The Trail...

Matthew 7:13-14

¹³“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Driving west off 395 on Dahl Road, you will see the Church in the Wildwood to your immediate right. If you continue a few miles down that same road, this is what you might see. A beautiful sunset! Do you know what it would take to get to that point on that mountain to watch the sun go down?

I can give you an idea! We have trailered horses to the yellow gate that leads to that mountain top that you see in the center of this picture. Once you have the horses out of the trailer and start up that very primitive road, the going is pretty easy. After all, you are on the horse's back...he's doing all the work!!

After a short ride on this primitive road you need to turn onto a small trail. This trail will get smaller and steeper quickly! But your horse will continue to do the work for a while longer! As the incline gets steeper…it won’t be if, but when, you will need to step off your horse and lead him because the both of you will be all but crawling up that hill!

If you go straight up, there will be a point where your horse will no longer be able to maneuver the terrain... the rocks, thick brush and extreme incline will be just to much. You will need to tie your trusty steed and continue on by yourself. If you have convinced yourself this is worth it, then just keep beating the brush and dragging your tired body up that mountain…I suggest you stop and pray a few times on this little journey, you are going to need the help!

So, you made it to the top…but the sunset is over and darkness has surrounded you. Do you still want to see a sunset from that mountain top? How much do you want it? Because now you are going to have to spend the night on that almost invisibly, very narrow little trail…in the dark, in the cold, with all the wild animal noises coming from places you can’t see. Then you will have to spend the next day…all day…without food if you forgot a lunch…by yourself, because there won’t be a lot of people willing to go through this with you…sitting there, loosing patience, getting bored, ready to give up, and then praying for the strength to stick to you commitment…and continuing to sit there…until that sun comes back around, and finally, you get to see that sunset you were so sure would be the most beautiful thing your eyes would ever witness!

Was it worth it? You bet! I think that is a simplified version of what it must be like to stay on the path that God has set for us. The path is narrow and trying, hard for us to stick to, but if we want to witness the beauty that God has promised us, we will have to stand our ground, stay our course, even if those around us won't make the trip, can't maneuver the terrain...we, you, I, need to stick it out. It will be the most important thing we ever do...the only thing that truly matters!

Laminin...

...held together by the cross! Doesn't matter if you are Christian, atheist or anything in between...the fact is, we are all held together by the cross...literally!! You know it, I know it, and there is even scientific proof!!! Check this out!!!

Laminins are major proteins in the basal lamina (formerly improperly called "basement membrane"), a protein network foundation for most cells and organs. The laminins are an important and biologically active part of the basal lamina, influencing cell differentiation, migration, adhesion as well as phenotype and survival.

OK, I'm not a physicist...no Newton, or Einstein, or Archimedes

So...in layman's terms, that means glue! Our bodies are glued together by millions of little crosses!! Personally, I think that is a "WOW" factor!!

Please, research this for yourself...just google Laminin! This picture is obviously a drawing, but the actual laminin photo looks like a cross! 

Really, isn't it incredible, if you  look through NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and observe the M51 Hubble Cross some 90 million miles out...from there to the very core of our being...we are held together by the cross!! Go ahead, try to argue that!!

 Colossians 1:17(NIV)
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Pastor Louie Giglio, founder of  The Passion Movement, has a DVD on this exact topic! Check it out, it may be the most enlightening 40 minutes of your life!! It truly puts into perspective just 

how "BIG" our God is...

how easy it really is for God to know the hairs on our head, our every thought,

our every prayer! 



PS...

When you pray, do you sometimes add a PS at the end? More often than not?

Pastor Cherry brought this up during his sermon last week. So, I’ve been thinking, what on earth could I possibly ask God for in a PS. If I have taken the time to say a sincere prayer from my heart, what’s left for the PS? Well, I took inventory and made a list of what I have, so I could figure out what it is that I need!

I have…
Land Í don’t use
Cars I don’t drive
Rooms I don’t sleep in
Furniture I don’t sit on
Food I don’t eat
Money I don’t spend
Clothes I don’t wear

And there’s more...
Horses I don't ride
Lawn mowers I don’t want
Tools I don’t need
Sheds full of stuff
Drawers with forgotten items
Cabinets with crazy gadgets

...and the list goes on and on! What on earth could I possibly need? Nothing! Oh, I’m human, so there are things I "want"…but nothing I “need”.

