Let’s Talk About Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.   1 John 4:7

Beloveds, we are to love without hypocrisy. God is love, and we cannot love without His Spirit. His love is unique and unfathomably profound. It is beyond the love we can give or appreciate, and it is best expressed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, our love must mirror His love, or we are merely hypocrites - bad actors. Love embraces good and rejects evil, it is kind, generous, consistent, durable, and humble. It takes action, overcomes obstacles, and manifests in service to others. It talks less than it works. Love is alive and active, and the opposite of love is not hate, but apathy.

Our love is to be shared in maturity and wisdom. It handles the good and the difficult with the dignity of the Holy Spirit. Love does not require that it be returned or acknowledged, as it is not needy, but complete in Christ. Love is not showy or dramatic, and it is not hindered by or mired in controversy. Love always accomplishes what it sets out to do; and just as Jesus was not deterred from His mission, neither will you be, if you love God.

Remember, love is the best revenge.  No other power can compete with love, so it never has to get even. Love will never allow us to act in kind with those who wrong us, or the world, or those who don't know the Lord. Our example is Jesus, and He never avenged himself, vindicated himself, or felt the necessity of explaining Himself. His love spoke for Him, and He ever lives as the Lover and Savior of all men. Amen.

Love and perfect peace,

Pastor Eric

Faith That Believes God

Faith that Believes God

Galatians 3:6-9

just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

The gospel of Jesus Christ was preached to Abraham, in that we are saved by God's grace and our faith that believes God. That is the blessing "all nations" receive through Abraham - we believe like he did, and we are saved. In the same way, you and I are a blessing to "all nations" by our decision to believe God and walk according to that belief, for men are still saved by grace through faith. That fact has always been and forever will be. Without faith, it is (and always will be) impossible to please God - believing that He "is" and that He is good is the bedrock of saving grace. (Hebrews 11:6)

Our flesh and our carnal nature, however, war against the simplicity of faith, always seeking to justify itself through its own goodness and nobility. Therefore, we hear numerous messages, some mixed and some perverted, telling us there are other ways to God and other ways to please Him. Jesus is often left out and relegated to a sideshow in God's plan of redemption (and if I can be pleasing to God some other way, why do I need redemption???). So you will hear none of the rugged, bare truth of our lostness and our desperately sinful nature, little about the awfulness of the Calvary, the Blood of the Lamb - that is left out, no longer central to today's message. It's all about people and their needs, and our responsibility to relieve those needs. We are told we must fix the wrongs, change the world, procure justice, etc. But there is no acknowledgment of our inability to do anything worthy without Christ - and who needs faith when we can accomplish our goals by being good on our own? (By the way, "giving back" is nowhere in the scriptures, and is, in fact, antithetical to Christ and His Word - the world never gave you anything to "give back" but sin. This is the voice of the Anti-Christ).

Believing God is the greatest thing any man or woman will ever do, and this cannot be learned in a day, or in a laboratory, or in any field of our choosing. The Lord will place us in impossible and dire straits, he will squeeze and strain us, He will frustrate and offend us until we surrender to Him or forsake Him. The purity of our faith makes all the training and testing worth it to Him. Even Jesus learned obedience through suffering, and so will we.

You will never hear this message preached by great preachers of the day. What message are you preaching?

Love you,

Pastor Eric

WE ARE CHILDREN OF LIGHT

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of incredulity, and it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct the other way...”

From “A Tale of Two Cities,” by Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens’ words refer to the volatile days of 1775, but they also could be spoken of the present day. Perhaps you feel it to be the “best of times and the worst of times” in your life. Things may be going very well, but there are some stiff challenges - great spiritual victories but perplexing difficulties - feelings of being closer to a God than ever before, yet days of feeling like a spiritual failure. Can you identify? I believe you can.

 You are the light of the world.  (Matt 5:14)   

Being close to Jesus means living in the light - and being the light in the world is not all that easy, because the light reveals all our imperfections, even our innermost thoughts!  Also, His light will bring out all manner of things about those around us – the good, the bad, and the ugly!  Now that can be uncomfortable. It’s hard living in the Light! 

Whatever you do, be determined to walk closely with Jesus Christ, even when it is uncomfortable. Jesus taught His disciples that apart from total dependence on Him, they could do nothing productive or spiritual! Staying close to the Him keeps us encouraged, focused, and fruitful in spite of life’s discomforts and contradictions.

