Pastor Norm’s Blog

He must increase, but I must decrease.

One of the greatest statements of personal commitment and surrender to the Lord is given by John the Baptist in John 3:30. I pray that as you approach the dawn of a new year that you will take a few moments to meditate on this verse and consider how it can effect your walk through 2009.

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

May you have blessed start to your New Year!

The memory verse for December—“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” Colossians 3:17

God’s Great Love

I praise God that He did not have a ‘secret love’ towards us. So in love is God with us that when He chose to love us in the sinful and messed up state that we were in, He publicly took the steps necessary to deliver us, transform us, and to incredibly bless us for all eternity. No wonder Paul considering God’s great love for us encourages us about the blessing we have, and continue to receive from Him:

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” Romans 8:28-31
 
Please take a moment during this Christmas Season to thank the Lord & to do a dance of appreciation for His great and public love towards us that He displayed in a manger over 2,000 years ago. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins”  Matthew 1:21

Have a Very Merry Christmas!

The memory verse for December—“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17

The Shock and Awe of Christmas.

“Shock & Awe!” That is what the United States military called its spectacular invasion of Iraq. Do you remember the flashes of bright lights, the loud explosions in the night during this event? It truly accomplished its goal of getting the attention and impressing the whole world as to our nations might and intentions.

That is what is so amazing about the Christmas Story. God also used a ‘Shock & Awe’ approach but in a very different way. Note God’s power displayed in the fact that a virgin would have a baby without having sex with a man (Luke 1:34). God’s enabling a very old couple who could not have a baby to become pregnant (Luke 1:7; 24). Note the high ranking angels, known as archangels, who were employed to deliver the message of Jesus’ coming birth (to Zecharias in Luke 1:19; Mary in Luke 1:26; and Joseph in Matthew 1:20, 2:13, 19. Archangels usually stood in the presence of God, which reveals that the message was so great that only the highest of angels could announce it). Later God uses a majestic scene of angels to stun a group of shepherds who quickly traveled to see the new born king (Luke 1:8—20).

Yet, these accounts reveal what almost seems a ‘waste’ of God’s awe & shock powers. Why was Jesus’ virgin birth wasted on an obscure commoner like Mary?  Why didn’t God send these powerful angels to Herod, ruler of the Jews, and to Roman emperors? Why send them to an old priest and his wife, or to lowly shepherds?

But this is the awe and shock of Christmas that God would love us all, that He would use His unlimited powers to make sure that we allknew of His love, and that He would move heaven to earth to bring allhumanity to Himself.
Whatever you are going through today, remember to take a moment to consider the awe & shock of this Christmas season, and to pass it on to someone else.

The memory verse for December—“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
” Colossians 3:17

Lord Use Me!!

Remember our prayer at the end of service yesterday—“Lord use me as you will this week.“ So, keep your eyes and ears open for what the Lord might have you to do this week. My prayer is that you will be blessed in seeing the Lord reveal Himself as real to you. Remember, a yielded you is the greatest gift you can give to God this season.

The memory verse for December—“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
” Colossians 3:17

What Does Peace Mean?

There is a common theme in Scripture of describing Jesus as the source of ‘peace.’ In its use of this term the Bible is noting that Jesus is the source of our having a right relationship with God, our fellow humans, and the experiences of life that we encounter. But please don’t think that peace denotes a life without any challenges. This peace does not refer to the absence of problems or challenges in life but to the addition of power to deal with these challenges.

My prayer for you is that the Prince of Peace will bless you this day and through this Christmas season with the gift of abiding peace that only He can provide.
The memory verse for December—“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  Colossians 3:17

Losing Something Important

Isn’t it frustrating to lose or misplace something and not know where it is? It can drive you crazy, can’t it? I hate searching for smaller items like a small link to a chain, a contact lens, a valuable coin, a wallet or purse, or something as small or smaller in size. I am most frustrated though, when I lose something that is big. Have you ever placed your coat or parked your car somewhere and not remembered where it is?

Yet, do you know that the biggest item we lose most often is our God? I know that we considered this truth a few weeks ago but I have not been able to shake it since then. In the hectic pace of this holiday season let us not lose sight of the God who says ‘I am with you always’ (Matthew 28:20).  A great way to keep our focus on our God is by remembering to give Him thanks in everything  (1 Thessalonians 5:18). 

Over the next few days what can you give God thanks for that you have not thanked Him for to this point? Remember, the command says IN EVERYTHING.

