr.  No sane person would believe in something like that, would they? 

Isaiah 13:21 “But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.”

Isaiah 34:14 “The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.”

The issue is, do we believe “scholars” who deny what we read, or do we believe the written Word.

Consider this: we believe in dinosaurs, and we have never seen one.  In fact, the skeletons that we see in different museums are usually the guess work of someone who is good with plaster of Paris. That giant creature could have been entirely constructed from one jaw bone or a femur, and a great deal of imagination. We readily accept the reality of these creatures.  while the Bible speaks several times of the satyr; why do we simply not believe it?

There are other subjects that also test us in this matter of faith versus science.

Revelation 9:16 “And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.”

vs. 17 “And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.”

Let us just believe our Bible, and, on occasion, trust science, if it does not conflict with the Word of God.

Pastor

Two Options

Good Morning,

More often than not, we have a fairy tale image of Christianity. In fact, not even a true fairy tale. Fairy tales usually have a villain, a tragedy, a hero who rescues people from suffering, and then a happily ever after – period.

The Scriptures certainly do not say that! Notice what Matthew points out:

Matthew 21:44 “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

Jesus is the stone that the builders rejected. Our Saviour leaves us two options. One option is to fall on the stone, to be broken, to surrender our lives to Him, and then to find ourselves blessed. The other option is that we ignore Him (the stone), and one day find the stone falls on us or on a nation and grinds it to powder. We might prefer another option, but there is not a third choice.

Romans 12 talks about presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. Psalm 2 promises that those who rebel against the King of kings will be dashed into pieces like a potter’s vessel. Daniel speaks of the stone that is cut without hands, crushing and scattering the nations during the end times.

Most of us believe that there will be a devastating judgment on the lost – those who reject Christ will be severely punished both on earth and eternally in hell. The part we forget is when a Christian gets broken.

Matthew 21:44 “And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” 

Hebrews 12:6–11 speaks of God chastening His children – all of His children.

As Paul left one of the churches he started, he left them with these words:

Acts 14:22 “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” 

At the end of John 16:33, Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation…”  There are two options, surrender to the Lord and face the trials that come as God works on us, or resist God and live for our own pleasures and find a broken life.

Peter encourages the believers who are suffering, and he reminds them that they are not alone and that they should stand steadfast.

1 Peter 5:9 “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” 

Do not be embarrassed that you are going through trials. It always helps to do a little self-examination, but do not become overwhelmed. We are flesh, and we will fail; trials and difficulties are part of living on this earth. If we are any kind of Christian, Satan will be chasing after us and launching continuous spiritual attacks, but we also face the gracious, loving chasing of our Heavenly Father, Who is focused on conforming us to the image of Christ.

Jesus said to be of good cheer; circumstances are gonna get better.

Pastor

Lessons From Lying Down

Good Morning,

Recently, I had a pretty major knee surgery. It is not uncommon, but it does not make it any less educational. Here are a handful of lessons I learned in the first week after surgery.

1. Drugs really confuse the mind. I found it difficult to read through a letter or even to write one. The idea of picking up a book and reading for an hour was absolutely out of the question. Although I am thankful for what the pain medicine did to help me go through the recovery process, there ought to be a deep fear in each of us for what these drugs can do to limit us and hinder us from doing the will of God.

2. I found myself restricted to the upstairs of our house, and I learned a little more about the value of certain things like soul winning. I was able to witness to several people: doctors, nurses, and physical therapists – they came knocking on my door instead of me knocking on theirs. I realized how vital the work of soul is. People are going to die and go to hell if we do not tell them the answer. Obviously, I missed several of our regular soul-winning days, as well as church service services; this reminded me that I need to take every opportunity possible to share the Gospel.

3. The importance of church and fellowship. Our culture does its best to diminish the importance of church. Attending church is one of those things that people do if they have time, if there is nothing else going on, and if it fits into their agenda of important activities. This kind of thinking will send the world to hell. I sat at home and watched our church services online. I do not have anything negative to say about the pulpit at Faith Baptist. The young men filling our pulpit are exemplary in private as well as in public. But watching a service online is not the same as attending the church service. It is not the assembling of ourselves together that Hebrews warns us not to neglect. Make church important! When we miss church a few weeks because of health problems, we quickly realize how much we miss it. If we miss a few more weeks, we will begin to not prioritize church as you had in the past – you are headed in a very dangerous direction.  

