Don’t Ignore the Signs

If you are reading this Pastor’s Corner, than the world has not ended as some had predicted. There was a fellow who had been standing on the corner of Union Avenue and State Street with a sign warning us that God’s Judgment would come May 21^st. There were others like him across the country. However we know from the Bible that “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32 NIV) To some, this gentleman may have been a joke, but at least he has this much right: There is a judgment day coming.

The Bible tells us (Heb 9:27 KJV) “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” The day will come when this imperfect world will end and God will set up a new heaven and new earth. At that time Jesus will come and judge the living and the dead. The Bible tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Cor 5:10 NIV)

The truth is we always need to be ready. For some the end came sooner than May 21^st and much more unexpectedly. Hundreds in the United States lost their lives when tornados unexpectedly descended on their homes while they slept. Closer to home, Bill Barzda lost his youngest brother, again unexpectedly. Perhaps the gentleman with the sign serves as a wake up call to us who have become sleepy, that the end is always near. And that fact should spur us, who know the truth, to be more urgently “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15) to those around us who do not know. Amen?

Be Prepared to Preach the Gospel

If you haven’t noticed lately from my sermons, I have become fascinated with how the Apostles seemed to use every situation available to preach the gospel. They were always “making the most of every opportunity” (Eph 5:16 NIV). Peter, one of those apostles, later wrote, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Pet 3:15 NIV) If Jesus is our Lord, then He is certainly Lord over our time and Lord over our circumstances. The Apostle Paul says something similar to Timothy when he exhorted him to “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim 4:2 NIV).

If ever there is a season to preach the word, it is Easter. Peoples hearts seem to be poised to reflect on Christ’s death and resurrection, and often they will attend a church service. And because of this “opportunity” we will endeavor to make the most of it. As we have done before, we plan to have an early (Sunrise) service at 7:30 am in addition to our regular service at 10:00 am. The services will be identical in format and content (as much as the Holy Spirit will allow), and similar to any of our regular services. But, it will afford people one more opportunity to hear the word. One woman told me last year it was the first Easter service she had been able to attend for some time, since she always spent the later part of the morning preparing Easter lunch for her family.

Also, we would like to make available invitations to the service. The church will be sending some out, and we will make copies available to you, for you to send out as well, whether you would like to mail them or hand them out to people personally. There is also some interest in canvassing our community and inviting people we meet. If you are interested in participating please let me know.

Finally, and most importantly we plan to pray. Special green prayer slips are available for you to fill out so we can pray specifically for the people you plan to invite. I prayed for a woman one year, and was not surprised to meet her as she came to church on Easter Sunday. If fact I told her I had been praying for her and shortly there after, she came to Christ.

Easter is a great opportunity to reach out to our neighbors with at least an invitation to hear the gospel. My hope is that our efforts do not end with just one Easter service but lead to a lifestyle of evangelism. Amen?

God Bless You,

Paul

A Reminder to Pray

My dad was visiting last week and he spent a lot of time applying his landscaping skills on my flower beds.  At one point he showed me how to use a mattock to even out the flower bed border.  As I picked up the mattock, I paused and prayed for a friend of mine named Mike.  That may seem to be an odd thing to do while working on flower beds, but my friend Mike had given me the mattock with one stipulation: to pray for him whenever I used it.  I took his request to heart, and now it has become the norm.

We are living in perilous times, where the very norms of our society are being ripped apart right before our eyes.  The Bible tells us to pray for our governmental leaders: (1 Tim 2:2).   A lot of the people who are pushing the immoral agenda, would not if they were in Christ.  The Bible tells us to pray for  opportunities to proclaim Christ [Col 4:2-4], for boldness [Eph 6:18-20], and to be effective in sharing our faith [Phile 1:6].

We should also pray for the church [Phil 1:9-11].  There are people within the church who are in need of healing, jobs, improvements in their marriages and family relationships.  We need to keep our children in prayer as they grow that they would be steadfast in their faith [Eph 3:16-19].   We need to pray for upcoming church projects and outreaches, and for direction [2 Th 1:11-12]  .

