Bro. Steve's Blog

The Trumpets

2017-07-02T04:57:00.001-07:00

The Trumpets That Announce Judgment
Revelation 8:1-9:21

The judgment of God exists to move people to repent.

Introduction:

Before God destroyed the city of Jericho He sent His army to surround the city and blow the trumpet. When the trumpet blast was heard God was letting the nation know that destruction was at hand. God saved Rahab and her family but everyone else was destroyed. Rahab and her family all understood that Yahweh was the One true God and she demonstrated her allegiance to God by risking her life and that of her family for the purpose of God. When she heard the trumpet blasts she knew a new kingdom was at the gate.

Throughout scripture we see where God has announced that on the Day of the Lord there will be a trumpet blast.

•On that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as those dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they will worship the Lord at Jerusalem on the holy mountain. (Isaiah 27:13)

•Blow the horn in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the residents of the land tremble, for the Day of the Lord is coming; in fact, it is near. (Joel 2:1)

•He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:31)

•In a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)

•For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

The sound of that trumpet introduced the destruction of the old kingdom and announced the arrival of a new king. Chapters 8 and 9 give us an elongated view of the breaking of the seventh seal. Here we hear six trumpet blasts. The first four blasts introduce the destruction of the earth and the last two describe the terrible woes in store for those who are not sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Let me make mention here that “The Day of the Lord” is not just one day long. Rather it is an extended period of time. Scripture seems to indicate that between the 6th and 7th trumpets there will be a span of time and that span of time is referred to as “The Day of the Lord.”

Perhaps it is best if you don’t think of the Day of the Lord as a 24 hour period of time. Rather think of it like this, God is God and He is not bound by time, if He wills, a day will last as long as He wants. The events contained in Chapter’s 8 and 9 will take as long as it takes.

Major on the Major

Let me say here that it is very important that we not major on the minors and that we not minor on the majors. Every detail in scripture is important but not all details are pertinent to the truth being conveyed by the Spirit. Details often give emphasis to the main point to help saints know the major purpose of the text. For example Chapter nine speaks of a 200 million soldier army. The point of the text is not there so that we can concentrate on from what nation the army comes or determine if they are demonic forces? Rather it is to let us know the army is empowered by God and they will destroy those who do not repent.

The major theme for today’s text is: The judgment of God is coming and everyone who does not repent will be destroyed. Let’s see how the minors emphasize the majors.

The Calm Before the Storm

Take note of the power of silence. For the space of half an hour there is total and absolute silence in heaven. All of the angelic beings and all of the martyrs and every soul understands the significance of what is about to happen. Satan’s rule on earth is about to end and Jesus’ earthly rule is about to begin. This time is the awe inspired silence before the storm. It is much like the ominous feeling we have when we have prepared for the hurricane and it is quiet, the calm before the storm. The prayers of the saints have risen to heaven like smoke from an incense stick. God is now about to act.

Know that God hears your prayers and they do move Him to action. He may or may not grant your request. But know He hears and when the time is right He will do what is best.

The First Four Trumpets

A trumpet blows to announce that God’s agents are about to destroy 1/3 of the earth. 1/3 represents a partial destruction of the earth. The Day of the Lord is a period of time and each time God’s wrath is poured out it is terrible but each time it is magnified. It continues to intensify until the final victory where Jesus annihilates evil.

There is a curse upon the earth that has existed since the days of Adam and Eve. Paul said, “For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. (Romans 8:19-22) On the day sin entered the world the earth received a curse and on the day the trumpet sounds the earth will be purified. First trumpet, 1/3 of the earth is burned up, second trumpet, 1/3 of the sea is contaminated and at the third trumpet, 1/3 of the rivers and streams are contaminated and at the fourth trumpet, 1/3 of the sun, the moon, and the stars are removed. God’s judgment on the earth is carried out so that the curse put on it in the Garden can be removed. This judgment will intensify until the earth is totally destroyed and then recreated by God.

The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets

The fifth and sixth trumpets are aimed at the people on earth who have refused to repent. Smoke from the abyss is released by the angel empowered by God. The angel is instructed not to harm those who have been sealed but to destroy those who are not sealed. Something with a more painful sting than a scorpion will have power to inflict the unsaved with tremendous pain. Pain so severe they will want to die but cannot.

Then the sixth trumpet will blow and a force of power unheard of by any human army. 200 million soldiers strong go out to destroy 1/3 of the human race.

It is my understanding of Scripture that the 200 million soldiers are Satan’s demonic forces, super human beings more powerful than any man or human army, but powerless when in the presence of the Lamb of God. Later we will see where the Word of God defeats this mighty and powerful army. The very Word that spoke the world into creation will speak evil into the Lake of Fire.

Conclusion

The message of these six trumpets is here to encourage the saints of God because they are sealed and will never experience any of God’s wrath. But this message is also a warning to the unrepentant that the judgment of God is coming and when the trumpet is sounded it is too late to repent. To you I say don’t miss what John says in 9:20-21.

• The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which are not able to see, hear, or walk. And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21)

Study notes Revelation 6

2017-06-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

Study notes

For Revelation 6

Opening the Scroll
Revelation 6

TAG: History is progressing toward the Day of the Lord.

Introduction:

The scroll is the history of man, the future to John and history to God. We are somewhere between John’s day and the terrible dreadful Day of the Lord. This “Day of the Lord” is the day that God pours out His wrath on the wicked. Chapter 6 shows us what is happening all around us today. As each of the seals is broken another piece of history unfolds.

It is my understanding of scripture that five of the six seals mentioned here have already been broken and we are currently living out what they describe. The four horsemen of the apocalypse and the cry of the martyrs are now underway and the Day of the Lord could appear very soon. The Day of the Lord is imminent. Nothing and certainly no one, Satan included, can stop it.

