Endurance - Do you have what it takes?

Good Morning World!
This morning while cleaning one of the college classrooms I noticed a textbook opened to a story about Sir Ernest Shackleton a heroic explorer of the Antarctic.  What caught my attention wasn't his heroic feats as much as some interesting seemingly unimportant details.

On one of the expeditions he used a ship called the Polaris of great craftsmanship,  however, he changed the name to Endurance which was based on the family motto: Through endurance we will Conquer. This to me was the most important element of the whole heroic event!  Why?  Because it shows what was in the man.  Through endurance he was able to keep ALL of his crew alive in the Antarctic after a terrible shipwreck in the ice.  Not many people can say that they have what it takes to endure through such hardship and turmoil!

The scripture tells us that Jesus said these words: "He that endures to the end, the same shall be saved!" Do you have what it takes?  This can be a hard life, and believing in Jesus Christ and living by His principles can be difficult at the best of times.  Not because it is difficult to follow Jesus and His ways, but because people in this world don't understand why we do what we do.  It is a lack of understanding in the unknown and fear that causes people to treat those of us who try to live a righteous, God filled life in a not so pleasant manner.

It takes a great deal of intestinal fortitude and endurance to keep your tack, and not turn back.  We must not let the negativity of this world beat our convictions down.  Don't let the majority tell you that you are wrong, just because they don't understand your point of view.  Endure the cross as Jesus did, and one day you will find that it leads to a glorious salvation! Keep the faith and don't look back!

Yours for Christ,
Pastor Fred

How does God see us?

This is a very interest concept that maybe we don't wish to talk about, but while ready the first chapter of Isaiah it became very clear.

The setting is a country that is pretty much given to Idolatry, Selfish pleasure, wickedness, corrupt judgment, a deteriorating social system, and I think you get the picture. As a matter of fact if you think about this in the light of honesty and truth this picture can sum up many of our modern societies, even those who claim to be God fearing!

The situation is very dire. The people are worshiping God. They are attending their daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly religious rites and rituals, but there is something missing, and because of that missing part God is telling them to stop all the rites and rituals.

It is a case of Sunday morning Christianity. During the week they are rebelling against everything God has asked of them, and requires of them. They cheat, steal, murder, slander, corrupt justice, and many other terrible actions. They don't care for their widows, orphans or anyone but themselves. The land is going desolate and they don't even seem to care!

Finally, God says what He sees when He looks down upon this wretched society He calls His Children. I will put the stunning description in my own words, but you can read it for yourself in Isaiah Chapter one.

"My people are like rotting corpses that are walking around. They have sores that are festering from the top of their head to the sole of their feet. They stink, and look monstrous. No one has bothered to cover up their wounds and bruises."

Sound pretty disgusting, and that is exactly what it is like to God - Disgusting!

Our lack of righteousness on the inside is so disturbing to God that He has to turn away. Have you ever seen the pictures and videos of the lepers and leper colonies? These poor people are being literally eaten to death by a disease that enjoys human flesh. It is pitiful, disgusting, smelly and plain gross! And yet that is exactly how Jesus looks at the sin in our lives! It is a spiritual disease that eats away at us, without even our knowledge sometimes. Many times we don't even know when our hand falls off, because the sickness has dulled the pain.

THERE IS HOPE!

If you would finish the Chapter you'll be surprisingly happy to know that God doesn't leave us hanging or without hope. He offers us a bath and cleansing lotion that will not only clean us up, but also heal this wasting disease completely!

Isaiah 1:16-20

16 “ Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;^[a]
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
18 “ Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,

“ Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

My God and Saviour Jesus is so wonderful! Even though our present condition is absolutely appalling to Him, He still offers us a solution and a way of salvation. How merciful and kind. How loving and gracious!

Just going to Church will not get you salvation. Just acting like a Christian on a special day each week will not ensure passage into Beulah land! It is a daily walk. It is a daily talk. It is a daily lifestyle of loving surrender and service to and for Jesus.

Don't forget that many times the more obvious vices and sins are not the most deadly to your soul!
Rather it is the vices and sins that are not so visible that will take you to a place of fire, torment, weeping, waling and gnashing of teeth!

