There is a Fountain!

Zechariah 13:1“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

That fountain has already been opened and living water flows freely from Him. I have tasted that water and found that it brings life. It is pure and he who drinks from it can drink freely and be cleansed from sin and impurity. "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!" After drinking from that fountain, why would anyone search for anything else. Having tasted myself and seen that the Lord is good, why would I even consider drinking from another fountain. Yet, too often people keep searching for something else. It is difficult for me to fathom. Yet, they can search all of their life and never find anything else to satisy them like the Lord.

Come to the fountain today and drink heartedly. Drink to your fill! Once you do, you will never be the same again.

When the Darkness Encompasses Me

Psalm 139:1Y ou have searched me, Lord,and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.

5 You hem me in behind and before,and you lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.1

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day,for darkness is as light to you.

Does anyone know where you are? Do they know what you are going through? Do they even care? Sometimes we can feel all alone in this life. Sometimes we feel like the darkness has encased itself around us and there is no way out. Life's trials and problems seem to crash upon us like the crashing waves of the sea. As soon as one problem comes and then receeds, another one is right behind it. We cry out for help and wonder if help will ever come, but the Psalmist let's us know that our help has arrived.

God knows me! He knows when I sit and when I rise, He knows my thoughts, He knows when I go out and when I lie down, He is familiar with all my ways. He hems me in and lays His hand upon me and there is no where I can go where He is not. If I go to heaven He is there, if my life seems like it is a living hell, He is there. Even in my darkest hour, He is the light around me and he shines in my darkness like the noon day sun.

I agree with the Psalmist, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain."

God's Unfailing Love

Psalm 138: "1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. 2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame.

3 When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.

4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,when they hear what you have decreed.

5 May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.

6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.

8 The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands."

"I will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness. What can a person really add to that. When you reflect on the fact that God loves us with an unfailing love, it stirs the emotions. Hey, I have been betrayed by many people whose love is constantly failing. They have hurt me, lied about me, slandered my name, and tried their best to destroy my character, but God's love is unfailing and he remains faithful even when all others have become unfaithful.

That is one constant we can rely on. God will always love us and will always stand by us, no matter what. It was while we were still sinners that He died for us and while we were his enemies that he went to the cross to redeem us (buy us back.) So we can rest assured that His love and faithfulness will see us all the way to the end. No wonder the Psalmist cried out...""1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise." I too join him in that echo of praise today!

Give Me Neither Wealth Nor Poverty

Proverbs 30:7 “Two things I ask of you, Lord;do not refuse me before I die:8Keep falsehood and lies far from me;give me neither poverty nor riches,but give me only my daily bread.9Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’Or I may become poor and steal,and so dishonor the name of my God.

This is an interesting verse of scripture, isn't it? Give me neither wealth nor poverty only my daily supply. This verse probably make us cringe a bit because, in America we are so bent of gaining wealth. We have weekly lotteries and thousands of people put their money down in hopes of walking away a millionaire. We have stocks and bonds and we are hopfuly that our broker picks the right one and we too gain even more wealth. We have multiple ways of increasing our income. 

 

Yet, rarely, if ever, do you hear someone say a prayer that says, God keep me content with my daily portion. We do not want a daily portion, we want to have this sense of security that our future is well cared for. We do not want to have trust in God, we want to have trust in our stock pile. Which brings another thought, isn't it interesting that on our money we have the slogan, "In God we trust."

The reason Solomon offers the prayer is so that our trust is in God and not our resources. He says that too much resource causes us to put our security in things. He actually says we can have so much that it causes us to disown God. Yet too little may cause us to setal and dishonor the name of God. The word he is giving us in contentment....contentment in what God is giving me today, knowing that he will, no matter what happens, take care of my tomorrows.

In a Deep Spot

Jonah 2: 1From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2He said:

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.

