Pastor John's blog

The Story: Chapter three, Joseph

2012-01-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

The lessons of the The Story are very relevant for today's living. The story of Joseph could be told from favorite son to slave to prison to second on charge of a nation. That is a life that most of us would love to have if we could leave out the middle part of being a slave and being in prison. This points to a truth that Jesus talked about toward the end of His ministry in John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." The truth is that everyone in life has times of difficulty and trials and temptations that begin to seem to overwhelm them. It is never comfortable to begin to feel that I am losing control of life and in knowing how to deal with life. I am positive that Joseph struggled in what was happening in his life. I am also positive that you have struggled at time in what was happening in your life. Jesus gives us the key to overcome these times. The context which we find John 16:33 is the context of Jesus pouring out His heart of love to the disciples and sharing with them the importance of loving another, loving Him and by trusting in the Holy Spirit when life does not make sense. I can have peace because I know that my Father in heaven loves, Jesus loves me and they have my best interest in mind. Jesus is affirming His love for the disciples on this occasion which He did by washing their feet. Then Jesus encouraged His disciples that the true test of love for Him would be doing, obeying, that is doing life His way and when we trust in Him, He promised to give us peace. The Father God loves you therefore you can overcome through His Son, Jesus Christ.
May the love and peace of God overshadow your life.

Pastor John

The Story week two

2012-01-16T09:16:00.003-05:00

There are many people who can relate to Abraham and Sarah. They had many great expectations for a family and in fact received a promise from God that they would have a son. That was great news but this expectation went unfullfilled for years. We too have some very good expectations and believe that God has spoken to us in a marvelous way but yet we have not seen the what we have been promised. Again like Abraham and Sarah there are times we think that God can use a little help to do what He had promised. They decided to have this child in an unconventional manner but that was not God's plan so they just ended up complicating their lives. I do not know about you but I have tried to help God but only ended up causing myself more problems then I already had. The lesson is this is simple but one that is difficult at times to fully learn which is life will always go better when I do the things that God wants me to do and I trust and wait upon the Lord to do what He said He would do. This is called faith. From the time the promise of have a child first came it was 25 years before the baby was born. That is a long time to wait for a promise to be fulfilled and there were many lessons to learn along that pathway but God's timing is right. I do not want to wait anymore then the next person but learning that a walk of faith is resting, trusting and believing that God has my best interest in mind and His ways and timing is the best. Psalm 25:3 "Indeed, those who wait upon You will not be put to shame." If you have an unfulfilled promise from God do not become discouraged but believe that God has the power to do all that He has promised, Romams 4:20-21. Faith is believing God is able to fulfill His Word regardless of what we may be seeing in the natural world.
May God strengthen you in your faith to wait upon Him.

Pastor John

The Story Chapter One

2012-01-09T09:09:00.002-05:00

The Story is a journey through the Bible that communicates God's love story for His special creation, us. Throughout this story God does not cover up the mistakes of man nor does He compromise His plan but expects us to do life His way. Within the first chapter of the story we have creation, the fall of man, the promise of restoration, the first murder and Noah's ark. The thing that is interesting that happened then is still happening today. The human race has a hard time listening to God. We may hear God but we have a hard time listening because if I listened it means that I am going to cooperate with God and do the things that He is telling me to do. In the story of Cain and Abel God spoke these words to Cain "I you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you but you must master it." Genesis 4:7 Unfortunately Cain did not listen and then killed his brother. The account of the human race from that point only got worse which led God to destroy the earth except for Noah and his family. Noah being a righteous man and who found favor with God saved his family. Shortly after the flood was over there arose a problem of Noah getting drunk, which lead to other problems with his children. The words that God spoke to Cain were not heeded then for Cain, Noah, his sons or for that matter the rest of the human race. God is looking for faithful ones who will listen to Him and begin to do life His way. In chapter two God finds another man who would listen to Him, Abrahan. More on him next week. For us today let us not become deceived and think that we can do what is right in the sight of the Lord in our own strength. We need Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord to help us to do what is right but He will not force us to do what is right we need to choose to do what is right and then ask Him for His help. He promised to help me if I look to Him.

May God strength your journey of faith.
Pastor John

Whose on first?

2012-01-03T09:13:00.002-05:00

As this year begins the Lord is reminding me of the importance to keep His first in all things throughout this year. Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." Jesus said in several places that if we want to be His disciple that we must follow Him. This concept of God being first and of following Jesus is one and the same. Many people claim to love Jesus and that is great but let's remember that Jesus said in several places that if you love Me, you will obey my commands. This too is the same principle of putting Him first and following Him. May the Lord inspire us to live a life this year of taking the words of Jesus at face value and follow Him by loving, serving and obeying Him with our whole hearts. I can only speak for myself but I long to have His favor and blessing upon my life which will come when I do the things that Jesus said was important. By the way the things must important to Jesus is to put Him first, love Him, serve Him, follow Him and to do these things with a heart of worship through grace. None of what I said can be accomplished through obeying the letter of the law but it is all accomplished through a passionate intimate relationship with the one who saved me, called me, and strengthens me. I desire to see more fruitful activity of God this year and that will only happen when I trust Him to work in and through me. We do not need to work harder this year but we do need to trust Him in all things whether big or small. I believe God wants to manifest Himself in the lives of His children. Ephesians 1:3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."
May the God of all love and grace bring this into reality in our lives.

Pastor John

Making Resolutions Work

2011-12-29T10:09:00.001-05:00

Most people make some type of resolution at this time of the year. Some are small and some are a huge but many of them never see it's fulfillment. The Bible gives some great advice to help people to make good on their resolutions. It is not easy to change and it is not easy when many distractions come our way as we try to fulfill those resolutions. Jeremiah 31:17 “There is hope for your future”. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” Philippians 3:13b-14 “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Through these verses the Bible gives us some advice in dealing with the future and the changes we would like to see come into reality. A resolution is basically saying that I would like to see this change in my life. First, believe that change is possible. With God all things are possible and He has promised to be with us and to strengthen us therefore there is hope to bring about change. Without hope it is not likely one will continue to discipline themselves to make the changes necessary. We must see that the end result will be worth all the sacrifice needed within the process. That is why the apostle Paul said in Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Basically saying is heaven is worth working for regardless of any sacrifice we may have to go through.

Second, work on your relationship with the Lord throughout the process. One of our tendencies as humans is that we tend to think too much of ourselves at times which often then means that we are not trusting God the way we should be trusting Him. The way forward is one of humility and dependence upon the Lord as our help and strength. The big aspect of this truth is that man's way does not always work but God's way will always work. Therefore the key in life is learning how to do life God's way rather then our way. We are encouraged over and over to have faith in God, put our trust in the Lord or to wait upon the Lord for His time is right and good. I encourage you to make your resolution and then turn to the Lord for wisdom and guidance in how to make that resolution a reality.

Third, there will be distractions. The verse in Philippians 3:13-14 encourages us to forget what is behind and keep our eyes on what is ahead. Distractions will come in many different ways and forms and our enemy will use them to get us sidetracked from the things we should be doing. A great resolution that many make is to become a healthier Christian or to serve your church more or something along that line. Satan our enemy does not want you to grow as a follower of Jesus Christ therefore he will try to get your priorities mixed up or mess with your schedule so you do not have enough time or any number of things. Here is a couple of suggestions: realize any change takes time and do not become discouraged too quickly. Continue to do what is right and you will begin to see right results. Realize that in every effort to change there is the possibility of setbacks. All is not lost because of a minor stumble. Ask God to forgive and refresh your faith and desire to do life His way. Realize the necessary to keep your eyes looking forward. This at times is the hardest thing to do what the present reality seems so overwhelming but we must remember we go the direction that our eyes are focused. Therefore do not allow anything to keep you from keeping your eyes on Jesus who is the author and completer of your faith.

Much more could be said on this topic. I encourage you examine yourself and be willing to make that resolution that will improve your life. This can result in being one of your best years of your life as you learn to follow through on the commitments that you make with the Lord.

May the peace and love of Jesus Christ overshadow your life and strengthen you throughout 2012.

In His Service
Pastor John

New Year New Hope

2011-12-27T09:18:00.002-05:00

Jeremiah 31:17 "There is hope for your future." I realize that this verse was written to the children of Israel during the time of captivity in which there was much hopelessness. The words spoken then though are as true today and here is why.
One, God has not changed. He has a plan for your life like He had a plan for Israel. The sins of Israel prevented that plan to be lived to its fullest and often that can be said of us as well. God continued to reach out to them in love and when they begin to respond to Him God begin to restore Israel as a nation. This is not happen over night but it did happen. Two, Jesus is our Lord and Savior. The scriptures teach that greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world. The promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus did not come to abolish the law and prophets but to complete them. We have promises of victory, freedom and fruitfulness that the world cannot stop when we live God's way. Repentance is a huge part for us to learn how to live life His way. Three, our past has already been written but our future is in the hands of God. This is one of the reasons the apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." God want us to be forward lookers which can be done when we place all our sins and failures at the cross of Christ. Forgive me Lord for not doing all You wanted me to do in 2011 and help me by Your grace, mercy and power to do the things that You want me to do 2012. I encourage you to take some time in the next couple of days to reflect upon last year and then put it in its proper perspective and then begin to dream what God wants you to do in 2012. He has great plans for you so do not dream too small. May big prayer is that I would live is such a manner that His favor and Presence would rest upon my life.
May the peace and love of God go with you.

Pastor John

Doing Good

2011-12-19T09:16:00.002-05:00

I have been reading through II Chronicles during my devotional time and this morning II Chronicles 31:20 spoke to me. "This what hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the Lord His God." One of the main thoughts as I have been reading through this book is the importance of finishing well. So many of the kings of Judah started out well but did not finish well. I have been praying lately 'Lord help me to finish well'. Then as I read this verse this morning it was like the answer to how to finish well which is do good, do what is right and be faithful all along during this before the Lord. Though Hezekiah had one incident of pride late in life he repented and finished well. One of the few kings that actually finish being faithful to the Lord. During this Christmas season we can be so focus on the story of Christmas that we are called upon to do good. This means when an opportunity arises to help someone that is exactly what we should do. We can get so focused on our own Christmas lists and plans that we neglect helping the poor. The Lord blesses generosity. The next on Hezekiah's list to do what is right. If we want the favor of God upon our life then we must do life His way which is doing what is right. Let's keep this as simple as we can, when we obey God our life will always go well. The third thing on Hezekiah's list is to be faithful before the Lord. This concept is being faithful to what God wants us to do and it is also referring to be faithful to our word and our calling in life. The first words I want to hear when I get to heaven is well done good and faithful servant. If we follow the pattern of King Hezekiah we will do well.
May His grace empower us to do good, do what is right and be faithful before the Lord all the days of our life.

Pastor John

Love: the focus of Christmas

2011-12-12T09:30:00.003-05:00

Christmas is a great time of the year to refocus on some things. There are many who are trying to take the Christian symbols out of Christmas or renaming this time as just the holidays. Whatever one may try or think Jesus is the central theme of Christmas and that will not change. If there were no Jesus there would not be a Christmas. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..." Jesus Christ. It was love, the Father's love that made Christmas possible. It was His love that Jesus came into the world. It was His love that sent the angels to declare on the day of His birth, "we bring you Good News". It was love of nurturing parents that Jesus matured and it was love for His Father that Jesus fulfilled the will of God by dying on the cross. It was love that raised Jesus from the grave. It was love that made this all possible. Therefore when you gather for all your Christmas activities this year may you be reminded that it was and is all about love that made this season possible. Let us then love in a similar manner by focusing on others and not on whay you may receive. Let us take some time and meditate on that love so as to grasp a bit more just how much the Father loves us.
May the love of the Father, the mercy of the Son and peace of the Holy Spirit be with you this Christmas season.

Pastor John

Times of refreshing

2011-12-05T09:13:00.002-05:00

I received an email and a phone call this morning that reminded me that the holidays is not a pleasant time for everyone. There are some people facing a variety of medical issues that bring into question or not if this will be their last Christmas. There are people who lose their loved ones. In fact I lost my dad about this time in December nearly 25 years ago and Sharon lost her dad between Christmas and New Years Day. These situations cause stress and much uncertainity. Then they are some among that wonder if they will ever find another job. I do not want to be negative but paint a picture of reality that there are many among us that need a time of refreshing. Acts 3:19 "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord". I am not ssying that a person's present situation is due to personal sin but I am saying we need to turn to God who love us and promised to be with us. One of truths of scripture is that when someone needs a time of refreshing that not only will God help you but He will often send another person as His agent of refreshing. Let us be open to the Lord during this time to see how God may used us to bring about refreshing to someone in need. Proverbs 11:25 "A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." All us at one time or another are in need of refreshing. Let us be open to the Lord to bring refreshing to others then when we are in need can have the confidence that we will be refreshed.

May the Gof of all love and peace guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Pastor John

The blessings of giving

2011-11-28T09:14:00.002-05:00

Now that Thanksgiving Day is behind and the shopping has started in a fenzy and with many of the outdoor Christmas decorations up it is clear that Christmas Day is now close. There are now a variety of Christmas parties, family gatherings and host of things to do in the next couple of weeks. With all that going on we can become to lose focus on the true meaning of Christmas. There are two verses that I want to briefly share that serve to remind us the true meaning of Christmas. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave is one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." The expression of God's love is one of giving. This season we must remember the greatest gift ever given which is Jesus coming into the world. Without this gift there is no Christmas. Without this gift there would be no civil society because through Christ there is hope, peace and love. Even among people who have little to do with the church will emphasize these themes at this time of the year. The other verse is Acts 20:35 "remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give thean to receive.'" The blessing of giving comes from a heart of love. This is clearly the message of God in John 3:16 and if we are ever going to follow God then the development of a giving heart based upon love is a good place to start. The issues of life will always come back to the issues of the heart. Let us pray and seek for a greater revelation and understanding of His love so that our heart's motivation for all that we do will be based upon His love.
May the love of our Creator God overshadow our lives.

Pastor John

Thanksgiving: What I am thankful for.

