Dethroned by Grace

Jesus Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 15:46:00 +0000

“What is Jesus to me?” He is my Lord, He is my Savior, and He is my Rock and Redeemer. He pursued me, sought me when I was a stranger, and bought me, with his own blood! He is the Creator, for everything was made by Him, for Him and is sustained by Him. He made the stars and placed them and gave each one their names. He is my Shield, my Refuge in times of trouble, when the world crumbles around me, when the arrows of the enemy fly in my direction He protects me. He is solid ground for which I can plant my feet.

In Jesus I am free, I am free to be what I was made to be, for my purpose is found in Him. He empowers me with His word and He sends the Spirit to comfort, train and to guide me. Through Christ all the relationships around me find their place. My relationship with my wife is sweeter, my love for my children deeper and I see my neighbor in a new light.

He saved us, He is the kindness of God displayed for the world to see, He is love, truth and grace personified. He rescued me not because of my works of righteousness, but through the Holy Spirit, who convicted me of sin, righteousness and judgment and pointed me to Him who can alone save me. The Father poured out this Spirit abundantly through Jesus Christ my Savior so that, having been justified by His grace I become a heir with the hope of eternal life. Everything I am is because Christ.

His grace overwhelms me—to think He would die for me is too lofty for me to comprehend, it’s beyond my reach to grasp. He has awakened me to a love that surpasses everything I can know, my sin, my failures, my triumphs all rest in his sure hands, for which I gladly give to him. He is God in flesh, full of glory and truth, the Bright and Morning Star. He is my Shepard, the Bread of Life, and The Living Water. He is the Author and Finisher of my faith and the Alpha and the Omega, who has and always existed. That is the Christ I think about and for which I am thankful for. This is the Jesus for whom I worship and adore.

Maybe you have read these thoughts I have written and I hope God has spoken to your heart. I want to challenge you. There seems to be a lot of challenges going on to raise awareness to certain causes of late, so I want to jump on the bandwagon and I simply challenge you to sit down and write out what Jesus is to you and share it with someone.

Jesus In My life

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 15:42:00 +0000

I have been through a lot in my life, it has never been easy, I served 22 years in the Air Force, spent 22 months in the Middle East in various conflicts. Fathered 3 great boys, survived cancer, been married 26 years to the same women who is my best friend to this day, ministered to hundreds of people, sat with the dying and comforted the living. Watched, encouraged, helped, wondered, doubted, worried about the people around me. At times I have wanted to drop out of this world, run from all the hurt but I can't. I have a God who suffered also, who went through more than I can ever image, he did it because he loved me. He rescued me, called me, strengthened me, showered me with grace and mercy. He fills my life with purpose and my heart with love for others and secured my future with him as his son in eternity.

I don't know how people pick up a newspaper, watch what is happening in the world, see others suffer and not have Jesus Christ in their life. I can't image to think this is it, that suffering and all that happens doesn't serve some kind of purpose even if I don't understand it. I'm thankful for what has been given to me, I am humbled that God would even consider me and he did far more than consider me, he demonstrated his love knowing all my sin from beginning to end and was willing, with joy to embrace the cross of my shame and die, so that I would have life in him through trust in what he did and not what I do. I stand amazed and in awe of this reality.

Call on him who is able to save you from yourself, from this world and from the sin that so easily ensnares us all. He alone can lift you out of the pit, he can free you from the mud and clay of this life, he alone can place your feet on a rock and give you footing, clean you up and place a song in your mouth and joy in your heart. Don't look for it in people and things of this world, but look to Christ, the bright and morning star, the creator of heaven and earth, the one who made the stars, placed them and named them. He is the one who can fill your heart with joy when your world crumbles around you, when your well has ran dry from the tears, he is the one who can fill your life with meaning and give you something to live for when all else fails. God is good, trust in Jesus Christ and him alone. Grace and peace be with you all.

Gospel Power

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 20:34:00 +0000

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Rom 1:16 ESV)

As soon as the sun starts to shine bright things start to change. Things that have been asleep through the winter jump to life in a beautiful display of color. Tree’s that were dormant burst into green leaves and flowers. All of this activity takes power, mighty power and the plants know the source of that power which is the sun. Have you ever drove past or seen a field of sunflowers? Their oversized flowers seek and follow the sun in unison, they will start the day facing east and by the end of the day they're all facing west. The sunflower doesn’t want to miss a single moment of exposure to the sun. The reality is the sunflower is dependent like all plants on the power of the sun to grow and to produce fruit or sunflower seeds.

In the New Testament we see the Greek word dynamieor a variation of it used over 120 times and it means power. You might recognize that we get our English word “dynamite” from it. In his letter to the Romans the Apostle Paul says the gospel of Christ is the “power of God for salvation” to everyone who believes. It is God who saves us and it is God who gives us the power to live the Christian life. Think about it like this, my salvation doesn’t rest in my efforts but in the power of God who is at work in me changing my desires and bringing me into right relationship with himself and thus I believe. This means also that as I live the Christian life, I cannot rest on my individual effort but I must rely on the power that God provides (1 Peter 4:11).

Does this mean I just give into to sin and live the life I want and wait for God to change me? No not at all, but it does mean I need to align myself with the Son. Like the sunflower I am dependent on God to empower me over sin, and to change the desires of my heart. It is the power of God at work within me who changes me and makes me into a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17; Phi. 2:13). Like the sunflower I need to turn and face the Son. I can do so by reading the Word of God, praying and living in fellowship with other believers. As I stay focused on the Son, as I remain in him and him in me (John 15:4), he will change my heart and empower me to produce fruit for others to enjoy and bring glory to God.

Are you tired? Are you worn out by life? Have you struggled with sin and feel defeated? Is it because you're trying to do something you don’t have the “power” to do? I want to encourage you to turn to Christ, to trust him, to seek him in scripture and prayer. Pray and ask him to show you how to grow closer to him. Stop relying on your own power and plug into the true source of the power, power that can change you and empower you to live for the glory of Christ. Look for ways to serve and to share the fruit Jesus has produced in your life. Share the fruit of peace, joy, love, hope with the people around you and let it nourish their lives and point them to the Son. Let us not be ashamed of this beautiful gospel and its power to change lives, starting with our own.

Burdens

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 20:03:00 +0000

John Bunyan (1628-1688) was a simple “Tinker”, in that he fixed common household wares such as pots and pans. He had a limited education and became one of the most famous writers of all time. His famous allegory “The Pilgrim's Progress” became the most read book in the English language other than the Bible. It is impossible to know how many copies of his book were made, because once it was published without copyright laws (they didn't exist in the 1600’s) people made copies of their own and sold them for profit. Everyone had a copy of Pilgrim's Progress, it was read by all walks of life, taught in universities and if you haven't read it, you should.

