10/30/2011 - Authority, agreement & assurance

"So he answered and said to me: "This [is] the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 'Who [are] you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel [you shall become] a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' ""
 -  Zec 4:6-7 NKJV

"So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive [them], and you will have [them]. "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses." -     Mar 11:22-25 NKJV


"We pray but we really don't expect God to do anything"- Pastor Stan


  In both the old testament passage of Zechariah and the new testament passage in Mark, the message is clear, faith in God has the potential for unlimited power.  Pastor's point was that if we believe the bible is true then we must believe that faith really can move mountains.  So then why don't we see mountains being moved every day?  Today Pastor presented three keys to unlocking the power of prayer that we can take with us and apply immediately to our lives.

1) "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." - Mat 28:18 NKJV


  The first key to unlocking the power of prayer is to understand the one we pray to has all authority in heaven and earth.  Not only can He choose to answer our prayers, He knows them before we pray them.  The act of praying is not so God can KNOW our wants and desires, it is to allow us to unleash our faith.  Prayer is the outward manifestation of our inner faith.  Prayer is often compared to a hot-line for communicating with the creator of the Universe.  This is a good comparison if you understand that we are not communicating our needs, He already knows that.  We are communicating our faith.  Faith is not a feeling or emotion.  Faith is a verb. 

"But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? ... For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." - Jam 2:20, 26 NKJV

 We must accept Christ's authority not just over the universe, but in our lives also.  "Christianity is not a buffet" is what Pastor Stan used to describe how many of us like the love and prosperity part of scripture but want nothing to do with the submission or repentance part.  He also said "God is not your sugar Daddy".  He wants to give us our hearts desires, but only if that will truly benefit us.  We must pray in accordance with His will.

2) When we pray in the name of Christ we are stating our agreement with Him and His word. Do we really agree?  Do we accept the whole of scripture as true and authoritative?  This does not mean we must know everything the bible has to say about everything before we can pray.  We are responsible for what we do know.  Grace means that God gives us the time and the ability to receive the Word of God and gain that knowledge.  Make no mistake, God knows the difference between ability and desire.  His grace allows us time in accordance with our ability.  It is my opinion that if we, knowing we should learn His word, willfully disobey and do nothing to increase in our understanding of scripture, there are consequences.  Willful disobedience is Sin. Sin is what separates us from God and Sin will prevent you from praying in agreement. 

How can we claim to agree with an authority figure we will not obey?  This seems simple to me.

3)  The final key is to accept the assurance that the Word of God is true whether you believe it or not.  We can live with the peace that only comes from the assurance that we are forgiven our sins and forever children of God.

"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may [continue to] believe in the name of the Son of God. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."         - 1Jo 5:13-15 NKJV

These three verses lay it out pretty clearly:
---we can "know that we have eternal life"
---we can have confidence in Him that if we ask according to His will, He hears us.
---Finally that if we have faith that He hears us, we will receive what we have asked for.

With this three fold approach to prayer and faith, in time your prayer life will be more and more fruitful and your faith will grow ever faster.

 Be Blessed,
 FWC Blogger

Recommended reading: 2 Peter

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10/16/2011 We are Kings and Priests.

and (Jesus) has made us kings [fn] and priests to His God and Father, to Him [be] glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:6

   Today Pastor Stan reminded us that God made all of us to be Kings and Priests in His kingdom.  The fact is that as His children we are adopted into the family of the King.  While this brings great privilege, this also brings tremendous responsibility.  Pastor pointed out that while men are called to be the heads of their homes,  both men and women are Kings and priests.  Our importance to God is not based on our importance to man. It is not contingent on what others think of us.  The day we are born again we have taken our place in His kingdom and are His beloved.  One of the greatest mistakes we can make is to forget this.

   "Abuse happens when men try to prove they are in charge." --Pastor Stan.

