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July 14, 2024

 

Our promised Word of God comes from Proverbs 3:6, and is titled, "In Everything You Do"...

 

In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.

 

In my message yesterday, I spoke to you about hatred leading to destruction.  Aside from the destruction of lives that occurred at the Trump campaign rally yesterday, the event also turned out to be a lesson to all people, Christians and non-Christians alike, concerning the importance of seeking God; putting God first in everything we do.  The destruction of lives that occurred yesterday did not begin that morning.  It was a built up of rhetoric between one party and another, and unfortunately, we cannot point a single finger at one party and say this is your fault.  Each party has been guilty of demonizing one another for decades in an attempt to secure a political position.  Tearing down their opponents and the opponents' supporters while promising a better life for "ALL!"  Unfortunately, Thomas Matthew Crooks, at the young age of 20, became so caught up in the rhetoric and the hatred that he felt compelled to do something about it.  And because our country has turned so far from God, banning the very mention of His name and His Word everywhere they could get away with it, Thomas did not receive the information that could have saved his life.  For I am certain that had he consulted with God prior to taking such action, God would have instructed him, with love in his heart, not do so.  Hatred, not love, took the life of Thomas Crooks yesterday.

 

Unfortunately, the hatred Thomas Crooks had also took the life of former volunteer fire chief, Corey Comperatore, but Corey's life and his actions yesterday were a demonstration of God's love.  As a firefighter he had placed his own life in danger to save the lives of others, and yesterday he did the same as at the sound of the first shot, Corey jumped in front of his family to protect them.  Many times he had willingly and successfully placed his very life on the line for others, and yesterday was no exception as he successfully gave his life to save the people he loved most.  He did not learn these gifts, choose such a life nor make such decisions from an atmosphere of hatred.  Corey was a product of God's word and God's love, and he demonstrated both not only in his life, but with his life.

 

These two men met up yesterday with a very different purpose in their hearts.  Today, both stand before their creator to be judged for their lives.  One appears to have not known God nor His word.  The other appears to have lived it.  I will not make an assumption as to what God's verdict will be on either person, but I believe our country as done a disservice to Thomas Crooks by driving God out of our schools where young people could learn and grow, knowing the difference between good and evil, and the love God has for them and all people.  As I stated in the first paragraph, our country has turned far from God.  At moments like this, those who have been sitting on the fence; choosing not to take sides on the matter, begin to rethink their positions.  I believe it with all my heart that now is the time for Christians to be vocal about our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  We don't have to stand on street corners holding a sign, but when the opportunity presents itself, we should be prepared and willing to testify as to what our relationship with God has meant to us; how it has impacted us and our lives for good.  It is time for Christians to be willing and ready to serve... in everything we do...

 

Let us pray...  Father, we pray tonight for Thomas Matthew Crooks.  If one is not taught about God, can we truly hold him accountable for his actions against God.  And when a nation turns their back on God, can that nations' children be held accountable for their actions against God.  We pray you will be merciful and just in your judgement.  And Father, we also pray for Corey Comperatore who sacrificed his life, as did your Son, for those he loved.  He truly died with honor and we pray you will hold him and his family gently in your arms.  None of us are perfect Lord, but for those who know you; who know your Word and your love, we pray you will be compassionate, convict our hearts and give us the strength to speak of these things to all who need to hear you message.  In Jesus' name we pray...  Amen...

 

Pastor Elmer

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June 25, 2024

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Our Word of God comes from Luke 10:30-36, and is titled, "The Good Samaritan"...

 

In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, poured on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

 

This scripture reading is one that without actually quoting it, I have spoken with others about twice over the past two days.  In actuality I was speaking about the people in this ministry, and the people I was speaking with were our Outreach Minister and fellow Servant, Jacque Porch, yesterday, and our fellow Servant, David Wilder, today.  Jacque was talking with a nurse about having all these people who were praying for her, and today David was talking about what an amazing comfort it was to have all of you praying for him as well.  The very same thing I have spoken with you about so many times as I have found myself in need of prayer.

 

When you are going up against something that could very much be something that could end your life, aside from how amazing it is to know that you have God beside you, it is also very amazing and comforting to know that hundreds of prayers are being lifted up for you from those who love you; even though they may have never met you.  And that is the amazing thing about this group.  The majority of us do not even know one another, but we are brothers and sisters still the same and we pray for one another when one of us is in need.  Not only that, we pray for other people who are not even a part of this group, who we don't know either.  But we know we are praying for a brother or sister.  And be they lost or be they found in God, we lift them up to our Father in Heaven in prayer.  