Though he started out as a tinker he was also a preacher and because he didn't belong to the Church of England he wasn't allowed to preach. But that didn't stop John from fulfilling his calling. At the age 32 he was jailed for preaching and spent the next 12 years there. While in jail we was allowed two books, a Bible and the “Fox’s Book of Martyrs”. With time to think he began to write his famous allegory. In the book the main character “Christian” is walking up a road with walls on each side and the walls were called salvation, the way was hard and difficult because of the great burden he was carrying on his back. As he followed the road he claimed a hill and on top of that hill stood a cross.

As he approached the cross he could see just below it an open grave and as he neared the cross the burden on his back loosened and fell from his shoulders and tumbling into the grave where is was seen no more. He stood there for a while to look in wonder because it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the cross should ease him of his burden, that he had carried for so long. He looked until he was overcome and “tears were sent down his cheeks.”

We all carry burdens, we carry the past, and all we carry sins—what we did to others, what others did to us and it goes on and one. And the longer we carry those burdens the heavier they get. These burdens wear us down, tire us out, result in all kinds of disorders, diseases and if not eventually relieved will take our lives. What hope do we have?

Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Mat. 11:28-30 ESV)

Jesus wants to relieve you of your burden, he wants to free you and give you rest! He wants to walk along side you in this life and help you. As a Christian we don’t have to worry about those things that once weighed us down. As we draw near to the cross they will fell off and into the grave where our savior once laid and we will never see them again. He has freed us to turn from sin in repentance, he has given us a new heart to serve him with ease. Live thankfully, live humbly, hopeful and joyful, for in Christ we are free.

But God.....

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 15:46:00 +0000

“So it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Genesis 45:8)

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He was falsely accused and thrown into prison and was forgotten about. He had every reason to be bitter, every reason to lose hope and to give up. Have you been there? Have you been treated unfairly? Has something happened to you that isn't justified? I cannot image what went through Joseph’s mind those years, but everywhere he went God blessed him. In Potiphar’s house he managed everything and his master was greatly blessed. When he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, she lie and he went to prison. He did the right thing by fleeing from her advances and he suffered. Have you ever suffered for doing the right thing?

While in prison again he is used to be a blessing and the keeper of the prison puts Joseph in charge and the keeper is blessed. When the king’s cupbearer and baker are thrown into prison, each has a dream and Joseph interpreted their dreams. He asked them not to forget about him and to mention him to Pharaoh. The cupbearer forgets about Joseph and he sits in prison for another two years. It is only when Pharaoh has a dream does the cupbearer remember Joseph. After he interpreted Pharaoh dream he was released from prison and put in charge of Egypt. It is after this he faces the brothers who had sold him into slavery. He has forgiven them because he sees now God’s plan all along was to save them and many others, “So it was not you who sent me here, but God.”

We don't always understand the ways of God, why allow Joseph to suffer for doing good? Wasn't there and easier way of doing this? I have come one conclusion about this life and it’s not about our comfort. When we look back through time it is out of suffering the greatest triumphs arise. Suffering has a way of refining us and making us dependence on God out of necessity. One thing that is clear in the story of Joseph is he never lost faith in God, in fact everyone around him saw he was blessed no matter what circumstances he found himself in. Through the trials and tribulations Joseph’s faith was stretched and strengthened until he understood why. In the end he was a stronger person and was able to forgive and glorify God in a pagan nation.

What are you going through? This morning I want to encourage you to give it to God and trust he has a plan for it. Trust that nothing happens to you that isn’t part of God’s glory. You are one of his children and he is looking after you and building your faith. Trust God and his goodness, encourage other who are suffering, be a part of God’s blessing.

I Believe

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 15:38:00 +0000

“If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9 HCSB)

There has to be a confession, do you believe? Do you believe in Jesus Christ, have to confessed him publicly, do you believe God raised him from the dead? Have confessed with your heart?

Do I trust the risen Savior as my only hope for salvation? Have I handed him my sin and trusted in his forgiveness. How would I answer these questions kneeling before the throne of God?

I have confessed Christ with my whole heart and I have given him my life and I am saved. The text doesn't say anything else is required of me to be saved. The result of my salvation leads me to repentance which is the turning away from sin, but it starts with confession and belief. I stand on the promise of the scripture for salvation, I plead it before God every day of my life. Let my mouth continually confess “Jesus is Lord”, until I haven’t breath in my lungs to speak and let me confess it before the throne of God on the Day of Judgment.

In this life I need this salvation, I must be saved from sin, saved from the guilt of sin, from the power of sin. But also I must be saved from the punishment of sin and from sin itself. It is only when I’m freed I can be the person God wants me to be. It’s only when the Son has broken the chains of bondage to self and to the world that I can love Him with all my heart and turn to my neighbor with the same love. It is only in Christ, I can find this freedom and it comes only when I declare and believe in my heart “Jesus is Lord” and believe that God raised him from the dead. “You will be saved” this the promise I hang onto, “I am saved” is the cry of my joy in my savior Jesus.

This life is short and fleeting, it’s over before you know it. You don’t get to do it again until you get it right. You have one shot, one opportunity, to believe. Standing before the throne of God is not the time to confess your believe…..because He is right before you. Now is the time to confess, now is the time to believe, what are you waiting for?

The Conquers

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 17:03:00 +0000

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." (Rev 2:7 ESV)

We are far too easily pleased C.S. Lewis once said and I think that is very true. As a Christian we are to fight the good fight, not give up but endure. It's the way of God to be a warrior, not a warrior in the sense of overcoming another, but in defeating the enemy sin. We have been placed in the middle of enemy occupied territory and we are to fight. We are not fighting with our own means but by grace, through faith in our Lord fighting through us. In him we are more than conquerors, we are victorious children of the king. We carry with us faith, salvation, truth, righteousness, truth, the gospel, and defend it with the word of God. We stand our ground against injustice, we protect the innocent and care for the poor and needy. We pray for and carry one another in love for the kingdom to come.

Great is our King, great is our Lord. There is nothing he cannot do, nothing that he does not know, and he is everywhere. Everything is held together by his grace, every creature takes a breath because he first gave it to them and will take their last because he allows it. It is in him we endure to the end, it is in him we don’t give up. One day when your last breath leaves your body, you will depart this world and enter into the presence of this Lord and King. If you are part of the kingdom, he will allow you to eat the fruit of the tree of life. You will no longer suffer the pain of life, or taste the sting of death. No longer will you shed tears of sorrow, but only will shed tears of joy. This is where I place my faith, this is the hope that carries me and the grace that sustains me.

The Light of Men

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 22:04:00 +0000

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.” (Isa 9:2 HCSB)

One of the things I have always loved about this time of year are Christmas lights. Right after Thanksgiving you start to see people decorating their homes and everywhere you look you see Christmas lights in all sizes and shapes. In Rocklin there happens to be what I think is one of the best displays of Christmas lights I have ever seen on Pebble Creek Drive. If you have never gone to see the houses along the drive during the Christmas season, it’s well worth your time. But where did this whole idea of Christmas lights came from in the first place? What does the birth of Jesus have to do with Christmas lights? In the Christmas story we know the wise men were guided by a great star that appeared over Bethlehem the site of our Saviors birth, but I think there is something greater than a star at work here. The prophet Isaiah told of a time when the people walking in darkness would see a “great” light. What could possibly be bigger than an enormous star?

