In spite of the news, in spite of the dreary weather, in spite of the social distancing, it is a GOOD AFTERNOON!  Why?  Because God is in control and He is STILL and, ALWAYS WILL BE, GOD!  As we worship and praise Him, it sets our mind on Him and His goodness and righteousness.  I would encourage you to do some reading (a book or your Bible), listen to some encouraging Christian music (instead of the news), watch a message (instead of the news).  It is not that we shouldn’t watch the news, or know what is happening around us, we should!  But it is important to keep our mind, our thoughts, focused on Him.
 
Philippians 4 gives us good advice for today:
 
Php 4:6-8 CEV  Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.  (7)  Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.  (8)  Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.
 
First of all God tells us not to worry.  Instead of worrying, we are to pray.  Pray about your situation.  Pray for our leaders.  Pray for our healthcare providers and first responders.  Pray.  And don’t pray with a nasty attitude, mad at God because He allowed this, pray with a thankful heart!  That is the recipe for peace!  WOW!  It is all about our attitude and focus!
 
Then we are reminded that once we have our focus fixed on Jesus and are experiencing His peace, guard it … keep it!  “Keep your minds on…”  Are your thoughts focused on the true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper?  Don’t stop!    If they are not focused on God, take control!  That is a lot easier said than done, I know.  However, God makes a way.  He is with us, He is for us, He will help us.  It goes back to the praying about EVERYTHING, even our focus.  So today, and everyday, I encourage you to PRAY and keep your focus on Christ!

By: Pastor Art Speck

God is SO VERY GOOD!  After Sunday Morning’s message on “How Do You Respond?”, I hope you are asking yourself that question and seeking God’s will, direction, guidance wherever you are.  We looked at Luke chapter 1 and compared Zachariah’s response to the God verses Mary’s response.  They both had excuses as to why it couldn’t happen.  They both were confused and a bit afraid.  They were both met unexpectedly (even though Zachariah was in the Temple and performing the priestly duties at the altar … sometimes we go through the motions instead of being in tune to what God wants also).  But Zachariah held unbelief in his heart where Mary responded with an attitude and submission and belief.  Zachariah paid the price (couldn’t talk about it), where Mary was able to rejoice in God her Savior.  So, when God speaks, how do you respond?

Take time to read the responses of Zachariah and Mary then answer the question above, "When God speaks, how do you respond?"

By: Pastor Art

Something you may not know about me is that I liked to play with matches when I was a kid! If my mom was here, she could tell you about the time I was playing with fire and burned a large hole in our basement carpet or the time I burned the kitchen floor! When I am at a campfire, I love to stare at the flame because there is just something about the way it flickers that fascinates me. Last Sunday, Pastor Art shared about another kind of fire that needs to be continually burning in our lives: The fire of God in US! In Leviticus 6:9, 12-13, the Lord gave instructions to Moses to “keep the fire burning on the altar continuously. It must not go out!” Those instructions seem pretty important if He was constantly reiterating that message to them over and over again. Our desire should be that the Holy Spirit would consume us and draw others to Jesus.

He shared 4 questions:

1. What is this fire? – It’s the Presence of God in us!
2. Whose responsibility is it to keep the fire burning in our hearts? – ALL of us have that responsibility. (1 Peter 2:9) We are His chosen generation, His priests to declare His name to the world. They need to see His love & mercy
3. How can we see that the fire doesn’t burn out? – By pouring ourselves into service to others. What can I do to help? And by keeping in constant communication with Him by praying, talking to Him daily, and obeying His word.
4. Why do we need to keep the fire burning? – Because we need to pass it on to the next generation to those who come behind us. Also because God said so and He knows what is best for each of us!

A line from the song, “Find Us Faithful” says, “Let the fire of our devotion light their way…” It is our responsibility to keep the fire burning in our own lives and lead the way for others!
By: Crystal Baker
 

Last Sunday morning we talked about “Dipping Deep” into God.  We started with the illustration that in October of 1807, Meriweather Lewis and William Clark had crossed over the Continental Divide, and were proceeding down the Columbia river to the Pacific Ocean. Dependent upon the river for fresh water, many of his party were becoming sick due to the murky, brackish water of the turbulent Columbia river. Lewis, the great problem solver of the exhibition, gave this order, “Dip Deep Water.”​

Lewis had discovered that if he dipped deep down into the mighty river fresher water could be raised and his men would be relieved from the infirmities inflicted by the brackish water.

