Peace on Earth?

“’Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2:14). Peace on earth. We’ve all sang about it, signed cards with it flashed across the front, even watched holiday television specials with a blanket-carrying shepherd reciting the meaning of Christmas to us. But is the way we so cavalierly use the phrase the way God intended it when He sent the heavenly host to the shepherds in their field. In today’s society, we believe this phrase to mean that we are to seek peace with our fellow human beings because Jesus came to live among us and died for us. Yes, we are to seek peace with each other (God desires this), but this is not His plan.

The peace God designed for us to embrace is the peace that only a resurrected Savior can give. This peace is an individual-spiritual peace, not a global-societal peace. Through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will have certainty of your ultimate eternal residence. When everything you know is lying around at your feet in a pile of rubble, seemingly destroyed, you can rest in the fact that you belong to Jesus Christ and no earthly or spiritual beings will ever be able to destroy that relationship. The only one who can damage that loving rapport with the Son of God is….you! If you withdraw yourself away from His love and commandments, you open yourself up to whatever snares that lay in your path. Look at the “Life-Changing Prayer” on the right side of this blog, and sincerely ask Jesus Christ into your heart. You won’t regret your decision, nor will you erroneously question your walk with the Lord.

From the Pastor's Heart

I love this time of the year; rejoicing with fellow believers in the praise of our most holy Creator and in the earthly arrival of His Son, Jesus Christ! I enjoy presenting the birth of Jesus to those who don’t have a full knowledge of Jesus as their Savior, of worshipping a God who loved us so much that He gave His most prized possession to us for our salvation, and reflecting back on past generations who have recognized the significance of this precious gift and committed their Godly encounters with pen to paper. Yes, it is Christmas, again. This week at Eastpoint, we celebrated our Lord’s birth with carols of old, a message that points men toward God, and the recognition of Jesus’ death and resurrection (His defeat of death and sin) through communion.

After a beautiful time of praising the Lord through carols expressing the wondrous love of God, we explored the distance from Bethlehem to Jerusalem—or more appropriately, from Bethlehem to Calvary. Not the usual correlation you would expect during Christmas, but still a very important relationship to examine. Geographically speaking, Bethlehem is approximately 5 miles from Calvary. In literacy, it is 22 chapters and 30 verses (give or take a verse or two—Luke 2:16 to 23:46). Chronologically, it is 33 ½ years. Spiritually speaking, it is the short distance from the manager to the cross with an infinite journey ahead of you once you reach the cross. We don’t like to equate a holy baby with that of a bloodied, bruised, and unrecognizable man; however, it is this latter image that gives you a much clearer picture of the love stored up in a small infant. Jesus didn’t come to this planet with a desire to be included in incredible works of art depicting Him as an angelic child who had peace daintily painted into His face. He came to earth to teach us of God’s passion for us as individuals, and to destroy the grip that sin and death had on mankind through His crucifixion and resurrection. His death was not angelic, it was not peaceful, it was not glorious, but it was followed by a powerful resurrection, it was for the deliverance of man, and it was for you. Jesus went through all of this, knowing full well that in 2000 years, you would be reading this. He was man, but He was also God (Emmanuel: God with us). He endured unbelievable pain, anguish, shame, and separation from God, the Father—something He had never experienced until His earthly death—all, so that you could experience eternal life in heaven with Him. Look to the right of this web page; there is a section titled “A Life-Changing Prayer”. Read that section right now, I’ll wait for you to finish it (you are well worth the wait).

Did you finish it? Great! Congratulations on the new life you are about to embark on. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that we are new creations in Jesus Christ — this is referred to as being “born again”. So in addition to “Merry Christmas”, I wish you a “Happy Birthday”, as well. Continue to read the Word of God (bible) and talk to Him daily—He is so excited that you have decided to allow the Lord Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life. All of Calvary was worth the agony since YOU have decided to make Jesus your Lord. See, I told you it was a short trip from an animal’s feed box to your eternal life with God (not bad for a newborn baby with peace on His face). I love you and look forward to meeting you here or in heaven, as the Lord wills it.

Have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

From the Pastor's Heart

As we approach yet another wonderful Sunday, I think back on this past Sunday’s services; along with the past week. After spending a marvelous time in the sweet presence of the Lord during praise and worship, we had our first baby dedication at Eastpoint Family Church. Keagan Hays Schneider was presented and dedicated to God. As his parents offered him to the Lord, they vowed to raise him to love the Lord Jesus Christ. After which, the congregation promised to support his parents by example and through acts of service.

After introducing little Keagan to the church body, we watched a skit by our own drama ministry. The thematic message of the production involved becoming so busy by the world’s idea of Christmas, that the “actual” celebration for the holiday is forgotten and pushed off to the side. That “actual” foundation for Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ here on earth. His life, death, and resurrection ensure eternal life for those who believe in Him and have asked Him into their hearts (see “A Life-Changing Prayer” on the right side of this page). If we keep Christ first in our daily lives, then every day can be a Christmas celebration. Interesting side note, the song that went along with the skit was written by our own Mark Williams.

Our morning service sermon was entitled, “Angels Out In The Field”. The angel that appeared to the shepherds that glorious night brought a message of peace to mankind. But not peace as the world would know it, peace that can only exist in knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is the only true peace that can thrive on earth—until Christ’s millennial reign. Again, I direct you to the right side of this page for the section titled “A Life-Changing Prayer”. Asking Jesus Christ into your heart will give you a peace that transcends all understanding—even when you don’t know why you’re going through a living nightmare, you can be content in the fact that you belong to Jesus and nothing can ever change that decree unless you allow it to. Reread Luke chapter 2 with this knowledge in your heart and mind; the words literally carry the joy and glee of God, the Father, as the angel gives the pronouncement of Christ’s birth.

On Sunday evening we enjoyed another magnificent time in congregational praise and worship of the almighty God. My evening sermon continued on the subject of “Peace”. Many years ago, the countries of Argentina and Chile were on the verge of an ugly war stemming from a border dispute. Instead of going to war, both governments decided to construct a monument to forge a peaceful relationship—“Christ, the Redeemer of the Andes”. Through this symbol of peace (Jesus Christ), both peoples have kept relations civil. As we studied this further, we found that this follows true in our own lives, as well. We have to allow peace into our lives in four different areas: 1) Peace with ourselves, 2) Peace within our families, 3) Peace with others, and 4) Peace with God. The last one is the most important; without peace with God, the other three areas of peace will not survive. This peace, or reconciliation, with God occurs with the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This beginning step may seem difficult to take, but the journey is well worth the effort. We followed this again on Thursday night as we concluded our study of the John Bevere book, Drawing Near. God desires to have a relationship with you. He loves you and is calling out for you to respond back to Him. Don’t let another minute go by without asking Jesus into your heart; the destination at the end of the road is an eternity spent in the presence of an infinitely-loving God. He loves you, as do I.

Have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

The Giving of Gifts

Remember getting a gift so precious, so special, that you kept playing the unwrapping of your gift over and over in your mind. The unexpected surprise followed by the joy of receiving something you had longed for for weeks, months, maybe even for years. Now you have your gift and you begin to take it out of its package. You play with it, work with it; basically, you use it for what it was designed for.

Let’s say you didn’t take it out of the packaging, but left it in its wrapper. A year or two has passed, and your gift-giver has decided to pay a special visit; carrying another gift. He sees the unwrapped present from past times, and develops a disappointed look upon his face. When you ask him why he is so disheartened, his reply is such, “I was hoping you would have used your gift and become accustomed to the way it works. I have brought you another gift today; unfortunately, in order to use it properly, you need to know how to use the first gift correctly. I guess I can bring it back another time, once you have learned and understood the first gift. WOW! You just missed out on something that could have been incredible. Another gift that used the first gift and actually expanded upon its use.

This scenario is very similar to the gift of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. This incredible gift has been given to us by God. The first time you experience it, you are completely overwhelmed and blown away—you have just been given a glimpse into The Throne Room. The next question is simple, but extremely noteworthy—“What do you plan to do with your gift?” Are you going to savor the first time you received it and remember the experience only? Or are you going to use your gift daily, study it, and learn how it works? Ultimately, developing your gift as best as possible, so that God is glorified and further blessings handed down by Him flow seamlessly together.

