Pharmakeia

Two weeks ago today there was a disturbing article in the Valley News reporting a significant drug bust on the corner of Dana and Maple streets. What is most alarming about this incident is the fact that this happened just a block away from our church, which is in a fairly safe, residential neighborhood. A couple was arrested and charged with possession of heroin - 700 small bags to be precise.

Although the Bible has quite a bit to say about the dangers of alcohol, there is not an abundance of scripture regarding the use of drugs. In the new Testament there is a Greek word pharmakeia used in various forms which is defined by Strong's as meaning medication, drugs or poison. This word is most often used in the Book of Revelation and pertains to the "last days."

Galatians chapter five not only lists the "fruit of the Spirit" but also catalogs the "works of the flesh" in the preceding verses. Please note that the word witchcraft is translated from this same word pharmakeia. Drug abuse, probably not as prevalent in the 1600's, was associated with the divinations of false religion and mystics of Bible times.

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21

We see this word used again in various forms repeatedly used in Revelations translated as the word sorcery.

"And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." Revelation 9:20&21

The scene described takes place during the Great Tribulation, Daniel's 70th week. Notice the correlation between the "sorcery" (drug use) and false worship. It is evident by this and other passages that Satan uses drugs to deceive his victims in the end times.

Revelation chapter 18 depicts the destruction of the one world system referred to as "Babylon the Great." Drug abuse is cited here as being the agent of deception.

"And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." Revelation 18:23

Chapter 21 is the start of eternity with a new Heaven and a new earth without sorrow, pain, death or tears for all those who believe. However, verse eight plainly declares that the "second death" is the judgment that awaits those who have not put their faith in the crosswork of Christ and repented of their sins. Drug users will be together in the lake of fire along with the murders and whoremongers according to God's Holy Word.

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Revelation 21:6-8 (sorcerers = pharmakeus)

There may drugs in your home or at your school. There are drugs in prison as well. But there won't be any drugs in Glory. Neither will the drug abusers be allowed through the gates.

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Revelation 22:14&15 (sorcerers = pharmakos)

My dear friend, many years ago as a young man the devil deceived me into addicting my flesh to the daily use of so-called "recreational drugs." At the time I did not understand and neither could I see how this sinful practice was changing my personality and degrading my behavior. When I repented and trusted Christ as my Savior, He delivered me and forgave me of all my sins and made a new person out of me, free from the bondage of drugs and alcohol. He will do this for you if you will only come as a sinner, turn from your sin, and trust Jesus as your Savior. You will be "born again" and sealed by God the Holy Spirit. Then and only then will you truly be set free.

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." II Cor 5:17

Preacher Dan

He Preached in black lizard skin boots. His towering Texas voice permeated our auditorium as a Stetson "crown" was proudly perched on a seat behind.

Evangelist Dan Meaders from Houston Texas was our Revival Speaker from Sunday, October 8th through Thursday Evening, October 12th. Preacher Dan stirred our hearts with Bible messages intended to enhance our spirituality as well as our walk and relationship with the Lord. Each message brought us into His power and presence and reminded us about our calling and purpose.

The meetings closed on Thursday night with a wonderful sermon on Job's life. Although Job loved God and had a testimony of being perfect & upright, he defended his righteousness throughout his trial. God tenderized Job's heart through all of that suffering. When he was humbled, God blessed him twice as much as before. The key is verse five. Thank you Preacher Dan!

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Job 42:5

Salt

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Matthew 5:13

"I wish that the Lord would come today. I don't know how much more I can take!"

This is the unfortunate attitude of some Christians today. Their lives have become so miserable that they are crying out to be Rescued. The "Blessed Hope" of the believer is no longer a yearning to be with Jesus, which Paul says, "is far better," but has become a doctrine of desperation to some because of their own unfavorable life circumstances. A few take responsibility for their plight, others blame God and most look to blame others.

We are to walk with God in this life as saved believers that experience God's peace and joy even through the trials of this life. The key to having the proper outlook is found right here in Matthew 5:13. We need to realize that we are Salt.

Salt was used as a preservative and often enhances the flavor of our favorite foods. Jesus said that we are to be salt to the unsaved of this world in order to preserve and enhance their lives through the ministry of the Gospel. We must realize primarily that we are put in very tough places or situations to be their salt or the positive factor in making things better through our hope and faith in the Lord as we extend those things to others. Our walk with God and testimony before men are of utmost importance. The reality very often reveals that we allow the circumstances to get the better of us by not exercising the spiritual resources that we are given. WE become "trodden under foot" and join the ranks of the defeated instead of enjoying victory through our Savior. Israel was delivered from the bondage of Egypt with the mighty hand of God and preserved for two generations in the wilderness. Yet, while God's blessings were upon them they became a "stiffnecked & rebellious" people and earned God's disappointment because of their constant "murmuring & complaining."

It is a shame that we often find ourselves as Christians complaining about the lot that God has dealt us instead of being thankful and content. It is often a struggle to go to work and not take part in the latest gossip of the breakroom or run down the boss along with everyone else. Some Christians murmur about their home life and carry on about their wives and children. These are the exact times that we must remember that we are salt. We are part of the solution and not victims of the circumstances. God is still in control and we must trust him to work and even use us in the process. Prayer beats pouting every time.

