A Church Well Equipped  

1 Corinthians 1:4-7 (NLT)

4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. 5 Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. 6 This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. 7 Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul has a way of affirming the church of Corinth in there gift, and guilting them into doing what God has called them to do, reach out. So just as God affirmed the church of Corinth through Paul he also affirms us in our gift.

It always amazes me that when you look at almost any church you find a unique melting pot of people ranging from different ethnicities, socioeconomic status, trade and all other things that make us different. Thank God, right! Why… Because if we were all welders we would a strong frame, but what about the foundation, roof, and landscape? What a tragedy it would be if we were all the same. Differences also bring difficulty because we all think, respond, react, study, pray, parent, and plan differently. Paul’s response to that is, rejoice in your differences because each of you are equipped to make up a whole church body (1 Cor 12:12-31) that can reach many different people. Paul says we have everything we need in a group of believers to “eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When he says “wait” he doesn’t mean waiting inside the church hoping that Jesus comes and that people somehow find their way through the doors of our church. No! He means we have everything that we need so that when we go out into our workplaces, mom groups, farmers market, wherever, we invite those people to be apart of His church. We were never called to be a church who builds 4 walls around ourselves so that when people come to see what’s happening inside we can defend ourselves from their messes. No! We are supposed to invite those people in, encourage them in truth and love, then let God do the rest.

We are a church that is well equipped. So let us reach out so that others might be able to reach up.

Pastor Devin

"The Command To Repent"  

Acts 17:39-31 "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now, commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."

Only One has resurrected, He is The Son of the Living God, Jesus, the Christ. That day of judgement is coming. The standard for that judgement is Christ. Only Christ can judge. The authority of Him who judges has only been earned by Christ on the cross. Jesus will judge all righteously. God the Father raised His Son Jesus from the dead, Christ conquered death, thereby giving him authority over life and death and all things to come. Therefore, Christ the Only True Judge will be told by God The Father when that day is, because only The Father knows. Then there will be judgement. We live in ignorant times. God's command is waiting for our response. Everything He has promised has come to pass. So will judgement. Join me today in naming Him Lord of Lords and King of Kings. We wait with confidence in Christ, knowing our hope is in Jesus our Righteous Savior. Hallelujah, what a Savior.

Thank you Lord.
Pastor Fred

“When Kindness Changes Lives”!

I’m getting now to do a little bit more of what I’ve loved to do since I was very young – and that is to take the time to sit and enjoy reading.  When I’d visit my Aunt (a former schoolteacher) in Washington, D.C. in the summer, if she called out to me and I didn’t answer, she’d always say later that she knew that she would find me downstairs reading in the basement.  She subscribed to just about every magazine one could think of and also The Washington Post, so there was always lots from which to choose.
 
So, as I was thinking of what I might share for this week’s devotional on Friday, something on the front cover of the May 2018 Reader’s Digest, which came in today’s mail, caught my attention over the other intended “attention grabbers”. It was “When Kindness Changes Lives”, from The Washington Post  (a-ha! moment).  I’m pretty sure I’ve shared with you in the past a plaque which has always been displayed in the guest bathroom of our homes, which starts “Kindness Is One Of The Greatest Blessings of Life”.  There couldn’t be a more timely reminder of the need for this as we witness daily the lack of kindness being displayed in our culture and around the world, as if this should be the norm.
 
The article focused on four examples of “random acts of kindness, which I won’t cover in full, but noteworthy to mention them, in summary: (1) A 46-year old widow and her 2 teenage children who, in 2011, asked neighbors in her Texas community to perform a random act of kindness on her deceased husband’s November 4 birthday in his honor, who had passed of brain cancer in 2009.  Out of it, a hashtag movement was formed and is flourishing; (2) A high school in Minnesota has a “kindness coordinator”, who has enlisted a series of professional athletes, singers, t.v. personalities, etc., to record short videos about the importance of kindness in their “Kindness Matters”campaign, and they are played before the school’s announcements each day; (3) A New York firefighter on Nov. 17, 2017 set off on a 18-day, 9,500 mile “Highway To Heaven”  road trip to the  58 towns of each of the victims of the October 2017 Las Vegas shooting.  He wanted to honor them by performing an “act of kindness” for the victims’ neighbors; and (4) A Lincoln, Nebraska mom that was so affected by all of the negativity that emerged after the 2016 Presidential election, and felt that maybe she couldn’t fix the world, but she could perhaps do something on a small scale that would affect her city.  So she launched a Facebook group “Make Lincoln Kind Again”, and the “kind” acts of members have been numerous and continuing.  When she had a stroke in January, she was amazed by the kind things that were done for her and her kids by people who barely knew her.
 
