Liberty Worship Center logo

Liberty Worship Center

Author: Bert Mendelson

  • Light or Darkness?

    a person standing on a dirt path with the sun shining through clouds

    Light or Darkness?

    Hate

    1 John 2:9-11 (NASB)

    9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
    10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
    11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

    The word “hate” is being used a lot lately. It seems our world is becoming more and more polarized. When others constantly accuse you of being hateful or unloving, there is a tendency to doubt yourself. You begin asking yourself, “Is it true? Do I hate other people?” The apostle John saw some of the same things in his day. His words can help us to get back to the truth, and determine if we are in the Light or darkness.

    Truth

    The apostle John focuses quite a bit on truth. Jesus said that the devil is a liar and the father of lies.

    John 8:44 (NASB)

    44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

    When someone accuses of being a certain way or believing something, take a moment to stop and think about what they are saying. Is it really true? If not, then don’t receive it. In other words, don’t let it affect you.
    Next, choose how you are going to respond. Remember, always act, never react. How would Jesus respond to this type of accusation? You want to let the other person know that they are mistaken, but you want to say it in love.

    Love

    1 John 4:7-8 (NASB)

    7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
    8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

    John was known as the Apostle of Love. This is a major theme in his writings. We, as Christians, love others, because Jesus loved us first. He gave all that He had so that we could be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with Him. With that kind of love as our example, of course we are going to love others.

    1 John 4:9-11 (NASB)

    9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
    10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
    11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

    Evidence

    John 13:35 (NASB)

    35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

    These are the words of Jesus. True Christians have love for each other. Conversely, those without love are not true Christians. The apostle John said that there were people in his day who used to be among them, but they left, because they did not really believe in Christ, and they did not want to serve Him.

    1 John 2:19 (NASB)

    19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

    Just because someone claims to be a Christian doesn’t make it so. I could say that I’m the greatest basketball player ever (I’m not), but unless I prove it to you, you probably wouldn’t believe me. If someone tells me that they are a Christian, but they are yelling at me, telling me that I hate them (when I don’t), I’m not going to believe what they are saying.

    Fruit

    This is where we need to know who we are and what we believe. If we are speaking the truth in love, it is not hate! Jesus always spoke the truth in love, but he constantly had people angry with Him. The religious leaders even conspired together to lie and have Jesus put to death. They convinced themselves that they were doing what was best for the people. They knew that lying and murder was wrong, but they managed to justify it to themselves.

    1 John 3:10 (NASB)

    10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

    Don’t tell me you love me; show me.

    Matthew 7:20 (NASB)

    20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.

    Confidence

    Hebrews 10:19-22 (NASB)

    19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
    20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
    21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
    22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

    If we know that we are following Christ and love Him sincerely, we don’t need to doubt ourselves. We aren’t depending on our own good works or abilities. We are depending on His. Jesus did the work. He paid the price, made the way, showed us the way, then drew us to Himself. Look in verse 22: “having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” This is what Jesus did for us and to us. If God says that I am clean, who am I to disagree? Who is anyone else to disagree? What right does anyone else have to say that I’m not?

    Romans 8:31 (NASB)

    31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

    Humility

    At the same time, we need to guard our hearts, so that we don’t become prideful and think that we are better than anyone else. That’s what starts the whole downward spiral.

    Romans 12:3-5 (NASB)

    3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
    4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,
    5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

    The Bible says that as Christians, we are all part of the body of Christ. If a part of our body is hurting, we take care of it. We don’t hurt it more.
    We should always look for ways to help each other, not hurt each other.

    Forgiveness

    Ephesians 4:32 (NASB)

    32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

    Without forgiveness, there is no love. Love cannot exist where there is unforgiveness. We will inevitably say or do something to offend each other, even with the best intentions. If we are willing to forgive the other person, we are showing them true love. If we say that they need to pay or suffer for what they said or did, that’s not love.

    Matthew 6:14-15 (NASB)

    14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
    15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

    1 John 4:7 (NASB)

    7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar

  • Living Godly

    brown wooden cross on top of mountain during daytime

    Living Godly

    Following Jesus

    Jesus told us that we had to deny ourselves, take up our own crosses, and follow Him.

    Matthew 16:24 (NASB)

    24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

    Thankfully, these days, most of us don’t have to worry about being physically crucified, just because we choose to follow Jesus, but the principle still applies. In the book of 2 Peter, the apostle Peter gives us several practical examples of how we should live. This is for our own benefit (becoming more like Christ), the benefit of our family and friends, and the benefit of everyone else around us.

    More Like Christ

    2 Peter 1:2-3 (NASB)

    2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
    3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

    In the beginning of Peter’s second letter, he is offering a blessing to the recipients of the letter. He wishes “grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Grace has been described as a free gift. It is something that we have not earned, nor do we have the ability to earn it. God gives us the free gift of grace because of His love for us.

    Peace

    Godly peace is more than just being able to relax after a hard day at work or school or watching the kids. Godly peace is what we can have when we realize that God has forgiven us of our sins — not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus has done.

    Ephesians 1:7-8a (NASB)

    7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
    8 which He lavished on us.

    This peace is special, obtained only through the grace of Jesus Christ. This is what He told His disciples shortly before He was crucified.

    John 14:27a (NASB)

    27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.

    This is not something that we can find on our own. It’s not something that we can make or buy. Only Jesus can give us this peace. The great thing is that Peter told us that we could have this peace abundantly, being multiplied in our lives.

    2 Peter 1:2 (NASB)

    2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

    Life and Godliness

    God’s divine power “has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness.” We don’t have to try to be good enough to win a place in heaven; Jesus paid the price for us, and now His power, through the Holy Spirit, gives us everything we need to live an abundant and godly life. How? It’s “through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

    2 Peter 1:3 (NASB)

    3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

    Divine Nature

    We all have a desire to be “special” in some way. God tells us that we can share in (“be partakers”) of His divine nature. When God created Adam, He breathed His own life into Adam, making him a living being.

    Genesis 2:7 (NASB)

    7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

    We are more than flesh and blood; we have God’s divine (godly) spirit (breath) inside of each one of us. At the same time, we have all inherited a sinful nature from our parents, Adam and Eve. There is nothing that we could possibly do on our own, so God Himself provides the way.

    2 Peter 1:4 (NASB)

    4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

    This is not just forgiveness of sin. He is making a way for us to avoid being destroyed by the world and its ways.

