IS HE WORTH IT?

This brings us to the crucial question for every professing or potential follower of Jesus: Do we really believe he is worth abandoning everything for? Do you and I really believe that Jesus is so good, so satisfying, and so rewarding that we will leave all we have and all we own and all we are in order to find our fullness in him? Do you and I believe him enough to obey him and to follow him whereever he leads, even when the crowds in our culture — and maybe in our churches — turn the other way?

When I think for just a few minutes about the amazing things God has done in my life, I stand in awe.  From being nine weeks premature to being rescued from the darkest evil this world has to offer,  my hope today and every day is the power of connection with God through Jesus.  This hope is not only in today’s challenges, but also an amazing future after death.

Here are some words from “The Slumber of Christianity” by Ted Dekker. 

Hope.

My search for happiness has led me to the secret I now share with you. Life is about heaven. It is about ecstasy and great pleasure, for God is both of these. They can’t truly be found here, on earth. Knowing this, Jesus sent his Comforter to ease the path between this life and the next. Among the greatest gifts offered by the Holy Spirit is hope, because without hope for the time when both ecstasy and pleasure can be found completely in God, there can be no happiness.

This book may bless everyone, but if you’ve walked with Jesus for awhile and your passion seems a little weak you should read about Ted’s journey out of slumber.

Let’s be honest, other than Jesus, Mary is the star of the show.  We tend to think of her as “pure, innocent, special, chosen, even holy”; while we simply think of Joseph as the “step-dad” — not really all that important.  We don’t sing Christmas hymn about Joseph; very few even mention his name.

Some things we know about Joseph:  He was a righteous man (Matt. 1:19); he was a follower of OT scriptures (he kept the protocol given in Numbers for redeeming the first-born); he was a simple, poor carpenter   (he brought doves or pigeons rather than a lamb); he was a man of compassion (he wanted to divorce Mary secretly to protect her); he obeyed God without question (via the angel in a dream 4 times); and the one we tend to overlook — he too was “chosen” by God.  What appears as insignificant to us was planned by God for significant purposes.  Joseph was more than a necessary fixture in early Jewish culture. 

If given the choice, Joseph was the kind of man you would pick as a dad for your son.  He was the man God picked for his son, Jesus, to call Dad!

Under Jewish law, Joseph could have had Mary charged with adultery and stoned to death.  We know that Joseph struggled over what to do about the situation and had planned to “quietly divorce” Mary, until he had his first visit from God’s angel.  The message was simple, straight forward:  “…do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  (Matt. 1:20-21)

What can we learn from Joseph?

1.  We can trust God when our world falls apart.

2.  Pleasing God is more satisfying than the approval of others.

3,  We don’t have to be the star to be in HIS show.  (every role is significant)

4.  Delayed gratification is sweet.

Cathy Smith

Dear Partner,

I love you very much, Benny Hinn

Although I have never been a follower of Benny Hinn, (to much hype & maybe the hair do) I still find it chilling that you can be married to someone for 30 years and not see (or discern) this level of discontentment. Mike Mason in his book “The Mystery of Marriage” writes, “It is estimated that only five percent of marriages are truly happy and fulfilling unions…A bad marriage…can be the worst thing in the world, and perhaps the only thing worse yet is bad theology, a bad marriage with God…In both marriage and faith it is the quality of devotion that is tested, the ability to give unwavering and undivided trust in one direction.”

Hopefully this will stir us all to examine our own relationships and what we believe and practice.

It is scary out there…

Pastor Gary

When my daughter was four she had an interest in science. With Christian programming on science very limited, we rented some secular science movies. Most of the information in the movies was acceptable for her viewing; however, I noticed that every chance given they would slip in evolution based theories. I trained my daughter to yell “that’s garbage” loudly at the TV whenever she heard un-factual things spoken. This was my way of knowing that she was being a responsible viewer and not picking up on the “garbage” and processing the information as a fact.

This exercise worked great until she began attending a Christian preschool, one day during dinosaur week, the teacher read a book about dinosaurs, the opening line was “Millions of years ago…”. My daughter immediately screamed out “that’s garbage”. Needless to say she was taken out of the room. While talking to her about respect, (at four years old), she said, “why was my teacher reading that to us, it was a lie”. I consulted with the teacher who admitted that she had no knowledge of the Christian view point on the beginning of the earth. This is a classic example of someone who has adopted the worldview of evolution and didn’t even realize it.