2011-11-21T09:00:00.002-05:00

We celebrate Thanksgiving Day in three days. I have talked about being thankful and now I am going to express my list of what I am thankful for this year. I encourage you to set a little time aside and begin to list all the things that you are thankful for this year. I am thankful that God loved me and continues to love me. I am thankful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that God accepted me and now I am a child of God. I am thankful that God is bigger, much bigger then my biggest problem and when I trust Him He has always been faithful. I am thankful that God has filled with the Holy Spirit and His power is made great in my weaknesses. I am thankful that I am a servant of the Most High God with His kingdom. I am thankful that I have experience victory and freedom as I walk with Christ. I am thankful for my church family. I am thankful for the privilege of serving King Jesus as one of His undershepherds of His church. I am thankful for His provisions within my life. I am thankful for a beautiful, godly wife who has been loving and patient with me. I am thankful for my four children and three grandchildren. I am thankful for my son-in-law who is a godly husband to my daughter. I am thankful for the health I have at this moment and the ability to enjoy golf and running and other types of recreation. I am thankful for the house that God has blessed my family with and the vehicles that we have and a lot of nice others toys of life. I am thankful that the things of life do not have a hold on my life and that Jesus is my source. I am thankful that in the midst of frustration that God continues to communicate His love and care to me. I am thankful for this day and the opportunities that is before me. I am thankful for the wisdom and guidance that He has promised to give to me. I am thankful for the faithfulness of the Lord to all His great and precious promises. I am thankful that most of my family will be able to be with us for Thanksgiving Day.
There is more I could have said but I trust I have inspired you to be more thankful for all things of life and not just the big things.
May the Lord bless all the family gatherings this Thursday on Thanksgiving Day.

Pastor John

Benefits of being Thankful

2011-11-14T09:13:00.002-05:00

Last week I talked about the power of Thanksgiving. The value of being a thankful person cannot be over stated. I want to briefing state some benefits of being thankful. First, being thankful helps us to keep the right perspective on the things of life. If we are not careful the things of life can become more important then they ought to be and with a thankful heart it helps us to appreciate what we have and not take things for granted. Second, being thankful helps us to more pleasant to being around. No one like a grumpy person with poor manners. There is still great value in saying please and thank you. Third, being thankful helps keep us level headed when life takes one of those unexpected turns. Unpleasant things can happen to anyone at anytime. This is an aspect of life we do not allows understand and one that is difficult to deal with but when you are thankful it keeps us focusing on the right things. Fourth, being thankful is an indication that we are growing as a follower of Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." The encouragement here by the apostle Paul is for all believers facing all kinds of different circumstances. Either we are going to trust God or we are going to trust in our own ability to handle the tough times. I will trust God and be thankful regardless of whether or not I understand because I know that it is He who directs my steps and who can meet each and every one of my needs. Being thankful is a choose and is not based upon our present situation. Therefore I choose today to be thankful.
May of light of Jesus be with you.

Pastor John

The Power of Thanksgiving

2011-11-07T09:14:00.002-05:00

Even though Thanksgiving Day is still a little over 2 weeks away it is not too early to begin to emphasis the importance of a thankful heart. Many times within the Psalms we are encouraged to be thankful. Psalm 100:4-5"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise, give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever, His faithfulness continues through all generations." The basis of thanksgiving is not so much on what our present circumstance is but based upon God's goodness and love. When our thanksgiving is connected to our present situation then it can be sparodic at best because all of us has good days and bad days. There are times we do not have all we want or due to no fault of your own you are experiencing a time of financial crisis. When those things happen it does not change God and His character. His goodness and love is still present and will continue throughout my lifetime and my children's lifetime. I choose to be thankful because of who God is and not based upon my present situation. I am thankful for this morning that I was able to go on a good run. I am thankful for a godly wife. I am thankful for His provision, though this last year has seen some tough and tight times. I am thankful that I can be a servant of the Most High King, Jesus Christ. I am thankful for His everlasting love though I do not deserve anything. I am thankful for God's faithfulness and His Word which bring consistency to my life. As I write this my mind is thinking of many other things that I can be thankful for and it is a choose. The power of thanksgiving comes in giving us a positive outlook on life. It opens the eyes to see the possibilities of God's activity in my life and it helps me to combat the temptation of the enemy who wants God's children to be negative and doubting of God ability to handle my life's difficulties. I encourage you to spend some time everyday and speak out to the Lord thanksgiving and praise. What would happen on Sunday morning if everyone who came was prepared to give the Lord thanks and praise? I personally think He would show up in a special way for God inhabits the praises of His people.
May His blessings rest upon us as we do life His way.

Pastor John

Character of stability

2011-10-31T09:42:00.002-04:00

I thank God for all the good things that He has done in my life. I thank Him for my salvation, the provisions that He has given to me and for the stability that He has granted to me in my life. Yesterday I spoke about the "Vision for Bethel" which is 'Being a stable, healthy Pentecostal church' within this community needs to see. I encourage you that if you missed this message that you pick up a copy next Sunday. I am going to address the character of stability today which is peace, contentment, hope, sense of belonging and a place where people will want to come and be a part of it. For many people peace seems to be very elusive. Far too often people think peace is the absence of difficulty and conflict when peace is our reliance of God in how we handle the difficulty and conflict. In saying that I can have stability even when life is not all that it should be because our God is able to help us in how we handle and approach these times. Contentment comes from how we are approaching the things of life. When we allow the attitude that things can bring us happiness we can become disillusioned because God is to be our source and the scripture says "But Godliness with contentment is great gain" I Timothy 6:6. God has been and always will be our source of stability. One more thing on the character of stability. Wherever there is stability whether it is a home or church people want to be a part of that because when someone is living in chaos (instability) they find comfort just being in a place that has the atmosphere of stability. If you have greater instability then you should I encourage you to talk to someone and begin to work at making the necessary changes to create greater stability in your life.
May the God of all love and peace be with you.
Pastor John

How to love one another

2011-10-24T09:02:00.003-04:00

Today I had an experience that I am sure many others have had in their walk with the Lord. I was reading a very familiar passage of scripture (I John 5:2) and the Lord revealed something to me or I could say He spoke to me in a way that brought greater light on as aspect of being His disciple that was very refreshing. I John 5:2 "This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands." Whenever most talk about how to love one another there are discussions on being kind, forgiving, compassion, acts of mercy, our conversations being healthy and etc. But this verse actually is saying that one of the best indicators of our love for one another is within our relationship with God, by loving Him and by obeying Him. So let's keep this in its proper context by asking a couple of questions. How have you been loving God lately? Have you been obeying His commands? If I am struggling in these areas of my life then the apostle John is saying that you are not loving one another to your full potential. The way the apostle John has put this means that whether it is love for one another or for God it is always about God. Even in our love for others we must put God first and if He is not first then we can quickly distort what it actually means to love one another. If I truly love God and I am obeying Him then I will have the proper prespective to truly love others. I want to encourage you to love one another and you will know how well you are actually doing that in your love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
May the love of God overshadow all aspects of your life.
Pastor John

Being Full of the Spirit

2011-10-17T09:26:00.002-04:00

I thank God that as one of His children He did not leave me alone and expect me to live by His standards. I would fail consistently for I do not have what it takes to follow Jesus. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and I believe the Bible is the Word of God. I have always believed that from my childhood but I have not always lived as if I believed that. There was an experience in my midteens that I struggled with a particular sin and became convinced there was no power in the church to help me. I still believed that Jesus is God and the Bible was His Word but I became involved in many sins of the world. When I was 21 I accepted the Lord and everything changed because not only did I believe but became convinced that there was power to help me to live right. I have failed many times but I continually return to the promise that when I am weak He is strong. Late in the life of the apostle Paul he was in a season of weakness and God assured him with these words, "My grace is sufficient in you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." II Corinthians 12:9
This is one of my consistent prayers that God will continue to be with me in my weaknesses so that I will have strength and wisdom to do what is right in His sight. Saying means that I have a need to be full of the Spirit everyday. Jesus promised never to leave us or forsake us and He promised to answer our prayers. I just happen to believe that when I pray for His power, His Spirit to come because I am weak and dependent upon Him that this is the kind of prayer that God is eager to answer. May we learn to depend upon the Lord and continually ask to be full of the Spirit.
May the love and peace of the Lord overshadow your comings and goings.
Pastor John

Importance of Character

2011-10-10T09:35:00.001-04:00

Being a Christian by definition means being a follower of Jesus Christ. There are a variety of opinions of exactly what this means but let's keep it simple. Philippians 2:5 "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Our attitude basically defines our character. Is your character positive or negative? That is all dependent upon your attitude. Within the context of being a Christian the apostle Paul said the our attitude ought to be similar to that of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In other words our character should be similar to that of Jesus. I needed a Savior because I was a sinner with attitudes far from that of Jesus. The task of every follower, disciple of Jesus is to see the importance of transforming our character from what it was to what it ought to be. For all of us this is a life long pursuit because it is a slow transition due to the fact that change is not easy and at times we do not welcome it. In order for this transformation to work I must understand how the process works and then being willing to work the process. The emphasis of this blog is to point to the importance of the character of Christ being worked in us. I cannot become more like Him if I remain as I am. If I am going to be the witness that God wants me to be then I must begin to reflect Him more and more and that is done through our character. Saturday (October 15) at Bethel I am teaching a class on Spiritual Formation that will cover the process of putting on the character of Christ. May we do our part so that we can become more like Jesus.

May the peace and love of our Heavenly Father guide our lives.

Pastor John

I Believe

2011-10-03T09:05:00.002-04:00

Faith has always been the access to the heart of God. In Hebrews 11 the author commends many people for their faith beginning with Abel and then tracing it throughout the Old Testament. The Law was given in a time of Israel to give them direction and understanding of God but unless there was faith the Law could not save. It was all about Faith and it still is all about Faith in a God who hears and acts for a people who will put their trust in God. Jesus said in Mark 11:22 "Have faith in God" and then in verse 24 said "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." This type of faith is not hoping for the best but it is a confidence in God that He will be the God who keeps His word and promises, the God who has shown Himself faithful throughout all generations. This confidence does not dictate to God what to do and when to do it but stands upon His word and believes for the impossible to become possible in the power of the Spirit. Jesus also said to Martha right before He raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11:40 "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God." We may receive many great blessings when God answers our prayers when we believe in God but all honor and glory is His. Seeing the activity of God in our midst ought to be reflected in bragging on Daddy when He does what only He can do. Let us speak of His wonderful works when He does answer our prayers.
Have faith in God. Trust and obey for there is no better way.
May God increase your faith as you continue to believe in God for your need.

Pastor John

Priority Refreshing

2011-09-19T09:10:00.001-04:00

Everyone has a list of priorities in life. Some of them are stated and others just seem to happen due to a variety of situations. One must understand that priorities of life can change and in fact can change without us even knowing about it. Therefore from time to time we ought to examine ourselves to identify what our present priorities actually are and then compare that with what we have said what our priorities ought to be. To assume that this will always be the same is a huge mistake because we can move forward in life thinking we are OK when in reality we are not focusing on the right things. I want to use use Bethel A/G as an example. As pastor there are two main things that I want to be the highest priorities in all that we do. Number one priority is loving God. Number two priority is loving people. This has been and will be our first two priorities of church life. The first step is to sit back an examine ourselves to see if what we are doing is actually in alignment with our main priorities. There are seasons that I think we are doing well and then there are seasons I am sensing we are slipping a bit from those two priorities. To get the whole church family to align themselves up with those priorities is and will continue to be a challenge. One I have analyzed where we are then we must begin to make intentional decisions to make sure we are doing the right things that will help to stay on track with our stated priorities. One thing that I have learned is that we need to state what our priorities actually are in order to keep them before us so we will actually live it out in life. There are many people who have stated that God is number one in their life but you would never know it by looking at their lives. It takes energy and endurance to keep what we say is our priority our actual priority. What is true in the life of the church is also true in our personal lives.
May the God of all love and peace guard your hearts in Christ Jesus our Savior.
Pastor John

Is Jesus revelant?

2011-09-12T09:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I started a sermon series "Not a Fan". This series is all about becoming a completely committed follower of Jesus Christ. Are you a fan of Jesus or a follower of Jesus? A fan (enthusiastic admirer) who has all the right words of being a Christian but the lifestyle is lacking. A follower of Jesus is one who has made a commitment to love and obey Jesus in all aspects of their lives. Therefore the question: Is Jesus relevant? That is do the words of Jesus spoken almost 2,000 years ago speak to us today within the context of the culture that we live. I am 100% convinced that Jesus is relevant to any and all cultures to any age and time. I realize that I have just made a faith statement of which some people will disagree. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus address a great variety of topics in speaking about the principles of the Kingdom of God. These range from attitudes of the heart, judgment, sex, finances, marriage, forgiveness, politics, worry and trust, faith and if we would take His teaching seriously here would alter how we interact with one another. One of ways to insure that proper interpretation of a particular scripture is to ask this question; can I teach this principle in any culture of the world? If I cannot then I need to pursue a bit deeper the spiritual principle from that verse. Now let's be clear about another aspect of this, application of the principle will most likely look different but the principle ought to be the same. Do not expect universal application of a spiritual principle. Jesus spoke in the context of principles which was a stumbling block for the teachers of the law of His day. They were more concerned about the washing of a cup then they were of the spiritual principle of taking care of your parents. Jesus is more then enough to speak to every situation within the cultures of today. In fact if we are willing to believe, Jesus' words when properly understood (principle) and obied (application) is relevant to us today and will help us more then anything else we will ever read. I choose everyday to not be a fan but to be a completely committed follower of Jesus Christ.

May the grace and love of Jesus overshadow your lives.

