Wednesday, 7/26/2023
"We Just Don't Know"
"We Just Don't Know"
We are called to follow Jesus and live a life of love. We are asked to love our God above all else. We are called to love ourselves, and also to love our brothers and sisters. What is more, we are even called to love those that, shall we say, fall outside our comfort zone. With great power comes great responsibility. And whether you know it or not, you have great power. We are called to treat others with love in all situations. Basic courtesy and respect is one way that we reflect this love into the situations we encounter each day.
Perhaps we struggle with thinking that we all have a great deal of power. Maybe not in the way a weightlifter can move amounts of weight. Maybe not in the way a billionaire can do anything they want. Maybe not in the way a soldier is trained to assault and defend. But there are many different types of power. We each have the power to affect the lives around us. With little more than a kind word and a smile, we can let someone know they are seen in the world; they are not invisible; they matter. A random kind word can change the direction of a person’s day. Proverbs 16:24, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” What an amazing power we have. Our mercy and kindness can heal a broken spirit. But like with all of life there is a choice.
Proverbs 15:4, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” We can bring life, or we can destroy it. Oh perhaps not in the way a warrior takes life but a constant barrage of negativity can damage a soul to such a degree that a person forgets their own value and loses the will to go on. Oh what an amazing power we have! We just don’t know the struggles that others are going through.
Perhaps that clerk that is moving slow is just learning the job because after 35 years of marriage their spouse left them last month. They have never had to work before so now they have to deal with the sudden fear of spending the rest of their life alone, the stress of learning a new job, and staying cheerful for customers when inside they are falling apart. We just don’t know. Perhaps that guy that just pulled out in front of you did not see you because his oncologist just called with the news he has been dreading. We just don’t know. Perhaps that person that appears timid and forgetful is just coming out of an abusive relationship and still feels that they can do nothing right. So they are struggling to meet unreasonable internal expectations and this causes them to freeze in fear when confronted with challenges. We just don’t know.
We just don’t know what struggles and pain the people we encounter are trying to survive. We don’t know who may be on the edge of collapse. We don’t know who might be fighting to find their way out of a pit of despair. We don’t know who might be contemplating suicide. We just don’t know!
We are not called to base our behavior on the behavior of those around us. We are not called to only be loving when the world is going our way. We are not called to judge, lest we fall in danger of judgment ourselves. Matthew 6:12, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” I want this grace in my life. I need this grace in my life.
Just as we do not know what others are going through, they also don’t know what might be weighing us down. On a hard day a kind word might be exactly what I need to renew my energy. Perhaps a little patience and grace would help me to get through what seems like the worst day of my life. Maybe a smile would help me to know that I am seen, that I exist and matter. My clothes may be on correctly; a smile might be on my face; I might go through all the motions but still be collapsing on the inside. You just don’t know. And so I ask for your love. I ask for your grace, I ask for your kindness and patience. And I beg that this grace be shown not just to me but to all your brothers and sisters, especially when you don’t think we deserve it. Because that is what grace is, and that is how we have been called to treat each other.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Perhaps we struggle with thinking that we all have a great deal of power. Maybe not in the way a weightlifter can move amounts of weight. Maybe not in the way a billionaire can do anything they want. Maybe not in the way a soldier is trained to assault and defend. But there are many different types of power. We each have the power to affect the lives around us. With little more than a kind word and a smile, we can let someone know they are seen in the world; they are not invisible; they matter. A random kind word can change the direction of a person’s day. Proverbs 16:24, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” What an amazing power we have. Our mercy and kindness can heal a broken spirit. But like with all of life there is a choice.
Proverbs 15:4, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” We can bring life, or we can destroy it. Oh perhaps not in the way a warrior takes life but a constant barrage of negativity can damage a soul to such a degree that a person forgets their own value and loses the will to go on. Oh what an amazing power we have! We just don’t know the struggles that others are going through.
Perhaps that clerk that is moving slow is just learning the job because after 35 years of marriage their spouse left them last month. They have never had to work before so now they have to deal with the sudden fear of spending the rest of their life alone, the stress of learning a new job, and staying cheerful for customers when inside they are falling apart. We just don’t know. Perhaps that guy that just pulled out in front of you did not see you because his oncologist just called with the news he has been dreading. We just don’t know. Perhaps that person that appears timid and forgetful is just coming out of an abusive relationship and still feels that they can do nothing right. So they are struggling to meet unreasonable internal expectations and this causes them to freeze in fear when confronted with challenges. We just don’t know.
We just don’t know what struggles and pain the people we encounter are trying to survive. We don’t know who may be on the edge of collapse. We don’t know who might be fighting to find their way out of a pit of despair. We don’t know who might be contemplating suicide. We just don’t know!
We are not called to base our behavior on the behavior of those around us. We are not called to only be loving when the world is going our way. We are not called to judge, lest we fall in danger of judgment ourselves. Matthew 6:12, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” I want this grace in my life. I need this grace in my life.
Just as we do not know what others are going through, they also don’t know what might be weighing us down. On a hard day a kind word might be exactly what I need to renew my energy. Perhaps a little patience and grace would help me to get through what seems like the worst day of my life. Maybe a smile would help me to know that I am seen, that I exist and matter. My clothes may be on correctly; a smile might be on my face; I might go through all the motions but still be collapsing on the inside. You just don’t know. And so I ask for your love. I ask for your grace, I ask for your kindness and patience. And I beg that this grace be shown not just to me but to all your brothers and sisters, especially when you don’t think we deserve it. Because that is what grace is, and that is how we have been called to treat each other.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Thursday, 4/27/2023
"Call Out"
"Call Out"
~~~
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8
~~~
Christianity is not a fad to be changed on the whim of man or society. It is not about traditions established through time and repetition. It does not conform itself to the dictates of the world around us. Christianity is established by the infallible living word of God. God wrote the bible through man, by holy inspiration. Any doctrine taught that is not backed by scripture and the gospel is incorrect. The bible is the final word.
Beware any preacher that will make the statement that something is in the bible but they do not have a reference as to where it can be found. It is easy to cheat the new creation in Christ or the faithful who is uninformed. They so want to believe that those who care more for their own agenda and advancement than for Gods can easily lead them astray. As we are warned in Matthew 23:28, ‘Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.’ So what are we to do? How are we to know as we go through our daily struggle? Jesus Himself tells us in John 7:24, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” We are to listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as well as strengthening and trusting our spiritual discernment.
You need not worry and feel that you are alone when trying to navigate the quagmire of life’s sin and perversity. When you believe and have faith that God is the One True God, the Creator of heaven and earth, when you confess and repent of your sins. When you accept the sacrifice Jesus made for you and take Him as your Lord and Savior; when baptized, you come out of the water washed clean of your sins, the Holy Spirit will reside within you. We are told this in John 7:38, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”, the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us to trust the Spirit. In John 16:13 Jesus says, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but what He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” Pray to Jesus to strengthen your inner ear to better hear the voice of the Spirit. Pray for supernatural guidance when faced with dilemmas. Pray for discernment, to be equipped to judge with righteous judgment. You have all the skills and help you need if you will call upon them.
We can all feel challenged and beset by the world around us. We must begin to make a habit of prayer and meditation on the word. We must read the bible so as to not be led astray by false teachers, well meaning or not. We must seek God’s face to better know Him and His plan for our life. You have eyes to see; use them. You have ears to hear; use them. Actively pursue God and the Lord Jesus in your life. Father God is a God of miracles; call out to Him to show up in your life in wondrous and miraculous ways. God tells the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” So I encourage you all to call out to God. I encourage you all to invite God into your life daily. I encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart; to pray to Jesus and tell Him every day that you cannot live a day without Him residing within you, giving you comfort and strength. To hear the word of God from another can be a beautiful thing but we should all be reading the word and speaking to God ourselves as well. Strengthen your personal relationship with Jesus through prayer. Have faith and trust in the Lord to provide you with revelation for your life and direction.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8
~~~
Christianity is not a fad to be changed on the whim of man or society. It is not about traditions established through time and repetition. It does not conform itself to the dictates of the world around us. Christianity is established by the infallible living word of God. God wrote the bible through man, by holy inspiration. Any doctrine taught that is not backed by scripture and the gospel is incorrect. The bible is the final word.
Beware any preacher that will make the statement that something is in the bible but they do not have a reference as to where it can be found. It is easy to cheat the new creation in Christ or the faithful who is uninformed. They so want to believe that those who care more for their own agenda and advancement than for Gods can easily lead them astray. As we are warned in Matthew 23:28, ‘Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.’ So what are we to do? How are we to know as we go through our daily struggle? Jesus Himself tells us in John 7:24, “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” We are to listen for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as well as strengthening and trusting our spiritual discernment.
You need not worry and feel that you are alone when trying to navigate the quagmire of life’s sin and perversity. When you believe and have faith that God is the One True God, the Creator of heaven and earth, when you confess and repent of your sins. When you accept the sacrifice Jesus made for you and take Him as your Lord and Savior; when baptized, you come out of the water washed clean of your sins, the Holy Spirit will reside within you. We are told this in John 7:38, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”, the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells us to trust the Spirit. In John 16:13 Jesus says, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but what He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” Pray to Jesus to strengthen your inner ear to better hear the voice of the Spirit. Pray for supernatural guidance when faced with dilemmas. Pray for discernment, to be equipped to judge with righteous judgment. You have all the skills and help you need if you will call upon them.
We can all feel challenged and beset by the world around us. We must begin to make a habit of prayer and meditation on the word. We must read the bible so as to not be led astray by false teachers, well meaning or not. We must seek God’s face to better know Him and His plan for our life. You have eyes to see; use them. You have ears to hear; use them. Actively pursue God and the Lord Jesus in your life. Father God is a God of miracles; call out to Him to show up in your life in wondrous and miraculous ways. God tells the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” So I encourage you all to call out to God. I encourage you all to invite God into your life daily. I encourage you to invite Jesus into your heart; to pray to Jesus and tell Him every day that you cannot live a day without Him residing within you, giving you comfort and strength. To hear the word of God from another can be a beautiful thing but we should all be reading the word and speaking to God ourselves as well. Strengthen your personal relationship with Jesus through prayer. Have faith and trust in the Lord to provide you with revelation for your life and direction.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Thursday, 2/16/2023
"I Have a Little Lemon"
"I Have a Little Lemon"
I have a little lemon. And by that, I mean I have a little lemon tree and it has produced a little lemon. I guess this sounds like I’m bragging. And, well, it should--because I am. I am very proud of my little lemon tree.
My lemon tree has had a hard life. There has been great struggle and hardship. The first winter my little lemon tree sat too close to the window and all the branches withered away from the cold. That spring, I cut my little lemon tree back to nothing but a trunk. It was one bare trunk about ten inches long. To be honest my little lemon tree made Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree look majestic and full. I almost gave up hope.
But God is good, and the next spring small branches began to shoot out from that bare trunk. By the end of the summer, there were many new branches and leaves. Now, I am not trying to say that my poor little lemon tree was not affected by that rough first winter. The scars of that hardship were easy to see. But God is good; the tree may be scarred but it is alive and growing. Not only is it growing, but it is producing fruit.
Yes! Praise God and halleluiah! On my little lemon tree, I have a little lemon. Truth be told, I must brag again for I have not just one little lemon on my tree but two. Of the many blooming flowers, two clung to life and slowly grew. And grew. And grew. I have learned over the last year that lemons are slow growers, though it does not help that mine is an indoor tree. It never bothered me over the last year as I watched the small bud grow into a round green fruit. And for the longest time, things did not appear to change as the fruit simply clung to the branch. It did not bother me. I certainly was not going to retire from my crop of two lemons once harvest came in so why rush.
That was easy to do when things did not appear to be changing. Time just went on. But the change began first on the inside as the fruit developed. I could not see a difference until that inward ripening began to be reflected on the outside. At first it was just a faint yellowish hue, almost impossible to see amidst the green. And on the inside, things continued to develop and ripen.
Now that I could see a difference, I began to get excited. I did some research and learned that lemon will only develop on the tree. Unlike many other fruits, lemons do not continue to ripen once they are harvested. Lemons need to stay connected to the branch to be fed and to grow.
It does not matter my excitement. I cannot rush a lemon. It does no good to place it in a bag, or the crisper, on a dark shelf, or a sunny windowsill. Nothing I can do will speed up the process. I must take my joy today in the growth I see, the life I see growing in front of me. God created the lemon tree in its own perfection. And when I do not interfere with God’s plan and allow God’s timing to work, I am blessed with the delicious fruit of God’s plan for creation. I look at my lemons every day. I watch them grow, each at their own speed. I wait. I know that if I do not interfere, if I do not allow my flesh, my excitement to get ahead of God, in due season I will have a perfect little lemon. As God intended.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
My lemon tree has had a hard life. There has been great struggle and hardship. The first winter my little lemon tree sat too close to the window and all the branches withered away from the cold. That spring, I cut my little lemon tree back to nothing but a trunk. It was one bare trunk about ten inches long. To be honest my little lemon tree made Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree look majestic and full. I almost gave up hope.
