Strive To Know Him Better

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Did you get everything you wanted? Did you give everything you could? I hope you were able to spend some significant time with family and friends and a significant amount of time with the One whom we celebrate.

One thing never ceases to amaze me at Christmas time. That is, we get presents on someone else’s birthday. And at most Christmas celebrations, the Guest of honor, the “birthday honoree” is never even mentioned except in the official greeting of “Merry Christmas”.

Did you bring Him a gift this year? Did you take time out to honor Him on His birthday? If not, don’t beat yourself up. The wonderful thing about our Lord is that worshipping Him is not confined to a day, place or season. Here at TBC we celebrate the Christ of Christmas every week.

Here we are at the end of another year. Do you know Him better now than you did last year at this time? As we move forward into another year of many unknown’s let’s make a commitment as a church and as individuals to strive to know Him better and love Him deeper in 2004.
And remember, it won’t happen by itself and it won’t be easy. Day by day, you and I will be faced with distractions that will seek to take our minds off of growing in Christ. Have you ever gone to a celebration and while there you get reacquainted with an old friend? At the end of the night you express how good it was to see each other again and you may exchange emails and cell phone numbers. Reality is that most of the time you are fortunate if you are in contact with that person one time after that re-acquaintance .

May it not be so with you and the Lord. Do you experience a sense of closeness at Christmas and New Year’s that stirs you to make resolutions to spend more time getting to know Him? Take one day at a time and make a choice to make it a habit to “keep in touch” with Jesus, Emmanuel, the source and strength of your days.

There is a song that states, “I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds my tomorrow.” What an awesome truth and hope to grasp as we journey through such uncertain days.

Friend, take my hand and together let’s walk down this road.

With you on the journey,

MJ

That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

2 Tim 1:12 NIV

Merry Christmas!

Each week we celebrate our Great God for all that He is and for all He has done and is doing. Today we focus in on celebrating our Master: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Phil. 2:6,7) Praise and glory be to Him!

As you celebrate this Christmas be sure and take some time out just to thank Jesus for being willing and obedient to step into your journey so that you could have a relationship with His Father. Celebrate Him for being the greatest gift ever known to man. Celebrate His Father for being the Giver of such an incredible gift! Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Cor. 9:15)

The greatest gift and celebration that you could offer Him today, if you have not already, would be to receive the Greatest Gift from the Greatest Giver which is being offered to you today. So, if you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, give your life to Him today and experience why the God of the universe moved heaven and earth just so your could celebrate what we call Christmas day. (John 3:16)

If you have received that gift, in an act of gratitude, take some time and share this wonderful gift with someone else. Don’t be politically correct and say, “Happy Holidays!” Shout with confidence and thankfulness, “Merry Christmas!” It’s all about Jesus. We give gifts to model His act of giving of Himself. Take some time in the midst of your gift giving and praise, thank and worship the Giver of all gifts.

Have a blessed celebration and remember to say Happy Birthday to Jesus!

Pastor MJ

All Hail King Jesus

For thirty five years he ruled with fear. Thousands were killed, raped, maimed, exiled, tortured, and otherwise humiliated under his reign. Fear of him caused hundreds to sacrifice their lives believing a lie. Many fought to the death for this man they called leader. Just four short years ago the world saw in living color the reality that the rewards of evil are indeed counterfeit.

Here was the dictator of Iraq, who called his people, even his own sons to fight to the death, crawling through a hole in the ground with a pistol at his side, shouting, "Dont shoot; dont shoot. I am Saddam Hussein, President of Iraq. I am willing to negotiate."

For the families of every man woman and child who gave their lives in allegiance to him, the pain of their loss hit the lowest of lows at that moment realizing that their leader was not even willing to do what hed called them to do.

Many years ago there was another leader, a fugitive of sorts, hiding from a jealous king, who spent the first 33 years of His life walking the walk that He called His people to walk. He told them to love, He loved. He told them to turn the other cheek and love their enemies, He did just that. He told them not to yield to temptation, He was tempted beyond belief, but did not yield. He told them to spread love to the unlovely, He was the master at that. He told them to forgive, He was the ultimate forgiver. He told them to honor their parents, He did so with such grace as a child and an adult. He told them that greater love has no man than to give up his life for a friend, he called them His friends and for them He laid down His life. This leader asked His followers to do nothing that He was not only willing to do, but did do to set the example for them.

This leader, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is who we celebrate as we gather today and as we celebrate Christmas this month. He was born to die. He lived to serve. He died to give life. He rose from the dead to show that everything He was born, lived and died for was real and that we could do all the things that Hes called us to do through His power that is in us through His Holy Spirit.

Four years ago we saw thousands rejoicing over the capture of an evil counterfeit.

Today, and during this special month, we celebrate that One who showed us what true leadership is.

To Him we shout, "All Hail King Jesus! Happy Birthday!"

Pastor MJ

Born To Die: What A Destiny?

He comes, a Child from realms on high;

He comes the heavens adoring.

He comes to earth to live and die, A broken race restoring.

(Joseph Barlowe "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light")

Born to die: What a destiny? Although each of us knows that every new born baby that we lay our eyes on will one day die, we always hope and dream of the long life that they will live and as we gaze into their eyes for the most part thoughts of life, not death fill our hearts.

It was not so one special day, long ago. As this Father saw His Son being born, He knew that He was being born for one purpose only, and that was to die.

That very first Christmas morning was filled with heavenly awe and celestial celebration. However, God the Father saw, from His perspective, the manger and right next to it He saw the cross. Baby Jesus, God in the flesh was being held up by a wooden manger made from the very wood that He had created, realizing that one day in the not too distant future that wood from another tree that He has created would hold Him up as well, only this time instead of being warmed by the hay wrapped in cloth, He would be cold held up with nails.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, just a couple of weeks away, let this year be one in which we see this day in history as one of the most powerful moments ever. Allow that reflection to cause us to praise and worship God for what He has done in a new and fresh way.