    Attributes

    2 Peter 1:5-7 (NASB)

    5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
    6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
    7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

    Peter now gives us a list of actions and attitudes that we can apply to our lives. He first tells us to apply “all diligence.” If we want to make a real change to be godly, we can’t do it half way; we have to be “all in” and be willing to do the hard work, striving toward our goal.

    Actions and Attitudes

    If we look carefully at Peter’s list, we will see certain actions — things we should be doing — along with attitudes — ways we should be thinking or feeling about ourselves, other people, and God. We could classify them this way.

    Actions

    moral excellence
    self-control
    godliness
    brotherly kindness

    Attitudes

    knowledge
    perseverance
    love

    When we take these actions, our attitudes or way of thinking will change. When we change our attitudes, our actions will also naturally change.

    Moral Excellence

    The word translated here “moral excellence” comes from a root word referring to a man or boy. In other words, manliness. God is saying that we should act the way that He originally created Adam — with virtue and morals, not with sinful actions. “Being a man” does not mean dominating other people. It means doing what is right and treating everyone with respect and love, seeking what is best for them, not ourselves.
    Note that in the Greek language of the day, this term derived from a masculine root, but it was applied to men, women, and children alike. Having moral excellence does not make someone weak. It makes them strong, and it shows their strength to others.

    Knowledge

    We have probably all heard someone say that they don’t believe in faith or religion, because they believe in science — facts. Many people that we think of as great contributors to modern scientific thought and processes were Christians. True knowledge looks for facts. There are some things that we can know for sure, and other things that we can’t. For example, there is no way to prove how the universe was created using the scientific method, because there is no way for anyone to perform an experiment to test their theory (by creating another universe).
    There are other things, however, that we can see. When I see someone living an unruly, ungodly life, I usually see pain, suffering, agony, and despair. When I see someone else living a godly life, I usually see peace, contentment, and joy. Everyone goes through hard times. Christians have the Holy Spirit to be there with them and comfort them. This knowledge can help us get through those hard times.

    Self-control

    Proverbs 16:32 (NASB)

    32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

    It’s easy to fight back when someone says or does something that you don’t like. It’s much harder to control yourself. We should always act, never react. If we react to what other people do, we are letting them control our lives. If we choose to control our temper, our fleshly desires, and what we might want in this life, we will find that we can “overwhelmingly conquer” in this life (Romans 8:37).

    Perseverance

    Perseverance is more than continuing on when things are hard. It is an attitude of knowing that you will overcome, no matter what things look like right now.

    Galatians 6:9 (NASB)

    9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

    God promises us that we will eventually reap (harvest our crops) if we don’t grow weary (persevere). God’s riches and blessings (not always money) are waiting for us, if we don’t give up. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of standing on the promises that God has given you, even when everything around you says that it’s impossible.

    Ephesians 6:14-15 (NASB)

    14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
    15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

    Godliness

    The Greek word used here for godliness means to act in a godly, pious way, both toward God and other people. It is an action word. It’s not just a matter of not doing wrong. It’s also a matter of doing what is right. Godliness is living, actively, the way that Jesus lived on this earth.

    Brotherly Kindness

    There are several words in the Greek language that are translated “love” in our Bibles. This word means “brotherly love”, the kind of love that someone would have for a brother or sister. This is how we should treat each other, not just our family members. If we are relating to another Christian, we actually are brothers and sisters, because we are part of the family of God.

    Love

    Peter then uses the word, “agape.” This is another Greek word for love. It carries the idea of more than just a brotherly love. It is a love for everyone, putting the needs and desires of others before ourselves. The Bible uses this word to describe the love that God has for us, as well as our love toward God and other people. It is truly a selfless love.

    Full Context

    Putting this all in context, we can see how Peter comes to his conclusion in verse 8.

    2 Peter 1:2-8 (NASB)

    2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
    3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
    4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
    5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
    6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
    7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
    8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Lord, help us to all be useful and fruitful to You and Your kingdom, in Jesus’ name!

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar

  • Community

    people in a community

    Community

    God’s Love

    In the beginning, there was God. He has always existed in the persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is all love – the very definition of love.

    1 John 4:7-8 (NASB)

    7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
    8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

    Because of God’s love that He had for us, even before we existed, He created us. From the very beginning, God knew that it was not good for us to be alone.

    Genesis 2:18 (NASB)

    18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

    God created all of the animals and brought them to Adam. I’m sure they were all very friendly, but they still didn’t meet a need that Adam had for true fellowship, so God created Eve.

    Genesis 2:20-24 (NASB)

    20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.
    21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
    22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
    23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”
    24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

    We now had the beginning of the first family, and the first community. It seems that God used to walk and commune with Adam and Eve on a regular basis (Gen.3:8-9). This was the perfect world that God had created — Adam and Eve enjoying each other’s company and the world that God had given them, while God fellowshipped with and enjoyed their company.

    Fellowship

    The word “fellowship” means two or more people talking and sharing with each other. It’s not where one person talks and the other always listens. In a good friendship, both people feel comfortable with the other person, and they both take turns talking, listening, sympathizing, and loving.
    God created Adam and Eve in His own image. Because God has always existed in three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and we were created in His image, we have the same desire and even need to be with other people.

    Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB)

    26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
    27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
    28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

    More than just being created in His image, we even have His Spirit.

    Genesis 2:7 (NASB)

    7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

    Family

    The family is the beginning and foundation of every godly community. It is what God established and what He commanded from the very beginning.

    Genesis 1:28 (NASB)

    28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

    Today, we see many people attacking the traditional family (husband, wife, children). They might say that the Bible’s definition of a family is old-fashioned and outdated. These arguments are nothing new. We have seen throughout history where people have tried creating other “societies” where they refuse to follow the traditional pattern of marriage. Every culture that has tried this has failed. God created us to live as families. We can even see in every study that has looked at the subject, people in jail are overwhelmingly from a home where the father is not there. We also see increased poverty, teenage pregnancy, and emotional issues.
    Keeping a family together takes work. It starts by putting God in the center of it, and teaching/leading your family in His ways.

    Tribes, Villages, Towns, Cities

    We see throughout history that people have formed communities. This way, they can be there to help each other and enjoy the company of each other. Some people prefer smaller towns, and others prefer large cities. We all have a need to be with others in some capacity.

    Emotional Hurt

    Whenever you have two or more people together, eventually someone will say or do something that will hurt the other person. It might be intentional or unintentional. That’s what usually breaks up marriages. A marriage usually starts with two people deeply in love, willing to commit themselves to each other for the rest of their lives. Over time, things will happen. People, by our nature, are selfish. We want our own way. When we don’t get it, we get upset. This can cause distrust, jealousy, anger, and pain. This is not just with marriages. Every relationship between two people (friendship, work, etc.) will have these pressures. How can we avoid them? If the relationship is already damaged, how can we fix it?

