Yikes!

 Acts 12:1-11  Herod was a violent leader. He actually took pleasure in killing and imprisoning followers of Christ, but, in this passage we also see the power of effective prayer- earnest prayer for Peter was made to God by the church (5).  'Earnest' is also defined as 'fervent or strenuous' and clarifies the position of the church in seeking God's intervention. I am thinking that 'casual' would be the opposite of 'earnest'.  The definition of casual is 'not regular, part-time.'  Hmm... there is quite a difference!  How would you describe your prayer life?

The church's prayer for Peter was for his well-being at the hands of a political leader and was of the earnest variety.  Look at the results!

Speaking of political leaders, as you probably all know, our province is in the early stages of a campaign that will eventually elect a new government.  Fortunately our government has not fallen to the low state that Herod had. Whether our new government flies under the same banner as the last or is different remains to be seen.  As God's people, we have been given the mandate to pray for our government and I would advise this is a good time to begin. Let's pray for our province and the outcome of the election.  God is able to sway and move the hand of the electorate to place specific people in those positions. We need to pray fervently for this election as well as the one in the USA.

Let's not be guilty of casual prayer, but be reminded of the outcome of earnest prayer! As a church we need to pray earnestly!

Pastor Paul

Barnabas: Paul's mentor

 Acts 11:13-26  Saul has not taken on his new name yet, but what I would like you to note this morning is Barnabas' role in the life of Saul, the new believer.  Although Saul (Paul) was quite likely more highly educated than Barnabas, Barnabas did not leave Saul to flounder while he grew in his faith as a believer.  He first of all encouraged the other disciples to accept Saul (Acts 9:26-28) and now he has sought him out to join him in ministry in Antioch (Acts 11:22-26).  Barnabas, whose name means 'encourager' was doing just that.  He evidently recognized that even though Saul had a very eventful conversion he should not be left alone to figure out what this meant.  Barnabas hunted Saul down and brought him to Antioch where they joined in ministry for a whole year.  Barnabas discipled Saul.  

Notice the qualities Barnabas was known for. Other than encourager he was faithful to the church(22), he rejoiced in God's saving grace(23), he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith and was a faithful witness(24).  But amidst his church given responsibility to teach he sought out another man whom he even put more time into -Saul.  One who disciples figuratively takes another under his/her arm and guides, teaches, exhorts in the faith.  

This morning my question is, Who are you discipling? Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples!

God bless you, Pastor Paul

Cornelius: Perfected Power

 Acts 10   Cornelius is introduced as a centurion who was devout, feared God with all his household, was generous and prayed to God continually. That's quite an array of desirable qualities. His desire to know God in the deepest sense is answered by God's message to him to search out and send for Peter.

We need to take note, although he was very religious (practiced Judaism no doubt), very good, he was without a savior. Peter preached Jesus to him by first of all introducing who he was via his miracles then most importantly taught forgiveness of sin via his death and resurrection. The message was that Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead, and that those who believe in him receive forgiveness of sins through his name.

Religion doesn't save, Jesus does.

Pastor Paul

Saul, A Man on a Mission

 Acts 9:1-31 gives us the account of Saul's (Paul) conversion.  Acts 9:1 points to him as the ring leader in the persecution of the early church. Vs. 31 highlights the peace that the early church enjoyed as a result of his salvation and consequent change of heart.

The change of Saul's heart was profound and brought immediate testimony from his lips of who Jesus is.

Notice the two men who had significant input into his life. First of all Ananias, who listened to the Lord's call to service immediately, but stuttered a little when he heard who it was God wanted him to meet.  Nevertheless he obeyed and witnessed a great transformation along with others in Damascus.

But it was Barnabas (Means 'son of encouragement') who took Saul under wing and introduced him to the nervous disciples giving witness to his salvation.

If we hear and are sure of God's call, let's be obedient. There can be great reward. Second, sometimes God simply calls us to quietly take someone under wing (no great reward) as they join the family of God and are introduced to them. The early disciples had good reason to be skeptical, but they took the risk!

