"It's About Me???!"

Here is the scripture for today! Matthew 21 ¹² And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. ¹³ He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” ¹⁴ And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, ¹⁶ and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” ¹⁷ And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

Jesus really stirred things up when He did this in the Temple!  As we learned last week in video, "The Week that Changed the World", this action by Jesus was a direct attack on the religious aristocracy which ran things in Jerusalem.  As is so inevitable "economics" overtook "spirituality" in the business of faith!  Jesus rebelled!

When I embrace the Jesus of this story I see power, courage, integrity, wisdom, faithfulness, confidence and inner strength!  I wish I was more of those things!  But this text isn't about me is it?  It's about Jesus and I don't need to make it about me.  Why do I do that?  So quickly I make it about me?

The religious leaders were making it about them.  They were "indignant" - Jesus was a threat!  They found themselves and their religious system lined up against Jesus and they were losing.  He was a problem.  They were making an encounter with Jesus about them and not about Him!

The crowd was making the day about Jesus - He was Lord - He was worthy of worship- and they got His blessing!  He as much as said, "You are right on - you are focusing on the right One!"

As we step fully into this journey to the cross and empty tomb of Jesus this Lenten season, let's make it about Him and I have full confidence He will pour life into us!

Here is to "enjoying" it being about Him!

delton

2.25.2015 “What is Truth”

John 18:33-40   (NIV) ³³ Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

³⁴ “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

³⁶ Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.  Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

³⁸ “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. ³⁹ But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

⁴⁰ They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

As I read this passage the word that stands out to me is truth.  Pilate asks “What is truth?” and then walks off to talk with the Jewish leaders.  Jesus had just finished saying that the reason he came was to testify to truth and everyone on the side of truth listens to him.  Did Pilate really want the truth?  Did Pilate want to make his decision about Jesus based on truth or did he just want the path of least resistance?

The dictionary defines truth as a fact or a reality, the opposite of falsehood.

Pilate had been standing in the presence of truth.  In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Everything Jesus says is true.  Pilate was trying to find a peaceful way not to kill a man he could find no bases to kill.  He was not true to himself, to the facts or to Jesus.  He yielded to outside pressure.  He was trying to protect himself.

It is easy for me to sit here and analyses Pilate’s words and action but what about my words and actions?  Do my words and actions show I believe the truth about Jesus?   Do I embrace it, all of it?  I want to but sometimes I know I take the easy way or I procrastinate and don’t do what I should at the right time.  I believe the truth that Jesus is God’s Son, that He died on the cross for my sins and that today He lives in heaven with His Father.   Jesus is the only way to God the Father and eternal life in heaven.  I love Him for all He has done for me.

Jesus alone is the truth.  What Jesus says and does is true from every perspective.  It is my mission to tell people the truth about Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to use that truth in the person’s life.

Thank You Jesus for telling me the truth and for giving me the faith to believe it.  Give me faith ears to hear your truths, to believe them and make them a part of my life.  Forgive me for not always acting in a way that honors you and for compromising your truths.  I am sorry.  Give me the boldness to tell others the truth about you in a loving compassionate way.  I Love You Jesus.  You alone are worthy of all my worship, praise and adoration and obedience.   Thank you for loving me.

In Jesus Precious and Holy name,   Amen

Charleen

02.24.15 "JESUS LOVES YOU, FEAR NOT!"

John 18:19-27 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 

“I have spoken openly to the world, “ Jesus replied.   “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together.  I said nothing in secret.  Why question me?  Ask those who heard me.  Surely they know what I said. 

When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face.  “Is this the way you answer the high priest?”   he demanded.

“if I said something wrong,” Jesus replied,  “testify as to what is wrong.  But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”

Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.

As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?”

He denied it, saying,  “I am not.” 

One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?”  Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

What stands out to me about this whole awful event is how Jesus is calm and steady in the midst of all the emotions of all the people involved here.

The Jewish leaders are fearful of an uprising of their people against the Roman Empire as we learned about in the video we saw on Sunday.  Jesus is a threat to them and the people that they have authority over.   Why is the truth such a threat to them?  Why don’t they accept Jesus for who he is and believe that the miracles that he performed were real?

Then there was Peter, who followed Jesus.  He left everything to be his disciple and he too gave into his fears.  Was he doubting, Jesus now?  After all that he experienced and witnessed with Jesus, he was letting his fears lead him through this!