Work - We are to be the salt of our workplace. We should be on time, work hard. follow instruction and be loyal to those that God uses to provide our livelihood. Being lazy, gossiping, demeaning our supervisor and resisting to perform our job is not being good salt. We need to guard against becoming the salt that has lost its savour. In Genesis 39, Joseph was wrongly put into prison. He did not become depressed because of his unfair situation but immediately went to work as the salt of the prison house.

But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper. Genesis 39:21-23

Life - Life is never fair! We shouldn't expect it to be. We need to be the salt of our family, friends and neighbors. Many Christians are unhappy with their marriages and children. We may or may not be the cause of the problems but still need to deal with these issues nonetheless. Complaining about your wife or husband at work or to your friends only makes you look bad. Why did you choose or agree to share your life with them if they are that bad? "Oh, you don't understand, they have changed." I know. I have changed a lot too. Maybe we need to be the salt of our marriage and ask the Lord to help us to work hard and love unconditionally to get back the passion and desire that we once cherished in our marriage relationship.

Perhaps our children are the way they are because we have neglected to love them enough to parent them. The Bible says that children are a blessing from the Lord, yet they seem to suck the life right out of us. Being salt to our children means making the daily effort to love them and parent them. Neglecting them or giving them everything that they want will only lead to disaster. Spend time with them, pray for them and with them, set their boundaries and provide a disciplined routine for their lives, love them and let them have a little liberty in the environment that you have built around them and you may see a much better attitude and brighter future.

Being a pastor is like being "the old woman who lived in a shoe." it is very difficult to meet the needs of many people at one time. I believe that Moses was the greatest pastor that ever lived. Even when the children of Israel chided with him, rebelled against him and wanted to stone him to death, he still got on his face before God and pleaded for Jehovah to take his life and not theirs although God was angry with them for their behavior. Moses was surely the salt of Israel.

And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. Exodus 32:30-32

Church - Like our homes, our church should be a place of peace and refuge for the believer. However, there are many places of worship that have become tough and grisly and in need of salt. Politics and contention often take over when the Spirit of God is not leading. We should be excited about attending church services and fellowship with the saints of like precious faith. We should be like salt on fries as we look forward to each opportunity to worship. Many Christians are easily offended and find it easier to move on than to stay and be the salt of the local church. They may find that a new place has the old problems. It is better to be where God has called you and look to Him to help you make your church a better place to worship. The church at Corinth had a lot of problems. These issues needed to be identified and corrected. If everyone simply quit and moved on we would not have been given the wonder instructions by the Apostle Paul who shows us even today how to be the salt of the church in I & II Corinthians.

We salt the foods that we love and should also salt the ones we love with love.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8

Baptism - September 17, 2006

Each year our church holds a special baptismal service at Storrs Pond in Hanover, NH. Immediately after our Morning Service we all head up to the pond and gather on the shore. I preach a brief message explaining baptism from the water as the many onlookers anticipate the actual baptizing of the individuals who are making a "public" declaration of their faith in Christ. As my voice echoes over the water and permeates the corners of the park, it reminds me of Jesus preaching from a small ship in the Gospels. At least I am sure that everyone will have the opportunity to hear God's saving message of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior.

This year we had two of our young men, Andy Kalacinski and Don White come forward for baptism. It was a perfect day as we witnessed these two men publicly affirm their faith. After the Baptism there was a special time of fellowship. There was a cookout provided by our people and we all enjoyed our time in the Lord. Special thanks to Gene and Anna Yeager and their crew.

The message was regarding the "Signs of Salvation." Colossians 2:12 says, "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." Baptism is a "sign" or picture of salvation for it represents the death, burial and resurrection of not just our Lord Jesus Christ, but of all who have repented of their sins and received Him into their hearts by faith and have been born again of the Holy Ghost. We see this more closely in Romans 6:3-5, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." So then we see that baptism has 3 purposes. First we do it out of obedience to the one who died for us and freed us from our sin, delivering our souls from eternal damnation. Secondly, we are making a public declaration that we have been saved and that our hope for eternity lies soley on the crosswork of Christ at Calvary and does not rely upon our own sinful flesh. And lastly, we become an open object lesson, revealing the picture of baptism by being "immersed" in the water (representing death & burial) and rising again forshadowing our resurrection from the dead.

When the religious crowd asked Jesus for a sign in Matthew 12:38-40, He responded by giving them another sign of salvation. "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Another sign of salvation was given by Jesus in John 12:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." This too is a picture of the gospel of our salvation. We are not to try and make our lives better through religion and good works, we are to receive Christ and a new life in Him. First we must die to self, and when we live unto Him, only then will we experience true religion and serve him with our works after we are saved.

Jesus warned us about seeking after a "sign." We shouldn't be seeking a sign but seeking salvation. This salvation is found in His shed blood on the cross. He loves you. He died for you. You must repent and receive Him by faith and like Nicodemus, you will be born again.

