Don’t Grow Weary of The Wait

Week of October 25, 2024

“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” (Exodus 32:1, NKJV)

One of the most difficult things we have to do is wait. When we don’t we act without guidance.

The people had grown tired of waiting on Moses. Moses had been gone for 40 days. “The man who brought us out of Egypt we don’t know what has become of him.” Other nations had gods they could see and touch. We want a god to live on our level and lead us to our destination. We are tired of waiting around. The result of their impatience was their faithlessness and a golden calf.

Anything we do without waiting for God’s guidance and His timing becomes a golden calf. God had done so much for those people and now it had all been forgotten in their impatience. The same will be true if we don’t learn to wait on God. Actually it’s our full time job. Seeking out the will of God and to act in His timing.

Are you growing impatient? Be very careful; golden calves still exist.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

God Still Speaks

Week of October 18, 2024

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” (Hebrews 1:1-2, NKLV)

We live in a time if we see something someone is doing and its successful then we want to do the same thing. Companies want to do the same thing and churches are no different. God doesn't want us to trust in programs or methods He wants us to trust in Him. When we expect God to speaks to us in predictable ways we limit the way we can experience God. When we read the pages of God’s Word we discover that God spoke in dreams, visions, signs, prophets, a still small voice, fire, fleece, angels. He spoke in the dead of night, at mealtimes, during funerals, while people were walking along the road and in the middle of the storms.

God in other words has many different ways and times that He speaks. So the important thing is not how He speaks but that He does speak.

Therefore don’t limit yourself only to a predictable way of hearing God speak to you. Open yourself up and allow the Holy Spirit to show you God’s message in many ways and many times. God still speaks and He will speak to you.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

What’s Priority

Week of October 11, 2024

“7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8, NKJV)

          In this letter we also see Paul's impressive resume in Philippians 3:4-6. Paul was at the top of his class. If the name of Paul was brought up everybody knew who he was. But then Paul met Jesus, not face to face, but met Him as Savior of his life. Paul's world was turned upside down. The very one he saw as his enemy, even imprisoning Christians, was now his friend. Meeting Jesus forced Paul to have a new set of values and priorities. 

          Our resumes also have some elements of accomplishments. Has Christ’s claim on your life given you a new set of values and priorities? Hopefully what was so important and shaped your goals is no longer that important in light of Christ having priority in your life. 

          Paul's explanation of the change in his life was because his life had been radically altered by Christ. Jesus was now number one in Paul's life. 

          The Bible says Matthew 16:26  “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Of course the answer is nothing. All the degrees, accomplishments, and prestige doesn’t compare to experiencing God’s amazing grace. Maybe a good question to ask periodically is: What would it mean to value knowing Christ so much that all the things of the world became secondary in our heart and our priorities. 

God Bless, Pastor Rick