Jesus was obedient to God.  He was fulfilling what the prophets foretold, God’s promise of a savior!          He is The Savior!

He knew who he was and what his purpose was.  He just wasn’t what they were all expecting.  He didn’t look or act like they believed he should.  Jesus humbled himself even though he was “The Son of God”!  He didn’t come out announcing who he was; God introduced him after John baptized him saying, “This is my Son, with him I am well pleased”.

What is God saying to me through this?

He is telling me that I need to let go of all of my fears and doubts!  And Trust Him!

Fear is hindering me from completely surrendering my will to Jesus? My doubts are holding me back from being all that he wants me to be and from doing all that he wants me to do!  It’s keeping me from being free to love and live the life that God has planned for me!

But, do I really want my life to change?  Do I want to give up what I have been use to in order to follow Jesus?  Am I clinging to Fear and worry, and letting them guide me through life instead of trusting my Lord and Savior?  These questions haunted me for years and if I let them they keep trying to replant seeds of doubt in my mind.

Just a few years back I was letting my fears, worries and selfish pride control me.  I let them be my excuse for not doing what God wanted me to do.   My outward excuse was that I wasn’t ready, and I had too much to do at home!  I wanted to focus on me for a while.  I helped out some, but my heart wasn’t in it.  Everything was a chore and I felt this great weight of guilt hovering over me!

I also fought self- doubt.   I thought I wasn’t good enough.  No one really wanted to listen to me, or get to know me because I was dumb and boring!  I was afraid of being rejected, or not included!  I let myself sink into depression.  I was afraid of all the ‘what ifs’ in life.   I worried about what might happen to me or my family.

Ugh! I was like the Jewish leaders!  I didn’t want things to change! I wanted to stay in control! I also didn’t want to come out of my comfort zone or to inconvenience myself too much.  Jesus came into my life and I gave my heart to him long ago, but I had gone astray.  My heart had become hard.  I acted like a Christian, but on the inside I felt dead!  All this baggage was weighing my spirit down and keeping me from living!

Thankfully Jesus didn’t let me stay in that dark place.  Little by little he led me back to him and brought me into a new life!  I knew I couldn’t stay in that place.

Out of my great need for God’s love and peace, I prayed, and began to really listen and truly believe that Jesus loved me and wanted me!  Even if no one else did; Jesus did!

If you have similar fears, please, don’t let them lead you through life!

Give it all to Jesus!  He will lead you through the troubles of life, and what ever you are currently going through.  If you let him!  He went through all of it as well as death and resurrection!  And, He can bring you through whatever it is you are facing!

We also have each other when we need encouragement and a helping hand! We are to love and care for each other!  We need to stick together and work together to stay on track with God.  Together we are stronger and better to serve God!

If you are feeling depressed,  Lost and Alone. Please, don’t go through it by yourself!

With the Lord’s help find someone to connect with that you can pray with, and be real with.

Jesus Loves You!  And we your brothers and sisters in Christ, do too!

Dear Jesus, 

Thank you for your love and caring for us.  Help us to let go of our fears and to turn all our troubles over to you.  Help us to believe in you and to trust in you to help us through each and every day that God gives us.  We long to see you and be with you for eternity, but until then help us to do our best to love each other and to serve you by sharing your love with the world around us.  Amen

Patrice

02.23.15 "The Point of No Return!"

John 11:41-50 ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

⁴⁹ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! ⁵⁰ You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

In every story there is a point of no return.  A few years ago during a trip to the West coast, my wife and I visited Universal Studios which is actually a movie based theme park.  We arrived in the late afternoon and since the park would only be open a few more hours the cashier gave us a great deal on some VIP passes.  These passes allowed us to move to the front of the line on any ride or show in the park.  Because of the time crunch we moved quickly from show to show and ride to ride.  The film “The Mummy” had come out a year or so earlier and I noticed there was a ride there based on the movie.  Keep in mind I am long since passed the age of enjoying heart throbbing, hold on to your seat amusement park rides.   The rides we’d taken that day were easy moving excursions into movie magic world.  Slow moving trams riding past robotic dinosaurs among realist but fake volcanos and waterfalls.  The action was all really cool, but virtual, computer animated type stuff.