The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse

As you read Chapter 6 you ask yourself a few questions. Are these literal horses and horsemen? Who are the horsemen? or Who do they represent? and What are they doing?

Each of the first 4 seals is John’s description of what he has seen. As the Lamb opens the first seal John sees a vision of an absolute reality. This reality is that God is sending forth His gospel into the world as a conqueror. The victor is wearing His crown and has His bow in His hand. The victor is not Jesus Himself. Jesus would never receive orders from or be told what to do by one of the 4 living creatures. Rather this is the gospel itself. The crown portrays victory and the bow symbolizes power, ready for battle. Paul describes the gospel of Jesus Christ as powerful.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)

The horse is white because white represents the righteousness of God. But know this, as the gospel goes forth there will be false religions propagated by Satan and anti-Christ’s and their goal is to pull people away from the One true gospel. Jesus said, “For many will come in My name saying, “I AM the Messiah, and they will deceive many.” Matthew 24:5. Do not be deceived. At present there is a battle taking place over the souls of men and women. But in the end the gospel will be preached to all the nations and truth will be made known to all people.

The second seal John describes is a red horse and John makes it clear that this horseman is coming to make war on the earth. “People will slaughter one another.” The red represents the blood of war. Jesus said, “You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.” Matthew 24:6. It is important to take note that this horse and horseman have no power of their own like the first horseman. The red horse is given power to make war. God allows wars to arise. As a part of His creation people slaughter one another. Humanity apart from God and the Lamb is destined for self-annihilation. But God through the Lamb makes a way for some of humanity to be spared from the evils of the world. Those who are spared are the saints.

The third seal is depicted as a black horse because of the dark days brought on by famines. Jesus said, “There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Matthew 24:7. Throughout the whole of man we have seen famines. In the days of Joseph, in the Nation of Jerusalem after the time of Pentecost right up to today. This text seems to say the famines of our day will be severe enough to destroy wheat and barley but not severe enough to destroy olive trees and grape vines. Today’s famines are evidence of the breaking of the seal.

The fourth seal sends forth a pale horse that has been given authority by the Almighty to kill by famine, war, plague and beast. Through out history we have seen plagues like the Bubonic Plague, the AIDS epidemic and the influenza of years past. This horseman is called Death and Hades because he has been given power to take physical life away from the human beings. People die every day, some due to illness, some to war, some to gang violence, some by accidents. People are dying daily and it is only by God’s grace you are alive today.

The Cry of the Martyrs

With the fifth seal the scene changes from earth to the altar in heaven where those who have died for the faith are being kept until it is time for God’s vengeance. “Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay,“ says to Lord. Romans 12:19. God reminds the martyrs that He is the One who is to execute revenge. He gives each of the martyrs a white robe because they have been faithful. They die for two reasons: 1) The Word of God and 2) Their testimony. Following Jesus will cost you your life! For the martyrs, they died physically because they testified and remained true to the Word of God. All other saints are to die spiritually to self so that we can live for Christ.

Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. (Luke 9:23)

Not every believer is called to be a martyr but every believer is called to live a martyr’s life.

If you have been called to salvation by God though faith and have not yet been baptized and united with a local body of believers the Spirit of God is moving you toward a public profession of faith. This public profession is done through baptism. You proclaim that Jesus is Lord and then you symbolically die to self and are buried in the water and then raised to new life in Christ. This baptism is not what saves you but it is a picture of what is truly going one in your heart.

The Day of the Lord

The sixth seal is the unleashing of the Day of the Lord. It has not yet occurred. But it will and on that day it will be horrible.

Look, the day of the Lord is coming—cruel, with rage and burning anger—
to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners on it. (Isaiah 13:9)
The great Day of the Lord is near, near and rapidly approaching. Listen, the Day of the Lord—then the warrior’s cry is bitter. (Zephaniah 1:14)
The great day of Their wrath has come! And who is able to stand? (Revelation 6:17)
But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. 2 Peter 3:10

The Day of the Lord will be cosmic in nature, earthquakes unmatched by human history. The sun will cease to shine and all of the stars will fall from the sky like figs falling in a wind storm. The moon will turn to blood and the sky will be peeled back like a scroll. It will be so terrible that everyone will run to hide from the Lord but they will be found.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve sinned and hid from God but God found them and removed them form the garden. On the Day of the Lord sinners will run and hide but God will find each and every one and there will be hell to pay! Kings and nobles, slaves and free men, rich and poor will try to run but no one will be able to hide.

Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slaughtered, but on that day the Lamb won’t be slaughtered, He will be the One pouring out His vengeance on all who have rejected His call to follow Him as Lord. The martyr's cry will be answered. Jesus is love but He is also the righteous judge. By His nature He loves but by His nature He will pour out His wrath on the unjust.

Conclusion

Chapter 6 ends with a question, “Who will be able to stand?” The answer to who will be able to stand is found in Chapter 7. Those who stand are those who have been sealed by the Spirit of God. The only people who are sealed are those who are dying daily to self and seeking to live by the Word of God as they give testimony of the Lamb. There was a day when Peter preached a sermon to the very Jews who crucified Jesus

and they were under deep convicted. They asked Peter "What must we do? And he

responded:

Repent, ..., and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

If you want to be one who is protected from the dreadful Day of The Lord surrender to

Jesus today.

Revival @ Ridglea

2017-03-14T07:05:00.001-07:00

Joyfully we are looking forward to Revival March 26 – 29. In order to have a fruitful time we will need to be like the man with the five tallents in Jesus’ Parable of the Tallents. He put his tallents to work and had much fruit to lay at the Master’s feet. He was truly a faithful servant who had done well. Let’s do the same with our Revival preparation. Here is how we can see much fruit.