   I am the head of my home, not because I am able to lift more then my wife or shout louder then my children.  My authority does not come from my "superiority".  That is a gross misinterpretation of scripture.  I am the leader of my family because God says so.  Period.  He made me to be the leader of my home and my wife to be my "helper comparable to me"( Gen 2:18 ).  My wife's willingness to submit to this rank structure is a testimony to her faith in God and not my great leadership skills.

   That is a freeing concept.

   In the military, sailors are required to obey all lawful orders from Officers.  Think about the idea of lawful orders.  The entire military of the United States is governed by a code of laws called the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).  No officer can force a sailor to violate this code.  Outside of that, a commanding officer's authority is nearly absolute.  A good officer has no need to "prove" he is in charge with excessive burdens or cruel treatment of his men.  It is understood by all members of his crew that his authority comes form the highest levels and is not to be questioned.

   This is exactly how God has setup the home.  Since most men do not understand where true authority comes from, yet they know in their hearts they must lead their families, we can easily fall into the trap of trying to make our family follow.  This will always turn into abuse.

   "Our greatest enemy today is ignorance of God's word" --Pastor Stan.

   What is the answer here? what can we do about it? How do we defeat ignorance?

   "The antidote for ignorance is knowledge." --Pastor Stan.

   Jesus is the light of the world ( John 8:12 ). More specifically, the knowledge of Jesus is the light.  Many saw him and did not believe, but those who learned from Him and gained His knowledge came out of darkness into light.  We must all purpose ourselves to learn God's word.  To read our bibles and spend time with fellow believers.  Helping each other grow and getting plugged in to a good church that accurately teaches the word of God.

    We must understand our place as Kings and priests in the Kingdom of God before we can rightfully accept our inheritance from the King.  Never forget your importance to God and the incredible responsibility that comes with that knowledge.  True freedom and power come from knowing what you believe and understanding the bible for yourself.  Only then can you live as the child of the King you were meant to be.

   If you have read this post and do not know for sure if you are a child of the King,  follow this trail with me to eternal life:

1. Everyone needs salvation because we have all sinned.
   
   Romans 3: 23
   for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
2. The price (or consequence) of sin is death.
   
   Romans 6:23
   For the wages of sin [is] death, but the gift of God [is] eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. Jesus Christ died for our sins. He paid the price for our death.
   
   Romans 5:8
   But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
4. We receive salvation and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
   
   Romans 10:9-10, and 13
   that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ... For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
5. Salvation through Jesus Christ brings us into a relationship of peace with God.
   
   Romans 5:1
   Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
   
   Romans 8:1
   [There is] therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
   Romans 8:38-39
   For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  
   
   So Now What?
1. Admit you are a sinner.
2. Understand that as a sinner, you deserve death.
3. Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to save you from sin and death.
4. Repent by turning from your old life of sin to a new life in Christ.
5. Receive, through faith in Jesus Christ, his free gift of salvation. 

 If you have any questions about this post or anything else related to your place with Christ please comment here or follow the link above to our facebook fan page and post your questions on the wall or you can email your questions to FWC Blogger

 Go to FWC Podcast to listen to the podcast of today's sermon and many others.
Recommended reading:  John 8

Be Blessed.

9/25/2011 True Change

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.1John 2:17

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.1 john 2:3,4

   This morning Pastor Stan laid out nine truths that can change your life. Rather than simply list them here, we will instead get to the point of his message and talk about true change. I highly recommend downloading and listening to the podcast of the entire sermon at http://fwclive.com/go/multimedia.

   By simply examining the two passages from 1 John we can see that if someone claims to be a follower of Christ there will either be some evidence of a changed life over time or they are lying.  The real question is, "how is this change accomplished?" How can we achieve genuine change in our lives without fake pious drama or legalism?  How can you help someone change who has come to you for help?  Lets dive into these questions now.

    All behavior is based on belief. If you have sin in your life there is some lie you believe that allows that sin. Read Titus 3:3 and Romans 12:2. All sin starts with a wrong belief and beliefs are a condition of our mind. In both of these verses the mind is listed as the object to be changed not the behavior.  Change always starts with our minds and how we view things.

