Quit being such a BIG BABY!

When we first enter this world we all get a free pass for acting like

babies because we are .. babies. Afraid, fussy, confused, messy, tired, and

cranky is all part of our baby resume.



Toddler and Preschool years are filled with so much change (no diaper pun

intended) where we want to both independent ( "but i don't want a nap!" ) ,

and dependent ( "mommy mommy where are you?" ) all in the same little body.



In Elementary School being immature is still a given,.. and will get you

into certain careless trouble.



A Teenager is actually a 'provisional adult' where saggy fashion choices

and road warrior indiscretions leave the adult world scratching their

collective heads over what the future holds.





From ages 18 to 969 or so, we are now classified Adults. So crying ,

pouting , and fits of anger are frowned upon but obviously still present!





Next let's shift over to our Faith Walk where Paul compares new believers

to babies.



New Believers are like a babies in need of the basics (the milk) and not

ready for solid food.. but we need to grow as believers and mature to men

or women of God.



We can grow our faith by faithfully and daily reading our bibles (the meat)

and follow it’s teachings. Starting with the ‘deep simplicity’ in the two

greatest commands to love God, and love others as we love ourselves. This

needs to become our first line of obedience making way for maturing in

Christ.



The power in His Word is the unchanging uncompromising and loving truths of

God’s and are sharper than any 2 edged sword able to cut through any issue

this life presents.



In the end it is a choice .. We can stay babies afraid of a little PAPER

CUT or learn and grow with God’s truths that taps into a life that is

satisfying and complete no matter our circumstances.



May God bless each of you in your love and service to God and others. May

His peace and love give you perspective like never before. May we become

mature men and women after God's own heart!



important note: For those times where I stumble as a believer and my

behavior is less than mature, I know God's grace is always there for me

with the love of a perfect parent.

Bit Players and Power Brokers of the First Church

Today let me present Bit Players and Power Brokers of the First Church. So

far I have covered the Old Testament, followed by the Gospels.. so why not

The First Church written about in the Book of Acts.



As soon as Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven the bit players and power

brokers were all busy in their roles in and around the First Church.



- At Jesus Ascension into Heaven there was a few bit player who bubbled

over with nervous chatter.

- Just a few weeks earlier waaayyy SOUTH of Jeruselum there could be found

doubting bit players.

- Matthias, a bit player is chosen to become a power broker (aka disciple)

to replace the recently departed Judas.

- Peter and John were imprisoned after inciting a revival. Rumor was they

set up a Nativity Set in the town square.







- Stephen was stoned by the religous right of their day fearing Stephen

would rise from Christian bit player to power broker.

- Influenced by all the public persecutions, jailings, and stonings Roger,

Tim, and Bobemeus enter the very first Witness Protection Program .. as bit

players.

NEXT.. enters Saul the Pharisee Powerbroker until he SAW THE LIGHT along

the Damascus Road reducing him to blind bit player.

- Simon was a bit player in the new Christian movement, but was a power

broker in the emerging tanning industry with his very successful chain of

tanning salons Simons Tanners









- Waaayyy before Simon on American Idol there was a bit player jailer/

music critic who did not believe Paul had what it took to rise from a life

behind bars to become a first century pop star / power broker

- Waaayyy before I ever dosed in Church, bit player Eutychus nodded off,

fell to his death DURING CHURCH, then.. IT'S A MIRACLE.. he is alive again.

Long live the patron saint for those who sleep in church!

- Snake Handlers are misguided bit players in some churches today.. and to

think they were inspired by snake bit power broker Paul.



AND FINALLY..



Besides the life of Jesus Christ on Earth where bit player carpenter was

actually the son of God and true power broker of our Salvation, there has

in my opinion NEVER been a bit player used by God to be a power broker for

His will that all should know Him like the Apostle Paul.



From power broker Pharisee, then blinded by Jesus on that Damascus Road, to

living out his life where all that mattered was telling a lost world the

truth of Jesus Christ. Blinded, beaten, snake biten, persecuted, and

imprisoned..BUT he was too busy serving God to realize it.