OK, maybe there is something I need...I "NEED" to spend more time in prayer…thanking the Lord for what he has given me, for what I have...starting with my salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If I continue to take inventory of all he has done for me, maybe I can do away with my PS.

To repeat a phrase Pastor Cherry used last week…

It’s not about what God can do for us...

but, what God has done for us!

Personal Obedience

In John 21:15-23...We read about the pivotal point in Peter's Faith. Peter had to be broken in order to do God's will. Like many of us, Peter was his own person, he did what he wanted, he had his own plans...but God had other plans for Peter.

Is God's plans for us different than our own...I'll bet! You want to hear God laugh...then go ahead...tell Him your plans! Has God got our attention? What will it take? How many church activities are really benefiting us by; (a) equipping us to love others, (b) draw closer to God, (c) to do the will of God?

Do you want to know what God has planned for you?

Then "Seek to Know"...
Have you read the Bible
Do you read the Bible
Do you believe the Bible...If you do, then you must believe it all...It is the absolute guide to how we should live our lives...no exceptions!!

Matt 7:21-23 NIV 
²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Jesus moves us into ACTION!!  It's very important...not only what we say...but what we do! Does it matter what our neighbors do? No! Only what we do!

We really can't submit to "Lordship" until we fully understand what it is.

1.) Do I accept God's complete Sovereignty?
2.) Am I ready today, to give account to God of the management of His possessions?
3.) Am I doing all I can that I know is right?
4.) Have I personally settled this Lordship issue?

Do you have a repentant heart? Then do it...repent...then you can grow and mature in your Faith!

It's not always about what God can do for us...but, what God has done for us!!

Sermon today by Pastor Cherry......post by KB

Be Afraid...Be Very Afraid!

All men should fear God!

Luke Vs-4,5 says; ⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.(NIV)

How much time do we spend;

in Prayer...

reading our Bible...

sharing our Faith?

how about watching TV?

Rumor has it, the average person spends 5 hours a day watching TV! Wow, 5 hours...really?!  Just think of the person we could be if we spent 5 hours a day in the word!

(Pastor Cherry delivers the message on Sunday mornings...I have taken it upon myself to try and put his sermon into a blog story and share it with all of you. So please...don't hold Pastor Cherry accountable if I miss the point!)

The sermon title today... "Thoughts on Luke"  (Luke 12)

Prioritize...get our ducks in a row...know what's important in life so we are ready for "the after-life"!

Vs-15, He says; "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions".

Vs-34, He says; "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".

Check our list, how does it read? Anything like this...

healthy bank account

nice house

new car

stocked pantry

full closet

watch "desperate house wives" on TV

Are those our priorities?

Shouldn't our list look more like this...

God first

prayer time

Bible reading

sharing the good news 

fellowship

giving

I know more than anyone how hard it is to prioritize...get my list right. It is a constant struggle. Living in the USA and being abundantly blessed doesn't help either.  All the niceties we have...who wants to give it all up?! I don't know that we have to give it all up, but I do believe that we can't put our material things ahead of our Faith. We need to know what's first in our lives, earthly possessions...or God. He knows what our priorities are, all of them and in the exact order, so don't even try to fake it! Know that all the material things in life won't last..but, our souls...are forever!!

Know the road you are on, know where you've been, know where you are going! Stay between the lines...get your list right!

Get your ducks lined up...be ready when God comes...don't be caught off guard!  Hell is a real place...very real! Do you want to spend your time there?!

Read Luke 12...study it, understand it. If you have questions, seek the wisdom of a trusted teacher to study and pray with.

Know just how Mighty God is!!

What is Lordship...part 2

Today...Pastor Cherry continues...what is Lordship...

Lordship... is accepting responsibility and accountability

Lordship... is submitting to the sovereignty of God
Lordship... is putting God 1st in our lives
Lordship... is accepting that which He has given

Matthew 25:14-30

Verse 14...God has entrusted Blessings to us

Verse 15...God's gifts are not equally given

Verse 16-18...People respond differently to what God has given them

Verse 19...All of us will be accountable for what we did with what God gave us

Verse 20-30...All of us will be rewarded for how we develop God's Blessings

Someday, we will give an account to God for what we have done with what he gave us. It will be our attitude about the gifts and blessings of God that will determine whether we use them or not. 

...God never wants back what he has given us...in the same amount.

Take inventory of your gifts...embrace them, develop them,
put them to use...don't bury them!

Matt 25:21(NIV)..."Well done, good and faithful servant!"...