But God is good, and the next spring small branches began to shoot out from that bare trunk. By the end of the summer, there were many new branches and leaves. Now, I am not trying to say that my poor little lemon tree was not affected by that rough first winter. The scars of that hardship were easy to see. But God is good; the tree may be scarred but it is alive and growing. Not only is it growing, but it is producing fruit.
Yes! Praise God and halleluiah! On my little lemon tree, I have a little lemon. Truth be told, I must brag again for I have not just one little lemon on my tree but two. Of the many blooming flowers, two clung to life and slowly grew. And grew. And grew. I have learned over the last year that lemons are slow growers, though it does not help that mine is an indoor tree. It never bothered me over the last year as I watched the small bud grow into a round green fruit. And for the longest time, things did not appear to change as the fruit simply clung to the branch. It did not bother me. I certainly was not going to retire from my crop of two lemons once harvest came in so why rush.
That was easy to do when things did not appear to be changing. Time just went on. But the change began first on the inside as the fruit developed. I could not see a difference until that inward ripening began to be reflected on the outside. At first it was just a faint yellowish hue, almost impossible to see amidst the green. And on the inside, things continued to develop and ripen.
Now that I could see a difference, I began to get excited. I did some research and learned that lemon will only develop on the tree. Unlike many other fruits, lemons do not continue to ripen once they are harvested. Lemons need to stay connected to the branch to be fed and to grow.
It does not matter my excitement. I cannot rush a lemon. It does no good to place it in a bag, or the crisper, on a dark shelf, or a sunny windowsill. Nothing I can do will speed up the process. I must take my joy today in the growth I see, the life I see growing in front of me. God created the lemon tree in its own perfection. And when I do not interfere with God’s plan and allow God’s timing to work, I am blessed with the delicious fruit of God’s plan for creation. I look at my lemons every day. I watch them grow, each at their own speed. I wait. I know that if I do not interfere, if I do not allow my flesh, my excitement to get ahead of God, in due season I will have a perfect little lemon. As God intended.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Thursday, 1/26/23
"Life is a Blessing Filled with Joy"
"Life is a Blessing Filled with Joy"
Life is a blessing filled with joy, wonder, majesty, and miracles. There is beauty found all throughout God’s creation. But like a thorn on a rose, amongst the beauty is also pain, suffering, loss, and death. Life is a challenge and can often be a test of our righteousness and faith. We are beset by temptations everyday. We must strive to walk in the spirit not the flesh. As Paul tells the people of the Corinthian church in 2Corinthians 4:8 ‘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.’ We must not allow the struggles we face in this world to pull us away from God and the salvation offered by Christ Jesus. Our time here is momentary while our spirit is eternal. Matthew 10:28, ‘And do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.’
So let us walk forward in boldness and strength. Let us proceed through life with the confidence that this mortal body is but a prelude to what comes after. Illness, injury, struggle, and strife will end one day; that is guaranteed. How you handle these challenges and what you do with your time here is what will determine your place in the afterlife. Where will your eternal spirit reside? What account will you give when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ Jesus? 2Corinthians 5:10, ‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.’
So should we use our struggles as an excuse to sin? No, of course not. We must glory in our struggles for the opportunity it provides to rely on God for strength and comfort. We must use the tribulations we face every day to reinforce our faith in the Lord and our trust in the promises that God made to each of us. We must look to the examples of those that carried on in spite of hardships, both physical and mental to continue to do God’s work, such as Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, and the Apostle Paul himself. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, ‘And Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness...”’ We must lean on God and rely on Him to see us through our challenges whether they be political, physical, mental or spiritual. Philippians 4:18, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’
We only see our small part of the puzzle and cannot know how the struggles we face may advance God’s kingdom. When you carry on through adversity and illness, through trails and tribulation, you provide an example for others to see that God’s work can be done even in times of trouble. How easy it is to praise the Lord when everything is going well but how much more powerful it is to have the faith in God, to sing His praises when we are facing death and hardships. There are many Christians each day that are facing the end of their journey here on earth and yet they continue to strive to reflect God’s love and grace into the world around them. The shining light of this continued praise and worship of the Lord is an inspiration to all. 2Corinthians 12:10, ‘Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in prosecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’
In the book of Acts we see the first Christian martyr, Stephen facing persecution and death but even to save his life he does not deny his Lord. Acts 7:55, ‘But he being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”’ Then moments later as he was being stoned to death, Acts 7:60, ‘Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord do not charge them with this sin.”’ Stephen took his faith beyond mere words; his trust in the teachings of Christ Jesus, teachings of love and forgiveness sustained him and brought him into the glory of God’s kingdom. His courage at facing down his accusers, his faith in Father God and the Lord Jesus even unto the end of his mortal body itself is an inspiration. John 8:51, “Most assuredly I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
Therefore, we march forward as armor bearers of God. We march forward in righteousness. We march forward in light. We do not allow the challenges of this world to overcome our faith and trust in the Lord. 2Corinthians 5:1, ‘For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.’ We continue to do what we can when we can. We reach out at every opportunity to advance God’s kingdom. We will not hesitate or stray from the holy path of God’s will but press onward in righteousness regardless of adversity. James 4:14, ‘…whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a time and then vanishes away.’ We will follow the advice of James and be doers of the word and not hearers only. We will overcome and we will triumph! Philippians 3:14, ‘I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’ Amen
Father God, I ask you for strength. I know that I cannot understand your ways, for your thoughts are much greater than mine, so I simply ask you to support and comfort me through my struggles. Father, I ask that you be with me and hold me in Your righteous right hand as I face the hardships of this world. I want to walk the righteous path Lord and though I may stumble, I trust that You will be there to catch me. I turn to You God for guidance and instruction. I turn to You Lord and seek Your face. I thank You God for the example that Your Son Christ Jesus set before me, an example of how to be obedient in the face of hardship, adversity, pain, and death. I ask You God for the strength I need to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, to live my life by His commandments, to advance Your holy kingdom. I thank You God for every opportunity You have given me. By my own free will I choose to be a child of light. Whether my life is a minute, a day, or many years longer I accept the responsibility of being an heir to the kingdom of heaven and eagerly strive to fulfill my life giving You glory and honor. Thank You Lord for giving me the chance to be Your servant. In the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
So let us walk forward in boldness and strength. Let us proceed through life with the confidence that this mortal body is but a prelude to what comes after. Illness, injury, struggle, and strife will end one day; that is guaranteed. How you handle these challenges and what you do with your time here is what will determine your place in the afterlife. Where will your eternal spirit reside? What account will you give when you stand before the judgment seat of Christ Jesus? 2Corinthians 5:10, ‘For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.’
So should we use our struggles as an excuse to sin? No, of course not. We must glory in our struggles for the opportunity it provides to rely on God for strength and comfort. We must use the tribulations we face every day to reinforce our faith in the Lord and our trust in the promises that God made to each of us. We must look to the examples of those that carried on in spite of hardships, both physical and mental to continue to do God’s work, such as Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa, and the Apostle Paul himself. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, ‘And Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness...”’ We must lean on God and rely on Him to see us through our challenges whether they be political, physical, mental or spiritual. Philippians 4:18, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’
We only see our small part of the puzzle and cannot know how the struggles we face may advance God’s kingdom. When you carry on through adversity and illness, through trails and tribulation, you provide an example for others to see that God’s work can be done even in times of trouble. How easy it is to praise the Lord when everything is going well but how much more powerful it is to have the faith in God, to sing His praises when we are facing death and hardships. There are many Christians each day that are facing the end of their journey here on earth and yet they continue to strive to reflect God’s love and grace into the world around them. The shining light of this continued praise and worship of the Lord is an inspiration to all. 2Corinthians 12:10, ‘Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in prosecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’
In the book of Acts we see the first Christian martyr, Stephen facing persecution and death but even to save his life he does not deny his Lord. Acts 7:55, ‘But he being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”’ Then moments later as he was being stoned to death, Acts 7:60, ‘Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord do not charge them with this sin.”’ Stephen took his faith beyond mere words; his trust in the teachings of Christ Jesus, teachings of love and forgiveness sustained him and brought him into the glory of God’s kingdom. His courage at facing down his accusers, his faith in Father God and the Lord Jesus even unto the end of his mortal body itself is an inspiration. John 8:51, “Most assuredly I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”
Therefore, we march forward as armor bearers of God. We march forward in righteousness. We march forward in light. We do not allow the challenges of this world to overcome our faith and trust in the Lord. 2Corinthians 5:1, ‘For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.’ We continue to do what we can when we can. We reach out at every opportunity to advance God’s kingdom. We will not hesitate or stray from the holy path of God’s will but press onward in righteousness regardless of adversity. James 4:14, ‘…whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a time and then vanishes away.’ We will follow the advice of James and be doers of the word and not hearers only. We will overcome and we will triumph! Philippians 3:14, ‘I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’ Amen
Father God, I ask you for strength. I know that I cannot understand your ways, for your thoughts are much greater than mine, so I simply ask you to support and comfort me through my struggles. Father, I ask that you be with me and hold me in Your righteous right hand as I face the hardships of this world. I want to walk the righteous path Lord and though I may stumble, I trust that You will be there to catch me. I turn to You God for guidance and instruction. I turn to You Lord and seek Your face. I thank You God for the example that Your Son Christ Jesus set before me, an example of how to be obedient in the face of hardship, adversity, pain, and death. I ask You God for the strength I need to follow in Jesus’ footsteps, to live my life by His commandments, to advance Your holy kingdom. I thank You God for every opportunity You have given me. By my own free will I choose to be a child of light. Whether my life is a minute, a day, or many years longer I accept the responsibility of being an heir to the kingdom of heaven and eagerly strive to fulfill my life giving You glory and honor. Thank You Lord for giving me the chance to be Your servant. In the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Monday, 11/14/22
"Two Sides"
"Two Sides"
Are you prepared to be a Warrior for Christ? I hope so. The devil is attempting to recruit new soldiers everyday. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are reminded that the devil walks among us like a roaring lion seeking to devour any he can. There are no sidelines when it comes to your eternal soul. Jesus was very clear about this when He assigned the great commission to His disciples after He had risen. In Mark 16: 15-16, He tells them to go out and preach the gospel to the world and those who believe and are baptized will be saved; but those who do not believe will be condemned. There are many messages out there about the power of goodness, the benefits of a law abiding and moral life. And while a moral life is proper and good it still falls short of salvation! Don’t be fooled by the tricks of the devil. You are either saved or you are not. There is no other option. Take your place in the kingdom of heaven; recognize that you are a loved creation of God. Accept the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for you. Declare Jesus your Savior; declare Him your Lord and Master. Step into the love and light of our Father God or spend eternity in darkness.
The world is being blanketed in darkness and it is up to each and every one of us to do something about it. We were all born into darkness and sin but we are born again as a child of light. Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 5:8. When you accept the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us by dying on the cross, we understand that Jesus went to hell so you don’t have to. That is not a fable parents tell their kids to make them behave. That is not a metaphor or allegory meant to instruct. Jesus went to Hell for each one of you reading this letter. He died so that you and your parents, siblings, sons, and daughters can be saved. His death redeemed us of our sins and gave us the opportunity to spend eternity in the kingdom of heaven. The water baptism that we experience during our rebirth is the outward manifestation of our spirit and soul being washed clean. It prepares us for the baptism of the Holy Spirit where our inner spirit connects with the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Our inner spirit is one part of a greater whole, connected to the Holy Spirit of God and the spirit that resides in all other Christians.
We are each one piece of the puzzle. Each individual piece just as important and treasured as the next. Some pieces may seem more important than others through our limited viewpoint but in reality we are all beautiful creations of God. Each person as important as the man beside them. Every Christian connected to every other one, connected to the Lord Jesus Christ and Father God Himself through the Holy Spirit. Each person filled with the breath of God and loved by God equally. Each one of us co-heirs with Jesus to the kingdom of heaven. God took the time to shape each of our souls individually. He gave each one of us unique gifts and talents. He knows every aspect of our being and loves us completely. He created us in love to prosper and advance the kingdom of heaven.
It is easy in this world to feel overwhelmed, lonely, and afraid. To think that there is no one out there that cares about you, or understands you. The world seems like such a large place when you see it through the eyes of one person, how could you not feel lost. But that is very far from the truth. Even when we don’t recognize God, He is still walking beside us. Even when we don’t love God, He love us. He is always there with His arms open ready to forgive and forget. God cries to see us in pain, lost and afraid. He wants to lend us support and strength but He gave us free will so we must come to Him. He is waiting.
It does not matter whether you have drifted away from God throughout your life or if you never knew Him to begin with, it doesn’t matter if you have lived a good moral life or one of sin. God loves each and every one of us. He longs for us to come to Him. God wants to reconcile His relationship with His wayward creations so badly that He sent His Son to earth to die for our sins. God loved us so much He was willing to allow His child to sacrifice His life for us. Each lash of the scourge, each stab of the thorn, every drop of blood spilled was done for us. Jesus’ pain and death sealed the covenant allowing us back into God’s loving embrace.
