To Be One!

"...That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." (John 17:21) Have you ever carried a sack full of groceries, and have the sack break, and all the groceries go everywhere. You would hope that when that happens, you are not standing in front of a whole group of people witnessing your mishap. Keeping things together is not always easy. It is the Lord Jesus' prayer that all that belong to Him, have a unity that is strong and lasting. Just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have a unity that is solid, so is it to be with us, as fellow Christians. I believe for the local church, to have unity, there must be humility. I have brought this out so many times in my sermons, that people are probably tired of hearing about it. When we constantly have an inward focus, this only leads to selfishness. But when we have a constant outward focus, than this leads to unity and stability, in the family of God. You can tell in the words of our Lord, in His prayer. He wants those who belong to Him, to have what He has, with the Father. He wants this unity to be seen, so that people in the world will believe, and come to Him to experience this blessed fellowship. The world needs to see that God sent a Savior. And that coming to Jesus, we can be saved from sin, and from our selfishness. We can live in peace, and enjoy the wonderful fellowship with the Father, and the Son, and with each other. There is nothing that is more fulfilling, than to be together with our Lord, and to feel the Love, that is so true and abundant. GP
Photo by hin255. Published on 06 October 2013 www.freedigitalphotos.net

Tomorrow We Will See The Son!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..." 
(1 Peter 1:3) "The sun'll come out tomorrow bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun!" This line from a song from the play "Annie" reminds us to have hope for tomorrow. As Christians, we truly have hope for tomorrow. As Peter brings out in our text, God has "begotten us again to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 1:3) The Son of God, died, was buried, but on the third day, He arose from the dead, and one day He is coming back to receive us, as His family, to take us home to be with Him for eternity.
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) It doesn't matter, what life dishes out to us, what trials we face in this life. The hope that we have in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, can never be taken away. We can get up each morning, and face the day, knowing that we are one day closer to meeting the Son of God, and being escorted home with Him forever (John 14:1-3) There is no reason to live in despair, when we have the greatest hope there is. Realizing what we have in the Lord, we can soar above the trouble and turmoil of this life. Physically we may be hurting. Our world may be crashing all around us. But in spite of it all, in the midst of it all, we can stand and face the Sun. We can bet our bottom dollar, tomorrow, we will see The Son! (GP)
Photo by Witthaya Phonsawat. Published on 15 May 2013 www.freedigitalphotos.net

Victory In The Vapor

"Whereas, you do not know what will happen tomorrow, For what is your life? It is evan a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." (James 4:14) 
A read a joke about a snowman that goes to the doctor, and the doctor informs him: "The groundhog tests came in, and I am sorry to inform you, that you only have six weeks to live." Putting humor aside, James tells us in our text, that our lives are short. Like a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. How many people in this short time, have placed their lives in the saving hands of Jesus Christ. With us as Christians, can life be just business as usual, when there are so many who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ? If the first word of the Great Commission is not an indication of the urgency of this matter, I don't know what is. In Matthew 28:19, the first word is "GO" not "wait" or "stay", but "GO"! The problem is that we, along with our society, live as if we have all the time in the world. But life has a way of turning on a dime. Just when we think that all is well, things can turn ugly, and even end. For us as Christians, this life is not the end, but for many the end will be tragic. We should know by now the basics of the salvation message. It is urgent that we witness for Jesus right now. Yes, how we live, and what we say, makes a huge difference, in influencing people to make the most important decision of their lives. As it is said:
"We are the only Bible that people will read." Let's make sure they read it today! GP

Concern In The Midst Of Conflict

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another." (Romans 12:10)
If there is one thing I am sure of in the 40 years in the pastoral ministry, is that the devil want us to be at odds with one another. If he can get us to be upset with one another, and be involved in a constant competition, and conflict, he is happy. He knows that when he accomplishes this, he hinders us from being the people God wants us to be, and accomplishing the work that God wants us to do. And its not in the dynamic ways that we attack each other, but it's in the little jabs of criticism, and the back-biting that in time erodes the unity we are to have. The Apostle Paul in our text, writes to the Christians at Rome and admonishes them to show "kindly affectionate to one another" It doesn't matter if you disagree on various matters, you should show that you love each other, in spite of your disagreements. Go out of your way to minister to one another, in spite of your differences. Just because we don't get our way, or people don't see things the way we do, does not give us cause to show a display of dislike, and even the extreme attitude of hate. Selfishness is so rampant in our society today, why does it have to crawl into the church and show it's ugly head? We are called to love one another, just as Christ loved us. (John 15:12) Where did we ever get the idea that this was an option? GP