    Forgiveness

    Jesus loved us so much, He died on the cross, taking our sins on Himself, so that our sins could be forgiven. This made the way for our relationship with Him to be restored. At the same time, He expects us to be willing to forgive each other.

    Matthew 18:23-35 (NASB)

    23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.
    24 “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
    25 “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.
    26 “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.
    27 “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.
    28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, Pay back what you owe.
    29 “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, Have patience with me and I will repay you.
    30 “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.
    31 “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.
    32 “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
    33 Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?
    34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.
    35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

    What the first slave owed was more than he could have possibly earned in over 10,000 years! By comparison, his fellow slave owed him about five months wages. That is a lot of money, but compared to what he was just forgiven, it was nothing. Jesus was saying that it is the same way with us. God has forgiven us more than we can ever imagine. If we are unwilling to forgive someone else, even if it was an intentional, horrible offense, we are not worthy of Christ’s forgiveness.
    As Jesus taught us to pray:

    Luke 11:4 (NASB)

    4 And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation. “

    Just in case we had any doubts, Jesus laid it out clearly.

    Matthew 6:14-15 (NASB)

    14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
    15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

    The forgiveness of our own sins is contingent on our forgiveness of others. I have had people try to justify their own unforgiveness — what the other person did was “unforgivable”; what they did hurt me too much; why should I forgive them if they aren’t even sorry?

    Romans 5:8 (NASB)

    8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

    Jesus did not wait for us to make the first move. He died for us first, showing us what true love truly was.

    Communities

    Think about the communities we form:

    • Clubs (Rotary Club, golf club, sports club)
    • Bars
    • Social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.)
    • Churches

    Communities can be good or bad. They can either help reinforce good, godly ideals in us, or they can help us justify sinful, evil thoughts and intentions. Remember the definition of fellowship. Both people are sharing and receiving ideas. The people with whom we associate will definitely have an effect on us, and will probably dictate who we become. If you want to be a better person, hang out with better people, read better things, discuss better ideas.

    Community of God

    In the Old Testament, God chose a family of people — the Israelites — and made a nation out of them. Other people could join them, but they had to become part of that nation, agreeing to abide by the laws that God had established for them.
    When Jesus came, He died for everyone, not just the Jewish people. He gave His life for many, not the few. Everyone who comes to Him can find forgiveness of their sins (for more information, click here). You can then become part of the family and body of Christ — the church.

    Church

    The church actually refers to the people of God, not a particular building or religion. After Jesus was raised from the dead and people started believing in Him and following Him, look what the early believers were doing.

    Acts 2:46-47 (NASB)

    46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
    47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

    This was the natural outpouring of the incredible experience they all just had. When something good happens to you, you want to share it with others. That’s what they were doing. As time went on, the people who did not want to repent of their sins started to persecute them. Since they had already been meeting together and sharing with each other, they could now lean on each other and strengthen each other. People who try to stand alone have a much harder time.

    Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NASB)

    12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

    Meeting Together

    The early church people went through a lot of persecution, including being thrown in prison, having all of their possessions taken, and even being killed. Non-Christians might not hire them. They might not even sell them food or buy things from them. By meeting with other Christians, people in their community knew that they were Christians. To avoid persecution, some people stopped meeting together. The writer of Hebrews warned of the danger of that practice.

    Hebrews 10:23-25 (NASB)

    23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
    24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
    25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

    God intended for the church to be a place where people could encourage each other to live godly lives, even while being persecuted by others. This is also what marriages and families are supposed to be — places of encouragement.
    We see the same thing happening today. Many people have been hurt by what someone else said or did. They will let this experience leave them thinking that’s just the way that churches are. Unfortunately, that’s just the way that people are, not just people in church. As we saw above, this is why we need to freely and openly forgive each other, constantly. What else can we do?

    Serving

    Why do we have problems with other people? Because we all want our own way (even Christians).

    James 4:1 (NASB)

    1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

    How do we overcome this? By humbling ourselves like Jesus did and putting the interests of others before our own interests.

    Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

    3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
    4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

    If everyone did this, we would have no conflict in our churches. We would have no conflict at work. We would have no wars.
    The place to start, as always, is with ourselves. It’s been said that if you want a friend, be a friend.

    Luke 6:31 (NASB)

    31 “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

    This is what we call the golden rule. If we want to be treated nicely, treat others nicely, even if they don’t treat you the same.
    Notice, also, that Jesus here is assuming that we will be in a community, not shutting ourselves off from the rest of the world.

    God has called us to be a godly community, encouraging each other, putting our own interests last, and being an example to the rest of the world. Don’t let anything steal your joy and fellowship. The church, like a good marriage, is not perfect, but it is worth fighting for.

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar

  • Self-made Gospel

    Rube Goldberg machine

    Self-made Gospel

    It seems that many people today have their own ideas of the meaning of life, life after death, how to be joyful, and eternity. Movies have been made with the idea of people becoming angels after they die, or they get to go to their favorite place, or many, many other ideas. It’s something that we have all thought about. It’s unknown, so it’s scary. What waits for us after this life (if anything)? Is there a way for us to know the real meaning of life now, as well as what the future holds?

    Narrow Gate

    Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB)

    13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
    14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

    Jesus said in verse 13 that “the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” He then said, “the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” For some reason, there is a relatively small number of people who “find” the way that leads to life. This sounds like putting together a large puzzle. It takes work, and not everyone has the patience, but if you persevere, you will reach your goal.

    Jesus in the manger jigsaw puzzle

    False Prophets

    Matthew 7:15 (NASB)

    15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

    Jesus said that people would come who would look like sheep (His followers), but in reality they would be wolves. Wolves are not there to feed sheep; they are there to eat the sheep. As we just saw, we need to be entering through the “small gate” on the “narrow path.” Just because someone says they are from God does not mean that they really are. Even if they appear to perform miracles, that does not necessarily mean they are from God. In the book of Revelation, we see the false prophet making “fire come down out of heaven.”

    Revelation 13:11, 13 (NASB)

    11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.
    13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.

    Many

    In the gospel of Luke, Jesus warned His followers not to be misled. This implies that many people will be misled. He then said that many would come in His name, saying things that are outright lies.

