Living God’s Plan in God’s Love

Dear Worshippers,

Last week I did not give reference for Jeremiah 29:11, Sorry about that. “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Some of you may have immediately known where that reference was. If you did not, I want to encourage you to memorize it. You will need it at some point, whether you are looking for the grace to suffer, as Pastor Andy put it Sunday, or know someone else who is.

I was already privileged to know this when I asked my ordination mentor years ago what he and his wife had done to raise their three boys to know and love and serve the Lord. As a young father, I wanted to know the secret of raising my sons the same way. I wanted to do everything I could to instill those desires in my boys. What he said to me reminded me of this verse from Jeremiah.

“God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” I think I was expecting something a little more complex, or at least something with a few more steps to follow. But the beauty of this was the simplicity. What a wonderful thing to know that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.

I bless my boys at night when I put them to bed. I often will speak this truth over them with my hand placed on their little, or not so little, head. I remind them of it at other times too, when things are going great and God’s plan for their lives seems to be coming into slightly clearer focus, and when things are going poorly and they are struggling to see God at all.

The real challenge I think was what he added after that. He said that although he and his wife never had a detailed plan for raising their boys, they always endeavored to live this simple premise before them. Do you hear what I am saying? It is more than speaking it, it is living it that really makes the difference!

Some of you have heard me say, “You teach what you know, you reproduce what you are.” I can teach my boys these truths, but they I will only reproduce them in their lives in I live them myself. Here is my point.

There is someone watching you. Someone who is going to emulate some facets of your life. Parents you know this to be true. Keep working at being. For those of you who are not parents, there are people watching your godly example too. Live in a way that shows them that you KNOW God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. I am certain you will be pleased with the results in your life…and theirs.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

The Last Word

Dear Worshippers,

I wrote to you last week encouraging you to think about heaven. Part of the point of that was to encourage you along the lines of the old adage, “Begin with the end in mind.” If you do not know where you are going, you are probably going to have a hard time finding your way there, and will probably end up wherever the road leads you.

This can be a frightening thought when you look at the road many people are traveling. It may not always seem a wonderful prospect when we look down the path a bit even though we are walking along the way with Jesus. Our course is not promised to be easy, even though His yoke is. [Matthew 11:29-30]

The solace we find is that the final word the Lord speaks to us is mercy. I was reading in Jeremiah today when I was reminded of this. Jeremiah lays down so very strong words of judgment to the people of Jerusalem as he speaks for the Lord, but it is balanced with God’s desire for mercy.

I am speaking specifically of Jeremiah 33:26. [This year I am reading The Message, by Peterson] After comparing His covenant with Jacob and David with the functioning of the sky and earth, God says, “The last word is, I will have mercy on them.”

Have you ever been in an argument? You know, you go back and forth trying to state your case. Sometimes things can get pretty heated. Most of us want the last word, because we would simply like to win by silencing our adversary. I like how Bill O’Reilly [of The OReilly Factor] will say, “I’m going to give you the last word”, then lets his guest make a final comment, to which Bill often adds one of his own. It is his show after, so he gets the last word, ultimately.

And that’s the case with our God as well. You may be facing a difficult time, or one may be headed your way. You may find yourself in an argument that just will not seem to quit. Maybe your situation at work is awkward or uncomfortable. Maybe you are ready for the end of a particular circumstance.

Know this. The same One who said, “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” is saying, “I will have mercy on them.” That’s the last word.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Heaven

Dear Worshipers,

When was the last time you thought about heaven? I believe it was Randy Alcorn who rightly asked, "Why do we spend so little time thinking about where will spend so much of forever?" Heaven was brought into a much clearer focus for me last week through a couple different experiences. Thank You, Jesus.

I received a call last Tuesday that a family friend was in the hospital after falling and hitting his head. This is complicated by the fact that he has had cancer in his jaw, and currently has a tumor in his brain. They have been through a lot in the last two years. As I spoke with his wife I shared words of hope and prayed for healing, but remain uncertain as to whether this friend is truly ready for heaven. I left the hospital thanking the Lord that in heaven there will be no more pain.

On Friday, I shared that Good News with a woman named Sherry. She had come to the church looking for help. She was at the end of herself, literally in tears. Living in this world had taken its toll on her, and she was ready for heaven. As we talked I discerned that Sherry was homeless, hopeless, and helpless. Not anymore.

I asked her a few questions to discern her spiritual position. 1. If anything were to happen to you and you were to stand before God and he asked you, “Why should I allow you into my heaven?” what would you say? She answered with the common “works righteousness”, ‘I tried to do the right thing’. I followed that up with 2. Would you like to know how you can be certain you will enter heaven? She responded, “Absolutely”.

After explaining to her that her sin had separated her from God and that only Jesus could bring the chasm, she repented, turned to Christ, and I believe was gloriously redeemed. I say that because her countenance changed. Her tears were now ones of joy. She was ready for heaven.

I heard a wonderful testimony just this morning of another change of countenance. A friend whose mother had struggled with life for some time finally went to be with the Lord. In her final moments, they said “her entire facial expression changed.” In my friends’ words, “she went from struggling for breath, to relaxing, safe in His arms.” Even for the believer, the transition from earth to heaven can be fearful. But it need not be, as these words remind us. The reward the Lord has in store for those in Christ is unfathomable.

Think of heaven today. And live like its real, and your ultimate reward. Thank you, Jesus.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott

Growing

Dear Worshippers,

Have you noticed over the last few weeks that everything has greened up? I was away for a week leading up to Memorial Day and when I returned it was like God had turned on the green. Leaves were bursting forth from the large tree behind my house providing a lovely covering, along with all the other trees in my yard. It was wonderful to return from Florida to all this green

But weeds were also growing. It had been almost two weeks since I had mowed my lawn and done some weeding, and it showed. My yard was in desperate need of some attention. There were weeds in my landscaping beds and steps going down around the house. Weeds, weeds everywhere. Some maintenance was needed.

How about in your life? Have you come through the winter and spring to find your spirit bursting with life? Are the weeds choking out the growth God is bringing? Maybe God is doing a wonderful thing in your life, and at the same time something is choking out that wonderful thing. Some maintenance is needed.

Where do you go to do maintenance on your soul? God's Word.

I was reminded of it's importance in the growth of our relationship to God last week. We must read it, for it uncovers to us the areas of our soul that need attention. It shows us where we need to grow, and what needs weeded out. But the challenge for us is to read it as more than a maintenance manual.

We must look to God’s Word as a way to discover God, not like a self-help book.

The difference is that of reading the Bible to learn how to lead a successful life and reading it to discover the God who has revealed Himself. I hope you are doing the latter.

Are you reading the Bible? I certainly hope so. If you are reading it, what is your perspective on it. I hope you are reading it to discover God, and not just to help yourself. If you are reading it to discover God, you will help yourself. You will do some weeding. You will grow.

When people look at you, I pray they will see the life of Christ growing every day. I pray the same for myself.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott