You Never Know.

(This Blog was written the morning after several tornadoes and storms ripped through Oklahoma killing several people only two weeks after tornadoes and storms claimed 24 lives)  

You Never Know

I woke up this morning and, like many of you, I thanked God that my family and I were alive and well (“safe”).  Then my heart began to ache after learning that Oklahoma lost at least nine more lives including two children to last night’s tornadoes and storms.  Add to this the 25 Oklahomans lost two weeks ago in another string of tornadoes and storms, this doesn’t include earlier in the week I lost one of my Hobart High School classmates and one of my very best friend’s 27 year old son who died in a tragic accident in Florida.

All this is to say, you never know what day will be your last day. You never know what day will be the last day for those you love, work with, go to school with or simply cross paths with.  You just don’t know.

Death is part of life.  There are so many things we don’t have control of.  But what we do have control of?  What is in our power?

What no one can stop but you is……

• You can love today.
• You can forgive today.
• You can seek reconciliation today.
• You can seek God today.
• You can develop your faith in a relationship with Jesus Christ today.
• You can leave no stone un-turned today.

Or….  you can keep doing what you have always done, today.

Whatever you do today, it is my prayer that you would live the life you have been given by God in such a way, so that when death does come (and it will come) you can know of God’s peace and presence.  That in the midst of every storm, in the midst of every good and bad thing happening, you will know that God is still good and God is still in control.

People ask me, “Why would God do such things? Why would He allow horrible things to happen to people?”

My answer…. “Ask Him. Seek Him. Listen to Him.”

If you ask with a genuine heat, I believe He will answer you.  Thirty years ago I would have tried to answer for the Lord, but now I encourage people to seek Him.  He can answer that question so much better than I can.  I’m not being flippant, I am a preacher of the Gospel and proclaim every day what God says from His Word, but sometimes…sometimes in these very tragic times, God tells me, “Scott, move over, shut up and let me hold those whom I created.  Let me tenderly speak my words of love to them… just me and them.”

Jeremiah found himself in a very dark time and the Lord spoke to Him. This is what God told him:  

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  (Jeremiah 29:13)

One of the memories that will never leave my mind was when my brother-in-law was dying.  Everyone was in the room with him.  Then he asked all of us to leave so he could talk to his children.  I have no idea what they talked about.  Honestly, it was none of my business, but it greatly impressed me.  Mark wanted some private time to talk to his son and daughter.  Sometimes God removes me from the room so He can talk to those He tenderly loves.

So, what is He trying to say to you?

Whether you believe in Him or not, whether you consider yourself religious, spiritual, or whatever- .I assure you, He has some words for you.  The very reason you are breathing today is because of God’s grace and mercy.  He does love you.  Your refusal to acknowledge it does not change that fact.  God loves you so much that He sent His son to die on cross for you so that He could redeem you.

My prayer for you is that you would consider these words and do something proactive today.  Who knows what will happen tomorrow…or even later today!

Pastor Scott

Have you thought about quitting lately?

Have you ever been tempted to quit?

Maybe the better question would be, “how many times have you been tempted to quit?”  I am currently on my second “Couch-to-5K Program.” I did this last year with great success but so far this year it has been a very challenging process.  What is “Couch-to-5K?”  This program takes you from lying on a couch to running a 5K (3.1 miles) in 9 weeks or less.  Yes seriously!  I’m 50 and about 25 pounds over weight (good times) but this boy “ain’t quitting“.

I will see it through to the end.  I am in my fourth week right now. I am scheduled to run the “Fall’s Creek 5K” on June 14^th, which means I will have to get my training done in seven weeks instead of the traditional nine.

In recent months I have talked to people who have been tempted to quit much more serious endeavors than my 5K race. I’m not saying getting in shape isn’t important, but what I have heard in the recent weeks are more serious.  I’m talking about people who are considering walking away from their marriages, their work, their responsibilities at church, their schooling, and even their life.

What would cause someone to make such drastic decisions like these?

If the truth be told, every single one of us makes smaller decisions every day that leads us to one day make the larger choices mentioned above.  We stop romancing our spouses.  We stop doing our best in school.  We no longer put our heart into our responsibilities at work or even church.  We stop valuing the little things of life and take our relationship with God and others for granted.  And before long, we find ourselves at crossroad thinking about walking away from it all together.