   Let me share a fictional example here, Bob.  Bob, has trouble with pornography and lusting after women other then his wife.  Bob received the gift of salvation six months ago.  When he went to the man that had taken the role of mentor in his life he was told to stop looking at the pornography and to stop looking at women lustfully.  Sounds like good advice.  Those behaviors are destructive and clearly sinful. the problem here is that the mentor only addressed the behavior.  Nothing about Bob's mindset towards women and sex have been changed.  Even if Bob manages to stay away from porn and never has an affair, he will struggle all of his life with lust and sexual thoughts.  This will likely lead to anger and frustration that will eventually come to the surface in some negative way.  The real issue was not the porn or the lustful thoughts, it was his entire view of women and sex. until his mind/beliefs about sex and women are fundamentally changed he will never truly be free.

   If the church is to help people really change, we must start by changing people's wrong beliefs.  Trying to change behavior without changing beliefs first is a waste of time at best and a ticking time bomb in Bob's case above.  The biblical word for a change of mind is repentance. Repentance means to change the way you think.  If Bob had been taught true repentance, he would have understood that he needed to change the very way he thinks and believes about women and sex.

   Pastor Stan also made the point that knowing the truth is not what sets you free, we must BELIEVE the truth and APPLY it to our lives.  If I am on a long journey and I claim to be following you, you might question that if I am never behind you.  If I am always looking for my own path you might not see me as an honest follower.  Even if I know the correct path to reach our destination, that knowledge does me no good if I refuse to travel that path.
   
   With all of this emphasis on changing our beliefs, we must remember that the fruit or evidence of our repentance is our behavior.  Our behavior will change over time,  if repentance has truly occurred.  In our example above, Bob would not only be free from the pornography but he would be able to have healthy relationships with the women in his life.  The safest place for any woman should be in the presence of Christian men.

   In conclusion, if we truly want to help people change, we must teach and preach repentance.  Real, biblical, brutally honest repentance.  Whimpy platitudes about love and acceptance sound good,  but without repentance freedom can never be fully realized.  We are to love each other and we must accept the lost however they arrive at the door.  But if we don't love people enough to preach repentance, than why bother.

   I am grateful to have a pastor not afraid to preach repentance, and I am heartened to know that sin is simply a wrong belief that can be changed and not a burden to be carried the rest of my life.

Practical application?  Look at your life honestly, find the sin in it and ask yourself what wrong beliefs need to be changed?  Seek the help of someone you trust that has a mature walk with Christ.  Get your head straightened out and live a life of real freedom.

Be Blessed

Recommended reading: 1 John 2
Podcast: http://fwclive.com/go/multimedia

5/22/2011 Healing Lesson 1: Hindrances

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

This week begins a series on healing. The first lesson is about hindrances to healing. Specifically, impediments to God blessing us as He desires to do. 

In Greek the word for whole means complete in every part, perfectly sound. It is God's desire that we be whole.  Healing is for everyone but it can come in different ways for different reasons.  For non-believers, it does God no good to heal the body and watch their souls go to Hell.  For these, He will perform miraculous things that they might believe.  For believers He heals us like any good father who wants to bless His children.

Blessings vs miracles? Is there a difference? Our pastor explained that yes there is a difference.  Remember, God is not in the business of making life on Earth better so we will like it better here.  His main driving force for everything He does for us is to reestablish the right relationship with mankind that was broken when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.  What does it prophet a man to live longer on Earth only to still find himself damned to Hell?  I suggest that God's miracles are so the lost will come home. 

So then what about believers?  He is our Father in Heaven and He wants us to prosper and succeed.  He heals us because He loves us and wants us to have His blessings.

Why are some non-believers healed while a believer dies of the same illness?  That question has caused more then one disagreement among people much smarter then myself over the centuries.  I believe Pastor Stan put it in the most straight forward terms I have ever heard.  He said, "God will not do the impossible until we do the possible."  God is sovereign, He does not get it wrong or make mistakes.  Nothing gets by Him or escapes His grip.  There will always be death and illness in the world until we join Him in paradise. 

