I’m very thankful to be sitting in my newly renovated office writing this article. I had something of a close call earlier today on my morning run.  A driver nearly took me out on Bella Terra Boulevard.  The maddening thing is there was no traffic on the four lane road.  It was just me and him.  But instead of moving his vehicle away from me, he steered directly towards me.  And it’s not like he was distracted by texting.  He was looking right at me. Had I not jumped from the road to the grass, I might be strumming a harp right now!

I would like to tell you that my initial reaction was that of Christian compassion for the reckless driver who apparently saw me as a target to mow down.  I would like to tell you that was my initial reaction!  For the next several minutes I had to decide if I was going to stew in anger and let some nit-wit ruin my morning workout, or if I was going to get over it.  With God’s help, I made the right choice.  I thanked the Lord for protecting me from harm and I chose to get over it.

There are a lot of things in life we just need to get over.  For example, we should get over the wrongs done to us by others.  Commit those hurts to God who will judge everyone according to their works, and move on.  We should get over confessed sin.  God promises to forgive confessed sin, so why go on agonizing over it?  We should get over the human errors of judgment we’ve made.  We’ve all made mistakes.  But God is still able to make all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. To live life successfully we must learn to lay some things aside and put them in God’s hands.  

But there is something in life we should never get over, and that is our love for Jesus.  This was the mistake made by the Ephesian believers in Rev. 2:4.  They got over their love for Jesus.  Somewhere along the way the new wore off.  They knew it, and so did Jesus.  In v5 He told them to remember the first love they used to have, repent for falling into such a loveless condition, and go back and repeat the first works in order to get it back.

The best godly counsel I could give anyone is to stay in love with Jesus.  That alone is the answer to so many problems we face.  If you know the love has started to slip, follow the steps Jesus gave to the Ephesians.  Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Don’t ever get over it!

Pastor Todd Weston

The first recorded words of God in the Bible are these, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3).  Into a world of darkness God’s word brought light.

The first recorded words of Satan in the Bible are these, “Has God indeed said?” (Genesis 3:1).  From the beginning of human history Satan has questioned the Word of God. 

As a result of Satan’s deception which led to Adam & Eve’s sin, the world descended back into a state of darkness.  Spiritual darkness.  And yet history has shown that when the Word of God is introduced, it brings light. 

The strategies of Satan are timeless.  He still questions God’s Word today.  In spite of the obvious miraculous nature of the Bible, critics dismiss it as unbelievable, unreliable, and irrelevant.

In spite of the attacks of the critics, the Word of God stands as the wisdom of the ages.  We are talking about 66 books written by 40 authors over a period of 1,600 years from different locations ranging from Rome to Babylon.  The Book (or collection of books) maintains the consistent theme of redemption.  Though written by human instruments under the guidance of inspiration, the Bible is the product of the Holy Spirit Himself (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

As demonically-inspired enemies of the cross increase their assault on the Bible, be encouraged by these words from Dr. D. James Kennedy:

“Hammer away ye hostile hands; Your hammers break, God’s Anvil Stands!
Centuries follow Centuries, but there it stands;
Dynasty succeeds Dynasty, but there it stands;
Kings are crowned and overthrown, but there it stands;
Despised and torn to pieces, but there it stands;
Storms of hate swirl about it, but there it stands;
Agnostics smile cynically, but there it stands;
Thunderbolts of wrath are hurled against it, but there it stands;
The flames are kindled under it, but there it stands;
The arrows of hate are discharged upon it, but there it stands;
The tooth of time gnaws and makes no dent, and there it stands;
An Anvil upon which have been broken a million hammers:
Hammer away ye hostile hands; Your hammers break, God’s Anvil Stands!”

“The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24-25).

Pastor Todd Weston

The Anvil of God's Word

“Last eve I paused beside the blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then looking in, I saw upon the floor,
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.
“‘How many anvils have you had,’ said I,
‘To wear and batter all these hammers so?’
‘Just one,’ said he, and then with twinkling eye,
‘The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.’
“And so, I thought, the Anvil of God’s Word
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The Anvil is unharmed, the hammers gone.”
—Attributed to John Clifford
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever... 1 Peter 1:25
THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURETH FOREVER!

Every committed believer acknowledges the fact that regular church attendance is a necessary component in the Christian life.  While the physical act of going to church cannot make one a Christian, it has served as the catalyst for many in coming to faith in Christ.  

Furthermore, faithful church attendance is a mandatory practice for true discipleship.  Believers who are serious about their calling will make corporate worship in God’s House a priority.

With that understood, how can we get the most out of church?  How can we make the discipline of regular church attendance pay off?  The answer is by remembering and participating in the four main components of a church service as presented in Acts 2:42-47.

1. WORSHIP

Born in the fires of Pentecost, the church in Jerusalem was a worshiping church.  The exaltation of God through praising, singing, and giving thanks is a main function of the church (Ephesians 5:19-20).  Furthermore, God has promised to inhabit the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3).  When the church comes together in worship, God’s presence in revealed in a special way.  

Corporate worship is not a spectator activity.  Think of it as an all-team activity.  To come to church and fail to worship is to miss out on the spiritual opportunities made available.  To get the most out of church, come ready to worship! 

           2.   PRAYER

The Book of Acts presents the church in Jerusalem as a praying church.  No matter what they were faced with, prayer was their automatic default mechanism.  There was a well worn path from the Jerusalem church to the throne of grace.

I am concerned that many Christians today simply do not pray.  I am equally concerned that many churches have forsaken the practice as well.  Just as no one can worship for you, no one can do your praying for you.  They can pray for you, but others cannot take your place before the throne of God.  To get the most out of church, pray beforehand for God to move in the service and in your own heart.  Then in the service pray when it’s time to pray, and hit the altars every chance you get.

