Why Are You Calling?

"Call me, and I will answer you"- God (Jeremiah 33:3)

Most of us know that when we give God a call that He will answer. But have you ever thought about what you give God a call about? I don't know about you, but through the years I have dreaded getting phone calls from certain people, because the only time they ever called was if they wanted something from me. Have you ever known someone like that? Do you remember what it felt like to only hear from someone when they wanted something?

And what about personal conversations? Some people won't give you the time of day until they need something. And when all of a sudden they enter into a conversation with you, you know it's because they're working up to asking you for something. How does that make you feel?

Fortunately, God usually blesses us with people in our lives that truly care about us, and who do not only call us or converse with us when they want something. So I guess the question is, what kind of a friend to God are you? I'm sure you've felt the hurt or disappointment at one time or another in your life when you wanted to be someone's friend, thought they wanted to be yours, and found out that you were being used in some way. What do you think that feels like for God, who has given His all to have a relationship with us?

How about give God a call today, or sit down and have a talk with Him, and make it all about Him, and not about you. Ask Him, how He's doing. Give Him the opportunity to tell you about His hurts, and His dreams. And then before you end your conversation, Ask Him if there's anything you can do for Him.

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Southern Ten Commandments

A friend of mine delivered the southern ten commandments to me via e-mail: ('King James' revised into ' Jackson County ' language, of course)


(1) Just one God


(2) Put nothin' before God


(3) Watch yer mouth


(4) Git yourself to Sunday meetin'


(5) Honor yer Ma & Pa


(6) No killin'


(7) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal


(8) Don't take what ain't yers


(9) No tellin' tales or gossipin'


(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff





One of the things I found of interest was the third commandment, "Watch yer mouth", and the ninth, "No tellin' tales or gossipin'". Even though the Bible forbids us from bearing "false witness", it also forbids us from bearing "true witness" if it comes in the form of tale bearing, gossiping, evil speacking, whispering, and backbiting.

God's righteous standard which governs our talk has gotten perverted, diluted, or just plain lost over the years. Truth is not the only criteria that our words must meet in order to be righteous. Sometimes I wonder if more than anything else, it is the flow of our daily conversations that grieves the Holy Spirit and stops up the works when it comes to God doing mighty works in, among, and through us.

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
(Eph 4:29-30)



Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

What have you been writing lately?

God is pretty big on books. There was the book of the generations of Adam (Gen 5:1), the book of the covenant with Israel (Exo 24:7), God's book of life (Exo 32:32), the priest's book of curses (Num 5:23), the book of wars of the Lord (Num 21:14), Samuel's book of the kingdom (1 Sam 10:25), the book of Jasher (2 Sam 1:18) . . .

Well, I'm sure you get the idea. My question of the day, is why do you think God and His people wrote so many books? What was the intention of all these books? Is there any application of this to us today?

Our church family used to capture in 'books' the many works of God among us, and I'm trying to position us to do this again in one fashion or another. We can do this on an individual basis with a journal.

Do you document the mighty works of God in your life? Might there be a reason to do so?

Food for thought.

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Light Shines Through the Darkness

Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
(Gen 1:16-18)

God's design from the beginning was for light to shine through the darkness, and for lights to rule in life. To rule is to reign, to exercise dominion.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Rom 13:12-14)

What a mighty God we serve, and what mighty armor, indeed, is the armor of light. We are in a spiritual war every day, and every day we wage war against the forces of darkness which seek to rob, kill, and destroy. We must put on the armor of light, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and stay clear of the muck and mire that can bog us down, and sap our energy and strength.

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2Co 4:6-11)

Forward into battle, my friend. This battle is not for the feint of heart or those whose dreams are steeped in what this world has to offer. This battle is for those that find their courage and dreams in Christ Jesus. Those that desire what Christ has to offer, and those that are willing to the pay the price for victory!