So what is our part of this covenant? What do we need to do to become saved? Merely believe; proceed forward in life with faith. Accept Jesus as your Savior. Recognize that He died specifically for you. That’s right. He sacrificed His life for you today, just as He made that sacrifice for the Jews and Gentiles of his time. Jesus is the living word of God and as such, He is the beginning and the end. Time is immaterial. Realize with your mind and believe in your heart that God is a living God. Have the true unshakable faith and moral conviction that God is as relevant and powerful today as ever. He never left us, we are the ones that turned away from Him. But He is waiting in every breath we take and every beat of our heart. Quit allowing your soul to be distracted by the world around you. Don’t let rationality dissuade you from the true path; don’t let the devil convince you that you are alone, that God is dead. Proclaim loudly, by the blood and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan get back! I will not listen, I will not stray; I will not forsake my Creator and my Savior. I want my inner spirit to be guided by the Holy Spirit of Almighty God along a righteous path to a more holy life.
There is always hope. God is as merciful as He is powerful. Do not allow fear of the sins you have committed keep you from the glory of God. As wicked as we can be as humans, and believe me I know from experience how wicked that is, God forgives. When we come to Him through Jesus with a repentant heart and sorrowful spirit He forgives us our trespasses and forgets our transgressions. We are able to proceed with a clean slate and pure spirit. Blessed be the grace of God!
God created each of us in His image with love. And it is with love that He accepts us, failings and all. We are His children, children of light and armor bearers of the One True God. God does love and desires all His creations to join Him in the kingdom of heaven. But do not be deceived by those out there spreading a false message. The only path to God is through His son Jesus Christ. God sealed the new covenant with humankind with the sacrifice and blood of Jesus and it is only through Him that we are reconciled with our Father. We do not earn our way into heaven with our deeds. We must believe in our hearts and proclaim with our mouths that Jesus is our Savior and Lord. We must understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us. The depth of love that sacrifice embodies. No greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for another. This is the love that Jesus had for each of us. Jesus allowed Himself to be humiliated, tortured, and cruelly murdered for you. So that when your mortal life ended you would not have to spend eternity in hell. No, He went for us. He paid our price with His blood.
So we find redemption through our acceptance and belief that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Our faith carries us through to the glory and grace of Father God. Our eternal spirit reconciled with our Creator, as it should be. But I want to challenge each of you, no not challenge, I wish to beseech each and every one of you. Please do not stop with accepting the gift Jesus has given you. Good works may not get us into heaven, but we were created for good works. Ephesians 2:8-10, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. We were created in God’s image with unique gifts, not to waste them selfishly but to use them to help our fellow man. As Titus 3:8 says, those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works for that is profitable to man. So be a warrior for God, doing good and fighting the devil at every opportunity. In 1Peter 2:15, Peter tells us that in doing good we put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
Battling Satan is not just the things of storybook legend and myth. Each time you help your fellow man you are defeating the devil. Each time you give freely with an open and generous heart you are advancing the kingdom of heaven. Each time you forgive someone who has hurt you, you take a step down the path of righteousness. Every good deed will light a candle in the dark. Please, I beg of each of you, be a true child of light. We were given free will and we have the ability to save the world or destroy it.
Why does bad happen in the world? Because we let it. Why are there starving children who are homeless? Because we are not doing anything about it. Why is the news full of tragedy? Because we accept it. I refuse to believe that there are so few true believers out there that we cannot change the world for the better. My spirit cries out in pain and confusion every time I see someone hurt or killed while fighting for a sale item at the store. That’s right, I say it is called Black Friday because it is a day that our rational mind falls victim to the wiles of the devil. It is a day of spiritual darkness when man is pitted against man for things that don’t last and won’t matter in eternity. Look around you next year and you will see that it is truly a black day; a day of pain and misery, a day when so many step off the path of righteousness to wallow in the darkness. A black day when man places money and things above their fellow man. Jesus warns of this in Matthew 6:19-21 and Matthew 6:24. You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. Jesus weeps when we step over a fallen brother to get to something that satisfies our material greed, something we may want but don’t actually need. When we place material things above God’s creations, we insult the Creator and the devil laughs. Ask yourself, is that sale item worth the pain and possible life of a fellow human being?
You need to know that the devil rejoices when we stray from God’s path. Satan wishes for us to be distracted by the things of this world so that we lose sight of the fact that our mortal bodies are temporary and it is our eternal souls that we should be safeguarding. In 1 John 2:15-17 we are warned to not love the world or the things in it for it is all transitory. We must remember to stay focused on the word of God. Your faith is your shield and the word is your sword in the battle against the Adversary as it says in Ephesians 6:16-17. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in your daily life. Trust the grace of God for your salvation. Stand fast in your faith. Remember that you do not stand alone. In 2 Thessalonians 3:3 it speaks of how the Lord is faithful and will establish us and guard us from the evil one. In Isaiah 41:10 He tells us how He holds us in His righteous right hand as He stands besides us and strengthens us. When you place your faith in the Lord you need not fear anything. Read the bible daily for guidance, comfort, and strength. Allow the very word of God to be your roadmap to a righteous and holy life. Remember there are only two sides. You can stand with God in the light of the kingdom of heaven or spend eternity in darkness. Make your choice.
May God have mercy on our souls.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
The world is being blanketed in darkness and it is up to each and every one of us to do something about it. We were all born into darkness and sin but we are born again as a child of light. Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 5:8. When you accept the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us by dying on the cross, we understand that Jesus went to hell so you don’t have to. That is not a fable parents tell their kids to make them behave. That is not a metaphor or allegory meant to instruct. Jesus went to Hell for each one of you reading this letter. He died so that you and your parents, siblings, sons, and daughters can be saved. His death redeemed us of our sins and gave us the opportunity to spend eternity in the kingdom of heaven. The water baptism that we experience during our rebirth is the outward manifestation of our spirit and soul being washed clean. It prepares us for the baptism of the Holy Spirit where our inner spirit connects with the Holy Spirit of the Lord. Our inner spirit is one part of a greater whole, connected to the Holy Spirit of God and the spirit that resides in all other Christians.
We are each one piece of the puzzle. Each individual piece just as important and treasured as the next. Some pieces may seem more important than others through our limited viewpoint but in reality we are all beautiful creations of God. Each person as important as the man beside them. Every Christian connected to every other one, connected to the Lord Jesus Christ and Father God Himself through the Holy Spirit. Each person filled with the breath of God and loved by God equally. Each one of us co-heirs with Jesus to the kingdom of heaven. God took the time to shape each of our souls individually. He gave each one of us unique gifts and talents. He knows every aspect of our being and loves us completely. He created us in love to prosper and advance the kingdom of heaven.
It is easy in this world to feel overwhelmed, lonely, and afraid. To think that there is no one out there that cares about you, or understands you. The world seems like such a large place when you see it through the eyes of one person, how could you not feel lost. But that is very far from the truth. Even when we don’t recognize God, He is still walking beside us. Even when we don’t love God, He love us. He is always there with His arms open ready to forgive and forget. God cries to see us in pain, lost and afraid. He wants to lend us support and strength but He gave us free will so we must come to Him. He is waiting.
It does not matter whether you have drifted away from God throughout your life or if you never knew Him to begin with, it doesn’t matter if you have lived a good moral life or one of sin. God loves each and every one of us. He longs for us to come to Him. God wants to reconcile His relationship with His wayward creations so badly that He sent His Son to earth to die for our sins. God loved us so much He was willing to allow His child to sacrifice His life for us. Each lash of the scourge, each stab of the thorn, every drop of blood spilled was done for us. Jesus’ pain and death sealed the covenant allowing us back into God’s loving embrace.
So what is our part of this covenant? What do we need to do to become saved? Merely believe; proceed forward in life with faith. Accept Jesus as your Savior. Recognize that He died specifically for you. That’s right. He sacrificed His life for you today, just as He made that sacrifice for the Jews and Gentiles of his time. Jesus is the living word of God and as such, He is the beginning and the end. Time is immaterial. Realize with your mind and believe in your heart that God is a living God. Have the true unshakable faith and moral conviction that God is as relevant and powerful today as ever. He never left us, we are the ones that turned away from Him. But He is waiting in every breath we take and every beat of our heart. Quit allowing your soul to be distracted by the world around you. Don’t let rationality dissuade you from the true path; don’t let the devil convince you that you are alone, that God is dead. Proclaim loudly, by the blood and power of the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan get back! I will not listen, I will not stray; I will not forsake my Creator and my Savior. I want my inner spirit to be guided by the Holy Spirit of Almighty God along a righteous path to a more holy life.
There is always hope. God is as merciful as He is powerful. Do not allow fear of the sins you have committed keep you from the glory of God. As wicked as we can be as humans, and believe me I know from experience how wicked that is, God forgives. When we come to Him through Jesus with a repentant heart and sorrowful spirit He forgives us our trespasses and forgets our transgressions. We are able to proceed with a clean slate and pure spirit. Blessed be the grace of God!
God created each of us in His image with love. And it is with love that He accepts us, failings and all. We are His children, children of light and armor bearers of the One True God. God does love and desires all His creations to join Him in the kingdom of heaven. But do not be deceived by those out there spreading a false message. The only path to God is through His son Jesus Christ. God sealed the new covenant with humankind with the sacrifice and blood of Jesus and it is only through Him that we are reconciled with our Father. We do not earn our way into heaven with our deeds. We must believe in our hearts and proclaim with our mouths that Jesus is our Savior and Lord. We must understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us. The depth of love that sacrifice embodies. No greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for another. This is the love that Jesus had for each of us. Jesus allowed Himself to be humiliated, tortured, and cruelly murdered for you. So that when your mortal life ended you would not have to spend eternity in hell. No, He went for us. He paid our price with His blood.
So we find redemption through our acceptance and belief that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Our faith carries us through to the glory and grace of Father God. Our eternal spirit reconciled with our Creator, as it should be. But I want to challenge each of you, no not challenge, I wish to beseech each and every one of you. Please do not stop with accepting the gift Jesus has given you. Good works may not get us into heaven, but we were created for good works. Ephesians 2:8-10, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. We were created in God’s image with unique gifts, not to waste them selfishly but to use them to help our fellow man. As Titus 3:8 says, those who believe in God should be careful to maintain good works for that is profitable to man. So be a warrior for God, doing good and fighting the devil at every opportunity. In 1Peter 2:15, Peter tells us that in doing good we put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
Battling Satan is not just the things of storybook legend and myth. Each time you help your fellow man you are defeating the devil. Each time you give freely with an open and generous heart you are advancing the kingdom of heaven. Each time you forgive someone who has hurt you, you take a step down the path of righteousness. Every good deed will light a candle in the dark. Please, I beg of each of you, be a true child of light. We were given free will and we have the ability to save the world or destroy it.
Why does bad happen in the world? Because we let it. Why are there starving children who are homeless? Because we are not doing anything about it. Why is the news full of tragedy? Because we accept it. I refuse to believe that there are so few true believers out there that we cannot change the world for the better. My spirit cries out in pain and confusion every time I see someone hurt or killed while fighting for a sale item at the store. That’s right, I say it is called Black Friday because it is a day that our rational mind falls victim to the wiles of the devil. It is a day of spiritual darkness when man is pitted against man for things that don’t last and won’t matter in eternity. Look around you next year and you will see that it is truly a black day; a day of pain and misery, a day when so many step off the path of righteousness to wallow in the darkness. A black day when man places money and things above their fellow man. Jesus warns of this in Matthew 6:19-21 and Matthew 6:24. You cannot serve God and mammon at the same time. Jesus weeps when we step over a fallen brother to get to something that satisfies our material greed, something we may want but don’t actually need. When we place material things above God’s creations, we insult the Creator and the devil laughs. Ask yourself, is that sale item worth the pain and possible life of a fellow human being?
You need to know that the devil rejoices when we stray from God’s path. Satan wishes for us to be distracted by the things of this world so that we lose sight of the fact that our mortal bodies are temporary and it is our eternal souls that we should be safeguarding. In 1 John 2:15-17 we are warned to not love the world or the things in it for it is all transitory. We must remember to stay focused on the word of God. Your faith is your shield and the word is your sword in the battle against the Adversary as it says in Ephesians 6:16-17. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in your daily life. Trust the grace of God for your salvation. Stand fast in your faith. Remember that you do not stand alone. In 2 Thessalonians 3:3 it speaks of how the Lord is faithful and will establish us and guard us from the evil one. In Isaiah 41:10 He tells us how He holds us in His righteous right hand as He stands besides us and strengthens us. When you place your faith in the Lord you need not fear anything. Read the bible daily for guidance, comfort, and strength. Allow the very word of God to be your roadmap to a righteous and holy life. Remember there are only two sides. You can stand with God in the light of the kingdom of heaven or spend eternity in darkness. Make your choice.
May God have mercy on our souls.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Monday, 10/31/22
"Before It's Too Late"
"Before It's Too Late"
I offer God praise, worship, and glory and pray His mercy and grace on the world before it is too late.
