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Radical (comments by Rick Jackson)

Some of our teens are embarking on a journey through “Radical”, by David Platt. I thought, “hey, can’t I be radical too?” So, here’s my shot. I finished the first chapter. I feel more radical for having read it, but I think I’m missing the point. Maybe I have to do what the word says…. Maybe I have to let the Spirit of God change me, me?… What do you think? Here’s an excerpt:

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?

How long have you known Jesus? (Rick Jackson)

I’ve been a friend of His for 32 years.  I would like to say that I’ve been on an ever increasing ride of excitement and passion for God, but it’s just not true.  Looking back, I can see large pockets of stubbornness (sin) and indifference.  This is not the way God intends this life.

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.

WHAT ABOUT JOSEPH?

A worried mother called the church office on the afternoon before the Christmas service to say that her small son, who was to be Joseph in the Christmas play had a cold and was in bed on doctor’s orders.  The reply from the play director was: “It’s too late now to get another Joseph.  We’ll just have to write him out of the script.”  They did, and few of those who watched the play that night even realized that Joseph was missing.”

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

It is Scary Out There

Letter from Benny Hinn in italics:

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

The World View of Evolution

The evolutionists theory is becoming ever present. As Christians we must be aware and put our children on guard. It seems common that programming geared for children is tainted with an evolution tone. In cute, seemingly harmless movies and kids shows you will hear the little comments like “millions of years ago”…

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