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Master-Teacher Appreciation Month

A master, or rabbi, was someone that taught and trained up his students in the law of God. The masters, or teachers, in the church were those responsible for teaching and training Christ followers up in the law of Christ.

(The Arabs had their Rabb (lord), the Babylonians had their Rab, and the Jews had their Rabbi, which was a master teacher [Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" (Joh 1:38)].)

Christ needed the apostles to be master-teachers [didaskolos] in order to teach and train pupils in the law of Christ, and in turn, the apostles needed master-teachers in the church to do likewise as the church grew. Being a master-teacher in God's church is a big responsibility. "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers [didaskolos- master], knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." (Jas 3:1)

Due to the seriousness of their position, it was common for the master-teachers to be financially supported by God's people so that they could more fully devote themselves to prayer and the study of God's word.

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE AN OX WHILE IT TREADS OUT THE GRAIN," and, "THE LABORER IS WORTHY OF HIS WAGES."
(1Ti 5:17-18)

Go therefore and make disciples [i.e., pupils; the Latin 'discipulus' means 'pupil'] of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching [didasko; a didaskolos, or teacher, is a 'master-teacher'] them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
(Mat 28:19-20)

The master-teachers are not those that simply teach students what to believe, but are those that train up students in how to live out what they believe. Not a responsibility to be taken likely. So where are today's master-teachers? They are called by the name "pastor". This month is pastor appreciation month, so take the time to let your master-teacher know that you appreciate their devotion to the Lord, to His Word, and to you and your loved ones.

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Men in Prayer- Pressing into the Fullness of God

5:00 a.m. every Monday a few of us guys gather at our church facility to pray together. We generally have a devotion (usually 'My Utmost for His Highest'), read a Psalm, share, and pray.

This morning we anointed brother Doug Broadbent with oil and prayed for his physical healing. It was quite interesting and moving as each prayed from his heart in his own way and in his own words from his own perspective. I don't know about the other guys, but I heard quite a difference in the way each man approached the Lord on behalf of Doug, and yet in there was a oneness that transcended the spoken words. A oneness that I believe was their unified love for and faith in the Lord, and their unified desire to see Doug healed because they cared about him.

I believe that God's truth is at a level far beyond man's feeble attempts at systematic theology. It's interesting that we have so many denominations with so many different theologies, and yet there is one living Word of God, one way, one truth, even Christ, Himself.

If students of the Word of God would exert as much energy pressing into Christ as they do studying the written word, I believe they would find a truth that brings life changing revelation.
It's not the academic pursuit of Biblical truth, but when we encounter the living God that our hearts and very beings are shaken to the core, and we find ourselves no longer the same.

For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
(Hos 6:6)

To know Him, is to trust Him, to trust Him, is to follow Him, to follow Him, is to obey Him, and to obey Him is to love Him.

If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love- (Joh 15:10)

I pray for you and with you that we will press into Christ together, for in Christ is the very fullness of God, made available to US!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Legal Aliens

Are you a legal alien on earth? King David considered himself an alien and a pilgrim on this earth.

Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: "Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. "Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You. For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, As were all our fathers; Our days on earth are as a shadow, And without hope. (1Ch 29:10-15)



Are your heart's desires and hopes in the world and what it has to offer, or in Christ and what He has to offer. Are your thoughts and affections focused on Christ? (see Col. 3:1-2)




Home is where the heart is, and if our heart is after God and His kingdom, then this world is not our home, and we are just passing through. Legal aliens, if you will.


By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
(Heb 11:9-10)

But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
(Heb 11:16)

What is it that you truly desire? Are you of this world, or are you a of another world called, God's eternal kingdom?

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Got Milk? Got God?

Strong bones are critical to our physical health. In the normal course of life we bump into things and fall, and if our bones are brittle, they break easy and this can be physically debilitating.

God wants us healthy, and believe it or not, the first step to living a truly whole, and healthy life is trusting God to save you from the penalty and power of sin, and trusting God to lead you in new life.



