A Life Well Lived

Each of us has a story. The story is our life. In a sense, each of us has been given a life sentence. From the moment we are born to the day that we die has already been determined and ordained by God. People do all sorts of things in order to live longer and look better, from eating healthy to exercise, from going to bed early and taking daily vitamins. Even modern medicine and technology is enhancing our lives and extending them way beyond that of previous generations. Yet, no matter how hard we try, we cannot exceed the limits that God has imposed nor can we put off the inevitable, that one day we shall die. At a funeral service I heard someone read a poem. I think it was entitled, “The Dash.” The birthday and death day are recorded, but it is the dash that is in between the two dates that counts. The dash, short and small in font size, yet it represents the whole of a life once lived. A life that was either lived well or not so well. What we do with our lives matters. The Bible says that if we strive to keep our lives intact according to the way that we wish, that we will lose it. However, if we are willing to give it up for God that we will find it. Each choice impacts us greatly. One leads to despair and the other to a discovery of an abundant life worth living. God knows the needs we have. He has reached out to us in love, providing us acceptance, joy and peace, in order to make our dash…our life…our story meaningful. Some become mistaken thinking that in yielding our lives to God that somehow God will protect us and keep us from all harm or evil. However, Jesus promised that we would have tribulation, not the absence of it. Instead, Jesus said to keep our focus on Him, for He has overcome the world. Too often we focus on what we think we need, whether it is circumstances going our way or longing for the feeling of comfort and security. This leads us to mourn our losses rather than rejoicing in the gain that is ours in Christ Jesus. Instead of counting losses, try counting your blessings, for blessings certainly outnumber our losses. In gratitude, we accept the victory that is ours through faith in the Lord Jesus. By faith we look forward to the day when God will make all things right, our hope will be realized and our faith will be sight. Until that day, live the dash for His glory and it will be a life well lived. Blessings, Pastor Pete

From the moment we are born to the day that we die, we are on an adventure called life. In the movie "Forest Gump", Tom Hanks portrayed Forest who said, "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Maybe that is what makes life an adventure. There are lots of surprises, from being in the right place at the right time or being rewarded for hard work or finding new friends or falling in love or discovering a new hobby. I suppose each of us has expectations of what life should bring. We want each piece to be our favorite flavor. However, life isn’t like that. Sometimes life dishes out pieces that go well beyond our expectations and at other times falls far short. Sometimes we work hard at making a living in order to ensure each piece in our box of life is just how we want it. Work takes precedence, often overshadowing family, friends and God. Somewhere along the way the least important becomes the most important, and with priorities upside down we struggle for meaning while striving to make a living. If this is true, we must ask ourselves, "What do we want? To make a living or make a life?" Jesus offers us something better. He said in John 10.10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This isn’t offering a sequel that should never have been made nor is it a "make over"- same you but with an improved image. Instead, God is offering something new and refreshing. The Bible says, “If we are in Christ we are a new creation. All things are new” (2 Corinthians 5.17). By faith we grab hold of God who is able to truly make our life new with new meaning and purpose. Consider Ephesians 2.10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Discovering the purpose filled life that Jesus offers fulfills the unmet longing of each of our hearts. By accepting God’s life and purpose for our own, we discover a satisfying fullness that nothing else can come close to, and in the process points others to the One who is the Life. If you want to be miserable, try living the new life in your own effort or embrace Jesus yet continue to live in your own way. It doesn’t work and you’ll never be happy until you settle the issue once and for all. Either we are His by faith and yield to His purpose for us, or we go it alone and try to fill our life with good things but not the best things. In the end, our way will never lead to the fullness of life that Jesus spoke of and we’ll be disappointed with each piece of chocolate…I mean life. If we exhale all of the things we thought so dear and breathe in the life God, we allow God to fill us with His life, a life full of satisfaction and meaning that we never dreamed possible. We may never know what the box of life will bring, but we do know that God is a God of surprises and whatever may come, we know that He will be with us. Prayer: Lord, breathe Your life into mine and make my life into what You want it to be- full and abundant, fulfilling Your holy purpose in me that others may see and glorify You.

