No Mountain Too High

I have to admit that there are some books of the Bible that I'll often read while skipping over others. Some of the Old Testament books like Leviticus are skipped for more exciting books like the gospels. I recently read the book of Habakkuk and was amazed at the faith of Habakkuk. God had brought hard times upon Israel as judgment for sin and to draw them back into right relationship. Habakkuk begins with a prayer, "Lord, how long must I pray and you do not listen?" Have you ever felt like you hit a brick wall that you cannot go through? Perhaps circumstances of mountainous portions that you cannot go through? If so, you can identify with Habakkuk. While the whole book is worthy of reading and meditating on, I want to draw your attention to the last few verses of Habakkuk. Judgment came on Israel in the form of another nation's rampage. Habakkuk found himself waiting for the day judgment would be over and God would make all things right. Habakkuk had patience (3.16). He waited for God to do what only God can do. Patience. So often we speak and act too soon. If only we could be patient and wait on God, for He will speak and act in His timing, and when He does, it will be bring life and hope. Due to the invading nation, Israel was devastated. Crops failed, flocks and herds gone. Homes destroyed. Businesses gone. Notice what Habakkuk says in 3.17-18 "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior." What is the root of your joy? If it is in anything of the world- food on the table and pantry full, homes to sleep in and clothes in your closet, cars in the garage and gas in the tanks, jobs to go to and money in the bank, kids all accounted for and dog in the pen. Yet all of these things can be taken away, and someday will be. If our joy comes from our possessions, we'll be devastated when they disappear. Habakkuk saw it all disappear, yet he wasn't in despair nor did he lose his joy, for his joy was in the Lord God. God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good. We can rejoice in who God is or we can complain about what we have or do not have in life. Joy is a choice, and when everything is taken away, we can still choose to rejoice in our God. Verse 19 "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." We can pray for God to move mountains but sometimes God doesn't remove the mountains. In those times when God leaves the mountains, He gives us His strength and He enables us to go over the mountains instead. Sometimes the things we learn about God and faith are learned best when we have to go up and over the mountains of life. God is faithful and He is our help, our strength and He will see us through to the peaceful valley on the other side. Keep praying and waiting, rejoicing and climbing, for we belong to the Lord God who helps us and will one day make all things right. Blessings, Pastor Pete

Our Words...for better or worse?

Have you ever said something and then wished you could take it back? Whether its something you said or an email or text you send, there are times that we wish we could just take it all back and start over. If only we could. The late Peter Marshall once said, "the solemn things about words is that before you speak them, you are their master. After you speak then they are your master." If only we could learn to control our mouths. The Bible speaks of words that are like diamonds set in jewelry; beautiful and fitting. Words build others up or they tear them down. How beautiful it is when our words lift others up. In the Bible book of James, we are told that with our words we bless God yet curse our fellow man. We may not use any four letter adjectives but if our words tear down, put down or destroy someone else, it might as well be a four letter word. The next time you are tempted to speak your mind, try to think about how your words will be interpreted and received. Perhaps just thinking about this might temper what you say and how you say it. The good Lord gave us two ears and one mouth. If only we could learn to listen first before we speak, perhaps there would be a lot less stress in this world, and certainly in our own lives. The Clippers basketball team owner is in hot water for saying some racial remarks in private, yet recorded for the world to hear. One thing we can learn from this is not to be two faced, but to be in private what we are in public. If we wouldn't say something publicly, perhaps we shouldn't say it in private either. If the damage is done, you cannot take back your words. But you can offer apologies and strive, with God's help to not repeat it again. And that is the key, asking God to help you and then use you for His glory. May your words be as diamonds, set in place, beautiful and fitting for every circumstance you find yourself in. Blessings, Pastor Pete