We moved very quickly toward the entrance for “The Mummy”.   The lines were long and I was feeling pretty good about getting those VIP passes when we were waived to the front of the line.  My wife and I jumped into the car excitedly and then they strapped us in.   The strapping in part should have been a red flag for me but I had too much adrenaline going.  It was only after the ride began moving that we noticed the sign, “Caution: this is a super high speed roller coaster.”  Our fates were sealed and there was nothing we could do.   We had unwittingly arrived at the point of no return.

In Eden that point was the bite of forbidden fruit.  In Egypt that point came when Pharaoh spoke the words he believed condemned the first born of Israel.   In Jerusalem that point came in Bethany with the stunning resurrection of a man dead for three days.  That beautifully choreographed miracle sealed our LORD’s fate as both a force beyond anything anyone had ever seen and a target marked for certain death.   Now the pieces began to come together and the mission was made clear.

⁵⁰ “…that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

What should have been the tragic end turned out to be just the beginning.  This point of no return became the turning point that changed everything.

Gracious Heavenly FATHER how beautifully YOU planned the rescue of YOUR creations in the horrible sacrifice and suffering of YOUR SON for our sake.  With pinpoint accuracy these events unfolded just as designed and changed everything.  FATHER, keep us mindful this season of the Holy Sacrifice made on our behalf and grant us the honor and privilege of sharing the pain, grief, and joy of our SAVIOR’s Passion.  In JESUS name we pray!

Jim L

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Psalm 138

¹ I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. ² I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. ³ When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me.

⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord, when they hear what you have decreed. ⁵ May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great.

⁶ Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. ⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. ⁸ The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.

2.20.2015 "Living with Hope in a Hopeless World!"

We get encouragement from another blogger today! God does provide exactly what we need! May we rejoice in the Living Hope we have in Christ who really does give His divine power to face life now and in the future! Heavenly Father, enlighten us by your Holy Spirit as we reflect on your words through the apostle Peter in the passage below.  Amen

1 Peter 1-4 (NIV)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

The apostle Peter is reminding us today that through faith in Jesus and his death and resurrection for us, we are reborn by the Spirits power into a new life.  This rebirth carries with it the firm assurance of two things: a living hope and an inheritance kept safe for us in heaven.

Our hope is a living hope. Unlike the hopes and dreams of our own making, which often go to pieces, the living hope we possess rests on the sure promises and power of God. It is a hope that makes it possible for us to ‘sail triumphantly into the harbor of eternal fulfillment’ as one of my former mentors would say.

Our inheritance as a child of God, unlike many earthly inheritances that are lost or defied, is kept safe in heaven by our heavenly Father who protects it from disappearing, being spoiled or faded. The inheritance that awaits us as a child of God will never see corruption. It is a certain inheritance that brings great peace.

Having been crucified with Christ and born anew in the waters of baptism, we are empowered in a wonderful and amazing way to be about the call and mission that Jesus has for each of our lives. Because we have been given a living hope and a certain inheritance through faith in the resurrected Christ, we are able to tread without fear the path that our Lord has set before us. We have the privilege of living as a people of hope in a world where hopelessness abounds.

Lord, thank you for choosing us according to your foreknowledge and sanctifying us through the work of the Spirit that we may be obedient to the call you have on each of our lives. Help us to live as people of hope. Amen.

jhf

2.20.2015 "Christ Delivers Divine Power to Escape the Corruption of this World!"

2 Peter 1:1-4 (NIV) 1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

What an Opening!

Peter’s wonderful salutation immediately lifts his readers by equating the faith given to us by a righteous God … to that same faith received by the apostles directly from the Christ. Because of God’s righteousness, faith is a gift. It is not and cannot be earned. Also, because it is from God, we have been given enough. We should never believe that we haven’t been given enough (recall the parable of the mustard seed).

In just two short verses (3, 4) Peter paints an amazing picture of Jesus Christ and what he brings into our lives. He delivers “divine power”. He provides generously (“everything we need …”). He has given “very great and precious promises” … promises like “God hears prayers and answers them”, “He will never leave us or forsake us”, “We will escape the punishment that we deserve for our sins” and “We will go to heaven when we die” … just to name a few.

Finally, God’s promises help us to “escape the corruption of the world” and then participate in Christ’s “divine nature”. While we live in this world we will always have the temptations and the fascination with sin. Only through Christ’s presence in our lives do we have any hope of withstanding the “evil desires” that lead to corruption. We can then participate Christ’s “divine nature” although never fully become his “nature”.

Blessings, John H

2.19.2015 "Jesus On Mission!"

