Mary was a poor girl, living in a land controlled by a foreign power. Remember, women didn’t have a lot of rights back then. She wasn’t exactly at the top of the social order. Yet this messenger of God says that she’s highly favored and that the Lord is with her. She knew the Holy Scriptures. When the Lord is with people amazing things happen. The Lord was with her ancestor David. He didn’t have an easy life, but God stretched forth His mighty hand and did great things through David. God said to Moses, “I know you by name and you have found favor with me.” God spoke face to face with Moses. He used him to deliver His people from Egypt and to lead them through the desert. God gave the people of Israel His law through Moses.

We take the greeting out of context and think Gabriel is saying something really cool like, “Hey kid, God really likes you and He’s cheering for you. Make a wish.” Mary was not quite so naïve. Gabriel was foreshadowing something very powerful. The King of the universe was about to do something and He was going to do it through Mary.

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”
Luke 1:30-37 NIV

We serve a miracle working God. The incarnation was a miracle. The resurrection was a miracle. The born again experience is a miracle. As the Son of God was born in the virgin Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit, so also Christ in born in us. This is a powerful miracle. Nothing is impossible with God.

The apostle Paul told the Galatians that he was travailing in birth until Christ was fully formed in them. I think that’s the way it is with us. We think that a person is either born again or not, and I’m firmly convinced that the scriptures do teach that, but that doesn’t mean that Christ is fully formed in us. When the body of Christ travails in prayer then Christ is manifest through His people and miraculous things happen.

The apostle Paul told one church, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV).”

God works miracles. He heals the sick. He raises the dead. He enables His people to walk in love. He gives us wisdom. Nothing is impossible with God.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, nothing is impossible with You. By the power of Your Holy Spirit You caused Your Holy Son to be born of the Virgin Mary. By the power of Your Holy Spirit cause Your Son to be fully formed in us. Enable us to walk in love and forgiveness. Teach us to serve one another.”

My power got you out of jail but since I didn’t have the proper authority things didn’t work out so well. Now let’s change this scenario. Now I’m the President of the United States, with the authority to give you a full pardon. Do I need to go to the prison facility with the U. S. marines? No, I issue the order and you are set free. You don’t have to run and hide.

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end (Luke 1:30-33).”

We look at the cross of Christ, where the Son of God shed His precious blood to atone for our sins, and we see our pardon there. We are right to do so, but Jesus said, “I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father (John 10:17b-18).” Jesus couldn’t have died for us if He didn’t have the authority to do so. The order He received from the Father authorized Him to lay His life down for us, and to pick it up again.

Someone might well ask, “So what?” So Jesus is Savior because He is Lord. He could not be Savior if He were not Lord. Neither can you be saved if Jesus is not your Lord. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” I’m not saying that you have to be perfect. I’m not saying that you can’t make mistakes. We all do. I’m saying that if you’re really a Christian then there should be no question about who is in charge of your life.

Jesus isn’t Santa Claus. He’s not checking if you’ve been naughty or nice. He’s the Lord of heaven and earth. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, but He is also meek and lowly of heart. He does stand at the door and knock. He will not force you to obey Him. He will patiently work with you. He will work in you to give you the desire and ability to do His will.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, thank You that Your Son is the Creator of heaven and earth. All things were created by Him and for Him. He is the Head over all things. He has always been the radiance of Your glory and the exact representation of Your being. Thank You that You gave Him the authority to lay down His life for us. Thank You that You gave Him the authority to take it up again. Help us to give Jesus His proper place in our lives and to submit to His lordship.”

Jesus means Yahweh is salvation. Yahweh is the name of God and it means, “I Am.”

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Exodus 3:13-14 NIV

God is the self-existent one. He did not come into being or evolve from something else. He has always been and will always be. He alone is immortal. He does not change. Jesus has always existed with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. Our God Yahweh is one: three persons, one Divine essence.

Through the virgin birth, Jesus the Son of God became fully human. He is both fully divine and fully human. He had to become human so that He could suffer and die for us. He paid the price for our sins and God raised Him from the dead. Jesus Christ, the person, has become our salvation by who He is and what He has done. That is why His name, Yahweh is salvation, perfectly describes Him.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12 NIV).

We should take encouragement from this. Jesus is mighty to save. He will help us overcome sinful habits. He will help us overcome difficult situations. It is Who He is and what He does.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, we did not save ourselves. We could not save ourselves. You saved us with Your mighty hand and with Your outstretched arm. When You raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the grave, You raised us up with Him. Help us to see and understand what You have done for us and to walk in the truth of Your great salvation.”

Standing between us and the paradise of God’s loving embrace are our countless violations of God’s holy law, our obstinate resistance of His perfect will and what we have actually become at the very center of our beings, originally created in God’s image, now hopelessly marred by Adam’s sin and our own. Did I say, “Hopelessly?” If only we could be like God’s Holy Son, Jesus.