God of Truth

What is reality? A few years ago we had a discipline problem at our school and I called a meeting with the parents. I explained what happened and how we were going to correct the behavior. The mother's response was priceless: "that is your reality, its not my reality." Her response made me realize that we sometimes pick and choose the stuff we want to hold on to, and ignore the rest. Does ignoring the facts change the truth of the matter? A blind person cannot enjoy the beauty of a sunset. Does their not seeing change the fact that the sunset exists? A color blind person may see the sunset in black and white tones, but does their inability to see the vibrant orange and red colors change the reality of a sunset's true colors? Reality is something that is real, genuine, and reliable. It is the truth. We can count on it. In math, an addition equation of 4 + 4 is always 8. It is never 7 or 9. That is a real number and it is always reliable. Scientists observe something over and over. They repeat experiments until they know that the outcome is real and reliable. Their conclusions are based upon that which is observable and measurable. When something is always true, scientists call it Scientific Law. Reality is that which is true or real. The actual state or truthfulness of the matter. Truth recognizes the indisputable facts. We can either conform to the truth of the matter of we can try to ignore them. But our response, either way, does not change the nature of reality or for that matter, that which is true and authentic. Many yearn for something that is real and authentic. There is a desire for truthfulness, not a shadow. A desire for honesty, not deceit. A desire for genuineness, not imitation. There is something about truth that we desire. Not a fabrication, or imitation, but the real deal. Our yearning for that which is true and real comes from the ultimate reality behind all that is true, it’s an echo or reflection of something that was lost to the human race long ago. Made in the image of God, the human race began with enjoying God and each other. Then came the fall into sin which distorted the present reality by introducing sin into the picture, causing both Adam and Eve to feel shame and defensive, blaming each other for the new reality. God is in the business of restoring that which was lost in people. Through faith we experience a new birth into a living hope. Our hope is that God will restore His image in us. It isn't the echo we desire, but the first shout. It's not the reflection we want, it is that which is real behind the reflection. If God is who the Bible claims He is, then He is completely true and all that He is, does and says affects the reality in which we live. The Bible tell us several things about God: (A Broad Overview of What the Bible says about God) GOD IS THE CREATOR As Creator, He brought everything into existence and maintains everything in its place. Creation is also the cosmological argument for the existence of God. Creation is beautiful, orderly and has the appearance of a design. He is the First Cause which caused all things to be in existence. Like cause and effect. The theory of evolution says that it all happened by chance and over a great deal of time. If we found a watch on a beach, would we assume it was a chance of nature created over a great deal of time? (if it was a rolex- maybe, as we put it on) The answer is No. What about your cell phone. Convenient having the means to communicate at your side, along with internet access, games and calendar to schedule your life. Was your cell phone an accident of nature or was it designed? You know the answer. It seems almost foolish. But the universe is much more complicated than any cell phone or watch. Our bodies also are incredible. Are they designed or here by accident? The Bible assumes the existence of God in the first book of the Bible. Genesis 1.1 "In the beginning God.....created the heavens and the earth." Through His spoken Word God has brought everything into existence and has wonderfully revealed Himself to us. He is the Cause of all that exists. Therefore God is the foundation upon which we can build our lives. Our very lives depend upon His faithfulness. God doesn't change, as a shifting shadow based upon the sun rising and setting (James 1.17) God will always be God. He will not become something more or something less than who He is. He is the reason for our existence and the basis for truth and reality that our hearts desire. Bible tells us that God is true- completely true as revealed in His nature, IOW His essence and character. as revealed in His Word only God is completely true. For something to be true, then all of its characteristics must agree with its nature. For a person to be true or genuine, his or her characteristics as well as all that they say and do must be in harmony. They must be perfect in everyway. No human being, except Jesus Christ has been perfect. (PICTURE OF A SOVEREIGN KING) The Bible presents God as Sovereign, in other words He is the King, the Ruler over all. The picture is of a monarch or earthly king who has complete rule over his kingdom. As the King or Ruler, God has set the rules of His kingdom. He has given us Laws to live by. Like rulers of old, He goes throughout His kingdom to see his people in order to encourage, give speeches and hold accountable. Let's Look At What the Bible Says about The Nature of God A SLICE The Bible describes God's nature in a variety of ways, from His nature to His various names. Looking at the character trait of truth is like taking an MRI picture. It is a picture of a slice- a small part, not the whole. Or think of it as a loaf of sliced bread. If we stand back, we have the whole view of God. Today we're going to take a slice out of the middle and look at one aspect of God- that God is the God of truth. TRINITY The Bible says that God is a triune God revealed in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. What is true of one is true of the other. For instance, God is eternal. Bible describes Jesus as living in eternity past, the same yesterday, today and forever. The Bible also says that the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit. let's look at What the Bible says God the Father: Titus 1.1-2 "Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness- a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior." Paul reminded Titus, and us today, that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the truth which rests upon the existence of God, who DOES NOT LIE. He keeps His promises. He does what He says. Therefore, we can take God at His word. We can act upon them. Psalm 15.2 Who can stand in the presence of God? He whose walk is blames and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue..." Truthfulness is important to God because He is True, he does not lie nor does He want His servants, ie believers or followers of Christ to be liars, instead we are to speak the truth in