So, now you understand why so many perplexing issues are at hand. You’ve begun to “walk in the Light” and to be a light. Sometimes that light reveals unpleasant things in and around you. But Jesus will never bring anything to light without giving you the grace to deal with it. So, be encouraged, and face life on God’s terms. Whatever you do, don’t go back into darkness and sin. Ask God to give you His supernatural power to bear the hard times, and let the light that resonates from you reveal Jesus to everyone around you.  Remember, you are the light of the world, and He is the light in you!

Love,

Your pastor and God’s servant,

Eric

What is God Trying to Teach Me Anyhow??

Do you ever wonder why there seems to be an ever-increasing level of stress and pressure in your life?  I do.  In fact I’ve coined a new term for this condition – I call it “stressure.”  I don’t always know what causes it, and I don’t always know where to find relief from it.  But I do know God allows it in my life, and therefore, there must be a reason and a purpose for it.

In my opinion, one of the most amazing passages in the scriptures is Hebrew 5:5-8.  When we study and appreciate these verses, they will generate a deep sense of awe and reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ, and it will help us better understand the will of God in this stressure we’re experiencing.   It says:

 “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest…Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” 

Jesus humbled Himself that He might become our High Priest. He glorified God by receiving His sufferings willingly and submitting His will to His Father.  What a remarkable relationship they shared - so much so that the death of the Son brought glory and praise to the Father.  Could the Lord be calling us to die to ourselves as Jesus did?  Perhaps the Lord allows just enough stressure in our lives to drive us to our knees with tears and cries of brokenness and submission.  It may feel like defeat, but the child of God prays to our Father who is able to save us from death and bring joy for every tear we shed.  And truly, the Lord is glorified by the wonderful service you render to Him and the saints in spite your sufferings!

Another astonishing phrase in this passage is:

“…though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things He suffered.”

It never dawned on me that Jesus had things to learn.  I always assumed because He was God in flesh, He knew everything.  Yet the scriptures teach He emptied Himself of the privileges of His deity, and became like us in every way, yet without sin (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus humbled Himself to the lowly status of a child, student, and servant – and the method the Father used to train and mature Him was suffering.  Only then was He able to receive the mantle of High Priest, which was the Father’s purpose for Him.

I point these things out that we might realize the marvelous hand of God in our lives even in things that hurt and things we don’t like or understand.  When we begin to view our sufferings in light the eternal weight of glory God has for us, we are able to endure them with a joy that confounds the world around us. Most importantly, we give pleasure and glory to God when we trust Him with our lives through every season and circumstance.  So smile – the more stressure the more proud the Father is when we humble ourselves, and the more it makes us like Jesus!

Love and blessings,

Pastor Eric

The Choice to Rejoice

The Choice to Rejoice

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.               1 Peter 1:6-9

Rejoicing is joy in action, and it is most noteworthy that it is the response God expects from us regardless of circumstance. We are encouraged not only to rejoice in times of abundance and favor, but especially in times of trials and hardships. This is where the power of the Spirit of God seeks to reveal to us the exceeding goodness of our God and the blessing of a victorious life. It is doubtful any of us would choose joy through suffering, but the Lord has chosen it for us; it is His most useful tool for purifying our faith. Remember, it is impossible to please God without faith; and we receive no greater joy than that of knowing the Lord is pleased with us. 

-Worrying vs. Rejoicing. Choose joy.

-Grieving vs. Rejoicing. Choose joy. 

-Confusion vs. Joy. Choose joy.

-Fainting vs. Rejoicing. Choose joy.

Choosing joy!

Pastor Eric

Capture Every Thought

. . . casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.               2 Corinthians 10:5

Thoughts are strange things. They can come at any time, from any source, and lodge themselves in our consciousness without invitation or permission. Therefore, we must take the responsibility to steward our thought life all the more seriously. In a day when there are so many voices and images vying for our attention, it takes a great deal of effort and discipline to renew our minds and cleanse our hearts for the Master’s abiding presence – for He cannot and will not abide with an unholy thought life.

Our thoughts will become our god unless we learn to immediately capture and test them by the Word. It amazes me how many Christians worship the “god of their understanding” instead of the God of the Word (and they don’t even realize it). Yet, the Holy Spirit takes the unfathomable riches of God and showers the Mind of Christ upon all who are willing to receive Him.