Lets remember the true meaning of Christmas, that it was not all about gifts and the hype of the holiday and that it is not even about time spent with family and friends, but it is all about Him, all about Jesus and His leaving Heavens throne to come to earth, to be born and to die so that you and I could live.

My friend, whatever your Christmas plans include this year, please make it a point to take some time and worship God for the true meaning of Christmas. And every time you see manger scenes remember that the reason for the manger was to prepare the way to the cross. And never forget that your new birth in Christ was the prelude not the end to your walk, but that each of us also must take the way to the cross and die to ourselves in order to become alive in Him. Jesus came to show the way. Lets worship Him with our everythingness today.

Pastor MJ

If God Ordains It, He Will Make A Way

What if an angel of the Lord came to you in the middle of the night and told you to do something, really wild; something impossible, something that almost seemed wrong? What if you were Abraham and God told you to wake up early the next morning and kill your son? What if He whispered in your ear to go out to the middle of the nearest park and build boat and wait for rain? What if you heard a noise in the middle of the night and it was a heavenly angel announcing to you that you were about to become the parent of the Son of God? What would you do, what would you say, where would you run?

Sometimes we forget that the men and women in the Bible were regular people just like us, with doubts and fears and frustrations. Abraham, Noah, Mary and Joseph were no different than us except their story is written about in God’s Word for us to learn this one pivotal truth that rings throughout history and eternity: If God ordains it, He will make a way.

Next weekend we will see this truth lived out in the portrayal of the lives of Mary and Joseph and their families in our production of Two from Galilee. Join us as we witness what it might have been like to get this news of unequaled proportion. Listen in and hear the heart of the human emotion of parents, friends and a community who were about to be change forever by the love and sovereignty of a God who sent His one and only Son to come and live among us; the Son who was born to die for you and for me. Through it all, hear and experience the love The One and Only true God poured out on His creation on the very first Christmas day.

We encourage you to invite and bring your friends and family Saturday December 1^st at 7:00pm and Sunday morning December 2^nd at 9:00am or 11:00. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Our prayer is that you will come and be blessed, and leave with a deeper understanding and acceptance of God’s love for you expressed though His presentation of the best gift of all, His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

Thank You

Thank you. Everyone appreciates hearing those words. However, many times although not always intentionally, we forget to thank those to who thanks is due. Although a common courtesy, the excitement of the gift often overshadows the giver.

Our Lord Jesus experienced that. In John 17 we see that Jesus heals ten lepers. Now just imagine. You are a leper, an outcast, set aside by society as untouchable. You look at yourself and your limbs are all but off. You are bandaged up and because of the lack of feeling in parts of your body you have several severe burns. Your life is a mess and your body is the same.

Then Jesus steps into your journey and heals you. Partial limbs become whole, gangrened skin becomes as soft and clear as a new born baby’s. A distorted face is made beautiful. What would be your first response? Well in Luke 17 we see that one man recognized the most important thing in being blessed, which is to remember to thank the giver of the blessing. But as we read, Jesus asked, Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?" (Luke 17:17 NIV)

So often we focus on and are carried away with the gift that we forget and neglect to thank the Giver. During this Thanksgiving season lets take a moment and pause. Take an inventory of the past 12 months or more. What has God done for you? What has He done in you? Have you thanked Him for it? Is the Lord saying, "Where is ________? Didn’t I bless him/her too?"

We have an opportunity to bless the Lord today. As we participate in our annual Thanksgiving sharing service take a moment and share with us, in the presence of the Lord what you have to be thankful for. All of us have something, but who of us will share? By doing so, you bring pleasure to the Lord. Along with that, in the community of believers youll encourage those who hear you who might need the same blessing from God. Your thanks through your life story will encourage them that if God can do it for you then He can do it for them as well.

Lets join together today to offer to Him a "Symphony of Thanksgiving" for who He is and all He has done. He is so worthy of our doing so!

To Him alone be the glory,

Pastor MJ

Don't Worry About Anything

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Then you will experience Gods peace,
which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts

and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

As we look at the children of Israel in the book of Exodus, how many times can and do we see ourselves? God had just done so many miracles, things that only He could have done. They had watched Him turn the Nile River into blood. They had witnessed God sending boils to cover all of the men and animals throughout the land. Then they saw the plague of locusts and darkness that culminated in the death of all first born children of Egypt while all of Gods chosen people who were covered by the blood of the lamb did not see death. You would think that after all of that, that trust would not be an issue with these folks. However, our human nature is strong and how soon we forget Gods gracious provisions and protection when the going really gets tough.

Their thought was that this had to be a trick. All that separated them from their enemy was land and in front of them sat the Red Sea. They cried out, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (Exodus 14:11-12) But God in His incredibly gracious way, once again provided for His own. He opened a way where there was no way. He made a roadway in the wilderness and a path way through the sea. The pathway of life for the Lords people became a roadway of death for the Egyptians.

God had given His word through Moses and Aaron that they were going to a land that He had prepared for them. He had made a covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. He was not about to break His promise. However, circumstances were giving them other signals. God has given us His word. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He promised to give us the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). In every circumstance He has promised to meet our every need (Philippians 4:19)! He has promised to not only hear, but to answer our prayers if we ask according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). We need but to exercise our faith and believe Him at His Word. He is worthy to be trusted, He has never failed, and that's a reason to praise Him. Lets do so together today and throughout this week.

Pastor MJ

God - In "Hot Pursuit"

One of my favorite shows growing up was the Dukes of Hazzard. It always brought a smile to my face to see Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane in "hot pursuit" of the Duke boys in "the General". Coltrane would go through deep ditches, unpaved roads, over mountainsides, holes, mud filled lakes, etc. in order to catch up with the dukes. Nothing would stop him.

Those scenes, although purely entertainment, gave me life lessons about going after the things that I want and not letting anything get in the way of my accomplishing the task.

Through the years, I’ve realized some spiritual truths about the strength and beauty of pursuit. The Bible shows our God to be in "hot pursuit" of His children. Whether its the children of Israel in disobedience turning their back on God, time and time again or Saul doing everything he could against God, even persecuting Christians. God always pursued those He loved. We see that in the story of Hosea and Gomer in the book of Hosea, which serves as a picture of Gods continued pursuit of His Church. There we see that God through His unconditional love will move heaven and earth in order to win the hearts of those He has chosen.

How incredible is the message of grace, forgiveness, unconditional love and passionate pursuit that we see throughout Gods story in the Bible. Jesus is our ultimate example. He laid down His life in order to pursue a relationship with us. "Greater love has no man than this… "(see John 15:13) Do you remember the stories of the lost sheep and coin in Luke 15? We see that Jesus loves us so much that He is willing to leave the flock and pursue the one and that he will "tear the house apart" in order to find the loved one who is missing.

No matter what you’ve done, no matter how many times you’ve done it, He never give up wooing you back to His arms and pursuing a relationship with you. He paid the ultimate price for you and no matter how bumpy the road, how deep the ditch, or how fast we run in the other direction, He still pursues us with passion and unending love. How Awesome is our Lord! Take a moment today and if you’ve been running the other direction, stop and allow Him to embrace you with His passionate undying love. How can we not love so great a God!

The Spontaneity of Love

"Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you."

(Psalm 63:3 NIV)

"Honey, do you love me?" she asks. "Why, of course I do, dearest!" he responds. "Tell me why!" she continues, tenderly. "Well, well, well, um, because I do! I married you, didn't I?" He responds with the wrong answer.

Are you in a relationship where you are constantly trying to prove your love to your significant other? You bring gifts and try to do all of the right things hoping they'll know how much you love them. Do you find it hard to say, "I love you?" Is expressing your love similar to shopping at Christmas time and after looking for hours, you end up with nothing but a knot in your stomach because you just don't know what to get them?

Love is an awesome thing and genuine love comes from God, because He is love. True love plans, but by nature can also be very spontaneous. It is like a spring that bursts through the portals of our hearts to the receiver. Love is supernaturally natural. As we allow Gods love to fill our hearts by His Holy Spirit, we are able to live lives that express His love naturally. It manifests itself in our marriages, our close relationships, in our work-places and, most importantly, in our relationship with Him.

Do you love Him today? As you become intimate with the Almighty, your answer should flow from your lips and your life like cool water over the rocks in a mountain stream.

In a relationship where spontaneous love exists, there is no thinking how can I say, "I love you", it bursts through the crevices, here and there. It shows up in unexpected places and moments. There is the deep sense of its presence even when the air is silent.

Are you deeper in love with Jesus today than you were last week? As we worship Him together today, listen and reflect on the many ways that Hes said, "I love you" to you this week and say it back to Him today through your sacrifice of praise and worship, falling in love with Him more each moment,

Pastor MJ

Forgiven Much

"He, who is forgiven the greatest, loves the most."
(Luke 7:41-43)

I've always been intrigued by the story of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18. Think about it; here's a man who owed his master a huge amount of money, more than he probably could have ever paid off. Pleading for mercy, he went to his master and was granted forgiveness of the debt that he owed. Afterwards, instead of humbly living a life that was filled with an attitude of gratitude that extended to others, he went and found someone who owed him relatively little compared with what he'd been forgiven of and treated his friend harshly. Unbelievable! Or is it?

As I write this, I'm aware of the depth of gratitude I owe because of the sins that God has forgiven me for. My debt is huge, but by His grace, love and mercy, Ive been forgiven. Hallelujah! However, at times even after God had "forgiven my sin and cleansed me from all righteousness" and had "cast my sin as far as the east is from the west" and "remembered my sin no more", I still had trouble forgiving. In light of my being forgiven greatly, I should always forgive freely. Anyone who has any idea of the magnitude of their sin against God, after having been forgiven should by the power of the Spirit be among the greatest forgivers.

Well, you may say, "I don't have trouble forgiving others, I just cant forgive myself!" My friend, no where in scripture does it say that you must forgive yourself. Many people are weighed down by the guilt and inability to forgive themselves, when in reality it is Gods forgiveness that we should truly seek. Jesus paid the debt for our every sin and in reality every offense is ultimately against Him. When He forgives and cleanses from all unrighteousness He can pave the way for our own healing and as we live under His grace move us towards reconciliation in other relationships that seemed impossible to mend.

Many times we seek forgiveness from others so that our circumstance might change and we'll feel better. Seeking forgiveness from God paves the way for the changes to occur in us first and then by Gods grace our circumstances will follow through a journey of repentance, reconciliation and restoration, all of which begin with God first.

The next time you find it hard to forgive go back and read about the cross of Christ (Isaiah 53:5) and realize it was for you that died. Realizing that should help us in our decisions to forgive our offenders.

Guard your Heart

Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of your life.
Proverbs 4:23

"She makes me feel so good surely God wouldn't want me to miss out on being happy!"
"I know I shouldn't eat anymore, but when I do it comforts me and helps me drown out my worries!"

"Sure, it might be wrong, but if I don't take care of myself, who's going to?"

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, ’You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ’You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ " "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5)

Its been a deceptive tool of Satan from the beginning of time and is in full force today, trying to make us think that by following Gods path that we are missing out on something better. My friend, the Maker of your heart knows exactly what you need and although often a byproduct of obedience, happiness is not Gods priority for our lives, rather, holiness is His goal for you and me. (1 Peter 1:14-16)

Steve Green has written a song born out of his journey of a stronghold in his life that encourages us to guard our hearts and affections from the counterfeit roads to fulfillment. May it encourage you to live Gods way this week and seek Him, not happiness; He is worthy of our doing so.