If you have decided to use your gift, then you will please the heart of God. Early development of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit involves daily praying in your prayer language (speaking in tongues) by submission to the Holy Spirit, and studying about the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Bible (Acts chp. 2; I Corinthians chps. 12 and 14). It also involves giving your gift back to God for Him to use through you. It is your gift, but it is His Holy Spirit. If we allow ourselves to be used by God for His divine will, in regards to the gifts of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:4-11), there is nothing that we cannot accomplish for God. So, take your gift, rip the packaging open, and start using it. After all, it is what God wants.

However, to receive this gift there is one necessary prerequisite—you must be saved. You must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who died and rose from the grave. If you believe this, refer to the section on the right-hand side of the blog entitled “A Life-Changing Prayer”. Once you have given your heart over to Jesus Christ, you are free to ask God for the Baptist in the Holy Spirit. In order to receive the Holy Spirit Baptism, you must let God have control of you. Use your gift wisely, and use it for the Kingdom of God.

Drawing Near

Our second midweek service focused on our hunger and thirst for God. We were challenged through Scripture to examine our spiritual diet. Are we feasting on the things of the world or are we feasting on the things of God? Do we spend more time watching TV, reading books, magazines, going to the movies, or watching DVDs more than spending time in prayer and the bible?

The group was challenged to take a short test. Each person was asked to think about a Sunday morning service. Do we find ourselves squirming in our pews if the message goes past the "scheduled time", or are we constantly checking our watch to see what time it is because we know we have things to get done that afternoon? Each person was then asked to think about the number of times he or she looks at the time when they sit in the movie theatre during a movie. The answers to that test showed each of us what we are feeding on.

David wrote in Psalm 86:1 "Bend down your ear, O Lord, for I am poor and needy." David was one of the richest people in the bible, but he understood how poor his spirit was. We may look good and put together on the outside, but on the inside we need to have a broken and humble spirit to draw near to God.

James 4:8 "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." We determine the level of our relationship with God, not Him. But, God is passionate about us. Remember, God ransomed Jesus for us at the cross. If God valued Jesus just one cent more than He values us, He would not have sent us His Son. We encourage you to be with us at 6:50 next Thursday as we explore experiencing God's true presence with John Bevere.

Drawing Near

The evening of Thursday, November 6, 2008 brought another first to Eastpoint Family Church--the beginning of our midweek service. With praise on our lips and worship in our hearts, we began a six week study on John Bevere's book Drawing Near. The challenge of the evening came when we were encouraged to study those issues and habits that keep us from true intimacy with God. As Christians, we carry worldly "baggage" around that can weigh us down and distract us. We get so caught up in our daily issues, that we forget to let God "check our bags".

In addition, we learned how valued we are as one of God's children and how He passionately wants a relationship with us. The bible gives numerous examples of people God has drawn near to, people like Moses, Enoch, and Samuel. In the book Drawing Near, John Bevere makes a profound statement that really brought the evening's teachings home. If we were worth one cent less to God than Jesus, He would not have ransomed Jesus for us. God does not make bad investments.

As the service came to an end, each of us were encouraged to pray and ask God to take the "baggage" we carry that is keeping us from true intimacy with Him. As we prayed, we were instructed not to pick that "bag" back up, but instead ask the Holy Spirit to help us if were are tempted to grab and run with that "carry-on" during the week. Next Thursday looks to be another wonderful service as we learn how to protect our hunger for the Lord. We look forward to seeing you at 6:50.

The One Thing

What is it that makes people of the Bible different from us? How are David, Mary, Paul, Samuel, Isaiah, Martha, Abraham, Moses…..different than what God has created in this day and age? What is it about them that made them special enough to be so used of God in their earthly lives? It is an answer that may be unexpected and difficult to digest, but here it is—Nothing.

Nothing about these individuals was extraordinary, nothing was extravagant, and nothing was regal. Nothing is the one physical characteristic that sets these people apart from us. We are no different than they are. We breath the same air as of their time, we consume food and water as they did for nourishment, we walk the same dirt that was present when they were alive, and we watch the same sun and moon trade places in the sky every day, just as they did.

The one spiritual characteristic that they, in the Bible, all share is the recognition of God’s calling upon their lives, and the full-hearted devotion they gave Him afterwards. They led lives that followed this commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Deut 6:5, Matt. 22:37, Mark 12:30). Today, this begins with the saving grace of Jesus Christ. If you haven’t received Jesus as your savior, please refer to the section on the right entitled, “A Life-Changing Prayer”.

If you heed the call God has placed upon your life (and He calls on everyone—John 3:16) and give Him your life, there is nothing you cannot do. This is something else characteristic of these folks. Through the power, strength, and wisdom of God, they were able to accomplish impossible tasks and feats. Nothing was outside the realm of possibilities for them. God is awesome; only He can take people who have Nothing in common, and give them abilities such that Nothing is impossible.

From the Pastor's Heart

What an incredible service we had on Sunday morning! We were visited again by the Holy Spirit, and saw an amazing time of seeking God at the altars; people brought their faith along with their needs to the altars. By being obedient to God’s Word and utilizing their faith in their Creator, numerous individuals were given deliverance from their burdens. This was reiterated by the message God had prepared for that morning.

We continued our series, “Under Cover”, following the scriptures in I Samuel 15:22-23. If we decide that we would rather rebel against God and not obey His voice, He regards that behavior the same as witchcraft. In other words, it is detestable in His sight and noxious in His nostrils. Are you beginning to see how God classifies disobedience? Even Balaam, an old testament prophet who was hired by Balak to curse the Israelites, was obedient to God and only said that which the Lord told him to say (Numbers 24:12-13). Oddly enough, in the 25th chapter of Numbers, the children of Israel were disobedient to God. Fortunately for the nation of Israel, there were some who zealously valued and honored the name of God.

If we continually seek God’s will for our lives and follow His instructions, we will be protected by His hand. In Proverbs (chapter 26, verse 2), we learn that an undeserved curse will not come to rest upon our lives. That doesn’t mean hardship won’t show up, but we will be able to handle the adversity and come out better off than before. These hardships for the obedient create spiritual progress; however, they create a sore forehead for the disobedient (typical result of banging one’s head against a wall). God gently instructs us whenever we try to oppose Him, because He wants us to escape the trap of the devil, falling victim to his will. We can escape these traps and resist the devil by submitting to God—Satan has to flee, he has no choice (James 4:7). If you have never submitted to God’s will, or have tried to live life on your own abilities, now is an excellent time to give yourself over to God. On the right-hand side of this blog site is a simple prayer (“A Life Changing Prayer”). By believing not in the words, but in the meaning of the words, you will be saved! Congratulations, and keep seeking God daily! The reason why is down below.

On Sunday evening, we finished our study of the book of Revelation (chapter 22). What is personally fulfilling with the accumulation of the last several months is that in November of 2006, God revealed to me that I would be teaching this book in this church at an appointed time; a prayer journal holds the Godly insight from that moment. In this chapter we see the end of pain, strife, illness, etc.; God and Jesus are with Their people in the Holy City for the rest of eternity. Jesus stated that He is coming soon three times in this chapter; don’t turn a deaf ear to it. John welcomes Jesus to come back, as do we all. Finally, John closes the chapter in reference to the grace of Jesus Christ. This grace is what saves, heals, and frees us from the death of sin. God is calling out to you; He wants you there with Him in chapter 22. If you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, now is the time (see “A Life Changing Prayer”).

The Holy Spirit graciously visited us three times on Sunday in the manifestation of 2 messages in tongues and a prophecy. First, God spoke to us from the throne room, asking us to give God our lives. Secondly, through a prophecy at the end of the morning service, God told us to take the sermon delivered to us and carry it in our hearts for the course of the week—don’t leave it in the sanctuary, live it during the week. Lastly, Jesus stated through another message in tongues that He was coming soon….be ready! How much more Godly encouragement can we handle?! I can’t wait until the 19th!

Have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

From the Pastor's Heart

Do you remember being a small child, or a tweener, and knowingly doing something that didn’t quite live up to your parents’ expectations? Or, maybe you did something that you had been told to never do. Usually, the end result was that something was damaged in our hour of defiance. We thought we knew better, or could get away with our “fun”, and now…Dad and Mom know. We couldn’t look them in the eye; instead, we looked at the intricate pattern of latex on the tops of our Converse All-Stars and listened to the echoing, snapping tick of an ever slowing clock. If playing baseball in the house can have this kind of impression on a child, imagine disappointing an infinitely loving and holy God—with your punishment being physical separation from Him. This is the agony that Adam and Eve went through when they left the protective cover of God through their acts of disobedience.