If we could be like God’s Holy Son, Jesus, then we’d be perfectly obedient to God’s will. Jesus was obedient to the Father. He chose to obey and to be born of a virgin. Jesus is the Word of God; that is, He is the full expression of Who God is, and the “Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14 NIV).”

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”--which means, “God with us.”
(Matthew 1:18-23 NIV)

God did dwell among us in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus came here and worked miracles among us. He proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught us how to live in a way that pleases God. He suffered and died for our sins. He didn’t just pay for our sins but He was raised from the dead and provided a way for us to be born again. Now we can become new creatures in Christ. God can wash away our sins and fill us with His Holy Spirit so that we can live new lives.

You have a decision to make. Decisions, decisions, eh? No, you’re not on your own here. God’s Holy Spirit is drawing you to Himself. Jesus said that after He had been lifted up on the cross He would draw all men to Himself. God is working in your life right now. Jesus ascended to heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father and He’s praying for you.

When we give our lives to Jesus, He takes them and makes beautiful things of them. I’m not saying that we’ll never make any mistakes again or that we won’t face challenges. Life is tough. Bad stuff happens, but God is faithful. He will continue to work in our lives. He will transform us into the image of His Son. God will dwell among us again by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds.

I can personally testify to the scripture that says, “God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land (Psalms 68:6 NIV).” That word translated by the NIV as “lonely” could also be translated “desolate.” I had a very unhappy childhood. My family was totally dysfunctional. When I was seventeen I gave my life to Jesus. God gave me a good Christian wife and a wonderful family. Today both my children are adults. They love Jesus. God is doing good things in their lives.

As I write this devotional it’s a week before Christmas 2010. I have much to be thankful for. God has been good to me. I pray that you will make Jesus Lord of your life, that you will chose to follow Him. He is faithful. He will work in your life and in your family. He will dwell among us again in you and in your family and of His Kingdom there will be no end.

I was reading Ruth. I have long understood her story to be a picture of Christ our redeemer. But I had never before seen the chronology of her life as a full picture of man’s quest for salvation and God’s relentless, loving pursuit of the souls of men. Look:

• Ruth was working the fields. She was working for her and Naomi’s survival.
• Boaz expressed his mercy, grace and compassion to her. When he met her in the fields and with unprecedented kindness welcomed her to stay and fed her at his table.
• Naomi, an Israelite who knew Jehovah, ‘witnessed’ to Ruth when she tells her that Boaz is a redeemer.
• Ruth approached Boaz. With free will she lay down at his feet and said to him, “you are a redeemer.”
• Boaz willingly paid the price, sacrificed his money and his estate to claim and redeem Ruth.
• As Boaz’s bride, Ruth no longer had to work. Her life had been paid for and her future was provided for.

Do you see the similarities? God’s poetry of redemption throughout the Bible never ceases to amaze me!

The Greek word for mercy here is Strong’s Number 1653 EL-EH-EH-OH which means: The feeling aroused by contact with a person who is suffering and a compassionate response. A person who feels for a sufferer is moved to help.

The Apostle Paul didn’t use that particular Greek word in Romans until chapter 9 where he addressed the issue of why so many of the Jews didn’t come to Christ. That indicates to me that he associated this word, not with the legal work of redemption, but rather with that aspect of God’s nature by which He is moved to lift us out of our suffering.

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy (Romans 9:14-15 NIV).

We say that grace is when God gives us something we don’t deserve and mercy is when we don’t get what we do deserve and that’s true as far as it goes but it really misses the point of this word. When people wanted help from Jesus, they called to Him for mercy.

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" (Matthew 9:27 NIV)

God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die for us (John 3:16) and Jesus loved us so much that he gave himself up for us (Galations 2:20), but the word mercy is used when the Bible talks about how God moves on our hearts, opens our eyes and enables us to call upon His holy name. Further, this word encompasses God's compassionate response to our call in which He delivers us from the kingdom of darkness and heals us spirit, soul and body.

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief (1 Timothy 1:13 NIV).

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life (1 Timothy 1:16 NIV).

Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:10 NIV).

God gave us the ability to love. We can feel love for another person. We can show love to another person. Love is wanting the best for someone. God wants the best for us. Sometimes that means comforting, sometimes that means chastening. For God says that He chastens those whom He loves.

My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest His correction; for whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12

Has God ever taken you to the woodshed? God loves us so much that He won’t share us. It is that same kind of love that will not share a spouse. Sharing a spouse with another would not help a relationship but destroy it. So God will chasten us when we start to stray because He loves us so much. He won’t let us walk in sin. We can hide it from others, but we can never hide sin from God. I have watched families do everything it took to help someone overcome an addiction. God loves us more than anyone else can. He will chastise us if we don’t stop the sin. It may be bitterness, it may be false doctrine, it may be covetousness, but He will eventually hurt us so that we won’t destroy ourselves.

