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May 25, 2016

The Pursuit of Purpose

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

2 Timothy 1:9

Does it surprise you to learn God has a purpose for your life? He really does. Some people spend their whole life wondering what their purpose is here on earth. Instead of wondering, we need to dedicate time to the pursuit of learning His purpose for us. Too often we get busy in life fulfilling our wants and desires, and that’s not all bad. God does want us to be joyful and happy. Yet, scripture tells us that before time began God had a purpose in mind for each of us.

I’m not just talking about a vocation or calling type of purpose, although that’s a part of it. Each of us is gifted by God with certain aptitudes and we need to learn what those are. What I really want us to see is that the life we now live, whatever it is, is by the mercy of God. Absent His mercy we are nothing and going nowhere. In and of ourselves we don’t know how to live well in this present dark world. But by His mercy, and with His grace, we are able to find and fulfill His purpose for our life.

Everyone’s life looks different. We are all God’s children; each of us unique in our own way. However, one thing that’s the same for all of us – His purpose is for our holiness. God desires us to live holy lives, enjoying His salvation. How are you doing at finding God’s purpose for your life? Won’t you begin with knowing that His purpose is for you to be saved, and to be holy? Even if we’ve walked with God for many years, were still not as close as we could be. His waves of mercy will wash over us, and His grace will call us ever deeper into the pursuit of His purpose.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Almighty Father, Your ways are so far above my ways, yet I know You have a purpose for my life. Draw me ever deeper into Your purpose for me, into life in your Spirit. Amen.

Image credit: http://unlearnedradio.com/2016/02/03/episode-2-the-pursuit-of-purpose/

May 24, 2016

Little Letters Make a Big Difference

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.

Titus 2:11-12

Isn’t it amazing to think of the difference one little word can make? Over and over the scriptures make the point that God loves everyone, not just some. Jesus told his disciples to go into “all” the world to teach the gospel, the good news that salvation has come. And, just as the love of God extends to every person in every place, so does His grace.

God’s grace offers everyone an opportunity to receive His waves of mercy, to jump into the flow of His river of love. His grace is completely free. There’s no way to earn or merit it by what we do or say; it has “appeared” in the form of Jesus Christ and His death, burial, and resurrection offering salvation to all who will receive it.

Those three little letters, a-l-l, make the difference for everyone. No one can claim they were excluded from the greatest act of love the world has ever seen or will ever see. But, that’s not all. There are two little letters that make a big difference also; N-O. “No” is a word that we can all say when it comes to temptation. Because of God’s mercy given through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the gift of His Holy Spirit power, we can just say “No” to sin.

And here’s three more little letters that are very important today, Y-o-u. It’s for “you” this great love, mercy and grace was given. Stop and breathe that good news in for a moment…can you feel the waves of His mercy?

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your only son to die for even me. And thank you for His resurrection life and power that flow out to even me in your waves of mercy. Amen.

Image credit: https://ajathewriter.com/2013/05/03/word-challenges/

May 23, 2016

Unblock the Dams

Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.

Micah 7:18

True love doesn’t stay mad for long. Think about the last time you got mad at something someone in your family did. Your anger was based in your feelings of hurt. Something they did wasn’t what you expected. You couldn’t believe they would do that. But then, after a little while, you look at them and realize they’re your family, you’re flesh and blood, and while your hurt may remain a while, you forgive them because you love them. The truth is we are all God’s family, and we should have love and mercy for everyone.

If we humans can find the mercy to forgive and go on loving, think about how eternal God’s love must be for His children. As our Father, He hurts when we sin against him or each other. Yet even in our sin, His waves of mercy never stop flowing. He doesn’t cut us off from our eternal inheritance of life in Him. In fact, He doesn’t give His forgiveness begrudgingly, or hesitantly, but delights to show us His mercy. It flows from Heaven in waves.

God’s mercy is from everlasting to everlasting and nothing or no one can stop its flow to us, but we can stop it from flowing through us to others. God will always find a way to show His mercy to others, but when we build a dam in our emotions not giving His mercy to others we lose a blessing. As you remember His mercy toward you today, won’t you remember that same mercy toward those who have hurt or disappointed you too. Our lives are channels through which the mercy of God flows out to our hurting world. Don’t build a dam in your feelings – let the waves of mercy flow.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Merciful Father, thank you for delighting in your unfailing mercy towards me. Help me to unblock any unforgiving feelings, and make me a channel of your mercy to others Amen.

Image credit: http://www.johnandcailin.com/v/JohnAndCailin/vacations/Vacations2009/quetico/IMG_1800.JPG.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=4

May 20, 2016

The End of All Suffering

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.

1 Peter 5:10

Do you realize what it means that God has “called you to his eternal glory in Christ”? It’s imperative that we understand this incredible promise. There is much suffering in this life, and if we don’t understand the plan of God, as He’s revealed it, then we worry and lose hope easily. Here’s the main thing God wants us to know – for those in Christ, the end of all suffering is glory.

