Are You on a Mission?

"Mission"- A body of persons sent to establish relations with a foreign country." Mission comes from the Latin 'missio' meaning to send. The Greek word is ä-po-ste'l-lō' (An apostle in the New Testament was a 'sent one').

God has always gone to great lengths to send us His light, His truth, His Spirit, and His Word:

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!(Psa 43:3)
You send forth Your Spirit . . . And You renew the face of the earth. (Psa 104:30)
He sent Moses His servant, And Aaron whom He had chosen. (Psa 105:26)
He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly . . . He sends out His word and melts them;
(Psa 147:15-17)

God then sent the embodiment of His light, His truth, His Spirit, and His Word through Jesus Christ. And now we are His ambassadors, His mission, if you will.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2Co 5:17-21)

We, the church of Jesus Christ, are God's embassy here on earth. We are to plead with people that are alienated from God by sin to establish relationship with Him through repentance and faith in Christ. God is holy and righteous, and is a consuming fire that will judge and take vengeance on wickedness. But through the blood of the Lamb that covers and takes away our sin we can wear the white robe of the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus through faith. Calling all sinners, run for the embassy where you can find refuge from the wrath to come.

Are you on a Mission?

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Freedom in Christ

Are you free in Christ? What does that mean, exactly?

Does that mean you are free to dress like you want, spend your money like you want, spend your time like you want, and indulge in any socially acceptable habit that you want?

Is freedom really being able to do whatever we please? Is that the kind of freedom that Christ bought for us with His blood? The freedom to do whatever we please? The freedom to indulge in whatever activity gives us pleasure or satisfaction, as long as it's not against the rules of God's Word?

A baseball player that sits in the outfield picking daisies isn't violating any rules of the game, but wouldn't you agree that he's not doing what he's supposed to be doing?

So why would we think that we can sit in the field picking daisies and call ourselves Christ followers just because we're not violating any rules in the book?

Freedom in Christ is actually experienced as we surrender our will to His will, and live out our mission here on earth as obedient children, and as slaves of God.

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (Rom 6:22)

The freedom we have in Christ is not one of doing what we please, but being able to do what He pleases. Apart from Christ we cannot please God.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Heb 11:6)

God didn't call us to a life of indulgence and ease, but to a life of self-sacrifice and service in the Lord's army corps.

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. (2Ti 2:3-4)

Are you free in Christ? What does that mean exactly?

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Thanksgiving and the Pursuit of Happiness

What makes you thankful?

Brother Roy Coy sent out a devotion today (in his typical 4:00 a.m. way :) - maybe I should try getting up at 4:00 a.m.) challenging us to ask a very good question, "What would it take to make me happy?"

Our founding fathers talked of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Though we Americans probably have a higher quality and degree of life and liberty than most, we do spend a lot of time and energy pursuing that ever elusive thing called happiness.

So, what exactly are we pursuing? A group of Pilgrims pursuing religious freedom came to our shores in 1620, and the cold, sleet, and snow of the first winter was so severe that less than 50 of the 110 Pilgrims and crew survived it. Yet instead of bitterness toward God for the dead, there was thanksgiving toward God for the living. And on March 16, 1621, a miracle occurred- an Indian walked into their settlement, and he spoke English! His name was Samoset, and the rest is history. The birth of a holiday we call Thanksgiving, and the birth of a nation that we call America. And who knows. The outcome of our history may have been very different had those Pilgrims not chosen to be thankful in the midst of their loss and grief.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME." (Rom 10:10-11)

Those Pilgrims were not put to shame. They were ultimately delivered, and
ultimately used by God to found a great nation.

I do not know what God has in store for you, but I do know that He has a beautiful plan for your life, and that the choices you make each day affect others around you.

Maybe a different twist on the question of happiness, would be to ask you, whose happiness are you purusing? Your own, others, or God's?

To puruse His will, to know it, to obey it, and to stay in it, is probably the most effective way to bring true happiness. For in pursuing the happiness of your Heavenly Father, you bring His kingdom to earth (Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven), and with His kingdom comes righteousness, peace- the everlasting Holy Spirit kind!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Enter into His Presence with Thanksgiving

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (Psa 95:1-2)

Notice that even if you can't sing you can make a joyful noise! Express your thankfulness to God for your many blessings. Count your many blessings. Name them one by one!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1Th 5:16-18)

God wants us to always be in the mode of rejoicing in His goodness, praying, and giving thanks in every circumstance.

