Pastor Eric Scott

Location, location, location - Really?

2012-02-10T05:54:00.001-08:00

In real estate you often hear about "location, location, location" being the top three priorities in buying a property. Unfortunately, we tend to extend this philosophy to other areas of our lives. Yet, when we think along these lines, we think circumstances, circumstances, circumstances. Even more unfortunately, when we think this way we move into some really lazy and blame-shifting thinking. Why? Because when we say circumstances determine our outcomes we fail to take responsibility and say, "It's just my fate". I believe the Father in heaven grieves over His sons and daughters when we think this way. The truth of the matter is that we owe this world, as Bill Johnson puts it, "an encounter with God". In his book, "Heaven Invades Earth" Bill states, "Getting us to heaven is not near as great a challenge as it is to get heaven into us." You see, our world around us needs to know it's not about circumstances, circumstances, circumstances - it's about us allowing heaven to come to earth in us.

So, what do we need to choose that will in turn impact the exterior world around us? Well, let me give you three new words - PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVE! I think I can best explain this by giving you a personal example. Two nights ago we received the wonderful news that our daughter, Courtney, was in labor with our second grandson. All through the night text messages went back and forth until at 3:40 a.m. our time (they live in Oregon) we received the picture of little Bowen with his very happy Mom and Dad. Now, I can have a number of perspectives about the birth of Bowen. The one I choose to have is to be so grateful for this little guy who was born healthy and strong into a very loving family that will lead Bowen into a relationship with Jesus Christ. And one day Bowen will lead others to Christ and God's Kingdom will be expanded and increased because of Bowen's birth. Now, I could have taken another perspective. For example, I could have chosen to have the perspective of how terrible it is that Bowen will have to face such a horrible world. A world where his government says it's ok to kill children prior to their birth. A world where moral filth is portrayed as normal American living in TV sitcoms. The fact is that this perspective is based on truth. The world really is in a sad place right now. However, those circumstances do not determine Bowen's future, or my perspective. My perspective is my responsibility. "How can you say that?", you might be thinking. Let me tell you how.

Romans 12:1-2, states clearly, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." Can you see the importance of taking responsibility for your perspective in this passage? I don't think this can be overstated. You see, the fact is that you and I will have difficult days ahead. Loved ones will die, accidents will happen and unjust events will occur - even by those who proclaim to be Christians, but these circumstances do not need to determine your perspective. God's desire is for you to take on His perspective. What you will find as you do this is that your interior world will dramatically affect your exterior world. You see the Kingdom of God really is a matter of your heart's position. So, let's hear it for PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVE, PERSPECTIVE and choose our perspective wisely in the fear of God today!

By the way, my wife and I just returned from China. It was an amazing trip and a privilege to minister to some of the most wonderful young missionaries we have ever met. We were cold on the outside (they do not have interior heat in that part of China), but we were very warm on the inside. Again, it's about perspective, right?:)

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Building In Calcutta - Building in You!

2012-01-20T05:41:00.000-08:00

If you're just catching up with my blog today, this title will need some explaining. Mother Theresa once asked a woman desiring to minister with her, "Where is your Calcutta?" This question sent this woman on her own journey with God to find the place God was calling her to and resourcing her for. However, knowing where your "Calcutta" is and actually doing something about it are two different things. This week I want to write to you about building in your Calcutta and it building something in you.

Building requires action. Unfortunately, many of us adopt a hyper-predestined mentality that births an attitude that thinks, "If God wants it done, He'll get it done." I can tell you that mentality does not impress God and it does not save lives or restore dignity to broken people. Yes, building requires action. In the Book of Nehemiah we find Nehemiah appalled when he hears of the conditions in Jerusalem (broken walls and broken people). In his recognition of this and then ownership of it (he took personal responsibility for Jerusalem), he then took action. From his privileged position as a Cupbearer, won through faithfulness and integrity, he makes a bold but calculated move (there were four months between his hearing about Jerusalem and his coming before the king to ask his favor). He approaches the king with sadness. Because the king had never seen him sad before, he asked him about this. Nehemiah then lays out the situation. While he is doing this, Nehemiah is talking to God, and God is talking to the king. How do we know this? Because the king does something completely unexpected. He not only frees Nehemiah to go to his homeland and repair it, but he gives him an armed escort, papers stating this is the king's business and also all the lumber he needs to get the job done. Wow! Do you see how God meets Nehemiah's bold action with extravagant provision? It's really amazing.

I've been reading a great book lately called, "Sun Stand Still" by Steven Furtick. Listen to what he says,

"It's one thing to acknowledge that God is great. Most major world religions recognize that much about their respective deities. What sets the Christian faith apart is an unrelenting hope in the fact that God is good. That fact was settled once and for all on the cross. And it's really good news. After all, what good is infinite power if you have no access to it? Yes, God does whatever he desires. Thankfully, what he desires is to make his power and resources available to you. Then he wants them to seep from every pore of your life."

Do you see that last part? He desires to make His power and resources available to you! And for us to build in our Calcuttas, we absolutely need His power and resources.

I want to close this mini-series with this closing thought - When you and I recognize our Calcutta, own it and then take action to access God's power and resources, a certain discipline comes into our lives to maintain what God is doing. Why a certain discipline? Because it takes discipline to actually occupy your Calcutta day in and day out. I believe that when you walk down this R.O.A.D. (yes this was a build up to an acronym:) you will not want to go back to mediocre living. You will want this as a lifestyle of walking in cooperation with God's work on the earth (John 5:19).

Well, I hope I've provoked you to discover your Calcutta, own it, take action toward it and discipline it in your life. And just so you know I do my best not to just "spout words", but to live them myself, my wife and I have been living on this R.O.A.D. for years, but especially lately as we've prepared to go to China. Yes, this time next week we'll be in China. I can't believe it myself, but we'll be there for twelve days connecting with the Campus Target missionaries and taking them through a seminar called the R.O.A.D. How about that? You got the preview! Please do pray for us as we go into this nation, and also that my wife would have the support she needs to serve Campus Target not just for these twelve days, but for the next seven months. She has been commissioned to work on a special project here in Lima, NY for Campus Target until August. Thank you for your prayers and I'll be blogging again come February 10th!

Have a great week,

Pastor Eric

Owning Your Calcutta

2012-01-13T05:32:00.000-08:00

Last week I asked you, "Where's your Calcutta" in reference to the question Mother Theresa asked a new volunteer who was trying to find where she could serve God best. This week I want to talk to you about owning your Calcutta. In other words, taking on that place God is directing you to as your own, and its people as your people.

Let me give you a personal example. For years we were in youth ministry. One of the places we served was in Northwest Kansas in a Norman Rockwell type of a town called Oberlin (4 hours east of Denver). A leader in that community contacted me while I was in Bible school and asked my family to consider coming and setting up a community-wide youth ministry. It was a daunting invitation, but we came to realize this would be our "Calcutta" for how ever long God would have us there. After moving the six of us out there, I would go to the high school track each morning and run. For each lap I had a prayer that I put up to God for my family and then the community there. As I prayed for the community I looked at the stands that overlooked the track and football field and I declared, "These are the people you have called me to God. They are my brothers and my sisters and I long for all of them to know You and be released from all the enemy's plans against them. In time they adopted us as family into their community and we adopted them as our family. Best of all, we saw God move in our lives and in their lives in some very special ways.

When I look at the Book of Nehemiah (chapter 1 particularly) I see Nehemiah taking ownership and personal responsibility for Jerusalem. We see this most clearly in his prayer (Nehemiah 1:5-11). In his prayer we see these characteristics:

1. He starts with worship - Nehemiah understood perspective is everything! He understood that first things first meant he would start his journey to Jerusalem by worshiping the God he had loved and served his whole life.
2. He cries out for God's ear - In this way Nehemiah revealed the depth of his intentions to God. He knew he needed God's help and he was also letting God know that he was fully invested in this venture.
3. He confesses the sins of his people and his own sin - Listen to his words, "I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against You." Do you see how Nehemiah takes personal ownership for the sins of his people and himself, acknowledging this is why Jerusalem was in such a mess? It is so important for us as Christians not to stand aloof and distant from the problems around us, but to engage, take ownership, repent and then move forward with our active involvement.
4. He reminds God of His judgment again Israel - Nehemiah brought back to God's attention what He said He would do if the people turned against Him and His commandments, specifically that He would scatter the peoples. In fact, this is exactly what happened as the people were overtaken in war, captured and exiled throughout Babylon.
5. He reminds God of His promise - Nehemiah repeats the promise God gave that if His people would return to Him and turn away from their sins, He would gather them again into His holy city, Jerusalem (which is a foreshadowing of what He will do when He gathers His people to Himself when He comes again). Hallelujah!
6. He then closes by asking for the help he would need - Nehemiah is not only a classic leader, but he is also very practical. He ends his prayer by basically saying, "Lord, here we go. I must ask favor of this king you have directed me to serve. However, if you are not with me and your favor is not upon me, I'm toast. Help!"

In this prayer Nehemiah is laying out a great model of prayer for us. So, may I ask you again, "Where's your Calcutta?" And, if you understand where it is God would have you serve Him (in your office, your kitchen, your truck, a ministry somewhere, etc.), have you taken personal ownership of it. Are you all in? If so, I would encourage you to craft a prayer using Nehemiah's model above.

Next week I want to talk to you about taking action concerning the place God has appointed for you. In the meantime, may He richly bless and encourage you. There is nothing too big for Him for all things are possible with Him!

See you next week,

Pastor Eric

P.S. I'm looking outside my office window right now and seeing our first real snow fall of the year in Western New York. Time to pull the cross-country skate skis out!

"What's Your Calcutta?"

2012-01-06T05:57:00.001-08:00

"What's your Calcutta?" This is the question Mother Theresa posed to a person who came to her and expressed their desire to emulate her and serve alongside her in India. Rather than capitalize on the emotion of the moment and recruit another volunteer into her work in Calcutta, Mother Theresa asked this person to probe their heart further by asking this question, "What's your Calcutta?"

I would like to ask the same question of you today. In the Book of Nehemiah we see Nehemiah coming to the realization of his "Calcutta" when his brother Hanani comes to visit Nehemiah. The story tells us Hanani comes to Nehemiah in Susa where Nehemiah was serving the king in a high-level position as his cupbearer. Nehemiah's first question to his brother is, "How is the Jewish remnant that survived the exile doing? And how is Jerusalem itself?" Hanani and the men with him answered, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." These two sentences changed Nehemiah's life! Immediately this report stirred the depths of Nehemiah's spirit and brought about what I would call ACUTE RECOGNITION. Acute means critical or crucial. In other words Nehemiah's recognition of what was going on in Jerusalem HIT HIM LIKE A TRUCK.

What is hitting you like a truck? What is your Calcutta? I want to provoke you. I want to provoke myself. You might be saying to yourself right now, "Come on, Pastor Eric, really? I'm just glad I made it through the holidays!" However, you know deep down God is calling to your deep places. He is calling forth your destiny in Him as you enter this New Year. So, because I know this is a really provoking question, and I don't want you to be immobilized by it, I would like to give you some steps toward recognizing your Calcutta. Here they are:

1. STOP, DROP AND LISTEN - Dedicate some time to God. Our church starts a 21 day fast (various fasts including food or media or whatever God is asking of us to lay aside in order for us to focus on the One Thing - Him), which is going to give us a great opportunity to stop, drop and listen.
2. UNDERSTAND IT'S ALL HIM - I can almost guarantee when you stop, drop and listen the first thing you are going to experience is self-recriminating thoughts like, "I am not who I should be, or how can God use such a weak vessel as me?" Let me tell you something you already know deep inside - It's never been about you in the first place. It's all Him! And He tells us clearly in His Word that He uses the weak things of this world to shame the mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27).
3. ASK THE QUESTION - Once your spirit is settled, you've positioned yourself to be secure in God Your Father and are now open to whatever He has on His heart, ask Him the question, "Father, what is my Calcutta?"
4. RECOGNIZE GOD'S HEART CRY - You have asked the critical question. Now, allow the Holy Spirit to help you recognize God's heart cry that He wants you to respond to. Is it the neighbor next door who you know is not right with God and it's time for you to recognize how truly awful their situation without Christ is? Or is it an area of the world God is showing you that is in deep need - so much so that you begin to weep over that country? Or is it the atrocity of abortion that you've always had a concern about, but have pushed it to that "Can't do anything about that" shelf? Only God has these answers for you, but I can assure you that He cares very much about all these areas and many more, but the point is that He has a place on the wall where you can play your vital part. So, Mother Theresa's question comes back again, "What's your Calcutta?"

Next week we'll talk about OWNING YOUR CALCUTTA.

Until then,

Pastor Eric

Be Big! Be A Builder!

2011-12-30T05:53:00.000-08:00

An old rock station I used to listen to when I was a teen often used this motto, "Be Big! Be a builder!" At the time I really had no idea what they were referring to, but the motto stuck with me. Later, after I answered the call of God to forsake my life and follow Him (a call that has been going out to all mankind since the dawn of time), this thought grabbed my attention in a new way. In the Bible the Book of Psalms is opened up with this verse in Psalm 1:1,

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers."

Do you see that last thought, "...or sit in the seat of mockers"? Over the years I have seen just how easy it is for me to criticize and judge others around me, and I hate to say it, but especially as a Christian. Why as a Christian, you might ask? Simply because the standard Jesus presents to the Body of Christ is a standard that in human terms can not be reached. So, instead of accessing the power we need to lift up this standard through faith, we tend to give way to our own "soul drift" by looking at others and judging their lack of attaining the standard Christ raises. After all, why would I want to look at my own sin when other's sins are so much easier to make note of? God forgive me - God forgive us! So, the thought comes again, "Be big! Be a builder!" In other words be a blessed man or woman by walking right past the seat of mockers and take up the position of a builder on the wall of God's Kingdom.

For the next several weeks I want to bring before you a man I have deeply respected over the years. He was not a contractor by trade, but he chose to be one because one was needed in a dire situation. In fact, he was a counselor to the highest level of leadership in a government he was serving. Yet, he gave up this prestige and position to be big - to be a builder! I am speaking of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah lived approximately 450 years prior to the birth of Christ. He was serving as a Jew in exile during the Babylonian captivity under King Artaxerxes. Because he served with integrity, he soon rose to a high level of trust in the king's "cabinet". By profession he was a Cupbearer, which meant he tested the king's drink before he drank it in order that no foul play would occur against the king (history indicates that King Artaxerxes' father was poisoned). However, his job did not simply consist of tasting drinks before they were drunk by the king, but it consisted of a high level of trust that the king leaned upon when he wanted counsel concerning something. He knew that in Nehemiah he would not hear what Nehemiah thought the king wanted to hear, but he would hear constructive thoughts that called things as he saw them, but also did not leave those things in that condition long.

So, what about you? Have you found yourself slipping into that "seat of mockers" lately and your gut is telling you, "This is wrong. God has called me to something better?" If so, I encourage you to take a cue from Nehemiah's life and choose to be a person who can be trusted by those you serve right now so that in time, when God helps you see something that needs your attention, you will be in a position to respond by being big! Being a builder!

My hope is that these thoughts will spur you towards a wonderful New Year in 2012 where you find yourself enjoying your work on the wall where God has assigned you!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

For To Us A Child Is Born!

2011-12-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 9:6 rings like the bells of a steeple spreading their glorious sounds out into the streets of mankind telling us today that hope lives because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

Drink in the message that is the foundation of the Christmas story:

Isaiah 9:6
"For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

There is so much about this verse that causes hope to rise in my heart, but what I would like to highlight is that God sent a Child - His only Son. Think for a moment about the vulnerability of a baby and then take in the realization that God wrapped His Son in the vulnerable frame of an infant. On every conceivable level reasonable men and women would deem this to be a stupendous folly. Why would anyone rest the hope of the nations upon a child?

Here is my attempt at an answer to this question. God sent His Son, an infant boy, into this world and allowed Him to be small and vulnerable because He knows just how small and vulnerable each one of us can be in the darkest hour of our lives. God the Father designed the unveiling of His Son as an infant born into a messy stable (see last week's blog pertaining to this) so that no living person would ever think of God as being distant and not understanding of their vulnerable state. In fact, God with the full authority of who He is, speaks to us through His Son saying, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Do you see the relationship God desires to have with you in this kingdom statement? God wants you to fully rely on Him as a child just as Jesus did when He was born into this very dangerous world.

So, today, I would like to encourage you to sit back, take a deep breath and receive the Kingdom of God afresh as a little child with the deep realization that He's got you. Yes, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace has got you. You are ok as long as you receive and continue to receive Him and His kingdom as a child.

From my family, to you and yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Pastor Eric

P.S. If you have no other plans, please come to our Christmas Eve night at the church. Sleigh rides start at 5 p.m., program starts at 6 and 8 p.m. with a live nativity in the lobby and lots of free hot chocolate!

When the Time Comes, I'll...

2011-12-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

"When the time comes, I'll give you a call about that." I'm sure you've heard yourself say this from time to time. "When the time comes, I'll..." - Isn't that an interesting start to a sentence? It's absolutely pregnant with possibilities. For example, "When the time comes, I'll let you know about the job you are interested in." Hearing this from an employer is something every perspective employee wants to hear. Of course, it's not definite yet, but it is filled with the possibility of new employment. As important as employment is, I want to take this to a much higher level. Let me explain.

Galatians 4:4 states, "But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman..." In essence, God was saying in the Old Testament, "When the time comes, I am sending you My Son to make it possible for all those in captivity to be set free (Isaiah 61:1)." And then we see in the New Testament that the time came at just the right moment in human history for our Savior to be born. This causes me to ask what made that time so perfect?

From a human perspective the birth of royalty is something to be honored with plush preparations, homage given and all the "bells and whistles" afforded to royalty. However, with God Almighty we see something completely different. We see His Son, Jesus, born into the height of sinfulness to a people under the hobnailed boot of Rome. There were no plush preparations. In fact, there was no room in the inn at all! When He was born, it was into a stable with animals as witnesses to the birth of the most important person born in history. Take a moment and think about that and then realize that God the Father would not have had it any other way. This was the way His Son would enter our lives. Make no mistake about it - when He comes the second time it will be in full royal regal, but this trip started in a stable right when the "time had come".

So, why might this matter to you and I, or to the people in our lives? Simply because the Lord Jesus Christ did not come to be served, but to serve right in the middle of a messed up world. People's lives today (no matter how great they seem on the outside) are just like that stable without Jesus. Messy, smelly and needing new life to be born into them.

Now, I'd like you to do something. Please take a moment and think about what Christmas really means from God's perspective. As you do this, I'd like you to think of one "messy stable" situation in your life, or in the life of someone you have been praying for. Then allow God Almighty to show you that He is interested in this situation and in no way offended by it. In fact, it was for this very reason that He sent Jesus into the world. As you ponder this "messy stable" ask God to be "born into that stable" and bring about the redemption needed. He still answers prayer! I do not think you could regret this little exercise. If you get a chance, write a comment on this blog and let me know how it goes. Of course, you should not mention the particular situation, but simply your interaction with God your Father.

By the way, before I sign off I want to tell you about a couple of movies my wife and I watched on Netflix recently that really encouraged us:

- The Miracle of the Bells
- The Bells of St. Mary's

They are old flicks, but they are good ones!

Have a great week - Pastor Eric

This Changes Everything!

2011-12-09T05:40:00.000-08:00

You have probably heard this expression, "This changes everything!" Most often, this expression is an exaggeration, but at critical times in history like Pearl Harbor or 911 this expression fits.

However, nothing fits this expression better than the day the Lord Jesus Christ entered planet earth as a babe born in a place normally reserved for the sheltering of animals. Now, here we are in the year 2011 celebrating the Advent Season. Advent is taken from the Latin word Adventus, which means coming. While we celebrate His coming, we also realize He came! Yet, as human beings we tend to forget how important Jesus' coming was unless we reflect on His coming. By reflecting on His coming, we come to really appreciate the truth that He came. It's like (of course not a close comparison at all) that first bicycle you were blessed with as a child. A huge part of the joy was the anticipation of receiving the bike. So, often when you think about your first bike, you think about the days leading up to it and then of course your first ride down the street! So, this season of Advent season really does have deep significance for the Christ-follower as we discipline ourselves to stop and reflect on His coming to take all our sins away and be the One True Light in our darkness (this is one reason why the advent wreath has candles which are lit each week).

So, at this very moment I want so very much to express to You the importance of what Jesus did in His coming, His living and teaching, His death and His resurrection, but I'm so inadequate, even to the point of tears, to get across the depth of what He did. Even libraries filled with thoughts trying to express what His coming means are inadequate. Somehow, the only thing I can get out of my mouth is, "This changes everything!" So, in light of my inadequacy, listen to God Himself speak from Isaiah 60:1,

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn."

Now, that does express what Jesus came for - to be the Light in the midst of our darkness - He truly does change everything!

So, here you are today facing life with joy in your heart for your blessings, but also wondering what the future has in store and how some of the troubles you know of can be overcome. Be encouraged dear one. He is your victory! He has overcome on your behalf and now your work and my work is to believe him (John 6:29) in the face of every situation with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:5-7). Our very faith is a celebration of this statement, "This changes everything!"

Have a great weekend! Pastor Eric

Turning the Page...

2011-12-02T05:35:00.000-08:00

As I met with the Lay Pastors that serve our church communities last night I felt a page turning from one season to the next. One page representing thanksgiving and the other representing crying out in faith for those things that are not yet aligned with the Kingdom of God. These are funny pages though, because we are compelled by the Holy Spirit to move back and forth between these two pages in Philippians 4:6,

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Why do you suppose thanksgiving alongside petitions are important? Let me suggest to you that God places equal importance on both these aspects of prayer because He knows how quickly we can be pulled down into the quicksand of the needs all around us. If He called us simply to petition Him all the time, the needs would consume our thinking and we would become discouraged. If we gave thanksgiving all the time, we would not be in touch with the real needs around us. Both are necessary and intended to create a certain tension in our lives.

Because Christmas is so well built for thanksgiving and petition (you don't have to go farther than the epic films, "Scrooge", or "It's a Wonderful Life", to see those themes portrayed). On one hand it is imperative that we taste and feel the need around us, and on the other hand look up to the One who is so wonderful, so sublime, so forgiving, so generous, so just, and simply better than we could ever imagine - He is that good and more!

So, as I close this blog this week I want to quote a book that has made quite an impression on me lately. The book is called, "i am not, but i know I AM" by Louie Giglio. In this book the Holy Spirit calls out to us to leave our small story that is just about us, and join ourselves to the majestic story of God that is set in eternity past and eternity future. In the last chapter of the book he answers our needs with the simple statement, "I AM". This is taken from the place in Scripture where God instructs Moses to declare in Egypt, "I AM THAT I AM" has sent me to free His people. He's doing the same today! Listen now with your heart to this passage from "i am not, but i know I AM":

I need hope. I AM.

Who could possibly be smart enough to figure this out? I AM.

What works? I AM.

What lasts? I AM.

What's the latest thing? I AM.

What's the hippest thing? I AM.

I need a fresh start. I AM.

I need a bigger story. I AM.

My vision is bigger than my resources. I AM

Nothing's real anymore. I AM

Who can I trust? I AM.

I'm not sure who's on my team. I AM.

Nobody's listening to me. I AM.

I don't have a prayer. I AM.

My marriage is sinking and I don't know where to turn. I AM.

I can't hold on. I AM.

My kids deserve more. I AM.

I'm pouring into others, who's pouring into me? I AM.

If we fail, who will get the job done? I AM.

I'm not sure why I'm here. I AM.

I've given all I can give and it's not enough. I AM.

I'm tired. I AM.

I quit. I AM.

I can't. I AM.

I need a drink. I AM.

I need a fix. I AM.

I need a lover. I AM.

Somebody just hold me. I AM.

Isn't that just right?! We have needs surrounding us, but we turn up to Him in the greatest act of faith known and thank Him for who He is and hear, "I Am". Have a great week!

Pastor Eric

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

This morning during our staff prayer time I shared a devotion prior to praying with our staff. That devotion included a passage of Scripture that has long been a touchstone set of verses for me. It is found in Philippians 4:5-7 and reads,

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Here are some highlights from that devotion:

Our gentleness is a powerful witness to a world that is so full of anxiety you can actually feel it as you spend time with folks these days. In God's providence, He has blessed me with pastors and mentors who have exhibited this gentleness in times of pressure where the situation seemed to cry out for anxious thoughts and actions.
So, if this is such a powerful witness of God living inside of us as Christians, how do we live in this "gentleness"?
As if hearing this question, Paul goes on to ask us to make our requests made known to God with thanksgiving. You know, I found I had trouble with the "with thanksgiving" part. In fact, even as I was memorizing this passage, I would forget "with thanksgiving". So, this morning as we prayed as a staff we purposed to follow each request with a time of thanksgiving. It was so refreshing. Not only because it was Thanksgiving season, but because it is so important to remind ourselves that everything we have is a blessing from God Almighty - we are simply stewards of the incredible blessings He has poured out upon us. This posture of thanksgiving puts us in proper position before our Matchless Savior and Lord. The truth is, as Louie Giglio tells us in his book by the same title, "i am not, but i know I AM". Thanksgiving helps us cement this truth in our inner being.
Finally, there is a peace that comes when we unburden ourselves of our requests and offer thanks to God. This peace even guards our hearts and minds in Christ. Wow! This is telling us that our prayers and thanks provide a place of protection for us in Christ. That is a good place to be in our day - under protection while we fight from our knees and come to see His Kingdom come and His will be done in all the earth. To God be the glory!