The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
(Isa 58:11)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty
(Pro 3:5-10)

God promises to guide you and bless you in all aspects of your life when you trust Him and obey His guidance in your life.

Will you trust Him for your salvation? Will trust Him to guide you? Will you follow Him?
If your Christianity has been more of a religion than a personal relationship with Christ, I would be glad to help you get a new and personal start with your Heavenly Father that loves you very much.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

You are a City on a Mountain

Okay, I couldn't resist. Those of you that listened to our church service on WPIO last night, or who attended it, smiled as soon as you saw the title.

Jesus told us that we are the light of the world, and are a city on a MOUNTAIN (ὄρος-horos). (The Greek word 'horos' appears 65 times in the New Testament, and in all but three it is rendered 'mountain' or 'mount'. (By the way, the Greek word for hill is βουνός (boonos).

So why do most of the English translations say that we are a city on a hill? We are the light of the world, and are a city on a MOUNTAIN!

In Matthew 28:16-19 it tells us that the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to a MOUNTAIN that Jesus had set for them, and here they received the Great Commission to go into the world and disciple all nations!

In Hebrews 12:22-23 it tells us that we, the general assembly and church, are the city of the living God, a heavenly Jerusalem, set on MOUNT Zion!

You and I are a light that God has lit on a mountain that stands overlooking all other mountains. You and I are a light that reflects the glory of God to a dying world.

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
(Isa 58:7-9)

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. (Isa 60:1-2)

Jesus used to set on a mountain, healing and teaching all that came to Him for hope. He then set His disciples on a mountain giving them a mission. And God then set His church on a mountain, empowering it with the light and strength of Holy Spirit fire!Shine the light of Jesus, people of God! We are His witnesses, family of God. Shine the light of Jesus!

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Were there really Ten Commandments?

Though it is a little known fact, the answer is technically, "No". In Exodus 34:12 we are told that God gave Moses a teaching, or instruction of commandments (mitzvot- there were 613 of them!), but that He wrote "ten words" (or, "ten sayings") on the two stone tablets. (The Hebrew word 'dabar' is equivalent to the Greek word 'logos', and is used when talking about the "word of the Lord" as in Genesis 15:1).

My point here, is that when Jesus and His apostles were referring to the Old Testament "commandments", they were referring to the 613 mitzvot, not the "ten words" on the stone. [In all three places that our English Bible mentions the "ten commandments" (Ex 34:28, Deut 4:13, and Deut 10:4), the Ancient Roots Translinear Bible renders the Hebrew text "ten words".

So when 1 John 3:22 says that we are to keep God's commandments, he is not referring to the "ten words". Is he then referring to the 613 Old Testament mitzvot? No, he is referring to the commandments of Christ.


Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
(Mat 28:19-20)

And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
(1Jn 3:23)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

By the way, you can find a listing of the 613 mitzvot at http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm).

Tenth Commandment- Don't Covet

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's." (Exo 20:17)

When was the sin of coveting first committed? You might find it interesting that the Hebrew 'chamad' (i.e., 'covet') appears in Genesis 3:6, where it is translated 'desirable' in the New King James Version.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Gen 3:6)

Eve coveted something that wasn't hers, and the rest is history. Coveting things that don't belong to us is not only hazardous to our own well being, but is quite hazardous to the well being of our family and our community.

The Hebrew and Greek words for 'covet' are also translated 'lust' in your Bible, which means a strong craving for something that we don't have. Unfortunately, Satan and his minions often decieve us into thinking that Christ isn't enough, and that our lack of joy or peace is due to us lacking something, whereas Christ is truly all we need. Our lack of joy or peace can only be rooted in our lack of Christ. Christ in us is our hope of glory. (Col 1:27)

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. (Col 3:1)

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Ninth Commandment- No False Witness

Both of these pictures are photos of witnesses. The person on the left is testifying to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ through the waters of baptism, and the person on the right is being sworn in as a courtroom witness.