Suffering, far from being a deterrent to faith, should give us strength. In Romans 8:17, St. Paul says we are heirs with Christ, if we suffer with Him. But what do we inherit? Eternal glory. That’s right, we inherit all the glory of the eternal kingdom of Christ, and as one old song writer put it, “It will be worth it all!”

So how does the knowledge of such a great inheritance help give us strength through our suffering? St. Peter has the answer; the “God of all grace” will only let us suffer, “a little while” before He brings restoration, and strength. A part of His restoration and strength is our seeing the Father was faithful to Jesus as He suffered so we can trust Him to be faithful to us also. Isn’t resurrection to eternal glory worth the suffering we endure here and now? I hope you see that it is.

Suffering comes upon all humanity because we live in a fallen world, a world temporarily ruled by sin. But sins curse is broken for those who believe in Christ. So the question isn’t will we suffer in this life, we will. The real question is how will we suffer? Will we suffer so as to gain the glory? When we choose to suffer in Christ we are flooded with waves of mercy because we never suffer alone.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Father of all Mercy, look upon your suffering servant even as you did your son Jesus. Help me today to see I am not alone in my suffering. Help me to see Your restoration and strength coming to me in a little while. Amen.

Image credit:http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/04/13/guillory.end.of.life.care/

May 19, 2016

The Imitation of Mercy

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Psalm 103:8

Anger is a basic human emotion. It’s commonality to human emotions is often used as an excuse. Do these words sound familiar? “After all, I’m only human”. However, when we excuse our anger as a merely a human reaction, we miss an opportunity to imitate Christ. The few times we have recorded of Jesus angry, we can see that His anger was righteous; it was directed at the sinful actions of those who knew better.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t say that all my times of anger are righteous. I wish I could. As followers of Jesus we are called to imitate Him. He gives us mercy by not holding our sins against us, and He gives us grace by not reacting to us with the angry responses we so often deserve. We must do the same. We must learn to offer mercy not anger, grace not punishment.

Anger is always destructive. Granted, there are a times when the destruction that flows from righteous anger is necessary, but most of the time what we really need is to learn to not react in angry ways, to learn to be “slow to anger”. Because the LORD is merciful, gracious, and slow to anger, His waves of mercy flow out to us in steadfast love. God’s mercy doesn’t ebb and flow like the tide. His mercy is like a tidal wave that sweeps down from Heaven to fill our lives with love and forgiveness.

The next time you begin to feel anger welling up inside you, sense the flow around you, get lost in the waves of His mercy. The more you do it, the more it becomes your nature, and that is the essence of imitating Christ.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Lord of all mercy, you know my angry ways, you know the pain I carry that I let consume me until I am angry. Teach me to receive your waves of mercy, filling me with love and forgiveness that I may become more like you. Amen.

Image credit: https://www.osv.com/osvnewsweekly/story/tabid/2672/artmid/13567/articleid/18763/living-the-year-of-mercy.aspx

May 18, 2016

No Game of Thrones Here

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4;16

For most of history, when people needed help it was not easy to find. Most people lived in the peasant class and had no one to champion their cause. They certainly didn’t go to the King for help. Kings were a part of an elite class that ruled over the people and were rarely concerned with their daily needs. Mercy was rare and grace even rarer. Kings seemed more concerned with their ‘game of thrones’, than with the people’s needs.

But, all of that changed with the coming of Jesus. God always cared for His children but because the disobedience of the people, He often seemed distant. We couldn’t find our way back to Him on our own. Kings were supposed to represent God, but often didn’t. In the Old Testament, the way to God’s mercy was through the sacrificial system and the priestly clan of Levites. But with the advent of God made flesh, Jesus opened the way back to into the presence of God; a way not known since the Fall in the Garden.

What needs do you carry today? What concerns weigh you down? You needn’t break your spirit carrying them. Our Father has the answers, and He’s as close as the mention of His name. Now, you can go straight to the Throne of God, no need to beg to see the King, no long waiting lines. He isn’t busy with any war games. Jesus has opened the Heavens to you. From His throne flow waves of mercy, bringing grace to help in your time of need. Go ahead, call on His name – the King is waiting for you.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Wonderful, merciful Father, I come into your presence today recognizing that you are always with me. You know and care about all that concerns me. Thank you for opening up the Heavens and pouring out your mercy and grace on me. Amen.

Image credit: http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/game-of-thrones-hbo-releases-new-season-six-teasers/

May 17, 2016

I’m Diving In

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us,even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)

Ephesians 2:4-5

Without love, there is no mercy. Think about that for a minute. Have you ever wondered if God really loves you? Of course you have, we all have. But, scripture tells us over and over how much God loves us. His love was the reason for our very creation, and even through our sin He never stops loving us. How do we know this? Because of His mercy.

You cannot separate mercy from grace, and neither can be separated from love. St. Paul tells us God’s richness in mercy flows from His love, and that out of that mercy flows His saving grace. The same is true with us humans. If we have true love for another, we will have mercy on them and that mercy issues forth in grace. It’s the only response of loving people. It’s how we imitate God.