However, it is God's will that His people would receive healing and the lost would be reunited with Him.  In order for us to receive that blessing from our Heavenly Father, we must first do what we can.  For example, the man with diabetes who is 50 pounds over weight praying for God to heal him, but washes down his doughnut with a coke.  Get off the couch and go for a walk.  Take better care of yourself.  Do the possible, so that God can do the impossible.

Then Peter opened [his] mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality" Acts 10:34

God is not a respecter of persons but He is a respecter of faith.  Also, God is not moved by need, but He is moved by faith.  Faith, our faith is what He respects and what motivates Him to action.

But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 

If all healing starts with faith, and if you have not received healing, instead of asking God why He hasn't healed you start by asking yourself "what is possible?".   Do your part to care for yourself and grow your faith and trust God to do His part in His time.  Many people who read this may be hurting or fighting a chronic disease, it is not our place to question God's timing or motives.  We simply must do the possible and let God do the impossible.

Be blessed and be healed!

Recommended reading: Mark 5

5/15/2011Five EEEEEs of Church Growth

praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved Acts 2:47

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:15-16 

  Today Pastor talked about the importance of church growth. He made the point that growth is not just desirable, but it is absolutely necessary. If a church is not growing then it is dying.  The scripture above clearly shows God's mandate that we are to preach the gospel to all the world and through that obedience God will save the lost and bring them to church.

  Lets get right to the five points. This will be a brief rundown, for the full sermon please follow the link below to the FWC Podcast to download today's podcast.

E 1) Evangelism. most people wouldn't argue here.  We are clearly commanded to share the gospel.  "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10 The reason Christ came to Earth and died on the cross was to save the lost.  Without evangelism there is no reason for the church to exist.


E 2) Encouragement. "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 If we can't count on our fellow believers to encourage us then who will?  We should be uplifting each other and not tearing each other down or bringing condemnation to one another.

E 3) Edify.  Instruct and improve in moral and religious knowledge.  The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. Proverbs 15:28 We are to help each other grow in knowledge of scripture and what is good in God's eyes.  We are to encourage and rebuke when appropriate, for the purpose of edification.  We will often justify criticizing others as "constructive" criticism.  However, if we have not first established trust and breathed life into this person, demonstrating first our love for them, then can we really expect our correction to be taken well?  Pastor reminded us that people will care what you know until they know that you care.  Then are able to truly build each other up and grow spiritually.

E 4) Exaltation.  We must make time for prayer, one on one with God. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:42  and Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:3 Not only must we make it a priority to have time daily that we spend with God, but we must spend much of that time praising Him and thanking Him for all that He has done for us.  It is only with a humble and grateful heart that we can truly approach the throne of God and fully enter into His presence.


E 5) Equip.  It is the fundamental purpose of the church as an organization to equip the saints for the spreading of the gospel.  And He Himself gave some [to be] apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ... Ephesians 4:11-12  The Holy Spirit gave many different people different gifts to the leaders but all for the singular purpose to equip the Saints for ministry to edify or grow and lift up the body of Christ.

  To bring it all together, the key to church growth is a body that is focused on telling others about the gospel, committed to encouraging and edifying each other.  A body that is committed to a regular prayer life that includes exaltation of God and a body that is dedicated to being equipped and equipping others for the work of the ministry.  If we can move in one accord as Pastor has laid out for us then not only will our church grow but so too will the entire body of Christ.