The beauty of God’s chastening is that He is so patient that He does everything possible to turn us from those things that will hurt us. He may use people to try and get our attention, but if we don’t listen to them He will use other means. He may use sermons to speak to us, but if we don’t pay attention He will use other means. But then eventually He chastens us, and for a time it hurts.

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)

You may be suffering the consequences of sin right now and it is because God is chastening you. This is all because He loves you. And there is one simple way to alleviate the chastening—humble yourself and agree with God that you are sinning and repent. God just wants you to turn from that which is destroying you and turn back to Him. There is nothing as wonderful as when we are willing to come running back into the arms of a loving God. Just like when a child is disciplined and they come back to you in love. All is forgiven and love never feels so good. God chastens those whom He loves. God is just waiting for us to turn back to Him.

And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? (Hebrews 12:5-7)

God is just waiting for us to turn back to Him. He only chastens those who are His children. If you’re one of His, He will lovingly chasten you at times. He is the best Father a person could ever have. I speak from first-hand knowledge.

God Bless,
Pastor Chuck

I spent 45 minutes looking at dozens of cards this afternoon, trying to find just the right one to convey my sympathy to my 21 year old nephew, who recently lost his best friend in a tragic accident. The difficulty lies in knowing that neither my nephew, nor his friend are believers. The words in most cards offer "generic" expressions of sympathy:
 * "He is in a better place."
 * "There will be no more pain now."
 * "He is with God."
 * "Another angel has entered heaven."

None of these sentiments is true in this situation. It simply breaks my heart to realize that there is no hope for Brett, the one who so suddenly left this earth and is now suffering for the remainder of time.

All I can ask as I pray for--not only Adam (my nephew) but everyone involved--is, "God, how can You be glorified in this? How can You work in Adam's life? How will lives be changed, for the better, by this sorrowful accident? How can I be used, from 3000 miles away to make a difference in the life of this young man I have not seen since he was a nine year-old usher in my wedding?" I don't want Adam's pain to be for naught....

The urgency of spreading the Good News seems so great as I type this. No one should have to lose a loved one without the certainty of knowing he has gone to be with Jesus. Yet most of my biological family members are not believers. I have made attempts to witness and have backed off once I have felt the resentment surface. My oldest sister has cut me off from her life completely because of my Christian beliefs and the way they collide with her chosen lifestyle. It tears me apart at times, but I have not made further attempts in recent years to lead her to the Lord. I would rather remain in the Cold War than heat things up to the point of discomfort again. Yet I do not have peace.....

Give me a stronger and more faithful heart for you, Lord Jesus.

Marialyce Steinberg
December 6th, 2010

I made several phone calls today to get my son’s ultrasound scheduled. The orders got lost in cyber-space from Tacoma to Olympia, apparently. In doing this, I reflected back on the initial appointment at Mary Bridge and recalled Tyler’s anxiety over this upcoming procedure. I pictured myself holding his hand and calming him--maybe even telling silly jokes to distract him. And then I remembered that today, April 2nd, is Good Friday. The day God sacrificed his only Son so that we might have eternal life. How our Lord must have anguished over this. I cannot begin to imagine the pain the Father endured as he watched Jesus suffer. He could not reach down and physically hold his boy’s hand; He could only watch from afar and know that the death of his child would bring new life to mankind. I am awed and humbled by this image. There are no words to describe what God gave up for us--for me….

I also realize that what I am doing with that small amount of money each month is laying up treasure in heaven. Paul once said of the Philippian people that they were his crown. “Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved” (Philippians 4:1).

I don’t feel that I have earned a thing by what I am doing. I only know that I have contributed to the life of a child in his pursuit of God. I am so thankful for the opportunity and I hope one day that I get to see little Juma in heaven. God has given me the privilege to pray for and support this young man, yet I believe this is also one of the ways He has allowed my wife and me to lay up treasures in heaven.

What a blessing to serve a God who allows us to be blessed by helping others and lay up treasures in heaven at the same time. I hope you are laying up as many treasures in heaven as you possibly can. I assure you, you will not lose them in a stock market crash. God’s stock market will never crash.

Invest Wisely,
Pastor Chuck

One aspect of Jesus’ ministry that sometimes is overlooked is the one-on-one times He spent with people. We often make the mistake of thinking that significance is determined by numbers. We live in a world that is enamored by the size of the crowd and bases value on how many people attend certain events. But Jesus understood ministry happens in settings other than just when there are great gatherings.

Jesus had a heart and love for the world, but He didn’t overlooked individual souls. Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, the man born blind and others can give testimony of this fact.

In my own life, I am so grateful for those people who have been willing to take the time to talk one-on-one with me when I had a question or when something was on my mind. It is those conversations that I have found to be more life-shaping than any other. They are also the ones that stand out the most clearly in my memory.