Truly, the knowledge of the Lord and His will are greater than we can imagine - and how wonderful He is to humble Himself and speak to our minds and hearts in a love language we can understand! So, let Jesus be God of your thought life and your thoughts subject to His counsel. There you will find peace and refreshment. Don’t just think about it - pray about it.

Love and Peace
Pastor Eric

Speak Kind Words

Speak Kind Words

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.  Colossians 4:6

Our words tell us what’s in our hearts, and the Lord judges us according to the content of our speech. Psalm 19:14 says:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

We are called to speak the words like our Savior spoke – words of wisdom and peace that build and strengthen the hearer. It is a shame when a Christian obtains a reputation for divisive or confrontational speech. It does heaven no good for us to win an argument and lose or discourage a soul!

Words have power that many of us don’t yet appreciate. If we did we would lavish praise on others and cease from needless criticism and chatter. God chose words to communicate His love to us in the Bible. Even His Son, Jesus Christ is called the Word of God. The connection between our speech and our spirit is sure, and a careful and kind spirit is reflected in Holy Spirit-sweetened speech!

When our hearts are settled on the love and kindness of our God, we will speak blessings and encouragement. Our words will be like morning dew and evening rain on dry and thirsty ears of those around us. Let your speech be a blessing today. Let the world hear the Jesus in you.

In love and peace,

Pastor Eric

Set Free To Serve

Galatians 5:13
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

When the Lord sets us free, He also gives us the discipline that keeps our liberty from turning into license. Without the moment-by-moment guidance of the Spirit, I will use my new-found freedom as a doctrine of self-indulgence, and I'll serve myself and my purposes and call it ministry. After all, I'm free to do what I want and think is best - right? That is an arrogant spirit that produces the worst type of bondage, because it mistakes liberty for license. The liberty I walk in was bought and paid for by the Lamb of God, who took away my debt and set me free from the bondage and wages of sin. Nails were driven through the hands and feet of our Lord, and the banner waving over our lives is stained with His Blood. Freedom in Christ has been given that I might testify of the Great Emancipator, and show the world what it means to be loosed from the chains of self and sin, to overcome my fears by faith, and to serve the Lord without a trace of self-consciousness. Oh, that we would realize that Christ has liberated and set us apart for His own pleasure. Now we are free to be love-slaves of our Lord and King, and to belong to Him and no one else - not even ourselves!

Love you and praying for you,
Pastor

The Call to Integrity

The Call to Integrity

Integrity is a wonderful thing, though it’s all too rare even among Christians today. We need to understand and heed God’s high calling to the perfect and blameless life. When the Word of God is given the prominent place in our lives it deserves, the standard set in the scripture becomes our measuring rod for personal integrity. You and I can’t live a life of integrity in our own strength, and we’ll admit that if we’re honest with ourselves. But, the Good News is the Holy Spirit dwells in us to make us people of the highest biblical character.

Righteousness, uprightness, and trustworthiness are the attributes the Bible ascribes to a person of integrity. Examine these excerpts from Psalm 15:

v. 1,2 “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell on your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart…” v. 3b “…does [no] evil to his neighbor…”  v. 4b “…he who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” (or, one who keeps his word even when it hurts). v. 5b  “…nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”

Wow! This man or woman God describes “shall never be moved.” That speaks of the solid, unshakable faith and character the Holy Spirit develops in those who are determined to live open and transparent lives before God and His people. This chapter also speaks of abiding in God’s tabernacle and dwelling on His holy hill. What a beautiful picture of intimacy with God, and this picture is one He is painting for all who strive to live and love honestly.

The Lord calls you and me to be people of spotless integrity. We may not find many examples of integrity in the media or even in our personal relationships and travels. But the less regard for truth we witness in the world, the greater the witness of Jesus Christ in us becomes. What IS important is that we find integrity when we look in the mirror! The mirror I’m speaking of is the Word of God. You see, when we read God’s Word, Christ is revealed, and so are we. All that the Word exposes leads to us beg Christ to help us, then he imparts His Spirit and integrity to us.

So let’s be true to the One who leads us into all truth. He IS the truth, and that truth lives in us, truly making us men and women of integrity.

Love and peace,

Pastor Eric

Pride

Pride

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  Psalm 139:23, 24

Satan is not our most dangerous enemy, because he can only operate where we allow.  When we walk in intimacy and obedience to Christ, the demons have little or nothing in us to work with.  Not even the world, with all its temptations and pleasures can touch us, because we have overcome the world in Christ!  No, our greatest enemy is not in hell or the world system of things  . . . our greatest enemy is pride!

