April 26th, 2023

“because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”
‭‭I Peter‬ ‭1:24-25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Life is a gift. Life is fragile. As I laid down with my little one last night, I heard his heart beat in my ear and I could feel his breath as my head laid on his chest. I began to think about just how fragile this life is. That heart beat could stop at any minute. That last breath can come an any second. I began to thank God for this life He has given me and my family. We take things like the heartbeat and the next breath for granted too often. Today, be thankful for life. But more so, be thankful for Christ. Be thankful for the Hope in salvation through faith that we have as an opportunity to not fear death. To know that someday we will be with Him. Right now, all we see is the struggle. We don't see the crown. We see the pain and hurt but we can't see the joy that's coming. I encourage you today to cling to the Word. Cling to your faith. This life is but a drop in the ocean of eternity!

April 18th, 2023

Inspired Scripture: Romans 7:7-13

Ever made a mistake (sinned) that was revealed to you as a sin by reading God's Word? Praise God for that mistake! Praise God for His law that revealed the sin to you! Without the Word and laws or God, sin would not be made known. Have you ever made a mistake at your job or anywhere else that you were not aware of and it costs you? Same concept. God's laws are written and established so that we are not unknowingly sinning against Him and being condemned to Hell. Rather, God's Word gives us the opportunity to know our mistakes so that we may repent, ask for forgiveness, and be in good standing with our God! So those mistakes you made are mistakes because His Word revealed it to you! Praise Him for revealing it and worship Him for forgiving it! Live unto Christ! Love you all! 

April 7th, 2023

Good Friday is here. It is good for us but realize what had to take place on this day. Jesus was betrayed by Judas last night but was brought to Pilate and Herod for questioning. No guilt was found in Him by either one of them but the crowd still chose a murderer, Barabas, to be released and shouted for Pilate to have Jesus crucified. Jesus was scourged by way of the Romans until He was unrecognizable. This all took place leading up to Him carrying His cross and being nailed to it during the 3rd hour which would be 9:00 am because the days then started at sunrise which was about 6:00 am. As we sit at home or wherever we are, take some time to pray and thank Christ Jesus for what He did in our place. I pray to see you all tonight as we walk through this day together in the Word. Love you all.

April 3rd, 2023

“He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.”

Psalms 103:10-13 NKJV

We serve a good God. A God that could have destroyed us all because of our sin against Him, but chose mercy and grace by giving us His Son Jesus as a replacement and payment for our sins! He did not deal with us accordingly. That is mind blowing. How many times do we withhold forgiveness from others? How often do we shut down towards them? God could have turned His back on us for eternity, but instead offered a means of salvation for us so that we could still be with Him! He is so good!

March 27th, 2023

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John‬ ‭3:17‬ ‭

When the early people fell away from God, He sent forth a flood to wipe out all of those who were unfaithful to Him except for Noah and his family. When the later Israelites continued to worship false gods and go against His will, He sent them into captivity where they were ruled over by foreigners. After the people began to fall away again, God sent Jesus. Not to kill, punish, or enslave us but to offer us redemption through His undeserved favor called grace. He sent His only Son to die for and save us from our sinful nature because we could never do it ourselves. He didn't send His Son to condemn us but to offer us life! To all those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and repent from their sinful nature and turn and live as living sacrifices unto Him! What a great God that deserves our worship! But even though Christ came, died, and rose again; there are still those who deny His Name! Christ will return for His church but then the final judgment will come. Have you been obedient to the Spirits call? Have you committed your every being to Christ? 

March 20th, 2023

 “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:10-11 NKJV

Is your salvation certain? Have you completely surrendered to Christ? Do you truly understand the weight and condition of your sin? Do you truly understand what Christ did on the cross? It's not a question if God loves you because that's a given. Of course He loves you. The question is do you love the Savior? Do you have a relationship with Him? Does He know you? The times are growing nearer and nearer! Are you sure?

