What Is Important To You?

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." 
(Matthew 6:24) 

What are the priority things in your life?

If you could have people make a list of the things that they place as importance in their lives, you might be able to pick several from the list that are very important to you.  It is quite evident that the Lord is not a priority in people's lives today. He would be way down on a list, or not even on a list at all.

As a society that is selfish and sinful, that is not a surprising reality. God wants us to live righteous lives, as He is righteous and holy, but for many that is not a goal they choose to pursue. And that is why our nation, as well as our world, is sick, and in turmoil today. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot chase the world, and profess that you love the Lord, and are devoted to Him.
The hypocrisy becomes too evident.

Too many, money is the god of their world. But it does not provide the peace and satisfaction that the God of this universe can provide. So, yes, we have a choice to make. Do you really want to live with second best all of your life? (or) embrace the best that God has to offer, and really live? GP

Photo by Stuart Miles. Published on 15 September 2014 Stock photo - Image ID: 100288086
www.freedigitalphotos.net

How Great Thou Art

"O Lord My God, When I in Awesome wonder Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made, 
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power thro'-out the universe displayed. Then sings my song, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art. Then sings my song, my Savior God to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art! (Stuart K Hine) 

I remember when my grandfather was very sick, he would hum this song,
as he lay in bed, in the late night hours. It was one of his favorite hymns.

How great is our God! When we look at nature, and see not chaos, but complete order and purpose. When the herbs and the various foods from nature are designed for our health and well being. The miracle of birth, and the miracle of the sun being exactly in the right position to support life on this planet. On and on, we could go, listing the wonderful miraculous works of God.

But the question comes, how much respect does God get, when He knows what is best for us, yet we continue to do those things that are contrary to His will for our lives. The reason that America is to be "One Nation Under God" 
is that God is the only one who has the right direction for America.
He knows the right path we should go.

This song: "How Great Thou Art" is a song that should cause us to have a humble heart. To recognize His amazing ability and power, and submit to His loving guidance, and care. GP

 Photo - Gil-Dekel/78 images - CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use - No attribution required www.pixabay.com

Hold On To The Rope

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:1-5) 

I remember growing up on the farm, we had some very thick, long, and tough ropes in our hay'mow. If you grabbed on to one of these ropes, they would hold you, and keep you from falling from a high place.

I look at our Lord Jesus Christ, as being like one of those ropes. In times of temptation and trial, we can hold on to Him, and He will keep us from falling. His Word will tell us what to do, and His presence will assure us that we have done the right things according to His Word. We will feel His peace in our hearts.

When all else fails, we can hope in the Lord. In so doing, it will help us to develop perseverance, and in perseverance, character, and proven character, hope, which does not disappoint, because the fiber of the rope (Jesus Christ) is His love, which is poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit! GP

Photo - kp98/13 images - CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use - No attribution required.
www.pixabay.com

Developing Faith

"On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." (Mark 4:35) 

From today's Our Daily Bread devotion (5/24/2016) comes this story: "A comfortable plane ride was about to get bumpy. The voice of the captain interrupted in-flight beverage service and asked passengers to make sure their seat-belts were fastened. Soon the plane began to roll and pitch like a ship on a wind-whipped ocean . While the rest of the passengers were doing their best to deal with the turbulence, a little girl sat through it all reading her book. After the plane landed, she was asked why she had been able to be so calm. She responded, "My daddy is the pilot and he's taking me home." (ODB 5/24/2016 Radio Bible Class)

 In time of turbulence in our lives, do we have this kind of faith? I know myself, I am a worrier, and I do get discouraged easy, and stay discouraged for a long period of time. It seems that to develop a child-like faith, is a very difficult thing to do. To have that feeling of dependence, that I had when I was a small child, would be so wonderful to have today.

 The key is having Jesus in our boat, when we (like the disciples) face those raging storms in our lives. Without Him in my life, I couldn't get through this life. Even though it is tough for me to have faith, He helps me to have it, when I stay in His Word, and spend a lot of time in prayer.

The line of the songs that says, "Don't worry, be happy!" With Jesus, we can! GP

 Photo - Pezibear/5126 images - CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use -No attribution required. www.pixabay.com

Baptism: An Essential Step To Salvation

I don’t know of a passage of Scripture that explains the purpose of baptism better than Romans 6:1-11. It should never be our intention to take advantage of the grace of God, by using it as a license to sin even more. We should be thankful that God’s grace exists for sinners like us. (Romans 3:23)

The Apostle Paul recognizes the purpose of baptism, as the climactic spiritual response of our faith. Baptism places us “In Christ”, and our response of faith is to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Yes, we must call upon the name of the Lord, to be saved (Joel 2:32)
Yes, we must repent of our sins (Acts 2:38) Yes, we must confess Jesus publicly before men (Matthew 10:32) But at baptism, we bury the old sinful man/woman that we crucified, as Paul did (Galatians 2:20)

In the watery grave of baptism, we display the old sinful nature being buried with Christ, once and for all. But the heart of the good news of the Gospel is that: “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so, we also should walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4b)

We rise just as Jesus did, from our spiritual death, to walk in spiritual life.
Is this essential for salvation? Indeed it is! Where else does this happen, except at baptism? Read also, Matthew 3:13-17, Colossians 2:11-14 (GP)

 Photo ID 29812152 © Michael De Nysschen | Dreamstime.com

Is Church Attendance Declining?