I trust this is helpful to you as you celebrate Thanksgiving this year. Even in the midst of great trouble and unrest there is a peace in Christ that comes through unburdening our hearts with requests and thanksgiving. It is available to you and I right now. Let's never neglect that, or take advantage of it. We owe this to our God, our neighbor and to ourselves.

Have a great Thanksgiving, Pastor Eric

Me to Weeeeeee!

2011-11-18T06:08:00.000-08:00

I want to thank everyone who prayed for me while I was away on vacation. Oh, what a time my brother and I had as we traveled up the west coast from LA all the way to Klamath Falls, Oregon! We took in incredible coastal scenery, enjoyed fantastic conversation and we even read a book out loud! Not only was this wonderful, but to end the trip in Oregon by getting to see my daughter, son-in-law, grandson and, by God's great grace, see my son who was in the U.S. for some Air Force training not far from where my daughter lives - Wow! What more could I ask for? I suppose only that my wife could have been there to be with me and the kids!

I flew home on Saturday and my wife picked me up at the airport so I could jump in on the start of our new series at church called, "Me to We". This morning I'm calling it "Me to Weeeee!" because I'm convinced this is where the joy is to be had in Christian living. We simply were not meant to do life and Christian work alone. The concept behind this series is moving from the place of "I'll get er' done" to "Let's get this done together".

To emphasize our need for ministry partners, or invested members at our church, we decided to have a "No Show Sunday". It was so interesting for people to come into church and be greeted by silhouette greeters, ushers, etc. and then to find there was no cafe' or children's church. The tears began to flow! It was a Sunday where we all saw the incredible value of the many people who partner with us each week to make sure our guests and regular attenders have a quality experience here with the Lord. As we debriefed this "No Show Sunday" in our staff meeting this week the one comment that rose to the top was how lifeless everything seemed at church early Sunday morning. I totally agreed. I just love interacting with those who partner with us early each Sunday to insure the services go great. However, last Sunday there was just no weeeeee to the process. It really did feel lifeless. So, I am really looking forward to this Sunday when all our valuable ministry partners partner with us again in blessing our congregation and our staff!

What about you? Has your life motto been, "If you want to get a job done right, you gotta' do it yourself!" Not only do I want to challenge that motto, but the Apostle Paul does as well. You see in Ephesians 4:11-12 Paul says, "It was He (God) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..." What Paul is saying is that when we have a certain gift it is our responsibility to help prepare others for the good works God prepared in advance for all of us in Christ to do (Ephesians 2:10). Is it messy to teach others to get things done that need to be done? Sure it is, but how is the next generation going to learn to serve and be a part of this awesome Kingdom of God unless we help them? Besides, it's just plain more fun to work together than alone!

Take some time and think about this today. What have you been doing alone that someone else could do with you and eventually maybe even do better than you? Once you've determined that, it's time to make a phone call and invite someone into the big adventure you have been called to in God's family. And, just for the fun of it, say, "Weeeeee - this is gonna' be fun!"

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

I Found Our Address!

2011-11-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

Yup, I found the Christ follower's address this morning! Are you curious? Here it is!

Ephesians 2:19-21 (The Message)

That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home (emphasis mine in highlight above).

That's enough to make me say, "Woooooooooo". In other words, "God, you are giving me an awesome opportunity to make an impact for You in this world as a part of the household of faith You are building!"

This Sunday our church will be starting a new series called "Me to We". The idea of this series is to bring home to each of our people the important part they play in making our church a place that fulfills the mission God has given us to "Help one another experience Christ's transforming love so that we can love Him, ourselves, our families, our church, and our world." Our "dream team" consists of every person calling Elim Gospel Church (EGC) their home church participating in the divine part they have been called to play in this house. Let me tell you about some of my heroes here at EGC:

A new youth pastor here some years ago who gave my daughter $1,000 to go on an international trip that played a big part in her spiritual and professional formation.
A family that gave a car to a single mom in need.
A person who insisted on anonymously giving a large sum of money to an international student needing help.
Endless construction/landscaping jobs done at cost or for free by men and women who wanted to see this campus look appealing to all who come here.
Lay Pastors and assistants who tirelessly organized meals for the sick, needy and discouraged.
A horse farmer who decided it was time to use her office for community group meetings - then decided meetings were not enough and made her group available to make meals for the struggling folks.
Precious people who saw concern in someone's face after a Sunday service and asked, "Are you ok?" And then sat and listened and prayed with a struggling saint.
Oh, I could easily go on and on, but I think you get the point.

You, my friend, as a Christ-follower play an important part. You are in a royal family with a dignified purpose on planet earth. Take a moment today and ask your Father in Heaven, "Father, am I taking the place in Your house you intended me to take. If so, "How am I doing?" If the answer comes back something like this, "Actually, son/daughter, I've been missing you at the table. You've been real busy lately. I'd like for you to join us at the table and hear what I'm up to so you can get actively involved again."

Well, now you know your address - kind of corny, right? Yeah, my kids think so too:) By the way, I'll be gone next week fulfilling a life-long dream. I'll be meeting my brother, John, in his home state of California and driving all the way up Highway 1 along the west coast to Oregon where I'll get to end the trip seeing my daughter, son-in-law, grandson and my son, Zachary, who is in-country now for some Air Force training. Could I be more blessed? Only if my wife was able to come along I suppose!

See you in two weeks! Pastor Eric

Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heaven's Door!

2011-10-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, the title of my last two blogs reveal my age range, but can you guess my age exactly? Give it a shot! Clue - My son likes to tell people, "My Dad was born in the fifties!"

This Sunday will be the final message in our series called, "Radical". As we close this series, but not our radical pursuit of God's Kingdom, I want to share with you something that is vital to radical Kingdom living - relentless prayer!

A number of years ago when all our children were living with us we memorized portions of Scripture in the morning over breakfast. These are not only cherished memories for us now, but also times when we were intentionally internalizing Kingdom principles. One of the passages we spent a long time on was Luke 18:1-8. Please take a moment and read that passage.

Powerful parable, right? Yes, God certainly wants us to knock, knock, knock on His door. He is looking for people who are undaunted by the circumstances around them by remaining in an attitude of faith no matter what. What can we learn from this parable on never giving up in prayer? Here's a four things to chew on:

1. God cares about justice. If something violates His ways, He wants us to intentionally get involved in turning that around.

2. Persistence in prayer is essential to seeing prayers answered.

3. If human authority figures yield to the pleas of men, women and children, will not God do so and more if we stand in faith before Him requesting what is His will?

4. When Jesus returns, will He find faith on the earth? This is a question only you and I can answer. I believe the answer to this question will be a resounding, "Yes!"

So, is there something you have been asking God to answer you on for years? Have you grown tired of asking and yielded to, "Well, I guess this is the way it's going to be." Dear friend, don't give up. Go to your place of prayer once again and knock, knock, knock on heaven's door. Your answer may be closer than y0u know!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

You Say You Want a Revolution...

2011-10-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

This old Beatles song rumbled around in my spirit this week as I watched the news covering Wall Street to Rome. As I watched I thought, "There is nothing more dangerous than an impulsive adult moving under their own authority." Impulsiveness lays behind destructive revolution, genocide and other unthinking crimes. May God forgive us!

However, there is something stirring just as in the 60's. And you know what? The Beatles had it right. If you read the lyrics to this song you see the song writer pointing the would be revolutionist back to examining their own heart. Knowingly, or unknowingly, this song writer was prophetic. Look at these lyrics:

...You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know

You better free your mind instead

Can you hear it? "You better free your mind instead." What I do not think this song writer knew just yet was that there is only One who can free the mind, soul and body from sin and all that corrupts our behavior. So, instead of throwing fire bombs, tipping over cars and camping out on Wall Street, how about if we really do start a revolution? Here's just two tips on radical living, or living a revolutionary lifestyle penned in God's Word:

Repent! - Acts 2:38 - Now, this is where it all starts. Is there a place where you are missing the mark in your life? Talking ill of people behind their backs? Abusing drugs or alcohol? Harboring an unholy sexual thought life? Nursing an unholy relationship? Unwilling to forgive? These are all what God calls missing the mark, or sin. The good news is that all these sins were nailed to the cross. However, for us to receive the grace and forgiveness of our sins, we must repent, or turn away from them and cultivate a hate for the sin God hates. Notice I said cultivating a hate for sin and not for the sinner.
Get out of debt! - Romans 13:8 - This tells us the only debt we ought to owe is our debt of love to our Savior and to mankind He died for. Just the other day a wonderful couple met with our Lead Pastor and I to share with us what God was doing in their lives. They told us how after hearing the Radical Series messages they came to the conclusion that God wanted them out of debt. However, to do so meant moving out of their current comfortable home situation into a trailer that would position them to pay off all their debt. Their desire to be debt free and able to respond to God without chains of debt around their ankles beat their desire to live in a comfortable worry-free home. If you want help doing the same, I highly recommend Dave Ramsey's material. In fact, our church will be doing another Dave Ramsey seminar this coming winter quarter. If you live in the Rochester, NY area, check it out! One of the things Dave says is, "Live today like no one else lives (move into a less comfortable home if need be) so that tomorrow you can live like no one else is living (debt free).

So, say you want a revolution? Start one in your personal walk with God and just watch how it changes the atmosphere around you!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Eye!

2011-10-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, I meant little eye rather than star. Why? Well something really caught my attention this week and I was so excited to share it with you I wrote my blog a day early!

I was reading through the story of King David in 1 Samuel this week and something jumped off the page at me I had never seen before. I noticed that when David approached Goliath, Goliath's jeering assessment of David was that he was nothing more than a stick and unworthy of battle with him. However, this is not all Goliath said. He also said something that was eerily similar to what I had remembered Samuel saying of David. The Bible states in 1 Samuel 17 that, "...he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking." When I read that last statement, "...ruddy and good-looking" I recalled what Samuel spoke concerning David when he first met him.

Here is Samuel's assessment of David on the occasion of David being anointed as king of Israel in 1 Samuel 16, "So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good looking. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!" Do you see what Goliath missed? Yes, he saw in the natural that David was young, ruddy and good-looking, but he totally missed that David's eyes were bright. I believe that if Goliath had the spiritual ability to see the brightness in David's eyes, he would have run for the hills!

Please, listen to my heart, and what I believe God's heart to be at this time. When I look around these days (I especially noticed this on a mission trip to Belarus years ago), I have a hard time seeing brightness in people's eyes, especially in the young men. This is not right! This is not good! God desires to bring a brightness to our eyes, lighting us up on the inside with this inner conviction:

God Almighty lives inside of me and there is nothing impossible for him. Because He is good, I am going to be an instrument of something really good happening in people's lives. Therefore, my heart's posture is, "Yes" to You God. I have no idea what You have up Your sleeve for people in my life today, but one thing I know is that, I repeat, You are good and nothing is impossible for You!"

Can you see how an attitude/conviction like this causes brightness of eyes? It most certainly does. So, yes, twinkle, twinkle little eyes! My prayer for you is that someone very soon asks you, "What are you up to? Do you know something I don't know?" You can take it from there!

Have a great weekend, Pastor Eric

Can You See The Mender of Boats?

2011-10-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Each Saturday morning people gather in our Oasis Prayer Room to worship God, intercede for needs and to remind ourselves that God is indeed sovereign and holding all things together in Christ (Colossians 1:17). It is a great way to start the weekend!

As we were in prayer this past Saturday I began to imagine something very vivid. I saw what I would assume to be the Red Sea with lots of old, but sturdy looking fishing boats out in the sea. As I looked closer I realized all these boats were in trouble. They had holes in them and the owners were doing the best they could to keep things together, but it was obvious that they needed help. Then I looked on the shore line and I saw Jesus sitting with a boat owner very much relaxed and in control of the situation. He was mending the man's boat, speaking with him and then I saw the man's countenance change from troubled to confident. Eventually, Jesus and the person He was with would pull the boat to the shore line and the man would get in and Jesus would give him a shove off into the water.

At first, the people in all the other boats ignored Jesus and just kept trying to keep it together on their own. However, this became increasingly futile for them and boats began to come to shore one by one to be fixed by the Mender of Boats and, as I could see from changed countenances, also the Mender of Broken Hearts. Then something interesting happened. People liked what they saw Jesus doing for these boat owners. So they came to Jesus and learned from Him how to fix boats too. Soon, many boats were being fixed and joy began to invade the atmosphere.

As I thought about this Luke 4:18-19 came to my mind,

"The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Now, the question I titled this with comes to you and I today. Can you see the Mender of the Boats? Are you in a boat that needs to be mended? Or has your boat recently been mended and you have the opportunity to co-labor with Jesus to mend another's boat? In either case, can you see Him? If you can, go to Him and see what He has in mind for you. It may be the biggest risk you've ever taken, but I can assure you will find yourself involved, alive, and encouraged in His Presence.

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

What's Your Name?

2011-09-30T06:02:00.000-07:00

Lately, through personal experience, Bible study and observing other people's experiences I am becoming so enthralled with our "Bigger Picture God". What I mean by this is that a seemingly bad circumstance simply does not need to define our future - there is a bigger picture to things! So, my question this week is, "What's your name?" Let's take a look at what the mother-in-law of Ruth names herself:

Ruth 1:21-22a.,

"Don't call me Naomi" (which means pleasant or lovely), she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." Verse 22 then starts, "So Naomi..."

I just love that! I never noticed how verse 22 started out before until my wife brought it to my attention the other morning when I was reading it. She started laughing as she heard, "So Naomi..." Do you see what the author of the book of Ruth (many say Samuel wrote this book) did? He disregarded what Naomi wanted to call herself and and just went right on saying, "So Naomi..."

I wonder if God is doing the same with us when we do something very similar. You know what I mean, don't you? Times when you've said to yourself, "I can't believe I did that! I'm so stupid!" Or, "Every time I think I am about to get ahead the rug gets pulled out from under me. I am a loser!" Really? Is that the name you want to assign to yourself? I am convinced that the "God of the Big Picture" has another name for you - one that really fits who you can be when your faith rests upon His shoulders.

Let's get back to the Book of Ruth. Naomi thought all was lost and that her life was now defined by bitterness. However, the bigger picture comes into focus when we see how their move to Bethlehem in tragedy causes her daughter-in-law (Ruth) to become the wife of Boaz who became the father of Obed, who became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David, and who generations later became the genealogy of Jesus Himself came from! Oh, how the God of the Bigger Picture stepped in here and took what was seemingly hopeless and changed the history of the world.

What am I saying here? I'm saying your life does not need to be defined by the negative circumstances you've experienced. So, what's your name? I can tell you for sure it's not "Loser", or "Addict", or anything of that nature. Jeremiah 29:11 promises a hope and a future for those who yield themselves to God.

Just to add an exclamation point to what I've shared with you today I want you to watch a youtube of an extraordinary young man who is on the Louisville Cardinals marching band:

www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9xwCG0Ey2

Now, that is something, right? Is there anything impossible for you? No, I didn't think so:)

Have a great week - Pastor Eric

Do You Have Your Listening Ears On?

2011-09-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

When my children were younger and I wanted to communicate something very important to them, I would say, "Do you have your listening ears on?" I would then wait till I heard them say, "Yes, Dad. I've got them on!" When they were little we had a lot of fun with it as they twisted on their "listening ears". As they got older we developed new strategies:)

This week I want to ask you if you have your listening ears on? I do not believe there has been a more important time for us to be listening to God than now. Our church recently invested $20,000 into upgrading our Oasis Prayer Room with the goal of facilitating more opportunities for people to listen to God. In fact, just last night my wife and I went to a "live session" there and just listened and worshipped. It was powerful!

Please take a moment and look at Matthew 17:1-5. In this passage Peter, James and John go up a high mountain and when they look upon Jesus they see him transformed before them into blazing white and then Moses and Elijah come to speak with him. Some have said this was in preparation for Jesus' crucifixion. I really can't say, but what we do see is that Peter, James and John have an instant reaction. That reaction is to build three shelters - one for Jesus, Moses and Elijah each. God the Father then comes on the scene and says, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!"

Did you see the exclamation point there at the end of God's words. It's there for a reason. You see, our momentum leans toward memorializing great events like the one they just experienced. In fact, if God does something special in our lives we want everyone to come and experience it just like we did and right where we did. Yet, God doesn't move like that. His wind blows wherever He chooses it to blow. So, instead of getting stuck on the event God is asking us to get stuck on Him - to listen to Him!

So, this week put on your listening ears. He has something to say. It's not going to be just like the way He spoke to you last time. He does this so that you don't try to put Him in a box. Just listen to Him as a child and let Him lead you on.

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

"Just Keep Swimming..."

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

My children know their Dad very well. Recently I was wrestling with some challenge through my own resources and, rightfully so, I was getting really discouraged. We always do when we move from our own strength and knowledge! It was at this point that our family comedian, otherwise known as Meredith, starts to quote the song from "Finding Nemo",

Hey Mr Grumpy Gills
You know what you gotta do when life gets you down?
Just keep swimming
Just keep swimming

And, for your home entertainment, I've added this short clip from the film below - enjoy!

http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/findingnemo/justkeepswimming.htm

In this clip Dory finds Nemo near a rock ledge tremendously discouraged and fearful. He's only thinking of what he thinks he can and can not do in life. Soon, Dory helps him see he can just keep swimming right into a much broader destiny than he ever dreamed possible.

What about you and me? Are we finding ourselves on that rock ledge looking down into the dark unknown saying, "I'm just fine right where I'm at. I appreciate what Your plans are for the earth, Father God, but I'm just not Your guy - I'm just not Your gal." Really? Well, guess what? You are not alone, and not by a long shot! Just this morning I read about Gideon in Judges 6:1 - 7:25. He had every excuse in the book to not "just keep swimming", but the Angel of Lord was patient with him and prodded him on to step into his destiny. A whole nation became grateful for it!

Later, in the New Testament, we find the writer of Hebrews exhorting us to "just keep swimming" as well. Listen to God's Word found in Hebrews 12:12-15, TEV,

"Lift up your tired hands, then, and strengthen your trembling knees! Keep walking on straight paths...Guard against turning back from the grace of God."

Dear One, do you hear God's Spirit speaking to you right now through His Word? Don't give up! Yes, lift up your tired hands, strengthen your trembling knees - don't turn back from the grace of God! Do you remember the old hymn, "Grace has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home"? It's true. In fact, it's truer than your current challenge! Take my daughter's advice and listen to Dory, "Just keep swimming!"

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

You Can't Slide Into Home From 2nd Base!

2011-09-09T05:41:00.000-07:00

As our church steps into the Radical Series we can sense a shift in our church atmosphere. It's not a comfortable atmosphere, but it is a God-inspired atmosphere that seems to be asking us the question, "What is the Father asking you to invest in?" This question causes us to become alert to Him and to also realize we are not close to home plate yet. Let me explain what I mean.

Church history gives us many indications that the days we are now living in are crucial days with watershed moments seeming to occur on a daily basis. However, using a baseball analogy, we have really only turned around 2nd base and we're headed for third base with Father God cheering us on from home plate while His Spirit lives inside us, empowering us forward. Unfortunately, my sense is that many of us in the church are already sliding into home plate, but you can't slide into home plate from 2nd base! Let me share a Biblical example.

Please take a moment and read Joshua 7:1-26. This chapter from Israel's history recounts how Israel was beaten in war by the city of Ai after God had promised that Israel would prosper under Joshua wherever he set his foot in the promised land (Joshua 1:7). After Israel is defeated by Ai Joshua falls on his face, tears his clothes and complains to God, "Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!" This was the equivalent of saying, "Haven't we done enough God? Can't this just be over?" In a sense Joshua was wanting to slide into home from 2nd base, but God had only just begun with Joshua. In fact, a couple chapters later we see a tally of all the kings God empowered Joshua to defeat - 31 of them! So, when God finds Joshua on his face complaining, He has a simple directive and a question, "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?" God then explains that someone in Israel's army sinned against Him by taking valuables that God commanded to be set aside to Him. This was the reason for their defeat at the hands of Ai.

What about you? What about me? Are we just trying to slide into heaven from 2nd base? Let's listen to the Father and get up and get on with investing our lives into Kingdom activity. It's not time to slide. It will be one day, but not today.

Because 9/11 will fall in just a couple days, I've included a youtube for you to check out. It is an astounding chapter from this horrible tragedy. This story will inspire you to value the time you have been given on this earth and make the most of today while it is still today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLj4akmncsA

Have a great week in Christ,

Pastor Eric

Don't Quit - God Has Something Up His Sleeve!

2011-09-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

Did you ever have a relative or friend who always seemed to have something up their sleeve? Just being around them had a buzz of excitement to it! I believe God is that excitement in its purest and most powerful form. However, life has a way of jading us - telling us, "That's just for little kids and carnival times. Grow up and smell the coffee. Life is hard and then you die." Oh, what a horrible way to live out life on earth when Jesus gave Himself so that we could experience life in its abundance (John 10:10)!

Let me give you a personal example I experienced this week. I found out that my nephew, Robby Scott, was advanced to another level in the Boston Red Sox organization as a pitcher to play with the Lowell, Mass. Spinners (to our family's delight Robby was signed just several weeks ago). In addition, he would be playing in a double-header in Albany. And, to top it off, I found out from my Mom that it was his birthday! So, my 84 year-old mother and I got a wild hair (as they call it in Wisconsin) and decided we would do the round-trip in a day (4 hours one way), watch the first game of the double-header, give Robby some chex mix, birthday brownies, a new shirt, head back to Rochester and call it a day.

Well, we didn't take into account Hurricane Irene. I-90 became a parking lot and any thought of making the first game went out the window. As we were redirected all over NY (it seemed) there were multiple times it crossed our minds to quit and head back to good old Rochester. However, there was a certain excitement in the air that kept us pressing on. It was that kid in us that just did not want to go home after persevering so far. So, we kept on and finally made it just as the 2nd game was getting started. Robby was thrilled (we didn't tell him we were coming) to see us - and the chex mix! After talking to him while he was in the bullpen area with the other pitchers we said our goodbyes and thought we'd watch an inning or so. Well, a good family friend was at the game as well (in the area for business) and he talked us into hanging in there a bit longer as "he had a feeling". Sure enough Robby's team's pitcher began to struggle and the manager brought Robby in to do his best to take his team home to a victory. It was so exciting! My Mom and I did have to leave before the game finished, but our family friend kept us informed by cell phone inning by inning. In the end Robby struck out the last batter (with men on base) and his team won by 1 run. Robby was awarded the win - his first professional win!

Let me tell you at that point my Mom and I were not thinking about how long a night this was going to be (remember, the thruway was still closed - ugh!), but we kept remarking about how God must have designed for us to be at that 2nd game so that we could witness a little Scott family history!

What about you? Are you tired of trying yet again? Do you feel like you're stuck in traffic and not getting anywhere. Hang in there! It's not over yet. The King of kings has some things up His sleeve that you and I are not aware of. Let's not lose out by quitting right before something really good happens.

Have a great week in Christ!

Pastor Eric

P.S. Speaking of something really good. If you are in the Rochester area September 22-25, don't miss Elim Gospel Church's Kingdom Conference. Check out this link for what God has up His sleeve! 2011 Kingdom Conference!

Does Your Stuff Count?

2011-08-26T06:04:00.000-07:00

Dr. Terry Wardle of Healing Care Ministries (http://healingcare.org/index.php) has a saying that goes like this, "You got stuff. I got stuff. All God's people got stuff." So true, right? However, does your stuff count?

What do I mean by this question? I am asking, in light of all the problems people are facing around you, is it even morally right for you to bring up your stuff? For example, recently someone told me about how their dog had died and how it devastated their family. Their pain was real. It was a legitimate tough experience for them. However, in comparison to someone losing their spouse, a child hooked on drugs, etc. the dog dying doesn't seem to count any more does it? However, if the family that loses the dog adopts the attitude that there stuff doesn't count, a lie can seat itself in their hearts that goes like this, "God only cares about people who are going through real pain and your dog dying doesn't really register on the pain Richter Scale!" Can I just say to you as a Care Pastor, "Pain is pain and God cares about any pain you are experiencing"? I like how Pastor Joshua here at EGC puts it, "If it concerns you, it concerns God."

So, if your stuff counts, and I contend that it does, what do you do with it? I think Solomon has some wisdom on this found in Proverbs 27:10:

Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother's house when disaster strikes you - better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away."

In short I would interpret this as saying, "Keep up with the friends God has blessed you with that are right near you. They are the ones that you can share your stuff with when things get crazy for you. Others far away probably will not have the empathy you need, but those friends you keep up with and share your life with normally do." In addition, "...there is a friend who sticks closer than brother." Proverbs 18:24. His name is Jesus. And if your stuff is concerning to you, it's concerning to Him as well. So, to answer the question posed in the title my simple answer is, "Yes, your stuff counts!"

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Empowering Grace

2011-08-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

I have been reading John Bevere's latest book, "Relentless" and finding it to be challenging and greatly encouraging at the same time. I have have found it to be challenging because he presents Jesus' words with the same authority in which they were delivered. In short, Jesus expects us to not only hear, "Come follow Me," but to actually walk in His steps with the promise that we will do even greater works (John 14:12). The challenging part is when the realization really hits you that God is expecting you to receive His empowering grace to bring about change in your personal world - your family, work situation, church and even in the nations through praying, giving and going.

Did you see what I put in italics above? Empowering grace. John Bevere gives us a startling statistic in "Relentless" when he explains that he sent out a survey to be filled out by a multitude of American believers. The survey revealed that while the overwhelming majority of believers understood grace to be the forgiveness of sins (which I continue to revel in by the way), only 2% understood grace to be empowerment to live an overcoming life in Christ. Wouldn't it be great to see this number change exponentially over the next 5 years? Can you just imagine the Kingdom activity taking place across the nation? It is just so exciting to think about. Take a moment and drink in Paul's words and the impact these words can have on your life personally, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." I Corinthians 15:10. Can you see how empowering grace was the incredible power behind Paul's ministry that literally turned the world upside down?