From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

I love how the Lord always hears our prayers when we are in the deep stuff of life. It really doesn't matter what we did to cause it either, and let's be honest, most of the time we caused it. :0( But God always uses the rough spots of life to gain our attention and to get us to refocus on Him. Jonah said, "In my distress I called out to the Lord! From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help..." I can;t tell you how many times I have been in that same spot (not in the belly of a whale) but in the belly of my own discouragment, distress, and depression. But like Jonah I cried for help and I love how he completes the sentence..."and you listened to my cry!"

Where do you find yourself today? In what deep spot have you landed. In that spot learn a lesson from Jonah, cry out to the Lord and he will listen.

Trade the Lie for the Truth

1 Samuel 1:16

¹⁶ Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. (KJV)

There is a demon spirit that haunts and torments the children of God.  It is the demon of Belial.  He is known as the demon of lies and he seduces men and women into believing lies.  He, along with his ruler, Satan who is known as the “Father of lies”, plant within our mind seeds that try to tell us that God is not faithful and that God will not answer our prayers or see us through.  They are destiny thieves. They cast doubt on the love of God and the power of God to do the impossible in our lives.  It is when we begin to listen to these subtle voices and attach ourselves to their blatant lies that we come out from under the covering of God and move into doubt, fear, depression and eventual hopelessness.

Eve fell prey to Satan’s lies and with an act of disobedience partnered with her husband to commit the first sin and thereby curse the entire human race to a life of struggle, suffering, poverty and disease.

What lie is Belial telling you today?  What lie is Satan whispering into your ear? 

·         “You will never be well, this sickness will be with you the rest of your life?”

·         “You can’t break this addiction.  You will always have this drinking problem? Drug problem? Sex problem?”  Etc…

·         “Your marriage can’t be restored! Love is gone and will never return?”

·         “Your children will never come to Christ, they are too far gone.”

·         “You will carry this shame with you forever? Your sin is to big to overcome?”

·         “You will always be broke and never have enough money to meet your needs.”

You fill in the blank.  Today make a conscious decision to stop listening to the lies. Jesus came and broke the curse that was placed over our lives because of the sin of our ancestors, Adam and Eve.  Start listening to a different voice, the voice of Jesus Christ! Jesus is the “Father of truth.”  He said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”  He also said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  He also said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…”

Who will you follow today?

Pastor Rick

There is an Enemy

There is an enemy, the prince of this world who has a plan of destruction. The devil, according to John 10:10 has a plan to steal, kill and destroy.  He is a destiny thief. And, if you let him, if I let him, he will destroy our destiny. He has numerous plans to snatch us out from the plans of God.

Esther had the favor of the Lord and was born in a time when God needed her most.  You and I are here at this particular time in history because God needs us most, right now. But Esther also had an enemy, Haman the Agagite (a descendant of the Amalekites), who plotted to destroy her, her family and her entire race.   So too, Satan has the same plans for us.  He does not just want to destroy us personally, but he wants to destroy our entire families, businesses, churches and nations.  Let me take it even further.  He wants to destroy the entire world.

If you have vowed to serve God, the devil will come at you and come at you hard.  Right now you may be wondering why certain things are happening to you, your family, your business, or your church; it is because you have a destiny.  You have a destiny to show Christ even in the midst of pain and struggle.  You have destiny to show the world that there is hope in hopeless situations. We have a destiny to complete what God has called you to do.

In the last part of John 10:10, Jesus said, “…but I have come to give you life and that life in abundance.”  Hang in there, determine not to give up, put your hand in the Master’s hand and he will walk you through this dark valley and lead you to the fulfillment of your destiny.

Pastor Rick

Who is Greater in Your Life?

Before Satan, before angels, before the creation of mankind, there was God.  The triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) has always existed independent of man, angels, the universe, or even time itself.  Listen to the words of John in John 1:1-3.

"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.  3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."