"A recent Barna Survey said church attendance has been declining nationwide over the past 10 years. The March 25, 2014, report states regular church attendance has declined from 43 percent in 2004 to 36 percent in 2014. Regular attendance means people who said they attend their church every four to six weeks. Recent statistics in Fairfield (California) show in a population of 110,000 people, only 8,000 attend church on a given Sunday. This is less than 10 percent of the population. (dailyrepublic.com/9/27/2015)

While it is not to be about the numbers, to indicate the level of a church's spiritual growth; numbers do give us a picture of the interest that people have in church involvement.

The Hebrew writer encourages us today to: "Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day Approaching." (Hebrews 10:25) 

God wants His people to come together to worship Him, and to allow Him to strengthen them, as they fellowship together. God encourages people through His people. It's not: what can I get out of attending worship service, but it should always be: What can I give of myself, to show that I love God, and that I love my church family.

Let's get rid of the selfishness, and give of ourselves, to help the church fulfill God's purpose for it, in our day and time. GP

 Photo - PublicDomainPictures/18043 images - CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use - No atteibution required.

The Church Board Meeting

"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood." (Acts 20:28) 

What happens at church board meetings?

 In the 41 years I have been in the pastoral ministry, I figured that I have (on the average) attended 600 church board meetings.
Some have been very productive, and some very disturbing.

Too often what board members focus on during church board meetings, is the up-keep, and maintenance of the church building, along with other small issues. I am not saying that these things should not be brought to the table.
But I feel that the Apostle Paul in our text, gives us what should be the priority matter at church board meetings.

We are to concern ourselves with the flock of God. To answer these questions: How are we as a church doing spiritually? How can we do a better job as elders and deacons, along with the pastor, to minister to the needs of the congregation? Are their certain members of the congregation, who are struggling, and need our attention?  After all that is the responsibility that the Lord gave us as spiritual leaders.

As Paul said, Jesus bought the church with His own blood. With this understanding, how can we as spiritual leaders, put aside the work of caring for the Lord's church, by always focusing on the miner matters at hand? GP

 Photo - Das/Worgenwand/170 images - CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use - No attribution required. www.pixabay.com

Who Are We?

"And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27)

WASHINGTON — New federal rules on school bathrooms are designed to protect transgender students from bullying, President Obama said Monday. "Anybody who has been in school, in high school, who has been a parent should realize that kids who are sometimes in the minority — kids who have a different sexual orientation or are transgender — are subject to a lot of bullying, potentially," Obama told the web site Buzzfeed Monday. It was his first public comment on the issue since the Department of Education announced the new guidelines last Friday. (Gregory Korte USA TODAY) 

After reading this, I asked myself this question: As a society, do we really know who we are? From the time we are born, we know what gender we are. To redefine our feelings about it, or to go to extreme measures to change it, is going against the will of God for us, as individuals, and for us as a society.
And as far as our young people, we as parents need to help our children to be proud of how God created them, and direct them in realizing what God's purpose is for their lives.

As our text says, we are created in the image of God. We are either male or female, and we are to follow through with His will for our lives. Not just in this, but in everything, it seems that we are making it more about ourselves, than about what God wants for us. And God wants us to be true to Him, ourselves, and to others.

I know there may be a lot of disagreement with what I am writing today.
But I believe someday, we will have to answer to God, for not being true to His plan for our lives. GP

Photo by stockimages. Published on 11 February 2016 Stock photo - Image ID: 100394748
www.freedigitalphotos.com

God's Timing

"For still the vision awaits its appointed time; 
it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay." (Habakkuk 2:3)

 Do you get weary of waiting for God to respond to your situations? Why doesn't He act quickly to deliver us, or to give us an answer to our problems?

In our text, the prophet Habakkuk said that he would watch and wait for the Lord, to speak to him. It was a time of judgment for the people of Judah by the nation of Babylon. A vision was to be given to Habakkuk to write down on tablets of clay, so that the message of God's future judgment on Babylon, and deliverance of Israel would be known.
In v.3 The Lord says that the vision is for an appointed time. "Though It tarries, wait for it" (v.3c) 

God's time is not our time. The events to take place in the future for the world, and for our lives, are completely in God's hands. Several times in Scripture we are called to "Wait for the Lord." While we wait for the Lord's revelation to us, or His deliverance, we are to continue to fellowship with the Lord, and stay busy serving Him, to the best of our ability. If we expect God to be faithful, we must understand, that He wants us to be faithful as well.