 

Jesus made a point to describe what a true neighbor is in this story of the good Samaritan.  And by definition, we all are the good Samaritan in this scripture reading.  No, we may not be finding people on the side of the road, beaten up and left for dead, but we are reaching out to the greatest power in the universe and asking Him to do that which we are incapable of doing.  While others keep people in their thoughts, this amazing group of Servants are lifting people up before our Creator.  And yes, sometimes we are spending a little extra time with them too.  Just as Jacque did while waiting in the hospital with Mark as they awaited news of how Joan came through brain surgery to remove a tumor.  Like David is as he reaches out to Reggie tomorrow to provide him information and comfort as he faces what is presently and unknown in his life.  You amazing Servants are the good Samaritans of the modern age.  Your hearts love beyond the bonds of blood to your brothers and sisters from another mother.  Know without a doubt, when Jesus told that parable, He was telling the story of you!

 

Let us pray...  Father, how blessed we are that you and your Son have instilled such love into your servants.  How amazing that you gathered together a group of amazing servants from so many villages and communities to serve the purpose of being your good Samaritans.  I thank you and give you all glory and praise for bringing them into my life.  May we, to our dying breath, serve the Lord.  In Jesus' name we pray...  Amen...

 

God bless each of you...

 

Pastor Elmer

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June 24, 2024

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Our Word of God comes from Matthew 6:7-8, and is titled, "Your Father Knows"...

 

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 

I have had people write to me and thank me for the prayers I place in these messages.  I have also had some share that they wish they could pray like I do.  To be honest, I pray to God that the prayers I place in these messages don't give people the wrong idea of how they are to pray.  As we explained by our Lord and Savior in this scripture reading, we do not need to speak volumes.  Nor do we need to speak the most beautiful words, for our Father knows our needs before we even ask.  I pray the way I do because before I became a Christian, I did not know how to pray.  I had voiced a few prayers, but because I didn't understand what I should be praying for, I spoke prayers asking for what I wanted.  I was not aware that God was going to give me everything I needed and gladly was not as concerned with my wants.  My wants could have led me down a path that could have ended up taking me away from God.  What He gave me brought me to God.

 

But when this ministry was started, I wanted to offer a prayer, because some of the people who became members let me know that they were yet to be Christians.  Like I had been before I became a Christian, they believed in God but had yet to find Him.  For them, and for those who were Christians, but were possibly too shy to lead a silent prayer, I wanted to help them learn how to pray.  Of course, I pray more and different words than our Lord and Savior instructed in the verses that followed, as He introduced us to the Lord's Prayer.  And again, I am still asking for what we want; for what the prayer request wants.  But I hope you all know, as I believe our Father knows, we are really asking for God's will to be done.  For as our scripture lesson tells us; words coming right out of God's own mouth, He already knows what we need.  And though what we truly need and what we think we need can, and often is, two different things.

 

But when it comes to our scripture lesson, Jesus is right.  One does not need to pray elaborate words.  One does not need to throw in a half dozen, "Our Father's".  They just need to talk to God as if He is their Father.  That is why I address Him as suck in my prayers.  You notice that Jesus even told us that "your Father" knows your needs before you even ask.  But none of us should ever be afraid to get personal with our Father.  The Lord's Prayer is an amazing lesson to teach us about how much our Father knows about us and is involved with our lives.  For any Christian, there is nothing wrong with just saying the Lord's Prayer each and every morning, but if we are honestly and truly seeking a close personal relationship with our Father, then we should talk with our Father.  We should tell Him what is on our mind; tell Him what we are thinking.  He loves us more than we could ever possibly imagine, He'll take the time to listen.  It lets Him know He means more to us than just someone we turn to asking for a handout.  It also lets Him know that the people we are praying for mean more to us than those things contained in the Lord's Prayer.  We are not just praying for our brothers and sisters, we are serving them, and God!  But either way, your Father knows, so talk to Him...

 

Let us pray...  Father, a picture may be worth a thousand words, but ten words can speak more than any picture ever could.  "We love you.  We need you.  We praise you...  Amen..."  Of course, we speak these words in Jesus' name...  Amen...

 

Pastor Elmer

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June 21, 2024

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Our Word of God comes from a portion of Matthew 16:26, and is titled, "Gain"...

 

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

 

What good, indeed!  I have a feeling this is going to be a very short message.  Our world is full of people who are focused on completely the wrong things.  Our society measures greatness by how far a person is able to go; what they are able to achieve.  Many people feel that if you don't go to college, that you have no drive.  That you will never amount to anything and aren't smart enough to be trusted with anything other than manual labor.  Then there are those who think because someone has a college education, they must be brilliant.  Of course, neither of these thoughts are at all accurate.  We are all given certain gifts and abilities by our Creator, who is the wisest of all, and if I have learned anything in this life, we need all these people to make this world of ours continue to turn.  Though I may be gifted with certain management or teaching skills, I am not a mechanically minded person, and we need mechanically minded people to keep things going.  Others are brilliant enough to run a giant corporation, but they need the mechanically minded person to put oil in their car.  The problem lies when we allow our perceptions to guide our lives.

