Sunday, April 5, 2009

Don't Let Your Moment Pass

Sometimes we need a word from God for the moment. A sermon, a scripture, or even a newsletter can touch us if our hearts are open. I pray that you will open your heart today and let God speak to your heart. A single moment can change everything in our life. Don’t let your moment pass.

Galatians 4 tells us that when the fullness of time was come that Jesus came into the world. I don’t know what made the time right for Jesus to come but I know that it fit God’s plan perfectly. Of course, there were none of today’s multimedia outlets in Jesus’ day. His message wasn’t one of slick marketing it was simply that God loved us and that we could be changed by the power of God. Jesus came so that we could have a fulfilling, lasting relationship with our creator. Those that believed the message would spread the gospel around the world because they had a moment with God that changed them completely.

The birth of Jesus affects every man, woman, and child. Nothing would be the same from the moment he entered into the world. There is also a time that is right individually in our lives to receive from God. How is your heart today? Today could be the day that Jesus changes everything for you. He didn’t come just to change the world in some generic sense He came for you. His coming affects your life today. The Bible tells us that even though Jesus came to give life the thief comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. The “thief” is anyone or anything that keeps us from drawing close to God. It is that which would steal the moment in your life that God could change everything. In church Sunday I recounted a moment in my life that greatly affected me. It was one of those moments that I believe God spoke to me and I had to make a decision about how I would live my life. I’m glad that I didn’t allow the “thief” to steal my moment. I was a young man when I first made Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. One day I was working a gas station on a cold snowy day. Those were the days before self serve. I was sitting in the little hut on the gas island. It was a slow Sunday afternoon. I looked out across the landscape as God began to touch my heart. I decided that I would live for God regardless of what life would bring. If I failed I would repent and ask God to help me be a true Christian. I was 16 at the time. I believe that God can speak to us at any time we are willing to listen. That word from God wasn’t wasted because of my youth. Now, more than 30 years later, I remember that moment and how God spoke to me in such a great way. Even as I write this tears come to my eyes because of the way that God was reaching out to me. God is reaching out to you today. He wants to speak something profound into your life. Will you hear His voice? Don’t let your moment pass.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Search Me O God

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (KJV)11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

God loves us and wants to bless us. He thinks thoughts of peace for us, not of evil, to give us to have an expected end. Often I think of God but how often do we consider that He is thinking of us? God is constantly thinking of us. He thought of us when He created us. Jesus was thinking of us as He hung on the cross. What a great love He has for us! If we will set our hearts and thoughts after God search for Him with all our hearts we will find Him.

Matthew 5:6 (KJV)6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Do we hunger for a relationship with God? Are we thirsty for the Spirit of God? If we are we can have the fullness of God. God poured out His Spirit at Pentecost for those who were seeking. Seek God and have your own Pentecost. God’s power is not diminished. We can be filled with the Holy Ghost just as those at Pentecost were.

Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV)23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.


Have you ever heard the story of the king that needed a new coach driver? As he was interviewing people he asked “How close can you drive the coach to the cliff near the castle?” The first candidate stated that he could get within 10 feet of the cliff! The second candidate proudly declared that he could get within 5 feet of the cliff! The third candidate told the king “Your majesty, I’m going to stay as far from the cliff as I can”. The king gave the job to candidate #3.

It seems the attitude of many is “what can I get away with and still be a Christian”?
Do we want God to search us? Do we want God to know our heart? Do we want God to cleanse us of our sin? Do we want God to lead us? The hungry heart says yes God search me, lead me, cleanse me. Do you have a desire to hold onto God with one hand and the world with the other, or do you want a real relationship with Him?

I want to submit myself to God completely.
Lamentations 3:40-41 (KJV)40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. 41Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

The statement “try our ways” means to examine our way of life. I want God to change whatever needs to be changed in my life. I may not like everything I see when God shines His light of truth but it will expose my sin so I can be cleansed. Let’s lift up our hearts with our hands. Let’s invite God into our most private places. We may not want to tell anyone else, but let’s tell God all of our secrets.

John 5:39 (KJV)39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

The scriptures are important and we emphasize them. As important as the Bible is our relationship in not with a book but with God. The scriptures point us to Jesus but our relationship is with Jesus. Don’t neglect to have a relationship. Relationships must be developed. Take time to develop the most important relationship you will ever have in life.