As we grow physically, so does our knowledge base of acceptable and unacceptable behavior. If presented with the truth that we are engaging in unacceptable behavior, we tend to become angry and defensive of our actions. This is the arrogance that Cain elected to embrace in Genesis 4:3-9. In verse 7, we see that if we allow disobedient behavior to continue, sin will continue its oppressive action upon our countenance. Obedience to God lifts our countenance and helps us to master sin. Read what Paul writes concerning this “Cain Behavior” in Romans 8:12-13. What if Cain had been repentative and presented God an acceptable offering? There could have been an entire lineage of Adam and Eve’s offspring that theologians could quiz young minds with on a weekly basis. We need to be aware of our actions; don’t give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27). Additionally, understand that while we are under the protective cover of God, God will periodically “discipline” us as a means of keeping us from going astray from Him (Psalms 119:67, 75; I Corinthians 11:31-32). God loves us and wants to spend eternity with us; He doesn’t discipline us for the pleasure of it, He does it to ensure our future with Him.

After continuing our “Under Cover” series in the morning, we nearly finished our study of the book of Revelations—chapter 21. In this chapter, John sees the new heaven and the new earth that God has created for His children. In an amazing description of detail, John gives an account of what is to be expected in this “new creation”. During the entire revelation that John received from Jesus Christ, he was given an extraordinary gift—he saw the comprehensive ground work, laid out by God, for the ultimate elimination of sin and death in our near future. This segment of the vision has to be one of the most fascinating things John saw. He was allowed to see the floor plans of the new dwelling place of God. And through his Holy Spirit inspired description, we can share in the glory of God and of how He will be with us for the rest of eternity.

If you are unsure of where you will be at this time in history, now is the time to be certain of your eternal afterlife. Remember, God wants to spend the rest of eternity with us, and then some. On the right-hand side of this blog site is a simple prayer (“A Life Changing Prayer”). If you mean this prayer with all sincerity and faith, you will be saved! All of heaven is rejoicing as you make this commitment to Jesus Christ. In other words, everything and everyone in heaven stopped what they were doing to delight in your decision to follow Jesus Christ and be obedient to the voice of God. There was a celebration that took place as your name was added to the Lamb’s Book of Life. As long as you humbly seek God’s will in your life and are obedient to do what He has in store for you, you will see and experience first hand what John saw in the visual gift God gave to him. To help you in this journey, find a church body that follows the teachings of Jesus Christ; a list of church links is further down the right side of the blog site. We would love to have you worship and hear the heart of God every week at Eastpoint Family Church, but if you are unable to visit, be sure to find a church home that honors the Word of God and gives you Godly instruction from that Word.

Have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

From the Pastor's Heart

Deception! Dead Ahead! Or maybe it should be “death ahead”. For that is what lies ahead in wait for us outside of the protection of God. As we continued our series, “Under Cover”, we saw how deception can lead us away from God and result in an eternal death. This was blatantly seen through the events that took place in the Garden of Eden. Because Satan deceived Adam and Eve, man was banished from the Garden of Eden and (more importantly) the presence of God, made to toil for his food, and now has to experience a physical death (Genesis, chapters 2 and 3).

Thankfully, deception has a cure—the Word of God. Just as Jesus repeated the Word of God back to Satan and defeated his temptations, so can we use the same Bible and scriptures to refute the temptations and deceptions of Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). In verse 11, we see the beautiful provision of God following the temptation; God sent His angels to minister to and attend Jesus. We must remember, God is our strength and our shield; only under His protective cover can we see the escapes to the temptations and deceptions of the devil. In this day and age where a local society is difficult to distinguish from the global society, we are seeing the words of Paul come to life (2 Timothy 3:1-4). We need to be prepared to battle these deceptions (James 1:22), and shine the light of Christ through our lives for all to see—their souls depend upon it.

On Sunday night, we covered over a thousand years of time in thirty minutes. As we studied the 20th chapter of the book of Revelation, we saw Jesus’ millennial reign (with Satan locked up) on the earth. After the thousand years had past, Satan was released for a short time and allowed to deceive some of the inhabitants of the earth. Quick question: if you have seen the face of Jesus; have heard the stories of the past; know of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and second coming; and are aware of Satan’s return and ultimate demise, why would you chose to follow the devil? I guess if he can deceive a third of the angels (holy beings) into rebelling against God, he can deceive millions and millions of people at this future time. After Satan has been defeated and sent to the lake of fire (finally, I’m tired of seeing his name come up), then those who aren’t in heaven are judged. If their name isn’t found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, they are sent to the lake of fire for all eternity.

Now is a good time to ask yourself, “Will I be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life?” If you know that you will not, or aren’t 100% sure of your salvation, I suggest reading the right-hand column of this blog site; particularly, the “life-changing prayer”. It’s a simple step of faith to believe in Jesus Christ, but a hard eternity to live without Him. I congratulate those of you who said those words with a sincere heart, and encourage you to find a church that believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ (we have several links available on the bottom left column to help you find that church body). Next time, we’ll study the new heaven and new earth God has created for His children—this is where the Bible has beautiful imagery and concepts interwoven to excite and encourage the Christian (especially “new” ones).

Have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

From the Pastor's Heart

What a Sunday!! Not only did we hear amazing testimonies from our ladies concerning their retreat this past weekend, Sister Bonnie and I were installed as Pastors at Eastpoint Family Church during the celebration of our first year as a new church following the heart of God. We were also blessed to receive the Word of God from Pastor Bill Baker, the Southern Missouri District Superintendent. This past year we have seen souls turn to Jesus for salvation, healings of all types, and growth from members of the community. Pastor Baker’s message encouraged us and gave us guidelines on how to continue to serve and reach our surrounding community for Jesus Christ. This message was important enough that God communicated with the church body through a tongue and interpretation—God stated to hold onto to the message and the Word delivered, and to set it deep in our hearts; for it was of importance for continued service to God.

Pastor Baker’s message was framed around Matthew 16:18; when Peter is told of his future as the rock upon which Jesus Christ was to build His church. Pastor Baker then gave us 4 courses of action that would enhance the kingdom of God in our community. First, never, never, never stop bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the community. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is the most important gift anyone is to receive. Secondly, be soul conscious. There are approximately 3.1 billion people in the world who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior; we need to be constantly aware of this fact. Next, embrace the gift of the Holy Spirit. Being Pentecostal is not just a label, but a life-changing event in the life of a Christian; the second chapter of Acts is still active and relevant in the world of today. Finally, present and teach the entire Bible, the whole counsel of God. In order to receive all that God has for us, we need to know everything we possible can about Him. At the end of the message Pastor Baker installed Sister Bonnie and I as the Pastors of Eastpoint Family Church. We concluded the events of the morning with a commemorative luncheon for our first year on Pittman Road.

On Sunday evening, we continued our study of the book of Revelation—chapter 19. At the beginning of the chapter we hear the praises of God after He has reined judgment down on Babylon (see chapter 18 and last week’s blog). Those of us in Heaven are getting ready for a great celebration—the Wedding Supper of the Lamb! At this wedding, the bride of Christ (the Church) is made ready and presented to Jesus Christ. Then we are given an extraordinary image of Jesus; John describes Him as someone of utmost nobility and worth. As Jesus and His army (the Church) arrive on the earth, an angel calls together the birds flying in midair, for a victory is on the horizon. Then with just the Word, Jesus defeats the antichrist and his false prophet. These two are immediately thrown into the Lake of Fire, and the rest of their army is decimated by Jesus. A very short battle.

Items of interest in this chapter include verses 7 and 11. In verse 7, we see that the bride of Jesus (the Church) is ready for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. Question: What usually happens after a wedding? Answer: A honeymoon. During a honeymoon, the couple goes to a place away from their home to spend time together. In this instance, Jesus and His bride (the Church) go to earth and reign for a thousand years together (chapter 20). The other verse, verse 11, appears to be the climatic verse of the entire Bible. All the prophecy of the Old Testament and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in the New Testament lead up to the beginning of Jesus’ reign in verse 11. But if you thought this chapter was thrilling, wait until we discuss the last few chapters of the book of Revelation……..Wow!

We are going to be so blessed by God during this time (verse 9); we don’t want to have anyone not be invited. Your invitation is ready to be sent, God is waiting for your reply to His simple request of asking Jesus into your heart. It is a simple, but extremely rewarding act of faith. If you are ready for this next great step in your life, look to the right of this blog page at the section titled, “A Life Changing Prayer.” Congratulations on your commitment to Jesus Christ. You won’t regret following Him; He is just awesome!