Recommended reading: Ephesians 4

Be Blessed
FWC Podcast

5/8/2011 Mother's Day

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth [is] far above rubies. -Proverbs 31:10

  "Here At Family Worship Center we are a a family."  This is how Pastor Stan summarized his thoughts for this week.  His point was that while today is Mother's Day, not every one has a mother nearby or even living to celebrate with.  Not all mothers have their children here with them.  We at Family Worship center are the mothers to the motherless and the fathers to the fatherless.  We honor the mothers in our church even if they are not our mothers.  This is what a family does.  He mentioned that many see him and his wife as surrogate parents or grandparents, and this is true.  Also I know kids who call each other cousin because their parents are so close they are family. 
  Pastor read us passages from Proverbs 31 and talked about what a virtuous woman is, but he also emphasized the powerful role mothers play in influencing the next generation.  We read:

You [are] witnesses, and God [also], how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father [does] his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. -1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

  Here Paul talks about the steadfastness of the Disciples, and Pastor was comparing this to motherhood.  One day in a life does not make someone a mother. It is the every day little things that proves a mother's worth.  Motherhood is marked by a lifetime of loving and caring and serving, but most all, being there.  He talked about the examples his daughters got by watching their mother come to church every Sunday, praying and trusting God.  He also reminded us that we are to honor our mother because God tells us to in His word, not because she deserves it.  This is important because some mothers weren't very good.  Some mothers didn't set that Godly example and some mothers were not consistent and did not stick around.  God does not leave it in our hands to decide if our mother should be honored. He simply tells us to do it.
  It never fails to amaze me how God will command us to do things that seem to have no practical value, until we find out what we didn't know we didn't know.  The Old Testament has many rituals and rites the Nation of Israel had to perform around food and cleanliness that made no sense to them but that they must obey.  We now know that they lived longer with fewer diseases then all of their neighbors because these practices helped keep them germ free and their food safer.  It is my observation that God wants us to honor all mothers for several reasons. For starters, He loves mothers and wants everyone to know about it.  Also,  my children will learn to honor their mother in part based on how they see me honoring my mother.  Finally, by honoring my mother without regard to her imperfections, I model the love Christ showed when He willingly climbed onto that cross to die for me while I still hated Him.

For I, the LORD your God, [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth [generations] of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. -Exodus 20: 5,6

  If we rebel against God our children's children will rebel also. If we are faithful, generations will be blessed. The virtuous woman is steadfast, resolute in her love of God and consistent in her walk with Him and her caring for her family.

Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband [also], and he praises her: Proverbs 31:28

  From day to day our children can be loving and selfish.  Affectionate and mean, grateful and hurtful. Sometimes moment to moment.  The steadfast mother knows it is not her job to befriend her children or gain their approval from moment to moment and by knowing this she will gain their praise the rest of her life.  Maybe you are a single mom, maybe you know that your own decisions have created a situation that forces your children to grow up without a father or with a bad one.  You might feel guilty because you think you are a lousy mother.  It is possible that at the moment you read this you have been a lousy mother.  None of that matters.  What matters now is what you do from this moment on.  Will you be the virtuous woman or the lazy woman, who dishonors her family.  There is no special skill set here.  Just a decision to live the rest of your life, starting right now, in the service of God and faithful to His house.  By embracing your church family and seeking the counsel of faithful women, all mothers can be the virtuous woman. 

  It was once said that you don't go to war with the army you want you go to war with the army you have.  Stop wishing you were someone else and realize that God gave you children because He knew you could be a great mother.  It is up to you to simply go and be that woman He meant for you to be.

  My wife often refers to me as a Momma's boy and she likes it.  Her reasoning is that if I love my mother that much then I will always cherish and love her as well and our sons will grow up knowing they too should love and honor their mother.  On behalf of everyone that has ever been born of woman, thank you to all the mothers out their.

God Bless.

Recommended Reading: Mathew 1 and Mathew 2

FWC Podcast

4/10/2011 - 4/17/2011 Seven Promises: Promise Three

Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: Ex 23:14
You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread... Ex 23:15
and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year... Ex 23:16

  This week Pastor is talking about the three feasts of Passover. While he quickly explained the three feasts I will not take the time to do so here.  The real topic for this week is the seven promises God makes to the Nation Israel if they obey Him and keep the feasts.  To hear Pastor Stan's explanation and the entirety of the sermon follow the link below to the podcast.

