Soapbox...one pastor's stand on the truth.

2012-01-08T19:17:00.000-05:00

Perhaps we should start our year like the wise men did, what will you be doing with your gold, frankincense, and myrrh? You may have a resolution but is it really important? Listen and watch "I had an Epiphany!"

Caleb the Conqueror!

2011-12-29T15:44:00.002-05:00

Be an overcomer, an increaser for the Kingdom just like Caleb the Conqueror! This is Pastor Lonnie's first sermon as Associate at Orange Church of the Nazarene, in Orange, Virginia.

Come before winter - the conclusion

2011-10-27T13:21:00.000-04:00

This is Pastor Lonnie's final sermon at Hope Community Church of the Nazarene. Let this be a reminder that we are to be God's servants in a hurting world. This is our mission and our legacy.

Click on the small arrow to listen:

Come Before Winter - part two

2011-10-17T14:05:00.000-04:00

Listen to Sunday's message including a letter from Dr. Phil Fuller, the Virginia District Superintendent by clicking on the small arrow below:

Come Before Winter

2011-10-11T10:23:00.000-04:00

Download the bulletin and follow along as you listen and view the message:
http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2803245_3450.pdf

Taking care of business

2011-10-05T12:13:00.000-04:00

If you were taking care of business and out this past Sunday - no worries! We've captured the sermon online - catch up and take note...
Click on the small arrow below and listen.

Download this week's bulletin here: http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2797833_3450.pdf

DESPERATE - To have an anchor

2011-09-19T17:55:00.001-04:00

Desperation - "Church life - Jump on board and Go to the Extreme. We will explore the lengths people will go to find meaning in life. (Sept. 18—Oct. 23)

Download the bulletin and follow along as you listen and view the message:http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2782664_3450.pdf

Reflecting on Disaster

2011-09-12T18:46:00.000-04:00

Download the bulletin and follow along as you listen and view the message: http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2777103_3450.pdf

Are you ready for the potato salad?

2011-09-07T07:14:00.001-04:00

Celebrations come in all sorts of forms - what do you think and talk about as you pass the potato salad? Download the bulletin and follow along as you listen and view the Labor Day message: http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2772001_3450.pdf

Are you just nice?

2011-08-29T17:37:00.001-04:00

Watch and listen to the last of the Hard Sayings of Jesus series "Are you just nice?" presented by Pastor Jennifer Wilkerson before returning to Olivet Nazarene University for her last semester.

Who's Your Daddy?

2011-08-25T06:58:00.000-04:00

In a world of absentee fathers it is comforting to know Our Father is always with us! Download the bulletin to follow along as you watch the message "Who's your Daddy?": http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2761456_3450.pdf

Sell Everything?

2011-08-17T02:21:00.000-04:00

Download the sermon notes and follow along: http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2754884_3450.pdf

Be a Pirate for God

2011-07-25T14:51:00.000-04:00

Download the sermon notes and follow along below: http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2737110_3450.pdf

Do You hear what I hear?

2011-07-22T03:42:00.000-04:00

Six times in the gospels, Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Are you receptive to what He is saying?

Hard Sayings - those who have ears...

2011-07-15T11:57:00.001-04:00

HARD SAYINGS - Those who have ears...Mt. 13:15-16 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. , watch and listen to Sunday's sermon, download the notes by clicking here: http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2726046_3450.pdf

Tear this wall down!

2011-07-06T15:19:00.002-04:00

Victory is ours as long as we don't give up, watch and listen to Sunday's sermon, download the notes by clicking here: http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2721097_3450.pdf

Repentance Into Christlikeness

2011-06-30T18:24:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered what the purpose of preaching is? Download the sermon notes to follow along by clicking here: http://sermonplayer.com/c/HopeCommunity/pdf/2715652_3450.pdf

What fills your love tank?

2011-06-16T07:09:00.000-04:00

Greetings in the name of Love!

Now if only e-mail could provide a way to actually deliver a message in your own love language that would truly be something to share! My hope is that this week you will have time to complete the profile and take a few minutes to talk about what fills your love tank. The initial effort may be monumental but the results will be amazing! Five Love Language Profile

In honor of Father’s Day I wanted to include the following from a note my wife sent me. I hope you can enjoy it – I know I didn’t at first because I see myself reflected in the story. The question I had to ask myself is, “If it raised my awareness of certain aspects of my behavior will I have the courage to change?” Perfect love lived out – tune in and see….

"The Perfect Father's Day Gift"
by Jackie Kendall (Power to Grow Ministry)

Have you ever seen those ladders that have some "give" to them? They are sturdy but can bend a little when someone hurries up them. I told a group of women that I felt the perfect Father's Day gift would be this ladder. Some 80 women looked at me quite puzzled with this particular gift suggestion. I assured them that I had a perfectly good reason for such a gift. I reminded them about the study we had been doing on the topic, "When a Man Doesn't Need a Woman." We had been talking about a woman's tendency to want to control not only her children, but also her husband.

One of the most common techniques employed by women for control is nagging. Now, women hate the reference to nagging about as much as they hate the jokes about PMS. One day I mustered enough courage to read some of the common references on a nagging woman (see Prov. 19:13; 21:9,19; 27:15). One of the verses implies that a man is better off being a "roof-top dweller" (see Prov. 21:9) than living in a house with a nagging woman. As soon as I finished reading that verse, I saw a man placing a ladder on the side of his house and hurrying up the ladder to his roof. I started laughing at the thought of a man having to sit on his roof to escape his nagging wife and find a moment of peace with the God who made his wife!

Then I thought about the concept of a place that a man can hurry to when his wife begins to nag-so I brainstormed a trip to Home Depot where a woman could buy a ladder and place it on the side of her house with a ribbon around it for Father's Day. Then the next time Mommy starts nagging Daddy, he can calmly walk out the door, climb the ladder, and wait for her to calm down. I envisioned a whole neighborhood where men were sitting on their roofs just after dinner. Just think of all the fights that this ladder could prevent. What a quiet but potent visual reminder that nagging never changed one individual on planet Earth!

As I thought about the escape ladder, the Lord showed me that most men already have their escape routes down pat-whether it is tinkering in the garage, hunting every weekend (see Prov. 21:19), staring at the TV or computer, or even sitting behind the newspaper. Each man develops his own technique of muting his wife's voice. The saddest aspect of this reality is: When a man must develop a means of muting out his wife's nagging voice, he also carelessly mutes out her voice of love, encouragement, wisdom, and respect.

A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand (Proverbs 27:15-16).

_______________________________________________________

As my friend Tim reminds every Sunday morning when I put on the microphone; it takes two things to communicate – a transmitter and a receiver – without them both being on the same frequency all you get is static.

May God bless you as you work to decrease the interference as you communicate your love this week.

Things to be mindful of:

This Sunday, June 19 10am we will be welcoming back Zechariah's Song: Laura Kryston & Melissa Hetzler A beautiful mix of musical styles all focusing on the most important thing - Jesus! There is something for everyone at this concert. Even with contrasting vocal styles (gospel and jazz), these ladies still manage to blend magical harmonies to glorify God.

NEW Summer Sunday School Format: We have combined the Youth and Wifi Young Adult Sunday school classes for the next 10 weeks meeting in the Education wing. We will be going through 2 DVD studies this summer—The Five Love Languages and Sunday Asylum, taught by Pastor Lonnie.

The Five Love Languages: Through fun-filled presentations before a live audience, Gary Chapman helps you identify your personal love language. He also helps you understand the love language of your spouse. Then he provides practical suggestions for enriching your marriage by practicing the other love languages.
Sunday Asylum: Being the Church in Occupied Territory - We are citizens. Not of this world, but of a kingdom different from this world. A kingdom that causes us to see things through a whole new lens. So if we, the Church, are living out this kingdom, then why do the world’s culture and the Church’s culture look so similar? In this 5-week series, Stanley Hauerwas invites us to join a conversation—evaluating our role in culture and in our current church environment. Sunday Asylum will not only help you explore what it looks to be citizens of the kingdom, but will encourage you to reassess your own beliefs and motives.

What's YOUR catch phrase?

2011-05-26T08:30:00.000-04:00

Scripture: Matthew 8:1-4 CEB

“Now when Jesus had come down from the mountain, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came, bowed before him, and said, “Lord, if you want, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched him, saying, “I want to; become clean.” Immediately he was made clean of his leprosy. Jesus said, “Make sure you don’t say anything to anybody. But go show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Observation:

I’ve been trying to watch the “catchphrases” I use when I talk. My favorite is the phrase “did I not say.” That and another phrase has a tendency to set my wife’s teeth on edge. Sometimes it’s fun to use it in a sentence but now that I’m conscious of it I try and manage my poor language skills and make the change.

When we pray I think sometimes we find ourselves using the same phrases over and over. One of the phrases we use is “if it by Thy will.” Now as a subcontracts administrator that to me is an escape or “out” clause; it allows us to save face if God doesn’t answer the way we want him to or in the time requested (typically the time it takes to make microwave popcorn).

I don’t doubt that most of us believe that Jesus can heal us. The question is do we believe he wants to? Or perhaps the bigger question is do we want to be healed? When Jesus comes down and meets the leper, the leper says what we generally would say, “You can do this if you want to God.” Jesus answers, “You’re right I can.” He tells the man to become clean. And then de does!

In this case, it’s not recorded that Jesus said a prayer, challenged a demon, made a mud poultice or even rebuked the sickness. He just reached out and told the man to become clean. It may not be obvious but this man was in the right place to receive the gift of healing because the leprosy left immediately.

I don’t know about you but if it were that simple I’d still be trying to figure out what Jesus meant by “become.” My second thought would have been if I could do it myself, I wouldn’t have come to meet you here at this place!

Application:

I think the key here is that something about the man’s own will had to be right for the healing to take place. How many of our own attitudes, conditions, addictions and sicknesses do we say we want to get rid of, but cling to anyway? Is it possible that Jesus wants to get rid of these things and we’re the ones standing in the way? Many of us pray for God to change our hearts. There’s even a worship song by that very title, “Change Our Hearts, O God.” But according to this passage at least, God seems to put some of that responsibility on us. Think about what Ezekiel 18:31 says:

“Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!”

I don’t want to take anything away from God here– we know that it’s his word that grows in our hearts and he’s the one who gives the increase. As Holiness Christians we believe in prevenient grace, and we know that God is doing work in us before we even know we need for our hearts to change! But having said all that, I still don’t see how you can read these passages and deny the “get it yourself” message. We’re the people of God– and he’s given us access to so much, yet instead of “helping ourselves” we wait around for God to do all the work! Then we get angry or discouraged because he doesn’t seem to be answering our prayers.

I think that something about the man’s own will had to be right for the healing to take place. How many of our own attitudes, conditions, addictions and sicknesses do we say we want to get rid of, but cling to anyway? Is it possible that Jesus wants to get rid of these things and we’re the ones standing in the way? This passage has a simple message– we need to get rid of whatever is crowding out the word of God in our lives. God spoke the universe into existence by himself. We’re created in his image, and I believe there’s supernatural power available when God speaks into our lives and we take that word, agree with it, and allow it to grow.

Prayer: St. Anselm

O Lord our God, grant us grace to desire you with our whole heart; that so desiring we may seek and find you; and so finding you may love you; and loving you, may hate those sins from which you have redeemed us. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of:

Join us Sunday, May 29 at 10am as we hear from Pastor Mark Sluss (Manassas Church of the Nazarene) about the work being done through Compassion 575 and Child Development Centers in Nepal. Pastor Mark recently participated in a Work & Witness Trip to Nepal where he, David Argabright and several others from the Virginia District constructed a school and ministered to the children of Nepal.

CulpeperFest, Thursday, June 2nd 4– 8:30pm Hope Community has been given a booth at this year’s CulpeperFest. If you signed up to donate an item for the giveaway baskets please bring those to the church Sunday. Donna Huckabee and Cindy Padgett will be putting them together Wednesday. Remember, if you are volunteering to work the booth you must PRE-PURCHASE your ticket at the Visitor's Center before June 2. $15 per adult.

WK #18 Worry about nothing, pray for everything

2011-05-05T07:16:00.000-04:00

Scripture: Matthew 6:34
“Do not worry about tomorrow,” says Christ, “for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.”

Observation:
What to do? About what you ask; why the death of Osama bin Laden of course. Should we party like its 1999 or wring our hands and cringe in the back of closets afraid of the reprisals? Like you I don’t have the answers to what will happen next or to whether it was justified but I do know how I will react. Today is another day that God has given me. Some reaction; I guess but come let us reason together what and how we should act. To start with I remember back in the Reagan years when Col. Oliver North sat in front of Congress and was asked why he spent $60,000 on a security system. He told the congressional panel that he feared for the safety of his family from the likes of terrorists like Osama bin Laden. Who? Oh him never heard of him. We have now. The reason that snippet of information has stayed with me all these years was the cost of the security system not the name. Interesting what we keep tucked away in our brains. So to start with this is not a new issue nor is it going to go away anytime soon; so I guess I’d better get comfortable with the situation.

Was justice served in this death? Well the pervasive argument would be that “all’s fair in love and war.” Oh really? We sit just two weeks past the celebration of death and resurrection of the Son of Man and have we forgotten the parties that took place celebrating Jesus death? Do you think that the Jews and Romans felt justified in their actions? I’m sure they did. But didn’t Jesus call us to pray for and love our enemies? I haven’t heard much in the way of prayer for Osama and his followers and you can count me among those who have not prayed for their salvation. Shame on me! I have failed to embody these commandments.

But to go a step further God has ordained and provided to us a government that is there for the protection of its citizens. Can’t I celebrate that our Government actually worked for good? Possibly and we should continue to pray for President Obama and all of our leaders – so that if it is at all possible to live in peace with all men. However, we have a process of justice in this country and yes I know he was in another country when this happened and we are in an unofficial “state of war.” Typically there is an arrest, some gathering of evidence, a trial, defense and persecution. This process appears to be short-cycled with this death. Can we count justice served with further killing or are we now back into the Old Testament law of “an eye for an eye?”

As I watched the pictures of the Cabinet and high ranking Government officials watching the events unfold, I remembered a movie entitled The American President starring Michael Douglas. In the movie he had to make the hard choice to bomb a location in Libya (sound eerily familiar) and so he did on the third shift. Michael J. Fox’s character celebrated the occasion as the President being at his most presidential and the response was something along the lines of “Presidential? I just condemned a janitor on the third shift doing his duty to death as an act of reprisal. Presidential?”

Application:
Sunday another group of souls was lost for eternity without the ability to express regret, remorse or repentance. And if anything, this death may have hardened millions of souls even more. We may have advanced the reach of the kingdom but whose? What will happen in the future remains to be seen and questions will continue to be asked.

Perhaps we should listen to what David Bentley Hart describes, “The Christian should see two realities at once, one world (as it were) within another, one world as we all know it, in all its beauty and terror and the other world in its first and ultimate truth, not simply ‘nature’ but ‘creation,’ an endless sea of glory radiant with the beauty of God in every part.” Our future has in its end the future that God has for us.

So we are not without hope. God is not done with us, our country or this world. God’s will have his way with this world yet. When we put our trust in that truth, the Holy Spirit will empower us to greater victory and even more reason to celebrate.

Prayer by Susanna Wesley:
Make plain to me that no circumstance, or time of life can occur but I may find something either spoken by our Lord Himself or by His Spirit in the prophets or apostles that will direct my conduct, if I am but faithful to Thee and my own soul. Amen.

Today is the 60th Annual National Day of Prayer event at the Culpeper Courthouse Lawn on Thursday, May 5, 2011, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. This year’s theme is “A Mighty Fortress is our God”, which is based on Psalm 91:2 - “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”

WK 12 Who am I? What am I? Where am I going?

2011-03-31T21:59:00.000-04:00

Do you ever just feel bloated, too full or just plain sluggish? Or perhaps you have been running so long, doing so much that when you sit down at the end of the day you still feel like you’re moving? Or maybe you find yourself in the middle of a task mumbling to yourself wondering which way to turn next. My wife has learned after 27 years to just let me talk to myself and when I’m ready I’ll talk to her.

I know I’m in one of those spots when I start with the questions - Who am I? What am I? Where am I going? Somehow just getting outside the situation that I find myself in and asking those questions helps me gain some semblance balance and lets me regain my footing. Sometimes I think I’m going crazy and when that happens I just remember a scene from Blue Thunder were Roy Scheider has his eyes closed and is trying to determine when the minute was up because the first step to crazy is the loss of the sense of time.

The reality of the situation is that my muttering mantra of questions is a pretty good place for most of us to start. The temptation with any project, job, or answer to a question is to just jump in and get it done. But these questions cause us to pause and create some creative space with which to breathe and think.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 5:10, “Each builder must choose with care how to build.”

What are we building in our personal lives, our families, our work, our church? These questions help us engage in developing those answers. Knowing about ourselves helps us take that story to others. Education helps us learn what we know, experience tells us what we don’t know and then the world shows what we don’t know we don’t know. But Jesus reminds us what God wants us to know and that is we have a story to tell. We take that story everywhere with us and it leaks out whether we want it to or not.

We may start by learning about ourselves but we don’t function in a vacuum. We are part of a larger system, in this case the Church. Knowing who we are helps us know where we are and while we may not understand all that happens in this great big world of ours we can come to know our place in the system. My place is Hope Community Church of the Nazarene, a Holiness church in Culpeper Virginia. I’m still learning the story of our church and its members but I’m learning to listen.

But understanding who we are and where we are just get us started. Ministry requires doing as well as being. The problem is few really understand what it takes. Action flows from planning and planning flows from visioning and a sense of mission. We all need to be asking ourselves what we are doing to achieve our goals.

If we truly examined these questions I think what we would find is that we are a people living similar journeys but only loosely connected. Everyone wants to see themselves and the churches they attend grow, but are we willing to invest the time and energy into building the fellowship? Perhaps instead of looking for all the answers we should be asking the right questions.

Prayer: Peter Marshall

May we have:

The mercy of God to forgive us.

The strength of God to make us resolute to do His will.

The grace of God to be kind, tender and affectionate one to another

And the patience of God to believe in the ultimate triumph of thy Kingdom

This we ask in His name in whom all peace resides. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of:

Are you new to Hope Community? We will be offering a new fellowship class introducing you and your family to Hope. This ongoing class is the basic introduction to our church family. Since we have members from many different church backgrounds, this class was designed to clearly explain who and what we believe. The actual date of the class is to be determined, please RSVP with your interest and a date will be set which will work best for the group. Email or call Pastor Lonnie at 540 825-4607 ext. 2 for more information or if you have additional questions.

WK#9 Christian Work Ethics

2011-03-17T05:56:00.000-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below:

Over the years I’ve had a number of opportunities to mentor and be mentored in the development of a work ethic. Sometimes I’d get into a situation where I didn’t take a job seriously– maybe because it doesn’t pay a lot, perhaps other jobs are easily available or “it’s not what I’m going to do with my life, I’m just doing it until something better comes along.” If God didn’t exist, I might have a valid point. But as Christians, we have to look at things differently.

Jesus tells us in John 16:10-12,

“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own?” (NRSV)

This isn’t how we naturally think, but I guarantee you, Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves, and you can take what he says here to the bank. The trouble is we all assume we’re different from everyone else. Even if we make compromises in small areas, we reason, we’ll come through when it counts. Don’t sweat the small stuff, right? Some people who would never rob a bank or steal money from a friend rationalize that it’s okay to sneak food out of a buffet restaurant or “borrow” office supplies from work. And stealing cable TV or illegally downloading music doesn’t really “cost” anyone anything, so they figure surely God doesn’t have issues with that.

Do you see the problem here? When we base our honesty or our work ethic on our own perceived value of something, we’re not showing real character. We’ve set up a false system where we’ll “be good” only if it’s worth our time. Even pagans do that!

But for years, I read these verses from John and subconsciously told myself that they didn’t apply to me.

“Lord, when I make more money, I’ll tithe, but right now, I can’t afford to.”
“This is a low paying job. I can goof off some. My employer is getting what they pay for.”
“It’s okay to be rough on a rental car. Everyone treats rental cars like junk.”

But that line of thinking doesn’t fly in the kingdom of God. The small stuff does matter, because God knows that if we’re faithful with the small stuff, then we’re basing that faithfulness on principle. Think about it. God doesn’t even have to test someone who tithes at the poverty level. He already knows what they’ll do with a million bucks.

