Happy Anniversary, Cathy! Thank you for your “until death do we part” commitment. I know you gave much more than I did on May 7, 1977, when we vowed to love and honor one another. For the past 12,000 days (yes, it actually has been that long) we have managed to beat the odds. We have seen close friends walk away from their commitments to one another, but you, Cathy, have stood fast. Not a day goes by that I don’t marvel at the blessing you have been to me (well, except those days where I ignorantly haven’t been thinking). Thank you, Cathy, for forgiving ‘those days’ and for demonstrating Christ’s love in our journey together.

For anyone wondering what the official gift for a 12,000 day anniversary might be: apparently, it is a butter dish. I know some couples jump the gun in this wealthy nation and don’t wait 12,000 days for such an extravagant purchase, but I am sort of a traditionalist when it comes to butter dishes. Of course, there is no limit to the number of butter dishes a couple may acquire after this milestone has been met. I haven’t been able to find what the 13,000 day gift is, but I have about 33 months to obtain that information.

Happy Anniversary and God Bless.

For the past year (plus) Sage and Stephanie have been sowing seed weekly into the lives of the 15-20 middle school students that choose to join together for a meal and the teaching of the written Word of our God. The food is always good; God’s Word is faithfully opened and taught. Because we live in a blessed country, that isn’t the only meal those young men and women receive each week. Sadly, for some of them, it is the only Word they feed on.

Last evening Sage challenged all of the young men and women gathered at his house to seek a deeper relationship with God. He then provided time for them to follow the Scriptural principle of seeking with an expectation of finding.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 ESV)

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Luke 11:9-10 ESV)

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore…” (Jeremiah 29:12-14a ESV)

As music played in the background, the gathered company fell silent (that in itself is a miracle) and then the seeds that have been sown began to show some buds. Words were spoken from Philippians, Psalms, Titus, Joel, Luke, Hosea, Habakkuk, more Psalms, 1 Timothy, 1 Corinthians, John… All around the room God’s Word was being read by seekers after His will. The seeking and the speaking is real, but…

In regard to seeking evidence of God, Ronnie spoke of God being revealed in nature (consistent with Psalm 19:1-6 and Romans 1:20). God’s written Word obviously reveals His glory and character and His desire to be known (the young men and women gathered at Sage and Stephanie’s understand this concept to be true). Empty hearts and active consciences reveal that God’s laws have been written on our hearts as a reminder that we need Him. But…

When I was a young man older adults kept telling me to “live for God,” or to “take up my cross, daily,” or if I questioned them about what that meant, they might say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Although I yearned for a visible example of how to follow after God with my whole heart, none of the adults in my life could say, like Paul said, “Live like I live, follow my example, this really works and I can show you how.” Sometimes I would be told, “You will understand better when you are older.” Well, I am older! I am still yearning to see those examples lived out in front of me. What I understand as an older Christian (Chrustian?) is that God is good and I am not. I understand the struggle that Paul writes about in Romans and I realize: that is what we must be willing to share with the younger men and women in our lives. It isn’t ‘us’ and ‘them’ but just ‘us.’ To successfully walk in Christ, we must transparently walk in Christ. We ‘Chrustians’ have the same struggles as the younger Christians. We keep getting in the way of full commitment because we put ourselves above God, or think that we can reserve some aspects of our lives for our own control while yielding select corners of our lives to the Lordship of Christ. We struggle because we want to walk in the Spirit and in the flesh.

As Moses was getting ready to pass the baton to Joshua he exhorted the congregation to “choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Deuteronomy 30:19b NIV)

As Joshua was releasing the soldiers from the tribes East of the Jordan to return home he warned them, “But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5 NIV)

But… I think it is time for us ‘Chrustians’ to stop just giving advice if we aren’t living advice. That doesn’t mean that we have to be perfect before we can speak into younger Christian’s lives; it just means we are further in the struggle and, if we are willing to be transparent, we can offer what we continue to learn while we learn it.

Some Sage advice: seek God with your whole heart, and then don’t hide the process. Are you being trained in the Way? Are you training others to follow hard after God with word and deed? Can any of us say, “Seek God in the manner that you see me seeking God.”?

Steve shared a list of thoughts, from George Müller, that we should consider while attempting the process of discovering God’s will in our life and work.  He said to write it down; here is the list in case you weren’t able to find a pen during this morning’s sermon.

1. Surrender your will
2. Don’t depend on your feelings
3. Seek the Holy Spirit’s will through the Word of God
4. Note the providential circumstances
5. Pray
6. Wait

Let us learn to discern God’s will and His timing.

Jesus Christ is the Bread and the Word. Part of God’s plan for us is that we are humbled and hungry – we must learn to feed on Him. The children of Israel often grumbled that they were well fed in Egypt and wanted to go back to that familiar place of comfort rather than die in the desert from hunger. Like us, they had short memories regarding their own actions and God’s provision. They were not satisfied in Egypt and had grumbled in those circumstances. God brought them out of Egypt in a most miraculous manner and chose to be in their presence; they refused to accept communion with Him. Moses spoke of bread and word during one of his final sermons to the congregation.

