Mourning

(Matt. 5:4) “Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.” As we all know, There are many types of mourning. 1) Mourning of death Regardless of whether or not a person is saved, the loss of losing someone close creates a mourning in the heart of man so terrible that only time can comfort, but thank God that in Christ Jesus we are promised more than just the comfort of time. We are promised a grace that comes to all who know Jesus Christ personally. There is a great blessing and consolation in knowing God’s Word. 2) Mourning over sin. Guilt and shame, both bring a horrible mourning of soul, but in Christ Jesus we are promised the forgiveness of God and a new comfort if we repent and turn from our wicked ways. The saved need not mourn over the sins and failures of the past. 3) Mourning of trials and oppression. God promised the saved a peace that passes all understanding, a present comfort in the time of trial, and a presence that will never leave us nor forsake us. God is our comfort when in trial, and He promises us a joy after mourning, if we trust in Him. “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” 4) Mourning of regret. The unsaved will regret forever not trusting in the living God, but the saved have comfort as they trust in Christ. The blessing of knowing that God forgives and forgets, will overcome all regrets.

" hearer and a doer "

Now that our Revival Week is over, a good question to ask ourselves is; Has anything changed? (Jas 1:25) “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” Hearing the Word of God and doing the Word of God are two separate things all together. Even the unsaved can practice the first, but a wise man will hear God’s Word and continue therein. I have been to many evangelistic meetings over the past 28 years, and there has never been a meeting where God did not convict me of something, and I have also learned over the past 28 years that unless I write down my conviction and determine in my heart to obey it right away, I will soon forget what God spoke to me about. These meetings are to be liberating, in that we are to acknowledge our sin, and let go of all sinful practices once God has revealed them to us, as well as practice what God has commanded. Over the years I have personally made decisions to serve more, come more, be involved more, give more, witness more, love more, etc., but with each decision comes the temptation to temporarily do, rather than permanently commit to God’s bidding. So, to be blessed by God, you must learn to be both a hearer and a doer.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are going to be tested and tried in our faith as to our ability to continue on or quit. A strong faith will not give in to fear and doubt while in the storms of life. (Pr 24:10) “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” In (Mark 4:35-41) Jesus instructed his disciples to enter into a ship with him, and to “pass over” to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Unlike another time when the apostles were alone, this time he was with them asleep in the back of the ship. And as they passed over to the other side, a great wind created a fearful and hazardous storm. Fearing their demise, they awoke the peaceful Christ, and with only the sound of his words he stilled the storm. 1) We need to understand that the PLAN of God was to reach the other side. Allegorically, this story is simply about following the will of God, even if we are hindered along the way. God knows that our journey in life will be full of storms and difficulty, but Jesus is always close at hand. 2) There is PEACE in the fact that Jesus is in control of the storm, and that he is always close at hand. (Ps 46:10) “Be still, and know that I am God.” 3) He has POWER to calm. There is no situation that God cannot change, nor storm that is too powerful for those that have faith in his word. We like the apostles need to be tested and tried, so that we learn to continue on, rather than quit!

Revival Meetings

In just a few weeks we will again be having revival meetings with Mike Pelletier. Please take some flyers with you and use them to invite your family and friends out to the services. Every night of the week will be dedicated to a different group Of people. For example, Monday night will be “Ladies pack–a-pew night,” Tuesday, “Men’s pack-a –pew night,” Wednesday, “Sunday School Night,” Thursday “Family Night,” and Friday, “Prophecy Night.” On “Sunday School Night” each teacher will be responsible to bring out his/her entire class. These different evenings will give you some help with inviting people out. Also every night we will have a special gift for the person or persons that bring out the most people. Please take the opportunity over the next two weeks to pray for the people on the Wednesday night’s prayer list, and start today to invite people to come out as your special guest. I have found over the years that it is a good idea to pick them up if you can, and to even invite them to dinner or over to the he house that day. Also, revival week must begin with us, in that we need to make a firm commitment ourselves to be out to every service possible. So, lets be prepared, prayed up, and personally inviting people to these meetings. You never know who will come, so just ask!

“What is truth?”

Before the execution of Jesus, he was brought before Pilate And examined. Pilate unsure of who he was, asked him Plainly, “are you the king of the Jews.” Jesus responded, “ everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.” To this Pilate asked, “What is truth?” Unfortunately this is the same question that too many people are asking themselves today. Why? Because they no longer are being taught that there is an absolute truth. Not long ago we were a nation of Bible believers, but today we are a nation of Bible doubters. Most likely this has happened because our pulpits no longer use the Bible, nor do they preach God’s Word as absolute. Those of us that have been saved by the precious blood of Jesus know that He is God and the only way, and we hear and follow his voice over the voice of men or religion. To us Jesus is the only “way, truth, and life.” Pilate didn’t know Jesus at all, and neither do they who doubt the Bible as God’s final and absolute Word. To those who doubt God’s Book, there is no absolute right or wrong. Sin therefore is up to private interpretation, and the way of salvation up to whatever you choose. They therefore are not of the truth, nor do they know anything for sure. So is their absolutely truth today? Absolutely! Whether we choose to believe or not!

Be Faithful To God

I have often asked the Lord why it is that sometimes people give and at other times they don’t, and His answer has always been the same to me; it’s about their faith. True faith does not waver, nor should it be affected by the ups and downs in life. Most people consistently earn around the same amount of money weekly or bi-weekly, so giving 10% of one’s income to the Lord ought to be routine. But why then is the giving of some so inconsistant? I realize that sometimes we may be short of money, or miss a service, but that should never cause someone who is saved to not give. The Bible is clear that we need to make up our minds to give ahead of time . “make up beforehand your bounty,… that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness… Every man according as he hath purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." (2 Cor.9:5-7) It’s sin to promise God and not give, or to covet that which belongs to God. Our giving ought to be governed by a faith in God's promises, rather than by our circumstances. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (Ja. 4:17) It's about time we just admit that it's just plain sin to not give, instead of making excuses for not being faithful to God.

The Prodigal's Father

Today I thought that it would be a good idea to look at the father in the “Prodigal Son’s Story” in (Luke 15). Since the prodigal’s father is a reflection of God Himself, there are some godly characteristics of a good father that can be pointed out. 1) F- He was faithful . Faithful not only to his God, but to his family, and to his calling as a dad, and even though his heart was broken by his son, he never lost his faith. 2) A – He was accessible. He was both approachable and compassionate. When his son came to himself and desired to come home, he knew that his father would not turn him away. 3) T- Trustworthy. He was always there for his sons. He was trustworthy in his word, in his providing, in his forgiveness, and in his unconditional love. He never stopped loving his son even though his son rejected him. 4) H – Headship. The mother was never mentioned in this story, because it’s the father’s job to lead the home. He handled the business, the servants, the farming, the problems, and the spirituality. 5) E- Example. Fathers are called by God to lead by example, and to reflect our heavenly Father’s word. 6) R - Responsive. He never failed at responding to his son’s needs. He was always diligent, loving, counseling, forgiving, complimenting, correcting, & blessing: he was involved in his son’s lives. So, the example of the prodigal’s father is an example of true fatherhood in practice.