Pride is the most dangerous of sins, because it is completely blind to itself.  Pride plans, acts, and thinks without considering the Lord.  It is a bold affront to Him, and we're all guilty of it -- yet it is so subtle that we rarely detect it or confess it. Pride distorts our self-concept, props us up, puffs us up, and makes us believe things of ourselves and others that are not true. It makes us think of ourselves first and last, it takes and demands more credit than it deserves, and it talks about itself more than it should.  Pride doesn't respond to correction very well.  I'm sure each of us can immediately point to at least one person who fits this description.  The proof that we are blind to our own pride is we didn't point to ourselves.

Remember, children of God are called to be as wise as serpents, and that wisdom begins with knowing God and understanding ourselves. Nothing but the searchlight of the Holy Spirit and the mirror of the word of God can reveal these things to us, and we suffer with pride to the degree that we ignore what they show us.

   

Perhaps you know all this already, and it's not for you.  Then again, maybe that might be your . . .

Love and perfect peace,

Pastor Eric

Resist the Devil

Resist the Devil

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.                                                                                                                                                            James 4:7

Resistance through humility is the most aggressive posture a saint can take against the wily tactics of Satan. Humility is a most formidable weapon that the devil has no answer for, because he cannot humble himself. A decisive blow is delivered to the darkness around us when we fall to our knees and submit ourselves to our Father’s will. The saint who is bowed low in worship and prayer cannot be touched by the lies of the accuser, the lust of the flesh, nor the lures of the world. Down at His feet is the most high place!

Satan will offer you a great number of options, but none of them will involve humility. He will convince you to offer lip service without truly serving another – to feel sorry for your actions, yet fall short of godly sorrow which leads to repentance, to establish your own kingdom and call it  ministry. Yet, our Lord tells us to humble ourselves in the sight of God and men, because He resists the proud and lifts up the humble. What an honor it is to respond to His call to be like Jesus, Who laid aside His glory to serve us and die for us! Listen closely and you’ll hear Him calling you to a point of humility. Will you answer the call?

Love and peace,

Pastor Eric 

The Call to Integrity

The Call to Integrity

Integrity is a wonderful thing, though it’s all too rare, even among Christians today. We need to understand and heed God’s high calling to the perfect and blameless life. When the Word of God is given the prominent place in our lives it deserves, the standard set in the scripture becomes our measuring rod for personal integrity. You and I can’t live a life of integrity in our own strength, and we’ll admit that if we’re honest with ourselves. But, the Good News is the Holy Spirit dwells in us to make us people of the highest biblical character. 

Righteousness, uprightness, and trustworthiness are the attributes the Bible ascribes to a person of integrity. Examine these excerpts from Psalm 15:

v. 1,2   “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?  Who may dwell on your holy hill?  He who walks               uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart…”

v. 3b    “…does [no] evil to his neighbor…”

v. 4b    “…he who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” (or, one who

            keeps his word even when it hurts).

v. 5b    “…nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.  He who does these things        

            shall never be moved.”

Wow! This man or woman God describes “shall never be moved.” That speaks of the solid, unshakable faith and character the Holy Spirit develops in those who are determined to live open and transparent lives before God and His people. This chapter also speaks of abiding in God’s tabernacle and dwelling on His holy hill. What a beautiful picture of intimacy with God, and this picture is one He is painting for all who strive to live and love honestly.

The Lord calls you and me to be people of spotless integrity. We may not find many examples of integrity in the media or even in our personal relationships and travels. But the less regard for truth we witness in the world, the greater the witness of Jesus Christ in us becomes. What is important is that we find integrity when we look in the mirror! The mirror I’m speaking of is the Word of God. You see, when we read God’s Word, Christ is revealed, and so are we. All that the Word exposes leads to us beg Christ to help us, then he imparts His Spirit and integrity to us. 

So let’s be true to the One who leads us into all truth. He is the truth, and that truth lives in us, truly making us men and women of integrity.

Love and peace,

Pastor Eric

Quietness and Confidence

Quietness and Confidence

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: "In  returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength."                                 (Isaiah 30:15)

Being quiet and still is often the wisest thing you and I can do. Wisdom dictates we humble ourselves before the One Who knows all - “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Yet, we find that the most difficult thing to do – to just be quiet. That is because the love of God has not yet been perfected in us, and we have much to learn about the ways of the Holy Spirit.

