From the Pastor's Heart

Wow! What an amazing Sunday we just had. As we were in the middle of worship by the Praise and Worship Team, God visited us with a message in tongues. When a physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit takes place, people have no other recourse but to be still and reverent; God, who created a multi-dimensional universe, has stopped His service to communicate with us. This acknowledgement reminds us of Psalms 8:3, 4--it is truly humbling to be loved by so great a Creator. In this message in tongues and interpretation, God tells us again not to worry or be fearful of what lies ahead. If He can handle the rising and setting of the sun, He can certainly handle that which is in the forefront of our minds; God is in control.

After this blessing, we examined the next landmine in the pathway of the believer—sexual sin. A topic that is not always frequently discussed, but one that still needs to be dealt with in this day and age. Our text came from I Thessalonians 4:1-8. Paul was writing to the church of Thessalonica regarding sexual impurity. We can still take to heart the words of Paul in this book and from I Corinthians 6:18-20. We are not our own, we were bought at a price that is not possible for us to pay. So, since we are not our own, since our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit, and since we have been called to lead a holy life, we should be confident that our foot does not fall upon this easily missed landmine. Interesting note: the study of the Hippie movement of 1967 (in California) described how the movement started off with sexual immorality, lead to illicit drug use, and ended up in Satanism in the 1970’s. Again, sexual immorality is a primary step in being led away from God.

The evening service was equally exciting as we continued our study of the Book of Revelation. In chapter 9 we learned of two of the three woes, or two of the last three of the trumpet judgments. During this time, mankind will suffer unbearably and many will die at some point in these two trumpet judgments. But, we also see that God is still merciful to humans (5 months of pain are a nanosecond in comparison to an eternity in Hell); God wants mankind to turn from its wicked ways and follow Him. Unfortunately, those still alive after this become more entrenched in their sin. Next week we will continue our study of Revelation with Chapter 10; not very often do you see God halt the writing of the Word.

We finished off the night with fellowship and root beer floats—chocolate root beer floats for the more daring. This, by the way, is an extraordinary use of chocolate syrup, root beer, and vanilla ice cream.

Have a blessed week, reread the scriptures and chapters we looked at on Sunday, and come back ready for more of God!


Sincerely,

Pastor Claude

How High Is Your Standard?

Imagine, if you will, a dark, barren landscape with almost no trees left around. You feel as if you are alone, but you know that there are other people in your area. You know they are there because you can hear them fighting an enemy in close combat. You can feel the wind beginning to pick up; so much so that it seems to want to blow you off of your feet. It wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to hold onto a pole in your right hand. However, this is an important pole. For at the top of this pole is a flag, or standard, that lets those around you know where they are and where to go to if they get into trouble. This standard can do much more than this, though. It also wards off the enemy and keeps them away from you, and those around you. They may try to attack you and your compatriots, but they can’t advance on you as long as that standard is held high. You have an extremely important task at hand—keep that standard flying high.

This embodies the spiritual battle that each and every Christian faces on a daily basis. Case in point, in the course of one day this week I came directly and indirectly into contact with: a colleague whose twenty-year-old son is recovering from a second surgery for metastatic bone cancer, a report of a former co-worker whose is recovering from a total colonectomy due to colon cancer, individuals with fractured bones, others with troubled relationships with family and friends, you name it—the wind started picking up rather quickly and with an increasing force. So, through words of encouragement, actions of compassion, and prayer for all, the standard was firmly planted in the ground.

I know this sounds fairly aggressive, but I want us to realize that there is a devil who wants to knock us down and take us out—the standard bearers. Thankfully, due to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are over comers and victors; the battle has already been decided. With this certainty, we can encourage and pray for these individuals. More often than not, these folks will approach us for help because they recognize our standard; the banner that signifies our allegiance with God through Jesus Christ. With this opportunity, we can let them know that we will take that prayer request to the throne room of God with confidence that we will receive mercy and find grace before our Creator. We can also teach them of the everlasting truth—there is a Savior who wants to know them personally, and would love to reside in their heart.