Hebrews 1:1-3 New International Version (NIV) God’s Final Word: His Son

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Jesus speaks to me….  I’m not special.  I’m not anyone, but He speaks to me.   Jesus speaks to us all and that astounds me every day.   In very small subtle ways and sometimes in huge powerful ways He speaks.

We live in a time where we don’t hear prophecies   We hear Him.  My ears were closed to His voice for many years, but today I hear Him clearly.   Jesus’ voice is such a powerful gift and we did nothing to deserve it, but He gives it anyway just because He loves us.

Peace and love,

Priscilla

Father,

Thank you for speaking to me.  Thank you for your patience and love while waiting for me to open my ears to receive your love.  I am humbled by your grace and mercy Father.  Please fill me with your light so that I may help others hear your voice.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

02.17.15 Be Holy!

12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.Be Holy 13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a] 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

As I sat listening to Pastor Delton's sermon this past Sunday, he made a very bold and assertive statement. He said, "We so badly expect God to make a radical change, because he "CAN". I thought more and more about his statement, and I realize, how much ministry do I miss out on because I am waiting for God to change something. For me personally, I often pray about something in way that says God I expect this to happen because I know you can do it, or Lord change this because I think it is wrong. I leave out so much depth and closeness with God, because I am longing for change, rather than trying to aid in the change or growing closer to Jesus. I then find myself mad or upset when something is not radically changed, and it weakens my relationship with Christ. I leave out the realness of God, and the unexpected ways in which he works. I look to the last sentence of verse 12, even angels long to look into these things. We will never fully understand things that happen in our lives, why this person passed away, why we did not get the promotion we thought we deserved, why our kids do the things we do, or for me personally why things of my past happened the way they did. However, I urge us to look at it from an angle of maybe we are not supposed to understand. Maybe, we are in the place we are because God is truly better, and His will while sometimes is confusing, is far greater than anything we can ever imagine. Maybe, we did not get the promotion because God's plan for us is better, maybe things have happened in my past because God wanted me to learn and grow and be a beacon to those who have gone through similar life circumstances. Maybe, in the end God does what he does to draw us closer, not push us further away. Today I pray that as we struggle through the things we fail to understand, that instead of getting angry with God or pushing Him away, we draw closer to Him. We trust in the fact that he is our God, and His will is always far better than our own. That His will for us includes others, and our will often includes only us. I pray that we give up the fight of trying to understand Him, and instead we seek to have a better relationship with Him. And maybe, when we are ready he will reveal the WHY but if not it is only to protect us, and show us the LOVE he has for us.

Regards,

Jordan Norton

2.16.15 "Listen to Him"

The Scripture for today is Matthew 17: 1-9 (NIV) 17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

“Listen to Him!”  God directing the disciples to recognize that his Son, Jesus Christ, is standing before them – majestic, holy, exalted, worthy of their worship.  Jesus, transfigured, a glimpse of his glory dazzling them.  Jesus, HE WHO MUST BE HEARD!

I think of times when one of my little ones desired my attention and would grab my face with two tiny hands and turn me to face them – away from whatever distraction was taking my attention from them.  “Mommy – Listen!”  They knew that if I focused my eyes on them and looked into their face – they would be heard.  Their grasping hands also stopped me giving voice to other things, silencing me and allowing their voice to be heard.  “Mommy – Listen!”   I was listening, focusing, giving my full attention to my child and in doing so, acknowledging their worth and importance in the moment.  My child, who in the moment, MUST BE HEARD!

Earlier this evening, I spent several hours talking with my precious sister of the heart.  We poured out our concerns to each other – concerns for our children, beloved friends, extended family - our list was lengthy.  We shared tears, held hands, prayed and connected in a powerfully intimate way.  “Sister – Listen to Me!”  We heard the deepest prayers of each other’s hearts – we acknowledged each other’s worth and importance in those moments.  I am humbled by that trust and awed by the beauty of sharing such intimacy.  In those moments, praying together, we were two trusting women seeking their Savior; two women who MUST BE HEARD!  And he listened.  Our Savior, Jesus, accepted our grasping hands turning his face to ours and in those moments he listened to his daughters.  He acknowledged our worth and importance as he looked upon us with love - hearing our tearful prayers, soothing our anxious hearts and filling us with his Spirit. Beautiful Savior, present with US.