Let's be risk takers for the kingdom.

Pastor Paul.

God. Who is He to you?

 I spent the day with a Muslim, an angry Roman Catholic, and a secularist. My devotions time was spent in Acts 8.  If you are unfamiliar with Acts 8 it is the record of Philip's evangelistic work after Stephen's martyrdom. He evangelized Samaria, took a road trip to Gaza and ended up in Azotus by special flight. The road trip to Gaza resulted in his preaching Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch.  

In my day I was challenged by the Muslim's diet, which led to conversation about it.  This was not my first discussion with him, but because he believes in what he would say is the God of Abraham we have a little common ground to begin discussion.  The angry Roman Catholic is prepared to meet God face to face, but not for the right reason, and I'm afraid he will find that his anger will be met with him bowing before God as judge and not savior. The secularist (Just my opinion) has an odd interesting and good phrase about God but is really just mockery.

The big difference between these three and the Ethiopian Eunuch is the eunuch's realization that he needed a Living Savior, and was prepared to make Jesus his savior. His belief is witnessed in his baptism.

My question is, how have you or are you responding to God? There is only on of these four who made the right decision- the Ethiopian.

Pastor Paul

Freedom is not License (Pt.2)

 1 Cor.6:12-20  1 Cor.10:23-30  Our society probably has some similarities to the Greek culture found in Corinth.  From Paul's opening words in each of these passages we learn what was a common sentiment in that society. Paul takes the moral/cultural thought of the day, 'All things are lawful', and uses it to teach that the freedom he and the other apostles taught as a part of knowing Christ did not mean throwing everything to the wind and doing as we please. 

In the 1st passage he addresses the societal thought of sexual promiscuity that seems to have had very little or no moral guidance. He teaches that in Christ sexuality is expressed and finds freedom in a monogamous married state. He says "Flee sexual immorality."  As believers our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore holy.  Sexual immorality is the product of Satan- evil and wickedness are at its heart.

The 2nd passage addresses other situations we may run into. The phrase "All things are lawful" is used again and is contrasted with "but not all things are helpful...not all things build up."  His example is of a commonly occurring situation. Food offered to idols. You can read his conclusions. My question is, where do we find like situations in our society, where on the hand what we are confronted with in and of itself has no moral/spiritual problem, but yet when we know certain things about it should cause us to abstain and so honor Christ. As a teenager/young adult two such activities for me were pool halls and theaters.

Christian freedom is about living apart from the bondage that sin brings, practicing moral excellence, living as lights in a dark place.

Pastor Paul

Freedom is not License (pt.1)

 1 Peter 2:13-17  'Freedom' has spawned all sorts of  activities or involvement in them.  Both Peter and Paul challenged the recipients of their letters to be careful in how they used the freedom they had in Christ. 

Peter's concern was that under the guise of freedom, evil would be justified.  We haven't really been in the situation Peter refers to. It seems some of his readers used their Christian freedom as a 'cover up for' or 'excuse for evil' in relation to the government. Whatever their activity it dishonored others, showed no  love for their fellow believers, in essence thumbed their noses at God and dishonored the government whom God had put in place.  Instead our freedom ought to produce actions that would silence the ignorance of  foolish people. In other words, true freedom is accompanied by true wisdom- the wisdom from above. James 3:17-18

Freedom

 John 8:31-36  On our holidays we spent some time in Southern BC. A sect of the Doukhobor people who settled there were known as the 'Sons of Freedom' for their stand against what they perceived as government interference in their lives. Whatever the case, they and their brothers form an interesting and sometimes colorful part of B.C.s history.

When Jesus spoke of freedom it was much different than freedom from the rules of government, in fact he said "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's." (Mat.22:21)

In our text Jesus speaks of the freedom that is the result of abiding in his word. True freedom is the result of  continually wrestling in God's word to understand and apply it's meaning in depth.  Freedom from being enslaved to sin is the result of obedience to God's word, first of all for salvation, second for day to day living.

