Masters Harbor Ministries
Where one can find peace from the storms of life.
November 1, 2024
Our Word of God comes from Psalm 27:14, and is titled, "Wait? Really?"...
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
One thing most people in this world are not very good at is waiting. We have to have everything, "RIGHT NOW", and when we don't get it we are very upset. But "RIGHT NOW" is not something that occurs very often when we deal with the Lord. And just think about it. Back at the time when King David wrote this Psalm, things didn't move near as fast as they do now, but still he found it necessary to use 8 words, out of a total of 14 words in this verse, to emphasize the necessity for everyone to wait for the Lord.
God is not like a fast-food franchise where you drive up to a speaker, tell Him what you want and then drive up to the window and pick it up. God lives in eternity, and He has already identified our needs and taken steps to provide what we need, not what we think we need. He will give us what we truly need, but that may take a little time for Him to arrange it. Yes, some things He can do with the snap of a finger. After all, He created this world in six days, a task that even Elon Musk must be impressed with, but when it comes down to the fragile human, not only does He have to fix our problem, He also has to teach us how not to get ourselves in that position again.
God is not someone to be rushed. Because God can answer yes or no, it may not be such a good idea to push Him for an immediate answer. We may not like the answer we get. This amazing group of Servants have been working with God for what will soon be two decades. Since our creation we have prayed for many people and for equally as many things, and God has answered both yes and no to our prayers. From behind this keyboard, I have seen us urgently pray for a widowed father of, I believe, three young children, who was told he had to have emergency surgery the next morning to remove 5 brain tumors. And in true God fashion, the next morning as he was being prepped for surgery they performed an MRI to identify exactly where they needed to go in, only to find the tumors were gone. Then again, I have witnessed a member of our group survive a deadly disease only to have her life lost because of a mistake a doctor made in her treatment for something else. I prayed last week for a Christian neighbor who after spending 3 weeks on a mission trip, took a week-long cruise and died after snorkeling. When we pray, we must always remember that God can answer yes or no, and He will always choose the answer that is best for those we are praying for. But the most important thing is that we pray, and WAIT on the Lord. Really!!!
Let us pray... Father, help us to realize that a big part of our faith in you, is knowing and accepting that your response to our prayers is, and always will be, the correct response for those we pray for. It definitely will not always be the answer we desire, but it will always be the right answer. We only know what we desire. You know what is needed. Give us the compassion to pray, the patience to wait and the knowledge to accept your answer. Because we too should only want what is best for those we lift up in prayer. We ask in Jesus' name... Amen...
Pastor Elmer
October 29, 2024
Our Word of God comes from Ephesians 4:14, and is titled, "Deceitful Scheming"...
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
There is a reason why we need to study the bible. Not all who speak of the Lord are doing so at the bequest of our Lord. Many do so for their own gain or for their own glorification, not for the glorification of the Lord and not for the Lord's children. Not only are they deceiving themselves, but they are also taking a chance of deceiving the person who has come to the church to seek the Lord God. So not only do we have to be on guard for ourselves, but we must also be on guard for those who have yet to find the Lord. Through the Apostle Paul, God tells us in Romans 16:17-18, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. They play a very dangerous game.
I remembered when I was first asked to step in as District Chaplain for the West Missouri Optimist District. Although I was honored to be asked, it was also a bit frightening. Although the District Governor and present District Chaplain felt I was capable and the man for the job, it was also a bit frightening. First off, God had not called me to do this. I was being called by men. Still, I accepted, and fortunately the next day later I received my calling. Still, it was a bit frightening. Not because I would be standing up in front of people to deliver a message, I was comfortable with doing that, but the reason why it was so frightening is because I realized the responsibility I was taking on. As a Pastor, you are not only responsible for your own soul, you are also responsible for the souls you preach to. Fortunately for me, God allowed me to fail on my first sermon. Though He had provided me with the topic right out of the bible; "The Power of God", God allowed me to create the message. The topic was God's, but the words were mine. After that day, I allowed God to provide the message and I have done so ever since. When we allow God to provide the message, we will never fail, but when we insert our own ideas about scripture, we are walking a treacherous line. The bible is the inerrant word of God and when someone preaches something else, they are saying they know more than God and they are in danger of not only losing their own soul, but the souls of those who listen if they do not know the bible well enough to recognize a false prophet.