I think we have to start from the beginning. In the Bible everything starts in Genesis and in chapter 1, all of creation including light started with “In the beginning God created”. The another place the Bible talks about creation is the Gospel of John chapter 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.

In the same chapter of John we find this verse “Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:4 HCSB) What is being said in these verse? Here is what we see, everything that exist is because God created it. Nothing exist outside of God and everything was created by the Word, the Word and God are one. In the Word life exist, In the Word we find our being and in the Word we can know God. The light of men is “knowing”, think about like this. I can look at myself in the mirror with the lights off and I can image I am still in my youth or I can picture myself anyway I want to. But once I turn on the light I see the truth, I can see the reality of what I truly look like. (Regardless if I like what I see or not!)

The reality is we live in darkness, we stumble around in this life though many of us try to do the best we can, but we are in the dark. Not knowing the truth about ourselves or the world around us. As a result we live painfully short of God’s perfect holy standard. In fact while we are in the dark it is impossible to know God. It is only when we receive the light we can see ourselves as we really are and we can know the source of the light. If you keep reading John you soon realize the Word who is the “light of men” is Jesus Christ. Here is where it really gets good! The Creator became a man and entered into creation and by doing so became the light by which we can truly know God. Jesus is much more than star, He is the maker of stars! The heavens leap into existence by His—Word, “Let there be light”. Merry Christmas and pray you'll spend this Holiday Season celebrating the light of men Jesus Christ, and share Him with others!

"Our Strength"

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 17:30:00 +0000

This week I find myself in the middle of a Seminary semester and I’m tired! Physically and emotionally. I’m trying to continue ministering and commuting to school about 120 miles away. What happens in trying to keep up with all the reading I find myself sinking further and further into academics and I lose connection to the one thing that can carry me through and that is the Holy Spirit. Once we start trying to do things in our own strength we soon lose momentum and eventually run out of gas. I picked up a book of “The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon” and in the back of the book he is addressing primarily pastors, but there is something here for all of us. Here are some of the highlights and you’ll see what I mean.

"If we make a treaty with error or sin, we do it at our own risk. If we do anything that we are not clear about, if we temper with truth or holiness, if we are friends of the world, if we make provision for the flesh, if we preach halfheartedly and in league with errorist, we have no promise that the Holy Spirit will go with us."

"When the Spirit of God is gone, even truth itself become an iceberg. How wretched is religion frozen and lifeless! The Holy Spirit has gone, and all energy and enthusiasm have gone with Him."

"We never go a step towards heaven without the Holy Spirit. We never lead another on the heavenward road without the Holy Spirit. We have no acceptable thought, word, or deed apart from the Holy Spirit. Even the uplifting of the eye in hope or the ejaculatory prayer of the heart's desire must be His work. All good things are of Him and through Him, from beginning to end. There is no fear of exaggeration here."

"Every Man who goes to the land of the heavenly knowledge must work his passage thither; but he must work out the passage in the strength of the Holy Spirit or he will arrive at some island in the sea of fancy and never set foot upon the sacred shores of truth."

"No, we know nothing till we are taught of the Holy Spirit, who speaks to the heart rather than to the ear"

I am drawn to Spurgeon like a moth to the flame! I read his sermons and writings and I am amazed how penetrating his words are 130 years after he spoke them. He lived in the scripture and sought the Spirit to guide him in a time when the Victorian world around him was in the midst of the industrial revolution and reason was the new champion. This is the age of Darwin's new thought, God was being marginalized and for profit thousands in the greater London area was suffering. I can't help to see but see some parallels of our world today.

We live in the technology revolution or the information age. We will receive millions of bits of information daily and we have to sift through this deluge of information and try to make sense of it all. In this flood of information is a growing hostility towards Christianity and an intentional effort to confuse those who profess to believe or who are thinking about faith. This presents a problem for those who are not grounded in their Bibles and unsure of their faith. On top of all that we are busy, busy running everywhere and going no place. How in this time do we slow down enough to even begin a relationship with God, let alone sustain one?

We have to slow down and take the time to spend time with God. To place the Lord first in our lives requires effort and a shift of priorities. What I know this much is true, we will not do anything until we see the value in what we give priority to. But the dilemma is if we have never given priority to your faith how can you know it should be a priority! As a Christian I can do nothing apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. John 15:5, Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing”. I need to draw near to Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit. Without the strength of the Spirit I am helpless. It is only when we take the time to earnestly seek Christ in His word and through prayer that I will find the strength I need to continue.

I need to slow down and take time for Christ, I need the Holy Spirit to help me love the people around me, to understand the scriptures and to even pray. There is nothing I do as a Christian I do that I don’t need the Holy Spirit enabling power. It is only when I recognize this weakness that I am made strong Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me.”

Jesus said this to start the beatitudes:

"The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. (Mat 5:3 HCSB)

It's when we humble ourselves before God and confess our weakness to Him that we are made strong. Its when we finally realize we cannot manage our own sin, when we acknowledge we cannot meet our own expectations, let alone those others impose on us. When we are finally broken by the weight of it all and God picks up and enables us to do far more than we could ever imagine.

Our faith, our ministries, our lives, everything we do as Christian's has to be dependent and empowered by the Holy Spirit, apart from Him we are helpless and our efforts are but powerless and heavy to carry.

Inexcusable

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 17:01:00 +0000

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” ― C.S. Lewis

I have thought a lot about forgiveness over the last week. I write this having experienced the death of my father. My father finished well. He was adored and loved by the people around him and especially his family. This is despite a horrible beginning. All of dad’s closest family members carry the scars of his sins. As a result we all spun out of control for a period of time, some longer than others. All of us were terribly hurt by the “inexcusable” sins of this father and husband. What has amazed me the most was how all of us who were impacted—God is working in our lives, actively working. He in His own time is healing and mending our hearts. We have all tried different ways to cope with his sins. We have turned to sin in the hope of finding temporary relief and as a result we have lost spouses, damaged relationship and hurt others as our father hurt us. We have all tried to ignore the problems, we have finger pointed, we have even tried to hurt each other and we have all carried some level of resentment. Fact remains we still have a lot to work through and we need each other more than ever. What my father did was inexcusable.

If the story ended right here it would be a tragedy. But the beauty of this story is not in the man and his sin but in a God and His love. It’s the story of a selfish man and a humble God who gave His life for selfish sins. God died for men like my father in order that His glory may be displayed in his life. Once God grabbed hold of my dad's heart He made him a new creation in Christ. My father started to live for something other than himself. My father could not have possibly saved himself it was an act of God. It didn't happen overnight but over time and as his physical health declined he learned to lean on God’s love, strength and mercy. In the end through suffering my father learned to be dependent on God and His grace and as a result God begun a “mighty” work through him.