Romans Road

God loves you
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

We are all sinners
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:10
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Christ died for you
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Salvation is a free gift
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

You must trust Christ as your Savior
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9&10

Your Salvation is Secure
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. I John 5:12&13

Sufferings

The Lord Jesus Christ plainly told his disciples that the Christian life is one that is filled with tribulation, suffering and trials. He also promised fellowship, deliverance, growth, strength and victory through those times. God builds our faith, wisdom and understanding by the adversity He allows to permeate our lives. He is always in control (i.e. Job) and brings us into His power and presence not just through His Word and His Spirit, but also by the experiences that test our character and Christian walk. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul exemplifies this idea in the most stunning way. We admire his grit and spiritual understanding, but would most probably not be willing to consecrate our lives with the intensity in which he displayed throughout the Book of Acts. Here is a catalogue of his sufferings for Christ:

I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little. 17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. 18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also. 19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. 20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. 21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. II Cor 11:16-33.

Our Savior clearly marked out the path for this great man of God by shewing him the cost of serving the Most High and receiving an abundance of revelations. The question is - are we willing to pay?

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Acts 9:15-16.

The problem with the things of life like death and suffering is that we don't always look at these things in the same way that God does. I would like to show you the Biblical perspective regarding suffering as laid out in our New Testament. You will soon realize that our Lord is blessing us with these things that we often detest and reject.

1. Rejoice - The early church disciples saw the ultimate joy in suffering for Jesus. As worthy servants, their sufferings only motivated them to serve and worship with greater enthusiasm. We too often exhibit the opposite reaction when we are mocked or persecuted for our Lord. We fall prey to being overcome with fear and shame and our effectiveness for Christ is easily neutralized when we suffer for His name.

And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Acts 5:40-42.

2. Glory - We not only suffer for Jesus, we suffer with Him. It is sharing in Christ's sufferings that enable us also to share in His Glory. Even if we were to suffer like our beloved Paul, our suffering could never pretend to compare to the suffering of our Savior. He suffered for us because He loved us. If we love Him, we should glory in suffering for Him. Our suffering in this present evil world and in this brief life will never retain the eternal value of our promised glory to come.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:16-18.

3. Choice - If we could actually chose between suffering or not, my choice would most likely be not. After all, no one enjoys suffering. The pain and heartache that accompany trials often seem defeating and eternal. They seem to lead us to despair and uncertainty and cause us to question why our loving God permits such hardships in our lives. Perhaps if we looked at suffering the way that God does we would realize the benefit of God's blessings. (no pain, no gain?)

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Hebrews 11:24-26.

4. Example - The most important example revealed by our suffering is our testimony of faith in exercising patience. Trials never seem to be shortlived. We must prepare at the start of our suffering as if it were to last a good long while. Each moment of suffering seems to last an eternity. It is important to start out in prayer, trusting the Savior to give us faith, patience, comfort and encouragement. We must ask for His will to be done not our wishes, He knows best. He doesn't always deliver us from a trial, but always walks with us through the trial on to the victory side. I like to focus on that victory from the very start. It is exciting to witness God's hand at work in our lives. It is mystifying to observe how he maneuvers our world on our behalf. It is exhilarating to experience the outcome; often beyond our most lofty expectations. Yes, it is possible to have real joy in suffering.

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. James 5:7-11.

5. Patience - It is the most difficult task of all to endure a trial patiently. Especially knowing that life is never fair and rarely do we think that we deserve it. In fact, no matter what adversity develops in our lives, we deserve to be in hell for all eternity because of our sins. It is only by God's infinite grace that he loved us and saved us by the shed blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. No matter what we are called to go through; it is still far better and briefer than being in hell. We can never have enough divine lessons in patience. Suffering helps us more than we will ever admit. Why should we think that we are any better than our Savior, who suffered but never sinned?

For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. I Peter 2:19-22.

6. Establish - Our faith and testimony in Christ Jesus is something we ought to value, cherish and protect. The devil is only interested in destroying the things that glorify Christ. We should always be faithful and committed and put the Lord first in our lives. Our Christianity needs to be founded on some foundations that cannot be rocked or shaken by Satan himself. Are you established in your faith? Does it mark and define your life? Are you living for Christ and eternity? Make your foundations sure. Be established by His word and empowered by His Spirit. Suffering is actually good for us and really only lasts a little while. Our faith and foundation in Christ, however, will never tarnish throughout all eternity.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
and to all to be sober, watchful, and firm in the faith
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. I Peter 5:7-10.


Ask the Lord to help you to deal more biblically with sufferings and to benefit from them. This was Paul's secret. He was not only equipped to deal with sufferings, he understood the spiritual benefits derived from suffering. He relished the joy and victory from God through his suffering. How about it, are YOU ready???

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. II Cor 4:8-11.

Premie

We believe that the Bible teaches that all believers in this present church age will be raptured or "snatched away" by the Lord Jesus upon His return. This is the next great prophetic event and may happen at any moment.

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. IThes 4:13-18

The second advent of Christ takes place in two stages. First He returns to meet us "in the air" at the Rapture. Seven years later, we return with Him at the end of the Great Tribulation to set up His earthly kingdom, that was promised to Israel. This Kingdom is a literal thousand year reign of Christ we refer to as the millennium.

It is not my purpose in this article to expound upon the prophetic sequence of events in a detailed and comprehensive method, but to focus the scope of this discussion on the answer to a most important issue. When does the Rapture take place? We are Premies, that is, we believe that the Rapture is pre-millenial and pre-tribulational.

With regard to the Millenial Kingdom, there are those that believe that it is not literal and they are referred to as Amillenialists. The "A" in front of the word negating its literal meaning. There are others that believe that the "Church" is the Kingdom of God or that the church age believers are responsible for bringing in the kingdom. We believe that God will keep His Biblical promise to Israel and give them a literal 1000 year kingdom here on earth.