love. The Apostle John had numerous visions of heaven. In Rev 15 he saw thousands upon thousands of believers who died for their faith. They were before the throne of God,singing a song. They sang- Rev 15.3 “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways , King of the ages." These are the martyrs singing in heaven before God. There are no complaints, only praise. There is no pointing to any injustice done, only recognizing that God is true and just in all He does. God the Father is the God of truth. Let's look at What the Bible says about Jesus, the Son of God: John 14.6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 18.37 Jesus before Pilate: "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." "I was born" reminds us of humanity-human nature and body like us. "for this came into the world" reminds us of His divinity. He existed prior to his physical birth. Jn 1.14 The word became flesh. God Incarnate. God in flesh. His purpose: to testify to the truth- he had come from a different realm. Even his kingdom was not of this world. It was a kingdom of Truth based upon the coming of Messiah, who is the TRUTH. 1 John 5.20 "We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true- even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." "him who is true" = God. That is who he is by nature, and in his word. "and we are in him who is true"= either we are in God or we are not in Him. true is used in 2 ways. First, in reference to God's character. 2nd, in reference to there being no other God. He is the true God. All other god's are false gods. Let's look at What the Bible says about the Holy Spirit: John 14.16-17 "…Spirit of Truth…" The Holy Spirit has the same character trait as God the Father. The Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. 1 John 4.6 "We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood." (What we find out about God: ) From the Bible we see that God's nature is true.. But for God to be reliable and trustworthy, His character must match His Word. Let's Examine What God says: Ps 119.160 "All Your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal." God's Word is an extension of God's truthful character. His Word is true. His Word is eternal. IOW His Word will always be true. Pro 30.5 "Every Word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." The word "flawless" was used elsewhere of purify in metal. It has the idea that it is trustworthy. Nothing impure or deceitful in it. It is the truth John 17.17 Jesus prayed for all his disciples, including us today. He prayed, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." Sanctify means to make holy or to set apart for a holy use. God makes us holy through His Holy Spirit inspired Word. When we do His Word rather than our own ideas, we are further set aside for God's use. Your word is truth. All that God says is truth. All of God's written word is truth because it comes to us from God. 2 Tim 3.16-17 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." The Bible is inspired- God-breathed. In OT times, there were lots of gods to choose from. How did the people of Israel know that their God was the true God above all gods? God revealed himself through telling them what would happen before it happened. Isaiah 41.21-23 "bring in your idols to tell us what is going to happen. Tell us the what the former things were so that we may consider them and know their final outcome. Or delcare to us teh things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods..." Isaiah 42.8-9 "I am the Lord, that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." Isaiah 44.28 "Who says to Cyrus, "He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "let it be rebuilt." and of the temple, :Let its foundations be laid." Read Isaiah 45 and you will discover that even though Cyrus doesn't know God or acknowledge God, yet God will use him to rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple. Here's the great part of this passage. It was written 250 years before Cyrus came to power. And what did Cyrus do? he ordered the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. Want to know more? Through out God's Word God proclaims what will happen before any of it does. Daniel- when Messiah would come and be cut off and end times so accurate that non believers think it was written after the fact Genesis- the promise of a deliverer and ruler to come Moses.- the promise of a prophet like Moses David- a promise of a descendent sitting on his throne forever Isaiah- telling us about Cyrus, then the suffering servant who would die for our sins, be buried with the rich, and yet live to see his inheritance and the future glory of Messiah 1 &2 Thess- the coming of Jesus and end times Through prophecy, God reveals the fact that He alone is God, and is Sovereign and that what He says goes. The Word of God is true because it comes to us from the Spirit of Truth, and confirmed by the Son of God who is the Truth, and authorized by God the Father who is the God of Truth. Challenge: What should our response be to God's truthfulness: We would be in error to tell God, "That's your reality, not mine!" That would lead to a huge disappointment. But if we choose to accept God's reality, then we are to be like Him. Paul challenges us to imitate God. PILLARS 1 Tim 3.15 "If I am delayed, you will know how people out to conduct themseves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." Architectually, pillars upheld all that lay on top of it. The church isn't the truth, but like pillars we uphold the truths of God. We uphold it through teaching it, proclaiming it, living it by allowing it guide us, purify us, and to encourage one another. We entrust our lives to the One who said "I am the way, the truth, the life." For us there is no one else- no other truth, no other god, no other way to go. We are called by God to be holy, true, to live by the Spirit and not to grieve the Spirit by living according to our flesh or the ways of the world. We are called to be light in the the darkness. If we let go of the Word of God we let go of the only revelation that tells us how to be saved from sin and gives light to our path. If we set aside the Word of God, we set aside the Truth of God and the God of Truth. Proverbs 3.5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." trusting God and His Word as the basis for our lives- Gives us purpose Gives us direction Gives us hope Gives us a firm foundation for this life and for eternity. Gives us great joy. When difficulties come, and they come to all of us, we can rest in the truths of God, and in particular, the fact that God is the God of Truth. He will not lie to us. His Word gives us answers to the trying times we may face. His Word gives us hope, not despair. His Word is something we can rely upon because God IS the God of Truth. The God of Truth then is the foundation on which we are to build our lives. Heb 10.23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