I want to be a man like Paul, but I have a ways to go where NOTHING MATTERS

in my life except serving God. I go to church, I am a good guy, BUT.. Paul

raised the bar where few follow.



May God inspire us to love, serve, and be used by Him in ways that are

beyond any bit player status we may believe you carry.



Back pew Guy

Travellers guide to heaven

ACCOMMODATION - Arrangements for first-class accommodation have been made in advance. “In My Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2



PASSPORTS - Persons seeking entry will not be permitted past the gates without having proper credentials and having their names registered with the ruling authority. “There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth… but they which are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:27



DEPARTURE TIMES - The exact date of departure has not been announced. Travellers are advised to be prepared to leave at short notice. “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.” Acts 1:7



TICKETS - Your ticket is a written pledge that guarantees your journey. It should be claimed and its promises kept firmly in hand. “He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24



CUSTOMS - Only one declaration is required while going through customs. “I declare unto you the gospel… that Christ died for our sins… and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day.” I Corinthians 15:1,3,4



IMMIGRATION - All passengers are classified as immigrants, since they are taking up permanent residence in a new country. The quota is unlimited. “They desire a better country, that is, an heavenly… for He hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:16



LUGGAGE - No luggage whatsoever can be taken. “We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” I Timothy 6:7



AIR PASSAGE - Travellers going directly by air are advised to watch for daily indications of imminent departure. “We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” I Thessalonians 4:17



VACCINATION AND INOCULATION - Injections are not needed, as diseases are unknown at the destination. “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.” Revelation 21:4



CURRENCY - Supplies of currency may be forwarded ahead to await the passenger’s arrival. Deposits should be as large as possible. “Lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” Matthew 6:20



CLOTHING - A complete and appropriate new wardrobe is provided for each traveller. “He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.” Isaiah 61:10



TIME CHANGES - Resetting of watches will not be necessary, nor will the watches. “The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. There shall be no night there.” Revelation 21:23,25



RESERVATIONS - Booking is now open. Apply at once. “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” II Corinthians 6:2.



CORONATION CEREMONY - The highlight of the journey is the welcoming reception and coronation which await each new arrival. “There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.” II Timothy 4:8

May I ask you a question? Am I saved ?

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:22)

May I ask you a question?


If you were to die today, would you go to Heaven to be with God?


Hopefully, you have answered yes, but if not, please read on as we would like to show you that you can know.

People feel that they will go to Heaven for many different reasons. For example, some think they will go to Heaven because they go to church every Sunday while some think that they are a good person and that good people go to Heaven. We''ll, let''s see what God has to say.


In the Bible you can find both bad news and good news. The bad news is something about you and the good news is something about what God did for you.


Let''s take a look at the bad news first....

Bad News #1


The Bible says, you are a sinner.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Romans 3:23)


Even if you are a pretty good person overall, in God''s eyes you are still a sinner. In fact, God says there is no good person who does not sin.

"For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin." (Ecc. 7:20)


Being that God is Holy and perfect, He cannot allow sin in His presence in Heaven. So, therefore sin is what keeps you from getting to Heaven.

The bad news gets even worse...

Bad News #2


The penalty for sin is death.

"For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)

Because of sin, death has been earned. Not just physical death but a spiritual death. In this spiritual death a person will suffer eternal punishment and torment and be eternally separated from God.

God is a just God and sin must be punished. We can do nothing about it on our own...so the good news is that God provides a solution for our sin.

Good News #1

God loves us and sent His Son Jesus Christ to take all of our sin upon Himself and die in our place. His death paid the penalty for ALL of our sins.


"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us." (2 Corinthians 5:21)


"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace..." (Ephesians 1:7)

Then on the third day, Jesus rose again [came back to life] and defeated death. He is alive today!

That sure is good news, isn''t it?

The good news gets even better...


Good News #2


You can be saved from having to pay the penalty of your sin through faith in Jesus Christ.