    Luke 21:8 (NASB)

    8 And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them.

    There is only one God, and only one Jesus. No matter what someone else might say, they will never be God.

    False Christs

    Matthew 24:23-27 (NASB)

    23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’, or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him.
    24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
    25 “Behold, I have told you in advance.
    26 “So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness’, do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms’, do not believe them.
    27 “For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

    When Jesus Himself comes again (which He will), there won’t be any doubt. Jesus won’t come as someone hiding in some secluded area, forming a cult. He won’t be someone writing a book with a “new revelation.” He won’t even be someone with a large church, claiming to have a better, easier way.

    False Gospel

    Galatians 1:6-8 (NASB)

    6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
    7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
    8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

    Even in the apostle Paul’s day, there were people proclaiming a false gospel. Since the word gospel means, “good news”, Paul says that it’s not actually a different gospel. Any other message is not good news, it’s bad news. There can only be one correct answer for 2+2, and Jesus said that there is only one way to heaven.

    Only Way

    John 14:6 (NASB)

    6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

    Many people say that it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you believe in something. That’s not what Jesus said. He said that He was the only way to the Father. Self-made gospels won’t cut it.
    You might be on a road heading east, but you firmly believe, with all of your heart, that you are heading west. It won’t matter how sincere you are or how strongly you believe. It won’t matter how strong your “faith” is. You are still going the wrong way. The only way to head east would be to turn around and go the right direction.

    Approval of Men

    John 12:42-43 (NASB)

    42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;
    43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

    Imagine being in the presence of Jesus, seeing His miracles, hearing His words, and feeling His love, but you are more concerned about what other people would think of you. This still happens today – people on social media, wanting to be “influencers.” People only posting the good things in their lives, leaving out the rest. It seems many will do almost anything to be seen in a good light. No one wants to have others look down on them. At the end of the day, though, is that what’s most important?

    Profit

    Mark 8:36-38 (NASB)

    36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
    37 “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
    38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

    In the light of eternity, the few years we have on this earth are insignificant. At the same time, what we do now will determine how we spend the rest of eternity. There are people who have become kings, emperors, or conquerors. For a short time, they had it made. Everything they wanted, they could get. Eventually, all of them died. Even in this life, we see that rich and famous people aren’t always happy.

    Luke 12:15 (NASB)

    15 Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

    There’s an old saying: “Money can’t buy happiness.” All the money in the world can’t fill the hole in our souls that only Jesus can fill.

    Sheep and Goats

    Matthew 25:31-34, 41 (NASB)

    31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
    32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
    33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
    34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’
    41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;’

    Jesus goes on to describe how the sheep are those who followed Him and cared for others. The goats were those who cared for themselves, not caring about other people.
    We see that there will definitely be a day when we will all be judged. If we are following Jesus, He says that He will forgive our sins and bring us to heaven with Him. If we follow any other way, we will be separated from Jesus forever, and we will experience torture that was only designed for Satan, not us (verse 41 above).

    Jesus wants only the best for you, and so do we. Living a godly, Christian life brings joy today and eternal life tomorrow. To start this life now, click or tap here. You can also reach us by clicking/tapping here.

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar

  • Authority with Humility

    Jesus showing humility washing a disciple's feet

    Authority with Humility

    John 13:2-5 (NASB)

    2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,
    3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,
    4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.
    5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

    Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him. He also knew that He was the Son of God, Who had come from His Father and was returning to His Father. He also knew that these things were going to start that very night, so He only had a short time left with His disciples. He wanted them to understand what He had been teaching them for the last few years, so He gave them an object lesson.

    Foot Washing

    Foot washing in that day was very useful. They typically wore open sandals and walked on dry, dusty roads. These were also roads used by horses, donkeys, and other animals, so they were definitely not clean. Normally, foot washing was done by individuals themselves. If you were a guest in someone’s home, they would usually bring some water for you. If you were a highly honored guest in a wealthy person’s house, they would have one of their servants wash your feet. To wash someone else’s feet was not an honor. It actually showed how the other person was far more honorable. Why would Jesus do this?

    John 13:12-15 (NASB)

    12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
    13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
    14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another s feet.
    15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

    Jesus wanted us to see and follow His example.

    Deity

    John 1:1 (NASB)

    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    2 He was in the beginning with God.
    3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

    John tells us in his gospel that the Word (Jesus) was God, has always been God, and He always will be God. He also had an equal part in the creation of the universe. This shows us that He had all of the supernatural qualities of God, the Father—eternal life (having been with God from the beginning), omnipotence (He created everything in the universe), and omniscience (fully knowing the mind of the Father and the Holy Spirit).

    Humility

    Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB)

    5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
    6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
    7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
    8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

    Even though Jesus was equal with God the Father, He humbled and submitted Himself to His Father’s will. He “emptied Himself” so that He could become a man. When He became a man, He did not choose to become a rich or powerful man. He chose to be born as a baby into a poor family. He then grew up as a regular boy, then became a typical Jewish man.

    Ministry

    When He started His ministry, no one knew Him, because He had not gone to the “best” schools or grown up with “important” people. For His support, He depended on the contributions of others—some of which were women (yet another “embarrassing” thing). He had humble beginnings and a humble life.

    Death

    Being crucified was not just a shameful thing; in the Jewish law, it was a curse. Before He was crucified, He was whipped, mocked, spat upon, and beaten. A rich man gave Him his own tomb, because neither Jesus nor His family had enough money for one themselves.
    During the Last Supper, Jesus knew all of these things were about to happen, yet He still took the time to wash His disciples’ feet.

    Example

    John 13:12-15 (NASB)

    12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
    13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
    14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another s feet.
    15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.

    Jesus said that He gave us this example, so that we “also should do as I did to you.” How many times, though, do we do just the opposite? If someone does or says something that we don’t like, we get offended. We might even think or even say that we are just as important as they are. “We have rights, after all.“

    Service

    Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

    3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
    4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

    If we consider others as more important than ourselves, we won’t be worried about being offended or hurt. We will be focused on how we can help those around us.

    Lord, help us to know how we can help our brothers and sisters around us. Make us humble, as You were humble. Let us serve You by serving Your people.

    Give us the heart and mind of Christ.

    In Practice

    We might wonder how we can help others. What can we do?

    Matthew 25:34-40 (NASB)

    34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
    35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
    36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.
    37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
    38 And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
    39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?
    40 “The King will answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.

    There are people all around us who need help. Are we there for them? It can be uncomfortable and even inconvenient. It might cost us money, friends, family, or reputation. If we see Jesus, in His people, needing help, are we willing to take the risk?