"What appears to be harmless glance? Can turn to romance
and homes are divided. Feelings that should never have been
awakened within Tearing the heart in two
Listen, I beg of you

Guard your Heart. Guard your Heart.

Don’t trade it for treasure; don’t give it away
Guard your Heart. Guard your Heart.

As a payment for pleasure its high price to pay.
For a soul that remains sincere with conscience clear

Guard your Heart.

The human heart is easily swayed and

often betrayed at the hand of emotion.
You dare not leave the outcome to chance you must choose in advance
or live with the agony such needless tragedy."

Pastor MJ

Eternal Perspective

Ive been thinking about the illustration that Pastor Jeff has been using during the "Eternal Perspective" series every day since he gave it. The visual above gives only a glimpse of what he was trying to get across; one line going east to west, representing eternity, never ending and the dot in the center representing our life here on the earth in relation to that eternity. As Francis Schaeffer coined, "How then shall we live?"

Its amazing to try and grasp the reality of that illustration. Psalm 8:4 says, "what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

When we try to wrap our minds around the significance of our existence in the light of the immense nature of eternity we can almost walk away depressed realizing that we are "nothing"! (To put our significance in and of ourselves, read Job 38) And we would be right, were it not for Gods view of us and His plan for our lives as Jeremiah 29:11 declares, " For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." To think that God has chosen to use us to not just make a difference and an impact on our generation, but that the actions, the choices we make will indeed make an eternal impact is incredible.

I have come to realize is that life is not determined by what we want but by the choices that we make. You and I might desire a certain thing out of life and because of the Lords goodness we may be enjoying certain material blessings. On the other hand, you may have an incredible cross to bear and this life has been one of trouble, heartache and pain. In the light of eternity neither situation has much significance in and of itself, rather, the important thing, which will last and ring throughout eternity are the choices that we make in light of the circumstances that we have been given.

The men and women, whose lives we get to witness from a birds eye view in scripture are not here anymore, but their choices, be they good or bad, are lasting in the eternal Word of God and the influence of their story continues to effect lives still today. As you and I make choices every day we have the opportunity to touch a life for eternity. Whether its our friend, neighbor, child, spouse, family member or a total stranger, how we respond daily to Gods call in our lives will not only be noticed, but may make a lasting influence in their lives for good or for bad. We cannot take that lightly.

As we worship the Lord today, lets lay our lives and all of our circumstances, good and bad before Him and ask Him to lead us toward responding in such a way that would be pleasing to Him and that would influence the people around us …for eternity.

"Only one life, which will soon be past; only whats done for Christ will last!"

MJ

Finish Well

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith. (2 Tim 4:7 NIV)

Eric Liddle
If I were able to offer people my age one thought to hold close to their hearts, it would be expressed in just two simple, yet powerful words: Finish well.

Throughout history we have examples of men and women who began their journeys as husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, pastors, businessmen, and friends with a bang. Life was good and they were at the top of their game in every area of life. Their walk with God was good, their relationships with their wives/husbands and children seemed to be second to none. Their zest for life was energized simply by waking up in the morning. Then something happened, the circumstances of life took over and some, sadly enough, ended their journey here, sad, burnt out, brokenhearted, rejected and alone.

Finishing well begins by viewing life not as a sprint, but rather as a marathon. Sprinting through life puts the weight of completion on our shoulders and when circumstances cause us to trip and fall, we become disillusioned, convince ourselves that we deserve better and we often feel like failures and ultimately, many times give up. Realizing that life is a marathon helps us to make it through the pit falls of life and get up again, not to give up, but rather to continue towards the finish line of life, longing to hear the most important duel words in eternity, well done.

Satan would have us think that we should rush though life and get all we can before the other guy gets it and all the while destroying anyone or thing that gets in our way. He also wants us to think that happiness should be our goal in life. Jesus on the other hand set the example of the marathon in life that takes one day, one moment, one circumstance, one person at a time, keeping our eyes on the "Author and Finisher of our faith!" (Hebrews 12:2) He also told us to expect trouble, not happiness. (see John 16:33)

Where are you today? Are you on the sidelines, tired, unhappy, bruised and injured after a long sprint? My friend, it’s not over, it’s far from over. Extend your hand out and our Lord and a trusted brother or sister in Christ will join hands with you and help you to the finish line. Are you running well? Slow down and take a moment to pick someone else up and don’t rush through life so fast that you forget that you won’t truly finish well unless you bring someone else across the finish line with you.

This week, purpose anew not only to finish, but by the grace of God to finish well. And along with that know that God is more concerned with your holiness than your happiness.

Pastor MJ

Trust Him Completely

"To accept the will of God never leads to the

miserable feeling that it is useless to strive anymore.
God does not ask for the dull, weak,

sleepy acquiescence of indolence.
He asks for something vivid and strong.
He asks us to cooperate with him, actively willing what he wills,
our only aim his glory. (Amy Carmichael)

Do you ever feel like it’s really difficult to follow the Lord’s commands? I mean on a daily basis. Think about the things that God gives us as instructions as how to live the lives that He has for us. He tells us not to worry. He tells us to trust him completely. He tells us to love Him with all of our hearts, souls and strength. He tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. He tells us not to worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will care for itself. He tells us to trust Him completely and in doing so be led by Him down His path for our lives. He tells us not to fear but that He will take care of our every need. He tells us that if our ways please Him that He will make even our enemies be at peace with us. He tells us that if we train up our children His way that when they are old they will not depart from it. There are hundreds of other things that the Lord tells us to do that provide for us the way to experience life at it’s full. Do we take Him at His word?