The Great Divide

Last summer while traveling with my son Matt, we crossed over the continental divide. The watershed on the east flows into the great Mississippi. The watershed on the west flows to the Pacific. It is a dividing line. Our society has many dividing lines. Politically, our country is divided. Economically there are those who have plenty and those who are in need. It seems the divide is getting harder to cross. We see division in social realms, moral values and spiritual issues. There seems to be no end to that which divides us. Division often finds its way into the church. In Paul's time, some said that they were of Apollos, others Peter and still others Paul. Somehow, through association they became spiritually better than others. A childhood friend attends a church in Santa Rosa which teaches that it is the right church and all the others, including our church, are in error. Another friend attends a church that only uses the King James Bible because it is the only authorized version. Division exists, yet God has provided a way for us to be as one. The world has its idea of oneness. John Lennon wrote the song "Imagine" which captures the essense of it. He wrote, "Imagine no heaven...no hell...no country...and we'll all be one." It sounds like Utopia on earth, but in reality it is a thought that leads to hell. Jesus is the only one who can tear down the great divide. The Bible states that sin separates us from God, but through Jesus, the separation is removed and we have peace with God. Jesus destroyed the distinctions of His day by hanging around with sinners (tax collectors and a known prostitute) and told stories like the Good Samaritan which caused people to ponder who really was the true neighbor. In Ephesians 2.14 we see that Jesus has torn down the dividing walls between the greatest division in the Jewish mindset-the division between Jew and Gentile. God's purpose was to create one new man out of the two. Think of the distinctions we have today: differences in gender, wealth, ethnic back ground and social status. Jesus has torn down these divisions and have made us truly one. Galatians 3.28 states that there is neither Jew nor Greek, male or female, slave or free, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. What we see then is that sin divides, but Jesus unites. Is there a great divide between you and God? Then come to Jesus have have peace with God. Is there a great divide in your relationships? Commit them to Jesus and trust Him to do the impossible, for truly He can bring healing and wholeness to anyone who comes to Him in faith. Don't let sin keep you on the wrong side of the dividing line. We must cross over and put our trust in Jesus and in Him alone. Which side are you on? Blessings, Pastor Pete

What Is It That Guides You?

Perhaps you let your conscience guide you. If it feel's right or if others are doing it. I suppose each of us has a sense of what is right or wrong. But how do we know if what we think is right is really right? The Bible book of Hebrews tells us in 6.17-18 "...God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear... it is impossible for God to lie..." When it says that God doesn't change, the Bible isn't refering to the changing of His mind, but the unchanging essence of His nature. God's nature does not change..."like shifting shadows.." as James 1.17 puts it. God cannot lie because His very nature is truth (Titus 1.2). God has given us His promises and revealed His heart for us in His Word. It is signed, sealed and delivered through the Holy Spirit. God keeps His promises. How do I know that? Because it is contrary to the very nature of God to lie. Since God cannot lie, nor change His purpose or Word, then who can change it? The rhetorical answer is no one can alter what God says. Yet there is one who tries to change it through deception. Of course I am speaking the devil. Jesus said in John 8.44 that he "was a murderer from the very beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." The Apostle Paul described him as the "ruler of the kingdom of the air, who is at work iin those who are disobedient." (Ephesians 2.2) Satan is working in those who do not hold to the truths of God. Its not that they are bad people, because all of us are bad due to sin. But they are being deceived so that the truths of God are considered false or at best out-dated and irrelevant. So we see our present day world, deceived by the Father of all Lies, holding onto things that sound so good and sophisticated, yet contradict our Creator's design and plan. As a believer in Jesus, hold onto the truths of God. If science contradicts the Bible, wait and see, for time after time science has changed, yet the Word of God is eternal and unchanging. Do the cultural norms and values we live with in this world contradict the truths of God? Hold onto the Word of God, for it will guide you through each step of your life. Keep your eyes on Jesus and on the promises of God, for God will certainly keep His Word and will deliver us in due time. For all those that hold on to God and obey His Word, it is to them that God has promised eternal life. My friends, hold on for we are in the middle of a time of deception which has not seen its equal in some time. But if we hold on to God's Word, it becomes our guide, a light for our path, giving us direction and helping us not to misstep along the way. We have His promise that if we trust Him with all of our heart He will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3.5-6). I'm holding on, are you? Blessings, Pastor Pete Blessings, Pastor Pete

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."