1. Indentify, pray for and engage five unchurched or dechurced people.
2. Spend time in the prayer room praying for yourself and your Five. (Make sure you sign up for a time slot.)
3. Clear your schedule and commit to being at every service.
4. Ask God to reveal to you any sin in your life that is keeping you from reflecting His glory
and the church from being fruitful.
5. Pray for blinders to be removed from the eyes of the lost.
6. Pray for the Revival Team: Mitch Osborne, Bryan Cirlot and Jennifer Ruffin.

By being intentional in these things we will see a great harvesting of the fruit of God.

A Vision for Ridglea

2017-02-12T12:46:00.002-08:00

Sometime in March of 1997 I preached my first message at Ridglea. My dad had just passed away and God had made it clear to me that He was sending me to Ridglea Heights Baptist Church to be their Pastor. The church did not yet know this and it would be another six months before they would extend a call to me to come and pastor. In that time God had given me a vision of what He wanted. I even still have the card in my desk where I wrote this:

200 in Sunday School
2 Morning Worship Services
100 in Discipleship
An educational building
Outreach to the community
Zero debt

We have crossed the 200 mark about twice in the past and now we are fast approaching it as the new weekly average. We have two morning services, some days full. Many weeks there are more than 100 in disciple making classes and we have a very beautiful and well-used multipurpose building. We did make it zero debt but soon thereafter built the new building. In numerous phases we have made new education spaces as well as increased parking by about 400%. But we are not through yet!
God has called us to make disciples who make disciples. As we do we are growing numerically and spiritually by leaps and bounds. In the early days I would sometimes say, “I want to be at a bigger church. I want Ridglea to be that bigger church.” Now it is! Please pray with me. We desperately need funds to finish the three classrooms currently under construction. Then we are going to need nearly a million dollars to build a new sanctuary in the very near future. God has a very big vision for His church at Ridglea. Let’s pray, make disciples and be missionaries. Know that God will build His church and the gates of Hell will not prevail.

My Master

2017-02-09T13:35:00.001-08:00

The Lord is my Master; His slave I am.

He carries me to places of rest and feeds my Soul.

I am calm and worry not.

My soul was broken but now it's healed.

I walk the way of His desire,

For His purpose my actions I keep aligned.

I don't fear death nor any day's plight,

He is forever with me; I know He is.

I am confident to know this, so peaceful I am.

He blesses me with good and the world can see it's so.

I am seen as happy even my enemies know;

Yes it's so.

The Master extends grace and mercy to me;

I love Him respect Him and fear Him.

Gladly I yield to my Master.

Live by Faith

2017-01-25T13:28:00.001-08:00

“For we walk by faith, not by sight, and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 5:7-8

Oh how I wish everything was how it ought to be; but it isn’t. By God’s design it is this way. My body don’t work like it should, my mind don’t remember like it ought and my soul even seems to dose off from time to time while I go through the motions of life. But thanks be to God for His great mercy and wonderful grace.

Our bodies are temporary. We know they will wear out but because God placed the Holy Spirit in us we look forward to the day we put on a new Heavenly body designed to never wear out, a body free of disease, dismemberment and damage. By making our goal to be pleasing to the Lord and not to avoid death we live a perpetual state of hope and blessed God given joy. We know that one day we will stand in His presence at the Judgment Seat of Christ in confidence. We will be without fear even though we know our lives were full of sins of commission and omission (we should have but didn’t or we did but ought not have). On that day we will be confident in the work of Christ, not self! So, in the mean time we just live life for God’s glory striving daily to walk in a way that shows our love for Him and each other.

Jesus died for all people so that they could receive the Holy Spirit as a down payment of better things beyond the grave. Since we know and understand this we don’t seek to check off a to do list before we die. Rather we seek to please God from day to day living by faith and not by sight knowing that being connected to Christ is enough for now.

I challenge you to step away from your routine today and do something out of the ordinary and be reminded that this world is God’s gift to you even if it is flawed. Look at God from a new vantage point and you will see that He is an Awesome God.

2017-01-09T13:26:00.003-08:00

Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18)

There is a big difference between faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and faith in faith. Faith in faith will always prove to be faulty when times of trial come. Faith in Jesus as Lord knows that at the center of the Gospel is the truth that every person’s flesh must be destroyed so that the Spirit of Jesus may thrive in the believer’s heart and soul.

Prayer is the weapon that a follower of Jesus clings to long before battles are fought. One great example is Peter. As a younger follower of Jesus he boasted in his faith. When Jesus told the disciples that He must die in Jerusalem Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him saying, “this will never happen” (Matthew 16:21-25). Then once Peter’s self-confident faith found him sinking quickly into the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22-23). On another occasion Peter said, “I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!” (Luke 22:33) Just a few hours later Peter had denied Jesus three times.

Satan has a God given ability, power and permission to take down any disciple at any time. That is why Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The reason God allows this is so followers of Jesus will have no reason to have faith in their flesh. When Jesus took Peter, James and John on the Mount of Olives the night He would be arrested He told them to, “pray so that you won’t fall into temptation” (Luke 22:40). They did not pray; they fell into temptation.

Prayer is the key to walking through temptation and on into obedience. Faltering faith will follow prayerlessness. Daily pray that your walk will not lead you into temptation and ask to be delivered from evil. The result will be the yield of your flesh to the Spirit of Jesus. Faith in your faith will become a past learning experience and faith in Jesus will cause you to stand on the rock of Jesus Christ. When the storms of life come your house will not collapse.

A New Years resolution

2016-12-28T11:58:00.004-08:00

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 3:18a

“Out with the old and in with the new” is the cry of New Year’s Eve. It’s really a good thought if you think about it. Last year is in the past and you can’t change it, but next year has not yet been so you can do quite a bit about that which is yet to come! While thinking and planning for 2017 make your Spiritual Disciplines a priority.