“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV)

Jesus quotes this verse during a time of temptation; He shows that Scripture is a great way to combat temptation; he demonstrates an understanding of what man needs for life.

“But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”” (Matthew 4:4 ESV)

Jesus unmistakably speaks of himself as the bread that satisfies in John 6, right after feeding five thousand and walking on water.

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” (John 6:35 ESV)

Of course, the reason belief in Christ quenches thirst is that he provides living water in abundance to those that ask.

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’” (John 4:10 ESV)

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39 ESV)

So God allows us to be humbled and hungry, in order that we look to Jesus. He is the bread that we need, and the Word that satisfies.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-4,14 ESV)

Reason 4: So that the word of God abides in you

” So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32, ESV)

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7, ESV)

“I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 John 2:14, ESV)

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;” (1 Peter 1:22-23, ESV)

The word of God is an abiding word (1 Peter 1:23). The word of God is truth (Romans 10:17) and brings about the new birth (1 Peter 1:23) and brings faith (Romans 10:17) and enables us to overcome the evil one (1 John 2:14, see also Reason 3 of Reasons to Memorize Scripture).  Although memorizing scripture is one method of to have the word of God abide in you, it is not and should not be considered the only means to abide in the word. By nature abiding in the word of God includes spending time in it through reading, mediation, and study.

The abiding word of God brings us within reach of a few of Jesus’ promises. There are a few different kinds of promises. Some are unconditional like when God appeared to Abram and promised to give his offspring the land, while other promises are conditional like when Jesus say’s “if” you abide in my word then ask whatever you wish or then you are truly my disciples. The promise Jesus gives us is a conditional promise. He will not give the result of the promises unless we meet the required condition.

It is important to understand what the promise is. Often times people will create a false promise by taking a verse out of the context of the passage. In the case John 8:31, the promise of abiding in His word, is that we are His disciples. That is important but it does not stop there. It continues to say that we will know the truth and will be set free by the truth. Unless we abide in the word, we are not disciples and we will not know the truth or be set free by the truth. Additionally, John 15:7 indicates that if we abide in the word we can ask God whatever we wish and it will be done for us. Taken out of context this verse fits almost any bad theology. Therefore, we must keep reading. Verse 8 say’s “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” The asking whatever you wish is directly related to bearing fruit and glorifying God the Father. If we abide in the word our desires will be transformed by the renewing of the mind (Rom 12:1-2) so that we can bear much fruit. The asking is for the bearing of much fruit.

Memorizing Scripture will help us to abide in the word of God when we are living our daily lives, running errands, having conversation at work, in a meeting, paying bills, going to the hospital, and reading the test results. If we want to bear much fruit, be disciples, fight sin, defeat Satan and love one another we must abide in the word.

Abiding in the word,

Pastor Ray

No More Excuses: Refuting 6 Justifiers for Not Serving

Reason 1: I’m not called to serve

John 5:36 For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Matt 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

By nature we are consumers. We all consume things to live such as food, water, clothing, electricity, etc… However, we live in a culture of increasing consumerism. One effect of Consumerism is the systematic development and methods used to create and promote the desire to purchase more and more.  One-upmanship is extremely common within America and can be seen in all industries. Just look at television commercials, advertising billboards, etc… This practice is so commonly used and so effective that we often times don’t even notice its use; rather we notice a desire to purchase something new. The current item is old and outdated (although functional) and must be replaced with the newest and best.

Tragically, this consumerism has crept its way in to the church. Generally churches in our culture advertise and create a church environment of “come and receive,” which is a parallel of “buy and receive.” We create Christians who are satisfied with average attendance Sunday mornings where they receive from the church. We are taught that programs, ministries, evangelism, teaching and just about all operating functions of the church are to be completed by paid staff or the hyper committed Christian. Biblically this is a half truth. Yes, we desire that you come and receive, however it is not to end there. We are called to come and receive and give. Giving includes all aspect of life. Money, time, possessions, knowledge, etc… It is a sacrificial giving of ourselves.  We all have work that God has given us to accomplish. This work we are to accomplish is only completed through serving. Even Jesus understands that he has work to accomplish (John 5:36). Because of this, we should be diligent to ensure that we complete all that God has called us to do. God has provided many opportunities to serve at work, school, home and your church. We want you to be faithful to the work God has called you to, therefore, serve…

Serving with you,

Pastor Ray

No More Excuses: Refuting 6 Justifiers for Not Serving

“And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2, ESV)

I am beginning this blog series because there is so much work to be done for the Kingdom of God. As the Elders meet each day we discuss various ministries and the laborers need to complete the work. It is clear that there is much to be done on Anderson Island. There are several reasons for the work of the ministry. As we work to spread the gospel, we minister to unbelievers as well as believers. We have ministries that are focused toward unbelievers as well as ministries that are focused toward believers. It takes individuals to complete the work of these ministries. Regardless of whom the ministry is geared toward, God works through the life of the servant as well as in the life of the servant. The Elders of AICF desire to see the God working in the life of every member of AICF. Every Christian is called to be actively serving Christ so that His name is proclaimed and He may work in the life of the servant.