"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." (Acts 16:31)



"To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." (Acts 10:43)



So, as you can see from this good news, God made a way out for us. He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins and take the penalty for us. If we believe in Him as our Savior, He washes us clean from all our sin and gives us eternal life.



"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)


So, after hearing God''s Word here today...Do you believe?


Eternal life is a gift purchased by the blood of Jesus and offered freely to those who put their faith in Him.



If you have now put your faith in Jesus to save you, let us help you word a prayer you can pray right now (realize it''s not the prayer that saves you, it''s your faith in Jesus Christ).


"Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe you died for my sins and rose again. Please forgive me of my sins. I am trusting you, and you alone, to take me to Heaven when I die. Thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen."


If you have come to know the Lord after reading God''s Word here today please email us and let us know. We would like to pray for you and send you some more information.


"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9)

Little Boy's Explanation of God

It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in Chula Vista, CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment, to 'explain God.' I wonder if any of us could have done as well? [ .... and he had such an assignment, in California , and someone published it -- I guess miracles do happen! .. ]


THE EXPLANATION OF GOD:



"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.



"God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to turn it off.



"God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.



"Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church.



"Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching to them and they crucified him, but he was good and kind, like His father, and He told His father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.



"His dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So He did. Now He helps His dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.



"You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.



"You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!



"Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.



"If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.'



"But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases. And...that's why I believe in God.

21 Day Fast

We ended our 21 day fast last night and it was AWSOME !!!! The church was packed as full as I have ever seen. There was at least 6 that gave their live's to Jesus and lots of healings  (Body and Soul). So that brings me to ask "Why did we fast 21 days? I was ask at the start of the fast why we did it for 21 days and I didnt know so that was a big question that was on my mind from the start. While I was fasting i was reading the Bible and went to Daniel 10:2 and my question was answered. "Daniel 10:2 In those days I, Daniel was mourning three whole weeks. 3. I ate no pleasant bread, neithercame flesh nor wine into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled."

This Passage is a source for the Idea of a 21 day fast. As you  set apart these three weeks to seek God, know that God has already heard your prayer. He is already at work on your behalf. What specific clarity of vision are you seeking from God during this time? Write down your prayer so you can reflect on it at the end of the 21 days. Spend time praying for God to speak to you and give you strength.

PRAYER it does a body good

Like the old milk commercial ‘Prayer.. it does a body good.’ Prayer is not

a hocus pocus moment for snake handler types. It is not using the right

words of “Presto-chango” or shouting “Abracadabra”.. and much more than 3

wishes allowed to your average Genie in Lampville. Of course in our finite

believer brains cluttered with infinite impatience (oxymoron?) we as

believers often reduce prayer to.. MAGIC.



In fact this morning as I type I have a specific very real worry on my mind

that I am praying about for someone I care about. What I am impressed on

regarding this need for prayer is that I need to share my heart to God

regarding this matter than.. LET GO.



PEACE BE STILL.. are the words Jesus used to calm the sea, and PEACE BE

STILL is the challenge for all of us when life is raging like a stormy sea.



Everyone of us have challenges, stress, loneliness, sadness, tragedy,

sickness, and/or death that greet us daily. This is a fallen world and I

know for myself I make this worse as like Peter I take my eyes off Jesus

and focus on the problems (the raging sea) of my day.



So no matter your circumstance, know that our prayers are heard by a God

who loves us, and wants what is best for us. The challenge is that this

scriptural truth of a loving God becomes cluttered in an imperfect world

that feels anything but loving.



So my prayer today if for God’s answers in my life and for a world that

needs Him. May there be peace in my mind even when I have circumstances

that challenge this peace. May I learn to trust God and lean not in my own

understanding.



One last reminder.. let’s be as the Bible teaches in an attitude of

prayer. Pray without ceasing.. meaning we communicate with God throughout

our day. This type of prayer should be the natural communication of

thanksgiving & praise, repentance, for protection & guidance, and the

desires of my heart. Flowery lofty language is not needed, but instead

honest ongoing communication about our worries and dreams with our loving

God. THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE, then PEACE BE STILL is possible in all

circumstances.