Spiritual disciplines are behaviors that shape your spiritual growth and enable you to become more like Christ. They develop our inner being by hastening our transformation from sinner to saint. These disciplines are habits that prepare our hearts to let God’s grace change us for the good. At salvation the Holy Spirit began a work in us that is leading us away from selfish sinful behavior towards selfless God like behavior. By intentionally making changes to our routines we can create new habits that will allow God’s grace to renew our thinking which will shape our future behavior.

Here are a few Spiritual Disciplines you may choose to develop this New Year:

1) Solitude with God – pull back from the fast paced world of distractions and focus your time on the One who created you and loves you most, Jesus. Schedule time for Him daily.

2) Memorization of Scripture – by putting God’s Word in your heart you will find substantial time during your day to meditate on the Scripture that you have imprinted on your brain. The more you have committed to memory the more the Spirit will reveal to you by His grace.

3) Abstain from any activity that is keeping you from finding rest in God – (tobacco, porn, food, alcohol, etc.) anything that brings comfort to our soul that is not of God is an idol.

4) Pray through your day before your day starts - by the Spirit and the Word, God will impart wisdom that you need for today before today happens, but it requires that you go to Him in prayer before you actually engage in your day.

5) Fasting from food – throughout the Bible you read of those who sought the Lord through fasting. In order to go without food your body will require your mind to focus on your source of strength that comes not from yourself but God. Fasting brings urgency to prayer and it allows you to see the answers to many prayers are a very short length of time.

Develop disciplines in 2017 and you will end the year much more like Christ than you began. You will also feel much better about who you are as a person. God loves you and so do I.

The Gift from God

2016-11-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

“Everyone should look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others.”

Philippians 2:4

Christmas is approaching very quickly and it will be here in less than a month. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have already come and gone. Stores are open extra hours and retail sales are expected to exceed $579 billion, according to some estimates. The average household will spend between $200 and $500 per child with many exceeding this range by substantial amounts. Is it any wonder that with each passing generation individuals are getting more and more selfish? When I was a kid Christmas was exciting and receiving a gift was a special thing. Nowadays the gift is everything. This extreme selfishness in gift giving and receiving is one of the effects of the fall of humanity.

Why do you give gifts? I find that at Christmas the motive for gift giving often falls into one of three categories: (1) to make yourself happy. The main reason you spend time and money on the gift is so you will hear them say, “Aw! It’s just what I wanted.” Then you feel good about yourself and you just know they love you. (2) Is the, “I give good stuff so I’ll get good stuff.” You have come to the conclusion that people give to you in equal proportion to what you have given them. You give so you will get and be happy. Each of these motives always falls short of true lasting happiness, which brings me to reason (3) you give to reflect God’s glory.

The greatest gift ever given was when God gave Jesus to the world so that He could provide atonement for sin, so that a hopeless people could find hope. Philippians 4:13 says, “For it is God who is working in you enabling you both to desire and work out His good pleasure.” As a follower of Jesus God is enabling and using you to point people to God’s gift of salvation through Jesus. Unfortunately Satan through misplaced gift giving and receiving has blinded the eyes of people.

I urge you this Christmas don’t spend much time thinking about your own interests rather use your God given resources and love for others to give a gift that will reflect the love of God. After all, “God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Obedience and Prayer

2016-11-22T08:03:00.004-08:00

There is a way that seems right to man but its end is the way to death the teacher says twice in the Book of Proverbs. His point is man’s human nature causes him to believe he knows what is best and when he follows his gut it will lead to death. For the disciple of Jesus that path is one we reject, rather we know that God has a way for us to live from day to day. Isaiah 30:21 says it this way: “Wherever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: ‘This is the way. Walk in it.’” Jesus calls people to follow Him and as they do He leads them day-by-day through life and on into eternity in Heaven. This way is a particular way that God’s people of grace live out. This way is not a treasure map leading to a treasure in Heaven. Rather this way is a journey revealed by God that shows the believer how to live more and have their being from day to day. The labor of the follower is not so much to track the footprints left by Jesus in the sand. It is more a daily trial of learning how to act, speak, think and respond to the circumstances of that day’s experiences. Through the events of each day God speaks through the Holy Spirit who makes the disciple aware of what God wants and expect daily. Sometimes He speaks through the words we hear as we read the Bible, sometimes we hear Him speak through other mature believers and at other times His way is discerned through current circumstances. All of these ways of communication are guided by the Holy Spirit and funneled through our daily prayers.

Isaiah also speaking on God’s behalf saying: “This is the LORD’s declaration. I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit and trembles at my words (Isaiah 66:2).” Did you see that? There are people that God favors over others. They are the ones who humble themselves. This means they don’t have faith in the way that seems right to them; they have faith in the way God works things out even when that way makes no sense to them. Biblical humility is laying aside your prideful way of thinking that you know what is best for you and submissively laying down control of your daily pathway to God the Father. Next the highly favored person is “submissive in spirit.” Through life’s journey a follower of Jesus comes to know that they have two natures inside of them. The old nature leads them to do what they want when they want while the new nature compels them to do what God wants without respect to what their old nature wants. A person with a “submissive spirit” yields their thoughts and actions to those revealed by the Holy Spirit through prayer.

The third quality of the favored is they tremble at God’s Word. They place the highest authority of God on the words they find written in the Bible. In their mind God said it so they believe it. They read the Bible as if God Himself was speaking directly to them. In awe they revere the words of God like a slave who knows his life is in the master’s hand and he or she only lives because the master has willed it. When the master speaks they fall to their knees, tremble at his voice. When he stops speaking they spring into action going to carry out the command they have just heard. The highly favored of God are those who pray then read His word looking for the answers in His Word. When they find it they quickly seek to obey. Pride, lack of submission and indifference for the Word of God will block any communication between God and a believer.

