With God All Things Are Possible!

Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God;
for with God all things are possible."  (Mark 10:27)

When we put all of our faith in God, He will help us through life's problems, and bless us as well!  However, Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  (Hebrews 11:6)

God delights in being believed because it demonstrates that we trust and believe in both His character and His Word.  When we doubt Him and His Word this is displeasing to God because it is an indication of our unbelief, lack of faith, or distrust of who He is and what He said He would do in His Word.  

However, when we have faith in God it pleases Him and we become filled with true peace ... and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:7)

After all what is the opposite of faith, but worry itself!!  So do not let doubt enter your mind, for after all God has said, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.  Is there anything too hard for Me?"  (Jeremiah 32:2 ) It is also written that ...  When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7)

So dear one, my prayer for you TODAY is ... that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  (Colossians 1:10) Amen!

All My Love & Prayers,

Pastor Chad

*adapted from www.godsminute.com

Meeting God Alone Precedes Revival

Intimacy and personal revival intersect when we meet God alone first. 

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your 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 

Nothing can prevent the spiritual rejuvenation of the soul that insists upon
having it. Though that solitary man or woman must live and walk among persons
religiously dead, he or she may experience the great transformation as certainly and
as quickly as if he were in the most spiritual church in the world.

The Christian that will have God's best becomes at once the object of the personal
attention of the Holy Spirit. Such a person will not be required to wait for the
rest of the church to come alive. He or she will not be penalized for the failures of his or her fellow Christians, nor be asked to forego the blessing till all the sleepy
brethren catch up. God deals with the individual heart as exclusively as if
only one existed.... Every prophet, every reformer, every revivalist had to
meet God alone before he could help the multitudes. The great leaders who went
on to turn thousands to Christ had to begin with God and their own soul. The
plain Christian of today must experience personal revival before he can hope
to bring renewed spiritual life to his church.

"Lord, I pray this morning the words of Jonathan Edwards: 'Resolved... that
all men would live for the glory of God; resolved, second...that if nobody
else does, I will.' Amen." 

A.W. Tozer

Great Enrichment Weekend Together!

God met with us in a special way at our Saturday morning choir session as we worshipped and broke open the Bread of Life through the Word!  Later we shared some helpful vocal techniques.  We had a fantastic turn-out and a great time of fellowship at the lovely Parmer residence on Saturday evening and another wonderful morning of worship yesterday in the house of the Lord!  Thanks to all of you who took the time out of your busy schedules to come out for this special time of fellowship, team-building, and ministry this weekend.

God bless you!

Pastor Chad

The Rewards of Holiness by C. Spurgeon

"All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk." / Numbers 6:4

Nazarites had taken, among other vows, one which debarred them from the use of wine. In order that they might not violate the obligation, they were forbidden to drink the vinegar of wine or strong liquors, and to make the rule still more clear, they were not to touch the unfermented juice of grapes, nor even to eat the fruit either fresh or dried. In order, altogether, to secure the integrity of the vow, they were not even allowed anything that had to do with the vine; they were, in fact, to avoid the appearance of evil. Surely this is a lesson to the Lord's separated ones, teaching them to come away from sin in every form, to avoid not merely its grosser shapes, but even its spirit and
similitude. Strict walking is much despised in these days, but rest assured, dear reader, it is both the safest and the happiest. He who yields a point or two to the world is in fearful peril; he who eats the grapes of Sodom will soon drink the wine of Gomorrah. A little crevice in the sea-bank in Holland lets in the sea, and the gap speedily swells till a province is drowned.  Worldly conformity, in any degree, is a snare to the soul, and makes it more and more liable to presumptuous sins. Moreover, as the Nazarite who drank grape juice could not be quite sure whether it might not have endured a degree of fermentation, and consequently could not be clear in heart that his vow was intact, so the yielding, temporizing Christian cannot wear a conscience void of offense, but must feel that the inward monitor is in doubt of him. Things doubtful we need not doubt about; they are wrong to us. Things tempting we must not dally with, but flee from them with speed. Better be sneered at as a Puritan than be despised as a hypocrite. Careful walking may involve much self-denial, but it has pleasures of its own which are more than a sufficient recompense. 

Let us continually pursue holiness without which no man shall see God. (Heb. 12:14)

He Will Never Let You Go by Max Lucado

The Lord said to [Hosea] again, "Go, show your love to a woman loved by someone else, who has been unfaithful to you." – Hosea 3:1

God will not let you go. He has handcuffed himself to you in love. And he owns the only key. You need not win his love. You already have it. And since you can't win it, you can't lose it.

As evidence, consider exhibit A: the stubborn love of Hosea for Gomer. Contrary to the name, Gomer was a female, an irascible woman married to a remarkable Hosea. She had the fidelity code of a prairie jackrabbit, flirting and hopping from one lover to another. She ruined her life and shattered Hosea's heart. Destitute, she was placed for sale in a slave market. Guess who stepped forward to buy her? Hosea, who'd never removed his wedding band. The way he treated her you would have thought she'd never loved another man. God uses this story, indeed orchestrated this drama, to illustrate his steadfast love for his fickle people.

Then God ordered [Hosea], "Start all over: Love your wife again, your wife who's in bed with her latest boyfriend, your cheating wife. Love her the way I, God, love the Israelite people, even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy." (Hosea 3:1 MSG)

This is the love described in John 3:16. Hasaq is replaced with the Greek term agape, but the meaning is equally powerful. "God so [agapao] the world ... "

Agape love. Less an affection, more a decision; less a feeling, more an action. As one linguist describes, "[Agape love is] an exercise of the Divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause save that which lies in the nature of God Himself."

Stated more simply: junkyard wrecks and showroom models share equal space in God's garage.

A Wonderful Dedication Celebration! August 25, 2013

Special thanks to all who made today's Dedication and Celebration service possible. To God be the glory for great things He has done!!!

Saved to Worship by A.W. Tozer

Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!—1 Chronicles 16:29 

 There is nothing intrinsically wrong with signing a card when people come to Christ. It can be a helpful thing so we know who has made inquiry.

But really, my brother or sister, we are brought to God and to faith and to salvation that we might worship and adore Him. We do not come to God that we might be automatic Christians, cookie-cutter Christians, Christians stamped out with a die.

God has provided His salvation that we might be, individually and personally,vibrant children of God, loving God with all our hearts and worshiping Him in the beauty of holiness. 

"Lord, I don't need another name in my file, another notch on my belt. But I would like the privilege today of bringing someone to the point of salvation so he could become a genuine worshiper of You. Use me today, I pray, in Jesus'name. Amen."