The Great Tribulation, Daniel's 70th Week, immediately precedes the Kingdom age.We believe that the Rapture immediately precedes the Tribulation. Some believe in a mid-trib or post-trib rapture. In my opinion, there are two problems associated with these views. They negate the imminentcy of the Rapture as stated in the Epistles to the Thessalonians well as other scriptures. These theories also nullify Biblical promises from God to save us from the wrath to come.

The paramount prophecy of the OT which reveals to us God's prophetic sequence of events is found in Daniel chapter nine. Seventy sets of seven years unfold Biblical history that pauses after the 69th week, when Christ is crucified. The Church age, of an undetermined amount of time, has carried us forth to this day while we look for the Savior to appear. Then, God will resume his dealings with Israel in the final seven year period known as the Tribulatiuon where He will deal with Israel regarding the Messiah. Notice that six things are determined in verse 24. Three were fulfilled at the cross and three are yet future. The Messiah is "cut off" in verse 26 at the cross of Calvary. Verse 27 exclaims how the antichrist will work during his week of seven years. The church age is inbetween.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. 25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Daniel 9:24-27

1. We see in the Old Testament how God spared "just" Lot. The NT reveals that Lot was "saved" in spite of his wretched testimony. Lot had chosen Sodom and had become a city Elder (sat in the gate). He failed to have any influence on the townspeople although they had quite a negative impact on him. His married daughters did not believe and chose to stay. His son-in-laws laughed at him when he told them about Jehovah and the coming destruction. He offered his two unmarried daughters to a group of depraved men that surrounded his house wanting to defile the angels lodged within. Lot's wife left her heart in that wicked city and turned into a pillar of salt as the angels escorted the family from God's wrath. Lot became drunk and impregnated his two daughters which had escaped with him.

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: 28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. 29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. 30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. Gen 18:23-32

Abraham's concern was obviously directed toward Lot and his family. God delivered Lot from the judgment of Sodom just as He will deliver us from His judgment upon the earth during the Tribulation.

2. We are not waiting for tribulation and judgment. We are waiting to be delivered from the wrath to come. The Rapture is the "Blessed Hope" of the believer in this age according to Titus 2:13. When Jesus plainly told us that we would experience tribulation in this world, I believe that he was refering to trials and tribulations of our daily Christian walk and not the Great Tribulation.

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. I Thes 1:9&10

3. The Bible tells us that the Lord views us as being "seated in the Heavenlies." We have the righteousness of Christ and have been washed in His blood. He took our "punishment" upon himself that we should not be smitten. He is coming for us and although we can't know when, we have a divine appointment.

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. I Thes 5:1-9

4. The Bible reveals to us that we will be gathered together with Christ at His coming and that the Antichrist will be revealed. I strongly believe that verse seven speaks expressly of the Holy Ghost. "He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." The Holy Spirit gives way to the antichirst when the Holy Spirit is removed at the Rapture. He is taken out because, although he is omnipresent, he chiefly resides in the Believers who will be snatched away at the Rapture. Verse eight says, "And then shall that Wicked (one) be revealed only to be destroyed by the Lord at His return to earth to set up His Kingdom. Verses 10-12 also reveal that those who have heard the gospel and rejected Christ will believe the lie of the antichrist and follow him to eternal destruction.

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
and shows that there will be rebellion as the man of lawlessness appears
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. II Thes 2:1-12

5. The Bible tells us in Revelation that we are to be kept from the time of judge which comes upon the whole earth during Daniel's 70th week.

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Rev 3:10&11

6. Perhaps the strongest evidence in the Bible supporting the pre-millenial, pre-tribulational Rapture theory is found in the chronology of the book of Revelation. Chapters 2&3 are the messages to the seven churches speaking of the church age. Chapter 4 is a prophecy of the Rapture as John goes through the door of Heaven after hearing the shout, "come up hither." Chapters 5-18 tell about the seal, trumpet and vial judgments as well as the antichrist and the harlot church among other aspects of the Tribulation. The "Church" does not appear again until Chapter 19 when we return to earth with the King to set up his Millenial Kingdom.

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Rev 4:1-11

Let me close with these promises from God's Word that show us His mercy in passing us by with condemnation.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:24

Dedication of Children

On Sunday, July 16th, during our morning worship, we were pleased to have six families dedicate their children to the Lord Jesus Christ. There following children were presented before the church:

Samuel Klungler
Jackson Leland
Lilly Rajaniemi
AJ Kalacinski
William & Emily Devers
Sarah & Hannah Frederick

The purpose of dedication is threefold. First, to trust God for the salvation of these young souls at the earliest possible time. Secondly, for the parents to be committed in raising their children faithfully in the "nurture and admonition" of the Lord. Lastly, to trust the Lord to watchover and protect these young ones as they grow and mature to become fruitful and successful Christian adults.

The charge to the parents from the pulpit was given using Mark 10:13-16 as a text.

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

The scripture clearly reminds us of the simplicity of the Gospel as God's saving message can be believed and understood by even a young child. We as adults must not over complicate the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Christ and the simple means of being born again by receiving as our very own Savior and repenting of our sin. We must approach Him with the same trusting childlike faith.