In our spiritual lives many of our afflictions, trials and sicknesses would be lessened or avoided if we would just learn the same lesson to dip Deep Water.  Too often we have settled for the scum on top. We have never plunged deep in into the fresh water that is only found deep down.

1. Dipping Deep Water means we are drinking deep of our relationship with Jesus

John 7:37-38

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

A. Found the River

Jesus needs to become the consuming fire and passion of our lives.

B. Freed the River

The power of the river is not found behind a dam. It is only discovered when it is released.

“streams of living water will flow from within him."

A dam backs up water, but if not released it becomes stagnant or it floods … both can bring disease and destruction.

It is only when it is released that it flows through the turbines … that it’s force creates power … electricity …  We need to release the power of the Holy Spirit, our personal relationship with God, through prayer and praise and worship. 

It is through this release that we affect others, we share the deep waters of God with them!  In thinking about this, is our spiritual life a rushing stream or a trickle of water?  How much water are we sharing? 

John 17:20-23 implies that we need Jesus, but we also need to be in unity with fellow believers (having fellowship with them).  But it doesn’t end there!  It is also having fellowship with others, inviting them to know Jesus (that is much more important than inviting them to church, which is good, but not the ultimate goal)!  We need fellowship with others to keep us on track, to keep us on the path that God has laid out for us, to give us correction, strength, and encouragement so we can share Jesus with others.  Both are important!
 

When I look at or hear the news these days I could easily throw my hands up and cry “What’s the use?”

We have a nation replacing the values that have made our countries great. We have legislators trying to restrict our freedoms more and more in order to "make the world a safer place". We have modern “thinkers” (more like stinkers) imposing immoral education in our schools, starting with the earliest education. Colleges are forcing people to go through equalities training in order to graduate. 

We seem to be trapped because the media have swallowed the humanistic lies hook line and sinker and are promoting them for all they are worth. Nobody ever seems to want the truth. Nobody wants to think anymore.

Gloomy enough for you? As the man said, cheer up, things could get worse. So I cheered up, and sure enough things got worse.

Well, grab hold of this promise: Habakkuk 3: 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, 18 Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

Was Habakkuk scared? He sure was.  16 I heard and my inward parts trembled, At the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us.

He saw what God had in store for Israel and he must have felt like you would feel when you see a vehicle swerving completely out of control right at you. There is nothing you can do but brace yourself, close your eyes and wait for the impact. Or scream your head off. You know it’s going to hurt. You know it’s going to be bad. And you know there is no way to escape it.

What we see happening with our country, or maybe with your life right now, is the same. The inevitable crash is coming. It’s going to be bad. It’s going to hurt. It will be devastating.

We are facing the same calamities that Habakkuk faced. What was his response? Even if the economy of the land is totally destroyed, even if there is nothing left to eat, 18 Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk had supreme faith in God’s sovereignty. Whatever God had in store for him, and for us, we can rejoice in the God of our salvation.

He and Nehemiah were reading from the same book. Nehemiah said (Nehemiah 8) 10…Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Now, that joy is a decision we make. It’s based on our relationship with God. There is a world of difference between what we call “happiness” and God’s joy. 

The world’s happiness depends on circumstances. Do we have enough money in the bank to pay the bills? Are we healthy? Are our relationships good? Does the car work OK? Is our house weather tight? Do we have the right clothes? Is work good?

All those things are circumstances. They can change like the wind. We can be on top of the world one minute, and looking up to see bottom the next.

The joy of the Lord is our strength. That joy is based on our relationship with God. He has said so many times and in so many ways that He has our back. He loves us, will provide for us, protect us, guard us. He is our strong fortress in whatever storms we are in today.

He is in absolute control. He has a plan and He is making it work out. Check out Isaiah 25:1 O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.

We can have that joy because nothing can stop God. Nothing and nobody is more powerful than He is; nobody can thwart His plans. Nobody can out think Him. Remember Psalm 115: 3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.