March 17th, 2023

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Joshua 24:15 KJV

There is always an alternative. There is always a choice to worship, serve, or obey the Word of God. Each and every single day. The choices that you make today impact your eternity. This is our one shot. Each and every Sunday, we have a choice to make. We can gather together with the brethren as we are called to do, or we can find an alternative. The alternative is always more pleasing to your flesh because is satisfies what your human nature desires. Choosing to worship opens the door for you to hear and experience the Word of God that can change your human heart and desires. My prayer today is that Christians around the world will choose worshipping the Lord over the world. To live to please the Father and not ourselves. It's going to be a wet and cold weekend. What are your plans? I'm sure some alternatives are already coming to your mind. What will you and your family do?

March 16th, 2023

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This is just a reminder that the problems that we're facing here or more than meets the eye. We face an enemy that we can't see, but he's not afraid to rear, his ugly head into your life circumstances. It hurts my heart to see so many dealing with their worldly circumstances and problems with worldly solutions. The bottle will not solve your problems. The drugs will not satisfy your problems. A vacation will not solve your problems. When you come down from that high or return home from the trip, the problems that you're facing are still there. Turning to worldly solutions will only cause destruction not only to you, but to those that you love as well. God's people need to realize that we are called to lay our burdens at the feet of Christ. To seek him in prayer. To seek wisdom from the godly people in your life. I pray today that if you're going through problems that you were not turning to worldly options to fix it. It's put you and those that you love in more danger. 

March 13th, 2023

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭3:12-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It is pivitol that we, as brothers and sisters in Christ, exhort and build up one another. We must constantly remind each other of our gift of salvation that comes through faith in Christ Jesus. This great gift is not to be neglected! We must not sit back and watch a brother or a sister stray or backslide from the truth without concern. We are called to exhort and encourage one another lest we fall away. Take very opportunity to grow together by the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Remind each other of how great and precious the gift of salvation is that comes through Christ Jesus! This is why we gather. This is why we are to be part of a body! May we make every effort to exhort and edify each other towards Christ! Love you my brothers and sisters! 

March 10th, 2023

Come home child……

Listen child. You came to know Him at a young age. You experienced the love He showed you. You  always had what you needed when you were with Him. You may not have had everything that the world has to offer but you never found yourself in need. You once trusted Him to take care of you and protect you. You didn’t worry about what others said about you because He always reminded you that your identity was in Him. You had an unexplainable joy and peace about you that others didn’t quite understand. You used to accept His discipline and turn away from the things that He revealed to you that were false or against His will. 

But something happened. You allowed the enemy to sway you from what you once believed and lived. You allowed the tempter to offer you things that gave you temporary pleasure and fame among the others of this world. You allowed the father of lies to twist the truth to make His ways seem less important and made you believe that living for your own pleasure was okay rather than a life of worship and obedience. You’ve allowed the wicked one to make you question your identity and bring doubt to what once was confidence in who Christ said you were. You allowed Satan to tell you that you’re too far gone and there is nothing you can do to change it. He has made you believe that you are a lost cause that God will never take back. So you avoid church, reading the Word, and prayer. 

Come home child. You Heavenly father waits on the porch looking down the long road to see His child return. His love is true. His mercy and grace are genuine. But the only way to Him is your Faith in Christ and belief that His blood was enough. His death in the cross was the ransom for the sin that you have chosen to wallow in. If you confess your sins, He is faithful to forgive. Turn from the prodigal living (repent) and abide in Him! 

Come home child….

March 9th, 2023

““But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.” 

Matthew‬ ‭21:28-32‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Those who profess self righteousness are like the Pharisees who put on the image of a Christian by the following of laws, rituals, and playing the part but had no repentance in their hearts of sin. The tax collectors and harlots may not have fit the image, but when their sin was revealed to them, repentance came and they did the work of the Father.

March 6th, 2023

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” Romans‬ ‭13:11‬

‭

There is a stirring in me. A heaviness. A burden on my heart. I can not shake it. I can not just sit and pretend that everything is okay! So I pray for all those who have gone astray. For those who have drifted. I pray for those who have stayed on the path for continued faithfulness to Christ. I pray that the Holy Spirit draw us all to repentance by the revelation of Jesus Christ. That we all come to the full realization of our need for Him! There is a day coming when the wheat will be separated from the tares, when the good fish separated from the bad fish, when the sheep are separated from the goats, when some who cry out "Lord, Lord" will be turned away, when those whose lamps are not full of oil will be closed out, when those who are not wearing the proper wedding garments will be cast out and placed in hell where this is eternal punishment and weeping and gnashing of teeth. This day will come like a thief in the night. We must pray and be watchful. We must not be apathetic in our faith or spiritual condition. Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand! 