It seems the list of things to pray for is inexhaustible.  I don’t know if we necessarily need a reminder to pray, as much as a reminder to pray for specific items, as the list can be overwhelming.  My  family typically takes time during our even meal time prayer to pray for the weekly prayer focus family.   The Tuesday night prayer time is a reminder to me to pray for individuals in the church body.  Sunday mornings I pray for the church service and the individuals who will be there. At the beginning of Sunday church service we take time to thank God for his goodness to us, and during announcements we pray for specific needs.

It is exciting to see how God has been answering our prayers.  So how can we incorporate more prayer in our lives?  Are there times in your daily schedule that you can take an opportunity and pray about a specific subject?  Are their mechanisms in your life to serve as reminders to pray?

The Bible calls us to pray continually (1 Th 5:17 NIV).  And that can include praying as we work in a flower bed.  Amen?

Cleaning up the clutter

Spring is here!   In addition to all the planting and mowing that is going on, I took a stab at cleaning out my garage.  It is amazing how quickly things accumulate.  Stuff from various projects, camping gear from winter campouts, and garden tools all create clutter. And the clutter hides the stuff that I really need.  I was talking to Terry Connolly on Sunday and he was doing the same thing.  He said “I have been hanging on to so many things, that I decided I need to get the clutter out of my life, we all need to get the clutter out of our lives.” Its true that we as Americans have so much stuff that the management of that stuff can seriously complicate our lives.

While we are cleaning out our clutter, there is also clutter of a spiritual nature we should address.  The Bible says “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph 4:31-32 NIV).  Lets face it that in our lives things happen.  Jesus himself said “It is impossible that no offenses should come” (Luke 17:1a NKJV).  When offenses come, and we don’t address them quickly they tend to accumulate, like clutter in our lives.   And just as physical clutter can obscure the things we really need, this kind of clutter can obscure things that God wants to show us.

How do we deal with clutter?  Take care of it when it happens.  I heard a pastor once say that “Time wounds all heals.” Delaying doesn’t fix the problem, and it can create even bigger problems down the road.  But keeping things current prevents backlog from happening.  And ultimately some things we just need to forgive.  We as Christians should be the most forgiving people on the planet, because we know what it is like to be forgiven.  Amen?

Have a great Spring!

Paul

Why Am I Here?

Many people, young and old wonder, as Rick Warren would say, “Why on Earth am I here” When the Apostle Paul spoke to the unbelievers in Athens in the meeting of the Areopagus, he addressed this: “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. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:24-27 NIV).

God does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). So God has placed us in this time and this place for us to reach out to Him. As, God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah; You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.(Jer 29:13 NIV).

Consider the significance of this. These are the times that God has placed you on I on the Earth. And this is the place He desires us to be. So, believe it or not, we couldn’t be in a better place or a better time, than Alliance Ohio, 2009.

Consider further the technology that is available to us today. The Apostle Paul was able to travel due to the roads built by the Roman Empire. He was able to preach in a common language established by Alexander the Great. Consider the many modes of communication we have available today. Not just mail, radio, television and telephone anymore, but in addition we have the internet, email, twitter, face book, etc. We now have the technology to interact with people across the globe. What an opportunity!

But with the advance in technology, the timeless message has not changed. God created everything we see good, including us (Acts 17:24), and because God created us, he has authority over us (Genesis 1:31). But in man’s desire to be like God (Gen 3:5) , man became disobedient and as a result, all of us have sinned and fall short of His requirements (Romans 3:23). Consequently, we all deserve eternal punishment (Romans 6:23). But God does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). So he sent his son, Jesus, to die for our sins (1 Cor 15:3), and three days later God raised Him from the dead, proving God was satisfied with Jesus payment and assuring us Jesus was who he said he was (1 Cor 15:4). We can receive Jesus’ payment for our sins if we believe in Him and commit our lives to following Christ and surrendering to His Lordship (Romans 10:9). In doing so we will receive the Holy Spirit who transforms us from the inside out (Titus 3:5), and we will inherit eternal life (John 3:16).

This is Good News. And this message is good for both the people across the planet and those across the street. Amen?

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