How in the world we do THAT?

Somehow we must rejoice, pray, and thank Him when we wake up, when we get ready to start a new day, when we drive to work, when we work, when we take our breaks, when we are home, when we are resting, when we are engaged in community activities, when we are shopping, and when we retire for the evening.

Obviously, our rejoicing, prayers, and thanks can't be limited to dinner time, bed time, church services, or special prayer meetings.

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. (Psa 5:3)

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
(Psa 34:1)

But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. (Psa 59:16)

Does God hear your voice first thing in the morning? Do you tell Him how grateful you are for His love? Do you praise Him and thank Him as you get ready for your new day? Does your praise and thanks continue throughout your day?

Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. (Psa 55:17)

My wife, Claudia, and I want to invite you to a special Thanksgiving Eve communion service at our church this Wednesday night from 7-8 p.m. (5195 S. Washington Ave. on the east side of U.S. 1 in Titusville - about a mile north of the 405 overpass). (Main parking is to the rear of the building.)


We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, . . . For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
(Col 1:3-9)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

God's Elite Guard

Hard to imagine the magnificence of the two cherubim, the 15 foot high angelic guardians of the holy of holies and the ark of the covenant. It appears that they may be capable of wielding flaming swords since Genesis 3:24 says:

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
(Gen 3:24)

There is some debate as to whether the cherubim are angels that are special attendants of God, or whether they are their own separate class of created beings. In Psalm 104:4 we read:

Who makes His angels spirits, His attendants a flame of fire.

Are the angels the attendants, or are the attendants a separate group from the angels?

One thing we do know about angels is that they look after God's own.

For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. (Psa 91:11)

Another thing we do know is that there is a heavenly army (i.e., host), and

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" (Dan 4:35)

This is good news for us, because this means that the Lord is the commander in chief of the heavenly army, and that no adversary can prevent Him from accomplishing His purposes.

Take comfort in knowing that though war should rise against you, your heart need not fear.


The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; . . . For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! (Psa 27:1-14)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

The Holy Spirit brought us what Jesus bought us!

Did you know that the Space Shuttle delivers cargo through the darkness of space?

Did you know that the Holy Spirit delivers cargo through the darkness of this world?

Jesus bought us a precious gift when He died on the cross and rose from the grave 2,000 years ago, but who was going to deliver the precious cargo of everlasting life?

Man sits in darkness with no hope, blinded by his sin and his adversary, the devil.

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2Co 4:3-4)

But Praise God that in the midst of the darkness God launched the Holy Spirit who carried the precious cargo of new life in Christ to a dying world. Praise God that in the midst of my darkness God launched the Holy Spirit who carried the precious gift of new life in Christ to me!

In our Christian heritage we are careful to remember what was accomplished on Mount Calvary and those last words of Jesus, "It is finished." But even though the payment of our sin had been finished there in Calvary, the delivery of what had been purchased had yet to be made! The Holy Spirit had yet to be launched!

And then on another mountain, Mount Olivet, a risen Jesus spoke those last words before His ascension to His throne, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me". The Holy Spirit was about to be launched!

Power! Power in the Holy Spirit! When a Christian says, "I have no power", what they are really saying is, "I have no power in the Holy Spirit". The Holy Spirit doesn't want to dock at your station and have you admire Him. He wants you to open up those bay doors and receive the victory that He has brought to you. It's a victory that Christ bought for you, but that you must take personal delivery of.

Don't pray for the Holy Spirit if you are a Christian, because He has already docked in you. Pray for the power! And when you pray for the power He will come upon you!!

The early Christians prayed for the power to boldly procliam Christ's word, and they got room shaking Holy Spirit power!

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Act 4:29-31)

Pray for the power to be His witness, and watch what shakes out!!!

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

By the way, did you know that the shuttle is mentioned in the Old Testament book of Job?