March 3rd, 2023

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Just to share from the heart. I've been evaluating myself and honestly criticizing myself as the pastor of our church. From the outside, it's easy to say I am pleasing my Heavenly Father because we have our crowd there and financially we are stable. This is the easy and less critical way to look at it. From the inside view, I am pretty hard on myself. My desire is to see all men come to salvation and bear the fruits of Christ. This is something that I have realized that is completely out of my control but solely dependent upon the Lord. My calling is to preach the gospel of Jesus. To be used as His instrument to speak the life giving message of Christ that is the power unto salvation. Beyond that, the rest is left to the Spirit and the individuals hearts on which the word falls. My prayer today, is that others will come to know Christ. Not just confess Christ and continue as they were before. But confess Christ and bear the fruits of Christ. Bear fruits of joy, peace, humility, faithfulness (commitment), and love. I pray that I, myself, can crucify the flesh and abide in Christ. I pray the same for our church body as well. May the Holy Spirit have His way with our hearts. 

March 1st, 2023

“Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”” 

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Up to this point in Hebrews, the Word speaks of how great the Name of Jesus is. The author speaks about how Jesus is over all angels and how God offered the keys and inheritance of the kingdom to Jesus! He even speaks of how Jesus made Himself lower than the angels by coming down to earth in the flesh to wear and pay for our sin. The author then speaks of eternal rest that comes through Jesus. In these verses, we are reminded that only those who enter this rest will be those who believe and are obedient to the Word of God. Those that had hardened hearts were disobedient and will not enter in. The last verse should be our prayer for ourselves and others daily. That the Word of God be received by hearts of flesh and not rejected by hearts of stone. May we hear His voice and not have hardened hearts. For those that have read this far.......please pray. Pray that those who have been rejecting the truth or treating it casually will be receptive and obedient. My heart is heavy and concerned. Too many are not treating Gods Word as Life! I guess it's the pastor in me, but my prayer is that our church family hear the call! 

February 28th, 2023

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” 

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I find my self being fully aware of my imperfections. Scriptures like the one above as well as Psalm 119:11 that asks God to hide His word in our heart so that we may not sin, and Galatians 5:16 that tells us to walk in the Spirit so that we do not satisfy the lust of the flesh. These scriptures are constantly being repeated in my head. We must admit that we make mistakes. We take part in gossip or slander, we choose anger over peace and a sound mind, we choose disobedience over obedience often. The point is that if I do not first confess my sin, I am not forgiven of it. Secondly, if I don't keep the word of God on my mind, I will fall into the traps of the world. May we all be a people that seeks, lives by, and gives heavenly wisdom. Sometimes our own opinions are not needed but simply need to be held in. This is coming from my own experiences and I want to encourage you to keep the word of God near to you today. Recite it as you sit, as you walk, as you travel. Keep His Word on your mind! 

February 24th, 2023

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3 NKJV

There are three enemies that we are faced with in this life. The world, our flesh, and the devil. The world impacts us by influences, trends, social media, and even other people in the world. It's in the commercials and tv shows that we watch. It's everywhere. The flesh is our innate desires that come with these mortal bodies. Even through those who have Christ have been renewed or transformed in the heart and mind, we still have to battle the flesh constantly. It does not go away! The final is the devil himself and his demonic realm. They are real! Acknowledging that there is a demonic realm is half the battle. The rest is acknowledging that the devil isn't the cause of all of our problems but that we are responsible as well in our choices and decisions we make. We must find the balance to realize that this enemy is real and that he is always watching and waiting. This is why the Word tells us to be watchful! Be aware of the three enemies and realize that we are surrounded on every side. We can not win this fight. Only Christ can! Grab hold of your shield of faith and walk in the Spirit! Lastly, think about the time you spend with the world and consider this....How much time are you combatting the influence of the world on you with time with God in His Word! One day of church is not enough! Spend time with God!