In the end my father was surrounded by the people who he had hurt the most. This wasn't because of anything my dad did but because of the work God did in him. God had forgiven him of the inexcusable sin he had committed against God by the way he lived his life. My father understood the height of God’s grace because he understood the depth of his own sin and the wake of destruction he had left behind. It was by God’s grace my father was who he was and it was by God’s grace his family surrounded him as he took his last breath.

God forgives the inexcusable in our lives, and there is nothing I have done that deserves God’s grace and mercy and yet he loved me despite my sin. He didn't just say I love you, he did something about the inexcusable in our lives by doing the most improbable. He became flesh and lived the life we could not and sacrificed that life. He died for our sins and was buried in our place. But this story doesn't end there, he rose again and became life. We live because Jesus lives, we will die in this body and we will rise again because Jesus is alive! Christ did the improbable to forgive the inexcusable. Through Christ we must do the same. All I can do is invite you to come taste and see the goodness of the Lord for yourself.

Wiped Out

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Tue, 28 May 2013 14:07:00 +0000

"He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross." (Col 2:14 HCSB)

ἐξαλείψας (exaleipsas) means to destroy something entirely, to wipe it out. In the HCSB it is translated erased. Think of this verse in this way--Christ's sacrifice on the cross wiped out any debt of sin you had, past, present, future--He took and nailed it to the cross! Nothing is left it is gone! You did nothing, He did it all. That is what we put our faith in when trust Christ. We trust this is true and believe it with the way we live. Live thankfully, full of grace towards others because much grace has been shown to you.

That is just incredible to think about! I am in awe of Christ and his goodness towards us. The more I think on the verse the more I want to serve Him and share Him with others. We all struggle with sin and the desires it produces in our hearts. We try and try to overcome sin on our own terms and fail miserably. Yet here is the key, Christ has overcome sin, he has destroyed its hold on you, he removed it! Why do we live as if sin still rules over us? Because I believe we have a small jesus, and he cannot take away our BIG sin. The reality is we have a HUGE JESUS who took away the sins of the WORLD! Want freedom from sin that rules over your life? Look to Christ, trust in Him, seek Him, make much of Jesus in your life, He is BIGGER than any sin. God is good!!

Abundant Joy and Eternal Pleasures

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Did you ever think it was ok to live life with abundant joy? Did you ever think it was not sinful to seek pleasures? The question is where do you seek them? Every human being on the planet wants to be happy. I have never come across anyone who is always seeking to be miserable and it they are I promise you for some strange reason and in some strange way—it pleases them. The reality is we are all wanting to be happy in some way. We also like to enjoy pleasure, we seek pleasure in a variety of ways, food, sex, relationships, sports, television, movies, music, and I could go on and on. What we fail to understand sometimes is its ok to seek joy and pleasure, what matters is where and in what. If we seek joy simply for the sake of joy it can become idolatry. And if I seek pleasure simply for purely pleasure sake it too will become idolatry and it will eventually enslave me. How do I escape idolatry and enslavement and still have joy and pleasures?

The Psalmist answers this question like this. “You reveal the path of life me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.” (Psalm 16:11) Our ultimate joy and our ultimate pleasure can be found in God and in God’s glory. It is in Him everything finds its purpose and meaning. Through Him we can understand what joy really is and we can understand and truly experience pleasure as Christ lives through us. Maybe you have hit a rough patch or life has gotten you down, get on the path of life with God and enjoy Him.

~PS

Words and Flaws

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:17:00 +0000

One of my personality FLAWS is I take criticism personally. Being in ministry means you will be criticized and there isn't any way around it. I’ll go one step further being married means you are going to be criticized. Having teenagers, neighbors, friends, family, I think you get the point. Not everyone is going to agree with you and that is alright. As I write this I realize my choice of words is reflecting my flaw. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean its criticism! Maybe they are just trying to help you, what is their intent? Most people I know have good intentions and truly don’t want to cause harm, but truly want to help you.

I have two thoughts, first is thankfulness. God is forever working on me to be better. He loves me and wants me to be more like him in every way and thus he uses other people to help shape me. The second is grace. God extended me grace, even when I am stubbornly defiant. He has done this in the past and continues to extend me grace to guide me along, to learn to trust him.

The question for us all then is how are you going to handle the person who takes what you said wrong and runs with in directions you never thought of or intended? Do you lash out at them, or do you try to love on them and extend them grace? Do you say I'm sorry or do you take a stand?

Proverbs 15:1-2 says, "A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive, but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness." How we respond matters. What we say at the moment we read or hear something reflects our hearts. Jesus said in Matthew 12:34b “For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. When I read this Proverb I see the heart of the person. The heart that loves God and loves others is the one who answers gently and who answers not to prove a point or to win the argument for argument sake, but wants the other person to grow in knowledge of truth. Plus I want to stay humble to know there may be a lesson for me to learn from the other person!

The heart that is centered on self throws out the harsh words and is quick to criticize for the sake of being right. In the process that person ends up being the fool. Sadly, I know this not by observation but by experience, for I have played the fool far too many times in my life and in ministry.

Paul said in Ephesians 4:29, “No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. “No foul language”, looks like this in Greek πᾶς λόγος σαπρὸς, and literally means (no word rotten) Paul is using the word σαπρὸς (sapros), which means something that is in decay or unpleasant. The word is meaning something has died and is rotten. So the question to ask in light of this is, are your words killing or are they giving life? Are you building up or are you “killing” something with your words.

I am trying to be less the fool and more like the wise man. I love the people God has placed in my life. From my wife, my sons and family to my extended family in the church and everywhere else. And I am thankful he uses every one of them to help me grow, especially those closest to me. I want my words to give life to others, to build them up and to help them grow in Christ.

You should ask yourself a question before you say something, Are my words going build the other person up or kill something. Something to think about.

Knowing the Will of God

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:27:00 +0000

As a pastor I get asked a lot of questions about “God’s will” in life. People want to know if what they are doing is in God’s will. It could be in relationships, in their jobs, buying a big ticket item, giving in the church, and the list goes on and on. I know there are time in my life that I have struggled to find God’s direction. There are those moments when you are unsure of what is next, where do I go from here type thoughts. I have asked God to give me a sign and when I say sign I mean “a sign” as one right outside my window that tells me exactly what to do. I can assure you though I have asked for such things I have never received them. So, the question comes back to “how I can know the will of God in my life?” There are certain bible verse that come to mind when I think about this and the main one for me is Romans 12:1-2

“Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Paul in answering this question to the Romans urges the members to start by offer themselves wholly to God. Which means if I want to know the will of God it starts by knowing God, getting close to God. A good way to get to know someone is to go on a walk with them. In Paul’s time walking was the way people got around. If you wanted to go visit somewhere you walked and if you took someone with you really got to know them. To know the will of God we need to walk with God. We need to go a distance with Him in prayer and reading scripture. By walking with God we start to follow what you learn in his word, we become doers of the word as James tells us. This can only be done by walking with God, a quick hour visit on Sunday mornings is not enough. We have to spend time each day.