Take care of your body it is the temple of the living God! Take care of your spirit it is the place of spiritual connection, communication and true worship between Jesus and you. Take care of your soul, for its emotional condition can cause much damage to your eternal well being.

Give yourself without abandon to Jesus and He will wash you, cleans you and make you whole again!

Yours for Christ in this earth and in you!
Pastor Fred

Jesus is Looking for Just ONE!

The other day I was listening to the radio (www.klove.com), and one of the short programs came on. I don't remember who the guy was or what the program was, but I do remember what he said. As a matter of fact I incorporated it into our Thursday night Bible Study lesson.

Ezekiel 22:30
30And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

God doesn't want to pour out His wrath upon us, and is search, yea looking for ONE to stand in the gap, and intercede on behave on a nation, the continent, the world!

Did you know or realize that every major revival in the Bible and in this world since the early church has started with ONE person getting ahold of God, and spreading the message to another ONE, and another ONE!

If we would stop focusing on reaching EVERYONE, and just get out and reach ONE we can and will bring Jesus to the Whole World in a matter of years!

Back to our radio program. The announcer was talking about our current rate of evangelizing the world, and that it would take an impossible amount of years to reach the world. However, he went on to describe a method that can reach the entire world in just a matter of years!
(This can also be proven through math give or take a couple years)

If ONE person would go out and reach another ONE person. Then, he/she would disciple that one person for one year, so that they knew Jesus, His Word and had a relationship with Him. After that year the two would go out and reach another ONE person each; that would be four people. Those two new ones would be discipled for ONE year. Next those four would go out and reach out to another ONE person each; that would be eight! ....and this process of reaching the lost and discipleship would continue every year ONE person to effectively start the ball rolling that would reach the entire population of planet earth in approximately ................ (guess)...........
..................................
................................
32 years......!!!!!!!!

Isn't that amazing! So get off your rear end, and get out and just find ONE! If every true Christian and child of God would do this, we could effectively evangelize the world in a matter of years!

I did the math for my community, and in 5 years I could help 100 people find Jesus, learn to know Him and love Him. In 10 years we could reach 3,200 people which would be everyone in my community. Within another 3 years we could reach the rest of the Green Bay Area! And to top it off within 18 years from now we could reach over 819,000 souls. That is more people than who live within Newfoundland and Labrador! All because ONE person stood in the gap and reached out to another ONE!

Be THE ONE!

Yours for reaching the world,
Pastor Fred

PS> It sure feels great to be back in the saddle! It's been a crazy summer so far, but God has been real good. I'll tell you about it sometime!

Dig a Little Deeper in the Storehouse of His Love!

Do you remember this song? I believe the "Fairfield Four" sang it. What truth it holds! We must always dig a little deep. Love a little harder. Give a little bit more! Another song by "The News Boyz" states, "to have found you, and still be searching for you is the souls paradox of life!"

You can never have enough of Jesus! You should never find your self in a position of complacency and satisfaction with Jesus. Don't get me wrong, you need to be satisfied in Jesus, but this satisfaction should drive you to get more!

In Ezekiel 47:1-12 God is continuing to show Ezekiel very important truths about the temple, its spiritual applications, and meanings to the Church to come. Here we find a prophecy of a time to come, but also a spiritual allegory to Christ's Death, and the tearing of the veil in the Temple.

Ezekiel sees a river flowing down toward the Dead Sea, which is completely contaminated with salt, as a result of God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, instead of destruction this time God's sends forth healing waters from the sanctuary to heal the desert, and heal the water in the Dead Sea. Life springs forth, medicinal trees grow, fish return and thrive, and all but the marshes and bogs are completely healed!

I want to draw your attention to the verses in which the angel is measuring the river. The fist 1,000 cubits (21,000 inches or 1,750 feet) was only ankle deep. The second 1,000 cubits was knee deep. The third 1,000 cubits was waste deep. Finally, the fourth 1,000 cubits and beyond was over the head, an uncrossable, swim-able river!

I would like to make a parallel from this with our walk with God!

Lately God has been working on me about my relationship with him, and the amount of control I've given Him over my life. (I need this chastisement once in awhile to keep me on the right road!)