Pastor John

Not a Fan

2011-09-06T09:25:00.002-04:00

Football season is now upon us. I enjoy this time of year in sports but wish the weather was warmer but I can not have it both ways. As many may know I am a huge Green Bay Packer fan. I am looking forward to Thursday night and watch the best team in NFL history. See that is the talk of a fan. This Sunday I begin a six week sermon series titled "Not a Fan". The message begins by bringing clarity of where your relationship with Jesus actually is by asking the question, Are you a fan or follower of Jesus? Within these messages we will be exploring the words of Jesus so as to define what He said and meant in what being a genuine follower of Jesus means. If we allow our culture to define what it means to be a Christian we will come to a different definition then what the Bible says on this all important topic. Did Jesus mean what He said? Does Jesus really want us to follow Him in a racial manner that there is nothing more important in life then our relationship with Him? If I am not able to answer these questions then it is likely that I have already allowed my culture to define my relationship with Jesus. Let's put this another way. Image for a moment Jesus standing before and He asks you these questions: "Define your relationship with Me? How important is it to you that you do what I say you should do? Would you be willing to give up one thing up that I see is hindering our relationship?" Do you welcome questions like this or would you rather these questions not be asked? Please do not flee because one day when we see Jesus face to face the question of our relationship will be asked. I trust you are willing to ask that question now so that you will be ready to answer that question when He does ask us later about our relationship with Jesus. Our preparation on earth is to get us ready to meet our loving, gracious Heavenly Father. To think that I am OK when in reality I am not OK is like going to the doctor for your annual physical and he asks you only one question, are you OK? If you reply OK, then he says then go home. What kind of annual physical is that. You have to test blood work among other things and I know my doctor ask me many questions. Over the next six weeks let's do that on a spiritual level. I will be asking lots of questions. Do not be afraid of them but rather embrace them so that you will be able to define your relationship with Jesus in a positive manner.
May the Lord bless you and keep you in His love.
Pastor John

Living in God's presence

2011-08-29T09:30:00.002-04:00

During my devotions this morning I came across a verse; Psalm 140:13 "Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence." ESV translation
This verse gives us what the heartbeat of every Christian ought to be. I want to dwell in His presence. I trust that you want to dwell in His presence. Jesus said this in several different way and in John 15 the emphasis is abiding in Him and Jesus in us. This ought to be what a life of a believer is all about. God loves you and wants you to dwell in His presence. God is for you and not against you because He wants you to dwell in His presence. Jesus died on the cross to free us from our sins so we could dwell in His presence. Jesus defeated the works of the enemy, sin and death so that we would be able to dwell in His presence. Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith because He wants us to dwell in His presence. Jesus provided grace and mercy in the times of our weaknesses because we are powerless to dwell in His ever abiding presence when He said that He would never leave us nor forsake us so that His presence is always our guiding light. In saying all that this verse also communicates that it is the upright who dwell in His presence. This is not a works thing but it is an obedience thing. For day one of creation of Adam and Eve God has required obedience to experience His tangible manifest presence. When Adam and Eve sinned God had no option but to expel them out of the Garden of Eden, that is a symbol of His presence. The upright in this verse is speaking of those whose life is marked by a lifestyle of obedience, not perfection but similar to that of Kind David, having a heart after God. We can live in His presence on a daily basis. This is the heartbeat of God for you and I trust it is also your heartbeat for God.
May God bless you throughout this week with His tangible presence in your life.

Pastor John

What is missing in today's church? Part IV

2011-08-24T17:26:00.003-04:00

On the obversations of what is missing in today's church I am going to address the lack of hunger for God. Your obversation maybe a bit different. Though there are many books, CD's, DVD's and conference on related topics of one's relationship with Christ there seems to be something missing. It is clear that there are pockets of great passion for God but as a whole many Christians seem to be going through the moments. The reasons for this are likely due to compromise, complacency or distractions. There are likely other reasons for a lack of hunger but I think these are the big three. So what ought I do if I am a Christian but lack a genuine hunger for God and for a move of God in my life and church. First, repent for a lack of hunger and then commit to seek the Lord with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and you will be found by me if you seek me with all your heart." Jesus said in Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Praise God that He responds when we seek Him with all our hearts. Second, become aware of the distractions, compromise and the places of complacency that has taken energy away from your passion of God. This may well result in your need to change some patterns or give up something for a seasons but we are encouraged to seek the Lord and put Him first in our lives and anything that keeps us from that is not a good thing. Third, be consistent with your daily prayer life and your church attendance. This will bring you into His presence which will feed your hunger for God. Bethel A/G is having special services with Evangelist David Nichols this weekend and I encourage you to feed your hunger for God by allowing God to speak to you this weekend. Services are on Bethel Facebook.
May the Lord keep you in His love and peace.
Pastor John

What's missing in today;s church? Part III

2011-08-15T09:15:00.001-04:00

The couple of weeks I have address that true biblical love and being on the agenda of God is what is missing in today's church. This is not missing in every church but by and large with the American church we are moving by our own heartbeat rather then the heartbeat of God. Today in my observation what is missing is a lack of true spiritual discernment. One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the discerning of spirits. This is understood in understanding what is of God and what is of man or of the enemy. Time here does not permit me to be in depth but the church seems to lack the ability to know what is right or wrong and what is true spiritual anointing and charisma of the individual. When we lack the ability to know right from wrong we will begin to allow ungodly behavior that will hinder one's ability to mature as a disciple of Christ. Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sing against you." The concern in this area is that we begin to allow the culture to determine what is right or wrong rather then allowing the Word of God to determine what is right or wrong. I realize that not everyone who is even a serious student of the Bible will agree on everything here but when the church begins to allow clearly stated sins as being OK we are missing something. A clear example of this is allowing sexual immorality within the church. We must be careful not to be misled into legalism to define right or wrong but we must be careful to allow the grace of Christ to so impact our lives that we allow the Spirit to guide us into all truth and to live a life pleasing to God. The other area of my concern in the lack of discernment comes in confusing the true anointing of God and the charisma of a person. This is not always easy but here are three things that have helped me over the years to discern whether a person is walking in the anointing of God. First, Is the cross central to their message? If Jesus does not remain at the center then it becomes an easy transition for self to be the center. Second, Is there a commitment to honor the Word of God? Properly handing the Word of God ought to be a given but somehow the church overlooks how some handle the scriptures because they sound so good. That is a huge mistake, the Holy Spirit authored the Word of God and it is the same Holy Spirit that brings the anointing and He never contradicts Himself. Third, Is the character of a humble servant present within their character? This is not always easy because we know some evangelists or prophets from a distant but let us be aware that true anointing can only function in a person who is wholly dependent upon the Lord, humility. I encourage you to keep your observation skills active so that proper discernment can take place. This is just a quick overview of why it is my opinion that true biblical discernment is missing in today's church.
May the God of peace and strength be with you and help you to know right from wrong and you will begin to growth in your spiritual discernment abilities.

Pastor John

What's missing in today's church part II?

2011-08-08T09:17:00.002-04:00

Last week I talked about true biblical love. This week what is missing in today's church is the truth that many churches have their own agenda rather then the agenda of God. To understand this thought allow me to ask a couple of questions. What does it mean to be a Christian church? If Jesus is Lord and if we affirm in a faith statement that Jesus is the Head of the church then why are we not following the Bible in how church life is done? One more question: Is it OK for the culture to frame how church is done or is it the church to help frame the culture in what is right or wrong? How one answers these questions will determine whether or a church is truly living with the agenda of God in mind or living out their own agenda. I will briefly answer each question. To be a Christian church, that church must be following Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Most would agree with that but for Jesus to be Savior you must be He is the second person of the Godhead and that He died on the cross for sins and as He said Himself that He alone is the way back to the Father. To be Lord then one must commit to follow His teachings and commands. The second question follows the first one. If Jesus is Lord then we must follow how He wants us to live as being part of His family. To say that Jesus is Lord and then do church life by following man's ways or traditions that do not align with the Bible is being hypocritical or naive. Whatever maybe the case if you are not following the scriptures in how to do church life then it will be difficult to receive healthy spiritual results. The third question is likely the hardest for some people to understand. Many will so that the Bible was written hundreds of years ago and is not relevant for today but that is unfortunately a shallow understanding of Biblical principles. The Bible was written in such a manner that the principles for life stated in scriptures can be applied in any culture and in any time period. The key to receiving the blessing of God is to do life His way. The teachings of the Bible rightly applied will enhance every culture and will improve every person ability to live a fruitful life. Therefore what is often missing in churches today is good principles taught from the Word of God that are properly applied to man's everyday living. When we allow the culture to be a standard of what is permissible within the church we are going to be in trouble with God. God and His Word is to be the standard in how we do church life.

May the Lord bless you and keep you and grant to you peace.

Pastor John

What's missing in today's church?

2011-08-01T09:11:00.002-04:00

There are some very good Christians that make up the church today. My comments are not designed to cast a negative light on the church but to bring an awareness of the church today to do some soul searching. Before I address anything that is missing allow me to ask two questions that will hopefully provoke some thinking and direction for this blog. Is the church today a place of refuge for those who are in great need? Is the church having a positive influence within their community which implies that there is hope and peace within the church that the community is clearly observing? Unfortunately the answer to both of these question by and large is no. Therefore what is missing in the church today? The things that I will be addressing today and in subsequent blogs is my personal opinion with no exception that everyone will agree with me. Today I am going to address that true biblical love is missing. The first church the Spirit address in the letters to the churches in Revelation 2 & 3 was Ephesus. The problem this church had was that they had forsaken their first love. John 13:35 "They (community) will know that they are my disciples if they love one another." The restoration of love, genuine love, for God and for one another would go a long way in restoring the church to its rightful place in our community. Unfortunately the church is more known for its splits, clicks and personal agendas then it for its love. The Spirit encouraged the church of Ephesus to repent and to begin to do what they first were doing. The restoration of love begins with repentance and then it is quickly followed by acts of love which must be motivated by the decision to love. If we wait for the right feelings before we do the right thing we then are likely to continue down the path we are now heading. If love is not expressed in tangible, practical ways then who will know that love is actually present. Let us heed the apostle John, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18.
If you need to be reminded of what love is I encourage you to read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 13. May we be found to be lovers of God and love one another as Jesus has loved us.

Pastor John

The debt crisis

2011-07-25T09:18:00.002-04:00

The last couple of weeks one of the big news topics is the debt crisis that USA is experiencing. There is much debated in how to solve this problem but the issue is becoming too political. The topic of this blog is the debt crisis but not the financial one America is experiencing but the debt crisis that each one of us experiences in a spiritual sense. Being part of the human race automatically means I have a debt crisis and though there are many proposed solutions, ie. many different religions there is only one solution, Jesus Christ. Jesus said that narrow is the road that leads to heaven. I am the way, the truth, and the life and noone comes unto the Father except through me. I am the bread of life. I am the good shepherd. Saying Jesus is the only solution is not the politically correct to say but it is the biblically correct thing to say. Jesus is not only our solution to get saved but I have a continue debt problem that Jesus is the only solution. I wish the moment I accepted Jesus as my Savior that my struggle against sin was over but I thank God there is not only the intial forgiveness but a continual forgiveness as I live a life humble dependence upon Christ and what He has done for me at the cross of Calvary. Now that Jesus paid my debt that I owed due to my sin there is now for me a debt of love that I need to pay on a continual basis for all that Jesus has done for me. Let us put our hope and trust in Christ who helps us to pay the debt of love.

Pastor John

Having a standard

2011-07-19T09:21:00.002-04:00

Many things in life have a standard by which we can judge just how things are going. The standard will let us know if what we are doing is working or not. The standards of life are on our money, building, how we rate movies, and as a follower of Christ there are standards on morals and ethics that govern how we are to live. There is not complete agreement on where some of these standard ought to align but if there are no standards then we will reenter the time of the Judges where the scriptures says that everyone did what was right in their own eyes. On Sunday I sensed the Lord speak this to may heart. "I have a gold standard." God as the creator of all of life has the right and obligation to set in place the standards on how this life is to work. Not only does God have that right but He sets in place a gold standard. A standard by which if we are willing to follow will be filled with many blessings. Life will always go better when I willingly do life His ways, or I could say doing life by His standards, the gold within what I sensed the Lord saying was that one could not improve upon the standard that He has given, it is sufficient and bring about His favor upon our lives when we follow His standard for being a follower of Jesus Christ.

May the Lord strengthen us in our inner life that we may please Him.

Pastor John

The Power of Life

2011-07-12T09:23:00.003-04:00

Just a simple thought this morning. The power of life is seen all around in nature and there are spiritual lessons concerning the power of life. Spring time is a great time of the year with new life, things turning green and flowers popping out of the ground. This spring our area saw lots of rain which delayed much of the planting of crops but now the fields are bursting with life and growth. Spiritually speaking the power of life begins with our new birth as a being in Christ. The conditions needed for growth of this new life is simple. I must learn to do life God's way. That maybe a simple principle but I have found out through the years that it is not always an easy principle to live out. Within the natural world if you want to see the power of life you must control the weeds, fertilize the soil, receiving timely rain and be patient because fruit does not happen over night. When these conditions are present you witness the power of life. Spiritually, the conditions are similar: we must control the tendency of the fallen world that can crowd out our new life, we must feed on the Word of God which is like fertilizer to our soul, we have timely encounters with the Living God, Heavenly Rain that encourages our spirit life and we must persevere and remain faithful until the fruit begins to come. When the spiritual conditions are right you will witness the power of life in ways that will change your life. May we allow this life influence how we live in this world.
May the God of life and mercy be with you.

Pastor John

Celbration of Freedom

2011-06-27T09:59:00.002-04:00

As an Americans we enjoy our freedom. In one week the 4th of July we celebrate our independence and our freedom as Americans. Far too often we can take things for granted and do not realize all the sacrifices people have made so that freedom can be experienced by the many. I encourage you to enjoy this holiday but also to thank our founding fathers of America who made this all possible. Their vision and work set the foundation to make USA the greatest nation in the world. As a believer in Jesus Christ I experienced freedom from a life of sin and now I am headed to heaven. The freedom that I have is due to my founding Heavenly Father who sent His Son to come to earth and then die on a cross to take away my sins and the sins of the world. Let us not take for granted what was accomplished 2,000 years ago but let us celebrate the our freedom in true worship and service to the one who did what I could not do. Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." I owe everything that I have to Jesus. May we be a people who understand the price of freedom and then be thankful people. May God shed His grace upon America and may God enlighten the eyes of our hearts that I will know how to live out my freedom in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord.

May God's blessings be upon your celebration of freedom both as an American and as a Christian.

Pastor John Backes

Church - God's Way

2011-06-20T09:30:00.002-04:00

There was an interesting thing that happen at the Heritage Days parade on Saturday for me. A new church is going to open and it is called Rethink Church. I did not think of it much initially but then I started to think about what I was to rethink and that caused me to come to a simple conclusion. What I have think about is whether or not I am trying to do church life God's Way or am I going to try to do church using man's thoughts and methods. I am OK to rethink church life as long as I am going to put my energy in doing church life with God's strength and power along with doing what God wants us to be doing. Jesus said that He would build His church, Matthew 16:18. It is all about cooperating with God and being His servant by obeying and walking in His ways. This is not just to be a public statement to look good but we must be committed to the Lord Jesus in ways that we are working alongside Him when He is building His church. That is my desire and goal and trust that You will join with me in building His church in this community by working under the authority of Jesus as the Head of His church.
May the love of the Father, the grace of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit be with us.

