“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;” (2 Thessalonians 1:3)
From the Pastor's Desk
Leaving the Foundation
Thursday, 06 January 2011
Heb 6:1-3 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.
The Word of God encourages us to leave the foundation of the church that Jesus Christ is building. That word "leave" does not mean to abandon. It means to proceed from a certain point. Let me put it in 21st century speech. "Get on with it". Sad to say I don’t think the majority of the church has heard and obeyed the scripture’s invitation. We continue to abide in the foundation of our faith. We have been more interested in our doctrine, creeds, church constitution and our standards of conduct for the leadership of the church, than we have been with the visible part of the building. What is the visible part of the church? It’s the people, the body of Christ and the Spirit of love they contain and are called to demonstrate in their daily lives in the world. People beyond the walls of the church building don’t really care too much about the foundational truths of our faith. Contrary to popular belief our doctrines and constitutions are not very important to them. I want to say it again, just in case you haven’t heard. The writer of the Book of Hebrews calls upon us to leave our doctrines. In other words, our doctrines, constitution and standards of conduct are secondary to what God is calling us to be today. They are the launching pad for what He has called us to be and do but they aren’t the goals of our faith. These are fighting words to many Christians. Leave our doctrines?
The doctrines of Christ are foundational truths but we keep returning to them, discussing and debating them, perfecting them, rewriting them and attempting to raise the standards of the people. Somehow we think this is what the work of God is all about. God wants us to go on unto perfection. That word perfection is the Greek word for completeness. In other words our doctrines, creeds and constitutions can’t make us complete. Any Christian that abides in the elementary principles of the faith for an extended period of time becomes infantile and argumentative.
Do you realize that God has called you to be a living, visible stone that you should show forth the glory of God. He has called you to live above the foundation. He has called you to show the world what Jesus is like. He has called you to show the world what freedom, righteousness, peace, joy and victory over sin look like and might I say, put a smile on your face when you are doing it.
I say put a smile on your face because this is where people are going to see the glory of God on you. The world is looking for somebody that is happy, that has a hope in a hopeless world. We saw the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We saw the glory of God on Moses face. The apostle Paul said that he had become a fool in glorying. Can I see the glory of God on your face? A few weeks ago I heard a friend say that he became very frustrated with his young daughter. He warned her several times to be quiet and go to sleep and finally entered her bedroom to discipline her when she kept talking and making a noise. When he stepped into her bedroom she looked at him with his stern face and she said, "Are you a happy man?" Let me ask you, "Are you a happy Christian?" Leave your doctrine and go on unto perfection and show the world what the higher levels of the church that Jesus Christ is building look like. Show them a God who loves them, understands them and accepts them, even if they are not living the life that He desires for them at this particular point in their lives. Have faith, show them Christ and watch the transformation in their lives.
Living In The Now
Wednesday, 09 July 2008
The only moment we have for sure is the present moment. That's why we need to enjoy it and appreciate it. Jesus certainly tells us to enjoy the moment, free of all fear. Matthew 6:25, 34 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
The writer of Hebrews tells us "Now faith, is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen" The apostle Paul tells us that "today is the day of salvation". We need to ask ourselves, how much of our day is occupied by the hurts, pains, disappointments, failures and frustrations of the past and how much of it is occupied by the hopes, dreams and fears of an uncertain future. How much of our lives are we putting off to live in a future that may never materialize? Jesus called a rich man a fool who decided to take it easy and lay up his goods for a future that never happened.
I have found that when I get into tomorrow it has turned into today and the future is still out of my reach. That's why the apostle Paul told us in Phil 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
In Acts 24:25, Felix lost out on his opportunity for a better life by telling Paul that he would take him up on his offer, at a more convenient season. Felix's more convenient season never came. His momentary opportunity evaporated. A man who is living in the now makes the best of his present opportunities. Have you ever done the same thing? Have you ever thought I'll do this someday but someday never comes. Have you ever had someone say, "We need to get together some time" and it never happens. Why don't you make a decision today to begin doing right now, what you have been planning to do tomorrow? Exercise "now faith".
Getting Cleaned Up Every Day
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Everyday I get out of bed and head for the shower. I shampoo, shave and brush my teeth. I really enjoy how the warm water makes me feel as it cleanses my hair, body and teeth. I need to cleanse my body everyday from the previous 24 hrs of life experiences so I can approach the new day that God has prepared for me feeling refreshed. If I don't do this, I feel grubby all day. There is no feeling like being clean.
Our minds and spirits also gather the dust, dirt and grime of the previous 24 hrs of human thoughts, words and actions. Like our bodies, our minds and spirits need a daily cleansing, with the water of the Word to make us fit for the new day.
Ephesians 5:26-27 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
This washing of regeneration is done with the Word and the Spirit of God. God told Joshua if he would meditate on His Word day and night, he would prosper and be successful.
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
As Joshua meditated on the Word of God he was washing every fear, doubt and failure from his mind and preparing himself for increase and success.
The apostle Paul told us to renew our minds and he put this cleansing process another way in
Phil 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Like the apostle Paul, we need to cleanse our mind and spirit by making a conscious decision to forgive the people who have hurt or disappointed us in the past 24 hrs. We need to forgive ourselves for the times, we have fallen short. Then we need to forget the past, reach forth and press into the wonderful day God has prepared for us. To do less leaves our minds and spirits feeling grubby all day.
