Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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Do you still remember that special Christmas gift you received as a child? I remember receiving a BB gun and footballs and baseball gloves and toy soldiers. As a kid I had so much fun with those gifts. In 2nd Corinthians 9:15 Paul says, ”Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.” It is speaking of an indescribable gift. Paul was so thankful for the gift that God gave to mankind. No words can truly express the greatness of this gift. This gift is truly too wonderful for words. This indescribable gift is God’s only begotten Son, the Lord...
1st Samuel 12:14 tells us to fear the Lord and serve and obey Him and continue following Him, then the Lord would bless His children. Samuel’s ministry was coming to an end and he urged the people to continue on following the Lord, and they would be blessed. Even when things do not make sense, continue on following the Lord. Sometimes life does not make sense, but I will continue on following the Lord. The Bible speaks of some who died in the faith, not having received the promises but they continued on. Jesus told the disciples in John 8...
Hebrews 6:19 says, ”Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” It’s a present hope that the Christian has. The text said [BEGIN ITAL]”which hope we have.” We have hope right now, and it’s not some cross-your-fingers-and-wishing-it-works-out. My hope is in the Lord. He is the anchor of my soul. My hope is in Jesus Christ. In this mixed-up world that we live in, the Lord is my all-sufficiency. In Him, we live and move and have our being. "Hope is an expectation with certainty that God will do what He has said." Hebrews...
In 2nd Timothy 4:7, Paul said, ”I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." Paul had faced many troubles and trials, and now the time of his departure had come. It was time to lift anchor and set sail to be with the Lord. He had fought a good fight and he finished his course strong. He had given his all in the word of the Lord. Don’t quit, finish strong. The Bible says there will be a departure from the faith in the last days. We are on the final lap, finish strong. Galatians 5:7 says, ”You did run well,...
Philippians 1:21 tells us, ”For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” For Apostle Paul to live is Christ. Everything in the life of Paul was controlled by Christ. Jesus was everything to Paul. Jesus is everything to me in prayer. No matter what I face in life I can go to the Lord in prayer. He hears our every cry. In the time of suffering you can call upon him, and he will be an ever present help in your trouble. John 14:14 says, ”If you ask anything in Jesus name, he will do it.” He is a miracle prayer answering God. As long as I can pra...
I heard a preacher on the radio once say that the blood of Jesus was just the blood of a mere man. That man had no clue about the power that is in the blood of Jesus. It was not the blood of a mere man that ran down the cross; it was the blood of God. Colossians 1:14 says, “We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” We were lost in sin and it took the blood of Jesus to redeem us. 1st Peter 1:18-19 says, ”We were not redeemed with corruptible things, but by the precious blood of Christ.” The day I got saved, the pre...
One of the attributes of God is that He is powerful. The Bible says power belongs to God. We see the power of God every day as we look at His creation all around us. Hebrews 1:3 says, ”Upholding all things by the word of his power. This world is filled with fear, lies and deceit.” We can rest assured that God has everything under control. God is called “the Strength of Israel.” I go to sleep each night knowing that the Strength of Israel watches over my family. 1st Samuel 15:29 calls God the Strength of Israel. He is still the Strength of Israe...
Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. We are to grow and mature in this grace. We need to get out of the sandbox and mature in the Lord. I remember when I was in kindergarten at Vineland School and getting mad at some other kids. Running out of the class to go home, the vice principal picked me up on the way. I remember at Richland School getting swats from a couple of principals. I like to think that over the years that I have grown in the Lord’s grace and matured a...
We Christians realize that the devil is a liar and a deceiver. He plays with our minds and tells us that there is no hope for what we are facing. It’s not always an easy road for us, but there is victory for us if we follow the Lord. In Exodus 14:15 as the children of Israel were at the Red Sea and the Egyptians were closing in on them, God told Moses to go forward. Get your eyes on the Lord. Exodus 14:10 shows that the Israelites lifted up their eyes and saw the Egyptians closing in, and fear gripped their lives. The Bible says they were very...
In life, we see people who are experts in certain fields. Master plumber, master mechanic and master electrician are titles of people who are experts in those occupations. There are many people with a master’s degree, but Jesus Christ is the Master of all. I remember when I was a child, my pastor preached upon The Master. After hearing him preach, I came to the conclusion that Jesus can do anything. Jesus is the master of all things. No wonder Paul calls Jesus our All in All. In Luke 8:24 in the midst of a storm Jesus was asleep and the discipl...
We would be in terrible trouble if our God was made by man out of wood or gold. Psalm 115:5-7 says, [BEGIN ITAL]”The false golds have mouths but cannot speak, they have eyes but they cannot see. They have ears and they hear not, they have noses and they cannot smell. They have hands but they handle not, they have feet but they cannot walk and they cannot speak.”[END ITAL] Our God is not made by man, but He has always existed. He is the Potter, and we are the clay. He reigns over all. Psalm 50:21 says, [BEGIN ITAL]”You thought that I was altog...
Four times in Psalms 107 we are urged to praise the Lord. Verses 8, 15, 21 and verse 31 tells us to “praise him for his goodness and for his works." Psalms 52:1 says, “The goodness of God endureth continually." Psalms 119:68 says, “Thou art good and doest good." The song says, “All my life you have been faithful, and all my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God." Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness. He satisfies our longing soul and fills our soul with goodnes...