God Moved in Our Service

We always invite God to have His way in our services. We believe that if we worship God and honor Him in all we do that He will speak to us and meet our needs. We started church with prayer and God just took over our service. He flooded the church with His presence. We worshipped, wept, and sang to the Lord. Truly, I believe that God was there to bless us and give us strength for the daily battles. I know He loves us with a great love and cares for us. The economy has many people concerned for their financial future. I pray that people will become concerned about their eternity. In Jesus Christ we can have peace and assurance of our future. Give your heart to Jesus today and find a peace that will carry you through anything. If you live in the Saginaw area, come worship with us!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Here Comes the Rain

Our church started at the usual time this morning. We had a short Bible study on the gifts of the Spirit and headed out to Anchor of Hope Church of God. I had been invited to preach there so our church went over to their church so we could worship together. We had a great service! The Spirit of God was touching hearts from the very outset of the service. I preached about Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18.

There was a sore famine in the land. The rain had been stopped by the word of God through Elijah. After 3 years it was now time for Elijah to speak directly to King Ahab and tell him the rain was coming. Ahab was an evil king and was not very happy with Elijah. But Elijah told him the truth of the matter. Ahab had allowed the wicked queen Jezebel to cause the people to worship idols and completely stray from God. We need those who will hold to the truth and speak God's word no matter what the circumstances. We can only be blessed by clinging to the truth. It is the truth that sets us free. Jesus is the truth that we need!

The rain was going to come but Elijah had some business to tend to first. He called for all of the People of Israel, the prophets of Baal, and the prophets of the groves. Why? He was going to remind them all about the true God. We need constant reminders of who God really is. He is the God that is in control of our life if we yield that control to Him. In good times and bad God is still God. If we dedicate our life to Him we have a sure future.

"Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word."

There is a pull on our hearts from two directions. If God be God, follow Him. There is also that voice tries to pull us away from God. It seems that there is a great multitude that listen to the wrong voice. How about you? Will we follow when all others left? When all left following Jesus he asked the disciples if they were going to leave also. Peter said “Where would we go?” When the world is trying to pull us aside will we keep our eye on the prize? The prophets of Baal answered not a word to Elijah because they had no excuse in front of the true God. What excuse can we offer God? Are we going to say it’s too hard to serve You God? Are we going to tell God we wanted to do our own thing?

Elijah issued his challenge and engaged the enemy. He didn’t hesitate to stand for God and oppose wickedness. Oh for men of God who will stay true to this call! Preachers everywhere need the integrity to declare God's word with authority. It seems that we have had many public failures in the ministry the last few years. It is a stain on all ministers but I believe that there are those who are hungry to serve God and are true to their faith.

Elijah's challenge to the false prophets was to make an offering and let the true God will answer by fire. So Baal’s prophets jumped up and down, cried, and cut themselves trying to get an answer from a god that they had invented and couldn't hear them. There was no answer because there is no answer from the false gods of this world. After they were done, Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord. The world is doing everything it can to destroy our altar. We need to repair our altar so it is a place where God can move in our lives. We need a place to cry out to God with complete commitment. After he repaired the altar, he brought his sacrifice and prayed. Once he prayed God answered with fire. Get your altar repaired, present yourself as a living sacrifice, and see if God won’t answer by fire!

Now it was time for the rain.

"And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain". Elijah went up to pray. During prayer, he sent his servant to look toward the sea. The servant didn't see anything so Elijah sent him again, seven times! How often do we ask God to move in our situation and then stop because we didn't see an answer the first time? After the seventh time he got a small sign. Don’t overlook small signs. Maybe you’ve prayed over and over again and have not yet seen the cloud. Pray again, look again. Don’t miss what God wants to do in your life.

Dedicate your senses to recognizing the move of God. Elijah’s servant “saw” a little cloud. The wise men “saw” His star. We’ve "seen" His glory in the sanctuary. “See” what God wants us to see. The disciples "heard" the call of Jesus “follow me”. We have "heard" the gospel in preaching. Bartimaeus “heard” that Jesus was coming by and he would not be denied. Don't be denied the blessing that God has for you!

Let’s hear what God is speaking to us. There’s a still small voice in the confusion of this world. "Hear" what the word is speaking. "Hear" the message from pastors and teachers. Don’t miss a chance to reach out and touch Him. The woman with the issue of blood “touched” the hem of His garment. The multitudes of sick reached out to "touch" Him.

The rain came just as God told Elijah that it would. Hold on to the word of God in your life. The rain signifies abundance that’s on the way. Are you ready for God’s abundance?