    Elders

    In the early church, we see that there were pastors and elders in each church. They had the responsibility to look after the needs of the people and lead them in their Christian walk.

    1 Peter 5:1-3 (NASB)

    1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
    2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
    3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.

    Being in a position of leadership can be difficult. Many times, you have to make hard decisions, and if you make a mistake, others will be affected.
    At the same time, some want to be in a position so that they can have power or influence over people. Some even do this to make a lot of money. Peter was telling them that was not right. If we are putting others before ourselves, ungodly ideas won’t even cross our minds. We will simply want to do what is best for others. A leader should live what he teaches others. His or her life should say more than what their mouth says.

    Moses

    In the Old Testament, we see Moses who led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, defying the king of the most powerful nation in the world at that time. He then led the Israelites for forty years in the desert, while meeting with God personally in the tent of meeting on a regular basis. He had the ultimate authority over all of the people of Israel, with God backing him up, but he never lorded it over them. He remained humble, and allowed God to stand up for him.

    Numbers 12:3 (NASB)

    3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)

    Paul

    When Paul was a young man, he was very prideful. Before he met Jesus, he persecuted Christians. After he was saved, he submitted himself to the leadership in the church, and God gradually raised him up. He became one of the greatest apostles ever. God brought him up to heaven and showed him things that he was not even allowed to tell anyone else. He had authority over many churches, but he did not exercise it for his own purposes.

    1 Thessalonians 2:5-9 (NASB)

    5 For we never came with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed God is witness
    6 nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority.
    7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.
    8 Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.
    9 For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

    Paul and his travel companions would even work (Paul made tents) quite often, so that they did not have to depend on donations from the churches they were establishing.

    Husbands

    Ephesians 5:25 (NASB)

    Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

    If a husband is going to lead his house as Christ loved the church, he needs to be willing to sacrifice himself—his pride, his finances, his time—for the benefit of his wife and children.

    Daily Life

    Most of us are in some type of leadership, whether we realize it or not. You might be a parent, responsible for your children, or you might be a manager or boss, responsible for employees. You might be a friend to someone, not realizing that you are responsible for influencing them in a godly way, leading them to Jesus, and humbly serving them, putting their needs above your very own—just like Jesus did.

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar

  • Identity

    identity

    Identity

    Identity

    Who we are to other people, and who we are to ourselves, is what we call our identity. Too often, how people view us is not accurate. We could even say the same about ourselves.
    How do we become who we are? Mainly, through three ways:
    1. Genetics; who we are at birth
    2. Ourselves; what we choose to do and become
    3. Groups; with whom we associate and assimilate
    4. God; if we let Him, God can and will change our lives for the better.

    Genetics

    Jeremiah 1:5 (NASB)

    5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

    It’s true that just because God knows the future doesn’t mean He causes everything to happen. For example, He knows that people will do bad things, even though He doesn’t want them to.
    God knew Jeremiah before he was born, and he knew you before you were born. You are special to Him.

    Genesis 1:27 (NASB)

    27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

    Just like a parent’s children are special to them, we are special to God. He created the whole universe, but we are the only creation made in His own image — in the image of God Himself.
    God did not make a mistake when you were in your mother’s womb. He did not make a mistake when you were born. You are unique; there has never been anyone else exactly like you, and God loves you — the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly. So, why are so many people confused about who they are?

    The Liar

    John 8:44 (NASB)

    44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

    Jesus said that the devil, also called Satan, is not only a liar; he is the father of lies. The devil is pure evil, and he will say anything to harm us, because that is who he is.

    Greener Grass

    There is an old expression: “The grass is always greener on the other side.” It seems to be human nature to think that other people have it better than we do. In some ways, that could be true; In other ways, not so much. The Apostle Paul went through a lot of suffering and persecution. If anyone had a right to envy others, he did. He didn’t focus on that, though. He said that he found the secret of contentment.

    Contentment

    Philippians 4:11-13 (NASB)

    11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
    12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
    13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

    Paul was saying that he had times when he was prosperous, and there were times when he suffered need. There were times when he had plenty to eat, and times when he went hungry. He learned, though, how to be content in every circumstance. In verse 13, he said, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” That doesn’t mean that he can become Superman. It does mean that he can rejoice in who he is in Christ, knowing that Jesus will provide for him and never leave him alone.

    Part of the Body

    We might think that we have nothing to offer others around us, or that what they have or who they are is so much better than what we have or who we are. Paul said that was not the case; we are all important in the eyes of God.

    1 Corinthians 12:20-22 (NASB)

    20 But now there are many members, but one body.
    21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
    22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary;

    We might think that we have nothing to offer others around us, or that what they have or who they are is so much better than what we have or who we are. Paul said that was not the case; we are all important in the eyes of God.

    Our Part

    Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB)

    12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
    13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

    Jesus paid the price for our sins. We can’t earn our way to heaven. At the same time, God expects us to do our part. We need to trust Him that He knows what He is doing, and He is working for our own good.

    Romans 8:28 (NASB)

    28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

    Just like we saw with Paul, we need to learn how to trust God and be content with who we are and where we are. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t work to be better; of course we should. We just need to be content wherever we are, whether or not we “succeed.”

    Pride

    Pride can be a tricky thing. One minute, you think you are better than others. The next minute, you find out that you’re not, and your world is shattered. Jesus gave us the perfect example of humility.

    Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB)

    5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
    6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
    7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
    8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

    Jesus knew Who He was. He knew that He was God. At the same time, He knew that His place was to willingly submit Himself to His Father. Sometimes, that could be very hard.

    Matthew 14:35-36 (NASB)

    35 And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by.
    36 And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

    If we put the needs and desires of those around us above our own (as Jesus did), we will find that place of contentment, and won’t be looking to be someone or something else. We can find happiness in our place in Jesus.

    Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

    3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
    4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

    Groups

    1 Corinthians 15:33 (NASB)

    33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

    Have you ever seen how people who have been married for a long time start to look more like each other? Quite often, they can even finish each other’s sentences. We influence the people around us, and they influence us. It might be for the better or for the worse. Paul warned the Corinthians and the Ephesians about that.

    Ephesians 5:6-8 (NASB)

    6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
    7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
    8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light

    Another old saying is, “You are what you eat.” If the only people we associate with are bad, and the only things we hear are lies, we will start to believe them. We will probably also start to spread these same lies to others, because we now think that they are true.
    We see that the opinions of other people can be false, and even our own opinions can be false. So, how can we find out what is true? What is our true identity?