There are many things that God tells us to do in order to have the life that He’s created us for, there are other things that He tells us not to do in order to receive the same. It’s been that way since the beginning. Adam and Eve were told to do many things, but one thing that they were told not to do, they did and it changed history forever and the penalty was severe. How would things be different if they had only obeyed? Remember Achan in Joshua 7. Earlier he had been told not to keep the things devoted to the Lord, but he did it anyway. God was not pleased and Achan and all he had was destroyed. If only he had obeyed and waited. We see in chapter 8 that all Achan desired, worldly treasures, were already in God’s plan to give him, but due to his lack of trust, expressed through disobedience he never got to partake of God’s bounty.

How many things have we or will we miss out on that God has planned for us because of our impatience, fear, bitterness, unforgiveness, etc. all which when boiled down equal lack of trust. Father is not one who gives commands just for the sake of giving them. He does so with a much bigger picture in mind. Obedience opens the door to multiplied blessings that He is waiting to give to those who take the "risk" to trust in Him with all their hearts with the aim to bring Him honor and glory.

With you on the journey towards total trust,
MJ

Momentary Troubles

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-19 (NIV)

While Job saw and felt the boils that were covering his body, God saw the millions of people who would be encouraged by his story of praise in the midst of trials. As Joseph was surrounded by the darkness of the dry well that he was thrown into by his brothers, God saw the store house of food that would feed thousands during the severe famine. At the time that David’s family saw a "ruddy" young man God saw the greatest human king of Israel. And over two thousand years ago, while the magi saw the infant Messiah, the Jews hope for gaining freedom from Roman oppression, God saw the cross of Calvary.

Scripture teaches us much about perspective. Things that look strange and unreasonable to us are at times perfect and purposefully part of God’s Sovereign plan. "For my ways are not your ways…"(Isaiah 55:8).

Such truth and living examples throughout Scripture should give us hope day in and day out. Just knowing that what we see in our present circumstances is only from our vantage point and that God sees the whole picture should help us to put our trust in His goodness and sovereignty, not our present situation.

Remember Peter? His present circumstances dictated that he was going to probably drown. But that was when he focused on the water. When he focused on Jesus, not the water, He was safe. Peter saw the waves crashing around him; Jesus saw an opportunity to show that He was the Lord of all creation, even the sea.

I must admit, I often struggle when the "resource box" is empty. Too often, my first reaction is to fret and to wonder, "How in the world is this going to work out?" It must break God’s heart when after doing miracle after miracle; after meeting me around the corner from the impossible, time and time again with "I’ve been here all along with this incredible (some provision)", that I still worry and don’t remember that God’s ways are not my ways and His timing is not my timing, but that His love is real, His faithfulness is great and eternal and that He is worthy of my undying trust.

Pray with me today that He would grant us the ability to live with an eternal perspective.

Pastor MJ

My Destiny

It’s amazing how our circumstances tend to dictate in our minds eye who we are. A loss of a job, the demise of a relationship, a personal failure, someone’s opinion of you can often be where you get your identity from. Someone has said, "Your self- image is not made up of what you think about yourself, it’s made up of what you think other’s think about you!" How true that so often is!

Several years ago I was reminded that my focus at the end of my day should not be consumed with what others think about me, but that I should be consumed with what God thinks of me. As a loving Father and benevolent Creator, God has stated in His Word what He thinks of each of His children. These foundational truths have been captured in one of my favorite songs by Dennis Jernigan. May your heart be encouraged as you see yourself through God’s eyes.

My Destiny

All I was I lay aside, now dead to sin, to God alive, born again
into a new identity! Once asleep to God in sin, now wakened
by the blood and cleansed, born again to be who He called
Me to be! All I have I lay aside, run the race to gain the prize
for the sake of knowing Jesus Christ in me! I cannot yet fully see
all I’m truly called to be. But knowing Christ reveals my hope and destiny!

He calls me child! He calls me to His side eternally!
He calls what once was lost now found! Once bound to sin
now free! He calls me holy, calls me righteous, by the
blood redeemed. He calls me over comer, crowned with victory,
this is my destiny!

What once bound me is no more, what was stolen is restored
by the resurrection power of my King.

What was old has been made new,

lies and doubts replaced by truth.

What was silent now resounds, "I am redeemed!"
He calls me servant, calls me warrior, calls me royalty.

He calls me resurrected one, He calls me His redeemed.

He calls me higher, calls me far beyond my wildest dream.

He calls my heart to come and be all He can see, this is my destiny.
He calls me "Chosen, new creation, Trophy of His grace."
He gives me strength to fight the fight and run to win the race!

He tells me He delights in me while singing over me,

accepting me as His beloved bride to be, this is my destiny.

Amen! Let that truth influence your worship this week!

Pastor MJ

God Proved His Faithfulness

"So Sarah laughed…"

Genesis 18:10-12 (NIV)

It continually makes me stand in awe as I think that the King of kings and the Lord of lords loves me, and not that he loves me alone, but that He also desires for me to be in a personal relationship with Him.

As I read through Scriptures, I notice several times when God is so grieved over man’s unfaithfulness, sin and rebellion, that He states that it is His desire to destroy them. However, as wicked as man has been, God has never destroyed all of mankind. And as a matter of fact, on many occasions, because of the prayers of faithful men, God changed his plan.

No matter how many times God proved his faithfulness, no matter how many times He proved that His promises are true, men and women throughout Scripture and still today cry, keep silent, walk the other way and or laugh in disbelief because of our lack of faith. Sarah was such a person. God had told Abraham and then Sarah that through them many nations would be born and blessed. Sarah had a hard time believing that especially since she was 90 and Abraham at this time was 100 years old. She had been barren that long, how could she possibly give birth for the first time now? The Bible teaches that, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) God’s timing is not always in synch with ours. He is seldom early, but He is never late!