We often say that our church is "the little country church with a big heart." Since the church is comprised of many people coming together, then the heart of the church reflects the heart of the people who call our church home. I suppose a "big heart" means that we are a church overflowing with the love of God. We seek to love God with all our heart and then to love one another too. Love is certainly expressed to those with needs through prayer and gifts. The generosity of our church never ceases to amaze me. We truly have a big heart that often reaches deep into our pockets to help those in need. The "heart" means more than love, for it has become symbolic of who we really are, deep down. It is our character. It is what drives us. It is our DNA that determines what we do and why we do it. An athlete who is full of heart is full of determination and drive. He works hard to reach his goal and win the prize. If he falls down, he gets back up and into the game. How does our "big heart" define us? What is the DNA of our church? Is it that we have a heart for God? How would we know? Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commands." Can we say we have a heart for God if we do not do what He says? Do we have a heart for others? Jesus said, "A new command I give you, love one another." Is our first inclination to run when seeing a need or is it to jump in and do what we can with what we have? We may not be able to help everyone, but we can help someone and if we make a difference in just one person, that is huge in the kingdom of God. A kindness given can go a long way in touching another person's heart. If you were on an ocean liner which came across another ship sinking, would you not want to save as many as possible? We live in a world where many are drowning in the sorrows of life without Jesus. Do we have a heart to reach as many as possible? My hope is that our "big heart" isn't big because we're full of ourselves, but it is big because we have a heart for God and people. A heart that obeys God, prays for others, gives to needs and is not afraid to roll up the sleeves to help or lovingly share the good news to those who are spiritually perishing. That kind of "heart" is by its very nature, a "Big Heart." This is our DNA as a church. Is it yours? Blessings, Pastor Pete

He Leads Us

God leads us. What an incredible thought. Psalm 23 describes it this way: "The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters..." Did you notice the personal nature of each thought? "The Lord is MY shepherd....He makes ME....he leads ME..." Have you made the Lord your Lord? There is a tremendous joy in knowing Jesus as "my shepherd." One advantage to the Lord shepherding us is that he leads us. One of the pictures described in Psalm 23 is that of a shepherd. Sheep know the voice of their shepherd. They trust the shepherd completely and will follow wherever he leads. Even when the shepherd leads, hardships and obstacles must still be crossed. The shepherd ensures that each one makes it through. Does it really matter where he leads as long as we are with him? There is tremendous joy in being in his fold. We may not know what is around the next corner, but that's ok, for we are with the shepherd. Just being in the presence of the shepherd gives us courage and peace, even in the face of danger. For when danger or times of uncertainty come, our Shepherd stands in front of us to protect with the promise to never leave us. He advances and we gain the victory. A song we sing from time to time in church is entitled "Shepherd of My Soul." The lyrics go like this: "Shepherd of my soul, I give you full control. Wherever You may lead I will follow. I have made the choice to listen to Your voice. Wherever You may lead I will go. Be it in a quiet pasture, or by a gentle stream, the Shepherd of my soul is by my side. Should I face a mighty mountain, or a valley dark and deep, the Shepherd of my soul will be my guide." Is the Lord your Shepherd? Are you listening to His voice? Are you following His lead? If so, then you can say, along with the Apostle Paul "If God is for me, who can be against me?" For Paul realized that nothing in this life could ever separate us from the love that God has for us. A love that would lead the Shepherd of our souls to lay his life down for us that we might live forever. If God would do that, then He is worthy of our following Him.