Witnesses were a very important part of God's Old Testament law. A person's guilt or innoncence under the law was to be established by two or three witnesses. It was essential that God's people told the truth, since a person could be put to death by the word of 2 or 3 witnesses. God therefore required that any person found to be a false witness was to receive the punishment that would have been meted out to the person they testified against.

"One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing, then both men in the controversy shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who serve in those days. And the judges shall make careful inquiry, and indeed, if the witness is a false witness, who has testified falsely against his brother, then you shall do to him as he thought to have done to his brother; so you shall put away the evil from among you. (Deu 19:15-19)

The most important witness you and I will ever be, is a witness for Christ. Yesterday I had the privelege of baptizing two young adults, a young lady, and an older gentleman, that all wanted to testify of the power of the resurrected Christ to save us from the penalty and power of sin.

We have a few more that are wanting to be baptized, and maybe next week we'll fill up the pool again here at our church facility. Have you publicly confessed Christ as your Lord and Savior?

(I'd be glad to e-mail you our baptism material if you have any questions about immersion as it is presented in the Bible. Did you know that the Jewish Assembly, the Greek Orthodox church, and the Roman Catholic church all agree that immersion was the practice of the early church for almost 1200 years?)

In Christ, we are sanctified and holy, and on our way to glory. Praise God!!

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

The Eighth Commandment- Thou Shalt Not Steal

The word 'steal' in this commandment means to 'steal away', as in secret. It can refer to a person stealing away to avoid confrontation, such as when Jacob slipped away from Laban.

And Laban said to Jacob: "What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? (Gen 31:26)

It can mean to steal away a person, as in kidnapping.

"He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.
(Exo 21:16)

"If a man is found kidnapping (lit. 'stealing away) any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper shall die; and you shall put away the evil from among you.
(Deu 24:7)

Or, it can simply mean to steal things belonging to another. (see Gen 40:8).

Some believe that this commandment is referring to kidnapping since it is next to the commandments of murder and adultery, both of which are capital offenses. I see no reason not to accept the word as meaning to take something that doesn't belong to you. In fact, King Solomon deals with adultery and stealing back to back in one of his proverbs.

People do not despise a thief If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house. Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul. (Pro 6:30-32)

It is interesting to note here, that Solomon tells us not to despise a person that steals to feed his family. He does not justify stealing under any circumstances, but calls for understanding under the circumstances.

It reminds me of God's call to humbly help one another in each other's time of need.

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
(Gal 6:1-2)

Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You, And say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.
(Pro 30:8-9)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

The Seventh Commandment- Don't Commit Adultery

The Seventh Commandment is "You shall not commit adultery." (Exo 20:14)

The word 'adulterate' means to make impure, or to pollute by adding improper ingredients or extraneous elements. Thus, to adulterate a relationship is to make it impure, or to pollute it by adding improper ingredients or outside elements into the mix.

The word 'adultery' refers to the act of adulterating a covenant marital relationship by having sex with someone that is not your lawful spouse. It also has a figurative meaning in the Bible where it is used to describe the nations of Israel and Judah when they were unfaithful to their covenant relationship with God. (see Jeremiah 3:8-9)

Following the rules of our Chemistry book and Chemistry teacher may have seemed restricting at times. It might have been much more exciting and fun to ignore the Chemistry lab rules and mix all sorts of colorful and potentially dangerous chemicals together to see what kind of a concoction we could make. But could we have put ourselves, and even those around us at risk?
Following God's rules may seem restricting at times, but when we throw off God's restraints we put ourselves and others in harm's way, and the end result can be pain, suffering, and even death.

Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed. (Hos 4:1-2)But worse than physical death, is spiritual death.Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul. (Pro 6:32)

I'm not saying this to condemn anyone that has sinned in the past. There is no condemnation to those who have repented, are presently in Christ and walking according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1).

