Thoughts on Labor Day

This coming weekend is called Labor Day of which most of us will have a day off. It is often a good time to get together with family with an extra day off. My thoughts though have to do with our labor for the Lord. I Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because your know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." I labor for the Lord because of the life He has given to me through the power of the resurrection. That is what the therefore means in this context. If you have been saved from your sins through Jesus Christ it is because of His life, death and resurrection. I do not labor to be saved but I labor for the Lord because I am saved. Labor for the Lord ought to become as natural as an apple tree bearing apples. Jesus said in Luke 7:47 concerning being anointed by a sinful woman "Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who have been forgiven little loves little." I cannot speak for you but I have been forgiven much, I love the Lord with all my heart and as a result of this love I labor for the Lord, willing to do whatever He wants me to do. All our labor we do for Him is noticed by Him and will be rewared by the Lord. This reward may not be seen on this side of heaven but as sure as we are of the resurrection of Jesus Christ we can be sure that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. Do not think for a moment that we work in vain. Let us remember that our God is a rewarder. Therefore as we labor for the Lord let's keep in mind three simple things. First, I labor for the Lord because He has saved me and I do it willingly. Second, our labor must be an act of faith, God responds to faith. Third, our labor will benefit those we serve, plus we will receive a reward. What a great deal that God has set up for us as we labor for the Lord.
May the love of God be with you.

Pastor John

God & enjoyment

There are many people who come to believe that serving God will lead to a life of enjoyment. This concept is filled with much falsehood and misunderstanding. Jesus said in John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." The apostle Paul stated I Timothy 6:17 "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." Within these two verses and others we see a God who has our best interest in mind. A God who created the earth for our enjoyment and who wants us to have a good life. The balance part of that teaching is that sin ruin things and instead of enjoyment, heartache entered into our lives. When God created Adam and Eve, He had already created a most beautiful garden for them to live in for their enjoyment. The way of experiencing the joy and happiness that God has planned for us to reject the way of sin and follow the way of life that is only found in God and in His way. What arrogance that any man has to think that we know the way to enjoyment better then God does. The reason that Jesus encouraged us to deny ourselves was so we would reject the way of sin and selfishness so that we would be able to have a life of true joy and happiness by serving and loving God with all our heart, soul and spirit. God truly does want us to enjoy life but this can only happen when He is truly number one in our lives and when we commit to do life His way.
May the God of true joy and happiness reveal Himself to you throughout this week.

Pastor John

Character matters

II Peter 1:3-11 & Romans 5:1-5 & Galatians 5:16-26 are just three passages of scriptures that point to the importance of God like character as a follower of Jesus Christ. We live in a world that often overlooks the lack of character as long as there are results that benefit us in one way or another. This happens often in sports because we are looking for a positive outcome on Sunday afternoon. During this last off season there have been literally dozens of pro football players arrested for a variety of offenses. Too often the attitude is that this does not matter or it is not a big deal. I believe in a God who gives us a second chance so I am all for giving someone a second chance. What concerns me is the repeat offenders that seem to have consistent lapses of character. Let's be honest, negative actions is often a result of a lack of character. If you do not want to repeat a negative action then I encourage you to examine an area of character to begin to work on so that the action can begin to change. Consistent change in one's action will always be tied to a change of thinking that is resulting in a character improvement. Improve one's character and you will improve the outward actions. In a stressful situation one's true character will rise to the surface. If you are concerned in what someone might see then that is likely a sign that your character needs some work. Let's all be honest at this point as well, there is not one person alive that has perfected their character, we all need work. I encourage you to read through these scripture passages and ask God for grace and mercy to help you to become more like Him.

May the God of all love and peace be with you.

Pastor John