Pastor John Backes

Our Heavenly Father

2011-06-14T09:15:00.002-04:00

When the Lord taught the disciples on prayer He encouraged them to begin the prayer this way. "Our Father in heaven.." Matthew 6:9. This coming Sunday we celebrate Father's Day in which we honor our earthly fathers. Everyone has a father but unfortunately not everyone had a good earthly father and that makes days like this a little tough. Many though have had good fathers, not perfect fathers but fathers who loved and cared for their families. I encourage each person who has a father to honor them on Father's Day. Our Father in heaven is not only a good Father but He is a perfect Father. Many people struggle with that thought because they at times view how our Heavenly Father is through the eyes of our earthly father. God does not need me or anyone else to define Himself. He has revealed Himself through nature and through the words of the Bible. Everyone has seen God through His creation but the question is did everyone recognize God through nature. Open up your heart to see His beauty, majesty, creativity, provision, designs and etc. that speaks to the truth that there is a God and all this did not nor could have happen by mere chance. Receiving a revelation of who God is through the Bible comes when we open our Bible and actively seek to know Him through the stories, history and teachings of the Bible. Whether it is through nature or through the Bible our Heavenly Father can be known but I must be willing to listen and to change any thought that is not consistent to the revelation that God is giving to us. Our Heavenly Father is full of compassion and slow to anger, He is all loving and faithful to all His promise and He cannot change. I could say much more on who our Heavenly Father is through His character and essence but you will learn more when you begin to seek Him through your own search to know God and His ways.
I encourage you this Sunday to not only honor your earthly father but to spend some time to honor the King of Kings and Lord of Lords for He is the best Father ever and He is so willing to help us that it grieves His heart when we will not allow Him to help us. To my Father in Heaven I honor You today and on this Sunday may I honor You above all else for You deserve it. May our Father in Heaven bless you.

Pastor John

Filled with the Holy Spirit

2011-06-06T10:07:00.004-04:00

Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. This is when the church world celebrates the first time that the followers of Jesus Christ were filled with the Holy Spirit. Jude 20 encourages us to pray in the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 5:17 encourages us to be filled with Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul in I Corinthians 14:1 encourages us to seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit and Jesus took the disciples that they needed the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses. What has changed from the 1st century to today? We still have great needs and the lack of personal ability to solve our own problems just like the those in the 1st century. May we take heed to the scriptures that encourages us to foster an intimacy with God through the power of the Holy Spirit and may we learn to accept by faith what God has said rather then trying to figure it out in our minds. God is the author and the finisher of our faith which means He sets the guidelines on how our faith in Him is work. He promised to send the Holy Spirit to all His disciples because we need the Holy Spirit to comfort, to teach, to empower, to help us discern, to give us peace, to give understanding and many other things. We need Him, therefore throughout this week ask Jesus to fill you afresh with the Holy Spirit.

Pastor John

Filled with the Holy

2011-06-06T10:07:00.001-04:00

Public life, inner life

2011-05-31T09:26:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we heard the news that Jim Tessel resigned as Head Football Coach of Ohio State. The problem in my estimation is that the public life did not match the inner life. I follow Big Ten football and for year Tessel put forth this public image of being clean, honest and integrity. The last few months unfornuately a different picture is beginning to emerge which led to his resignation. The lesson for us as a believer is that I must spend time to take care of the inner life. All of us desire to look good and we have a tendency to be on our best behavior in public settings. This is not all bad but we must be careful we are not living two separate lives, one in the public, one in the private. Solomon gave us some great advice in Proverbs 4:23. "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." That is guarding our inner life. Who we really are will come out sooner or later and that usually will happen in stressful situations and in a unguarded moment we just did what we said we would not do. The key for that not happening is to prepare our heart with the knowledge and ways of God. I am encourage to hide God's word in my heart that I might not sin against Him. The goal of a believer is to have our public life and inner life be one and the same as a follower of Jesus Christ. What we are is to be plain before all men. This is the goal and is not easily obtain but with discipline and the power of the Spirit working in us is obtainable. This is one of the reason the apostle Paul said that he makes it his goal to please God and this was both in public and in private manners of life. May God give your strength in the inner man to live a life in which you will never have to be ashamed. May His grace strengthen us in our weaknesses.

Pastor John

The glory of God

2011-05-23T09:19:00.002-04:00

There are various viewpoints on the presence of God and sadly some have just accepted that God is omnipresent which basicly means that God is everywhere all at the sam time. I believe that with all my God but there is available to the followers of Jesus Christ a tangible manifest presence of God. This is where God shows up in a special manner where the activity of God increases among all who are in that presence. This is also called the glory of God. God showed up to people throughout the Bible and whenever He did it was apparent that God was in the midst which caused a variety of reactions. When God lead the children of Israel out of Egypt this presence was seen as a cloud by day and fire by night. This brought fear to the Egyptians and comfort and direction for the Israel. Sunday night at Bethel we begin to see the glory of God and His presence was heavy in the room. All who were present lingered in the presence and longed for more of God. I believe that God is beginning to do a deep work in the hearts and lives of all who are willing to draw near to Him. If we seek Him we will be found by Him, Jer. 29:12-13. To experience God is to experience the essence of life and I desire to have an ever increasing the glory of God in ways that will change me so that I might please Him. I am confident of this 'we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living', Psalm 27:13. I encourage you to pray and seek Him. Expect God to show up everytime we meet together as His children. I look forward to what God is going to do among us this Sunday at Bethel A/G.
May God bless you and shine His face upon you.

Pastor John Backes

Experiencing God

2011-05-19T08:36:00.002-04:00

There is a phrase in Acts 3:19 that is very interesting and encouraging. "times of refreshing may come from the Lord." This was stated to a crowd who had witnessed the healing of a crippled beggar. The apostle Peter was speaking and he was drawing their attention to Jesus Christ, He was the healer and had power to bring life physically and spiritually. Now let's look at the whole verse "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." In order for times of refreshing to come one must repent which is basically saying I confess my way is not working, I have sinned against God and now I am going to turn to God to do life His way. When a person is willing to do this it is within this context that times of refreshing will come from the Lord. Now we must look at this verse at face value which means: I can experience a refreshing in my life from the Lord over and over and over. This was never meant to be a one time experience but a continual refreshing of the Lord in your life. This Sunday (May 22) we are having Evangelist Mike Livengood and we are believing that there will be times of refreshing coming from the Lord. I encourage you to set aside this day and experience God in a fresh and powerful way. Let's us be willing to look at areas in our lives that has become dull and stale and then be willing to turn from how you have been doing life and be willing to turn to God and do life His way. Times of refreshing are coming from the Lord.

May God grant to you a fresh experience in the Lord.

Pastor John

Taking responsibility

2011-05-09T09:20:00.002-04:00

On Sunday I spoke about being a person of influence. We can affect people for the good when we are aware of how to use our gifts and abilities for the good. The scriptures are constantly encouraging us to encourage others to do what is right and good. I believe that is vital and as we approach difficult times it will be even more important to encourage one another. Now after saying that I also want to turn the coin to the other side and make one simple point. I must take responsibility for my own spiritual growth and not be dependent on others. Jude 20-21 "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." Now I am not saying encouragement from others is not important but I am saying that unless I take my own faith seriously and personally do certain things there is no amount of encouragement that will help you. These two things ought to be working together and not separately. I need to build myself up everyday. If I need someone to tell me what to do before I do the right thing when I get up in the morning it is no wonder that I will struggle on that day. The scripture says in Revelation 12:11 that I will overcome the enemy (devil) when I make a confession of faith in Jesus Christ and confess that the blood of Christ cleanses me from all my sins. This is something I must do to have victory. I must keep myself in God's love. There is only one person who can do that for yourself and it is you. This means I am going to focus on God as the center of my life and I am not going to allow the world to dictate my actions. In order to take responsibility for our own actions that lead to spiritual maturity I must affirm my faith in Jesus Christ on a consistent basis. I must read the Bible everyday and allow His words to make a difference in my life. I must pray and seek God for my life, for the things I need to give up and for the things I ought to do in order to please Him. I encourage you to take responsibility for your own spiritual development and along the way also allow others to encourage you in the faith.
May the God of all love and peace be with you.

Pastor John

Thoughts on Bin Laden

2011-05-03T09:19:00.004-04:00

On this blog I am going to give a couple of random thoughts. As most people I am proud of our military in securing justice on Bin Laden. Some of the reaction that I witnessed was a bit troubling to me and here is why: First, Proverbs 24:17-18 "Do not gloat when your enemy falls, when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him." It is one thing to be satisfied that justice is served and that wickedness is put down but the celebration that followed is not appropriate in my opinion. According to this proverb the Lord's wrath could be turned and I do not want to see that. Second, this was a job well done and those who accomplished this task from the top to the bottom are to be commended. Let us not act as if the war is over. This is just one victory of many more that we will need to win in order to defeat terrorism. If anyone thinks that evil will not rear its ugly head again is being a bit naive. May God grant our leaders and military wisdom to continue to be effective against the wickedness that wants our defeat.
Now let us apply this to our spiritual lives. We are at war against an enemy that wants to defeat us, to kill us, to do us damage. This enemy is not going away and there are going to be many battles to win but thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. When you win a battle, rejoice, but also realize that the war is not over. The enemy will sit back for a season waiting for another time when he thinks he can cause you to fall. Let us be aware of the tactics of the enemy so that when he comes against us we will be ready with our confession of faith and plead the blood of the lamb (Jesus Christ) and we will win, read Rev. 12:11.
We face a powerful enemy but do not fear because we serve a much more powerful God who promised us victory through Christ, trust in the Lord and we will win.

May the Lord strengthen your heart today by the power of His Spirit.

Pastor John

The Day after Easter

2011-04-25T10:04:00.002-04:00

It was great to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ yesterday. I know that Christ is risen because He lives in me. This blog will be quite short because I want to remind everyone that what we celebrated yesterday is still true today. Jesus is alive today and will be tomorrow. Let us live throughout all our days that Jesus is alive. This Sunday when we gather together we will be celebrating an worshiping our Lord and Savior once again for all that He has done for us. We need to be reminded of some things regularly because we tend to put what is important on a back burner. I am thankful for all that Jesus has done for me. I rejoice that I know the living Christ will continue to do great things for me in the future because He is alive.

May God grant the presence of the Living Christ to be with you.

Pastor John

Good Friday part II

2011-04-20T09:32:00.002-04:00

On the church calendar this is called Holy Week. There is so much that Jesus said and did the last week of His life on earth that it would be good to slow down and meditate on all that Jesus is and did for us. On Friday Bethel A/G will be open for prayer, meditation and communion from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Here are some things one could meditate one during that time.
1. The Last Supper experience which would include the washing of the apostles' feet. The significance of the New Covenant in Jesus' blood.
2. The last words of Jesus as recorded in John 13 - 17. All through scripture the last words of the great patriarchs were very important so how much more the words of Jesus.
3. The suffering of Christ; from the mistreatment of an unjust trial to cross. Remember He did all that on our behalf as was prophesied in Isaiah 53.
4. On a personal basis I need to think about how serious I am responding to all that Jesus did (Isaiah 29:13). Am I playing the religious game or am I passionate about developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
5. This story ends with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Meditate on how the resurrection power of Christ is influencing my life on a personal basis.

Lord help us to know and understand You more and more so that I will be able to live a life that honors Your Great and Holy Name.

Pastor John Backes

Good Friday

2011-04-18T09:23:00.002-04:00

Praise God for everything that He has done for us. This week the church world celebrates the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross that takes away our sin and replaces that with righteousness. Now because of what Jesus has done for me I can stand clean and pure before my Creator. There is so much more that could be said on this topic but all the words in the world will not make a difference unless I believe them and spend a little time focusing on what Jesus did for me on a personal basis on that day about 2,000 years ago. This is not just a doctrine, a teaching, to know but it is the truth to absorb into our hearts. If God does not have my heart then He really does not have us at all. The prophet Isaiah spoke about this when he said "The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." Let us make sure that God has both our right words in worship and our heart. With this in mind on Good Friday, Bethel A/G will be open to anyone from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. to focus on this wonderful story of restoring man to their creator through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I will be there to serve communion to whoever wants to partake as they renew their confession of faith in Jesus Christ. You can come anytime and stay as long as you want. There will not be formal worship but clearly there will be lots of worship and thanksgiving taking place. This is a time of reflection and a time of renewal and prayer. I encourage you to respond to His love for you by being in His presence for a time this Friday. God bless you and trust the power of His resurrection will be with you.

Pastor John Backes

Missions and Discipleship

2011-04-04T09:11:00.002-04:00

This last weekend Bethel A/G had a Mission Banquet and Missions emphasis on Sunday. What is Missions? Missions is the reaching out to others who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. As a believer in Jesus Christ I am called to follow Jesus Christ and His teachings. One of the last things Jesus spoke to the disciples about is to go into the whole world and make disciles, Matthew 28:19. This commandment was not given just to the 1st century believers but to each and every believer. I titled this blog Missions and Discipleship because as a follower, disciple, of Jesus I will not be able to mature as His disciple unless I am being conscious and diligent about obeying everything that Jesus wants us to do. Now let's expand the definition of Missions. Missions includes all activity whether in word or deed, whether local, in another area of our country or a foreign land therefore it is clearly something that we all can be involved with in some type of manner. I would encourage though to be involved in multiply types of Missions activity. I can do this by praying, by giving and by going. Our growth and stability as a Christian is clearly connected with loving what God loves and hating what God hates. It is abundantly clear that God loves Missions. II Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promse, as some understand slowness. he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He sent His one and only Son into the world, that everyone who believes would not perish but have eternal life." This is the heartbeat of God, the heartbeat of Missions and as a growing disciple of Jesus I want it to be my heartbeat and as a pastor I am encouraging you to make it your heartbeat as a growing disciples of Jesus Christ
God bless you with His love and peace.

Pastor John

Transitions

2011-03-28T14:07:00.002-04:00

Transitions are a part of life. At Bethel we are going through one of those transitions when Matt resigned as youth pastor and worship leader. There are good transitions and unfortunately many churches have suffered some very rough transitions. This transition though unexpected is not going to be a rough transition because Matt is leaving on good terms and we have some people in place who will be helping out to make this a smooth transition. The attitudes of those involved is one of the keys that will help us to continue to move forward with our ministries. I am thankful that change though can be hard, can also become a positive when everyone involved is seeking the good of the whole and not their own good. The lessons we are learning here at church can become life lessons for us in our personal lives as well. I am thankful that we do not experience life transitions every week or even every month but knowing what to do when they come will make them smoother. First, accept the fact that change is part of life. As hard as I may want life to remain as it is that is not possible. There are job changes, a moving to a new community, a death of a loved one, a prolong illness or any number life altering events. When I accept the change I then can begin to move forward to how life in reality is going to be and not how I may want it to be. Second, our attitude of thankfulness is vital because it will help us to keep the right perspective on the situation and a good attitude towards the person who is at the center of the change. Every now and again it is good to do an attitude check when there is any amount of stress in our lives and especially so when it involves change. Third, commit to do something positive in the midst of the transition. The example for us at church is not just to say good bye but to host a luncheon on their behalf and send them forth with a love gift and our prayers. Fourth, ask God for renewed strength for the new days that are on the horizon. With every new season in life we need fresh strength from the Lord so we are operating on His strength and not just our own. This is what we are doing in the transition here at church and if you will follow that model when a major transition happens in your life I believe you will find yourself a stronger person just as I believe we will become a stronger church not because Matt is leaving but because we are handling this transition in a God honoring manner.
May the God of a love and mercy overshadow your life.