Every person out there, be you a Pastor or even a Sunday School Teacher, needs to ask God to give them the message. For nobody knows scripture better than the one who guided those who wrote it. When someone delivers a message that does not follow the bible, they're taking a chance of turning others away from God. And if those souls are lost, I wouldn't want to be the one standing before God explaining why I delivered a message that didn't follow His word. Unfortunately, there are several people out there, Pastors included, who think they can just go deliver a message that reflects their opinions on the church and the word of God without consequence. They are wrong. But just because they are wrong, those who listen and take what they say as gospel, are in danger of losing their very soul. That is why it is so important that we know the bible. We simply cannot afford to trust blindly the person who is delivering the message. We must protect ourselves from false prophets and deceitful trappings...
Let us pray... Father, we give thanks for your word and ask you to watch over your servants. We ask that you protect us and all others from false prophets who seek to teach false doctrine. Help us to seek only the inerrant word of God, knowing that your word will never lead us astray. In Jesus' name we pray... Amen...
Pastor Elmer
October 27, 2024
Our Word of God comes from Romans 12:6-8, and is titled, "Gifts"...
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then given encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
I have spoken to you in the past about things that each of us are capable of doing that others cannot, while others are capable of doing things that we cannot. That is exactly how God's gifts work. Everything in life, under Heaven, must get accomplished. In order to get these things accomplished, God distributes gifts/abilities to each of His children. That is God doing all that is necessary to get us through life in this world and on to our reward that awaits us in Heaven. The problem is, many people do not recognize the importance of their own gifts, while many others focus too much on, or envy the gifts given to someone else. They either feel slighted or insignificant.
For someone like me, I find all of this so amazing. I find it very easy to appreciate what each individual is capable of doing. During my years of service in the military and in manufacturing, I came across many people with different levels of capabilities. I have had people work for me who no matter the task we're going to accomplish it. I have had others who were not capable of performing at that kind of level, but they gave me everything they could. And I needed them all in order to accomplish the tasks our groups were assigned. Every person, doing every activity, was gifted the ability to accomplish those tasks by their Father in Heaven. Whether they be Christian or not, every person on this earth.
The reason I am cancer free today is because of a gift God gave to someone. A gift that charged them up with a desire to not do everyday labor, but to do research, day in and day out, to find better treatments and cures for cancer and other diseases. To be totally honest with you, such an idea never even crossed my mind when I was growing up. Not that many years ago, a diagnosis of leukemia was a death sentence. Lung cancer was a death sentence. But because of the gifts given to those doing the research into these and so many other diseases, many, many people are living longer, productive lives. Not that many years ago, people who lost limbs during the war or in accidents, were provided wooden limbs which they used to hobble around. Today, there have been so many advancements in prosthetics that many people can't even tell if someone is wearing one. God has blessed our lives with these gifted people! But you know what? God has blessed them by giving us the gifts to make what they do possible. To put the food on their table at night, along with the fuel and vehicles they need to get there. To provide them with the electricity, heat, water, chemicals and materials that make what they do possible. All God's children, each and every one of us, are actually and truly working together to accomplish His will. Just as you and I are using the gifts He has given us to lift people up in prayer. Do you know how many people don't have a clue how to do that? And do you fully understand just how important it is? Just how important each and everyone in this universe is to all of us? That is how amazing each of us are. Appreciate that. Appreciate one another...
Let us pray... Father, we give thanks for the many gifts you have given us. And more importantly, we give thanks to the many gifts you have given others that coincide with ours to make this an amazing world for your children to live in. An amazing time for your children to live in. Help us to truly understand just how blessed we are. Blessed because people are using their gifts for the good of all mankind. Blessed that we are capable of accomplishing so much. Blessed that we have a Father who loves us so much that He would give up His only begotten Son to save us. Help us to truly appreciate that, Father. In Jesus' name we pray... Amen...