4. One more lesson learned in these first few days after surgery was that the Christian life is urgent! Our Christianity is not just something we do on the side because there is nothing else to do. It is not like Little League, bowling, or even community service. The gathering of God’s people in the place called church is infinitely more valuable and more important than human vocabulary can express - it is vital to the world. Our service in the various ministries of church is urgent beyond words.

Pastor

Foolish Pride

Good Morning,

2 Kings 5:10 “And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.”

vs. 11 “But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”

When Naaman was sent to Jordan to wash seven times and be healed, his pride almost sent him home a leper.  A servant spoke to him, urging humility and obedience, and the man was healed.

When Pharaoh faced plague after plague, his heart was hardened, and more plagues followed until the nation was in ruins.  Humility and repentance would have saved his nation and made him a hero.  

In foolish pride, Herod found himself publicly humbled and eaten by worms.

Acts 12:21 “And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them."

vs. 22 “And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.” 

vs. 23 “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”

Many a man hears the Gospel and realizes it makes sense. Confronted with his own sin and the righteousness of God, pride wrestles with humility and truth.  The ensuing decision determines Heaven or Hell for the man.

Many people would become useful servants of God, teaching a Sunday school class, witnessing to neighbors, or standing up before family, offering their story of salvation and faith, yet pride hinders their actions.  That foolish pride then prevents their humbly proclaiming the wonder of salvation and the desperate need for all men to be saved.  As such, far too many people never venture into the world of being used of God.  

The willingness to say to one's family, "We need God and church," is a risk and demands humility, yet what a profound difference such a moment can make in time and eternity. Many families sit at home every Sunday, trying to find a way to live the full life offered by Christ, yet pride overrules prudence, and great loss follows. 

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."

Pastor 

Despise the Good

Good Morning,

2 Timothy 3:3 “…Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,"

Paul lists quite a few things in regards to the type of men that will be seen during the “last days.” For four verses Paul brings out one evil character trait after another to help Timothy identify those with whom he should serve and those whom he should avoid. 

For the sake of time, I just want to comment on one character trait Paul pointed out, “despisers of those that are good.”

In politics and among private citizens, some are so insecure or perhaps, guilty about their own lives that they seek to humiliate or bring reproach upon the good.

In cultural matters, a violent, vile, filthy mouth, filled with anger and wrath is evident. It was seen in the defund the police movement, the BLM movement, and recently, in liberals protesting conservatives. They simply despise those who are good. This is also seen every time someone nominates a person with conservative morals and political values for high office.

When people are rioting on the streets, burning police cars, and robbing businesses, and then political figures bail out those who have done the wrong, the despisers of those that are good are evident.

When you see the word despised in the Bible, it is most often pointed towards the Saviour or the Father in Heaven. God represents a standard of holiness, a clear evaluation of the pure and impure. Jesus was not hated because he healed people or fed people, he was hated because he was the personification of good, decent, and holy things. From his motive and intent of heart to his love and respect for God and His Word over the whims of mankind, Jesus was good. The devil and his crowd despise those who are good.

Those who despise the good, will take a very good life and do their best to trash and destroy it because they found a flaw or weakness. This is so far from the way God deals with people and situations.  David was called a man after God’s own heart, yet there was a moment of adultery, and that led him to murder. He was also less than diligent when it came to administering justice with his children. Nevertheless, God called him a man after His own heart.

Abraham was called a friend of God. Yet, Abraham had times when his faith waned, and decisions that were made were extremely unwise.

Moses, the meekest man who ever lived (according to God), a man who was repeatedly called God’s servant, murdered a man and then sought to hide his sin. Later in life, his anger arose, and in clear disobedience, he struck the rock and ended up forfeiting his right into the promised land.

These are good men! And good men have spots, but they are good men. Evil will despise the good, and as such, will seek out those spots of weakness will magnify them until all the good is erased. 

Here is the difference, on occasion, good men are sinful; evil men, on occasion, are good.  

The way society deals with people shows how they despise good. Find the man who had been an alcoholic or a drug addict and ruined everything that was good in his life. Watch that man get into a recovery program and hit his one-year, two-year, or even ten-year anniversary of sobriety, and folks will make a hero of him. By this time, he had probably ruined every relationship that was decent in his life. He probably lived off the generosity of others for many of the years of his recovery, but still, he is lifted up as an example.

Compare the prior example to the parents, pastor, or young adult, who stand for abstinence. Let leaders stand against having fellowship with those who might lead others to use drugs or alcohol. That leader will be called a legalist, judgmental, and a religious fanatic. The hypocrisy of this situation, and the prior one shows that some simply despise those who are good.