"So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water... Exodus 23:25b

  ...bread and water... can easily be taken to mean He will bless with what we need to survive, which would be a good thing.  Hunger is far more common throughout human history then plenty.  However, it is important to always take scripture as a whole when we seek to understand God 's nature.  In 1Kings 17 Elijah the prophet has just informed the evil King Ahab that famine was about to strike the land.  Then God told Elijah to get away and hide by the Brook Cherith...

"And it will be [that] you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 1Kings 17:4

  Even though famine would strike all of Israel, God provided for His servant Elijah.  So Elijah went to the brook and drank the water and the Ravens brought him bread and meat day night until the brook dried up from lack of rain.  It was at this point God told Elijah...

"Arise, go to Zarephath, which [belongs] to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 1Kings 17:9

  Elijah goes, finds a widow, asks for food and water and she gets it for him.  No questions asked.  She knew he was coming and was aware she was to provide for him.  It almost seems like God knew the famine was coming and had set up a plan to provide for Elijah well in advance.  Is it possible that He knew that "unexpected" hospital bill would come to you?  Could He have possibly been aware that your car would break down right before you paid your tithe this month?  The story gets better though. When Elijah asks for water she goes and gets water, when he asks for food...

So she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I [am] gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." 1Kings 17:12

  She knew that she only had a small bit of food, and no more was coming.  This was to be she and her son's last meal.  What does Elijah say?  "Fuget about it"(bad Italian accent) go get me the food and God will bless you.  What would you do?  Well I know what she did...

So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for [many] days.The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.  1Kings 17:15&16

  Because she gave of what was most precious God gave her everlasting.  She gave her last bit of food and God fed her until the rains returned.  God promised to provide for Elijah, but instead of just giving him enough to survive he received such abundance that the widow and her son were also fed.  God not only wants to meet our basic needs, but He wants us to prosper so that we can be a blessing to those around us in need.

  Read Luke 10:30-35. The Good Samaritan.  When the man was beaten and hurt, the Samaritan man saw him and had compassion, paid an innkeeper to care for him and saw that he was made well.  For the Samaritan to do this he had to have money to give.  If the Samaritan had only had enough money to survive he would not have been able to bless the injured Jew.  God is never caught off guard by our hardships.  Rest assured that what ever challenges you face God has already made plans to provide for you.  Have faith and obey God and the provision God will be waiting for you.

God Bless,
Recommended reading: 1Kings 17, Exodus 23 and Luke 10.

FWC Podcast

4/10/2011 - 4/17/2011 Seven Promises: Promise Two

Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: Ex 23:14
You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread... Ex 23:15
and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year... Ex 23:16

  This week Pastor is talking about the three feasts of Passover. While he quickly explained the three feasts I will not take the time to do so here.  The real topic for this week is the seven promises God makes to the Nation Israel if they obey Him and keep the feasts.  To hear Pastor Stan's explanation and the entirety of the sermon follow the link below to the podcast.

"But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.  Exodus 23:22, 23

  Here God promises us that if we obey Him He will crush our enemies on our behalf.  You might like to know that none of the nation states mentioned above still exist. As a matter of fact they stopped existing once the Israelites obeyed God and wiped them out.  God does not promise we will live amicably with hostile neighbors.  He promises to declare war on our behalf.  Paul the Apostle asks the question...

If God [is] for us, who [can be] against us? Romans 8:31

  All of the different "ites" mentioned in Exodus were actual nations with armies the Children of Israel had to meet face to face.  It is interesting to note that God does not promise to deliver them FROM their enemies, but IN TO their enemies.  Only after the Jews stand an fight will God bring the victory.  What "ites" do you face in your life?  Do you see challenges as armies too strong to defeat or as plunder waiting to be taken?  It is not likely you face hoards of armed men waiting to kill you, but maybe you face financial trouble. Maybe your "ite" is marital trouble or your kids are rebelling.  These are not small challenges to the one facing them, but God has promised you the victory.  Above He promises that our obedience guarantees His full attention will be given to our enemies and they will be defeated. 

  We as children of God have inherited the birthright of children of the King.  Paul goes on to say...