I am saying this to warn everyone in the present. Don't mess with anything that could put you in a position where you might be tempted to take that plunge off that very steep cliff called adultery.

Be faithful to your Lord and to your spouse.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

The Sixth Commandment- You Shall Not Murder

Most of us do not think of ourselves as murderers. We may be guilty of the ole proverbial backstab once in a while, but hey, we aren't gulity of murder unless we literally snuff someone's life out. Right?

The fact is, that Jesus said that anger itself can lead to eternal damnation, and stated that, "whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire." (Mat 5:22)

The commandment to not murder actually includes the commandment to not murder someone's reputation by gossiping and talebearing (Lev 19:16), to not murder someone's spirit by tearing down someone rather than edifying them (Eph 5:29), and to not murder each other through backbiting (Gal 5:15).

So be careful not to become a spiritual serial killer. Someone that sets a pattern of taking down people one at a time through our negative speaking. King Solomon said that the power of life and death is in the tonuge (Prov 18:21), and Jesus warned us that the key is having a pure heart before God.

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. (Mat 5:8)

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

The Fifth Commandment- Honor Your Parents

The family unit is the building block of the kingdom of God, and God therefore takes rebellion within the family unit VERY SERIOUSLY.

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
(Exo 20:12)

"And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. . . . "And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. (Exo 21:15, 17)

"If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. And they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.' Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear. (Deu 21:18-21)

I'm not advocating stoning our rebellious kids, but I think the above scripture makes the point that rebellious children are a poison to their families and to their community, and if not dealt with, will result in much evil.

How many thefts, rapes, and murders, might have been prevented had outward rebellion in children been effectively handled by the home and the community?

Interestingly enough, the Biblical record shows that despite strict laws against outward rebellion in the children, the Israelite people were a stiff necked and rebellious people when it came to their relationship with God (and even with their authorities as we're seeing in 1 Kings which we are teaching through on Sunday mornings here at Calvary Chapel Space Coast).

We, as humans, are just plain rebellious at heart. (To hear more about this you can listen to our service live tonight at 7:00 p.m. on WPIO 89.3 FM, or drop by and visit us- we have coffee and cold drinks cafe style in the sanctuary on Wednesday nights and have a relaxed time around God's Word).

So what's the answer? Teach children to honor their parents, and teach everyone that respecting ALL authority is commanded by God. Pray for your parents, and for ALL THOSE IN AUTHORITY.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
(1Ti 2:1-3)

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

The Fourth Commandment and the Sabbath Day

The fourth commandment gave the children of Israel a day of rest from their labor. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exo 20:8)

There are many debates in Christian circles over the sabbath, and I'm not sure at this point whether I should throw my eight cents in. Suffice it to say for now that God made it very clear that this was a covenant between Him and Israel.

Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. (Exo 31:16)

The Bible says that God worked six days and rested on the seventh.

The Bible says that He had created man on the sixth day.

Therefore the day that God rested (His seventh after his six days of creating) was the first day of the week for man, because God had created man the day before He rested.

God's rest on the seventh day was on the first day of man's 'calendar' if you will. If Adam entered into God's rest he would have rested on the first day.

God gave the seventh day rest to the house of Israel as a covenant between the Lord and them, but it is interesting that Christ was risen and appeared to His disciples on the first day of the week. The old priesthood and sacrifice had been superseded by a new priesthood and sacrifice. The old covenant had been superseded by a new covenant. We could now enter into GOD'S REST!

But is God's rest a 24 period the first day of our week? Hardly! Talking of a 24 hour period is missing the point of God's rest. For you see, the day of God's rest never ends! He did not create six days, rest a day, create six days, rest a day. He created six days and entered into an everlasting rest.

Praise the Lord!! The resurrected Christ did not just bring us a new 24 hour period of rest. He brought us an everlasting period of rest. To enter Christ's rest isn't to rest the 24 hours that God rested in the beginning. It is to enter that everlasting rest of God that is ours in Christ.