Perhaps you’ve been praying for a promotion, more money, more ministry opportunities or more responsibilities, and you’re wondering why you’ve hit a roadblock. I tend to believe that we’re the obstacles to our own prayers. Keep praying for those things, but also ask yourself, “How can I be more faithful with what I have?” Listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit and make some changes if you feel him leading you in that direction.

Prayer: Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Lord, while we may wish for simple answers and quick solutions, we thank You that Your grace is with us in the complexity and struggle of our life of faith. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of:

Monday, March 21st 7pm we are in for a treat as Russell and Donna Lovett will be here to tell us about the mission field they’ve been given in Kenya. Don’t miss this great night of sharing and fellowship.

WK 8 – Far Away and Long Ago

2011-03-08T06:39:00.002-05:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below:
(audio was recorded by Jan Wilkerson as Pastor Lonnie was traveling on business )

The familiar phrase, “Far away and long ago” begins many of our favorite children’s stories. When the storyline starts that way child and parent alike come to understand that they are in for a journey full of twists and turns, highs and lows, and in the end good triumphs over evil. For many that is just exactly how they view God and the scriptures. As we sit here celebrating Fat Tuesday and preparing for Ash Wednesday there will be those who will be considering that very phrase – far away and long ago.

One of the Bibles greatest writers, David makes an interesting observation in the second verse of Psalm 139: “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away” (NRSV). I never gave the phrase “far away” much thought but what does it mean here? Is God ever really far away? Well, we know God is everywhere – we learn that in Sunday School and children’s church. David even says as much later in the same Psalm:

Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast. (Psalm 139:7-10 NRSV)

But sooner or later we encounter one of the great mysteries of the universe… we realize that “God’s presence” can mean different things. Back in high school and college, when someone in a prayer group would pray for someone and say, “Lord, be with her,” I thought it was a pointless prayer, because after all, “God is everywhere”, right? Now I realize how powerful that can prayer can be. However, I try not to use that phrase in prayer because it’s so easily misunderstood by people who haven’t yet worked through the concept of multiple levels of the presence of God.

On some level, God is everywhere. Yet we still pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.” Christians have the indwelling Holy Spirit inside them from the moment they have faith in Christ. Many Christians say that the Holy Spirit is present at a different level in someone’s life after they are baptized as an infant or child, even if they haven’t yet reached a point of personal decision. But we pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit anyway.

That’s because we want more than just the “omnipresent” presence of God. We even want more than the” indwelling” presence of God that we get when we’re Christians. We want the manifest presence of God. At that level, there is really no distance that matters anymore.

Ephesians 2:13 says, “But now, thanks to Christ Jesus, you who once were so far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (CEB, emphasis mine). During Advent and Christmas, we don’t typically think ahead to what happened on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. But we have to look at the big picture. God came near, then he brought us near.

Prayer: Corrie ten Boom
You know me, Lord—me! What a security. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:
Join us Monday, March 21 7pm as missionaries from Kenya—Russell and Donna Lovett will be here to tell us about what they are doing on the mission field. To help with this service please see Gay Hopkins
Frugal Living continues to meet each Wed. at 10am – Join Caroline and the others as they share and learn how to stretch your resources.

WK#7 Just Halfway

2011-03-03T06:54:00.001-05:00

To listen to the audio of today's posting click on the small arrow below:

Scripture: Matthew 5: 38-42, NIV
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Observation:
There is a riddle I learned in the fifth grade. It goes, “how far can a dog run into the woods?” The answer is half-way because to go any further the dog would be running “out” of the woods. Seems kind of obvious when you think about it but this riddle and others were used to build the bridge from arithmetic to algebra; in essence going from the realm of the concrete to the world of ideas.

Too many times we think of the Christian life as essentially becoming involved in political, economic, or social issues. These concerns can wear us out and result in depression or in activity that keeps the church intact or “doctrinally” pure. Our primary orientation can’t be an institution, a great cause or even people, but first and foremost to God.

Application:
One of the first lessons God uses in training our wills is in making us go half-way with him. He puts us through various disciplines to see if we are worthy of making his team. And after a time of learning this lesson we then discover that God goes all the way with us. Again and again he gives us far more than we have any right to ask. We call this “Grace” which goes so much further than “the law” requires he should go. In fact we find that God’s mercy goes so much further than human justice.

And then there are the many times when God gives us the opportunity to go all the way with him. He did that with Job. He did it with Abraham. He used this method as a school for the greatest leaders in the faith. One of the greatest privileges he may give you – if he is preparing you for great leadership – is the opportunity sometime of going all the way with him.

But be careful - Grace is the soul of the struggle. No matter how painstaking the work, if we forget to surrender ourselves to God while performing it, we fail to attract God’s grace, and our efforts build up within us not so much a true spirit of grace but the spirit of a Pharisee.

How far can a Christian go in this life? “All the way my Savior leads me!” From law to grace; from half-way to all-the-way.

Prayer: Saint Ignatius

Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee as thou deservest:
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Some things to be mindful of this week:
• Celebrate Recovery continues to meet Sunday evenings at 6 pm.
• Easter Sunday is April 24th. I hope you can join us for an original 1-act play entitled Do You Believe?

WK#5 Sin & Struggle

2011-02-04T07:14:00.000-05:00

Listen to the audio of this post by clicking on the arrow below:

Scripture: Ephesians 4:22-24, TM
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Observation:
I was practicing my silence and solitude this week keeping my radio off and just listening. I was stopped at the Route 29 and Vint Hill Road traffic light and all of a sudden I realized I was doing “Rock Movement #1,” which by-the-way is the head bob. It occurred to me that the radio was on and then it dawned on me it was the car next to me. The young lady had the sound cranked-up! So much so it was like I was in the passenger seat.

There went the good feelings being produced by the hymn in my head “Victory in Jesus.” I never realized how intrusive the travel noise was until I’d turned off the radio this past two weeks. Because of the S&S practice I’ve been reverting back to my faith roots and singing more hymns. I guess the proverb about training up a child is truer than we know. Of course the other thought I had was that in times of stress we all find ways to lean on “old friends” or past ways of living.

Application:
That’s what caught my attention as I read our scripture; as we mature in the Christian faith, we begin to see that there’s more than one component to salvation. This is what I love about Wesleyan Christianity- with prevenient grace, justification and sanctification; we acknowledge that salvation is an event and a process. More and more, in other branches of Christianity, people are coming to understand the need to pursue holiness, both in thought and action.

But with all that comes the struggle– and those stubborn, pesky sins. Plenty of Christians have wanted to give up because they’ve hit a wall when struggling with sin. I’ve counseled fellow believers who seemingly can’t break a cycle of sin– and because of that; they feel as if Christianity isn’t “working” for them.
A turning point for me was when I realized that the battle with sin has more than one dimension. In other words, it’s not just about sin; it’s about struggle, too. The problem with thinking only in terms of sin vs. no sin is this: it gets discouraging, and the condition of the heart isn’t factored into the equation, so many of us have been thinking of sin in one dimension. Remember the number line from math class?

In our desire to become holy, the danger is to think in terms of life along this number line. Sin becomes something we can quantify in our minds, and in our desire to become holy, we try to eradicate sin. (Picture a Holy Spirit Orkin Man.) The problem is it’s too easy to become discouraged about the distance left to go or by setbacks that move us to the left on the number line. And even if we get rid of outward sin (which is easier to measure), our inward sin can become a source of grief. This number line can actually become a source of bondage.

So in my study I came across a second dimension when discussing sin and found that looking at sin as a plane instead of a line is a lot more encouraging. In simple terms, when giving counsel to people who have become discouraged with their inability to overcome a certain sin, I tell them not to measure their faithfulness by sin only– because without considering the amount of struggle they’re experiencing, they’ll get an inaccurate picture of what’s really happening.

Consider sin and struggle as the y-axis (vertical) and x-axis (horizontal) respectively in a plane from geometry class:

When we think in these terms, our battle with particular sins can be divided into 4 parts, or quadrants. Quadrant 1 (green) is where you are if you aren’t committing a certain sin and you aren’t even struggling with it. This is the place we all want to be, but it’s not always easy to get there. Quadrant 2 (yellow) is the next best place to find yourself. You’re in this quadrant if you aren’t committing a sin, but you’re being seriously tempted on some level. Quadrant 3 (blue) is where you are when you’re giving in to a sin, but you’re struggling with the fact that you’re sinning. This is where it’s easiest to feel defeated, and it’s spiritually the most exhausting quadrant to be in. Quadrant 4 (red) is a dangerous place to be. In this quadrant, you’re sinning and you’ve gotten cold about it and don’t really care anymore. There is no struggle, so it’s often a comfortable place to be, but it’s dangerous nonetheless. The peace experienced in Quadrant 4 is a false peace, because what it usually means is that you’ve tuned out the Holy Spirit and you aren’t experiencing (or recognizing) conviction any longer. Quadrant 4 isn’t irreversible, but it’s hard to know that you’re there, so without others and God interceding on your behalf, it’s easy to stay there indefinitely. That’s what makes it dangerous.

There are many people in our churches who have been down on themselves for giving in to sin. The fact that they care enough to stress about it means they’re in quadrant 3. I would tell them that they would rather be sinning and struggling with their sin than sinning and not struggling, because not struggling is a sign that they’ve probably given up. With that encouragement, the challenge is given - move up to the next level– but understand that the struggle probably isn’t going to go away anytime soon. Getting rid of sin is much easier than getting rid of sin and struggle simultaneously. Tackle one giant at a time.
Most of the people I know are either in quadrant 2 (yellow) or 3 (blue). They may or may not be sinning, but they’re definitely struggling, and they just want the struggle to go away. The only way to get rid of the struggle is to achieve victory or to surrender. Surrendering is always easier than achieving victory. If your priority becomes getting rid of struggle instead of getting rid of sin, you’re going to live a defeated Christian life. On the other hand, if you accept struggle as normal for Christians and set your sights on the next quadrant up (instead of getting discouraged because Quadrant 1 seems so far away) you’ll find peace. The trick is discovering that there can be peace in the midst of struggle.

Prayer: St. Patrick

Lord, be with us this day,
Within us to purify us;
Above us to draw us up;
Beneath us to sustain us;
Before us to lead us;
Behind us to restrain us;
Around us to protect us. Amen.

Something to be mindful of this week:

The Chili Cook-off is just around the corner - Friday, Feb. 11 7pm I hope you will plan to be with us it is shaping up to be a wonderful time of food and fellowship!

WK#4 The sound of silence

2011-01-27T16:45:00.000-05:00

Listen to the audio of this post by clicking on the arrow below:

Scripture: Psalm 95:6-8a, NIV

Come, let us bow down in worship,
   let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God
   and we are the people of his pasture,
   the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice,
“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah.”

Observation:

This week I will read a little over 2100 emails, watch 20 hours of television (more if I can watch the Senior Bowl Saturday), read 35 newspapers, listen to 60+ hours of radio, read a dozen blogs, scan at least 6 sermons related to this weeks topic, consult 12 or so commentaries, squeeze in my devotional study so that I’m prepared for my Friday morning study group and write a sermon. Now I say all that to recognize that this level of activity is still well short of some of the people I know and work with. It takes a tremendous amount of time to keep up with what is going on in the world, the job and life.

I think that is what makes the silence of a commute or the solitude of a dog walk so enjoyable. There is some space that is created between me and the noise. It’s no wonder we use the oxymoronic phrase “the silence is deafening” because when you take out the distractions your brain is still processing all the stuff that has been let in.

I find that it makes it difficult to concentrate and be still when I pray. So many thoughts and images race through my mind that it takes a while to breathe and settle in. What is even more startling is that this problem is nothing new.

Application:

We use our scripture today to sing a song calling us to change our mindset and prepare to come before the throne in worship. In fact the melody is pretty upbeat considering the intent of the song is to slow us down. I’ve got to wonder if the psalmist didn’t have some of the same trouble I do; switching off the troubles and issues of the world.

It takes a lot to kneel especially when you’re older. But the physical aspect aside it requires us to stop, drop and focus. And look at what we should focus on – “we are the flock and we are tended (or cared for).” That is a lot to be thankful for – a God who knows and cares! But look further.

The writer reminds us that in our past we didn’t listen. You may not remember the story of Meribah over in Exodus 17 where the Israelites tested God so they could have some fresh water. Moses struck the rock and another miracle rescue took place. But in the end they forgot.

Now I like the Psalms for what they remind me of in the Old Testament but they point forward just as well. And speaking of a well we find a women being tested by God (Jesus in this case) when he was looking for some fresh water in John 4. What a turn of events, as people we’ve gone from testing God to him testing us but wait for it – she passed the test! This woman saw that life, real life, came not from what was drawn but what was heard. And believe me there was probably more silence in that conversation than you can shake a stick at!

Our world makes a sport out of those who claim to hear God’s voice. I can tell you that I’ve heard and felt him speak as if he was standing right next to me. But it was only when I was ready and still.

Today when you hear the voice of God calling don’t let it strike you like Moses rather let it wash over you in silence so that you too can spread the good news.

Prayer: (by Frederick Buechner)

Lord, catch me off guard today.
Surprise me with some moment of
beauty or pain.
So that at least for the moment
I may be startled into seeing that you
are here in all your splendor,
Always and everywhere,
Barely hidden,
Beneath,
Beyond,
Within this life I breathe. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:
• Continue to pray for our Celebrate Recovery ministry which starts Sunday night January 30th at 6 pm. Free childcare will be provided. For more information contact the church at 540-825-4607 or email celebraterecovery@hopecwc.org.
• Plan to join us for the Chili Cook-off on Friday February 11th at 7 pm. The numbers of entrants is growing, our panel of judges is set, the antacid is purchased and the entertainment is being finalized. Free childcare is available so dress up in yor best western garb and belly up for some grub!

WK#3 – Simple or Simplistic?

2011-01-21T05:58:00.000-05:00

Click on the small arrow to listen to the audio of this post.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:7, CEB
Everyone should give whatever they have decided in their heart. They shouldn’t give with hesitation or because of pressure. God loves a cheerful giver.

Observation:
Jan and I had the opportunity to take a sabbatical weekend and we want to thank Rick McPherson and the Worship Team for handling services during our absence. We took a trip down to the Virginia District Campground in the heart of the Commonwealth. We always enjoy our time strolling the hills and forests of Buckingham County. It is surprising what you can hear beyond the distractions of everyday life.
One of the “simple” pleasures of the cabin is that there is no TV reception. So we watch movies, read and listen to the radio. Sound quaint? It is to a point.

I especially enjoy the radio as we have tuned in to WFLO in Farmville. It gives the obits, weather, the Farm report and plays a variety of musical styles throughout the day. It reminds me of what we listened to a Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

Listening can make you nostalgic even giving you a longing for “days gone by.” And that is nice but looking in the rearview mirror of our lives carefully you come to recognize that the “simple things ain’t so simple” as the song suggests. We all long for those simpler times and joys. I’ll tell you that there is a part of me that has wanted to “chuck it all” and go raise goats in the mountains of Idaho.

But from a biblical perspective, we can’t just “run away” from our problems or calling. Look what happened to Moses after the burning bush – did his life get less complex? Or Esther – did her decision to follow God’s leading make life easier? Or Joseph and Mary – did submitting to God make their life more manageable? Finally what about Paul? I don’t think that he endured persecution as a lifestyle choice.

Application:
All these examples reveal that for God’s people the opposite of simplicity is not complexity but duplicity. This word has an interesting definition when applied to the human condition. All we have to look at is the movie Multiplicity. Here the main character had so many obligations and time crunch issues that he had to create clones of himself. Who hasn’t thought about doing that? But what we find out is that each copy is not “true” to the original – the clones are fake.

Look again at our verse. We typically associate our verse with giving of our money but the reality of a Christian life is that it applies to every resource we have – our time, our energy, or our gifts, talents and skills. What happens is that in our go-go-go/buy-buy-buy world we are often left overextended without the ability to give and find ourselves reluctant or even under compulsion to give. And when this happens we have crossed the line into joylessness.

It is a very ugly world without joy. It saps our energy, the light and the enjoyment of living. Many find this in the jobs that they hold or the ministries they lead or participate in. “Just another few hours in the day” or “if I had just two more hands!” are the phrases we utter. And when that happens we have given ourselves over to duplicity. The symptoms of a stressed-out, overbooked life start to take their toll mentally, physically and spiritually.

A critical step toward simplicity requires us to define and respect the boundary lines that shape our lives. It means starting with examining ourselves; practicing means telling the truth and saying what’s real. And the journey should start slowly. Rather than overhaul your whole life start with one little part of life and then finish. Oh and remember when you start down this path it often gets messier before it improves.

G.K. Chesterton wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” Moving from duplicity to simplicity requires a new way of life. It requires defining boundaries and being honest about how God has gifted and formed us. For some when you review a jam-packed schedule you will recognize a false self. In this case complexity will be reduced as you face duplicity and work against it. For others as you consider who God has made you to be, you might discover life’s complexity actually increasing as you step out in obedience. But in either case you can learn to rest amid all the complexity if we are resting on the promises of God.

If Jesus gave it all what less can I do to follow his example?

Prayer:
Savior, teach me, day by day,
Love's sweet lesson to obey;
Sweeter lesson cannot be,
Loving Him who first loved me.
With a child's glad heart of love,
At Thy bidding may I move,
Prompt to serve and follow Thee,
Loving Him who first loved me.
Teach me thus Thy steps to trace,
Strong to follow in Thy grace,
Learning how to love from Thee,
Loving Him who first loved me. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of:

We are cooking up some heart burn on Friday, Feb. 11 7pm at the alternative valentine Chili Cook-off. Make sure you sign up with Susan Davis - FREE childcare and entertainment provided - What a deal!

Running on Empty

2011-01-10T07:28:00.001-05:00

This week we are posting the sermon from Sunday, January 9 as the blog post. Sharing with you the heart of your pastor, please view the video below first then click on the small arrow to hear the message.

WK#1 Before and After

2011-01-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Philippians 3:10-11, The Message

“I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.”

Observation:

Now this may not sound like your typical New Years resolution but how about “Connecting with God?” That will be our theme for the coming sermon series, but it begs a deeper look. I personally like the kids books were you connect-the-dots. It’s fun and mindless. Perhaps that is the draw; it requires very little of me and yet I can get an enormous amount of enjoyment as I scramble to make the “picture” appear in a short amount of time.

Almost like my attendance in church on Sunday morning. I feel emotionally connected and spiritually charged with a minimum of effort (way to go Praise Team!). Everybody smiles and shares a hearty hello – all is well with the world. Or is it?

This was exactly what Paul was trying to tell his Philippian brethren. All is not well. Just look at his life. Before he met Jesus in Damascus look at what he was: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews, in the law – a Pharisee, zealous to persecute the church and faultless – as for righteousness in the law. The big seven; what a complete list. The man had it all, at least for a Jew.

He starts with circumcision as a note to those listening that he was brought up in the right kind of family. In fact, that family, the Israelites, was chosen by God, and he was born into it with all the rights and privileges. Not only that but he had a long family tree that he could trace back into ancient times and note the blessing that Moses gives “the beloved of the Lord.” Woo-hoo he had a great start in this world (silver spoon anyone?) He goes on to say that he was a “pure blood” Hebrew, a Pharisee, someone who was known for the study and codification of the law. Zealous to persecute the church (because of his understanding of the law) and finally faultless “in the law” or at least he had no blemishes when it came to the form and function of being a Jew.

Application:

Not many of us could come up with a list like that but if you grew up in the church it would be easy to follow Paul’s thought process. In fact, depending upon your own faith tradition I’m sure it would be a simple exercise to draw up and compare your list to his. And that is exactly what Paul does not want us to do.

You see that was the “before” picture; look at how he views it “after” meeting Christ. “I gave up all that inferior stuff to know Christ personally.” In his testimony he doesn’t dwell longingly after his past because he saw no future in it. Paul put his past, present and future into perspective; he didn’t give it up nor is he against the “form and function” of church. Even though pride of religion is still very much alive and well in the Christian church today he puts no confidence in them.

Paul demonstrates how totally Christ-focused he is. For him the Christian life is not simply a matter of salvation and ethics; it’s ultimately a matter of knowing Christ. It was the same with the resurrection; Paul's focus is not on "everlasting life" or anything else, the goal of the resurrection, the prize for which Paul strains every effort in the present, is Christ himself.