In verse 4, we find a very familiar statement, that is seen in other places in Scripture: "But the righteous will live by faith" (v.4b) We need to take comfort in the fact, that in our time of trial, God is working out His plan for our lives. We need to be patient, and wait in faith, for His revelation to us, of His perfect will for our lives. GP

 Photo - geralt/11177 images CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use. No attribution required.
www.pixabay.com

Criticism & Character

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29) 

"Because self-reflection is something we as a country do not practice particularly well. Playing the blame-game is rather simple; coming to terms with one's own shortcomings and weaknesses in contrast is frowned upon. I of course am no expert on this answer but I think Political Leaders in our country are in love with the power they yield. Therefore, accepting their shortcomings and weaknesses, they fear might lead to them loosing grip over this power that they yield, rendering them invalid in the political scene of our country. Hence, they resort to name-calling and downplay the merits of their contemporaries, telling the people out there that their contemporaries are far worse than them.            
(Soham Banerjee - Quora.com) 

 GP-What a difference it would make if the talk that comes out of our mouths, would be totally for building people up, instead of tearing people down.
It is a reflection of bad character when we constantly exhibit severe negative criticism.

No one is better than anybody else. If we have disagreements, let's keep it focused on the issues, instead of each other. But we can't do that can we?
We could, if we would determine to be the people that God has called us to be.

I believe we can be better than we are. We can show the character of Christ, instead of with our words, slinging barnyard rhetoric! GP

 Photo - geralt/11160 images CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use - No attribution required.

The Word "Help!"

"My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:2)

 Is the word "help" an intimidating word for some people? Is it for you?

 There are some people who are so self-sufficient, they don't feel they need any help from anyone. Even when people becomes so buried in the alcohol and drug scene, and get out of control, they still will not seek the help they need, to overcome their addictions. They say: "I don't need anyone, and I especially don't need any help from God!" That sounds very bitter to me.

 You don't need to be addicted to drugs or alcohol, to be so self-sufficient that you don't need any help from the Lord. The way that a lot of people handle trials, is hard to watch, but yet, they will not reach out to the Lord for strength and deliverance.

And when it comes to our sin problem, we feel that we are just as good as the next person. We do our good deeds, and as long as we don't hurt anyone, we're going to be fine. God should be alright with us. The Bible is clear in Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
We cannot save ourselves, we need a Savior, we need a deliverer.

The Psalmist is right. We need help from the Lord. It's time we take Him up on it. Today, and everyday, and especially for eternity! GP

 Photo by Stuart Miles. Published on 19 December 2014 Stock photo - Image ID: 100302388
www.freedigitalphotos.net

Who Loves You?

"My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory." (James 2:1)

 Is there partiality in your family? Are there people in your family who are treated better, more favorable than others? To go a step further, do you feel that you are not treated as well as other members of your family?

In Acts 10:34-35 Peter said this: "So Peter opened his mouth and said: 
“Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." 

To God everyone is important, everyone has value to Him. What He wants is for us to fear Him (respect Him) and do what is right, in His sight. Everyone in the family of God is loved by God. That said, how does He want us to treat each other in our families, and in the church?
He wants us to love, and value everyone the same.
So why doesn't that happen? Good question.

I believe it is a need that must be realized, and effort put in, to satisfy that need. In another words, partiality can easily come about, if we don't work, to root it out. Applying God's Word to our relationships will definitely help to keep partiality at bay.

Take time to be with each member of your family. Equally encourage them, and be there for them, every opportunity that comes your way.
This is how, families are made strong, and enduring. GP

 Photo - Unsplash/8156 Images CCO Public Domain. Free For Commercial Use, No Attribution Required. www.pixabay.com

Do You Know Jesus?

"He found first his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah (which translated means Christ) (John 1:41) 

It is a hard thing to bring people to Christ?

I believe that when we look at how Andrew brought Jesus to his brother Peter, it's not as hard as we think. When we think of who Jesus is, and what He can do for the people we know, who are walking without hope in their lives, it should motivate us to ask the question: "Do you know Jesus Christ?"" Would you like to have a personal relationship with Him?" And then try to answer the questions that will follow, about why they should surrender their lives to Him.

We don't have to have all the answers, but one answer we should always have. We surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, because "...there is salvation in no one else (*but Jesus Christ) for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) 

We must be saved from our sin, from ourselves, from our guilt, and from our fear. And a life surrendered, and grounded in Jesus Christ, will do just that.