Thank you and have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

Southern Missouri District Women's Retreat

What a wonderful weekend the ladies had at the Southern Missouri District Women’s Retreat down at the AG campgrounds. Lives were changed, bodies healed, and growth abounded during the two-and-a-half day retreat. It was exciting to see our ladies bonding and fellowshipping as one body with 400 hundred other Pentecostal women. Although there were many trials and tribulations both to and from the conference, we can all stand and proclaim that our God is faithful as our protector and guide.

Our keynote speaker, Marigold Cheshier, led several powerful services in which she challenged us to embrace the power and authority we have in Jesus Christ. On Thursday night, several women were baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues at the altar. Friday night brought many miraculous healings and deliverances from the bondage of sin. Saturday morning concluded with the confirmation for many women at Eastpoint Family Church that we serve a God who is relevant, and worthy of our time and attention every day.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the entire conference was when our very own pastor’s wife was given the opportunity to give a testimony to the entire body of Christ during the Saturday morning service. As Sister Bonnie began to speak, the Holy Spirit anointed the message she was bringing forth. It is so amazing to see how God uses the willing vessel in a powerful and perfect way to preach the Good News. Each one of us that attended the conference is enthusiastically awaiting this upcoming year to see what our God will do next. In addition, we have already marked out our calendars for next year’s conference and are diligently budgeting our check books for the adventure.

From the Pastor's Heart

Do you trust me? As your pastor, I hope I have earned your trust in the past year regarding the direction God is taking our church. Trust in each other helps us maintain our focus on a common goal—to win souls for Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, mankind is not infallible and trust sometimes disintegrates, or is taken away, from the strongest of human bonds. However, there is One who is trustworthy, who will protect us, who will stand beside us, who will keep our path straight (as long as we abide by the path), and who wants to spend eternity with us. Our series, “Under Cover”, continued this week with Psalms 91:1-2. In these scriptures, David writes of being in the shadow of God and finding refuge in Him, the One whom he trusts.

Now if we completely trust God, we should have no problem obeying God; for we understand that God has our best interests at heart (Jeremiah 29:11). Obeying God is a basic fundamental of knowing God—God and His inherent authority are inseparable. The following concept should grab you by the heart: to disobey God is to sin. We see this in the parable Jesus gives in Luke 14:16-24. God has invited many to fellowship with Him, but several have placed Him lower on their list of priorities. They have, in fact, refused His invitation—a simple act of disobedience. The result of this disobedience is separation from God, forever. If you would like to start obeying God, all it takes is an uncomplicated prayer. Just tell God you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved!

Christians are not immune to disobedience. We can be silently killed by its subtle nature. New and old Christians, alike, need to spend time with God on a daily basis, and we need to put more of the Word and less of the world in us. This routine preventative medicine for the soul will strengthen our hearts in the daily battles we face by the enemy. To ensure complete health, do not forget to get your routine vaccination of fasting and prayer to build a proper spirit within in you.

We are getting close to finishing the book of Revelation. We studied chapter 18 on Sunday evening, and looked at the relevance of the events that are to take place. In this chapter, John describes the destruction of Babylon. This is in reference to the destruction of the world governmental system and its commercialism, and the city, itself. We are given insight into the soul of this city-state system; “I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn” (verse 7). This pride is an abomination in the eyes of God, and grounds for her destruction. It is interesting to note that the angel in this chapter illuminated the earth with his splendor. The reasoning for this is simple; he just came out of the presence of God in heaven. By the way, that is also where we will be at this time. While we're on the subject, we are getting really close to reading about the new city of Jerusalem. Of all the incredible things John saw and wrote about, being in the presence of God for all eternity is one of the most exciting.

Have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

From the Pastor's Heart

Even when we are in the middle of a less than wise moment, it is extremely comforting to know that, as Christians, we are in the hand of God. God is a place of refuge, a place of shelter, a place of protection when we are involved in something that has the potential to cause us harm. This week we began a sermon series based on keeping ourselves “Under Cover”—the cover of God’s protection.

There are two key concepts that have be understood and lived out in order for this protection to encapsulate us. For starters, we have to be submissive to God. And not only God, but to those whom God has placed in authority over us. By placing ourselves in this position, we allow for God to protect us from any number of dangers that we cannot see physically or spiritually. Conversely, if we rebel against those in authority, we rebel against God and bring whatever destruction upon ourselves (see Romans 13:1&2). This isn’t the rebellion against tyranny or wrongdoing, but the blatant disregard for the laws of a society that are meant for the safety of its citizens. An example would be the driving of one’s vehicle at approximately 126 mph in a 65 mph zone; not a wise, submissive decision.

The second concept is similar to the first—obedience. God wants us to simply follow His direction in our lives, families, jobs, ministries, etc. If we follow God’s will in these areas, we will be an unstoppable Bride for Jesus Christ. The interaction of submission and obedience results in an incredible outcome. By giving ourselves over to God, we develop a broken and humble spirit (Psalms 51:16&17). We were blessed by a tongue and interpretation earlier during the worship service that asked this very idea of us. God let us know that He is in control of all calamities; He wanted us to submit ourselves to Him and lay our burdens down at His feet. Submission and obedience are two Kingdom Principles we should place at the forefront of our hearts.

On Sunday evening we continued our study of the book of Revelation—chapter 17. In this chapter John describes a prostitute (a one world religion) that the antichrist uses to secure his power. Over time the antichrist will destroy this religion and promote himself as God. The antichrist will then gather the kings of the earth (10 of them) and make war against the Lamb of God. Jesus “the true” Christ will overcome them and establish His kingdom (later in the book). What is of interest is how God will use evil people to accomplish His purposes and fulfill His Word. God will try to love humanity to Him, but sometimes God allows adversity to occur to bring humanity to Him. A visit from the Holy Spirit, in tongues and interpretation, earlier in the evening was similar. God wants us to come to Him, He desires it.

This is of upmost importance in regard to salvation. God doesn’t want anyone to die not knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Making the decision to follow Jesus Christ is easy. Just tell God you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved! The tough part is to follow Him. Just remember submission and obedience—your first two steps after Jesus. Find a church that follows the Holy Bible and teaches what is written in red; this is a good start. And if you said this prayer for the first time, congratulations!

Have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

Upper Room Ministry Prayer Meeting

As Saturday evening approached, our anticipation grew to a fevered pitch as we came together for our third prayer meeting of the 2007-2008 year. With the evidence of the presence of God in our Sunday services, we each came expecting to hear from the Lord--and WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED!! The theme of this prayer gathering was love. We have been studying Mat. 22:37-38 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

The service opened with a time of prayer and praise. Each person present was encouraged to enter in and love on God. People freely expressed their love in a variety of ways as the Holy Spirit moved through the sanctuary. In addition to loving on the Lord, each person wrote down the prayer requests, burdens, and needs they entered the church with. As the Lord moved, each person walked to the alter, knelt with those requests in hand, and placed them on the alter. At the conclusion of the service, we came together to corporately pray for the upcoming Ladies Retreat on Sept. 18th, for our church body, and our pastor.

At the end of the meeting, a few parting words were shared including a message from the Holy Spirit. He told us we would have victory in our requests tonight. We were ordered to take this message forth to our friends, families, and neighbors that our God is a loving and faithful God who hears and answers our prayers. I can speak from experience when I say each one of us left church last night claiming those promises the Holy Spirit spoke to us.

I encourage you right now if you have a need, call upon the name of the Lord. He is waiting to hear from you. It is God's desire to have a personal relationship with each person--you are no exception. God loves you! If you have never had a personal relationship with God, it is not too late. Ask Him right now to come into your heart, forgive you of your sins, and walk with you daily. It is that simple, there is no form to fill out, no interview process, no judgements made. God is no respecter of persons, He welcomes all into the Kingdom. God Bless you and walk in victory this week.

From the Pastor's Heart

Isn’t odd how we celebrate work by not doing anything? This past week we celebrated Labor Day. It is a day designed for end of summer do-it-yourself projects, firing up the grill one more time, enjoying a slice of juicy, ripe watermelon with a lingering sunset, and pulling out the Rubbermaid tub full of sweaters. Or is it?

This past Sunday morning we examined the origination of Labor Day. We saw how it began as a time meant to consider the poor working conditions of the American laborer in the mid-19th century. As more and more American factory workers pressed for better working conditions and wages, a holiday to celebrate those factory workers and their efforts was born. Unfortunately, these efforts are lost in the fray of department store sales and “unofficial” end of summer activities that are taking place over a hundred years later. Let’s take a moment in the next few weeks to reflect upon those who put their jobs on the line for the benefit of others who came after them.