This fact is an extremely important one to keep in mind, because as believers in Jesus Christ, we need to remember that for all his terrible power, Satan is still only a creature. He must operate entirely within the universe of time and space which God has created, and he is entirely subject to God's will and power.  By way of contrast, however, God is in no way whatsoever limited by or dependent upon this finite environment of time and space which is so essential to our existence, and to the existence of all His creatures, including Satan and the fallen angels.
Listen to the words of Luke where he wrote in Acts 17:24-25

24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. Acts 17:24-25

Therefore, in terms of power, there is no contest between Satan and God.  We cannot even put them in the same league.   And, for people to think that Satan is God of evil and God is the God of good err in their thinking. "Greater is He that is in us that He that is in the world." 

So whatever you are facing today ask yourself the question, who is greater in your life? The all powerful God, the all knowing God, the all sufficient God, or one of his created beings?

Pastor Rick

Faithfulness A Lost Virtue

In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one [of them] be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2, HCSB)

Chuck Swindoll said, “Leadership has more moments of the mundane than the magnificent.”  The dirty secret of success in every arena of life is the ability to just show up. Day after day. Week after week. Year after year.

The church and the world for that matter,  is full of people who show spurts of greatness only to yield to laziness or indifference or to get sidetracked by the latest and greatest deal, or the new church down the block, or the next ministry surge, or whatever. Yet the prize goes to those who just keep showing up and who remain faithful when everyone else around them is flighty.

 Talented quitters are a dime a dozen but people who just show up and commit to hard work in the day-to-day grind always stand out as the real winners of life.  Those who follow through on their commitments and who are faithful will be the ones who hear these words from Jesus, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”  Are you faithful? 

GET REAL!

GET REAL!

2 Corinthians 2: ^{1-2 ”}Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.” Message

Remember the games you use to play as a kid.  Cops and robbers; cowboys and Indians; being a doctor; being a fireman; etc.  It was fun playing pretend.  But after we grow older, games of pretend should become a thing of the past.

Paul, in writing to the Corinthians says, “We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes.”  But, is that true for you, is that true for me?  I see people wearing masks all the time.  They cover their hurt, pain and need with the mask of a smile or on the other end of the spectrum with sarcasm, anger and bitterness.

It is time to get real and vulnerable.  It’s time to take off the mask! The Body of Christ is made up of people who go through tough times.  In this same verse of scripture Paul said, “…we’re not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times.”

One of the greatest benefits of belonging to the church is the connections we make with other people, connections that allow us to “keep everything we say and do out in the open.”

Find a friend today and share your heart. Let the “whole truth be on display.”  Let the healing begin.

Pastor Rick

I've Read he Last Chapter

I know that life can be hard, really hard and I know that you want life’s problems resolved NOW! Hey, who wouldn't? None of us likes to go through the pain of rejection, loneliness, frustration, difficulty, stress, fear, marital difficulty, job loss or having a sense of unmet needs. You fill in the blank of your life of whatever it might be. The list is too long to write.

I also know that you want Jesus to jump right into your problems and fix them, but instead of our fixing our problems, may be Jesus is calling us to "fix ourselves" For, it is not the problems that are the issue but our reaction to them. When these current problems go away there will be hundreds on their heels. Our worst enemy is not the situation we find ourselves in, our worst enemy looks back at us in the mirror every morning.

When we can learn respond to life’s difficulties the way Jesus responded, when we can learn to allow the Fruit of the Spirit to become evident in our life, when we can learn to love like Jesus loved, when we can learn to "love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, pray for those who mistreat us." Then we are ready to face the real challenges of life.

 For everything that we go through, good or bad, is a training ground for the next chapter in our life. So, let's learn the lessons, make the necessary adjustments in our character, let’s allow the Holy Spirit to change us and mold us into the image of Christ.

 I love what the writer of Hebrews 12:2 said "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

 Today let Jesus do a perfect work in you.  Let’s allow the things we are going through help mold us into His image.  Let’s learn the lessons so we can move on to the next chapter in our life.  Hey, I’ve read the last chapter and it is glorious!

