Be the Light in a Dark World

Recently, Joe Don Baker passed away. Some of you may remember Baker who was an actor and starred in films like “Cool Hand Luke”, “Tomorrow Never Dies” and lots of other movies. I know him because of a movie he made in 1973, a favorite of my parents that I watched every time it was on TV .

The movie was called “Walking Tall”, based on the real life sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, Buford Pusser. Pusser, played by Baker in the movie, was a former wrestler turned lawman, who used a large hickory club to enforce the law in his county. In the movie, the Pusser character frequently destroys property and injures the bad guys while cleaning up the corruption.
Pastor

Sometimes, as believers, we probably have our moments where we wish we had those hickory clubs so we
could clean up the world. It gets frustrating for us to see the dark path the world is heading and where it is
leading others. In those moments we want to be like Jesus in the temple, run the money changers out so the light of God can be seen and heard, while waving this big hickory clubs.

But that’s not our jobs. The temple no longer exists. The temple is us, where God, Christ and the Holy Spirit reside. That’s what Paul is telling us in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?”

We don’t walk around with large pieces of wood to knock someone on the head, but we do walk around with the word of God, which the writer of Hebrews 4:12 says is better than a bat, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The only way to clean up the world is to clean the dark hearts that exist out there and the only way to do
that, is to share Jesus Christ. Again, Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” When we turn our eyes to Jesus we are changed and that change first takes place in the heart. The heart is the reflection of who we really are.

I am often reminded, that before we can change hearts, we have to make sure ours are changed. Once it is
changed, we have to daily go to God and ask for protection, so our hearts don’t turn back to the old way of
life. Be changed, then seek to change others.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

What is the Right Proportional Response to God?

Anyone who knows me knows that ‘The West Wing’ is one of my favorite TV shows. I think it gives a solid look at politics in Washington. In one episode, the President must decide a proportional response to an American military aircraft being shot down. He wrestles with the idea if what has been proposed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff is enough or if it should be more.

This is something we should all wrestle with when it comes to our relationship with God. What is my proportional response to God, His love, His grace, His mercy, His provision, etc.?

I try live by the scripture from 1 Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.”

When I think about all the things God has done for me, I am in awe of Him. God gave me life, God gave me eternal life through the sacrifice of His son on the cross, God gave me Mindy, He gave me my kids, He gave me the opportunity to serve, He gave me a second chance at life, He gave me a grandchild, and I could go on and on and on. God has done everything for me. Knowing that then, I must decide what is the right proportional response to all He has done. 

First, I only fear God. As we serve God in our lives, there will be times that we have a fear of how people will respond to us. Either because of our actions or words that are driven by our faith. But I am not to fear those things, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” – Psalm 118:6

Second, I am to serve Him faithfully. One of the definitions of faithfully is “in a manner that is true to the facts or the original.” What does scripture say about God’s faithfulness? 2 Timothy 2:13 says “If we are faithless, He remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself.” Just like love, faithfulness is who He is, He cannot be anything but faithful. Therefore, it must be who we are too. 

When we see the phrase, “with all your heart”, like we see in that verse in 1 Samuel, it’s not talking about your organ. It’s talking about your inner being. Serving Him with such faith that people see, it’s just who you are. 

Can people say that about you? Are you serving Him with the right proportional response? If not, what changes can you make in your life to serve God for the betterment of the kingdom?

See you Sunday,

Pastor Glen

Have No Fear, God is Here

Our congregation has been facing a lot of challenges lately. From injuries to illnesses and losing loved ones, we’ve been feeling, what feels like, tough times. But as we know, these things happen in waves. Just like life itself, somedays, weeks and even months, are better than others.

Because we are human, we tend to look to put a negative spin on these moments. We start to fear or have anxiety about what is or could happen next. This is not the way God wants us to live. 

Have you ever wondered what was going through Moses or Joshua’s minds when bad things were happening? Or when the Israelites were anything but faithful to God. They were continually going to bat for the nation, either by encouraging them to be obedient or pleading to God not to destroy them.

When God transferred responsibility over to Joshua, he reminds him not worry. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

It’s so easy for us to forget that God is with us. When we face times of sorrow or strife, times of anxiety and pain or time of uncertainty, we often feel we are facing them alone. We may look around us and see no one sanding by our side. 

But God is by our side. Not only by our side, but in front of us. Leading, protecting, guiding us along. When the Israelites left Egypt, God didn’t say, “see you guys when you get to the promise land.” No, he was there, guiding them in the day and night. Guarding them as they made the trip. Even when they were disobedient, God was still leading the way.

While we forget that He is there, we also forget what God is capable of doing. As if creating all things wasn’t enough, does God really need to do something else to prove He can do anything? Paul was pretty clear, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13

If there was anyone who knew and understood the capabilities of God, it was Paul. Who went from persecutor to persecuted and never let up. He fought for the cause of Christ with more passion and zeal than his fight to destroy it. He saw how God saved him and protected him throughout his ministry. Especially in those moments when all hope seemed lost.