After reviewing the history of Labor Day, I asked a few members of our congregation to speak about what they do for a living. We had a nurse, phlebotomist, and a veterinarian describe what they do in the course of an average day. As a side note, we will be changing our name from Eastpoint Family Church to Eastpoint Family Memorial Hospital in the coming year. Just kidding, we need to attract more specialists first. By listening to these job descriptions, we were able to see how God blesses each individual with special gifts and talents that no one else has.

In the next part of the message, I asked an important question—“Why Work?” One doesn’t have to look far to find God’s answer to this question. Numerous times through the Old and New Testament, God tells us that food, necessities, shelter, etc. is only available through work. Solomon and Paul, the apostle, tell us what a righteous individual does receive and what a slothful person does not receive (see Proverbs 16:26 and 28:19; I Thessalonians 4:11, 12 and II Thessalonians 3:6-15). As we extrapolate from Solomon (Proverbs 16:26), if hunger drives the laborer to work, then hunger for God should drive us to work for God and do whatever we can for Him.

In this work for God, we should ask Him to give us “inspired work”. This is work that displays God’s beauty and honors Him. If that is the cleaning of the church, do it as unto the Lord. If that is the mowing of the lawn, do it as unto the Lord. If that is the collection of the offering, watching the nursery, cooking for events, etc, do it as unto the Lord. Honor and glorify Him through your service to Him. Take this same work ethic to your regular workplace, your home, your relationships, everywhere. If you honor God through every aspect of your life, you will not only get the attention of God, but also of your coworkers, your family, your friends, and anyone else you may meet in a public place. The apostle Paul describes this in I Thess. 4:12 when he writes, “…so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders…”. He knew that our daily lives speak volumes, and at a much higher decibel, than our lips every will. We also need to remember that we are constantly sowing seed in our daily lives. How you live your daily life could determine the grade and quality of the soil where you are sowing.

We will leave this Sunday morning on a good note, though. Just as you have been asked to work in the fields of the Lord, so is the Master hard at work, too. Search Philippians 1:6 for one of God’s job descriptions.

Sunday evening we were blessed by the presence of John Heide, a missionary to those folks who reside in their 50’s-plus. This is a harvest field that hasn’t been touched by any of God’s laborers, and John and his wife have volunteered their lives to reaching this ever increasing population within the American borders. Because of illnesses, loneliness, finances, etc., a large number of these people commit suicide. John and his wife are stretching out with both hands in an effort to gather as many as possible for God’s harvest. Remember the Heides in your prayers; ask God to grant them words of wisdom, hearts of compassion, and Godly inspiration for this new and burgeoning mission field.

We have many things coming up these next few weeks. Keep your corneal tissue exposed (“Keep your eyes peeled”) for upcoming announcements and testimonies. We are seeing exciting events take place at Eastpoint Family Church.

Have a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

From the Pastor's Heart

“How much longer until summer vacation?” If you are hearing this question around your house now, be sure to come forward at the next service for special prayer—you may have a long road ahead of you. As the beginning of the school year has officially started here in the Kansas City metro region, parents and children alike are strapping in for the next nine months. Funny how a pregnancy is of similar length and experience—it’s fun in the beginning; however, at the end, you just want it over and finished.

Speaking of coming forward for prayer, the Holy Spirit visited in the manifestation of tongues and interpretation during the morning worship service. The message from the throne room was an invitation; “Come to God with your needs.” It is a simple request that we sometimes fail to recognize. We try to do everything in our own power, and usually fail. But if we come to God with those needs that are beyond our capabilities, He will answer them in His perfect way, in His perfect time.

As we continued our “Back To School” series, we saw this very concept active in the lives of Daniel and his friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego). We watched as the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, rounded up intelligent young men from their homes to serve in his governmental system. We also saw how Daniel was unscrupulously thrown into the lion’s den, and how the three Hebrew children were thrown into a fiery furnace so hot that the guards who threw them in, died from the intense heat. But through all this, these young men held true to their faith and belief in God. Their pre-established conditions on how to react and respond to any new challenge in their lives, helped to keep them holy before God in a new environment and new society. And because they stood for the right things in a Godly manner, God saw them through all of the trials they endured. As we enter new school and work environments, we, too, can stand for the right things in a Godly manner. Draw your moral line in the sand, and refuse to cross it.

Another aspect of school that is central to learning is teaching. We all have had those teachers who we will never forget, and some we wish we could forget. I asked four individuals to come forward and talk about one teacher who made a difference in their lives. The experiences ranged from teachers who made them think, those who encouraged life-learning skills at an early age, one non-teacher who mentored and guided a spiritual development, to one who encouraged another’s inner ability to accomplish any task with the gifts that God had given them. All four experiences were different, but yet similar—their teachers had placed a desire in them to become better than what they were when they began. We can see this same characteristic in our Ultimate Teacher, Jesus Christ.


Jesus began His teaching career at the ripe age of twelve, during the Festival of Passover. This was a time of learning for all present in the temple, including Joseph and Mary. They were given an insight into the life of the boy before them when Jesus answered their question regarding His whereabouts. However, neither Joseph nor Mary understood what their child was destined for at this time in their lives. I also find it interesting to comprehend the mindset of Joseph and Mary in the duration of this time. Both had been visited by angelic messengers from God telling of their honor of being chosen as the earthly parents to God’s Son. Both understood the responsibility placed upon their shoulders. And both have just lost God’s only begotten Son. I would say it is safe to deduce that an undocumented panic attack possibly took place. This frenzied behavior may have played a role in their inability to fathom Jesus’ mission on earth.

Before Jesus left this planet and ascended to heaven, He told of another teacher who would come and guide us into all truth. This teacher, of course, is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a thing, but a He, as well. He only speaks that which He hears from the Father, and He is a guide to help us bring glory to Jesus and God, the Father. Because Jesus is our Heavenly Intercessor and He has sent the Holy Spirit to teach us, we can now have daily communication (talking and listening) with God. This is a win-win situation that can never be beaten.

Sunday night we were blessed with a message from a good man in our church body, Floyd Bessard. Floyd followed the third chapter of Matthew and its depiction of John the Baptist. John followed God’s calling upon his life without distraction. He did what God wanted him to do and wasn’t swayed by the populous or the governing bodies. And he had an opportunity that was not given to anyone else—he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah. He let it be known that One (Jesus) was coming who would baptize humanity with the Holy Spirit; a gift that everyone should receive after accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior. This message was compiled by God and delivered through Floyd for it followed the morning service’s same message—do not let the things of this earth distract you from the path God has you on, and the gift of the Holy Spirit is not one to turn down (receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, God wants you to have it so that you can have a deeper level of intimacy with Him).

We were also blessed to have two manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our evening worship service. The first tongue and interpretation told us to come to God for rest. This is similar to what the Holy Spirit shared with us in the morning service—come to God with whatever you have, or need help with; He is waiting to hear from you. In the second tongue and interpretation, God told us to be still for a few moments and listen for His voice. His voice was to tell each individual what He wanted in their lives at this point in time. Sometimes anticipation of such a gracious gift can override any amount of stillness we can muster. I pray that all those in attendance Sunday evening heard what God wanted to share with them. Even if some of us did not hear that night, it is comforting to know that God is so loving and compassionate that He will not give up on us and will try to talk to us again. If you have not encountered the love of God, it is a simple step of faith that anyone can do. Just tell God you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved! As you continue to grow as a Christian (read the Bible, pray to God daily, and go to a church that preaches the deity of Jesus Christ and follows the Bible), you will recognize the love of God in many forms. This love is not only a gracious, glorious gift, but is also an incredible encourager of a tattered soul.


Before we close off for this week, I want to express thanks, again, to Laura Vernon. She is a high school friend of Bonnie and me, who is now the director of the Youth Friends organization in the Independence School District. Youth Friends is a Greater Kansas City program designed to help those students who might be considered as “at risk”, or those who just need a friend to encourage them in school. A qualified adult Youth Friend spends one 15-minute lunch period (or a before/after school session) a week with their student, talking with them, playing board games, or discussing the nuances of square pizza (see previous post). A Youth Friend is exactly as the name states—a friend for someone who may need a little more help or encouragement. Thank you Laura for taking on such a noble task.