National Day of Prayer Sermon

NATIONAL Day of Prayer
May 3, 2012

AMERICA IS BANKRUPT

INTRODUCTION: I appreciate the opportunity to speak today and want to thank Brian Drucker, the Chairman of this year’s National Day of Prayer for the invitation.



I want to begin today by saying that I love America, I love being an American citizen. I love living in the greatest nation in the world. But America is in trouble.



George Carlin wrote:

- The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

- We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less.

- We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

- We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

- We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

- We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

- We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years!

- We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

- We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

- We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

- We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

- We write more, but learn less.

- We plan more, but accomplish less.

- We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait.

- We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.



- We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.



AMERICA IS IN TROUBLE, BIG TROUBLE!



John MacArthur in his book “Can God Bless America”states that “America wants God’s blessing but not God. Our nation has systematically pushed Him out of the national consciousness—rejecting biblical morality, ignoring His Word, and relying on the political and entertainment arenas for moral guidance.”



America is in big trouble because she is forgetting God. And the result is a nation on the brink of bankruptcy – bankruptcy financially, physically, morally and spiritually.




I. America is Financially Bankrupt –she has trusted her money but has forgotten the slogan on her money which says,“in God we trust.”

A. Proverbs 11:28 “He that trusts in his riches shall fall...”

B. The United States national debt has passed $15 trillion. For each dollar spent by the federal government 40 cents is borrowed. The US has a debt that is almost four times the size of its economy. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of $3.95 billion per day since September 28, 2007.

C. We have encumbered our children, our grandchildren, and our great grandchildren with a debt they can never pay.

D. According to Reuters, Unemployment stands at 8.1%. Today, 23.7 million Americans are out of work and cannot feed their families.

1. Some 14 million Americans who looked for a job in April did not find one. This figure does not include people working part- time for economic reasons nor those who did not look for work because of personal reasons or the "discouraged workers" who have given up hope. If we include those persons in the unemployment calculation it would push the U.S. jobless rate up to 16.1 percent

2. According to bread.org, 36.3 million American people--including 13 million children--live in households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger. This represents more than one in ten households in the United States

3. Multiplied thousands have lost their homes. According to WordPress, on any given night, an estimated 672,000 American people experience homelessness. This means 22 out of every 10,000 people are homeless in America.

· 42% of those 672,000 are unsheltered (meaning they live on the streets or in other forms of shelter not meant for human habitation), while 58% are living in shelters or transitional housing.

· The most common makeup of a homeless family is a mother with one or two children. This certainly goes against the image of homelessness most people perceive.

America is Financially Bankrupt




II. America is Physically Bankrupt



A. According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute and Center for Disease Control…

· Over 12 million people in the US have cancer.

· 25.8 million adults and children have diabetes

· 5.4 million adults has Alzheimer’s

· 1 out of every four or our citizens has or has had a sexually transmitted disease. That calculates to over 78 million infected with 19 million new infections each year.

· 1.7 million in the U.S. has AIDS with over 600,000 deaths already attributed to the disease according to the Kaiser Family Report. That is more than the population of Las Vegas.

· This year, according to Health Guide USA, Americans will shell out over 300 billion dollars for healthcare.

And I could go on and on…..



America is Physically Bankrupt



III. America is Morally Bankrupt


A. Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach (a disgrace) to any people.”





B. Alcoholism, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, school violence, child abuse, pornography, rape, robbery and murder pervade our nation. America is drowning in wickedness and immorality



1. Due to drug addiction in adults, according to the Christian Post, one drug addicted baby is born every hour.



2. In an article entitled The Diseasing of America, the writer states, “Nearly one in thirteen, or approximately 14 million people that live in America are alcoholics. Several million more don't realize they are alcoholics, or on their way to becoming one.



3. According to the Disaster Center in a stastical report of violent crimes in America, which included violence, forcible rape, murder, burglary, property theft, etc., in 1960 to total of all those crimes was 3,384,200 but by the end of 2010 they had escalated to over 10 million

4. Approximately 1 million young women and men between the ages of 15 and 19 will become teen parents this year.

C. 1.37 million unborn babies were aborted last year. Today, 3,700 unborn children in America will be legally murdered. 18% of those will be done for born again evangelical Christians.