THE PEARLS OF PROVERBS

THE PEARLS OF PROVERBS (Sermon One) 
*Helps By Warren W. Wiersbe 
What is a proverb? Webster’s New world dictionary defines a proverb as “A short traditional saying, expressing an obvious truth.” *Warren W. Wiersbe says that “A  proverb has been defined as “A short statement based on long experience.” In the Hebrew, the word “proverb” means “to be like” We see in Proverbs the contrasts and comparisons. The proverbs deal with the ethical and moral aspects of life. Solomon is the main author of The Proverbs. He received what he asked for:
(2 Chronicles 1:11-12)“great wisdom.” Most of the book was written by Solomon. Other writers as well ( Agur (30) Lemuel (31) “The men of Hezekiah” in (25:1) were the ones that edited the book to its present form in (700 B.C.) The First Pearls Of Proverbs:
THE IMPORTANCE OF WISDOM (Proverbs 1:1-6)
THE INSTRUCTION OF WISDOM (Proverbs 1:7-19)
THE INVITATION OF WISDOM (Proverbs 1:20-33) 

THE PEARLS OF PROVERBS (Sermon Two) 
*Helps By Warren W. Wiersbe 
Theme: Wisdom is not only a person to know, but it is also a path to walk. In chapter two today,
the word "Path" is used seven times. It suggests that life involves Direction, Decision, and Determination. I want us to look at what Solomon shares with his son (and Us) on how
wisdom has a positive affect on these three aspects of our life path.
DIRECTION (Proverbs 2:1-9)
DECISION (Proverbs 2:10-19)
DETERMINATION (Proverbs 2:20-22) 

*Helps from "With The Word, A Devotional Commentary By Warren W. Wiersbe. 
*Helps from "Be Skillfull" An Old Testament Study - Proverbs By Warren W. Wiersbe 

The Commandment Of Confrontation

But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord." (Jeremiah 1:7-8)
If you are in the role of leadership in your local church, do you have a fear, that you are not strong enough to lead?  Maybe it is the fear of dealing with difficult people. The fear of confrontation. I feel that fear. You know what the people need to hear concerning God's Word, and yet you worry about what the response will be. Jeremiah felt that fear. He felt that the people of Israel would not listen to him. But God commanded him to go to the people, and tell them what He wanted them to hear. He assured Jeremiah; "Don't be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you," says the Lord." (v.8) Are we trying to play it safe? Or are we being obedient to the Lord, and standing up for what we know to be the will of God, for the people we are leading. Yes, it is a matter of faith. Trusting that God will take care of you, even though what may happen after you share the truth, will not be good. But we have to believe the promise of the words of the Apostle Paul when he said: "And we know that all things work together for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I have heard that leaders are like the ships of old. They were made from the lumber of trees that stood the test of severe storms, and the environment. As leaders in our local churches, we are going to have to be made of tough material, because we will be called to take on some tough challenges, that lie ahead. GP

Starting Over

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14)
Is starting over a totally bad thing? The Apostle Paul didn't think so. In Philippians chapter three, he gives us a glimpse of his past life, and says that "what things were gain to me, these things I counted loss for Christ." (v.7) When Paul became a Christian, starting over, and beginning a new life with Jesus Christ, was the best thing that happened to him. When it comes down to things not working out in our lives. The loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, the loss of a friendship, the loss of security. Whatever the negative circumstance might be, If you have Jesus Christ in your life, you will never be a loser. Even if your world crashes all around you, you will still have the best friend you could ever have, right by your side. No matter what, (Paul knew) and we can know, that the worst things can happen to us, and we will still be standing firm, because we have embraced the one who holds our future in His hands. Jesus will help us to start over, and accomplish those things that are under the umbrella of His will. I have seen this happen, over and over, that in His time, the Lord sends the right people, and opens the right doors, for things to begin again. Yes, starting over, is not as bad as we think! GP