In two weeks our church will start a new series called, "Radical". All of us on staff know that walking in the principles of this book will not only take radical faith, but will also absolutely need the empowering grace of God to walk it out. I'm excited to start hearing the testimonies of people as they stretch themselves out for the Kingdom of God. I'm excited to experience my own stories of stretching. God is at work and we have the privilege of co-laboring with Him. Let me close by praying for us today.

Father, I pray for us now to received Your empowering grace to move beyond our natural abilities and glorify You as a watching world sees what Your grace can do through our lives. I pray this morning for grace for those who are caring for the sick, others who have management responsibilities that seem too big for them and others who are crying out to for help to parent their children in a way that glorifies You. To all these, and to all those who have opportunities laying right in front of them to see You bring a shift in their world, I pray fill us with Your empowering grace in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and empowered week! Pastor Eric

Teaching On Adversity - Oswald Chambers - August 2nd

2011-08-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Reader,

This morning I wanted to change things up a bit. The following is a devotional from Oswald Chamber's, "My Utmost For His Highest". My wife and I read this on August 2nd and we have read it several times since. I think you'll see why once you've read it. I add a few comments of my own at the end. Enjoy digesting this man of God's thoughts on adversity below.

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world —John 16:33

The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is something very different. “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling . . .” (Psalm 91:1,10)— the place where you are at one with God.

If you are a child of God, you will certainly encounter adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come. “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He is saying, “There is nothing for you to fear.” The same people who refused to talk about their adversities before they were saved often complain and worry after being born again because they have the wrong idea of what it means to live the life of a saint.

God does not give us overcoming life— He gives us life as we overcome. The strain of life is what builds our strength. If there is no strain, there will be no strength. Are you asking God to give you life, liberty, and joy? He cannot, unless you are willing to accept the strain. And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the first step. Then God will give you nourishment— “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life . . .” (Revelation 2:7). If you completely give of yourself physically, you become exhausted. But when you give of yourself spiritually, you get more strength. God never gives us strength for tomorrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the moment. Our temptation is to face adversities from the standpoint of our own common sense. But a saint can “be of good cheer” even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdly impossible to everyone, except God.

That was good, right? I especially like where he says, "The strain of life is what builds our strength." Then later he says, "And once you face the strain, you will immediately get the strength." Friends, this is the experience God so desires you to have - an overcoming life in Him. However, it does not come without meeting the daily (sometimes moment by moment) challenges put in front of us. Right now our country is awash in debt because we've avoided the strain of making difficult decisions for years. Now, massive corrections need to be made that are going to be extremely painful. Why? Because spiritual principles were ignored as leaders were unwilling to make the difficult choices, or, as Oswald Chambers says, "...face the strain..."

Let us be courageous with our lives and face the hard decisions and strain in front of us. As we do we will find empowering grace come into play and move us to where we could never have moved in our natural strength. However, it must start by our engagement - by our facing the strain. Avoidance will never win the day. It will only cause the strain to grow exponentially!

Have a great week in His Presence and Joy - remember "He prepares a table for you in the midst of your enemies"! Psalm 23.

Pastor Eric

Reality Check

2011-08-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

My son arrived last night from Italy after being away from the U.S. for 18 plus months. He is an intelligence officer in the Air Force and has the privilege of working with some of America's finest F-16 pilots. One of the things I love about my son is that he is able to assess things very objectively and arrive at very sound decisions. Personality experts would call him an "Intuitive". I, on the other hand, am a "Feeler", which means that I am much more apt to be taking in subjective information in determining my conclusions about life in general. Both approaches are needed to make the world go around, but it's always refreshing for me to hear from my son on different matters.

Well, this morning we went kayaking on a lake not far from us. We had a great time watching the steam rise off the lake in the early morning and then paddling up the inlet that feeds into the lake. We watched herons, ducks and even a young eagle fly along the steep vertical incline making up one side of the lake. It was absolutely beautiful.

As we paddled I spoke to him about some of the liberty being taken by the American Christian Church concerning doctrines the church has held since the time of Christ. As he listened to me he responded objectively with, "I can see how they could think that from certain places in the Bible, but it doesn't fit with the rest of the Bible." At that point I'm thinking, "Who raised this kid?" His matter of fact way of putting things was really refreshing for me. It also reinforced a passage of Scripture I had read earlier that morning from Hebrews 2:1. It reads, "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away." This is an important admonishment from God's Word. Look to what you have heard concerning God's Word and have frequent exposures to God's Word - these disciplines will help you smell out doctrines contrary to Biblical teaching. This is the reality check we all need to have as we walk not only with our Beloved Father in Heaven, but also with our Lord and Master.

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

P.S. Elim Gospel Church's Kingdom Conference is coming next month! Check it out on our dedicated web site: www.elimgospel.org/kingdomconference

How Do You Say, "Goodbye"?

2011-07-29T05:36:00.001-07:00

This morning I sat with my daughter, Natalie, on our porch for a precious few moments with an egg muffin and coffee before it was time for her to catch the city bus into her work with inner-city young people. However, this morning was different because this was her last day at work. Later today she and my wife will be off on a road trip to Atlanta, Georgia. My wife will fly back on Monday, but Natalie will be in Atlanta over this next school year teaching and coaching at the Wesleyan School in Norcross, Georgia. How do I say, "Goodbye"?

I am one of those people who processes in the moment. So, although I've known about Natalie's leaving for months, it really hit me today on the porch. So, how do I say, "Goodbye"? I knew it would not be good for me to become emotional and make her feel badly about leaving because, truthfully, I could not be happier for her. This is the course God is leading her on. So, instead of gushing all over her (which a big part of me wanted to do), I asked her if I could read a passage of Scripture. She said, "Of course." So, I read to her from 1 Timothy concerning staying strong in who she is becoming in Christ and in purity of doctrine. I also read to her about how Paul encouraged Timothy not to get involved in fad religious thoughts of the day, but to "guard what has been entrusted to your care." Now, you might be thinking, "Wow, that was a pretty serious way to say goodbye to your daughter." And, frankly, I was a bit taken back by what I was sharing with her, but I also realized that the most important thing in my daughter's life is her relationship with Father God. She understands that deeply as well and regularly cultivates her walk with God in prayer, worship and reading God's Word. I am confident she will do well in the next leg of her journey. So, I say, "Goodbye" with a charge from God's Word to her and to me, and I say, "Goodbye" with great love in my heart for a little girl who has become a woman of God.

Before I close this blog I thought of something my eldest daughter, Courtney, almost always says to me at the end of our phone conversations (she lives in Oregon with our son-in-law and grandson - another grandchild on the way - yay!). She says, "Talk to you later, Daddy." I love when she says that because it holds the promise that we are in an ongoing relationship and conversation as family members. So, I say, "Goodbye" to Natalie today, but we are also saying to each other, "Talk you later."

Have a great week in Jesus and make time to attend church services this weekend. God's family is a beautiful one!

Pastor Eric

Inevitable Obstacles

2011-07-22T05:47:00.000-07:00

One of my treasured friends gave me a Bible some time ago that was written in a translation I had not read before. Reading a reliable translation of God's Word you have not read before gives you different insights that can really be helpful. Well, this morning I had one of those helpful insights:)

I was reading in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 17 and the first words of the chapter grabbed me. Jesus states, "Obstacles are inevitable..." Now, I know the context of this passage concerns those who place obstacles in front of others, particularly young ones, but I would like to focus on the fact that obstacles are inevitable in this blog. To underline this thought another passage came to my mind from Matthew 6:34, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

So, we are assured by God's Word and by life itself that obstacles are inevitable. No great revelation there, right? Yet, it seems the human response is often unhealthy to very obvious obstacles. Take the national debt for example. Hey, that didn't happen in a vacuum! However, leaders who ought to know better continuously made decisions that have taken us deeper and deeper into debt. What is up with that? The normal household would never make decisions like our government makes, but somehow it got easier and easier to move in avoidance of a huge obstacle that now looms larger than ever over our nation.

Well, I don't want to go down a political rabbit trail, but it does serve as an example on a large scale how we as people often deal with our obstacles. So, instead of avoidance, I think we have got to face up, surrender through trust and receive - allow me to expound a bit on each.

First, face up - Let's get real! Obstacles are inevitable. They have come to us in the past and they'll come to us in the future. This is a bit like that band aid that needs to come off. Ya' just gotta' pull it off! Here's the good news, obstacles can be redemptive. In fact, they can become cornerstones in our lives. Listen to what Corrie TenBoom said years ago, "The object of your greatest pain can become the source of your greatest healing." Now, that is good news! However, you and I both know we will never get to the place of healing without first facing the obstacle square on (i.e., I really did get that diagnosis, my loved one did die, I did lose my job, etc.). Face up.

Second, surrender through trust - Jesus words come back, "Don't worry about tomorrow - let it worry about itself." This is not denying the reality of the obstacle, but it is turning your focus upon Jesus in surrendered trust. This involves not demanding your own solution to the obstacle, but simply waiting on the Lord. The Bible says "wait upon the Lord." This was once very well described to me as "exchanging our weakness for God's strength." If you are wondering any more what I'm trying to communicate concerning surrender through trust, then I'll give you the opposite of what I'm saying - moving frantically from your emotions as you try this solution and that solution to somehow make this obstacle go away. Doing that is worse that simply avoiding it since this response most often complicates the situation due to our frantic efforts. Surrender through trust.

Third, receive - If you are a Christ-follower, your position before God as a son or daughter is secure. He's not telling you to achieve (as director of Global Mission Awaeness, Leif Hetlund, says), but to receive. You see you are moving from the victory won at the cross. All that is required for your success was won there. Your opportunity as an adopted son or daughter of Father God is to receive what He has in mind for your obstacle. Sometimes it is simply grace (free supernatural empowerment to overcome the natural course of things) to endure in the midst of knowing you are abiding with Him in the shadow of the Almighty. Other times it involves a glorious deliverance from a sickness, demonic oppression or some life circumstance that looked impossible, but has now been turned upside down. Of course, we all love the glory gifts from God, but please never diminish the beauty of His Presence carrying you through your obstacle. In fact, I would encourage you to draw near to the Presence of God not only in the suffering, but also in the "glory" times as well - His Presence is always dear and ultimately is where He wants us as His children. Receive.

I hope this has been helpful. Don't be afraid. God loves you, but He's also calling you to face up, surrender, and then receive His answer to the obstacle you are facing. Those obstacles are inevitable, but our God is also an ever-present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46 - great Psalm!).

Have a great week and try to stay cool - wow, it's been hot here in NY!

Pastor Eric

Ready Or Not Change Is Coming!

2011-07-15T05:46:00.000-07:00

Do you tend to resist change? Or maybe you are someone who enjoys and embraces change. One thing is certain - change comes to every life. Sometimes we are too quick to make a change because we want out of a certain life situation we are in and other times we are too slow to change and miss tremendous opportunities.

What does Jesus have to say about change? Here's one thought found in the Gospel of Luke, 5:36-39, "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, "The old is better."

This is an interesting parable. Jesus makes it clear that if you are going to make a change, make it completely. Don't try and mix the two because you'll be trying to hold on to two things at the same time. It just doesn't work out in the natural world and it does not work out in the spiritual world either.

As I was reading over this again I never really gave a lot of thought to the last sentence, "And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, "The old is better." Oh, how Jesus understands our hearts! In the context of this passage He knew how much trouble the Pharisees were having with Him. He was healing people on the Sabbath and his disciples were picking grain and eating it on the Sabbath - these were big no, nos in that day! So, Jesus' last comment tells us that He understands how resistant we can be to change. After all, if I know this old wine is good, why should I try something new?

Here's my thought for us: When Jesus is bringing you around to a new way of living, consider the following:

First, be sure that it is Jesus initiating the change and not you just wanting out of a situation that is difficult or you are simply bored with.
Second, consider the cost involved. Jesus wants you to make a clear decision that you will own, especially when the change involved presents obstacles down the road and everything inside you wants to turn back to the old way of doing things.
Third, embrace Him! Dear One, He loves you. He would not be asking you to step into something new if it were not ultimately better for you and for the building of His Kingdom. Think of the alternative, which is simply saying something like, "You know God I think I'm good right here. I'll catch up with you in the by and by." Ouch! Do you see what is happening here. With a response like this we begin to move out of current, live wire relationship with Jesus. Worst of all we begin to live more and more apart from Him because He's moving on and we're stuck in holding on to the security of our past relationship with Him.

I understand that what I am proposing is dangerous. In fact, each season of my life has presented a new "wineskin" that has scared my family and I to death! Has it been easy? I'll be honest and tell you the truth. It has not been easy at times. However, there is another question, which is, "Has it been worth it?" To this I would say a resounding, "Yes!" Why? Because adopting the change means I get to walk closely with Jesus who is my all in all. Without Him - without His Presence I am nothing.

I hope this blog encourages you to embrace change Jesus has in mind for you these days. Go ahead and share your fears with Him, allow Him to heal those areas of fear with His perfect love and then with courage step into that new change with no mixture of old and new - go for it!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

"Don't Be Afraid; Just Believe"

2011-07-08T06:06:00.000-07:00

This coming Sunday I would like to encourage you to do one of two things. I would encourage you to come to one of our live services at Elim Gospel Church or, if you can't make it due to distance or other activities, catch the message on line. Simply go to our site and watch it as it is happening (http://elimgospel.net/#/egc-home/egc-live), or if the message has already been given you can watch it by going to our Media page (http://elimgospel.net/#/media/archive) and pull it out from our archived messages.

Why would I like you to do this? Because I believe this is a message you are going to want to listen to and act upon. Pastor Josh will be preaching from Mark, chapter five concerning Jairus' daughter. Please read this account that is found in Mark 5:21-43. Are you finished reading it? This is a great passage, isn't it? Two incredible miracles happen in this story. One happens "on the way" as Jesus travels to respond to a desperate plea from a father with a very sick daughter. As Jesus is going to Jairus' (the father) home a woman desperate for healing and possessing faith in Jesus touches his garment and is healed of a long-term sickness. I can only imagine that those with Jesus at that moment had their faith increase ten-fold. They knew this was a special day. Little did they know how special it would get!

While giving some final encouraging words to the woman just healed, some men came from Jairus' home to give the most horrible news a father could ever hear, "Your daughter is dead." However, they did not just stop with this horrible news, they off-handily added, "Why bother the teacher any more?" Now, watch what Jesus proclaims to change the whole atmosphere, "Don't be afraid; just believe." His Word changes the state of affairs for those who received His word.

I want to stop right here. This is a wonderful story in the Bible, but it's nothing but a story to you and I until we experience Jesus ourselves. What is it in your life right now that has received the word, "That's dead now. Don't bother Jesus anymore about that!" Take a long moment and ask Jesus a question, "Jesus, is this thing that is so important to me really dead?" You know, He may say, "Yes, that is dead. Leave it now in its grave and come follow me." However, He may also say just what He said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe." It could be someone close to you completely entrapped by an addiction, or a relationship that has taken so many hits it looks like a ship 3/4 down into the water, or a long-term sickness that is just sucking the life out of you or someone close to you. The big question is, "What is Jesus saying?"

You will notice that when Jesus gives this word He moves past all the naysayers and puts them out of the little girl's room. The room then becomes a tabernacle of Jesus' Presence and faith as Jesus commands the girl, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" When you receive your word from Jesus concerning the situation you are in, do as Jesus did. Get into the room of your deliverance, put all the naysayers out and speak in faith what Jesus has already declared to you. Hear the words of Jesus once again, "Don't be afraid; just believe." You know, as an aside to this thought, I'm glad there is no exclamation mark in God's word at the end of that statement Jesus gives. It just calmly says, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

Well, I'm excited for what this passage in the Bible can provoke in your life! If God does something special in your life this next week as you apply this to your life, I'd love for you to leave me a comment on this. And, as I stated at the start, listen to the message at EGC if you can and let me know what transpires in your life. God is God and He is on the move dear friends. So, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

Looking forward to hearing from you, Pastor Eric

What's All This About Passing It On?

2011-07-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

As I turned the "50 Corner" almost 2 years ago I often will turn in my thoughts toward thinking, "What kind of legacy am I leaving behind me." I was especially thinking this last week during my time with my grandson, daughters, in-laws and my wife. We had many beautiful celebrations (my wife's ordination, my daughters graduation from college and high school and my grandson's 1st birthday celebrated at our home). I want so much to leave a legacy with these who I love so deeply. I also want to leave a legacy to our church family.

Additionally, as these legacy thoughts turned over in my mind I began to think of others whom I believe are leaving great legacies behind them. Here are just a few:

My father-in-law - he taught me how to hunt, fix things, and about being a faithful prayer warrior. Thanks, Dad!
Mike Cavanaugh - just last weekend he shared on this very subject at our church. It was so natural for him as this has become a life message for him. If you were not there, go to our web site and listen to the message. It's a keeper for sure! You are a blessing, Pastor Mike!
Nancy O'Hara-Kraft - this morning I officiated Nancy's funeral. What a shock her death was to all of us! Yet, I want to tell you this woman passed on a legacy and a half! The stories told about her at her funeral were so moving. This was a lady who brought her faith in Jesus to work and shared her love for Him in so many simple, but profound ways. What a privilege it was to have Nancy in our church. Please keep her husband, Stewart, family and friends in prayer as they continue to grieve this great loss.

So, what is all this about passing it on? It's about turning our face toward Jesus and simply saying, "I need You to empower me by Your Holy Spirit to be what I could never be on my own, specifically being a blessing from You, Father God, to others. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, Father! I want to leave a legacy that brings glory to Your Name." Now simply receive what He desires to give - His supernatural ability to be a blessing to others!

Have a great July 4th!

Pastor Eric

Are You Being Set Up?

2011-06-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

You know when you see something happen once you say, "That's interesting," but when you see it happen twice, three times and more, you say, "Hmmm, this looks like a pattern." I've discovered a pattern in the Bible that I'm beginning to call the "Divine Set Up."

What do I mean by that? Well, I started by looking at the life of David, then went to Joseph and am now looking at Moses. Initially, I began looking at these men who followed God to understand what set them apart for God's purposes. Later, I became fascinated with the divine pattern I began to notice in their lives and understood this pattern happens over and over in the lives of Christ-followers. Here is the general pattern I discovered in these lives:

They were set apart from the people they had grown up with for a time.
They received a mandate from God promising a better future.
Following the mandate they experienced incredible trials.
God provided for them in the midst of each of these trials.
After persevering through the trials, they saw the promise of God, even if from a distance (in Moses' case).

Why do I share this with you today? Because I believe some of you really feel like you are being set up! However, instead of seeing God's hand in your fiery trial you are tempted like any other human being to blame the cause of your trial, try to defend yourself and only find yourself more twisted up and intertwined with your trial. I want to encourage you to look at your divine set up through different eyes today.

I used to read James 1:2 and just cringe as I would read, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds..." Honestly, my thoughts would go something like this, "God, are you kidding? This hurts! How can I consider this pure joy?" However, when I look at thousands of years of history found in the Bible and see God's pattern I start to feel the sting of the trial lessen. Does it still hurt? You bet it does! But when I discern God's pattern, I get a sense of hope that encourages me to hold on. Brighter days are ahead!

I want to take this even one step further. Not only are you being set up, but God means for you to taste His goodness in the midst of the trial. Each trial has the potential of drawing you very near to the heart of God. However, if we freak out and look to our own way of escaping the trial, we'll never touch God in what I would consider one of His most sacred places - the place of suffering.

Dear friend, if you are in a fiery trial right now, look to the Lord who made you. His desire is not only to set you up for His glory (as He has in so many lives in history), but to be your Father who deeply loves you and the people in your life!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Have You Got A Shout?

2011-06-10T03:23:00.000-07:00

I once heard a minister say, "If you got a shout, let it out!" I liked that. Over the years since then I've taken his advice. It's really been fun. I would add it has also been a risk as well, but always worth it when I've taken the Master's lead. Let me give you an example.

Right now I am in Ohio at a conference with a friend and a man who has brought much healing to the Body of Christ. As I have been with him I have been continually grateful for his company, his wisdom and his listening ear. In small ways I've had a "shout" of thanksgiving and I've let it out. Let me give you another example that was powerful yesterday.

As I took my morning run I started to pray for my family, but before I got started I became overwhelmed with thanksgiving for each of my children and my precious wife, Cindy. As God brought the memory of each of them before me, I felt explosions of thanksgiving going off inside. I'm pretty sure one of the drivers going by wondered why this guy was blubbering as he ran down the road! Well, ya' just can't hold stuff like that in. So, I had the opportunity to thank each of them through the day (except my son who is in Turkey right now - I'll catch up with him later:) for what they mean to me. It was such a blessing to let these little shouts out.

God's Word speaks of praising Him in so many places. Sometimes we take this as something "we have to do". How about looking at that a little differently today? How about looking at it as something you and I get to do. I know you will not regret it. God is good. Take a moment today to consider His goodness in your life and when He gives you a shout - let it out!

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

"There is Safety in Numbers" - Really?

2011-06-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever watched that new show called "Myth Busters"? It's such an interesting show. One show I watched recently concerned the myth that a person could somehow catch a bullet with their teeth. Well, you can imagine no one was willing to step up to really test that one! And, in fact, they proved scientifically it was impossible. So, don't try that one at home:)

There is another myth I would like to challenge today. It's the myth that says, "There's safety in numbers." While I understand the concept and know that in some cases this would be true, I think we need to challenge it none the less. Let me explain. In Samuel the Prophet's day people were doing whatever they felt to be right in their own eyes. In the midst of this there was a spiritual leader named Eli who was winking at sin being committed by his own sons right in front of him - and doing it in the name of God! During this time the "Numbers" of people seemed to be doing just fine on the outside. However, you will see by the word of prophecy Samuel received from God the bottom was about to drop out. Listen to what Samuel heard as he listened,

"Then the Lord said to Samuel, "I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. I am going to carry out all My threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn't disciplined them. So, I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings." 1 Samuel 3:11-14.

Wow! Now that is powerful word given to young Samuel for Eli. I am sure Samuel felt this word of prophecy was too big to carry and would certainly single him out as not being a part of the "Numbers". However, as Pastor Josh pointed out in his Whispers Series message last week, "Listening is designed to bring safety." God loves His people so much that He knew it was time to let Eli know enough was enough. There is no safety in just moving along with what everyone else feels is fine, but there is safety in listening to the voice of the Lord and heeding Him. Even if it singles you out.

Is there something happening around you right now in your family, in a relationship, or at work that you know is just not right? Furthermore, do you think it is possible that you are in the middle of that situation because God has placed you there? You have a choice to make. You can just move along with your head down doing your thing, or you can stop and listen to what God is saying about the situation. As you gain His heart for what is happening, I think a fire will begin to burn inside till as Popeye once said, "I can stands it no more!" And then you'll act as Samuel did and bring truth and alignment with God into the arena He has placed you in for such a time as this.

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

P.S. If you would, please pray for me this next week. I am attending a Formational Prayer Seminar with a counselor friend of mine next week at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio. I'm trusting God to use this seminar in a powerful way in my life. I'll be blogging again in two weeks - see ya' then!

Which Voice?

2011-05-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

As our church and community groups listen to our messages in this series called Whispers, the discussion often comes around to, "Which voice?" It's a good question. As Paul Johansson spoke to us last week he said today's problem is this: TOO MANY VOICES! Because of this God's sheep are having more difficulty hearing His voice.

Now, here is the secret, and I'm here to tell you it is a simple one. John 10:4 promises us, "...My sheep know My voice." Yes, it is true there are many voices, but there is One Voice that bears the heart message of our God. It is the voice that always reflects the written Word of God and always glorifies the Father in Heaven. It is the One Voice you can trust.

Paul Johansson went on to say, "There is no need to run after the Word of the Lord. It will come to you as you ABIDE in His will." Read John 15:1-8. Over and over again the truth of abiding in Christ is encouraged while not abiding in Christ is held out to us in graphic detail - a dead branch that is eventually tossed in a fire.

Dear Friends, the last thing I want for myself, my wife, my family, or for you is to be in the state of being a dead and dried out branch with no life flowing through it. However, there is a battle that you and I must engage in each day. It is the battle between our soulish nature and our spirit that has been born-again through repentance and faith in Christ. Your Spirit knows it needs to come under the authority of God's Word, but your soulish nature wants nothing to do with that. This is where the fight lies, but here is the crux of what I want to share with you today. THERE IS A VOICE in the midst of all the voices out there, and that VOICE is found through your connection/your abiding with Christ. Do you feel at odds with yourself, confused about your next steps and just simply tired of all the voices in our world today. I want you to know today that there is a VOICE and it is the voice of your Shepherd the Lord Jesus Christ. Draw aside to Him today, shut out the other voices, open up His Holy Word and hear the ONE VOICE that really matters.

Have a great week with the Savior, Pastor Eric

Whisper + Wisdom = ??

2011-05-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

I hope you don't hate math because I gave you an equation today:) Truthfully, I'm not much for math either. In fact, when I had a chance in High School to take Engineering Drawing instead of Trig you can imagine what I chose - those T-squares were great!

The equation I gave in the title today is a very important equation when it comes to hearing God's whispers and then adding wisdom to the whisper. There have been times in my life where I knew I heard something from God, but I either waited to long to act upon it, or acted too soon. You see the right whisper acted upon in the wrong time ends up becoming a mistake and in some cases a disaster.