D. California law AB1785, requires pro-homosexual tolerance education at all public schools and all grade levels, including Kindergarten. AB1931 provides taxpayer funded grants to take children on field trips to teach them diversity and tolerance of homosexuality.



E. In a Christian Research Institute letter U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan published a disturbing essay entitled "Defining Deviancy Down." In that article he tried to make 'normal' what a more civilized, ordered and healthy society long ago would have labeled--and long ago did label—deviant behavior.



Isaiah 5:20 “0 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”





You have probably heard the old quote that says, “A rose by any other name is still a rose.” Well, call me old fashioned, call me out of touch with current trends, but Sin is still sin regardless what label you put on it.





America is Morally Bankrupt



What could possibly be the cause of the bankrupting of America? Is the President of the United States to blame, the Congress, the Supreme Court.



I believe the reason is deeper than that. Ronald Reagan, our 4oth President, said,



“Our forebears came to America, not in search of gold, but mainly in search of God and freedom to worship in their own way. We have been a free people living under the law with faith in our maker and in our future. I’ve said it before that the most sublime picture in American history is of George Washington on his knees in the snow at Valley Forge. That scene personifies our people who knows that it is not enough to depend on our own courage or goodness, we must also seek help from God our Father and preserver. We as a nation embrace these principles by decision and we abandon them at our peril.”





We are in our current national condition because…

IV. America is Spiritually Bankrupt

We have abandoned our spiritual principles and we have done so at our peril. We are witnessing the decline of Christianity in America. Christian churches in America are losing members rapidly, and this trend is especially dramatic among young Americans.

According to a stunning new survey by America's Research Group, 95 percent of current 20 to 29 year old evangelicals attended church regularly during their elementary and middle school years. However, only 55 percent of them attended church regularly during high school, and only 11 percent of them were still regularly attending church when in college.

The reality is that young Americans are deserting the Church in America in droves.

According to a Survey given by the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society & Culture at Trinity College, 46%of Americans between the ages of 18 to 34 indicated that they had no religion. 46%

Meanwhile, the Christian Science Monitor recently published an article about the "coming evangelical collapse" that they believe is coming. They openly predict that "within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants."

But even more bad news for evangelical Christianity in America is that those who still call themselves Christians do not necessarily hold to traditional Christian beliefs any longer.

Two other recent surveys reveal that the majority of American Christians believe that accepting Jesus Christ as savior is NOT the only way to eternal life.

USAToday in December 2008 reported on an almost unbelievable new survey that found that 52 percent of American Christians believe that eternal life is not exclusively for those who accept Jesus Christ as their savior.

A different survey that was taken by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion& Public Life found that 57 percent of evangelical Christians in America believe that "many religions can lead to eternal life".

How could that be we might ask? Here is the answer. The Pew survey referenced above also revealed that 45% of Americans say that they seldom or never read the scriptures.

Perhaps if more American Christians were actually reading the Bible they would know what is truth and what is error.

The current situation in the churches of America reminds us of 2 Timothy 4:3.....

“For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

Dave Olson, the director of church planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church, has done some really interesting research into the church attendance patterns of Americans. Olson's research found that the percentage of Americans that regularly attend church is only 18.7%.

Couple that with the statistic that says a person considers themselves a regular church goer if they attend church once every 4 to 6 weeks and we have a real dilemma on our hands.

All of these polls and surveys tell us the same thing: Christianity in America is in a serious state of decline - especially among young people.

This year 3,500 – 4,000 churches will close their doors in America. This calculates out to be about 11 churches every day.

No wonder America is in trouble, she is forgetting God and history will tell you that when a nation forgets God she is destined for ruin.