The author of lies and confusion always seems to have the words to cause us to doubt our commitment, our calling, and our place in the Lord’s kingdom. I’m not totally blaming the devil but he knows when to bring his words of despair to our ears. He is relentless in saying things to us over and over and over. Satan loves to use “partial truth” to remind us of our failures and attempt to place us in the ever-deeper pit of discouragement.   He says things like… God doesn’t care about you! He has forgotten you! You will never be good enough! You have blown it too many times! You’re not worthy! God can’t use you! You’re wasting God’s time and your time! You’re a loser! You will never amount to anything! Do everybody a favor and just stay away!

Have you ever heard these words?  How often do you entertain words and thoughts that bring condemnation to yourself?

Consider the following scriptures from God’s word.  I could have given you 100’s of theme but I limited them to six simple yet straightforward scriptures.

•  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  (Romans 8:1)
•  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.   (1 John 4:4)
•  Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 1:6)
•  For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.  (2 Timothy 1:7)
•  It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.   (Psalm 18:32)
•  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.  (Psalm 28:7)

 What do you listen to more, God’s word or satan’s whispers?  You might want to consider listing to the one who created you more than the one who wants to destroy you.

 I don’t know what you are considering quitting. It could be something big like I discussed above or maybe it is something a lot smaller, either way you are at a crossroad.  So what are you going to do?  Before you make the decision to quit I ask you to take a deep breath, go to God in counsel through His word, seek out a friend who will tell you the truth, and make certain that you are not simply following your emotions but rather the leadership of the blessed Holy Spirit.  What is God telling you to do?

 Never run from something…always run to something.

I close with some special words from the Apostle Paul.  I have discovered before making decisions, it is always a good idea to be in a good frame of mind.  Paul tells us how to have that good frame of mind by having God’s perspective on life.  I encourage you to do the same.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.                                                - Philippians 4:8

Something to think about,

 Pastor Scott

 

My One Prayer

 

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches us how to pray and then He demonstrates to us how to pray.  Both of these passages speak to us about “Our One Prayer.”

Can you imagine the number of prayers that God hears in the course of one single day?

“Lord help me!  Lord bless me! Lord save me!  Help my sister Susie.  Protect us on our journey. Bless this food.  Save Uncle Charlie. Heal me of my cancer.  Take away my depression. Give good health to my children”and on and on we pray.

I am thankful that the scripture teach us to say all sorts of prayers but if you only had one prayer to pray…what would you pray?  Remember, Jesus is not “a genie in a bottle” so you can’t pray, “Let me have 100 more prayers!”  Think about it.  Reason a bit.  Let your mind dwell on the question.  If you could only pray one prayer, what would that prayer be?  Would it be for you?  Would it be for someone else?  Or is there another option?  Well, actually there is.  And the third option should be what we pray first; but it usually is one of the last things we pray in the course of the day.

In the ever famous “Lord’s Prayer” found in Matthew 6:9b-10, Jesus said that when we pray we should pray this way:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

After we give God praise and thanksgiving, which is always a good way to start (Psalm 100:4), Jesus cuts straight to the point.  Your kingdom come, meaning God’s kingdom first. As God’s domain of heaven is under His rule, Jesus prayed that the same rule would take place here on earth.

Fast forward to the night of Jesus arrest and the evening before His crucifixion. Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane.  Read the following passage:

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”   Matthew 26:36-39

Do you see the connection?  Before we pray for ourselves, before we pray for others, we should pray “What is your will, Lord?  Let your will be done!”  Before we pray, “What is your will for my life?” we should pray, “Not my will Lord, but your will be done!”  Even when we pray for God’s will in our lives, we have to be extremely careful because after all, we are very selfish creatures.  At the drop of a hat we turn our focus on us and not the Lord.  The temptation is always there to make it more about me than God’s ultimate will and glory.  And what is His ultimate will?

Let His Word to the talking:

And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”  Isaiah 40:5

 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”                                                                    Revelation 4:11

  The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory.   Psalm 97:6

 I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them.    Ezekiel 39:21

 So that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.   Psalm 67:2

 “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”                                                        Exodus 9:16

 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”                          Joshua 4:24

..so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.    1 Kings 8:60

From May 6th – June 16th we will be focusing on “My One Prayer.”  The last few weeks I have been asking our church to write down the “one prayer” that God has laid upon their hearts. During this series we will compare our prayers with what the scriptures says.

What is your one prayer?

Are you praying it?  Are you living it?

Something to think about….but most importantly, something to pray about!

Pastor Scott