Pastor John

Put your hope in God.

2011-03-15T09:13:00.002-04:00

There times the Lord seems to arrange a particular day that sets your heart to focus on a spiritual reality or principle for a season. That is exactly what the Lord did for me last Sunday while on vacation. In my devotions I read Psalm 42 & 43 which has this verse three times. "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." There were some things that I have been praying about that the only solution is a miracle but I was still trying to figure out how to solve the problem as well. I do not know if you have that tendency as well but I needed to hear again that spiritual truth of putting my hope in God. As I was meditating on that I saw a picture in my mind of a small narrow room that needed to be rearranged in order to be more useful but in order to do that I had to move the window in the room. That was all I saw but I know there was something I needed to hear from the Lord and then do that thing in order to things to align up right to see God perform a miracle. Then the morning worship service seemed to be designed for me. Though I was a visitor, the songs of worship service caused me to weep and the morning message was on loving the Father which meant to obey Him. The preacher made a distinction between liking God and loving God. In short liking God is what God can do for you but if I love God I must follow Him and obey Him. After the message I went to the altar to commit all that the Lord was speaking to me. I committed afresh to be open to listen to Him and then to obey Him. That is I committed to the Lord that I would put my hope in God. I would learn more of what it means to trust Him. I am excited about the miracles that God is going to do in the future but I need to put my hope in God first which means to love and obey God in all that He wants me to do. I encourage you to read Psalm 42 & 43 if you have been a little discouraged or down lately. Put your hope in God.

May His love and grace overshadow your life.

Pastor John

Having Fun

2011-02-22T16:36:00.002-05:00

On Sunday we are having our annual Winter Carnival for the kids of this community. This is a fun event for the kids set in a very comfortable Christian setting here at church. It is a lot of had work for the workers with much planning but it is design to be a lot of fun for everyone involved. I believe God designed us to enjoy life. John 10:10 Jesus said "I have come that you might have life and life abundantly." I am not saying that everything in life is fun but there ought to be season of much fun and especially so when it comes to ministry for kids. Far too much the impression so have of church is that one cannot have fun at church. I trust will can begin to change that impression and let the kids know that God loves them and has their best interest in mind which includes them having lots of fun growing up. Let us pray that this Sunday will be a great day of ministry to kids and that they and their families will have lots of fun. "The joy of the Lord is our strength." Nehemiah 8:10 May the Lord strength you with joy and peace.

Pastor John Backes

Growing Pains

2011-02-14T09:36:00.002-05:00

The phrase growing pains is often referred to young people who have a huge growth in a short amount of time and though what is happening to them is natural it still hurts. Their growing actually causes some pain. What is true in the physical realm of life is also true in the spiritual realm of life. The one thing different in the spiritual realm is that one can and will have growing pains at any stage of their life. We know what causes pain in the physical but what causes pain in our spiritual life in growing. First, Hebrews 12:4-11 says that God disciplines us because He loves us and discipline is not pleasant for that moment but it does accomplish a life righteousness when completed. The more I learn to cooperate with the Lord in this area the more I can minimize the pain. Second, in Romans 8:28 the apostle Paul says that all things what out together for the good to them that love God. Now it does not say that all things are pleasant and painless but if we will allow God to work in and throug our circumstances and though there is a fair amount of discomfort we have the assurance that God can bring good out of the junk of life. Third, II Corinthians 1:3-7 communicated that I can comfort others by the comfort that I have received. The reason that I need to receive comfort is due to unpleasant life circumstances. I learn the faithfulness and strength of God during difficult times. The growing pain is that once I have received that comfort I then can be used by the Lord to bring comfort to someone else. That can only happen after a season of growing pains and coming to a place of maturity to help someone who is in a similar situation. Everyone who names Jesus as their Savior ought to want to growth in their faith relationship with Jesus Christ but let us understand that there are growing pains in this process. When I allow God to do His work in my life then I come forth as a instrument in the hands of the Lord Jesus to bring hope and comfort to others. This is the exciting aspect of our spiritual growing pains.

May the God of all comfort and strength be with you this week.

Pastor John Backes

Being a servant

2011-02-07T09:53:00.002-05:00

Communion is always a special time for me and yesterday was no exception. The focus was that being a servant. The day before Jesus was going to be crucified He had His last meal with His disciples. The disciples did not know this but Jesus did so everything He did or said was of great importance. After entering the house they would have this last meal Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. This was an act that is normally reserved for a lowly servant to accomplish but in the room there were just the 12 disciples and Jesus. No one took ths task upon themselves and Jesus taking this opportunity to teach and to demonstrate the importance of being a faithful servant. John 13 records that after Jesus did this He instructed them to go and do what He had just done. It was the act of being a servant that Jesus was modeling and He used the washing of the feet to demonstrate that truth. Jesus also said that they would not understand this now but later would understand. The later was after His death and resurrection. The early church was a great example of the disciples being servants, not focusing only on their needs but of the needs of others. May we follow the example of Jesus and live the life of being a servant. When we walk as Jesus did we can have the assurance that the Father will be pleased and when He is pleased He will shower us with His blessings and favor. May the Lord Jesus Christ be with us as we follow Him.

Pastor John Backes

Perseverance needed in tough times

2011-02-03T09:32:00.003-05:00

We have had some tough weather conditions these last couple of days. Preparation is one of the keys to handle difficult weather conditions but another is perseverance. There are some days that you just need to endure and wait until some things get better. One of the keys is to do what you can do during these days. There is a lesson for our spiritual lives in that we all face tough seasons of life when things could be a lot better. There are times that there is just not much you can do to change anything and this is when perseverance is needed. This quality of character is vital to keep going and not just enduring but managing those days with grace and dignity. I firmly believe that God is more interested in my character then He is in my comfort. It is easy to have good character when everything is going well but the true test of character is in how we react when there are tough days and seasons of life. I encourage you to keep your eyes on the prize for which God has called you. Be looking ahead and pursue the things that bring pleasure to the heart of God. In doing this it will help you to persevere. Remember what the Psalmist said "I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" Psalm 17:13-14

Pastor John Backes

Being prepared

2011-01-31T09:21:00.002-05:00

There is a reality of living in Northern Indiana that we all must face from time to time which is the possibility of a major winter storm. At the time of this writing we are only under a watch but most people are still preparing some things just to make sure everything will be OK in event this storm disrupts our normal life routine. This is a very good thing because those who are not prepared are not able to coup with severe weather conditions nearly as well as those who are prepared. While this is true on a physical basis I wondered this morning of how true this is on a spiritual basis. Here are a couple of questions to consider. Are you prepared to go to heaven? Now no one knows when that might be but it is a little too late to prepare oneself when you meet your Creator. Jesus told us how to prepare for that in John 3:3 "Unless a man is born again you cannot enter the Kingdom of God." And in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, the life, no man comes unto the Father except through me." Jesus told us how to be prepared to get to heaven. I encourage you to take a little time to make sure you are prepared to get to heaven. Are you prepared to the temptations and difficulties of life? Revelation 12:11 "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony" I prepare myself by speaking forth my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. By recognizing that through Jesus Christ and His shed blood on the cross that I have victory over the things that want my defeat. I need to speak it and confess it on a continual basis in order to benefit by the power that this relationship with Christ gives me. One last question: Are you prepared to love God? Jesus told us the greatest commandment is to love God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind. This means that loving God cannot be an after thought but I most give my all to love God. I will not be effective in doing this if I do not prepare my life in such a manner so I can love God. For me this happens by giving God the first hour of everyday when I get up. I love to read books that will help me to love God and to help with to understand God's ways so that I can act in a manner pleasing to Him. I look forward to Sunday Worship because it is that time of the week that I get a chance with my fellow believers to express my love for God. In order to be prepared for this I will prayer extra on Saturday night and Sunday morning so that I am properly prepared to worship and serve God on the day of worship. Let us not only be prepared to face the winter storms of Indians but be prepared to face the spiritual storms of life as well. Enjoy the snow.

Pastor John Backes

Snowing again today.

2011-01-24T09:33:00.001-05:00

Just a short blog today but reminder for us who live in snow country. The prophet Isaiah said "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18 May the snow remind us today that we have forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. I John 1;9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Though I do not want anymore snow I thank God for the reminder that I have been forgiven much. Thank You Lord for forgiving me and granting me another chance to live a life pleasing to You. Help me no to take for granted all that You have done for me and the price that You paid that my sins could be wipe away and I could be white as snow. May he snow today remain you of God's forgiving power in your life.

Things to look forward to.

2011-01-17T09:30:00.003-05:00

What do you look forward to? The answer to that question will vary greatly because of different interests and backgrounds. Now that we are in midst of a cold winter many people are looking forward to Spring. I am looking forward to vacation the first two weeks of March because we are headed South for warmer weather. On a spiritual note; what are you looking forward to? The answer to that question for me is our Sunday morning worship service. I look forward seeing everyone, to the worship singing, to our prayer times around the altar, to being able to share God's Word with the people and knowing that I will be in His presence. This is clearly the best time of the week for me. There is another aspect of the service on Sunday that I am looking forward to which is we are having another water baptismal service. It is always exciting to participate in a person's journey of faith. Water baptism is a great event in the life of a disciple of Jesus. I trust you are looking forward to this service coming this week. It will be a great day in the Lord and I know that God's presence will surround those who are being baptized.
May that Lord grant to you an ever increasing anticipation of what He is going to do in our midst this Sunday.

Pastor John

Do not give up

2011-01-10T09:32:00.002-05:00

During the Sunday morning worship service we had a great time of prayer. Many people were pouring out their hearts to God and receiving encouragement from the Spirit. Towards the end of that time of prayer I sensed the words "Do not give up". There is often a delay from the time of the prayer to when the prayer is answered. Here are a couple of things I do know. One: God hears our cries. There are many verses that establish that truth, Psalm 141:1. Two: God is faithful to all His promises. Hebrews 10:23 is just one of many verses that express His faithfulness. Three: God has won the victory which means I can be victourious. Romans 8:32 expresses the thought of being more then a conquerer. Four: with God there is nothing too difficult or impossible. Jeremiah 32:17 expresses that thought and Jesus also said that with nothing is impossible. Hebrews 6:12 "We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Let us continue in our faith that God is able to bring about that which I am believing Him for in 2011. Do not give up!!!! It is through faith and patience that we receive what has been promised. Let's stand upon the character of God and hold on to His promises until we received that which we are believing God for. The God of wonders will grant to you wonderful answers to prayer if you believe and do not give up.

Pastor John

Trusting God in 2011

2011-01-03T10:07:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, Jan. 2, I encouraged the people to write down what they were believing God for in 2011. I am very encouraged by the hunger and thrist in the hearts of the people at Bethel. There are going to be some mighty miracles happening in the lives of Bethel family this coming year. Though you may not know all the needs in the prayer bowl I encourage you to prayer that God hears our cries and answers our prayers. Here are some of the most frequent requests that were given.
1. Salvation of family and friends, especially husbands.
2. Restoration within families & marriages and relational healing.
3. Find a new job and freedom from debt.
4. Growth in their faith, spiritual growth.
5. Growth at Bethel A/G.
6. Establishment of Celebrate Recovery and breaking of addictions.
7. More water baptisms and Holy Spirit Baptisms, an increase of spiritual gifts, of signs and wonders and healing in the church.

God is going to answer these prayers. Let us approach the throne of grace with boldness with a heart of faith, expecting to hear of great and mighty things that God is doing in our midst. Let us be devoted to prayer, Colossians 4:2.

Pastor John

Christmas 2010 part four

2010-12-27T09:14:00.002-05:00

This will be my last blog concerning the Christmas season for 2010. I had a very good Christmas with family. It was great to see the excitement of the grandkids opening their presents. The thought I have is to remember the thought of giving. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes shall not perish but have eternal life." The aspect of giving ought not just to be a Christmas thing but a lifestyle thing. God is a giver and His children are to take on His character which means we are to be a giver. For those who are reading this that are already a giver I encourage you to continue to foster that character by doing good works of giving throughout this next year. For those who need to grow in the area of giving I encourage you to look for opportunities to improve your character in the area of giving. The apostle Paul encouraged the Corinth believers in the same way in II Corinthians 8:7 "But just as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us, see that you also excel in this grace of giving." I would also encourage you to read II Corinthians 8 & 9, to receive the context in which the apostle Paul wrote this encouragement. May we excel in the grace of giving in 2011.

Pastor John Backes

What is your pursuit?