He does whatever He pleases in heaven, here on earth, whenever, wherever, whatever. The fifty-cent term for that is God is “Sovereign”. He is not controlled by circumstances in the world. He controls the circumstances in the world.

So long as we keep that in mind, and the fact that we are His children, and that He cares for each of us, we can have that joy that destroys the despair that would love to scream at us “all is lost. Give up.”

Sure our bodies may be killed. Is that the worst the world can do to us? If we are Christians we walk out of the problems and trials of this life into God’s presence. Jesus said in Matthew 10 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Jesus knocked death completely out of the threat game when He died and then came back to life. 1 Corinthians 15 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jesus died on the cross, satan scored an own goal. By crucifying Jesus he destroyed his power over man. The sting of death is sin. Jesus destroyed the power of sin over our lives by making it possible for our sins to be forgiven, for us to be made righteous so we can come before God without fear.

Bottom line: we can either look around us and focus on the circumstances in the world today and panic or go into despair, or we can fix our gaze, our attention, on God and rejoice in the fact that no matter what happens, we are in His hands. And we can rejoice because regardless of what happens, we can take shelter from the world’s storms in Him.

Psalm 91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust.”

To me, this was a refreshing reminder … no matter what I am facing, whether it is health issues, people issues, personal issues, political issues, it doesn’t matter the issue … God is still God and He is still in control.  I can relax and focus on Him and abide, dwell in, His peace, love, and strength knowing that He is in control.  He has got this!  Go God!

By: Author unknown, this devotional was shared with Pastor Art from a friend

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Whatever we do in life, whatever causes we become involved in, whatever activities we take up, there needs to be one purpose, one overriding reason for us doing anything. That purpose is to seek God’s Kingdom. That is the compass bearing we set for our lives. It is the North Star to guide our decisions and give us direction and purpose in life. Some aspect of seeking God’s Kingdom should be what drags us out of bed in the mornings.

Now, “Seeking God’s Kingdom” has a nice nebulous ring to it. It could mean seeking the higher good for all mankind. It could mean trying to be a good neighbor or volunteer community worker, or try to make the world a better place, or a whole host of other things.

Jesus is more practical than that. At the end of Matthew, Jesus gave us our marching orders. Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God’s Kingdom here on earth is people. Sure He owns all there is. He rules over the weather, the seas, the earthquakes, the forest fires, all forms of life. And He makes it all work together for His glory and our good. But Jesus died on the cross to take the penalty of the sins of people on himself. He didn’t die for animals or weather or climate change. He died for people. And His commission to us, His last words to us as He went back to rejoin His Father were to make disciples of all nations.

That is how we seek first His Kingdom here on earth. By leading people to Jesus, see them become Christians, help them to grow in their relationship with God. Paul described the process in 2 Timothy 2:2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

It’s not a job for the “professionals”. It’s the job God has given to each one of us. We have one job to do. That’s to seek God’s Kingdom here on earth by building disciples, by teaching them the things God has taught us through people (as Paul taught Timothy), and by learning from His Word directly. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

In order to guide people into God’s Kingdom, we need to be worthwhile messengers ourselves. We need to keep seeking God’s Kingdom in our own lives. Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

Our countries seem to be falling apart at the seams. Lawlessness and disorder are the order of the day. Our countries are actively following Satan and persecuting Christians. The only way to see that turned around is to seek God’s Kingdom here on earth, and in our countries. That starts with seeing people become Christians, and then disciples. Then they will take on God’s values and standards and way of living. We can become involved in lots of Christian organizations and activities; we can go on marches and become politically active. But unless we are carrying out God’s mandate to us to see individuals turn around, repent and become Christians, one at a time, we’ll just be wasting time and effort.

We have one job to do: Seek God’s Kingdom here on earth. That means we need to evaluate all we do in terms of “How will this help build God’s Kingdom here on earth?” It means starting with our own lives, and going on to disciple others.

P.S. We can’t wait until we are “perfect” ourselves. That will never happen. We need to start now, where we are. We need to stick as close as we can to God’s Word as we go along in life. Jesus’ commission was to make disciples as we are going.

Sunday morning devotion by Pastor Art