In this ancient story of how suffering and the temptation to become religious was causing a loss of vision for some in Philippi, he shows us that in our contemporary American culture the vision loss is for different reasons, more often connected with values related to material gain. Paul's vision could go a long way toward renewing the church for its task in our postmodern world. Our lives must be conformed to the “image” of Christ if they are to count for anything at all; but that reminder is preceded by an equally important one--the power of Christ's resurrection that both enables us to live as those marked by the cross and guarantees our final glory.

If you are ready to keep a resolution of change join us over the coming Sunday mornings as we learn together how to maintain a strong connection with God while growing more passionate in our spirituality.

Prayer:
Thanks be to thee, my Lord Jesus Christ,
For all the benefits thou hast won for me,
For all the pains and insults thou hast borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother,
May I know thee more clearly,
Love thee more dearly,
And follow thee more nearly:
Day by day, For ever and ever. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Celebrate Recovery begins Sunday, January 30 at 6pm. Please encourage yourself and anyone you know to attend our Sunday night meeting. It will bless, encourage, strengthen, and effectively help you or your loved one to overcome and to conquer a hurt, habit, or hang-up. It is anonymous for those who need it and that anonymity will be protected by the daily prayer and instruction of the leaders.

Chili Cook-Off & Fellowship - SAVE THE DATE! Friday, Feb. 11 7pm for Hope's First Annual Chili Cook-off Fellowship! Sign up sheets will be out on Sunday, prizes will be awarded for the following: Most Unique, Best Overall, and SPICIEST! Childcare has been secured, once again provided by Courtney Hall (Gwen Kowalski's Attendant) - yea!

WK#50 One Resolution for the New Year – “Get more faith”

2010-12-28T07:11:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Mark 9:24, NIV
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Observation:

These are tough times; if I read Oprah correctly; if President Obama hadn’t been elected we would have 1930’s style breadlines by now. Instead we have jobless lines, foreclosure lines and food stamp lines. It takes a lot of faith in light of reality to continue to believe when everything around you would suggest otherwise.

The easy part would be to just express my faith from one of my favorite Disney songs “when you wish upon a star.” But that would suggest that faith is just a feeling and there are many examples of people who can exercise faith without any feeling. Faith though is simply believing what God has said. That means we are able to exercise our faith in any situation. We are taking what we know God has said and acting accordingly even if present circumstances tell a different story. When we can or worse won’t then we practice unbelief.

So work with me just a moment. In 2 Corinthians 5:7 scripture tells us to “walk by faith and not by sight.” The Greek word for sight means the external or outward appearance of something. When we make decisions based on sight we are taking the information we or feel without considering what might be happening in the spiritual realm or even behind the scenes. Take this weekend for example the city of Philadelphia called for a snow emergency before the snow started and it caused the cancellation of a NFL football game Sunday night. Many people got downright indignant about the decision but now that the storm has passed it was the right call. The Mayor ignored what people said “could” happened and instead went for the decision to keep the citizens safe. Sometimes our emotions and our circumstances don’t tell us the whole story. That’s why I like Psalm 116 which says, “I kept my faith, even when I said, ‘I am greatly afflicted.’” Real faith can hear God’s promise, see no sight of it and yet still believe he’s going to carry it out.

Application:

So how do you get beyond the unbelief? There are at least three ways to get:

• Ask for it – Think back to the verse at the top of the page, the father of the demonized boy is freaking out and in a very honest and desperate moment tells him that he does belief and to forgive him of his unbelief. I love it the work for help in this passage means “to bring aid, especially in time of difficulty.” Essentially he was asking Jesus for a faith bailout! And you can too.
• Hang around people who have faith – I like the story of David and Jonathan from I Samuel 23:16, “Saul’s son Jonathan came to David at Horesh. He strengthened David’s faith in the LORD.” David got his faith strengthened by God through someone else. God can do it directly but he doesn’t always so find someone who knows how to encourage and build up your faith. Then spend some time with them
• Get into God’s word – We tend to forget the basics but Romans 10:17 is plain, “faith comes by hearing and hearing from the word of God.” How can you believe someone if you’ve never heard what they said? I know that God often speaks directly but we need to be in the word in order to help judge when God does speak and to ‘prime the pump’ and help us hear in more subjective ways. I find that when people say they don’t hear the voice of God it’s due to a lack spending time in the scripture.

When you make out your New Years resolutions let me suggest you put faith at or near the top of the list. We need faith and more of it. If we don’t have it God has provided ways for us to get it.

Prayer:

O God and Father, I repent of my sinful preoccupation with visible things. The world has been too much with me. You have been here and I knew it not. Make my faith simple like the manger couple. Make my faith strong like the shepherds. Make my commitment abiding and strong. And teach me to sing with angels. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of:

Our final class of The Truth Project will be Wed., Jan. 5 7pm- see you next week! The children will not be meeting. Thank you Charles & Kathy Valentine for leading us through this very insightful study!
Celebrate Recovery begins Sunday, January 30 6pm - It is our desire that by sharing our experiences, strengths, and hopes with one another we will become willing to accept God's grace in solving our lives' problems. Through the application of these Biblical principles, we will begin to grow spiritually and become free from our addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors. For more information contact Rick McPherson .
Our next Wednesday night study begins Feb. 2 7pm "Here We Stand—Where Nazarenes Fit in the Religious Marketplace" begins Wednesday February 2 7pm Taught by Pastor Lonnie Wilkerson

WK# 49 For to us a child is born...

2010-12-20T14:00:00.001-05:00

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6-7

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”

Observation:

Aside from being cousins have you ever wondered what John the Baptist and Jesus had in common? Well let me give you one you probably hadn’t considered; they both start their recorded ministry with the word “repent” as written in the Gospel of Matthew. Now most of us when we hear or see that word we immediately picture some lunatic fringe-type of person carrying a sandwich board that states “The End is near!” Believe it or not that is exactly what Satan wants us see in our minds. But we must guard ourselves and our message so that we continue to use the word because transformation only starts after we acknowledge our need for change.

Repentance and restoration spring from a change within a person that recognizes their need for God. One of the best illustrations for this is Nicodemus. Outwardly he was a fine example of the man who had it made – at least religiously. But on the inside he was just as corrupt as the next guy. That is why Jesus answered him with a spiritual answer about rebirth. The world preaches that you are what you think or dress for success or even “name it claim it.”

Such is the advertising for our great utopian society. We think that change is best instituted and controlled through education, money or government. But unfortunately that’s all just sugar coating – taste great, less filling – to quote an adult beverage maker. The only true change comes from within.

Application:

Here is the bad news; in the church we have the tendency to “spiritualize” repentance and restoration so that we continue to “look good.” Seldom does repentance reach all the way down to the mundane details of our life. And when it does people often feel that they have to go into some ministry in order to live out this change in a genuine way; otherwise we are not expressing our new love for Christ correctly.

But if you look at how John the Baptist replied to the question “What shall we do?” you’ll notice something very curious. John doesn’t tell them to quit their day jobs rather he tells them to repent of their sins and to bring a godly character to their careers. For the soldiers, tax collectors and Jewish officials who heard this message it was a hard saying because there was a whole lot of corruption in their professions. How many of us are bringing repentance and restoration to our place of employment?

Over the last century Christians have abandoned many of our society’s institutions of media, education, arts, business and government. We even suggest that we disengage many of these things in the name of Jesus. On the one hand, we give up trying to influence society altogether. On the other, we might think that if we just elected the right people and enacted the best laws we can make a change. But a more biblical approach might be to serve the common good while recognizing that Jesus saves not being moral.

What Jesus are you serving?

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for the knowledge that we are forgiven, and thank You for the good news that Christ became flesh and dwelt among us. As we worship You, prepare us to testify to this good news wherever we go. Amen.

WK# 48 – Super size me - NOT

2010-12-16T07:09:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Ephesians 5:18, NLT
“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,”

Observation:
I don’t know about you but life is pretty hectic these days; what with the year winding down, Christmas fast approaching and the imminent arrival of family and friends upon the domestic domicile. It’s because of just this confluence of events I’ve taken to eating at the “dashboard diner.” It can be quite a challenge eating this way. I prefer the chicken sandwich (heart healthy), the medium fries (like the salty taste – just don’t tell my Doctor) and a small drink (usually water but more often a NON-DIET soda – like the taste). If you haven’t figured out yet I live in a world of food delusion, but I digress.

After attending Financial Peace University, I’m more aware of how poorly I spend my money and that brings me to my thought. The price difference between a small and medium is $0.50 and to a large it’s $0.89. When you’re “on-the-road” it can make cents to order the larger size but I wonder about all those “free” refills that go unfilled. How many people order the larger size, like at Taco Bell, where you can get unlimited refills yet never make the effort to do so? I guess that means we are so full (or maybe just lazy) that we don’t need any more to drink.

Application:
I wonder if that is what Paul had in mind when he was writing the church at Ephesus. As Christians we believe we are indwelled with the Holy Spirit but being filled with the Holy Spirit is another matter entirely. This “filling” requires us to continually seek after and ask for. The infilling of the Holy Spirit equips us to do things we couldn’t otherwise do in our own power. Being filled is what gives us power and boldness.

During this time of the year it is easy to see those who are “filled” with the spirit of the season. Only too often it is accompanied by more sorrow and hurt than “glad tidings of great joy.” Like the drunkard, we too need to continually seeking to be filled with the spirit but there is a difference that needs to be made. This infilling does not get us to the next level of Christianity, like so many video games we play. Rather it requires us to be filled over and over again.

Some Christians don’t quite get that and end up running around feeling empty spiritually wondering what’s wrong. There’s no such thing as a supersized spirit cup that will help us avoid having to get a refill. The only way is to stay close to the “living water” and the one who filled us with the Holy Spirit the first time. Jesus will take care of us when we need to be refilled. Just keep the communication line open.

Prayer:
Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Our kids will be presenting a special musical rendition of much loved Christmas songs on Boom Whackers - we hope you will come out to support them in their effort at 10am Sunday morning.
Invite someone to our Christmas Eve Candlelight Services, Friday, Dec. 24 7pm - We will begin with a celebration of sounds of Christmas on flute followed by a series of traditional much loved carols and worship. A Christmas message will conclude the evening with everyone singing Silent Night in the glow of candlelight. This is becoming a Hope family tradition ringing in Christmas day together in song and fellowship. Refreshments will be served.

WK# 45 – Full of Promise or of Woe?

2010-11-19T06:44:00.003-05:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below:

Scripture: Galatians 4:28, NIV

“Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.”

Observation:

There are some days when it seems that I’ve taken my eye off the prize. With all the changes have taken place in the past hundred years it makes it difficult to keep up and not just with the Jones’s but with ourselves! We are experiencing more change than ever in history. In fact, the rate of change is so great that we barely catch our breath before another blast slams into us. It seems that everything we are acquainted with is changing. Why you can even get Beatles songs on iTunes now!

Paul is telling the church at Galatia that they were making good changes with the new converts. But what was happening is that they had taken their eye off the prize. Paul is telling us is that identity is the basis of behavior: it takes a clear understanding of who we are in Christ to guide our conduct in the Spirit. He was calling out the false teachers. The Galatian church was proud of its heritage of being founded and run on the Jerusalem model. However, they were binding the people into the slavery of the Law of Moses rather than the freedom of Christ.

Application:

It is difficult to keep pace with life. We fall victim to the treadmill effect – running harder and harder but standing in place. It seems as if the promise of life in Christ grows fainter and further away. I know there are days when I feel this way. If you are sensing you might be facing a little stuckness in your walk, work or worship or you need to rethink what you are viewing as the prize perhaps some of the following ideas might help you:

1. Realize you are trapped in a habitual routine. Become aware of what you have tried in the past that has not worked. Become willing to let go of what has not worked while honoring previous attempts. My testimony is that often I will take three steps forward and two steps back. But I’m still gaining one forward step even in those times where I was breaking with routine.

2. Become more open to other points of view. Focus on the solution not the problem. Iron sharpens iron so allow others to assist you with big ideas that might help you to continue to advance. Remember that while you are up to your ears doing others often can step back and think about those things that might bring further growth. Your friends may be closer to a possible solution because they are not responsible for all the things on your plate.

3. Examine your daily thinking and how it has or has not served you. Realize there is a choice of which path or action to take. Sometimes you just need to readjust the strategy a little as you move forward. Personally I often reflect why the Lord would not allow me to do the same thing in one situation that I did in another. God is about the new and often the old has passed by and He desires to create something so new in you and your life that you need to let go of the old thinking that has not worked or is no longer working.

4. Assess your next steps for change. Ask the question: am I doing these things out of preference, practice, pattern or panic? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said, “I do what I do!” and then wonder why it is getting harder to see growth and advancement. That is a preference! Others just keep on trying an idea and keep driving it hoping that practice will eventually make it perfect. It often does not! We see it all the time, people who get locked into a predetermined pattern and just cannot see a way out to do something else. Finally, they get so fearful that they just panic and try to settle into a comfortable maintenance mentality. Assessing your next steps will greatly help you and your personal growth. As you are doing so, be sure to check your ideas out with others.

5. Understand that if you make a blunder, recognize it is all part of the journey. See what your part of any blunder is and apologize where and when necessary. We humans are not free from mistakes so don’t try to be perfect. When you do make a blunder acknowledge it, learn from it, and seek to discover the life lesson in it. What I’ve learned is if you are transparent enough to admit your mistakes and your people sense it is a heartfelt confession, they will indeed forgive you and even respect you much more because many people just cannot admit when they make a mistake!

6. Appraise your plans by whether they fit your beliefs and core values. Then act accordingly. What are core values? They often are unwritten statements that guide who we are and what we do. They inspire our words and actions. Remember what core values do; they clarify expectations. They clarify roles and relationships. Core values offer a compass for strategic planning and they help in sharpening your life’s mission statement.

The world wants to entice your heart, convincing you that the idols of money, power, fame, respect, security, will give you happiness. And they do....initially. That is why they hold so much power over us. But that kind of superficial happiness always fades. In contrast, Jesus describes a kind of deep rooted happiness. The Greek word that is translated, "blessed," is "makarios," which was used to describe a perfectly fulfilled life. This happiness doesn't start out with a bang; but it steadily grows because it is the lasting kind of happiness.

Remember – revitalization and transformation are difficult – but not impossible. Every day, your decision to resist the pull on your heart of false gods and demonstrate godly kingdom attitudes is a decision to honor Christ. That is a decision that matters for eternity and one He will never forget! That is a promise to build a life on.

Prayer:

Dear Father, we welcome those whom You send—prophets, ministers, and friends. Help us follow their leadership so our faith may be strong and steadfast, never just tenuous and pretentious. May we put others first in all things. Amen.

Something to be mindful of this weekend:

Sunday afternoon we are going to be giving back to the community gift wrapping for Downtown Culpeper's Holiday Open House from 12pm - 5pm. We've been provided a storefront on Davis St. next to Raven's Nest Coffee House - if you are available to provide cookies please drop them off Saturday morning at the church from 10 - 12 or by 9:30 Sunday. We are still in need of wrappers - call the church and let us know if you'd like to help out in this outreach 825-4607.

WK# 44 – Come let us worship together!

2010-11-11T06:54:00.000-05:00

Scripture: Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7 (The Message)

Come, let's shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
   Let's march into his presence singing praises,
      lifting the rafters with our hymns!
So come, let us worship: bow before him,
      on your knees before God, who made us!
   Oh yes, he's our God,
      and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.

Observation:

I passed an ageing political poster “November 2^nd is coming!” the other morning. Yep it has come and gone and the sun still rises in the east. Interesting how we make so much out of a particular day and in the end all that is left is the memory.

Sunday can be like that. It comes at the same time each week and despite knowing all that it sometimes sneaks up on you. The reason I know this is because on Tuesday evenings Rick MacPherson and I meet to discuss the previous Sunday’s worship time and plan for the coming week.

We spend two hours talking about songs, the service, reactions and comments. We enjoy talking about the impact songs have had on our lives and how our circumstance and experiences breathe meaning into how we express our worship. Our goal through all this to is have a seamless presentation, at least from the congregation’s perspective, so that we are not a distraction. To do that requires three hours of practice with the whole Worship Team including our sound and word technicians. But that’s just what we do as a group; consider how much more time it takes to prepare our own hearts, hands and minds.

Application:

If you were creating sections of the Psalms then Psalm 95 is the start of a new section centered on worship. If you look at some of the ancient liturgies you’ll find that this one plays a vital role in reorienting the reader. It turns our attention and affection toward God. And in the end, when we examine our role in worship is addressed, the focus becomes one of obedience and reverence.

When we look at worship there are so many aspects to explore but in these four verses I want to consider five thoughts. First, worship is a collective activity. We can claim all we want about worshipping alone in an awe inspiring location but you will be hard pressed to get passed the “let us” phrases in this Psalm. We are to receive our call to worship, together.

Second, worship is a vocal activity; most of the time we view it as a personal, private time and there are times for that but not in this case. The call here is to ‘cease striving’ and get into the act of vocalizing our praise publically to God.

The third aspect of this Psalm is that the vocal praise is vibrant and vigorous; it is a joyful, grateful noise. The reality of the translated words here suggests that the sanctuary be more like a football stadium rather than library. The Hebrew words means “to raise a shout” which reminds me of what happened at Jericho; either the preparation for war or the shout of triumph – take your pick. Now I know we have a tendency to react when people get a little too ‘enthusiastic’ much like Michal did at David for all his “jumping before the ark of God” but perhaps we should be a tad bit more animated.

Fourth, we notice that the praise is God-centered. Our thoughts, motivation and activity is with God. We are not here to experience a “rocky mountain high” or anything of the sort but rather a fervent reaction to who God is and what He has done for us.

The final thought is one of reverence. When was the last time you gave any thought to your posture? If you are like me only when it really becomes necessary; but in our worship posture is a very visible means to show our reverence. We started off standing and shouting our praise and as we come to know God more intimately we end up speechless and prostate.

Worship is not an incidental part of our lives; it is intentional and persistent. Every day is today and we can’t rest on the past. We have to continue in that which God has begun. If I had one thing to take away from this Psalm it would be that familiarity with God does not breed contempt rather it seems to be that the more intimate I become the greater the love and awe I show.

Come let us worship together!

Prayer:

Holy God, make it our marching song: Heirs of God come to claim your victory. Inheritors of glory, gather to worship our Creator. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

2010 Challenge—THANKSGIVING OFFERING: As part of our 2010 Challenge please prayerfully consider what you will give above and beyond your normal tithes for the World Evangelism Fund. We will receive this offering on Sunday, Nov. 21st.

Our Children Need You: We are looking for individuals to serve in DiscipleTown & the Nursery on a rotation basis. Please see Pastor Lonnie for more information

Sunday, Dec. 5th “Zechariah's Song” IN CONCERT: Laura Kryston & Melissa Hetzler of Zechariah's Song A beautiful mix of musical styles all focusing on the most important thing - Jesus! There is something for everyone at this concert. Even with contrasting vocal styles (gospel and jazz), these ladies still manage to blend magical harmonies to glorify God.

Friday, Dec. 10th 7pm Annual Christmas Party: Please contact Karen & Ed Kowalski if you would like to help with this year's Annual Christmas Party at (540) 937-2499 or via email karens_avon_gifts@yahoo.com They will be looking for a team of helpers to decorate and assist them with the festivities. Childcare has been secured for this activity—please RSVP for your kids to Karen so we will have a headcount. Our caregiver is Gwen’s attendant from school.

WK# 43 – Prayer and “The End of Days”

2010-11-04T06:03:00.002-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below:

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:7 (NRSV)

The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourself for the sake of your prayers.

Observation:

I can count on my hand the number of television shows I watch on a consistent basis. This past week I enjoyed a couple of very good Halloween themed programs and one “Community” about a community college study group and their escapades. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not endorsing zombies or anything of the type, it was just that I initially thought the episode was political satire rather than pure comedy; what with the latent military “zombie-inducing” virus, the stereotypical public ‘over’ reaction and the slow government response. I thought they were lampooning the Bush administrations Katrina response. Especially since the catch-phrase for the show was “The end of Days; the end of Days!”

To set the stage in the sitcom the main characters were trying not to get bit by the zombies so after locking themselves into a room they discussed some possible solutions to their predicament. The ultimate solution was to ride out the zombie attack by turning down the thermostat in the building so that the virus could be contained until the Government arrived, in six hours.