The Narrow Gate and Farmer Brown's Garden

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Mat 7:13-14)

Peter Rabbit was a naughty boy who got himself in trouble feasting on the delights of Farmer Brown's garden. He had great trouble finding, and then getting safely to, the narrow gate that he knew would lead to safety.

Fortunately for Peter, he found his way to the narrow gate and was able to escape to safety. But I'm sure there were many rabbits that didn't make it to through that narrow gate alive. (In the picture, Farmer Brown with his rake is pursuing Peter, trying to catch him before he makes it through the narrow gate.)

Most, if not all of us have found ourselves caught up in the things of the world at one time or another. While that in itself is a problem, the far greater danger is that the the things of the world can mesmerize us into spiritual oblivion. Once immersed in the things of the world, we may never find our way out of its garden of delights, and may not find our way back to that narrow gate.

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. (Heb 11:24-26)

Moses felt that bearing the suffering and shame of Christ was a greater treasure than enjoying the fame, fortune, power, and luxuries of all Egypt.

Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. (Heb 13:13-14)

We are foreigners behind enemy lines here on earth in this life. We are seeking a kingdom yet to come. In the mean time we are God's Resistance movement, if you will. On the other side of the narrow gate can be suffering and shame for a season, but it ultimately leads to safety and glory that far exceeds the enticements of Farmer Brown's garden.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Fearing God with Our Tongue

Take a look at the sins which Christian leaders were dealing with back in the late 1st century in the days after the death of the last living apostle (John).

2:1 And the teaching of the second commandment is this: 2 You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery; you shall not seduce boys; you shall not fornicate. You shall not steal. You shall not be a fortune-teller; you shall not practice sorcery. You shall not kill a child by abortion nor slay it when born. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. 3 You shall not commit perjury; you shall not give false testimony; you shall not speak evil; you shall not bear malice; 4 you shall not be double-minded or double-tongued, for a double-tongue is a snare of death. 5 Your word shall not be false or empty, but confirmed by deeds. 6 You shall not be greedy or rapacious or hypocritical or malicious or arrogant. You shall not take up an evil plot against your neighbor. 7 You shall not hate anyone, but some you shall rebuke, and some you shall pray for, and some you shall love more than your own soul. - Didache

Thou shalt not commit fornication, thou shalt not commit
adultery, thou shalt not corrupt boys. The word of God shall not
come forth from thee where any are unclean. Thou shalt not make a
difference in a person to reprove him for a transgression. Thou shalt
be meek, thou shalt be quiet, thou shalt be fearing the words
which thou hast heard. Thou shalt not bear a grudge against thy
brother.

Thou shalt not doubt whether a thing shall be or not be. Thou shalt
not take the name of the Lord in vain. Thou shalt love thy
neighbor more than thine own soul. Thou shalt not murder a child by
abortion, nor again shalt thou kill it when it is born. Thou shalt
not withhold thy hand from thy son or daughter, but from their youth
thou shalt teach them the fear of God. - Barnabas 19:4-5

Other than the command to not slay a child when it is born, it looks like the 1st century world struggled with the same moral issues that the 21st century world struggles with, and it is reported that cultures within China, India, Pakistan, and others have condoned the killing of unwanted children when they are born, particularly female children.

But isn't it interesting that even in these early writings of the church fathers that the sin of thinking and speaking badly of one another is in the lists with murder and adultery and sorcery.

So what is our problem? Why is the tongue such a problem? Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 that we will be held accountable, not just for our bad words, but for our "idle" words. In James 3:8 we read that noone can tame the tongue, that it is an unruly evil, and full of deadly poison. Wow!

Someone that is truly meek and humble is not likely to use their tongue to criticize and tear down others. It is the arrogant and the prideful that readily criticize and find fault, and top of that justify their critical speaking.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
(Pro 1:7)

The beginning of truly knowing the Lord, and understanding His ways is fearing Him. Respecting Him and His word enough to submit, confess our sins, and turn from our sin, rather than justifying it. Some would call this repentance. It's a choice. Justify our sin, or repent of our sin. Many of us can't imagine ourselves ever justifying murder, but can we imagine ourselves justifying a critical and judgmental spirit and evil speaking? Let's fear our God with our tongue, as well as our deeds.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
(Col 3:17)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Keep Shining, Church

Did you see that new sign that all the churches are putting up outside their buildings? The one that says,

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Actually I haven't ever seen the above words on a church sign, but I've often wanted to put the above words outside our own church facility.