Pastor Elmer
October 16, 2024
Our Word of God comes from Ephesians 2:8-9, and is titled, "By Grace"...
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.
When we tell people we are a Christian, do we also provide an explanation that it was not of our own doing? Do we also let the people we tell know that our salvation was a gift from God; not because of anything we did, but by the ultimate grace of God? Unfortunately, I'd say that most of us leave out these all-important topics. We wear our Christianity as a badge of honor, but are we doing so for our honor or for God's? I know for a fact, that even though I was a good man before I received my salvation, I did nothing at all to warrant God giving me such a gift. And since that day, I still have yet to do anything to warrant God giving me such a gift. So why was the gift given?
Of course, I could say that I asked for it and God gave it to me. I could say that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, but would either of these things justify God giving me salvation? Just because I asked, and I declared doesn't mean that God in any way was obligated to provide such a gift to me. The life I lived justly condemned me to an eternity of torment. My life since, though better than before, has still been a just condemnation of this person that stands before Him. But God looked upon me, just as He did each and every one of you, and was filled with grace, was filled with mercy, and His heart went out to His children. Because of that grace and that mercy, and because Christ took our sins to the cross and paid them in full with His blood, we are allowed to proclaim that we have been saved. From ourselves.
That, my brothers and sisters, is how we received the greatest gift anyone could possibly receive. We who are so weak of flesh, we who have lived a life of want and selfishness, did not deserve the gift we were given. Something we above all others should never take for granted! Something we should never fail to testify about when someone asks us if we are a Christian. Our answer should always be a two-part answer... "Yes, by the grace of God." Let us never boast of what we have done for God, and let us never forget what God has done for us...
Let us pray... Father, from your children who did not deserve your grace and mercy, we give thanks that you loved us so much to save us from ourselves. Help us to never forget. Help us to always remember! So that when someone asks us if we are saved, or if we should find ourselves testifying to another, we always let them know it is only by your grace that we were saved. In Jesus' name we pray... Amen...
Pastor Elmer
September 30, 2024
Our Word of God comes from Matthew 6:34, and is titled, "Enough Trouble"...
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
I think God has begun to turn these messages toward our prayer requests as a way of bringing some clarity to the situations that are running rampant in our lives. Last night, our sister in Christ, Jackie Honomichl, shared with us about doctors discovering her husband has lung cancer. Now everyone knows that is a very worrisome situation that can wreak a lot of havoc in a persons' or couples' lives. The torture of waiting for the results so you know the extent of what you are dealing with. Of course, the Honomichl family are part of this ministry family and therefore I care for them very much, just as I would any of you. Now I can tell them not to worry, but would that really do any good? Would my words put their minds at ease? Unless they think more of my instruction than I think they do, I doubt it very much. So much so, that I would never be so brazen as to tell them or anyone else not to worry in such a situation. But what about Jesus?
In the passage above, Jesus tells us all not to worry! But He does more than tell us not to worry, He makes no exceptions for any situation we find ourselves in. He knows exactly how destructive worrying can be for us. In fact, just a few verses before this one He pointed out the same thing... In Matthew 6:27 He says, "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" It's not so much that worrying is bad for us, but that it does nothing for us. In fact, I did a little research and came up with a few things worrying can cause. High blood pressure, heart disease, stomach ulcers, anxiety, depression, loss of concentration, loss of sleep, restlessness, feeling jumpy, muscle tension, headaches and stomach problems. Not only will worrying not solve our problems, it can cause more problems than it's worth. The only time worry can be useful is if it helps you generate a realistic plan of action. And what is the best plan of action? Having Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is absolutely the best plan a person can have.
Being a child of God places us in a win/win situation. As I have stated in the past, God does not live in the here and now. God lives in eternity. Every situation we face, He has already dealt with it, and we need not be worried about the outcome if we are saved. All we need to do is go through all the steps to find out what God's solution was. Let me also share with you a couple other verses. Matthew 6:26, 28 & 29. Still Jesus speaking... "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." And yes, the birds and flowers, like us, will one day wither and die, but that is because this earth is not our home. We are much more loved by the Father and not only has and will He take care of us in our lives, but He has already taken care of our eternal afterlife. Jesus has prepared a place for us in His Father's house and He will return one day to take us there, that we may be where He is. Our lives and our deaths have already been taken care of by the One who loves us more than any other, and life will go on. It has for thousands and thousands of years. Why should we worry about the troubles of the day when we are a child of God???