Jesus, my Jesus, listens to ME!  He is never too busy or distracted.  He pours his loving kindness and compassion into me.  He guides my steps along the path.  He provides for my every need.  BUT what of me?  Do I LISTEN to HIM?  When he speaks to me – do I turn from my distractions and acknowledge HIS worth and value?  Do I listen when HE longs to tell me about his children – the precious people that he will place in my path for me to love and serve?  Will I LISTEN for the sound of his voice in HIS WORD?  Will I teach others to LISTEN for his call to turn their hearts from this wicked world to HIS love, compassion, mercy and majesty?  Jesus, my Jesus, WHO MUST BE HEARD!

Father in Heaven, teach me to listen to Jesus just as you taught the disciples.  Close my mouth and open my ears that I might receive his wisdom, compassion, mercy, guidance and love.  Give me just a glimpse of his majesty so that I, too, can be awed and worship him.  Amen.

Kelly

"Not Alone!"

The scripture today is from 1 Peter 5!

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. ¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong,firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

It amazes me how biblical writers say so much with so few words!  I will then talk about their few words with my many words and probably leave us all a little more confused!  Hopefully not!

Peter shares powerful instruction for resisting the devil in his few words!  Be alert!  Be sober minded!  Know the enemy is real, evil and without a conscience! Take the battle seriously but do not, and I repeat "do not" despair!  Stand firm in the faith!

That is wonderful succinct counsel!  Then I notice a final comment about "resisting evil"! "... because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

Peter gives one more encouragement... "You are not alone!" When we are struggling, even in a battle with the evil one, the sense that we are alone in that struggle is one of our most vulnerable weaknesses!  And Satan knows it!  Notice when you feel a sense of being attacked by the evil one how often these attacks are accompanied with a sense of "aloneness"!  When feeling alone in our struggle we will lose perspective and think, "I am the only one that has it this tough!" I call this "victim mode"!  Or "No one cares and I have to do this without help!" - I call this "despair mode"!  Either way we are giving a lot of ground to the evil one!

Peter calls us the believe the real truth at this point!  I call this "Truth mode"!  Believing that other people are under similar struggles all over the world and we are not suffering solo will help keep us out of "victim mode" with the accompanying "feeling sorry" for ourselves!  Truth mode tells us we are not alone in our struggle!  Truth mode also helps keep us out of despair mode by focusing us on the God who is with us. To use Peter's words, "He may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you....¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong,firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.  

Amen! Amen! We are not alone!  He will restore us!  He will!  He will!

delton

"I'll Take Care of It!"

The scripture for today is from Exodus 4!"¹⁸ Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.” Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.” ¹⁹ Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.” ²⁰ So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. ²¹ The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. ²² Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, ²³ and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”

It appears from this text that God is serious about taking care of His family!  Referring to the nation of Israel as "My Son"  God is instructing Moses to use all the powers given him so Pharaoh will "Let my son go, so he may worship me."  

There was a time in high school when I was getting harassed a little bit by an upper class man.   It shook me up a bit. I was afraid.  Just a couple days later, riding around town in the back seat of my older brother's car with him and a couple of his friends, I let it slip that this guy had shoved me around a bit at a school dance.  I will never forget my brother, looking over his shoulder from the driver's seat with steel resolve, saying, "Don't worry "D" (my family nickname) I'll take care of it!"

Within days I received an apology from the bully!  He never bothered me again.  My understanding is that a certain conversation had taken place!  I was free from fear and walked a little taller!

It's really nice when your facing something bigger than you are to have a "rescuer" come along side and say, "I'll take care of it"!  God, using Moses, is heading to Egypt to "take care of it" for His son!  Israel is going to be rescued!  Pharaoh will be no match for the power of God!

Last Sunday, we talked about Jesus getting in line with sinners at His baptism - to so identify with us that He can be our substitute.  We see God working through His Son to rescue all of us, His sons and daughters!  Jesus, gets in line with us sinners!  Just picture Him today, in line with you, looking over His shoulder and into your eyes with steel resolve saying, "Don't worry_______ I'll take care if it"!

He did, He does and He will!

delton

2.11.15 Jesus has Authority over Satan!

Matthew 4: 5-11 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.  “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. 

For it is written:

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 

“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. 

In this passage, Jesus faces Satan for two more rounds of temptation.

First with tempting Jesus, to prove that he was the Son of God, by telling him to throw himself down from the top of the temple.