Now granted, our church is not large, and not overflowing with natural resources and opportunity for financial freedom like the United States has always been, but shouldn't our churches be bright beacons of hope for the destitute, the needy, and the broken? Lighthouses on the rock in the midst of the storms?

The hope we offer isn't free handouts and us taking caring of people so that they don't have to take care of themselves. It's a hope in the form of deliverance in Christ, family in Christ, and eve friendship in Christ. Coming along side of people to help them grow in Christ, and glorify God in their lives.

Yes, there are many people out there that have learned to work the system, to take advantage of kind souls, and to avoid taking on responsibility for themselves and their families. But since when does a lighthouse try to determine which boats out there are up to no good, and which boats are honorable? The point is, there are darkness and storms out there, and our purpose is to stand on the rock and shine our light!

Arise, O church of Jesus Christ, and shine for the glory of God! Christ your Savior has come and has risen! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you through the power of the Holy Spirit! Look, the earth is covered in darkness, and the people in deep darkness. But the Lord is building you into a bright and shining city on the mountain rock of the King of kings and Lord of lords! Proclaim deliverance to the captives and the broken. Proclaim deliverance to those in bondage! Beckon all to our shores where freedom and healing are in abundance. Where righteousness, peace, and joy abide in the Holy Spirit. His glory will be seen upon you as you talk and walk in the Spirit, and the nations will come to your light. Even kings will come to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes and look all around. The fields are ripe for harvest, and our sons and daughters will come into the kingdom. (based on Isa 60:1-4, Is. 61:1, Mt. 5:14-16)

Praise the Lord! Keep shining, church!!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

His Blessing is in the Details

Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things;
(1Ch 28:11-12)

And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it. (1Ki 6:38)


Solomon had the daunting task of building a temple to God's detailed specifications. And yet, he faithfully saw to it that the temple was finished per those detailed specifications.



Under the New Covenant, we are the temple of God.

Do you not know that you (plural) are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1Co 3:16)

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:20-22)

And God has given the details on how the New Covenant temple is to be built.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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 28:18-20)

All the details are important. We have had a number of people in their sixties and seventies talking with me about getting immersed and confessing Christ in the waters of baptism. It is never to too late to get the details right. One gentleman in his seventies who committed his life to Christ in 1941, and who has been married for over fifty years, was recently immersed because he felt that God wanted him to get that detail right.

Many of you had parents that dedicated you to the Lord when you were babies. But have you gotten the details down as you have gotten old enough to understand what God requries? Whether you have never personally committed your life to Christ, whether you have never personally confessed Christ publicly in the waters of baptism, whether you have never personally used your giftings to serve the family of Christ, . . . it is never too late to get the details done right.

God has special and detailed plans for our lives. There is great blessing waiting for each of us in the details!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

How many times have I told you not run in God's house!

In our parents' generation it was quite common to refer to the church building as God's house. While no physical edifice these days is technically God's house, it was the place where we gathered together to praise the Lord, learn His Word, and give financially to support the ministry of the local church. While the building may not be God's house, it certainly is a building that has been set apart for a special purpose (i.e., sanctified), and therefore is worthy of our respect in a special sense. The big question is how do we best show our respect when we enter into its gates to fellowship and worship with the family of God?

There is an interesting verse in 1 Kings 6:7 (I'm teaching through the book of 1 Kings on Sunday mornings):

"And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built."

Why do you think that God's or Solomon's directions were to not have a hammer or chisel or iron tool heard in the temple while it was being built?

Some say it's because God doesn't like noise in His sanctuary. I have to smile at that one. After all God loves kids, and kids make noise :). More germane is Psalm 150:

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

My personal thought that I will leave you on this, is maybe it had more to do with honoring God through our preparation to go to the sanctuary, and not so much with what we do after we get there. The stones were to be so perfectly prepared for the Lord that they didn't need to be messed with at the sanctuary site. Maybe a point is that doing God's work is a 24/7 lifestyle, and that we should be prepared by our service for the Lord during the week, so that we come into the sanctuary ready to perfectly give of ourselves and our labor.