It is a rest apart from the law. It is a rest of a new heart in God. Just as circumcisionn was performed on the eighth day under the law, Christ was risen on the eighth day (first day of the week), bringing in victory over sin and death. In Christ there is everlasting life and everlasting rest, and you can enter in!!

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

The Third Commandment

IT'S NOT THE NAME, BUT THE PERSON BEHIND THE NAME THAT MAKES A NAME POWERFUL

In the name of God is deliverance for all mankind. Not because the name of God is part of some magic formula, but because the person of God is a mighty deliverer who delivers His people in their place of need.

"Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you. . . . Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? (Deu 4:1, 6-7)

PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GREAT MERCY AND LOVE!
HE DELIVERS THOSE THAT REPENT AND CALL ON HIM TO SAVE THEM.

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. (Psa 86:5)

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED." (Rom 10:12-13)

God's name is to be respected and revered, not muddied and tossed about like a cuss word.

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
(Exo 20:7)

We should say the name of the Lord often, but say it in a manner that brings Him glory.


I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned. (Psa 34:1-22)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

The Second Commandment

You shall not make yourself a sculptured image, and you shall not bow down to them or serve them.

God is forbidding us from creating gods in our own image, including creating God in our own image.

"Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.
(Deu 4:15-19)

The pagans made forms of gods and came up with magic formulas for the purpose of getting them to do our bidding. God forbids us from taking part in this madness, and this certainly includes making forms of Him for the purpose of getting Him to do our bidding. While we Americans don't rush to make forms of God or the gods, our bookstores are full of formulas for getting God or the gods to do our bidding. This includes the use of astrology and crystals, and even Christianized approaches to "move the hand of God".

We must be careful not to worship the forms or the formulas, and worship the one true God. We must also be committed to asking not what God can do for us, but asking what we can do for God.

All by His grace, and all for His glory,
Pastor B.

The First Commandment

I thought I would take a few days and discuss the ten commandments. Believe it or not, there is some disagreement as to which is the first commandment.

The first "shall" in Exodus 20 is "I am the Lord your God and you shall have no other gods before me". I would therefore identify this as the first commandment. The Jewish Talmud, however, separates this sentence into two commandments, stating that "I am the Lord your God" is the first commandment, and "you shall have no other gods before me" is the second. (The Jewish Talmud [תַּלְמוּ talmūd "instruction, learning"] is a record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law and custom dating back to the third century A.D., and is a central text of modern mainstream Judaism.)

It would appear, however, that this was a later change by the Jewish rabbis, as both 1st century Jewish philosopher Philo, and 1st century Jewish historian Josephus, identified the first "shall" as being the first commandment ("The first commandment teaches us, That there is but one God, and that we ought to worship him only;- the second commands us not to make the image of any living creature to worship it;"- Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus, Book III, Chapter V, Section V).

We are therefore on solid Biblical, as well as historical ground, in accepting the first "shall" in Exodus 20 as the first of the ten commandments.

"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before Me. (Exo 20:2-3)

(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),
(Exo 34:14)

When there is a covenant relationship between two parties, there is a belonging to one another that is exclusive of others. You are theirs, they are yours, and there is a fitting jealousy for the affection and attention of that person.

A husband that is constantly giving his affection and attention to those other than his wife is not giving her the respect and love due her. God faithfully gives His attention and affection to His own, and He has every right to expect this devotion and love to be reciprocated.

Does God have to compete for your affection and attention? If He does, make a genuine effort to make it right.

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

The 'Crisis' No True Christian will ever have to Face

There is one horrible event that no true Christian will ever have to face. The Great White Throne Judgment Day. (The Greek word for judgment is 'krisis'.)