Pastor

Help Me Do What I Do Because Of You

Good Morning,

 2 Timothy 2:4 “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of [this] life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

Far too much of the believer’s decision-making is based on their own comfort, preference, self-esteem, or with friends in mind. 

Often we make decisions with friends or co-workers in mind, even if it fails to be what we might choose to do on our own. 

Many a morning, a person is found planing their wardrobe and thinking what those they work with will think. 

That is exactly what we should have in a good relationship to Christ. We should consider what He would like most and what would please Him, and then we should seek to make each decision align with that which would please Him. 

If we are concerned what our friends might think about our clothing, pull out the word friend and put Jesus in; we should be more concerned what Jesus would think about our clothing.

If we are concerned about our hair and what our friends would like or not like, pull the word friend out, and put the word Jesus in.

Our children's education should not be chosen to impress frail humans, but certainly should be based on what Jesus would want our children to be, do, and learn. 

John 8:29  “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”

Pastor 

Nice Words

Good Morning,

One of the changes that has occurred in the last few decades is the softening of words.  Most readers think all words should be nice, and we should never say anything that might hurt someone’s feelings or embarrass them. This thinking has been so strong in our culture that most of you reading this believe it is wrong to call a name or risk offending someone.

Most of you know that fifty years ago and further back, children were told by public school teachers, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” None of us enjoy being mocked, and none of us like any of the verbal ridicule that comes with life. But there is another side of this whole scenario that we lose when we forbid any pointed words. Let us refer to the Scripture to clarify.

Titus 1:12  “The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.”

vs. 13 “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;”

Paul calls out one cultural group. What a racist! He also levels verbal accusations and points out lifestyle weaknesses. Today, folks would argue that all of them could not be evil beasts.  “Why catalogue all the same?” He also instructed the local pastor to rebuke them sharply; they were liars, evil, and lazy, and they were to be pointed out and rebuked.

Paul also used some name calling with civic leaders. 

Acts 23:3 “Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall…”

Likewise, Jesus used some “unkind names.” 

Matthew 23:27 “…hypocrites! …whited sepulchres … full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.”

vs. 28 “…full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

vs. 33 “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” 

Pointed preaching and blunt comments are not unscriptural in the least. The use of name-calling was certainly not against biblical principles.  

Likewise, calling out personal names is not uncommon in the Word of God.

2 Timothy 4:14 “Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:”

1 Timothy 1:20 “Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan…” 

Philippians 4:2 “I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.” 

Men and women alike were called out by name and corrected for their errors. 

Many Christians warn that we should never use the term fool. Interestingly enough, Jesus, Paul, and God Himself used it. 

Luke 24:25 “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:" 

Galatians 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth,” 

1 Corinthians 15:36 “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:” 

Paul said these Galatians were fools and bewitched, those words were not “nice.” The point is, nice is highly overrated, and truth is severely underrated. The American culture has so softened vocabulary and relationships that no one can be blunt, clear, or use illustrations to embellish our statements. Name-calling for the sake of making a point was common from the playground to dealing with the coach in high-school sports.

The masculine part of American culture has been refreshed by our president and his willingness to say what he thinks. There should not be a fear in a parent, boss, coach, or drill instructor when it comes to blunt, verbal correction of those under their leadership.

God called Moab his washpot. Job used many descriptive words and phrases to point out how evil his friends had become.

It is almost as if most of America is more offended by blunt and unkind words than they are lies and corruption. May we not follow this foolish perspective regarding public relationships. 

When considering national leaders, truth must be lifted up.  If some leader use some words you think are rude or unkind, remember that you are not looking for a Sunday school teacher for your children, you are looking for someone to help run a country.

I am not endorsing vulgarity; I am simply saying that nice should not be rated higher than truth. If dad uses words or expressions that mom might not use, remember, he is not mom. 

Remember Titus 1:12 “… liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.”

Pastor

Really Caring

I Do Not Care How Much You Care.

Good Morning,

Proverbs 2:1 “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;”

vs. 2 “So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;”

vs. 3 “Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;”

If a young person is involved a relationship in which they “really care” about someone, should the parent give in (even if they have reservations about the relationship or do not approve)?  Does “really caring” change right and wrong?  

Let me change the pieces in the game and see if “really caring” still matters.  An adult man “really cares” for a young boy, or a couple of married people “really care” about others outside their marriage, is the relationship okay? Does “really caring” make the decision right?  