Sanctuary time shouldn't be a rat race and scurrying about during worship and during the teaching of the Word. It doesn't have to be a quiet time, but is should be a focused time- not focused on work, but focused on God. Any thoughts?

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

All this was done

God works many things in accordance with His plans. Matthew 1:22 says, "So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet'. Matthew 21:4 says, "All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet". And then we come to the horrible story about the betrayal of Jesus in Matthew 26:47-56:

And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

We so often here about Judas betraying Jesus, and yet what about the disciples that did not stay close to him in the rough times? Those that stood bravely by Jesus as long as things were going well, but who abandoned Him when things looked hopeless in their eyes.

Have you stayed by Jesus through the times when things looked hopeless? Have you trusted in Jesus in the times when it didn't look like God was going to do anything to deliver you? Have you had faith in the times when it seemed everything was unraveling before your eyes, as well as in the good times when everything seemed to be working out?

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
(Heb 6:10-12)

God is faithful. Let's imitate Him!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

So which dog are you feeding?

Have ever seen someone making a bad decision, and wondering where their mind was at? Have you ever made a bad decision and wondered where your own mind was at?

The Word of God teaches us that we Christians are caught between two natures (the two dogs in the picture- by the way, we're the bone in the picture), and these two natures are constantly tugging on us from opposite directions. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that in Christ we are a new creation and that all things are becoming new. Unfortunately, our old nature continues to battle for the bone, i.e., us!

"For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."
(Rom 7:15-25)

So, what is the answer to this dilemma? Our hope of victory and glory is Christ in us! (Col. 1:17). We must dwell in God's Word (John 8:31-32), and think on good things (Philippians 4:8-9).

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Joh 8:31-32)

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Php 4:8-9)

Freedom from bondage and worry and fear is ours in Christ. Freedom from the guilt of pass sin, freedom from the influence of past curses, it is all ours in Christ. Christ is a person, but He is a person that can dwell in us, and us in Him.

When we dwell in Christ and walk in the Spirit and His way we are feeding the good nature (good dog), and we dwell on ourselves and our self-gratifying wants and desires, we are feeding our old nature (bad dog). The dog you feed the most is the one that will win the bone.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Attempt Great Things!

Attempt great things FOR God. Expect great things FROM God.

The above saying sounds really cool, and yes, I even find it inspiring.

I'm not sure about the attempting part, but I love the expecting part. In my mind, attempt means to try, and I'm not sure God's Word has much to say about trying. Attempting almost has that 'give it a try' or 'give it a shot and see what happens' ring to it. I'm not sure that God beckons us to give things a try, or to give them a shot and see what shakes out. What do you think?

It's almost like, attempt to be a great athlete, and expect God to make you one.
Attempt to be rich, and expect God to make you rich.
hmmmmm.

Or maybe we should try inserting more spiritual things into our saying and see how that sounds.

Attempt to be a great witness, and expect God to give you great results.
Attempt to be a great praise band and expect God to give you great results.
hmmmmmmmmmm.

Something still doesn't sound quite right, does it?

We know we should expect great things from God, but I'm not sure that our part is attempting what we believe to be great things. You and I could come up with all sorts of ideas and plans for doing great things for God tomorrow, and miss what He would have us do today.

Leading a great crusade for Christ sounds much grander, dare I say greater, than praying for someone you meet in the store today, but isn't the greatest of all things to love? (And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love- 1Co 13:13)

The journey God has called us to is a journey in the wilderness of this world, and it is fraught with many things that can cause us to lose heart or be discouraged.

Maybe the answer to winning this race is not our feeble attempts to do great things, but answering our divine call to do His will.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
(Heb 12:1-3)

When the LORD freed us from captivity, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad. Free us from our captivity, O LORD, As the streams in the South. Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his harvest with him.
(Psa 126:1-6)

Seek the Lord, my friend, listen to His voice in your spirit, step out in faith, and follow.
When you live your life FOR God, even in the littlest things, you are doing GREAT THINGS.
Attempt THOSE great things for God, and expect great things from God.
Live your life FOR God, and expect great things FROM God.
Sow the seed of God's truth and His love, and you will have your harvest- for God gives us great things!!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

What Gets Measured Gets Done

Have you ever heard the expression, "What gets measured gets done?" It is used in the work environment to remind management that the things they require their people to measure are the things their people will make a point to complete. Asking people to measure an activity communicates the importance of that activity.

