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.