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

  There is no need for timidity when we face the Giants in our lives. Go boldly, love fearlessly and never tread lightly when standing up to your enemies.  If God be with us who can be agianst us? 

  I want to leave you with this battle cry: The Giants are defeatable, the Grapes are attainable, and I am no Grasshopper! 

Recommended Reading:  Exodus 23, Romans 8 and Ephesians 6.
God Bless.
FWC Podcast

4/10/2011 - 4/17/2011 Seven Promises: Promise One

Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: Ex 23:14
You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread... Ex 23:15
and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year... Ex 23:16

  This week Pastor is talking about the three feasts of Passover. While he quickly explained the three feasts I will not take the time to do so here.  The real topic for this week is the seven promises God makes to the Nation Israel if they obey Him and keep the feasts.  To hear Pastor Stan's explanation and the entirety of the sermon follow the link below to the podcast.

Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Ex 23:20

  This is a powerful promise because here God not only promises to send Angels to keep us on the right path in life, but that path will take us to the "place" He has prepared.

"In My Father's house are many mansions; [fn] if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

  So in Exodus there are two meanings of what the place is.  On earth He is promising to lead the Israelites into the promise land but He is also promising that we will go to God's House that Christ has prepared for us.  In Exodus the Jews must obey the feasts, in John 14:1 we must believe.  Think about this, not only is God promising to be with us throughout every day of our lives to show us the right way to go, but He is also working ahead to prepare a "place".  Here on Earth this means that blessings await all of God's children, we need only to believe and obey Him while staying on the path He has set before us.  Pastor has said many time that God wants us to have success here on Earth.

  It is important to pause here and clarify one common misunderstanding.  Success means different things to each of us.  For some it might mean wealth, but for others wealth could be destructive.  God knows what is best for each of us, but He does desire that we do not live in want.  So Pastor Stan has said many times that God wants us to have good relationships, enough to eat and good health.

  This is the first of seven posts covering the seven promises God made in Exodus 23. 
 
  Recommended reading: Exodus 23 and John 14. 
 
 FWC Podcast

3/27/2011 Genesis to the Maps

  Today Pastor Stan talked about the importance of understanding the entire Bible. Often Christians will disregard the Old Testament believing it to be irrelevant and out dated.  "We live under grace, that is the law and it does not apply to us."  This is an interesting theory since the Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews13:8

  I find this fascinating because, if Jesus Christ is the same as he has always been and if He is the Son of God then why would we disregard several thousand years of historical records showing us how God interacts with man.
  The simple point here is that Jesus Christ has always been, He is God, and therefore was the one who breathed life into Adam and Eve, He parted the Red Sea and dropped mana from heaven.  He is also the one who instructed the Israelis to build the Ark of the Covenant and how to carry it.  This is where we picked up the story in Exodus chapter 25:

And they shall make an ark of acacia wood...(v10)

And you shall make poles of acacia wood...(v13)

You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them.(v14)

The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.(v15)

  They were given specific instructions on how to build the Ark and how to carry it.  For many years the Ark had been held by the Philistines, neighbors and enemies of the Nation of Israel.  God sent David to retrieve it in 2Samuel chapter 6:

Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand.(v1)

And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God...(v2)

So they set the ark of God on a new cart,...and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart(v3)

...Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.(v6)

Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his error; and he died there by the ark of God.(v7)

  David got very angry at this point and wondered why he had bothered to even go get the Ark. He refused to allow it to enter his Capital City.  Why did God strike this loyal servant dead? Obedience. God told the people of Israel how the Ark was to be transported Exodus and David put it on a cart.  God is not impressed with partial obedience.  He wants our hole selves our hole hearts and our entire beings.  David later brought the Ark into the City of David and through a party to celebrate.
  The lesson here is simple and timeless, Christ died so we could have eternal life. There is nothing we can do to earn God's love or His forgiveness.  What God does expect from us after we have received this gift of eternal life is our love and obedience. We love Him because He first loved us and we obey because we are grateful for what He has done.
   In conclusion, Pastor Devin started the morning giving us his
"Formula for Success"
1) Speak the Word,
2) Meditate on the Word and
3) Live the Word
Just remember, to be successful this formula must include the entire Bible, Genesis to the maps.

