So Many Voices in My Head

So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more.

He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.

Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him.

Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!”

Then the LORD will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock.

Isaiah 30:18-22 (NLT)

This morning - while sipping coffee and reading through our devotional materials - Missy and I came across a statement that caused us to read it again. You know, when you read something and then read it again just to make sure what you just read is exactly what you just read.

“Even Christian voices can lead me astray, saying, ‘Do this!’ ‘Don’t do that!’ ‘Pray this way!’ ‘Don’t pray that way!’”

“Even Christian voices can lead me astray.”

Now, at first reading, we are sure - like us - you are saying to yourself, “Self, that can’t be true! Christians follow Jesus! They couldn’t lead anyone astray!”

Then what do we do with Paul’s statement: “Follow me…as I follow Christ,” (I Corinthians 11:1). Paul himself is here pointing out the fact that it is possible for him to lead people astray - if he is not following Christ Jesus.

From Jesus: “Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves,” Matthew 7:15 (Amplified Bible).

This past week at the Mission where Steve works, a person of the community was teaching a Bible class and made the following statement: “When he was forty days in the desert, Jesus wasn’t really tempted by the Devil. What happened was all of these temptations took place in his mind…in his head. You know, he was thinking about killing himself by throwing himself down from the high rock but he knew that if he did kill himself he could just bring himself back to life. It wasn’t the Devil. It was all in Jesus’ head.”

Even Christian voices can lead me astray…indeed.

And the voices just won’t stop…
    Kenneth Copeland says "I am a billionaire, because the assignment that the Lord gave me. I want you to begin to confess the billion flow.'" (Too bad for those disciples in the Bible who forsook everything to follow Jesus.)
    John Hagee stated: ”Jesus did not come to Earth to be the Messiah ... since Jesus refused by word and deed to claim to be the Messiah…” (Whew, and here we thought he came to set the captives free…glad that’s all cleared up!)
    Chuck Smith, of Calvary Chapel, trying to predict the Second Coming of Jesus, in one of his books, End Times: A Report on Future Survival, predicted Jesus' coming claiming 1981 as the date. “From my understanding of biblical prophecies, I'm convinced that the Lord is coming for His Church before the end of 1981…I could be wrong…” (Wait, what year is it?)

The world, it could be argued, is all about one thing: getting its message out. It is always trying to tell you what to do, what to look like, how to behave, how to think, where you should work, and whom you should love. And, unfortunately, there are some Christians who will do the same.

DON’T LISTEN TO ANY OF THEM!

Rather, like Elijah, stand and listen to that One voice. “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the LORD told him. And as Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper,” I Kings 19:11-12 (NLT).

God is whispering. You know that, right? As Jesus claims in John 10: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” There’s a lot of wind, but only One voice.

Can you hear him speaking to you? If not, why? What changes do you need to make in order to “drown out” the world, and listen to that small, gentle, yet life-changing whisper which echoes from heaven to your heart.

As Sarah Young prays: “When I listen to all of those voices, I become increasingly confused. Please help me be content to be a simple ‘sheep,’ listening for Your voice and following You - my faithful Shepherd. You lead me beside quiet waters and make me lie down in green pastures. You guide me in paths of righteousness.”

Guide us, oh God, by You voice this day and always.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me!

Heart to Heart from the Housewrights

 

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. - John 11:1-5 (ESV)

In our morning coffee and devotions today Missy and I read one from Max Lucado that included a quote from his book The Great House of God. It says:

When a friend tells Jesus of the illness of Lazarus, he says, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” He doesn’t base his appeal on the imperfect love of the one in need, but on the perfect love of the Savior. He doesn’t say, “The one who loves you is sick.” He says, “The one you love is sick.” The power of prayer, in other words, does not depend on the one who makes the prayer, but on the one who hears the prayer…We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. “The one you love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed.” The words of the prayer vary, but the response never changes. The Savior hears the prayer. He silences heaven, so he won’t miss a word. He hears the prayer.” 

- Grace for the Moment, March 21st entry.

The one You love. Those words should give us a strong assurance. Those words should bring encouragement. Those words should be life-changing and life-sustaining. The one You love.

We (the church) are always - and it’s not a bad thing - proclaiming our love for God. Our love for Jesus. Our love for his Holy Spirit. Our love for God’s people. Our love for the lost. We should love! After all, it is the supreme command of life: One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question: “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” Jesus declared, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:35-40 (BSB).