In days of old God spoke in many different ways, dreams, donkeys, angels, audible voice, prophets and visions just to name a few. In these last days God speaks through His Son Jesus who is God’s word become flesh. When Jesus spoke it was God speaking; when Jesus did miracles God was speaking, when Jesus prayed God was speaking. When Jesus took action God was speaking and when Jesus forgave God was forgiving.

Hebrews 1:1-2a reads this way, “Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son.” As we the, followers of Jesus, study the Word of God and learn what it means we are hearing instruction from God the Father for our journey through life. So we read the Word, pray, then read the Word again and as we continue this cycle the Holy Spirit opens our minds to understand how we are to implement this new knowledge of God into our daily lives.

Jesus makes a statement, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me (Luke 9:23).” Jesus is laying out before His disciples a requirement for walking in His way. In order for the disciples to se the way they will need to squelch the static of sinful nature that is in them. By dying to self will and desire they are opening up themselves to be filled by the Holy Spirit who will lead them through each day of their lives. The Apostle Paul gives us the proper response to the call of death Jesus has extended. We decide to forsake the way of self and follow The Way as described in the Book of Acts. Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:19b:20).”

A person’s flesh speaks so loudly in their mind that they cannot hear God speak. But when they a wholeheartedly surrendered to Christ in thought and action they are demonstrating that they are indeed submissive in their entire spirit and they tremble in awe as new revelations from God comes. Then they are ready to humbly do whatever His voice of God says knowing that obedience must always follow the voice of God.

Continuous Prayer

2016-11-21T07:20:00.001-08:00

“Devote yourselves to prayer; staying alert in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2

Devote yourself to prayer and don’t become discouraged. In so doing you will be allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you through your day. Prayer is not something you put on your to do list once a day pray for twenty minutes and check it off as done. Prayer should be continuous open conversation between you and God guided by the Holy Spirit in order to seek out what God is doing daily and what your role in any given circumstance is to be. In reading the Gospel we see that Jesus prayed quite a bit. Over His three and one half years of ministry we see that He prayed all night often, He fasted and prayed for forty days consistently and on many other occasions. He prayed for individuals and groups. At the tomb of Lazarus with many people around Jesus simply looked up toward Heaven and spoke to God as if God had been there all along. For Jesus prayer was a continuous conversation between Himself and His Father. At some points the prayers were intense like in the Garden when He sweat drops of blood. At other times it was only a few words like the Lord’s Prayer. These glimpses into His prayer life can help us discern that prayer should be all day long every day of the year. Paul said, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

As humans we get distracted fairly easily and these distractions prevent us from staying intensely connected with the Father in prayer, yet it must be our goal. Seek open dialogue 24 hours a day, seven days a week but don’t beat yourself up when you fall short. It is a battle and Satan knows that when you prayerfully walk in the Spirit you will be made more holy but when he distracts you your growth spiritually will be stifled. When you fail the 24/7-prayer goal don’t be discouraged. Your salvation is based on Jesus’ work on the cross not your ability to pray continuously. You are a work in progress and so is your prayer life.

Make it a point to begin your day with prayer. Determine to start your prayer journey tomorrow morning by setting your clock ten to twenty minutes earlier. Then read the Word of God some and pray some, then read the Word again and pray again. At the time when you would end don’t say a hardy amen! Rather just stop talking to God for a minute. Think of your prayer as a continuous conversation with God the Father imagining that Jesus is right beside you everywhere you go. Many times during the day talk to Jesus. Just say a few words to Him again with no amen! Then a few times in group settings remind yourself Jesus is in the room and just speak to Him and acknowledge His presence. You may want to do this silently or the members of the group may think you are crazy.

Over a period of days you will realize that God is ever-present and always eager to participate in the conversation in your mind. You will be on a path that leads you to continuous prayer. The Holy Spirit will cause you to see what God is doing around you, in you and through you. At some point during your continuing conversation your eyes will be opened to see things you have never before seen.

By making prayer an all day conversation the Spirit will remove blinders, which have been causing you to miss, seeing God’s wonders in your everyday life. A side benefit to this continuous prayer will be you will see more clearly sin that is presently in your life. When you do immediately confess it and turn away confidently knowing that God has promised you a way to escape and He is simultaneously empowering your walk away from it.

2016-11-16T08:27:00.002-08:00

Prayer and Anxiety

2016-11-16T08:27:00.001-08:00

“Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares about you.”
1 Peter 5:7

What a wonderful thought. The Almighty God of the universe who created everything and constantly keeps that creation moving along cares about you and the problems you face every day. God, who is limitless and who has all power is fully capable of spending time with each of His children 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He never sleeps and He never slumbers. He constantly is watching over you and the rest of His creation with love, grace, mercy and absolute power. Yet in His word He makes sure that you know that He cares for you and that He will meet all of your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).

Because sin is loose in the world every person is born with a nature that is bent toward sin. But when that person finds salvation in Jesus by submitting to Jesus as Lord that bent nature is pulled back towards the holiness of God. Every believer has desires, some selfish and some Christlike centered. Anxiety occurs when these two natures clash. In selfishness you have a perceived way you think things should turn out. However, Jesus has His way which is perfect and best for His Kingdom and all believers. When His way and your way differ you either yield to His way or you cry out in prayer trying to move God to see it your way causing Heaven and earth to move the current circumstances to alien with the way you desire. The problem is God is unchangeable and faithful; true and sure. In His infinite wisdom He knows how things must be. So the solution to your dilemma is not for God to do what you think but rather to mold your thinking around the perfect way God has planned to work this situation out. Through prayer God communicates to you, your responsibilities and how you need to change your way of thought and action so that you will see, with trustful clarity, that He is working this given situation out for His glory and your good.