If your standard has dipped down, raise it back up. If it has been knocked to the ground, you are okay. Pick up your banner, clean it off, and raise it high for those around you to see. If you don’t have a banner, now would be a perfect time to confess that you are a sinner, ask Jesus Christ into your heart, and pledge your life to Him. “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9). Now take your standard into your hand and raise it high into the air for those on the battlefield to see.

Come on standard bearers, we can do this! How do I know: 1) “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13); and 2) “...we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37). God is with us, keep those banners flying high!

Have a victorious day,
--Eastpointer

(Image courtesy of Google Images)

June Women's Ministry Brunch

We had a wonderful gathering on Saturday for our Eastpoint Women’s Brunch. The ladies that came were greeted with a light breakfast, tables adorned with sand buckets filled with summer goodies, as our fellowship hall was transformed to fit our theme--“Faith, Flip flops, and Friends”. The Spirit was present as we shared testimonies, fellowshipped (as only women can do), and heard a teaching on unlocking our spiritual potential. We were all rejuvenated and challenged as we examined the doorway leading to our own spiritual potential. We learned that there are several tools needed to unlock that door. The key is Christ, turn the key in the lock is our salvation, the doorknob is the Word of God, the door hinges are prayer and fasting, and walking through the threshold takes faith and action. Each lady left better equipped to step out, claim, and exercise in her spiritual potential. The Eastpoint Women’s Ministry is looking forward to attending the AG Women’s Retreat in September and are planning our next Saturday morning brunch later in October.

Landmines in our Lives

Over the last several weeks, Pastor Claude has been teaching on the landmines that exist in the path of the Christian. The word “landmine” has been watered down over the past couple of decades in reference from computer games to things you’ll find in the backyard—if you own a dog. But to understand the significance of landmines in our daily Christian walk, let’s examine the true nature of a landmine.

A landmine is a device placed in your pathway by your sworn enemy. It is cleverly hidden such that your enemy knows exactly where it is (and how to effectively cause the most damage upon detonation) and you won’t see it until it’s too late. If it doesn’t kill you, it will maim you and may permanently affect your ability to move, communicate, eat, breath, etc. Now take this analogy of the physical world and apply it to the spiritual warfare we face on a daily basis.

With this description, you can see how Satan will use these “landmines” against us in his effort to destroy anything that belongs to God. But that is where our victory stands—we belong to God; we are His. Let the Word of God and the Holy Spirit help you daily put on your spiritual spectacles and see those landmines long before you approach their presence. Start your day with God through prayer and the reading of the Word. As you continue your faithfulness in this area, the landmines in your pathway will become ineffective.

Now here is where it gets really interesting. You can help teach others about these landmines. Tell them they exist; use your experiences (if necessary) as an example. Tell them of the One who can help them avoid those “devices of destruction”. And if they have already stepped on one, there is a Great Physician who can heal their wounds; He is always ready to bind the wounds. He wants to; He loves them—and He loves you.


Have a wonderfully blessed day,
--Eastpointer

Sunday, June 22, Pastor Claude will be continuing the series "Landminds in the Path of the Believer". This sermon will be on Slothfulness.

Sunday night, Pastor will be teaching on the seventh book of Revelation.

Eastpoint's 1st Father's Day

Eastpoint Family Church celebrated it's first Father's Day on Sunday. Here's a picture of Pastor Claude with Eastpoint's 2 Oldest Fathers: Dan Shirk (left) and Albert Lada.

Pastor Claude's Grandson

Recently, our 4 year old grandson asked his mother, "How do you get to heaven, Mommy?"

Our daughter, Shaunna, answered, "by asking Jesus into your heart."

He thought for a minute and said, "I don't think I want Jesus in my heart!"

Shaunna being disappointed asked, "Why?"

He said, "If Jesus is in my heart, then my ribs and my stomach would hurt!"

Our daughter quickly relayed to him that his Papa would probably do a better job at explaining that!

The Beginning

Here's a video from Sept. 2007 kind of explaining how Eastpoint became a church.

Welcome to the new Eastpoint Blog!

Hey everybody! Thanks for checking in here at the new Eastpoint Family Church blog. We are excited about this new opportunity for connection and inspiration.