But, more than our love for God or others is the fact that God loves us. “While we were yet sinners (still sinning) Christ died for us - this proves God’s love for us,” Romans 5:8. “We love because he first loved us,” I John 4:19.

“The one You love.”

God loves you. God loves us. “For God so loved the world…”

Now, what do we do with that truth? What do you do with that truth?

Well, if you are like us, you are struggling or will struggle. We all go through moments of confusion and days of darkness. We encounter seemingly unconquerable mountains and treacherous waves. We face situations where there seems to be no escape and people who simply drain us dry. We become lonely, we hurt, we cry.

Yet, these moments are fleeting. They are temporary. They do not last - although we may think they do. But, God’s love is permanent. God’s love is forever. God’s love outlasts. God’s love overcomes. God’s love cannot be stopped.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39 NLT)

Missy and I are facing a lot of trials right now. It seems the enemy has clocked into work and has decided to work overtime! Yet, we must always remember that, circumstances being what they may be, we have One who loves us. That, our friends, is what gives us all overcoming joy and sustaining strength.

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. 

Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong.

Jesus loves me, he who died, heaven's gate to open wide.

He will wash away my sin, let his little child come in.

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

Advent 2022 - A Season of Hope

November 22, 2022

The LORD looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior. Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory—for all its strength, it cannot save you.

But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.

He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine. We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone.

Psalm 33:13-22

Gary Thomas, wrote an article in Christianity Today many years ago. In it he described an apparently true story that involved a world famous atheist.

Former Vice President George Bush was sent to Russia as the diplomatic representative of the United States Government for the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. While there, it seems that Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev's widow.

When it was near the end of the service, she stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev's wife performed an act of great courage and hope; a profound gesture in the midst of everyone there - she reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband's chest.

There, in the citadel of secular, atheistic power, where God was nowhere to be found, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She hoped that there was another life. She hoped Jesus was truly the Son of God and that the same Jesus might yet have mercy on her husband. (Gary Thomas, in Christianity Today, October 3, 1994, p. 26.)

She hoped.

Hope - it’s defined this way by the American Heritage Dictionary: a.) To wish for a particular event that one considers possible; b.) to have confidence or trust; c.) to desire and consider possible.

The great G.K. Chesterson put it this way: “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all...As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.”

If there was ever a time of the year we desperately need hope, it is betweenThanksgiving and Christmas. With all of the colors, lights, food, festive gatherings, traditional movies to watch, and carols to sing - we find out that it is also the time of the year when depression, loneliness and sorrow strengthen their grip on humanity. It is a time of utter hopelessness for many. Maybe even you.

And, it is true, tears often accompany hopelessness.

One of our favorite contemplative authors Eugene Peterson says this: “History is lubricated by tears. Prayer may be most prayer when it is accompanied by tears. All these tears are gathered up and absorbed in the tears of Jesus.”

Or as the Psalmist writes: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book” (NLT - Psalms 56:8).

So, let the carols be raised. Let the lights twinkle. Let the kids get giddy. Let the coffee be stirred with a peppermint stick (the kind that melts in your mouth). Let the stockings be hung.

And, know this, it’s ok to cry. It’s ok to feel overwhelmed. It’s ok to miss your loved one. It’s ok to wish it was all done and over with and January 2, 2023 was tomorrow.

How do we know this?

Jesus wept.

And, that our friends should give us all hope. The One who will “wipe every tear from our eyes” himself wept. He knew loss. He knew pain. He knew abandonment. 

How comforting that is to those of us who struggle at times emotionally and mentally.

The Advent season is marked by “waiting; expectancy; hoping.” Jesus has indeed come. He is coming again. And the next time, he will not leave us to ourselves but will bring us with him and we will cry no more forever. That is a reason for hope.

And Advent is a not–so-gentle reminder that this is a season of hope. We wish you all a hope-filled holiday season.

Missy and Steve

Love Conquers Fear

 

There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God - Romans 3:11

For the heart of this people has become dull - with their ears they scarcely hear and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them’ - Matthew 13:15

Little Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup. But, Johnny didn't want to go. He stopped and looked straight into his mom’s eyes: "It's dark in there and I'm scared to go in there all alone," he said. She asked again, yet he still persisted that he not go in there alone. Finally she said, "It's okay, Johnny, Jesus will be in there with you."