God Bless
Family Worship Center podcast

3/20/2011 'Here am I! Send me.'

"Here am I! Send me." Isaiah 6:8

   Today Pastor Stan talked about the gap between our basic need of salvation and the Biblical mandate to then serve God. He said “People come get saved to go to heaven, not to serve God.” It is an amazing statement Isaiah makes here because just moments before he cried out:

“"Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." Is. 6:5

   Why was he so convinced of his unworthiness to be in the presence of God? He had seen the King. Pastor explained it was more likely that he had only seen a glimpse of God’s glory because he would not have survived had he actually seen God. That said, Pastor went on to say, “If you could see a true vision of heaven and hell you would never have a tough time serving God again.” What happened to Isaiah between “Woe is me…” and “Here am I.”

And he(Angel of God) touched my mouth with it(hot coal from the alter of God), and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged." Is 6:7

   This is representative of the purging of our sins at the point of salvation. So at this point Isaiah has received forgiveness of his sins due to his willing repentance. It is at this point that God says:

"Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?" Is 6:8

   Here is where Isaiah replies:

"Here am I! Send me." Isaiah 6:8

   This conversation is important because it is not enough that we accept salvation from our sins. We must approach our relationship with God as a opportunity to thank Him by serving Him. Christ did not die on the cross so we could sin at will and still go to heaven. He gave His life so we could choose to serve God and bring Him glory. Pastor wrapped up by telling that Grace is for ignorance of the Word not rebellion to God. I don’t believe we can out sin God’s grace but I also don’t intend to test that theory.

   The short answer is you will live forever. Do you intend to live out eternity in heaven or hell? Like Pastor said, if you had any idea what the options were truly like you would never have a tough time serving God again. Let the words of Isaiah be the antem for the rest of your life.

"Here am I! Send me."
FWC Podcast

2/27/2011 Can You Handle the Truth?

   The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.' John 1:29,30.
   To introduce this verse Pastor informed us that the Bible has a mistake. This is a contradiction in the time line of John’s narrative. John is speaking of Jesus here but how could Christ have been before John if John was born first?
   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1.
   Christ has always been. He was never created. He simply has always existed. To me this little exercise Pastor took us through has a profound importance. I have heard many people talk about how Christ could have been a teacher or prophet. Pastor talked about how many will try to say He was a good man but not God. Right here in John, that option is taken away from us. If Jesus had been born one second before John then when John says, “He was before me” he could simply have been talking about birth order. The fact is He wasn’t born first. So when John says Jesus came before he is clearly speaking of Christ’s eternal nature. His place as the Messiah, He is the Son of God. No way around it that is what he is saying.
   Like Pastor has said, you don’t have to believe it, but don’t lie to yourself about what the bible says. This is not a matter of believing the Pastor about who Christ is, John spells it out clearly and plainly. Without that understanding of Christ’s Godhood, we cannot understand the significance of the Cross. He wasn’t a great man, Jesus is God amongst us.
   But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12, 13
   We are all born of woman but unless we are born again, born of God we cannot have the right to become children of God. Pastor laid this out for us simply, to be born again you must believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. We must ask Him to forgive our sins and we must pledge our love and devotion to Him in gratitude.
   Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
   Now the problem is that no matter how simple or obvious the truth, some people frankly don’t want to know it. When asked, most people would say they want to know what is true, but Christ is the fulfillment of all truth. Genuine seekers will always end up at the cross. We all want the best life possible but we spend our lives seeking it in the world and only find pain.
   "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Mathew 6:33
   Unfortunately, many people who have been fooled to believe they are too smart to need Jesus will find themselves suffering eternally in Hell for their arrogance. Please don’t be one of them. Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and ask him to forgive you your sins. He will make you one of His children. Do this now and begin to discover the fullness of what life could be.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. II Corinthians 5:17