I am pretty certain that God’s Word has a little bit to say on the subject of“kindness”, but I could be wrong.  However, I don’t think so.  If you don’t want to take my word for it, check some out for yourself, (Gen. 20:13, Jos 2:12, Ruth:3:10, 1Sam 15:6, 2Sam 2:6, 1Kings3:6, Isa.54:8, Acs28:2, 2Cor6:6, Eph2:7, Col 3:1).  If you choose, please accept my challenge to you for next week - Charlotte’s Kindness Challenge: Perform an “act of kindness” (or more, no limit) for someone each day next week and keep a record for yourself. 
 
Wishing you a very blessings-filled weekend and week to follow. We invite and welcome you to join us Sundays at Grace Harbor for Adult Bible Study at 9:00 a.m., where the Book of Romans (Chapter 7) is currently the study, and Sunday Worship Service and Children’s Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. 
 
Love In Him, Charlotte Adams

“A Good Word”
 
Proverbs 13:25 "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad "
 
God's Word, The Bible is to be studied word by word and altogether too. The troubles of this world are to be put securely in God's hands, we know this, but it is not easy to do. Philippians 4:6 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Pretty clear.
 
So, each day this battle between the anxieties and good words rages. I think we need more good words to tip the balances. The Bible is convicting and encouraging. Even the encouragement can be convicting. Lord knows I am not without a conscience. Today I am going to spread more good words to lessen the anxieties. I am praying about this as I write it. God help us all to spread some more gladness today. This lightens my heart just suggesting it. How about you?
 
With gladness and thanksgiving,
Pastor Fred

“Seek Him Earnestly”

“I will go away and return to My place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek me.” Hosea 5:15

We are much more likely to seek the Lord during affliction. He knows this. Especially self-inflicted affliction. The Lord sometimes allows us to twist in our trouble until we are willing to admit our wrong doing and repent. We want relief from the messes we make, but must turn to Him in humility, and surrender whatever it is. It is easier to face our foolishness than to keep dealing with our afflicted conscience.
 
This affliction can be called being heart sick. The intersection of our conscience and our heart’s desire to get right with God. We fight our pride, and the excuses it makes to justify our poor choices and sinful decisions. This is why we must have a turn of heart, and seek mercy and restoration.
 
Learning the hard way is never easy by definition, but it is easier than we think or than the devil would deceive us to believe. His mercy is sweet and His grace is sufficient. No matter what it is, seek the Lord’s face with an earnest heart, and see what He will do.
 
In His grip,
Pastor Fred

Romans 6:4 (NKJV) 
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

What a joyous day it was when I received Christ as my Lord and Savior and was baptized. I remember it like it was just yesterday. When I started my family I hoped that they too would one day find Christ and be baptized. I have four children and only one has been saved and baptized until yesterday when my son Andrew confessed his love for Christ and was baptized in the ocean just as I was some 20 years ago. Yesterday was a very important day for our family we couldn’t be more proud of him for making that very big but beautiful step towards a life filled with blessings. 

For those who have been baptized know the love of our father; the grace, mercy, and joy of Jesus Christ and the renewing power of our Redeemer. My prayer today is that those who have not called to our Christ, join my family in our faith and know that only through Jesus Christ we can be saved for eternal life. Christ died so that we may live and be transformed. Baptism is the beginning of that transformation and it can begin today for you.

Praise our Lord Jesus Christ for his redeeming power and eternal love given to us on the cross and through our profession of our faith in baptism. May God bless you this day as he has blessed my family.

