Transform

/ The Pastor

Jesus bids me to follow him,
and not to live a life so grim.
For really there is no other way,
to meet God on that glorious Day.
For to save my life in the here and now,
is to forfeit my life while others do bow.
So You sent me Your Spirit so I could hear,
and thus I embrace my Savior so dear.
Your grace and mercy is an awesome gift,
oh God, do help me, that I may never drift.
Guide and show me Your most holy way,
forgiving me when I most certainly will stray.
So transform my life that I may show,
Your glory, oh God, that all may know.

The Pastor -|—

The Persecuted Church

/ The Pastor

Mighty God,
You are holy and sovereign,
gracious and merciful.
I commend my brothers and sisters in Christ to You;
those who are undergoing persecution
because of the Name; Jesus Christ.
Jesus said that if the world hated him,
they would hate those who follow him.
Today, that is as true as it was then.
Many are dying because of the Name.
Many are imprisoned because of the Name.
Many are tortured because of the Name.
Many live in fear and worship in secret because of the Name.
Protect their faith, oh God, and give them perseverance.
Shield them with the hope of the resurrection.
Strengthen them to serve in a dangerous mission field.
Surround them with Your angel armies.
May the Name of Jesus be praised.
I also lift up to You those who are doing the persecuting.
You changed the heart of Paul,
and so I know You can change the heart of anyone,
namely, those who hate You.
May their eyes be opened and their hearts softened.
May they see the Truth of Your love
and refrain from the atrocities that they inflict upon Your children.
May they see their sins;
confessing and repenting of their hate-filled actions.
And through their conversion,
may You be glorified in the world.
It seems to be a far-fetched prayer,
but with You anything is possible.
Oh God, the world can’t stop You or Your Church.
May we take comfort in that truth.
May our worship and rejoicing be unhindered
by this world.
In the mighty Name of Jesus I pray,
Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Content in You

/ The Pastor

[Communion liturgy based on my sermon text from Philippians 4:10-20; the “secret” of being content.]

It is indeed right and salutary
that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you,
oh God,
the author of our peace.
For through Jesus Christ you have given us hope
so that we could live lives that bring You glory.
You provide for all our needs.
You strengthen us to do the work of the church.
You surround us with Your abundant love.
You shower us with amazing grace.
You give us Your Holy Spirit.
Through faith in Jesus Christ we are content in You
as we rest in Your mighty arms.
And so with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven
we join in singing Your unending praise…

The Pastor -|—

Goose Bumps Moment

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Psalm 103:10 (ESV) ~ He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

Just think about that above verse.

Go ahead and think about it. I’ll wait…

[cue Jeopardy theme]

Did you think about it?
Are you blown away by it?
Did you get goosebumps?

Let’s review…

God the almighty. God the Creator. God the holy, holy, holy One. This God does not deal with you according to your sins. He does not give to you as you deserve. You sin and thus deserve death. You sin and thus deserve condemnation. You sin and thus deserve hell. God does not repay you according to your sins because someone already paid the price…

JESUS

Jesus took the full wrath of God and thus received what you deserved for your sins.
He suffered
He was crucified
He died
He was buried
But…Jesus rose victorious FOR YOU and thus, through faith in Jesus, you receive what you do not deserve.

That’s AMAZING grace 🙂

WOW! Got goose bumps yet?

The Pastor -|—

Wake-Up Call

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

[Based on Psalm 103:1-5]

Hey there soul,
wake-up and praise the Lord,
praise him with all that is in you.
Yes, you soul, praise the Lord,
and forget not all the Lord has done for you:
He forgives your sins.
He heals.
He redeems your life from the pit.
He crowns you with amazing love and mercy
He satisfies beyond anything this world can offer.
And He does all of this so that you can be renewed.
Oh soul,
wake up!
Worship and praise the Lord.
For He is awesome,
mighty in power,
great in mercy,
abundant in love.
The Lord is worthy of all praise.
Oh my soul, wake up and bless His holy name.

The Pastor -|—

To See You

/ The Pastor

To see You face to face,
is the goal as I run this difficult race.
I dodge and I weave.
I stumble but to You I cleave.
So…
Help me, oh Lord, to see Your way.
Help me, oh Lord, to follow You each day.
For You are my life,
even in the midst of much strife.
For You are my way,
so please guide and mold this big lump of clay.
Oh Lord, I do want to see You.
Oh Lord, I do want to trust you.
For to see You face to face,
is indeed my goal; thank You for Your amazing grace.
In Jesus amazing name I pray,
Amen!

The Pastor -|—

Brand New

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Oh Lord,
You live in me and I in You,
and by Your grace, You don’t give what I’m due.
You heal and redeem;
You lift up and on You I lean.
You make alive,
and indeed I thrive.
Oh Lord,
Hear me as I cry out,
even as I often doubt.
Increase in me Your Spirit,
that I may shout of You and others hear it.
May I rejoice
and make noise.
May I show it
and others know it.
For You, oh Lord, live in me and I in You,
and by Your grace I am made brand new.

The Pastor -|—

Never Forsaken

/ The Pastor

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Mark 15:34 ESV]

Have you considered and reflected on the forsakenness of Christ; those long, horrible hours on the cross? Have you? I mean, it’s one thing to be beaten to within an inch of your life but Jesus was also nailed to a cross after that to suffer an unimaginable agony. And now, on top of that, Jesus is forsaken by God to endue the weight of the sins of the world.

But consider the Psalm that Jesus is quoting from. Yes, this is more than a cry to his abba. It is a cry of hope…FOR YOU.
~ Yet you are holy (vs 3)
~ To you they (our fathers) cried and were rescued (vs 5)
And it goes on to talk about his suffering, BUT, ends with praise. God is doing something. Jesus cries out in agony, but, through Psalm 22, proclaims the Gospel in the midst of his agony.
~ For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. (vs 28)

What is awesome about Jesus’ suffering is that he was not focused on the suffering itself but rather on the victory that is coming. Even though God had forsaken him at that moment, Jesus was still looking forward to his redemption. This is not a desperate cry but rather a cry of salvation…FOR YOU.

In the midst of your suffering, look to your Father in heaven and know that you are NEVER forsaken. Jesus suffered the ultimate forsakenness that you would never have to. This momentary affliction is nothing compared to the glory that is to come through Jesus Christ.

Reflect on THAT and praise HIM always and forever.

Amen!

The Pastor -|—

Arise and Fight

/ The Pastor

Let us pray…

Oh God,
in Jesus’ name I appeal to You.
What more can I do?
What more should I do?
How are you calling me to act?
Life is precious but so many don’t see life that way.
Many see the unborn as a “something” or an “it”, not as a child.
May You change their hearts.
May You open their eyes to the Truth.
For me, this is an impossible task but not for You.
Whom shall You send?
Send me.
May I arise and speak.
May I arise and act.
May I arise and fight.
Oh God,
go before me and lead the way.
May the victory be Yours.
Lead on, oh King eternal, and I will follow.
Amen

The Pastor -|—

Life Giving God

/ The Pastor

Communion prayer…

It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times
and in all places
give thanks and praise to you,
oh God,
the creator and sustainer of life.
You breathed breath into us that we could live.
You gave your Son, Jesus Christ, that we could have hope.
You give Your Holy Spirit that we could be sustained.
You are an awesome; life giving God.
And it is for that reason that we join with the Church on earth
and the hosts of heaven
in signing Your unending praise…

The Pastor -|—