In today’s church, there is such a temptation to run to and fro, to chase every new idea and “revelation,” and to listen to and embrace “truth” from an endless number of teachers. We live in the “Facebook” generation where we easily grant access to our ears and hearts, often without even considering the fact that our time and attention should belong exclusively to our Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Beloved, we are to be like a tree planted by the rivers of water (Psalm 1:3). God’s supply to his children is often unseen, underground, and dispensed in the secret place of prayer and intimate fellowship. – then, we are consistently nourished by the never-ceasing provision of a Holy God, Who dwells within where no one sees. We possess a boldness rooted firmly in an ever-increasing belief that God never fails, never gets weary, and is always good to His children. That confidence is our hiding place, and the secret place found only by those who rest in Him. So, be still, my friend, and know that He is God.

Love and peace beyond understanding,

Pastor Eric

Dream with God

Dream with God

Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.  (Genesis 15:5, 6)

Abraham was an old man, and Sarah was well past her childbearing prime. It was foolish to think he and his wife would ever have an heir of their own, but God uses foolishness for His own divine purposes (1 Corinthians 1:25). Just when Abraham’s faith was at its lowest point, the Lord challenged him, “Look now toward heaven . . .” Abraham and Sarah needed an attitude adjustment and a change of perspective if they were going to walk any further with God. They were going to have to give God their hopes and dreams and trust Him with them. So it is with each of us who hope in the Lord.

God wants to free us from the trap of small and limited thinking. We limit God in our minds whenever we elevate our circumstances instead of recognizing the opportunities to increase our faith. Faith is only increased by the determination to cling to God and His Word, and to let Him have the final say in all things. The name of Jesus must truly become the “name above all names” in my thinking, and my best efforts must disappear in the light of His sovereign will and His goodness.

Remember that He is gracious and is remarkably kind to all who believe and wait on Him. Now is the time for us to look up and believe!

Love and perfect peace,

Pastor Eric

Look Up, Look In, and Look Out!

Look Up, Look In, and Look Out!

In Isaiah 61: 1 the Lord says,

"…He has sent Me (Jesus) to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."

In that Spirit, I pray you receive the fresh power of God that enables you, restores you, cleanses you, invigorates you, and causes you to rejoice in Him with exceeding gladness! It's a wonderful thing to serve a God who knows our personal pain and frustrations, and He's determined to minister healing to us if we will ask and receive it. 

Are you feeling defeated? Are you feeling like the bar of holiness is too high and you'll never reach it? Do you feel God is sick of hearing you prayers because you've fallen short so many times? Do you feel like everyone else is moving on with God, while you're stuck in the muck and mire? If so, I have a few instructions for you.

First, look up! Remember the God who made the heavens and all that's within cares more about you than anything else he ever created. After all He didn't send His Son to die for the heavens, but for you! Cast your cares upon Him - literally throw them to Him. He knows just what you should do, and He will show you how to do it. 

Next, look in! The Spirit of God lives in you, because you have been born again. Since He lives in you and you obey His voice, He will lead you into all righteousness. Clarity, victory, and righteousness enter at the precise instant we obey God's Word. Simply do all He says to you without hesitation. Return to the place you disobeyed Him, confess and repent, and your peace will come rushing in like a river.

Finally, look out! When Jesus, the King of Glory comes in, He brings with Him a tremendous bounty of blessings, good and perfect gifts, and precious experiences. Do you have room enough in your storehouse of faith to receive all He wants to give you? If you don't, let the glorious light of the Holy Spirit chase the darkness, and make room in your heart for Him. The scriptures teach there is fullness of joy in His presence. Seek Him, and you will surely find Him.

And remember, God knows exactly what you need. He's always on time, and the time for you to look up, look in and look out is now!!

Love,

Your friend and pastor,

Eric

Choosing to Fight the Good Fight

Choosing to Fight the Good Fight

Spiritual warfare is a reality silently raging all around us, though we don’t always   recognize it. Once we acknowledge and embrace this fact, we are eligible to become soldiers in the most powerful and successful army ever assembled. Imagine being enlisted in a fighting force that’s been given the assurance of ultimate victory, an infallible battle plan, a Supreme Commander, and mighty weapons 100% guaranteed to defeat and vanquish your enemies!