I listened as a beautiful twenty year-old college student told how she “really cared” for a fifty year-old man.  Jumping ahead in the story: a marriage took place (I did not marry them), and later a divorce followed.  No, “really caring” does not change logic or reason.  “Really caring” has very little to do with making wise decisions, in fact, in my life, preferring biblical advise over what I felt usually brought me into the best choices and wisest decisions.

Samson “really wanted” that girl and insisted that his parents get her for him.  (We know how that turned out.)  Some folks really believed there were weapons of mass distraction in Iraq. Hitler really thought he could rule the world. 

“But I love him/her” is a similar statement made by those about to make stupid choices. Wisdom will not allow feelings to make decisions.  Prudence searches out information that leads to logical and fact-based choices. 

The first girl I “really liked”  was a redhead named Tammy; I was 5 years old. I am glad we did not get married.  The next gal I liked was my first grade teacher.  Again, it would not have worked out had I allowed my feelings rule.  Folks will say that those situations are different, but I disagree.  Decisions based upon feelings are usually wrong, unless you feel like eating ice cream – that is probably okay.

There is a reason I never allowed my children to keep coming back and asking for something; nor could they go from one parent to the other trying to obtain the desired answer.  

As a pastor, if you desire my advice, you are welcome to come ask.  If you do not ask, that is your business; I will probably never mention the decision.  But if you ask, and then come later and ask again, and come later and ask again, here is what you are saying: “I think you were wrong with your first answer, Pastor. Now that you have had time to think, have you come around to the right answer (their answer?)”  If you ask again and again, you are not asking for anything but for the approval of your own opinions.  

Does anyone remember a guy in the Old Testament who kept going back to God asking for the same thing?  (Balaam)  He received his reluctant answer.

I do not care how much you care.  I care about what will work, what is logical, and what follows biblical principles.  Consider the feelings of a person on the Weight Watchers program looking at the ice cream counter: to follow feelings and pursue what you “really want” is unwise. 

I do believe that fasting and prayer can touch and even change the mind of God, but it is a dangerous road to travel – one I avoid.  I like the simple statement of Christ, “Not my will, but thine Lord.” 

Pastor

Defining Vocabulary

Good Morning,

For starters, I would like to clarify that I do not consider myself a“wordsmith.” I am not really smart, but I have managed to gain common sense over the years, a quality that seems to be more uncommon today.  From a simple man’s perspective, let us consider words. 

One of the sickest things that a godless society does is make up words, terms, and colloquialisms that are such a tragic abuse of language.  For instance, the most obvious definition of a man and a woman. Like the characters in The Emperor’s New Clothes, everyone knows the obvious truth, but no one is willing to speak it for fear of offending someone.  We all know what a man is and what a woman is.  We also know that there are some men who act feminine, and some women who act masculine; but they are still what God made them – male or female.  If the truth offends you, that does not mean it is a problem of society; the offense you harbor lies in your sad choice of whom you allow to influence you. 

I have had many animals throughout life: goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, horses, cows, ducks, and traditional pets like dogs, cats, fish, and the unusual snakes and rodents.  I never saw a rooster lay and egg, nor has a bull or steer ever produced milk.  As Paul writes, “God is not the author of confusion,” but Satan certainly is and has brought about confusion through the misuse of words.  

For thousands of years, a baby was born, and one of the first questions has always been, “Is it a boy or a girl?”  Now, for some foolish, demonic reason, society has decided that gender is determined by how one feels.  The very word queer was not a gender term from the beginning; the word has always been defined as something unusual, strange, or not natural – thus the word queer was used to describe men who like men. Paul worded it as being “against nature;” God says it is “vile.”

Romans 1:26 “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:” 

Let us consider the very politically incorrect subject of “women’s reproductive rights?”

If one simply speaks that phrase, one might think someone is destroying women’s ability to  reproduce.  My guess would be that someone is sterilizing these women or making laws, like China did, to say a woman could only have one child. Taking away a women’s reproductive rights must mean to take away her right to reproduce. [Which, by the way, if that happens, no matter what liberals say, men cannot reproduce by themselves (the human race would end in a few years).]