No soul is insignificant. Only God knows the weight of influence our lives can have on another person if we are willing to be approachable and allow people to come to us on a more personal level.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

“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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. (Proverbs 15:8)

The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs15:29)

We should be praying for our nation and I strongly encourage each of us to do so. But Christians not only have a spiritual duty to our nation, we have a civic one as well. We have an obligation to act once we have prayed. With the November elections growing closer, I would like to challenge us in this area of our civic duty.

One of the most effective actions we can take in our country is to exercise our right to vote for people that uphold righteousness. Not all are righteous, but some seek to hold values that God holds us to in the scriptures. When those people are put in office it is good for the land. Again, scripture addresses this:

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is shouting. (Proverbs 11:10)

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)

It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for a throne is established by righteousness. (Proverbs 16:12)

He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous," him the people will curse; nations will abhor him. (Proverbs 24:24)

Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness. (Proverbs 25:5)

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan. (Proverbs 29:2)

The Holy Spirit spoke through Solomon, the author of the book of Proverbs, to encourage us as to how important righteousness is to a nation. We have that obligation to promote righteousness whenever and wherever we can. For us, in our nation right now, it is by casting the ballot. Seek to find those candidates who stand for what God stands for and vote for them. (And for heaven’s sake, don¹t leave any hanging chads!)

Remember to join us for prayer on those Wednesday evenings set aside to pray for our nation and our leaders.

God Bless,
Pastor Chuck

What an excellent summary of the ministry of Jesus. In every way He was flawless. His every work was perfect. There was no need or room for improvement. The only response objective observers could make was, “He has done all things well.”

How different than our experience. Our lives and labor are marked and marred by the fall. What a refreshing hope it is to see Jesus enter the scene of human history and do all things right. Never was there a “should have” in His mind. His works were always perfect the first time.

Considering this, is it not logical then to open my life to Him? Is this not the same work He wants to do in lives today? It is. All we have to do is look at those who have come to Jesus sincerely desiring to be touched by Him and have had Him work in their lives. Our response in seeing such people is the same, “He has done all things well.”

May our lives be a display of this wonderful truth. May our lives bear testimony to this wonderful reality—Jesus does all things well.

My mom has sacrificed a lot for her children and has given so much. That, too, she has passed on to all of us kids. We love to love our families and have sacrificed much for them. But that is only a taste of how much God loves us.

I was reminded of this on our trip together. I don’t often buy things for myself when I travel, but I saw something that I just had to have. I was in a shop where they sell crystal. They had all kinds of figurines of dancers, birds, and ships. But the one that caught my eye was a crystal clam shell half opened with a pearl in the middle. It immediately made me think of the pearl of great price.

The pearl of great price is a story about the kingdom of God found in Matthew 13:45-46. It tells of a merchant who was looking for pearls and found one that was so valuable he sold everything he had and bought it. The pearl was not a Jewish gem but a Gentile one, and it speaks of the Church. It is a gem that is produced through irritation and struggle. That is the life of the believer. But it was Jesus who saw and valued us so much that He gave everything that He might buy us back for Himself.

There is no greater love than a man lay down His life, and that is just what Jesus did for us. I hope that you know how much you are loved by your Savior. The Psalms tell us that God is constantly thinking of us and that we are His delight.

Psalm 139:17-18: How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand.

Psalm 16:3: And to the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."

I don’t know about you, but I find great comfort and joy in that. I did buy that crystal clam with the pearl in it. In fact, I am looking at it as I write this column. I can’t believe how much He loves us.

In His love,
Pastor Chuck

Marialyce Steinberg
November 28, 2010

Grain and new wine abound. Oil, honey, dates and apples.
Ripe tomatoes, plump juicy grapes.
Sweet sugar, tangy salt.
Fish and loaves.

My mug sits center, surrounded by this feast spread before me.
My Lord stands across the wooden table.
Ah, The Carpenter does good work. It is beautiful.

The Lord holds a pitcher.
Fully as deep as a basin, I cannot see inside.
With a smile, He begins to fill my cup - to overflowing!

Gushing over the brim, a shimmering liquid of unnamed color.
The flow spreads across the table, seeps under every plate and bowl.
The breads absorb its sweetness and look even more delicious.

The river spills over the table’s edge and fills my lap.
Only now does Jesus look at me again.
“I have loved you with an undying, incorruptible, love.”

This is one of those sad stories in the Old Testament that contains a sobering message. When Israel earlier had gone up against Jericho, they had received clear instruction that all the silver and gold and vessels of bronze and iron were to be dedicated to the treasury of the LORD (Joshua 6:18-19). In a sense they were presenting an offering of the first-fruits of the spoils of the land in gratitude and trust for what would follow. Achan however was impatient and unwilling to wait for God’s timing; the consequences of his decision were far more serious than he anticipated.