The devil knows that Jesus is ‘The Son of God’

He thinks he is so clever quoting the verses from Psalm 91.

Jesus counters with Deuteronomy 6:16.

It’s like a sword fight with God’s very words as the weapons.

Jesus’ enemy comes again on a very high mountain and promises to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, if he will bow down and worship him.

How arrogant that little devil is!  To tell Jesus, The Son of God to worship him!

This shows us how much stronger Jesus is than Satan.  Even when he felt physically weak from fasting, Jesus overcame the devil’s schemes and was victorious against him!

Jesus was led by the Spirit of God, into the desert, to the holy city, and then to the high mountain, to be tempted by the devil.

Through it all, Jesus knew who he was.  He was, ‘The Son of God and the son of God!’

God announced who Jesus was after his baptism, and told that he loved him and was well pleased with him!

Jesus had the backing of God, His Father in heaven as he faced the temptations and challenges of the fallen world that he was sent to.

What God is saying to me from this, is that through Jesus I have His support when I am tempted to listen to the enemy and not God!

The devil takes on many different forms,

He might not be tempting me to jump off a high building or to bow down and worship him directly.   With us his attacks are more subtle.  We are easily distracted, by all that is going on around us.

I know for me it is a daily struggle to stay focused on God and what he is directing me to do.

The Spirit of God was with Jesus during each temptation,  and he used God’s Word to counter each of Satan’s attacks.

Like Jesus, we have the Spirit of God to help us, and by His power we can tell the enemy to get lost!  Jesus used his authority over Satan to command him to leave.   By the power of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, we have that same authority!

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for coming and fighting the devil for us, and for showing us that with you we can standup to anything that he throws at us.  Help each of us to be bold and strong as we face daily temptations.  Knowing that you are right there with us, giving us strength and assurance we need each day.     Amen

Patrice

2.10.2015 "What is it that you want?"

Matthew 4:1-4 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a] by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”

I met Glen in band class, he was a sophomore I was senior.  Glen was pretty sharp, a nice guy, and a good student.  Occasionally I’d see him walking to school and pick him up in that old jalopy that most seniors like me had either inherited from the family car pool or acquired from endless evenings of sacking groceries or from spending long, hot summer days cutting a subdivision worth of lawns.  Like most guys Glen’s age all he talked about was getting a job so he could get a car.  He reminded me a lot of myself.  Every underclassmen dreamed of being an upperclassmen with a “ride”.   But there are dues to pay.

Imagine how shocked we all were when Glen pulled into the school parking lot one morning in a brand new sports car.  The car was stunning.  It had everything, leather interior, chrome mag wheels, and a premium sound system.  A bunch of us rode to lunch with Glen that day just drooling at every turn.  He explained how the car was a surprise birthday gift from his dad who had just come home from an overseas military deployment.  Wow.  Glen was the envy of everyone.

Several weeks later there was a second shock.  Glen was arrested for car theft.  As it turns out, Glen’s dad had not returned home after all.  He had stolen the car and somehow managed to elude police and conceal the theft from his mother for nearly two weeks.  I ran into him years later and we talked about what had really happened.  He had seen the car at the dealership and asked to test drive it.  Since he was only sixteen and couldn’t show proof of insurance that did not happen.  But he did notice where the keys were kept.  He returned to the dealership shortly before closing and managed to get the keys without anyone noticing.  I asked him why?  He said that once he’d seen the car he could not think of anything else no matter how hard he tried.  He said deep down he knew what he was going to do once he saw where the keys were kept.   He also said the joy and excitement he got from having that car for two weeks paled in comparison to the constant guilt, fear, and anxiousness he felt knowing…expecting to be caught at any moment.  Being arrested he said, was actually a relief.

What is it that you want?   Have you ever played the genie game?   What would your three wishes be?  At the very heart of every temptation is self-gain.   It is a weakness in us that was revealed and consummated in the Garden of Eden.   It is also the reason the SAVIOR of the world was in that desert mentioned in today’s passage.    The very essence of our LORD is the opposite of self-gain.   Nothing JESUS did was ever self-serving or exclusively for his own pleasure.  That was not the mission.  Imagine having the DEVINE power of the universe at your fingertips and choosing to channeling all of it, yes all of it, to the service and benefit of others.  What a comfort to know that even though we so often give in to that which tempts us, our failures are all gone because HE did not give in or fail in that desert or at Calvary.