Jesus said, "suffer (allow) the children to come unto me." There are five essential areas where parents need exhortation regarding the spiritual aspects of raising their children in Christ.

Salvation - It is not my intent to address the issue of the age age of accountability in this article. I do however think that there is an age in which most children can understand the Gospel and truly repent and trust Christ as their Savior. Although the age differs it is generally thought to be between 4-6 years old. Paul reminded Timothy how his mother and Grand mother raised him according to the scriptures.

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. II Tim 1:5

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. II Tim 3:14&15

Growth - Most all young parents are specifically concerned about the physical growth and development of their children. Yet, not all Christian parents are greatly concerned about their child's spiritual maturity. Getting them up before school to pray, family devotions and church attendance is vital during these early years. Teaching our children living faith is also an important aspect of their spiritual development.

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. I Peter 2:2

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. II Peter 3:18

John the Baptist showed great spiritual growth as a child and our Lord Jesus was in the Temple discussing spiritual things with the experts of that day while his parents had already made a days journey back home.

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.
Luke 1:80

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:49-52

Heritage - Children are a godly heritage as well as a gift from God. When brought up correctly, they will be an incredible blessing. When not properly parented, they will undoubtedly "suck the life right out of you!"

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. 2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you. 4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day. 5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? 8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? 9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons. Duet 4:1-9

Worship - Children need to be taught worship at home and in the house of God. It is important to provide a disciplined environment for them to learn. Today we even provide special services such as Sunday School and children's' Church so that they can be ministered to on their level. Family devotions should be geared to their age group and ability as well.

Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, 31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. 32 And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. 33 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them. Joshua 8:30-35

Notice how the Bible clearly infers the need for the "little ones" to be present and participating in Worship.

And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. II Chron 20:13

Service - We should also do our best to teach our young children to serve. Whether it is being a witness and testimony of the Gospel of our lord Jesus Christ or doing something particular for Jesus at church, the little ones should always endeavor to pleas Him. Even as a little boy, Samuel was a faithful servant at the Temple. The little maid in II Kings chapter five earnestly bade her master to to seek the man of God

But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. I Sam 2:18-20

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. II Kings 5:1-3

Children are a gift and a blessing from God. We as parents need to be sincere about raising them for Christ. Dedicating our children is a tradition that can only strengthen families and churches.

Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. prov 17:6

Our Salvation

Salvation is God’s gift of Love reaching out to fallen man. Religion is man’s way of reaching out to a Holy God. Biblical Salvation differs from man’s religion in a very basic and fundamental way. Religion denotes the myriad of avenues in which sinful man tries to earn salvation by doing “something.” Salvation, according to the Scriptures is solely based on “faith” in what God has done on our behalf by providing a perfect sacrifice to redeem us from our sin. The shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross is the only means to access God’s forgiveness, and faith is the only way for us to receive God’s free and eternal gift.

Our Sin – This is our problem, plain & simple. We are “born dead in trespasses and sins” because we inherited a sin nature from Adam, our forefather. Our sin is what separates us from a holy God and renders us unqualified to spend an eternity with Him in Heaven.

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. Romans 3:10

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23


Our Savior – Jesus is our only possible Biblical solution for having our sins forgiven. He is the only acceptable sacrifice and the ONLY avenue available for us to secure a home in Heaven for all eternity. His blood sacrifice is the only way to satisfy God’s demand for perfect holiness & righteousness. Jesus died on the cross in our place because of His infinite love for you & me. The depravity of the human soul renders us incapable of providing any means to save ourselves.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Romans 5:8&9


Our Salvation – Salvation is a free gift from a loving God received only by faith and rooted in His loving grace. Each one of us must receive Christ into our heart as our very own Savior from sin.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9


Our Repentance – We must turn from our sin to a Holy God. This doesn’t imply that we will be sinless, but that our desire will be in pleasing our Savior and not in the carnal enjoyment of the “pleasures of sin for a season.”

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:3


Our Receiving Christ – Knowing about Jesus is not good enough. The Bible requires that we are born again by the Holy Spirit by repenting and receiving Christ into our hearts by faith. Trusting Jesus as personal Savior is much deeper than repeating a prayer or having a spiritual experience.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12


Our Regeneration – Being born again provides a whole new and eternal life in Christ. This is not to be confused with the reformation of our existing life, but a life changing event that commences the very moment that we believe.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17


Our Assurance – God wants us to know that we belong to Him forever. He does not want us to wonder or worry. We must know our eternal destiny here in this life before we die and it is too late.

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. I John 5:11-13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13

Grace

The Bible clearly tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ came "full of grace & truth." It would benefit us as Christians to try and become more like our Savior each day. Some believers are full of truth but lack grace. Others are big on grace and void of the truth of God's word. It is evident that we need both!

John 1:14-17
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus.

Salvation is also obtained by grace. Grace is receiving from God something that we don't deserve or God's unmerited favor. We are sinners and deserve to spend eternity in hell. But because of God's love in sending His Son Jesus to die in our place, we are saved by His grace when we repent and place our faith in the precious shed blood of our Savior's cross.

Acts 15:11
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Titus 2:11
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.

Ephesians 2:8&9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

There are six areas in our lives that are performed by God's grace upon us.

Clothed - The Bible states that our Lord Jesus, even as a young child was "clothed with grace."