Last Sunday our Pastor used the example of the Israelites and the promised land. Initially 12 spies from Israel were sent out to spy out the land. Two came back with the courageous word to go and take the land for the Lord has given it to us, but 10 sowed fear like seeds among the people and the multitude listened to the 10 and did not go in. Later, after the Lord had chastised the people, a number of them rose up and said, "We'll follow the Lord now. Let's go fight those guys!" (my paraphrase). Moses told them not to do it, but they went any way and were slaughtered. You see they received a word/whisper (sounded like a whisper to them when it came from Caleb and Joshua) to take the land right then, but they refused to go at the right time under the leadership and blessing of God. Then later they went up on their own "word" and were wiped out! Missing that whisper turned out to be a disaster! I would encourage you to read this for yourselves in Numbers 13:30-14:45.

So, when you receive a whisper it is time to add wisdom to it. Where does this wisdom come from? We would submit four sources to you:

(1) The Word of God - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

(2) The Spirit of God - Romans 8:5-6

(3) Circumstances - 1 Corinthians 16:5-9

(4) Counselors - Proverbs 15:22

Please go through this short Bible study thoughtfully and I can guarantee you that it will help you immensely the next time you receive a whisper from God. Are you ready for the answer to the equation? Here goes:

Whisper + Wisdom = God's Kingdom Expressed in Real Life

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Presents, Presents, Presents!

2011-05-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

I have a short blog today (my blogger was not working until now at the end of the day - oh well:), but I trust it will be one that will encourage you.

On my bike ride this morning three words came into my mind - presents, presents, presents. That's not three words! You're right. Here's the words again, but with different spellings - present(s), presence and presents. I believe God is asking for two of them and wanting to give us the third. Let me explain.

Present(s) - God wants us right now! Not when we've graduated, become certified, feel qualified, etc. He wants our present person - you know, who we are right now. Can you give him who you presently are? The disciples did just this some 2,000 years ago and look what He did with them!

Presence - God wants your presence in His Presence. Yes, He wants proximity to you. So many times we are physically present some where, but our presence is off somewhere else - usually worrying about something. Here's a good piece of advice - "Be where you are." You'll bless the people closest to you (I know a lot about this one:) and you will really bless the Lord when you give your full presence to Him as you worship Him, pray and co-labor with Him.

Presents - Ok, this is the fun part. When you give God who you presently are and also give Him your presence (full attention) He begins to download presents. Yes, presents of peace that surpass understanding, answers to prayers you now can receive because you are fully alert, and other presents that just come from the blue. For example, the other night my daughter Natalie quoted from one of our favorite movies called, "It's a Wonderful Life" by saying something to the effect of, "Dad, you've made a real difference." Let me tell you that was a present straight from heaven!

So, present(s), presence and presents - may God help you with all three to His glory!

Have a great weekend, Pastor Eric

What Sets You Apart?

2011-05-06T05:40:00.000-07:00

If you claim Jesus to be the Lord of your life, what sets you apart from others? Is it your morality?Your peace in times of crisis? Your love for your enemies?

I would say these characteristics and other godly attributes set you apart, but I want to ask you what truly sets you apart from the world and its way of handling life?

Our pastor, Josh Finley, opened up our "Whispers Series" last Sunday with the notion that it is possible “to learn to hear from heaven in such a way that we are able to navigate life on earth.” He went on to say, “the voice of God is the most powerful force in the universe. When it encounters chaos it creates order.”

So, let's ask the question again. What sets you apart as a Christ-follower? I would say to you (from God's Word and from experience) it is hearing God's Word and obeying it that sets you and I as Christ-followers apart from the world's atmosphere.

Listen to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

I started this blog by asking if your morality and other characteristics set you apart, and I would agree that these characteristics do set you apart. However, you developed these attributes by coming under the Word of God, recognizing its authority over your life and then humbly obeying the God's Word. As you humbly obey the Word you receive peace in the midst of chaos, strength when others are falling apart and love when the situation would seem to demand justice and revenge.

So, what is His Word whispering to you today? Is it to forgive that wrong done to you and pray for that enemy? Is it to draw aside and worship the King of kings? These kinds of whispers from God and our response to them is truly what sets us apart!

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Whispers...

2011-04-29T05:40:00.000-07:00

This coming Sunday our church is starting what we are calling the "Whispers Series". Our desire is to focus on hearing God's voice and responding to what He is whispering into our lives. I would like to encourage you to join a Whispers Community Group at our upcoming Groups Fair this Sunday, or start a group of your own - even if you do not attend Elim Gospel Church! It is really very simple to do. Simply watch the message on line (if you did not attend the service) or watch our "Talk it Over" 3 minute DVD from our web site (http://elimgospel.net/#/media) and then go to our "Groups" area and then click on: "Questions" (http://elimgospel.net/#/groups/questions). and print out the sermon-based discussion questions. You now have all you need for your Whispers Community Group! Try it out with some friends or with your family. We trust this will help you focus your attention on hearing what God has to say to you at this critical season in your life.

Psalm 29:3 declares, "The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters." This doesn't sound much like a whisper does it? The truth is that God often does speak in whisper (think of Elijah when he was fleeing from Jezebel and needed to hear from God and He came to him on the mountain in a gentle breeze). However, this passage draws our attention to how God's voice has the ability to override the mighty waters of our lives. He speaks over all the noise and drops into our lives the Word that saves us, directs us, comforts us in loss and conquers all our fears. Let me share with you a "directional Word" God gave to my family and I at a critical point in our lives to illustrate what I'm communicating here.

In 1994 I had a job as the Assistant to the Director at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Though I loved the people I worked with and the many exciting opportunities I had to meet and serve internationals from Russia, China, Vietnam, Tibet, etc., I had a gnawing desire to serve God in full-time ministry. We had served as Youth Pastors part-time, but we always sensed we would serve God's people in a full-time capacity. So, late one night, I was finishing a novel by Bodie Thoene called "A Thousand Shall Fall" (good book by the way:). At the end of the book there was an additional page that described a ministry built to minister to troubled children called Cookson Hills Christian Ministries. Bodie had been very impressed by this ministry and asked people to support this ministry as they could. As I read this I sensed God saying to me, "I not only want you to send in some financial support, but I want you ask if there is an opening for you and Cindy to serve as house parents there." This was a critical moment in my life. I heard what He said and I responded with a check and a letter of interest sent to Cookson Hills. This simple "whisper" and my response to it changed my life and my family forever. In about 6 months time we sold basically all that we had and moved to Oberlin, Kansas to serve in this ministry. The story takes many twists and turns from there, but one thing it surely did was to plant our family in full-time Christian ministry where we've been ever since. It all started with a whisper.

So, here you are today. Take a moment to listen to the Master. What is He saying? Need some help with this? Check out our Whispers Series and get some helpful hints along the way. God is speaking and His voice overrides the mighty waters - He really does!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Kiss The Son...

2011-04-22T05:55:00.000-07:00

As the Easter season came closer this year I recalled something significant from my boyhood. I remembered my mother taking me to a Good Friday service at our church. The crucifixion of Jesus for our sins was read about and the story became suddenly very real to me. Then, at the end of the service, something very different from any other service happened. The crucifix with Jesus on it was brought to the altar in front of the kneeler. I did not know what to make of this until I saw a line of people form and each one knelt before the Savior of the world and kissed his feet that were nailed to the cross. I stepped into line and when I kissed his feet I realized a shift was beginning to occur inside of me. I was beginning to understand what Jesus had done for me on the cross, and a certain gratitude for Him started to grow inside me. I could never forget that experience.

As I reflected on this some Scripture passages came to my mind. I looked them up and poured over them. They were Scriptures concerning kissing the Son of God. Specifically, I looked at two significant kisses the Son of Man received and noticed how vastly different these two kisses were.

The first kiss I looked at was Judas' kiss found in the gospels. Matthew 26:47-50 tells us that Judas betrayed Jesus to the chief priests with a kiss. I started wondering about the motivation behind this kiss of betrayal. The simple answer would be that Judas wanted money, which he did receive. However, it had to be deeper than that because the money did not satisfy him. This was evidenced by the fact that he committed suicide right after betraying Jesus. So, it had to be more than that. People who commit suicide are disgusted with their life situation and with themselves. I think Judas was in that place. I believe he was disgusted because Jesus was not who he expected Him to be. Like other God-fearing Jews, Judas was looking for a conquering Messiah. He thought he found that Messiah in Jesus and followed him for three years, but then was continually frustrated by Jesus acting very un-Messiah like in his eyes. Ultimately, Judas, not seeing Jesus conform to his image of the Messiah, betrayed Jesus to the chief priests with a kiss. His kiss was a kiss of dishonor and frustration. Earlier in Jesus' ministry a very different kiss occurred.

In Luke 7:36-50 we see Jesus entering a Pharisee's home. Immediately, a known sinner, a woman, began to wash Jesus' feet with costly ointment, her hair and her own tears. Then she did something even more extraordinary. She began to continually kiss His feet in honor of who she recognized Jesus to be! What a totally different kiss from the kiss Judas gave! Judas' kiss was delivered with a controlling and frustrated spirit and this woman's multiple kisses on Jesus' feet were delivered in humility and complete trust in Him. Her explicit trust resulted in Jesus taking all her sins away.

In Psalm 2:12 the Scripture says, "Kiss the Son..." This is addressed to kings who were being instructed to, "Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling". The problem with us human beings is that we want to be in control of things just like Judas and the kings mentioned in this Psalm. Yet, the Lord is calling us to humbly acknowledge who He is and submit ourselves to His will by kissing Him - so to speak. Yes! Kiss the Savior of the world. The Savior who made the way for all our sins to be cleansed away through a mean cross of crucifixion.

Have you been frustrated in the midst of your life lately? Has your expectation of Jesus been somehow let down and brought you to a place of disillusionment? I want to encourage you on this Good Friday, 2011, to humble yourself before the King of kings and kiss His feet. In your mind's eye taste the cost He paid for your sins to be removed from you. Honor Him as the Son of God - the only One who can truly save you from your sins. Then, understand that He is no longer nailed to the cross. He's alive! In fact, you will find His loosed hands lift your face from kissing His feet and His kiss will come upon your forehead. His kiss delivers the promise of forgiveness and also direction away from your frustration and into His purpose and Light. So, yes! Let us kiss the Son this day!

Have a great Easter! Pastor Eric

Dina's Legacy

2011-04-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

I want to introduce you to someone I highly admire this week. Her name is Dina. She passed away some years ago and is with Jesus now, but her time here with us was golden! Let me tell you how I met her and what I leaned from this precious woman.

I first met Dina when I was speaking at a nursing home. As I spoke that week I noticed this one very proper looking lady smiling and her eyes lighting up when I shared God's Word. As was the custom, we visited with the patients after the service and it was then that I had the privilege of meeting Dina. She told me how much she enjoyed the service and how dearly she loved the Lord Jesus. She also expressed an interest in the young people of our community in Oberlin, Kansas. So, I asked her if she would like to pray with me each week for the young people. She heartily said, "Yes!" So, each week we met on Wednesday in her room, talked and prayed together.

One day I was called and told Dina was in the hospital. As I went to go see her I thought, "Dina needs to meet some of the young people she is praying for." So, I gathered a group of youth and brought them for a visit to Dina's room. She loved it! Seizing the moment, I asked Dina to share one of her faith stories and this is what she shared:

My first husband was a farmer and an evangelist who traveled to churches and preached the good news of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, cancer was found in him. Back in those days they didn't know how to treat it and he did not like medications. So, he continued his life enduring much pain, but always trusting in Jesus. On a very hot Kansas day (I believe she said it was 107 that day) in their prairie farm house her dear husband passed away into the presence of Christ. Dina was now left with 3 very small children and no income. One morning they went to the table for breakfast, but there was no food in the house - the cupboards were bare! Dina asked one of her children to pray the blessing over the meal. He said, "Mama, there's no food to bless." Dina replied, "Hush up, son. God will provide, but you go ahead and pray." So, he prayed. As he did there came a knock at the door. Dina went and answered the door, finding a neighbor lady standing there with three bags of groceries! The lady went on to say, "These are for your family, and we'll continue to provide groceries until you are on your feet again. You do not have to worry. God is caring for you and my family gets to help!"

Isn't that an incredible story! When she was finished she encouraged the young people to read God's Word. She especially loved Psalm 46, which proclaimed something very important to Dina, "God is an ever-present help in time of trouble."

How are you today? Does your cupboard seem bare? It may be physically bare, or spiritually bare. Take a reminder from Dina today, "God is an ever-present help in time of trouble."

Have a great week,

Pastor Eric

Chuh, Chuh, Changes To Face...

2011-04-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

Some of you in my age range (50's :) may remember this line from a popular song by - I can't remember who (where does our memory go?). However, I believe the song goes on to say, "changes to face the strain..." Life really can be a strain at times, can't it? But this artist really did have it right. We must change to face the challenges ahead.

Have you found yourself resistant to change lately? I know as I've grown older I definitely have. Yet, this is what God calls us to and sometimes we simply do not understand it. Two things I read this morning really caught my attention concerning adapting or changing towards God:

1. Abraham - This was just crazy! Isaac was born to Sarah and Abraham well past the child-bearing years. Just as they are getting used to the idea of having this little fellow around God asks Abraham to sacrifice him to Himself. Ouch! This was the child of promise. What was God up to? However, Abraham's prayer life, or lines of communication with God were evidently wide open and Abraham's response was, "Son, we've got a trip to make today and it involves a sacrifice." Abraham embraced this change due to his confidence in the goodness of God. Later, we see the goodness of God when He provides a ram for the offering in his son's stead. Even later still we see the incredible goodness of God when He does allow His only son to be sacrificed for our sins. Is God good, or what?!

2. Richard Foster - This author has written much on the spiritual disciplines. Listen to what he says about adapting and change - "To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The more we pray, the more we come to the heartbeat of God.

Prayer starts the communication process between ourselves and God. All the options of life fall before us. At that point we will either forsake our prayer life and cease to grow, or we will pursue our prayer life and let Him change us."

Coupling these two thoughts together I want to simply say this: If your prayer life has become lifeless or even non-existent, allow the Holy Spirit to put the dip stick in to your "change reservoir". Are you a quart low, or possibly completely dry? If so, let's cry out to Him now,

Father, I realize today that my prayer life has drifted. I also realize that it has drifted because I resist change. In fact, I hate change, Lord! However, when I read about men who loved You like Abraham I can see that their communication was tight with You and this tightness gave them a supernatural ability to embrace change. I want that, Father. Forgive me for resisting change and allowing my prayer life to become so shallow. I choose to trade in my life for the a true life with You. Where this surrender will take me I do not know, but I do know You will be there with me and that is good enough. Amen.

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Can You Choose How to Respond Well to a Trial?

2011-04-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know that you can! In fact, I've just had several opportunities including:

When we arrived in Italy to spend time with our son and daughter-in-law, we quickly realized after our arrival that, due to a military crisis, our son would not be able to take leave while we were there and, in fact, would work 12 to 15 hour days each day we were there (we were very thankful he was given one day off the last day we were there).
At the end of a great bicycling adventure through some great little Italian towns my precious wife hit a curb with her tire, fell down and we just found out yesterday she fractured her arm in the process. Lots of pain and no fun on this incident!
Then, last night, adding a bit of insult to injury, my wife was flossing and a big chunk one of her teeth broke off. Ouch!

I'm sure you've had trials similar to these and probably much worse. So, the question comes back, "Can you choose how to respond well to a trial?" Let's look at our Source - God's Word - and see how Abraham responded to a one of the trials he faced. Please read Genesis 14:11 - 15:1. Here are some highlights I saw from Abraham's response to this trial:

1. Abraham owned the situation as his to deal with. In fact, Lot became more than a nephew to him in this story. Lot became like a brother to Abraham (Genesis 14:14). Lot was the son of Haran, Abraham's brother. However, Haran died and Abraham took him with him when he left his country in obedience to God's word to him (Genesis 12:1). So, instead of taking on an attitude of, "That's your problem, Lot," Abraham embraced the trial as his own.

2. Abraham, though we can not see that he has fought any battles yet, was prepared. The Bible says, "...he armed his 318 trained servants who were born in his house, and went in pursuit..." Abraham understood he would be facing some major challenges. Therefore, he prepared for the time of battle. As a pastor, I would prevail on you today to prepare yourself for the days ahead! Read God's Word (it is life and truth), pray with confidence and ask God to help you have clarity to know what trials/battles are yours to own and engage in and which are for you to leave to Him (examples of both of these responses are in God's Word).

3. Abraham took action. Once he understood this was his trial to own, he wasted no time in getting to business. If you are prone to procrastination and tend to "hope things will just go away," stop it. If you know the trial is yours to deal with and you're prepared for the action you need to take, then take action. This is what Abraham did (his strategy is still used today in military conflicts) and God gave him favor. He was able to get back Lot, his family, and tons of the enemy's goods.

4. Abraham was a thankful giver. He was so thankful that he tithed to Melchizedek, King of Salem, who many acknowledge was probably the Lord.

5. Abraham was honorable. Instead of taking the goods he rightfully won from the enemy of his nephew, he refused to keep them. He only used what was incurred upon them through the battle for those who fought. Everything else he gave back, not wanting his enemy to think they had made him rich.

6. Abraham then received the most precious gift he could receive at the end of this trial. God spoke to him! Listen to what God said, "Do not be afraid Abram, I am your shield, your exceeding great reward."

Well, I just received a call from my wife letting me know the dentist can see her about her tooth emergency in half an hour. So, I gotta' go, but you know what? I've finished this blog for today. Abraham has given us an incredible example of how to respond well to a trial. Please take this little study/blog and allow God to bring it to application in your life. You will not regret it. I guarantee it!

Blessings to you and it's good to be back in the USA!

Pastor Eric

How Strong?

2011-03-11T05:48:00.001-08:00

If you have ever watched the movie "Remember the Titans", you will know the answer to that question. It is, "Too strong!" In the movie it referred to young men preparing for a football season on the field and, more importantly, overcoming racism off the field. This week I want to talk to you about being so strong you can not be moved - even too strong for the enemy to move you!

In order to do this I would like you to move through a look at Psalm 15 with me. Place your cursor on the verse, read it and then check out my thoughts on the verse. I believe a digestion of this Psalm will help you to become so strong that you will be immovable!

Psalm 15:1 - The question is posed, "Lord, who may abide in Your house?" It is a good question. So many believers I talk to experience a sense of unworthiness whenever they think about spending time in His Presence. I know I have personally had these feelings myself and they can be crippling! However, let's look at some actions given in the rest of this Psalm we can take to become "too strong"!

Psalm 15:2 - God is saying that a person who chooses to do right and speaks truth in their heart has a place in His Presence. Isn't this a moment by moment choice each of us has? As we choose to surrender to our Lord we allow His power to work through us and do the right thing at the right time. As we do the right thing at the right time we're empowered further to dispel the lies of the enemy that want access into our inner-world. We dispel them in Jesus' Name as we adopt His truths and reject satan's lies - clear sky in and clouds out!

Psalm 15:3 - Here we choose to esteem others as better than ourselves. We don't choose to think or say evil of others. I Corinthians 13 tells us that "love hopes all things". This Scripture has become a lifesaver for me! I will choose to hope the best and think the best of others, and, even when they fail me (and they will), I will choose not to allow their failure to define them.

Psalm 15:4 - The central thought here is giving honor to whom honor is due. I will not smile upon or endorse in any way vile behavior. This will put you in some uncomfortable situations I know, but who's smile do you want at the end of the day? The world's smile or your Lord's? It's a question worth asking. Now, let's look at the positive side of this verse. I will choose to honor those who fear the Lord. I will spend time with them and bless them. I will also become a person of honor. When I promise something, I will fulfill that promise - even if it hurts me!

Psalm 15:5 - Now we're talking about our finances. This verse is saying that a person who can dwell with God does not take financial advantage of others. Something a man of God taught me years ago was this: "You know when a person has truly surrendered to God. It is when they have moved from being a taker to a giver." In other words the immovable person is confident enough to give when the world around them is grasping and taking.

The last sentence of this Psalm sums up the person who abides in God's Presence very well - it simply says, "He who does these things shall never be moved." I call that too strong!

I have a "special service announcement" this week. God has blessed my wife and I with the incredible privilege of a vacation in Italy! We will be staying with our son, Zachary and his wife, Laura, where Zach is stationed at Aviano Air Force Base. Therefore, I will not be blogging for a while as I do not know what my internet access will be there. So, it may be a few weeks before you hear from me. Ciao!

Pastor Eric

First Steps

2011-03-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJLHtZ6LxIY

Vince First Steps!!

www.youtube.com

First Steps

Yes, I am that grandpa (I'm told Vince will call me "Pops") that shows anyone who will look pictures of my grandson! Above you will see Vince taking his first steps dressed only in his diaper. I'm pretty sure I'll hear about this in years to come, but what's a Pops to do:)!

I want to speak to you briefly this week about first steps. No, not Vince's first steps(though they were awesome!), but about our first steps as a Christian. Just last week I had the privilege of leading someone to faith in Jesus Christ for the very first time. Her first steps looked like this:

Realization that she needed to ask Christ's forgiveness for her sins and turn away from those sins.
Realization that she needed to place her faith in Jesus Christ as her Savior and knew she had never done this before.
Then she chose to act upon her realizations when she sought Christ's forgiveness for her sins and then placed her faith in Jesus. When she did this you could tell immediately God had made her a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

So, these are the very first steps a person makes to become a son or daughter of God (John 1:12). Now, I would like to share with you what is often the very next step. This is the step of forgiving others. In Jesus' parable about forgiveness (Matthew 18:23-35) He makes it very clear that we must forgive the sins of others against us. If we do not, we restrict God from forgiving our sins putting us into a condition of spiritual bondage. I would encourage you to take some time and read this parable and meditate on it. While you are thinking about this passage, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you about anyone you may be holding something against. If He shows you someone like this, then make the choice to follow Christ in forgiving that person just as He has forgiven you all of your sins. You will never regret it!

Why do I share this? Because in my ministry I have seen the lack of forgiveness as one of the number one culprits of producing bitterness and strife in people's lives. I know that personally the very first thing I was asked to do as a new Christ-follower was to forgive someone who had hurt me terribly. In time I prayed fervently for this person's salvation and eventually saw this person come to know Jesus personally. I'm fairly convinced that would not have happened had I not forgiven them. I'm also convinced I was spared a boat load of bitterness as well. I'll leave you with this last passage to look up. It is a good one and found in Hebrews 12:15.

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

If Not You, Who?

2011-02-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

If you are a Christ-follower, you are carrying in you the most important Being in the universe who also happens to have the most important message in the universe for the people He loves so intensely. So, what do we do with that? How does this message get out? More importantly, who is being asked to share this message? I'll follow that with the title of this blog: If not you, who?

Yes, the message of Jesus' forgiveness and new life lives in you and it's bustin' to get out. What Jesus has done to set you free from your sins, give you purpose and affirm your worth as one of His is a story that needs to be released. I can tell you your story is an awesome story. Of course, you feel it's "just you", but it's not. Yes, it's just you, but it's the you that Jesus saved, cleansed of sin and gave hope to. You have an important story to tell that has the potential of changing other people's lives.

Ok, enough said there. Now, let me give you a practical idea that will help you release your story. In our home we have something we call "conversation starters"(when one of the kids was little they thought it was "confirmation starters":) Well, we did one last night with our pastor's family. What a blast! The conversation starter I gave was, "Share a story of a time when Jesus made Himself especially real to you." To my surprise Pastor Josh's son, Judah, jumped right in with his story. He said he felt God really strong in his life the first time he came to Vermont and saw how wonderful God's world is in a new place! Then he became the emcee of the conversation starter and made sure everyone shared their story. We had a blast encouraging each other with God Stories and at the same time one generation was passing on its faith to the next. This is one way you could start sharing your God Story with your family. Why not give it a shot this weekend? After all, if not you, who?

Blessings to you and your family, Pastor Eric

Confessions From the Prayer Closet

2011-02-18T05:37:00.000-08:00

I love the emphasis our church has had on our prayer over the years, and I especially appreciate the new vision for prayer that has been cast through our Oasis Prayer Room. We have established nine new prayer times (see our home page), and our congregation has contributed $25,000 to enlarge our old Prayer Room to accommodate more people!

I have enjoyed going to some of these new prayer times and also going by myself to the Oasis Prayer Room that we keep open throughout the day and into the evening with live streaming from International House of Prayer in Kansas City. These times have become wonderful opportunities to come and draw near to Father God.

However, as my title above states, I have confessions from the prayer closet. Here are a few of them:

I realize that whenever I go into the prayer closet, I take me and all my stuff into that room - ugh!
I come face to face with God Almighty who calls the shots in the universe. I am humbled to the core.
I am afraid to hear what He has to say because I question whether I am worthy to hear Him and, worse, am I willing to be obedient to what He calls me to when I am listening?

So, there are my confessions for all the world to see. Do you have similar thoughts or concerns?I'm sure that you do. Because I am sure of that, I would like to address each of these confessions with the truth.

Being in the prayer closet with "our stuff" - God totally gets this! In fact, if it was not for our stuff (sin), He never would have needed to send His only Son to die for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us." That, my friends, is good news. So, when we come into the prayer closet the first thing we can do to disarm our sense of shame is to thank God our Father for all that He accomplished through His Son, Jesus, for us. Then thank Jesus for laying everything down for us that we could be whole and in right relationship with His Father. Finally, invite the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh with His righteousness, peace and joy. God has overcome our stuff!
God is huge! - Yes, He is. So, worship Him. He does not want His awesomeness to push us away, but to draw us close under the Enormous Rock of Salvation that He is. It's perfectly right to be humbled, but not intimidated into a state of weakness. Remember, He has become our Strength (2 Samuel 22:3).
Afraid of what He might say? - We ought to have a holy fear of God, but not a fear that paralyzes us into inaction. He will have things to say to us in the prayer closet, but I think the best way I can describe what He will say is that His words will be the words of a Perfect Father. Think about that for a bit. Would an earthly father demand his 4 year old to drive to the store and pick up milk and eggs and then get infuriated when the 4 year old can't do it? No, that would be ridiculous. Therefore, your Perfect Father in heaven is not going to ask you to do things that are ridiculous for you to accomplish. He may ask you to walk in some things that seem impossible in your mind, but because He has asked you to do this thing, He knows you are entirely capable of not only accomplishing the task, but excelling at it (hint: this is possible because through faith in Jesus He actually lives inside you to accomplish His will on the earth).