The Power of Prayer

In the account of Luke 22:31—32 we are told that Jesus lets Peter in on the fact that Satan has requested permission to examine him in order to see what he is all about (to see if there is more talk or substance) and that Satan has been given permission to do so. But as a source of comfort Jesus tells Peter “I have prayed” for him. 

Does that sound comforting to you? I must honestly tell you that it did not sound very comforting to me when I really started thinking about the arrangement. I would have wanted Jesus to say that He would do more than just pray; I wanted Jesus to just say ‘No!’ “No Satan, you can’t test Peter by deeply challenging him.” Yet, Jesus said all that He needed to say in order to truly comfort and assure Peter. You see what Jesus said is “I have already prayed for you so that your faith will not totally evaporate.”

The use of the past tense in the Greek was a way of saying that something is now firm and set so Jesus’ prayer was already given and the way the statement is written assures us that Jesus’ prayer was heard. Jesus was saying “Peter, you have to go through this testing because it will foster your growth. But I assure you that you will endure all that Satan will throw at you because I have called all the power of God into this situation to keep your faith from fully evaporating when you fail this test. For I assure you Peter that God the Father will do what God the Son asks!”

I want to assure you that Jesus is making this same statement to every one of us today. You see, God will allow each one of us to go through times of deep testing to foster our growth into the image of Christ but we must be assured that His focus is on us and His power is sufficient. He has prayed for us and like His action when Peter started to sink after walking on water Jesus will act to care for us in our time of need (Matthew 14:31).

Remember, we have an open mic service this Sunday so prayerfully consider what the Lord might have you to share with us your church family.

The memory verse for November—“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart..” 2 Timothy 2:22

Giving Thanks To God

Do you know why giving the Lord thanks is such an important response for us as we encounter challenges in our lives? The reason is that this act of faith puts God in control and removes us from having the final word on whether our experience is beneficial or not. Here are a few passages that communicates this truth loud and clear:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (James 1:2-3)

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.  (1 Thessalonians 5:17 The Message)

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,  so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  (1 Peter 1:6-7).

This Sunday we will give you the opportunity to take such steps of faith by sharing your testimonies of trust, thanksgiving, and requests for prayer as we celebrate the Thanks-giving season by having an open microphone time in the morning service. So, what will you give God thanks for this Sunday? Start preparing by giving thanks today.

The memory verse for November—“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart..” 2 Timothy 2:22

Standing Firm For God

One of the greatest challenges we can experience is to stand in the minority when it comes to our views. This challenge is heightened when we are in a position of leadership. Such was the great challenge that confronted Aaron who stood before thousands who were crying for what he knew was not right, but he did not want to be in the position of an unpopular leader.

As our society continues to drift from rooting its moral standards in the Bible it is becoming more clear that we will have to stand against the tide in respect to such issues as truth vs. tolerance, marriage vs. cohabitation, sex only in marriage vs. premarital sex, heterosexuality vs. homosexuality, the sanctity of life vs. abortion, and many more issues. Are we ready to stand against the thousands who will confront us with the cry heard by Aaron—“Come, make us a god…” who is different than the true & living God whom you serve (Exodus 32:1).

The only possible way for us to stand against such a challenge, such pressure is for us to be constantly growing in our knowledge of who this God is. I believe that we are presently in the golden age of Bible communication where we can get truth via various avenues if we will but allow ourselves such access. At the same time almost every American has easy and inexpensive access to a Bible. Are you taking the time to daily gain truth from the Master? What I believe is the greatest way to gain such knowledge today though, is through the teaching ministries of local churches. Here you can not only get teaching but you can also ask questions thereby tailoring the process to address your specific issues. Are you utilizing such avenues of truth? Are you a member of a LIFE Group, do you attend Jesus University classes on Sunday morning, are you weekly attending Sunday worship service ready with a pen & paper to take notes?

Please note that Aaron heard the commandment to not make or worship any graven images of Yahweh (Exodus 20:4-6) and then received a vision of God that showed him that Yahweh was above all creation (Exodus 24:18) before he was confronted by his challenge. Therefore, let us consider this important pattern that we gain biblical truth so that we might then have it kneaded into our lives by the gentle hands of our Heavenly Father as we are challenged through situations we encounter daily.

The memory verse for November—“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart..” 2 Timothy 2:22

Awareness of God’s Presence

“I have lost God.” I know that we would not want to say that but most of us at some point in our daily trek lose touch with a clear and conscious awareness of God’s presence. Even though such passages as Joshua 1:9; Psalm 23; Matthew 28:20; John 14:16 assure us that God’s presence is always with us, we are not always aware of that presence.