Will God say that to me?  Am I trying to be good and faithful?

Am I bringing my gifts to fruition?...Are you?

We will enjoy our Christian walk more when we understand our spiritual gifts!

Not just gifts, but abilities!

I Peter 4  -  I Cor 12  - Ephesians 4  -  Romans 12   

Through Her Eyes

Her Eyes

What does she see, what will she do,
Is she like me or more like you?

As she grows up and becomes a young lady
Through her eyes, she’ll see all the beauty, maybe
Of a life filled with God and her showers of prayers
Her life has been stacked with positive layers
Her smile’s so bright, her eyes filled with compassion
She’s willing to help, she’s there for the asking.
So many great examples that her loved ones have set
I’m sure she’ll do well, on that I would bet

With love from your family, friends and the rest,
On This 16^th Birthday we wish you the best!!

Pastor Cherry's daughter celebrated her 16th Birthday this week! Let's keep her in our thoughts and prayers and wish her a blessed year!

What is Lordship...

Today, Pastor Cherry started a series...
What is Lordship...part1

Matthew 7:21-27

"The greatest challenge of the church today is reasserting the Lordship of Christ"

Most Americans today believe that religion is a personal matter.

Matthew 7:21
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Lordship is accepting the sovereignty of God. -- Really, do we truly know the meaning of the word...sovereignty? "Supreme authority" Accepting God's supreme authority...over every aspect of our lives. Not just the parts we want to give up, but all of it! Don't pick and choose where we want God in our lives...it means all of it!

Matthew 8:2
2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

If you don't trust me in all...you don't trust me at all!

Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Do we believe...Do we understand:
His holiness? That God owns everything? God is Lord of All? He is in control? That He really works all things out for those that love him???

What is the 1st Commandment... “You shall have no other gods before me."

Lordship is putting Him number 1...in EVERY AREA of our lives!

...are you pickin' up what I'm puttin' down?

Do you ever consider the Pastor’s job? His job is to teach us…the congregation…some of whom are very bright and understand clearly, and some who will tilt their head with a “huh?” look on their face. Really, there must be a lot of stress on a pastor to choose scripture and then choose metaphors; implicit comparisons, figurative language, symbols, etc., that work together to teach each and everyone in the congregation! I imagine that after the pastor has laid it out and made the point, they look out at the people in the pews and in their mind they are asking…are you pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down?!

I believe Pastor Cherry does a fine job of teaching all of us…that being said, let’s see how well I’m trackin’!

Today’s sermon was in part a re-cap on last week, “Look to the Clouds”. (refresh your memory -- read last weeks blog first! )

(Last week) I Kings 18:41-46

(This week) I Kings 19: 1-18

**I Kings 19:11
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (NIV)

...If we wonder why we don’t hear the voice of God…maybe, we should focus on the problem first. The problem being us. Personal accountability to God. The solution...stay in the word, read it, share it, live it….God’s voice is clearer when we are thinking things of God! God’s voice doesn’t have to be like roaring thunder or waves crashing on the rocks, it can be just a whisper, "if" we are ready to hear it!

Come to church…let’s help each other to stay in the word!!
*Hebrews 10:24-25,
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)

Are you ready for this year, 2011, to be a great journey in your Faith…
Faith in Jesus Christ?! ...this year we want to be the people who love God!!
*Psalm 28:7-8
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. 8 The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Pay attention to the sermon so if your Pastor looks out and asks, “are you pickin’ up what I’m puttin’ down?!”, You can shout out a loud AMEN!!!

Look to the Clouds!!!

What if this is the year that the Lord returns?

Mark 13:26-27
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. (NIV)

Pastor Cherry’s message today was not about looking back…but looking forward!
Not of victories or defeats gone by, but what God has in store for us in the days ahead!!

In I Kings we are reminded and encouraged of the prospects for a new year!

1 Kings 18:41-46
41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” 44 The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the LORD came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. (NIV)

Our challenge today…
Believe like Elijah did! Have faith like Elijah had! Hear God’s voice, know God’s heart, see God at work! Listen to the Character of God…

Isaiah says in Chapter 65 verse 24 ~ “ Before they call I will answer; While they are still speaking I will hear.”

Prepare yourself and get ready…God already knows what is going to happen!!!
Apply this verse to the challenge…

Eph 2:10-11
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands (NIV)

Like Elijah, have Faith for the clouds…they may have more significance for us than they did for Elijah…