Filled with a glimmer of courage Johnny walked hesitantly to the pantry door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside and saw it was dark. With his voice barely above a whisper, Johnny said: "Jesus, if you're in there, would you mind handing me a can of tomato soup?"

Fear. It’s not a laughing matter.

Fear is so prevalent nowadays we have had to develop new terminology to describe fear. Things like peladophobia: fear of baldness and bald people. Aerophobia: fear of drafts. Porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple. Chaetophobia: fear of hairy people. Levophobia: fear of objects on the left side of the body. Dextrophobia: fear of objects on the right side of the body. Auroraphobia: fear of the northern lights. Calyprophobia: fear of obscure meanings. Thalassophobia: fear of being seated. Stabisbasiphobia: fear of standing and walking. Odontophobia: fear of teeth. Graphophobia: fear of writing in public. Phobophobia: fear of being afraid.

And of course, sermonophobia - fear of a sermon going too long…ok, we made that up.

What are you fearful of? What causes you to freeze up? What gives you the heebie jeebies?

If you read the Psalms you find that time and time again David wrestled with fear. In the Gospel of Mark you read about a young man who ran away naked out of the Garden of Gethsemane. And, of course, in the book of Acts you read about the sons of Sceva who faced off against evil and were beaten up and ran away.

Yes, fear is found throughout the Bible.

But, at the same time, fear does not have the final say. In this life or the next.

The Word of God reminds us: 

    1.) “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” - I John 4:4

    2.) “What shall we say in response to all of these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” - Romans 8:31

    3.) “...because everyone who is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith” - I John 5:4
    4.) “...the battle belongs to the LORD…” - I Chronicles 5:22
    5.) “The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can a person do to me?” - Psalms 118:6.
    6.) “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness” - Isaiah 41:10
    7.) “So do not be afraid; you are worth more than the sparrows…” - Matthew 10:31

Now, the Bible is just a collection of books, thoughts, wisdom, history, songs, prophecy, and the sayings of a homeless, wandering Rabbi - unless you apply them to your life. If you place your faith (trust) in the Bible as the word of God then they become more than words. They give life. They become life.

Unfortunately, people do not read the Bible anymore, unless they are facing a crisis. They are afraid and they have nowhere else to turn. Then, they may crack open that book covered in dust. That leads to a life of fear.

We live in a culture that is based on fear. The news, social media, political parties, businesses - they all feed on people’s fears. Give people something to be scared about and then offer them the solution. That is how they control you. That is how the world operates.

God does not operate in fear. As a matter of fact, all of the teaching, preaching and shouting about hell and damnation - is nothing more than a ploy by people who want to “scare” people into heaven or control their behavior. 

Sure, there are words in the Holy Scriptures about judgment upon sin and those who refuse grace and mercy. Judgment on sin is coming.

That said, God’s love destroying our fear is much more prevalent and powerful in bringing people into God’s kingdom.

After all, it’s why we remember Jeremiah 31:3, “...I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

It’s why we repeat the words of our Savior: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son; so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.”

It’s also why we close this week’s note out with these words:

“All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first,” - I John 4:15-19.

LOVE CONQUERS FEAR

The Wonder of Worship

Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the mightiest mountains. The sea belongs to him, for he made it. His hands formed the dry land, too. Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! Psalm 95:1-7 (NLT)

We have a confession to make. It’s one you may or may not have heard from a pastoral couple. You know, the ones who are supposed to be “in charge” - the ones who get paid.

We loved “being” in worship during last week’s General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church. We were not in charge. We did not have to come up with an order of service. We simply got to lift our hands, raise our voices, join in corporate prayer, listen to the Word, and take notes from the messages. What a delight!

That said, there has been a disconnect in worship for far too long between “leaders” and those “attending.” As a matter of fact, the biggest congregations in North America almost always have a great divide between the worship “team” and those in the “crowd.” It’s divine entertainment - and that should not be.

Psalm 95 is a great moment in scripture. It is a call for all to join in worship. Worship can be private - and it should be on a daily basis: devotions, prayer, reading of the Word, singing, doing acts of kindness…all of these are what we should be doing when we are apart from one another.

But, when we are together (and we should get together by the way)...

What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up - I Corinthians 14:26

Did you notice? Not just the “paid” staff. Not just the worship “team.” Each of you. Everyone.