Let us pray... Father, though we have never seen you, at least not that we know of, help us to visualize you as a Mighty Oak. An Oak that can handle the weight of all our cares and worries. Then help us every day, as troubles arise, to take those troubles and hang them on the branches of that Mighty Oak. When life, illness and troubles try to weigh us down, let us remember that nothing is too much for you. When we are at our weakest, let us remember that you are all the strength we need. In Jesus' name we pray... Amen...
Pastor Elmer
September 26, 2024
Our Word of God comes from Philippians 2:3-4, and is titled, "The Interests of Others"...
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Paul was quite the teacher in his day, and today we are still handing down his teachings. Paul wrote this message to the people of Philippi to give them instructions on how to have a very rewarding life. Tonight, I pass along this same message, however, I do not pass it along for the same reason. Paul passed it along to teach. I pass it along as a badge of honor. For each of you have honored your Father in Heaven by the deeds you do in this ministry, and in doing so, you have brought honor to yourselves.
The people of Philippi needed to be instructed to do things for others, not for their own sake, but for the sake of others. The brothers and sisters in this ministry do not need to be taught that lesson. It has never ceased to amaze me just how amazing you all are. Yes, I know there are times we ask for prayer for ourselves within the group, but more often than not, you are doing most of your praying for people you do not even know. In doing so, you are placing the interests of others above your own. Do you know how much God loves when you do that? You are not teaching the words of Paul, you are living the words of Paul. And hopefully, perhaps maybe, someone who does not know the Lord will notice or learn of your selflessness and desire to learn more about the Lord we serve. Learn more about the Lord that can save their very soul.
I want you to never, ever believe that what you are doing is not worthy. Make no mistake, the message of Paul is still needed out there by a whole lot of people. There are thousands if not millions out there who are still wondering, "What's in it for me?" "Why should I do this for someone else? They've never done anything for me!" Helping others without concern of recognition or selfish ambition is not the norm. Stepping on or over people to achieve the next rung on the ladder of life is much more the norm than doing something for others just for the sake of others. But let's face it, over the years, you have time, and time again saved the lives of others through your prayers! You deserve to be rewarded! And rewarded you shall be! But not here, where recognition is only temporary. You will be rewarded by your Father in Heaven where recognition is eternal. All because you lived the Word of God...
Let us pray... Father, let your glory be the only glory we ever seek. Our greatest glory here on this old earth is that we are a child of God. That Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior! That we are Christians. A title many would not hesitate to cast stones at or even take our lives to keep us quiet. Father, we ask that you let your glory shine through us. We ask that it would shine so brightly through us that those who hate and despise your very name would be blinded by your glory. But not for our sake. For the interests of others. In Jesus' name we pray... Amen...
Pastor Elmer
September 21, 2024
Our Word of God comes from John 14:27-28, and is titled, "Life After Death"...
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
I can tell you how much I appreciate the outpouring of support I have received from members of this ministry and from many friends. I know many of you have lifted me, my family and my brother's family up in your prayers, and I couldn't be more grateful. Everyone of us has lost someone at some point in our lives. If not, live long enough and you will; one of the negatives of living a long life. But can you imagine how the apostles would grieve at the loss of Jesus. When Jesus asked the apostles, "Who do you say I am?", in Matthew 16:15, Simon Peter spoke up in verse 16, and said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." So, the apostles knew and believed that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus knowing their hearts and perhaps their spirits may be completely broken upon His death, spoke the passage above to them that their hearts may quickly find peace after His crucifixion.