The Journey

Sometimes our lives can feel more like pressure cookers than a journey. When the pressures of life increase, where do you go? We could turn to numerous Old or New Testament people or look through the generations of the saints where we find individuals like Frances Havergal- who wrote some of the hymns we still sing today. She had what they called then a "delicate health" and experienced great pain most of her life. Or another Frances- Fanny Crosby, who was blind. She wrote over 8,000 hymns. When I consider Daniel and his friends. Captured in the conquest and destruction of Israel, they were taken to Babylon where God blessed them because they were faithful. Their faithfulness to God resulted in a fiery furnace and a lion's den. Due to their faithfulness, we have their stories of how God met them along the way and estabished a Jewish line of descendents who stayed in Babylon and continued in way of Daniel's wisdom. The Magi were waiting for Messiah to come by looking for a star. Many journeys of faith are recorded for us in the Bible. Journeys that created untold pressure upon those who were faithful to God. One in particular stands out- Abraham. God told Abraham to go to Mt. Moriah to offer a sacrifice. Oh yeah, the sacrifice would be his son Issac. Can you imagine how heavy Abraham's heart became when every step brought him closer to his destination and the death of his son? Yet Abraham continued in the journey. Hebrews 12 fills in the gaps we have from the Old Testament story. The Bible book of Hebrews tells us that Abraham reasoned that if all the promises given to him were to come through Isaac, and if God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, then God must be able to raise the dead. Do you sense the pressure of the journey and the reasoning of his faith? Abraham became righteous because he had a tremendous faith in God. He met God in a whole new way, for he discovered that God is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. When the pressures of our lives seem overwhelming, we can do what the Saints of old did before. We can turn to the Lord for help. Proverbs 18.10 "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." It doesn't matter where our journeys take us, for each of us has the opportunity along the way of calling on the name of the Lord. It is in the name of the Lord that we find help and hope, safety and refuge in the time of storms. May you discover the place of safety and rest in the name of the Lord. Have a Happy New Year. Blessings, Pastor Pete

True Oneness

Hatred. Hostility. Prejudice and racism. These things still raise their ugly head, even in modern man. San Jose State is in the news this week due to these things. Last week it was somewhere else. They reside almost everywhere, including in us. We like to understand why and so we look for a reason why. Yet too often, there isn't a reasonable explanation. However, the root for each of these is sin. All mankind is plagued by sin. The world desires peace and love, justice and equality. Somehow we think we can legislate it. So we make laws to end injustice and inequality, yet often our laws only make the injustice and inequality more pronounced. Sure, we've come a long way. I'm thankful that we have the civil rights movement and the achievements that the laws that have been made. Yet these things still exist and elude being laid to rest. We think that we can throw money at the problem. We give education, healthcare and groceries to those who do not have, somehow leveling the field with those who can afford these. It feels good to help meet genuine need, putting resources where most needed. The American people are a giving people. Yet with all the giving, these four cousins: hatred, hostility, prejudice and racism still exist. They exist because the problems are within our hearts and are a result of a spiritual problem. Our hope for peace, both within and with each other, between one country and another country,is the Prince of Peace. The Bible states that He came almost 2000 years ago. He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead in order to give us new life and show us a better way. The Bible says in Ephesians 2.15-16 "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace." When people come to faith in Christ, the distinctions that divide us are set aside so that believers are one in Christ. Galatians 3.28 says that "there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ." Therefore, the church today should reflect this oneness that comes from being in Christ. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, male or female, or which color your skin is. For we are truly one in Christ Jesus.and one day soon, people from every nation will be singing songs of praise together around God's throne in heaven. How can you put "oneness in Christ" into practice now? What attitudes need to change? May you reflect in your word and deed, the fact that you belong to the Prince of Peace who has made all believers one. Blessings, Pastor Pete