These thoughts have been helpful to me as I've prayed lately. I really hope they are helpful to you as well. I want to leave you with this thought - Our God is truly awesome! He can take the foulest and make it clean. He can make the wilderness blossom - take a moment now and think about the words found in Isaiah 35:1,

"The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom." This is the heart of the God we serve and the desire He has for His people.

Have a great weekend, Pastor Eric

What In The World Can I Do?

2011-02-11T06:03:00.001-08:00

Have you ever asked yourself this question? I have many times, but especially on Fridays. "Why on Fridays?", you may ask. Good question! You see, for each of the days Monday through Friday our family sits down to breakfast, I read a devotion and then we pray for a certain concern. The prayer concerns go like this: Monday - our immediate family; Tuesday - our extended family; Wednesday - the various "worlds" we live in (i.e., public school for our daughter, etc.); Thursday - the United States; and Friday - world missions. Ah, Friday - ugh! Do you see my dilemma? What in the world can I do?

In trying to answer this question I want to share with you one of the most terrifying passages of Scripture I have ever read. It is found in Ezekiel 22:30 and says,

"I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none."

God says, "I found none." These three words cause me to tremble. Why to tremble? Honestly, because it makes me feel that somehow I have failed God. And as I pick at this thought a bit more I realize that the world's problems just seem way to big to me and I throw my hands up in the air and say, "What in the world can I do?"

As I mulled this over recently in prayer I sensed the Holy Spirit say, "Just one thing." I asked, "You want me to just do one thing, Lord?" He replied, "Yes, and then I'll give you something else, but I just want to give you one thing at a time. There is no need for you to feel overwhelmed by this world's troubles. Remember, I have already overcome the world (John 16:33)! Now you get to walk in My power to see this truth first hand on my planet one thing at a time as I direct you."

I don't know about you, but this made real sense to me. So, I asked, "What one thing today?" I sensed Him say, "Help someone who is going on a mission trip." So, I did. And I started thinking, "This really does not need to be overwhelming. He is simply saying He'll lead me as I draw near to Him and hear that "one thing". So, I'm thinking the answer to the question, "What in the world can I do?" is, "One thing at a time!"

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

P.S. Ask Him what one thing He has on His mind for you today. You may be surprised by His answer!

Tough Love -> Firm Love

2011-02-04T05:47:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about my walk with God lately in a new light. One truth that has been connecting with me in a stronger way is that before God the Father was anything else (Creator of the world, of man, etc.) He was the Father relating to His Son and the Holy Spirit. I will not pretend to understand this fully, but what I do get is that He is our Father in Heaven when we receive Him as children. And, beyond that, since He is the original Father, He is really good at it - giving tough love when needed, but desires more to grow us into receiving firm love. Let me explain.

Please read through 2 Timothy 2:19-21 (just place your cursor on the reference). Here in this passage I see the Father taking His children from tough love into a more mature form of love I'm calling firm love. In the beginning of the passage God says through Paul, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." This is tough love. I get this and it's valid. When I first confessed Christ as Lord and Savior He said, "No more drugs, alcohol and carousing - you are My son and I won't have it!" I had a choice at that point to choose my way or His way. Because He was living in me and I had tasted His goodness, I had the power to choose Him. That was tough love and just what I needed, but I needed to move to His firm love. Let me try and explain that now.

Later in the passage I asked you to read it says, "If a man cleanses himself from the latter (dishonorable purposes), he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." Why do I call this firm love? Because at this point we're past the obvious sins (carousing, drunkenness, you fill in the blank...) and now Paul is talking about honoring God. The first love we needed was a tough love, but now we need a firm love from God that basically speaks to us saying, "I am in your corner, son/daughter, but I'm in your corner to cheer you on to noble/honorable causes that further My Kingdom. My love for you is firm and purposeful. Surrender to Me and I'll take you places you never dreamed possible - places of humility, ministry and honor that opens your eyes wide in the morning with anticipation of Me and what I am doing in the earth." Just as I finished writing these words I realized this is a prophetic word to you this morning. Run with it, dear brothers and sisters, and your Father in Heaven on this earth! Yes, His love can be tough at times, but His desire is to move us into His firm and honorable love for the world He sent His Son to die for.

Have a great week honoring our Father!

Pastor Eric

Prayer - A Lonely Experience or a Treasure Chest?

2011-01-28T05:33:00.000-08:00

I'd like to explore that question, but start with a couple of thoughts we have been hearing from our Lead Pastor during our 21 day fast this month:

(1) Fasting without prayer is just a diet.

(2) Prayer is the most resisted activity on the planet.

These thoughts really ring true, don't they? Well, this week I would like to share with you a couple of books that I am reading and then look at our question again. Here are the books I am reading:

1. "Secrets of the Secret Place" by Bob Sorge - this book can be read alone devotionally, or can be read to your family one chapter at a time (the chapters are very short).

2. "Building Your Personal House of Prayer" by Larry Krieder.

Both are excellent resources for building a prayer life. Here are two thoughts (lots of "twos" today:) from these books that I married together this morning in an attempt to answer the title question:

1. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16).

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off

to a solitary place, where He prayed (Mark 1:35).

2. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to

your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly (Matthew 6:6).

Watch this now. Jesus withdraws to a lonely or solitary place to pray. It sounds kind of gloomy doesn't it? In fact, here are some thoughts I think you and I have about prayer at times:

- "It seems so futile"

- "I feel so alone when I pray"

- "Why does prayer seem so desolate?"

- "Is God really listening, or is He busy with something important?"

- "If He speaks to me, how will I know it is Him?"

I can not address all these questions in this blog, but I can tell you something really wonderful. Jesus was not alone in the lonely or solitary place! How do I know this? Because of the second Scripture I gave you above. It says very clearly that the Father was waiting for Him in the secret place, just as He waits for you and I. Folks, take this second Scripture deep into your heart and allow it to reign as a pillar of truth in your life - God is in the lonely place of prayer waiting to open His heart up to you - to give you as Bob Sorge says, "secrets of the secret place".

I would encourage you today - even in this next moment to stop and put yourself in that solitary place with Your Father. He guarantees in His Word that He will meet you there.

So, is prayer lonely, or is it a treasure chest of the Father's secrets? It looks like He's saying it's a treasure chest!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Can Ordinary People Change Lives?

2011-01-21T05:43:00.000-08:00

Not long ago I read a book by Larry Crabb titled, "Connecting". In the fourth chapter Larry starts with, "Ordinary people have the power to change other people's lives." What a powerful statement! How can he make such an astounding statement? I believe he can make this statement based upon this Biblical truth found in many places, but in particular this can be seen in John's Gospel, chapter 14. In this chapter Jesus states, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing." And then Jesus takes it another step further by saying, "He will do even greater things than these..." How can this be? As we keep reading in chapter 14 we read how this is possible. Jesus goes on to explain a wonderful truth that the Christian must experience - the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. Listen to Jesus' words, "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans..." Can you see that this changes everything?

This coming Sunday at our church we will have our quarterly Groups Fair. This is an exciting time for us as people in our church check out different groups being offered and then jump into one. New relationships will form, Biblical curriculum will be taken in by the group members, discussed and people will move to new levels of trust with one another. In the midst of a group of ordinary people lives will be changed. Why? Because the curriculum is so good? No. Because the group has a wonderful leader? No. Though these are important, the most important aspect of any Biblical community is that Jesus Christ is present within the Christians in the group.

Our tendencies as human beings is to underestimate our impact on people or overly estimate our impact on others. What God calls us to do is to sling a towel over our shoulders, get down on our knees and wash one another's feet. It is in this type of spiritual posture that we get out of the way and allow Jesus to minister to another through us. This is why John the Baptist stated, "He must increase and I must decrease."

Are you in a Christian community? I'm not asking if you go to church every Sunday. I hope that you do, but I'm asking if you have people in your life that you can share your life with, receive help from in times of need and also minister to them in their time of need? If not, it's time to hear once again the words of the author of Hebrews, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Yes, ordinary people can change lives as they allow Jesus to live inside them and flow through them. Isn't that wonderful news today?!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Really?

2011-01-14T05:39:00.000-08:00

Really? You have heard that one word question thousands of times I am sure! This is usually in response to something incredible you have just shared with someone. However, today I would like you to pose this one word question to a long held perception you have held. Let me give you a personal example. For most of my life I have thought that if I exercise daily there is no way I can gain weight. Really? What I have come to realize (and many others my age have come to realize:) is that it is about the calories. If you take more of those energy creators in to your body than you use it turns into excess weight. So, I have had to challenge that distorted perception.

I have been thinking about distorted perception and reality since listening to last Sunday's message given at EGC (you can go to media on this web site and look it up). How many times have we lived our lives under a distorted perception instead of being freed by the truth? Listen to this passage of Scripture found in John 8:31-36,

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

Do you see the distorted perception these people were living under? They thought that just because they were Abraham's descendants they were free, but Jesus introduced them to reality. In a sense Jesus said, "Really?" He wanted them to see the truth that anyone who sins is a slave to sin, but that if you abide in Him, or trust in Him, you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.

How about you? Have you been living under a distorted perception? In counseling I have heard a lot of them. Some include:

"Pot is good for you. It comes from the earth and God meant it for man's good." Really?
"What's wrong with having a few drinks with my friends? How else am I going to reach them with the gospel?" Really?
"What is wrong with me looking at a women? God made them and they should be admired, right?" Really?
"My life has been ruined by the choices I've made." Really?

At certain junctures in our lives we need to stop and look at long held perceptions and challenge them with, "Really?" And then let Jesus answer the question. His desire is that we live in His truth enjoying His fellowship and power to live over distorted perceptions.

Take a moment now and ask the Father if you have been living under a distortion. Then ask, "Really?" And allow Jesus to answer the question. Freedom is right around the corner - don't miss it!

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Has God Changed Your Plans Lately?

2011-01-07T05:51:00.000-08:00

This past Christmas my wife's mother, father and brother joined us for the holiday season. My thoughts about this included family meals, great talks, driving to see Christmas lights and games. All this happened, but my wife threw a wild card into the mix. She suggested our daughter take her mom and brother to New York City as their Christmas gift. Somehow the initial thought of this shattered my ideal view of our Christmas together. Secretly I thought, "Her Mom will never go for it anyway. It's just too much to try and take in New York City and the trip here to Rochester from Wisconsin." Well, let me tell you that blew up on Christmas day. When Cindy's mom opened her card and read about this trip to New York City she began to weep. She had wanted to visit the city her whole life. She wanted to see Times Square Church and see the Statue of Liberty in person. I found myself wisely adjusting to the situation and cheering it on:) By the way, they had a fantastic time!

God has a way of changing our plans, doesn't He? Or does He? It really comes down to who is controlling our lives - us or the Lord Jesus. As I was reading Scripture this morning I came across the story of the two travelers on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-36). As they traveled Jesus came beside them and walked with them, but they were kept from recognizing Him in His resurrected state (this occurred right after Christ's crucifixion). They were deeply saddened by Jesus' death because they hoped He would be the One to redeem Israel. Jesus then explained the Messiah's role beginning with Moses and all the Scriptures pertaining to Himself. Then, because of the lateness of the day, they turned in to a village to stay the night and asked Jesus to stay with them. He did and as they broke bread for their meal Jesus revealed Himself and they marveled at Him. Immediately Jesus disappeared.

Now, here is the part I want you to key on. The Scripture then says, "They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem." (Luke 24:33a). The Scripture did not say they looked at each other and said, "Wow, that was pretty cool. Can you pass me the salt?" No way! They saw Jesus and the time of day, food or sleep did not matter any more. The only thing that mattered was they realized they were part of something much larger than themselves and they needed to let the others know. They immediately went to Jerusalem and shared their story of seeing the risen Christ and while they were still talking Jesus again appeared! It was so important for them to change their plans and to do so with abandon. This allowed them to see Jesus not just once that day, but twice!

How about you? Are you opening yourself up to God revealing Himself to you in this New Year? And when He reveals Himself to you, are you willing to change your plans if needed? Let's face it - walking with God is not a comfortable thing. It is downright unnerving at times. When I think of this I often think of the question presented in C.S. Lewis' Narnia tales, "This Aslan (the Christ figure in the books), is He tame?" The answer was, "No, He's not tame, but He is good." Let's give God the opportunity this year to change our plans and reveal to us just how good He really is to us and to those around us. It will be shaking to us, but it'll be a good shaking!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

What Will Make Your New Year A Happy One?

2011-01-01T08:15:00.000-08:00

My family and I have had the privilege of hosting my wife's father, mother and brother through the holidays. They are three of the most generous and humorous people I know. They have shared their hearts and lives with us for decades. Let me share just one example of many I have. Eight years ago God blessed us with a new Cape Cod style home. The only trouble was the only floor completely finished was the main floor. This left the upstairs and basement to be done. My father-in-law and brother-in-law are master carpenters and my mother-in-law is a wonderful cook (and painter:). These three people packed up their truck and RV with tools, materials and love and trekked here to upstate New York from Wisconsin. They stayed for one month and we finished the whole house off together. What a labor of love this was. We still share many stories and many laughs from this time!

What does this have to do with the question I propose in the title of this blog? It takes a little thinking and consideration of what real happiness is, but Paul tells us in I Corinthians 10:31, "...whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." When I ponder this directive from Paul and the question I propose I keep landing on this thought - serving others through God's grace can not help but put a smile on God's face. And if it puts a smile on God's face, we can be confident He is being glorified!

Let me give one more example. My father-in-law asked me to read a story this morning as we had coffee together. It was a story about a man named Bill. Bill was a janitor at a high school for many, many years. When the school started putting out a questionnaire asking the students who had influenced them most over the years Bill's name kept coming up. Very quietly behind the scenes Bill was doing an excellent job as a janitor while constantly encouraging the young people, especially the loners. While he was doing this he was also putting monies aside. They believe he helped over a thousand young people attend college and gave a large sum of money to an organization that was helping young people overseas study the Bible via the internet. All of this was done with no fanfare, but with a consistent desire to serve and love His Lord. By the way, Bill wore braces on his legs since he was crippled up as a seventeen year old!

So, what will make us truly happy in the New Year? I believe it will be you and I doing the best we can to serve others in the area we have been assigned. "Whatever you do, do it to the glory of God in 2011!

Happy New Year, Pastor Eric

Do You Have Room?

2010-12-24T04:57:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Eve morning. A fox is walking across the field next to my office and my mind is occupied with a very special memory. Christmas Eve in my family is a little different than many other families. You see, on Christmas Eve 26 years ago we received the most beautiful early Christmas present we could imagine - our daughter, Courtney. What a night and what a day! My wife woke me around 3 a.m. with an unwrapped Christmas present - a camera. Having just woke up, I was confused with why my wife would be presenting me with this camera. She said, "I needed to open this for you so that you could take a picture of me while I am still pregnant." All the alarms in my head went off at that moment and off we went to the hospital. There, on Christmas Eve, we were presented with our treasure. How we rejoiced! On Christmas day my wife's whole family crowded into the hospital room and we celebrated Christmas right there, realizing Christmas is not about location, but about something far more important.

When I think back about the months of preparing a place in our home and our hearts for our daughter I realize that we were making room for her, not just with the physical things, but in our lives. We joyfully received the responsibility of making room in our lives for this precious and vulnerable little baby. We liked it so much we made room for three more!

As I thought about this a familiar Christmas question came into my mind, "Do you have room for Jesus?" I know that question can sound so trite and I do not mean it to sound that way, but truly will we make room for Jesus? We know that when He first came in bodily form there was no room in the inn for this holy family, but surely when the gift of Jesus was unwrapped for the whole world to see we would make room - wouldn't we? Or would we? I know it's a big question, but today God wants you to receive Him as a child. You see, these words will never grow old, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16. And in John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name..."

Father, I pray that anyone reading this blog right now would stop and look to You. As they look to You they may feel shame because it's been a while since they've looked to You. Or, they may feel badly because they've allowed many worries and concerns to overtake their heart when You have clearly instructed us to "Be anxious for nothing..." Father, I pray that all these thoughts that would come would be swept away. For it was thoughts like this that prompted the inn keeper to declare there was no room in his inn. He didn't understand the importance of the moment and he simply said, "There's no room here." In retrospect - if he really understood that moment - I'm sure he would have done things far differently. So, here we are today, Father. We choose to humble ourselves before You and receive You afresh into our hearts and lives. There is not only room for You in our lives, Father, but we want You to take the highest place our lives will offer. We receive You in Jesus' Name, amen.

May God bless you and yours with a very Merry Christmas!

Pastor Eric

P.S. Happy birthday, Courtney! I love you so much! Daddy

Don't Just Stand There...

2010-12-17T05:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm sure you can finish the sentence that the title of this blog starts, maybe because you have heard this at some point from a parent or a boss. The end of that sentence is usually, "Do something!" And you know, that is good advice, especially in times of danger.

I remember when I was around 13 I was playing by the rail road tracks on Lake Ontario with some friends. We decided to investigate some older teenager's "shack". It was a pretty elaborate shack for teens, even having a second floor and a pot belly stove to boot! Needless to say, this was like a magnet for us boys. Soon we had a fire going in the stove, but it wasn't enough fire for me. I grabbed a can of gas and threw it on the fire and soon the room was engulfed in flames. One of my friends and I ran from the fire and climbed up the ladder to the second floor of the shack. Not a a good idea! There were no exists there. In fact, there was only one exit and that was the front door, which meant running through the flames. One of our other friends then shouted the words I started this blog with, "Don't just stand there, do something!" So, we did. We climbed down and ran through the flames, likely saving our lives. So, in times like this it is definitely important to do something.

However, in real life situations we are not always at such a high danger alert status. We actually do have time to slow ourselves down, consider our relationship with Jesus and the input He has for our situation. It seems that this is exactly what Mary understood in a brief story found in Luke 10:38-42. Please take a moment and read it. You can do so by putting your cursor on the Scripture. Good, thanks for reading that. Now, I don't believe Jesus was demeaning Martha's work, but I do believe He was reminding her to put first things first. I've been reading about this lately in a very good book for caregivers written by Terry Wardle. The book's title is "Healing Care, Healing Prayer". One of the main points Terry makes in the book is this, "Intimacy precedes ministry." Both are essential (intimacy and ministry service to others) to the mature Christian's life, but one certainly precedes the other.

So, in light of this last paragraph I am imagining Jesus saying something like this, "Don't just stand there, sit down, grab a hot drink, and get closer to the fire if you're cold. I've got some things I would like to share with you." Then, from that place of intimacy with Jesus, go and do the thing He has instructed you to do. It may be as simple as calling a brother or sister and wishing them a Merry Christmas, or it may be as bold as presenting the gospel to a person He directs you to. In either case, your life is being directed from your relationship with Him instead of being propelled by guilty obligation. Big difference, right?

May God bless you and your family this weekend. Please take time to read a Christmas story (I recommend any of Joe Wheeler's collection of Christmas stories and of course the passage in the Gospel of Luke), maybe even out loud to someone you love. You couldn't regret that:)

Blessings, Pastor Eric

P.S. By the way we did put the fire out in the burning shack story above. No 13 year old wants to be beat up by an older teenager!

Syncing In

2010-12-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

Last week I shared a message with the Lay Pastors and Assistant Lay Pastors at Elim Gospel Church that I'd like to summarize for you. I can assure you that this message is not something I have arrived at, but is certainly a way of living that I am called to moment by moment by the Holy Spirit. It is a place called ABIDING in Christ.

In John 15:1-4 Jesus sums things up in a phrase that has called to me through the years, "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." The word abide has four aspects to it that I would like to share with you. I believe that as we consider and apply these aspects to our daily lives, we will sync into God in powerful ways - both personally and in the lives we impact. Here are those four aspects:

To Dwell - When I was first called to Christ all I wanted to do was be with Him. His Presence was so powerful, compelling and exciting. Yet, I found that life and its competing agendas can very subtly whittle away at our lives in Christ. Yet, He calls us to dwell with Him. Leif Hetlund recently stated in our church that God desires us "not to pray for a visitation from Him, but to seek to have a habitation with Him." I remember realizing when our lives had gotten off course when my wife and I became very busy in our lives with work and ministry. At this time God asked us to sell all that we had and move out west to work with troubled children. As intense as this call was, it was possibly one of the most freeing experiences we ever had. I also knew we were given a new gift of time to dwell with God - especially as I found myself no longer at a computer, but on a milking stool milking a cow!

To Endure - Life has built-in opportunities to endure. Hebrews 12:1d - 2a states, "...and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith..." These opportunities to endure come through personal loss, prayers till now unanswered, perceived or actual betrayals, spiritual warfare and more. Yet, Jesus says to abide - to endure with Him. A message Paul Johannsson once shared included a phrase that caught on around the Elim community - that phrase was, "Plod on, dear one, plod on!"

To Be Present - God is calling to us to abide with Him in the moment. So many of us tend to live in periods of time when God is asking us to live in the moments of time. There is a big difference there. He wants us to present with Him. A friend shared a quote from martyred missionary Jim Elliot that fits what I am trying to communicate here. It is simply this, "Be where you are." It is so important for us to be present in the moment with God, with our spouse, with our co-worker, etc.

To Continue - Finally, the word abide carries with it the idea of continuing. Entertainer Woody Allen once said, "80% of life is showing up." There is a ring of truth to that statement isn't there? We need to press through the mundane tasks of life and simply keep showing up. It is so worth it! Even Jesus in His last moments on earth asked His Father if the cup of crucifixion could be passed away from Him, but He said, "Nevertheless, Your will be done." More powerful words may never have been spoken! Jesus continued on to the cross and changed human history for eternity. I can tell you I had a number of people who chose to continue to "show up" in my life and I am eternally grateful to them.

God's desire for each of us is to have an abiding relationship with Him that incorporates these four aspects I just shared with you. Could there be anything more important today than "syncing in" with Almighty God? I pray that these thoughts will click with you and that today you will have a time to get in sync with your Heavenly Father. Without Him we can do nothing, but with Him all things are possible!

Have a great week in Him!

Pastor Eric

A Tribute To Ministry Leaders At Eliim Gospel Church

2010-12-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

I would like to take a moment this morning and write a tribute to the ministry leaders at Elim Gospel Church. Every day one of our lay leaders at our church makes choices that build the culture of the Kingdom of God in our congregation's day to day life. Our Lay Pastors and their assistants minister to the people in their region on a daily basis taking calls, providing meals, praying for them, etc. We also have lay ministers ministering on the Healing Team, the Prophetic Team and the Release Team. This doesn't even begin to scratch the surface as many others lay their lives down regularly for the Children's Ministry. We also have incredible Ushers, Lobby Coordinators, Greeters, Guest Services hosts, Resource Center hosts, Cafe' Ministry hosts, Ministry to Internationals and so much more! We are very blessed to have each of these quality people making choices that are making a huge difference in people's lives. On behalf of Pastor Josh, the pastors and staff here at EGC, I want to thank you for all you do to serve our church. THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU EACH WITH A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I would like to close with this Scripture that I think sums up God's thoughts toward our ministers at Elim Gospel Church found in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Have a great week!

Pastor Eric

What Defines a True Friendship?

2010-11-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

Years ago an English newspaper sent out a contest question that asked, "What makes a true friend?" The answer that ultimately won the contest was, "A true friend is that person who comes in when everyone else has gone out."

This answer rings true for me personally. I distinctly remember at one point in my life when I was 19 years old where I felt everyone had "gone out". It wasn't that good people were not around who could have been there for me, it was simply that I had made a series of very poor decisions that left me friendless for a time. One of those poor decisions in 1979 led to my arrest for possession of hashish by the German police (I was stationed with the Air Force in southern Germany at the time). Because of this, all the people I formerly connected with (people using drugs and alcohol extensively) flew away like birds from me because they did not want to be associated with me, or my arrest.

Sounds pretty sad, right? Well, it really was, but here's the great news! Jesus came in when everyone else went out! At first I resisted Him, but oh how His great love for me wore me down! Finally on September 30, 1979 I repented of my sins of pride, drug and alcohol use, etc. and placed my faith on Jesus Christ. I could never imagine where that "Yes" would take me in life! In fact, just yesterday (Thanksgiving) I was thanking my Heavenly Father for all that He has brought into my life since my conversion to Christianity! I'll say it again, "He came in when all the others went out!" And not only did He come in, but He introduced me to His family - the Body of Christ. And what a wild and wonderful family they are!

How about you? Do you need a friend to step into your life right now? Proverbs 18:24 says this, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Dear Reader, the Friend this passage is talking about is Jesus. He can come into your life and and make all things new (2 Corinthians 5:17) - He can come in when everyone else seems to have gone out. He really can, but He's asking You if you'll open the door (Revelation 3:20) to Him. Go for it - open the door. I guarantee you will never regret it!

May God bless you this weekend as your continue to celebrate Thanksgiving and anticipate the celebration of our Savior's birth!

Pastor Eric

Oh, The Wonderful Cross!