The lesson for us to glean is this: those who do not allow their passions to be guided by God’s principles in the present will end up committing immorality (disobeying God) and the result will be the plundering of their own future. Had Achan waited, he would have been permitted in the very next battle to take goods for himself (see Joshua 8:2, 27) but not only that, he would have been able to enjoy them more wholly. The treasures he stole from Jericho had to remain hidden under his tent. It was a pleasure he had to keep secret because of fear of being found out.

We live in an age today where the principles of God are more and more being set aside so people may “freely” pursue their own passions. But the result is the same as it was for Achan, the plundering of one’s own future. Obedience to God is still the best road to follow. There is no other path on which we can obtain any greater depth of joy or duration of pleasure.

On the other hand, exposure to some things is good. In fact, we need to be exposed to sunlight. (Some sunlight would be great about now, but I don’t hold out much hope until next July.) We need the sunlight for certain chemical reactions in our bodies. We need to be exposed to fresh air and exercise. It is healthy for us. The Bible says it’s good when we are around people with a cheerful heart. “A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance” (Proverbs 15:13).

There are lots of things many of us may have never been exposed to that are so wonderful. On a trip to Nepal years ago I got to ride an elephant in the middle of the jungle. It was incredible!

Sometimes we are exposed to things that we think we won’t like, but then we are addicted. I thought museums were stupid when I was a kid. I only wanted to play baseball and surf. Later in life when I was exposed to places like the Hermitage (in St. Petersburg, Russia) and other great museums, I realized how much I had missed. I am amazed by the wonderful talent God has given people. Now I love art and music. I am thankful I was exposed to these things by others.

With that in mind, we are coming to a time of year that many people don’t really know about. They think Christmas is about Santa Claus or it is a “Winter Holiday.” The world has lost sight of the wonderful birth of Jesus and celebrating His birth at Christmas. Many people just need exposure to that glorious story.

Think about it… This Christmas we are going to have many opportunities to expose people to God’s miraculous story of love. A love in which God came down from His place of glory to take on the appearance of a man. To become a baby, vulnerable to all that the world would throw at Him. Yet in doing this He showed love as only God can. "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). His becoming one of us is something so astonishing and wonderful that it is hard to reject this love.

For that reason, I encourage you to expose those you love to the story of Jesus by bringing them to the different Christmas services, taking them to see the movie, The Nativity, or just sharing with them how that little Baby has changed your life forever. You can never be overexposed to Jesus.

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Chuck

As I was reading 1 Chronicles 12 about David’s army in Hebron, there were two comments about these men that stood out: “they could keep battle formation” and “men who could keep ranks.” These two statements define their character in time of battle. As Christians we, too, are in a battle with the enemy. And so often we find out what we are made of when the battle comes. The enemy loves to cause us to lose formation or break ranks. That is when we are scattered and isolated.

There are several ways we practice breaking ranks. We do it by fighting with one another. When we get angry or hurt and feel we are unfairly treated and then break fellowship, we have done just what the enemy wants us to do. We break ranks and formation. When we compromise our walk and chase after sinful pursuits, we do just what the enemy wants us to do. We break ranks and formation. When we compromise our walk at work or school it is like we break ranks and formation. When we stop praying for each other and loving each other we break ranks and formation.

This is what characterized the men of David: they stayed in formation and didn’t break ranks in the middle of battle. We must remember we are in a battle right now, and we will continue to be until Jesus returns. We must fight that battle together. One of the pictures I have of this is seeing birds fly in formation. They are fighting through the resistance of the air and weather by staying in formation. They often switch off flying that front position but they stay in formation and don’t break ranks. It is because of this that they can travel long distances and soar above the earth. It is this that allows them to reach their destination.

I talked with one of the guys who was in Nigeria and he said they were so excited about how things turned out. He said they could tell they were in the midst of prayer support because everything physical was working against them yet everything came together for the glory of God. It was because we in the body didn’t break ranks or formation that God blessed them.

I believe that God can do so much more in us and through us if we continue to be faithful in this area. Who cares if we are the biggest or the best as long as our body fights the battle in the way God has called us to? You are surrounded by fellow soldiers.

“…but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits” (Daniel 11:32). The things we do we do together, from those that go out to those that stay behind and pray. We are each a vital part of the whole, and we are all in the battle. We need each other, and I pray that the enemy is not going to cause us to break ranks or formation. May we be strong and courageous in all that we do for the Lord until we reach our destination.

God Bless,
Pastor Chuck

The Bible study I’m doing prompted me to look for the miracles in my own life. Recently, after much deliberation and debate, I obeyed the Holy Spirit’s instructions to quit my job. Despite His complete provision in the past, I argued that my small efforts at producing an income were absolutely necessary, at least beneficial. When I did obey, God began to repeatedly affirm His command and His provision through numerous scriptures and the agreement of fellow believers. For me, the greatest miracle was that I actually did obey; I stepped into the waters. Now I’m watching them recede.

I don’t take any credit for this small stumble forward. Praise the Lord that through the Holy Spirit, because of Christ’s sacrifice, He enables and rewards obedience.