Heavenly Father we give you thanks and praise this day for the gift given to us in a desert and on a hill so many years ago.  Inspire us today LORD to follow the lead of YOUR SON and give glory to YOU in our thoughts, words, and actions.   Focus our hearts on the mission of sharing with others the joyful news that no matter what we do in the face of temptation the right choice has already been made on our behalf.   In JESUS name we pray, Amen.

Jim L.

2.9.15 "John Baptizes Jesus"

As we read about “Jesus on Mission” this week, please find a quiet place to clear your thoughts.  As we read about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on this earth, ask for the Holy Spirit to rid your mind of busyness, doubt, fear, worry, etc…  Let God’s truth speak to your heart!

Matthew 3:13-17

The Message

^13-14 Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, “I’m the one who needs to be baptized, not you!”

¹⁵ But Jesus insisted. “Do it. God’s work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism.” So John did it.

^16-17 The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God’s Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”

As I read this familiar account of John baptizing Jesus, I first saw it through John’s eyes, as I have always interpreted it.  John’s mission was to prepare everyone for Jesus’ coming.  What an honor for Jesus to appear, as John had been telling everyone, and to ask for baptism!  John’s Lord and Savior, asking him to do the baptizing – John must have felt unqualified, because he objected.  Jesus responded by reminding John why He had come.  John was obedient to his Savior.  I’ve always thought how proud John must have felt to be the one to baptize Jesus!

What a little window into my attitudes about relationship with Jesus!  Pastor’s sermon this morning “tilted” the perspective to Jesus, instead of John.  Jesus was perfect and without sin – He didn’t need baptism.  Jesus wasn’t lifting up John, he was “standing in line” with all of us sinners!  My Jesus isn’t about pride, or accomplishments in this world.  He’s all about standing alongside of our challenges and struggles in this world.  He’s not about keeping score of the commandments that we keep or not, he’s about empathy and forgiveness.  Not that we shouldn’t be obedient to his law, but he wants to be in our company, and constantly reminds us that we are loved, cherished and forgiven!

Father God – thank you so much for Your Son, who so sweetly walks with us every day.  Please help me to put my ego aside each day, so that I can point others to You!  Amen.

kristi

Refrain from: He Is With Us: Artist: Love & The Outcome

We can trust our God He knows what He's doing Though it might hurt now We won't be ruined It might seem there's an ocean in between But He's holding on to you and me And He's never gonna leave, no He is with us, He is with us Always, always He is with us, He is with us Always

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Psalm 32:1-7

¹ Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. ² Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

³ When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. ⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

⁶ Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. ⁷ You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

2.6.15 "SHOW ME THE MONEY-COME & SEE"

John 1:43-51New International Version (NIV) Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

⁴⁴ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

⁵⁰ Jesus said, “You believe^[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” ⁵¹ He then added, “Very truly I tell you,^[b]you^[c] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’^[d] the Son of Man.”

The first thing that jumps out at me in this passage is “Finding Phillip”.  I think that is important in this scripture, as well as our lives. Phillip did not find Jesus.  Jesus found Phillip.  I didn’t find Jesus, He found me!  I did not decide to “follow Jesus”.  No, He found me and told me to follow Him.

Ok, so if I am found and I am supposed to follow Jesus, How do I do that?  I’m not trained!  I know the Bible, but I can’t recite verses & tell people where it says that in the Bible.  Surely, there are more knowledgeable people than me to follow Jesus!  How do I go about that?

But that’s the point of this passage.  All I have to do is what Phillip did-“ he found Nathaniel and told him.”  That is all that Jesus calls me to do-tell others.  I don’t need to be any great theologian.  I just need to be passionate and committed and God will do the rest.

Did Phillip start referencing scripture, or providing proof when Nathaniel said “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”   No, he just said “Come and see.”  I think what it is saying is I don’t need to justify or prove anything.  All I need to do is bring someone to church or Christ and let Him do the work.  I don’t need to get into a big theological debate, I just need to be passionate and say-don’t take my word for it, come and see for yourself.  Then I need to get out of the way and let God do the rest.

The best way to find and know Jesus is through personal experience.  They need to experience it for themselves to truly believe.  People are like Cuba Gooding, Jr. telling Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire-“Show me the money!”

I can tell people about my personal experience with following Christ.  That will open the door.  But, they won’t really believe that it is possible for them until they experience God’s love and forgiveness first hand.  So, my job is to tell others and implore them to go and see for themselves and then sit back and watch God take over their life. I can try to help them see more clearly, but God will make them see.

