How you see your future impacts how you live your life today, was one of the many practical points Pastor Steve shared at the second service yesterday, and one that bears some reflection. Applying for a car salesman job, the interviewer asked me where I saw myself in 10 years and I quickly answered retired. I didn’t get the job. Our outlook for the future does play an important part in our daily lives. In these turbulent times, full of uncertainty, I don’t know how anyone that doesn’t know the Lord can get excited to face a new day. Political and social upheaval, deadly viruses, the economy hanging by a thread, the future looks pretty bleak … unless you are God’s child, have accepted His grace, been adopted into His family, and have been given your place in heaven. Then this world is no longer your home, you are an alien passing through, your citizenship is in heaven, you have become an ambassador for Christ! Being an ambassador isn’t always easy, quite often it can be pretty tough. You will need to learn to respond to people as God would and not react as human nature does. When you get discouraged, keep remembering that one day you will be recalled from your ambassadorship to your glorious homeland where there are no tears or hurts or final goodbyes. You will be where you belong! Every good ambassador wants to leave a legacy, and you will, of one type or another. Strive to leave a legacy of love and kindness, a legacy that touched hearts and turned them to the Lord. Don’t lose heart, be patient, your homeland will always be waiting for you. When things start getting you down, just sing the ambassadors anthem. “All I know is I’m not home yet, this is not where I belong. Take this world and give me Jesus, this is not where I belong!”
“What’s the matter with these kids today,” was sung by Mr. & Mrs. MacAfee in the 1963 musical “Bye,Bye, Birdie” and it is certainly a question that is still being asked almost 60 years later. So where does the blame fall, on the parents or the children? Seeing he is blamed for everything else, let’s look at Adam. If he had been a better father, set a better example, teaching them, spending more time with them, would Cain still have killed Abel? It is an awesome privilege to be a father, but it is also an awesome responsibility and a responsibility not for only a few years but a lifetime. Children need to be taught about God, courtesy, respect, honor, and where else more than at home from their fathers and mothers? As fathers, we set the example. We are being watched by our children, their friends, neighbors. What do they see? More importantly, what does God see? Our country is in severe trouble because the enemy has slowly eroded away the family and its values. It doesn’t matter if you have a new born or are a great grandfather, we need to be leading the way. We need to pray for God’s help to be the best father, the best example we can be, and pray for other fathers to be the same. God will help us, but we have to be willing to put out the effort! Thank You, dear Heavenly Father, for being our Father, showing us how to love, and thank You for allowing us the joy of being a father too!
Social media is still a hard concept for the “older” generation to grasp, although it can be a great witnessing tool. But … you know how those “people you may know” pop up on your page and you scroll through them and say, whoa, she looks like a psycho, he could be a serial killer, she’s pretty cute I’d like her for a friend, I knew that guy in high school, he was a jerk, and that’s how you determine your online friends. Is that how we determine our real life friends? Do we only friend and are nice to people based on our surface, unsubstantiated judgement? Who did God send Jesus to save; every man, woman, and child of every race and nation! His love and forgiveness is for everyone and once you have received it, you are to show and share it with all peoples, your neighbors! Yeah, so, who are our neighbors really? Jesus showed us. He went to the lost and lonely, the hurt and humble, He touched lepers, healed the sick, and He got His hands dirty doing so. He set the standard, our neighbors are everyone and they are everywhere. You’re not going to be, nor do you have to be, besties with everyone, people rejected Him, they will reject you too, but you are to treat everyone with respect, kindness, and love regardless! Bostonian have a tendency, when someone says something derogatory about them, to quickly counter with “you are.” I think a good ready response to have the next time someone asks, who is your neighbor, would be a quick “You Are!”
The country is in chaos. Because of one totally unnecessary act of brutality, the powder keg was set off, but it was with a fuse that had already been smoldering, and rightly so. No one likes to admit it, but discrimination does exist and needs to be dealt with. We all have, at one time or another, been guilty of it. Discrimination of any type is a sin, plain and simple. Society needs to change, but from where and how is that change going to come; from mayors, congressmen, senators, oval offices? King David knew where to look. “I will lift my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” Our help, any change, will come from the Lord. God is in control, He does not panic, He does not slumber, He will deal with evil people. Yet surely His heart must be aching, but isn’t that what man does best, make His heart ache? Of all the chaos going on, there is only a small number causing it and He will deal with them. As for us, let us deal with our own hearts, treat others with respect and kindness, think of others more highly than ourselves. So many times have I said, there, but for the grace of God, go I. Thank Him for all your blessings and share His love and blessings wherever and whenever with whomever you can. Lift your eyes to the hills from whence our and the world’s help comes and know you are securely in His care.