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Gift of God's Love

2 Corinthians 9:15
15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

I want to describe to people what God has done for me but words are not enough. He has given me the gift of His son. He has give me a relationship with Him. He has given me salvation for my soul that makes me want to praise and worship Him. I am glad for the people in my life that always encouraged me to have a relationship with God. As a young man I made Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. I have been blessed because of it. The Apostle Paul was convinced that Timothy, one of his partners in ministry, was full of genuine faith. Timothy had a mother and grandmother that Paul also noted to be full of faith. (See 2 Timothy 1:3 through 2 Timothy 1:5)

Timothy had a Grandmother that was full of faith, a mother that was full of faith, and a pastor that encouraged him. All of these things helped him to know Jesus Christ.

I have been given the gift of God’s love. What I mean by that is that there have been people in my life that wanted me to find the joy that can only be found in God. We can all be thankful for the family that loves us. I also had a church family that loved me. They shared Christ with me through their words and through their deeds. I had a pastor that preached the gospel to me and lived by the words that he spoke. My church family prayed for me and prayed with me in my times of need. Through their love and the message of hope in God’s word I responded to God’s tug at my heart.

My life has been blessed since the day I found a true relationship with Jesus Christ. The bible tells us that God will bless our coming and going. We have favor with God when we have a relationship with God.

1 John 3:1
1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: ……


God waits to make us part of his family. We join God’s family when we come to Him in faith and humility. You can start a legacy today of God’s blessing. It will not only bless you, but it will bless your friends and family.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Embrace the Power of the True God

1 Samuel 5:1-12

Israel took the Ark of the Covenant into battle and lost it to the Philistines, their bitter enemies. This would never have happened if Israel listened to God and left the Ark in its appropriate place. The Philistines thought this was a great spoil of war because the Ark was where the Spirit of God dwelt among Israel. This was a disaster for Israel because the source of their blessing was missing. God is the source of a blessed life today. Are you living in God’s blessing? When the Philistines put the Ark next to their god, Dagon, they woke to find their god was cast down before the Ark. Why, because Dagon was a man made false god, hewn from wood. There is no false god erected by men that will ever stand before the true God. The Philistines lived in their sinfulness while worshipping a god that had no power to change their circumstance. “Dagon” didn’t mind the sinfulness of the Philistines. This is why many people seek a false god. The false gods of this world will not challenge our conscience. The presence of the true God condemns our sinfulness. We need to feel guilt over our sin so we can come to God and seek forgiveness. Mankind is condemned to death and hell without God but those who seek after God and accept the salvation made possible by Jesus no longer have to live in condemnation.

Romans 8:1
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The Philistines found the presence of the true God very troubling. They were a sinful people and the unfiltered presence of God is destructive to sin. Their lives were totally disrupted by the presence of God. They had to deal with their dilemma. The presence of God will cause us to deal with our sin. We can either cry out for forgiveness or we will need to expel God’s presence from our life. The Philistines, like many in this world today, decided to expel the true God’s presence from their lives. They could worship Dagon all day long and not have to face any consequence for sin. People want churches today where they can go and feel good about their sinful lives and never hear the preacher mention a commitment to Christ. We are plagued by the “It’s not so bad” syndrome.
In front of “Dagon” we can justify any action but not so in front of the real God.

The Philistines wondered “what shall we do to the ark of the LORD”? It reminds me of when Pontius Pilate asked “What shall I do then with Jesus?” In both cases they chose to expel the presence of God from their lives rather than embrace it. What does it take for people to recognize the need for real God? The Philistines saw the power but wanted nothing to do with it. Why didn’t the Philistines send an emissary to Israel and enquire about the God of power? Why don’t so many enquire about God today? How will you deal with the power of the real God? Will you embrace it or will you expel it from your life? It is the hungry heart that cries out to know the true God. I pray that you have a hungry heart that longs for Him.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

January 1st, 2009

Here we are in the new year. We hosted a new year's eve party last night where we had great food and fun. My wife is a great party giver. She's a great cook and is always welcoming of our guests. We had people from our church as well as friends from three other churches. We ate, played charades, and sang karaoke. The karaoke started out as just plain fun as we all sang and put on our best performances. Getting together doesn't have to be about getting drunk and acting in ways we are ashamed of the next morning. After the entertainment we sang praise and worship songs and felt God's presence in a real way. Some gave testimonies of what God had done for them in 2008. We were all touched and encouraged about what God will do in this new year. With the economy in a mess, people losing theirs jobs, and our
401K's shrinking dramatically, how can we be so positive? Because we have experience with God that validates our faith. We know what God has done in our lives and what He will do for those who trust Him. It is only the power of God that can bring us from despair to a joy that looks forward to each new day. Thank God for what He has done in our lives. I'm looking forward to continued blessing in 2009.