Interestingly enough the ‘Christian’ is the one propagating the catch-phrase ‘The end of Days.’ And that is what caught my attention. You see two phrases jump out at me from this verse; be serious (practice self control, curb one’s passions) and discipline yourselves (keep your minds clear, be calm and collected in spirit). The Christian lady in the sitcom did neither of these in this situation and it is probably Hollywood’s idea that is how most Christians react to situations. She didn’t even pray.

Application:
Not exactly how I’d like to be remembered but it did get me to thinking. Peter encourages believers to suffer as Christ did and at the same time he encourages them to keep avoiding the sins that they have given up. Then here in the middle of this passage he writes that they need to be ‘serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.’ Some translations render the phrase “be alert and of sober mind.”

Peter tells us that the end of all things is near. There is a tremendous amount of speculation in regard to what that could mean in the Christian community and I’ll leave that for another day, but he tells us two things we need to do (become) for the sake of our prayers. The first is to discipline our thoughts. This is a difficult task at best but it requires us to constantly be on guard to identify the unwholesome and pointless thoughts we entertain (or entertain us) and dispose of them. These things will either distract us from praying or misguide our prayer.

The second is that we need to learn how to keep our emotions from getting the best of us. We have to be willing to see God’s priorities without losing our peace of mind. Otherwise the weight of the world will overwhelm us. Believe me its hard work to get to the point that stress doesn’t become the driving force behind our prayers.

In the end, prayer is just like physical training, you have to start with the basics and be willing and consistent to work our way up. If we aren’t we’ll get discouraged and give up. But, and here is the prize, the more we grow up in Christ, the more our prayers will be motivated by bringing God’s kingdom to the here and now. Perhaps that will bring on the “End of Days” or perhaps not. But it will bring about a new dynamic in our prayer life and a stirring of the Spirit to be more influential in the world today.

Prayer:

ALMIGHTY God, who alone gave us the breath of life, and alone can keep our hearts filled with your holy desires, I ask you, trusting in your infinite compassion, to sanctify my thoughts and endeavors; that I may neither begin an action without a pure intention nor continue it without your blessing. And grant that, having the eyes of my mind opened to behold things invisible and unseen, my heart may be inspired by your wisdom, and my work upheld by your strength, and in the end, that I may be accepted by you as your faithful servant; through Jesus Christ our Savior.

Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

We will have a baby dedication for Ashlynn Taylor Settle on November 7^th. Come join with the Hope family as we celebrate with Melanie & WT.
The 2010 Challenge thanksgiving Offering will be received on November 21^st. continue to be in prayer for Eurasia this week and to be mindful of what God is laying your heart as part of this Challenge.
Sunday December 5^th we will be hosting “Zechariah’s Song” as they lead us in a worship concert. Who will you invite to enjoy this time with you?

WK# 42 – Prayer and Incense

2010-10-27T20:57:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the arrow below:

Scripture: Psalm 141:1-2 (The Message)

God, come close. Come quickly! Open your ears—it's my voice you're hearing! Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising; my raised hands are my evening prayers.

Observation:

My daughter while cleaning her room this past week lit some incense. At first I thought that the local foundry was pouring castings until I realized the odor was coming from inside the house. I must state right here for the record I’m not a fan of incense because it causes my throat to become irritated and the spices burn my nose. Perhaps I should moderate my stance and just say that I can tolerate it in moderation.

But it got me thinking about how I sometimes use the phrase “may our prayers be like incense.” In this Psalm David opens to us the ‘hidden’ meaning to the sacrificial worship that was in place in the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament there are two schools of thought about worship; the first that you had to very careful in the ritual observance of all the requirements and the second that worship is all external, symbolic and external to the participant. Samuel even says, “Obedience is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams.” This and other similar sayings suggest that prominence was given to the spiritual side rather than the heart of the worshipper.

The use of incense as a symbol is in many places throughout Scripture. Two quick references come to mind; John the Baptists father was lighting the incense when he met the Angel Gabriel and the Apostle John wrote in Revelation where the heavenly Temple opened to our gaze, we read that elders, the representatives of redeemed humanity, have “golden bowls full of odors, which are the prayers of the saints.” So it is easy to see how we can interpret incense to be prayers of devout hearts.

Application:
Now if you are not familiar with the Temple layout let me remind you that it was divided into three areas; the Outer Court, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The Altar for burning sacrifices stood in the Outer Court, the Golden Candlestick, the Table of Shewbread and the Altar of Incense was in the Holy Place and the Ark of the Covenant was in the Holy of Holies. Twice a day the Alter of Incense was kindled into flame by the priest when he brought coals from the Altar of Burnt Offerings into the Holy Place.

But I want to think of the image of the smoldering incense, roped around the censor, wafting fragrance into the heavens. The incense lay dead, unfragrant and with no capacity for soaring until there was a flame applied to it. Unless there is a flame in my heart there will be no rising of my aspirations to God. We find that cold prayers do not go up because they have no power to soar. There has to be the inflaming before there can be a mounting of aspiration.

And where was the incense kindled from; coals from the Alter of Burnt Offering. To complete our image, the fire of your heart is lit with a coal brought from Jesus’ sacrifice. Once lit it will flame and love will well upward and the desires of our heart will be ‘set on things above.’ But one last thing to think about; have you ever been to a Cathedral and watched the altar boys in procession carry the censors, swinging them backwards and forwards and all around? The reason they do that is to let air into the censor so the incense does not go out. There is a constant need to keep the incense of our prayers lit. We have to swing the censor of our hearts in order to rid it of the things that make our hearts cold; we have to stir the fire so that we can be continually smoldering (pray without ceasing) ready to flame through our special acts of worship throughout the day.

In our lives there are times when we feel empty-handed, coming to Him not only with hearts like incense but with petitions that confess our need for His grace. In those times, stop and let the breath of heaven stir your heart and ‘let your soul be rekindled with fire from above.’
Hallelujah – revise us again!

Prayer:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful,

and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.

And you shall renew the face of the earth. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Our Worship Team has a surprise for the Church this Sunday, I encourage you to be there and see.
Remember to bring a dish to share at our Spooktacular Potluck this Sunday immediately following Sunday school.
We will have a baby dedication for AshlynTaylor Settle on November 7^th. Come join with the Hope family as we celebrate with Melanie & WT.

WK#41 – There is a time for everything

2010-10-22T06:34:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below:

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

Observation:

Now if you where following the Dallas Cowboys fortunes (or misfortunes) as closely as the Sports media you would find today’s scripture especially timely. Many are calling for a housecleaning and firing or at least some visible change that would show that someone is in charge and will not let the “carnage” continue. Unfortunately with life we get just the opposite. Much like our scripture tells us there is an appropriate time for all of life’s experiences and for the Cowboy’s and her fans that time is still coming.

That is what we find in this life – that there is an appropriate time for everything, the unpleasant as well as the pleasant. If we are not careful this is how most of us would describe life; but it is more than that – it is what God sends into our lives.

I don’t know if you are familiar with the Four Spiritual Laws (it is a Campus Crusade for Christ plan of salvation methodology) but the first is that God loves you and has a plan for your life. Looking carefully at these verses we can see very clearly what that plan is. Most of us see Ecclesiastes as a book of gloom and doom because the writer had a limited view of the visible things of life. But God desires to bring joy into human the experience and he uses these opposites as part of His plan.

Application:

There are three major divisions in these eight verses that correspond to our humanity: body, soul and spirit. The first four pairs deal with the body: a time to be born and a time to die. None of us asked to be born – it was something done to us and none of us asks to die; it is something God determines. So because of the choice made by Adam and Eve the first opposites are the consequences – a boundary of birth and death.

The second pairing moves into the realm of the soul with its functions; thinking, feeling, and choosing. These verses deal with the interrelationships of the social areas of our lives. A time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance; all these are closely related and are appropriate at different times in our lives. In a fallen world there will be times of hurt, sorrow and happiness and no one is going to escape their presence.

The last of the six pairings relate to the spirit; the inner decisions and commitments. The writer says there is a time to search; for work, marriage and new friends and even a time to give up. I think there comes a time in life when we should curtail certain friendships or change jobs and lose what we had in the past, especially when it hampers our future. It’s both proper and appropriate.

The problem is that this is not our plan for our life. If we were given the right to plan our lives we would have no unpleasantness at all – or at least I wouldn’t! But that would ruin us. God knows that people who are protected from everything almost invariably end up being impossible to live with; they are selfish, cruel, vicious, shallow and unprincipled. God sends these things into our lives so that we can be taught.

Most of our conflicts and difficulties come from trying to deal with the spiritual and practical aspects of our life separately instead of realizing that they are parts of one whole. If our practical life is centered on our own interests, cluttered up by processions, distracted by ambitions, passions, wants and worries, weighed down by a sense of our own rights and importance or anxieties for our own future or longings for success then we can expect our spiritual lives to be the same way. A spiritual life is simply a life in which all that we do comes from where we are anchored in God.

God’s plan is for you to live a life soaked through and through by a sense of His reality and claim and be given over to the movement of His will in your life.

Are you learning to see God’s direction and providence in the contrasting experiences of your life?

Prayer:

Jesus, we look to Thee, Thy promised presence claim;
Thou in the midst of us shall be, Assembled in Thy Name.

Thy Name salvation is, Which here we come to prove;
Thy Name is life, and health, and peace, And everlasting love. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Remember to place on your calendar our Spooktacular Potluck on October 31^st immediately following Sunday school.
We will have a baby dedication for Ashlyn Taylor Settle on November 7^th. Come join with the Hope family as we celebrate with Melanie & WT.

WK#39 Are you quenching the Spirit?

2010-10-07T05:43:00.001-04:00

Listen to the audio by clicking on the small arrow below:

Scripture: Matthew 13:58, NIV

“And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.”

Observation:

I had an opportunity to get away with my spouse and a number of pastors and their spouses this past weekend. We participated in the second Virginia District Bi-vocational Pastors and Spouses retreat. Personally there is nothing like meeting in the “Heart of Virginia” Buckingham County to revive the heart of hardworking pastors. It was a glorious weekend, my Sooners won, the weather was picture perfect, the food scrumptious and the fellowship priceless.

But all that aside, it was a time to be challenged. Listening to others who struggle with too little time, money and resources to fully meet self-imposed expectations as pastors reminds me that I too have a long row to hoe. But the one idea that the speaker left with me was the idea about how we hold back the Holy Spirit by walking around “numb.” It is a case of our head knowing what to do but our hearts being too full, overwhelmed, over tired, over _________ (fill in the blank) to be able to respond.

Personally, I believe that the majority of our struggles in the Christian faith lie in our understanding of the Holy Spirit. The walls we hit (and who hasn’t hit a spiritual wall at some point?) would fall if we took full advantage of the very gift God gave to equip us for life and ministry. Most of us know all about the Holy Spirit. We’ve got the doctrine down, and if pressed we could probably express our understanding with a visually appealing PowerPoint slide, or at least in a few bullet points on the back of a napkin. But how much of that knowledge is second-hand and how much is from experience?

This past Wednesday night during “The Truth Project” discussion we talked about the idea of “reality.” If you are not familiar with it, the cable channel Court TV became truTV last year, and it adopted the tag line “Not Reality. Actuality.” The two words have similar meanings, but one goes a step further than the other. The definition of realize is “to grasp or understand clearly” or “to comprehend completely or correctly.” Actualize means “to make actual or real; turn into action or fact” or “to realize in action or make real”. If we are not careful in our speaking and thinking the words could be considered synonymous. However based on these definitions, I see actuality as more of a heightened reality. So I could realize something with my intellect, even with great conviction if God reveals it to me, but I don’t necessarily actualize it until I experience it. Confused; hang in there with me for just another moment or two.

Application:
The biggest obstacle I’ve hit in my own understanding of the Holy Spirit is that I sometimes forget that the third member of the Trinity is no less God than the Father and the Son. That means he’s infinite and for lack of a better thought - unpredictable. It also means he can (and does) operate outside of my own doctrinal understanding and the boxes I build to contain him. Even Pentecostals and charismatics sometimes try to domesticate the Holy Spirit! A little theology (or pneumatology to be more precise) can be a dangerous thing. When I take the doctrine that I’ve learned, combine it with my personal experience and then try to get people to come to my understanding as though it is the norm, I’m in danger of limiting God.

You see there are certain principles and patterns that are common in all Christian practice. One is the principle of expectation. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” While God can and does go beyond our expectations, sometimes our lack of expectation contributes to disappointing outcomes. Think of Jesus’ inability to heal in Nazareth (Mark 6:5). Mark doesn’t directly say that the reason is their lack of faith, but Matthew does. “And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58). That’s pretty explicit. I wonder how many of us don’t see much of God’s power because we don’t expect to see it.

So what does this mean for Christians today? I believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer and is working at some level, but I don’t think all believers have actualized the equipping power of the Holy Spirit. (Maybe some of us haven’t even realized that such power exists.) Some people use different terminology here (baptism with the Holy Spirit, release of the Holy Spirit) but the important thing is the principle itself. If we don’t see clear evidence of the Holy Spirit empowering us for service, I know we can ask God for this power. And we can seek out Spirit-filled Christians to pray for us to receive this power. Luke 11:9-13 tells us to keep asking, and guarantees that God will give us what we ask for, not something else. The end result is a life full of God’s anointing power that gives us the ability to live victorious today.

Prayer:

O GOD, the King eternal, who divides the day from the darkness, and turns the shadow of death into the morning; Drive far off from me all wrong desires, incline my heart to keep your law, and guide my feet into the way of peace; that having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, I may give you thanks with a joyful heart when the night comes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

10/10/10—Can you give $10 on October 10^th to help us fund New Start Churches?

The VA District has a twofold vision for the next 2 years:

1. To start 12 churches by 2012. To help fund that goal, the District has asked us to participate in a special District wide offering and raise $10,000 on October 10^th.

2. Partner with another church to begin a new ministry in Virginia.

Your church board is soliciting ministry ideas to meet this goal. If you have ideas write it on your connection card and place it in the offering or hand it to a board member. (Donna Huckabee, Ray Hopkins, Karen Kowalski, Cindy Padgett)

Remember to place on your calendar Spooktacular Potluck on October 31^st immediately following Sunday school.

WK #38 More than Conquerer

2010-10-01T08:29:00.000-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow:

Scripture: 1 John 3:8 CEB
“God’s son appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil”

Observation:
You get a couple of Nazarene pastors around a table and the conversation always turns to the topic of holiness. I had the opportunity to participate in just this conversation this past weekend. After shooting through a few clips with one of my pastor friends Smith & Wesson 9mm, (my first time to shoot a handgun by the way – way too much fun – totally too much money!), we stopped for lunch and the discussion went on from there.

In his day, nothing John Wesley preached created more controversy than the doctrine of Christian perfection, also known as entire sanctification. And it would probably cause a big stir today, except no one outside the Nazarene denomination and few Wesleyan/Holiness brethren preach it. I’m sure perfection gets mentioned from time to time– maybe as an old theological relic– an inert little memento from the Wesleyan heyday. Its days in the Methodist mainstream (or even the wider Christian one for that matter) seem to be long gone. But what if we really believed and lived it?

Perhaps we should establish a definition of Christian perfection so you’ll know what I’m talking about. (I don’t want my District Superintendent to call and revoke my Ordination.) So let’s take a look at a few definitions.

John Wesley wrote that Christian perfection is “loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. This implies that no wrong temper, none contrary to love, remains in the soul; and that all the thoughts, words, and actions, are governed by pure love.” Don Thorsen describes it in his textbook An Exploration of Christian Theology, as “the Wesleyan or Pentecostal belief in a second work of grace beyond conversion that leads to moral purification and love for others.” Mildred Bangs Wynkoop defined it in her book A Theology of Love as “Love is the essential inner character of holiness, and holiness does not exist apart from love.” Thomas Jay Oord in Relational Holiness suggests, “When we choose the best to which God calls in any particular moment, we act in holy way. We are holy. In that moment, we are ‘perfect as [our] Father in heaven is perfect.’ In that moment, we love.” Thomas Oden has referred to Wesley’s views as “the expectation that the Holy Spirit intends to transform our behavior, not partially but completely.” And if you trust Wikipedia, Christian perfection is “a doctrine which holds that the soul of the born-again Christian may attain a high degree of virtue and holiness and become entirely sanctified with the help of the divine grace of Jesus.”

Whew, that is a lot to take in so let me just put it in bullet form:
o Christian perfection is a process and a destination. It’s a second work of grace. It’s an empowerment of the Holy Spirit after justification that enables us to get rid of the sin in our lives. (Put another way, after we’re saved from the penalty of sin, God starts saving us from the power of sin.)
o Christian perfection doesn’t mean that Christians are freed from temptation. Even Jesus was tempted. But we’re not bound to give in to that temptation.
o Christian perfection doesn’t mean that Christians don’t make mistakes or don’t commit involuntary transgressions.
o John Wesley thought that it was possible to be an “almost Christian” or an “altogether Christian”, but impossible to be a “half a Christian”. The message here was that sanctification is included in the package with justification, and for the authentic Christian, it’s not optional.
o Perfecting grace frees Christians from outward sin and inward sin.
o Entire sanctification can be realized before death.
The bottom line is this: Christians don’t have to sin. Nowhere does the New Testament teach that we can’t stop sinning before death. This was the sticking point that brought Wesley so much opposition. The power of God can purge the sin from our lives, but since we don’t relinquish our free will when we become Christians, we’re capable of making bad choices. With each choice we make, we’re either cooperating with the Holy Spirit or working against him. We’re capable of sinning, but we don’t have to.

Application:
This teaching drives people crazy and I can understand why. It has something to do with the idea that misery loves company. We can set goals and try to reach perfection in other areas of life and no one begrudges us for it. But in Christianity, if we claim we’re trying to become more holy or go on to perfection, others will inevitably tell us why it can’t be done, or they’ll somehow take our efforts as an insult aimed directly at them.
Sometimes sports analogies help me see things more clearly. Let’s consider baseball since my Texas Rangers have made the playoffs for the first time in a long time. Try to improve your game and you’ll generally be admired. When you get really good, people will look up to you. Sure, envy will rear its ugly head from time to time, and other people will show their insecurity, but ultimately, you’ll be respected for pushing yourself to a higher level of play. But in matters of faith, it seems that Christians have been the victims of low expectations. We don’t think it’s possible for us to reach higher levels of spirituality, so we don’t want anyone else to try either.

One of the issues of evangelical Christianity is that we’ve overemphasized justification at the expense of sanctification. But justification isn’t the goal, it’s the gateway. Wesley once wrote, “Our main doctrines, which include all the rest, are three, that of repentance, of faith, and of holiness. The first of these we account, as it were, the porch of religion; the next, the door, the third, religion itself.” Holiness is the real meat of Christianity. Justification restores us to the favor of God, but Christian perfection, Wesley said, restores us to the image of God.

Pushing the envelope is defined as moving beyond the limits of what has usually been done or what has been the accepted standard; stretching the established limits. The doctrine of Christian perfection, if we truly practice it, is going to demand that we move beyond the limits of what the church has been doing. We’ve become good at communicating grace and mercy, but we’re not as good at showing converts how to pursue holiness.

I love what Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.” Jesus doesn’t wait for us to die to perfect us, he begins when we first come to faith in him. If you are on the porch, it’s time to knock on the door. If you have knocked on the door, heed the invitation and come on in. If you are already in, let’s get down to business. We’re burnin’ daylight!

Prayer:

O Thou Spirit of truth, cleanse my heart of uncertainty and unbelief. Make thyself real to me. Then shall I serve Thee gladly all the days of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:
• 10/10/10—Can you give $10 on October 10th to help us fund New Start Churches?
The VA District has a twofold vision for the next 2 years:
1. To start 12 churches by 2012. To help fund that goal, the District has asked us to participate in a special District wide offering and raise $10,000 on October 10th.
2. Partner with another church to begin a new ministry in Virginia.

Your church board is soliciting ministry ideas to meet this goal. If you have ideas write it on your connection card and place it in the offering or hand it to a board member.
(Donna Huckabee, Ray Hopkins, Karen Kowalski, Cindy Padgett)

WK# 37 – Free to be???

2010-09-23T19:08:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below:

Scripture: Romans 8:26-29 (New Century Version)

Also, the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We do not know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us, even begs God for us with deep feelings that words cannot explain. God can see what is in people's hearts. And he knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way God wants. We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan. God knew them before he made the world, and he chose them to be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.