The only uncertainty is whether those enlisted will actually show up for battle. Truly, there seems to be a multitude of legitimate reasons for dodging the draft. “My family needs me . . . I have important business to tend to . . . My hands are full already . . . Isn’t spiritual warfare for pastors and ministers anyway?” All too often, it’s all about us!  How sad that we spend so much energy considering the price we pay to serve God, while forgetting the price Jesus paid to save us.

“Go into all the world . . .” The call to “go” will be answered by the chosen few willing to strap on the full armor of God and fight the good fight of faith, knowing the battle is the Lord’s and the victory is nigh. The armor is only for those who will fight – it is cumbersome and useless for who refuse to go to war.

So let me encourage you today. Ignite the flame within you with the Word of God, and serve with the saints like never before. Lift your hands through the clouds and darkness all around you, and be the conqueror God says you are. Get in the fight, take back all Satan and sin have stolen from you, and glorify God in all you do. Most importantly, know this -- we have the victory in Christ Jesus. And remember, the only spiritual battle you can lose is the one you refuse to fight!

Love and peace,

Pastor Eric

Keep the Faith

Keep the Faith

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." Luke 17:5

Beware of a romanticized view of faith.  Faith is not a tool to get what we want from God, but a means for God to get what He wants from us!  Faith teaches us to wait, pray, and obey, while never imaging that God is anything but completely trustworthy, and He will keep us and His promises to us.  It is a partnership, where we team up with God, believing and walking with Him toward things we can't yet see and what we don't yet have (Hebrews 11:1).  

Faith simply believes God.  It believes He cares even though we experience distressing times, it believes He heals even when we are sick, that He saves though our loved ones are lost in sin, and that He is with us even when we feel so alone.  Faith won't give up due to any of these circumstances, because it is rooted in our eternal God, not in our temporary plight.  Faith looks at Jesus and refuses to look for another answer, another Savior.  That's why nothing but faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).  

Not long ago, after a time of prayer, the Lord told me to act as if I had already received everything I'd just asked of Him.  "Just believe Me."  God was increasing my faith.   What visions, dreams, breakthroughs, and victories are you trusting God for?  Be sure your requests are rooted in the faith that lets you rest confidently in our Lord, because He never fails to hear us and help us when we pray.  God will be sure to keep His Word.  We must be sure to keep the faith!  

Love you,

Pastor

Do I Misunderstanding the Lord?

Do I Misunderstanding the Lord?
Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
(John 8:43)
No matter how long or closely we walk with God, we must guard against the danger of misunderstanding Him. We are apt to cast the Lord into the cramped mold of our perceptions –
For now we see in a mirror, dimly . . . (1 Corinthians 13:12a).
We create a god that reflects our own temperament, and we often mistake what God said for what we think He said. If we are not careful, we are liable to mistake a forgiving God for harsh, a loving God as angry, or a merciful Lord as condemning. Why is this?

Mostly, we misjudge the depravity of our own hearts and our need for communion with Him. We must be determined to refresh our perspective and renew our minds. We must doggedly guard our hearts against the relentless bombardment of worldly and fleshly voices! The Word of the Lord must dwell richly in our heart, lifting us above the sin of the devil and his cohorts. Only then do we come to know God, not just know about Him. And when He reveals Himself, we won’t misunderstand Him, ignore Him, or simply miss Him. Lord, help us!!

Pastor Eric

Seeing the Hidden Things

Seeing the Hidden Things

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. (Luke 10:21)

The knowledge of God is not an intellectual accomplishment, nor is it a matter of merit, but one of privilege – a sovereign choice of God to reveal Himself as He sees fit and to whom He wills. No amount of effort or study can prepare you for this epiphany, no money can purchase it, nor can pedigree or degree fetch it. In fact God uses that which we consider foolish to confound the wise, and He prefers the lowly and humble to the exalted. He values the meek and gentle over the forceful, and He reserves His best for those who approach Him as paupers rather than princes . . .