Fervently seek God’s face this week and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit; God wants to talk with you, He loves you,
Pastor Claude

From the Pastor's Heart

School is back in session! These words excite some, but more often than not, they create a sense of dread in many. The smell of a well-used pencil sharpener, the firmness of a hard seat in the classroom, the blotting of erasable ink (the genius who developed this ingenuity should have received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry), and square hamburger pizza—there are those who love, and others who despise, this delicacy. Now you may ask yourself, “What does square pizza have to do with God?” On Sunday morning we found the connection as we examined the life of Samuel.

Samuel’s mother fervently sought God’s favor for a son (I Samuel 1:10-20). When God answered this prayer of Hannah, He knew her love for Him and desire to obey Him would lead to something grand—the life of Samuel. In fact, because of her obedience to God, He blessed her with 5 more children, “…May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord” (I Samuel 2:20). Talk about tithing the first fruits! God took Hannah’s gift and developed a strong spiritual leader for the Israelites. But let’s get back to how God wants us to learn from His Word, and apply that knowledge and understanding with the first of the school year (keep the phrase “first fruits” fresh in your mind).

All the while that Samuel was under the tutelage of Eli, Eli’s sons were committing wicked deeds in the tabernacle of God; everything from stealing God’s offerings to sexual immorality with the women who served at the entrance of the tabernacle. These acts of contempt for God were not missed by the Israelites, Eli, Samuel, or God. With all the sin that was going on about Samuel, one verse regarding his life should give us insight and strength for our lives at school or work. “And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men” (I Samuel 2:26). Even with the evils of life going on around him, Samuel followed his mother’s example of humbly seeking God’s favor and being obedient to Him. Samuel wasn’t hindered by the sin that encompassed him in the “temple”, and we shouldn’t either. If we seek and follow God’s perfect will for our lives, the arrows of the enemy will bounce off of our armor and the traps the enemy places before us will be prematurely tripped, allowing us to grow in the Lord’s favor.

At the conclusion of the morning service, we had special prayer for all of our high school students and our school teachers at God’s altar. A number of our students approached me after service and told me how much they appreciated the special prayer for them at the altar (one of our students told my wife that she had to catch her bus at 7 a.m.). As my wife and I awoke at 5:30 a.m. Monday morning, we prayed for her and all of our students (pre-K to 12th grade) and our school teachers.

To those students out there I offer a challenge. Take your first 2-3 weeks of school to live a Godly life. Include prayer and reading of the Word when you first wake up, arrive at school early, be in class on time; essentially, do things that will honor God through your life. It could be something complex involving helping a friend, or something as simple as picking up trash off the floor and throwing it away (without having to be asked to do so). If you give God this “first fruit”, I guarantee He will bless you somehow. By the way, “first fruits” are the only fruits that do not spoil.

Sunday evening we covered 2 chapters in our study of the book of Revelation (chapters 15 and 16). We see the completion of God’s wrath on the world through the pouring out of the seven plaques on the earth. If things weren’t bad enough on earth, they just got worse with the seven plagues—even heaven is respectful of God at this time (chapter 15, verse 8). As the seven plagues are poured out upon the world, affecting those who worship the beast, people know from where the plagues are coming, but they continue to curse God and refuse to repent and glorify God. Their hearts are so hardened and seared, that they willfully deny God; they will have a change of heart later on in our study of Revelation (see Philippians 2:9, 10). At this time, those who have been martyred for the cause of Jesus Christ have been avenged (Chapter 16, verses 5-7). Finally, the stage is being set for the battle of Armageddon. A battle started by the inhabitants of a physical and natural world against Jesus Christ, whom God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth—this battle is in chapter 19, and will be over in less time than it takes to read about it.

Once again, this is not a good time to be on the planet. It is avoidable for those who have given their hearts to Jesus Christ. If you make Him the Lord and Savior of your life, you will be in heaven with Him during the events that are taking place on the soil of this earth. It doesn’t take special words or ritualistic speech. It just requires open honesty from you to the Creator of the universe; He knows you inside and out—He designed you before there was time. Just tell God you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved!

As the pastor of Eastpoint Family Church, one of my prayers is that the Holy Spirit would manifest Himself in our services. In the form of prophecy, tongues and interpretation, healings, you name it; I desperately seek the presence of God within our Church Body. On Sunday evening, we were visited by the Holy Spirit with a tongue and interpretation at the end of the service. God wants us to know that the events of Revelation are not the fantastical ramblings of some old man on a penal island, but that they are true and are coming sooner than people suspect. God’s greatest desire would be for all humanity to meet Jesus Christ in the air at the time of the rapture. Unfortunately, we know from the Word that this scenario will not happen. However, we are to do everything we can to teach others about Jesus Christ and encourage all Christians to desperately seek God’s face—there’s nothing more He would like better.

Have a God-filled week and weekend,
Pastor Claude

From the Pastor's Heart

This past week was one of exhilarating experiences. For starters, I took my ordination test on Tuesday of last week. I received my grade within a matter of a few days; I passed my test. I give God all the glory and praise for allowing me to fulfill His plans for my life, and I thank those of you who were praying for me this past week. The next step in the process is for Bonnie and me to meet with several ministers in a panel interview. Since I was studying for this examination, I asked Pastor Tom Boyce to step in and deliver the message for the morning service.

Pastor Boyce’s message was based on one of King David’s three mighty men—Eleazar. Eleazar was such a warrior that in one of his battles, he stood his ground and fought many, many Philistines until his hand grew tired and froze to his sword (2 Samuel 23:9, 10). Pastor Boyce challenged us to follow Eleazar’s example and cleave, or weld, ourselves to the Word of God (our “swords”). It is imperative we use the Word of God on a daily basis; it is our Operation Manual for our lives. It is also the way that we can rise to the occasion for Jesus Christ, and become a hero just like Eleazar.

Pastor Boyce gave us a word of wisdom at the end of his message—if you weld yourself to the Word of God, expect battles ahead. However, we can confidently rest in the fact that the throne room is still available for us to call to when we need assistance (which should be every time). For as we suffer for Jesus Christ, so shall we be victorious in Jesus Christ. To help us understand the commitment God was asking of us, Pastor Boyce asked everyone to pick up their Bibles and come down to the altar (God’s Altar). As everyone was seeking God’s face and wanting to become closer to Him, the Holy Spirit moved upon the congregation in tongues and interpretation; as well as, one individual so “slain in the spirit”, he was unable to walk. The interpretation was one of instruction—we have been refreshed and it is now time to reach out to our community for Jesus Christ. This manifestation of the Holy Spirit coincided with an earlier tongue and interpretation in the service when God let us know that His Holy Spirit was still in His church. I don’t know about anyone else, but with those words of promise and our “marching orders”, I could easily walk through a brick wall for God.

Our Sunday evening service was a wonderful time of worship and continuation of our study of the book of Revelation. During worship, God’s Holy Spirit was manifested again with these words—“I rejoice in your praises! I rejoice in your praises! I rejoice in your praises.” There is nothing as encouraging as to hear God tell you He is pleased with what you are doing. In the 14th chapter of Revelation, we see the sealed 144,000 Jews (whom God used to evangelize the world during this time in the Tribulation) present with Jesus Christ on Mount Zion (or Jerusalem). We also see that these individuals have kept themselves pure during this time and followed the teachings of Jesus. The next item we found involves the appearance of 3 angels in the sky. One angel declares the glory of God and tells us to worship Him. The second angel tells of the destruction of Babylon (the kingdom of the antichrist). And the third angel gives the longest message—a message of warning. Anyone who worships the antichrist and takes his mark (see chapter 13), will perish forever in endless torment (Hell). This message is the longest because a merciful God DOES NOT want anyone to end up with this outcome.

John finishes this chapter with the description of a mighty harvest on the earth, but not a harvest of vegetation, a harvest of humanity. The harvest by the angels is so great that blood will flow up to a horse’s bridle for 1600 stadia. When you consider a horse’s bridle reaches an approximate height of 6’ to 6’ 6”, 1600 stadia is the equivalent of 180 miles, and the human body holds approximately 8-9 pints of blood, the number of people who will die is staggering.

Again, this is a time that we will not be present. We will be in the audience of our Heavenly Father. If you don’t know where you will be, now is the perfect time to make certain your reservation. For those who know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be with Him during this time. To make this decision is not difficult. Just tell God you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved. The difficult part comes in the living out of your new found, or rededicated, faith. We strongly encourage you to place yourself in a church that preaches the saving grace of Jesus Christ and follows the Word of God. If you have questions about salvation or of how to find a good church, please leave us a comment.