When a tragedy of this magnitude strikes, the nation mourns. We cry to the heavens, “WHY God, WHY?” But we should be asking man why. When innocent lives are lost God cries too. God mourns the mindless destruction of His treasured creations. Like any good parent, God weeps to see His children’s lives, future, and potential cut short through the evil choices of man. Each family member mourns for the inconsolable loss of their son or daughter, their mother or father, their friend or loved one but God mourns for us all. Our grief is all the greater for the senselessness of it. So many lives lost because of one misguided and evil man’s choice to do harm in the world and not good. Once many years ago, God sent the flood to cleanse the planet because He could not stand the choices that man had made with the endless potential God had given us. In Genesis 6:5-8 the Bible describes how God found only wickedness and evil in the hearts of man and so great was His disappointment and sorrow that He would wipe all creation from the face of the earth. Of all the race of man, only Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. One righteous man and his family saved out of a world of possibilities. Did we learn?
It does not appear so. Yes, it is true that we are born into sin but we should be striving to escape that condition. We should be dedicating our bodies and souls to God and the Lord Jesus and thus being reborn pure creations. And yet our hearts are hard. We have continually turned away from the face of God to pursue pleasures of the flesh. We have continually twisted the commandments of the Lord to suit our selfish ends. Our stiff necks find it hard to bend to a will greater than our own and so we suffer.
God is a Living God that has loved and tried to guide His creations to a life of prosperity and peace since the very beginning. We have been witness to miracles. We have been given God’s Word incarnate in Jesus Christ to show us the way. We have seen countless individuals sacrifice their pride, ego, and sense-of-self on the alter of God’s will and show the bounty and blessings of the Lord when we place His will before ours; examples that should affirm the truth of our Lord and His righteous path. We have even been given systematic instructions on how to come to salvation and righteousness through the infallible Word of God, which is the Bible. And yet our hearts are hard and our necks are stiff. Beware! The wisdom of Solomon tells us in Proverbs 28:14 that the reverent man is happy but calamity befalls those with a hard heart.
We must open our hearts to the Lord. The end of times is near. We cannot continue to ignore the commandments of our Father, living life as if this transitory flesh we inhabit is the purpose of our existence. This life is but a test to determine where your eternal soul will reside. Will you choose eternity with God in the light of the Kingdom of Heaven or will you choose to worship the Beast and drink from the wine of the wrath of God? It tells us in Revelations 21:15, on the Day of Judgment anyone not found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire. This thought should shake us to our core. Our very soul should quake with fear at the thought. Proverbs 10:8 tells us that wickedness will profit us nothing but righteousness will deliver us from death. Amen! John the Baptist warns of this in Luke 3:9 when he tells the children of Abraham that the ax is ready and any tree that does not bear good fruit will be chopped down and fed to the fire. What was true then is still true today. Praise God!
Whether from the evil choices of wicked men or the design and will of God no man can know when his time on earth is finished. You cannot guarantee that you will have tomorrow to mend your ways. Repent now before it is too late. Take the Lord Jesus as your savior. Make the right choice; choose life everlasting. While there is still breath in your body it is not too late to give your life to God. Jesus died and went to Hell so that you would not have to, but you must choose to recognize that sacrifice. You must accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You must repent your former sinful life and be reborn in Christ, a new creation.
Use this opportunity to not only better yourself but to advance God’s Kingdom. Learn from the Bible what it means to be a true Christian; how we were meant to love our fellow man, created for good works as it says in Ephesians 2:10. Take the righteous path and make choices that better the world around you. We are responsible for the world we live in and we will pay the consequences if we do not place God first in all things. Read 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles for an example of some unrighteous leaders of Israel and Judea and the consequences that all the people paid. When we allow the unrighteous to lead, we follow them to damnation.
It begins with you personally but it does not end there. You are responsible for the household you live in and whether it is dedicated to God. You are responsible for the direction that your community and the country is going. Don’t look to the other man and point fingers, claiming it is not your fault. We are all to blame. We must take a stand and demand what is right and holy in the eyes of God. We must rededicate first ourselves then our homes, communities, nations and the world to following the righteous path that God has laid out for us before it is too late. When you stand in front of the Throne of Judgment it is too late for excuses and double talk.
Do not wait another day or another minute. Repent now! Get on your knees and beg God for forgiveness for your apathy and your selfishness. Beg God to have mercy on your soul for your part in allowing the world to falter and stumble to the brink of destruction. Take Jesus not just as your Savior but also as your Lord and Master and follow His Commandments. In the face of persecution and even prosecution, we must make the correct choices in life. We must choose to be righteous and follow the holy path laid out for us in the Bible. Will you offend? YES! People don’t want to hear they are making bad choices. Will you anger? YES! People don’t want to make the difficult decisions. Will you die? Perhaps. But in your death you will receive everlasting life. One man or woman can't do it alone. We must come together in Christ and each light a candle of love, mercy, and forgiveness if we want the light of God to push back the darkness that is quickly enveloping the world. We must each do our part to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. There are only two sides in the war for your eternal soul. Which side do you fight on?
May God have mercy on our souls.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
When a tragedy of this magnitude strikes, the nation mourns. We cry to the heavens, “WHY God, WHY?” But we should be asking man why. When innocent lives are lost God cries too. God mourns the mindless destruction of His treasured creations. Like any good parent, God weeps to see His children’s lives, future, and potential cut short through the evil choices of man. Each family member mourns for the inconsolable loss of their son or daughter, their mother or father, their friend or loved one but God mourns for us all. Our grief is all the greater for the senselessness of it. So many lives lost because of one misguided and evil man’s choice to do harm in the world and not good. Once many years ago, God sent the flood to cleanse the planet because He could not stand the choices that man had made with the endless potential God had given us. In Genesis 6:5-8 the Bible describes how God found only wickedness and evil in the hearts of man and so great was His disappointment and sorrow that He would wipe all creation from the face of the earth. Of all the race of man, only Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. One righteous man and his family saved out of a world of possibilities. Did we learn?
It does not appear so. Yes, it is true that we are born into sin but we should be striving to escape that condition. We should be dedicating our bodies and souls to God and the Lord Jesus and thus being reborn pure creations. And yet our hearts are hard. We have continually turned away from the face of God to pursue pleasures of the flesh. We have continually twisted the commandments of the Lord to suit our selfish ends. Our stiff necks find it hard to bend to a will greater than our own and so we suffer.
God is a Living God that has loved and tried to guide His creations to a life of prosperity and peace since the very beginning. We have been witness to miracles. We have been given God’s Word incarnate in Jesus Christ to show us the way. We have seen countless individuals sacrifice their pride, ego, and sense-of-self on the alter of God’s will and show the bounty and blessings of the Lord when we place His will before ours; examples that should affirm the truth of our Lord and His righteous path. We have even been given systematic instructions on how to come to salvation and righteousness through the infallible Word of God, which is the Bible. And yet our hearts are hard and our necks are stiff. Beware! The wisdom of Solomon tells us in Proverbs 28:14 that the reverent man is happy but calamity befalls those with a hard heart.
We must open our hearts to the Lord. The end of times is near. We cannot continue to ignore the commandments of our Father, living life as if this transitory flesh we inhabit is the purpose of our existence. This life is but a test to determine where your eternal soul will reside. Will you choose eternity with God in the light of the Kingdom of Heaven or will you choose to worship the Beast and drink from the wine of the wrath of God? It tells us in Revelations 21:15, on the Day of Judgment anyone not found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire. This thought should shake us to our core. Our very soul should quake with fear at the thought. Proverbs 10:8 tells us that wickedness will profit us nothing but righteousness will deliver us from death. Amen! John the Baptist warns of this in Luke 3:9 when he tells the children of Abraham that the ax is ready and any tree that does not bear good fruit will be chopped down and fed to the fire. What was true then is still true today. Praise God!
Whether from the evil choices of wicked men or the design and will of God no man can know when his time on earth is finished. You cannot guarantee that you will have tomorrow to mend your ways. Repent now before it is too late. Take the Lord Jesus as your savior. Make the right choice; choose life everlasting. While there is still breath in your body it is not too late to give your life to God. Jesus died and went to Hell so that you would not have to, but you must choose to recognize that sacrifice. You must accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You must repent your former sinful life and be reborn in Christ, a new creation.
Use this opportunity to not only better yourself but to advance God’s Kingdom. Learn from the Bible what it means to be a true Christian; how we were meant to love our fellow man, created for good works as it says in Ephesians 2:10. Take the righteous path and make choices that better the world around you. We are responsible for the world we live in and we will pay the consequences if we do not place God first in all things. Read 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles for an example of some unrighteous leaders of Israel and Judea and the consequences that all the people paid. When we allow the unrighteous to lead, we follow them to damnation.
It begins with you personally but it does not end there. You are responsible for the household you live in and whether it is dedicated to God. You are responsible for the direction that your community and the country is going. Don’t look to the other man and point fingers, claiming it is not your fault. We are all to blame. We must take a stand and demand what is right and holy in the eyes of God. We must rededicate first ourselves then our homes, communities, nations and the world to following the righteous path that God has laid out for us before it is too late. When you stand in front of the Throne of Judgment it is too late for excuses and double talk.
Do not wait another day or another minute. Repent now! Get on your knees and beg God for forgiveness for your apathy and your selfishness. Beg God to have mercy on your soul for your part in allowing the world to falter and stumble to the brink of destruction. Take Jesus not just as your Savior but also as your Lord and Master and follow His Commandments. In the face of persecution and even prosecution, we must make the correct choices in life. We must choose to be righteous and follow the holy path laid out for us in the Bible. Will you offend? YES! People don’t want to hear they are making bad choices. Will you anger? YES! People don’t want to make the difficult decisions. Will you die? Perhaps. But in your death you will receive everlasting life. One man or woman can't do it alone. We must come together in Christ and each light a candle of love, mercy, and forgiveness if we want the light of God to push back the darkness that is quickly enveloping the world. We must each do our part to advance the Kingdom of Heaven. There are only two sides in the war for your eternal soul. Which side do you fight on?
May God have mercy on our souls.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Wednesday, 9/21/22
"In the Rubble"
"In the Rubble"
My wife is an amazing woman. I know all guys say that, but I really mean it. She is a much better person than I ever deserved. I thank God for bringing her into my life and giving her the patience to stick with me. The Lord knows that I did everything I could to drive her away at first, but she was persistent and I am the one reaping the blessings for that gift. I truly believe that God made us for each other and as a testament to God’s power and grace; she realized that long before I did. Not to say that I did not love her, I was just a huge butt-head when I was younger and didn’t deserve her.
She is kind, loving, and generous. She is also one of the most giving people that I know. She will often go out of her way to help another, whether she knows them or not. She is always showing me ways to be a better person. She is also always showing me ways that God moves in the world. Sometimes I can be busy or feeling self-centered but she inevitably finds a way to show me something that re-enforces my belief in God and the goodness of mankind.
Just the other day she showed me a news clip of one of the Moore, OK tornado survivors. Now I have been avoiding most of the interviews because I felt that the news channels were exploiting many of the victim’s tragedy for their own ratings; however, this clip was different and I am so glad she brought it to my attention.
An on-the-scene reporter was interviewing a woman who had been in her home when the tornado destroyed everything around her. The woman said that she had a plan but that all went out the window when destruction reigned down. The woman woke up to daylight lying in the middle of a pile of rubble that used to be her home. Her first thought was for the welfare of her beloved pet, who had been in her arms when the tornado struck. After calling out numerous times, this woman gave up knowing that her little dog was buried in the rubble somewhere. She gave God thanks for her survival but mourned the loss of a dog that meant the world to her. Now the reporter was trying to lead the woman down the path of questions that I find offensive, such as "how do you feel?", and "do you understand what happened?", but she was interrupted by a sound. Seeing slight movement in the pile of rubble that they were standing by the reporter and this kind old lady began to shift pieces of debris. As evidence that God brings peace and joy in the most difficult of times, under the shattered remains of this woman’s house scrambled her dog: dirty, tired, and scared but whole and unharmed. With tears streaming down her face and joy in her voice, the woman gave God glory. She said that she had two prayers: one for her safety and the other for her dog. God answered both of them.
While she may have lost all her worldly possessions, she said a prayer to God and He answered with her life and the life of her loved one. He may have just been a dog, but he was all she had and she loved him. This was of course only one woman and one moment but there are others. God allows us to become the people we are meant to be through struggles and tragedy. Mankind will rise up in adversity to help and provide for their fellow man. They will go above and beyond the normal call of duty, again and again. Whether the challenges facing us are man made, such as the Boston Marathon bombing or natured based such as the tornados and flooding we currently face, God will be present and alive, working through his creations to help. When times are at there worst God works within humanity to allow His mercy and compassion to be at its best.
I am so thankful that my wife shares these moments of kindness and beauty with me. Although I too recognize God in the world around me, I am a firm believer that you can never see God moving in the world enough. God is alive and present. If you ever wonder and doubt, you need merely look to the news, look beyond the headlines, beyond the tragedy; look into the heart of the story to find the people, God’s creations doing God’s work, helping and loving one another. Humanity looking past themselves, looking beyond the danger and toil, sacrificing for each other not out of recognition or reward but because it is the right thing to do, the compassionate thing, the godly thing. He is a God of mercy, a God of comfort, a God of love.
1 John 4:8, "He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love."
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
She is kind, loving, and generous. She is also one of the most giving people that I know. She will often go out of her way to help another, whether she knows them or not. She is always showing me ways to be a better person. She is also always showing me ways that God moves in the world. Sometimes I can be busy or feeling self-centered but she inevitably finds a way to show me something that re-enforces my belief in God and the goodness of mankind.