As you start to live out the scriptures—God starts to change you from the inside out. He starts to slowly change your desires. Things that use to matter begin to slowly fade into the background and your priorities start to rearrange. As you walk closer and closer to God something else will start to emerge in your life. You will start to know God’s will because God’s will, will become your will. God doesn't want you wandering through this life aimlessly, but he wants you to be purposeful in what you do. And it starts with a closer walk with Him. I want to encourage you this month to take time with God, walk with Him in bible reading, prayer, and serving one another. Live the way God wants you to live and I promise you will learn the will of God for your life and it will be good, pleasing and perfect—just like God.

-PS

Live as an Ambassador

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:02:00 +0000

“Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:12 HCSB)

Peter’s letter to suffering Christian’s is one of my favorite in the bible. In it we hear the now wise Apostle Peter urging believers to hold fast to the faith and to glorify God with their lives. He reminds them they are strangers in this land. He reminds them there will come a day when Christ will return and we are to look forward to that day. He also gives them strong words to live by to protect from the world around them. The Roman world was an evil place. From the top down everywhere a Christian went they would face the challenge of not compromising their beliefs.

Peter doesn’t tell to blend in and become like the Romans. And he doesn’t tell them to draw attention to themselves and bad mouth the government. In those times that could get one killed, but he tells them to live honorably. He encourages them to live in such a way they will have to glorify God. In others words when they compare their lives to yours they will have to acknowledge God and give him praise!

Today we live in an ever changing world and it is difficult to see some of these changes. The world around us is becoming increasingly “ungodly” in that many live their lives without even acknowledging God exists at all. This reflects in all levels of society and we have to pass more and more laws to govern the masses. It’s easy to become discouraged in this as a follower of Christ. But we have to remember this is the world Christ died for and he has placed us here now, in this time for the purpose of displaying Christ to this generation.

I recently read a post form a pastor I know and he said, “God is all powerful, all knowing and ever present. Live like a person convinced of this truth.” I think we lose sight of who we are and what we are here for. I think we lose sight of the God we serve. We are not here to uphold a nation or a politician we are here as representatives of the King of kings, we are ambassadors to an eternal kingdom. We need to start living in light of this truth and represent our King honorably. We need to live to bring glory to Him and our future home. By "living kingdom minded" we can be used by God to show his love towards those who don’t know him. Live your life in such a way that when the people in your life examine your life (and they will) they will want what you have. They will want the fruit of peace, love, kindness, self-control, patience and joy that is displayed in your life. The time is short and when Christ returns let us not be found living like the people around us, but let us be found living for Christ and his glory.

~PS

I Ask You?

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:26:00 +0000

I have been reading through Jeremiah and Ezekiel now for a few weeks. It has troubled me greatly. And I know you cannot connect America, the Church with Israel and the Jewish people. But God’s character is clearly displayed. He hands the people over to their desires. God hands the people over to lust for sex, money, material things, greed and to the oppressing of the poor. He hands them over to their idols and the killing of their children to those same false gods. He then judges them and he pours out his anger on them for one purpose…to make his name known. In the midst of destruction people turn to God and pray for his mercy. He is their only hope from themselves.

People say they don’t want this kind of God, they shake their fist in his face and curse his name. He then turns them over to the desire of their hearts. They plunge themselves into the depths of their sin without restraint, whatever their hearts desire they do. They engage in sexual sin at the expense of thousands lured by the possibility of easy money, in turn they use the innocent to inflame the lust of the people who enslave millions of young children and young adults to further satisfy their desires. They abort the millions whose voice cannot be heard in the name of freedom of their genital and exchange the truth for a lie and natural relations for unnatural.

Their quest for lust of things cannot be satisfied, they sacrifice their futures and the futures of their children for the satisfaction of the now. God hands them over to the desires of their stomachs and thus we create an entirely new line of medical problems never seen before in the history of man. GURD, diabetes, hypertension, knee and hip replacement to hold the weight, cancers and on and on the list goes.

God Hands us over to the technology and toys which enslaves us to mindless entertainment and endless distraction around us. On the other side millions are enslaved who toil in mines of needed metals to eke out an existence for the promise of a better life, while other grows fat by their labor. Factories workers work 16 hour days in city factories to produce the next fruit phone or big screen television. In this pursuit of self-desires we sacrifice our children and abandon them to the machines of mindless games, fatherless refuges, which grow up strong in youth without moral restraint and the character needed to control their anger and rage…and cannot understand why one would walk into a classroom and shoot children dead. We'll give up freedoms in return —with the hopes of controlling their broken and sick hearts with words written on pages of books for lawyers and judges.

This is just a little piece of what’s going on and how long will a just God sit back and let this happen before he steps in. I ask you.

Why Church??

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:54:00 +0000

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25 ESV)

I was awakened early in the morning thinking about the church and this verse was set upon my heart. I have seen the trend in America concerning the church. I have attended churches that turn all the lights down low and make the room very dark. The music is loud and when the pastor speaks the only light in the room is focused on him. What this does is focus everything on the individual sitting watching and for a moment, everything is all about them. Understand me when I say this, I am not knocking those pastors or churches. These churches are just giving the people what they want. The pastors know it and are trying to reach people for Christ, using the culture. It’s reflective of our narcissistic society.

But what if I told you it’s not Biblical? What if I told you church service had nothing to do about you directly, but it was about Christ and the person sitting in the seat next to you? One of the things I absolutely love about scripture it how relative it is to us today. Something written thousands of years ago can still apply to us in 2013. The reason this is true is because the human heart hasn’t changed, we still act the same way regardless of our setting. The human on the stage never changes, just the settings around him changes from scene to scene.

The writer of Hebrews was faced with a problem, members of churches were falling away from the faith and he reminds them “why church” is important. He reminds us to “hold fast” to the confession of our hope, that is Christ. Christ is the living hope and we are to hang onto Him as if our lives depended on it. Think about a ship on the sea and you are on the deck, and the ship is being tossed about by the waves. In the middle of the deck is a large mast. As the waves increase and you are being tossed around, you grab hold of the mast and you hang on for dear life, because if you don’t you will perish over the side. We want to hold fast to Christ as the waves around us grow in fury, because we know God is faithful.

Next the writer says, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” Here is the thought here, we are to gather together regularly, we are to hold fast to Christ and encourage others around us to do the same. The way we hold fast is by focusing ourselves on Christ and loving one another and loving others. In fact the writer uses the phrase “to stir up” and the reality is—we are moved by the love of others. We are motivated by the encouragement of others going through the same thing we are.

