Pray Together

“Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other's hearts in prayer.” ― Charles Grandison Finney

When was the last time you prayed with believers? 

“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.  For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” ~Jesus (Matthew 18:19-20)

Pray for one another.  Pray with one another.  It is more than merely a religious practice.  It is intimate conversation with the Creator of the universe, and in corporate prayer, the Bride of Christ is communing with the Bridegroom.

Love in Christ,
Pastor Joe

Colossians 1:12-23

Colossians 1:12-23

He (God) has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.  Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.

Colossians 3:12-17

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 

"Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."

Stress! Crisis!

Did I get your attention?  I titled this post as such because I am currently working my way through week three of my final term of college before I graduate in June with my Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science.  Having long since completed my core requirements, as well as the courses for my major, I’ve been able to finish out my last two terms with electives.

Last term, I chose “Dynamics of Family Relationships” and “Managing Conflict.”  This time, I’m taking “Stress: Its Effect on the Family” and “Crisis Intervention.”  While these four certainly lend value to my overall major, they’ve proven to be very relevant to my life over the past five months.  I love how God repeatedly has led me to take classes that He knew would have direct application to the circumstances I’d be in when I took them.

My extended family is currently walking through some challenging medical/aging issues which I will refrain from going into here.  Having said that, each one of us within our family system has been faced with extended stressors and a looming feeling of borderline crisis.

This is where our walk with Jesus comes in to stark clarity.  It’s easy to profess faith, hope, peace, and joy in Him when all is going well; yet, when the storms of life come raging, we tend to lose our bearings, and default to ‘crisis mode.’

I’m reminded of a story in Luke 8:

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out.  As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap. But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger.

The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm.  Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?”

The disciples were terrified and amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!”

It’s an inescapable fact of life that storms will arise.  In the middle of life’s crises, though, remember…

He’s in the boat with us.

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27)

“For God has said, ‘I will never fail you.  I will never abandon you.’” (Hebrews 13:5b)

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b)

“Jesus said ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) – (Thanks, Kevin!)

Love In Christ,
Pastor Joe

I Obey the Law

Over the past couple of weeks at church, we have been making our way through the Sermon on the Mount.  We began with the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), followed by a study on being ‘salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).’  Just this evening, I finished preparing for tomorrow’s sermon on Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus’ mission statement regarding the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets.

This particular passage of the Sermon on the Mount is deeply personal to me, as it has been a subject that has been “in my face” for a long time.  The exact circumstances as to how and why I came to dive headfirst into the topic are unimportant; what is important is that I wanted to make sure that when the time came to touch upon this topic from the pulpit, that I did so with as much of an objective understanding of the Scriptures regarding law as possible.

One of the biggest misconceptions that people have about those of us who hold to the Gospel of grace as being superior to the law of Moses is that we are then ‘lawless.’  Such talk implies that, believing ourselves no longer bound to obedience to the law, we consider God’s grace as a ‘license to sin’.

This, of course, is foolishness.  As Paul wrote in Romans 6:15 - "Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!"

I won’t go into a discourse on law here, other than to say that the tension between law and grace was significant even in the 1st century church.  One cannot read many passages of the New Testament without encountering the contentious topic again and again.  There are many books, articles, websites, commentaries, etc. written on the subject, but the Bible speaks best for itself.  If you’re interested in learning more what the law controversy is all about, I encourage you to start with Acts 15, Romans, and Galatians.

I’ll close with one short verse that speaks my heart so concise, yet so eloquently:

"But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ." – 1 Corinthians 9:21b

Love In Christ,
Pastor Joe

Perspectives on Creation

“He counts the stars and calls them all by name.”
~ Psalm 147:4

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.”
~ Psalm 19:1-4

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
   the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
      human beings that you should care for them?”
~ Psalm 8:3-4

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.”
~ Psalm 139:13-16

Shake Off the Dust

Here are a few scriptures that have spoken measures to me in recent weeks; verses that have been especially cathartic as I’ve been striving to put the past behind me, and to freely move into the next chapter of my life:

"Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them." - 2 Timothy 2:14

"Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.  A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants." - 2 Timothy 2:23-26

"Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time. If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them." - Titus 3:9-11

There are times when it is important to defend the faith (Jude 1:3), but there is also a time to shake off the dust and to move on (Matthew 10:14).

This is where I am in my journey, as I begin a new year.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit
be with you all,

Pastor Joe

A Few Verses on Truth

"I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit" - Romans 9:1

"Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God." - 2 Corinthians 4:1-2

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." - 2 Timothy 2:15

"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." - 1 Corinthians 13:6