Now, I imagine that God was at least hurt by Sarah’s disbelief, but He was probably also angry. He had provided, led and guided them without fail up to this point and still she laughed with disbelief. Yet God kept all of His promises and delivered, right on time! What a gracious, loving, forgiving God we serve that in spite of our doubt, He still blesses. In spite of our fear, He still delivers! In spite of our unfaithfulness, He remains faithful.

Take a moment and consider the alternative. Do you agree that we indeed have reason to praise Him for His faithfulness?

Take this week and so do.

Blessings, MJ

God Knows The Way That I Take

“But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
Job 23:10 (NIV)

Not too long ago, one of my students was admiring a blown glass piano in my office. After explaining to her about the process of how glass is made and that sand is the major ingredient, she said, “I can’t believe something as ugly as sand can become as beautiful as blown glass!”

It’s amazing how the words out of a child’s mouth can reinforce such deep biblical truths. Immediately, I began to picture what condition I was in before Christ saved me. John Newton’s song says it perfectly, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me…” The most undesirable looking sand is “eye candy” compared to what I was, what you were before a loving Father gave His only son for us. Our sin, the dark filthy stain that separated us from having any kind of relationship with God, when laid upon His son on the cross was so reprehensible that He could not even look at Jesus. For one moment in history, God the Father turned His back on His only Son, due to the depth of the filth laid on Jesus. But just as 3,000 degree fire takes sand, gypsum, soda ash, limestone and dolomite and turns it into pure glass, the refiner’s fire through the blood of Christ takes our dark sin and makes us as pure as Christ Himself.

As the heavenly angels gaze upon our lives and the lives of those saints who have gone before us; as they look upon us as the trophies of His grace, they must have a similar reaction to the one of my student commenting about my blown glass piano. I can hear the angels proclaiming, “I can’t believe that someone as wicked and vile as (fill in our name) can become as beautiful as Christ.

As we bring Him our praise and worship today, take a moment to reflect on who you were, who you are and who you’d be today without Christ in your life. And then stand in awe, sing in wonder, sit in humiliation and walk in a worthy manner as one who has been blessed beyond measure, comprehension or any merit of our own.

“Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD.

"Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

they shall be like wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

Pastor MJ

No Greater Love

“Greater love has no one than this,

that he lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13

In the opening scene to the movie “Vertical Limit” viewers are treated to some of the most beautiful scenery and mind-blowing rock climbing feats that have ever been put on film. Rock climbers are a special breed of men and women who after years of training coupled with nerves of steel are able to “go where no man has ever gone before”. Moments after the movie begins you see a rock climbing team consisting of a father and his son and daughter. While climbing a very difficult mountain cliff, a series of events unfold, beginning with interference from other climbing teams mistakes which cause the family team to ultimately end up suspended in mid-air held in the rock by just a few clamps. The father, being the most experienced of the three, tries to keep his children calm and instructs them as to what they should do. When all else fails to work he explains to his son, who is in the middle, that the only hope for him and his sister to survive is to cut him loose and let him fall because the clamps would not hold that much weight much longer.

After a heart wrenching struggle and difficult obedience to his father’s love, mixed with his experience and convincing words, he cut him loose. The father fell to his death and the brother and sister survived.

In eternity, a conversation took place between a Father and Son. The Father told His Son that the only way to save you and me would be for Him to “cut Him loose” and come to the earth and die. With a heart wrenching decision that must have shook heaven and earth, Father God send His Son, Jesus to this earth with the ultimate purpose being to be killed so that you and I could be saved.

Unlike the story in the film, God’s story of sacrificial love provides us with not only temporal life, but eternal life if we accept His free gift of salvation through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let’s take a moment today, this week and meditate on how great the Father’s love must have been and is for us, that He would “cut the rope” on His only Son and sacrifice Him for you and me. Then use that time and those thoughts as a spring board towards a time of praise and worship to the greatest Father we could ever have. To Him be all the glory, honor and praise forever and ever, Amen!!!

Blessings,
Pastor MJ

Spiritual Check Up

“Your word is a lamp to my feet

and a light for my path.
”Psalm 119:105

Cars are wonderful, when they work! It seems like they break down or begin to have problems at the most importune times. Right after we returned from vacation, I went to run some errands and as I started the car I noticed that the “check engine” light remained on. I turned the car off and started it again, hoping it would click off. Unfortunately, it stayed on. Years ago, a friend showed me how to get certain “signal” lights to turn off if I wanted to ignore the problem. At this point, especially since I had just returned from vacation, I really didn’t want to face car repairs, so I was tempted to turn it off and ignore the problem.

So it is in life in general. God’s Word provides spiritual “check engine” lights. Are we listening? Or do we know certain tricks to “turn off the lights off”, and avoid the warnings? Are we fleeing temptation? (James 4:7) Are we loving our spouses? (Eph. 5:22, 25) Are we being honest? (Prov. 2:22) Are we caring for God’s temple? (I Cor. 6:19) Are we being good stewards of God’s blessings? (Matt. 25:14-30) Has the Spirit of God been convicting you of an area of your life that needs attention? Have you been listening or do you, do I use tricks such as busyness, drugs, play, television, books, etc. to avoid the warnings?

As summer comes to a close, let’s pray as David did, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24) Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to come in and do a spiritual diagnostic test and make any repairs needed.

My friend, the pain and cost of doing that, is and will be far less than the alternative. Together, let’s keep on top of our spiritual health: for His glory and our good.

Blessings,
Pastor MJ

Trusting God

The sturdiest tree is not found in the shelter of the forest but high upon some rocky crag, where its daily battle with the elements shapes it into a thing of beauty.