Dan Gildner, a writer for spiritandtruth.life considered this quandary in a recent article. He established a baseline, if you will, for both leaders of worship and attendees:

1. Confession - It is good practice to confess known sin to God and one another prior to inviting the congregation to worship or gathering in worship. Acts 3:19-20 promises that confession gives birth to times of refreshing from God’s presence.

Invitation to Practice: Start your morning in worship with a personal time of confession with Jesus and/or with your trusted small group. Be honest. Receive God’s refreshing grace.

2. Anticipation - When we come into worship we believe that his Presence is with us - in Spirit. The difference between those places and the U.S. is expectation. People come to worship expecting God to be present. What we anticipate, we pursue!

Invitation to Practice: Write out a one sentence prayer of faith before you gather/lead. Where do you expect God to show up in your life through this time of worship.

3. Preparation & Faithfulness

PREPARATION: God chooses to work with humankind in the renewal of all things. So we humbly work diligently at the various crafts (music, liturgy, sermon-writing, etc.) because we are graciously invited to participate with God. It demands that we give all that we can.

FAITHFULNESS: At the end of the day, we are human, and more than performance or perfection, God invites us to be faithful. We acknowledge that we could never practice enough to deserve God’s love. We could never pray enough to be fully prepared. But we show up and in each worship service we offer to God our faithful, limited selves.

Invitation to Practice: Before gathering for worship, prepare your heart through prayer, singing or silence…such that corporately you can offer the Lord all that you can.

4. Invitational - It is the job of those leading to invite those gathered to receive from, respond to and participate in the worship of the Almighty. Those gathered should desire to join in singing, sharing testimony, giving generously, and responding enthusiastically with raised hands and shouts of “Hallelujah!” because God “inhabits the praise of his people.”

Invitation to Practice: If leading, review your language, ensuring an invitational tone. If joining in worship, take advantage of every opportunity to respond to God.

5. Prayerful - Part of our preparation is to pray individually and collectively. Call upon God to release water onto the dry land. Declare God’s Truth over God’s people. Invite God to search your hearts as you lead others. Pray for divine manifestations to be known before, during and after the gathering.

Invitation to Practice: For those leading - It is best to know the Father’s throne room before inviting others into it. For those gathering - pray for God’s presence for all; pray for the preachers; pray for worship to happen when everyone goes to work the next day.

6. Surrendering Results - If we lift up the Name of God, if we praise his Name, if we humble ourselves in his Presence, he will draw us to himself. After all - it has nothing to do with us but everything to do with him. Not just worship - but the results of worship as well. We should not focus on “how worship went” but simply on worship. It’s about time that we all joined together for God’s purposes, glory, and honor.

Oh, the wonder of worship…

Help! The Gift of Learning to Lean...on Others

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. 

(Proverbs 15:14)

Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.

(Proverbs 15:22)

The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 

(Proverbs 18:15)

Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words. 

(Proverbs 23:9)

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. 

(Proverbs 23:12)

There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; but the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing. (Proverbs 20:15)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. (Psalm 32:8)

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

Most people hate to ask others for help. Rather than seeking a “helping hand” they have that “I can do it on my own” mentality. Sure, YouTube can help us repair our cars, dryers, and computers. Shoot, you can even learn how to build a house out of pallets!

But, there are some things in life that you just can’t YouTube. Some problems, some situations are just beyond help from a video.

Yet, we still remain stubborn and refuse to ask for help. Maybe we don’t want to feel like a burden…maybe we are a bit too prideful…maybe we are embarrassed…maybe we just like being in control of everything all the time…or maybe we hate anything that feels like a hand out.

Well, we are here to say that there is nothing wrong with asking for or seeking help. In fact, Scripture encourages it. In truth - Christians must ask God for help daily or we will not get very far in life while trying to live off of our own strength or wisdom.

We are such a prideful and arrogant bunch…and remember, “Pride comes before the fall…”

In any situation you find yourself, God wants you to ask for help. The church has far too long spread the lies that, “This is your cross to bear,” or “You just gotta have faith and it will all work out.” We are not meant to go through life alone, without one another, without help. Why do you think in Genesis, God says, “It is not right that a man should be alone…?” Hmmmm.

Believing that we can do everything by ourselves without any help ultimately leads to failure. Trusting in the Lord God is the only solution we should ever seek. As it says in Proverbs 3:5&6 - “Trust in the LORD with all of your heart and do not lean unto your own understanding - in all of your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” Trust in the Lord.