In the name of Jesus,
Vicky Tucker

"Omnipotent God"  Revelation 19:6 "And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings saying, "Alleluia!, For the Lord God omnipotent reigns!" Pretty regularly lately l have been needing and desiring reminders of the omnipotence of God. This verse from The Revelation did it for me today. Yep, this will do it for me just now. My response to all drama today, all people problems today, to the enemy's picking at me today, to the naysayers today,  to the faithless today, to the hurting today, to the needy today, to me and everybody today, to any and all others today. As for me. I say... "as it were and is and always will be"... listen quietly enough and you will hear, "as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings saying... "ALLELUIA! FOR THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNS!"  AMEN!! ALLELUIA! FOR THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNS!   In His Service, Pastor Fred

"God's Word" 

Proverbs 16:20
“He who gives attention to the word, will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”

Like you, my mind can drift when I am reading. The other senses get activated and our site gets disconnected. Some issues with listening. Plus, our enemy is very unsupportive of us being reminded of His truth or goodness by any means. If we pay attention to God in any way God will bless us in some way. God sheds His light on our efforts to seek Him. As His word says in the New Testament… “Seek and you will find.” Don’t you love how consistent His word is? It is self-proving, self-fulfilling, and self-revealing. It is living and active. This, in and of itself is a wonderful blessing. Read it and receive it. Hear it and believe it. Let it be what it is. His Truth. His Revelation. His Story. God’s goodness is revealed on every page. The blessing is in trusting it, knowing it, and applying it. Trust in the Lord and in His word.

This is so good,
Pastor Fred.

"Paul, Apostle of Christ" 

2Timothy 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus..."

Understanding the perspective and life of the Apostle Paul is not an easy matter. There are very few, if any, nobler illustrations of the total transformation of a heart, than that of Paul. From persecutor and hater of believers to missionary to the Gentiles and author of the majority of Christian doctrine in God's Word is quite a marvelous journey. In all of Paul's words there is a transparency and an insight into the man who is just a human being like you and me.

In this opening verse Paul knows of what he speaks. He is a product of the will of God and a recipient of the promise of life in Christ Jesus. There is such an evidence of relationship with Paul and his Savior Jesus in every word. A relationship that must be shared, must be expressed and must be lived out. The 4 chapters of 2Timothy are Paul's last written words. Paul is a stellar example of what it is to be a follower of Jesus. 

Dawn and l saw the movie, "Paul, Apostle of Christ" Sunday afternoon. We cannot recommend it highly enough. Compelling and convicting. Inspiring and heart rending. Go see it now. You will know why l say this after you do. l want to be more fully committed to my Lord, like Paul. He really knew who he was talking about. Please let me know your response to the movie and keep reading Paul's epistles, so you know fully who he is talking about.

By His will and of His promise,
Pastor Fred 

"Why I Keep Praying" 

I Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing..."

Pretty simple. Constant awareness of communication with God. Obviously, we must do other things, but there is such wisdom in this. Interfacing with an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient Supreme Being is an awesome experience.

As much as He is ever-present we must be aware of it. Between our ears, the constancy of the Almighty must be real and active. I want to share with you a quote that was attributed to C.S. Lewis, but some say it is not Lewis.  Regardless, it really encapsulates my response to praying without ceasing.

"l pray because l can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time - waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God, it changes me." 

Well said. Whoever said it.
Pastor Fred

 

 

"He has saved us from the kingdom of darkness. He has brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Because of what the Son has done, we have been set free. Because of him, all our sins have been forgiven."
Colossians 1:13-14 

I love those shows about the time when castles were lived in by royalty, and we had kingdoms, and princes and Lords and Ladies. I recently finished the series "Reign" about Mary Queen of Scots. These verses talk about kingdoms. Paul is saying not only are we saved from the consequences of our sin, we are removed from the entire kingdom, or influence of it. In the days of Kings and Queens, those living in the castle were protected from whatever evil was outside of it- war, plagues, whatever. With Christ in our lives we can be protected from whatever is in the "kingdom of darkness" where satan's influence is.

Instead, we are brought into the kingdom of His Son, Jesus. Because of His sacrifice on the cross, we who believe are brought into His kingdom, protected from satan's influence and schemes. Not just in eternity, but in our lives here on earth. We just need to remember to stay close, don't wander away.

Clinging to Christ,
Angie Wahl