 

Most people are satisfied simply to reach a level they consider to be successful and to earn a decent living.  Others want to own the world.  Neither of these things make someone a terrible person.  However, their motivation can be leading them down a wrong path.  This afternoon, I was watching a short program on Elon Musk.  Though I believe Elon to be a true genius, some of his ideas are a little off the page.  I can appreciate his knowledge and what he has done for the automotive industry and the space program, but his point for space travel is to take humanity to the universe.  He doesn't seem to just want to manage this world, he wants to manage the universe and make billions while doing it.  And though his life and mine couldn't be further apart in the direction each of us desires to go in our lives, both he and I will be lying 6 feet under at some future point, with the only thing being left over is our souls, which can't own anything.  And whether or not our souls spend eternity in heaven or hell will not be determined by his wealth or my being a pastor.  

 

A focus on gain can lead someone down a path to destruction.  Likewise, a lifestyle of want can also lead someone down a path of destruction.  But be we rich, poor, stable or well off, the only true richness in this world is a relationship with God.  God isn't looking for advisors on how He should be running this planet or the universe, nor is He looking for someone who worships their car more than they do Him.  He's not interested in having a debate about whether or not He exists or exactly how the trinity works.  He is also not concerned with our level of education.  This world survived a long time before schools, colleges or universities ever came into existence.  He's not even interested in what religious denomination we belong to.  As our scripture reading states, you could easily lose your soul if your focus is on gaining the whole world, but you can also lose your soul if you are poor and do not seek the only things that can save your soul.  Seeking forgiveness of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  No matter what your position or status in life may be, nobody is getting out of this life alive.  Worry about your eternal future, not about what you have or don't have.  True gain in this world is eternal life in the next.  I guess I was wrong about this being a short message...

 

Let us pray...  Father, we are so misguided.  We place value on things that have no value whatsoever.  We judge others with an unfair measuring rod and condemn ourselves while we pat ourselves on the back.  You are life!  Your Son, our Lord, is our road map to eternity!  Nothing outside of these is of any importance.  Yet we push our Lord and you aside to focus on accomplishments.  We seek to be gods of our own domain.  That is why we give you all praise for calling out to us when the hole we had dug ourselves into became so deep we could not see the Light.  For this we give you all thanks and praise in Jesus' name...  Amen...

 

Pastor Elmer

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June 18, 2024

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Our Word of God comes from Hebrews 2:10 and is titled, "It Was Fitting"...

 

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.

 

Earlier, in our prayer request, we spoke of the chances of Joan's tumor being found benign as 3%.  For God's purpose, He got me thinking about odds.  For the average person, 3% is not very good odds.  Matter of fact, 3% for the average person would be a life ending threat.  But for Joan, a Christian, she went into her surgery knowing that 3% odds was more than enough for God to make a miracle happen.  For you see, the Christian, if they are a true Christian, enters everything with a 100% amazing outcome in mind.  If our situation turns out successful, we return to our family and friends to continue our lives and loves.  If our situation is unsuccessful, in earthly terms, we go to be with our Father in Heaven.  Simply put, there is no "lose" for a Christian.  Our expectancy with God is a 100% positive outcome.  So, is 3%, 3 out of 100, good or bad?

 

Well, I say that 3% is amazing odds.  I base this assumption on the fact that, who am I in this world full of people?  I am but 1 person, on a planet with a population of approximately 8 billion, rotating around the sun in the endless void of space.  Multiply that by the number of years they estimate this old world has been around, and that makes me just 1 person in approximately 117 billion who have ever lived upon this earth.  Now, compare that 1 in 117 billion to what is possibly out there in the universe.  God created this universe, and regardless of what we know, we have no clue if God placed life, in some sort of human form, on any of the other planets, in any of the other galaxies in the universe.  If He did, I guarantee you that He loves them just as much as He loves us and is trying to save them as He is trying to save us.  But just with the odds of 1 in 117 billion, what are the odds that I would come to know the Lord?  What are the odds that out of 117 billion, that God would even care to seek out a sinner such as I?  Better yet, what are the odds that out of 117 billion people, that God would take human form to die on the cross for my sins?  I had already done enough in my life to convict myself and justify His sending me to the fiery lakes of hell, so why would He seek me out that I might spend eternity in paradise instead?  With 1 in 117 billion odds, I find it hard to believe that it was fitting for God to save one such as I.

