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