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

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

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

Fear not! Be bold!

Did you know you can smell fear? Research suggests that there is a chemical reaction when

people exhibit great fear. When we have great fear, a pheromone is released through our sweat,

which gives off a specific odor.

My first night of bootcamp, you go through and get equipment, change out of your civilian

clothes and put on the uniform, get a haircut and go to the barracks for the first time. In the

Marine Corp, you have a formation platoon for a week before getting dropped to your training

platoon.

After getting all our stuff squared away, we head to the barracks where they teach you how to make your rack

(bed), how to lace your boots and a few other tidbits of information that are good to know. During that

instruction phase, I remember a drill instructor asking if we could smell something funny in the barracks. He

said, that is fear. He said,“We always smell it the first night.”

We all have something we fear. Spiders, snakes, heights, we all have some type of phobia. For some, speaking to

strangers can be a phobia. Something that grips them with fear. I’m actually not the outgoing guy most people

think I am. I am nervous every Sunday and I am usually nervous before talking to a stranger. I have to force

myself to start the conversation.

I try to remember the words of Moses as he spoke to the nation of Israel. I talked about it this past Sunday.

When handing over the reins to Joshua, he told the people,

“Be courageous and strong. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”– Deuteronomy 31:8

In times of fear, we often forget that God is with us. We tend to allow the fear to grip us and have control over

us. Emotions are a powerful thing that can make the steadiest hand tremble. We have to learn to control our

emotions and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us through whatever we are facing. Even if it’s just speaking to a

stranger for the first time so we can share the Gospel message.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter and the other apostles and disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly

proclaimed the Gospel. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you possess that same Holy Spirit. It’s not a lesser Holy

Spirit, that doesn’t have all the power as on the day of Pentecost. It’s the same one.

So, fear not! Be strong and courageous and go share the Gospel to all the world. Even strangers!

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