    What Does God Say?

    Philippians 3:20-21 (NASB)

    20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
    21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

    When we give our lives to Jesus, we are “born again.” Since I was born in the United States, I am a citizen of that country. When I was born again, I became a citizen of that eternal country. My citizenship is part of my identity.

    John 15:14-15 (NASB)

    14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.
    15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

    Jesus said that we are His friends, not His slaves, if we do what He commands us to do.

    Romans 8:14-15 (NASB)

    14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
    15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”

    If we are led by the Spirit of God, we have become sons (and daughters) of God. We are led by the Spirit of God by:
    • Coming to Jesus, turning away from our sins, and asking Him to forgive us.
    • Doing God’s will.
    • Spending time with God every day (in prayer and worship).

    Identity

    God created you and loves you. You are special to Him. Focus on Him and enjoy His presence, then you won’t get confused by this world. You will know who you are in Christ: a child of God, beloved by his or her Father!

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar

  • Abundant Life

    man facing clouds during golden time

    Abundant Life

    Life

    John 10:10 (NASB)

    “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

    An abundant life — that’s what we all want. Why does it seem so elusive? Jesus said that He came so that we could “have life, and have it abundantly.” So, why don’t we always feel that “abundant life?”

    The Thief

    In the scripture above (John 10:10), Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” The thief here ultimately refers to Satan. Satan was an angel who became so prideful that he actually challenged God.

    Isaiah 14:12-14 (NASB)

    12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!
    13 “But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.
    14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.

    We might think that was pretty dumb. How could any created person or thing be powerful enough to overthrow God? That is a perfect example of how pride can blind us to even the most obvious things. No one, no matter how powerful or intelligent they are, can even come close to approaching the infinite power and intelligence of God.
    Since God judged him, Satan now hates God. Because we were created in the image of God, Satan hates us, too. He wants to do everything he can to destroy us. If he can’t destroy us, he will try to make us miserable.

    Other People

    Many people think that having a lot of things will make them happy. Some people are even willing to take things from other people, because that seems easier to them.

    Proverbs 1:18-19 (NASB)

    18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives.
    19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors.

    Stealing actually destroys the life of the thief. They think they are getting ahead; they think they are creating an abundant life, but they aren’t. They are ruining their own lives, even if they have many things.

    Ourselves

    Luke 12:15 (NASB)

    Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

    We spend our lives going to school, work, or other places. We work jobs, so we can make money. Then, we spend the money to buy things. Do we own our possessions, or do they own us? If we are living to simply get more things, thinking that will make us happy, we are in for a rude awakening. Jesus said that even if you have a lot of things, they won’t bring you real life — something worth living for.

    Building

    Psalm 127 (NASB)

    1 <A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.>
    Unless the LORD builds the house,
    They labor in vain who build it;
    Unless the LORD guards the city,
    The watchman keeps awake in vain.
    2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
    To retire late,
    To eat the bread of painful labors;
    For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
    3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
    The fruit of the womb is a reward.
    4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
    So are the children of one’s youth.
    5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed
    When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

    Solomon was king of Israel, King David’s son. He was the richest and wisest person in the world. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (wives, but without the rights that full wives had). He had an army that could conquer any other army in the world. He used this to expand his kingdom more than anyone before him.
    Even with everything that he had in this life, he recognized that without God, none of it mattered. “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” (Psalm 127:1) Building a life, or things in a life, without God is useless. Even if you have short-term success, it won’t last.

    The Curse

    Adam and Eve had it made in the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, they gave in to temptation. Because of that, God cursed us work much harder in order to survive.

    Genesis 3:17-19 (NASB)

    17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat from it;
    Cursed is the ground because of you;
    In toil you will eat of it
    All the days of your life.
    18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
    And you will eat the plants of the field;
    19 By the sweat of your face
    You will eat bread,
    Till you return to the ground,
    Because from it you were taken;
    For you are dust,
    And to dust you shall return.”

    We know all too well that it takes hard work in order to “get ahead.” At the same time, we see in Psalm 127 (above) how God tells us that building anything on our own is not the way to go. He also tells us that children are blessings from God. We should enjoy our families and friends. People are eternal souls. As such, the people that we influence in a godly way are all that we can bring into heaven with us. Nothing else in this life is eternal.

    The Curse

    1 Corinthians 15:19-22 (NASB)

    19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
    20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
    21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.
    22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

    The Apostle Paul was another man who had a lot going for him when he was young. Then, he met Jesus, and he found a much better life. Even though he was put in prison, beaten, mocked, and probably lost his inheritance and family, he considered that it was worth it. Living for Jesus and telling others about this new life was far greater than anything this world had to offer.
    In verse 22 above, Paul references how Jesus saved us from the curse of Adam. Jesus paid the price and took our punishment on Himself. Yes, we still have to work, but we don’t have to live this life on our own, in our own strength.

    Peace

    John 14:26-27 (NASB)

    26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
    27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

    With all of the horrible things going on in the world, it’s almost impossible to have peace. Jesus said that He left us with peace. If we give Him all of our worries and cares, we can live in His peace.

    1 Peter 5:6-7 (NASB)

    6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
    7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

    The Bible tells us to give all of our anxiety to Jesus. What we consider major problems in our lives, is nothing for Him; He can handle them. He simply wants us to trust Him. We need to do our part, but after that, trust Him with the outcome.

    Abundant Life

    How can we live an abundant life? By living it in Jesus, with the help of the Holy Spirit — our Helper and Comforter.

    John 14:16-18 (NASB)

    16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
    17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
    18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

    This is the secret of life — living it with Jesus. Without Jesus, there is no real life. With Jesus, everything around us makes sense. What was a hard life becomes just what Jesus promised: an abundant life.

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar

  • Another Gospel

    Bible with gospel message

    Another Gospel

    False Gospel

    Galatians 1:6-9 (NASB)

    6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
    7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
    8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
    9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

    After his greeting to the Galatian churches, Paul tells the churches in Galatia the main reason that he wrote this letter to them. He heard that they were believing that the gospel message (God’s good news of salvation to all of us) that he had preached to them was wrong. The Galatians had some people come to them, telling them that Paul was wrong. Since then, most people have come to the conclusion that what Paul was preaching was not wrong. He was telling them the truth.