So would you say at least some of these people are our enemies? The dictionary defines enemy as “a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something”. I think this fits in many cases. But what does Jesus say about our enemies? "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44). We are to love our enemies, show respect to them, pray for them, and even help them if they need it. It doesn’t say that we have to agree with their views or stop presenting our case. But we should be able to say that we have loved them.

Here is my concern. In many ways we have not loved our enemies and as a result we don’t have a chance to share our faith with them. In our country and culture you have to earn the right to share your faith with someone. In other cultures, out of respect, people will listen to anything you have to say. Not so in our country. The people I have effectively shared with only seem to open up when you show respect and love. We too often demonize our enemies and create false pictures of who they really are. Not only can we be breaking the commandment of bearing false witness against people who think they are doing the right thing, but we do something even worse for our children. When you grow up in a home where liberal people are demonized all your life and then you go to college and listen to them as professors and live with them in dorms you find yourself experiencing culture shock. You may even feel that your parents have lied to you because these people can be caring, loving, nice, kind, and really fun to be with. They are not the monsters they have been made out to be. As a result your college student is led astray because if they think you have lied to them about this, they may question what other things have you lied to them about.

The truth is, people with different views can be the enemies of our views, but they can be very nice people. When you attack people instead of ideas you will find yourself in trouble. We are to love our enemies and expose the fallacy of their false worldview. That can be done with respect. When you do this you not only gain the respect of liberal people, but you prepare your children to engage the world as adults rather than having to face a world much different than what you have told them. Remember, as Christians we can—we must—love our enemies. It is one of the defining characteristics of a believer.

God Bless,
Pastor Chuck

Here we have the first scene in one of the most well-loved and familiar stories in all the Bible, the story of David. We all know David wasn’t a perfect man, but there is something about him we respect. He is one of those individuals in Scripture we look up to, one of the heroes in history. We often think of him as in another league. But there is something I think we often miss. What David was, we can be.

David is admired for being a man after God’s own heart, but that isn’t something we need to look at only with longing eyes. If we want to, we can also be the same. Sometimes it can seem that such a life is beyond our grasp or ability to live out, but God has placed it within reach of every one of us. This is both exciting and sobering. Exciting, because we can pursue God in the same way today, and sobering, because if we don’t we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Sometimes this kind of life is going to be overlooked by man in the same way David initially was overlooked. But that isn’t what David was living for. It was enough for him to know that God was watching. To know that God is observing is what makes living for Him exciting. Knowing His awareness is what fuses and fills common service with cheerful gladness. I suspect personally that had a lot to do with the brightness that shone in David’s eyes. May that same brightness radiate also from our lives, coming from a same heart, a heart in pursuit of God.

One key to their effectiveness is found in their title—disciples. At the core of discipleship is discipline. That whole idea comes from a principle Paul refers to in 1Corinthians 15:31, “I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” Paul is making reference to what was taught to the disciples by Jesus. Luke 9:23, “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” This really is the heart of discipleship, denying/dying to self. It’s also what makes it really hard. Many of us want to serve the Lord more effectively, but here is where it breaks down. I would just like to share some things that have helped me over the years.

Taking advantage of opportunities that come your way. When someone comes and asks for help or there is a direct need presented to you, ask yourself how you might help. This is the principle of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10. This man saw a person in need and did what he could. He could not stay with him but did take him to an inn and then paid for his care. When opportunities arise, ask the Lord what you can do. One of the keys is asking the person what they need. I have made assumptions about people before and missed opportunities to help. In one instance I asked what the need was and the person told me a horrible story. I thought to myself, I can’t help. At the end of the story I asked how I could help and they just asked for prayer and thanked me for listening. Don’t miss out on opportunities because you are afraid it might cost you something by helping.

Denying self, doing things that appear to cost us something. That cost may be time, finances or something else. So often we want to do things that don’t cost anything. We would like to serve if it’s convenient, fun, or with friends. We often think in terms of “Would I enjoy doing this?” What Jesus said is that it is a choice to serve Him and it won’t always be fun, convenient, or with friends, but it will be effective and beneficial for the kingdom and the people you help. David understood this when a man offered him, free of charge, property and animals for a sacrifice. David’s response is one that declares that he was a disciple of God and disciplined. 2 Samuel 24:24, “Then the king said to Araunah, ‘No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.’” Discipleship is costly, but that is what makes it effective and meaningful to people.

Finding ways to say no to myself and my comfort and yes to God. The apostle Paul understood this very well. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” Paul said no to himself and yes to God so that he could be used effectively. I have found I have to do things that will cost me and say no to my flesh. Things like getting up at 5:30 in the morning to get ready to be at the Men’s Prayer Meeting every Wednesday costs you. It makes a long day on Wednesday, but I guarantee you it is worth it. I commit to things that I know will cost me because I realize that to serve the Lord you have to say no to the flesh. I would much rather go to Germany, France, or Hawaii on mission trips but God has us going to Africa right now. This is where you say yes to God and no to flesh. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything because of what God is doing in Africa right now. In practicing this denial of myself and my comfort, it becomes a joy to serve the Lord.