In life, we all face times of abandonment and loneliness. Sometimes it may feel like the whole world is against you. In 2nd Timothy 4:17, Paul said, “The Lord stood with me, and he strengthened me.”Paul had been done much evil by a man known as Alexander the coppersmith. Alexander had made a shipwreck of his faith and became an enemy of the Gospel. It seems like Alexander intimidated many of Paul’s hearers as he tried to disrupt the ministry of Paul. The spirit of this world will never embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ, and it will fight...
There’s an old song that says Heaven will surely be worth it all. The first verse of that song says, “Often I’m hindered on my way, burden so heavy I almost fall, then I hear Jesus sweetly say, Heaven will surely be worth it all.” Heaven will be worth all the hurt.[Down here we have sorrow and suffering, but Heaven will be worth it all. In life we face many discouragements. Psalms. 42:5 says, ”Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted in me? Hope in God and praise him for his help.” Elijah faced discouragement as he sat unde...
Thank God for the resurrected life. We are not what we once were, but we have been set free by the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:1 says, "...and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." Let's look at some marks of the resurrected life in a Christian. 1st Peter 1:3 says, "We now have a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead." There is a living hope inside the Christian and it's actively alive in every situation that we may encounter. This lively hope makes us look at things through the eyes...
Many people reject the thought of a soul spending eternity in hell. Many churches consider the thought old-fashioned and too offensive. Many say God is too loving to banish people to such an awful place for eternity. God's love does not negate His justice, His righteousness or His holiness. God's love has provided a way of escape. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." To reject o...
Second Corinthians 9:15 says, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. God is a giver. He is rich in mercy and grace, and he gave the world the most perfect gift in Jesus Christ. James 1:17 says, Every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father. I remember as a child getting a BB gun and a package of toy soldiers, footballs and socks, but the greatest gift I received was when I accepted God’s gift, Jesus Christ, into my heart. Bicycles and BB guns can rust and fade away, but God’s gift is always fresh and relev...
On Nov. 8, the United States will have its midterm elections. The midterm elections have been the main issue on talk radio programs and nightly news channels. We have heard the candidate’s arguments on policies, and we have heard their promises to you and I. I know one thing, when this election is over and no matter who wins, I will still be serving Jesus Christ. He will still be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I saw a button pin the other day that said "I vote for Jesus. " I thought it was interesting, and began to think why someone w...
2nd Timothy 1:12 says, For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. This world is a dangerous place. Carjackings, smash and grab, and assaults are an everyday occurrence in this world. Violence in major American cities continues to rise. Where can a person find shelter from this storm of violence and danger? Jesus Christ is the shelter for our souls. In him is the safest place you can be. Psalms 46:1 says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in...
Hebrews 10:23 says, Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised. In this world that we live in we are going to need spiritual endurance and stamina. We must hang onto the Lord and His Word. The Bible tells us to fight the good fight of faith. We are living in uncertain and perilous times, but God is faithful! Deuteronomy 7:9 says, He is the faithful God. That is his character – faithfulness. Scripture teaches that no matter what, He stays faithful. Psalm 89:8 says Faithfulness is all around t...
As the days go forward the world gets more vicious and crazy. 2nd Timothy 3:1 says in the last days perilous times shall come. God said that if we humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways, He would hear us and forgive us and heal our land. It is righteousness that exalts a nation. Sin is a reproach to any people. To get this country going on the right track, the Continental Congress called for a day of prayer. Once when a critical moment arose during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln asked the nation to f...
2nd Corinthians 1:3-4 says: "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort; who comforts us in our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort where we ourselves are comforted of God." God is our strength and comfort. If a people and a nation ever needed God’s comfort, it is I now. Our nation is in mourning as we pray and weep with the families in Uvalde, Texas. Jesus said, Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will...
Proverbs 31:10 says, "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." It speaks of a woman that is strong in moral principles. This woman in Proverbs is a strength and blessing to her husband and children. She is clothed with strength and honor and she loves God. Godly women are a strength and a stability in this chaotic world, as they exhibit hope and trust in God. Some of the most godly women I have met were moms and grandmas in the church where I pastor. Many of them have went on to be with the Lord, but what I gleaned...
Proverbs 22:11 says a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. I would like to talk about the greatest name ever spoken upon this earth. There is no other name like the name of Jesus Christ. His name is a saving name. Isaiah. 45:22: His name is a precious name. In 1 Peter 2:7, Peter said the name of Jesus was precious. His name means everything to a Christian. In that precious name I was saved. When I find myself in the storms of life I cling to that precious name. His precious name brings a soothing and calmness to our troubled...
As a child in Sunday school when the teacher said quote a Bible verse and you will get a candy bar every student quoted John 11:35 Jesus wept. Every time Jesus wept it was connected with the effects or consequences of sin. No wonder he was known as the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Jesus stood over Lazarus and he wept. The strongest manhood has its roots in tender feeling. The ancient Stoics would conceal and hide their tears, but not Jesus. As he wept over Lazarus people said, O how he loved him. His tears are a pledge. His tears...