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Have a great day, Pastor Paul

For this Reason

 One last look at 2 Peter 1:3-11.  I haven't included the scripture passage this morning, instead I would like to encourage you to read it from your own preferred translation.

Vs.3-4 describe God's intent in calling us. Do you ever wonder why God has called you, or anyone else for that matter, to be his child? First of all and most important is because He is a loving and merciful God. His redemptive purpose is an eternal purpose of redemption.  Although the Bible teaches us the awfulness of eternity without him, only He knows what that will truly be like. In redemption He buys us back.  God has called us to be partakers in the divine nature. That won't make us little gods, but, as we yield our selves to him and engage in rooting out evil and embracing the qualities described in vs. 5-7 we will become like him.

Because we are born with sinful natures we are often very satisfied with who we are because it 'feels' right.  It is not until we get rid of sinful desires and replace them with God's way that we see a better way.  Paul calls it 'a more excellent way.'

The word excellence at the end of vs.3 is the same Greek word as virtue in vs.5.  If excellence is a word that characterizes God and we are called to that same excellence, then that helps us understand why pursuing each of these characteristics is something we should strive for, that we would be like Christ.

Pastor Paul

Power, Provision, Potential

 2 Peter 1:3-17  Again you will notice the same passage. I have inserted a 3rd translation. An aid in helping us understand the Bible is to read different translations of the same passage.

God doesn't just save us and walk away.  We read in vs.3 that His divine power has bestowed on us everything we need for life and godliness.  That's good news!  Without His provision it would be hopeless for us to even attempt to become like him. Our fallen sinful nature does not have the ability in itself to overcome sin nor to successfully replace our sinful desires with ones that are virtuous or pure.  We are recipients of his precious and very great promises.  A few examples- He is our fortress (Ps.18:2); He walks with us (Heb.13:5-6); He instructs and teaches us, he guides us with his eye (Ps.32:8).

The possibility of becoming a wholly transformed person is ours because of these things. The potential that is ours, and God's goal for us is that we will become partakers of the divine nature. In other words we will be completely transformed- a new creation.  Our lives will model Jesus' life. It will take work and discipline and will take a lifetime but will also carry with it the great reward of being free of the vices that define many in our world today.  My challenge to you is that with God's help, by calling out to him you will take on the challenge of vs.5-7.

God bless you as you put your shoulder into it!

Pastor Paul

Impoverished Faith

 2 Peter 1:3-11  In case you think I accidentally used the same reference today, it is intentional- a different translation.

The opposite of a supplemented faith is an impoverished faith.  From time to time we hear statistics regarding human poverty.  Poverty is the result of many factors many of which are not easily solved. Certainly the scripture encourages us to take pity on the poor (Proverbs 19:17).

Impoverished faith, however, is the result of not seeing far enough ahead- spiritual nearsightedness (9) - the result of an impaired understanding regarding the depravity of sin and the glory of what lies ahead (11).  

The OT heroes of faith, among whom Moses is included (Hebrews 11:24-26), are listed as heroes because they were able to distinguish between the present pleasures and what lie ahead and so took a hold of their calling.  They had a desire to identify with the one who called him- to take a hold of the divine nature which they were called to exhibit.

If you feel the Christian life is not really all that you had thought it would be perhaps it is because you are starving. You are not supplementing your faith.   We shouldn't fear our calling, but embrace it wholeheartedly with intrigue. 

Pastor Paul

Faith and Supplements!?

2 Peter 1:3-11    Most of us have walked through Costco more than once and have seen their supplements, some of us have ventured into health food stores and others may have got  advice from a nutritionist for some reason.  Wherever we go, a common part of many people's diets is some sort of supplement that promises to make things 'better.'  Just so that you don't think I am in some way purely mocking what is a part of many of our lives, I have been taking prescribed drugs for well over twenty years and have been aided by them considerably. 