To take away “women’s reproductive rights” would mean that the right of a woman to reproduce is taken from her – but we all know that is not what the liberals mean. When a liberal speaks of “women’s reproductive rights,”  they mean that a woman wants to have the right to carelessly and recklessly violate moral principles that have been taught and believed for centuries, and then because they conceive a child that they don’t want, they demand the right to kill that child. They do not want the results of their behavior, which is also a common sinful frustration.  “Women’s reproductive rights” in the view of liberal society actually means the right to take an innocent life and destroy it.  This violates any dictionary definitions.  

As with defining “choice,” a selfish woman wants the right to “choose” to kill a baby.  Our society is redefining words; all it takes for one to accept such change is to toss out your brain, your dictionary, history, and logic. 

No one is telling women with whom they should be involved intimately; no one is telling women that they cannot or that they must be involved intimately. Now, of course, God has a moral standard for the Christian, but He does not even force it on people. He simply says that this is right and this is wrong. God says marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled. (Hebrews 13:4) God also says that He will judge adulterers and fornicators, but even God does not force people to do something or not to do something – He gives them freedom.

To accuse a conservative of taking away a woman’s “reproductive rights” or of being against the “choice” is dictionary illiteracy.  We need to rediscover dictionaries and definitions of words.

Pastor

The Wrong Road Ends Wrong

Good Morning,

1 Kings 3:1 “And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.”

vs. 3 “And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places."

Notice verse one says Solomon was in a relationship with a heathen gal.  Then in verse three, Solomon loves God and honors His commands. 

We see that a person can live in compromise and still love God;  but remember – chapter 11 is coming – Solomon turned from God to idols.  It will not be long before you either give up loving God or you separate from the world – you cannot do both.  

The devil loves to nudge us closer to wrong, show us that it did not hurt, or that it didn’t ruin our lives.  We may still love God and do right even after one drink, one casual glance at pornography, or one night out with friends who are not church attenders – but remember, Satan is immeasurably patient.  

Satan does not need to ruin our lives today, he just wants to get us on the road to ruin.  The wicked one is even fine if we keep on track for years before ruining our lives and our family.  

1 Kings 11:4 "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” 

It is best to trust that God knows best, that we live a separated life, and cling to Him and His Word.  

Pastor

Spiritual or Gifted

Good Morning,

Most of us have seen someone or heard of someone who was supposed to be a, “good Christian,” who lived a life that denied their profession.  

David took another man’s wife and had her husband killed, and Peter denied the Lord three times in one night.  These Christians failed to live up to their so-called faith.  A television evangelist was arrested with prostitutes, another embezzled money from a church group: many stories could be told.  

Looking at the Scriptures, we can find some of the answers.  Summarized, we might say, gifts and abilities do not mean a person is spiritual. 

Paul writes to the people of the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 1:5 “That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;” 

vs. 7 “So that ye come behind in no gift…”

Here we see people who possessed spiritual gifts, knowledge of spiritual things, and the ability to communicate those truths.  These people were behind no one with it came to spiritual gifts.  

Yet two chapters later, to the same group, Paul said:

1 Corinthians 3:1 “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” 

These people with spiritual gifts were not spiritual but carnal, and they were babes in Christ.  God gives people amazing gifts, but to say they are surrendered to Christ, or led of the Spirit is, obviously, another story.  Great abilities with music, athletics, organizational abilities, or detailed minds are gifts from God; but that does not mean they are godly people.  

The Corinthian people esteemed spiritual gifts, but they had moral trouble, legal trouble, division, and other problems. Paul’s first letter to this church was almost entirely full of correction, yet the people boasted of their spiritual gifts.  

Often, we, too quickly, call someone spiritual because of what we see.  Samuel was a great man, but he failed in this area when he went looking for the new king to replace Saul. Samuel saw the oldest son of Jesse and thought to himself that this had to be the Lord’s anointed. Anointed?  From outward appearances, Samuel thought this guy was anointed with the Holy Spirit?  This is where the famous verse about a man looking on the outward appearance and God looking on the heart comes from.  

We can be quick to eliminate ourselves from service for the Lord for the same reason.  Do you remember what Moses said when God told him to speak to Pharaoh?   Moses told God that he could not speak well.  God responded, “Who made man’s mouth?”  God can use any mouth He wants to use.  

Our outward gifts and appearances are tools to use, but they do not define spiritual living.  God can use anyone He desires to use. Our goal should be to walk in the Spirit, to be “spiritual,” and to allow God to use what we are and what we have, though the world may not see any great spiritual gifts.

For this reason, we must put our faith in the Lord and not in man.  Men will fail us; God never fails.

Pastor