Fast forward to the present day and the death of my brother. Steve is not the first in my family to go. In fact, he is the last before your's truly. I am the last of my family. I have had to endure the loss of my father, mother, sister and now brother. And as much as I loved them, not one of them is more precious than the loved one's each of you have lost. But what words were spoken to us before they departed from this world. Hopefully, the exact same words as Jesus spoke to the apostles. If our loved ones received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then the words are the same... "If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father". As Christians, there is no greater reward than to go to the Father. The place where pain, death and suffering are no more. The place where their new bodies will never deteriorate or fail. The place where they can gaze upon the faces of our Lord Jesus and God the Father. The place where life after death can and will never be taken away. If given the chance, who among us would ever call them back to this world.
Now to me, that is pretty amazing. But now I'm going to let you in on a little secret. A secret I 100% believe and have told to many people. Our loved ones are no further away from us than our next thought of them. I believe though they have passed, we hold our loved ones in our hearts and in our minds, where they live on. My brother, Steve, loved to go bass fishing just like I do, but because I was in the Air Force for 24 years and had a career here in my home town for another 24 years, we only got to be with each other one or two times a year and never went fishing together. So because I carry him in my heart and believe he is close to me when I do, I have invited him to go fishing with me the last three time's I've gone. And here's the best part. I have caught more big bass in those three fishing trips than I have in the two or maybe even three months prior. And though he never talks back to me, I speak to him as if he is right there in the boat with me. Now call me crazy if you like, but for me my brother lives on and he will not pass until all who have known him and remember him, and the good times they have shared with him, have passed. That too, my friends, is what we call, life after death...
Let us pray... Father, we have never met your Son. We have never walked with Him as did the apostles. We have never spoken with Him or listened to Him teach. But He lives in our hearts just the same. As do those we have loved and lost as we have journeyed through this life. Another of your amazing gifts is allowing others to live on inside these amazing hearts you constructed to sustain our lives and hold close those who are dear to us. Father, we give you all thanks and praise for this gift and for the many other gifts you have yet to reveal. Thanks, and praise, in Jesus' name... Amen...
Pastor Elmer
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John Irvin
1933-2013
Pastor John Irvin served as our Pastor Emeritus for Master's Harbor Ministries from 2010 until the day he was called home by the Father. Before joining the staff at Master's Harbor, Pastor John had already touched the lives of many of the staff, sharing his knowledge of the bible and passing on the wisdom he amassed over 40 plus years in the ministry. Prior to his call in the ministry. He served our country in the US Navy. Which Included a tour of duty in the Korean Conflict aboard the USS Missouri. Pastor John held many positions while serving in the ministry. After graduating from Hannibal LaGrange College. He was ordained into the ministry at the First Baptist Church in Boonville, Missouri. The first church he served as pastor was at Sulphur Springs Baptist Church in rural New Franklin. He then served as pastor at the First Baptist Church in Auxvasse, Missouri. At the time of his retirement, he was pastor of Disciples for Christ The Lighthouse in Woodland, California where he also coordinated a radio ministry called The Lighthouse. In his later years he spent time singing and ministering in hospitals and nursing homes. He was a devoted Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Great Grandfather. We here at MH had the pleasure of sitting with John and his wife Bobbie of over 56 years, as they ministered and prayed over us, (sometimes over buckets of KFC, John's favorite meal). Pastor John was a valuable resource and will forever be a part of our ministry, both in this tribute page and in the banner which adorns each page of our website. Included on the banner you will no doubt notice the lighthouse. The lighthouse symbolizes a light in the darkness to guide ships safely into harbor, amidst the storms and rocky shores which threaten to destroy them. John's ministry and life was an embodiment of the lighthouse, but instead of guiding ships safely into port, John guided souls away from the destruction awaiting them and into the arms of their Father in Heaven. John loved lighthouses and collected several over the years. His favorite song was "I thank God for the lighthouse". Likewise, the lighthouse was the inspiration behind our ministries namesake, Master Harbor, where one can find peace from the storms of life.. The light shown from the lighthouse represents the light of Christ guiding his children safely home. John was a lighthouse to all of us who knew him, and we give praise to God that John now gazes upon the face we can only preach about until it is our turn to join our brother, and our Father, in Heaven. We thank God for the lighthouse, and we thank God for sharing with us his servant, Pastor John Irvin. May we faithfully carry the torch he lit so long ago.