God's Treasure, & Our Obedience

"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine." (Exodus 19:5) When the children of Israel came to the foot of Mount Sinai, they were reminded of what God had done for them in Egypt. How He had delivered them. "He bore them on eagle wings, and brought them to Himself."And now they are to enter a covenant agreement with Him. And the terms of this covenant agreement calls for the same response that is necessary for us in regards to the new covenant  in Christ Jesus. Two responses are required: Faith and Obedience. As the hymn we sing: "Trust And Obey" for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." If we will obey the voice of God. (that is our obedience to His Word) and trust in His promises, we will maintain that special relationship with Him, as being a special treasure. It is evident as we read our text, that God loves us, and wants us to belong to Him, to be that special treasure, that He chose before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4) But the question comes: How much do we love God? How much do we desire to submit to His love, and authority? To belong to someone, and to be their special treasure, is such a wonderful gift. Let's not break God's heart, by breaking our covenant with Him, and failing to have an everlasting relationship with Him. GP

Wherever We Go, There We Are, For Jesus!

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16) I have heard these words a lot lately: "Wherever you go, there you are." And as Christians, wherever we go, do we take Jesus with us? Does it show that Jesus is Lord of our lives? Letting the light of Christ show in us, and through us, is the goal of the Christian endeavor. How are people to know the Savior, if they don't see Him in us. This involves, what we say, what we do, how we treat people, how we go about life, especially in the times of trial. As it has been said, many times; "We are the only Bible some people will read!" And what they are reading concerning us, is it accurate and sincere? So many are walking in the darkness of sin and despair. Life has left them severely disappointed and devastated. They need to see the light of Jesus shining upon their path.
If we are the ones who come upon their path, may we shine brightly for Jesus. May the saving arms that He extends to these people without hope, be extended through us.
We are the only Bible
The careless world will need,
We are the sinner's gospel,
We are the scoffer's creed,
We are the Lord's last message,
Given in deed and word.
What if the type is crooked?
What if the print is blurred?
(Annie Johnson Flint) GP

Dealing With Our Differences!

"Therefore my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." (James 1:19) We are all of different personalities. How we relate to each other in our agreements is unique, as well as how we respond to each other in our differences. Some are more emotional than others. The attitude that just because someone disagrees with you, doesn't mean they dislike you, or hate you, and want nothing more to do with you. That is very extreme. And yet, that's the feeling, so much of the time. James has some very good advice in our text. We are to be swift to hear. We need to make sure that we understand what the other person is saying. We need to make sure that there are no mis-understandings. We must be slow to speak. So many times, people have put there foot in their mouths, and said things they really didn't mean. And thirdly, we need to be slow to anger. When emotions are stirred, it is easy to come to a boiling point quickly. Anger is an emotion, and one that needs to be controlled. Disagreements will come. But we must meet those disagreements with love. When we have the other person/or party's, best interest at heart, it will make a big difference in reconciling our differences, and maintaining that unity our Lord Jesus wants us to have. GP

A Second Chance Concerning Sin

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) A new year always presents opportunities to improve our lives. To lose weight, to be more organized, to quit a bad habit, to treat others better, to get more rest, to try and relieve the stress that has been weighing heavily upon us. The list goes on and on, of improvements we could make in the new year. A new year is a time of the second chance. But what about the challenge of our sins. All of us have said, and done things that were contrary to the Word of God. We have repeated sinful thoughts and actions, and vowed that we would never do them again, but we failed. I believe the key to breaking the chains of a sinful activity, is to do what John tells us to do in this verse. We must "Confess our sins" to the Lord. We need to openly, and constantly communicate with the Lord Jesus, what we are dealing with in regards to our sin. He promises "to forgive us from (not just some) but all of our unrighteousness." Constantly bringing our sin behavior to Jesus, will help to squash it, and will help us to be delivered from it. Remember, He is our Savior. Not just from past sins, but the sins we are dealing with today. Let's surrender our lives completely to Him, and be made completely whole, not just for 2015, but forever. GP

Passion Or Principle?

