Family Fall Fest

The Lord definitely blessed us with a beautiful fall day on Sunday, October 29 as Sonbright Christian Center hosted our second Family Fall Fest. The temperature was around 70º and the fall colors were at full peak. We truly live in a beautiful area of this great state!

This Family Fall Fest was one step in our renewed efforts to reach out to our families and the families in our community. We thank the Lord for more than 100 attending this special event.

There was plenty of food, fun, and fellowship as we opened up our church and our hearts to minister the love of our Lord Jesus Christ in a warm, caring, non-threatening atmosphere. Most of the people who participated are unchurched families in our community.

We all enjoyed the festivities of the day—there were plenty of food and activities for the children, youth, and adults. We are thankful for the wonderful blessings the Lord is pouring out upon us here at Sonbright Christian Center, and we are committed to pressing forward in His power—reaching out to families with the love of Christ!

On a final note, during our morning worship (October 29), the Lord poured out His Spirit in a mighty way, and we were blessed to receive two new members into the church. To God be the glory, great things He hath done.

A Time for Change--A Time to Conquer

The Children of Israel had just lost their leader of forty years. Moses was dead and the people still had not entered into the Promised Land. They had mourned his death for thirty days (cf. Deuteronomy 34:8) but the time of mourning was ended when God said, "Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel" (Joshua 1:2).

This was a drastic change for the Children of Israel. Although they were quite familiar with Joshua and knew that he would succeed Moses as their leader because Moses had anointed him for that purpose (cf. Deuteronomy 34:9), things would no longer be the same. They now had a new leader with new ideas. Joshua did not do things exactly as Moses had done, but it was the same God leading Him as had led Moses!

One of the very first things we see different is the fact that when Joshua sent spies to check out the land, he did not send twelve as Moses had. He sent only two. Another difference between Moses and Joshua is the fact that Moses, for some reason, did not circumcise any of the children that were born during the forty years of wandering. Joshua, however, required that everyone be circumcised before they would take the land (cf. Joshua 5:2-7).

Aside from the changes evident in leadership and leadership style, the manna they had been accustomed to for so long finally stopped after they crossed the Jordan (cf. Joshua 5:12). Yes, things were going to be very different, indeed! A new day had come. They knew that changes were necessary if they were to take possession of the land the Lord had promised, and the Children of Israel were willing to do whatever was necessary to obtain their promise (cf. Joshua 1:16-18).

I am confident that we, too, have entered into a brand new day. We have wandered long enough. We have mourned long enough. We have felt inferior and isolated long enough. Now is the time to conquer! The Lord is calling us to be "…strong and very courageous…" (Joshua 1:7) because He is going to do something through us that we have never seen.

Yes, we will have to make some changes and adjustments as we go, but we will not fear for the Lord is with us! We, like the Children of Israel, are committed to doing whatever is necessary to obtain the promise—seeing our lost family members, friends, and neighbors come to the Lord. The difficulty of any change will pale in comparison to the joy we have at seeing our loved ones saved by the grace of our God!

It's A Good Plan

We are most assuredly engaged in a Spiritual Warfare! The enemy of our God and of our souls has launched an all out attack on the people of God. He seeks to divide and conquer—captivate and destroy. He will try to convince us to focus on our circumstances in an effort to cause us to feel hopeless and helpless. He wants you to feel as if God has abandoned you. He wants to cause you to doubt and fear.

I am sure there were times when the Children of Israel doubted anything good in their future. They found themselves wandering in the wilderness for forty years, and later they found themselves in bondage in foreign lands. Yes, it was because they had been disobedient, but God’s purpose was not merely to punish them! God loved them and He had planned great things for them. His purpose in their wanderings and captivity was to teach them to not only trust Him, but also to obey His commands—preparing them to truly be the people of God as a witness to the nations. His words of encouragement to them by the prophet Jeremiah: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).

We are not where we are by accident. Each of us, no doubt, has experienced troubling times. There have been feelings of confusion, fear, hopelessness, and even anger. Some people would tell us to fight and some would tell us to do nothing and just wait it out, but God says “"Don't listen to people I haven't sent. You are where you are because I care, and I'm still working on you. Don't look only at the circumstances, trust My judgment. I have a plan for you, and I will bring it to pass."

Jesus warned that as long as we are in this world we will have troubles, but He didn’t stop there! “Be encouraged and rejoice,” He says, “for I have overcome the world” (My paraphrase of John 16:33).

Don’t believe everything negative that you hear. Don’t give in to discouragement. Don’t allow the enemy to cause you to focus on the trouble. God has His eye on you! He is working out His plan for you and in you. Trust Him!

SCC Anniversary

We had a wonderful day yesterday as we celebrated the 54th anniversafy of Sonbright Christian Center. God has been doing some wonderful things around here! It was such a joy to receive Sister Althea Jones into membership of our fellowship. Althea grew up around this church--her parents, Fred and Flarce Northrup, were charter members--yet for many years she was away from the Lord. Several months ago she gave her heart to the Lord and was baptized, and it has been so very exciting to see her (and her husband, Dennis Ray) growing in the Lord. I am convinced that the vision of those who fought so hard to start and build this church has not died!