Observation:

I don’t know about you but I grew up watching Sesame Street. One of the major themes you hear on the show is how important it is to be ourselves. “Be happy with who you are. Celebrate you. Learn to love yourself.” In a society that takes its cues from Hollywood’s obsession with cosmetic surgery, I can understand the need to show people why they should learn how to be comfortable in their own skin. A healthy self-esteem is important, after all. But I wonder if we’ve gone too far in that direction? How do we balance personal contentment with self-improvement or the idea of total depravity with Christian perfection? As with many Christian teachings, there’s a balance to be found.

The church has done a good job of telling people they’re broken– “All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.” (Romans 3:23) What the church could do better is proclaim the good news that it isn’t necessary to remain broken. Somewhere somebody has gotten a lot of mileage out of propagating the idea that most of our flaws are permanent. Consider the workplace– how many of us have allowed ourselves to be pigeon-holed into certain work and management styles because we took a company-sponsored personality test? For example, according to the Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator, I’m an INTP. That means I’m an introvert (not extravert), intuitive (as opposed to sensing), a thinker (more than a feeler) and perceiving (versus judging). The problem with these kinds of labels is there is a temptation to accept our weaknesses as part of who we are rather than trying to improve.

Application:

Think about these conversations you hear from children.
“I’m not a reader.”
Then learn to be.
“I’m not cut out for school.”
If you want to make a good living, then you better figure out how to be.
“I can’t apologize… it’s not who I am.”
So stretch yourself.
“I always hurt the people I care about because I don’t want to be hurt first. I can’t change that. It’s who I am.”
No you probably can’t change it. But if you think God can’t change it, then your God isn’t big enough.
I’m sure you have had these or similar conversations and then some. We mean well when we tell people to be themselves, but in the real world, lots of us are using that cliché as an excuse to stay in our current condition. Certainly, we should never try to be someone else– but we also shouldn’t try to be who we are now. The Bible speaks of us being “conformed to the image of God’s son.” The goal then is to be the person God intends for us to be. Mark Twain once said, “‘Be yourself’ is about the worst advice you can give to people.” Perhaps he was right.

Prayer:

It is not so important that I be successful,
    but that I be faithful, that I belong to you,
    that I represent and glorify you.
It is important, 0 God,
    that I allow you to have your way in and through me.
So be it, Lord. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

We will be receiving our Alabaster offering this Sunday. Your spare change helps fund building programs around the world; it truly is “Change We Can Believe In.”
10/10/10—Can you give $10 on October 10^th to help us fund New Start Churches?

The VA District has a twofold vision for the next 2 years:

1. To start 12 churches by 2012. To help fund that goal, the District has asked us to participate in a special District wide offering and raise $10,000 on October 10^th.

2. Partner with another church to begin a new ministry in Virginia.

Your church board is soliciting ministry ideas to meet this goal. If you have ideas write it on your connection card and place it in the offering or hand it to a board member.

(Donna Huckabee, Ray Hopkins, Karen Kowalski, Cindy Padgett)

WK# 36 – This is hard to accept.

2010-09-15T22:04:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the arrow below:

Scripture: John 6:60-71, Gods Word Translation.

When many of Jesus’ disciples heard him, they said, “What he says is hard to accept. Who wants to listen to him anymore?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were criticizing his message. So Jesus asked them, “Did what I say make you lose faith? What if you see the Son of Man go where he was before? Life is spiritual. Your physical existence doesn’t contribute to that life. The words that I have spoken to you are spiritual. They are life. But some of you don’t believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning those who wouldn’t believe and the one who would betray him. So he added, “That is why I told you that people cannot come to me unless the Father provides the way.” Jesus’ speech made many of his disciples go back to the lives they had led before they followed Jesus. So Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you want to leave me too?” Simon Peter answered Jesus, “Lord, to what person could we go? Your words give eternal life. Besides, we believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus replied, “I chose all twelve of you. Yet, one of you is a devil.” Jesus meant Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. Judas, who was one of the twelve apostles, would later betray Jesus.

Observation:

Today’s scripture will definitely not win the touchy-feely award for the year. But we forget that Jesus didn’t make the message “user” friendly. That is what happens in this passage.

In the earlier parts of John chapter 6, Jesus created a controversy among the Jews because of his claim to be the bread of life. (v. 52) This caused quite a stir to say the least and it even caused some concerns among those who followed Jesus. So Jesus confronts their “complaints” by asking about the implications of their reaction. Because of this confrontation many people decide to leave him and go back to their previous way of life. Jesus then asks his hand-picked band of believers if they too want to call it quits. And as so often happens, Peter has the right answer if not completely in the right context. In my minds eye I see Richard Gere in the movie ‘An Officer and A Gentleman’ telling his drill sergeant that “I got no where else to go!”

So here we have these people who had been following Jesus around calling themselves his disciples. Yet in the end, these people who had come to Jesus and heard his teaching, we discover their level of discipleship didn’t amount to much. They were disciples in name only. And Jesus doesn’t cut them any slack. They were grumbling to each other, just as the Israelites did in the desert and Jews did earlier in the chapter. Don’t people usually complain to someone else first? If they had been complaining directly to him there wouldn’t be anything to figure out.

Believe me there is enough of Jesus’ teaching that we can find offensive; if we live in the flesh. But for those of us who are born in the Spirit we can trust Jesus even when his teachings or his ways are puzzling. Remember, Jesus didn’t tell anyone to leave they had to make that decision on their own; unfortunately many did.

Application:

I think there are three things that we can learn from this passage. First, there are people who seem interested in truth but in the end reject it. There will be people we try and teach but who will refuse to obey and quit. If it happened to the Master it will happen to us.

Second, Jesus kept on teaching even though he knew what was going to happen. He knew some flat out didn’t believe and others who were following him with the wrong motivation. It didn’t matter. He kept confronting their errors refusing to back down or compromise. And he lost people because of it. Even after they left he didn’t apologize or tone down the message to draw them back, even though a miracle or two would have been all it took.

Third and I think this is perhaps the hardest lesson I took from this passage, is that using every worldly “trick” in the book to attract people to church so that we can convert them is a waste of time and effort. Jesus had just fed the five thousand and they wanted him to do it again just to prove it wasn’t a one-off miracle. Jesus told them no. He knew that if people come just to satisfy their physical needs they would never be satisfied and never stay. That is why he emphasized the spiritual first and foremost so that they could become spiritual.

So what we find in this passage is that there is a difference between salvation and discipleship; they are two very different relationships. In the last line we see that Judas had the best seat in the house to witness God revealed in Jesus. But he lacked the trust and love to see Jesus as he was. It’s a shame; the human heart is very capable of seeing the great beauty of God and still rejects him.

Christ is the way of salvation, and the pursuit of holiness is non-negotiable for Christians. Jesus challenged the people who were offended. He doesn’t condemn everyone within earshot. The question is how do we respond when the Spirit reveals our hearts to us? We have to decide for ourselves what our reaction will be; a deeper faith in God or a turning back to our old associations.

If people are offended by the truth and leave we should be saddened when it happens but we can’t sell our souls in order to prevent it.

Prayer:

Father, You know that I trust in You. Yet at times it seems as if You are far away. Show me in what respect I depend on somebody or something else, instead of on You only. I know You will always be with me, if I remain close to You. Hallelujah! Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

We had 32 participants at the kickoff for "The Truth Project" Wednesday night. Hope you can join us next week as we look at Philosophy and Ethics. BRING THE KIDS - Wild & Wacky Wednesday with WACEY....oh I mean Lacey. The kids have a great time learning to play music using boomwhackers, we also have time finish homework too! Lite refreshments provided.

Sunday morning at 10 am we will continue the Extreme Home Makeover with "HOME QUAKE".

WK#35 Woe to WOW!

2010-09-09T06:01:00.005-04:00

Follow along with the audio of this posting by clicking on the small arrow below:

Scripture: The Book of Habakkuk

Observation:

The people to whom Habakkuk ministered to were Judeans who apparently lived under the reign of King Jehoiakim. During his reign the Israelites were looking for help in all the wrong places, specifically

Egypt

and Assyria. This was because of the growing Babylonian power. Sound familiar anyone?

Well an amazing progression occurs in the 3 short chapters of Habakkuk. The book begins with the prophet protesting that God seems to be standing idly by while his people in

Judah

plummet into rampant evil and injustice.

God responds that it’s not going unnoticed, and, to Habakkuk’s surprise, God’s already working on the issue—by raising up the wicked Chaldeans, “that bitter and hasty nation," to punish Judah. Habakkuk protests the justice of punishing a wicked people with a people that are even more wicked! The prophet is confident that God can’t answer him on this score, and so he will “look out to see what [God] will say to me and what I will answer concerning my complaint.” Habakkuk is optimistic that he can rebut whatever answer God has to give for this. (Sounds like a Job to me!)

God answers and again Habakkuk is floored: God will punish the Chaldeans in due course and bring destruction to their home in Babylon. He assures the prophet, “The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” That includes Habakkuk and his plans for rebuttal.
Habakkuk marvels at the plans of God and agrees that he has been duly silenced: “I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us.” Only he pleads that God will “in wrath remember mercy” for his people.

Knowing that he has exhausted all avenues of question and instead of trying God’s patience, Habakkuk now joyfully submits to the sovereign hand and plan of God. And in what are considered some of the most beautiful words of the spirit of submission in the scripture the prophet ends his writing.

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

The book’s final line reads, “To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.”
What’s up with that? Habakkuk has ended in song! He received a glimpse of the glory of God, and despite the certain suffering that looms on the horizon; he knows that this God will be enough for him. What a progression—from protest to praise.

Application:

Habakkuk was about to 'go under' when he started his writing. Destruction, violence, strife, conflict, injustice, and wickedness were all he could see. But he cried out to God and his cry did not go unheeded. The Lord not only answered his complaint but also provided the confidence needed to lift him from the quagmire. Habakkuk started in the pits, but ended on the mountaintop. His journey was not exactly an easy one, but it was certainly worth it.

Habakkuk teaches us to face our doubts and questions honestly, take them humbly to the Lord, wait for His Word to teach us, and then worship Him no matter how we feel or what we see.

Prayer:

Father,

I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
I do not understand your ways,
But you know the way for me. Amen

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Back to Church Sunday is September 12, 10 am. Who have you invited to come back to church?
The Truth Project starts Wednesday night September 15, 7 pm. This study is the starting point for looking at life from a biblical perspective. Each lesson discusses in great detail the relevance and importance of living the Christian worldview in daily life. Come join us for snacks, a DVD and discussion.
AND.....Don't forget Wild & Wacky Wednesday with WACEY....oh I mean Lacey. The kids will be sure to have a fun and exciting time as they explore instruments.

WK #33 Waiting - A Thought Better Expressed by a Colleague

2010-08-26T04:59:00.000-04:00

Scripture

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5, NIV

Personal Comment

I was working through various items to write about this week and had pretty much dismissed all of my ideas. The majority were too political as I’m sure you are up to your eyeballs with discussions of Tea, religion and war. Personally, I think those are all great topics but not always beneficial, or so my Editor says.

Then I remembered a quote from one of my preaching classes, “sometimes you just have to get out of the way.” Well today I will follow that advice and repost a devotional thought from my co-laborer in the vineyard Pastor Gary O’Shell of Dulles Family Life Church of the Nazarene. The past two weeks have been emotionally and physically demanding and sometimes somebody else does a better job of speaking to the heart of what you are living.

Observation

Waiting is not something our flesh finds easy. Waiting in hope seems even more difficult, likely even impossible. Yet, this is exactly what the Father, in all situations of need, calls us to do. Why? How? Even more, just what does it mean to "wait in hope?"

Psalm 130:5 reads, "I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait. And in His Word I do hope." Maybe the first thing we need to do is come to a real understanding of what God means by calling upon us to wait on Him. In this Psalm the Hebrew word used for wait means "To wrap ourselves around Him." This isn't some passive, helpless response but one of action. As we wait upon Him, we entwine ourselves with Him, literally, become "wrapped up in Him."

I think the common thought concerning waiting upon God is that He is someplace far away from us, doing "God things" while we stand by, helpless, waiting for Him to do something, and subject to anxiety, stress, and frustration all the while. We wait, unsure that He will help, and maybe even unsure that He even desires to. Having hope in those kind of conditions is very hard, even impossible. It may be that we also need to understand more clearly what He means when He tells us to not only wait on Him, but to hope in Him as we wait.

Pastor and writer Dutch Sheets says in his book, “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again,” says, “The Old Testament word for hope means ‘cord.’ The root of the word means to “bind together by twisting. Hope connects. It braids us together with God.” Are we getting a picture here? I think most of our ideas about waiting upon Him and hoping in Him have as a picture, God standing in one place, and we in another, with a huge gap in between. We don't seem a part of His life, and for certain He seems to have little part in ours. We wait and hope in our own strength, and the result is a total lack of peace and assurance. We feel we have to plead with the Father for help that He seems determined to hold back. That will always be the case when we live with a great divide between ourselves and our daily reality, and the reality of Who He is.

Application

His Word tells us that in Christ, He has freely given all we need to have life, so why do continue to approach Him as if He is constantly holding something back from us? As anyone who has ever been a part of a long distance relationship knows, it is very hard to really come to know someone that way. We can come to a surface knowledge, but to truly have and know intimacy, there needs to be a daily intertwining of lives, which can never take place from a distance.

It's no different as concerns us and the Father. We cannot know Him as long as that gap exists between us. Christ is the bridge between us, and the means to be able to not only come to Him, but to be able to wrap ourselves around Him, bind ourselves together in Him, to truly become one with Him. When that happens, we discover the true beauty of what it means to wait in hope. He's no longer a cold, distant deity who must be begged for favors, but a loving Father Who, because we have become such a part of Him, and He of us, instills such a deep peace and rest in us, that we are able to wait and hope not in the expectation of what He will give or do, but in the wonder of Who He is.

I think there's little doubt that you, like me, find yourself waiting upon Him in some area of your life today. How will you do that? From a distance, across a great divide, all the while seeing Him as a kind of blur, or up close, in intimacy, as you, we, respond to His call to wait upon Him in hope, and wrap ourselves up in Him, binding ourselves together in and with Him? No force or power can break the cord that comes about from such a joining.

Prayer

Lord, whatever this day may bring, Your name be praised. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Back to Church Sunday is September 12, 10 am. Who are you praying for those that you need to invite?
The Truth Project starts Wednesday night September 15, 7 pm. This study is the starting point for looking at life from a biblical perspective. Each lesson discusses in great detail the relevance and importance of living the Christian worldview in daily life. Come join us for snacks, a DVD and discussion.

WK# 32 Fear Not!

2010-08-18T07:10:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio of this posting click on the small arrow below:

Scripture

So do not fear, for I am with you;
       do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
       I will strengthen you and help you;
       I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

"All who rage against you
       will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
       those who oppose you
       will be as nothing and perish. Isaiah 41:10-11 (NIV)

Observation

God has a great desire for us to reach the goals that He sets out for our lives. But we also have an adversary that would do anything to keep us from reaching those goals. It’s these obstacles that keep us from living victorious in Jesus Christ.

There are quite a number of roadblocks that keep us from achieving these goals. Scripture would suggest at least five; fear, doubt, excuses, procrastination and laziness. But since we can identify these areas in our life we can overcome them.

When we experience fear our focus shifts from Jesus. And fear comes in many different forms; failure, criticism, and rejection. When we give in to those thoughts and feelings we find ourselves in bondage. To overcome them we have to shift back to looking at Jesus.

Doubt is the lack of assurance that God can or will help us to succeed. Past failures, negative influences and even ignorance of the scriptures can lead us to this roadblock.

When was the last time you heard one of these? “I haven’t had the breaks that others have had,” “my parents didn’t teach me correctly,” or “I’m too busy.” You see, excuses make disobedience too comfortable. Consider Adam’s attempt to blame Eve for his bad decision as an example.

One of my personal favorites is procrastination, delaying an action that causes discomfort. Boy does that ever inhibit your success. Sometimes you just have to tear off the band aide in order to let the healing begin.

And finally laziness, a close cousin of procrastination; I think we can all find examples in life of how this behavior has prevented us and others from achieving God’s plan and purpose.

Application

The Proverbs tell us that wise people check their "path" to identify anything that inhibits them following Christ fully. If any of these roadblocks are impeding your success, push them aside. Find scriptures to help battle temptations. Ask God for strength so you can live freely and purposefully in the way He has planned. And personally, I like to read about Paul the Apostle. He lived his life in such confidence that if God lead him to a door, then he knew God would reduce the adversaries to a manageable size before he had to deal with them.

Prayer

All blessing, glory, and honor be unto you, Lord God of hosts. You make, break, recreate, encompass, incorporate, fulfill, and consummate all the agony of my spirit, and all its exaltation. You have to hold it all together – all the heights, all the depths – because I can’t. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

· Education Meeting, Saturday, August 21 10am is for all teachers (adult, children, including DiscipleTown servants) and for those who are interested in the Christian Education of our church.

· Back to Church Sunday is September 12, 10am. Who are you praying for that you need to invite?

· The Truth Project starts Wednesday night September 15, 7 pm. This study is the starting point for looking at life from a biblical perspective. Each lesson discusses in great detail the relevance and importance of living the Christian worldview in daily life. Come join us for snacks, a DVD and discussion.

WK#31 A Story of Accountability and Endurance

2010-08-10T18:59:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below:

Scripture
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NRSV)

Observation
Two months before his famous Aldersgate experience in 1738, John Wesley was ready to give up on preaching altogether. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea of salvation by faith alone, and he told himself, “How can you preach to others if you don’t have faith yourself?”
His friend Peter Böhler, a Moravian missionary, didn’t let Wesley off the hook so easily. When John asked Peter if he should stop preaching, Böhler replied, “By no means.”
So Wesley asked, “But what can I preach?”
Böhler answered, “Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith.”
Wesley then proceeded to share the gospel and offer salvation through Christ to a guy on death row. (The guy’s name was Clifford, in case you’re wondering.) And remember, this was all before Aldersgate. Wesley wasn’t even sure about his own salvation yet! This concept has been nicknamed the Böhler Principle.

Application
The writer of Hebrews tells us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NRSV) and in Romans 4:17 Paul writes that God “gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist (NRSV).” The world tells us that seeing is believing, but God says to believe and then you will see. The world says, “Fake it till you make it,” but the Böhler Principle says, “Preach faith till you have it.” It’s not the same thing. It’s not even two sides of the same coin.

What role does the Böhler Principle have in our life and ministry? I have a couple of ideas:

A new movement of people who aren’t afraid to pray for people to be healed of all kinds of sickness. I don’t mean the token polite “if it’s your will, Lord” prayers that sound almost hopeless. I’m talking about gutsy prayer that often comes with (and after) times of fasting. I’m talking about desperate prayer that instills faith in the ones being prayed for. Prayer that doesn’t quickly take “no” for an answer. Prayer that continues whether or not everyone (or even anyone) is healed immediately. We need Christians (Nazarenes) who will pray for people to be healed until they begin to see people healed. Then, because they are seeing people being healed, they’ll continue to pray that way. The Böhler Principle isn’t ultimately about preaching, it’s about faith.
A new movement of people who speak with certainty and authority even when they have doubts. This idea flies in the face of some of the current spiritual trends doesn’t it? Asking questions (without really looking for answers) and affirming each other’s doubts have become hallmarks of postmodern spirituality, but I honestly I don’t much appeal in that approach. I’m convinced that one of the reasons Christianity is on the decline in many areas is that we’re training our spiritual posterity to wear their doubt like a straitjacket. Instead we should be teaching them to cultivate a faith that rests on God’s word (as opposed to a faith that rests on something else or is suspended in mid-air.) More of us need to learn to look past circumstances so we can see possibilities. And we need to be willing to go out on a limb for God even when we don’t think we have it all together ourselves.

So, what are your thoughts? How can God use you to help call things into existence that don’t yet exist? If faith is the conviction of things not seen, where in your life are you exercising real Biblical faith? How can Nazarenes preach holiness when we’re still being made holy? Can we instill a faith in others that we haven’t completely experienced for ourselves?
Prayer

Dearest Lord Jesus, thank you that I can come and bring my doubts, as did Thomas; my fears, as did Joseph of Arimathea; my shame, as did the woman caught in adultery; my questions, as did Nicodemus. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Preview the Children’s Musical "The Christmas Puzzle" Saturday, August 14 from 10-11am. This meeting is for adults who are interested in helping the children prepare this easy to perform musical. Children are welcome to attend this meeting with their parents however the main purpose is to identify the team to support the children in this endeavor.