Luke 2:40
And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

I believe that the same grace covers or clothes each one of God's children who have been saved by grace. Grace is something that we put on each day and wear all the day through. It is possible to stand for the truth in a way that conveys God's grace to the unbelievers. It is this very grace coupled with truth that the Holy Ghost will use as a strong testimony for the Gospel in the lives of our loved ones, friends, neighbors and work mates. Remember always that you are clothed in grace.

Content - The apostle Paul gave a litany of sufferings that he experienced while serving God with all his being for many years in II Corinthians, chapter 11. He then tells of a miraculous spiritual experience that left him with a taste of heaven which God used to motivate him in his selfless Christian service. He claims that he learned to be content, no matter what the circumstance. It was the grace of God that provided him with that contentment as he went from city to city preaching the riches of Christ's Gospel. No matter what we are facing, God is still in control. He will do the same for us today as He did for the apostle Paul. The Lord often reveals His grace to us by revealing someone else's plight which is far worse than ours at the very moment we are about to be overtaken in self pity. His grace is sufficient!

II Corinthians 12:7-10
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Commissioned - We see in this passage how the early church saints spread the Gospel in the mighty working power of the Holy Ghost with great grace enveloping each one. Want more Holy Spirit Power? Do you want to have a more powerful testimony and witness for the Lord Jesus Christ? Then pray for more grace.

Acts 4:33
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Called - Are you a preacher, missionary, Sunday School teacher? Whatever your calling and service for the master be sure that it was all of His grace. It is truly a privilege to serve Him in whatever capacity He desires for us. We don't choose, He calls. We do not serve in our power but he empowers us with His precious gifts to enable us to be used of Him and give all the Glory to His precious name.

Galatians 1:15
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace.

II Timothy 1:8&9
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

Courageous - I give the same advice to every young preacherboy preparing for the ministry. I tell them plainly, "Grow a hide, everything that you say can and will be used against you." As Christians we all need a strong backside. When provoked by someone energized by the devil to destroy our testimony or ruin a relationship, we need to respond in the Spirit and not react in the flesh. The strength to do this comes purely from grace. We ought to defend Christ, not ourselves. It's not about us, but about Him and his bloodstained cross.

II Timothy 2:1-6
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

Continuous - This is the best part of all. His grace is never exhausted! It continues forever. It is always with us and will never leave us.

Ephesians 2:5-7
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Got Grace?

For You!

II Corinthians 12:14&15
14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Seek You - Paul told the problem plagued church members at Corinth that he was yearning for them. Not for what they had, or who they were; neither how they were able to benifit the church, but, he sought their very soul & spirit! He wanted them to give themselves wholly to the Lord. The Lord wants our hearts, that is to say, "all of us." The minister seeks his people out of a deep love for each of them that he might assist them in being spiritual and have their own personal relationship with the Savior according to the Spirit of God and in compliance with the Word of God. The preacher seeks them that they might seek Him, that is the Lord.

According to II Corinthians 8:1-5, This mission was a success as the people were wholly given and submitted to God and his perfect will. "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."

According to the Apostle's own testimony, Paul gave himself first to the Lord in every aspect of life holding back nothing.

Philippians 3:7-9
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Paul said, "I will very gladly spend and be spent for you." This is the love that every preacher must show his people. I am glad that when I was a young Christian that my Pastor showed a personal love and interest in my spiritual well being and helped me whenever I needed Him.

The Preacher seeks his people so that they might grow to serve and worship as Christians who please the Lord as they spend their days waiting for the Savior and ministering in and through the local church. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." I Thes. 5:23.

Spent for You - Just as our Lord Jesus gave himself for the sheep, all good ministers of the gospel live to please Jesus and to bless and help the Christians that God has called them to reach with the Gospel and build up in the faith. Paul gave some moving last words to the church leaders of Ephesus in Acts 20:17-24:

"And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. 18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, 19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: 20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, 21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God."

His life did not matter, but their spirituality did. This was the very example that the church leaders witnessed so that they might carry on their leadership with Paul's example. I know many pastors who are spent trying to serve their people! Being a good pastor means giving to the saints and to the Lord in a sacrificial way.

Acts 21:10-13
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

II Timothy 2:8-12
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.

Love You - Love is the glue that holds us together with Christ. We must remember that our love is always in the Holy Ghost and can never be contrary to the Scripture. Love is not enabling our people to sin. Here are 5 things that we should know about love in order to effectivly minister:

1. Love is Commanded - John 15:9-12 "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."

The command is not simply to love, but to love with the same quality that our Savior loved us. This command came from Jesus and should be stressed and followed just as seriously as the command to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel."

2. Love should be Confirmed - John 13:34&35 "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

Our love for eachother should be confirmed by the unsaved. We should be concerned about the testimony of our church. Each one of us contribute to that testimony when we are out in the world. Is our church a place that they would feel welcome or is it just like the worlplace and like other social circles that are degraded by clicks, contention and division.

3. Love should Continue - I Thes. 3:12 "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you."

Notice that our love for one another should not only continue, but should also increase! We ought to love who Jesus loves and He loves every one of his saints. I realize that all of us may be hard to love at times, but we must make that effort to maintain a sweet spirit in our church.

4. Love should be Complete - I Peter 1:22 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently."

We should love eachother fervently and completely. We may not always get along or agree. We may irritate eachother from time to time. But it is always important to love for "love covers a multitude of sins."