Our passage today encourages the supplementing of our faith.  Supplement means to 'furnish besides.'  In other words, add something to what is already there.  Peter challenges believers with the  thought that faith is the basis of a life that is walked with God, but it is only the basis.  It is like the kernel or seed that if nourished grows a plant.

The elements that define this life (5-7) produce effective, fruitful Christian living and should be desired if we truly realize what we have been saved from (9).  Was your sin deadly, was it filthy, was it awful, did it corrupt you, did it strip away life itself?

Peter says that our faith has made us partakers in the divine nature and will give us a Godly desire (4).  As recipients of the divine nature, God has endowed us with "all things that pertain to life and godliness."

Two notable helps God has given us are the Spirit of Truth who lives in us to teach and convict and the Word of Truth (the Bible) given us for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness so that we can be competent and equipped as God's children.

I urge you to take on the Christian life in its fullness all the while listening for the Holy Spirit to prompt you as live and study God's Word.

Pastor Paul

Sep 06, 2020 – YouTube Worship and Sermon

A Great Sacrifice

Wisdom Creates Conflict?

 Psalm 37:30-33  An interesting thought is put forth in these verses. Who would have thought that wisdom would create conflict?  Yet it does!  True godly wisdom comes from a heart that is tuned to God's word and is directed by it.  Yet what gives the godly person life and direction and a firm footing creates conflict with those who have not come to appreciate it.  The conflict between those whom this passage identifies as the righteous and the wicked is due to two different philosophies about life. The righteous person bases their way of living on the principles of God's word, while the philosophy of the wicked is rooted in their natural desire to build some sort of a kingdom (whatever it may look like) around themselves and the two often are in opposition.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says "The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ."

It is not surprising then that there is this ongoing struggle.  It also helps us appreciate and understand Jesus warning,  "In this world you will have trouble." John 16:33

But the Psalm continues with encouraging words. God has not left us alone! It says He will not abandon us to their power. 

In conclusion, Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will never leave nor forsake you."

Some days you may feel as though there is a foray against you. Remember, God will not abandon you!

Pastor Paul

Faith: Key to God Given Wisdom

 Jame 1:2-8  "If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith...."

The context of this verse we often use is based in how to deal with difficulties, specifically, trials that test our faith.  Sometimes when we face tests the direction we should take is obvious, other times not so.  James suggests it is then we need to ask for God's wisdom.  His wisdom is generous but our receiving it is conditional to faith. "If anyone lacks wisdom...let him ask in faith with no doubting."

Faith is the key to living a godly life that is directed and led by him. I encourage you to practice your faith. By that I mean include God in the moment by moment decisions of your life.

James also reminds us that true faith is free of doubt. Jesus, in Mat. 18:2-4 used a child's simple belief  as an example of what doubt free faith is like. He went on to say that true faith is characterized by humility- no adult difficulties added to it, no reasoning of why or why not.  A child's faith is humble, free of doubt. 

Let's be children in our faith, allowing simplicity rather than argument to define why we would go to God and entrust him with the direction and wisdom we need for life.

Pastor Paul

The Wisdom of the Wise

 Proverbs 2:1-8  In the next few days, if they haven't started already, many of our youngsters of varying ages and  independence will again open the doors of learning either in a school or college/university setting.  The known and unknowns have a tendency to garner fear in us as we turn them loose into what has often become an antagonistic setting for their faith.  Proverbs as do other places in scripture encourage and assure us of God's wisdom as we ask for and seek it.  

Whether they be our children, grand children, or others we have care over, let's present them to God and encourage them to pray to him for wisdom. The words of Proverbs 2 indicate the importance of the parents' role ('my son') in encouraging the child or teenager to value seeking God's wisdom. But wisdom is not always easily attained. 

Phrases such as those found in vs.2,3,4 indicate that it is something that is sought after and may not just appear on a 'platter'.  'Turn your ear, cry aloud for understanding, look for it, and search for it' all indicate a struggle. The end result of the struggle, if pursued, will ultimately lead to the correct answer. Let's join together in praying for and encouraging these that God has given guardianship over.

Pastor Paul