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 5:3

We rise to the highest estate when we fall to our knees, and we know the most when we forsake all we’ve learned and simply hear Him. It is God’s good pleasure to give us the Holy Spirit when we simply ask, seek and knock. And when we seek Him first, all we would work for is given to us. This is the peace beyond understanding only the children of the King enjoy. Are you simple and small enough to be blessed? Are you insignificant enough to be great? Empty enough to be filled? This is what God requires before He reveals Himself to you.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Matt 5:6

Love and perfect peace,

Pastor Eric

Being Filled and Led By the Spirit

And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This was done three times.  (Acts10: 13-16a)

Receiving the Holy Spirit is a great thing, but it’s only the beginning of the story. Peter had been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and now God was teaching him to walk in the Spirit. The Lord Jesus was asking him to do something he would otherwise never do – go preach to the dreaded Gentiles. Jews of the day didn’t even speak to Gentiles. What a difficult thing it must have been for Peter to obey when he had no understanding of what the Lord was after!     

One of the earmarks of a Spirit-filled believer is God working through him or her in ways never imagined.  If we are truly Spirit-filled, we are responding to God’s call to go where we would not have gone, love those we once felt nothing for, forgive those who hurt us most, and give that we would keep.  That’s when the Holy Spirit is having His way with us. God sent Peter, a Jew, to a place he would never have gone, to minister the Gospel to people he didn’t think God even cared about. Peter’s obedience would make a way for those lost in ignorance and sin to enter into the Kingdom of God, because he allowed the Spirit Who filled him to also direct him.

I encourage you to trust God more than your feelings or experiences, like Peter did. Peter simply obeyed God. You, too, must obey Him - even when He takes you through new and uncomfortable challenges. He is an exceedingly good God who will perfect and prepare you to do all He asks of you, through the Spirit Who fills you. Learn the lesson Peter learned – if you will let God change your mind, He will use you to change your world.

Love and peace,

Pastor Eric

Revelation

Revelation – When Jesus Calls My Name

Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). John 20:14-16

Jesus had become the central figure in Mary’s world, yet she still understood so little of Him. She knew Jesus – so she thought. She had been with Him, watched Him, served Him, followed Him, and deeply loved Him. Yes, Mary knew Jesus better than most, but that knowledge was so limited that she didn’t recognize Him though He stood right in front of her . . . “and [she] did not know that it was Jesus.”  Mary’s knowledge was built on familiarity and experience, and that’s true of most of us today. And, just like Mary, there is something lacking our in knowledge of who Jesus really is.

There is a deeper level of knowing the Lord reserved for those desperate for His abiding presence – those of us who hunger and thirst for a more personal and authentic relationship with God. We don’t see Him at first, but He sees us - Jesus said to her, “Mary”. Once we hear our name on His lips, we are never the same. She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!”  Now we see the One who sees us. This is the point where our knowledge of Him becomes something greater; it becomes revelation.

The term “revelation” means unveiling. Therefore it is perfectly possible to possess knowledge, yet totally miss the true nature of a matter altogether. God is determined that our knowledge of His Son progress beyond an intellectual acknowledgment of the historical Jesus – that He was simply a great teacher, a martyr, a great man, and a prophet. The Holy Spirit will not stop until we come to see Christ for ALL He is – God, Lord, and our personal Savior! This is the unveiling He does in our hearts when we earnestly seek Him. He comes to us and calls us by name, bringing us into the most intimate personal relationship – oneness! Search for Him and listen closely. You’ll hear Him calling your name.

Love and peace,

Pastor Eric 

On Love

On Love

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Love is the quintessential characteristic of the Kingdom of God. The Bible teaches us God is love, that God loved us so much that He gave His only Son for us, that the love we show is the proof we are His, and that love never fails to accomplish His will. 

It a fantastic thing that God doesn't leave us alone to struggle with the challenge to love in our own strength, but the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who is given to us by God (Romans 5:5)! We are commanded to love as Christ loves, and to forgive because Christ loves and forgives us, and we the power to do those things dwells in us.

To be sure, there will be many offenses, slights, hurts, and attacks that are sent our way by the enemy of our souls. These are meant to plant a seed of bitterness and mistrust in our hearts which makes us withhold love, and we can become cold to others without even realizing it. But God trusts us with these trials to give us the opportunity to forgive and love, just as He has done for us. When we pass the test of loving those who hurt us, we are perfected in His love, and we are the light of the world we're called to be.

So be encouraged. Go back to that person or situation which the Spirit has already brought to your mind.  Confess the sin of cold love, and be cleansed and strengthened to love again by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The joy of the Lord will flood your soul, and you will be set free once again to do the perfect will of your Father and to love your neighbor as yourself!

Love and perfect peace,

Pastor Eric