    Meaning of Life

    There are people who will spend their whole lives looking for the meaning of life, but never finding it. They will travel to far places, talk with people from other cultures, and read book after book, trying to find this elusive message. People will tell them that it is some deep, dark secret that only a few people know. Some people even say that there are many ways to heaven and peace in this life; we just need to be “sincere” and “good” (by their own definitions). There are many ideas of God. Who is right?
    Thankfully, God gave us His book, the Bible. That’s where we can find answers to all of these questions, if we are willing to read and do what it says.

    Old Testament Law

    In Paul’s day, there were some people who had come to the Galatian churches, saying that the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) needed to live like the Jews, including following all of the Old Testament laws. Paul told them that was wrong.

    Galatians 2:21 (NIV)

    I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!

    Just like the false teachers in Paul’s day, many people today say that as long as we live a “good” life, doing more good than bad, we can make it to heaven. In essence, they think they can earn their way to heaven. If that’s the case, why did Jesus have to die? Did God make a mistake? No, God never makes mistakes, and God cannot lie.

    Holy Spirit

    Galatians 3:1-2 (NASB)

    1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
    2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

    When Paul first told the people in Galatia about Jesus, they received the message and believed in Jesus through the Holy Spirit. They didn’t have to do any great works or pay any money. Jesus had already paid the price for their forgiveness when He was crucified on the cross.
    These false teachers were now telling the people that they might have started off by simply believing in Jesus, but now they have to do all of these other things in addition to that. Paul told them, in no uncertain terms, that was wrong.

    Galatians 3:3-4 (NASB)

    3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
    4 Did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain?

    True Gospel

    What, then, is the actual, true gospel?

    Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)

    9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
    10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

    Here, we see that there are two things required to be saved: confessing and believing. If we do these, we will be “saved.” Saved from what, though?

    Saved From

    Romans 3:23 (NASB)

    for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

    First, we see that no one ever has, or ever can, be good enough to be entitled to the glory of God.

    Revelation 20:14-15 (NASB)

    14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
    15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

    This is the punishment that awaits everyone whose name is not in the “book of life.”

    Saved To

    Revelation 21:1-4 (NASB)

    1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
    2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
    3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
    4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

    This is the future reward that God has prepared for everyone who is “saved.” We hear that expression, and as we have just covered, different people have different ideas about it. Let’s go back to Romans 10:9-10.

    Romans 10:9-10 (NASB)

    9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
    10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

    Confess

    Romans 10:9 says that we need to “confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord.” In the Greek, this word for “confess” means to agree with what someone else has said. It could also mean to “profess”, or make a statement of what you believe. In other words, this is not something that we should just keep to ourselves. If we believe in Jesus, we need to tell others about this. That way, they can find this same joy. Verse 10 even says that when we do this, the end result is our salvation.

    Believe

    We also need to “believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.” When we think of believing something, we think that it’s a matter of knowing and acknowledging that a particular fact is true. If that’s the case, that’s easy. If we research it, we find that there are many accounts, both in the Bible and outside of the Bible, that affirm the historical fact that Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead. In fact, even demons admit it.

    James 2:19 (NASB)

    You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

    The “believe” that Paul writes about in Romans 10:9 above is more than agreeing with the facts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It means that we put our trust in him — we “believe in Him” by saying that we are ready to give up our old ways of thinking and living, so that we can start thinking and living differently. This is what Jesus called the “abundant life.”

    John 10:10 (NASB)

    10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

    Gospel

    The word “gospel” means “good news.” The good news that Paul was preaching was not a list of rules and regulations. At the same time, it was not a matter of doing whatever you want and calling that “freedom in Christ.” God expects us to live godly lives, according to the examples we have in Jesus and the apostles. If we do that, we will live the gospel; we will live the good news. We will live the abundant life with Jesus, now and for all eternity!

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar

  • Seeing the Unseen

    unseen - mountain covered with clouds

    Seeing the Unseen

    Eternal

    2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NASB)

    17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
    18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

    Paul wrote these words while both he and his readers were suffering intense persecution. They had lost many of their friends, had their possessions stolen, were beaten, and even killed. He still refers to it as “momentary, light affliction” (2Cor.4:17). How is this possible?
    It’s like how we don’t see the stars during the day. They don’t go hide somewhere until nighttime, then suddenly pop out. The light from the sun is just so much brighter than the dim light from the stars. The stars are simply overshadowed.
    Paul was comparing their very real suffering to eternal glory, and he said that it was “beyond all comparison.” Compared to eternity, everything else in this life fades away.

    Earthly Tent

    2 Corinthians 5:1 (NASB)

    1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

    A tent is not a permanent structure. It keeps the rain off, and gives some privacy. It’s not very durable, though, and it provides very little protection (it’s not somewhere you want to be with a tornado coming).
    Paul is saying that our heavenly, glorified bodies are part of what can’t even be compared to what we have now.
    I am constantly amazed by the incredibly intricate, complex, wonderful creation that God has given each one of us with our bodies. At the same time, they can get sick, injured, have parts wear out, and eventually, fail.
    When we are young, our bodies are in pretty good shape, and it’s tempting to put all of our attention on our looks. We see that with many TV and movie actors. When they get old, they get one surgery after another, trying to keep this old tent looking like it used to. At some point, it just doesn’t work. God has an eternal solution.

    Heavenly Dwelling

    2 Corinthians 5:2-3 (NASB)

    2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
    3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.

    God has a much better plan for us. This earthly tent, this body, will pass away. Our souls and spirits will live on forever, though. God will create a new body for each one of us — one that is not burdened by sin the way this one is. The new body will be eternal; it will never decay. Since it won’t be tainted by sin, we will be able to be in the presence of God in a much greater way. That is an experience that we can’t really imagine.

    Groaning

    2 Corinthians 5:4 (NASB)

    4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

    Yes, we have all groaned in this body — usually because we pulled a muscle or got injured or maybe even the dreaded paper cut. Paul is talking about something much deeper. Our spirits groan within ourselves, because we long to be with our Creator. Most people don’t even realize it, but we all feel it. We might try to fill this longing with drugs, alcohol, ambition, or other things in this life. It can only be filled by being reconciled (brought back together) with God. Even then, we know that there is still more.

    Spiritual Down Payment

    2 Corinthians 5:5 (NASB)

    5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

    A pledge is something that we might give as a sign of “good faith”, showing that we intend to provide much more in the future. It’s like making a down payment on a house, then signing a mortgage saying that you promise to pay them a certain amount of money for the next 30 years.
    This “partial down payment” of the Holy Spirit is the same Holy Spirit Who raised Jesus from the dead. He also filled the disciples on the Day of Pentecost, when they started speaking in tongues. For the last 2,000 years, He has healed bodies, raised the dead, and been a constant comfort and loving teacher. And yet, there is much more to come.