Sooooooo, we've started collecting weekly data on how we're doing in proclaiming Christ to people through our words and gospel tracts, and how we're doing in praying with people.

And I've got good news! Our Calvary Chapel Space Coast family prayed with about 50 people the week of November 1st, gave out about 125 gospel tracts, and witnessed to about 30 people. HOW AWESOME IS THAT? We have recently had several people commit their lives to Christ and publicly confess Him in the waters of baptism, and we now have a few more in line. HOW AWESOME IS THAT? We had a lady in our church pray with our pastor last week for a loved one that was in a lot of pain with a crippling medical condition, and a report came in Saturday that they had a pain free day! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

We have a God that answers prayer, that saves souls, and that changes lives. HOW AWESOME IS HE? AWESOME!

"I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Praise the Lord for our church family and the mighty work He is doing in us, and through us, in the name of Jesus!!

I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.
(Psa 145:1-21)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Reaching the Lost

In Mark 16:15 Jesus told his disciples to, "Go into all the world and preach (i.e., proclaim) the gospel".

I'd like to recognize one notable man and group that started a fire for missions in the 16th century; John Calvin, and those that later became known as the Calvinists. John Calvin pastored a church in Geneva, Switzerland, in the mid 1500s, and under his leadership the church became a missionary hub for Europe, and over 100 missionaries were sent out within a several year period. Many a missioinary, evangelist, and preacher traced their theological roots back to this small congregation. Some of these include pioneer Baptist missionary William Carey (1761-1834), father of the modern missions movement, Adonirum Judson (Burma), Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Charles Hadden Spurgeon.

Spurgeon, once said, "I think the missionary should say, I am come to tell you something which the One God of heaven and earth hath said, and I tell you before I announce it, that if you believe it you shall be saved, and if not, you shall be damned. I am come to tell you that Jesus Christ, the Son of God became flesh, to die for poor unworthy man, that through his mediation, and death, and suffering, the people of God might be delivered. Now, if you will listen to me you shall hear the word of God: if you do not, I shake the dust of my feet against you, and go somewhere else.”

Oh, that the Lord would give us a heart to reach the lost. If you are within driving distance of our Titusville, Florida, fellowship, I invite you to come out Thursday nights at 7:00 p.m. here at the church for an exciting video series on sharing your faith. It's the Way of the Master series and has been a great help to many in our community.

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

What Kind of a Checklist are you Keeping?

So how are you doing with your daily walk? Witnessed? check. Praised God? check. Prayed? check. Read the Bible? check. Showed someone the love of Jesus? check. Generously gave to your church? check (no pun intended).

I hope that in your effort to be more organized that you are not reducing your relationship with the Lord to a checklist.




Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
(Eph 3:13-21)

Your Heavenly Father loves you and wants you to spend time getting to know Him. Think of how you feel about your kids or your best friend. You wouldn't want them to reduce your relationship to a checklist would you? Of course, not. Checklists can help us be organized, but they are no substitute for spending time with someone, getting to know them, and personally loving them.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Go Figure

Why does God do the things He does the way He does? Man has pondered such a question for millenia.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
(Isa 55:8-9)

Okay, we recognize that there is a God, and that we are not Him. But that still makes us wonder. And though wondering is not necessarily bad, let us not forget that part of God's purpose is to fight the war against worldliness head on, and that necessarily includes standing toe to toe with our worldly natural wisdom.

For it is written: "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND BRING TO NOTHING THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRUDENT." Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
(1Co 1:19-20)

And so God moves by His Spirit, demonstrating His power in the midst of our weak flesh.

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
(1Co 2:4)

Jesus came to shine His light, and yet He spoke to us in parables.

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,
(Mat 13:34)

So next time, you have a hard time figuring out why God does what He does, just remember that He is well aware that we have a hard time figuring Him out, and He actually intends it that way.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

It's Not Over Until the Skinny Lady Sings!