Keeping Christ's Commandments
Sunday, 07 October 2007
John 15:9-10 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Have you ever thought about keeping Christ's commandments. I know I have. When I went to Sunday school they taught me the Ten Commandments. They are listed in Exodus 20. Let's take a look at them
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
These Ten Commandments were engraved in tables of stone and were hand delivered by Moses to the children of Israel. Did you ever see that epic movie the Ten Commandments where Charlton Hesston played the part of Moses and God engraved the Ten Commandments right out of the mountainside with bolts of lightning. Remember Moses, he was the guy who spent 40 days up in Mount Sinai praying and fasting in the presence of God. Well, as good as these commandments were they never produced anything but dead sinners. The apostle Paul said that he discovered that the Law which was intended to produce life in him only produced death. As a matter of fact he said the Law slew him.
Romans 7:10-11 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
One day this lawyer came to Jesus and asked him what the great commandment was. If I had been asked this question, I guess I would have went back to the Ten Commandments and looked them all over and said, well I guess in my opinion it would have to be the first one.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
But Jesus didn't do that. He didn't go to the letter of the Law. He went to the Spirit of the Law. Let's look at this encounter recorded in
Matt 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Jesus said, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets".
Wow, these are Christ's commandments; To Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Christ's commandments weren't the Ten Commandments engraved upon tables of stone
Jesus took the Ten Commandments and all the saying of the prophets and wrapped them up in one neat little package of love. He went right to the Spirit of the Law and said, God gave us His Law because He loved us and He wanted us to love, like He loves. He sent His prophets to us because He loved us and He wanted to correct us so we wouldn't get hurt. This is the Spirit of the Law. This tells us what was in God's heart when He gave us His Law and when He sent His prophets to us.
Now God has written the Spirit of His Law upon the fleshly tables of our hearts and given us His power to fulfill His Law. It's not the Letter of His Law. It's the Spirit of His Law. It's the Law of Love. The apostle James called it the Royal Law.
James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
God has taken us from the place of "I have to obey God's Law" to the place of "I want to obey God's Law and He has empowered me to do it"
Ezekiel 36:26-27 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Think of it! God has taken the Spirit of the Ten Commandments and written them upon the fleshly tables of our heart and filled us with His love for Him and for all mankind.
This is what Christ meant when He said "If you love me keep my commandments". Love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as your self.This is the Law that Christ has commanded us to keep!
Isn't it sad to think that so many church leaders are still teaching their people the Letter of the Law when they should be teaching them Christ's commandments, which embrace the Spirit of the Law, the Law of Love. Think of it. all we have to do today is love God and love everyone else with the love of God. We don't have to judge them, condemn them or wonder about their relationship with God. All we have to do is love them like God loves them and He will do the rest. I don't know about you, but I feel like a load has been taken off my shoulders.
Freezer Burned
Monday, 16 July 2007
Matthew 24:6-13 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Saturday evening, my wife Kathy said, "I'd like to have some ham sliced and cooked on the barbecue for Sunday dinner" so that evening I went down to the deep freeze in the basement and picked out a nice piece of Toupee ham. I also brought up a package with five honey garlic sausages in it. I thought, what we don't eat on Sunday, we can snack on the rest of the week.
Sunday afternoon I sliced the ham and took the sausages out of their package and put them on the barbecue. I basted them in some great barbecue sauce and cooked them just right. There was only one thing wrong. We couldn't eat them because they were freezer burned. They had been left in the freezer for too long and the cold had taken the life out of them. We had to gather them up and throw them in the garbage. Their savour was lost and they were no longer fit for their intended use.
I thought this ham and sausages were like so many Christians. They have been freezer burned by the cold of their past experiences and their effectiveness for God has been destroyed. Jesus said the love of many would wax cold in the last days. Their love for God and His purposes in their lives will be destroyed. Jesus told us the things that can cause us to grow cold if we allow them. There's not much good news in the newspaper, on the T.V. or the radio. The cares of life can come crashing in on us. Betrayal, offence, hatred, false prophets, deception and the proliferation of sin in our society can freezer burn us. Last night I was watching W-Five and they interviewed hundreds of Christians that had lost thousands of dollars by trusting other so-called Christians, that had robbed them through phony investments. They had gotten burned and burned badly.
Personally I don't want the same fate as that toupee ham or those sausages and I believe the remedy is to avoid the freezer. If I have to separate myself from cold people and circumstance, so be it. Jesus said, If you find yourself in this situation flee to mountains and don't turn back to get your clothes. I believe these mountains can speak to us about staying positive in our lives. Stay in the high places, spiritually. Have you ever noticed that freezer burned food is usually found at the bottom of the freezer. It's food that hasn't stayed in circulation and has settled to the bottom of the freezer. That should be a warning to all of us. Keep your faith active and don't settle for mediocrity.
The clothes can speak to us of not returning to the people we once were, before we committed our lives to Christ. We must clothe ourselves with Jesus Christ, with righteousness, peace and joy and nothing else. He tells us to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and be a witness for Him and then the end shall come.
Cultivate your love relationship with Jesus, by living passionately for Him and don't become freezer burned.
The only moment we have for sure is the present moment. That's why we need to enjoy it and appreciate it. Jesus certainly tells us to enjoy the moment, free of all fear. Matthew 6:25, 34 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 