          3.   THE WORD

The Word of God was powerfully preached and taught in the Jerusalem church.  Imagine having the apostles as your Sunday School teachers.  Imagine having Peter, James, or John in the pulpit delivering the message.  In a day and age when many churches have discarded the Bible as obsolete, the Jerusalem church received a steady diet of scripture and experienced phenomenal growth as a result.

To get the most out of church, bring your Bible.  Take advantage of the outlines provided in the bulletin and take notes.  Save your notes for further study.  Go back and reread the text and do further study like the Bereans of Acts 17:11.  To get the most out of church, open your heart and come ready to receive from God’s Word.

         4.   FELLOWSHIP

Really?  Absolutely!  But worship, prayer, and the Word are all so spiritual.  Yes, and so is Christian fellowship.  Not only is it spiritual, it’s vital in our Christian walk.  Living in a hostile environment, the church in Jerusalem became a close-knit body of believers that served the Lord in the context of strong relationships.

I am always saddened when I see people slip into a service late, and then slip out early so as to avoid the “crowd.”  They miss out on a major part of church life.  The body of Christ is God’s gift to each one of us.  At the risk of sound trite, we need each other.  God knows we need each other and He has provided for that need through the church.  To get the most out of church, start investing in relationships.  Come a little early.  Stay a little late.  Or invite someone out to share a meal for the sake of fellowship.

I encourage you to renew your commitment to faithful church attendance.  Ask yourself, “Am I as faithful to God’s house as I am to my office, or my classroom, or my fitness center, or my favorite coffee shop?”  God deserves our very best, so let’s give it.  Come to church regularly, and come ready to get the most out of the service.

Pastor Todd Weston  

This past Sunday night at our monthly Rosemary outreach, missionary Kurt Holthus shared his testimony.  In his teenage years, Kurt became involved with drugs.  To finance his addiction, he began committing criminal acts.  Arrested for his crimes, Kurt faced a possible 20 year prison sentence.  But God had a plan.  Through a miraculous series of events, Kurt experienced the saving power of Jesus Christ and was delivered from drug addiction. 

Freedom is what the world needs because many are trapped in sin.  That’s how Jesus expressed it in John 8:34, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave” (The Message).

One of sin’s deceptive selling points is that it offers freedom.  In the name of freedom, sin urges people to cast off restraint, break the rules, defy godly standards, and give in to carnal desires.  Answering the call that appeals to all that is wrong, the prodigal chases after this elusive freedom only to find himself a broken person surrounded by the filth of sin.

The modern-day Nicolaitanes (see Rev. 2:6,15), who take a soft attitude toward sin and abuse the grace of God, fail to mention the enslaving power of sin.  This unbiblical teaching misinterprets Christian liberty and allows believers to indulge in sinful behavior.  While the spiritually gullible may fall for it, this is a doctrine Jesus especially hates because it leads to bondage.

Remember: sin never keeps it’s promises.  Sin promises freedom, but delivers the opposite.  The final picture is that of the prodigal standing knee-deep in the muck and mire of the pig pen declaring to the world, “I’m free!  I’m free!”  Really?  

But then the light dawns and the prodigal returns to the One who said, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).  Paul takes it from there, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (Romans 6:12).  

Rather than abusing the grace of God as permission to continue in sin, depend on God’s enabling grace as the means to live in the freedom Christ came to give.  

Pastor Todd Weston

That two-word phrase is taken from Paul’s statement in Phil. 3:13, “but one thing I do.”  Those are the words of a singularly focused man.  Many people fail at this very point.  

They are like the wishy-washy Jews who were confronted by Elisha in 1 Kings 18:21, “How long will you falter between two opinions?”  The word translated “falter” means to limp or become lame.  Life becomes crippled for the person who cannot make up their mind.  Rather than running through life with purpose, they limp through life in confusion.

James called these kind of people double-minded and added that they are unstable in all their ways (James 1:8).  To these Solomon said, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.  Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.”  In other words, stay focused.  Don’t be distracted.  Be able to say, “one thing I do.”  

Concentration is a powerful thing.  Diffused light may illuminate a room; concentrated light (lasers) can cut through metal.  Diffused water may irrigate your lawn; concentrated water (through a fire hose) can save a burning house.  Imagine the power of concentrated focus in life.  

Such concentration possesses both a negative and positive aspect.  As for the negative, Paul said, “Forgetting those things which are behind.”  There are things in life I must let go of in order to say, “one thing I do.”  As for the positive, Paul said, “And reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”  There are things I must lay hold of in order to do what I am called to do.

What is the one thing you are called to do if you are going to make the most of your life?  Whatever it may be, I can tell you two things based on the words, “upward call” (Phil. 3:14).  First, it will be a worthy ambition.  Paul said it’s “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  It will be something worthy of His name. 

Second, you won’t have to sit down with a pen and paper and try to figure it out.  Just open your heart and listen for the ”upward call.”  God will speak to your heart as you seek Him.  He will reveal His plan to you.

Interestingly, the man who said, “one thing I do,” actually did a lot of things.  He was a preacher, teacher, missionary, church planter, writer, etc.  Singular focus does not mean one-dimensional.  It does not automatically mean you start bailing on various responsibilities and resigning from necessary duties.  Paul did a lot of things, but he did them all with one goal in mind.  

Don’t be like those who are limping through life trying to serve two or more masters.  We serve one!  While life will still be multifaceted in some ways, it can all move in a unified direction and work in answer to the same call - the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Pastor Todd Weston