As a child of God you are constantly reminded in God’s Word that you can trust Him because He cares for you and He knows what is best for you as well as every other person on earth. Isaiah said it well when he wrote of God, “You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you” (Isaiah 26:3). God is a rock when it comes to His faithfulness and His children. He will always work things out according to His nature and desire. Therefore learn to keep your eyes on the Lord’s desire and His nature and over time your anxiety will begin to diminish. Prayer is the tool that you use to let go of your anguish and replace it with trust. Through prayer and petitions with thanksgiving you are to let your request be made known to God. Then in exchange for your anxiety He supernaturally gives you a peace from Him that the lost world is incapable of knowing.

God has promised to supply all your needs and Jesus made it clear in the Sermon on the Mount that you can trust Him for your physical needs. Stop now and go read Matthew 6:25-33 then come back and read here.

In that passage Jesus promised you that you did not have to worry about material things like the lost world does. Then He gives you instructions for what to focus your mind on and that is His Kingdom. The truth is you exist for God’s glory! Your mind should be filled with thoughts of His Kingdom and what your part in that Kingdom shall be every day. God has gifted and empowered you for service in His Kingdom and through prayer and much Bible study you are enlightened as to what that part is. As you seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness every thing else falls into place. In a short time the very thing you were so worried about no longer plagues your mind. Peace now reigns in your thoughts.

Purposed Prayer

2016-11-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

“You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.”
James 4:3

Jesus did say, “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:14). At first glance this may seem like a blanket promise from Jesus to His followers that if we ask for anything (house, car, land, healing, drugs, spouse, cash) it will be given or done for us, but it is not. This verse must be kept in context. Here Jesus is speaking to the disciples preparing them for when He returns to Heaven. He is letting them know that the church will be in their hands and when they ask the Father for what is needed to fulfill His purpose in the church they will have what they ask for. The key phrase is “glorified in the Son.” Jesus had taught this group of twelve that they existed for God’s glory and they were on mission with God. As His servants He would empower them to carry out His will for the sake of His mission. Every prayer that a disciple of Jesus prays should be for Jesus’ sake and not their sake. As the disciple lives out Jesus’ mission to seek and to save the lost and to make disciples of all nations God the Father is going to grant whatever is needed to accomplish this task. Jesus now sits at the right hand of God with all authority in His hand. Interceding for the church when Peter or John ask God for help in prayer Jesus leans over to the Father and says this prayer request will be beneficial to Kingdom of Heaven growth on earth. Then God grants this and every other request.

James, points out that many in the church are not having their prayers answered and the reason is their motive is wrong. They ask for their sake not Jesus’ sake. The purpose of prayer is to discern the Lord’s will, request wisdom and discernment to know when and where to take action and request strength to carry out that will to the fullest most possible extent.

Jesus prayed in the Garden, “Father if You are willing take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). God gave confirmation to Jesus that His plan was for Jesus to receive God’s cup of wrath upon Himself. Then God gives Jesus discernment that He will go to the cross and He gives Him strength to endure the pain that will be thrust on Him as He receives the sins of humanity. In addition He lets Jesus know now is not the time to act but the time to be carried away by the Roman soldiers.

We are called to follow Jesus and as we go He makes us His disciples and as disciples we pray for discernment to know His will and as we gain this wisdom we learn how to pray for His names sake. When we ask for His sake according to His plan we know that we will receive what we have asked of Him.

Healing

2016-11-03T18:06:00.003-07:00

“May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come from refuge.”

Ruth 2:12

Boaz said those words to Ruth because of her kindness towards Naomi. Ruth loved her mother-in-law and her actions showed it in such a way that others, like Boaz, could see it. Your love for me has been made evident over the past weeks. During my down time you have prayed for me, called me, sent me cards, given me gifts and loved on me. In addition many of you have stepped out of your comfort zone and done above and beyond all that I could think or ask. In my absence I see no ministry that did not only continue but they flourished. Talk about making my heart sing with joy. From the deepest recesses of my heart I want to say thank you to every member of Ridglea. You are faithful servants ready to do God’s will at a moments notice and this is evident to all.

During my down time I was able to read much and write a pamphlet on prayer. I should have it ready for print in about a month. I will gladly share with you what God has shared with me.

Also I want you to know that my hip is healing nicely. I’m not quite a hundred percent a hundred percent of the time but I am a hundred percent a lot of the time. Without your prayer and support it would have taken much longer and been much more difficult.

“May Yahweh bless you and protect you; may Yahweh make His face to shine on you and be gracious to you; may Yahweh look on you and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

2016-10-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 or Mark 14:38

This verse kind of sums up where I am now, my spirit is willing. God has blessed me with the opportunity to pastor the greatest body of believers in the present day church. I strongly desire to preach the Word and walk with each of you through your trials of life praying with you that we will not fall into temptation, but my flesh is weak. Due to a birth defect, degeneration and arthritis my hips are shot. So I will need to pull back and have one of them replaced this week. I have decided to step aside for a period of 30 days for several reasons: (1) to give my body the needed time to rest. (2) I do not need to lead and direct others while I am on pain meds. (3) I will take some time to study, pray through and write some on prayer. (4) This will give Dustin an opportunity to preach and lead. (5) Make sure I am not holding the church back from what God desires it to be.

In my absence Dustin will preach and assume the role of pastor for one month. I will rest, recuperate, recover, read, write and pray. I thank you for your kindness. I do ask of you that each of you pray for me from a far and spend your time being the church. I will be fine and as Arnold Schwarzenegger has famously said, “I’ll be back.” I am looking forward to seeing how God grows each of you and how He heals and develops me during this period. Again I say thanks for this time to heal, pray and write.