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment ('krisis', but has passed from death into life. (Joh 5:24)

Jesus said that there are two resurrections in the last day. The resurrection of life and the resurrection of 'damnation' ('krisis'), or judgment. This word 'judgment' is sometimes translated 'condemnation' and sometimes translated 'damnation' in the New Testament. The reason for this is that there is a judgment day in God's courtroom where resurrected unbelievers are going to be found guilty, condemned, and damned. It is a day foretold in the book of Revelation, chapter 20. A day in which all those that are not written in the Lamb's book of life will be judged, condemned, and cast into the Lake of Fire.

On the other hand, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 describes the day when Christ followers will give account for their conduct. Here we are told that though the fire will try our works, we ourselves will be saved.

Praise God that Christ paid the penalty for our sins, and that through faith in His sacrifice we can be declared in right standing with God, and not be part of that second resurrection and the last 'Crisis' on planet earth.

Don't Invite Trouble Into Your Camp

God warns us not to covet things in the world that can be a snare to us. In the Hebrew these are called 'Kerem', accursed things, snares, nets that can snatch us from our blessings in the river of God.

And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
(Jos 6:18)

When we covet and go after the things of the world, we bring them into our homes, allowing them to be a snare to our loved ones in addition to being a snare to ourselves. Unfortunately, the mightest warriors of God can find themselves attracted to what the world has to offer, and the next thing you know they are bringing in accursed stuff (snares)- into their lives, into their homes, into their churches.

Many of you probably know the story of Gideon and how he won mighty victories for the Lord. But how many of you know the story of Gideon and the accrused thing?

Then Gideon said to them, "I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder." For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites. So they answered, "We will gladly give them." And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels' necks. Then Gideon made it into an ephod [image] and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.
(Jdg 8:24-27)

We can't live on past moves of God, past successes, or the spiritual man or woman that we knew ourselves to be yesterday. We are all tempted, but let's not invite temptation to camp out with us. It's one thing to get caught up in a net, but it's another thing to get caught up in a net that we brought into the camp.

Are there any accursed things in your camp?

Be careful my friend. What a shame to be snared in a net that we ourselves brought into the camp.

Don't invite trouble into your camp.

Have you been hiding lately?

Believe it or not, there is a time to boldly move forward, but there is also a time to hide. Usually we think of hiding as a bad, or cowardly thing to do, but King Solomon once said, "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished." (Pro 27:12) Sometimes we should know in advance that certain situations will be harmful, and should avoid them.

Do you unnecessarily put yourself in situations that could have negative consequences on you, or your testimony for the Lord? Jesus Himself avoided certain places and people during His earthly ministry when He felt that the outcome was not going to be good. God promises to protect us as His children, but as Jesus said, 'YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.' (Luk 4:12) In other words, you don't just go jumping into things expecting God to save the day on your behalf.

We are responsible to hide from, or avoid, those circumstances that we have reason to believe will likely set us back in some way, unless the Spirit of God directs us to go there. There is a difference between living carelessly or recklessly, and walking down that road to Jerusalem because we know that God has a purpose in it, and that He has called us to run the risk and be willing to suffer on His behalf.

So next time you're thinking of being with people, or in a place where you don't think the outcome is likely to be good, ask yourself if God is directing you to go there on His behalf, or whether it's a good time to practice avoidance in the name of Jesus.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

You're Surrounded, Come out with your hands up!

You're surrounded, come out with your hands up! Have you ever felt like God had to hunt you down in order to get you to surrender? God doesn't hunt us down and arrest us to take us to jail. He hunts us down and arrests us to get us to surrender to His will. We not surrounded by a posse of God's deputies, but are surrounded by those that have gone before us singing songs of deliverance. Even though we have all violated God's law, we are surrounded by God's mercy. We have no reason to fear going to prison, as we already in prison. We have been incarcerated by our sin. We are in a self-made prison of fear, worry, regret, and doubt, tormented by our response to life. God isn't looking to arrest us to put us into prison, but to set us free from prison. God is calling us to come out with our hands up, and to surrender. Are you willing to throw your hands up into the air and surrender? Are you willing to be set free from the power of sin?


Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psa 32:1-11)