· Education Meeting, Saturday, August 21 10am is for all teachers (adult, children, including DiscipleTown servants) and for those who are interested in the Christian Education of our church.

· Back to Church Sunday is September 12, 10am. Who are you praying for that you need to invite?

WK#30 The Right Tool for the Job

2010-08-03T18:29:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the link below:

Scripture
"David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them 'I cannot go in these,' he said to Saul, 'because I am not used to them.' So he took them off." (1 Samuel 17:39).

Observation
David, the young shepherd boy, heard the challenge from the Philistines to send someone to fight Goliath. No one volunteered to fight except David. Even after hearing his impassioned plea, King Saul only reluctantly agreed and then offered David his armor. With help David put on the weighty equipment, but quickly concluded he could not fight in this heavy armor. So he gave it back to King Saul.
God equips each of us in such a way that is unique to our strengths and abilities. David knew who he was and who he wasn't. As a shepherd David was trained to use another weapon; a slingshot. In realizing he could not be effective with Saul's armor David showed great maturity.

Application
What are the gifts and talents God has given to you? Have you ever tried to accomplish a task with tools you were not trained to use? God allows each of us to develop skills that are unique to our life. He won’t call you to use someone else's tools.

But, this is only half of the equation. These talents we have to be mixed with faith. Talent alone is not enough. Faith alone is not enough. It is only when the two are combined that God's power is released and made manifest in the physical realm.

Sometimes we admire the talents of others and seek to imitate them. The temptation arises to be someone we are not. This is a mistake. You need to let God live His life through the unique you. So, mix your unique gifts with faith today; you will be surprised at the power of God that will be displayed.

Prayer

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Children's Christmas Musical Preview - Saturday, August 14 10am in the Education Wing. This meeting is for adults who are interested in helping the children prepare this easy to perform musical. Children are welcome to attend this meeting with their parents however the main purpose is to identify the team to support the children in this endeavor.
Back to Church Sunday is September 12, 10am. Who are you praying for that needs to be Reconnected, Refocused or Reloved?
Our Wednesday evening Bible study entitled “The Truth Project” will get underway on Wednesday, September 15. Please sign-up so that we can order the material. Watch for video clips during the announcements Sunday mornings

WK#29 – Don’t stop believin’

2010-07-28T18:32:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the link below:

Scripture

"While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official saying, "Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore." But when Jesus heard this, He answered him, "Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well." (Luke 8:49, NIV)

Observation

It has been some time since I opened on a musical note. I don’t know about you but I have this musical soundtrack that runs through my head during the day. It usually starts off when I first wake up and continues pretty much unabated throughout the day. So there are times, like when I’m reading scripture that certain songs just burst into my brain.

This scripture reminds of that song by Journey; cue the power ballad. But it also reminds me of the Pygmalion effect or as we more commonly refer to it as a self-fulfilling prophesy. So for example, if I think I'm going to fail, in my heart I will have that tendency that will make me work to make that thinking come to reality. To avoid any negative expectations, we must always expect the best.

The Bible defines faith as "the way we see things." Faith is powerful and we need to use it correctly. What we see in this passage is the misuse of faith. Here the people thought the girl was dead, but the Lord said “do not fear keep believing.”

You see when we use our faith; we can’t use it in believing the worse. We need to use faith for good and for what's best and we must keep believing and hoping in the Lord.

I don’t know about you but it’s very easy to get into a routine. That’s one of the issues we have to guard ourselves against; a 'maintenance mode' life. If we think we're status quo and not growing we will have a tendency in our hearts that will create that reality. That is where the old saying that goes; “If you do what you always do, then you get what you always got” is true. If we're not careful, what we believe will come to pass. A definition for insanity.

But our future will be determined by the way we see it today. "As is thy faith, so shall it be done to you" (Matthew 8:13). We all paint our future with drab grays and diluted colors or as Yoda would say, “The future always clouded with emotion.” But God wants us to live in the light of faith and to paint with neon colors.

Application

To cooperate with the Lord, write down things the Lord places on your heart. Ask yourself the most profound questions you can, and then ask God to give you the answer. The Lord will tell you. When God speaks to you, write down what He is saying, and start in faith by doing it. By thinking positively and believing that this is a new season in your life your future will begin to unfold. I like this definition of "vision"; believing in the best optimum picture of what the future will look like.

How can I encourage you to practice to apply your faith? Faith is like any muscle, it has to be exercised to grow strong. We have to feed it the things that will make it strong - like reading the Word, journaling and praying every day. If you're serious about getting serious with God, then we must increase our faith by building towards our future.

Prayer

O God in Christ, I receive your fullness. Increase my capacity to believe, to obey, and to enjoy. I will not be content with hand-me-down truth or secondhand faith. I want it fresh and whole. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

This Sunday we will be installing our new Church Board and celebrating communion.
Back to Church Sunday is September 12^th. Who are you praying for that needs to be Reconnected, Refocused or Reloved?
Our Wednesday evening Bible study entitled “The Truth Project” will get underway on September 15^th. Please sign-up so that we can order the material. Watch for video clips during the announcements Sunday mornings.

WK #28 Lord, help me see tomorrow

2010-07-21T06:23:00.003-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below

Scripture – Psalm 30:10-12 NIV

Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
     O LORD, be my help."
You turned my wailing into dancing;
     you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
     O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Observation

I wanted to share a poem with you this week. It is by Mary Ann Bernard entitled “Resurrection.”

Long, long, long ago;

Way before this winter’s snow

First fell upon these weathered fields;

I used to sit and watch and feel

And dream of how the spring would be,

When through the winter’s stormy sea

She’d raise her green and growing head,

Her warmth would resurrect the dead.

Long before this winter’s snow

I dreamt of this day’s sunny glow

And thought somehow my pain would pass

With winter’s pain, and peace like grass

Would simply grow. The pain’s not gone.

It’s still cold and hard and long

As lonely pain has ever been,

It cuts so deep and far within.

Long before this winter’s snow

I ran from pain, looked high and low

For some fast way to get around

Its hurt and cold. I’d have found,

If I had looked at what was there,

That things don’t follow fast or fair.

That life goes on, and times do change,

And grass does grow despite life’s pains.

Long before this winter’s snow

I thought that this day’s sunny glow,

The smiling children and growing things

And flowers bright were brought by spring.

Now I know the sun does shine,

That children smile, and from the dark, cold grime

A flower comes. It groans, yet sings,

And through its pain, its peace begins.

Application

Christ never promises peace in the sense of no more struggle and suffering. Instead, he helps us to struggle and suffer as he did, in love, for one another.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for those who face great temptation;
     who feel overwhelmed by tasks too great for their powers;
     who stand in any valley of decision;
     who are suffering the consequences of misdeeds long ago repented of;
     who, by reason of early surroundings,
     have never had a fair chance in life. Amen.

Some thing to be mindful of this week:

ReCONNECT, ReFOCUS, ReLOVE - who are you going to invite to BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY, Sept. 12th? Post their name on the foyer bulletin board and start praying now.
The Truth Project - New Fall study begins Wed., Sept. 15th 7pm sign up online or through your Sunday morning connection card. Materials will need to be ordered mid August.
The Annual Celebration of Mission and Ministry (District Assembly) is nearly here. In just a few days we will be gathering in Waynesboro for a great time of inspiration, celebration and accountability, hope to see you there!

WK #27 I will follow You

2010-07-13T20:21:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below:

Scripture

“Naaman was furious 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 wave his hand over the place and cure the leper’.” 2 Kings 5:11

Observation

You will not always like the way God answers. Believe me. In fact, we often complain when our prayers are answered.
But look how Moses prayed in Exodus 13:

“I pray if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You…”

God’s ways are higher than ours, and if we’re not careful, we will confuse His ways with our expectations of His ways.

We are like Naaman, the leprous captain of the Aramean army who came to Elisha to be healed. When he heard that the answer to his prayers would result from taking seven dips in the

Jordan

, his response was immediate. “You think I’m going to take seven baths in that muddy drip of an excuse you call a river?” (Pastor’s paraphrase)

Ok, think about some of the things we pray for:

· We pray for more people to come to church. God answers, but now we complain because we have seating problems.

· We pray for people to receive Christ. God answers. Now we have to work harder and actually make calls to follow up on them.

· We ask God to increase our ministries. God answers. Now we have to deal with new people who are caught between weird and normal.

· We ask God for more ministries. Now I complain because I am stressing out due to ministry demands.

· We pray for a spouse. He answers. Now we say, “It’s the woman you gave me!”

· We ask for children. He gives them to us. Now we ask God to take them back!

(Editors note: The Writer got confessional on several of those last prayers and begs your indulgence.)

Application
When we ask God to teach us forgiveness, He doesn’t send us “forgiveness” in via UPS. Instead He gives us a way to forgive. When we ask Him to help us not be angry, we soon find ourselves in a situation where self–control is required. When we ask Him for an increased love, He does not give it to us. Instead, He puts us in a situation that demands us to love more deeply.

I don’t know if I like the way He answers prayers. I just wish when I prayed He’d wave His hand over me and change things. But that is not the ways of God. His goal is not to change the situation alone. It’s that along the way, He changes me.

Solomon reminds us to “keep our words few” and not crave things we’re not ready for. That is good advice but it is tough to live by.

I’ve heard people and pastors bemoaning the fact that their church wasn’t growing fast enough. They were asked the following questions:

· Is your church ready for growth?

· Do you have the disciplers in place should people come in droves?

· Do you have a way to assimilate them? Follow up?

· Do you have enough leaders to handle the increase?

Did they really want growth, or did they want more numbers? If we are not ready, the people could come but leave dissatisfied… not just with our church, but with THE Church!

Before God changes the situation, He changes us. That’s His way.
We read about the Disney way or the Nordstrom way. Maybe it’s time we agree with Moses and say, “Teach us YOUR way.”

Prayer

My God, I put myself before you to receive instructions for the course you assign me today. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Each Wednesday through August the church building will be open from 7 pm to 8 pm to pray for our music transition. You are welcome to come and pray with Jan and I.
District Assembly is July 22^nd – 24^th at Waynesboro Community Fellowship Church of the Nazarene in Waynesboro. The schedule starts Thursday night at 7 pm with featured speaker Adalberta Herrera “Focus on Discipleship.” Friday morning at 8.30 am is the Missions Convention with the District Assembly and the Ordination service starting 7 pm Friday night. The District Assembly will recommence Saturday morning at 8.30 am and conclude at 1 pm.
Family Camp will be held at the District Campground August 3^rd – 8^th in Buckingham.

WK 26 A Season of Change

2010-07-08T21:33:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the link below

Friends, everybody needs a few! But incorrect expectations about friendships can trip you up and leave you lame for a season. Let's discuss friendship expectations.

Solomon appointed the "office of a friend." We find in 1 Kings 4:5 these words: "Zabud the son of Nathan, a priest, was the king's friend..." David had his thirty mighty men (1 Chronicles 11). We all long for friends that we can do life together with. Should that be found, rejoice, but this kind of kinship is an exception to the rule. It is rare and precious.

First, invest in your time with the greatest friend of all and you will not require someone with whom you must process everything. You must learn how to take time with Christ on a daily basis. I meet with Him each morning, and every time we meet, we discuss pertinent things about my family, my ministry, and my future.

The longest partnership should be your spouse and family. It is crucial to invest in these friendships the most. Don't deprioritize them. You cannot afford to sacrifice your family or marriage on the altar of success. Invest in them without apology. Begin by prioritizing your spouse. Invest in that friendship most of all. Most of the time, friendships are for a season. We don't want those seasons to end, but they do ... regardless of the sincere intent in the beginning to stay true to a godly cause with one another.

Mathew 26:35 finds the disciples with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He is warning them of the impending crucifixion. "Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same."

Comforting words spoken boldly, ones that Jesus accepted and received, but he also knew they would not be kept. Cordial words motivated by the zeal of the moment. That didn't make the words wrong... just unbuildable.

Jesus knew their words, when put under the pressure test of reality, would collapse. He actually factored that in and was prepared for their hasty departures when the soldiers appeared. Their flight at His moment of arrest didn't take Jesus by surprise. It didn't even cause Him consternation. What broke Christ's heart was not the fleeing of His disciples but the turning away of the Father at the sin of mankind He bore to the cross. It was understood in the light of redemption, but it still did not remove the pain of the moment.

However, once redemption's toll was satisfied, we were granted the sure promise that the price does not ever need to be paid again. It is a "once and for all" satisfaction for sin's debt. Hebrews 13:5 reminds us that God will never leave us nor forsake us.
God never will, but man might.

This is an essential. Staff, friends, and congregants with zeal and commitment may assure you that they will always be there; cordial words spoken in sincerity. Just don't build on them too firmly. See these wonderful people as partners and gifts along the way; some will stay for a short time, others longer. Some leave because of what God is doing in them. Others leave because of what God is trying to do in you. Failures on both ends can exacerbate hasty departures.

Some will leave because of family; some because of perceived failure. Some may have a viable calling to leave, others not. Death is the final separator, but somewhere along the line, we all will experience them. Plan on it.

Don't mourn over seasons that have been completed. Rather, give thanks for them and look forward to the next. Always call them friends who have nourished your life, but always look to Jesus as the One who will nourish your soul. No human being can take His place.

God will add friendships along the way, especially in ministry. Friends, cherish them but don't hang onto them or expect them to last a lifetime. Enjoy their company while the season lasts. Receive every co-laborer as a gift; friends who will share the burden along the way. Enjoy those God places in your path for as long as they are there, but be certain to lean on God alone. His grace and presence will definitely be enough.

The length of their stay, only God knows. But love them and encourage them as if God had asked you to prepare them for their next journey, and should they embark, they will always call you "friend."

As we prepare on July 25th to part with our friend Jan Sinozich, I am calling the Church to prayer and fasting. Pray for Janice in the next part of her life in ministry, pray for those left behind on the worship team and pray for whom God will call to lead us. I am asking you to join with me and fast from music one day a week for the months of July and August. God can not do a new work when the container is full so I will be opening space in my life to hear the music of God during this time of transition.

Prayer:

God of all, ease any tense muscles or strained nerves or wrought-up emotions. Let me be relaxed in body and calm in spirit so that I may be more responsive to your presence. I pause, Father, to commune with you. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of:

District Assembly is July 22-24 at Waynesboro Community Church
Family Camp is August 3-8 at the District Campground in Buckingham.
Our “Back to Church” campaign is gearing up. On Sunday September 12^th, we will kick-off our Fall schedule. Do you know someone who has gotten out of the habit of church, someone who has lost focus in their lives, and someone who we need to love on a little? Then put their name on our prayer board so that we can be in prayer and encourage them to join us on Sunday September 12^th.

WK 26 – Thoughts on Politics as a Pastor

2010-07-01T05:26:00.000-04:00

It may come as little surprise to know that I read sermons. I also listen to them as much as possible; someday I may actually get good at it. But since it is coming up toward the 4^th of July, and we have such a charged atmosphere in regard to how we American citizens feel about our country I thought I would let you read how one Pastor, Samuel Wales, saw and spoke of the future of

America

from the pulpit.

His sermon below was preached to the Connecticut Assembly in 1785. In it he reaches the following conclusion, “In the review of our subject, I think we may justly make this reflection: Let us not flatter ourselves too much with an idea of the future prosperity and glory of these

United States

.” And this was in 1785!

The political landscape of

America

was shaped by the clergy of this country. It is place that has been witness to abuse, from both sides and for many causes. It is a fine line to tread. In fact many people today don’t want to be Christians because they think you must become a Republican. Heaven forbid that we give the impression that we are other than God’s people despite what we may think or otherwise act.

I hope you can enjoy the sermon. See you on the 4^th at 6 pm for a Sundae night fellowship service.

THE DANGERS OF OUR NATIONAL PROSPERITY; AND THE WAY TO AVOID THEM

Samuel Wales (1748–1794). The son of Reverend John Wales and a classmate at Yale of Nathanael Emmons, Samuel Wales studied theology with Eleazar Wheelock, taught at Wheelock’s Indian School at Lebanon Crank, and was licensed to preach by the Plympton, Massachusetts, ministerial association in 1769. He served as a tutor at Yale for a time before accepting the call of the First Congregational Church in Milford, Connecticut, where he remained for eleven years. He resigned this post to accept appointment in 1782 as Livingston Professor of Divinity at Yale, a chair created upon the death of Reverend David Daggett. He was subsequently honored with a D.D. from both Yale and Princeton. Shortly afterward Wales began to suffer from epilepsy, which, from 1786 onward, became steadily worse until he was all but incapacitated. He died at the age of forty-six of burns suffered when he fell into a fire during a seizure. The Connecticut election sermon reprinted here, was preached before the General Assembly in Hartford on May 12, 1785, and shows a powerful mind at work.

Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments and his judgements and his statutes which I command thee this day:—Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;—Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Deuteronomy VIII. 11, 12, 13, and 14.

These words contain a divine instruction to the people of Israel, respecting their state of prosperity in the promised land. The instruction is not typical or merely local, but of a moral and universal nature. It may therefore with propriety, be applied to all people in every age, whenever they are in a prosperous state. With singular propriety may it be applied to the people of these United States, who, after the severe distresses of unnatural war and civil discord, are now happy in the blessings of peace and plenty. Let me then request the indulgence of this very respectable auditory, while, in order to apply to ourselves the divine caution of our text, I endeavour,

I. To point out some of those evils which, as a people we have reason to fear in our present national prosperity. And then,

II. To exhibit, in a very concise manner, that line of conduct which we ought to pursue, in order to secure through the divine favour the continuance of those blessings which we now enjoy.

A political discussion of these points, it is presumed will not be expected nor desired. It is proposed to consider them especially in a moral and religious view. Indeed never should it be forgotten that all the measures of civil policy ought to be founded on the great principles of religion; or, at the least, to be perfectly consistent with them: otherwise they will never be esteemed, because they will be contrary to that moral sense of right and wrong which God has implanted in the breast of every rational being. But to proceed,

I. Let us attend to some of those evils which, as a people, we have reason especially to fear in our present national prosperity. That we have been and still are greatly blessed with national prosperity, I conceive, will not be doubted. We have been often delivered in a most signal manner, both from the secret stratagems and the open assaults of our enemies. Great is the salvation which heaven hath wrought for us in the full restoration of the blessings of peace. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. He hath given us a very extensive country abounding with the richest gifts of nature. With sufficient ease do we procure all the necessaries, together with most of the conveniencies and delicacies of life. Could we procure them with more ease or in greater plenty, we should not be in so desirable a situation as we are now. A proper view of all our various blessings will lead us to conclude that we are indeed the most highly favoured people under heaven. God hath not dealt so with any other nation.

But security in happiness is not the lot of humanity. This is equally true of all mankind, whether we consider them as individuals or as united in society. In the midst of all our present publick happiness, dangers surround us and evils hang over our heads.

The greatest evil by which we are endangered, and which indeed is the source of all others, is the want of true religion. It is true, the superior blessings which we enjoy are well calculated to promote religion, to promote each of its essential branches, piety and charity. And such affects would those blessings naturally produce, did we improve them as we ought. But through the perverseness of our nature there is much danger that we shall use them for very different purposes. When we are favoured with a profusion of earthly good, we are exceedingly prone to set our hearts upon it with an immoderate affection, neglecting our bountiful Creator from whom alone all good is derived. We bathe and bury ourselves in the streams, forgetting the fountain whence they flow. This is indeed a very disingenuous behaviour towards the Father of mercies. It certainly discovers a very sordid disposition, a depraved and contracted mind. Such a disposition, however, is but too natural to man in his present degenerate state.

We are much more inclined to murmur at God’s justice in adversity than to acknowledge his goodness in prosperity; more ready to view God as the author of evil than as the author of good. In the distresses of the late war, though they were most evidently brought upon us by the instrumentality of men, we were nevertheless much more ready to impute them to the hand of God, than we now are to acknowledge the same hand in the happiness of peace, and the other rich blessings of his providence and grace. When our wants are very pressing, we are willing, or pretend to be willing to apply to God for relief. But no sooner is the relief given than we set our hearts upon the gift, and neglect the giver; or rather make use of his own bounty in order to fight against him. The reason is, because we are more inclined to love the creature than the Creator, to be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. On this account, Moses with peculiar emphasis warns the Israelites to stand on their guard against such impiety in the days of their prosperity: Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God.