Encourage One Another

2016-09-07T15:23:00.001-07:00

“Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God.” 1 Samuel 23:16

There are two brothers mentioned in Scripture I want to talk about. One was not really a biological brother but he was a great brother to David. His name was Jonathan. He had a deep sense of love, loyalty and compassion for David. On several occasions he was a great encouragement to David. They had been through thick and thin together. They had seen good days and bad as they journeyed through the storms of life. David’s life was falling apart but God had big plans for him. So God sent Jonathan to encourage David and help bolster his faith at just the right time.

Then there is an actual brother who is a really lousy one. His name is Cain. He got so angry with God that he killed his brother then when God confronted him he said, “Am I my brother’s guardian?” He was only concerned about himself. The Bible persistently reminds us “it is not good to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). God intends for each of us to help one another become more like Jesus. The early church gathered daily to study the teachings of the Apostles, as should we. Many of you know that where two or three are gathered there the Spirit of the Lord is (Matthew 18:20). By joining together with other believers we can help one another become who we are created to be.

Paul once said that bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). When we spend more time away from believers and more time on worldly events, sports and adventures we become more and more self-centered, but when we participate in corporate worship and small groups here at Ridglea we become more like Christ. If you are in a small group invite others to join you. If you are not, just listen, someone is about to invite you to theirs.

Ridglea is Staying Focused

2016-08-24T14:23:00.001-07:00

Joyfully I can say to everyone that the body of Christ at Ridglea is staying focused on its mission to help people believe in Jesus, become like Him and bear spirit-filled fruit daily. God is always on mission to bring the lost to Himself and transform them into disciples who make disciples.

The way I see it we, here at Ridglea, are engaging in a discipleship driven evangelism. Just like Philip led the Ethiopian to Christ through discipleship we are teaching people what the Bible says about sin, repentance, salvation and sanctification. We know that we must stay connected to God through worship and prayer as described by Jesus in John 15:5 sometimes that worship and prayer is corporate unity and sometimes it is as individuals. Then the Holy Spirit compels us to love our neighbors and others throughout the world with a love of actions. Like James says, “Faith without works is dead.” You show your love with your actions. That excites me as your pastor.

Fellowship at Ridglea is a truly wonderful thing. Sometimes it happens in large group settings and at other times it is in small groups from 20 to as little as 2. We see the unity of Acts Chapter 2 working its way out in our day-to-day lives. Praise be to our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

May the years to come find us winning souls in the Kingdom through discipleship as we minister to various peoples as we fellowship one with another.

There I Go Sinning Again

2016-07-30T10:49:00.002-07:00

I get so tired of failing when it comes to following Jesus. I mean I want to do the right thing then before you know it I do the wrong thing again. This used to overwhelm me with a feeling of failure, but know that I have grown much in my faith I know that God uses both my successes and my failures to develop me. So when I fail I hate it, yet I press on toward the goal of my salvation which is perfection in Christ.
It is good to know that God loves me just the way that I am but He loves me too much to let us stay that way. God calls us to a relationship with Him so that He can work out our sinfulness and make us like His perfect Son Jesus. We strive for perfection and we will fail every now and then, but there is coming a day when we will say and do the right thing in every situation. Until then we are free to fail as we work out our salvation learning who we are, who He is and how we get life right.
We live like we are taking a college course and we are overwhelmed with the syllabus until the teacher says you have an A but you still have to do the work. The pressure is gone, so we focus on learning no making grades. Or we are playing for the national championship in football but the pressure is off because the Lord sends and angel to let us how know we win by 3. The pressure is off so we have the game of our lives.

By knowing that one day I will be perfect like Jesus I chose to seek to be like him daily. Since God has predestined me to be conformed into the image of Jesus and I know that God has changed my heart and made me into someone who desires to be transformed. I rest understanding that he Has given me the ability to change through the struggles and failures of my life. I am comforted realizing that when God look at me and my failed behavior He see Jesus not sinful me. Therefore I am compelled even more to peruse holiness so that I will be perfect as He is perfect.

He Did What We Could Not

2016-07-26T13:23:00.001-07:00

Once there was a loving father who had two sons. One was a teenager with lots of wisdom and a good heart. The other was an average 4 year old, only this young fellow had way too much confidence in himself. He thought he was smarter than his dad and that he could do anything. He always wanted to pour the milk on his cereal, but it would spill all over the counter. When his dad painted his room he vehemently insisted that he could paint it himself. Oh what a fiasco that was! So dad, being a good, good father decided to humble the boy through a real life experience. So he told the 4 year old to go get his iPad down and Google “Little Caesars” get the phone number and call and order a medium pizza. By the way dad had put the iPad on the shelf in the utility room way out of the reach of his son. Then he said if you don’t do what I have said I am going to give you a whipping you will never forget. The 4 year old was frantic because he could not read to Google “Little Caesars.” It was then that the teenage brother stepped up and got the iPad, Googled the number and ordered the pizza. The 4 year old was thankful for his brother who did what was impossible for him. He was helpless but his brother did what he could not do.

This is what Jesus did for us, God set a standard we could not meet (perfection) then He sent Jesus to meet the standard for us. Therefore we do not boast in our efforts but in the perfect effort of Jesus who acted on our behalf.

We were created by God to glorify God. By extending us mercy we become greatful to God. Then by grace through faith we are spared from the penalty of our sin and are compelled to worship our Savior who did what we could not. To God be the glory for the things He has done through the crucifixion of Jesus!