2010-12-21T09:12:00.002-05:00

This morning as I read Proverbs 21:21 the Lord stirred my heart with this question. What is your pursuit? Pro. 21:21 "He who pursues righteousness and love find life, prosperity and honor." As I meditated on this verse it came clear to me how easy it was to get this verse backwards and that at times we are not even hardly aware of what we are doing. There is no question that the vast majority of us desires to have a good life with financial security (prosperity) and we like to be noticed (honor). The problem that arises is when we put these things on the front burner and pursue these things. It is not that these things are not worthy things of a pursuit but for the child of God it is vital to understand that these things are a by-product of what our true pursuit ought to be which is righteousness and love. As a believer in Jesus Christ this righteouness is a gift of God that is present in our pursuit of Jesus Christ. My pursuit of righteousness is accomplished only by the grace of God. The apostle Paul recorded why God told him in II Corinthians 12:9 "..."My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." The pursuit of love ought to be an easy one to understand because all the law and prophets are summed up in two commands: Love God and Love people. Being proactive in loving God and others will produce the kind of fruit that most people are looking for but unfortunately we at times fall short. The real problem is when we pursue life, prosperity and honor and then expect righteousness and love. As we approach this holiday season with the New Year just around the corner let us pursue righteousness and love then allow the Lord to lead us in His way in how we will receive life, prosperity and honor. Let us keep our pursuits in the proper order.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Pastor John

Christmas 2010 part three

2010-12-20T09:04:00.002-05:00

Christmas time is a great time of building good memories. One of my fondest memories was a reoccuring one on Christmas Eve. It was also a special time with great food that we did not get that often along with family activities. We would hold our own mini Christmas Eve service and then put on a show by rearranging some of the tradional Christmas songs. Then we would go to the church's Christmas Eve service and then come back home for more food and games. What we did would vary a bit but each year it was always fun. We did not open any of our presents until Christmas Day but we did not mind because of all the fun we had. I want to encourage you this Christmas season to do something special on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to build good memories. I also want to encourage you that the special memory always included going to church on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of our Savior. As a believer in Jesus Christ to leave that out of our Christmas celebrations would be to ignore the reason for any of our celebrations. There is something special when the family of believers gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who is our salvation, hope, peace, provider, healer, defender, wisdom, rock, light, and so many other things on which we are dependent. Let's come and worship the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve. Bethel 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Pastor John

Christmas 2010 part two

2010-12-15T09:31:00.002-05:00

My second thought about Christmas 2010 is the Christmas lights. I love all the Christmas lights as long as I am not the one who has to put them up. There are many communities who put up get Christmas lights and displays. Marion has a great display along the river. There are many homeowners who spend lots of time, energy and resources putting up great Christmas displays. I enjoy most of them and enjoy greatly. Let us be reminded that Jesus came into the world as the light of the world. We ought to allow every light remind us of Jesus Christ whether the person who put up the lights intended for people to be reminded of Jesus or not. The thought that I have along is line is that these lights are often on for this season and once the season is over the lights are out. It is up to each of us to remind ourselves that Jesus is the light of the world 365 days of year and not just for a month. I do not think we need Christmas lights all year but we do need Jesus Christ as out light all year. Unfortunately some Christians allow Jesus to shine brightly for a season in their lives and then the lights go out and the influence of Jesus as their light diminishes. As we focus on Jesus Christ as our light this year I encourage you to keep Jesus as your light by reading His words, fellowship with other Christians and speaking about Jesus as your light to others whenever possible. May Jesus, the light of the world, shine brightly upon you this Christmas season.

Pastor John

Christmas 2010 part one

2010-12-13T09:47:00.002-05:00

Today I am beginning a series of blogs on the Christmas season this year. They will be random meaning the only connection with each of the blogs will be Christmas. They will be my impressions on a variety of topics that are important to me and I trust will be interesting to You.
There is much discussion by some in the media of the taking the Christ out of Christmas. This is being done in a variety of ways. Removing the Christ out of Christmas and replacing it with a X. I realize a lot of people like to abbreviate when they write but this one is clearly not necessary. If we are a believer in Christ then at least we ought never to implore this tactic. Some people say Happy Holidays rather then Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This one I understand to a point because there are several holidays during this season and I know I have said this as well. Let's not be judgmental on how some express their greetings during this time of the year. I think it is clear as well some do say Happy Holidays as a way not to say Merry Christmas but so what on this one. I will address one more for today and that is the removing of some nativity scenes from public places. I thought we were a nation of freedoms and liberty. I thought we are a nation of religious tolerance. I thought we are a nation that protected freedom of expressions as long as that expression was not harmful to others. There is a going number of people who think we do have this freedom of expression except when that expression is the Christian Faith. I am in that number but why should that even surprise us because Jesus said if they persecuted me they will persecute you as well. Jesus did not come to be popular but to share the truth, to share the message of the kingdom which is the gospel, Jesus alone saves and restores us to right relationship with Jesus Christ. May we take heart during this season in this truth. Though someone can try to take Christ out of Christmas they will fail in the long run. No one will be able to take the Christ out of my Christmas. Do not allow what others are trying to do to rob you of the joy that we have because of Christ. May the Christ of Christmas be at the center of everything you do during this great season when we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world.

Pastor John

Children & Christmas

2010-12-06T09:41:00.002-05:00

Jesus said in Matthew 19:14 "Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these". There is just something about watching children during the Christmas season. The excitement of receiving a gift and responding, 'this is the best gift ever' or 'this is exactly what I wanted'. Then we have some little children who just love the wrapping paper and tearing it and then set aside the gift and play with the box that the gift came in. Sometimes that is disappointing to the parent but it should not be when you see the joy upon the heart of a child. We must see that a child especially a young child is not impressed with the cost of the gift but is excited in receiving something to play with of which most children can make a tool of their choosing out of just about anything. Children as well just accept the simple things of life as true and good. The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is a great example of this truth. They hear this story and just accept it. While supposedly intelligent people have to try to analysis it and try to figure out all the details and because they cannot understand the mystery of the story they either dismiss it or deny how it could be relevant for them today. No wonder Jesus said to let the little children come to Him, they accept it and just want to be with Him with no pretense. I also love to hear the story through the mouth of children. Do they get the story exactly right or do they communicate it without fault or do they miss a line or do something cute by which everyone in attendance begins to laugh? Who cares, they know and believe Jesus came as a baby. They know that Jesus loves them. They know that Jesus died on the cross for them. They know that Jesus cares for them. Is this not the story of the birth of Jesus. Let us come to Jesus during this Christmas season and just believe Jesus. Do not try to figure it all out, just come and spend some time with Jesus. This Sunday the children of Bethel A/G will be sharing the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, I hope you can be there to share this wonderful story with a bunch of little children who are just coming to spend some time with Jesus. By the way in Matthew 19:15 it states that after the little children come to Jesus, He laid His hands on them and blessed them. You will be blessed as well when you come to Jesus and just believe Him.
May the Lord bless all the little children who come to Him this Christmas season. I trust you will be one of those little children who come to Jesus.

Pastor John

Water Baptism

2010-12-01T08:55:00.002-05:00

On Sunday December 5 I will have the privilege to baptized three people. It is always a special time in the church family to participate in a baptismal service. We witness together a person making a public confession of faith in Jesus Christ. We also are there to cheer them on to follow the Lord all the days of their lives. This is a celebration of new life and a journey they have started which will not end until they are received in heaven by Jesus Himself. Water Baptism ought to be a family affair which means we ought to do everything we to be there to support them, encourage them, love them and pray for them no only on this day but in the days to come as well. I am so proud of those who after making a commitment to Jesus Christ are now following the Lord in obedience to be baptized. This is a great time for friends and family to witness the faith that is arising in their hearts. This is going to be a great service and hope you can be there.

Pastor John

Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T08:45:00.002-05:00

In a couple of days our country celebrates Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately in America we are thankful to have a day off but how much further does the attitude of thankfulness extend. I am encouraging you to set aside some time after everyone is around the table for the big turkey dinner that each is given an opportunity to express something to be thankful for this past year. I realize for some this has not been the best of years but a thankful heart will be able to find something to be thankful for regardless of the type of year that they had. I am thankful that most of my family will be able to be with us on that day. I am thankful for a great wife who prepares a great dinner for all of us. I am thankful that God has been and will be my provider. I am thankful that I will be able to be with my grandchildren. I am very thankful that God loves me and has saved me and I am on my way to heaven. I am thankful for a good church that has a passion to seek after God. I am thankful for all the good things happening within the families of our church family. I am thankful for my health and the ability to run. There was a time I could not run or hardly stand for 15 minutes. I am thankful for the warm day that we hare having today. I am thankful for the privilege to coming to our Heavenly Father in pray and knowing that He has heard the cry of heart. I have much to be thankful for and so do you if you will think about what life would be without having a relationship with God. I encourage you again to set some time aside on Thanksgiving to speak forth somethings that you are thankful for.

Blessings be on your family gatherings.
Pastor John

Blessing of a church family

2010-11-15T09:50:00.002-05:00

I am blessed to have a church family that loves me and supports me as their pastor. Today I am just going to briefly state some blessings of being closely attached to a church family. I am aware that some people have been hurt by a church in the past and may not see the church as a family or see how a church family can be a blessing. The blessings of a church family are many but I am going to share the ones that I think are the most important. First, I have a place where I can worship God together with others who have a passion for God. Second, the blessings of knowing that others have and are willing to pray for me. Third, the blessings of encouragement that is received by being part of loving, caring family who has my best interest in mind. Fourth, the blessing of serving others and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Fifth, the blessing of compassion, of giving, of meeting the needs of others and of seeing resources going to help advance the kingdom of God. There are many other blessings but it all begin with our relationship with Jesus Christ who connects us all together into one big family. I encourage you to come and be a part of a church family. No church is perfect but if we are willing to do life and church life after the pattern of Jesus Christ we will begin to see many blessings in being a part of a church family.

Pastor John

Call to Prayer

2010-11-08T09:45:00.002-05:00

Throughout the history of Israel and of the church there were times the leaders called God's people together for the express of prayer and seeking the face of God due to times that they were living and the great need that surrounded them. The prophet Joel called for one of those times. Joel 1:13-14 "Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God' for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord." The time of Joel was one of the low times for the people of Israel and the blessing of God seemed to be distant. Righteous and holy practices of the people were rare and there was not a lot of hope for the judgment of the Lord was near. The concept of sackcloth was one of humility and a sign of brokenness before the Lord. Today the church is not having the impact upon the community due to many factors but one of them is the lack of the blessing and favor of God. There are many hurting people all around us, the needs abound but there are far too few miracles. I believe God has called us to be a light to our community. I believe God has called us to set people free and give them hope. I know this cannot happen in my own strength and power. One time Jesus said this does not happen except through prayer. The call for a sacred assembly, a call to prayer to see a greater move of God among us is necessary. On Friday November 12 I encourage you to set time aside to seek the face of God. We will be gathering at Bethel A/G @ 7:00 p.m. to pray and seek God to know His will and to walk in His power. Lord we need you, may that be our heart's cry this week.

Pastor John

A Move of God

2010-11-01T09:34:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, October 31, we experienced something fresh and exciting from the Lord. When the world celebrates Halloween which highlights the work of darkness God choose to visit us in a special way. Evangelist Mike Livengood shared with us and then allowed God to do a special work in many many hearts. Some people were touched in a great way just by standing and waiting in the presence of God. God's grace was clearly upon us and hearts were being turned to the Master's desires for their lives. Mike shared five principles that characterize a move of God. First, a hunger of God is in the midst of the church. This is seen in the variety of expressions of prayer. If we want to see God move among us on a continual basis then we need to foster a greater hunger for God. Second, the pursuit of holiness that focuses on our desire to please the Lord. Legalism, a list of do's and don't's will not accomplish this but will happen from the inside out. In the Old Testament God would call the people to purify themselves before His day of visitation. May we not only hunger for God but may we also desire to please Him with our actions and words. Third, the manifest presence of God shows up. God is omnipresent meaning that God is everywhere all the time at the same time but there are times like the burning bush experience with Moses that His presence, His manifest presence makes a place holy and set apart. This can be cultivated by making sure God is welcomed.
Fourth, the character of humility is upon our hearts. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Humility is the realization that I cannot do certain things in life but that there is a God in heaven who is great and mighty who can do what I cannot do. Fifth, the focus is on the harvest. If the move of God becomes internalized then we have missed the purpose of why God is moving in our midst. God loves the world and desires all people to come to a saving understanding through His Son, Jesus Christ. When not if God touches us we are to share what God is doing with other people. As we hunger and thirst for a move of God in our church and community I encourage you to keep these timeless truths in mind and be willing and open for God to do what He wants to do within us. I desire to walk in the presence of God all the days of my life. I also desire that this church walks in the presence of God until Jesus comes.
May God grant you an opportunity for you to love and to serve Him this week.

Pastor John

Taking our stand with the Lord.

2010-10-25T10:08:00.001-04:00

During our worship service on Sunday, October 24, I shared Ephesians 6:10-13 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of god so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, powersof this dark world and against the spiritual forces of eil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Within this passage of scriptures it acknowledges that we are at war. There are evil forces of darkness that wants your defeat and will do anything, use anything or anybody to bring about discouragement, disallusionment, depression, anger, being offended, bad decision making and a whole host of others things to get your eyes off of the Lord and on anything else that will distract you from loving and serving the Lord. One of the first steps in this spiritual war we are in is to acknowledge that truth and then realize I am powerless to win this battle on my own. That is why the apostle Paul encourages us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. This is a winable war but only if I am strong in the Lord. The action that I must take is stand against the devil's attackes and schemes. This means I must be aware of the battle and then I must reject what the devil is trying to get me to do and then by the grace of God commit to do what Jesus wants me to do. God will give us the victory but only if I am willing to take a stand with the Lord and against the devil. The devil is not under every rock but he will try to use life circumstances to cause negative things to happen or to get you to be negative. The devil has lost. Jesus has won the victory on the cross. Let us stand tall against our enemy and act like we are on the winning side. May you be bless as you take your stand with the Lord today.

Pastor John

Prayer of Honesy

2010-10-20T10:02:00.001-04:00

I am quoting a prayer that I have had in my Bible for many years. I look at it periodically and it helps me to realize my dependency is on the Lord completely for within myself I tend to try to accomplish life in my own strength.
"Prayer of Honesty"
"O merciful Father, I confess that I am in bondage to sin and cannot free myself. I have sinned against You in thought and word and deed by the things which I have done and by the things which I have left undone. I have not loved You with my whole heart. I have not loved my neighbor as myself. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Forgive me. Cleanse me. Renew me that I may walk in Your ways and delight in Your will to the glory of Your holy name. Amen."

Whether you use this as a reminder or something else we need to be reminded that we cannot control life and the tendency to sin in our own strength. We need the living Christ to come and forgive us and to strength us in His power which is the only way we will be able to walk in His will for our lives.

May the grace and love of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Pastor John

Forgiveness

2010-10-11T15:08:00.003-04:00

On Sunday October 17 I will address the topic "The Transforming Power of Forgiveness". The practice of forgiveness is vital to restore our relationship with God and with others. We serve a big God who knows everything, sees everything and who loves us in spite of everything He knows and sees. For that reason alone I ought to be honest with myself and with God when I approach God about an area in my life that is clearly not consistent with what God wants me to doing or I am not doing something that He wants me to do. The beauty about forgiveness with God is the fresh start that He gives us for He treats me as if I had not sinned. This is an amazing truth because though we say we forgive someone we will often hold that thing against them. God was so loving that He sent Jesus Christ to earth so that He would become my sacrifice meaning that the punishment owed to me was upon Him. This truth is exciting for me because I know that my sins are wiped clean and now I am on my way to heaven. So much more could be said but I will leave this last thought with you. How we are forgiven by God is how we as His followers are to forgiven one another. When we master this art of forgiveness we are well on our way to spiritual maturity and vitality. May we walk in love and in forgiving one another.

Pastor John

What's in a life?