If we now attend to matters of fact we shall find no reason to think more lightly of the dangers before us. The history of the Israelites shews us that they greatly needed the caution which Moses gave them. Scarcely a prosperous period in their history can be pointed out which was not followed by a decay of piety, and a corruption of morals. This was the case soon after their happy settlement in the land of Canäan. This was the case very frequently in the times of their judges and kings. And this was eminently the case with respect to their highest state of wealth and power under the reign of Solomon. The very great prosperity of this happy reign produced very unhappy effects, even upon that wise king, as well as upon his court, and his subjects. The profligacy of his court may be seen in the history of his life: and that the moral state of his subjects was also exceedingly corrupt, appears from their conduct immediately after his death. Even in the good reign of the pious Hezekiah, ingratitude and irreligion were the consequences of success and prosperity. Hezekiah rendered not according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.* The character of Israel, as drawn in the spirit of prophesy by Moses may, with the utmost propriety, be applied to them in every stage of their prosperity.

They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is he not thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee and established thee? But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked, thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation. They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.*

Nor was this pernicious effect of abused prosperity peculiar to the people of Israel. It has, in one degree or another, been common to all people in every age of the world. It has been the case even with the Christian church. The consequences of outward prosperity have been often more fatal to the Christian cause than those of adversity. Indeed the distresses and persecutions of the church have often produced a very happy effect in the advancement of true Christianity. Hence that observation in primitive times: “The blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church.” But the like happy effect has seldom if ever followed from a state of external peace and opulence. The first great instance of signal prosperity granted to the Christians in the beginning of the fourth century under Constantine the great, was soon followed by a great loss of fervent piety, and a sad corruption both of doctrines and morals. And the same sad effect has followed from many instances of their prosperity in succeeding ages; particularly from the flourishing state of many protestant churches since the grand emancipation from the papal See. Indeed wealth and power have been and still are the great supporters of that man of sin who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped.

Wealth, with its common attendants, idleness and pleasure, were the ruin of Sodom and Gomorrah. “Behold, this was the iniquity of Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters.”† These same things were the ruin of mighty Babylon. “Thou that art given to pleasures, said the prophet, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else besides me.”‡ In what a striking manner were these words verified in the day of her fall! The same things brought destruction upon each of the four great monarchies, and upon most of the other states and kingdoms which have fallen, one after another in the successive ages of time. And the very same things have proved ruinous to individuals without number. Surely we have no reason to call the proud, happy, or to look with a covetous eye upon the glare of earthly greatness. Misery lies hid beneath it, and destruction is its usual attendant.

Since then a prosperous state has been so often followed with such an effect both on public communities, and on individuals, have we not reason to fear a similar effect from our national prosperity at the present day? Is it not a sad truth, that since the commencement of the late war, and especially since the restoration of peace, the holy religion of Jesus, that brightest ornament of our world, is, by many less regarded than it was before? And are not the sacred institutions of the gospel more neglected and despised? Are not the friends of Christianity treated with more disregard? Are not infidelity and profligacy of manners, viewed with less concern, and by many considered as matters of trivial consequence? Still, we ought with the highest gratitude to acknowledge the sovereign grace of Almighty God, which has, in some places, been manifested in the support of his own cause. In several of our states he has been pleased to excite in the minds of many individuals, here and there, an unusual attention to divine and eternal things. He saw us unpurified by the furnace of affliction: He saw us disregarding him while he spake to us in the whirlwind, the earthquake, and the fire. Yet has he been pleased to speak to us not only by the still voice of peace after war, but also by the omnipotent voice of his holy Spirit; inviting us to become the subjects of the Prince of peace, and making numbers in one place and another, as we trust, the actual possessors of that peace which the world can neither give nor take away. To his great name be all the glory ascribed.

But notwithstanding some pleasing appearances of true religion, in several places, we have too much reason to fear that “the unthinking many” are abusing our present prosperity in such a manner as to produce a very different effect. We have reason to fear that they are fast growing into that state of irreligion which has been noticed already. The symptoms and effects of this evil are already too manifest; and will probably continue and increase unto more ungodliness, unless vigorous measures be taken to prevent them. Some few of these evils which may be called symptoms and effects of irreligion I beg leave particularly to mention.

[1.] In the first place, one of them which we have much reason to lament and fear, is ingratitude, vile ingratitude both to God and to man. During the troubles of the late war, how ardently did we wish for peace? While our lives and liberties were endangered; while our very existence as a nation, was in doubt; while we were threatened with all the horrors of a crushed rebellion and all the vengeance of a very potent enemy peculiarly incensed against us; how eagerly did we long after that independence, that established liberty and national happiness which we now enjoy? We then saw and felt our need of help from God. While the horrid contest was long doubtful, we acknowledged that the issue must be determined by the sovereign disposer of events. At some periods victory and success were so greatly in favour of our enemies, and our own affairs were, in many respects, so exceedingly embarrassed, that the stoutest hearts were almost ready to fail. At some seasons there seemed to be no way left but to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. This salvation we sought of him; nor did we seek in vain. His own arm brought salvation. By a series of the most visible interpositions of his providence, he has made wars to cease thro’ the land, and blest us with all that our hearts desired.

But alas! what poor returns have we made to our great Deliverer! Witness our cold hearts and our irreligious lives. How much less inclined are we to return him sincere thanks for these favours now, than we were to ask them of him in the times of our distress? How small are the emotions of gratitude in our hearts, towards the God of all our salvations! And what little honour do we bring to his name by our lives and conversation! With too much propriety may we apply to ourselves these words of the psalmist:

When he slew them, they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their Redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.*

Nor have we been guilty of ingratitude towards God only; we have been guilty of the same evil towards man. Although this be a less evil than the former, it is nevertheless an evil which we ought to condemn and reform. We are certainly under great obligations to those who have voluntarily taken an hazardous or an expensive part, in effecting our late happy revolution. They have been, under God, the saviours of our country. They have been instrumental in effecting one of the most happy and interesting events which have taken place in the present age, or in any other. Their merit is certainly great. Yet after all, are they not too much in the situation of the poor wise man, mentioned in sacred writ, who by his wisdom delivered from impending danger, the city in which he dwelt, but was nevertheless soon universally forgotton? Do we give them that praise, that respect, that reward to which they have a just claim? That we have not yet afforded that reward which they justly claim, cannot be denied. This thought leads me to say,

2. That another particular evil into which we have fallen, and by which we are much endangered, is injustice, injustice to the best and most deserving friends of our country. Those are certainly to be esteemed some of the most deserving friends of the country, who have willingly lent her either their lives or their property in the late important struggle. To such persons we are under obligations not only of gratitude but of justice. Their voluntary sacrifices have, through the divine blessing, purchased for us our lives and fortunes, our liberties, our independence, our peace, and in a great measure, all our temporal happiness.

Whether all who thus served their country acted wholly from disinterested views, is a question which we ought not to ask them, and which, with honour, we cannot ask. That many of them acted from the most generous and patriotic motives, cannot be doubted by a candid mind. The least that we can do for them, according to strict justice, is to afford them a reward equal to the full import of our promises. This, however, with regret be it spoken, has not been done. But in lieu of this, many who have generously loaned their property to the country in the season of her most pressing want and danger, have for a long time been unable to obtain a single farthing either of the principle or of the interest, though both have been long justly due.* And whenever any payments of annuities have been attempted, they have been generally, if not universally made in a depreciating medium which immediately annihilated in their hands a very considerable part of its nominal value. In a similar way have we effected most of the payments which have been made to our armies. Indeed as to most of our public securities, there has uniformly been a wide difference between their real and their nominal value. This is a difference which never ought to have existed: a difference manifestly contrary to the nature and claims of justice and truth. And after all, the faithful soldier who has in the face of the greatest discouragements and dangers persevered in the service of his country to the close of the war, receives a very considerable part of his pay in a paper medium which he is obliged to sell or barter for one eighth part of its nominal value, one half quarter only of the value of which he receives it.

Gladly would I draw a veil over this part of our national conduct, were it possible, and could it be done with propriety. But it cannot be done, it ought not to be attempted. The best and wisest thing which we can now do with regard to this matter, is, to reprobate our own conduct and reform it for the future. Let us not pretend any longer to excuse ourselves by promising and promising that we will do justice to our creditors at some distant period of time. Such promises are easily made and commonly of little worth. Nor do they by any means answer the demands of justice provided they should be hereafter fulfilled. For justice requires punctuality with respect to the time of payment as really as with respect to the sum which is due. A failure in the former of these points, is often more pernicious than in the latter. Let us no longer plead inability in our own vindication. I hope indeed this plea may be made in vindication of some of our past deficiences, but I fear it can by no means justify them all. It is, at best, but a very dishonourable plea because it is so often used merely as a mask for injustice, and always can be used in one shape or another by those who are unwilling to pay their debts. As a people, we are not poor, but rich, and have large resources of public revenue. If we are but willing to do justice, and do not needlessly embarrass the hands of government, we shall be under no necessity of defrauding or injuring our creditors. If we cannot immediately pay them the principle of our debt, we can, at least, pay the interest, and thereby at once place our credit on a more respectable footing.

Britain, loaded with a debt more than thirty times so large as ours, and carrying an annual interest larger than our whole debt, nevertheless pays the interest punctually, maintains her credit, and can borrow money from her subjects at pleasure. At the same time her civil list and other annual expences are far greater than ours even in proportion to her wealth, and perhaps greater almost in the same proportion with her national debt.* Whatever difference there may be between her source of revenue and ours, or what ever difference there may be between her and us in any other respect, still with regard to public justice to her creditors, she affords us an example which we ought not to behold without self-condemnation.

Our public injustice is attended with consequences most deplorable and alarming. It exposes us to the high displeasure of that God who from everlasting to everlasting, loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity. It tends to render public faith contemptible and is highly injurious to our national character. It gives too much countenance to the reproach of our enemies who have stigmatized us with the character of a knavish, faithless people; covering the most iniquitous designs under the garb of liberty and the cloak of religion. It is hurtful to many literary and religious institutions; while the monies which were charitably given for their support are detained and perverted to a very different purpose. It is attended with great cruelty towards widows and orphans, towards the poor and needy, and many other individuals who have suffered extremely for the want of those monies which are their just due, and to which they have an indisputable claim.

The cries of such persons enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Is not this unjust detention of property, in a particular manner attended with cruelty to the generous soldier, who has nobly braved fatigues, and dangers, and deaths, for our sake, who has faithfully adhered to our cause while thousands deserted it, while thousands and ten thousands of his brethren perished around him by the horrors of sickness and the sword, and the far greater horrors of British prison-ships, and British jails? Who of us would be willing to endure the like fatigues and be exposed to the like dangers for the contemptible reward which we now afford the soldier? Who would not think himself affronted by the very proposal of so small a reward for so great a service [?]

This public injustice destroys some of the most important ends of civil society; such as an equal administration of justice, and the security of property. It involves us in some of the worst evils of tyranny and despotism, while we are flattering ourselves with the pleasing names of liberty and independence. It tends to destroy all confidence in the public, and to create a distrust of government. For if such a flagrant violation of justice may be practised in one instance, how do we know but the like may be practised in many instances; or what one right have we which is properly secured? If the public, as a body, will allow themselves, in any one instance, to injure an individual, every member of the public is in constant danger. For who can tell where the injury will fall next? If one part of our property may be detained from us for a long time, contrary to the plainest promises, without our consent and without any unavoidable necessity; how can we know but that another part may be soon as unjustly wrested from us in the very first instance? In either case the injustice is equally real and equally manifest: and which would be the greater evil of the two, can be determined only by concurrent circumstances. If our property must be taken or detained without our consent, what great choice is there as to the mode, whether it be taken by fraud or by force, whether we be robbed by an highwayman or cheated by a knave? In this latter case we have often the long pain of repeated disappointments, which does not take place in the former.

Further, is it certain that government will never again want the voluntary aid of individuals, aid which she cannot compel them to yield? Should she be again in such a situation what encouragement would individuals have to afford the needed aid? Will they not be ready to fear that all state-policy is founded merely on Machiavelian principles, and that public bodies will practise fraud in order to accomplish their own ends, whenever they can do it with impunity? Honest minds hope that such fears are groundless, and that some public communities at least, as well as some individuals, mean to make justice a rule of conduct. If this be the case, let us make it manifest by our own conduct; if it be not the case, let the truth be known, that faithful citizens and honest men may be no longer deceived and duped out of their property. Heu pietas, heu publica fides!

But the most pernicious consequence of our public injustice is still to be mentioned. It has a fatal influence upon the morals of the people at large. It is like the sin of Jereboam the son of Nebat; it makes Israel to sin, and thereby still further provokes the Lord God of Israel to anger. It is a trite observation and a very just one, that example has more influence than precept. And if our public conduct may be adduced by knaves and sharpers, as an example and pretext of injustice, will it not have a greater tendency to promote this evil than all our laws will have to prevent it? Too many are there of that smooth-speaking class of people, who mean to get their living out of others; who, whenever they can run into debt, consider it as so much clear gain; because, forsooth, they can make ample payment by fair promises and soft words, by complaints of the scarcity of money and the hardness of the times. Better payment than this they do not wish to make. The words of their mouths are smoother than butter, but war is in their heart: Their words are softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords. To our reproach and our shame, we are already too much inclined to dishonesty. It is already practised by too many to the detriment of the public, and to the ruin of their own true interest both temporal and eternal. Too many motives are there already to this accursed evil, too many are its friends and votaries. For Gods sake let it not have any more. Many even of our religious societies have long conducted as if they thought it no evil to violate the most explicit and solemn covenants with the ministers of religion by withholding from them the stipulated support. If the religious scarcely escape this evil, what may be expected from the ungodly and profane? There is, however, a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. Let this wise maxim be remembered by us all, and particularly by those very religious people who make high professions of Christianity, and yet at the same time bid defiance to the plainest rules of justice, and trample under foot the most sacred obligations of truth and plighted faith.

3. Another particular evil by which we are endangered, is the want of true patriotism. By true patriotism I mean a real concern for the welfare of our whole country in general. This patriotism is a branch of that extensive benevolence which is highly recommended by our holy religion, and is at the same time most evidently consentaneous to the dictates of sound reason. Genuine patriotism of the best kind, is peculiar to those only who are possessed of a principle of true virtue. Some semblances and imitations of this patriotism are nevertheless to be found in those who are not, on the whole, of a truly virtuous character. Yet even these imitations of pure patriotism have often proved very beneficial in civil society.

While the war lasted our patriotism was eminent and produced the most happy effects. Common danger was a common bond of union, cementing us together. But as this bond has now in some measure ceased, there is danger that our union will not be so great as will be necessary for the general good. There is danger not only that factions will arise in particular states, but that particular states will attempt to pursue their own particular interests without a due regard to the common good, and perhaps in direct opposition to it. But we should remember that these states are, by voluntary and solemn agreement united as one nation, one body, of which each particular state is a member. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you: but the members should have the same care one for another.* It will doubtless be necessary not only that individual persons, but also particular states should often give up, in many cases, their own particular interest for the common benefit. To do thus is generous, is wise, is necessary for our existence as a free and independent people. Some generous examples of this kind have been given, and it is to be hoped they will be universally followed. If we are unwilling to act on this liberal scale we shall be in perpetual danger of that evil which our Saviour points out when he tells us, “That every kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, but is brought to desolation.”

It was the want of this extensive patriotism that ruined the states of Greece. A party spirit, a spirit of jealousy and discord prevailed among them, and divisions and wars exposed them for a long time to the invasions of the Persian empire, and finally subjugated them all to the Macedonian yoke.

If the same spirit prevail among us we have no reason to suppose but it will produce the most unhappy consequences. Human nature is the same in every age, and similar causes will produce similar effects. In this view we may see how much it concerns us to support our grand bond of union, or, in other words, to maintain the rights of our honourable Congress, and even to enlarge their powers, should this be proved necessary for the general good.

That want of patriotism, of which we speak, produces very different effects in persons who are in different situations of life. It is nearly the same thing with selfishness. It often leads the ambitious and aspiring to seek their own promotion by very improper means. It leads them into a mad pursuit of low popularity, to the violation of honour and honesty and to the neglect of the public good. For not these things, but popular applause and their own advancement in office are the objects of their first concern. And they sometimes have their reward: but a very contemptible one it is. True popularity or the real esteem of the virtuous and the wise, procured by a steady course of benevolent and virtuous conduct, is well worthy of pursuit and is indeed the greatest earthly good that we can enjoy. This popularity is not procured by time-serving, by flattery or any improper compliances. It is seldom if ever gained without a manly opposition, in some cases at least, to popular prejudice and vulgar error. The man who can make it appear that he conscienciously acts from a virtuous principle will command the veneration even of the most unprincipled, and of those who oppose him. But the fame of the popular drudge, that fame which is gained by low arts of deceiving the ignorant and abusing their prejudices, to the public detriment, is not only unworthy of a Christian, but beneath the character of an honest man.

This same selfish spirit, when it possesses the minds of the common people, has this bad consequence, among many others, that it subjects them to an undue influence in the choice of civil rulers. Possessed of this spirit, they will not regard the probity or abilities of the candidates for office; but will be very ready to give their voice for those to whom they happen to be particularly attached by any private and sinister motives; for those by whom they are most humoured in their prejudices and follies; and especially for those who most loudly exclaim against the payment of public debts and most vigorously oppose taxation however just or necessary. All such operations of selfishness; whether in popular demagogues or in the people at large, in whatever shape they appear, tend ultimately to the public detriment and to the encouragement of deceit and dishonesty.

4. A fourth evil by which we are threatened is a disregard of civil authority. Great is our privilege in choosing our own rulers, and, by them, of making and executing our own laws. But this privilege we are in great danger of abusing, for this strange reason, because it is the effect of our own voluntary act. While the people at large are too ready to yield to this temptation, even rulers themselves are in danger of relaxing too far the reigns of government, thro’ fear of displeasing the people by whom they are chosen to office. But certain it is that no state can be long happy or even answer the most important ends of civil society, unless government be revered and the law obeyed. Tyranny and despotism are undoubtedly very great evils, but greater still are the dangers of anarchy.

Those persons who have the most power in their own hands are in the greatest danger of abusing it. No people on earth have so much power in their own hands as those of the United States. All the powers of government are at their disposal. We ought therefore to be much on our guard against the abuse of this power. The abuse of this power may perhaps produce tyranny or aristocracy; but the proper use of it will be the best way to prevent them both. Never let us forget that the dignity of government and the energy of the law, are essential to the continuance of our public happiness and prosperity. Reason and experience teach us this lesson, while the more special voice of God enforces the same, by commanding every soul to be subject to the higher powers.*

5. I will only add once more, in the fifth place, that we are in much danger of the evils which arise from luxury and extravagance in our expences. After all that has been said in favour of foreign trade and foreign luxuries, it still remains a demonstration in politics, that when our imports exceed our exports, the course of trade is against us, and we are constantly growing poor. This, it is to be feared, is our state at the present, especially on account of those very extravagant importations which we have made since the peace. Our very great consumption of foreign luxuries not only impoverishes the country to an high degree, but at the same time, tends directly to enervate both our bodies and our minds, to produce indolence and pride, and to open the door to every temptation and every vice. In this case, as well as many others, experience is a faithful teacher. And if we consult the experience of mankind in every age, and in every part of the world, we shall not find a single instance wherein luxury and extravagance have subserved the true interest of a people. But instances in which they have proved hurtful and ruinous are to be found in abundance. And to republican governments they have proved more fatal than to others. By cultivating industry, frugality, and a patriotic spirit, Rome extended her conquests wherever she pleased, and was revered as the arbitress of kings and the mistress of the world. But by adopting the luxuries of Asia where her arms had proved victorious, she soon enfeebled her true republican spirit and prepared the way for her own ruin. Let not the same scene be again acted over in America. America has by her noble exertions repelled the force of Britain. But if America persists in her present rage after British gew-gaws and foreign luxuries, she must expect the fate of Rome, her ancient predecessor; or at least, that very unhappy consequences will ensue. To prevent these impending evils we need the exertions not only of the sons, but also of the daughters of America. Very great are your influence and importance, my fair hearers, in this respect, as well as in many others. Be assured that oeconomy and frugality with an elegance of dress, on the plan of that modest apparel recommended by St. Peter, would add more grace to your charms and more dignity to your characters than all the tinsel of British ornament, or the greatest extravagance of foreign dress.

