God Helps

There is an old phrase that goes like this, “God helps those who help themselves.” This phrase is not found in the Bible. Anywhere. Not in one book or verse.

Most believe this phrase was first written in Aesop’s fable, Hercules and the Waggoneer, where the moral of the story was, “the gods help those who help themselves.” In the 17^th century, Algernon Sidney, an English political theorist, quoted the version we say today. 

It’s been said so much, many people believe that it really is in the bible, but if we think about that line, we should see that it goes against scripture. 

First, God is faithful even we are not faithful to him. 2 Timothy 2:13 says “if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself.” God is honest and whatever He says will happen, will happen. So if we reject Christ, He is faithful to carry out what he says will happen. Remember, there is always a response when God’s word has been read or heard.

Second, we should be fully reliant on God. For everything. According to scripture we should cast every anxiety on Him (1 Peter 5:7), trust Him with all of our heart (Proverbs 3:5), know He will fight for us (Exodus 14:14), supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19) and provide a way to eternal life (John 3:16). 

And then there is the fact that we are taught, though scripture, not to be selfish, but to help others. 

“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” – Hebrews 13:16

Being selfish is not an option in the life of a Christian. Watching out for others, helping others, that is one of our missions in life. John writes in 1 John 3:17, “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?” 

If we abide in God, nothing is ours. We recognize that God provides us with all things. Therefore our “stuff” will sometimes benefit others. That requires us to have an open mind to see those who are hurting around us and having the passion to help in any way possible. 

You can help others by donating items to our Brighter Days Basket campaign, which helps women coming out of the battered women’s shelter, fill a baby bottle with change to benefit Aspire Women’s Center, or bring gently used clothing to benefit members of our community.

Let us not try to help ourselves, but to help others. 

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

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

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

Eastern, an opportunity to share Jesus!

Easter is almost here! Boy, that’s hard to say. It feels like we just started the new year. But here we are, just a few weeks away from an important day of remembrance in our Christian faith.

Easter, just like Christmas, isn’t a holiday that we are commanded to observe. We observe it by choice because of church tradition. The Council of Nicaea in 325AD chose the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox to observe Easter. The council was trying to establish a unified date for the Christian community to celebrate Easter at the same time.

The origin of the word Easter is unknown. There is an Anglo-Saxon goddess associated with spring and fertility whose name is Eostre or Eostrae and it’s thought that Easter came from that word.

The tradition of eggs and bunny’s dates back to the middle ages. The egg represented a new life or rebirth. Children in Germany began to hunt for colored eggs in gardens, a tradition that became more well known in the 18 Century in the United States.

While Easter is based on a historical event, all of the ideas behind how we celebrate it are all based on tradition, not scripture. Nonetheless, it’s an important date for us.

It’s when we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It’s one of two days of the year we will see a large number of people come to our church and it may be the only time to come.

This is a great opportunity for us to share Jesus. We will be in a four week series about Easter that will culminate with Easter Sunday, proclaiming Christ as King. God with us who revealed Himself to us, dying for us, to take on our sins, so we can be reconciled to Him.

It’s an incredible story that every ear needs to hear. Help us by inviting everyone you can to our Easter service on April 20th. Help us pack every pew so the Gospel can be proclaimed and we might see some saved.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

Be An Influencer, Show Others Christ

Can you imagine teaching yourself Greek at four years old? Being the top of your elementary school at 5 or enrolling in college by 14? Now imagine, because of an illness, you pass away at 28 years old and you were such a positive influence on your community 7,000 people show up for your funeral.

That’s what happened in 1843 when Robert Murray McCheyne passed from typhus. McCheyne knew early on that God was calling him to something great. He committed himself to prayer every morning. He wrote poetry, hymns and letters concerning faith, God and the church. By the age of 22 he was the pastor of St. Peter’s Church in Dundee, which had over 1,100 regular attenders.

McCheyne was a great influencer of his day. This was before the internet, cell phones and social media apps. In 28 years, this young lad in Scotland had such a positive influence on his community, that men openly wept as they walked down the road after learning of his passing. What’s amazing is that he still influences us today.

When I think of McCheyne, I think of First Timothy chapter four. In verse 12, Paul writes, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Paul was telling a young Timothy to not let your youth be a stumbling block for people. They can and will look past it if you make these things a priority.