I recently attended a band concert at the local middle school. It seemed like most of the town was packed into the gym that night. My family and I had to stand off to the side. This was my youngest son’s first concert and he plays the trumpet. Joe has gotten up early for months to practice before school and his band teacher Mr. Achilles has also sacrificed to teach him. It would have been a great disservice to my son Joe and Mr. Achilles not to attend, why? Because as a father I want to encourage my son to continue working at learning an instrument, because I know how this will benefit him for the rest of his life. Secondly, I want to encourage Mr. Achilles and to thank him for his dedication and service to our community. I can do both simply by attending, being their physically to show my support. Having the large crowd stirred my son and he was excited to play in front of so many people. Not because he is a glory hound, but because he had worked hard and wanted to share with others what he had learned. By attending we stirred Joe up to continue to get up early and to practice…to continue to discipline himself to get better.

As we attend church or gather together for fellowship with one another we encourage each other, we stir up each other to love. From the time we arrive to the time we leave it’s about encouraging each other to hold fast. This love displayed carries us and fills our hearts. We take it with us and it spills over onto everyone around us. The fact is we cannot live out our faith without the love and encouragement of others. We can try for a time, but eventually we will fade away and be tossed over the side. This is especially true when the waves of life grow more violent.

I have seen so many people struggle in the faith and when this struggle begins the person begins to “unplug”. They stopped reading the bible, their prayer life dries up and they stop attending church. Once this happens it’s just a matter of time before they are tossed off the ship and will need to be rescued if they can be found. The way we avoid being lost in the sea of discouragement and sin, is we hold fast to Christ and encourage others to do the same. This can simply be done by just showing up. By you being there, the person next to you or across the room will see you and be encouraged by your presence. From here things start to happen, you will encourage and start to love each other. You will miss seeing someone and you will call them and pray for them when they are not there. You will stir up the hearts around you and when the storms of life hit, to will cling to the mast of Christ and you will hang on together.

Church is not about you it’s about the person next to you. With that thought in your mind, remember there is a person next to you who is there for you, you are not alone. By giving of yourself for others, you receive much more in return. Let’s commit to church and fellowship in 2013!

~Pastor Steve

Big God

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 23:08:00 +0000

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke."
(Isaiah 6:1-4 HCSB)

The prophet Isaiah had a life changing encounter with a holy God. He sees in a vision God in his temple. The imagery used by Isaiah is awe inspiring, the Lord's robe flowing from the throne fills the sanctuary. God is high and lifted up and the massive angels called Seraphim are crying out while circling above the throne, holy, holy holy is the LORD of Hosts. Their voices shake the foundation of the temple. This picture tells us something of the nature of God that is very important for us to know. God is big, I mean BIG.

Why is it important for us to understand how big God is? Firstly just trying to understand the size of God, makes us seem very small! Humility is the first step to knowing God. Humility, brings us to our knees and causes us to cry out for help. Humility allows us to say, "Lord forgive me", Lord help me to repent and put my faith in you. Secondly, having a big God helps us deal with big problems. If your problems are bigger than God, how can he help you? Knowing I have a God who is bigger than my sin strengthens me to resist. Having a God who is bigger than my marriage, helps me love my spouse the way Christ loved me and showed me grace and having a big God helps me when I receive that phone call about my teenager who just crashed his car and is on his way to the hospital.

Having a Big God makes all the difference in the world. Life will have it's ups and downs and if your problems seem overwhelming open up a bible to Isaiah 6 and start reading. Think about the size of God and then think about how this big God is. Think about how this big God sent his only Son to die on the cross for your sins and in doing so displayed his big love to you and the world. Get a big view of God, ask God today to show you just how big he is and trust in HIM.

Let Christ Be Yes

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:40:00 +0000

"For all the promises of God find their yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory." ~2 Corinthians 1:20

Who is the "him" in this passage? Who is the yes to all of God's promises? Whom does God establish us in, anoint us, seal us and fill us through the Holy

Spirit.

Who forgives us of our sin, who died for you while you were still a sinner? Who was buried in the grave for three days and rose again? Who promises to go and prepare a place for you and return for you and where he is you will be also? Who promises to wipe away the tears, to end death and suffering? Who has defeated our enemy death? Who comes into the hearts of people and changes them forever, who give life that is full and abundant? Who is the author of peace, joy, hope beyond measure?

Who comforts us when we are afflicted and helps us comfort others? In whom do we find the strength to overcome sin and temptation? Who gives us the sunrise and the stars by night and has named them? Who is beyond any knowledge we can possibly fathom, in fact all the treasure of knowledge is found in him? Who is love, the essence of love, the embodiment of love, love defined? Who is Jesus Christ? In Jesus all of God's promises find their YES!

Trust Jesus today! Let him be the YES in your life, by giving it to him.

Christ in Culture

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:45:00 +0000

Christ didn't come to run for political office, or try to persuade the religious leaders of his day. He didn't rage against the Roman government system for which he was under. He started with a few followers, one heart at a time and he gave his life as a sacrifice. And on the third day he rose from the grave, by doing so the whole world came to know his name. Christ didn't come to change culture but to redeem culture unto himself.

The gospel saves us and drives us to live sacrificially for others, in order that they too may be redeemed by the blood of Christ. Share the gospel, live your salvation out in front of a culture that needs to be redeemed by Christ.

Sermon: To God's Church (1 Corinthians 1:-1-3)

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 01:03:00 +0000

I have finally settled on a book to preach through. I was originally looking at trying to spend a year in the Old Testament and highlight some of the major stories. But on my heart was 1 Corinthians. Because the more I prayed and the more I thought about us, our church—1 Corinthians seemed like the place we need to go.

So here is the plan as of right now. We will go through 1 Corinthians together (it will be our main text) and when we start reading the Bible together in April, if s subject or story grabs me or interest you we can cover it.

Why Corinthians? First I have always been drawn to the letter for some reason. I think it is reflective of the church today and especially the church in America…in some ways. But mainly when we look at our church we have many new believers and we have experienced some pains from change. As we move forward it is and will be important to avoid the mistakes made by the Corinthian church. So what do we know about the Corinthians.

Introduction to 1 Corinthians

We know that is was an important trade center for the Romans. It was destroyed by them in 146 BC and a century later refounded as a Roman colony. Because of its geographical position, merchants and sailors would send goods through the city because it was safer than navigating the water around Achaia. The city was busy and people from all over passed through it. With them came goods, but also ideas, different religious practices.

It had a reputation as being a city where any goes. There were lush fields around the city were grapes grew and there was famous Isthmus games held nearby. It was an important city, prosperous, and morally corrupt city.

One writer said this about Corinth: “The ideal of the Corinthian was the reckless development of the individual. The merchant who made his gain by all and every means, the man of pleasure surrendering himself to every lust, the athlete steeled to every bodily exercise and proud in his physical strength, are the true Corinthian types: in a word the man who recognized no superior and no law but his own desires.”