Just the other day she showed me a news clip of one of the Moore, OK tornado survivors. Now I have been avoiding most of the interviews because I felt that the news channels were exploiting many of the victim’s tragedy for their own ratings; however, this clip was different and I am so glad she brought it to my attention.
An on-the-scene reporter was interviewing a woman who had been in her home when the tornado destroyed everything around her. The woman said that she had a plan but that all went out the window when destruction reigned down. The woman woke up to daylight lying in the middle of a pile of rubble that used to be her home. Her first thought was for the welfare of her beloved pet, who had been in her arms when the tornado struck. After calling out numerous times, this woman gave up knowing that her little dog was buried in the rubble somewhere. She gave God thanks for her survival but mourned the loss of a dog that meant the world to her. Now the reporter was trying to lead the woman down the path of questions that I find offensive, such as "how do you feel?", and "do you understand what happened?", but she was interrupted by a sound. Seeing slight movement in the pile of rubble that they were standing by the reporter and this kind old lady began to shift pieces of debris. As evidence that God brings peace and joy in the most difficult of times, under the shattered remains of this woman’s house scrambled her dog: dirty, tired, and scared but whole and unharmed. With tears streaming down her face and joy in her voice, the woman gave God glory. She said that she had two prayers: one for her safety and the other for her dog. God answered both of them.
While she may have lost all her worldly possessions, she said a prayer to God and He answered with her life and the life of her loved one. He may have just been a dog, but he was all she had and she loved him. This was of course only one woman and one moment but there are others. God allows us to become the people we are meant to be through struggles and tragedy. Mankind will rise up in adversity to help and provide for their fellow man. They will go above and beyond the normal call of duty, again and again. Whether the challenges facing us are man made, such as the Boston Marathon bombing or natured based such as the tornados and flooding we currently face, God will be present and alive, working through his creations to help. When times are at there worst God works within humanity to allow His mercy and compassion to be at its best.
I am so thankful that my wife shares these moments of kindness and beauty with me. Although I too recognize God in the world around me, I am a firm believer that you can never see God moving in the world enough. God is alive and present. If you ever wonder and doubt, you need merely look to the news, look beyond the headlines, beyond the tragedy; look into the heart of the story to find the people, God’s creations doing God’s work, helping and loving one another. Humanity looking past themselves, looking beyond the danger and toil, sacrificing for each other not out of recognition or reward but because it is the right thing to do, the compassionate thing, the godly thing. He is a God of mercy, a God of comfort, a God of love.
1 John 4:8, "He who does not love, does not know God, for God is love."
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Monday, 8/29/22
"A Beginning"
"A Beginning"
I just got off the phone with a friend of mine from high school. This guy was a real wild man. He had a good heart, but he was certainly a partier, a class clown, a little bit on the edge without being downright bad. He was a good friend, and I can remember many a night where we partied until the break of dawn. Not long after high school he went into the service and has been gone for the last twenty years. I did not stay in touch for the majority of those years, but I would hear things occasionally about how he was doing. One year the big news was the he had found a relationship with God. He took Jesus as his Lord and Savior and was a faithful Christian. Well, I can tell you, at the time this was quiet a shock. I thought, “Him, really? Well to each their own.”
As the years passed, I did not give him or it much thought. I was busy living my life and trying to survive. I had my own struggles and certainly didn’t need to give much thought to an old buddy who I no longer had much in common with. That is until this last year when I too heard a call from God. As I began to explore a relationship with the Lord, I also began to look at the world around me in a different way. I began to listen for and to hear the voice of God.
I believe that God speaks into all our lives; it is just that many people do not listen. This certainly included me for the majority of my life. I had ears but I wasn’t hearing. My God is a living God, and He will speak directly to people occasionally, but I believe that most often He speaks to us through our conscious and through those around us. That feeling that I used to get that I probably shouldn’t be doing something, inevitably right before I did it anyway, that was God trying to guide me, that friend giving me good advice that I often did not want to hear, that was God trying to instruct me. Most often, I choose to listen to my flesh and its desires. I choose to listen to the sly whisper of the devil, who wanted to see me struggle and fail, all the while laughing as I fell farther from a righteous relationship with my Creator.
Some may say I am thickheaded, I can certainly be ignorant, but I am not entirely stupid. After 40 years of walking through the darkness, I saw the light. I recognized all the times that God had been present in my life, blessing me, sheltering me, and patiently waiting for me to turn toward Him. You see God is a gentleman; He has given us free will and while He will never turn from us, He does require that we willingly turn toward Him. We must choose to accept Him and all the responsibilities that come along with that choice. When my eyes were opened and I took Jesus as my Lord and Savior I entered into a holy covenant, a contract between God and me. I accepted Jesus as my Master with all the obligations that come attached with that relationship in return for the blessings and promises made to me in the Holy Bible, which I know to be the inspired word of God.
I have learned of the peace that comes from service, the joy that I receive by helping another. As I meditate on God’s word, I learn how much He wishes for us to be active members in the world around us. Christianity is an active religion; it is a belief system that requires us to do for one another, not because we have to, but because we want to in order to please God by showing the same compassion toward each other that Jesus has shown toward us. The same comfort that God provides us when hurt, we should share with others in their times of need. 2Corintihians 1:3-4, ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.’ I have discovered that while there was pleasure in serving myself, there is true joy in serving others. It is both a fine difference, as well as one as wide as the Grand Canyon itself.
So I get back to my friend in the service. We speak often now, by phone, email, and Facebook. We share with each other how our lives are going, tidbits of scripture that have meaning to us, as well as encouragement. We support each other in our endeavors to reach out to others. We learn form each other how to be better Christians and better men. Christianity is not just a religion or a community; it is at heart a family. We are children of light, children of God and we are going to continue to try to live our lives with godly love in our hearts for our brothers and sisters all over the world. Galatians 3:26, ‘For you all are children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.’
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
As the years passed, I did not give him or it much thought. I was busy living my life and trying to survive. I had my own struggles and certainly didn’t need to give much thought to an old buddy who I no longer had much in common with. That is until this last year when I too heard a call from God. As I began to explore a relationship with the Lord, I also began to look at the world around me in a different way. I began to listen for and to hear the voice of God.
I believe that God speaks into all our lives; it is just that many people do not listen. This certainly included me for the majority of my life. I had ears but I wasn’t hearing. My God is a living God, and He will speak directly to people occasionally, but I believe that most often He speaks to us through our conscious and through those around us. That feeling that I used to get that I probably shouldn’t be doing something, inevitably right before I did it anyway, that was God trying to guide me, that friend giving me good advice that I often did not want to hear, that was God trying to instruct me. Most often, I choose to listen to my flesh and its desires. I choose to listen to the sly whisper of the devil, who wanted to see me struggle and fail, all the while laughing as I fell farther from a righteous relationship with my Creator.
Some may say I am thickheaded, I can certainly be ignorant, but I am not entirely stupid. After 40 years of walking through the darkness, I saw the light. I recognized all the times that God had been present in my life, blessing me, sheltering me, and patiently waiting for me to turn toward Him. You see God is a gentleman; He has given us free will and while He will never turn from us, He does require that we willingly turn toward Him. We must choose to accept Him and all the responsibilities that come along with that choice. When my eyes were opened and I took Jesus as my Lord and Savior I entered into a holy covenant, a contract between God and me. I accepted Jesus as my Master with all the obligations that come attached with that relationship in return for the blessings and promises made to me in the Holy Bible, which I know to be the inspired word of God.
I have learned of the peace that comes from service, the joy that I receive by helping another. As I meditate on God’s word, I learn how much He wishes for us to be active members in the world around us. Christianity is an active religion; it is a belief system that requires us to do for one another, not because we have to, but because we want to in order to please God by showing the same compassion toward each other that Jesus has shown toward us. The same comfort that God provides us when hurt, we should share with others in their times of need. 2Corintihians 1:3-4, ‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.’ I have discovered that while there was pleasure in serving myself, there is true joy in serving others. It is both a fine difference, as well as one as wide as the Grand Canyon itself.
So I get back to my friend in the service. We speak often now, by phone, email, and Facebook. We share with each other how our lives are going, tidbits of scripture that have meaning to us, as well as encouragement. We support each other in our endeavors to reach out to others. We learn form each other how to be better Christians and better men. Christianity is not just a religion or a community; it is at heart a family. We are children of light, children of God and we are going to continue to try to live our lives with godly love in our hearts for our brothers and sisters all over the world. Galatians 3:26, ‘For you all are children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.’
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Monday, 6/27/22
"Life"
"Life"
A number of years ago I volunteered for an organization called Stray Rescue of St. Louis. They are a non-kill animal shelter located in the city. When I say I volunteered, the truth is, Allison volunteered, and I wanted to spend time with her so off I went to walk dogs. At the time there were two locations that the organization operated. Allison and I went to the all-volunteer run branch in Lafayette Square.
Now it is a little misleading if I only say it was in Lafayette Square, which is full of beautiful large homes. The shelter was located in what at one time must have been a garage on the edge of a cobblestone alley behind a parking lot. On the other side of the alley were the commercial dumpsters for a trendy restaurant and bar located nearby. This was not the stained-glass windows and manicured landscaping of nearby streets. No, this was the ugly side of the coin, dirty and sometimes trash littered. The shelter, there before the neighborhood rebounded, a remnant of the past and best ignored by the now wealthy neighbors.
It is true that there was probably a bag of poo by the door from someone returning with a dog; there may have been trash from the overflowing dumpster blowing in the wind. I certainly seem to remember needing to call the dogs away from all manner of items during the walk. However, one thing that will always stick with me was the morning one spring day when I approached the shelter, I noticed a flash of color. It drew my eye just as a reflection of light catches our attention. There growing out of the dirt and gravel between two cobblestones was a beautiful purple flower. A glimpse of majesty amidst the rubble.
What a blessing! Just as Jeff Goldblum said in the first Jurassic Park movie, “Life finds a way.” Against all odds and facing a daily struggle that little plant not only grew but bloomed into a thing of beauty. What a wonderful lesson God wrote upon my heart that day. We live in a world of struggle and heartache. Each day we are faced with temptations and hardships. We live in a world run rampant with sin, misery and evil. It is easy to look around and see the trash. But as a Christian I live by faith. I know that through my Savior Christ Jesus there is life in death. I was reminded that day that even though the world may often be an ugly place, there is still beauty amongst the trash and life thriving in the middle of the struggle. Though we may have a sin problem in our world God always preserves a remnant. I am reminded to see and magnify the remnant, to focus on the beauty and not the blight.
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 praise-worthy --- meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8
I cannot ignore the wrong in the world, but I pray that I am able to continue to see the amazing beauty that is God in the world around me. I want to focus on the good and do my part to magnify God’s truth. I take comfort in the guidance of God through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 40:31, But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. It is with God’s strength and guidance that I push back against the forces of sin. By seeking and seeing the beauty of God in the world around me I have the faith to know that the path I walk is true and the strength to fight against the principalities and powers of evil and sin that constantly try to overwhelm me. In the beauty of a wild purple flower God reminds me, even surrounded by death, life finds a way.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Now it is a little misleading if I only say it was in Lafayette Square, which is full of beautiful large homes. The shelter was located in what at one time must have been a garage on the edge of a cobblestone alley behind a parking lot. On the other side of the alley were the commercial dumpsters for a trendy restaurant and bar located nearby. This was not the stained-glass windows and manicured landscaping of nearby streets. No, this was the ugly side of the coin, dirty and sometimes trash littered. The shelter, there before the neighborhood rebounded, a remnant of the past and best ignored by the now wealthy neighbors.
It is true that there was probably a bag of poo by the door from someone returning with a dog; there may have been trash from the overflowing dumpster blowing in the wind. I certainly seem to remember needing to call the dogs away from all manner of items during the walk. However, one thing that will always stick with me was the morning one spring day when I approached the shelter, I noticed a flash of color. It drew my eye just as a reflection of light catches our attention. There growing out of the dirt and gravel between two cobblestones was a beautiful purple flower. A glimpse of majesty amidst the rubble.
What a blessing! Just as Jeff Goldblum said in the first Jurassic Park movie, “Life finds a way.” Against all odds and facing a daily struggle that little plant not only grew but bloomed into a thing of beauty. What a wonderful lesson God wrote upon my heart that day. We live in a world of struggle and heartache. Each day we are faced with temptations and hardships. We live in a world run rampant with sin, misery and evil. It is easy to look around and see the trash. But as a Christian I live by faith. I know that through my Savior Christ Jesus there is life in death. I was reminded that day that even though the world may often be an ugly place, there is still beauty amongst the trash and life thriving in the middle of the struggle. Though we may have a sin problem in our world God always preserves a remnant. I am reminded to see and magnify the remnant, to focus on the beauty and not the blight.