What is it that is a stumbling block between you and sharing the Gospel with others? We sometimes find that our minds work against us, and we convince ourselves that we are unworthy to share the Gospel, to act in a way that points people to Christ. Of course we’re not worthy, none of us are worthy. God chooses to use “unworthy” people for His purpose.

Sometimes we convince ourselves of some reason why we can’t share the Gospel or teach, or sing, or play or whatever the church may need. We need to stop making excuses. Go, live a life that points people to Jesus. Become an influencer for Christ, for the Kingdom, for God.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Glen

Rejoice, even when it's time to punt

When I went on my first mission trip to Mexico, I went down with two crews. One crew was medical and the other a vacation Bible school crew. We were told that we would be in the same place the entire week. I was on the VBS crew and everything we set up for the week, all of the pre-work we did, was done with the understanding that we would be in the same spot all week.

Well, imagine our surprise as we got to Laredo, Texas, that we would not be in the same place all week and in fact we would be in a different location daily. Everything was packaged and boxed for the week. It was ready to go. Not anymore. One phone call told us everything we prepared for was all wrong. We immediately went into action, pulling everything out and re-packaging it to fit

our needs for the week.

It was a long night, but necessary because the details of our trip changed. That’s when I learned a valuable lesson, in ministry, sometimes, you have to punt. We can plan all day every day for months leading up to a ministry event, but all the planning can’t protect you from the unknown.

The things we can’t control, when they happen, throw us off. Those things weren’t expected, needed or wanted. But they happen. As my friend JD says, “What are you going to do? Quit?” Of course not. All you can do is press forward.

Let me give you a couple of scriptures that will make you want to pull your hair out. First, from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ” Rejoice always? Give thanks in all circumstances? Paul says it again in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Yes, always rejoice! No matter the circumstance, no matter the thing that happens that you have no control over. Just punt, regroup and repackage. Many times, someone’s opinion of you isn’t based on your daily walk. Many times it’s based on how you react in certain situations. Remember, you are always being watched, even when you can’t see the person watching.

So the next time something goes wrong or you have to punt the ball, rejoice. Again I say, rejoice!

See You Sunday!

Pastor Glen

Socially awkward.

I am socially awkward, I admit it. I can sometimes have a hard time speaking one on one, but put me in front of a few hundred people and I have no problem speaking. It's weird I know, but it is how God wired me. God wired the church to be a certain way too, it makes us socially awkward, but there is a reason for it. 

Certain social topics that are no longer up to debate is making the church look even more socially awkward than it should. According to society, homosexuality is ok, gay marriage is ok and now changing gender is ok. These topics are spilling over into the church and the church is not reacting well

I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or sociologist. I cannot speak to someone’s mental state. I do not have the educational background to speak about why people make certain choices. 

What I am is a pastor, a Christ-follower, who has been called upon to share the Gospel, to make disciples and help lead some of God’s sheep. 

So a few random thoughts. First, we should never start a sentence with, “Well I believe…” without being able to back it up with scripture. Are there times that we may not find the answer in scripture? Sure, but those are few and far between.  If we seek a truthful answer, God will provide it.  And, by the way, we should be prepared for the answer. In other words, be prepared to admit you were wrong.

Second, let’s be consistent. I am floored by the number of people who voice their opinions about a mistake a Christian makes and has repented for, but then will hold up someone who is clearly going against the will of God and is leading others down a sinful path. (Yes, I said clearly. There are many passages in scripture that are clear. It is what it is.) We are to abhor what is evil and hold on to what is good. Abhor doesn't necessarily mean we have to know what you are thinking. Sometimes the best way to love someone, is to just not say anything at all.

Third, my finally but not really finally, it’s easy for us to sit back and call people freaks and say how disgusted we are for their decision, but it takes someone special to go find that person, befriend them, love them and share Jesus with them. Jesus did not call the woman at the well a whore or freak. He did not call the sinners he hung out with names either. He called out the religious leaders of the day who made a mockery of their office and God’s law. 

It is not the job of a pastor, elder, deacon, Sunday school teacher, lay-leader or any Christ-follower to weave social issues into the church. It is our job to weave the Church into society in order to see people come to know Jesus Christ as Lord.