This is where a Christian church had been established and Paul spent roughly 18 months there helping it get started. When he came to the city (Acts 18) he first spoke in the Synagogue were the Jewish believers asked him to leave. Paul being who he was set up shop right next door to the house “Titius Justus, a worshiper of God.” (Acts 18:7), where he preached to the Gentiles and the church grew. Even “Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.” (Acts 18:8).

After he left he visited the church once more for sure and he wrote them four different letters, two of which we have in our Bibles, and no one has ever found the other two.So what do we know about the church itself. It was a large church—many Corinthians had converted to Christ. It was full cliques and snobs, materialism had taken root in the church. It had both the very rich and the very poor. At fellowship meals the rich kept to themselves and the poor were left alone.

There was little church discipline and a very lax attitude about morals and doctrine. Members took part in the pagan religion around them, many of the religions were sexual in nature. They were unwilling to submit to authority, even Paul’s ‘credentials’ were questioned. There was a lack of humility and consideration for others. Members were taking each other to court and other members were flaunting there new found freedom in Christ, regardless of the effects on fellow-believers.

They were abusing and ignoring gifts of the Spirit, the church in Corinth was a mess. They were not walking in a matter worthy of their calling and were spiritually weak. Paul addresses these issues and more in this letter.

Paul starts this letter by establishes himself and the church as a whole, he is going to remind them who He is and who they are.

Paul Called

“Paul, called as an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, and Sosthenes our brother: 2 To God's church at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord--both their Lord and ours. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:1-3)

Paul first established his calling as an apostle of Christ, by Christ’s will and not his own. He is reminding them of his calling who he was in Christ. This was important because some of the believers actually questioned if Paul was an apostle at all. He was going to address issues in the church and he was reminding them of his authority, an authority that came from Christ himself.

But he was also reminding them of a common link between them. They were in Christ as He was in Christ. Called by Christ, saved by Christ, baptized in Christ, “There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope at your calling-- 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6).

To God’s Church (v.2)

“To God's church at Corinth, Paul again is reminding them that it isn’t their church in Corinth, but God’s church. That they belong to the entire body of Christ and there is only one body.

-Sanctified and Called

They were sanctified by Christ himself, set apart and made holy through the cross. Christ who also sanctified them, called them as saints (the set apart ones) or (it’s the same word for holy). Then Paul drives this point home by finishing the verse with these words, “with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord--both their Lord and ours.”

Grace to You (v.3)

Paul closes the opening remarks with verse 3 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul reminds the reader everything is grace, they do not deserve anything from God and yet He loves us.

“It was by grace we were saved, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, 5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, 7 so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift—“ (Ephesians 2:4-8)

None of the Corinthian church deserved grace, but he not only gives them grace but He also give peace, or shalom in the Hebrew.

-Peace from God

It was through Christ sacrifice that the church had peace with God. No longer were they enemies of God and objects of judgment and wrath, but now were at peace with God, having received mercy, in that God didn’t give them what they diddeserve, but gave them salvation and peace through Christ. So what does this mean for us today?

You are God’s Church

Firstly and most importantly you are God’s church. First Baptist Church of Rocklin is God’s church and is not Pastor Steve’s church and it doesn’t belong to any of you either.

The church is not a physical building; it is the people who make up the church. We have been given a building and we have a responsibility to be good stewards of what God has given to us and we should care for it to the best of our abilities.

But we must keep in mind that if some terrible event was to blow these buildings down, or if somehow the property was taken from us and we were all evicted, we would still be a church. It is the body of believers who make up the body of Christ.

This means we are also part of a larger body….the body of Christ, which is spread out over the entire world. It means when the one part of the body suffers the whole body suffers. When Islamic gunmen riddle a church with bullets while it is in a prayer service in Nigeria, killing ten people this last week it affects us all.

We are the church and we work together to share the message of Christ with the world.

You are God’s Sanctified and Called

You are called by God, saved and sanctified by the precious blood of Christ. Therefore walk worthy of the calling you have received. Put away the sins that so easily ensnare you, put away course talking, sexual sin, indulging every fleshly desire, materialism, think about others before you exercise your ‘freedom.” Think of other more than yourselves. Walk in love as Christ walked in love, imitate Christ, love as Christ.

Understand the effects of your sin, your behavior reflects on the entire body of Christ. People will make judgments about Christianity by the way you live your life. People are watching!

Understand who you are in Christ. You are not your own--you were bought with a price. You have been made an heir to a throne an heir with Christ.

What you do, how you live your life in front of others reflects on Christ himself, the same Christ who loved you and gave His life for you.We need to remind ourselves of this important truth. We need to be humbled by these realities, because we are to live…

Live in Grace and Peace

In grace and peace. We cannot live the Christian life apart from God’s grace. It is His grace living through us by the Holy Spirit that we can live the life worthy of the call of Christ.

If you attempt to live the Christian life apart from grace, under your own power, by your own standards, you will sink into legalism.

You will fail to live up to the standards youhave set and will impose those same standards on everyone around else around you and judge them for not meeting your ‘standard’. (By judging you take the focus off of your own failure.) You will be miserable and you will make others around you miserable.

We are to keep our eyes on Christ, humbled by understanding the incredible sacrifice he made on our behalf and the reality of our own sin. That we are all sinners saved by grace, all of us helped nail Christ to the cross. And it was by his willingness to die for our sins that we are saved. I am not saved by any ‘righteous’ standard I set or keep, it is all be grace.

It is through Christ we have peace, we have peace with God and so when Jesus says, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30), He means you will have peace and rest in Him.

He is the Prince of Peace, He is our Lord and savior, He is Jesus. Live a life worthy of your call, live in such a way that others see Christ in you and want the grace and peace you have.

We are his ambassadors, ambassadors to the King, His representative, the body of Christ here on earth, called and sanctified by Jesus Himself.

Go out from here and love as he loved you, forgive as he forgave you, extend grace as you have been and continue to be extended grace, live in humility as Christ lived humble, full of grace and truth. Bring glory to Christ in all that you do—you are the church—God’s church.

God's Sanctuary

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:56:00 +0000

A flash and I stir. Another flash and I’m awake. I get up and the sound of thunder reaches my ears and I can feel the weather. It’s July in California, I’m both concerned and filled with wonderment. Could it be raining, do I hear rain on the metal roof of the sun room? I walk out and yes it’s all true, I can hear the rain and I quickly open the windows and pull back the drapes to take in all that is happening. A gentle breeze pulls in the scent of freshly fallen rain and I smell it as it makes its way pass me. I step outside and in the corner of my eye I see color and shape. A double rainbow just above the neighbor’s house! The morning rays of the sun have just begun to make their way through the big oak tree beside our house and there is a rainbow beautifully displayed for the world to see to the West.

I am reminded of the glory of God, the weather, the morning, the rain, the clouds and the rainbow. The Psalmist says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.” I cannot help but to be thankful, to raise my heart in praise and give thanks for the simple pleasures of life. God is good and I am a thankful. Thankful for the reminder of the Lord’s glory in everyday life, thankful for the eyes I have to see. I am thankful for my ears to hear and the nose on my face to smell. I am thankful for the chorus of birds that are singing their praises. This natural sanctuary that surrounds me cries out in worship and I can only sit here in awe of the glory displayed.