Unknown

It’s amazing to see the complete trust and confidence that my children have in me when I tell them that I will take care of a problem that they have. All I have to do is say, "Daddy will take care of it", and they run away and never give thought to their "problem" again. I believe Father God wants us to be the same way as we face life’s transitions. His Word speaks clearly to us. May these words from His heart cause us to trust him through the changing seasons of this life and praise Him for doing so.

"I will instruct you and teach you—I will guide you with my eye."
God (Psalm 32:8)

"With nothing will be impossible."
(Luke 1:37)

"I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and
Says to you...do not fear; I will help you."
(Isaiah 41:13)

"I Am the Lord; there is no God besides Me."
(Isaiah 45:5a)

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which
Rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the
Heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is from
Me, says, the Lord."
(Isaiah 54:17)

"For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give GRACE and
Glory; NO GOOD THING will He withhold from those who
WALK UPRIGHTLY."
(Psalm 84:11)

"Behold we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crused; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed in our mortal body."
(2 Corinthians 4:7-11)

Let’s respond by worshipping Him with our everythingness this week………..

With you on the journey, MJ

Hakuna Matata - No Worries

"Look at the birds of the air;
They do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
And yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?"
Matthew 6:26

As I sat and took in the morning breeze one day, I noticed a dove perched on a telephone wire. It looked perfectly healthy and seemed to not have a care in the world.

That dove came back to mind later that day. Where was it? Did it get food? Where will it go if it were to begin to storm? How will it protect itself from danger? It seemed that I worried more about this bird’s welfare than it did for itself.

As I thought about this, however, I was reminded of one of my favorite songs, that Ethel Waters used to sing, "His Eye Is On The Sparrow." That song reminds me that, even though I have a huge advantage over a bird to take care of myself, I am just as dependent on God for my welfare and survival as that bird is.

Neither that bird nor I have any clue as to our destiny for the day. However, both of us have a God who created us for a purpose and has faithfully provided for us each day of our lives, and He will continue to do so until that purpose is completed.

As your week begins, you may feel like a bird on a wire, wondering what you will do, where you will go, or how you will make it emotionally, physically, etc. Take that burden and give it to the Lord. Remember that if He cares and provides for the birds of the air, then He will most definitely provide and care for you. Don’t think that He can’t handle your burden. He carried the weight of the world on His shoulders, so He’ll have no problem caring for you.

Don’t forget to give a special "thank You" to Him for that today through your praise and worship.

Gratitude
O Thou, whose bounty fills my cup
With every blessing meet!
I give Thee thanks for every drop-
The bitter and the sweet.
I praise Thee for the desert road,
And for the riverside;
For all Thy goodness hath bestowed,
And all Thy grace denied.
(Jane Crewdson)

Thank Him for His love towards you today.
Pastor MJ

Where Your Treasure is...

“For where your treasure is,

there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:21

As a child, I always used to hum the tune, “I left my heart in San Francisco”, by Tony Bennett. I used to wonder what “she” must have been like for “him” to claim that he left his heart behind. When I met Rebecca, I finally understood.

While in Africa this month I got a glimpse of that feeling again as I left a people and a continent that I instantly fell in love with. Additionally, while there, as we were about to take flight number 5 out of 9, I realized that I had left a very special neck pillow behind at our hotel. We only had one hour before the flight was to take off and several people on our team offered to let me use their various neck pillows. However, this one was special. My son Alex had given it to me as a special gift and I had brought it over 9,000 miles and to leave it behind would be devastating to him. I entertained the thought and each time, I realized that it would be on my mind everyday for the rest of the trip and beyond. Every time I laid my head down I would see my son’s face and the disappointment of not bringing it back with me. So 40 minutes, a very fast taxi ride and $200,000 Zambian Kwacha later, I had my pillow. Leaving that pillow behind would have caused a piece of my heart to be there forever.

Although my situation was of a sentimental kind, I was reminded of a more serious truth about treasure in the above passage. Whatever or whomever we treasure will be the place holder of our hearts. The things, places or people whom we treasure the most own the rights to the loyalty of our hearts.

The implication in Scripture is that Christ wants to be that treasure and that our loyalty, our focus, our hearts yearning should be of eternal things, things that will last for eternity, namely our Lord, our eternal home and those made in His image, all which will last for eternity. If we value Christ and our relationship with Him above all else, our hearts will forever be in the right place and our “treasure” will last forever.

Let’s take an inventory this week. Where is your treasure?

With you on the journey,
MJ

Bwana Asifiwe - Praise the Lord

"Kwa Maana jiusi hii Mungu aliupenda ulimwengu,

hata akamtoa Mwanawe pekee,
ili kila mtu amwaminiye asipotee,
bali awe na uzima wa milele."

Yohana 3:16

Does this look like Greek to you? Actually it’s John 3:16 in Swahili, the language of the people whom we worked with and ministered to in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. What an incredible time we had on our trip to Africa! God showed us His hand of blessing and faithfulness every step and flight of our journey.

One of the most memorial things of my time in both Tanzania and Zambia were the worship times. More times than not we had no idea what was being sung or spoken, but after awhile, between the repetition and outward expression of the people, words for Father, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, amen, Hallelujah and praise the Lord brought a beautiful connection between our team and our brothers and sisters in Africa.

Travelling 9,000 miles away from home gave us a glimpse of what it’s going to be like when we take our final journey to our heavenly home. (Revelation 7:9-10) Here were men and women who love the Lord lifting Him up in a language unknown to us but were guided by the same Holy Spirit who reigns in our lives. A bond and connection was there that we didn’t have to create or put on. We were one in the Spirit and were able to worship together before the throne of God on that common ground. It was extra special when a familiar tune would be heard and we would be able to join in especially on the chorus and lift our voices singing the same message in two different languages knowing that as it reached God’s ears it would all be the same!