    Absent From the Lord

    2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NASB)

    6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord —
    7 for we walk by faith, not by sight —
    8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

    The Greek word that is translated here “good courage” means to be confident, of good cheer, bold. Even though we are groaning in our spirits, longing to be fully reunited with the Lord, we can rejoice and have confidence that God is with us, helping us and loving us, day by day.
    Most people fear death. Paul was looking forward to being “absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” He was fully convinced of the existence of something that he could not see. He had seen too much and experienced too much to doubt. He couldn’t wait to be with Jesus in his glorified body, unshackled from this body of sin in which we all live.

    Philippians 1:6 (NASB)

    6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

    What God begins He will complete. He won’t stop until this good work He began in us is perfect.

    Faith

    Hebrews 11:1-3 (NASB)

    1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
    2 For by it the men of old gained approval.
    3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

    Faith is what we have when we don’t see something, but we still believe it. Notice how this says that this is how “the men of old gained approval” (verse 2). No one saw when the universe was created, but we believe that it was created (because it exists). I have never seen my great-great-great-grandfather, but I believe that he lived. This is simple logic; that’s easy. Sometimes, God calls us to believe things that are not logical.
    Having faith is seeing the unseen, believing in something that we can’t touch. If we are to live an overcoming, godly life, though, it is vital.

    Pleasing God

    Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)

    6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

    If we want to please God, we have to have faith; we have to believe Him; we have to see the unseen. Pleasing God requires us to “believe that He is” (even though we have never actually seen Him) “and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (even though that doesn’t always happen).
    There are certain people whom I know are good. If someone told me that they did some horrible thing, I probably wouldn’t believe them, because that has not been my experience with them. It’s the same way with God. I have walked with Him for many years, and I have seen Him do amazing things in my life and in the lives around me. Faith gets easier with practice and experience.
    God is always good, even when we don’t or can’t see it. His love is always with us, even when we don’t feel it.

    Seeing the Unseen

    We live our whole lives depending on our five senses. God wants us to go beyond that. He wants us to see the unseen and believe the unbelievable. When we do that, we will enter into a world that few people will ever experience on this earth.

    We will live in the supernatural.

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar

  • Unveiled

    Breathtaking view of a snow-covered mountain peak rising above clouds during a stunning pink sunrise.

    Unveiled

    The Veil

    2 Corinthians 3:12-14 (NASB)

    12 Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,
    13 and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.
    14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

    Paul was telling the Corinthians about the veil that existed over the minds of many Jews in his day. He referred to a veil that Moses used many years prior.

    Moses

    Exodus 34:33-35 (NASB)

    33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
    34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded,
    35 the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.

    When Moses would speak with the people, he would remove the veil, so that he could be understood clearly. After that, he would replace the veil. He was probably somewhat self-conscious, because his face glowed, after spending time meeting with God. Moses also removed the veil while speaking with God, out of respect and recognition that God sees and knows everything anyway.
    The Jews revered Moses, probably more than he deserved. In Hebrews, the writer is explaining how Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, because Jesus built the house, and Moses is simply a part of the house.

    Hebrews 3:3-6 (NASB)

    3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.
    4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
    5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;
    6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

    The Law

    Moses was definitely an incredibly faithful, humble servant of God. At the same time, he was just a servant. God used him to bring the “Law” to His people, the Jews. This included the Ten Commandments, along with many other laws. These laws were to show the Jews how to live, get along with each other, and how to worship God. They also showed how simply following the letter of the Law was not sufficient, as Paul writes in Romans 8:1-4.

    Romans 8:1-4 (NASB)

    1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
    2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
    3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
    4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

    Jesus came to bring us a better way — the way of the Spirit of Life. Unfortunately, the Jews of that day could not see how Jesus was the fulfillment of what Moses, the Law, and the prophets had predicted many years before this. Because they did not want to believe, they missed the point. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God had been planning and arranging people, kingdoms, places, and events, so that people could see His salvation. We can only see what we choose to see, though.

    The Veil of the Law

    2 Corinthians 3:14-16 (NASB)

    14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
    15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
    16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

    The “veil” that was blinding the Jews was the Old Testament Law, symbolized by Moses. Moses was a godly servant. The Law was good and holy. People had taken what were good things and made them stumbling blocks, so they could not see what was right in front of them. The only way to see clearly is to turn to the Lord (verse 16). I have experienced this in my own life, and I have seen it in the lives of many others.

    Educated Ignorance

    Being very intelligent and very educated is not always what we need. If someone is out in a wilderness with no one around to help, and they need to survive on their own, they need to know what plants are safe to eat. They need to know how to catch and cook fish and other animals. Their extensive training in electrical engineering might be great, but it won’t help them in this situation.

    Intelligent Believers

    1 Corinthians 1:26-30 (NASB)

    26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
    27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
    28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
    29 so that no man may boast before God.
    30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

    Salvation from sin and death is so simple that anyone can believe. At the same time, God is so wonderful that no one can comprehend all that He is and does.

    The Purpose of the Bible

    God wants a relationship with each one of us. When we exchange this relationship for learning and following rules, we miss the whole point. The Bible is God’s word. He has given this to us to lead us to Himself. When we use it to create patterns and formulas, only so that we can get what we want out of this life, we are being incredibly shortsighted. This would be like a couple who fall in love and get married. After they are married, one of them decides that they have this whole “marriage thing” figured out. They can go live their own life, doing whatever they want, and when they need or want something, they can come home and ask for it. If they don’t receive it, they will blame their spouse.

    Liberty

    The Old Testament Law was good, but people had turned it into a trap. They thought that by following certain rituals, they could get the blessings of God. It’s easy to do that same thing today. We might think that by simply doing certain things, such as volunteering or giving or memorizing scriptures, we can obtain the blessings of God. We can even be involved in “ministry” and lose perspective of the main purpose — Jesus.

    2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (NASB)

    16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
    17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
    18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

    We can have liberty — freedom — when we are “in the Spirit.” When we meet with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will find true freedom. When we make our Christian lives a list of dos and don’ts, we lose sight of Jesus.

    Remove the Veil

    This life, this world, and all the things in it, are a veil over our eyes. God is calling us to be “transformed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor.3:18). Married couples who have lived and loved each other for many years begin to sound and even look like each other. Lord, help us to have this relationship, this life, with You — now and forever!

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

    Contact Us
    How to be Saved
    Messages
    Church Calendar