As always, it was also a pleasure to have the VanNorstran family with as our musical/singing guests! It is so refreshing to have people who don't sing just because they can. This family ministered in the Spirit today!

We had a number of visitors yesterday, some of whom shared that they will be coming back on a regular basis. Other visitors were from out of our area and we were certainly pleased to have them with us to worship our God together, and to celebrate the good things He has done...and is doing!

May the Lord bless you and keep you strong as you continue to "fight the good fight of faith..." (1 Timothy 6:12).

What We Need Most

Here is a song my great, great grandfather wrote a long, long time ago. I'm not certain, but I believe he was a pastor in the Church of God of Prophecy near the end of the tenure of A. J. Tomlinson (the first General Overseer of COGOP), or durning the beginning of M. A. Tomlinsons tenure. Anyway, here are the words:

It’s not a brand new organ, nor yet a fine church bell—
It’s not a seat of cushions, nor a carpet that is swell.
It’s none of these, my brother, that we’re in need of most—
It’s good Saint Paul salvation, and the Bible Holy Ghost.

It’s not a choir of trained voices, nor solos nor none such—
That will lead lost souls to Jesus, or build your church up much.
They may sing ‘till the Day of Judgment, and sinners go down in a host—
Unless they get acquainted with the Bible Holy Ghost.

It’s not an organization, for we’re organized most to death—
With solicitors big and little, but they will not stand the test.
I’ve made up my mind brother, the thing we’re in need of most—
Is good Saint Paul salvation, and the Bible Holy Ghost.

Chorus:
Well it's hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
for the Bible Holy Ghost.

How Do You Measure Up?

Both the Bible and history record how the people of God are continually in need of self-examination (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:5) and reformation (cf. Romans 12:2). But in every case of change there first had to be a recognition of the need to do so.

The Scripture teaches us that the church Jesus built, and is building, is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). Paul also said, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

While these passages may seem to be contradictory, we can understand that the apostle Paul, who wrote both of these passages, was emphasizing that Jesus Christ is the foundation. The apostles and prophets merely pointed to and laid out the doctrine of Christ, it is not these men who constitute the foundation, but the one they represented. Jesus is the foundation, but He is also the chief corner stone.

I am told that a corner stone is an anchor-point, a reference point, or something to build off of. When you lay that stone on the corner, every wall, every square, etc., refers back to that point. He is the Rock—the very foundation upon which we build and by Whom we measure what is built. Isaiah said, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isaiah 28:16).

It is ever so important that we examine ourselves in light of His Word which declares Jesus Christ as the Chief Corner Stone, it is by Him that everything is anchored to, built off of, and referenced to. The apostle Paul warned that “…we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12). We measure ourselves by the Word of God, and we compare ourselves to the Christ we are sent to model.

So, how do you measure up?

Charity in All Things

The saying "In Essentials, Unity; in Non-essentials, Liberty; in All Things, Charity," has become a very popular motto in Christian circles today. It is rivaled perhaps only by that other dictum which asserts that "we speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent."

We have undoubtedly heard both these sayings many times, and can even concur with the veracity of each. However, there is another old cliché: "actions speak louder than words."

Jesus taught that the ten commandments could be summed up in two: 1) love God, and 2) love your neighbor. The Scribes and Pharisees were very good at teaching the ten commandments, but they were far from proficient in setting the example for others to follow. In fact, they had made the commandments of God of no effect.

Jesus stressed that it is not enough to be able to quote the ten, but one must actually live out love in his daily life.

The apostle Paul emphatically stated: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

It is amazing to me that so many Christian churches and organizations stress, with great emphasis, their belief in such Christian principles as love, patience, humility, etc., and yet so often Church bureaucracy is anything but characteristic of these Godly attributes.

Our religion is vain if we are unable to validate our teachings by our godly living—walking in love.

Improve Your Leadership GPA

The weekend before the General Assembly, Bishop Gary Langley, Pastor of Kaneohe, Hawaii, Windward Worship Center, will be teaching a 3-session leadership training seminar here at Sonbright Christian Center. A lot of the materials Pastor Gary uses is from some intensive training he received from Don Cousins. Improve Your Leadership GPA will help you better understand how your Spiritual Gifts, Passions and Abilities are all vital components in your successful ministry and sense of fulfillment.

Among the topics to be covered…

• Uncover your Spiritual Gifts
• Identify your passion
• Integrate your natural abilities
• Learn effective ways to recruit, motivate and retain volunteers
• Examine the pattern for true Biblical leadership
• Move toward consistently ministering “in the zone”
• Understand anointed moments
• Begin to create a climate of love, acceptance and forgiveness
• Spell “change” so it is not a four-letter-word

This FREE training would be ideal for local church ministry teams to get on the same page and start to operate in the zone.

If you are interested in more detail, you can download a PDF of the Pre-Registration Brochure, and/or you can REGISTER ONLINE.