2010-11-19T05:45:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday we started a series called "The Hostage Series" at our church. This series is centered upon how the cross of Jesus Christ is paramount in setting captives free. Oh, the wonderful cross! The Bible says that this cross is foolishness to the unbeliever who is bent on finding their own way to freedom. But to the believer it represents freedom from bondage and relationship with Father God through His Son, Jesus, who gave Himself for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8).

So, what holds us back from experiencing the wonderful cross? God makes it very clear throughout His Word that it is our rebellion fueled by pride that puts a wall between us and the incredible freedom that Jesus won for us at the cross - taking all our sin upon Himself. Yet, God in His mercy continues to "paint us into our corners" so that we will take another look at the cross and (as He intercedes for us continually) ultimately repent of our sins, lay our lives down before Him and rise up to truly live in His resurrection power over sin.

So, if you have found yourself at odds with God and sense that you are out of alignment, please listen to His Word found in Isaiah 1:18-19,

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land..."

His will is for us to be cleansed of our sin and free from all bondages. This was not just expressed by His Word, but also by His deed in sending His own dear Son to be the only sacrifice that could take our red crimson sin and make it white as wool.

Has your life become complicated lately? Could it be that you need to visit the cross again, or for the first time, and consider its implications for you? Oh, the wonderful cross where Jesus died and gave us hope to live. Be free my friend as you find this hope afresh in the cross!

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

How Do You Spell Relief?

2010-11-12T05:40:00.000-08:00

This will age me a bit, but here goes:) - Do you remember the old commercial for Rolaids? It went like this, "How do you spell relief? ROLAIDS!" This popular tag line came to my mind recently as I considered how Christians might spell relief in the year 2010. As I pondered this I sensed the Holy Spirit say, "Many of My people spell relief with the letters: ANSWER, but My desire is that My people would spell relief with these letters: TRUST."

Because I have been invited into many dark places in people's lives, I have been able to see this issue up close, and not just in other people's lives, but in my own as well. There came a time when I shuddered each time I heard the phone ring because of what I may be told next. This came to a climax when I was ministering to young people in Kansas. A young man who had interned in our ministry and had lived in our home inexplicably died of a pulmonary embolism - six months into his new marriage and in his sophomore year of Bible school! All of a sudden the darkness I helped others through now became my own dark night. I could not understand why this happened and I cried out to God in despair. I wanted an answer from God and I wanted it now! Instead it seemed all there was to hear was empty silence in the heavens. Since that time God has been introducing me to this new way of spelling relief with the letters: TRUST.

"Trust in what?", you may ask. Trust in the cornerstone truth that God is good and can be met in the middle of the smoke, ashes and chaos of any situation. Please read out loud and listen to a commonly known passage of Scripture with the ears of a child, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4. This passage is either truth or it is not. Through TRUST in our Heavenly Father, I would declare to you, He is with you. In fact, as you study the Scriptures you will find Father God in the midst of dark places all the time. Just think of the three who were thrown into the fire and Jesus became the Fourth! Think of Joseph in prison and how God showed up for him. The list is endless!

I would even take this one step further and say that not only can we trust God in the middle of our dark places, but He wants to deepen our relationship with Him right in the midst of them. There is a relationship with Him there that never would be possible if the valley of darkness never presented itself. So, how do you spell relief? I hope that you'll consider spelling it: TRUST.

Have a great week,

Pastor Eric

Putting Feet On A Great Thought

2010-10-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

I love the word legacy. It evokes a sense of purpose and destiny in my life. However, having a good thought about something and living out that thought are two different, but connected events aren't they? Lots of people have lots of great thoughts every day, but putting feet on those thoughts takes intention and action. I'd like to encourage you to choose one of your great thoughts and put feet on it this week. Let me give you an example and I'll let you run with it from there.

This week my wife and I sat down and discussed what we would like to be doing less of and more of. We then boiled that down to 5 lesses and 5 mores. We boiled that down even more to 1 less and 1 more to accomplish that week. The one thing I felt to do was lessen "vegging time" watching TV in the evening and add sending a letter to my new grandson. This was when I had the great thought about passing on a legacy. Now, you may think it is strange that I would be writing a letter to my 6 month old grandson, but I felt it was important to start sharing my life with him so that his mom can save the letters and give them to him someday. Apparently it was hit because my daughter got right back to me and told me she was going to ask me to start writing letters like this, but had not gotten around to it yet. This particular letter had to do with how I met his Dad when I was a substitute teacher at his high school and how he started his walk with Jesus. When I sat down to write the letter, I found myself really enjoying this idea of sharing my life with my grandson. The Bible talks about passing on our life in God to the next generation. You can read about this in Psalm 78:5-7.

Now, how about you? Have you had a great thought lately that just went by the wayside? I'd like to encourage you to reflect for a moment, take a walk back down the road you've been running on and pick up that great thought and put some legs on it. I think you'll find it a worthy effort!

I'll be gone to a family wedding next week. So, I'll see you back here in a couple weeks.

Pastor Eric

What's In A Number?

2010-10-22T05:43:00.000-07:00

What indeed is in a number? Numbers are what we count with, use to gauge our age and determine what resources we have to get a project done. So, what could be wrong with numbering? What indeed is in a number?

In I Chronicles 21:1-27 we see a story that starts with numbering. Verse 1 states, "Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel." You may be wondering as I have, "What could be wrong with that?" After some research I have come to agree with Bible scholar, Matthew Henry. He believes that Satan gave opportunity for David to express pride in himself and the nation he was king over by finding out just how large they really were. However, God was not pleased with this at all. Why was that? Because David was tempted to think there was something in his numbers that validated the awesomeness of his nation. However, what truly made Israel awesome in those days was that God Almighty was among them. So, when David decided to number the people God became incensed with David. Why? Because he was choosing to look to his own resources rather than to the Lord his God.

I nearly made this mistake in a big way. My family and I were going to a family reunion during the time I was attending Elim Bible Institute. On the way to the reunion I asked my wife to take out a pad of paper and begin to write down all our resources as I considered how I was to pay for my next semester at school. As soon as she pulled the pad from under the seat I heard the Holy Spirit speak to my heart, "Don't do this foolish thing! I have provided for you and will again. Don't look to your resources!" This came so suddenly I think I frightened my wife when I said, "Put the pad away. I don't want to sin against God!" I know my wife was relieved not to have to try and figure things up since she and I both knew we would come up short. So, we made a choice right then. We chose to trust God, relax and enjoy the family reunion. During the reunion one of my brothers took me aside after our tennis match and asked me to visit him in his condo. I went up and he gave me a check, explaining that it had been put upon his heart to help us while we went through Bible school. As I opened the check and realized it would be enough to put me through the last semester and then some I was overwhelmed with the goodness of God. So, what's in a number? Apparently not much when God steps on the scene!

Have a wonderful week in Jesus! Pastor Eric

Can I Tell You About...

2010-10-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

I get so encouraged by people who take time to listen to one of my stories, especially when it involves returning from a trip I have been on. This thought hit me when Mike Cavanaugh was speaking at our church this past Sunday on the subject of "What It Means To Be A Sender". One of the critical characteristics of a faithful sender (one who supports a missionary in some way) is what Pastor Mike called "Re-Entry Support". He gave the example from Acts 14:26-28 where Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch and the disciples there listened to their stories and gave them support as they came back "home".

I experienced this recently in my own family when my two daughters traveled overseas for extended periods of time. Natalie went to Ghana, Africa, and Meredith traveled to be with her brother, Zachary, who is stationed with the Air Force in Italy. It was very important to each of them to share their stories when they returned. They both took incredible pictures and shared their memories attached to each one. As we listened to them it was as if my wife and I were with them in Ghana and in Italy. Most importantly, I know it meant a lot to them that we helped process this important time in their lives with them.

Do you know a missionary? Have you ever asked them to share their story with you, especially when they've returned home after a long time away? I want to encourage you today to take the time and stop and listen to their story. It means so much to people and also pleases God that you would take time to support one of His children in this way.

You know, it's funny. I had to practice what I just shared with you as I wrote this blog. While I was writing this I received two calls from people who had stories to tell. One involved a father-in-law who is having surgery today to discover if he has cancer. The other call involved a man from another church who had been in a horrible motorcycle accident, but wanted our church to know he was going to be fine and just how thankful he was for our prayers. People have stories to tell and we bring support to them and pleasure to our Heavenly Father when we stop to listen. So, happy listening!

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Do You Have A Home?

2010-10-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

I had a horrible dream last night. I woke up around 4 a.m. I was dreaming my family and I were homeless and doing the best we could to find abandoned buildings to live in. Horrible, right?! At moments like these I reach toward God and ask Him for help and Truth. Almost immediately I began to sing a line from a song we have been singing at church. The line simply says, "Father, my home is You - Father, my home is You..." This song of truth began to push back the darkness that was invading my soul.

As I thought about this I reflected back to my first day as a new creation in Christ in September of 1979. God had allowed me to see to some degree the depth of my sin and depravity (if He had shown me more I would have been in utter despair!). In the midst of this for several months I had been experiencing a sense of estrangement that was leaving me quite hopeless. I thank God that His people were listening to Him as He instructed them to come alongside me, share the gospel message with me and then gave me multiple opportunities to meet Jesus. What a day it was when I finally surrendered and trusted Jesus for my salvation!

Now, I want you to hear something. When I was asked to share my faith story for the very first time in public, the only words I could get out of my mouth were, "I'm just so glad to be a part of the family of God!" And then I wept like never before as God cleansed my soul and adopted me into His home.

Isn't that what we all so desperately want? A place we can call our home? A place where we are wanted and valued? Now, listen to what Jesus said concerning the Holy Spirit just before He left the earth, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever... I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." John 14:16, 18. Oh, isn't that wonderful news! You are not alone. Nor am I. As long as we are putting our faith and trust in Jesus we have a home - just as the song says, "Father, my home is You!"

Do you have a home in God Your Heavenly Father today? If not, come to Him. Confess your sins, allow Him to cleanse you as you put your faith and trust in Christ. I have no doubt you will soon be feeling at home in Him!

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Who Are You Relying On?

2010-10-01T05:46:00.000-07:00

There is a very sound argument for the existence of God that rests on this thought: All of creation depends on something else for its existence. Think about it. You depend upon your parents for your existence and they depended upon their parent's for their existence and on and on back to what? The same goes for trees, rocks, oceans, and all that has been created. Everything created depends on something else for its existence. This begs the question I stated above, "...on and on back to what?" There is no doubt that creation has intelligent design, which declares to us that there must be an intelligent Designer. However, that Designer must be outside of all His dependent designs or creation. In other words, all of dependent creation relies on a completely independent Creator who has no beginning or end. Colossians 1:16-17 puts it this way, "For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Ok, now we've established that all of creation must depend on a completely independent Creator. Why is it then that we (who have been created in God's image) continually choose to try and rely on creation rather than our Creator? I would like you to really think about this. Are you looking to a friend, your children or your spouse for happiness? Are you relying on circumstances that depend on human beings for your destiny, hope or life? Look at creation and take a life lesson from it. All of creation exists and depends upon the Creator for its life. Why should you or I be any different? Let's look to God today as the true Sustainer of our life. As you do, I think you'll find Him in the most unusual places, especially as He works and provides through His creation - BUT NOT BY HIS CREATION. I think you can now see the big differenc there!

Have a great week - Pastor Eric

God's Interesting Library

2010-09-24T06:51:00.000-07:00

God's very interesting library came to my attention recently as I read through the book of Revelation in my "New Thru 30" reading with our church. I found this library in Revelation 20:11-15. Each of these books speak to two separate groups of people: those who are in the Book of Life and other books that record what the those in the Book of Life have done in their life.

The Book of Life recorded those who were saved by Jesus Christ through repentance and faith in His finished work at the cross of Calvary and resurrection from the dead. Anyone not found in that Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity. There is no way any of us can even imagine the anguish of that place. In particular, the absence of all that is good, not to mention the physical torture of it. If you are reading this today and do not have an assurance of being found in the Book of Life, that can change in a moment. How? By simply trusting that He and His Word are true. Ephesians 2:8-9 says it simply, "For it is by greace you have been saved through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Therefore, if you will place your faith in Christ, His grace will enter your life and remove all your sin and guilt as you turn away from your sin to Him. Paul can confidently say this in this passage because of the perfect sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf for the sins of all mankind. However, this gift must be received by faith. So, if you are not sure today and know you must be, turn to Christ today and be made new!

The other books mentioned in this passage were meant for those found in the Book of Life. These books record what we have done in our lives here on earth. We will be judged according to what we've done here with our lives. This is a sobering thought. I pray that this thought encourages you today to understand the value of your life. God thinks what you and I do is so important that He is giving it special attention in His library of books on us. By sharing His Word in Revelation with us He is letting us know the impact each of our lives can have. It seems that in our vast world with all of its issues it would be easy to say, "What difference does my life make?" Well, God says you make a huge difference. Today is a new day for you. Go on out there and do something that springs from your faith in Christ - something that can be written down in that book that Christ will open one day before you. Now, that will make this day a great day, and tomorrow can be just like it!

Have a great week, and if you live around here and attend EGC, I'll see ya' in church!

Pastor Eric

Stepping Out Into the Bright Sonlight!

2010-09-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite experiences in life is stepping out into a sun-filled morning. It puts a snap into my step and hope for the day ahead. As I've grown older (tomorrow I turn 51 - how did that happen?:) I've realized that sun-filled mornings are few and far between, especially in Rochester, NY! So, by God's grace I've come to rely more and more on "Son" filled days. These days are not described by everything going right and absence of clouds, but they are described more by the abiding Presence of Jesus. One of my morning prayers has become, "Lord, nothing is going to happen today that I can not face because You are right here to help me through.

As I was thinking about this, I also had to face something I did not want to face. I had to face that as I grew older in my faith, I had started to become jaded. The dictionary defines jaded as (1) fatigued by overwork : exhausted (2) : made dull, apathetic, or cynical by experience as in "He became jaded from years of work as a police officer." Then I ran across a passage of Scripture in my New Thru 30 reading that said, "To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled." Titus 1:15. That passage stopped me in my tracks. I began to realize that allowing jaded thinking into my heart starts me down the path of becoming defiled. Ouch! Jesus' thought about children receiving the Kingdom of God came to mind just then and I simply chose to repent. I prayed, "Father, forgive me for my jaded thinking. Cleanse me from doubt and unbelief. This yucky stuff has been building up like teeth plaque due to the experiences of life and how I've chosen to perceive those experiences. I choose to walk in Your Sonlight even if others think me to be a "Pollyanna" or only seeing life through "rose colored glasses". I will choose to think what is pure and right in Your sight. Forgive me for starting to slide down this slope. I receive Your salvation afresh. I see You putting my feet upon the solid Rock of Your Truth and I thank You for the joy of Your salvation - thank You Jesus for true Sonlight! Amen."

If you have been sliding down that slope due to jadedness, I would encourage you to pray today. let Him simplify your life, cleanse you and bring you into a childlike faith once again.

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Am I Warm Yet?

2010-09-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when you were a child and your parents hid a special gift they were giving you at Christmas time? Oh, the anticipation! And then the big question, "Am I warm yet?"

I want to ask you this morning if you are warm yet? What am I asking specifically? Are you drawing close to what Jesus once called in a parable "the pearl of great price"? More specifically, are you drawing close to Him? Here's my thought for you in a nutshell - As we draw close to Him the warmer we become in the most important area of all - in our love for Him and others.

Now, I need to say there is a war going on for your warmth! What do I mean by that? Well, let me put it the way Jesus did in Matthew 24:12, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold." In context, Jesus was speaking of the last days. I believe we are in those days. It definitely does not take a rocket scientist to discern that. So, in light of the days we are living in this passage needs to strike the fear of God into us and exhort us to become warm in our love for God and others - so that we do not become the "many" Jesus speaks of in this passage.

Paul speaks to this very thing in Romans 12:9-13, "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality." Folks, this is how we will not grow cold in these days! Keep your life simple. Hear the word of God and act upon it with humility. If you do so, I can definitely say, "You're getting warm!"

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

To Stay, Or To Flee - That Is The Question!

2010-09-03T05:55:00.000-07:00

Please take a moment to read Acts 16:25-34. If you have been on our New Thru 30 reading plan you will have read this passage this week, and it is a good one!

To stay, or to flee? That is the question I want to propose to you today. I am sure Paul and Silas were posed with this question at the moment their prison door was opened and freedom called out to them, "Flee! You are free!" Yet, something compelled them to bring order to the situation and to prevent the overseeing jailer from killing himself. Paul assured the man that all the prisoners were still there (not sure why they did not flee - hmmm) and that this was not his fault. The jailer then asks Paul what he must do to be saved and Paul and Silas replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." So, the jailer did believe. And his family believed and they were baptized. Was this an exciting day or what?! I love the last line of this passage, "...he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God - he and his whole family." Possibly the worst day of this man's life turned into the most glorious day of his life. Why?

This day turned from tragedy to joy because Paul and Silas stayed when they could have fled. Think about it. They were worshipping God and then He steps into the picture and performs a miracle earthquake and opens all the doors to the prison. They were free to go just like Peter was freed earlier in Acts. Yet, they knew the Holy Spirit had more work to do right there in the prison.

If you are reading this and you are Christian, have you thought lately about how God threw open your prison doors and set you free from your sin and sentence to death? You see, the same question posed to Paul and Silas is also posed to you and I. Do we stay, or flee? Fleeing would mean going to only places Christians go and only spending time with those who are already free. But staying means that you understand that you are free even when you are standing right in the place where you were freed. On top of that you also understand that there are others standing around you who need this same freedom you have received. It's a simple message folks - it really is! They just simply need to hear that Jesus has paid the price for their sin. If they will repent and believe on Him, they will be saved - just like you! So, I encourage you today to enjoy your freedom in Christ, but also to look around you and see if there isn't someone who needs you to let them know not to harm themselves any longer, but to put their trust in Christ.

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

The Saver Gets Saved!

2010-08-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

I promised you last week that I would share with you the story of my mother's cousin, Don. Here goes:

Don grew up in Rochester, NY, joined the military, fought in the Korean conflict, came home and used his impressive skills to develop water filtration systems that are used around the world. He married a precious woman named Delores who was his lifetime best friend. Delores passed away after a prolonged illness where Don cared for her day and night. Not long ago Don found out he had liver cancer and now only has days to live unless a miracle occurs. These are the bare facts. Here's the rest of the story.

Don not only fought in the Korean conflict, but he also was awarded two Silver Stars and a Purple Heart. He shared his stories with me from his bed as I realized I was in the presence of an American hero who had saved lives and fought valiantly for our country.

I also found out that Don was looking forward to "going home" and being with Jesus and his beloved Delores. I asked him how he was confident about this. It was then that he told me about his minister. His minister (Pastor Nick) came into Don's life during Delores' passing. They had never been to church before that time, but came to really appreciate Pastor Nick's ministry. Don said, "Oh, stick around for awhile and you'll meet him yourself. He comes by every day now as my going home date grows closer." Sure enough Pastor Nick came in bubbling enthusiasm everywhere. He asked me where I was from and I said, "Lima, NY." He asked if I knew about Elim Gospel Church and I told him a ministered there. He became very excited and asked if I knew Bernard Evans (Bernard is a pastor of pastors amongst Elim Fellowship and once was president of Elim Fellowlship where I am ordained). I told him I did. He thought that was wonderful and explained to me that Bernard had led him into the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and had a great impact on his life and ministry. I couldn't help thinking how privilleged I was to be here in Albany with my mom meeting this pastor, this American hero and realizing this was a real God moment. Pastor Nick then explained how he led Don into a relationship with Jesus Christ and how Don had received Christ as his savior. Then it hit me - the one who had saved lives in Korea for his country had now been saved by the One who had the biggest Purple Heart of all - Jesus!

There you have it - Don't story. Isn't salvation wonderful! I can't wait to see Don in heaven and spend some time with him and his beloved Delores.

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

A Foundation Stone For Ministry

2010-08-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

This next spring my wife will be taking a course called "Theological Foundations For Ministry". When I first heard that I thought, "That it'll be a tough one to stay awake for:)" However, the more I thought about it I realized how important it is for we as Christians to have a Biblical foundation for ministry. This week I would like to give you one foundation stone for serving others through Christian ministry. I would like to give you this foundation stone through a passage of Scripture and through a personal experience I had.

The passage of Scripture is Galatians 5:6, which declares, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." What this is basically saying is that following the law (circumcision) or exercising your freedom (uncircumcision) does not get the job done, but faith working through love does. Let's examine this a bit further by inserting other words in this passage like ...but faith working through intimidation, which is serving others because you felt forced to by someone else. Or by inserting the word obligation, ...but faith working through obligation, which is serving others because "you are supposed to". Or, as Derek Levindusky points out in his book "Discipleship by Grace", ...but faith working through fear, which is a works based faith that hopes somehow to please God and appease Him through ministry. This makes you think about why you serve others, doesn't it?

Well, this is how it practically worked out for me this week. On Tuesday my mother (don't worry, we talked about this and we both understood what we were talking about:) called me to let me know that a ride she had arranged to go see her cousin (who has only a week to two weeks left to live due to liver cancer) fell through. Then there was a bit of a pause as I realized what was coming next, which was, "Now, Eric I know it's your day off, but if you could somehow manage to take me to Albany..." I began to calculate the hours on the road and several other selfish thoughts jumped to the forefront with one of the them being, "I'm just going to take my day off, but I know I'll hate every minute of it because I'll feel guilty for not taking mom to Albany." It was about then that I began to invite the Holy Spirit into the situation and then this passage of Scripture came to my mind. I prayed, "Father, I'm going to do the right thing here, but I choose to do this from Your love and not any other motivation." As soon as that choice was made my attitude began to change right away. I started looking forward to the trip (my mom is a great conversationalist and I've always liked driving with her since I first started practicing driving at sixteen). So, off we went and had a great day together and visiting with her cousin, Don, who I came to find out is a very special man - but that is another story that I'd like to share with you next week.

So, when you are challenged with an opportunity to serve next (and it's gonna' happen sooner than you think), I would like you to consider this passage of Scripture and see if it doesn't affect the outcome. God bless you as you seek to serve and love those whom Christ died for!

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

OH, DEAR!

2010-08-13T05:52:00.000-07:00

How does a person move from being someone who is simply walking on the same planet as us to becoming endeared to us? Endearment is an interesting word, don't you think? Let's look at this word in the setting Paul gives it in I Thessalonians 2:8, "So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us."

I read this recently and I was stopped in my tracks. I began to think of those who I have had the privilege of sharing the gospel with over the years and I realized that in sharing the gospel with these people they had become endeared to me. When I first met them (some of these meetings lasted mere minutes and others have lasted a lifetime), they were just like anyone else. Yet, when I was moved to share the gospel with them they become much more than just anyone. They became someone God loves so much that He sent His only Son to die for their sins (John 3:16). Something really important happens when we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us about someone and then we share the gospel with them. We find ourselves becoming endeared to them and realizing that we are not just giving them the gospel, but we are giving them our lives to whatever degree the Holy Spirit leads us.

I am excited about something our young adults will be engaging in soon. It is something called "Treasure Hunts". The idea of it is simply to spend time together as a group praying for God's leading and then allowing the Holy Spirit to give you impressions of people He would like you to connect with that day/evening. Then they go out and find these "treasures" and share with them what God has given them. Pretty awesome to think the God of the universe wants to speak to "planet walkers" like us, right? It could be just the very thing that changes the course of someone's life. I know it did with mine many years ago.

Just this morning my wife sent me out on an errand she thought God wanted me to help her with. She was simply working out on her exercise bike when she saw a pretty destitute young man walk by with a heavy backpack. She came downstairs and said she thought we should put together a meal for this young fellow. So, we quickly packed a meal and Bible tract by Max Lucado and I went after him. You never know what can happen in these situations (I've had a lot of different reactions over the years), but this guy was just thrilled with his coke, sandwich and fruit. He quickly became endeared to me as one God loves.

So, back to my original quesiton, how do people become endeared to us? I think it is as simple as listening to what the Holy Spirit has to say about a certain someone and then following up on what He has asked you to give that person. Once you've engaged with someone in the Lord, a wholesome endearment can follow. Why? Because we are not just sharing the gospel, but our lives as well.

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

2010-08-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

hear ye - (archaic) Listen to me; used to introduce a public announcement.

Synonyms - (listen to me): read my lips, mark my words

I pulled the above definition of "hear ye" from wikipedia. This thought has been ringing in my head since I read Matthew 17:1-7. This is the event commonly referred to as "The Mount of Transfiguration". In this "heaven meets earth" moment we walk with Jesus and his three closest disciples (Peter, James and John) up on a high mountain. All of a sudden Jesus is seen for who He really is and is transfigured before them - his face shining like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light! Not only that, but Moses and Elijah show up and start talking with Jesus. What happens next is really interesting.

Peter, ever the man of action, says, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." Then, even while Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them and Father God speaks from the cloud saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well please. Hear Him!" The disciples then fell on their faces in fear. I can only imagine John and James thinking, "Peter, when will you learn to shut up? Look what you've gotten us into now!" Yet, look at Jesus' response - The Bible says He came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."

I would like you to take away two important thoughts from this passage:

1. We need to learn a lesson from Peter. Peter felt that the first thing Jesus would want from them after seeing Him, Moses and Elijah in their glory is to do something - build something - perform in some way for Jesus to let Him know they get it. And yet this is not what Jesus or His Father wanted at all. What He really wanted, and still wants, is for us to hear Him - Hear ye, Hear ye! So, instead of experiencing God in a powerful way (i.e., experiencing a powerful worship service or receiving a great understanding of something during a devotional time) and then doing something to let Him know you get it, stop and listen to Him. Then, after listening to Him and getting direction, do something. Yes, we still need to do something, but it must be preceded by listening to Him.