The reason we ask you to serve may not be what you think it is.

We have your best interests in mind. God has ordained that the work of the ministry be completed by people. Several things take place when ministry work is completed. The gospel is proclaimed and people are saved; and God is at work in and though the life of the servant. Working for Christ in ministry is less about the task and more about the effects. Lives are changed when we work in ministry. God works through us to change others, and in us to increase our relationship with Him.  Therefore, when we ask you to serve it is not about the task. It is about God working in and though you. Our primary purpose is to feed the flock of God or in other words to see you grow spiritually. Because we want you to grow spiritually, we want you to stretch yourself in the work of the ministry. Therefore, I have written this blog to respond to the various arguments people use to justify their lack of service to God. Ultimately, their lack of spiritual growth.

Praying for your spiritual growth,

Pastor Ray

Expanding on Reason 3: It enables you to fight the fight of faith.

“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24-26, ESV)

If you are battling a sin, please memorize these verses. At a minimum please memorize the idea of these verses. Particularly “By faith Moses refused to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, for Christ is a greater reward.” This text tell us several very important things about fighting sin.

• It takes faith to fight sin. It was by faith that Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. You will see that this faith was looking toward something. The faith was strengthened by a promise. And by this faith we can fight sin.
• Sin has fleeting pleasures. Some say that sin does not offer pleasure. This verse clearly shows that it does, however, it is also clearly fleeting or temporary. Sin will never satisfy, Sin will not last, and it has deadly effects. ”Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:15, ESV)
• Remember Christ is better. The thing that faith looks to is this: Christ is greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt. Because sin offers a temporary reward of pleasure, we must fight sin by looking to a greater reward namely Jesus Christ. There is nothing greater than Jesus Christ. Nothing will satisfy like Jesus Christ. Remember this in the face of temptation. When temptation offers you it’s bait – cry out God “I refuse to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, for Christ is a greater reward!”

Look to Jesus,

Pastor Ray

The Lord’s Prayer includes the line, “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” How often have you thought that is unreasonable? Maybe Jesus got it wrong. Maybe some people don’t deserve to be forgiven; maybe they need to pay for what they did. What about the person that abused your child, or your mother, or your wife, or even the person that has abused you? Why should they receive forgiveness? Why should we let them get away with what they have done?

But, the forgiveness line is in the prayer, the concept of us needing to forgive others is taught throughout Scripture. So how do we follow that precept? Why can we choose to forgive? What do we do with the righteous indignation that keeps bubbling up in our souls; that we cannot seem to shake?

God has a plan. His ways are not our ways, but God is just. David modeled what we need to do in his imprecatory psalms (those are the ones where he shares with God how he feels about his enemies; where he wishes their children to be fatherless and their wives widows). We can forgive because God is God; we can continually bring the “bubbling up” to God because He is just, and He has a plan.

 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7 (ESV)

 The people of Israel rejected God when it was time to enter the land of promise. He forgave them, but they still all had to die in the wilderness.

 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ Numbers 14:18

 “Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.” Numbers 14:20-24 (ESV)

 The people of Nineveh repented with the message of Jonah (much to his dismay) but then a future generation of Nineveh dwellers was judged. Both Nahum and Jonah knew God as a gracious God. Nahum and his generation also knew God as a God of justice.

 “And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” Jonah 4:2 (ESV)

 “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.” Nahum 1:3a (ESV)

 “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him. But with an overflowing flood he will make a complete end of the adversaries, and will pursue his enemies into darkness.” Nahum 1:7-8 (ESV)

 The entire book of Habakkuk tells the story of Habakkuk thinking he knew what God should do with violent and evil people, and then his realizing that God had a plan; that God was God and Habakkuk wasn’t God; that God would deal with the problem, but in His time and following His methods.

 In Numbers 32 Moses knows that he is going to die and he has extracted a promise from the two and a half tribes settling east of the Jordon. He reminds them that God knows of this promise and says the following:

 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23 (ESV)

 So, how do we forgive someone that isn’t deserving of forgiveness? We keep giving it to God. He is just and our LORD truly can handle the timing and the details of justice.

This calendar year has seen the Lord bless the building project with some good progress. Starting with the re-instatement of our building permit, we were able to get the sheetrock installed and mudded, taped textured and primered. It made a dramatic difference in the appearance of the insides. Fortunately, Carl Brumfield dropped by for a look-see and we nailed him to help us paint the interior. Carl and his brother Darrell and their wives, Patti and Lucy did a great job getting it all done over President’s Day weekend. Now we are busy installing underlayment in preparation for putting down finish flooring. We have the tile to install in the kitchen, restrooms and nursery. When that is complete we can put in the plumbing fixtures and other finish items such as interior doors and trim. We reached an agreement in principle with the Riviera BOT on what measures we have to take to allow us to install the additional needed hydrant. Our attention will now be focused on getting Pierce County approval and getting contracts in place with RCC and the fire sprinkler contractor. Please continue to pray that we will find favor with the RCC BOT and with Pierce County. Also pray for the building project leadership, for the safety of our workers, and that God will provide the necessary resources to see his will done.

Respectfully,

Jim Singer

Building Project Chair