 As the song says well: "People Need the Lord" And we need to bring to those we know (who are walking without the Lord) an invitation to get to know Him, and receive Him as Savior and Lord of their lives. We need to do it as soon as we can, before time runs out, and it's too late! GP

* Added by Gary Patterson
Photo - DjRaneillli/1 Image CC0 Public Domain Free for commercial use No attribution required www.Pixabay.com

Our Church Family

 "I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." (Psalm 122:1) 

We come to church to worship the Lord, that is paramount. But it is a great feeling, and should always be a great feeling. to get together with your church family.

To say as Bill Gaither writes: "I'm so glad I'm a part of the Family of God, I've been washed in the fountain, cleansed by His blood! Joint heirs with Jesus as we travel this sod, For I'm part of the family, The Family of God."

 I owe a great debt to my home church. They helped me as a child to know the Lord, they ordained me to the work of pastoral ministry. They visited me, at some of the churches I served. They prayed for me, when my family and I went through some challenging times. At different times, they gave gifts of money to support us.

Your church family is a vital support group for you, when you are in need. both spiritually, and physically. I have heard people say, that when they miss a church service, or Bible School on Sunday morning, that their week, just doesn't seem right. There is something missing.

The more that go and join with fellow Christians, to worship, to study, to pray, and serve the Lord, the tighter that bond of love becomes. You realize that your relationship with your church family is something that you can, and should not, live without! GP

 Photo ID 25967878 © Americanspirit | Dreamstime.com

A Lifetime Of Saying "Yes" To Jesus

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)

 As a Christians, how committed are we to Jesus Christ? Where are we in your relationship with Him? What was going through our minds when we surrendered our lives to our Savior?

I am sure that at that moment we felt that we would always be 100% committed to the Lord. And then things happened. Over a period of time, we became distracted with the affairs of the world. We became so preoccupied with certain pursuits in our lives, that the Lord became less of a priority. What we promised to be, and to do, just went by the wayside.

Good intentions? Yes, but not a feeling of fulfillment. Because in this process of time, we never felt that feeling of total satisfaction and contentment. We felt that void in our hearts, that only the Savior could fill.

The Apostle Paul was totally sold out to the Lord Jesus Christ. He went all the way for the Lord, and never hesitated, or became pre-occupied with other things. He kept the faith, and he fought the good fight to the very end. (2 Timothy 4:7) It was a lifetime of saying "Yes" to whatever the Lord wanted with him, and his life.

As Christians, shouldn't we say "Yes" to Jesus, everyday of our lives?
"What He says we will do; Where He sends, we will go, Never fear, only trust and obey." GP

 Photo - geralt/11101 Images CCO Public Domain Free for commercial use. No attribution required. www.pixabay.com

Committing To Our Words

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." (Proverbs 18:21)

 James says in his letter that "...the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles." (James 3:5) 

In the church, we are to be an example of the right way to use our words. Our words are to be of encouragement when needed, correction when needed, criticism when needed. And all of our words are to be seasoned heavily with love.

But the damage the tongue can do, is no small thing. I have always said that this saying is a lie. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  I haven't researched who first wrote those words. If you know, please email me, and let me know. But the truth of the matter is, that words can, and do hurt, even for a lifetime.

What is important, when it comes to our words, is that we make a commitment that whatever we say, it is going to be for betterment of the person we are communicating with. We determine to use our words to be a healing balm for those who are listening.

Yes, the tongue is a powerful organ of our physical body. It has the power to destroy, or to save. Just in the words we say, we have a powerful affect over others. And yes, our words will come back and cause us to eats its fruits.

Let's do what the Apostle Paul encouraged us to do, and that is to "Speak the truth in love." (Ephesians 4:15) GP

 Photo by Feelart. Published on 26 April 2013 Stock photo - Image ID: 100162179 www.freedigitalphotos.net

How To Impact Our Culture?

"So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking of bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart." (Acts 2:46) 

These precious families of the early church demonstrated a lifestyle that was godly and sincere. Up against the traditions of the Jewish religion, and the immoral environment of the Roman empire, they displayed a lifestyle that was a strong witness to the society of their day.

How we as the church today, are to follow their example. I am so fasinated with the early Christians, with their steadfastness and sincerity. Daily they were seen in the temple, worshipping God, and enjoying a wonderful fellowship with one another, as they observed the Lord's Supper, and ate their meals together. While the inner circle of the Roman empire was slowly deteriorating, the Church (In spite of persecution) was growing, and thriving.

How can we impact our culture today? By being committed to our worship of the Lord, and being committed to ministering to those in need around us.
We can make a difference for Jesus Christ, if only we will determine to do so! GP

 Photo - geralt/11101 images CCO Public Domain Free for commercieal use.
No attribution required www.pixabay.com