Notice the four different stages of the river, in each of the first three the person wading into the water has control of his actions to a certain extent.
1. Ankle Deep: Here one can get ahold of God, splash around and get really wet, but their feet is still completely grounded, and they can jump out at anytime! Not a very consistent walk with God! You have too much control, and He has very little!
2. Knee Deep: Here it is much the same as above, but the difference is that it is getting harder to just jump out at any moment, and a strong current could sweep you off your feet. The problem here is multiplied from above, because we are cautious about how far in God we are willing to go! Again Jesus doesn't have enough control, and we aren't willing to do "everything" He askes.
3. Waste Deep: Here we can swim a bit, but we can always stand up and walk out. We can let the current take us, but if the going gets too rough we can always get out fairly easily! I think most Christians are here or in the Knee Deep experience. We are still in control of how much we allow ourselves to do for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ! We are sometimes like Ananias and Sapphira who along with the rest of the church felt God dealing with them about their giving, and the need to do more. So, they went and sold a piece of property, and gave it to the Church. However, they conspired together, and kept back a portion for themselves. This wasn't wrong, they had a right to keep some of the money, but in order to save face they lied to the Apostles, the Church and God! The result: They died!

"There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of Death!" (Prov 16)

• How deep is your relationship?
• Are you partaking of the river and trees, or the marshes and reeds that are still full of the salt of God's wrath?
• Are you willing to become a fish and let the man of God catch you?
• Are you willing to lose control, and wade out into waters you can't control yourself in?
• Are you willing to become a new spiritual creation in Christ Jesus? (2 Corinthians 5:17)

It takes faith, trust and obedience to let Jesus change you!

It is time for each of us to take a step of faith, and launch out into the deep! There is untold riches, glory, power, healing, faith and love out there! We must only take the first step!

All Things work together for those who love Him, and who are (living there life according to His calling) called according to His purpose! (Romans 8:28)

Jesus knows what's best, even if it doesn't seem like it at first. None of us enjoyed the correction and chastening of our parents, but when we look back we can see that it really was for our good, and we are better for it. So, when we go through the highs and lows or our walk with God, we will look back and see Jesus really does know what is best for us!

I encourage you to dig a little deeper in the storehouse of His love!

(other scriptures to read: Ephesians 2:1-7; 3:14-19 and Romans 12:1-2)

Yours for a deeper relationship with Jesus,
Pastor Fred

Learning from their mistakes

In studying for the Home Bible Study I teach weekly, another one of God's purposes has become very clear. It is so very important, yet we often neglect it because of our own stubborn natures. "Pride comes before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction." This is a quote from the wisdom of king Solomon, and is the reason we miss out on many of the simple straight forward truths of the Word of God.

Our study this week was a survey of Israel's entering Canaan, conquering it and dividing the inheritance. We ended with the reign of the first three kings Saul, David and Solomon. However, before we can get to any of the above events we must first study Moses' last sermon. Parts of which are in Deuteronomy 28 and 30.

Moses gives a blessing and a cursing upon Israel. A blessing for obedience to the commands and laws of God, and a cursing for the disobedience of those commands and laws. He presented life and good, death and destruction. It was up to Israel to choose which path to take.

Moses died, and Israel, under the leadership of Joshua, divided and conquered the land of Canaan.

The Bible tells us in Judges that Israel served God throughout the life of Joshua, and throughout the lives of the elders who out lived Joshua, but soon after the final elder died, they left God's ways and followed the pagan, unholy ways of the peoples around them. Israel looked around and saw the ways of the people they were living among, and began to serve their gods.

Guess what happened? Exactly what Moses told them would happen! The Bible tells us that God punished them until they were sore distressed, and cried out to God. And as Moses said, when they cried out to God for help, He gave them a judge to deliver them. This happened 16 times until the time of Samuel. After whose time Israel asked for a king, which is another message altogether.

1 Corinthians 10:5-12 tells us that we must learn from their mistakes so that we don't fall in the same way!

Here is the moral to the story.

1. Follow, Trust and Obedience brings life, health and prosperity.
2. Neglect, Doubt and Disobedience brings death, sickness and poverty.

People often wonder why they are going through the circumstances they face, and the simple answer my be that God is trying to bring them to repentance for the sin and evil in their life! Don't blame the devil for every bad thing that happens. Instead, repent of your sins and turn to God, and He will prosper your path!

Yours for following the ways of God,
Pastor Fred