Sometimes God helps us by doing things Himself (miracle) and sometimes God helps us through other people (still a miracle). None of us must never be fearful of asking for help - from God or from one another.

Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re weak - even though we usually do not ask for help until we finally figure out we cannot do whatever it is we need done on our own! Actually, seeking help from God and from others proves you are strong and wise.

Being proud is a sin - and an act of pure rebellion against our Creator - and it is why many people fail to ask for help even when they so desperately need it. My, oh my, how the enemy must love it when we try to do everything on our own.

Why are we writing about this? Yesterday, Missy and I were outside. Our dogs were sniffing around and I noticed one of them stopping under a tree. I went over to inspect whatever it was he was focused on.

It was a baby bird. Helpless. Laying on the ground. Its nest a good ten feet above its head.

Momma bird was screeching at the top of her lungs. Daddy bird was swirling everywhere. They were both helpless as well.

We went and got the ladder, gently picked up the helpless little fellow, climbed up the ladder to the nest and, with both bird parents going berserk, placed it back with its siblings.

After another thirty minutes or so of Momma bird screaming and Daddy bird flying circles they finally settled down. Next thing we noticed was Momma bird getting food and taking it back to the nest while Daddy bird sat on the fence. All was well in the Mulberry tree once again.

All they needed was a little help.

Don’t we all?

William Shultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip tells this story. “People need people. Our daughter Laurie was about three when one night she requested my aid in getting undressed. I was downstairs and she was upstairs, and ... well. ‘You know how to undress yourself,’ I reminded her. ‘Yes,’ she explained, 'but sometimes people need people anyway, even if they do know how to do things by themselves." (Bits & Pieces, December 1990).

People need people. People need God. Learn to ask for help from both.

We are so great at giving help we forget that when we do not ask for help from others we are denying them that same great feeling we receive when we help others. True, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” but it sure feels good when we are drowning and someone throws us a life-line.

Ask for help. You will find it. And, you will be blest. By the way, if you need help with anything - we are here for you. And, we hope and pray, you are here for us…

Out of Focus - Out of Faith

 

01-18-2022

When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel, he said to them, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old; I am no longer able to come and go, and the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.' 

The LORD your God Himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. Joshua will cross ahead of you, as the LORD has said. And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, when He destroyed them along with their land.

The LORD will deliver them over to you, and you must do to them exactly as I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Then Moses called for Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you will go with these people into the land that the LORD swore to their fathers to give them, and you shall give it to them as an inheritance. The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” 

Deuteronomy 31:1-8

As we put together this week’s newsletter we are busy getting ready for our church’s Annual Conference this coming Sunday evening. We will get to see our wonderful District Superintendent, Kevin Brouillette and share what God has done for his people at Cornerstone Community Church this past year and focus on what we hope to see our heavenly Father do this year.

This is a vital exercise for our faith because we need to remember what God has done and focus on what he is and is going to do - for that is the springboard of faith to trust him.

To be honest - we don’t know what 2022 holds in store for any of us. We are not sure of anything at this point. We think most of us may be a little uncertain of what we are supposed to be doing. The Church, as we know it, is rapidly changing. Ministry is going to look alot different moving forward. We think all of our lives are going to look different moving forward as well. And, maybe that’s a good thing.

With that in mind we offer the following verses to guide us as we journey into 2022...

John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Matthew 6:31-34: “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Now, notice a few things which will undoubtedly encourage you in the days ahead…

1.) Become aware of how many times these verses point to where our focus should be. God. Yahweh even speaks to himself as the place where we should concentrate. So often we revert to situational faith where we center on our problems. God says, in a nutshell, “Your situation is temporary. I am eternal. Look to me - I do not, will not change nor will I leave you.”

2.) This world is filled with obstacles and disruptions, disease and disaster. Nothing is going to change that. Rich or poor, healthy or unhealthy, loved or unloved. No one escapes struggles. The sooner we accept this truth the better we will better understand —

3.) God has overcome the world and its problems. WHATEVER, WHOEVER, WHEREVER - God has already overcome. Victory is his and therefore ours. Hence —

4.) Don’t worry about a thing. Rather, seek. When worry comes - and it will for ALL of us - take that worry and move it to seeking. Seek God. Seek his comfort. Seek his peace. Seek his strength. Seek his hand of mercy. Seek his kingdom. When you do —

5.) God, through his Son Jesus the Christ and his Holy Spirit, will provide what you need…he will provide the way. Not the way out. Not the way around. Not even the way through. Wait. What? Remember, He is the way…”For I am the way, the truth, the life…” IE: He will provide himself. What more do we need?