So what does it mean for me to be a disciple?  It means I am found by God.  It means that I should tell others about God.  It means that I shouldn’t lose confidence when my message isn’t well received.  It means that I just need to tell people to see for themselves and then watch God do His thing.  And finally it means receiving God’s grace and blessings.

I don’t need no formal training!

God, thank you for coming into my life.  Thank you for showing me that to be a follower of Christ, all I need to do is tell others.  Thank you for allowing me to be your light witnessing to all that I encounter each day.  Thank you for showing me that I am your vessel to bring others to you so that they will see Your Good Works in me and allow YOU into their lives.

Amen

Jerry

02.05.2015 The Joy of "Joining Up"

Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you for this day, and what it will bring.  May we approach it with a penitent and joyful heart…and live it to the full, afforded to us by the sacrificial life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen

Luke 19:1-10 (NKJV)

19 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ² Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” ⁶ So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. ⁷ But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”

⁸ Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”

⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

I know I’ve read or heard this story I don’t know how many times, but this time was…thankfully…a little different.  Seeing Zacchaeus’ reaction to the approaching Messiah..and his subsequent encounter…was quite intriguing to me.  We don’t know how much Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus up to this point, but it is obvious that something was drawing him to this “crowd drawing” Rabbi.  Was it just pure curiosity?...was he just caught up in the excitement of the crowd?  Then,..I would guess to Zacchaeus’ surprise…Jesus calls him out by name and says…hey, I’m going to come spend time with you…in your house…and it didn’t matter what or who Zacchaeus was or even what others thought…Jesus had spoken…the Kingdom was near.  Now comes that part that Luke recorded about this event that really got my attention…” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.”

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

As the story continues, Zacchaeus describes to Jesus his penitence for his sin in such a vivid and excited way…

“Look, Lord,…”, and with that, Jesus announces his blessing to Zacchaeus…one of the lost sheep of Israel

…and to his household…all the while, demonstrating to those present…and to us all through the Word, that He, Jesus, the Son of Man…is truly human…is truly God.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:14-15

What a wonderful picture of “Joining Up”!

Jesus, thank you for your love and grace.  I so want my heart…my whole being…to be focused on your ways and not mine.  Please forgive me of my sins…and when I come to Join Up with you, may I do it with joy like Zacchaeus had…and may that joy be multiplied over and over again, with those that you have so blessed me to connect with.  This I pray in the mighty and precious name of Jesus.

Amen

jwb

2.4.15 "What Do I Still Lack?"

Please pray:  

Dear God in heaven,

I adore you and give you all my praise and worship.  I confess that I sin daily and that I am by nature sinful and unclean, deserving of eternal separation from you.  Thank you for the gift of another day, the gift of eternity spent with you, the sacrifice of your Son on the cross of Calvary, and for so much more.  Please hear my prayer and allow me to consider what you have to say to me this day.

I pray this all in the powerful name of Jesus.  Amen!

Listen to the word of the Lord:

Matthew 19:16-22

¹⁶ Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

¹⁷ “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, ¹⁹ honor your father and mother,’^[a] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

²⁰ “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

What is Jesus saying to me through this scripture today?

It seems easy for me to distance myself from the encounter this wealthy man had with Jesus.  I don’t consider myself a wealthy man, yet I know deep in my heart that just being a middle-class American puts me in the top 1% when it comes to the world’s wealth.  And I know there are a number of possessions that it would be hard for me to give up if I were put in a similar situation.  I have to face up to the fact that my unwillingness is a form of idolatry.  The 1^st commandment states, “Thou shalt have no other god before me.”

If you find yourself in the same struggle, perhaps we need a change of perspective.  May our focus be on “treasure in heaven” rather than the things of this world.

God grant it for Jesus’ sake!

Mark

2.3.15 "3 Questions"

Today, let's try something a bit different.  Let's all take some time to read and meditate on today's Scripture, then as Pastor says "chew" as we talk it over with God.  As we read the passages, how do they relate to the three questions for 2015?  How will you apply this teaching to "Living the Mandate"?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today! Today’s Scripture is:    Matthew 9:9-13

⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹² On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The 3 Questions for 2015!

1) What is Jesus leading me "asking me" to do?

2) What am I doing about it?

3) What do I need to believe about Jesus to do what He is asking me to do?