Good Parenting

2016-07-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

As a grandfather of three I now get to look at my children and watch them raise their kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord just as my wife and I tried diligently to do with our children. Admittedly as parents some things we did pretty well and some things we did not. Here I desire to share a few of the things the Lord taught us as we learned to parent over time. The first and perhaps the most important thing about raising kids we learned was mold their hearts. By bringing them to Jesus and letting the Holy Spirit develop their heart into one that lives and works out of a personal desire to serve God our children became people who obeyed God out of love and not out of expectation of God’s blessing. When a child is expecting blessing they learn to do what brings them a reward. They begin to forget about walking through life in a loving caring graceful way and become task oriented and the task they will be oriented to will be the one that produces personal reward even at the cost of others’ feelings, needs and good.

The second principle for raising kids is model the life of a person who walks in the way of Jesus. When kids see Mom & Dad do things, to them it is a powerful approval of that which is done. Parents are the first authority a child learns. To the little one’s mind the parent is a god, so your behavior becomes the standard for life. If you do something so will they no matter what you say. The old saying “don’t do as I do, do as I say” becomes worthless babble.

Next teach them truth. The only place absolute truth can be found is in the Bible. All other cultural and social norms are subject to the people with the loudest voices. Read the Bible learn what it means then live it and speak it to the young ones in your home. Another piece of advice is discipline yourself out of a job. Find the method of discipline that works with each individual child then use that discipline to develop them into good decision makers who are self-motivated.

Finally pray for your children as though their lives depend on it because it does. Ask God to give them wisdom, protect them from evil, show them the way of Jesus and to send them a mate who will bring out the best in them later in life. Don’t just assume your kids will turn out all right. Children are complicated and need lots of quality time. Many advertisers, religions and social movements are coming after them. You need to protect them and point them toward being the gracious, loving, caring, productive person God created them to be.

Spread the Word

2016-07-14T09:13:00.003-07:00

“I have made you a light for the Gentiles to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 13:47

As followers of Jesus we look forward to the time when Jesus returns to earth to set up His Kingdom. Then and only then will everything be as it should be. The curse of sin will be removed and every person will live in a way perfectly aligned to God’s will. Everyone will say and do the right thing. Life will truly be “Heaven.”

But, so far, Jesus has not returned and it may or may not be a while before He does. Until then we are to persist in praying and asking the Father to make right the wrongs caused by sin’s destructive force.

We pray for justice and we explain to everyone that there is good news even in this world of chaos. We let them know that our future in the Kingdom of God is set when we realize we cannot fix ourselves but that God can. In repentance we humble ourselves before Him and through faith save us by His grace.

When Jesus returns we will be like Him. We will be perfect as He is perfect. Until then we simply realize our failure and cry out to God for mercy. He supplies mercy and grace as we humbly fall at His feet. He lifts us up and makes us people who are becoming more like Jesus. He is holy so He makes us holy as we learn and apply the Bible to our daily lives.

Missions Giving Opportunity

2016-07-13T07:50:00.003-07:00

In the month of July we are receiving a general missions offering. This offering is used to supplement short-term missions. For several years now each July you have participated in praying for and giving to this endeavor. Thank you for your prayers and generosity. You have made a tremendous difference if the Kingdom of God.

From the family at Ridglea we have sent people to Kentucky, Nevada, New Orleans, Honduras, Guatemala, Southeast Asia, Africa and Haiti. In addition we are able to take the gospel to our very own county via Home of Grace, the Women’s Shelter, Seaman’s Center, Stephen Center, the Haven and Our Daily Bread. Also we are able to go to the Mission of Hope, Ronald McDonald House and The Baptist’s Children Village. What a joy it is to Pastor a people who are so mission minded, a people who understand the importance of the gospel! You the individual people at Ridglea hear the call of God and take it seriously.

You give your money and time to be on mission with God. I am asking that those of you who are able and are not called to go out of our home county to look and see if God has supplied you with something extra to give. If He has, I assure you this is a worthy cause.

May the Lord of the universe bless you as you give out of what He has blessed you with. My prayer for you today is that God would allow you to give above and beyond your ability. Lord bless the gifts and the givers.

2016-07-06T13:51:00.001-07:00

In Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth he stressed loving others. In the final chapter he says, “Do everything in love.” When a disciple sees the depths of God’s love for them it pushes them to seek holiness and as they become more holy the Holy Spirit takes up a greater portion of their heart. The Spirit then produces the fruit of love in ever-increasing quantities. The disciple learns the meaning of love through their walk with Jesus as the Holy Spirit takes their knowledge of God’s Word and causes them to do for others as they wish others would do for them. They not only love other believers but they grow in love for the unlovely. By God’s power they see others through the eyes of God and treat them with kindness, compassion. Godly wisdom guides their daily action. They developed into people who are not just heares of the Word but doers as well.

Independance Day the Geart of the Matter

2016-07-04T11:06:00.001-07:00

Jesus said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Those are good words for us today as citizens of the good ol' USA. Our nation was founded by men who knew what it was like to be under the yoke of an oppressive rule. So they set out to form a more perfect union where each man could be free to live as he saw fit yet walk side by side with men of differing opinions.

Laws often have unintended consequences. The rulers of a land pass laws to regulate man's behavior, then the man finds a way around the regulation to do what his heart intended to do anyway. Laws are not the answer and Jesus knew this. As He dealt with the Pharisees (experts in the law), He began to show them it's not the law that matters, it is the intent of a person's heart. God has always known this. If a man or woman will yield their heart to God's Holy Spirit, that heart will develop a deep love for God and a genuine love for people. This love will motivate them to look out for and care for those they are around daily.

As a nation we would do well to stop forcing people to be conformed to man made rules and introduce them to the very one who will forgive their failures and cause them to have hearts that long to do what is right and take care to be kind, loving, and compassionate to all other people.

To those in positions of political authority I say, slow down on passing new legislation and spend time getting to know God and His Son, Jesus. As you do, you will come to know the truth, and that truth will set you free from the bondage of sin and make you a better leader. God has a heart for people. Let Him show you the way to true freedom. For His yoke is easy and His burden is light.