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 praise-worthy --- meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8
I cannot ignore the wrong in the world, but I pray that I am able to continue to see the amazing beauty that is God in the world around me. I want to focus on the good and do my part to magnify God’s truth. I take comfort in the guidance of God through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 40:31, But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. It is with God’s strength and guidance that I push back against the forces of sin. By seeking and seeing the beauty of God in the world around me I have the faith to know that the path I walk is true and the strength to fight against the principalities and powers of evil and sin that constantly try to overwhelm me. In the beauty of a wild purple flower God reminds me, even surrounded by death, life finds a way.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Wednesday, 6/01/22
"Hopes & Dreams"
"Hopes & Dreams"
I have written about many different things over the past few years. Often, I try to think of something that we can all learn from or something funny. Or sometimes just something I think is going to be funny but isn’t, when you suffer from dad humor that happens. It’s ok, I’ve learned to live with myself. Today however, I want to talk about some personal hopes and dreams. Perhaps these ideas will never come to pass but I want to speak it as if it is. I want to voice to my dreams, my God sized dreams.
The United Methodist Church’s mission statement speaks of transforming the world. I certainly believe that we have that possibility within our reach. By transforming our lives, our homes, our communities we can create an environment that fosters an encounter with God. I take this thought out of the theological and into the practical. How can my yard, my space, my environment reflect God’s love and God’s kingdom? I have been asking myself that question ever since I moved into the parsonage and was able to look out over the beautiful yard space that the church owns. And it is a beautiful space. As an amateur painter, I see a big empty canvas, a world of possibilities.
It is these possibilities that keep me up at night, that stir my spirit and fires up my imagination. I feel the warm assurance of faith and the guidance of the Holy Spirit when I lay aside my fears and turn it over to God. I want to stand upon the mountain with the world stretched out. I want to open up the box of my human fears, concerns, hesitancy and give God the wheel. I WANT TO RELEASE GOD SIZED DREAMS UPON GRAY SUMMIT! Oh yes, I want everything God offers. Jesus says to seek, and you shall find. Well, I’m seeking Lord; I’m seeking Godly partners that want to transform the world. Jesus says to ask, and you shall receive. Lord, I’m asking for partners Lord, physically and financially; I’m asking the Holy Spirit to guide us to those that wish to serve their community with love. Jesus says to knock, and the door will be opened. Knock, knock! Here I am God, knocking on every door you put in front of me. You have put the desire in my heart to love my neighbor God, so I am going to seek, I am going to ask, I am going to knock and knock and knock on every door and step into every opportunity you provide.
I have a dream! I have a vision! It is a vision of families sitting on a bench enjoying time together, young couples strolling past with their beloved pet, children running and laughing through the field. It is a vision of memories being made and love being shared. Oh yes, I have a dream of many things. It is a little spark, but from the smallest ember the greatest fire can grow. I believe in my dream for Gray Summit and Union. I believe in the vision God has placed upon my heart. Reach out to me and we can talk of how you can be a part. We can talk of carpenters and kings, pavilions, paths, and many things. Share in my vision and let me share in yours. It is together that we will transform the world.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
The United Methodist Church’s mission statement speaks of transforming the world. I certainly believe that we have that possibility within our reach. By transforming our lives, our homes, our communities we can create an environment that fosters an encounter with God. I take this thought out of the theological and into the practical. How can my yard, my space, my environment reflect God’s love and God’s kingdom? I have been asking myself that question ever since I moved into the parsonage and was able to look out over the beautiful yard space that the church owns. And it is a beautiful space. As an amateur painter, I see a big empty canvas, a world of possibilities.
It is these possibilities that keep me up at night, that stir my spirit and fires up my imagination. I feel the warm assurance of faith and the guidance of the Holy Spirit when I lay aside my fears and turn it over to God. I want to stand upon the mountain with the world stretched out. I want to open up the box of my human fears, concerns, hesitancy and give God the wheel. I WANT TO RELEASE GOD SIZED DREAMS UPON GRAY SUMMIT! Oh yes, I want everything God offers. Jesus says to seek, and you shall find. Well, I’m seeking Lord; I’m seeking Godly partners that want to transform the world. Jesus says to ask, and you shall receive. Lord, I’m asking for partners Lord, physically and financially; I’m asking the Holy Spirit to guide us to those that wish to serve their community with love. Jesus says to knock, and the door will be opened. Knock, knock! Here I am God, knocking on every door you put in front of me. You have put the desire in my heart to love my neighbor God, so I am going to seek, I am going to ask, I am going to knock and knock and knock on every door and step into every opportunity you provide.
I have a dream! I have a vision! It is a vision of families sitting on a bench enjoying time together, young couples strolling past with their beloved pet, children running and laughing through the field. It is a vision of memories being made and love being shared. Oh yes, I have a dream of many things. It is a little spark, but from the smallest ember the greatest fire can grow. I believe in my dream for Gray Summit and Union. I believe in the vision God has placed upon my heart. Reach out to me and we can talk of how you can be a part. We can talk of carpenters and kings, pavilions, paths, and many things. Share in my vision and let me share in yours. It is together that we will transform the world.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Wednesday, 5/04/22
"The Shelter Life"
"The Shelter Life"
I came across this piece I wrote a couple of years ago and wanted to share it. The sentiment is certainly still true today. There are hundreds and thousands of people that are spending their day doing what they can to care for God’s creation, both animal and man, day in and day out. We often owe these stewards a debt of gratitude, but we can also learn from them what it means to reflect GOD’s love into the world.
I walk into the room to the familiar sounds of barking, yipping, yapping, howling and growling. I could be at home, but no, I am at work. I work at a dog shelter.
But I don’t work at any old dog shelter. We don’t accept owner surrenders. You cannot just drop your dog off because it got a little old, peed on the carpet one too many times, happens to fart occasionally, or was a Christmas gift from that girlfriend that you no longer are seeing. Sadly, there is a need for those shelters but that is not where I work. I work at a shelter for the truly neglected, abandoned, and abused. My shelter specializes in stray street dogs and abuse cases.
That’s right. Those poor guys you see slinking through alleys and digging in the trash for any scrap of food, any chance of nourishment. Those sweet trusting ladies that were overbred into illness and then tossed out with the garbage. Lost souls, their only crime trusting people that have moved on leaving them to starve to death in vacant homes. Through the eyes of the innocent victims I have seen the worst of people.
Victims whose faces have been pushed into acid. Victims shot, stabbed and bludgeoned. Victims with wire or tape wrapped so tightly around their faces or bodies that their limbs swell and their bodies are slowly cut in half. I have seen innocent caring eyes poking out of fire damaged faces. I have been licked with love as wooden skewers worked their way out of damaged flesh. I have seen the conflict and confusion in the eyes of animals that have never known a kind word or gentle touch. Oh yes, I have seen the worst in people. Genesis 6:5 ~ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imaginations of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Oh yes, left to ourselves we have strayed far from the path of love.
Wait, wait, wait before we go too far down that path I must say that I live with hope in my heart. It is a fire of hope kindled with love and fed with faith. It is a fire of hope that cannot be put out for it transcends the world around me. Yes, I know, after seeing all that day after day how can I live with faith, love and hope in my heart? Well, it starts with the fact that the faith in my heart is founded on a love that far surpasses the world around us. Romans 5:8 ~ But God commandeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
If God can overlook all my mistakes and sins, if He can see the potential and value within me, if He can love me enough to give a very part of Himself to pay the tab for my mistakes and guide me to be better can I not at least try to do the same. John 15:12 ~ This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Don’t get me wrong! I never claim that this is an easy task. As a matter of fact, sometimes living with love and hope is not even a fun task. But I am so thankful that God did not give up on me that I cannot give up on myself, or others for that matter.
Yes some days are tough seeing the worst in people, but I am also blessed to see the best in people. I see my coworkers with tears in their eyes and kindness in their touch. I see men and woman that go far above and beyond a small paycheck to nurse the wounded back to health, to heal broken bodies and broken spirits. I see the people I work with wear themselves out trying to show that there is kindness and love in the world. With small pay and long hours they come back day after day to do whatever they can to help the hurting, sometimes at physical risks to themselves with fearful and defensive dogs that have only survived on the streets by being tougher than those around them. I see our founder day after day risking his life going into areas he is not welcome if it means saving a life.
For my part, I believe God made me to serve. To love my brothers and sisters and to be a good steward to the world around me. I don’t always succeed. I stumble; I stray; I make mistakes. I often struggle with the pain I see every day in the world around me. But God gives me strength when I need it, most often through the loving eyes of the very dogs I care for. Oh yes, I do my part to help save them but at the same time they help save me. I have worked in many places with many people, but rarely have I been blessed to work with so many compassionate people always willing to offer a shoulder to cry on or a hug of support. Yes, I see the worst of people, but I am not going to focus on that; instead, I will focus on the love that I am surrounded with every day, the best in people.
And I haven’t even started on how wonderful the volunteers are, but I will leave that for another day and another blog and say only that I love them all.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
I walk into the room to the familiar sounds of barking, yipping, yapping, howling and growling. I could be at home, but no, I am at work. I work at a dog shelter.
But I don’t work at any old dog shelter. We don’t accept owner surrenders. You cannot just drop your dog off because it got a little old, peed on the carpet one too many times, happens to fart occasionally, or was a Christmas gift from that girlfriend that you no longer are seeing. Sadly, there is a need for those shelters but that is not where I work. I work at a shelter for the truly neglected, abandoned, and abused. My shelter specializes in stray street dogs and abuse cases.
That’s right. Those poor guys you see slinking through alleys and digging in the trash for any scrap of food, any chance of nourishment. Those sweet trusting ladies that were overbred into illness and then tossed out with the garbage. Lost souls, their only crime trusting people that have moved on leaving them to starve to death in vacant homes. Through the eyes of the innocent victims I have seen the worst of people.
Victims whose faces have been pushed into acid. Victims shot, stabbed and bludgeoned. Victims with wire or tape wrapped so tightly around their faces or bodies that their limbs swell and their bodies are slowly cut in half. I have seen innocent caring eyes poking out of fire damaged faces. I have been licked with love as wooden skewers worked their way out of damaged flesh. I have seen the conflict and confusion in the eyes of animals that have never known a kind word or gentle touch. Oh yes, I have seen the worst in people. Genesis 6:5 ~ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imaginations of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Oh yes, left to ourselves we have strayed far from the path of love.
Wait, wait, wait before we go too far down that path I must say that I live with hope in my heart. It is a fire of hope kindled with love and fed with faith. It is a fire of hope that cannot be put out for it transcends the world around me. Yes, I know, after seeing all that day after day how can I live with faith, love and hope in my heart? Well, it starts with the fact that the faith in my heart is founded on a love that far surpasses the world around us. Romans 5:8 ~ But God commandeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
If God can overlook all my mistakes and sins, if He can see the potential and value within me, if He can love me enough to give a very part of Himself to pay the tab for my mistakes and guide me to be better can I not at least try to do the same. John 15:12 ~ This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Don’t get me wrong! I never claim that this is an easy task. As a matter of fact, sometimes living with love and hope is not even a fun task. But I am so thankful that God did not give up on me that I cannot give up on myself, or others for that matter.
Yes some days are tough seeing the worst in people, but I am also blessed to see the best in people. I see my coworkers with tears in their eyes and kindness in their touch. I see men and woman that go far above and beyond a small paycheck to nurse the wounded back to health, to heal broken bodies and broken spirits. I see the people I work with wear themselves out trying to show that there is kindness and love in the world. With small pay and long hours they come back day after day to do whatever they can to help the hurting, sometimes at physical risks to themselves with fearful and defensive dogs that have only survived on the streets by being tougher than those around them. I see our founder day after day risking his life going into areas he is not welcome if it means saving a life.
For my part, I believe God made me to serve. To love my brothers and sisters and to be a good steward to the world around me. I don’t always succeed. I stumble; I stray; I make mistakes. I often struggle with the pain I see every day in the world around me. But God gives me strength when I need it, most often through the loving eyes of the very dogs I care for. Oh yes, I do my part to help save them but at the same time they help save me. I have worked in many places with many people, but rarely have I been blessed to work with so many compassionate people always willing to offer a shoulder to cry on or a hug of support. Yes, I see the worst of people, but I am not going to focus on that; instead, I will focus on the love that I am surrounded with every day, the best in people.
And I haven’t even started on how wonderful the volunteers are, but I will leave that for another day and another blog and say only that I love them all.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Wednesday, 4/20/22
"Resurrection"
"Resurrection"
Our Savior lives! Praise God, our Savior lives! Happy Easter everyone. I hope that you all had a chance to attend an Easter service. If not, you can catch a copy of the live video from Gray Summit or Union on their Facebook pages. The videos are not the best, but we are working to improve. Isn’t that the way of life?
I will sometimes share a tee shirt slogan I saw one time. It read, ‘I am not yet the man I was destined to be, but I thank God that I am no longer the man that I was.’ We are a work in progress. Lol, for those that know me personally they know that I am still in the recovery process from surgery. So I am very much a physical work in progress. If I could still wear tee shirts, I need a shirt that says, ‘Use Caution. Work In Progress.’
Our ministries and our lives should also reflect this truth. As we are broken and flawed through the original sin that separates us from God, we are not able to create something perfect. We are a work in progress and so are the ministry projects that we work on. We should never be satisfied with what we have before us in this world, but always be striving to see how we can do better, how we can help more, how we can better walk out the example that Jesus set for us.