America is Spiritually Bankrupt

CONCLUSION: How do we win back America? If we are going to get America back, it is going to have to be done on our knees.

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”



While this passage is directed at the nation of Israel, the application can be made to the believer as we are called by the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.



Texas Gov. Rick Perry asked Christians to turn to God for answers to the nation's troubles.



That is what this National Day of Prayer is all about. We are calling our nation back to prayer. We are calling each individual Christian back to prayer and back to God.

1. Prayer for personal cleansing and revival and

2. Prayer for national cleansing and revival.

1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”





We are calling all of you to stand with us this year in prayer, prayer for our nation; prayer for our President; prayer for our national, state, and local and community leaders. Prayer for revival for this nation.



Let me conclude with a couple more quotes from President Ronald Reagan:



“No matter where we live we have a promise that can make all the difference. A promise from Jesus to soothe our sorrows, heal our hearts and drive away our fears. He promised there would never be a dark night that does not end. “Our sorrow may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” He promised if our hearts are true, His love will be a source of sunlight and by dying for us, Jesus showed how our love should be ready to go all the way, “for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosever believeth in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.”



“Now I realize that it is fashionable in some circles to believe that no one in government should encourage others to read the Bible that we are told that we will violate the constitution of church and state established by the founding fathers in the 1^st Amendment. The 1^st Amendment was not written to protect people and their laws from religious values, it was written to protect those values from government tyranny.”



“I said that we must be cautious claiming that God is on our side, I think the real question that we must answer is, are we on God’s side.”

Change Your Focus

2 Corinthians 4:16: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

For many people and I include myself in the mix, life can swirl around us at times.  It is like being on a merry-go-round.  Remember those?  The faster the merry-go-round spins the more out of focus things become.  Even when it stops, it feels like the world is still spinning.

But, if we were to take our eyes off of the things spinning around us and fix our gaze into the sky the spinning does not seem so intense.

That is how I interpret this scripture.  We must take our eyes off what is seen (our troubles, trials, disappointments and setbacks) and put them on what is not seen (God’s peace,  presence, and  power.) When we do that, our world will stop spinning.

Pastor Rick

Go Out on a Limb!

Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law."

I was raised on a ranch.  On that ranch they grew grapes, oranges, lemons, apples, pears, and other sorted fruits.  I learned a valuable lesson while living there.  If you want the fruit, you have to go out on a limb. 

The same is true in our spiritual walk.  To be all that God wants you to be you must go out on a limb.  It is on the limb where the fruit grows.  It is on the limb where you will find the evidence of what type of fruit is growing.  I don’t mean to test your intelligence here but orange trees grow oranges, and lemon trees grow lemons and grape vines grow grapes, right?  It is by their fruit that you know them.

Jesus said the same of us, “It is by our fruit that we are known?”  What type of fruit is growing on your tree?  To say that you are a Christian and have hatred in your heart, or be joyless, or lack peace, or be unkind, or lack self-control, or show no gentleness is like saying you are an orange tree but on the limb hang lemons or to say you are an apple tree but on the limb hand grapefruits. 

Let’s make sure we are showing the evidence of who we claim to be.  Dare to go out on a limb!

Pastor Rick

Which Do You Choose?

1 John 2: 9: "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." 

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked up stone and scratched lines on the side of the car. In anger, the man took the child's hand and hit it many times; not realizing he was using a wrench.  At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.

When the child saw his father . . . with painful eyes he asked, 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?' 

The man was so hurt and speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times.  Devastated by his own actions . . . sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches; the child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'. The next day that man committed suicide.

Anger and Love have no limits; you can choose which one will control your life.

Things are to be used and people are to be loved, but the problem in today's world is that, people are used and things are loved. Let's be careful to keep this thought in mind: Things are to be used,but people are to be loved.  Can I please say it one more time; "Things are to be used, people are to be loved."

Pastor Rick

Gold and Silver!