5. Love is Courageous - I John 3:16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

True love is giving yourself for another like Christ did for us. We need to look around our church and ask ourself if we would be willing to give ourselves for the others sitting there. And if the answer is no, then we must ask our Savior to give us of His courageous love.

Paul said that the more he loved them, the less they seemed to love him. It is not easy being the preacher because you must always love the Lord enough to stand by His Word and not just tell people what they want to hear. You must love your people enough to tell them what's right eventhough it may be hard for them to swallow the truth. The devil attacks the church in two ways, from without and from within. The devil's favorite game is to turn the people against the preacher. If you are not walking with God you may find yourself mixed up in the devil's snare. Preachers need to love their people so that they know that they are being cared for and prayed for and loved.

Missions Revival 2006

The last few weeks have been spent in preparation for our annual Missions Revival always held the week before Memorial Day. This year the Revival started Thursday evening, May 18th and ended on Sunday, May 21st. Dr. Don Davis, Director of Prayer Baptist Missions International was our main speaker and he brought two families from his mission board.

Moses Yoder, Pastor of Hardwick Bible Baptist Church, Hardwick, VT opened the conference with a captivating message on the "PERSON Driven Life" as opposed to the "Purpose Driven Life." The "person" of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our worship and service must be motivated out of love for Him. Oftentimes many people are caught up in what they are doing rather than who they are doing it for! Pastor Yoder beautifully articulated why the Bible must be our basis for faith and practice rather than the latest fad or teachings of current popular personalities in Christianity.

Our Saturday Service started with breakfast at 9am ended with a great barbecue chicken dinner at noon. We held our meeting in between. It was such a blessing to have our first major conference at our new venue. We had plenty of room for seating and we were also able to set up tables for the two meals right in the auditorium. The kitchen was a real Godsend and we certainly appreciate the folks from our church who work so hard to be a blessing to us and the Lord.

Both missionaries spoke at the meeting. Joshua Sykes is a young man who is called to plant churches in the Mormon dominated state of Utah. He is a graduate of Crown College and has a wife, Christie, and two small children, Jesse and Chloe. Marty Goddard is a missionary to Mexico and brought his wife, Dawn, and their five children. They provided special music for the conference and Bro. Marty preached a great message on "Temptation."

The revival concluded on Sunday evening with a message from Bro. Sykes on, "Where is Your Faith," and a stirring message by Bro. Don on "Hindrances to Faith." Bro. Don highlighted the behavior of the Prodigal Son's elder brother who was displeased with his younger brother's repentance and return. He skillfully applied the message to all of us as we interact together in the local church. It was a wonderful week of blessing and fellowship and we thank our missionary guests as well as our own people who labored to make it such a special time.

Eating at the Hand of God

The Bible is a book about giving. We are told in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son." Christians ought to be giving people. Giving to God should be a joy, pleasure and priority. I feel so sorry for so many Christians who have not experienced the joy of giving. They are missing out on an important part of their relationship with the Lord. First let me illuminate the real problem. For some giving is about money. Biblically this is wrong for giving, like all other aspects of the Christian life is about faith.

Luke 21:1-4
And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the
treasury. 2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two
mites. 3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath
cast in more than they all: 4 For all these have of their abundance cast in
unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living
that she had.

Faith, exemplified by the poor widow, is giving what God wants you to give and trusting him to provide. Simple but not always easy. The question that we must ask ourselves is this - are we providing for ourselves, or are we eating at the Hand of God? Often Christians trust the limits of their paycheck and the meager extras of overtime instead of the mighty outstretched arm of God. Many Christians have given up their church attendance to work a second job. God cannot bless this approach for it is carnal and not spiritual. The problem is that we like to be in control. Okay, come on now, admit it; wouldn't we be a whole lot better off if we allowed the God that spoke the universe into existence to control our lives, yes, even our finances? When we are in God's will and obedient to His word, His great provision provides far more than we can possible earn on our own and He supplies in ways unknown to our frail human logic proving once again that faith is the only way to please Him and receive His might bounty from glory. Trusting the Lord with our eternal soul took far more faith than trusting him with our finances. God's plan and program for this age is to work through the local church. That is where your giving should be focused. Eating at the hand of God and giving by faith will usher you into a spiritual realm that you may have not visited before. Here are 7 Biblical steps or principles to follow:

1. Start with Tithing (10%)
Some say that tithing was only meant under the dispensation of Law. Yet, Abraham tithed before the Law was given. He gave tithes to Melchizedek, King of Salem, who was a forshadowing of Christ to come.

Genesis 14:17-20
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the
slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of
Shaveh, which is the king's dale. 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought
forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he
blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of
heaven and earth: 20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered
thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Jacob vowed to tithe "of all that God would give him." Somehow he knew who was providing and what his responsibility was to give back of God's generosity.

Genesis 28:10-22
And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 11 And he
lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was
set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and
lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set
up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of
God ascending and descending on it. 13 And, behold, the LORD stood above
it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the
land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 14 And
thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the
west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in
thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 And, behold, I
am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will
bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done
that which I have spoken to thee of. 16 And
Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place;
and I knew it not. 17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this
place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had
put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of
it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that
city was called Luz at the first. 20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God
will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread
to eat, and raiment to put on, 21 So that I come again to my father's house
in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 22 And this stone, which I have
set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I
will surely give the tenth unto thee.