Cathy

“I have no compelling desire to go to church. I wish I did, but I don’t…The more my interest in Christ has grown, the more my interest in church has lessened. I think that’s a terrible state of affairs. I wish it weren’t so. But it is. And I ask myself, why? …After talking with thousands of churchgoing people and looking under the surface of their lives to see what is really going on beneath, I don’t believe (with few exceptions) that the church in America is doing what God most wants done in the depths of people’s lives. We’re not reaching deep enough. We’re not penetrating the denial that keeps our worst sins and most terrifying fears out of sight…”

“Church as I know it usually leaves deep parts of me dormant, unawakened, maybe it’s familiarity, the predictability of pattern and content that I find boring…My hunger for truth…is rarely satisfied.”

Larry’s book raises many questions, which I’m sure many pastors will find threatening and irritating. For me, it stirred a desire for a healthier fellowship. A church that does not leave people stranded in the shallow end of Christianity, but one where the gentle rain from Heaven refreshes our spirits and sometimes — lightening strikes dry, thirsty hearts illuminating our need for forgiveness and healing and direction. One that Larry might even enjoy! What do you think?

Gary
Fort Myers Vineyard Christian Fellowship
(A Fort Myers Church)

Steve set up a pretty cool Burning Bush scenario when God spoke to Moses about going to see Pharaoh. One little girl said, “That doesn’t look anything like a fire.” The little boy behind her quickly added, “But thanks for the effort!”

Steve, who was hidden, was the voice of God. One little guy says, “That’s not God- that’s Pastor Steve!”.
I was (Susan) trying to explain what an Israelite is. “We’re called Floridians because we live in Florida. We’re called American because we live in America. So where did the Israelites live?” One boy yelled, “In the desert!”, to which another boy quickly added, “Texas!”.

Earl Morris did a great job as a really mean Pharaoh. At one point, he said “No” so sternly that a little girl began to cry! As the plagues kept coming at the Egyptians, Pharoah continued to be negative. Steve asked the kids, “Have you ever met anyone so stubborn?” A little one next to me said, “Yeah, my mother!”.

A little later, Pharoah says that only the women and children could stay in Egypt- the men had to go. Steve asked if that would be good. One boy said, “You can take my dad- that would be good.”

When we reviewed how mean Pharoah was, one girl said, “His heart had been surgically removed!”.

Right after the Israelites painted the lamb’s blood on the door posts, God told them they would have to leave Egypt very quickly. They had no time to pack up everything. The kids were asked what they would take in a situation like that. “My laptop.” “My DS.” “My MP3 Player.” “Not my sister!”

When last night’s Bible lesson was over, one little guy said, “Can we start that all over again?”.

But it wasn’t all fun and games: last night they were asked to pray for their families. Kathy Morris asked for any special requests. “For a Make-A-Wish Partner named Max.” “For my little brother who needs heart surgery.” None of us were prepared for that.

Please help us pray for the needs of some of our littlest family members.

No doubt, there will be more to share. I will keep you posted.

Susan

Vineyard Christian Fellowship
A Fort Myers Church.

I’m conflicted about what to do on these special days (Father’s Day, Mother’s Day) which the society in general has turned into major church events. Let me know how you feel. I will not post your personal comment or quote you without your permission.

We work with you for your joy (2 Corinthians 1:24)

Pastor Gary
Fort Myers Vineyard
Fort Myers Florida Churches

Will your worship persevere in tough times?

The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming Back to the Heart of Worship By Matt Redman

Pastor Gary
Vineyard Christian Fellowship
Fort Myers Churches

You see, at that time, the Samaritans were basically hated by everyone. They had, at the least, a “scandalous reputation”. But think about it, as far back as I can remember (and I’m not a young lady) the term Samaritan has been associated with positive, kind and loving acts. We hear the term used on the evening news when the reporters cover stories like Katrina, the Tsunami and the current flooding in N. Dakota, as total strangers come to the rescue of those in need. Organizations whose primary focus is humanitarian (meeting practical needs) often have “Samaritan” in their title

Now, I don’t know exactly when the image changed but sometime after Jesus used the Samaritan in his parable they became “respectable”.

Here’s my point: If the actions of one man (we are not positive that this story was a reality or only used to make a point) can change the reputation of a whole group of people for generations to come – how important is it that we, as individuals, take care that our actions not only line up with what we say we believe, but even demonstrate what we say we believe. I am sobered to think that what I do today could have serious implications for my descendants as well as for my legacy as a Christian, both positively and/or negatively.

Whatever image others have of us could, with one simple act, be either marred or shinned. Philippians 2:15-16 “so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation’. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”

Cathy

Fort Myers Vineyard Christian Fellowship (Fort Myers Churches)