One of the major reasons for this outlook is that we often slip into self reliance outlook on life. It is easy to think ‘we can handle this.’ No wonder God allowed Moses to fail in trying to help deliver his people through his own power so that he might be fully aware of his need for God’s empowerment. No wonder Moses then responded “Who am I” to God’s commission for him to go and deliver Israel from under Egypt’s oppression.

How has your day begun? Have you started it off by connecting with God? If not it is not too late.

As you go through the day take some time to stop and ‘find’ God. That may mean turning your car radio off in order to talk to and hear from God as you travel, or praying before every new task you begin, or spending a few moments thanking God through the situations that you encounter today, or selecting a verse to memorize throughout the day in those slower moments. Whatever your approach is, I pray that you will not have a moment this day when you realize “I have lost God.”

The memory verse for November—“ Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Humble Yourselves under The Mighty Hand of God

Peter commands us in 1 Peter 5:6 to ‘humble’ ourselves under God, but why is this such an important command in order for us to survive during challenging times? The reason is that the Greek word denotes an act of dependence, or submission to the will of God. Such action moves us to place our full trust in God that He is both capable of controlling & using our situation to bring about His goals, and that His actions are motivated by His love for us as He takes us through these challenging times.

As we face the challenges before us this day, and we will face challenges, remember that our first response to them should be to communicate to the Father in prayer so that we might humble ourselves to His lead. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6

Are you investing wisely?
INVEST in someone and INVITE them to church

Who Is In Control?

The challenge we focused on yesterday was based on 1 Peter 5:6—7 as we were challenged to ’Lose Control.’ We have been raised to think that we must daily be in total control of our lives and all that influences it. But let me relieve you from this false pressure as the new week begins—‘You can let go, you are not in control. Prayerfully cast your challenges to God. He is the only one who is totally in control.’

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” Get ready for a life changing paradigm switch on your existence as we will all have “One Month to Live” in January!

What Are You Allowing Christ to Place In Your Life?

“Life does to you what life finds in you.” As much as we may not like to admit it, this is a very accurate saying. But there is a major change in this statement for those who are Christians for life can only do to us what God allows. Yet even as Christians we can get stressed out by what God allows, can’t we? So the change I would make to this saying is “Life does to Christians what they have allowed Christ to put in them.”

Jesus tells us through a parable in Luke 18:1-8 that a major way in which God builds Christ likeness into our lives is through our persistency in praying to Him. Our persistency in seeking God to provide our needs and to care for us is such a key indicator that Jesus states that it will be a key indicator when He returns of just how real our faith is. For that reason He ends His parable with this incredible statement—“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

So, what are you allowing Christ to place in your life? Are you praying? Please take some time today to pray like your life depended on it, for it does!

Get ready for a life changing paradigm switch on life as we will all have “One Month To Live” in January!

How We Choose to Live Our Lives

This past Sunday we looked at the fact that for every one of us we are living with summation of life that is ‘Two Dates & A Dash.’ Some day when we stand before God we will not have to give an explanation for the two dates, but we will have to give one for the dash. How did we live our lives.

We can live it for the Splash—seeking to make a big impression and to gain a sense of significance—but that will result in disappointment for life is more than the trinkets we pick up. We can live our life for the Flash—seeking to get involved with the next big event, trend, or phenomenon hoping that it will make us excited about life—but this approach only give us a temporary buzz. Yet, as we noted in the life of Zaccheus life is really to be viewed as the Stash for it is so valuable that we must give it God’s value and invest it in eternity (Luke 19:1—6).

Are you viewing life as Stash? Are you seeking to let God have as much of it as He can in order to maximize your investment? A quick indicator of how well you’re doing is to answer the question “Did I ask the Lord to guide me so that I would give Him a chance to act in everything I did and said today?” If you didn’t pray this prayer at the beginning of the day, it is not too late.

Get ready for a life changing paradigm switch on life as we will all have “One Month To Live” in January!

The Power of the Gospel

The amazing thing about dynamite is that it does so much with the user doing so little. All you have to do is to trust its ability to do what it does best (blow up), to transform an item, and to bring about the desired result.

No wonder Paul used dynamite as his descriptive of the confident trust he had in the gospel—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

The amazing thing about the gospel is that it does so much with the user doing so little. Look for opportunities to prove its power today. Hand someone a tract, take a few moments to share your testimony, give someone an invitation to the Health Fair/Yard Sale this Saturday or to Friends Sunday this Sunday so that they might encounter the gospel. All you have to do is to trust its ability to do what it does best—to transform a life and to bring about God’s desired result.

Are you investing wisely?  INVEST in someone and INVITE them to church.

This month’s memory verse (2 Timothy 2:21— NASB)

“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”