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| Occasional Thoughts, Encouragements, and Ramblings from our Pastors Serving God By Serving Men Posted 8/20/2011 “Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.” - Genesis 41:46 That might not seem significant, but it is. Joseph just came into this position full of privilege and power, but he doesn’t hang out around the palace and enjoy the new benefits, he sets out immediately to go to work. He hasn’t been given this position so he can be catered to, God has given him this opportunity to bless and serve others. There is a dangerous famine coming and something has to be done to enable people to survive it. We have to keep that in mind – God has given us positions and influence on varying scales, and we need to use the time while we have it to do what needs to be done. Love Him and love people and keep your own desires in check because it is way to easy to get off track or procrastinate. I also want to point out that this was a very “secular” task – he was managing the country’s agricultural and emergency preparedness systems, but he did it as unto God. You can do whatever it is you are called to do to the glory of God too. “Ministry” is not something that is only done at church by pastors – it should be done by all of us, we are all in full-time ministry, and I challenge you to think about that – how does your relationship with God affect what you do or how you do it? Wrestle with that. Remember, God didn’t just save you for your own benefit, He saved you for His glory and your benefit, but also to be a blessing to the people you are surrounded by. Putting God First Posted 10/28/2010 A uniting of ourselves with God is more important than all the work we do for Him. We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. The order here is important – first we love God, then everything else flows from that. The priority must always be on knowing God intimately, then proceeding to action. They must both occur, yet they must both occur in order. So in Haiti, they need education, but first they need God. In the US we need good laws, we need sexual purity, we need evangelism and missions, but first we need God. If it really is true that all our righteous deeds, done without God, are like filthy rags, then we must make sure we don’t waste any time or resources pursuing things not ordained by God. Now, a great thing about this ordering is everyone can do it – the day laborer, the waitress, the mechanic, the Senator, the pilot, the nurse – everyone can put God first in their lives and allow this primary relationship to shape everything else they do. Our first goal must be to know God personally, and then to struggle through the application of how that will shape our lives, our habits, and our to-do lists. Creation Vs Evolution Resources Posted 5/30/2010 As we begin to travel through the book of Genesis, one of the very first issues that confronts us is that of origins - where did we come from? Were we created or did we evolve? The Bible seems to have one answer and "science" seems to have another. Which is right? I have no problem at all believing the Bible is right and that "science" often begins with an anti-supernatural bias which automatically assumes God doesn't exist and therefore there MUST be some other explanation. In other words, the source of such contradictions is not the evidence, but the presuppositions of those examining the evidence. This may seem to some to be a simplistic answer and I may be accused of 'blind faith' because I don't dig into the "scientific" arguments and evidence. Call it what you may, but I recognize where my knowledge and specializations lie and where they do not. I accept the Bible as a Christian, as a theologian, and as a pastor. I base my life on it and teach from it. I am not, however, a scientist and therefore do not feel qualified to address the conflict between creation and evolution point by point. For those who have specific questions or greater interest in scientific matters, I offer the following list of resources as a starting point. The list is not exhaustive and I make no claim that this is the 'best' material on the subject, but it is pretty good and as I find more resources that were helpful to me I'll be sure to update the list. May God bless you and direct you as you seek to learn more about the world He created, Pastor Jeff Recommended Resources (cut and paste the links into your browser) Chuck Smith teachings on Genesis - http://www.twft.com/?page=C2000 AE Wilder-Smith - http://server.firefighters.org/wildersmith.asp Answers in Genesis www.answersingenesis.org Alister McGraith lectures and writings including the series available at: http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/node/765 Books Francis Schaeffer, Genesis in Space and Time Philip Johnson, Darwin on Trial Michael Behe, Darwin's Black Box Summer Schedule Posted 5/16/2010 We're wrapping up Peter's first letter this morning - there's a whole lot of good stuff in that little book huh? Bob has done a great job of walking us all through it, challenging us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I'll be back next Sunday and we'll start our journey through Genesis - the way you respond to those first couple of chapters affects the way you respond to the world and life around you, so we'll slow things down and take a good close look at what God has to say to us there. This summer we have a variety of fellowship opportunities for you to take advantage of - the first Sunday of each month is our communion service and church BBQ and soon the Softball team will start their games. Almost all of the games will be on Sunday afternoons at a local elementary school - it's a great place to bring the kids to play and watch the game even if you aren't on the team. We'll publish the schedule soon. Be encouraged in Christ, Pastor Jeff Happy Mother's Day Posted 5/9/2010 Happy Mother's Day! We've had quite a few new mom's this year, both first timers and repeat offenders! :) The winner for the closest to the deadline goes to Monica Delarosa who gave birth to little Martin Luis (10 lbs) Friday night. Congratulations Luis and Monica! Remember to do more than just call your mom today - pray for her! No matter where she stands with Jesus pray for her, ask God to bless her, thank Him for using her in your life, and ask Him to draw her closer to Himself so that she is even more of a blessing to you. Invest in your mom and benefit from the returns! This morning I would also like to ask you to pray for some mom's you don't know. I have adopted a battalion of Army recruits and have been ministering to them on Sundays; several of the young ladies are also mom's - can you imagine being separated from your little ones for nine weeks to go through boot camp!?! We're going to do something special for them, but they could definitely use your prayers for comfort this Sunday of all times. Thankful for the mom I once lived with and the one I live with now, Pastor Jeff |