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There Is No Safer Place...

9/28/2017

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1So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. 2You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. 4Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. 5But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead. 6That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead —so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit. 7The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. (1 Peter 4:1-9 NLT)
 
When I read these words I think of the old hymn, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” The lyrics of that hymn are so simple, so powerful, and so true. “The cross before me; The world behind me,” we sing. We raise our hands and continue, “Tho none go with me, I still will follow.”  – but are we truly aware of what we are saying? Who – or what must I leave behind? Why can’t I have all of it – the hellish world and the promise of Heaven? Why is God so unfair? Peter’s words of 2,000 years ago ring so true today; and as I read them I cannot help but think about young people who are confronted with such a choice. Our world enthralls and addicts people to its never-ending conveyor belt of temptation and satisfaction as we lustfully pursue the desires of our will at the neglect of God’s. We read the words of Peter and sing the lyrics of the old hymn and think to ourselves, “who would want that?”  “I am not willing to give up my self-satisfying lifestyle, my parties, my lust, and my gluttonous ways.” And so it is… As the world continues to evolve – we as a species continue to devolve – morally, ethically, spiritually – we are decaying from the inside out. We are fighting and drinking and playing and, well, living our way to Hell with huge, self-satisfied and entirely fake smiles on our faces and gigantic, God-shaped holes in our hearts. Please know as God’s creation that you do not have to live this way! There is salvation from the decay and the promise of eternal life in heaven. I urge you, brothers and sisters, LOOK UP and to THE CROSS! Be made Holy by the saving grace of Jesus Christ and EMBRACE your holiness! Be different! Be Weird! Show the world that there is, in fact, a better way of being and doing and LIVING! And always remember this truth – THERE IS NO SAFER PLACE YOU WILL EVER BE THAN IN GOD’S WILL. 
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Our Worst Enemy...

9/20/2017

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28“And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29I will cleanse you of your filthy behavior. I will give you good crops of grain, and I will send no more famines on the land. 30I will give you great harvests from your fruit trees and fields, and never again will the surrounding nations be able to scoff at your land for its famines. 31Then you will remember your past sins and despise yourselves for all the detestable things you did. 32But remember, says the Sovereign Lord, I am not doing this because you deserve it. O my people of Israel, you should be utterly ashamed of all you have  done! 33“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I cleanse you from your sins, I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34The fields that used to lie empty and desolate in plain view of everyone will again be farmed. 35And when I bring you back, people will say, ‘This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!’ 36Then the surrounding nations that survive will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted the wasteland. For I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I say. 37“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am ready to hear Israel’s prayers and to increase their numbers like a flock. 38They will be as numerous as the sacred flocks that fill Jerusalem’s streets at the time of her festivals. The ruined cities will be crowded with people once more, and everyone will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 36:28-38 NLT)
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The story that Ezekiel tells and the truths that he prophesies are the cornerstone of the Old Testament – as they are the cornerstone of the Gospel message. God will redeem those who turn toward Him, repent, and put their faith in His Holy will. This cycle repeats itself for the Hebrews time and again. Have you ever taken pause to wonder why? What it sit that is so tempting that the people of God – His CHOSEN people – turn away from Him over and over? They spit out the Truth and ingest lies and in so doing turn their backs to God and their hearts toward Satan. Why? The answer is clear from the above text… prosperity. It is not during the times of great destitution and need that people – the ancient Hebrews or the modern day Americans – question God or His provision. It is during times of great prosperity. It is when people think that they have all that they need and that they got it all for themselves that we forsake out creator, redeemer and provider. What is truly interesting is that it is God Himself who creates the prosperity for the Hebrews. Why would He do this KNOWING their (our) weaknesses and KNOWING that they (we) will, sooner or later, turn their (our) backs on Him and return to our spiteful, wicked ways? Hmmmm – why indeed? 
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If I Can...

9/16/2017

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19Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21“How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”  Mark 9:19-24 (NLT)                
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“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief.” What an odd thing to say—but what an even stranger way to feel. Can you  imagine? Jesus has stepped into your situation and has agreed to help—to heal the child who has suffered—who YOU have watched suffer—his entire life. You have prayed. You have begged God to take away the suffering; but to this point the    answer has been, “no.” All of a sudden, however, Jesus chooses to step in. Do you think that you would, at that point, also say to Jesus, “if you can?” Do you think, at that point, you might also question your faith? It sounds outrageous but after all of the     denial, after watching your child suffer all of those years; how do you think you would handle it? I have not watched a loved one suffer for the entirety of their life; but I have watched people that I love suffer and die. I have, over the course of a twenty-four hour period, changed from praying for quick healing to praying for a quick passing. I have been denied, more often than not, on both accounts. I have indeed cried out to my God, “I do believe but help me overcome my unbelief!”   
                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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Simple Gospel Message...

9/14/2017

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I Examine the Scriptures and I Shudder...

9/7/2017

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8“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11The greatest among you must be a servant. 12But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 13“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. 15“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! (Matthew 23:8-15 NLT)
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I examine scriptures of this nature and I shudder. These are the words of Jesus the Christ speaking into the leadership of the church. We have a tendency to glance over some of the harsh words that Jesus spoke in favor of His more, shall we say, easily digestible sentiments – but if I, or any person claiming salvation in the name of Jesus, passes over teachings such as this we, like the Pharisees of old, will experience the same judgement. I can not claim to know the heart of any person, including the hearts of those who claim to be pastors, leaders or teachers; but I do know this: We have but one true teacher and that is Jesus Christ who leads by the Power of Holy Spirit in us and in His churches. We have but one father and that is our Creator God who we have the privilege of knowing because of the sacrifice He made through the Christ on the cross. And I know this: If in the church we as pastors, teachers, and leaders preach His Word in the effort to lead people to build bigger churches, or put more money in our pockets, or gain more respect or power for ourselves in our positions or for any other reason than to express the message of salvation and hope to this dying world– then we will face judgement and go to hell, along with the people who have been misled by us. 
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    Pastor Brian is the senior pastor of Churchtown Church of God and regularly shares his thoughts & insight here - he invites you to join in the discussion of life & faith!

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