2010-10-05T09:41:00.001-04:00

That question cannot be answered easily or when a person is young. On October 4 there was a celebration of the homecoming of Gladys. It was evident by the many who reflected upon her life just how many people she touched and then in the manner in which she touched them. What's in a life? That was easy to answer for Gladys in that she was the same person in public as she was in private. When we are young we think we have life all figured out but it does takes a lot of time to formulated a godly character that will stand up to the pressures of life. The scriptures encourages us to finish well. What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul? One does not gain the world over night so this is obviously spoken of people who are at a mature age. Life can distract us if we will allow it but if we want to have influence then we must make an effort to develop the kind of character that will actually make a positive influence in the lives of others. What's in a life? That question must be asked in various ways throughout one's lifetime but when this life is over for us what are people going to say about us. May we follow the admonition of Solomon "Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

Pastor John

Renewal

2010-09-30T07:45:00.002-04:00

The importance of being renewed cannot be overstated. This would apply to both one's physical life and spiritual life. This week I have had an opportunity for both and I am thankful to the Lord in all that He does for us. Physcially this week I have been able to get some added rest and though I did not run due to a slight leg injury I feel I am close to begin to run again. I have also been renewed spiritually which can only happen when you place yourself in a position where you quiet yourself long enough so the Lord can speak to you. The scripture teach us in many places to wait upon the Lord. It is in this waiting upon the Lord that we are renewed and strengthen. I now am looking forward to what the Lord is going to be doing in the areas that I have committed to him. May we all learn the value of waiting upon the Lord so our strength will be renewed. Isaiah 40:31

Pastor John

Prayer Summit

2010-09-28T21:54:00.003-04:00

Today at the Pastor's prayer summit we had some fantastic times of worship and sharing. Joshua chapter one was a passage we were encouraged to reflect upon and as I did the Lord spoke several things into my heart. God has called me and will be with me to accomplish His plan and purpose therefore He told me to be strong and courageous. He has a plan and a way that He wants me to accomplish His purpose and if I will but follow that plan I would be successful. That promise is not given to just a few people but to everyone of His children. I encourage you to write through Joshua one slowly and ask God to speak to you.
Another thing that was powerful tonight was our time around the Lord's Supper. This time was different then I have ever experienced before where 40 men who were present shared their own personal testimony of being saved. It clearly showed forth the faithfulness of God. His mercy, grace and love was on display in the lives of His children who He saved and then called to serve Him all their days. I encourage you to reflect on the time that God saved you and the faithfulness of God through the seasons of life after that time. Truly God is in our midst and we do have much to be thankful for as a child of God.
May the Lord inspire you to serve Him all the days of your life.

Pastor John

Time with the Lord

2010-09-27T16:07:00.002-04:00

The next couple of days I am going to do several blogs as I am attending my Prayer Summit. This is one of the times during the year where I spend extra time with the Lord to hear from Him. Whether you are a pastor or not, church leader or not there is a need from time to time to set aside some extra time to hear the voice of God. This begins by spending time in worship, reading the Word and in quiet reflection on what you have read. This afternoon we were instructed to read Ephesians 1-3. There are several prayers in these chapters of which gives us an idea of how we can be approaching the throne of grace. The biggest thing that I was focusing on in this reading is the riches of God's grace that is available to us through Jesus Christ. God has done so much for us and wants to do so much more for us but we must trust Him and believe that He wants to do all that for us on a personal basis. Grace was made available to us when we ask God to forgive us our sins. Grace is made available to us so that we can live a life pleasing to Him after we are saved. One of the prayers in chapter one is to enlighten the eyes of our heart. The Holy Spirit is present to help us understand spiritual things as we ask God for that enlightenment. I need the Holy Spirit to be the person that God wants me to be.

I encourage you to read Ephesians 1-3 and ask God to reveal Himself to you.

Pastor John

God's Presence

2010-09-14T09:48:00.002-04:00

Jesus promised us that He would be with us to the end of the age. That promise is the promise of His presence and power being with us regardless of what life may bring our way. As with all promises there are conditions associated with a promise. The promise that Jesus will be with us has the condition that I am His follower. I John 2:6 says that if I believe that God is with me then I ought to live the way Jesus did. This means that as a disciple (follower) of Jesus Christ it is not up to me how I think things should be or it is not up to me how I think life ought to be lived but it is all up to the one I claim to be a disciple of which as a Christan it means Jesus Christ. I love the presence of God and I desire that His presence becomes more known among in the coming days. I need His presence because I can do nothing of eternal value without abiding in Jesus Christ. Following Jesus is not always easy but the reward of living in His presence far exceeds anything I may have to sacrifice. In Psalm 27 the psalmist which was David longed to live in the house of the Lord forever. This basic desire to live in His presence must be cultivate or we will tend to replace it other things that may satisfy for a moment but when we trust God we can live in His presence forever. May the Lord be known among us more and more and may His presence captivate your heart and life.
May the Lord bless you as you walk with Him.

Pastor John

Prayer walk

2010-09-09T14:22:00.002-04:00

Have you ever just went for a walk? Most if not all of have gone on walks. Today on went on an intentional prayer around downtown Huntington. I have done that before but not in quite some time. There is great benefit for going on a prayer walk. First, you get an up close feel of a neighborhood. Some of it is good and some may not be so good. Having a reality check is a good thing. I have been praying how we as a church body can reach our community therefore I have been sensing to go on a prayer walk. It helps me to see the community the way God see the community. Second, it helps me to slow down and gives me time to think and pray as I walk around. My prayer walk is not for exercise, I walk slower then normal and will make stops along the way. Third, I did it in obedience to what the Lord is speaking to my heart. In the coming days I will be walking other parts of our community to see and listen to what God will say concerning how to reach the people.

I encourage you to go on a periodic prayer walk in your neighborhood. God is up to some great things in these days but I must slow down enough to hear His voice so that I will know what to do. May we begin to love our community the way God loves this community.

Pastor John

Being persistent

2010-09-07T09:21:00.002-04:00

There are some things in life that we all would like to change. For me one of those things is the need to be consistent to stay in shape. My exercise by choice is running. There are times I think that I should do other types of exercise but that is about as far as it gets. But for me to stay in relative good running shape I have to run at least four times a week. There are many morning that I would like to rest but I know I have to get so many runs in a week. As I have stayed persistent and overcome some minor injuries this year I can tell this last week that I have been running a little faster and more at ease. It is at that time the running really does become enjoyable because of all the good side efforts that it gives me. Now I would like to transfer that thought to our daily walk with God. For me I read and pray everyday. By being consistent and persistent with this daily exercise of my spiritual life my faith is strong and I am excited in what God is doing in my life and the life of my church. It clearly gives me a positive perspective on life and helps me to view life through the eyes of God. There are times and days that I would like to skip my time with God but I do not because I have seen His mighty blessings upon my life and my family. Being persistent is the key because once I allow excuses to come in to prevent me from having that daily time with God, the enemy will make sure that the list excuses will grow. As we approach this fall season with the variety of activities that one can be doing I encourage you to be persistent with having your daily time with God. You may not see immediate benefits but you can rest assure that God is watching your seeking heart and He will bless.

Have a great week with you time with God.

pastor John

Let's talk

2010-09-01T09:19:00.002-04:00

I am excited that my blog now is connected to Bethel's website and to Bethel's facebook page. I have been writing a blog on the website for awhile now but a bit inconsistent. Now that it goes to facebook I plan on writing at least weekly and would love to interact with you. First, I would like to hear from you concerning so of the life's concerns and struggles that you would like me to address from time to time. Also I will be sharing some of my thoughts that I receive during my devotional time with the Lord. We have a God who is speaking and who has something to say on every life issue that we maybe facing. If you have any questions after reading something feel free to ask me. I will try to keep them short and to the point. I will from time to time comment on what is happening in our world as well. With the upcoming elections and all that is happening there is much that one can reflect upon and to think through what God maybe saying through the events of life.
I come to you not as an expert but a learner of God and of life. As I am writing this to you now I am listening to a song "God is good all the time" I am not always how this is the case but as a follower of Jesus Christ I know that He is working all things for my good. I trust in God as my faithful Savior and Lord. There is no better place to be then in the arms of the Lord.

Blessing upon your life
Pastor John

Test Blog

2010-08-31T22:32:00.001-04:00

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2010-08-31T22:30:00.000-04:00

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Restoring Hope

2010-08-18T09:03:00.002-04:00

It has been a few weeks since I have written in my blog and after weeks and months of poor economic news I sense a need to talk about hope. Hope is a positive outlook that our future will be good and there is an expectation that good things are going to happen. Titus 2:13 "while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ." This is a great example of hope. As a Christian I not only have hope but a blessed hope when Jesus Christ comes back. This is true because at that time we will be restored, renewed and receive our resurrected bodies. Now that is something worth looking forward to. As a Christian this hope actually becomes the foundation of all of our other hopes that we have in this life. There are times I need to put things in its proper perspective in order to develop the God given hope that He has for me. Philippians 3:13-14 "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." I will never be able to restore hope if i live in the past. I must be forward looking but this forward looking must be based upon the proper foundation or this hope could just become wishful thinking. Our hope is based upon Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us and what He still has in store for us. I have great hope today because I believe in a great God. I have a great hope today because this great God has give to us great and mighty promises. Therefore the first step in restoring hope is restoring our love and faith in God who holds our tomorrow. I have great hope as a child of God. I encourage you to trust in the God of hope.

Pastor John Backes

Encounter

2010-07-12T14:44:00.002-04:00

This last weekend in Huntington a group of churches held Encounter meetings at Kriegbaum field. Though it started slow with the first night being rained out but we were able then to meet on Sunday night. The music and the messages were blended well together and many people had a fresh encounter with the living God. There were many exciting things that took place of which the biggest one for me was that churches from many different backgrounds and doctrine came together for one purpose. On Sunday night God moved upon us and the churches came together in unity in a manner that this community has not seen. Then there was a visible demonstration of all the people making a huge circle around the football field that symbolized that the churches of this community will work together to make a difference in this community. Our goal for these meetings was that we would experience a fresh encounter with God. That was accomplished by seeing several people come to Christ, many others rededicated themselves to Christ and a renewed commitment to come together as the church of Huntington to make a difference in this community for Jesus Christ. My encouragement now is to continue to seek for another fresh encounter with God. We all need Christ in an increasing measure for the unknown future. Let us love one another and continue to work together for the cause of Christ.

Pastor John Backes

Peace

2010-06-02T09:11:00.002-04:00

Peace is a topic that everyone can agree with that we need more peace. Unfortunately there is not much agreement on how to secure a lasting peace. Politically speaking, the Middle East has been in the forefront of a region that has lacked peace and has had many failed peace agreements. I am not here to judge what went right or wrong in any of those attempts but to make a couple of observations as it can apply in our daily lives. Isaiah 48:22 "There is no peace" says the Lord, "for the wicked." As much as one may want peace there can be no peace when people are living contrary to the ways that are pleasing to the Lord. The example in the Middle East is simple, as long as there are nations whose stated goal is eliminate Israel off the face of the earth there can be no peace. There maybe times when war is no present but true peace goes fare beyond the absent of war. In true peace there will be mutual honor and respect among the different people's group when no one feels threatened. Therefore I am of the persuasion that peace, lasting peace can only happened when wickedness is removed. Second observation comes out of a thought from Jeremiah 6:14 "They dress the wound of my people as if were not serious' Peace Peace, they say when there is no peace." Peace is not in words but in actions and in truth. The other thought is that when one only deals with the symptoms and not the actual problem you can have what may look like peace for a moment but there really is not true peace. Genuine peace ought to be verifiable. If the right actions do not coincide with the right words there will always be a disconnect in the process of peace. In fact is that does happen then one or the other or even both sides will have a tough time to trust each other. If I do not trust someone then it is impossible to be at peace with them. A personal application to this is real simple. Romans 12:18 "If it is possible, as far as it depends upon you, be at peace with everyone." True peace will become more plentiful when I make an honest attempt to live at peace with others regardless of what they are doing or not doing. When this effort is based upon honor, respect and appropriate actions to the words of peace then there just might be more peace in the world. By the way Jesus did say "Blessed are the peacemakers." Matthew 5:9.
Lord help us to be instruments of Your peace.

Pastor John Backes

Memorials and legacies

2010-05-24T09:19:00.004-04:00

Memorial Day is in one week. For the most part it is a holiday that most people get a day off and they may have a cook-out. By definition a memorial is something that we are to pause and remember something of significance. The children of Israel set up memorials after a significant event in their lives. When they crossed the river Jordon at flood stage they took 12 stones from the middle of the river and set up a memorial so that they would remember the miracle that God granted to them. The river's flow stopped so they could pass through on dry land. So this Memorial Day what are you going to remember? A legacy is similar in that it is something a person or organization does that they are remembered for. The point that I want to make in this short blog is that we have an opportunity to impact the next generation by our actions now. This can happen when naturally for us if we are just willing to live our lives for a cause that is greater then ourselves. If I live for myself or if all I am doing is trying to survive I will live and die and not very many people will ever notice. For a believer in Jesus Christ the cause is real simple. I live for the cause of Christ and His kingdom. It does not matter if I leave a legacy that is remembered on earth but I can be assured that my work, a legacy, will be remembered in heaven. I Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my dear brother, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." May we remember this Memorial Day to live our lives for something greater then ourselves. Let us live our lives for the cause of Christ.

Pastor John Backes

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-07T09:56:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all moms. The love and care that my mom showed me will never be forgotten. There were times that mom tempored my dad's reactions when I did something that was not acceptable. I know my mom was praying for me when I was in my very rebellious stage of my life. I know my mom loved me regardless of what I was doing. The lesson to learn in this is that my mom was showing forth in a human way the character of God. God is neither male or female though God is often referred in a masculine tense. God clearly shows forth both masculine and feminine characteristics. During this season that we remember our moms let us also remember that our God loves us when we do unlovable things, that God through Jesus Christ is praying for us, that God love, mercy and grace is present so that we will not be judged immediately (Jesus thank You for going to the cross to secure my forgiveness), that God is present to hug me when I fall, that God is going to wipe away my tears, that God will speak softly to me when I want to give up and say My child you can make it with my help, that God is preparing a meal for me to insure that I will be well fed, that God is present to assure me that my tomorrow will be better when I trust Him. This and much more God shows forth how He loves and cares for us similar to how our moms have loved and cared for us.
Happy Mother's Day
Pastor John Backes

The power of right choices

2010-04-19T17:09:00.002-04:00

The last several months here at Bethel we have seen many people make a first time decision to follow Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. This has come in some of these situations where people have made a series of poor choices which has lead to some negative consequences in their lives. The scriptures clearly teach that we will reap what we sow, Galatians 6:7. All of us are far too familar to the negative consequence due to a poor choice. If we will learn from that we can make better choices in the future. Unfortunately many people continue to make the same poor choice over and over. This can lead to either addictive tendencies or the least to be hindered in enjoying life that way we think we should. Enough on poor choices because this blog is about right choices. The first right choice a person can make is to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. This choice will set a person on a pathway that if followed according to the teachings of Jesus Christ will lead a person in a lifestyle of making right choices. We will reap what we sow as well when we make right choices. This time though the consequences are positive and will help us to live a fruitful and productive life. It takes a lot of energy to continue to make the right choices because there will be times when we do not feel like doing the right thing but at these times we must be reminded when we do the right thing we will be accepted by the Lord. Genesis 4:7 "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? but if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." God was talking to Cain and this statement is as true today as it was with some of the first people who lived on earth. Unfortunately Cain did not choose to do what is right. I encourage you to heed the encouragement of God and choose to do what is right. May God grant us strength and power to make right choices.