Being in Africa taught us many things, which will be shared many times in many different ways in the days to come, but one of the greatest truths that was reaffirmed in my heart is how incredibly big and awesome our God is! We cannot put Him in a box; and He, nor can His ways be confined to our way of thinking or our way of doing things. His ways and thoughts are truly higher than out ways and thoughts. (Isaiah 55:7-8)

God is Awesome and it was a dream come true and a gift from God to travel to a distant land and meet people who materially have little but spiritually have and abundance because of their love and passion for a great big God!!!

Bwana Asifiwe, (Praise the Lord!)
MJ

Obedience - No Miracle Needed

"God will not do through a miracle

what He’s already told me to do through obedience."

I remember the day that I stopped praying for God to give me the power to do or stop doing certain things. Now I acknowledge that the power is always within me and I thank Him for it. Scripture teaches that when a person gives their heart to Jesus and yields to His Lordship that He gives them His Holy Spirit to guide and direct (John 14:26) them in their walk towards becoming like Christ. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come in portions. When we receive the Holy Spirit, upon salvation, we receive all of who He is: all of His power, all of His guidance, all of His protection and more. In other words we have all of the power already within us all of the time to flee any sin, accomplish any God given task and the ability to be all that He created us to be. The question is how much of us will He receive?

When we sin, we bypass God’s Spirit within us. If you are like me, there have been times when you’ve wanted the Spirit of God to actually physically come to me and give me victory. For example, if the struggle was over eating, I’d pray for Him to help me and I’d expect Him to take the 5th brownie out of my hand before it reached my mouth instead of realizing that as I submitted to Him and made a decision not to partake and walk in obedience that His Spirit’s power was there to help me overcome and give me victory. The Bible tells us in I Corinthians 10:13 that, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I remember being in a New Jersey diner once and I was full, but diners have those huge desserts. This piece of apple pie was calling me. I know I shouldn’t have it, but I just couldn’t resist. After the waitress served it to me, it fell on the ground. That was my way of escape. I should have seen that and thanked God, but instead, I ordered another slice!

What miracle are you praying for today? Has God already given you the key to victory, yet you are waiting for Him to move your hand? It’s exciting, yet humbling to know that when we pray for victory that it’s already ours. Because the One who gives us this power is always with us and as we walk in obedience there is nothing that He calls us to that cannot be accomplished.

So the next time you are faced with an obedience issue, just obey and you’ll see the Holy Spirit’s power released in your life. The miracle has already happened. Victory is yours and mine through obedience.

Pastor MJ

Freedom - Suffering Go Hand And Hand

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this

all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are

hard pressedon every side, but notcrushed; perplexed, ut not in

despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down,

but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

The longer I live, the more I come to understand that freedom and suffering usually go hand in hand. Take for instance, the freedom that we will celebrate on Wednesday. Independence Day. The 4th of July! We celebrate our country’s freedoms, but one cannot truly appreciate the value of the freedoms we have without understanding that suffering was involved in gaining that freedom for us.

I’m coming to understand that suffering will always be a part of our earthly existence. Suffering comes from several sources: we may suffer as a result of our sin or of others sin, or, the most difficult to accept, our suffering may come from the hand of the Lord. Whatever the source, we are sure that Scripture teaches us that suffering is a part of God’s plan to mold us and shape us into all that He is creating us to be. It is a tool to cause us to hold loosely to the things of this earth and to help us yearn for Him and for "Home"!

When you boil it down, every great thing was born out of someone else’s suffering. How so? Well, for example, in order to perform the first heart transplant someone had to die! Braille was created and is a help to the blind today because someone lost their sight. We would never be able to receive eternal life were it not for the suffering of our Savior.

Consider this:

"Out of Great Tribulation – No words can express how
much the world owes to sorrow. Most of the Psalms
were born in a wilderness. Most of the Epistles were
written in a prison. The greatest thoughts of the
greatest thinkers have all passed through fire.
The greatest poets have "learned in suffering
What they have taught in song." In bonds Bunyan lived
The allegory that he afterwards indited, and we may thank
Bedford Jail for the Pilgrim’s Progress. Take comfort,
Afflicted Christian! When God is about to make

pre-eminent use of a man,
He puts him in the fire. (MacDonald)

Pastor MJ

Stop The World, I Want To Get Off!

Have you ever gotten up in the morning and by noon time wished that you had never risen from your bed? It seemed that every moment since you opened your eyes something went wrong?

Well, I’ve had a few of those days. There have been times when I experienced an awesome time of worship or an incredible time of prayer and praise or maybe just come through a major answer to a long awaited prayer. I think of times when we met and proclaimed the fact that God is able to do the impossible and that we need only to trust Him and watch Him do above all that we could ever ask or think. What an exciting thought! Ever have an experience like that and be up on the "mountaintop" and then the next day you realized that Satan listened in and wanted to challenge your new found excitement?

Why do we have days like that? Why do we have days when it just seems like everything, I mean everything, goes wrong and life just stinks? I sought God for an answer and here’s what He said,

"…This precious treasure – this light and power that now shines within you – is held in a Perishable container, that is, in your weak body. So that everyone can see that yourGlorious power is from God and is not your own. Mark, you are pressed on every sideBy troubles, but you are not crushed and broken. You are perplexed, but don’t you giveUp and quit. You are hunted down, but I will never abandon you. You get knockedDown, but get up again and keep going. Through suffering, your body constantly sharesIn the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in your body."(Personalization of 2 Cor. 47:10)

According to God’s Word, I should not be surprised by days like this. As a matter of fact, I should expect them. And when they come, I should remember to see it through His perspective and rejoice that He wants to use me to glorify His Name through my situation. It’s all about Him, and His glory, not me and my comfort! What a wake-up call.

"…That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are
Dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our
Present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long.
Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that
Will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see
Right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet
Seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys
To come will last forever." (2 Cor. 4:16-18)

~Whew, I needed that today, I hope it encourages you!
Because He lives,
Pastor MJ