This is great news. Stop stressing. God does not expect you to be perfect. We can make mistakes. We can stumble and fall. We can get turned around occasionally. And yet, each moment of each day is a new opportunity. We are never locked into one path and one future. God so loved the world, which includes you, that God made a way for us to be reconciled, to be healed, to be saved. God made a way for us to overcome the chaos of the world that ends in the grave. I want to remind each of us in the Easter season that the tomb is empty. Our Lord has been resurrected and death has been defeated. Please leave your mistakes, your sins, your past, dead in the tomb and step out with Jesus to a resurrected life!
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
I will sometimes share a tee shirt slogan I saw one time. It read, ‘I am not yet the man I was destined to be, but I thank God that I am no longer the man that I was.’ We are a work in progress. Lol, for those that know me personally they know that I am still in the recovery process from surgery. So I am very much a physical work in progress. If I could still wear tee shirts, I need a shirt that says, ‘Use Caution. Work In Progress.’
Our ministries and our lives should also reflect this truth. As we are broken and flawed through the original sin that separates us from God, we are not able to create something perfect. We are a work in progress and so are the ministry projects that we work on. We should never be satisfied with what we have before us in this world, but always be striving to see how we can do better, how we can help more, how we can better walk out the example that Jesus set for us.
This is great news. Stop stressing. God does not expect you to be perfect. We can make mistakes. We can stumble and fall. We can get turned around occasionally. And yet, each moment of each day is a new opportunity. We are never locked into one path and one future. God so loved the world, which includes you, that God made a way for us to be reconciled, to be healed, to be saved. God made a way for us to overcome the chaos of the world that ends in the grave. I want to remind each of us in the Easter season that the tomb is empty. Our Lord has been resurrected and death has been defeated. Please leave your mistakes, your sins, your past, dead in the tomb and step out with Jesus to a resurrected life!
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Monday, 1/31/2022
"Clickity Clack and Ring a Ding"
"Clickity Clack and Ring a Ding"
Clickity clack and ring a ding-ding goes the alarm, bright and early. Like window shades my eye lids springs open; this is no ordinary morning. This is no school day. No, this is the day that makes it all worth it. It’s Saturday! A day tailor made for me. No school, cartoons in the morning, westerns and war movies all afternoon. You have just got to love Saturdays. Or at least that is what I thought growing up. What a special day.
I feel bad for children today. With the instant gratification of 24 hour a day cartoon channels, YouTube and the Internet kids may be flooded with entertainment options, but nothing is truly special. But really it is all of society that is losing out. With options at every turn, we have become less satisfied. Society is charging into the future full steam ahead, even if it is not looking where it is going or remember where it has been. A twisted type of progress has become a false idol that the world pursues. This warped, false progress has replaced improvement with simple movement. Charge ahead, regardless of the cost. The world is a whirling dervish spinning faster and faster, growing closer and seemingly more connected and yet at the same time we have grown more impersonal, hard-hearted, and selfish. For all our closeness we are divided and often feel alone. We can no longer pause to enjoy a moment of life on a Saturday morning for fear that opportunity will knock while we are distracted.
To paraphrase the 1976 movie Network, “I’m mad as heck and not going to take it anymore.” That’s right world, stop this merry-go-round because I am ready to get off. I no longer want to participate in something described as a “rat race”. I refuse to continue to follow the crooked rules of a corrupt society. No longer will I trade God’s truth for the world’s lies. In chasing the dreams of the world, we have bound ourselves in chains so heavy that we can no longer remember what it was like to live free. However, just as society can shape our lives, we too can shape society.
We do not have to accept the choices of the world. We have an alternative. We have another option. We have been given a chance to rise above the petty conflicts and limitations that have been imposed on us and soar on the wings of eagles. I want to encourage us all to take back our lives, to change our priorities and stop chasing smoke and mirrors. Our businesses, our schools, our social services, our politicians are supposed to serve us, not the other way around. May we all raise our windows and shout to the world that we are mad as heck and not going to take it anymore. We do not have to take our children to sports games that only play on Sunday mornings; we don’t have to buy and sell seven days a week; we do not need to put up with TV broadcasting vulgarity at all hours of the day, or a fashion industry that wants to dress our children as adults. We can make a different choice.
I want to encourage each of us to look closely at our lives. If this is not the society that we want to live in or raise our families in, then it is up to us to change it. We can make a difference when we stand united. Turn off the TV, put down the charge card, and vote out the judges and politicians that are more concerned with their own power and money than they are concerned for your welfare and future. If it is true that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, then I say let us use that power. Let us stand for united for righteousness and justice; let us magnify the love, grace and mercy that is in the world. Let us not get lost in the world but choose the path that overcomes it. John 16:33, “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
I feel bad for children today. With the instant gratification of 24 hour a day cartoon channels, YouTube and the Internet kids may be flooded with entertainment options, but nothing is truly special. But really it is all of society that is losing out. With options at every turn, we have become less satisfied. Society is charging into the future full steam ahead, even if it is not looking where it is going or remember where it has been. A twisted type of progress has become a false idol that the world pursues. This warped, false progress has replaced improvement with simple movement. Charge ahead, regardless of the cost. The world is a whirling dervish spinning faster and faster, growing closer and seemingly more connected and yet at the same time we have grown more impersonal, hard-hearted, and selfish. For all our closeness we are divided and often feel alone. We can no longer pause to enjoy a moment of life on a Saturday morning for fear that opportunity will knock while we are distracted.
To paraphrase the 1976 movie Network, “I’m mad as heck and not going to take it anymore.” That’s right world, stop this merry-go-round because I am ready to get off. I no longer want to participate in something described as a “rat race”. I refuse to continue to follow the crooked rules of a corrupt society. No longer will I trade God’s truth for the world’s lies. In chasing the dreams of the world, we have bound ourselves in chains so heavy that we can no longer remember what it was like to live free. However, just as society can shape our lives, we too can shape society.
We do not have to accept the choices of the world. We have an alternative. We have another option. We have been given a chance to rise above the petty conflicts and limitations that have been imposed on us and soar on the wings of eagles. I want to encourage us all to take back our lives, to change our priorities and stop chasing smoke and mirrors. Our businesses, our schools, our social services, our politicians are supposed to serve us, not the other way around. May we all raise our windows and shout to the world that we are mad as heck and not going to take it anymore. We do not have to take our children to sports games that only play on Sunday mornings; we don’t have to buy and sell seven days a week; we do not need to put up with TV broadcasting vulgarity at all hours of the day, or a fashion industry that wants to dress our children as adults. We can make a different choice.
I want to encourage each of us to look closely at our lives. If this is not the society that we want to live in or raise our families in, then it is up to us to change it. We can make a difference when we stand united. Turn off the TV, put down the charge card, and vote out the judges and politicians that are more concerned with their own power and money than they are concerned for your welfare and future. If it is true that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, then I say let us use that power. Let us stand for united for righteousness and justice; let us magnify the love, grace and mercy that is in the world. Let us not get lost in the world but choose the path that overcomes it. John 16:33, “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Tuesday, 12/29/2021
“Out of the mouths of babes” is a phrase I grew up hearing. Children have not yet learned to be cynical or prejudiced, shallow or cold hearted. They see the world through pure eyes and speak the truth. As adults, we filter everything we say or even think through our past experiences. While years can bring knowledge and wisdom, the passage of time is also burdened with limitations. Day by day we unknowingly build walls around ourselves. a prison made with our own hands.
But if our prison walls were built with our own hands, brick by brick, can we not also tear them down? Can we not take a wrecking ball to our prison of limitations? Our prejudices and pasts can be a heavy burden, like an anchor chain of large iron links weighting us down and holding us back from all the blessings, beauty, and love that God desires for us. Just as we are our own jailor we can also be our own worst enemy accepting our limitations with a fatalism that leaves no room for growth.
It need not be so. There is a light on the other side of those dank and clammy prison walls. As Christians we have been washed clean by the blood of our Savior Christ Jesus. Our acceptance of this one glorious act of selflessness will shatter the prison walls and set us free if we but have the courage to accept it. Do not hesitate in the shadows thinking yourself undeserving. Step forward into the light and warmth of God’s love. Step outside into the clear open spaces of a future full of hope.
Don’t look back at those crumbled bricks of the past, bricks of hatred and fear, prejudice and depression. Throw off the shackles that have enslaved you to the world and society. Take off the glasses through which you have been viewing life, glasses which have been dirtied by years of past experiences. Instead view each situation and person through the uncluttered vision of a child, pure and fresh. Stand on faith and trust in the promises of God, promises of a future and a hope. A fresh start, a new day, wiped clean and reborn a child of God. As a new creation let us not rebuild those walls, that prison of limitations. Instead let us accept this gift of a clean slate and use it as a fresh start, a second chance to view the world around us through the eyes of a child.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
But if our prison walls were built with our own hands, brick by brick, can we not also tear them down? Can we not take a wrecking ball to our prison of limitations? Our prejudices and pasts can be a heavy burden, like an anchor chain of large iron links weighting us down and holding us back from all the blessings, beauty, and love that God desires for us. Just as we are our own jailor we can also be our own worst enemy accepting our limitations with a fatalism that leaves no room for growth.
It need not be so. There is a light on the other side of those dank and clammy prison walls. As Christians we have been washed clean by the blood of our Savior Christ Jesus. Our acceptance of this one glorious act of selflessness will shatter the prison walls and set us free if we but have the courage to accept it. Do not hesitate in the shadows thinking yourself undeserving. Step forward into the light and warmth of God’s love. Step outside into the clear open spaces of a future full of hope.
Don’t look back at those crumbled bricks of the past, bricks of hatred and fear, prejudice and depression. Throw off the shackles that have enslaved you to the world and society. Take off the glasses through which you have been viewing life, glasses which have been dirtied by years of past experiences. Instead view each situation and person through the uncluttered vision of a child, pure and fresh. Stand on faith and trust in the promises of God, promises of a future and a hope. A fresh start, a new day, wiped clean and reborn a child of God. As a new creation let us not rebuild those walls, that prison of limitations. Instead let us accept this gift of a clean slate and use it as a fresh start, a second chance to view the world around us through the eyes of a child.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Monday, 12/13/2021
Death will come for all of us. From the moment of our birth we are dying. For some life may be but one ragged breath or two while others are allotted a century or more. With our meager knowledge and understanding of the world around us we will never know when or how death will come for us but we know it is always coming, lurking around each corner. A shadow to each sunny day. With the outcome inevitable and the war lost before it even begins what are we to do?
Shall we cower and quit? Hide away from the world and life itself. Accept isolation, caution and the illusion of safety for the possibility of time. Perhaps we should revel in the present? Acknowledge the uncertainty of the future and live for each hedonistic moment. Maybe somewhere in-between. I don’t know. We each must choose how we are going to view life and the world around us. We were given free choice by our creator and that begins with our first breath. From the moment of birth we start to develop an attitude for life. Will we cower in the shadows growing pale and bitter or shall we dance in the light?
We have all known, or perhaps even been, that boy or girl that was never fully happy, the child that always yearned for what it didn’t have. The child that while never willing to share their own toys was always willing to take someone else’s. The spoiled child that grows into a rebellious teen, a teen that doesn’t understand or accept the world, a teen that lashes out when the world doesn’t revolve around them, a teen that grows into a disillusioned and lost adult. Can’t we break the circle? Don’t we have a choice?
Just as I walked in darkness for 40 years groping blindly in the night, I look around me and see so many people lost and searching, but for what they do not know. We strain and struggle always looking to the other side of the fence hoping the grass will be greener. We seek distractions in drugs, alcohol, sex, danger, and violence always wishing to fill a void that we feel but can’t identify. Is it possible to solve a problem that you do not even understand or admit exists? Many will go through life never truly happy nor understanding why they cannot find peace. Beset by the pain and obstacles of the society in which we live we seek solace in the world not knowing that true peace will never come from the world around us. Is success in life the benchmark for our happiness or is our happiness the benchmark for our success?
Can the mighty sword created by a master craftsman be satisfied with the life of a letter opener? Who benefits when the most advanced computer in the world is used as a paperweight? What is the value of a great painting that is secreted away in a closet for no one to see? Similar to these things each person is a beautiful creation of God unique in their gifts and abilities, created for a purpose. How can we have success in life if we do not embrace the skills and gifts with which we were endowed? How can we fulfill the plan our Creator has for our life if we do not first recognize and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior placing His will above our own, recognizing that His dream for us is bigger and better than any dream we can imagine on our own.
I have been as poor as it is possible to be and I have been financially comfortable. I have lived in the heart of the inner city slums and in the open spaces of the country. I have enjoyed physical successes and I have had physical pain for most of my life. One thing I have learned is that while life’s obstacles do not go away when you have a good attitude, you at least do not add to them. Christ overcame the world and through Him we can begin to set worldly things aside. We can begin to see the true value of our lives, a value not based on man’s dreams and accomplishments but on the destiny God intended for us from before we were formed in the womb.