We will never fail to be blessed and fruitful if we follow the instructions of Jesus. When we choose to die daily to ourselves for the benefit of others we are really just showing what true love is. And by this love they will know that you are the disciples of Jesus.

To all of you disciples…

God Bless,
Pastor Chuck

Because of the fluid nature of our business and necessity to quickly, professionally respond and adapt with no margin for error, my co-workers and I see each other at our absolute best, performing near miracles to get the job done. We also see each other at our absolute worst, utter mission failure. Ours is a crucible of extremes: there are few, if any, congratulatory pats on the back; likewise, expletives often fly. I often come home wiped out, shed a few tears, and then buck up for the next day of emotional assault in the workplace.

Why would I put myself through this on a continual basis? I’m crazy, you might say! But simply stated: I believe all businesses need ethical people. I can’t change the world; I’ve given up trying ages ago. But I can attempt to be a light to those I come into contact with that day: from members of the “public” to my work partner sitting next to me for 8 hours straight.

I am constantly presented with choices: when the near miracle is pulled off, I can choose to thank my work partner and write a complimentary note to the boss on his/her behalf. When I have a complete “mission failure,” I can choose to hold those expletives hostage in my mouth before they launch into an already electrically charged situation. I can choose not to respond when someone else is on the attack. I can attempt to be the voice of reason behind the scenes, a voice that is not always heeded but that has learned to speak the truth nonetheless.

Everyday before I walk through the door filled with trepidation, I pray, “God, please give me the talent and skill that I need to get through this day. I can’t make it without you. Please let me be a light to those I work with.” Over the years, I have noticed some of my colleagues request to work with me. They know I’m steady, reliable, professional-- and not going to explode on them! Over time, some of my veteran co-workers have complimented my input and direction. I’ve learned that the workday will come and go, along with whatever crisis it may bring. I’ve learned to value my co-workers, regardless of their backgrounds, and learn from them to try to better myself. I don’t always succeed, but I can honestly say that I try. I’ve learned that relationships are what really matter.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

That is quite a flattering statement, to be told everyone is looking for you, and yet Jesus was not swayed by it. His life was not controlled by the praise of men. It was a pressure He often faced but not one that moved Him to take a detour from His destined path.

If I were in such a position and people were looking for me because I had hit the fame jackpot through something I had done, I think I would want to bask in it for awhile, not take the next train out of town.

Jesus was able to move on though because His satisfaction did not come from pleasing people. He was perfectly at home right in the will of God, even if that meant the crowds of people were in the rearview mirror. He understood there was something better to pursue. Man’s accolade is fickle. Jesus didn’t come for that but came to do the will of His Father. May my heart be set to do the same.

Jesus made it simple. The disciples asked Him how to pray because they always saw Him praying. He gave them what we call The Lord’s Prayer. It is just a pattern of prayer. When kept simple, it is a wonderful pattern.

OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME
We are to come to Him in worship, reminding ourselves that He is holy and on the throne. There is nothing too hard for Him. He is in charge of the great and the small. He made the heavens but also the nucleus of the atom that holds the heavens together. And He is our Father. He loves us and is in charge of our lives.

YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
He wants us to live for Him on earth. He wants us to be His witnesses and has given us His Holy Spirit and the instructions of His word to do it. He wants you and me to live for Him one day at a time. Just today. Just live for Him today. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

GIVE US DAY BY DAY OUR DAILY BREAD
He cares for our needs, and we can ask Him to provide and leave it in His hands. He said the world is always worried about what they will eat and wear. You don’t have to. He said I will take care of you just like the birds and flowers of the field. I know your needs before you ask. Just seek My kingdom and My righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

AND FORGIVE US OUR SINS, FOR WE ALSO FORGIVE EVERYONE WHO IS INDEBTED TO US
We are to live lives of forgiveness. A life of love overlooks so much. We give people a break; we show mercy because we know that God gives us so many breaks and shows us so much mercy. We are not always pointing out what people are doing wrong. That is so easy to do. But we are showing love and mercy.

AND DO NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPTATION
We are really asking God to show us when the enemy is wanting to lead us into temptation so we can turn away. The proverbs says a man sees evil and turns from it. This is just simply a request to show us when evil is ahead so we can turn away. Most of my problems result in not turning away. I see the warning signs but go right ahead, just like a person in a car thinking they can cross a flooded road with signs that say to turn back. They end up ruining their car and sometimes, tragically, losing their lives. He will answer this prayer, but we must turn away when we see the warning.

BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE
There are powers that can overcome us with the snap of a finger. We are, here, placing ourselves in the hands of our great and wonderful God. Just like so many others that have gone before us. Job said, “Though He slay me, I will trust in Him” (Job 13:15). Peter said, “Lord, where can we go? You alone have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). And with them we say, “God we trust You to protect us, for we are but sheep.”