February 22nd, 2023

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” I John 3:1 NKJV

Do you consider yourself a child of God? If you do, do you fully understand what it took for you to be able to say that? What manner of love the Father showed us that we may be children of God! He sent His only Son to this sin infested world to break the chains of sin that had encapsulated all of creation. He allowed His Son to be ridiculed, beaten, scourged, and nailed to a tree. He took the wrath of God upon His own shoulders so that our debt could be paid. He traded us. He received the punishment of our sin and He gave us His righteousness in exchange. It's like taking in an angry, disobedient, teenager and fighting through court systems and going bankrupt to adopt them. He gave everything to those that would give Him nothing. What manner of love the Father bestowed on us! Do you fully believe in the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ? Do you fully understand what it means for me and you? If you do, worship Him! Walk with Him!

February 21st, 2023

“‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’”

Acts 2:17-21 NKJV

Revivals are breaking out across the country. This wasn't a scheduled or planned revival that these churches set up with a guest speaker or a set aside week of the year. This was an outbreak of God touching the hearts of many and those same individuals surrendering to the call. The Word of God was preached. Jesus' crucifixion , resurrection, and our repentance was preached. Don't you get it? Revival comes when hearts seek and surrender to God! It's not about the perfect hymn or the perfect song. It's not about the perfect pastor, but only on the perfect Word and will of God! I pray that God can set a fire in our part of the body. I pray that we can get past the religion and routines and just surrender to the Spirit! May we be restored to the joy of our salvations. May be experience the power and love of the Holy Spirit.

February 19th, 2023

“casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭5:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

For those who are struggling and dealing with life issues. I encourage you to take them to the Lord in prayer. The world today has taught us to seek pleasure from the world when challenges arise, but the Word of God teaches to take your burdens to the Lord. Don't seek comfort from things of the world because you will receive worldly fixes and temporary satisfaction. Seek comfort from the Father in heaven. The best thing one can do when struggling is to bow to God is worship and prayer. Go to church and allow other believers to pray for you and with you. May you learn to lean on God. The world will never bring the healing that God can! 

February 15th, 2023

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”

Psalms‬ ‭20:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Whom do you trust? After being in the ministry for over 10 years now, I have seen or heard many give up on God or simply deny Him because they have been hurt by or walked out on by people of the world. This makes them question trusting anyone. I have also experienced times of pouring into others only to have them walk away without any known reason or explanation. Many of us can relate to these issues but I want to encourage you to understand that God is true. He is faithful. He is trustworthy. He is the one who will always stand and be with those who call on His name! He will never walk out on you! If you have not been able to trust, you can absolutely trust in Christ! He is worthy to be worshipped! 

February 7th, 2023

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This verse is powerful. We can acknowledge that Jesus is unchanging but for multiple reasons. First, we can recognize that He is the same God who preached repentance of sin and that salvation comes through faith in Him. Jesus that said that good works will never earn us salvation, but that He has won the victory over sin and death. All we must do is place our faith in Him. Secondly, we can be thankful that this is the same Jesus that found us in the middle of our mess of this life and pulled us out of the mud and placed us on the solid rock! This can be a reminder that if you are going through a trial and tribulation right now, the same God that rescued you is the same God that is still present today! The same God that accepted you with open arms when you came to Him as a rebellious sinner is still standing with His arms wide open, even if you have strayed from the path a little. What a good God we serve! What a mighty God we serve! What a powerful God we serve! What a loving and just God we serve!

February 3nd, 2023

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Your relationship with Christ should be built in prayer. Communication in any relationship is key, and to communicate with God the Father through the Son Jesus is crucial! No matter the circumstances in life, we should bring it to the throne of God. If you are worried, angry, or anxious; bring it to Him. His word says that you will gain peace that surpasses all understanding. Even in the midst of the storm, God can grant you His peace. You won’t be able to explain it to anyone, but you will have it. Be encouraged to bring it all to the throne of God and find this peace that surpasses all understanding.

February 2nd, 2023

“He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.”

Psalms 147:3 NKJV

Oh the love of the Father! I pray that you find yourself doing well today. But I want you to be mindful to be praying for those who are brokenhearted. Those who are dealing with loss or sickness. I want you to be mindful of those that don't have this hope that we have as an anchor for the soul who is Jesus Christ. Pray for the broken this morning. Ask the healer to mend their broken hearts. If this is you today, know that you are in the potters hands and he can piece your brokenness back together.