"How much better to get wisdom than gold, and understanding than silver."  Proverbs 16:16

There is a lot of talk these days about gold and silver.  You have people clamoring for it, hording it, and negotiating for it.  Its prices are volatile and it rises and falls on a daily basis.  But the Bible tells us that there is something that we should be more desirous of than gold and silver and that is wisdom and understanding.  How much better off would this world be if it clamored for wisdom, how much better off would a person be if they horded understanding.    Which of the two will help you have a better marriage, gold or wisdom?  Which will make you a better parent, a better spouse, or a better friend, silver or understanding?  You know the answer to those two questions don’t you, yet which one are you seeking the most? 

Pastor Rick

Loving Deeply From the Heart

1 Peter 1: ²² “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. ²³ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

The New Testament is filled with scripture after scripture telling us to love one another, build up one another, care for one another, encourage one another, forgive one another, and here Peter gives us the greatest scripture of all, “love one another deeply, from the heart.”

Oh how we long to be loved, it is man’s deepest desire. Each one of us longs to be loved unconditionally and to be accepted for who we are. The church should be a sanctuary of love a place where we find people who look beyond our faults and see our needs…a place where we can rejoice in our Savior Jesus Christ, apart from personal preference or having a “me” mindset.

When we love ourselves more that we love others, it becomes very apparent as it has to be about me…my wants…my desires…my likes and dislikes.  But, when we love others deeply from the heart, it becomes about them…what they need…what they like…and their desires.

Oh God, please let us love with action and not with words.  I want to love like that… I want to love others deeply from my heart.

Pastor Rick

Rejoice in Your Trials

1 Peter 1:6-7: 6 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 

There is a lesson to be learned in our griefs and trials.  I think we get so busy ranting and raving about our trial and the grief (at least I know that I do) that it causes me to look inward instead of upward. I don't stop complaining long enough to see the good in every situation.  Of course, sometimes there may be nothing good at all in our current circumstance, but God can cause good to come out of it if we patiently wait on Him.

I know that is a scary thought, asking God for patience, because patience only comes through fiery trials, but the end result is far better and truthfully, where does all the ranting and raving get us anyway.  Exactly....nowhere!

Pastor Rick

Good Friday

Isaiah 53: "But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed."
Today is Good Friday.  The day that Jesus was crucified! When I think about it I have mixed emotions, emotions of both joy and sadness.  Joy because God loved me so much that He was willing to send His son Jesus to this world to be a living example for me as well as a living sacrifice.  Isaiah says "He bore my sins..."   In other words, I was on that cross with Him 2,000 years ago. 

That is the sad part to this equation.  When they raised Him to the heavens, they raised me with him.  All of my sins and failure were there.  That He had to die is bad enough but that He had to die because of me, well that's a lot to think about and a lot to take in.  So what is my response to that?  It is to give Him all I have in total gratitude for all that He did for me.  I should have died on that Cross...wait a minute, I did, I died to myself.

Pastor Rick

Family Day!

James 4:14 - "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."
I have had the great privilege of hanging out with my two grandchildren the past 4 days.  I always have a great time with them.  Drew will be 11 in about 20 days and Carlee is now 8.  Sandy and I have been vacationing every summer with them every year since they were small children.  As a matter fact, Carlee was 3 and Drew was 6 when we spent our first week with them.  Over the past few days we have been recalling all the things we have done together and all the places we have visited.  We are taking them to Pinetop and Bison Ranch Arizona in June for 10 days.  I can't wait!  We spent some time on the computer yesterday looking at pictures of the area and getting excited about our upcoming trip.

Life is short.  James says it is a "vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes."  You and I rush headlong from birth to death without giving much thought for the little moments in life.  Let's you and I make the most of every moment.  Let's determine not to move so fast through life that we forget to make the memories that will last a lifetime.  I was amazed at how much my grandchildren remember from out first vacation together and as I said they were only 3 and 6, but they remember every detail in vivid color.  No one will be able to take that away from them and I am glad.

Pastor Rick

Poverty Nor Riches

Proverbs 30:8-9 "Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, "Who is the Lord?"