May you keep it simple.

God Bless
Pastor Chuck

Quite often as we drove along I would sigh deeply and say, “You know I’ve probably never told you this before, but it pays to serve Jesus.” They quickly caught on that I was fully aware that I had already told them this many times and that it was just a whimsical way to begin sharing about how God blesses obedience and about how there are bad consequences for ignoring His principals.

Thomas and Jeannie are both adults now and they love Jesus with all their hearts. I certainly wouldn’t claim that our car chats are the reason they turned out like this, but I do know that Jesus was in there with us as we drove along talking about what it means to walk with Him.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes (Deuteronomy 6:4-8, ESV).”

Timothy Beirne
Spring 2010

There is a lot we can learn or be reminded of in just these two verses. One point is many things in life take time to build (whether it is structures or relationships or character). I am someone who, when I start a project, I like to get it done in a day. The problem is, not everything can be done in a day. I need to learn more how to set things down when the job is only part-way done and pick it up again at that point tomorrow or the next available day I have time to work on it.

A second point though is about the difference in length of time Solomon spent on each project. We know that for the temple, it was to be according to pre-set plans. It was to be both beautiful and functional. It took him seven years to complete the job. It didn’t need to take longer. The problem isn’t in the seven years. The question is in the thirteen years he took to build his own house. Was that necessary? Or is it an indicator of a loss of perspective on Solomon’s part? What was most important to him?

On one hand, it is inevitable that some things in life are going to take up more time than what we allot to “spiritual disciplines” (reading our Bible, praying, attending church, etc.). Dads have to work, moms have to watch kids and buy groceries and do laundry. Youth have to go to school. We all have to sleep. But what is our perspective in all of this? Is our goal our own self-satisfaction or is it living for God’s pleasure? Sometimes we spend more time than necessary on certain earthly projects or pursuits. Sometimes that can be an indicator to us of how we have lost sight of what is most important.

Maybe there was nothing wrong with Solomon taking thirteen years to build his house. But I wonder where his perspective was. The right perspective can enable all of life’s activity to potentially be ministry and God-honoring. But having the right perspective means you don’t lose focus on what is most important in life. Where is our perspective? What is our purpose in our pursuits in life?

In this story we see the religious people had many excuses not to help their neighbor. Yet it was the outcast Samaritan who helped the man who had been beaten and robbed, even though he didn’t know him. Our neighbor is the person who is in need, whether we know them or not.

The story of the good Samaritan and the second great command teach us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Some may say, “But we’re so busy!” Those are the same kinds of excuses the religious gave for not helping the man robbed and beaten on the Jericho road. They are also the same excuses that keep us from receiving the blessings that God wants us to experience.

So many people tell me they don’t sense God’s presence or see Him working in their lives. As you look at the scriptures you find that God usually works in those moments where you step out in faith and deny yourself, or when it is inconvenient to serve. I see this in the example of Peter walking on water (Matthew 14). Jesus told Peter he could come out to Him on the water. It was not calm water; there was a storm going on. Peter could have used that as an excuse, but he didn’t. He was the only one to ever walk on water besides Jesus. What an experience! Yes he failed, but Jesus put him back in the boat and the others worshiped the Lord as a result.

Here’s my point: When opportunities to serve others arise, there will always be a reason to get out of it. And if you use those excuses, you are the one missing out. You see, Jesus will raise up other people to help, even Mormons. But where are the true Christians? If we do not step out in faith we’ll be just like those who stayed in the boat, missing an opportunity to see the Lord work in miraculous ways.

There are plenty of ways to help others. You can pray, you can give, but most of all you can go yourself where help is needed. You can give your day off to help those who have real needs. I pray that we will be a people that are zealous for good works.

May the Lord continue to make us a body that cares and loves the world around us. May He keep our hearts from getting hardened in a dark world.

God Bless,
Pastor Chuck

“It’s my way or the highway!”

Why are we so critical and think our way is the only way or the best way? When somebody else does something different, our feathers get ruffled.

It’s easy to fall into this trap. What I don’t like about it, is that it really affects our ability to love other people. “Oh, at our church we do it this way…………” There is such a feeling of competition within the church.

The main thing is what really matters. Jesus died so our sins can be forgiven! How we worship and do things is going to be different. We are brothers and sisters in the Lord because of what He did for us. We need unity and love in the church. The enemy loves to take away from the main thing by creating divisions amongst people. That way we become more focused on what’s causing the division than what really matters.

We get caught up in what we’re doing when it should be about all that He has done for us. That’s what brings unity in the body. As Christians, we certainly all agree on that. If we would all take the time we spend disagreeing and transfer it to what we agree on, there would be so much more unity. I hope all of us will lay our critical natures down before our God, that we would allow Him to fill us with His love for one another.