God in times of trouble

Sermon: Who are you partnered With? Part 1 and Sunday School with Bro. Larry

Psalm 46

¹ God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. ³ Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! NLT

Easy to read
The verse may be quick and easy to read but when you are actually looking at a picture of a mountain crumbling around people ....and the fear and mayhem a sudden disaster can bring it puts the significance of this verse in perspective. Take a look at the clip from Youtube my cousin Mark posted to facebook showing a recent (Feb 2010) landslide in Italy.


When I watched this clip Psalm 46 immediately came to my mind. You don't need to speak Italian to hear the panic in the hearts of the people. The little town had to be evacuated and it is certainly evident that there was great loss. The Psalmist uses graphic illustrations to make his point about God's faithfulness in times of trouble.

Don't Deny the Reality of what you or others are going through.

Storms are never denied to be real in the Bible. The Bible describes both physical disasters and crushing circumstances. Even in the midst of the storms of life God's blessings can be seen. Faith in God can move mountains. We've seen financial miracles, physical healings, hearts mended and restored to health and a host of other blessings in our faith walk. The faith walk clings to the promises of God and speaks them despite stinging circumstances...one thing it doesn't do is pretend they don't exist. Our Father helps us navigate through them. Best of all He is willing to speak to our heart about nagging questions that trouble our mind. (see Luke 13:1-5)

The News
News is filled with things that should bring us more and more to a point of fear and dread. Yet the Word tells us that God wants us to see Him as a refuge and strength even when things around us may be crumbling. Whether the news is a natural disaster or bad circumstances we serve a God who says to us that He is more than enough and that He has made a way for us. The causes of bad circumstances can be anywhere from our own doing, the wrong doing of someone else in our path, the work of the enemy, to the groaning of the earth.

Peace Be Still
When ever I read or hear the story of Jesus calming the sea....I wonder at His statement, "Ye of little faith". Picture the disciples in the midst of the storm with Peter barking orders, water overtaking the boat and the wind whipping at their back, adrenaline high as they struggle for survival. Meanwhile Jesus is asleep. When he is awakened He calms the sea with a word. Notice he doesn't say..."Guys what are you talking about there is no storm" We too can speak to the storm with the Word of God.

There is peace in knowing God is with us in the storm and that we can trust Him to answer us even when we are trying to keep it together and speaking in faith to still the storm.

The Protection of God

^{Sunday School and Sermon: Just Do it
Video: Coffee with Jesus How do you pray}

Usually I write a blog entry...but this week I'm just going to share a chapter of the Bible that is precious to me.

¹ He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
⁴ He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
⁸ Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
¹⁰ No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
¹¹ For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
¹² In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
¹³ You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

¹⁴ “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.” (Psalm 91, New King James Version)

The Snare of the Fowler by REV. C. H. Spurgeon

The Voice of God

Sunday School /Sermon /Cindy Jacobs Call for intercession for the nation.

A few Sundays ago my Dad and I settled in to watch Yankee Baseball. It was then we heard that Bob Shepherd who had been the public address announcer at Yankee Stadium for years had passed away. The players remembered him with fondness. A commentator made a comment that bothered me at first until I listened to the explanation. He said something like , "Many players and fans have said Bob Shepherd's voice was like the voice of God"

The players reasoning.

He knew their name

The players recalled that if he was unsure of how to properly pronounce their name that he would seek them out to make sure he would say it right. He enjoyed getting to know the players of the game. He did this without partiality. It didn't matter if you were a Yankee or Visiting team member, a famous player or a rookie...your name mattered.


God knows our name too The Bible tells us that God knows our comings and our goings, He has even the hairs on our head numbered and holds us in the palm of His hand. There is no partiality with God. He cares about men and women, rich and poor, famous or average joes....our life matters to Him.

His Voice was Majestic

When players came to Yankee Stadium they looked forward to hearing him say their name. He didn't yell it, he didn't say it quickly or with slothfulness to get through the line up, He said each name with dignity.


God calls us to Himself

God calls us by name to Himself. The Word says He calls whosoever will. Jesus is described as the Good Shepherd whose sheep will not go to another because they recognize His voice. David describes God as the Shepherd who attends to His flock.

Bob Shepherd's voice announced who was up to bat and what position each player played. God's voice...His true voice leads us when we are up to bat on the field of life...and leads us to the right position or gifts and callings to employ.

We know as Christians that Mr. Shepherd really wasn't the voice of God...but if we will listen to why people said it of him we can surely see some wonderful characteristics of our Father God and how he speaks to us today.

To Listen to a tribute to Bob Shepherd click here

The Heart of God

Sunday School and Sermon (Cornerstone)

The Heart of God

A few weeks ago we talked about David being a man after God's own heart in Sunday School with Br. Larry and it got me thinking about God's heart and what pleases Him. What made David a man after God's own heart? Those of us that know his story know that it certainly wasn't that he did everything right without breaking any of the laws of God. His sin is recorded for all to see throughout the generations of man....thankfully his heart toward God is also recorded so we can follow his example in both good times and bad and in our successes and our failures.

David like Saul was brought from small beginnings but in the end their hearts were like night and day. They both sinned before the Lord yet God rejected one man and restored the other man. Both men spoke words of repentance at the time when their sin was exposed ,nevertheless, Saul was left in a position disgrace while David was restored to kingship and honor. We find that words spoken without heart toward God are meaningless while words of truth and intimancy move the heart of God.