The 3 sessions will be Friday Evening (August 18th) at 7:00 PM, Saturday Morning (August 19th) at 9:00 AM, and we will finish up after lunch.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Victory and Defeat

Joshua and the Children of Israel were experiencing victory. They had come out of the wilderness, and crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. They had seen the walls of Jericho fall down after they had walked around them for seven days. It was absolutely awesome! These people are walking in the land of victory. It is wonderful to see what God can do with His people when they are surrendered to Him. But all of a sudden in the midst of victory the children of Israel experienced a smashing defeat. God’s people lost 36 of their finest young fighting men and on top of that, they lost ground they had already gained as they were driven back. What in the world had happened?

God’s people are a people of VICTORY. When defeat comes there has to be a reason for it.

In the case of the Israelites and their sudden and tragic defeat, Joshua was troubled--you might even say he was discouraged. Notice his prayer: "...Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?" (Joshua 7:7-9).

The story that unfolds in Joshua 7 is fascinating--and frightening. One of the things we learn in this passage is that we cannot enjoy God's victories in our lives and harbor sin in our lives at the same time!

Consider the following questions:

Are we enjoying the victories in our lives that we use to enjoy?
Are we seeing people saved and delivered from sin like we use to?
Are we seeing our church grow the way it needs to grow?
Are our families solid and secure in the Lord and His Word?
Are our young people growing?
Are we as in love with God as we use to be?
Do we feel the presence of the Holy Ghost like we use to?

In the case of Israel, the problem--the reason for their terrible defeat--was the sin of one single man who disobeyed the Lord.

The wise Solomon said, "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren" (Proverbs 6:16-19).

O, God, search us and cleanse us as as we bow our hearts before you. Help us to be obedient to your Word and walk in love.

The Engrafted Word

Wow! It has been a long time since I last posted. My old computer shut down on me, and I was without for a few weeks. I've been back up, but almost forgot about my blog in the mean time. Anyway, here we go again......


DIMMENSIONS OF CHRISTIAN MATURITY: The Engrafted Word

The story is told of Calvin Coolidge who attended church alone because of the sickness of Mrs. Coolidge. When he returned home he went up to his wife’s room to see how she was feeling. She promptly reassured him she was doing fine, and asked him if he had enjoyed the sermon. He replied weakly, "It was good."
"What was it about?" she continued.
"Sin," he said.
"What did the minister say?"
"He was against it."

James 1:21-25 gives us more instruction than merely living against sin. He stresses the fact that if we would mature in our faith, we must take faith in Christ seriously enough that it changes our behavior.

James is addressing Christian people, and insists that we must be willing to listen to what God says to us and then modify our behavior to conform our will to God’s will. In order to do that, we must have His Word written in our hearts (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:3). It’s really as simple as that.

In the Proverbs, Solomon said, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). The use of the word "heart" is often used figuratively in the bible to represent the feelings, the will and even the intellect of man. It, likewise, expresses the center of human will and motivation. Consider another Proverb of Solomon, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee" (Proverbs 23:7).

Even Jesus addressed the subject of the heart controlling our actions when he said, "…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34; see also Luke 6:45).

When we consider these passages, it seems clear that simply saying that we are Christian is not enough. If we are to do that which is right and pleasing to the Lord, we must have His Word written on our hearts—the engrafted word.

It is not enough to know the Word. We must let it rule our lives—our actions and conduct—so that may adequately convey the love of God in a world so filled with hate and animosity.

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35, emphasis added).

A Call to Commitment

In his inaugural address on January 20, 1961, President John F. Kennedy spoke these famous words: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

The world was in a state of unrest. We were at the height of the “cold war.” Suspicion abounded. Fear and animosity were everywhere found. Yet, in the midst of all this turmoil, this new, young President believed that the world could be a better place.

For the world to become a better place, President Kennedy realized there would be challenges. Though he desired to see a genuine peace around the world, he made it clear that the United States, under his leadership, would not compromise the future of freedom. He said it this way:

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

Regardless of how one may have felt about his politics, he is certainly distinguished in our history as a true patriot, committed to the cause of preserving our liberty. This entire inagural address, in my assessment, could be classified as a call to commitment.

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." (Matthew 16:24).

One definition of commitment is "devotion or dedication to a cause, person or relationship."

Jesus had developed the reputation as a miracle worker and a teacher of wisdom. Large crowds began to follow him out of curiosity—and, of course, for what they could receive. But Jesus didn’t want spectators or simple receivers, He wanted disciples--people who would be committed to modeling the virtues He lived and taught.

I believe it is time that we acknowledge that we have sometimes failed in our commitment to be like Him. Too often we have allowed the cares of this life--indeed, even the works of the flesh--to weigh us down. After writing about all the great men and women of faith in the Old Testament, the writer of the Hebrew letter reminds us that we, too, need to strive to keep ourselves free of anything that would hinder our effectiveness.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV).

I believe God wants this to be a year of repentance for us. We need to recognize where we have failed and ask him to forgive us and help us to be more conscious of His will. We need to be renewed in His Spirit and His Word on a daily basis. When we take the necessary steps toward Him, He will respond with Power for His people.