2. The second idea I would like to have you take away from this is that Jesus did not berate Peter when he clearly did not get it. You and I might think, "When is Peter going to get it?" Yet, what the Bible does say is that Jesus touches them and says, "Do not be afraid". We need to hear that today. Jesus really wants to touch us and relieve us of our fear. He knows that if we'll listen to the Father by listening - truly listening - to His Son's message, we will get it. And in getting it we'll make our efforts worthy ones that have been led by the Lord. So, in the midst of your next "not getting it moment" let Jesus touch you and speak into your ear, "Do not be afraid".

I hope this was helpful for you. Have a great week!

Pastor Eric

It's Gonna' Get Messy!

2010-07-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

If you hang around my house for awhile, you will find out I do not like messes. My wife and kids think I am a bit of a "cleanaholic". However, I've understood something about God's work over the years - it can get messy! However, Proverbs 14:4 has come to reassure me on many an occasion. This proverb states, "Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox." So, the question becomes do you want tidiness or increase?

Apparently, the people in the country of the Gergesenes (read Matthew 8:28-34) wanted tidy instead of increase. Picture this for a moment. Jesus comes into your community and takes care of a huge problem, but it causes a mess. Now you have the question posed above right in front of you - do you want tidiness or increase? You see that is what happened when Jesus crossed the lake to the country of the Gergesenes. As soon as he arrived he was met by a demon-possessed man and delivered him of his demons. However, the demons were given permission by Jesus to enter a herd of pigs and, because demons are bent upon destruction, ran immediately off a cliff into the lake and drowned. The people of that country didn't like the mess this brought about. They chose tidiness and begged Jesus to leave their region.

Dear one, you and I must be careful that we do not choose tidiness over a mess in situations like this. No one in their right mind likes a mess, but the reality is that things are messy before they get glorified. If you have been born again into God's Kingdom, you know this is true. Your life before Jesus (if you're being honest) was a mess, but the mess had to have Jesus invited into it to redeem the mess. Sure, there are times we would like to beg Jesus to leave the situation because it would be more "tidy", but in the end there is no increase or true strength. Let's be brave today and invite Jesus into our mess and have faith the mess can become a glory to our Father in heaven!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

God Moves Through Rejects!

2010-07-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

I have been reading over the story that I will be preaching on this coming Sunday concerning Ziklag in 1 Samuel, chapters 29 and 30 lately. One obscure story that emerges in this larger story is of a rejected Egyptian servant. It starts in 1 Samuel 30:11 to 1 Samuel 30:18. Read this yourselves and be encouraged in how God moves through rejects!

Let me do a quick recap for you. David is rejected by the Philistines and his own men during a terrible series of events, even to the point where David's men wanted to stone him to death when they saw that their city, Ziklag, had been burned to the ground by the Amalekites while they had been away to supposedly fight for the Philistines. On top of this they found all their families and belongings had been stolen away by the Amalekites. David makes a critical choice to strengthen himself in the Lord and then he inquires of God as to what to do next. He is told to go after the Amalekites and that everything taken would be restored. That's a good word isn't it? Yes, a good word, but how is it going to take place?!

So, off they went in the general direction of where they thought the Amalekites might go and they stumble upon this Egyptian slave. They found that he had been with the Amalekites, but had fallen sick and they just simply left him to die. David, knowing something about rejection, ministers to the man and feeds him. The man then goes on to give them very valuable information - the location of the Amalekites, their families and their belongings. David and his men then defeated the Amalekites and all was restored to them as God said it would.

Maybe you are dealing with some sort of rejection right now. We all do from time to time. I want you to know something very important - God moves through rejects! Instead of giving into self-pity, look around you and see how you might be able to serve someone right in the middle of your heart ache. Others will be served and I think you'll see something change in you too.

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

The Ultimate Privilege

2010-07-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

If you have been reading my blogs, you may know one of my favorite passages of Scripture is Philippians 4:6-7. Today I would like to concentrate on one aspect of that passage - thanksgiving. The passage reads, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

As I was riding my bike this morning I thought, "Thanksgiving is the ultimate privilege." It is a choice that I can make that has the power to change my focus and to find God in the middle of my "life stuff". This is what I wrote in my journal this morning, "Thanksgiving - the ultimate privilege. I was dead in my sins and You made me alive in Christ. In this Truth I live and have need of nothing else." Jesus' sacrifice on the cross resonates through everything and calls us to the privilege of giving Him thanks in all things (I Thessalonians 5:18).

What is incredible is that when we cultivate a daily heart of thanksgiving our focus changes from our circumstances to God, His promises and His purposes for our lives. I like the way Bill Johnson puts it in his book, "Strengthen Yourself in the Lord." He writes,

Thanksgiving brings us into the manifest presence of God and connects us with what He is doing and saying in the midst of our circumstances. Thanksgiving helps to establish our focus on Him so that our awareness shifts from earthly reality to heavenly reality - which we must do in order to release the strength of Heaven into our circumstances.

In light of this thought, I encourage you to step back from your agenda and circumstances today and spend time thanking God right in the middle of the stuff of your life and begin to "release the strength of Heaven" into your circumstances.

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Oh, The Righteousness of Christ!

2010-07-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

I have been so grateful for the righteousness of Christ ever since I was first saved from my sins, but even more lately. A couple weeks ago during Saturday morning prayer at the church God impressed a view of the world upon me. I saw the world with a canopy around it. The canopy represented man's systems designed to protect our interests. There was a time when many western cultures in particular set up systems that honored God's interests, and in so doing the people were well cared for. However, that is not the case in several areas of government these days. For example, the safest place in the world for a human being should be the womb, but for children who are deemed simply "fetal tissue" and a burden, the womb has become a very dangerous place. In the darkness of this kind of injustice, I envisioned this canopy I mentioned earlier begin to shatter with fissures all about. And then a most glorious thing began to happen. Heaven's righteousness began to pour in like rain water through the cracks and fissures in the canopy and the people who most needed heaven's refreshment, and sought it through trust in Christ, began to receive it with the deep knowledge that this was from their Father in Heaven.

We were promised that this would be so in Jeremiah 23:5-6, "Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell safely; now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." We then see this promise fulfilled in Christ in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Oh, the righteousness of Christ! In the midst of a world that has really turned south, the Son of Righteous is rising with healing in His wings. Can you sense it? I would encourage you today to think about what Christ accomplished for you on the cross at Calvary. He accomplished the only righteousness that would make you acceptable before God the Father and it pleased Him to do so! An understanding of this Righteousness (THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS) will strengthen you in these days to fly as an eagle above the circumstances of your life and bring you the favor of solutions for those very circumstances you see no way around presently. Heaven is leaking in and I sense a flood is on the way!

Have a great weekend! Pastor Eric

Nehemiah Stayed on Base!

2010-07-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

I am going back to an a theme I visited several weeks ago. I just can not seem to shake it. The theme is "staying on your base". As I was reading in Nehemiah recently this thought screamed off the page at me once again, "Eric, stay on your base!"

The story going on in Nehemiah was that God had called Nehemiah and given him great favor to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Like any great work, Nehemiah's work was challenged by enemy forces. In this instance (Nehemiah, chapter 6) his enemies called Nehemiah to come and meet with them in the plain of Ono. They sent this message to meet with them four times and each time Nehemiah answered, "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" This is a great example of staying on base!

What great work has God called you to? How many times have you been called away from this great work? I would encourage you to stay on your base and finish what God has been put in your heart to finish with all your heart!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

I Found Treasure 27 Years Ago!

2010-06-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, I did. I indeed found treasure 27 years ago wrapped up in a gal from Wisconsin! My wife and I are celebrating 27 years of marriage today and I would like to take a moment and share with you how thankful I am for her.

Proverbs 18:22 tells us, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." These are far more than words on a page in the Bible to me. I have found these words to be so deeply true in my life. The goodness of my wife actually overwhelms me at times. Her love for me and our children has been a deposit richer than the greatest jewels or metals of value I can think of. Please bear with me as I share just a few highlights that bless me so much about my wife:

Cindy committed herself to my care without really knowing what I could provide for her in life. All I knew was that God had a call on our lives to minister to people and that was good enough for her.
Cindy agreed with me as I explained to her that I felt God was leading us to house parent a home of up to seven wayward boys at a time. That was a crazy ride, but she was "all in" and those boys loved her, especially her chocolate chip cookies!
Cindy was willing to literally move into a zoo! Yes, it's true. After our time with the boys we moved into a zoo keeper's house where we lived for seven wonderful years. During that time Cindy committed herself to the raising of our young children in profound ways - like walks to the library and books read under the trees.
The next wild thing was selling all that we had to move west to Kansas to again house parent troubled children. Again, Cindy was all in! These were some difficult, but wonderful days.
I'll quicken things a bit here as we then moved back to Elim (where we originally met and Carlton Spencer actually placed her hand in mine:) to finish my education (Cindy put my education before hers). Following Elim we moved back to Kansas to serve about 5 years pioneering a youth ministry under the auspices of Teens For Christ. Again, Cindy was all in and those young people thought the sun rose and set on my precious wife - it was tearful goodbye when we left to come back to Elim to serve on the campus and now at this church.
Cindy served as Dean of Women and endeared hundreds of girls to herself while helping them ask the most important questions of all, "What is God's Spirit saying to you?"
Cindy did finish her education at Elim and is now working on her Master's Degree, but underneath it all she is the same Wisconsin gal I met years ago on the Elim campus. She is as all in now as she ever was and I continue to love her for that and so much more!

So, today I dedicate this blog to my precious wife (and new grandmother) and mother of our 4 precious children. Truly, I FOUND A GOOD THING!

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

Who's Calling You?

2010-06-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

I have been reading in I Samuel lately and came across a thought I would like to share with you that is really a question. Here is the question: "Who is calling you?"

Please take some time to read to read I Samuel 3:1-21 sometime soon. It is a really wonderful portion of Scripture that can help us respond to this question, "Who is calling me?"

The background to this passage is that Samuel's mother was barren, she cried out to God and He opened her womb and blessed her with a son she named Samuel. However, she also committed Samuel to serve in God's house under Eli (the current priest overseeing the temple) as soon as the child was weaned from her (that had to be tough to release the child she had cried out so desperately for!). This is where we pick up the story in chapter 3.

In the evening time Samuel laid down for the evening. As he laid down he heard, "Samuel!" Thinking this was Eli, Samuel went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Eli directed him back to his bed telling him he had not called him. This happened two more times. Finally, Eli realized that God was calling Samuel. Therefore, Eli wisely said to Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." So, Samuel did this and the Lord did call him again, but this time Samuel did as Eli told him and God began a prophetic ministry in Samuel's life that is renowned to this day.

Now, I will propose my question again, "Who is calling you?" You know as well as I do that in day to day life we are responding to people calling out to us all the time. There are people needing us to fulfill certain responsibilities we have (quotas, reports, labor, etc.). The fact that they are calling out to us is not the problem, though it can be overwhelming at times. The problem is in recognizing who is really calling us. Yes, these calls are coming from people in most cases, but who are you responding to? You see, that is the deeper question. You can identify who is calling you in most cases, but who are you responding to? I understand that you have the responsibility to respond to the person, but do you remember when Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40. Do you see that responding to the various "calls" in our lives with a desire to see Jesus takes our day to day lives into whole new realm? This really caught my attention when I read this. Our natural tendency is to respond to the person when God is saying, "It's Me. I'm the One calling you and your life matters on earth. So, let's connect so that you can start seeing a result to that prayer you've heard your whole life and prayed, "Let your Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven!" Wow, I'm getting excited as I blog this - I hope you are too! We have a King and He desires relationship with us. In fact, He's calling us. Can you hear that it is Him?

Have a great week!

Pastor Eric

Staying On Your Base

2010-06-04T05:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I asked you this question: "What base are you on?" I went on to blog about the importance of knowing your strengths (your base assigned to you by God) and playing that base without feeling an obligation to cover other people's bases.

Have you ever seen the movie "Remember the Titans"? There is a scene in that movie when the incoming football coach confronts the old coach (now the new coach's assistant) concerning his treatment of some of the players. The new coach sees that the old coach is favoring some of the players because of their race and he says to the old coach, "You're not helping them. You're hurting them." The old coach was coddling some of the players because of their race and by doing this was not calling them to the responsibility of playing their position. He was in fact hurting them as the new coach pointed out. Do you understand that you and I hurt people when we do not allow them to "play their positions"? Yes, people around us are going to fail, but they are also going to learn the same way you and I did - by realizing they need to do things differently next time!

I want to give you a Scripture that was given to me when I first became a Christian 30 years ago (wow, I all of a sudden feel very old:). It is Psalm 131:1-3. I would encourage to memorize this Psalm. Psalm 131 underlines the importance of staying on your base. David starts out by stating that he has chosen not to be proud, nor think of himself as higher than others. He then goes on to choose not to concern himself with matters too great for him. Can you see that each time you concern yourself with matters too great for you that you are essentially trying to play a base other that your own? He then chooses to move into a place of solitude with God, completely satisfied in Him. Oh, dear one, can I overstate the importance of this? I don't think I can. This past Wednesday on my day off I picked up a classic I've read a number of times called "The Imitation of Christ". The first line my eyes fell upon was, "My child, you will only be satisfied when you are completely satisfied in Me." Think about that for awhile.

Finally, as David settles himself fully into God's care he receives a heart cry from Father God and intercedes for his nation, "O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forevermore." I see that in Psalm 131 David made a conscious choice to "play his base" and no other. From his base a beautiful and simple prayer came out that shaped a nation - "O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore."

Now may God strengthen you and I to stay on our bases, and in so doing, have an everlasting impact on those we've been called to love and serve!

Pastor Eric

What Base Are You On?

2010-05-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel off-balance? Like you are not in the proper position? These are very uncomfortable emotions that not only trouble us, but also can be the foundation for poor decision-making that can trouble us for years.

I would like to give you a passage of Scripture through the analogy of baseball. In baseball there are nine positions, four of which are base positions. If each of those people playing their bases and the fielders are playing to the best of their ability, they will have a very good chance of winning. The problem that many of us have as Christians is that we feel we have to cover bases other than the one we've been assigned to. When we do this we become exhausted and hurt, which is often followed by bitterness that seeps in and steals our joy.

Please take a look at Philippians 4:6-7. This is a classic principle on overcoming anxiety and walking in the peace of God. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Please note the highlighted word above - guard. You can interpret this as "keep" or "umpire". When God is trusted with the things that trouble you, He becomes your keeper, or the umpire of your heart! When you take your requests to God with thanksgiving, God becomes an umpire in your heart! Umpires call foul balls, strikes and also understand that each ball player on the field has their own position. God wants you to be in your position and be able to field what is hit your way. He does not expect you to go after the hits that go to the other positions!

Therefore, if you can identify what base you are on, you can play at your very best and at peace. So, what base are you on? I believe your "base" is the place of gifting or strength that God has given you. These gifts come alongside our responsibilities like motherhood and fatherhood, but these gifts also come to us from God for specific areas that you are uniquely designed for (Ephesians 2:10) in order to bless the people He has called you to be in relationship with. People who live in your home, go to your church, live in your community and those you work with. Are you a gifted communicator, administrator, care giver, etc.? When you have an understanding of how God the Father has gifted you, and you have intentionally sought to position yourself to use this gift that gives you joy, you are in what a lot of people today call "your sweet spot". I would encourage you today to play to the strength and gift God has given you to the best of your ability. In other words - play your base to the glory of God. Will it still be tiring? Sure it will! But it will be energy well spent because it was well used as the gift God meant it to be for others and for your own peace of mind.

If you are having trouble discovering your strengths, I would invite you to join the next Doorway to Service class being held at the church. If you need more information on this, please contact our receptionist at 624-5560.

Let's get on base this week! Pastor Eric

P.S. You may have noticed I took a couple weeks off blogging. This was due to a trip my wife and I took to Oregon to be with our daughter, Courtney, and son-in-law, Skyler as they welcomed their first child (and our first grandchild) into the world. We had a wonderful time together with them as Vincent William was born one day after we arrived. We are so thankful to God that we could be there for this incredible time together!

If You Had 30 Days Left To Live...

2010-04-30T06:57:00.000-07:00

This past week I spent some time with a teacher my younger brother really enjoyed from grammar school days. I knew of her, but never met her. Through a series of interesting calls I had the privilege of meeting this precious woman this past Wednesday. Let me share with you what happened.

First, you need to know my brother John is a man who does not let life just slip by. He loves Jesus with all his heart, he's an engineer who oversees the production of some pretty great stuff for the military, runs marathons (even the Boston!) and basically does not waste opportunities. So, about 5 years ago, he took the opportunity to tell his grammar school teacher how much he appreciated her and what a warm environment her class was. This impressed her so much that when she was struck with another battle against cancer she had her daughter find my brother and have him call her. Thankfully, through the internet those connections were made and my brother was able to share again with Mrs. Brinklow what a special teacher she was to him. My brother then called me and asked if our mother and I could go visit her as well.

The next day my mom and I set up a visit with Mrs. Brinklow and little did we know how encouraged we would be by day's end! We arrived in mid-afternoon to find a very loving family surrounding this precious woman. The thing that impressed me most was the light in her eyes and her undying faith in Christ. Earlier that morning I had read a Scripture that described what I saw when I was with Mrs. Brinklow. Maybe you've heard this Scripture before. If you're a tad older like me (nifty 50:) you'll appreciate this verse even more. It goes like this, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16. Oh, what hope lies in this passage Paul wrote! But this is even more impressive when you see this truth living in a human vessel. Yesterday I saw this truth alive and well in Mrs. Brinklow. Though she will be free of her "outward man" soon, she will be dancing with her Lord a new dance through her "inward man" who has only been renewed day by day while her body has been perishing! Of course, our sadness is for her family and those who will feel her loss so acutely, but the reality is we all will follow Mrs. Brinklow through that door into eternity. The big question is this: Will we go through that door with faith in Jesus Christ, confident of what He did to save us through the cross and His resurrection? That is a question only you can answer with how you choose to live your life - for Him or for yourself. I pray that your life is a series of votes for Him!

By the way, I'll be gone for a couple weeks on vacation. My wife and I are off to Oregon to visit our daughter, Courtney and son-in-law, Skyler, but best of all we'll be introduced to a new member of their family - Vincente! Yes, I'll have a little grandson (first grandchild) any moment now as Courtney was due yesterday!

Have a great week and please don't miss those "One Month to Live" moments!

Pastor Eric

Let's Love Completely!

2010-04-23T06:15:00.000-07:00

A teacher of the law came to Jesus one day and wanted to know what the most important commandment was. Jesus replied, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31.

As we continue in our One Month to Live series here at Elim Gospel Church I would like to write about "Loving Completely" this week. The above verses concerning love are cornerstone words in the Christian faith. Children are asked to memorize these verses in Sunday schools across the world. Yet, we continue to struggle with the everyday obedience to these words.

I am wondering this morning as I write whether our struggle with obedience to these commands is due to a wrong focus. The words memorized through the ages invariably start with, "Love the Lord..." However, Jesus did not start his answer with those words. He started with a preface statement that the commands would flow from. He states an all-important axiom, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one." Why did Jesus do this? We know He would not have said it if it were not important. It seems that He needed to get a crucial thought across right at the start of this answer and this thought concerned God's oneness. Again, why was this important? I think one answer is that God wants us completely focused. Unlike the popular belief that there are "many ways to God", Christianity declares there is only one God. Therefore, it seems this focus - this supreme allegiance - is critical to our ability to love completely.

In the previous paragraph I wondered if our struggle with obedience to these greatest of commandments is due to wrong focus. You see, if the focus is upon our obeying the commands, I think we will continue to struggle and fail at the most important thing in life - loving completely. However, if we start with complete allegiance (or faith) toward God Almighty we have a foundation to be successful from. And this foundation is given authority and validated by the completed work of Christ's sacrifice for our sins and His glorious resurrection from the dead!

So, today, as we choose to love completely, let's start from the foundation of, "The Lord our God, the Lord is one." Let's focus on Him with our complete allegiance and then let the love He's given us flow back to Him and upon others He gives us opportunity with. The point being that everything (especially love) centers upon Him alone and holds together in Him (Colossians 1:15-17). Let's love completely!

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Want to Find Some Diamonds? Read On!

2010-04-16T05:37:00.000-07:00

Our morning breakfast time lately has been spent reading Kerry and Chris Shook's book, "One Month to Live". It is a sobering book in that it poses an intense question, "How would you live if you had one month left to live?" The book and series our church is currently in goes on to encourage us to live passionately, love completely, learn humbly and leave boldly. What I would like to speak to you about today is living passionately.

A quote I picked up from the Shook's book was from Ralph Waldo Emerson. He wrote, "Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life." The apostle Paul put it another way in Ephesians 5:15-17 when he said, "See to it, therefore, that you conduct yourselves carefully, not as foolish but as wise people who make the best possible use of their time, because these are evil days. Be not thoughtless, then, but gain insight in the Lord's will." So, what does using your time wisely have to do with living passionately? Good question. Let me give you a thought to chew on.

I would define living passionately as living as closely as possible to God's will and purpose for your life. Now add to that thought the passage of Scripture above and we come to realize that making the most of your time, or spare moments as Emerson puts it, will bring you into an understanding of God's plan for your life. Now, this is where it gets exciting! You see when you catch a glimpse of His plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11) and set your weight against that leverage point incredible things begin to happen. Why? Because God is for you and not against you! When you use your time wisely to discover what God is about in your life, and then start applying yourself to that purpose, He moves on your behalf. Yes, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost move on your behalf to bring a part of God's Kingdom to earth through you. This is why He taught us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come here on earth as it is in heaven" - this my friend is passionate living at its best!

So, today I challenge us to take that next spare moment we are given and use it wisely and allow it to become the gem God meant it to be!

Have a great week collecting a few gems! Pastor Eric

Living Beyond Circumstances

2010-04-09T05:15:00.000-07:00

When is the last time you heard, "Well, under the circumstances..." I would imagine it was not long ago. I think it is safe to say that most people live under their circumstances. Now, you may say to me, "Of course people live under their circumstances. Where else would they live?" I think this is a good question that God has an answer for.

God's Word instructs us to live "in Christ". In the first 14 verses of Ephesians, chapter 1 we see references to being "in Christ" or "in Him" 10 different times. Living in Christ in these verses refers to our spiritual blessings, the fact that He chose us, the truth of His glorious grace, our redemption, His will for our lives and more! I would greatly encourage you to meditate on Ephesians 1:1-14. This really is where God wants you and I to live. In fact, that makes a nice address for us to receive mail - "Oh, you have something for me? Just send it to Ephesians, box 1:1-14!" Yeah, I know it sounds pretty cheesy, but I can not over emphasize how important it is for us to live in Christ. The Apostle Paul certainly thought it was important.

In John chapter 6:57-69 Jesus teaches us concerning how to live in Him. Unfortunately, this did not sit well with his disciples. You see, most of the disciples following Him at that time only wanted the sensational Jesus - the miracle worker who multiples fish and bread! Yet, Jesus said to them, "Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." At this point the people realized Jesus was far more than entertainment for them. He was calling them to receive Him into their lives and live with Him as their Lord - the caller of the shots in their lives. This is precisely where they said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it." They then left in mass numbers to follow their own way and look for new entertainments. Jesus then looked at his closest disciples and said, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" I love how Peter responds! He responds to Jesus with these unforgettable words, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Yes, this is the same Peter who denies Jesus not long after this, but that is not where Peter ended up living. He rebounded. He did not live "under his circumstances". He wept bitterly, sought forgiveness and received it from Jesus.

Where are you and I living today? The question echoes through the ages, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" My prayer is that our answer will be just like Peter's - "Where would we go, Lord? You are the only hope. You have the words of eternal life. I choose You!"

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Overcoming Demonic Influence

2010-04-02T05:22:00.000-07:00

Over the past three blogs I have written to you about overcoming lies, sin and hurts in your life. There is a fourth area that must be overcome in our lives as well. This fourth area involves the demonic. The Bible is very clear on the reality that there are devils and their plans for you are the exact opposite to God's plans for you. God's plans are for your salvation (1st Timothy 2:4). The devil's plans for you are destructive and ultimately aimed to see you in hell with him for eternity (John 10:10a). However, we also see in God's Word what God has planned for the devil (Isaiah 14:12-17) in the future and also the present victory you can have over him because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross for you and I (Colossians 2:15).

Demonic influence can come to us through open doors from our family, willful rebellion, or involvement in demonic practices (seances, cult affiliations, fortune telling, astral projection, etc.). God has given His children authority in the Name of Jesus Christ to renounce the powers of darkness and break their influences over their lives. God's Word clearly states in James 4:7, "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you." If you have been involved in demonic activities and have not yet given Christ freedom to break the influence of these activities from your life, I would encourage you to use this model prayer to become free from demonic influence.

Father God, I confess I have been involved in ,or influenced by demonic activities I should not have been involved with that include (name the demonic activity). Please forgive me for any involvement on my part. I acknowledge that You are the only true God and Provider of all that I need.
I also choose to forgive my family, friends and others (if applicable) for their involvement in demonic activities and the consequences their choices brought to my life.
In the Name of Jesus I abandon and break all agreements with the demons of (you fill in the blank - control, lust, jealousy, witchcraft, etc.). I take authority over these demons and command them to leave me now based on the sacrificial death and resurrection of my Lord Jesus Christ. I claim freedom from any attachments with darkness due to this involvement. I trust you, Jesus, to break my thought patterns connected with these demons. As I live my new life in Christ, I will now live in freedom from these demonic influences knowing that the blood of the Lamb has broken the enemy's influence in my life. Amen.