So many questions face the bride of Christ (the church) presently that it’s difficult to know where to begin. Some of the issues Missy and I are struggling with: Can we continue in the ministry full-time or is it time to revert to being a “tentmaker?” Will fellowships of faith need to focus more on collaborative ministries…or even come together and unite under one roof? Is it time to do away with the “system” which has run the church for the last 70 plus years? Where will the funds come to support what the local church seeks to do? What role does fellowship play moving forward? To what extent do local missions mean more? How do we care for our online friends? 

Yes, we are worried about a lot - therefore we need to be focusing on God and his deliverance. We need faith. You need faith. We all need more faith. The great Christian George Muller once wrote: “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”

André Masséna, was a French military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. As one of Napoleon's generals, he one time suddenly appeared with 18,000 soldiers before an Austrian town which had no means of defending itself. The town council met, certain that surrendering was the only answer. Why risk the lives of all of the innocent people of their town?

The old caretaker of the church reminded the town council that it was Easter and encouraged them to hold services as usual and to leave the trouble in God's hands. Rather than focus on Masséna and his 18,000 soldiers, the man of faith urged them to focus on the resurrection of Christ. Incredibly, they followed his advice. 

The caretaker went to the church and rang the bells to announce the service. Loud and long they rang. The French soldiers heard the church bells ring and immediately concluded that the Austrian army had come to rescue the town. A quick decision was made to brake camp, and before the bells had ceased ringing, the entire group had vanished.

Let the words of Paul remind us all how we are to make our way through 2022: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:6-7.  

Focus on God. Focus on your faith. If we do, perhaps we will “see” our way out of this.

Steve and Missy

Prayer: The Key to Unlocking our Prisons

10-27-2021

“But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” - Acts 12:5-11

That first verse is critical in the history of the church. This singular event put the fellowship of Jesus into motion - Peter was placed in prison and the church began to pray. Peter was taken away from his family and friends. His family and friends rallied on his behalf.

In a stunning turn, however, over the centuries it seems that when one of our own (within the confines of the body of Christ) gets into trouble, makes a mistake, crosses a line, or even like Peter is wrongfully judged, we either run away from their presence or make pat statements like “We will be praying for you.” But, do we really?

It goes without saying that prayer is important. As someone has said, “Prayer is the key that unlocks Divinity.” We are not sure if that’s biblically correct, but nonetheless, we should be turning to our Creator a whole lot more than we do.

Praying for one another should - for followers of Jesus - come as easy as your next breath. And not just in bad times - although especially when there is literally nothing else we can do - but rather ALL THE TIME.

Not many people have a prayer list anymore. I (Steve) regrettably admit I do not have a personal one. I use the church one and add to it as necessary but I have failed to generate my own personal list. That needs to be rectified quickly. Why? There are a lot of “Simon Peters” who are “imprisoned” by life.

I think we can assume that if we were to individually create our own personal prayer lists that we would readily recognize some correlating information with one another's lists:

Those who are sick and hurting
Some who are inundated by a multitude of problems
The future of those we love
God filling us with His Spirit
People suffering the consequences of their sin
Our own sin
A hope for a healthy and joyous holiday season
A need for the saving power of Jesus in the lives of the people we know
A clearer understanding of what the Bible really says about the issues of today
Answers to questions and worries we keep to ourselves

In his book, All Things Are Possible Through Prayer, Charles L. Allen wrote of a man he knew who went through a nightly ritual of inserting his keys into one of his shoes before going to bed. When he arose the next morning to face another day, the last item he routinely reached for after getting dressed was the shoe containing those keys. Taking them out of his shoe, he would hold them in his hand while offering this simple, heartfelt prayer:

“Lord, this day I will come to certain doors that are locked but I shall use these keys to open those doors. And may I remember this day that there is a key to every situation, a solution to every problem. May I never surrender to one of life’s locked doors. Instead, may I use the keys on the key ring of prayer until I find the right key and the door will be opened.”

We hope you paid attention to the situation found in Acts 12 from above. Just a couple of things to remember: One, Peter apparently only saw one end to his predicament - his death. “Peter finally came to his senses. ‘It’s really true!’ he said. ‘The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!’” Peter was not ignorant of his situation nor was he in denial. He figured it was the end.