Don't be discouraged, the battle is not over, and YOU ARE GOING TO WIN IT! The enemy will use your own mind, the words of others, and many other creative ways to convince you that you will never win over your struggles, and that your situation or is hopeless. The Word of God tells you that WE WILL NOT BE CONSUMED because our Heavenly Father is caring for us, and giving us new kindnesses and gifts EVERY MORNING! EVERY MORNING IS CHRISTMAS WITH CHRIST! God is faithful to bless us every morning. If we are willing to fervently seek the Lord, and patiently wait for Him to turn things around, HE WILL DELIVER US!!! He is our victory, He is our mighty army, He is the one who vanquishes our every foe. Hope in Christ is expectation that Christ will come through for us. The Lord reigns. Let His people rejoice!

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD. (Lam 3:21-26)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

It's Hard to Score Points if You Don't Shoot at the Goal

What is it that you want to achieve today? We concern ourselves so much with tomorrow, but sometimes, if we're not careful, today doesn't get taken care of. Did you know that YOU CAN BE VICTORIOUS TODAY!

No matter what it is you struggle with- your weight and diet, your fiances and spending habits, your Bible devotions and prayer time- YOU CAN OVERCOME IN CHRIST TODAY!

Luke 9:23 tells us as Christ followers that we have a decision to make each day. Whatever it is that you want to do with the rest of your life, it is TODAY that will get you there. When you show up for a worship service, what is it that you want to achieve? What is your goal for being there? We should live each and every day with purpose under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Whatever your struggles, whatever bad habits you want to drop, whatever good habits you want to pick up, your victory starts with TODAY.

Today, if you will hear His voice, TODAY is the day of your deliverance. (2 Cor 6:2).

Don't worry about tomorrow, just be real good today, the Lord will stand beside you, He'll guide you all the way. Have faith, hope, and charity, that's the way to live successfully, how do I know? The Bible tells me so.

So what does God want you to be real good about today? What mighty work does the Lord want to perform in your life? Philippians 4:13 is your promise that you can be victorious through Christ in all circumstances.

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Are You Ready?

On your mark, get ready, get set, Go!

On your mark. Position yourself in Christ. Anything other than trusting fully and only in the work of Jesus Christ will disqualify you for the spiritual race before us.

Get ready. Get your mind firmly on the things of Christ. Your attitude determines your altitude. You must bring your mind into subjection to the things of God before having any hope of bringing you body into subjection to God.

Get set. Set your body firmly in line with God's Word. Deny your flesh and the cravings which it bombards you with, and determine to run this race for the glory of God.

Go! Go, go, go!!!! Go proclaiming Christ as Lord and Savior of a sinful and lost world. Go praising God in all circumstances. Go praying for and with others, blessing them in the name of Jesus. Go proving the love of Christ as you put others before yourself in your daily life. Go providing for your church family generously, so that your pastor is provided for, and the facility you use as home base is provided for.

YOU WILL WIN THIS RACE!
You are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Heb 12:1-2)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Hope You Have an Awesome Week!

Sometimes someone will ask, "How did your day go?". One response that used to be commonly used was, "Another day, another dollar". It meant I worked hard and at least I earned another day's pay. The implication was that it's a rough daily grind, but at least I'm earning enough money to keep my head above water. It's one of those phrases that implied you weren't rich and you weren't getting ahead, but at least you weren't destitute.

Do you ever feel that way about your spiritual life? That you're managing, but really not getting ahead? That you're working at it like crazy, but just getting by? That you're not on fire for the Lord, but at least you're not acting like a heathen?

I hope my friends, that you do not see your Christian walk as a daily grind, and merely another attempt to stay afloat in the midst of the quagmire of the world.

He HAS DELIVERED US from the power of darkness and TRANSPORTED US into the kingdom of His dear Son! (Colossians 1:13).

We are in the world, but no longer of the world. This world has no hold on us, and has nothing that can separate us from the arms of God! (Romans 8:28-39).

Take a few moments and read Romans 8:28-39.

In Christ, YOU ARE AN OVERCOMER. In Christ, YOU ARE A VICTOR IN THIS WAR. In Christ, YOU ARE ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS LIFE. In Christ, YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE LIVING GOD!!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.