Water Baptism

2010-03-27T11:45:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, March 28, we are going to have a water baptismal service. Sunday as well is Palm Sunday, the day we celebrate Jesus coming into Jerusalem as king. Little did the the disciples realize at that time this was Jesus' last week to live. By the end of the week Jesus would suffer a cruel death on the cross. I am excited about this because what Jesus did on this last week of His life made a way back to God. Water baptism is a public confession of faith which symbolizes what Jesus already has accomplished in the person's life. This act of obedience is very important for our own spiritual development. Jesus, though He was sinless, obedient His Heavenly Father and submitted to water baptism which served as a gateway for His public ministry. I am believing that God is going to speak to each one being baptized tomorrow that it will be an encounter with the living God that they will remember all the days of their life. Let us all make the commitment to obey the Lord as a lifestyle and not only on one day in being baptized.

Looking Forward

2010-02-10T09:44:00.002-05:00

The last couple of days have not been kind to those of us who are longing for Spring. Today schools are closed for the second straight day and as the winds pick up it is going to be miserable day outside. On days like this it is important to look forward. Warmer days are coming. Spring is just a few weeks away. We soon will begin to experience better weather day therefore I am willing to endure because I know these days will not last. Spiritually speaking we need to have the same perspective on life. There is more to this life then we see with our natural eyes. You maybe going through a difficult season in your life. You may have had to face some disappointments or unmet expectations. Take heart for better days are coming. As a Christian we are promised an eternal home with our Savior. As a Christian we have the promise that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us. As a Christian we have the power of prayer in an all-powerful God that can change life situations. I do not know how long some seasons of life will continue but I do know that in the end it will be worth it all. Hebrews 11:10 "For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." May we have the same perspective as the men and women of faith had in Hebrews 11.

When tragedy hits.

2010-01-22T10:04:00.002-05:00

Within the last couple of weeks we have been exposed to the tragedy in Haiti due to the earthquakes and now in our own church family when 20 year old Raymond Huffman was killed in an auto accident due to icy conditions. We tend to respond one way when the tragedy is far away and another way when it is close up. That is OK to do so but the key is to respond and do some self reflection so we will respond in a manner pleasing to God. In Haiti the imagines are before us and we ought to ask How can we help? For most of us it is praying and giving. For some of us it might be a trip to Haiti down the road because the rebuilding of Haiti is not going to happen in weeks but in years. Let us allow God to guide our response.
With the tragedy within our church family our response ought to be reflected within a relational model. This can be done via a phone call of support and prayer, to sending a card, to helping out with the luncheon after the funeral, to giving on going support in the days and weeks to come. Here our help ought to be personal. This will make a huge difference in the healing process for the family.
May God help to love on people and respond to tragedy in ways pleasing to the Lord

Pastor John Backes

Prayer

2010-01-08T19:11:00.001-05:00

There are many New Year's resolutions one could make but none bigger then to improve one's prayer life. God clearly hears the cries of His people. Over and over Israel fell into sin and idolatry which brought about the judgment of God upon them. During the time of the Judges this happen over and over but every time Israel was in trouble and begin to cry out to the Lord for deliverance God showed up and brought the help they needed. Unfortunately this is the only time that some people pray is when they are in trouble. May this be the year that we pray and ask for His favor and blessings when things are going well not just when we are in trouble. This would bring improvement for many people in the area of prayer. Another area to see improvement is to pray for others more then for yourself and your immediate family. Do we see the people around us the way God see them? Lord help us to see others the way You do and then help me to pray for them as You would pray for them. Strengthen our hearts and hand throughout this year to pray and seek God's favor upon His church.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-23T11:03:00.002-05:00

In recent days there has been a resurgence within the majority of Americans in saying Merry Christmas verses the terms Happy Holidays. There has been a huge effort by many in our society of trying to remove Christ out of Christmas. Most Americans are religious people who still hold to the values of the Bible and now are reacting by being more deliberate in making sure that Christ is part of their Christmas celebrations. This coming Christmas Eve the majority of churches will have a service to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. One way that you will be able to keep Christ a part of Christmas is to go to church on Christmas Eve. Jesus is still the reason for the season.

Christmas

2009-12-14T10:13:00.001-05:00

There is often so much to do during the Christmas season. There is the shopping, the Christmas parties and the family functions that can all be enjoyable but they can also distract us if we are not careful. Some distractions are can seem very good on the outside but we must remember why we have a Christmas season in the first place. Jesus, the Son of God, came, born of a virigin, to be the Savior of the world. Jesus is the center of all life and without Him we would not even have life because He is the creator of life. I do not and will not encourage anyone to stop all Christmas activities but I do encourage that we make an effort to put Jesus at the center of all our Christmas activities.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T08:36:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

On Thursday our nation celebrates Thanksgiving Day. On the calendar it is not considered a religious holiday but a look at history clearly demonstrates the Christian influence within this celebration. In the early proclamation concerning Thanksgiving Day there are clear reference to giving thanks to God and encouraging us as a nation to give thanks to God. My purpose here is not to go over the history of Thanksgiving but to encourage each and every one of us to take time out of our schedule to give thanks to God for all that He has done for us. Not everyone is having their best year with the economic down turn but we can choose to focus on the negative or we can choose to focus on God who is the solution. Giving thanks to God is a great way of being able to give our attention to the creator God who is good and loving.
May we set some time aside on Thursday to give thanks to God for the many blessings that we have received.

Encounter with God

2009-11-03T10:51:00.002-05:00

This weekend a group of men from the church are going to an Encounter. This Friday night and all day Saturday will be a time to reflect upon God and upon our own lives and then ask God by His presence to change us into the image of Christ. One of the missing aspects of today's discipleship is having genuine experiences with the living God. Jesus is alive and He wants to affect our lives for the good as we encounter Him. We need a fresh outpouring of His Spirit and we need to realize that we cannot solve our problems within ourselves and as we do that God will step in with His presence and begin to do what we cannot do ourselves. This is my prayer this weekend with the men who are attending this Encounter. Pray with me that all of us who are attending this Encounter will come back changed by the power of God.

Living with destiny

2009-10-28T10:38:00.002-04:00

As a believer in Jesus Christ I have the assurance that I have been forgiven of my sins and now I have eternal life. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." is very clear about this truth. This means that I am going to heaven when this life is over which means my destiny is heaven. If this is truth and it is then ought we not live our lives now in the light of our destiny which is heaven? The answer is yes. Much of the writings of the epistles have this as a reoccurring emphasis that the grace given to be saved is not from us but from God and then to live this life as a believer also takes grace that is God's divine strength and ability to live a life that is pleasing to God. Let us focus on things above because that is our destiny as a believer in Jesus Christ.

Common trait

2009-10-21T09:10:00.002-04:00

There is something we all have in common and it is the one thing we do not like others seeing when it happens, failure. We all fall and make mistakes and our best plans at times just do not seem to work. On Sunday I am going to address how we can overcome our failures. We can work hard at minimizing them and I think we should do all we can to do that but there is no way to elliminate them completely because we do not live in a perfect world. The encouraging thing as a believer in Christ is that greater is He that lives in me then who lives in the world. I have been given divine ability that will help me to overcome my weaknesses. There is help from the Lord as we trust in Him.

Facing our fear

2009-10-14T10:26:00.002-04:00

This next Sunday I am beginning a series of messages titled "Overcoming the F's of Life". The first one is overcoming our fears. I do believe that everyone at one point or another has had to deal with some type of fear. For some it was rather mild but for others a particular fear can control certain aspects of one's life. I encourage you that you can handle the fears of life when we approach that fear by using biblical principles. To ignore your fear is not the solution because it will arise at a time of inconvenience to you. I can deny that I do not fear anything but that is not most likely reality. You may not have any fear to address at this moment but we all have had to address one at one time or another or we know someone who is struggling with fear. This message on Sunday is design to bring forth some practical helps to set people from fear.

Having a heart for God

2009-10-05T09:11:00.002-04:00

Here at Bethel we just finished a couple of services with Evangelist Glenn Meldrum and the message was loud and clear. We must get our hearts right before God and develop a heart that will pursue the things that please the heart of God. This can only be done by being completely honest with yourself before God. As a pastor I desire to see God move in our midst and I desire to see God bring to our lives the freedom and peace we all want. These two things are not that different in that to receive either one is to develop a heart that will pursue God. This is easy to say on paper but living it out in our everyday lives is the challenge we all face. We have the interruptions, emergencies and our everyday distractions that keep us from doing some of the things that we would really like to do. The solution is once again in being honest with yourself and clarifying our priorities. Once that is done then we must begin to set the proper disciplines in our lives to insure that we will actually make our priorities our priorities. What I mean there is that we can say something is our priority but until I actually do that on a consistent basis it is only a stated priority and is not a real priority. Now back to having a heart for God. I would imagine that the vast majority of believers say that having a heart for God is an important thing for them to have in their lives. This is the first step in actually having a heart for God but until we set time aside everyday to be with Him, until we read His Word everyday, until we make being in church for worship and fellowship a healthy habit and until we are willing to set aside anything we are presently doing that is hindering that process it will not be possible to develop a heart for God in an increasing manner. This is a journey and a process and I am trusting you will be willing to join me on this wonderful journey of living life with His blessings because we are developing a heart for God.

Benefits of seeking to know God.

2009-09-23T16:07:00.002-04:00

This week have am having the priveledge to spend my time with other pastors praying and seeking the face of God. I rea lize that everyone is able to take a week out of their schedule just to worship and pray but we can take some time everyday to do that very thing. I want to briefly share some benefits of seeking to know God.
First, our prespective on life will begin to change to keep God at the center of all things.
Second, we will realize that God is big enough to handle all the things that are going on in my life.
Third, our ability to trust the Lord will increase.
Fourth, our hearts will be prepared to receive from the Lord what we really need to hear.
Fifth, our desires will align up with God's desires more and more.
Sixth, we will focus on kingdom of God things more then just our own church things.
Seventh, we will be able to learn what being a servant of the Lord means and how to live a life pleasing unto the Lord.
Here are just a few benefits in taking time out of our busy schedule to focus on knowing God more.

Homecoming

2009-09-16T11:12:00.002-04:00

On October 11 we are having an Homecoming celebration during our Sunday morning worship service. We will be celebrating God's faithfulness to us throughout the years of Bethel A/G and we will also be looking forward to the activity of God we will witness in the days to come. We have invited two former pastors to share once again to us, Rev. Bill Royse and Rev. Karl Fleig.

As part of the celebration we will be encouraging people to share a cherished memory of Bethel. This can be done in a couple of ways. You can post your memory in response to this blog or you could mail us your memory or you will be given an opportunity to write out your memory on the day of the homecoming.

We will be posting all these memories on our website. This will be our memorial to God for all the good things that He has done for us. The children of Israel were encouraged to set up memorials so that they would not forget the mighty miracles of God. Lord help us to remember all the good things that You have done for us. I encourage you to be a part of this celebration not only with your attendance but by sharing with us one of your cherish memories.

Solving problems

2009-08-06T12:48:00.002-04:00

Each of us have had and will have problems to solve. That is part of life and regardless how hard one my try not to have a problem one will arise all on it's own. One of the keys in solving a problem is talking to the right person. I was having a problem with my DSL connection and it seemed to be getting worse so I called AT&T. After going through the automated voices prompts I was able to talk to a live person who did some tests and after completing what he could do transferred the issue to another department. They called me and after more testing and talking the person was able to solve my problem. The problem was not solved right away because it took a bit to talk to the right person but the key was talking to the right person. Let's apply that to a spiritual problem. If someone has a spiritual concern it is vital to talk to the right person because just about everyone has an opinion on spiritual issues and unfortunately many of them are well meaning but inadequate of being able to solve spiritual problems. Ultimately God is the right person to solve your spiritual problem but many people have not yet learned how to listen to Him so God will often use a spiritual mature person to help you. The key aspects of this spiritually mature person are that they must have a well rounded balance understanding of the whole Bible, they must possess spiritual discernment and understanding, they ought to be a good listener and this person will need to be sensitive to the things of God. Let us be aware that I will not ask a mechanic advice on a dental issue nor should I ask advice of just anyone concerning a spiritual issue. Let us be wise in who we get our advice from, in doing that we will be able to solve more of our problems. God bless you.

The Blessed Life

2009-07-07T08:49:00.002-04:00

This coming Sunday we begin a teaching series by Robert Morris of Gateway Church in Dallas, TX called the Blessed Life. I cannot imagine anyone who does not want to live a blessed life. I can though imagine that many do not think it is possible to live a blessed life. The reasons for this may vary but for me some of the obvious ones is that they have seen much more heartache in their lives then they observe others having and due to that they begin to think that a blessed life is one for a privilege few and it is not obtainable for them. Others have lived in and around poverty so much of their lives that they have develop some attitudes that hinder them from being able to overcome their situation. Others have been caught in a bondage or addiction that they do not see a way out of their present circumstances therefore they are only trying to manage their lives the best they can amidst their bondage or addiction. For others it might be something else or a combination of one of these but the common thread in all of them is the thought that a blessed life is beyond their capability to attain. I want to say and to encourage each one that God is no respecter of persons. His promises are given to each and everyone of us and there is the promise of being able to live a blessed life. There is a condition though in order to live the blessed life and it is simply living your life according to the principles of God and doing whatever He wants us to do. Out of any reason that can be given the unwillingness to live life God's way is the biggest hindrance in obtaining a blessed life. Be of good courage, though you may have failed in the past there is hope for each and everyone to be able to live a blessed life in your future. May the hand of our Great God be with you.