So have no fear, God is with you through every moment of your life. Lean not on your own understanding, but lean on Him who is faithful and true.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

Be Encouraging with More Positivity

Do you know what word babies tend to learn before any other? The word no. By nine to eleven months old, babies learn or at least understand no means stop. Babies hear “no” several times a day. Some scientists believe it could be as much as 400 times a day. 

They also understand the need to stop by hearing the tone in peoples voices. Babies are sensitive to the rhythm, pitch and intonation of speech, which makes up a persons tone. Babies will often times respond to the tone of someone’s voice more so than the word that was used.

We learn negativity at a pretty young age and it continues to ring in our heads through adulthood. Research suggests that 75% of our daily thoughts are negative and 95% are repetitive. That means our brain tends to work against us.

We need to be more positive, especially with each other. We receive enough negativity in this world. We don’t need our fellow believers to add on to the negativity we are already receiving from the world or from our own brains. If anything, we need to be helping each other by giving more public praise.

I want you to read how Paul opens his letter to Philemon; 4 “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” – Philemon 1:4-7

Wow! Can you imagine being Philemon and getting this letter from Paul? What encouragement Philemon must have felt as he opened up the letter and mfound this at the beginning. Unfortunately, no one talks or writes like this anymore.

When we see our fellow brother or sister, our first words after hello aremkalmost always, “how are you?” Why not shake it up a bit? Let people know what they mean to you, your class, your church, your deacons, your whatever. Let us be more like Paul and lead with kind gestures. More positive, less negative.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

Can't improve Christianity, it's already perfect.

Remember products that were supposed to be better than their counterparts or products that “improved” the original?

Who could ever forget the new Coke? Coca-Cola thought it was time to update Coke because it had been losing market share. Some smart people thought they needed to redo the formula and rebrand. It launched in 1985, renamed Coke II in 1990, and was discontinued in 2002. Coke spent over four million dollars on development and marketing, and was left with 30 million dollars of unused product. It was a big flop.

In 2001, Apple introduced the world to a new product that would change everything. It was called the i-Pod. The i-Pod was a portable media player that could play downloaded music, videos and more. Five years later, Microsoft launched a “better” product called the Zune. The Zune would do the same thing as the i-Pod but consumers were already hooked on the Apple device. Millions of dollars and six years later, the Zune was discontinued.

The world is always trying to make things better. Better cars, smarter phones, louder speakers, better-tasting food, etc. And that includes Christianity. Take Mormons for instance. Joseph Smith claims Jesus spoke to him about special tablets. Smith “found” these tablets and interpreted them, writing a companion to the Bible. Smith is claiming a new and improved Christianity. But that just isn’t the case. 

Christianity is already perfect because of Jesus Christ;

“2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. ” – Hebrews 12:2

Our faith is already perfect because He made it perfect through His life and His actions on the cross. While our faith cannot become more perfect, certainly we can be better followers of Christ. So, if there is anything that could become new and improved, it’s us.

New through our belief of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and improved because we have turned from the old self and set our eyes on Jesus. Who provided something better for us, a reconciliation with God that leads to salvation for all eternity.

Can the church get better? Certainly, because we the church can get better. But our faith, our faith is perfect in Jesus.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

Prepare yourself for Easter!

Do you know what Muhammad, Buddha, Joseph Smith and L. Ron Hubbard all have in common? They’re dead. All of them. If we knew where their grave was located, we could go see it, read the tombstone to find out when they were born and when they died. They are all dead.

That’s the difference between Christianity and every other religion in the world. They celebrate someone who is dead. We worship someone who is alive! Alive and at the right hand of God waiting to come back to claim His bride, the church.

This coming Sunday is our annual celebration of an empty tomb. It’s Easter and we have some special things planned for that morning. Scripture reading, special music, and of course I will wrap up my “I am” Easter series on that Sunday too.

But this isn’t just a time for us to celebrate the empty tomb. It’s an opportunity to share the Gospel message with people who may not have heard it before.

We will see people at our church on that Sunday who come once or twice a year, or maybe they have never been to our church. In either case, we need to put our best foot forward to reach these people for the kingdom.

Sit in a different spot Easter Sunday. Roam around and shake hands. Introduce yourself to unfamiliar faces and maybe some familiar ones that you haven’t spoken to yet. Greet people when they walk through the door, wave and smile. Let’s show the love of God to all our visitors and to our fellow members on Easter Sunday.

Be in prayer for those coming that day. Let’s ask God to bring us people who need to hear the Gospel and that God is already working on their hearts to accept Christ. Be in prayer for the leadership team as we prepare for the service, ensuring the message of God’s love for His creation is heard loud and clear.

Finally, come ready to worship! Before you walk into the building ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in your worship on Easter. Give everything to God! Let’s celebrate the freedom we have because of our faith in an empty tomb!

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me. And let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34:1-3)

Hallelujah! Our Lord lives! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

What are you allowing in your home?