I look forward to what God has in store for us this coming Sunday, and I pray everyone has a blessed week,
Pastor Claude

From the Pastor's Heart

I pray that the Lord has given you an incredible week thus far. We had a wonderful time in the presence of God on Sunday, followed by a time of fellowship at the end of the day. I took my final ordination test on Tuesday morning (thank you for your prayers this week). This test concludes the journey that God placed Bonnie and me on for the last 3 years. That initial period of time was a “beginning” filled with concerns of the unknown path laid out before us; however, it was also filled with complete trust in God, knowing that He would take us exactly where He wanted us to go. And as we watch God’s hand at work in our community, we are excited of what His next steps will be for us.

This Sunday’s morning message was a continuance of our “Beginnings” series. Just as my wife and I had a difficult “beginning” 3 years ago with our pathway, so have some other people that God has used over time. For starters, Bob Wieland is a Vietnam War veteran who lost his legs to enemy shrapnel during his tour of duty. Bob has always had tough beginnings during his life, but he has always persevered and given God all the glory for the successes in his life. From walking across the United States on his hands for hunger awareness to racing in the NYC and LA marathons, Bob knows that success is not measured from where you start, but where you finish. Moses had a tough beginning while leading the children of Israel through the desert, but God placed him in a position to succeed (Numbers 11:14-16). Unfortunately for the children of Israel, they did not trust in God for their success in the Promised Land and God banished those who disobeyed Him from entering the Promised Land (Numbers: chapters 13 and 14). It is interesting to note that one of the two men allowed into the Promised Land, Caleb, is from the same tribe of Israel as Jesus Christ is from—the tribe of Judah. And, because of Caleb’s obedience, he was allowed to enter into the Promised Land; because of Jesus’ obedience, we are able to enter into the presence of God (our “Promised Land”) for all of eternity.

We also learned on Sunday morning that if we want to have successful outcomes to these difficult beginnings, we need to keep ourselves holy. Why is this so important? Thanks to the blessed resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are a holy priesthood, able to commune with God. Able to present acceptable spiritual sacrifices (obedience, prayer, praising God, good deeds, giving of material possessions) to God through Jesus Christ. What an amazing gift to be given! But it comes with amazing responsibility, as well. Therefore, we have to continue to abstain from sinful desires so that God may be glorified through our lives. Remember, though, it is not how we live that saves us from eternal death, it is the saving grace God grants us through our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ that guarantees our eternal life in Heaven. If you don’t know how to receive that saving grace, it is very simple. Just tell God you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved. Just as Moses went to God for help with his beginning, so can you go to Jesus to help you with your burden of sin—Jesus is the load “Lightener”. To really insure success to your “beginning”, connect with a church that not only talks of the life of Jesus Christ, but also lives it out on a daily basis (if you want breathtaking success, make sure they believe in the Gifts of the Holy Spirit—I Corinthians: chapter 12).

During Sunday evening worship, we were visited by the Holy Spirit through a tongue and interpretation. God was encouraging us to praise Him, but not just with words and songs. He wanted us, as worshippers, to praise Him with all of our hearts, with all of our souls, and with all of our minds (this is very similar to what Jesus told us in Matthew 22:36-38, when He gave us the “greatest commandment”). We continued our study of the book of Revelation by examining chapter 13. In this chapter, the antichrist and false prophet are revealed to the world. In addition, the mark of the beast (“666”) is forced upon humanity. This mark, or number, will be the only way people will be able to do any kind of buying, selling, etc. in the global economy of that day. However, we will see later in the book of Revelation that the acceptance of that mark means eternal death and separation from God. During this time, the antichrist will be seeking to destroy all things and people associated with God. This is a time that no one should experience. In fact, it is avoidable through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (see previous paragraph). For when this is happening on earth, we will be awash in the presence of God in heaven—there is no better place to be at any time.

Have a wonderful week and may God bless you in different ways,
Pastor Claude

The Power of Prayer

Here is a testimony of the love and grace of God. A group of workers where traveling home from a hard day working the sugar cane fields in Honduras. The road they drove on was a small, steep, winding road. Suddenly the truck lost control and rolled down an embankment, killing all on board save one man. This man was severely injured and became wheel chair bound. He lives in a small hut outside of a remote village with no indoor plumbing. This beliver must travel outside every time he needs to use the bathroom. Now, how in the world do I know about this man? Through the power of prayer. As he sits on top of a mountain in Honduras, he prays. In his flesh, he is thinking "has God heard my prayers?" How could he possibly know that a team of Christians are planning--right now--to travel to that very village, to that man's meager abode, and build him an indoor bathroom. There has been no television coverage of this unknown man's plight, just the power of an Almighty God who is everywhere at all times. By prayer, this disabled man was able to connect with his Creator, who in turn answered his prayer by using someone 5 countries away. Are you in a similar situation today? Have you offered up prayers that you think are only reaching the ceiling of your prayer closet? Have faith and do not lose heart, God answers all prayer. He too is at work in your life whether you live in a busy metropolitan area, a small farm in rural America, or on a cliff in the middle of Honduras.

From the Pastor's Heart

One of the most beautiful aspects of God is His ability to continually renew us with His Holy Spirit each and every day. We are beginning to see this renewal as the Holy Spirit moves in a more dynamic way through our church body. We’ll discuss this more a little later.

This new anointing of the Holy Spirit upon our church coincides well with our latest sermon—a continued examination of “Beginnings”. We looked at the story of Noah (Genesis 6:9) and how he had a “beginning” when he was obedient to God and built an ark. His obedience led to the saving of him and his family. With this story in mind, we then followed the life of Marcus Grable. Marcus was an unassuming man who worked as a janitor in a warehouse. God placed a desire in his heart for the development of Sunday Schools in churches located in his local community. This “beginning” led him to eventually become the director of the Sunday School Promotional Department of the Assemblies of God—a position that has taught thousands upon thousands of people about Jesus Christ; thereby, leading to their salvations.

God gives us further examples of wonderful beginnings initiated by simple obedience to Him. In the life of Abraham, we find that his obedience led him to the Promised Land and the beginning of a nation of people, “God’s people”. This, by way, includes all who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and His resurrection. God took a stuttering shepherd with a murderous past and used him to lead 2 million-plus people across a desert to that previously mentioned Promised Land (Moses). God took a high-ranking Jewish official who signed numerous warrants for the arrest and death of many Christians and used him to evangelize most of the civilization of Europe and Asia (Paul).

If we give God our today, He’ll take our past and use it for His glory. What a beginning!! It sounds simple, and it is, if we are willing to let Him have control of our lives. How do we let God have our todays? We allow Him to have our todays, by making Him the center of our lives. Just as the Hebrew children did in the Old Testament when they placed God’s holy sanctuary in the center of their camp, so are we to place God in the center of all that we do. This begins with asking Jesus into your heart—another simple, but important task that God asks of us. Without “flowery” words or eloquent speech (both of which are not important right now) you can tell God you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved. What a great step of simple obedience!

Sunday night’s service was a continuation of our study of the book of Revelation—Chapter 12. In this chapter, our author (John) describes a great spiritual battle that has taken place with the losing army being thrown down to earth. The leader of the losing side is so angry, he is trying to destroy any, and all, he can find. The basics of this chapter describe when Satan is thrown out of heaven (no longer to accuse God’s children before His holy throne), and sent to earth with a third of the angels. Those in heaven are to rejoice for Satan is no longer present, but the earth is warned to be wary; for, “He is filled with fury, because he knows his time is short.” (Revelation 12:12). Not matter what takes place during this time, one thing is certain: God is in control. Even when Satan is sent to earth, God limits his time on the planet. God wants to have eternal fellowship with all of mankind. That is why He allows this to take place, so that some may come to know Him through the saving blood of Jesus Christ.

Throughout the evening service, the Holy Spirit visited the church body through the manifestation of tongues and interpretation three different times. God wanted us to know that He cares for us and loves us; that the realization of Revelation and Jesus’ return are coming soon; and that He wants us to come to Him and know Him more (He reiterated that He really loves us). Special prayer was offered to those who came forward, and the Holy Spirit continued to pour out on our church body as an individual received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by the speaking in tongues. I have told the people of Eastpoint numerous times before, “the Holy Spirit can do more in a split second than any man or woman can do in an hour." God’s gracious Holy Spirit made that powerfully evident on Sunday night.

Before I close today, I want to give honor and thanks to God for the past few months. It has been a large part of my heart’s desire to see salvations and Holy Spirit Baptisms at Eastpoint Family Church. Through these two acts of obedience, God’s holy name is lifted up and glorified. And this simple man is overjoyed to see God blessed by people wanting to seek His face and know Him more. So I say, “Thank You God for giving me the honor of seeing Your people come to You and making You the center of their lives.”