Secondly, the followers of Jesus (who loved Peter) saw another end to his predicament - God intervening. “The church prayed very earnestly for him.” This was not a quick, ejaculatory prayer. This was a time of prayer. This was a people who gave their time and effort to prayer. All for someone who saw only his undeniable demise.

Can you think of someone in that same type of situation today? Someone you love and are concerned for - a person who is caught in a prison from which they see no hope and no escape. When we speak of prisons we trust you understand we are speaking metaphorically and literally. Most of us will never be behind iron bars but we all have been imprisoned in life by our decisions, lack of decisions, behavior, attitude, resentment, anger, and unforgiveness...not to mention health, relationships or finances.

During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened,” (Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10). What prisons do you need to pray about today - in your life and the life of someone else?

Indeed, the Bible tells us in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death." Sometimes - maybe even now - some of us see death as the only escape from the prison we have found ourselves in. 

But may we remind you that there is a group of people who are believing life for you? People who truly love you. 

And, we are praying for you. We are praying for God to move in your life and in your circumstances: your today; your tomorrow. And who knows, perhaps today will be the day that, like Peter, you will walk out of your prison and exclaim, “It’s really true! The Lord has saved me from the world and what life had planned to do to me!”


Here’s to you and your soon release…


Steve and Missy

Nothing New

 These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem.     “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description.  No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied.  No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.
Ecclesiastes 1:1-10 (New Living Translation)

Missy and I wonder what the author of Ecclesiastes would say if he were alive today. Would he rephrase some of the lines of his famous thoughts? 

Let’s say he was to visit us here in 2021, do you think he would repeat the words: “There is absolutely nothing new under the sun”?  Wouldn’t he find technology jaw dropping? What about the expediency available in public transportation and travel? What about cloning of animals? Splitting of neutrons?   Communicating with someone thousands of miles away instantaneously? And who can forget that we know longer use sundials (other than decorative yard objects) but rather computers on our wrists? Crazy.   

As we wake up each morning and either read about, listen to or watch the news it can be overwhelming. Most of it is repetitive information. However, there is also breaking news. Updated news. New news. Truthfully, though, is it really new?

We are not sure if you have seen it yet, and part of us doesn’t really want you to, but there is a video which shows a US plane taking off from Kabul, Afghanistan.  Hundreds of Afghans were filmed desperately chasing after and some even clinging to a US Air Force plane as it taxied down the runway. Sad enough? Indeed. But, as you continue to watch the plane ascending into the air you become witness to a horrible moment when multiple people plunge to their deaths...people who had climbed ONTO the plane in a frantic attempt to flee their homes after the Taliban takeover. Horrific.

Amidst the shut-downs, violent reactions over masks, harsh words and opinions about vaccinations, crippling economic instability, murder hornets, out of control wild fires, PTA meetings becoming wrestling events, and family and friends being sick and alone, now we add the hellish onslaught of the Taliban...we must remember there is nothing new about any of this. A simple look back at history reveals this has been going on since the banishment from Eden. Furthermore, it is all part of the plan of the enemy who wishes to divide, destroy and decimate God’s people...God’s creation.

There are alot of Christians who feel that times are now worse than ever and only getting more horrible with each passing day. Some even claim apocalyptic language in describing what we are going through in this world, at this time. But, the truth of the matter is that since the human debacle in Eden, there is nothing new under the sun.

We wish there was a magic pill we could all take and “Voila!”---everything would be as good as new. We wish there was a leader we could look to in order to make all the right decisions all the time and in every situation. We wish there was a bible verse we could just pick out - splash it all over social media, preach on it, keep quoting it, and God would wake us up tomorrow and all would be well...all would be new.

We who follow Jesus - who call ourselves Christians - are not to be looking backwards. Remember the words of Jesus in Revelation 21? “Behold, I make all things new.” The One who was in the beginning and through whom all things were made is going to make all things new again. Then, and only then, will the words of Ecclesiastes be longer viable. 

But do not allow that to bog you down, bring you down, or knock you down. This letter is not meant to do that - it is meant to encourage and remind each and every one of us that none of this is new...to God. He has seen it before, dealt with it before and overcome it before. 

Let us leave you with this gentle reminder from Peter - who at one point of his life was probably lower than any other human on the planet: “But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight,” (II Peter 3:13 and 14). 

Sisters and brothers: “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” 

Steve and Missy