What an incredible way to start my day.

Hospital: Lesson's Learned

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:52:00 +0000

“But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head.” ~Psalm 3:3

Years ago I was taught that when you experienced something to always do a “lesson’s learned”, write down what you learned from what you went through. Here is what I learned over the last few days. Pain is very real and will quickly reduces you to its will. Passing a gallstone is one of the most painful experiences of my life. Which brings me to my first lesson learned, morphine is amazing, it is a miracle drug. Modesty in pain do not co-exist. I was totally submissive to pain and would have done anything to see it go away and I mean anything. Which brings me to the Emergency Room, the things they have to deal with on a day to day basis are remarkable. Once I was no longer in pain I was able to soak in my surroundings and I have to tell you these people are professionals and deserve our gratitude. The range of people they have to deal with is staggering.

Once I was admitted and was placed in my room, I was greeted warmly. I felt at ease right from the beginning. From Ron to Liz I was well taken care of. Lying in a hospital bed that inflates and deflates was interesting. To keep people from getting bed sores the bed’s mattress moves. So I felt like I was floating on a raft adrift at sea. All those channels and nothing to watch, still holds true. I got tired of being poked every four hours. Laughter is still the best medicine. Sonograms are really cool and I am thankful for the young lady who was called in at 2 AM to preform one on me. Becky who is from Baton Rouge, who is a travel nurse because she cannot find a permanent position, wants to get to the East Coast to be closer to her children. She did a sonogram of my heart and was very kind and I promised to keep her in my prayers, I hope you will too.

The young intern who had to push my fat self to the further reaches of the hospital in a wheelchair so I could get an MRI, she did it with a smile on her face, and we laughed all the way there, especially on the down hills. And to the older gentlemen who had to me push back, thank you! Being stuck in an oversize doughnut with my arms over my head for 20 minutes felt like an eternity and I wouldn’t want to do that again anytime soon. But turning all the sounds in the room into musical sounds in my head was amusing. Eating for the first time in two days was great, I barely remember what it was. Vanilla flavored creamy jello stuff, just ain't right.

Being woke up in the middle of night to draw blood, by turning on the lights and yelling my name wasn’t cool and was thankful for the young lady who followed who gently woke me up to do the same thing. The sun rose through my window in the morning, the whole room fill with wonderful light each morning a reminder of another day of God’s grace. Having a camera tube stuck down your throat while in twilight….I’ll leave that right there.

Dr. Marsh for looking down into my stomach, was very blunt and to the point. I don’t remember many of the words he said while still in “twilight” other than, “You’re eating yourself to death”, which for some strange reason lodged themselves in my mind. He later reminded me when I was fully awake, if I don’t make changes now I will die a young man. This brings me to the biggest lesson of them all, the people who showered me with prayers and support. I didn’t want to say anything, because I didn’t want people to worry. But one post on Facebook and a few phone calls news traveled quickly. At one point my hospital room was so packed, it was standing room only and the nurses had to wait to get in. I am so grateful to be surrounded by such a loving group of people. From facebook post, text messages, visits and prayers all help me again to realize this is bigger than just me.

One morning the sun had just stared to rise and I started to read the psalms and I got to Psalm 3 and the Lord touched my heart with these words, “But You, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head.” (Psalm 3:3). It is for his glory I live and he has shielded me for many years and he lifts up my head. He has a plan for me and is using me in people’s lives and he is also using others to shape me. We are all in this together and I am robbing God and the people around me by the way I live. I need to make serious changes and take care of myself better for Christ glory.

So overall I am thankful and I know I still have more tests that need to be done and I might have to have my gallbladder removed. Nothing is wasted in the kingdom of God, he uses everything. My thoughts also go out to all the nurses who are angels and who need our prayers and support. Lastly to Liz, thank you for laughing with me while trying to figure out how I got so tangled up in my gown.

God is good!

God of Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:38:00 +0000

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~Romans 15:13

I love this imagery in this verse. As we believe in Christ, He fills us till we are over flowing with beautiful things. Things that make life worth living, joy, peace and power!

Joy, not happiness which is fleeting like a mist sprayed into the air on a hot afternoon. But joy that rains down gently and steadily, soaking the earth with its nurturing goodness.

Peace that makes all things right, that removes the stain of guilt and hostility. Peace that fills the chasm of separation from the living God and reconciles a debt paid in full.

Power of the Holy Spirit who lives in me and who sustains me daily. The Spirit who fills my life with His life giving presence that overflows into every aspect of my life. Who enables me to live a life fulfilling and useful for the Kingdom of God.

So many of us run around looking for more out of life, chasing after the things that bring fleeting happiness. We live looking for the peace that alludes us at every turn and in every relationship. We spend countless hours looking for the power to live every day for a purpose. Yet here in this verse we find all that we are missing, all that we are looking for. In this verse lays the answer to all the nagging questions that keep us up at night. In Him, in Him is the answer. In Him is all the keys to joy, peace and power. In Him we have all that we need to live this life to its fullest measure.

Who is “Him”? He is the Alpha and the Omega, He is the great I AM. He was before all things and all things find there meaning in Him. He created everything, He was in the beginning and He made His dwelling with man. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. Who came to be abused for our transgressions, to carry our burden, our shame, our sin. He was crushed for our iniquity. On the cross God the Father poured out all His wrath onto His Son who gladly accepted our penalty and punishment. He died and was buried and was resurrected and ascended to the right hand of God the Father, where He sits till this day. In this Christ defeated sin and death forever and His throne will have no ending. Those who believe in Him are filled with the Holy Spirit, who seals us and sets us apart. Through the grace of Christ we have joy, peace and power to live lives fulfilling and with purpose. Trust in Jesus today and find joy, hope and peace and the power to enjoy them forever!

Grace Thoughts....

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Steve) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 06:41:00 +0000

"It's not about what you do and don't do, its about Christ inside of you! Growing and maturing in Him, till he become your hearts desire, until you become like Him."

"I'm not saying don't repent and do good works, I'm saying what is the motivation at the root. Are you doing something for some kind of reward or are you so overcome by the grace of God that you do because of love. Love for the Lord, who gave his life for you, suffered and died for you!"

"We are so shallow in our thinking, so weak in our faith to think I can buy God, I can suffer more than he did for my sin. O' Church let go of the fleshly thinking and grasp the love of Christ and his immeasurable grace!"

"When I stop and wonder at the cross, my sin he carried, crushed for my iniquity, I can hardly lift my head! I am overwhelmed by the presence of the risen Lord my heart shatters in my chest. I am broken by the weight of thought of such a burden he gladly bore. O' but by the grace of God go I, O' by the grace of God I cry and shout for joy."