II. It now remains that we exhibit, in a very concise manner that line of conduct which we ought to pursue in order to secure, through the divine favour, the continuence of those blessings which at the present we enjoy.

In the first place, it is, I conceive, sufficiently evident that we ought most earnestly to endeavour after a reformation of those particular evils aforementioned, and at the same time, to use the best means in order to prevent them for the future. We must first cease to do evil or we shall never learn to do well.

In the second place we must use our best endeavours to promote the practice of virtue and true religion.

I will not indeed presume to assert, that God’s conduct towards nations under the gospel, is exactly parallel to his conduct towards the ancient Israelites. They were under a dispensation of grace different from ours, and, for a long time under that peculiar kind of civil government which has been called a theocracy. National blessings are not promised, and national judgements are not threatened under the gospel in like manner as they were under the law. The gospel being a more spiritual dispensation, its blessings and its curses are of a more spiritual nature, and less obvious to the view of the world. They are designed, in a special manner, to prepare persons for the more full retributions of eternity. This we know is the case with regard to the blessings conferred, and the chastisements inflicted on the children of God. And that this is also the case with regard to the judgements inflicted on the man of sin and his followers, we are expressly told: God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned.* Still, this is certain, that by the constitution of nature which God has established, vice tends to the misery, and virtue to the happiness not only of individuals, but of public communities. The practice of religion must therefore be considered as absolutely essential to the best state of public prosperity, it must be so, unless we may expect happiness in direct opposition to the constitution of nature and of nature’s God. “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”† This is the course of nature, this is the voice of heaven, this is the decree of God.

In the third place, we ought especially in the use of all proper means, to pray fervently for the effusions of the divine Spirit.

Without a divine and supernatural influence, true religion will never prevail. This is a doctrine clearly taught in divine revelation and perfectly consonant to the dictates of reason. It has been taught even by heathen philosophers, such as Socrates and Plato, Cicero and Seneca. It has been acknowledged, in one shape or another, in every nation and in every age. Indeed it may be considered as a doctrine of natural religion. Nor is there any thing enthusiastical or unreasonable in this doctrine, any more than there is in that other great doctrine of natural religion “That in God we live and move and have our being.” Divine influence is absolutely necessary both in the natural and in the moral world. All creatures of every kind, from the most exalted seraph before the eternal throne, to the smallest animal which escapes our sight, are wholly dependent on God. Our souls and all their powers are in his hand, and he can form and incline them at his pleasure, in full consistency with our most perfect freedom of action.

That divine influence which is necessary in order to a pious life we are taught to expect from the operations of the third person in the holy Trinity. We cannot therefore do a more faithful or important service for our country than to pray fervently and perseveringly to the Father of mercies, that he would by the energy of the Holy Ghost, form the hearts of this people to an holy life, and thus “Purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”*

In the review of our subject, I think we may justly make this reflection: Let us not flatter ourselves too much with an idea of the future prosperity and glory of these United States.

While we thus flatter ourselves, we are in danger of expecting the end without a proper attention to those means which are absolutely necessary in order to obtain it. Young states are like young men; exceedingly apt, in imagination, to anticipate and magnify future scenes of happiness and grandeur, which perhaps they will never enjoy. It has lately become very fashionable to prophesy about the future greatness of this country; its astonishing progress in science, in wealth, in population and grandeur: to tell of Lockes and Newtons, of poets, philosophers and divines greater than have ever yet lived; of towering spires, and spacious domes, of populous towns and cities rising thick throughout an empire greater than the world has ever seen. Such representations may perhaps be beautiful in poetry and declamation, but cannot with equal propriety be admitted, in an unqualified sense, into serious and didactic prose. And true indeed it is, Providence has here laid a foundation for a very flourishing and mighty empire. But although the foundation is laid, the superstructure is not yet finished, nor ever will be, unless we use the proper means. And whether we shall use such means or not, is a matter of very great uncertainty. Foundations for happiness have been often laid where happiness has never followed. This is no less true of states and kingdoms than of individual persons. It is remarkable that many places which were in ancient times, the seats of mighty states and empires, and might perhaps have continued with increasing greatness to the present time, had proper means been used, are nevertheless now covered with ruin and desolation, or at best, in a very depressed and miserable condition. What is become of Nineveh and Babylon, and those mighty empires of which they were the capital cities? What is become of Persepolis, of Antioch, of Jerusalem, of Carthage, of Athens and Sparta? And how wide is the difference between ancient and modern Rome? Had the inhabitants of such places, from age to age, known the things of their peace and pursued them, their glory might have remained to the present day.

If we abuse the signal favours which God has granted us, we have no right to expect that he will favour us in the like manner for the future. Although it be possible we may be a flourishing and happy people, it is equally possible we may be far otherwise. When we have reached the pinnacle of our hopes, it is often connected with evils far greater than the loss of that envied height would have been. The fashion of this world passeth away. The greatest worldly good is often succeeded by the greatest evil; the greatest happiness by the greatest misery. Who would have thought, after the happy establishment of peace between France and Britain, twenty years ago, that the late war between Britain and America, with all its attending horrors, could possibly have taken place so soon?

When God gave Israel their request, but sent leanness into their souls,* these two things, taken in their connexion, were the greatest curse that could have befallen them. When Jephthah had ended a successful war against the children of Ammon, and thereby become the saviour of his country, he seemed to have gained the whole desire of his heart, even all that happiness for which he had most ardently wished. But this same event which made him so happy a man was closely connected with two sore evils which came nearer to his heart and more sensibly affected him, than all his former concerns respecting the Ammonites. It was connected with the mournful affair respecting his only child, and it was the occasion of a very bloody civil war in which, beside others, forty and two thousand Ephraimites were slain with the sword. And thus, as in ten thousand similar instances, the occasion of his greatest happiness was turned into the occasion of his greatest misery.

So, although we have gained that for which we most ardently wished, an happy period to the late war, yet we can by no means be certain but that some far greater evils are now before us. We may be over-run and ruined both for time and eternity by a torrent of vice and licenciousness, with their never-failing attendants, infidelity and atheism. We may be left to destroy ourselves by intestine divisions and civil wars: or we may be visited with such sickness and pestilence as would soon produce a far greater destruction than any war of what kind soever. God has many ways, even in the present world, to punish the sins both of individuals and of nations. He has ten thousand arrows in his quiver, and can always direct any or all of them unerring, to the victims of his wrath. No possible concurrence of circumstances can screen us from the notice of his eye or the power of his hand. Never, never, can we be secure but in the practice of true virtue and in the favour of God.

Fellow citizens and fellow Christians,

Great are the benefits of good government. But let us not imagine that these benefits are to be expected by us, unless, as a people and as individuals, we are willing to perform those duties which we owe to our civil rulers and to the public in general. Unspeakably great are the blessings of the gospel. But let us not imagine that ministers or churches or any power whatever can force these blessings upon us without our consent. They are not, they cannot be ours unless we live as the gospel directs.

We are happy in being now met together in this large assembly and on this great occasion. But before the next return of this anniversary, how many, who are now here, will belong to the great congregation of the dead, and be fixed unalterably in their eternal state! Who, where, now in this assembly are the persons thus destined so soon to another world? Perhaps none more likely than the person speaking, were we to form our judgement from apparent symptoms. But if this be the case with him, he is not alone. Others will also travel with him the same dark road of death. And what one individual here present can say that he is not one of this number? Are we all prepared for our eternal state? In that state we shall all soon be found, while other busy mortals, like our ourselves, will take our places on this stage of life. And never, never shall we all meet together again, till we meet with the assembled universe before the tribunal of our final Judge.

The God of all grace enable us so to live that we may, at that solemn period, be found on the right hand of our Judge, and, by the sentence of his mouth, have our portion assigned us with a far greater and more glorious assembly than the present; even with the general assembly and church of the first born which are written in heaven; with the spirits of just men made perfect, with an innumerable company of angels, with Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant and with God the Judge of all. Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the throne and unto the Lamb, forever and ever.

Amen

[* ]2 Chron. xxxii. 25.

[* ]Deut. xxxii. 5, 6, 15, 16.

[† ]Ezek. xvi. 49.

[‡ ]Isaiah xlvii. 8.

[* ]Psalm 78. 34–37.

[* ]Since the above was written, the author is happy to find that provision has been lately made for the payment of some part of the interest of our national debt, to which debt he here referred.

[* ]The national debt of Britain is 280 millions sterling, carrying an interest of £9500000. The national debt of the United States is not far from 9 millions in the same money.

[* ]1 Cor. 12. 21, and 25.

[* ]Rom. 13.1.

[* ]2 Thes. 2. 11, 12.

[† ]Prov. [xiv. 34.]

[* ]Tit. ii. 14.

[* ]Psalm cvi. 15.

[* ]2 Kings ii. 12.

[* ]John vii. 48.

[† ]Mat. xix. 24.

[‡ ]John v. 44.

[§ ]John xii. 43.

[(1) ]1 Cor. i. 26.

WK #25 Be a Fish!

2010-06-22T20:27:00.001-04:00

To listen to the audio click on the small arrow below:

Scripture – 2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Observation

So often we are too full of what we think should be happening to us in our spiritual lives that we fail to notice what God is actually teaching us. We must be still enough, simple enough, humble enough, to let him plan the course, and use whatever opportunities there may be for our instruction. I think, too often, that as we progress in prayer, that everything will just become far more overtly holy. What it will become is simpler, more humble, and more actual.

St. Ambrose gave his congregation some very interesting advice. Using the old Christian symbol, he told his congregation in the stormy times in which they lived to act like fish swimming in the sea. To them he said, “Be a fish!” We need to learn how not to be swamped by the situations that we find ourselves in. We need to learn how to get through them with a minimum of damage and a maximum of profit.

Application

One aspect of this learning is to simply get through situations and not always take them with us. There is a story told of two monks in Japan travelling down a muddy road together. A heavy rain was still falling when, coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross at the intersection. “Come on, girl,” said Tanzan. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over the mud. Ekido, his companion, did not speak until that night when they reached a lodging temple. Then he could no longer restrain himself. “We monks don’t go near females,” he told Tanzan, “especially not young and pretty ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?”

“I left the girl there,” said Tanzan, “Are you still carrying her?”

We must learn to pass through situations like a fish, rather than carrying them all with us like a snail. We should and will certainly emerge with a little bit more experience of the world, but there is no need to carry more with us than we have to – each situation carries quite enough trouble with it by itself.

Prayer

O God, I know all the words designed to comfort and assure. I am aware of your promise to stay close beside me, whatever the crisis that confronts me. But I am frightened, Lord, and I cannot evade my anxieties. Forgive me for my small faith and large doubts, O Lord, for finding it so difficult to trust you on the threshold of this fearful chapter in my life. Amen

Some things to be mindful of this week:

We will be visited by the group “Sailing Free” from ENC this weekend. The High School, College and Career class will be hosting them Friday night, helping with Hammers for Hope (Habitat for Humanity) on Saturday and sharing their testimonies with us in DiscipleTown and in the service on Sunday.
This Sunday’s Mission’s emphasis is World Mission Broadcast. $4.00 a minute will help us reach 99% of the world via radio, television and the internet. How many minutes will you buy?
We are moving the service on Sunday July 4th to Sunday night 6pm due to the Antique Car Show. We will have service and then take time to enjoy a Sundae nite fellowship complete with ice cream and games.

WK # 24 Transition Time

2010-06-15T19:32:00.001-04:00

Listen to the audio of the posting by clicking on the small arrow below:

Scripture: Joshua 3:1-13

Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."

Joshua told the people "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the Ark of the Covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them.

And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. Tell the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.' "

Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD -the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap."

Observation:

In the book of Joshua we see the promise of Abraham coming into reality. We see God’s covenant people possess the land, and we watch them as they learn how the promise becomes a reality. It was a significant time in the “short” history of the Israelite nation. Just a scant 40 years before they stood at the Red Sea waiting to end 400+ years of slavery. They could see on the other side the end of striving and never arriving; the end of walking by sight; the end of independent living; the end of never being assured of victory over the enemy; the end of being constantly reminded of past failures; the end of fear; the end of a self-centered existence where life was all about them.

It was truly the end for the majority of the people, all those except Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. For they would never occupy the land of promise; for them God’s promise would only be words, not substance. They opted out for something much less than fullness of joy, peace, meaningful relationship and enjoying the milk and honey of being in fellowship with God.

But for those who were going to cross over, the end of the wilderness was just three days away. It was going to be the greatest adventure yet! They didn’t know all of what lay ahead but we can read about it. I don’t even know if they would have believed what God said would happen even if He had been specific. They really didn’t have a clue about the great things He was going to do right in front of their eyes; He told them He would be with them; He would tumble great walls; He would show great mercy and grace in defeat; they would see an enemy terrified of them; they would witness punishment for breaking the law; they would enter into God’s rest.

Application:

Transitions are a bittersweet time of experience for each of us. It can be freedom and fear all at the same time. Personally, I know it is scary to go from trusting my own resources and myself for life to trusting God for life; from a DYI (do-it-yourself) mindset to trusting God to do it and lead us through it. Maybe that is where some of us find ourselves today, in transition; going from religion to relationship, trying to trusting, and self-reliance to God reliance.

I think the real issue was not what was going on right then but what had been going on before they even got to the point of transition; where they went from wilderness living to Cannan living. Let me give you four things that took place.1. They had to face the Jordan. It was uncrossable just like the Red Sea. It was in flood stage, there were no resources around to help make the crossing easier. They had to wait for three days and just stare at the water.

Ever have that experience in your life? A thing, an incident, a person you just can’t forgive, get around or over? It may have been when you were small, or it might have happened recently, but you have not been able to go on in your Christian life because of this uncrossable river. They could either go back and stay in the wilderness or go forward and trust God.

The uncrossables; a child who is braking your heart, the things you can not handle, the unresolved anger, the hurt from 20 years or 20 minutes ago, the mistake you wish you hadn’t made. We can’t change our fixes, but God can fix and make changes. We must face the Jordan, not with despair, but with hope for deliverance.

2. They had to focus on God. They had to “Go after it!” according to the scripture. Nike just made the present form of this concept famous but scripture is the originator of the phrase. How do we do this; through the Word, prayer, and making a choice. This is what the early covenant people were doing – they were taking their focus off their feelings and putting them onto God.

3. They had to face themselves. In verse 5 God tells them to consecrate themselves; set yourself apart. Why? Because tomorrow you will see great wonders among you; He tells them to separate from the wilderness mindset, it is time to leave it behind. Will you be a wilderness junkie or a person of faith; trusting God not only as savior but as life.

4. They needed to know a fact. God was going to cut off the water only when the priest rested their feet in the water. Nothing would happen until they took that step of faith. Let me quote a Michael Card song, “That’s What Faith Must Be.”

To hear with my heart
To see with my soul
To be guided by a hand I cannot hold
To trust in a way that I cannot see
That's what faith must be

When the universe fell from His fingertips
He decided He wanted some fellowship
But the man and the woman would not submit
So He made a better way

When the moment was right He sent His own Son
And He opened the way so that everyone
Could have hope and believe that when time was done
He'd be able to make us one

Now I understand that there is a key
It's Jesus in me, a reality
That God is in Christ and that Christ's in me
That with faith I see what is unseen

That's what faith must be

Standing at the Jordan; what a defining moment that is in the life of God’s people. A moment when they faced reality, do we go on or do we go back. As you face the Jordan, will you believe God wants you to walk not only in newness of life but in the fullness of life? Are you ready to leave the wilderness behind?

Prayer:

Give us the strength to encounter that which is to come, that we may be brave in peril, constant in tribulation, temperate in wrath and in all changes of fortune, and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving to one another. Amen

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Join us for Father's Day this Sunday at 10am as the MANCODE will be revealed to all.
Be in prayer for "Sailing Free" the ENC Ministry team who will be joining us for services on Sunday, June 27. They will be ministering to the Culpeper Community through Habitat for Humanity on Saturday and then they will share their testimonies with us that morning.
Sunday, July 4th Services will be in the evening beginning at 6pm due to the Antique Car Show that will be taking place that morning.

WK# 20 – A (True) Love Story

2010-05-27T21:04:00.001-04:00

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I don’t know about you but I can really get into a good love story. One of my favorites is entitled, “The Princess Bride.” It has one of the most memorable wedding scenes in a movie. The Vicar stands in front of the couple and the assembled guests and says, “Marwage. Marwage is wha bwings wus together toway.” (Translation – Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together today.) I can’t wait to use that in a ceremony!

So what got me thinking about love stories and weddings is that I’ll officiate a renewal ceremony in a couple of weeks. The Bride has taken great care to prepare for their special day commemorating their 25^th Wedding Anniversary. It has been a treat for me to work with the couple to find ways to intertwine various components into the ceremony that provide meaning to both the couple and to the guests.

Interestingly the Church has been called the Bride of Christ. Fortunately it does not have to work as hard as our modern brides. In fact, from a biblical perspective, the Bride has little more to than show up for the wedding – the groom does all the work! To really see this in the context of an ancient Jewish Wedding Ceremony we need only look at the greatest love story ever written, the Bible. In its pages is outlined for us the process and ceremony of the wedding. I would suggest that we look at the Genesis and Exodus stories as our point of reference.

The Father, the Bridegroom Yahushua, the “servant” the Rauch Yahuwah, the attendant of the Bride and the attendant of Groom are all in the story. The wedding process starts with the matchmaking or shidduch. The Father would look for the best possible match. His choice is not made haphazardly, hastily nor is it based on external attributes. In our story this is the calling of the people of promise through Abraham.

The couple then gets an opportunity to meet and get acquainted. If the match is accepted and the families agree, the vort or engagement period starts. A small reception is held to honor the pledge. It is during this time that the ‘conditions’ of the wedding obligations are completed. We can see this is in the promises that God gave to Abraham.

One week before the wedding, the chosson and kallah, groom and bride, stop seeing each other in order to enhance the joy of the wedding through separation. The Egyptian period of captivity lasted a little more than a week but it illustrates our point.

The wedding day finally arrives. The Groom comes with the help of his attendants to claim his bride. In the Exodus story this took about a year for the Egyptians to release the Israelites and they paid an enormous price to release them. Having claimed his bride, the groom leads her to the chuppah or canopy. It is a decorated cloth held over the couple symbolic of the new home they are making together. After some days the people of Israel come to God’s mountain, Sinai and there the Glory of God blankets the top in a cloud. This represents the new home God’s people would make in the coming years.

The signing of the marriage covenant or ketuveh is completed, the witnesses sign and it is given to the bride. Here the groom outlines the obligations he will make; to provide food, clothing, shelter and pleasure. It is a legal document and can be enforced by the court system. The Jewish tradition is to make it an artful work and display it in the new home. It is no wonder that the Tabernacle was built; where else would you display the Ten Commandments.

The 10 commandments outline God’s conditions to us his people. He tells us to forsake all others, to go so far as to throw out pictures and mementoes of our previous associations. Taking the name He gives to protect and use it wisely. He tells us that we are so loved that He wants us to take one day a week and have a date night! He even goes so far as to tell us how to deal with our in-laws and each other.

In the traditional Jewish literature marriage is actually called a kiddushin, which is translated to sanctification or dedication. It indicates that what is happening is not just a contractual arrangement but a spiritual bonding. It is a fulfillment of the mitzvah or Divine precept. The dedication indicates that this is an exclusive relationship that involves a total dedication to each other. The idea is that one soul dwells in two bodies. My hope is that your life with Christ is seen in such a way as to be exclusive and bonding.

So mazaltov! I’m off with Jan to quietly celebrate our 27^th wedding anniversary.

Prayer:

Grant us, even us, O Lord, to know you, and love you, and rejoice in you. Amen.

Some things to be mindful of this week:

Sunday June 6^th during the Sunday school hour we will hold our 14^th Annual Business meeting. I hope you will stay and participate with us.
Our Annual Graduation Celebration will be held at the Malony farm, Sunday June 13^th starting at 10 am. Directions will be available. Please bring side dishes and extra seats.
The forms for Summer Camp and VBS are available in the foyer. Please return those to Cindy Padgett as the deadline for registration is fast approaching.