 

With these odds, I hope to have demonstrated to each of you what God felt was fitting for your eternal soul.  He had and has witnessed the evil of mankind, and still He died on the cross for us, against all odds.  Jesus was born and died a man.  He walked and lived upon this earth with challenges just like you and I.  The only difference, He did so without sin.  Unlike you and I, His death was not justified, you being God incarnate, He willingly went to the cross and had all the sins of 117 billion people to date, along with all the sins of all future beings, poured out upon Him as He hung there dying.  God felt it was fitting for our salvation.  As Joan entered surgery today, she accepted the odds.  As we prayed today, we accepted that with God all things are possible.  We all placed her life, rightfully so, in God's hands.  Just as we do each day with our own lives. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And although we don't deserve it, we certainly should like the odds.  Because God felt it was fitting to save us...

 

Let us pray...  Father, despite what we deserve, you felt it fitting to provide an avenue for our salvation.  Despite what we may deserve, you felt it was fitting to atone for our sins by dying on the cross.  Despite what we deserve, you felt it fitting to call us unto you and blessed us by living in our hearts, that where we are you are.  We pray that when our lives here are through, you will find it fitting that we be where you are as Jesus promised.  And it is in His name we pray...  Amen...

 

Pastor Elmer

 

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June 16, 2024

 

Our Word of God comes from Psalm 103:13, and is titled, "Father's Day"...

 

The Lord is like a Father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him.

 

Today, we celebrate Father's Day.  Speaking from experience, I entered fatherhood with only observational experience.  Much like the rest of my life, I learned from watching others.  I'm sorry, but Leave it to Beaver and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson were of little use.  Family life was a little different than portrayed on television in the 50's and 60's.  At least not in the Warren family household, nor in several other family households in the small community in which I grew up.  One thing I did know is that I didn't want a marriage or a family life like ours.  As I look back on that life, once again I can see God's hand in raising this child.  I knew love was not supposed to be like what was demonstrated between my dad and mom.  You don't beat the person you love.  You don't molest your daughter.  You don't threaten to kill your family.  Most dad's didn't go to prison.  And I know there were other kids raised in violent households.  

 

A single mother of three didn't have much of a chance at that time, so my sister ran off and got married, when my brother turned 16 he joined the Navy without ever graduating high school, and I stayed with mom until I joined the Air Force and helped to support her as she had supported me.  My mother loved me without a doubt, and without a doubt, I loved my mother, but I remember her speaking many words that you never heard used on TV, in the movies nor probably in the Navy, until she found the Lord. Fast forward to 1979, and the birth of a little girl to my wife and I.  I officially became a father, who loved his daughter and wanted the very best for her.  I also wanted her to be the very best.  Being the daughter of a member of the military, my daughter had to deal with both sides of my life.  She was loved, but she was also disciplined.  There were rules and rules were not to be broken.  Unacceptable behavior was never accepted.  I'm sure I made mistakes with her, and with her brother who came along five years later, but they had a better life than I and that is what I wanted most for them.  They grew up to be what I consider exceptional grownups and I give them the credit.  I gave them information and guidance, but they made the decisions that made them the young woman and man they are today.  No regrets.

 

The only regret that I do have is that I was not as good a child to my Father in Heaven as my children were for me.  Though I may not know what He looks like, I'm pretty sure God has a bald spot from scratching His head and wondering what He was going to do with me; "make him a preacher or snap my fingers and turn him into dust?"  It took me 40 years to decide to seek Him and another 4 after that before He introduced Himself to me and called me to come.  Even though I've shared with you a lot of bad things about my dad, everything he did was not bad.  My dad had mental issues, and though that doesn't excuse the bad things he did, today he could have taken a pill.  At the time, electric shock therapy was the best treatment option available.  And though I hated him at times, he was also my dad and I loved him.  I just didn't love what He did.  Just like our Father in Heaven.  He always loves us, He just doesn't love what we do.  As a Father, I've always loved my children unconditionally, but if there was ever a poster child for the demonstration of unconditional love, it would definitely be our Father in Heaven.  Happy Father's Day, God...

 

Let us pray...  Father, the headaches we caused our parents are nothing compared to the headaches I'm sure we've caused you.  Why you love us so may cause us to at times question your sanity, but truly we would be lost without you.  Though we were born into this world, we never knew what life was truly about until you called to us.  Father, as we celebrate Father's day here on earth, we, your servants, celebrate having the greatest Father in the universe.  We pray in Jesus' name that you will remain patient with your children...  Amen...

 

Pastor Elmer

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