Something reached out and grabbed me today. I was reading 2 John, which has the least number of verses in the New Testament, when I got near the end it made me think of the different “Christian” pastors, teachers, etc. that are out there penetrating our ears on a daily basis.

John is writing a letter to a woman. We are not sure who she is or where she is when he writes the letter. In the letter, he commends her for her household walking in the truth. Then he writer switches to warning her of false teachers. False teachers are very common in this day and time and they were winning over people with their slick words and charismatic character.

Then in verses ten and eleven, John writes, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.”

This teaching that John refers to is the teaching of Jesus Christ. Anyone you let in who does not teach this but teaches something that is contrary to that of Christ is wicked. Conversely, anyone who allows that into their home is part of the wickedness.

We could apply this simply to false teachers of the word. People who claim to be pastors or teachers, who are in it for personal fame and fortune, or people who want to circumvent the Gospel. But I think it goes beyond that ideology.

I think when we apply it to our lives today, we find there are things that we watch, listen to or read that go against the teachings of Jesus Christ. Things that we say entertain us, but in reality, affect how we think and live. Things that take our focus away from God and living righteously.

In these days leading up to Easter, take the time to examine what you are allowing into your home. What is going against the teachings of Jesus Christ? How is it affecting your world view? How is it affecting your heart? Wickedness can come in many different forms, so be careful what you let into your home.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

Whose light is it anyway?

I saw something on social media recently that said, “Your self worth revolves around your own ability to see your own light. So let it shine.” 

Do you see a challenge with this statement? There are a lot of yours in one sentence. Your self worth, your own ability, your own light. What should be a striking difference between those who believe and those who don’t, is where we find value. 

First, we should find greatest value in our relationship with God. Not only did He create us, but He provided a way for us to be reconciled with Him through His only son, Jesus Christ.  Romans chapter five, verse eight says “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That alone should give us ample reason to see the incredible value of our relationship with God. 

But it doesn’t end there. He is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. He provides protection, guidance, joy, hope, peace and the list goes on. My life is worth nothing unless I have a relationship with God. That relationship only happens through Christ.

Second, I have no ability except that which is given to me by God. Throughout my life I can see how God has worked to bring me where I am today. Read what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;  and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” All that I am is because of Him.

Finally, it’s not my light that needs to shine, it’s His. One of my favorite verses is John 3:30 and I like the NIV translation. John the Baptist is approached by some of his followers who are not happy that this new guy, Jesus, is pulling followers away from John. Look how John responds, “He must become greater, I must become less.”

What John knew and what we must understand, is whatever we do in life, it should lift the name of Jesus above our own. Our desire should be to point people to Jesus so they can discover what we already feel, the incredible mercy, love and grace of God. 

Your self worth revolves around Jesus, who died on a cross so we may be reconciled to God who provides us our abilities. Allowing the light of Christ to shine in a dark world. Let His light shine in you.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

The Guardian

As a man, husband and father protection is a very important word. In my home I am to stand between my family and harm’s way. Today, I want to add to that definition.

I have come to realize, especially with a daughter near completion of high school and a son who will soon be a freshman, it is also my job to protect their reputation.

Many of us can think of someone from high school who did not turn out to be the person the rumors told us they were. We can name girls we thought got around, were stuck up or dingy. Guys who hit girls, drank too much or were doing something harder than alcohol.

While some of those rumors might have turned out to be true, many were not. The rumor mill fuels high schools.

Some would say I am too strict when it comes to my children. Not allowed to date, if they go to a dance, the movies or just somewhere to eat and there is a person of the opposite sex with them there has to be one or more people there too. Our daughter wasn’t allowed to wear make up until she was 16. If they are with friends on the weekends we have to know where they are at all times. These are just a few of our rules.

While these rules may seem harsh, they are meant to protect the reputation of our children. Even the most obedient child slips up from time to time. Without thinking they make a decision that stays with them the rest of their life.

When young men look at my daughter I want them to see a young woman rooted in a Christian foundation, pure, joyful and a heart so big that it breaks when she sees someone in need. When young women look at my son I want them to see a young man, rooted in a Christian foundation, pure, humble and who goes out of his way to help those in need.

Yes, my children may not get to experience certain things that other teens experience at their age. They may not get to watch certain movies, listen to certain music or get to go to all of the parties. But at the end of the day I won’t have to worry about an embarrassing picture or video finding its way to Youtube, Facebook or Twitter.

God does the same for us. Through-out the New Testament we are taught not to quarrel, fight to use good words not words that are harsh or offend, not to act on revenge and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Basically we are to live a life that is as blameless as possible.

Our reputation has a direct effect on our ability to witness. Every time we tarnish our image we make Christ a little less visible. If we are to be beacons who shine in the darkness we have to keep the lens clear of any dirt or grime that blocks the light from shining through.

“Do not be conformed 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

Have Fun, Live Free, Hope Strong

Pastor G