What about looking the part?

Saul looked the part of a king and he was head and shoulders above everyone else. His small beginnings didn't keep God from calling him to the task. He didn't consider himself up for kingship at first and even tried to hide when Samuel was going to name him before the people. The Bible tells us that God did a work in his heart making him a new man and even gave him people who were determined to serve God by serving him. David was the youngest of his fathers sons. He was a shepherd who really didn't look the part of a king. When God told Samuel that someone in David's family was going to replace Saul, David wasn't even called in from the field to be considered until Samuel asked if there was another brother somewhere. Neither man was looking for the job of king but found themselves commissioned by God through the prophet Samuel. Certainly once they were walking in kingship both men looked the part....but David wasn't afraid even when he was king to take off kingly robes and worship.

Heart of Worship

David was a musician who played the harp and wrote hundreds of songs to worship the Lord. A look at the Psalms will reveal that he wasn't afraid to express his emotions and questions before God. Some will argue that musical types are emotional anyway and so it is easy for them to express themselves. The good thing is you don't have to have a certain personality type to simply share your heart with your creator....it can be through song, through pen, through words, or a variety of ways that God may put within you. Ultimately a person of worship comes into such intimacy with God that not only do they willing share their heart with Him, but He shares His heart with them. David had such a relationship with God and so can we.

A trust that wouldn't go away

David had a trust in God that wouldn't go away. When David came before King Saul to get permission to fight Goliath he remembered God's help in the face of the lion and the bear who tried to get to the sheep of his fold. His trust didn't diminish in the face of many enemies over his life time....and that trust led him to obey God when it seemed odds where against him.

Obedience

David's love and trust toward God led to his desire to obey God's voice. Saul had the same opportunity given to him, but his heart got so puffed up with the gift of kingship that God gave him that he lost intimacy with his creator. Obeying God is not about a bunch of rules....it is about understanding the love of God for his creation....understanding the Father heart of God towards us, his sons and daughters, really getting that what He sets before his children is for the best. This kind of obedience is far superior to rule keeping....it is about obeying Father God out of a heart of trust and love. It reminds me of one of my favorite New Testament stories.....that starts with Jesus saying, "I must needs go to Samaria"

He Restores My Soul

Sunday School and Sermon

Lately it seems like many people are going through storms in their lives.

Psalms 23 speaks to us in these times.

I won't want
When I was a child and looked at the first sentence of the Psalm in the King James Version I was a little confused. It says..."The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" I thought it was saying I shall not want the shepherd. Thankfully later I realized that it meant that God is my provider and He is like a shepherd who takes care of his flock caring for each individual sheep. I won't want for anything when I trust in Him.


He takes me to the peaceful place.
Shepherds know that in order for their sheep to feel comfortable enough to eat and drink they must be in a peaceful place. So they provide green pastures near still waters. A fast running stream would make them uneasy. Jesus knows that about us too so He gives us access to a place we can hear His voice away from the storm. A place where we can drink from His strength in a still peace. Sometimes we forget the Shepherd is with us, we fail to allow Him to take us to the safe place in His presence and as a result we can't receive the Word (food and drink) He supplies. Come away from the pressures you face....stop all your doing and rest in His presence. This coming away can be as you read the word, or as you simply draw away from your work and worries and do something restful allowing Him room to bring peace.

He restores my soul
Have you ever had your mind swirl with information about what you are going through or worries about decisions you must make. The word soul means your mind, will, and emotions. The Good Shepherd is very interested in your mindset. Come away with Him...rest and allow Him to change restore the hurts, worries and bring peace. When we allow Holy Spirit to renew our thought patterns...and we see ourselves through His love instead of our problems we can begin to walk in peace and righteousness.


I will fear no evil

"Yeah though I walk through the shadow of death....I will fear no evil for thou art with me" This famous phrase tells us that even our darkest fear can be conquered when we know that God is with us in the mix.

A Strong Wind Is Blowing

Pastor's Sermon A Strong Wind is blowing encourages us to expect the supernatural in our lives. God makes Himself strong in our life. Sunday Sermon and Sunday School.

A Strong Wind of the Spirit Fills Your Cup


This week a dear friend sent an email with an important prayer request. I immediately wanted to respond. Yet I felt Holy Spirit say, "Fill your cup, write later" Lately I've felt drawn to come away with the Lord...and sometimes have been frustrated with the agenda of the day. I remembered that when we speak in heavenly languages that God edifies our spirit. So I went away for awhile and quieted myself in the midst of the noise of my life and took time to speak to God. There are different ways we can come away with him. My mother played the piano. I remember sometimes waking up as a child to the sound of her music drifting upstairs. I write my thoughts in a notebook....I cast my cares there...I cry out to Him there. We mustn't loose the connection when things are tough....it can be easy to come away when everything seems to be okay...it is in those times when we have noise and frustration that it is difficult. I needed to fill my cup...Holy Spirit reminded me that I can't give out if my cup becomes empty and dry. Yesterday's Manna is not sufficient for the new day.

Come away this week into the presence of the Lord...take some time away from the noise of the day.

First Ministry Experience

Click to Watch Sunday School and Sermon online

Last December the kids from Children's Church went on their first ministry adventure. We are talking about planning another ministry endeavor with them and so I thought it might be interesting for you to read about their first experience. Perhaps it might entice you to think of something we adults can do together to reach out to the community. Let me know.

Lessons from children's first ministry experience