Do you know how much God loves you? I hope so. His great love has caused His saving grace to flow out in waves of mercy, washing clean the souls of all who plunge themselves in the cleansing tide. The river of God’s mercy is deep and wide and it wants to carry you away in His love. Go ahead and dive in. I promise you’ll be glad you did. Here’s a song to listen to as you dive in!

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Merciful Loving Father, thank you for loving me, saving me, and keeping me. Help me to live in the flow of your mercy as I drink from the river of life, and teach me to show your mercy to others. Amen.

Image credit: http://www.minimalstudent.com/simple-philosophies-live-to-dive-in/

May 16, 2016

Desire is Everything

Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:13

As we begin the Season of Pentecost, let us take our marching orders from Jesus himself. In St. Matthew’s gospel Jesus tells His followers to, “Go and learn” what it means that He desires mercy over sacrifice. It’s my prayer that together we will learn what it truly means to be filled with mercy.

We talk a lot about being filled with the Holy Spirit, but until we understand the life of mercy Jesus desires of us we will fall short of realizing all that our Pentecostal experience of being filled really means. It’s all about transformation.

By the divine power of God dwelling in us, we can live empowered as little Christ’s in this world; it’s His plan; that we live as His merciful servants toward all humanity. Too often we settle for thinking God’s plan is all about believing and if we’ll only believe we’ll be alright. That’s only the beginning. He has so much more in store for us. We must go beyond belief and into the mystical, Pentecostal experience of the Holy Spirit within.

How do we do this you ask? It all begins with worship. Worship is spirit forming and Jesus said we must worship the Father in Spirit and truth (John 4:24). That truth begins with the knowledge that God is here among us, indwelling those who open themselves to Him.

Won’t you begin today? Tell Him He’s welcome in you!

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Merciful Father, you are welcome in me. Come and fill me unto overflowing. Teach me your ways of mercy that I may walk in them. Amen.

Image credit: https://dgaskins08.wordpress.com/2015/01/20/i-desire-mercy-and-not-sacrifice-mt-913-127/

May 15, 2016

Waves of Mercy

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:1-4

Love doesn’t always look like what we think. We often think love looks like hugs and kisses, and smiles, but it can look completely different. On the morning of Pentecost, it looked like waves of mercy, blowing into the upper room and filling those who gathered in faith, overflowing them with the Spirit of God.

The gift of the Holy Spirit was a gift of mercy. Ever since the tower of Babel humanity had been separated by their languages, which caused them to scatter and create differing cultures. But, on Pentecost morning a new universal language was given – love. The Father showed how much He loved the world when He gave His only son for the life of the world. Now, He has given us His Spirit too, that we all may be one.

Mercy is the expression of God’s love. St. James tells us every good and perfect gift comes from the Father who does not change (Jas. 1:17). The gift of the Holy Spirit was for them that day, and for us too, and for all who will believe. The waves of God’s mercy are abounding with His love. He wants to fill us up till we overflow. And, when we overflow with his Spirit, His love and Spirit will flow out in mercy to our lost and broken world. And so we pray – come Holy Spirit, come.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Father of all Mercy, fall on me today, for I need you. I need the fullness of your Spirit. Come in your strength, come in your power, come in your own gentle way, but come sweet Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Image credit: https://missionalpreaching.com/2015/05/21/pentecost-and-and-patterns-of-new-creation-acts-21-21/

April 30, 2016

Wake Up Everybody!

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ²⁰Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Philippians 4:19-20

In the created order, there is no greater display of power than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No, not even the Atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki would qualify as such a great display of power. Bombs destroy everything within their blast zone, but resurrection creates life to infinity. In the resurrected life, there will never be another need unmet for all eternity. Let that sink in for a moment.

St. Paul knew that if the Philippian church could grasp the truths of the power of the resurrection, then they would fulfill their place in the kingdom. They would be the light of the resurrected Christ shining in the darkness. They would be supremely content no matter what happened in this life, because they would have the same mind as that of Christ Jesus. Such a witness would not be denied in their world – nor will it in ours.

The gift of resurrection power is yours and mine, and for all who have been re-born into faith in Jesus Christ. We need only wake up to them. We must wake up each day giving glory to God our Father for whatever comes our way, for nothing takes Him by surprise. In all things He will bring His good to us if we face this life and all its trials with confidence in the greatest power available – resurrection!

There are two billion Christians in the world. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all lived with such confidence? In his 1975 hit song “Wake Up Everybody”, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes asked the world to wake up to the possibilities of a world where we work together for change. (Listen to the song here) While I don’t know if Harold saw Jesus Christ as that change, he definitely called us preachers to wake up and preach the truth. All it takes for this world to be better is for Christians like you and me to wake up and live in the power of the resurrection.

So wake up everybody, Christ is risen…and so are we!

Grace & Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Wonderful, Merciful Father, thank you for sharing the power of the resurrection with me. Help me to wake up to all that you want me to be, and all you want to do through me for your glory. Amen. Alleluia!