I trust these last 4 blogs have been helpful in bringing the freedom of Jesus Christ into your life. He has come to bring you life and life more abundantly (John 10:10)!

Have a great and free Easter! Pastor Eric

Dealing With Hurtful Experiences

2010-03-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I put together some thoughts on overcoming hurts people experience that seem to hold on to them and choke certain areas of their life off. I would like to share those thoughts with you now. I pray this is helpful to you in overcoming a hurt or hurts you have experienced.

Overcoming Hurt

Hurt is an area where physical, mental, spiritual or emotional well-being has been hindered and stunted from healthy growth. Hurt comes to us through various sources. Usually it is something someone else has said or done to us. While God never promised and does not intend for our life to be free of difficulty, He does promise and intend for us never to be alone, to have peace no matter what is happening, and to be equipped to handle whatever comes our way. God wants to help heal our memories and show us He is and was always there. If you know that there is a hurt lodged in you, please consider walking through these steps:

1. Take some time to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal a specific incident where a hurt occurred (an angry word spoken to you, an accusation leveled against you, a physical assault, etc.).
2. Make sure you have properly dealt with anything that would keep you from realizing His provision of healing for this area of hurt; such as lack of forgiveness, or failing to take responsibility for decisions you made that made the situation worse.
3. Now, take the memory of the hurt to the Lord and express to Him how it made you feel and how it makes you feel now (David did this in the Psalms regularly). In dealing with a hurt it is important to pour out your emotions to God with honesty.
4. Next, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where He was when this occurred. Take some time to interact with Him, allowing Him to pour healing on this incident and speak to you about how He feels about what happened. Above all, receive His healing touch upon this incident.
5. Next, allow the Holy Spirit to continue to minister to you in the midst of this memory and allow Him to break any lies that have developed over your life because of this hurt (sometimes people feel they "deserved" to be hurt and a lie like that needs to be broken).
6. Finally, thank God for his protection and provision of healing over your life. I would encourage you to read Psalm 121:1-8 and meditate on its truth.

May God bless, heal and strengthen you as you move forward in wholeness with Him!

Have a great week,

Pastor Eric

2010-03-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

One Month To Live - EGC Promo from EGC on Vimeo.

Hey, Please check out this video on a new series we are starting called "One Month to Live". If you are interested in leading a One Month to Live Community Group, come to on of our upcoming training sessions (Sunday, March 21st @ 10:30 and 1215, Sunday, March 28th @ 10:30 and 12:15, Sunday, April 4 (Easter) @ 10:30 and Saturday, April 10th @ 10 a.m. - all in our new Youth Wing!

I've Got Good News For You!

2010-03-19T05:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've got good news for you. However, it's a good news, bad news, but then good news blog. Here we go!

Isaiah 59:1-2 gives us two really important truths:

1. The Lord is near and He hears.
2. Our sins separate us from His nearness and hearing ear.

"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."

This passage of Scripture can either cause you to shriek in terror and try to find some way to medicate the pain sin creates in your life, or it can cause you to turn from your sins, place your trust in what Christ did for you on the cross and receive the forgiveness of Father God. His great desire for you is to choose the second option. In fact, His desire for you to choose this option is so great that He provided His only son as a sacrifice for your sins to be removed and nearness to God to become a reality for you. His passion is that nothing would separate us from His love! Romans 8:31-39 (Paul really says this all so much better than I:)

Recently, we as a church have been reflecting on the parables of a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. Do you find it interesting that in the case of the sheep and the coin the shepherd seeks for his lost sheep and the woman seeks out her lost coin, but in the case of the lost son the Father stays home? You see, sheep and coins are different from us. We sin. Sheep and coins don't :), but we do and our sin separates us from Father God. However, when we come to our senses, repent and start walking home as the lost son did, God runs to us and closes the separation between us. So, how do we come to our senses? Let me give you an explanation and a model of prayer I have used that I think will be effective for you as well.

Overcoming Sin

Sin controls us when we give in to temptation by doing something we know we should not, or by not doing something we know we should. We give in and let sin control what we do. However, the truth is that we can be free from the world and its influence, our sin and from the devil himself because we have been reborn into a new life in Christ through our faith in Him. "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Romans 8:13

Freedom Prayer:
Father, I admit that I have sinned against You and to my own harm by (you fill in the blank). Please forgive me for this sin and cover over my offense with the precious blood of Your Son, Jesus. I choose to forgive the sins of others that have contributed toward this sin being in my life and release them to You, Father. I choose to receive your precious forgiveness. On the basis of Your forgiveness I also choose to forgive myself through Your Spirit in me. I receive Your grace to live my life differently from this day forward. I receive Your freedom from this sin. In this sin's place I receive (you fill in the blank with an opposite virtue to your sin - for example sexual purity in the place of lust, etc.). I trust that You will continue to finish the work You began in me (Philippians 1:6) and help me to be transformed into Your image day by day in Jesus' Name, amen.

This of course is not a "magical" prayer, but is simply a model that you can use to free yourself of sin that separates you from Father God. Your responsibility is simply to come to senses, repent and receive what the Father so incredibly provided for you through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Now that is good news!

Have a great day close to your Father!

Pastor Eric

"Spiritual Jenga"

2010-03-12T05:31:00.000-08:00

Have you ever played the game Jenga? The game involves lots of rectangular wooden blocks that are built to form a tower. Each player removes a wooden block and places it on top of the tower. Ultimately the tower looses its ability to stand up and falls. Unfortunately, the player who pulls out the block that brings the tower down loses the game:(

In counseling sessions over the years I have used the analogy of the Jenga Game with a new version I call "Spiritual Jenga". Let me explain what I mean. After we place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and forgiveness of our sins, God begins a very important process in our lives called sanctification. Sanctification in a nutshell is simply replacing lies (faulty blocks) with truth (God's foundational blocks). Psalm 139:23-24 puts it this way, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way (lies) in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Now, Spiritual Jenga is different than the game Jenga in that when you allow God to remove a faulty block (a lie), He removes it from you as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). However, there is a problem. There is now a void or empty place that needs to be filled so that our tower (our life) does not topple down. This is where it is vital that we receive God's truth that is the polar opposite of the lie we had been believing. Many Christians understand the importance of repenting from a lie, but often do not understand the value and discipline of allowing God to replace our lies with His Truth. I would like to give you a brief personal example I think will help you and then a prayer you can use as a model to build a life that glorifies God.

Early in my ministry I believed a lie that I was responsible for how people responded to my counsel/ministry. This lie made me feel important and responsible, but also very burdened and exhausted when people I loved and counseled made very bad decisions. This lie came to haunt me terribly after a young man I spent time with, prayed with and counseled committed suicide. As I was receiving ministry from a counselor concerning this situation this pernicious lie came to the surface and I finally saw the damage it was doing to me. As I prayed I saw in my mind's eye Jesus sitting with me in the very place where this young man took his life. I wept uncontrollably because I felt deep within me that it was my fault that this young fellow took his life. In my mind's eye I saw Jesus lift up my face and He spoke these words, "Eric, give him to Me. You did all you could to help him, but give this burden to me. I've only asked you to be faithful to Me, but never to take responsibility for how people respond to your faithfulness to Me. Let me take that burden now." And I did! Oh, the weight that came off my shoulders that day. I trust this personal example helps you understand how God wants to replace lies that have lodged in your life with His divine truth.

Now, here is a model prayer I would encourage you to use. It goes like this:

Father, I confess to you that I have sinned through believing the lie that (you fill in the blank). I no longer choose to live my life based on this lie. Please forgive me for choosing to make this lie a part of who I am and basing my thoughts upon it. Also, I choose to forgive anyone who has contributed to the formation of this lie in my life (spend some time asking God if there is anyone you need to forgive for helping instill this lie in your life. For example, someone telling you that you are worthless, etc.). Because Jesus has already won the victory over this lie through the shedding of His own precious blood, I now claim that victory as personally mine over this lie. In the powerful Name of Jesus I renounce this lie and command every demon attached to this lie to leave me and harass me no longer. Help me to see how this lie has affected me and help me to live my life through the filter of Your Truth from this day forward. As I live my new life in Christ, I will now believe the Truth that (you fill in the blank with a truth based on God's Word, The Bible). The word of my testimony will now be how you have set me free! Thank You, Jesus for bringing peace to my madness! Amen.

My prayer for you is that this will help you as you become more and more each day like your loving Savior, Jesus. I will close with the Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 4:8,

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

Have a great week, Pastor Eric

P.S. Here is a link to our upcoming series, "One Month to Live" - check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybz4IigWOKQ

A Snow Day!

2010-02-26T05:41:00.000-08:00

Today is a miraculous day according to my youngest daughter. I would think that my three older children would agree and are also just a little jealous of their younger sister today. Why? Because today is a snow day in the Honeoye Falls, NY school district! You need to understand that this just does not happen here (I actually cannot remember when it's happened). We have seen nearly every school district around us call a snow day, but not Honeoye Falls. Why? Well, I suppose it is because we're hearty upstate New Yorkers with the kind of snow equipment that would take out Godzilla if we needed to! However, today is a snow day! All the parents in our district received a taped phone message proving it and oh how my daughter, Meredith, rejoiced! She also practiced a little bit of Honeoye Falls lore last night by wearing her pajamas inside out and placing her notebook in the freezer before going to bed - somehow this is supposed to influence the superintendent to call a snow day!

As you can see I am at my office - I did not get a snow day. Maybe I'll remind my daughter of that later, but probably not. In fact, I hope she enjoys a restful day with the thought that her Father in heaven has everything under control. I think snow days are good for thinking thoughts like that. Listen to something the Bible says in Job 37:6 about snow - He says to the snow, "Fall on the earth..." He must have been really emphatic about saying that to His storehouse (Job 38:22) last night because it just kept coming down!

What about you? Do you need a snow day? I think many of us do. Here are some things that happen on snow days that we need to happen more regularly:

We seem to communicate with each other more - "Wow, we've got a lot to shovel this morning don't we Fred?" or "Some storm last night. By the way, how are you doing since..."
We seem a bit more relaxed and maybe take a little more time to reflect over morning coffee with the ones we love.
Snow days also seem to remind us that God is in control.

I really like that last one. God really is in control. Right in the midst of our crazy worlds God is not wringing His hands in the heavens. He is the Sovereign Ruler over all. He is so in control and at peace that He encourages us through His servant Paul in Philippians 4:6-7 to "Be anxioius for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (yes, all the understanding you have of your current anxiety producing situation), will guard (umpire) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

So, take a personal "snow day". Enjoy the people around you more. Relax. And, last but not least, be reminded that God is in control.

Have a great day! Pastor Eric

He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brother!

2010-02-19T06:26:00.000-08:00

Hello! Do you recognize the title of this song, "He Ain't Heavy - He's My Brother"? The title of this song caught my attention this week and I wanted to share a few thoughts with you in my weekly blog. You may remember this hit the Hollies had in the late 60's. For those of you who have not heard it, go to Youtube and check it out. It's a great song! Interestingly, this was also the motto of Boy's Town.

This song captured my heart as a young boy hiking from Conesus Lake in Western NY to Hemlock Lake during a week long camp (Camp Stella Maris) my parents sent me to annually. As we hiked a good friend pulled out his transistor radio, turned it on and the Hollies began to fill the summer air with this song. My buddy and I looked at each other and made an oath that we would hike all the way to Hemlock Lake without using the many rides that were offered to us by camp counselors along the way - "Even if we have to carry each other, we'll make it," we said to one another! Why? Because the song was telling us, "He ain't heavy. He's my brother!" We not only made it, but even hiked the Hemlock Lake grounds of an old Catholic Seminary when we got there. Somehow, this song energized us!

One portion of the song states, "His welfare is my concern. No burden is he to bear. We'll get there." In stark contrast to this song, our church has been taking a look at the elder brother in the Prodigal Son parable, or the parable of the lost sons as we are coming to know it. In this parable the elder brother had no concern for his brother's welfare. When his brother left home to waste his life, it is as if you can hear the elder brother whispering, "Good riddance you idiot. Now there's more for me!" And we come to know he did have this attitude later when the younger brother returns in repentance and the elder son refuses to join in the celebration of his brother's return.

I pray that God will help us to not only have an opposite heart to this elder brother concerning our brothers and sisters in Christ, but to joyfully have an opposite heart. You see, I believe God wants us to enter into His joy through serving one another in honor. Romans 12:9-10 puts it this way in the RSV, "Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Never flag in zeal, be aglow with the Spirit..." What an admonition from the Apostle Paul! I'm quite sure if we focused on this one thing our world would change overnight. And, even if it did not change, we would still expereince a deep joy that would become addictive in the healthy sense of the word.

Here's my challenge for this week. Have you gone on a Care Connection within the last year? If not, contact Pastor Sean (991-9314) or sign up for one after church. If that is not possible for you, then ask the Holy Spirit to put a brother or sister on your heart to bless in some way that would lighten their load this week. You see, "He ain't heavy - he's my brother!"

If this sounds like a drudgery to you, then I would ask you not to let this blog become a guilt trip for you. Instead, I would encourage you to meditate on your true Elder Brother, Jesus. Because if you are down and life just seems too much for you I can hear Him saying, "His welfare is my concern. No burden is he to bear. We'll get there."

Have a great week! Pastor Eric

Have You Come To Your Senses?

2010-02-12T05:59:00.000-08:00

For these past several weeks we have been looking at a parable many of us have heard from childhood - the parable of what we are coming to call "The Lost Sons". This week I would like to focus on Luke 15:17, but especially on this first thought, "When he came to his senses..." I want to ask you a blunt question this week, "Have you come to your senses?"

I first came to my senses on September 30, 1979. After blowing pay checks on cocaine, speed (as if I needed that:), hashish, getting arrested and then realizing I was on the brink of a dishonorable discharge from the United States Air Force something happened - I came to my senses! I know the situation I was in sounded pretty desperate, but isn't true that without relationship with God the Father we are all truly desperate and without our senses? So, I'll ask you again, "Have you come to your senses?"

Maybe a couple of thoughts will help you answer that question. These two thoughts come from the parable we have been pouring over, and especially from the scene where the younger son chooses to head home. Here are the two thoughts I'd like you to ponder:

First, as I already mentioned, "...he came to his senses..." What does that mean? The next words in the verse tell us that this son realized (as he sat in his pig slop) his Dad was a good man who cared deeply even for those who worked for him. This is extremely important to you and I. Do you know that God is good? Do you know nothing can separate you from His love through Christ? On September 30, 1979 I came to my senses and waves of God's goodness washed over me and drew me into relationship with my Father in Heaven.
Second, this younger son humbled himself and went back to his father with a speech of humility to recite to his Dad. Before we get caught up in how the Dad ran to him (which is just incredible!), let's remember that the younger son had to come to his senses, get up and walk home in humility. The story does not say that the Dad came to the son in the pig slop, picked him up and carried him home. It says the son came to his senses, humbled himself and walked home - then the party began! I am really sorry to say that many people today want to forget about this part of the story. Our culture seems to be victim oriented to the point that nothing is expected of the "poor guy". Well, I need to say something this week and here it is - Every "poor guy" out there needs to come to his or her senses and humbly come to the Father. I guarantee there will be a party, waves of love and hope will rise up, but we still need to come to our senses, humble ourselves and start walking home to Papa God!

So, I'll ask a third time - have you come to your senses? Or will the problems in your life always be someone else's fault? Isn't time to take a look at your situation, come to your senses, humble yourself and start walking home? I can see the Father waiting for you, but He's not going to walk into your pig slop, say your sin is ok and act like nothing happened between you and Him. Yet, when He sees you have come to your senses, humbled yourself and started your walk home - oh, he'll run to you then - oh, how he'll run to you! I know because He ran to me and still does cause I still need Him desperately every day! And I'm not alone - there are literally hundreds of people in our congregation with the same story. You know who they are. They are the ones with a twinkle of hope in their eyes. Check it out with them. Buy them a cup of coffee this week and ask them about the hope that is inside them. I'm quite sure you will hear another story of redemption and hope concerning the goodness of our Father in Heaven!

Here's a youtube connection you will be blessed by. It's called "When God Ran". Just click on this link and check out this song originally written by Benny Hester and sung here by Phillips, Craig and Dean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1O4eS9jxfM

Have a great week!

How Do We Delight God?

2010-02-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

I think one of the greatest pleasures a child has is when they delight their parent. I remember when I was growing up how important it was for me to know I had made my mom or dad happy about something. I especially liked it when they laughed at something I said or did! I remember one time leaving church and our pastor came to the car and asked me what I would like to be when I grew up. I told him I wanted to be a fireman and then I asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up. You should have heard my parents laugh along with our pastor. I loved that!

If delighting our parents is such a joy, how do we delight God our Father? I have been pondering this as we have been going through the Prodigal God series. It's become clear to me that desiring the blessings of God without desiring Him is certainly not the route to delighting His heart. It seems that the younger son and the elder son were both primarily interested in what they could get out of their dad rather than enjoying a relationship with their father and, by so doing, sucked the delight out of their relationship with him. In this thought of relationship I think we can begin to see how we can bring delight to our Father God.

To underline this thought I would like you to read Jeremiah 9:23-24. It starts out telling us what we should not glory in. Specifically, God's Word says not to glory in:

our wisdom
our might
or our riches

Yet, God does say to glory (you can substitute the word delight here) in something very significant in this passage. He says, "But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth, for in these (these kind of people) I delight," says the Lord. Dear One, can you see the premium God puts on a relationship with Him? He delights in us when we seek to understand and know Him! This is critical information. And I would say one more thing to you and that one thing is, "Come as you are." You may think (as I often have) God does not want anything to do with you because you have this issue or have not resolved a certain problem. Listen, He wants you to come to Him. It is with Him that life makes sense and it is with Him where our sins are cleansed away. He is not into self-improvement programs, but He is definitely into us understanding and knowing Him. We are His delight when we humble ourselves and seek to understand and know Him!

It's All About Relationship!

2010-01-22T05:39:00.000-08:00

I had an interesting thought the other morning as I ran. I was thinking about our upcoming Prodigal God series as our family began to read the book "Prodigal God" together in the mornings. And as I thought about the desire God has for relationship with us, which is the main point of the book, my thoughts began to turn toward the prayer Jesus taught us. When I thought about what is commonly called "The Lord's Prayer" through the eye glass of the father in the prodigal story some ideas began to emerge that I would like to share with you. First, let's just look at the progression of Matthew 6:9-13:

Worship - Matthew 6:9
Intercession - Matthew 6:10
Prayer for Personal Need - Matthew 6:11
Prayer for Forgiveness and Extending Forgiveness - Matthew 6:12
Prayer for Direction Away from the World's Temptations - Matthew 6:13a.
Prayer for Deliverance from the Demonic - Matthew 6:13b.
Back to Worship (the King James ends with Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory!) - Matthew 6:13c.

We could look at this prayer for hours and continued to be amazed at how sublime it is. You could notice how this prayer covers every need we could possibly have. You could also notice how forgiveness is the central thought of seven progressions. But today I want you to consider something else. What I would like you to consider is that God invites us into worship first and foremost. First before intercession, prayers for personal needs, prayers of repentance and extending forgiveness to others, prayers for direction, and prayers for deliverance from the demonic. What is first and foremost on God's heart is coming into His Presence and worshiping Him!

Okay, so how does this link together with the Prodigal God series? The link is that God is interested in relationship with us through worship just as the father in the parable was first interested in relationship with his sons rather than the focus being on what they could get out of the father. So often our prayers center on our need and we invoke God's name to get what we want and He looks at us with that look that says, "You are not getting it! My desire is for relationship with you!"

So, as you head into worship this week (in your car, in the church, etc.) don't start with how badly you are doing, your personal needs, etc., but start with worship in the Presence of God. This will set things right inside you and when you are right on the inside you will start affecting the outside. Yet, remember the key is that everything begins and ends in your relationship to God Almighty who loves you with an everlasting and extravagant love.

Think about that and put it into practice - I am just crazy enough to think that will help your week go a heap better! Pastor Eric

Say, "Bah" - You Are His Sheep!

2010-01-15T05:59:00.000-08:00

I have heard a lot of things about sheep over the years I have been in ministry. One of the predominant thoughts that always seems to come to the surface is that sheep really need a shepherd. I thank God our Father for sending us the Good Shepherd - His Son, Jesus! Here are two commitments Jesus makes to us as our Good Shepherd:

He is committed to lay His life down for His sheep (John 10:11) - When the wolf (the devil) came to devour us, Jesus stood between us and him and allowed Himself to be devoured in our place so that we might have life and have it to the full (John 10:10). You have a Shepherd in Jesus who defines the word courage. He would never leave you to be devoured by the wolves - not 2,000 + years ago and not now. No matter what your circumstances may be He is alive and well and looking out for you with all that He has - His very own life for yours. Wow, what an exchange!
He is committed to know His sheep (John 10:14) - Spend some time meditating on this passage. He knows y0u and He has made it possible through the shedding of His blood for you to know Him with confidence (Hebrews 10:19-22). As I was cross-country skiing this morning I was listening to a Jason Upton song that reflected the voice of God crying out, "Come up here, come up now, my beloved!" Do you know that the God of the universe - the Good Shepherd - wants so very much to know you? If you are like me, you might say, "But God you know my imperfections, my attitudes, my selfishness and it must stink in your nose." Yet, He sees your faith in His precious Son, pardons your sin as you repent and sees and smells the righteousness of Jesus - behold He has thrown your stinking sin as far away as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12)! Yes, He knows you my friend and He likes you. Spend some time with Him alone and you will know soon enough these things are truer than I could begin to express in this blog.

So, He has laid down His life for you and you are known by Him. Oh, how these truths can set our feet a dancing! So much so that you will be inclined to tell others about this Good Shepherd - others who "are not of this sheep pen" (John 10:16). Now that is where the party really gets going - when others hear of the precious truths you have experienced in Christ! So, say, "Bah" - you are His sheep!

Believe in Jesus!

2010-01-08T05:13:00.000-08:00

Pastor Josh asked us to read through the Book of John one chapter at a time during our church's 21 Day Fast. This morning I came upon these words in John 6:29, "The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent." The context of this statement was that the people were following after Jesus because He had fed thousands of them with a few fish and some bread, but He was wanting them to understand that His desire was for them to believe on Him. They were focused on the signs of God, but not Jesus - the One God Himself had sent to them. This is something we so often do. We have a need and then we seek God to meet that need. Our attention is focused on that need being met and doing what we can to meet that need. So, when the people asked Jesus, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus said, The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent." He is giving us the same answer today. Believe in Jesus!

What is your current need? Is it a loved one caught in sexual sin, an addiction to drugs or alcohol, or caught in an unhealthy relationship? Are you personally caught in a sin cycle that you feel you can never be free from? Or, are you just depressed? You expected so much more out of life, out of Christianity, or from other Christians and have been left disappointed? Jesus is saying to you and I today, "Believe in Me!" So, through the grace of God alone, let us go out on that plank of faith and believe on Him with all our heart, soul and mind. He will bring us through to the other side, but better than anything else, He will be with us. Ultimately, His plan is that we abide with Him (John, chapter 15). So, settle down into Christ. It's going to be a great ride as you BELIEVE IN JESUS!

2010 Springs Up!

2009-12-31T11:10:00.000-08:00

This week I would like to share with you one of my favorite Scripture passages in the Bible. This passage came to my mind again as I was asked to bring my favorite Bible verse to a meeting this weekend. You know, I really like when people ask me to bring something from God's Word to a meeting. I know right off the bat that will be a good meeting!

So, what is the passage I am referring to? Well, it is one that fits the New Year really well. It is also a Scripture that God gave me as a promise when I was a young Christian. I have held on to this promise all these years and continue to hold on to it. In many ways the promise has already been fulfilled, but in other ways it has not even begun to be fulfilled. You will see what I mean when I write out this passage for you. It is found in Isaiah 43:18-19 and starts with instruction that is followed by a promise. It reads like this:
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

Please note what this passage requires of you and I in order for the promise of God to be fulfilled:
1. To stop dwelling on the past - the prophet even says, "Forget the former things". What former things do you need to leave behind and not take into 2010? Is there an offense you've carried all year, or for years, that needs to be let go of? Was there a disappointment you suffered that needs to be left in the past and no longer thought about? The prophet is telling us in so many words, "Let it go!'.
2. To be perceptive - God is at work right now! Yes, He is. Right where you are He is at work. In fact, the Bible says in John 5:19 that Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. That passage assumes that we know God is at work. Just like when you used to see "Men at Work" signs at construction areas you can be sure God is always at work (if you wanted to delve into this more I would encourage you to do the Bible Study "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby - it is excellent).

So, if we will stop dwelling on the past and be perceptive (actively pursuing God), we are going
to see the new thing God is doing. He provides streams where deserts exist and life sources where it seems all is lost. He is our life (John 10:10)!

Blessings to you and yours in 2010!

Pastor Eric

Christ in you - the hope of glory!

2009-12-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

I have a short blog for you this week, but I trust one that will encourage you.

Have you ever thought that not only was Mary asked to carry the Lord Jesus inside her, but you and I are as well? My brother sent me a devotional this week that carried this thought and it really struck me.

Yes, Mary actually carried Him in her womb and in the fullness of time she gave birth to the Son of God. Yet, Christ has come knocking on our doors as well and is asking, "Is there a place for Me inside you?" See John, chapter 15 and this thought will come ringing through over and over again. Will we allow Him residence in us, or will we just go through the motions of faith in Him? It's a big question, but one worth asking ourselves regularly. His desire is an abiding relationship with Him that establishes His Kingdom rule in us - let it be this Christmas and for always!

Merry Christmas, Pastor Eric