Now it makes sense, if you have a problem with your car’s transmission that you take it to a mechanic and not a heart specialist. The doctor may have more knowledge, but that doesn’t mean he knows anything about transmissions. Man gets easily impressed and puffed up with knowledge, but knowledge doesn’t automatically equate to wisdom. Just because a physicist understands molecules and atoms and ions doesn’t make him a sage. I’ve never understood why anyone would go on a spiritual wisdom trek looking for some skinny, half naked guru sitting in a trance on a hill. If he is so wise why is he so skinny, half naked and in a trance on a hill? I have always loved 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, probably because I relate so much to it. I don’t know about you, but the wisest moment of my life was when I realized I needed Jesus, that the foolishness the world had led me to see was the wisest choice I could ever make! The world loves to boast and bluster about itself, all it has to offer, what you should believe. Look at the world today, that’s what the world’s wisdom gets you! God’s foolishness is wiser than the wisest, His weakness, stronger than the strongest! We need to keep our eyes on Him! We need to glory in Him! The foolishness of the world will deceive many, don’t you be one of them!
These are anxious times, troubling times, and they can be somewhat depressing times. Life as we know it is changing, and whether we like it or not, we will have to adapt to those changes, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the church! We are still the body of Christ and (this is not a newsflash,it’s actually old news) we are essential! No viruses or politicians or doctors can ever shut down the church. Nothing can stop us from worshiping, praying, loving one another, encouraging one another, from making a difference. Nothing can stop us from being His light! Of course, being together as a body on Sunday is the best way to charge your batteries to face the world for a week, but until things are back to semi-normal there is nothing to stop us from our daily private prayer and Bible reading time, or from calling or texting at least one person a day to encourage them. There is nothing stopping us from showing our neighbors and strangers God’s loving kindness. There is nothing stopping us from being the church! Don’t focus on the situation, focus on the Lord! Think about the early church and all the obstacles they faced, yet they thrived! We are the church, we are essential to the world (because God says so), and until the Lord takes us all home, let us strive to thrive!
How you see your future impacts how you live your life today, was one of the many practical points Pastor Steve shared at the second service yesterday, and one that bears some reflection. Applying for a car salesman job, the interviewer asked me where I saw myself in 10 years and I quickly answered retired. I didn’t get the job. Our outlook for the future does play an important part in our daily lives. In these turbulent times, full of uncertainty, I don’t know how anyone that doesn’t know the Lord can get excited to face a new day. Political and social upheaval, deadly viruses, the economy hanging by a thread, the future looks pretty bleak … unless you are God’s child, have accepted His grace, been adopted into His family, and have been given your place in heaven. Then this world is no longer your home, you are an alien passing through, your citizenship is in heaven, you have become an ambassador for Christ! Being an ambassador isn’t always easy, quite often it can be pretty tough. You will need to learn to respond to people as God would and not react as human nature does. When you get discouraged, keep remembering that one day you will be recalled from your ambassadorship to your glorious homeland where there are no tears or hurts or final goodbyes. You will be where you belong! Every good ambassador wants to leave a legacy, and you will, of one type or another. Strive to leave a legacy of love and kindness, a legacy that touched hearts and turned them to the Lord. Don’t lose heart, be patient, your homeland will always be waiting for you. When things start getting you down, just sing the ambassadors anthem. “All I know is I’m not home yet, this is not where I belong. Take this world and give me Jesus, this is not where I belong!”
“What’s the matter with these kids today,” was sung by Mr. & Mrs. MacAfee in the 1963 musical “Bye,Bye, Birdie” and it is certainly a question that is still being asked almost 60 years later. So where does the blame fall, on the parents or the children? Seeing he is blamed for everything else, let’s look at Adam. If he had been a better father, set a better example, teach
Social media is still a hard concept for the “older” generation to grasp, although it can be a great witnessing tool. But … you know how those “people you may know” pop up on your page and you scroll through them and say, whoa, she looks like a psycho, he could be a serial killer, she’s pretty cute I’d like her for a friend, I knew that guy in high school, he was a jerk
The country is in chaos. Because of one totally unnecessary act of brutality, the powder keg was set off, but it was with a fuse that had already been smoldering, and rightly so. No one likes to admit it, but discrimination does exist and needs to be dealt with. We all have, at one time or another, been guilty of it. Discrimination of any type is a sin, plain and simple. 
Now it makes sense, if you have a problem with your car’s transmission that you take it to a mechanic and not a heart specialist. The doctor may have more knowledge, but that doesn’t mean he knows anything about transmissions. Man gets easily impressed and puffed up with knowledge, but knowledge doesn’t automatically equate to wisdom. Just because a physicist understands 
These are anxious times, troubling times, and they can be somewhat depressing times. Life as we know it is changing, and whether we like it or not, we will have to adapt to those changes, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the church! We are still the body of Christ and (this is not a newsflash,it’s actually old news) we are essential! No viruses or politicians or docto