Success does not come from the world around us but from within. It begins with acceptance of Jesus Christ as our personal savior and builds on that foundation. The first step to real success comes in acknowledging God’s great love that while we were still sinners undeserving of mercy, God allowed His Son to sacrifice His life so that we may live eternal. This sacrifice…this gift is the beginning of a new life of blessings and a new definition of success.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Shall we cower and quit? Hide away from the world and life itself. Accept isolation, caution and the illusion of safety for the possibility of time. Perhaps we should revel in the present? Acknowledge the uncertainty of the future and live for each hedonistic moment. Maybe somewhere in-between. I don’t know. We each must choose how we are going to view life and the world around us. We were given free choice by our creator and that begins with our first breath. From the moment of birth we start to develop an attitude for life. Will we cower in the shadows growing pale and bitter or shall we dance in the light?
We have all known, or perhaps even been, that boy or girl that was never fully happy, the child that always yearned for what it didn’t have. The child that while never willing to share their own toys was always willing to take someone else’s. The spoiled child that grows into a rebellious teen, a teen that doesn’t understand or accept the world, a teen that lashes out when the world doesn’t revolve around them, a teen that grows into a disillusioned and lost adult. Can’t we break the circle? Don’t we have a choice?
Just as I walked in darkness for 40 years groping blindly in the night, I look around me and see so many people lost and searching, but for what they do not know. We strain and struggle always looking to the other side of the fence hoping the grass will be greener. We seek distractions in drugs, alcohol, sex, danger, and violence always wishing to fill a void that we feel but can’t identify. Is it possible to solve a problem that you do not even understand or admit exists? Many will go through life never truly happy nor understanding why they cannot find peace. Beset by the pain and obstacles of the society in which we live we seek solace in the world not knowing that true peace will never come from the world around us. Is success in life the benchmark for our happiness or is our happiness the benchmark for our success?
Can the mighty sword created by a master craftsman be satisfied with the life of a letter opener? Who benefits when the most advanced computer in the world is used as a paperweight? What is the value of a great painting that is secreted away in a closet for no one to see? Similar to these things each person is a beautiful creation of God unique in their gifts and abilities, created for a purpose. How can we have success in life if we do not embrace the skills and gifts with which we were endowed? How can we fulfill the plan our Creator has for our life if we do not first recognize and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior placing His will above our own, recognizing that His dream for us is bigger and better than any dream we can imagine on our own.
I have been as poor as it is possible to be and I have been financially comfortable. I have lived in the heart of the inner city slums and in the open spaces of the country. I have enjoyed physical successes and I have had physical pain for most of my life. One thing I have learned is that while life’s obstacles do not go away when you have a good attitude, you at least do not add to them. Christ overcame the world and through Him we can begin to set worldly things aside. We can begin to see the true value of our lives, a value not based on man’s dreams and accomplishments but on the destiny God intended for us from before we were formed in the womb.
Success does not come from the world around us but from within. It begins with acceptance of Jesus Christ as our personal savior and builds on that foundation. The first step to real success comes in acknowledging God’s great love that while we were still sinners undeserving of mercy, God allowed His Son to sacrifice His life so that we may live eternal. This sacrifice…this gift is the beginning of a new life of blessings and a new definition of success.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Monday, 11/29/2021
It is certainly acceptable and commendable how many women share feelings of their spouses and children with those around them. I love to see the world through different eyes; to see the love and joy that a wife and mother feels towards those close to her. Sadly, with men this is not always the case.
We seem to be raised with an image of stoicism that does not allow for the open expression of our feelings. Or we get caught up in the details of what we perceive as our responsibilities that we forget why we have those responsibilities in the first place. That is to say that we often do things for love but in the process, we lose sight of expressing that love through anything but meeting those responsibilities.
I know that I missed many years of time, special moments that I will never be able to get back by working to provide for my family. I don’t mean to imply that I am sorry I worked enough to allow my wife to be home with our girls but I do wish that I had made better use of the time I did have available. I implore each of us men, and women as well, to not waste a minute, to not pass by an opportunity, to not lose out on a chance to show those in our lives that we love them.
Let us strive to make memories of joy and love every day. Let us remember that we will never know how long our loved ones will be in our lives and with that in mind live each day to its fullest. Let us reach out through our actions and our words. Let us honor those that are in our lives now as well as those that have gone before us by living a life of love. Do not let a moment pass by where you can do or say something kind for those you care about and yet you don’t, thinking instead that there will always be tomorrow.
Please pause in your daily life to share a smile with someone you love. Understand that we cannot read each other’s’ minds and those that are special to us only truly know if we share with them. It is love that creates fond memories; it is love that heals our wounds; it is love that transcends the daily struggle to bring happiness to our lives and the lives of those around us. It is through our love that we never lose those that are close to us – they will always reside in our hearts, encouraging us to be better and love more. Love only multiples it never takes away; there is always room in our hearts and the world for more love.
I love my wife and children and yet I know that I do not tell them enough. I love my family but often forget to stay in touch. I love my friends but sometimes let time and circumstances drift us apart. Know that I love you all. Each one of you have been a part of the life that has made me the man I am today and each one of you contribute to my desire to be a better man tomorrow, to love more, to do more, to share more. If there is someone in your life that you love TELL THEM. Never assume that those you love know you love them, scream it from the rooftops, show it in your actions, and share it with your words. Love often, love fully, love life. God is love!
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
We seem to be raised with an image of stoicism that does not allow for the open expression of our feelings. Or we get caught up in the details of what we perceive as our responsibilities that we forget why we have those responsibilities in the first place. That is to say that we often do things for love but in the process, we lose sight of expressing that love through anything but meeting those responsibilities.
I know that I missed many years of time, special moments that I will never be able to get back by working to provide for my family. I don’t mean to imply that I am sorry I worked enough to allow my wife to be home with our girls but I do wish that I had made better use of the time I did have available. I implore each of us men, and women as well, to not waste a minute, to not pass by an opportunity, to not lose out on a chance to show those in our lives that we love them.
Let us strive to make memories of joy and love every day. Let us remember that we will never know how long our loved ones will be in our lives and with that in mind live each day to its fullest. Let us reach out through our actions and our words. Let us honor those that are in our lives now as well as those that have gone before us by living a life of love. Do not let a moment pass by where you can do or say something kind for those you care about and yet you don’t, thinking instead that there will always be tomorrow.
Please pause in your daily life to share a smile with someone you love. Understand that we cannot read each other’s’ minds and those that are special to us only truly know if we share with them. It is love that creates fond memories; it is love that heals our wounds; it is love that transcends the daily struggle to bring happiness to our lives and the lives of those around us. It is through our love that we never lose those that are close to us – they will always reside in our hearts, encouraging us to be better and love more. Love only multiples it never takes away; there is always room in our hearts and the world for more love.
I love my wife and children and yet I know that I do not tell them enough. I love my family but often forget to stay in touch. I love my friends but sometimes let time and circumstances drift us apart. Know that I love you all. Each one of you have been a part of the life that has made me the man I am today and each one of you contribute to my desire to be a better man tomorrow, to love more, to do more, to share more. If there is someone in your life that you love TELL THEM. Never assume that those you love know you love them, scream it from the rooftops, show it in your actions, and share it with your words. Love often, love fully, love life. God is love!
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
Monday, 11/15/2021
Why do I continue to struggle? Why do I fail? Why can I not overcome the obstacles in my path regardless of how much I strain and try? Please someone tell me! Why does Vlasic put the lids on so tight when all I want is a dill pickle slice? Now this may not seem like such a trial, unless of course you really have your heart set on a pickle, but it is indicative of all the challenges we face in life. We often cannot see beyond our immediate struggles. We allow our emotions and frustrations to control us. We feel that whatever obstacles we are facing are larger and more pressing than those others face. In our human weakness, we tend to forget that all mankind must face their own tribulations and challenges, both big and small. We tend to lose perspective on where our focus needs to be by the distractions and troubles of the world around us. We concentrate and obsess on whatever our current difficulties are, be they physical, financial, social, or even mental, that we lose sight of the fact that we never will truly succeed if we continue to rely on our own strength or wisdom. Philippians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’
I heard a beautiful sermon once from a truly anointed Pastor about learning to trust in the foundation that our faith in Jesus provides. He spoke of the many ways that Jesus exemplified behavior that we should all try to emulate, such as His steadfastness. Jesus always knew His purpose and had complete faith in His Father, our God. He remained steady even while the world around Him was a tempest. As Jesus taught in the parable of the wise and foolish builder in Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rains descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rains descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
The Word of God, embodied in a man, Jesus came to redeem, to save, to teach. He walked this earth the same as we do, experiencing the same temptations and struggles as all mankind. He came to show us the truth and teach us the way. John 4:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” When we have faith and accept Jesus into our hearts, we have a core foundation, a rock that will never crumble. When we keep our focus on God and what He wants of us, when we live in the word, we need not fear the trials of this world. Winds may blow and storms may rage, yet we will have stability. Our inner peace will resonate in our outward acts for we will know that nothing done to us in this world will ever separate us from the Love of God. Though we lose all we have on this earth, when God resides within us, we have never truly lost anything, for the things of this world are merely flash and bling, smoke and mirrors. We have been saved, redeemed from our sins and reconciled to the kingdom of heaven. As long as we do not lose sight of that beautiful fact and turn form God, no challenge we face can change this glorious truth.
Our lives will always be full of challenges, whether they be small, like opening a stuck jar of pickles or large, such as a terminal illness. From our first struggling breath to our last dying gasp, we are beset with obstacles, tried and tested. However, when we have complete faith in God we learn this is to our benefit, for if we never experienced hardship, we would never know true joy; if we never overcame an obstacle we would not have the compassion necessary to help others during their times of struggle. God tests us so that we can grow, so that we can understand and value our eternal lives, so that we can learn to rely on Him. If we rely upon ourselves, our own strength, the world will distract us our frailties will defeat us our very own contradictory human nature will confuse and confound us. As one, we cannot resist the storm, we will be blown down and swept away, lost amidst the world, but with God, we are never alone. We can lean upon Him for comfort when we are hurting; we can lean upon Him for strength when we are weak. We can seek Him for counsel and wisdom when we are lost and confused. Psalm 55:22, ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.’ We should always look to the example Jesus provided and strive to reach the bar He set. As we walk through life we must face each day with the thought, ‘What would Jesus want me to do?’ Have faith and do not fear, He will always be there to catch you when you stumble, for He is the rock that will not break.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
I heard a beautiful sermon once from a truly anointed Pastor about learning to trust in the foundation that our faith in Jesus provides. He spoke of the many ways that Jesus exemplified behavior that we should all try to emulate, such as His steadfastness. Jesus always knew His purpose and had complete faith in His Father, our God. He remained steady even while the world around Him was a tempest. As Jesus taught in the parable of the wise and foolish builder in Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rains descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rains descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
The Word of God, embodied in a man, Jesus came to redeem, to save, to teach. He walked this earth the same as we do, experiencing the same temptations and struggles as all mankind. He came to show us the truth and teach us the way. John 4:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” When we have faith and accept Jesus into our hearts, we have a core foundation, a rock that will never crumble. When we keep our focus on God and what He wants of us, when we live in the word, we need not fear the trials of this world. Winds may blow and storms may rage, yet we will have stability. Our inner peace will resonate in our outward acts for we will know that nothing done to us in this world will ever separate us from the Love of God. Though we lose all we have on this earth, when God resides within us, we have never truly lost anything, for the things of this world are merely flash and bling, smoke and mirrors. We have been saved, redeemed from our sins and reconciled to the kingdom of heaven. As long as we do not lose sight of that beautiful fact and turn form God, no challenge we face can change this glorious truth.
Our lives will always be full of challenges, whether they be small, like opening a stuck jar of pickles or large, such as a terminal illness. From our first struggling breath to our last dying gasp, we are beset with obstacles, tried and tested. However, when we have complete faith in God we learn this is to our benefit, for if we never experienced hardship, we would never know true joy; if we never overcame an obstacle we would not have the compassion necessary to help others during their times of struggle. God tests us so that we can grow, so that we can understand and value our eternal lives, so that we can learn to rely on Him. If we rely upon ourselves, our own strength, the world will distract us our frailties will defeat us our very own contradictory human nature will confuse and confound us. As one, we cannot resist the storm, we will be blown down and swept away, lost amidst the world, but with God, we are never alone. We can lean upon Him for comfort when we are hurting; we can lean upon Him for strength when we are weak. We can seek Him for counsel and wisdom when we are lost and confused. Psalm 55:22, ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.’ We should always look to the example Jesus provided and strive to reach the bar He set. As we walk through life we must face each day with the thought, ‘What would Jesus want me to do?’ Have faith and do not fear, He will always be there to catch you when you stumble, for He is the rock that will not break.
Peace and blessings,
Pastor Andrew
GRAY SUMMIT
United Methodist Church
204 Ford Street - PO Box 97
Gray Summit MO 63039
636.742.4336
OFFICE HOURS: Mon & Wed 9am-2pm, Thurs 9am-2pm
United Methodist Church
204 Ford Street - PO Box 97
Gray Summit MO 63039
636.742.4336
OFFICE HOURS: Mon & Wed 9am-2pm, Thurs 9am-2pm