"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16) Lately this has been a problem for me. I have let my emotions rule my actions. I have had the Holy Spirit really speak to my heart through the Word of God, and reveal to me, that what I was doing was wrong. No one should act upon their feelings, that is not backed by the principles of God's Word. In the midst of stress, and frustration, it is easy to be compulsive, and say and do things that lead to a path of negative results. Why do we have God's Word, if we are not going follow it's direction in our lives? After I realized what I was doing, I felt very ashamed as a Christian, and as a pastor, who each week shares how important it is to follow the principles of God's Word.
"Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2) How do we renew our minds? By applying God's Word to every situation in our lives. By following our own thoughts and passions, we fail to walk according to the Holy Spirit. Instead we choose to walk according to the flesh! GP

FACING OUR FEARS IN 2015

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7) How many of us are dreading 2015? Instead of facing the new year head on, we feel like sticking our head in the sand. I am one that fear has had a crippling affect on. I am a constant worrier. And why should I worry, when I am constantly in God's hands? The Apostle Paul told (his son in the faith) Timothy, that God did not give us a spirit of fear? There is no reason to feel it, or to embrace it, because of all that God is to us, and all that He promises to do for us. By placing our whole lives in God's hands, we can have power to face each challenge that comes our way. To be loved by God, and to love like God, is a path to security and fulfilment. And to have His wisdom, will help us to have a good head on our shoulders. To be able to make right decisions that will affect our future. Apart from God, we have every right to fear. But with Him, we have every right to feel confident in every situation. The choice is ours. As we face 2015, let's place our hand in God's hand, and walk faithfully and confidently through each day. As the Apostle Paul said: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)  

Being Thankful For The Grace Of God

"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)
When we come to realize the depth of our sin debt, we come to realize how wonderful the grace of God is. Because of His grace, we can be justifified through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior.
To be justified is to have our sin debt canceled in full. God does not hold us responsible for it any longer. Oh what peace comes when we realize what God has done for us. He could punish us for our sins, but instead He forgives our debt. What a precious gift this is. But along with this, we (by our faith), can stand in God's grace everyday of our lives. We can stand in His favor upon our lives, when we trust Him for victory in every battle we fight, in this life. His love, His strength, His insight is ours everyday we live, if we trust Him for it.  Does it get any better than this? It causes us to rejoice and give thanks, for this hope that we have. We have the hope of the glory of God. Because of His grace we can look forward to that day when the temptations and trials of this life are long gone, and we will live in peace for eternity. Of all the things that we have to be thankful for, I believe that God's grace is the most important. Becuase, not only for everyday, but for eternity, what would we do without it?

Holding Fast To The Confession Of Our Hope!

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling 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 10:23-25) 
I truly believe that Satan is counting on us as leaders in the church to be in disagreement, and become apathetic, in regard to what we believe and practice. When we become divisive concerning Christian doctrine, it isn't long and we are on the path to death, concerning our Christian fellowship. Our fellowship (or) as the Greek word "koinonos" brings out, means "partnership" We are to be on the same page concerning our Christian doctrine. If we are not, the enemy will definitely get a foothold, and create division in our Christian community. It is so important that we as leaders partner together on what Ephesians 4:1-4 says:
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body (The Church) and one Spirit (The Holy Spirit) just as you were called in one hope (The Resurrection of Jesus Christ) of your calling (To share the good news concerning Jesus Christ) one Lord (Jesus Christ) one faith (Trusting in Jesus Christ, as Savior and Lord) one baptism (Water baptism by immersion, for salvation and the receiving of the gift of the Holy Spirit) one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
I know as I write this, you may not interpret this the same way as I do. To you I say, please partner with those who do agree with you. There needs to be mutual love and respect, not division, as our enemy Satan desires of us. For us as leaders in (The Christian Churches and churches of Christ) we must "hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering" (Hebrews 10:23) How can we expect the members of our churches to "hold fast the confession of our hope",
if we don't? GP