Have a blessed and God-centered week,
Pastor Claude

Still In The Presence of God

What does it mean to be still in the presence of God? Some might think that praying quietly is being still, others may believe that hearing soft worship music in the background while thinking about the Lord is the answer. At Eastpoint Family Church, we experienced something totally unique; for we were extremely blessed by God’s Holy Spirit this past Sunday night.

Pastor Claude asked for those who were ready to be serious with God to come forward as a statement of intention. Only a few came, but to those few, God drew very close to them at His altar. As worship music was played ever so gently in the background, God’s Holy Spirit inundated the front of the church sanctuary. It wasn’t just quiet at the end of the prayer time, it was reverently still—not even children moved around in the sanctuary. As people quietly walked out, they didn’t talk to each other and made very little noise as they left the building; even the worship team quietly shut everything down without talking. God’s presence was there.

When people see someone famous, they stop moving, stare (with or without the dropped jaw), and cannot speak. This is exactly what being “still in the presence of God” means. You can be so incredibly awestruck by the greatness of God, the only recourse of action, sometimes, is to just breathe and know that God is near—and I mean incredibly near. Unfortunately, time passes too quickly and you don’t want the moment to end.

Being still in the presence of God is one activity not usually seen in some of the churches today, but it is always welcome. Furthermore, it is something you can do at home. Humbly seek God’s face and ask to know Him in a new way; I promise you He will draw near to you. He makes the same promise in His Word.

Whenever we stop and become still before God, it makes it easier for us to hear that still, small voice that Elijah heard while in the presence of God. (1 Kings 19:9-13)

Enjoy your time with God,
Eastpointer

From the Pastor's Heart

God is truly a loving and gracious Father. He blessed us again on Sunday by spending time with us in His house. As a testimony of His infinite glory, His Holy Spirit visited us in both the morning and evening services through messages in tongues and interpretations. It is so humbling to have God, who created anything before our eyes, ears, nose, or any other monitoring system (either man-made or God-made), to stop what is happening and directly communicate with us through His Holy Spirit. Words cannot describe the joy and gratitude within one’s heart; only the love for the Father can describe it. Through those messages, God wanted us to know that “His banner was over us” and “Jesus would be returning soon…be ready!”

Our praise and worship team led our congregation through a wonderful time of just adoring and worship the Lord. Hearing and singing poetic words and phrases that God has placed through a composer, continues to serve as another method of imaging the greatness of God. Our praise and worship team leader, Beth, is returning from a missions trip this next Sunday. We look forward to hearing the testimonies of her trip in the weeks to come.

During prayer time in the morning service, a number of people came forward for special prayer. This act of faith follows God’s Holy Word: “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14). Sometimes “sick” doesn’t always refer to the physical illnesses.

I began a new sermon series entitled, “Beginnings”. Everyone has had, or will have, a beginning in their life that literally changes the direction of their life. These occur from time to time according to God’s perfect will for each person’s life. So if you haven’t started going to Church on Sunday morning, now would be the perfect time to begin. And if you haven’t given your heart to Jesus, now is excellent time to begin. Just offer a simple prayer to God telling Him you know you’re a sinner; that He gave His only son, Jesus, over to men; man crucified Him on a cross; but Jesus rose from the dead and gives us eternal life because of His resurrection. If you believe this in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you will be saved. Now that is a beginning!!

Sunday evening we continued our study of the book of Revelation; chapter 11. In this chapter we learn of the 2 witnesses testifying of the mighty love of God. We see these men die only after an appointed time set by God; but then He raises them up after 3 days, in sight of the whole world. Then God and Jesus take over. In the business world, when you file chapter 11 you are reorganizing an organization in bankruptcy in an effort to restore order. In Revelation, chapter 11, we see a bankrupt world being reorganized with a new leadership that has the unlimited resources to place everything in perfect order. Interesting.

At the end of the service, God’s Holy Spirit visited the sanctuary, and many in the congregation just waited before the Lord and sat in His sweet audience. Not in loud and jubilant praise, but in still and quiet reverence of the Lord’s presence. There will be more of this description in a subsequent post.

Bonnie and I are so thankful for where God has placed us. He continues to draw closer to us and this body of believers each week. Seeing God’s majesty around us in the form of His creation, the manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or in the changed lives of others is wonderful to experience, but it pales in comparison to simply be sitting in His presence. He is truly a loving God.

Sincerely,
Pastor Claude

The Unforgiving Heart

On Sunday, July 13, Pastor Claude spoke about the final, and most destructive, landmine in the path of the believer—unforgiveness. “Why,” you may ask, “is this landmine so dangerous?” The answer lies in your question. This landmine can be easily missed, forgotten about, and quietly, yet quickly set-off. It’s easy to be forgiving of those brothers and sisters in Christ who may inadvertently wrong us in the day-to-day happenings of life, but do you dispense the same forgiveness to those who you don’t know on a personal level. To those nameless (and possibly “faceless”) individuals we walk by in the store (pardon my feet), drive next to on the highway (watch your toes!), or live next to in our neighborhoods (sorry, that one may have hurt a little). Is it not also important to be forgiving of those we do NOT know and who may offend us—unintentionally or intentionally?

Follow me on this adventure. If we do not forgive those we don’t know, we usually have angry thoughts concerning those individuals. Those thoughts lead to the habit of hardening your spiritual heart. Once this takes place, the habit develops into action—usually in the form of brawling, or “tough speech.” This continued action continues to develop into your behavior. Now a tough question: Is your behavior glorifying God? Look at an easy example—driving. Imagine if you are cut off on the freeway; if you do not forgive the individual in front of you, you may develop angry thoughts of running them off the road, physical violence, etc. With repeated offenses, you may start habitually thinking these same thoughts. Eventually, you begin to say things to your self, make a fist, or honk your horn. Your next progression may involve speeding up just so you may whip in front of them (“Excuse me, but I’m trying to get to church!”). Over time your spiritual heart is no longer sensitive to your behavior; which, incidentally, isn’t glorifying God—I sure hope they didn’t see your Jesus fish on the trunk.

We have to be keenly aware of forgiving our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we still have to be sensitive to a kind thought or word spoken to someone unknown to us. What if they aren’t saved by the Blood of Jesus and the Grace of God? We, then, are their ambassadors to the kingdom of Heaven. We have to let them know that God loves and cares for them. This concept is invalid if we can’t forgive them. By the way, this includes forgiving yourself. Last remark; if you do not forgive others, the unforgiving heart goes with you whereever you may go. Until you give it to the Son of God, you are stuck with it.

Have a blessed week,
--Eastpointer

From the Pastor's Heart

Wow! What a four day period at Eastpoint Family Church we just enjoyed. Our “historic” week started with a tremendous prayer meeting this past Thursday night, the 10th. That is so fitting because everything starts with prayer; we will be letting you know about our next prayer time. We had a great “cell group” bible study this past Friday evening that involved wonderful fellowship and food.

Saturday was our much anticipated “Block Party”. We couldn’t believe it was raining Saturday morning, but the Eastpointers weren’t discouraged because we knew this day was ordained of God before history began. We moved everything inside into our beautiful Fellowship Hall; which God enlarged to accomodate everyone and everything. By 11:15 or so the neighborhood began to come. We had a cake walk, duck pond, and a ring toss. The KCMO fire department came and explained their equipment, distributed fire prevention information, and handed out smoke detectors (Thanks a lot, guys!!). Over 18 different businesses donated various prizes & gift certificates for our many guests. Our clothing ministry was in full operation and those that needed clothing were allowed to “shop” for themselves and their family. Everyone had free hot dogs, chips, soda, and dessert. Practically everyone present went home with a free gift of one kind or another, including salvation. For the day culminated with the delivery of God’s Word, presented by Richie Hanes & his wife Linda, and an estimated 24 decisions to accept Jesus Christ as Savior were made that afternoon!

On Sunday morning, a number of 1st time visitors were in attendance at our morning service. We enjoyed being in God’s presence through praise and worship, followed by the preaching of God’s Word. At the conclusion of the message, 4 people came forward and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord & Savior! Sunday night’s service was highlighted by the ministry of Southern Gospel singer Roger Mills and the further study of Revelation (Chapter 10), followed by a time of fellowship & food. It was a four day period that all Eastpointers will never forget.

Pastor Claude