God determined that 10 % would be given for his work and service through the Levites. I don't know what Christians who don't give through their local church are thinking. How is the building payed for? How does the Pastor get payed? The answer usually is "through someone else's tithe."

Numbers 18:20&21
And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their
land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine
inheritance among the children of Israel. 21 And, behold, I have given the
children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service
which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

People who think that Tithing is strictly OT have not read Hebrews chapter 7. God validates tithing for the NT as well. The illustration is regarding the account of Abraham paying tithes to Melchisedec. The point made is that the Aaronic priests who received tithes under the Law were the descendants of Abraham. So, why did Abraham pay tithes to Melchisedec? Because he was greater than Abraham. Hebrews 7 tells us that the priesthood of Melchisedec was also greater than the preisthood of Aaron. So if Abraham payed tithes to Melchisedec before the Law, and Jesus our Savior is a better high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Doesn't He deserve and expect our tithes in this age through the local church. If you are confused now please reread this until you grasp it.

Hebrews 7:1-10
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met
Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed
him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by
interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem,
which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without mother, without
descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like
unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4 Now consider how
great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of
the spoils. 5 And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive
the office of the preisthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the
people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come
out of the loins of Abraham: 6 But he whose descent is not counted from
them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of
whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9 And as I may so
say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he
was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

The fact is (don't get nervous here) that Tithing is the Start or Beginning of giving according to the NT. The next step is

2. Offerings

The Bible talks about Tithes and Offerings. Offerings refer to giving above and beyond the tithe which is given to the Lord and goes to the support of his church of which he is the head.

II Cor 8:1-11

Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the
churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the
abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their
liberality. 3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their
power they were willing of themselves; 4 Praying us with much intreaty that
we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to
the saints. 5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own
selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 6 Insomuch that we
desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same
grace also. He urges the Corinthians to be liberal 7 Therefore, as ye abound in every
thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your
love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by
commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the
sincerity of your love. 9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his
poverty might be rich. 10 And herein I give my advice: for this is
expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward
a year ago. 11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a
readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

We should give Liberally (vs2). We should give Willingly
(vs3). We should give of Ourselves (vs5). Our giving should Abound (vss 7&10). We should give out of Love (vs8). According to vs 11 our giving is a Performance. Chapter 9, vs 7 says that we should give Cheerfully. Are you still with me? God
met every need exactly for those that "ate at the hand of God." (II Cor 8:15)
"As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had
gathered little had no lack." If we are tight with God, he'll be tight with us. (II Cor 9:6) "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

3. When should we give? Sunday - the First day

I Cor 16:1&2
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the
churches of Galatia, even so do ye. 2 Upon the first day of the week let
every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be
no gatherings when I come.

4. Give the Firstfruits
Always give to God First! Of your Gross pay, not net. God is like me, he doesn't care for leftovers. You give the government a lot more and they get theirs off the top. Show your Savior the same respect. If you don't, I will guarantee that you will never have any leftover and God won't get much if any.

Neh 10:35-39
And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits
of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD: 36 Also
the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law,
and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of
our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God: 37 And that
we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the
fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the
chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the
Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of
our tillage. 38 And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites,
when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of
the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure
house.

5. Bring your gift to the House of God.
Some Christians will give to TV and radio ministries and a host of missionary endeavors instead of tithing to the church that they should belong to. This is wrong. Most churches sponsor missionaries through Faith Promise or dedicated missions giving in the local church. The idea of "individuals partnering" with certain missionaries is not a good idea in my opinion. Let the whole church get behind a missionary and pray for them. They will lose a lot less support once they get to the field. (Exodus 36:5) "And they space unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make."

6. Your giving should support the Man of God.
The preacher should not be the poorest man in the church. The church should honor God by caring well for their Pastor. He does not have to live lavishly but shouldn't have to beg either. (I Cor 9:14) "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." I know how difficult it is to work full time and Pastor. I thank God that our church is able to support me well and has been for the past many years. That is a great testimony for a small church.

7. Giving invites the Blessings of God.
Everyone down South wants to be "under the spout where the blessings come out." Amen to that Brother. God will bless our obedience if we are sincere about eating at his hand.

Malachi 3:8-11
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we
robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye
have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the
storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith,
saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour
you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy
the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the
time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.

Giving is the one area in our Christian lives where God challenges us to put him to the test. He promises that he will open Heaven's windows and dump a heaping bucket full of blessing upon us for trusting Him and being faithful. However, he also warns that those who withhold are stealing from him. We would never think of putting our hand in the till but somehow not giving to God does not bother us as much. Not only do we rob from God when we don't give, but he claims that he allows the devil to take away from our spending power. Haggai called it "putting money in bags with holes." We can lay up treasure in heaven or serve the god of mammon and consume all that God has blessed us with on our own lusts. The key to understanding how to eat at the hand of God is found in the doctrine of Stewardship. You know well that "we are not our own" but that we are "bought with a price." And everything that we posses comes from the very hand of God. I am trying to encourage you to get in on one of the greatest blessings of the Christian life that will bring endless joy and encouragement to your Christian walk. There is nothing more wonderful than seeing God's hand at work in your life. Start giving and see what God does. You will be amazed.