From Revival to Anticipating the Birth of Christ

This week we have been in revival. Again, revival is a time where we change our schedules and come together as a church to have exponential growth occur in our church, our families, and our individual lives. Rev. Jeremiah Bolich has done a wonderful job in bringing God’s Word to the church. I want to encourage everyone to attend the last service tonight at 7 p.m. You will be glad you made the effort.

On Sunday, we will begin our series entitled, “anticipate.” It is going to be a great Advent Experience for the whole family. If you haven’t done so, come tonight and pick up your devotional guide in the foyer and be ready to begin on Saturday night. I am really looking forward to spending some time with my family focusing on this Advent season. I want to create a schedule that will bring our family’s spiritual life to a higher level. My desire as a father is to teach my children the priority we are to place God in our lives. What better way than to model it during this Advent season of preparation. Join us in this great adventure.

Today I want to bring our attention to 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12…

            ¹Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ² For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³ It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵ not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; ⁶ and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. ⁷ For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ⁸Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you His Holy Spirit.

⁹ Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. ¹⁰ And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.

¹¹ Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Live out the Inspired Word’s of God today! See you tonight!

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike

Attributes of God #8 - Wrathful and Truthful

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

We continue on our journey as we look at the attributes of God. The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to be conformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. We may not be able to emulate Jesus by being omnipresent, omniscient, or omnipotent, but we can allow God to pour His moral attributes into our lives in order to spill out throughout the day. Last week, the focus was on how God is wise and good. Let’s look at a few more of God’s moral attributes.

God is Wrathful

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,”    Romans 1:18

God judges sin in our lives and cannot do otherwise because He is a holy, wrathful God. This seems to have a negative connotation but He is bound by his nature to punish unrighteousness. I would not want it any other way. I choose to focus on the full wrath for my sin was poured out on His one and only Son at Calvary. His wrath is a justified anger against that which would harm me. Praise the Lord for His all encompassing grace and mercy He gives us.

God is Truthful

“… in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.”   Titus 1:2

We know that God will never tell us a lie. We can be assured of that throughout His word. Another fact we can know is that Satan is the total opposite. Satan is the father of lies and can twist the truth to make it look good but in the end leads to death. God is truthful through and through. That is so comforting to know we can totally trust God in what His word tells us.

Spend some time today thanking the Lord for His ways. Let them be real this week as He reminds us of His love and forgiveness. Walk in them day and night. Be generous with these attributes and let God lead you as you live them out.

I have been spending a lot of time with the Aukerman family as they have been caring for Ashley. There is a deep settled peace among them. There is a big difference when we have put God in the middle of our lives. Only He can come and bring a peace for He is the creator of all things. Please continue to pray for the Aukerman family and we will update you as we hear more.

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Mike

Why Did Our Presidential Election...?

In the aftermath of the election, there are many who just feel numb. I am one of those people. I will have to admit that it was hard to get up and around today. There just seems to be a cloud floating over me today. But let me remind you that God is still God. We prayed for His will to be done and now we have to trust God even more. Read these verses below and be encouraged that the everlasting God will supply all of our needs.

“Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.”   -- David’s Prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:24

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”    -- Job 42:2

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”   -- Psalm 20:7

“The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”     --  Psalm 103:19

If Job’s faith can increase and he can find strength when there is nothing to hold on to after all he lost; if David can pray the prayers that he prayed after all that he went through; then I know that I can walk in faith and be more encouraged today than I was yesterday. After all, I gave the Lord this election and told Him that I would trust Him no matter what the results. Let’s keep praying and stop complaining. We can deal with things as they come and let God be Lord of all.

God has never been too late. His timing is always perfect. I just have to relearn that for the umpteenth time. Look up today and hear what God is doing all around the world.

Joy in Jesus!

Pastor Mike