I love it where the Apostle Paul said, "I have learned to be content in all things...."  The key to that passage of scripture is the word learned.  Contentment does not come easy for us.  That is why Solomon wrote, "give me neither poverty or riches." 

We must learn to become content and I believe one way to learn contentment is to be grateful for what I do have and quit thinking about what I don't have.  It is an decision of will to change my focus.  I choose what I will dwell upon and I move in the direction of my most current dominant thought.  On this Saturday morning what are you choosing to dwell on.  Where is your focus?  What can you choose to dwell on that will make you grateful.  Think on that today.

Pastor Rick

The Illusion of Riches!

Proverbs 23:4-5: "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.  Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone." 

I was at the Stallion Springs General Store yesterday and saw the Mega Millions Jackpot amount and was taken back a bit.  I had to take a second look to see if I read it right.  A half a billion dollars, that is 500 million for those that have a hard time with the billion word.  Now, that's a lot of money, I don't care who you are. 

Of course my mind began to swirl about all that I could do with that amount of money.  The conversation in my head turned into a full blown discussion with the church office staff.  We all begin to talk about all the people we would help, all the ministries we would support, how much we would give to the church, etc.  You know the drill, I am sure you have had similiar conversations about wealth. 

But then the conversation got a little quite when I asked what we were doing with our current amount of money we make.  Am I generous with what I have now? How many people have I helped with what I have? Do I pay tithes on my current dollar amount, etc?  The scripture makes it clear that if I am faithful with little, I will be given responsibility over much. 

No, I am not saying if I pay my tithes and help the poor I will win the Mega Jackpot.  I am saying that God calls me to be faithful with what I have not some illusionary amount.  It is interesting that in my devotions today I read this scripture I quoted at the beginning of this blog..."don't wear yourself out to get rich." 

And, just so you know, I did not buy a lotto ticket either...at least not yet.  :-)

Dirty Socks

Galatians 3:6: "Even so Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 

If we are truthful with each other, most of the time we try to be good or have a right standing with God by our own personal endeavors.  The term righteousness means to be in right standing.  We work hard at trying to be good, at trying to live a life that pleases God and we are hopeful that God notices how hard we try.  But it seems that we always fall short.  As I write that Romans 3:23 comes ringing in my ear, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."  All…everyone…you…me!

It reminds me of a child who works so hard at cleaning his room only to have Mom come in and find a pair of dirty socks in the corner.  Everything is in perfect order, but the only thing noticeable is the pair of dirty socks.  And the child, wanting so much to please Mom, is disappointed because he missed the socks.

Hey, there are countless times I have missed the socks. I have a room full of dirty, smelly socks!  I am consistently disappointed that I missed the socks, but here is the beauty in righteousness.  When Christ comes into our room that we have tried so hard to clean, when He sees the socks, He reaches down, picks them up, and puts them in the dirty clothes basket without letting us know he picked them up.  Because of Him, the room is perfectly clean.

It brings a whole new meaning to the scripture in, Psalm 103:12 that says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”

Pastor Rick

Daddy!

Galatians 4:6 - "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba Father."

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of spending a week with my son Adam.  I shared that a few weeks ago.  But as I read this scriputre this morning in my devotional, I remembered something that happened on that trip.  Adam is 36 now and since becoming a man he calls me Dad.  Yet, on this trip, there was a moment in one of our conversations where he called me "Daddy." 

It is hard to describe the feeling that came over me hearing him call me Daddy again.  The word Daddy conjurs up feelings of intimacy, connection at the core of our being and describes a relationship of endearment.  In this scripture the same word is used.  Paul said that we are sons of God and as such we can call Him, "Daddy." 

Sure, we know that He is God and that He reigns supreme so there is this sence of not really being able to reach Him, but Paul tells us that is not true.  He is now our Daddy, we are intimately connected to Him the same way my son is connected to me.  That's awesome!
Pastor Rick