Words from the Pastor
I want to welcome you to the May Ranch Family Fun Day (RFFD). It’s so great to see you all here! And I hope that you have brought a friend with you. Everybody needs to know Jesus and what’s a better way to find Him than in a rodeo arena?
Fred Keys made a statement last week and I thought it was very profound. He said, “Death is a door, you decide what’s on the other side.” Isn’t that great? In other words, it is in your power to know where you will spend eternity. Because no matter what people say, you are going to live forever! You will live forever in either heaven or you will live forever in hell. It is your choice. We are all immortal and we are all going to live forever either in Heaven with our Savior Jesus or in hell with the enemy of our souls.
Paul writes in the 3rd chapter of Philippians about what he did to get ready for Heaven. In the first 3 verses he is talking about the religious Jews of the day that are working their way to Heaven by doing all sorts of stuff on the outside. Then in verses 4-6 Paul writes about how much confidence he could have in the flesh just because of his past. Then, in verses 7-14 he talks about what he actually does. Here’s what he said: “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
See, everything that Paul did from the time that he met Jesus on the road to Damascus until the moment when he was writing this letter to the church at Philippi was for God’s glory! On that day when Paul met Jesus he saw that door and he decided that he was going to live forever in the presence of Jesus and that he was going to take as many people with him as possible! And that’s the same choice you and I have brothers and sisters! We can serve Jesus with all of our hearts and make Him Lord of our lives, we can barely squeak by with our “fire insurance” or we can go to hell. It’s our choice. I personally want to strive to serve Jesus with all of my heart and share the Gospel with as many people as I can so that they know the truth about my Savior Jesus and have the chance to make Heaven their home too! But no matter what we choose it is our choice. Jesus gives it to us but He also gives us our own free will to make that choice or not.
I pray that if you don’t know Jesus that you will find Him. And if you do know Him that you, like Paul, can serve Him with all of your heart and press on. If you don’t know Him and you want to, just take a moment and tell Him you want to know Him. Just tell Him that you know that you are a sinner and that you know that He died for your sins. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and come into your heart and live. Easy as that. Then please, let someone know of your decision. We want to rejoice with you!
God Bless You! Let us know if we can do anything for you. Naomi and I sure love all y’all! -Pastor Steve
Words from the Pastor
Today marks that special day when all across the United States of America (And the day has been adopted by many other countries) people are celebrating their mothers. The 2nd Sunday of the month of May is a special day that was set aside in 1914 as Mother’s Day. It is a day in which mothers are celebrated for being just that, mothers, moms, mommies or whatever you call her. Each one of us feel that their mother is the very best and that no matter how old we get we can always count on our mother’s love. Some of us have lost our mothers but we can still remember the love that she showed us even when we weren’t deserving of it. I sure remember my mom showing me that type of love. Even when I was so underserving, she still loved me unconditionally. Kind of like God does to us every day. He shows us that unconditional love and forgives us our wrongs, just like momma.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is discipline, both with our moms and with our Heavenly Father. I mean by the time we reach the age when we should know better, and can legally be on our own, our moms quit whipping on us, but how many of you still get the look from your mom and know that it is time to straighten up? I know that Naomi can still give the look and the kids understand just exactly what she is saying with her eyes! And you know what? God has eyes also. He sees what we are doing and even more than mom, God knows our thoughts and our intentions. He knows when we lie, cheat or even think things that we shouldn’t. So, as we grow in Christ we should be more sensitive to His Spirit nudging us towards doing what is right because Gods “look” can be even more severe then moms!
Colossians 3:1-3 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” In other words, you aren’t the same as you were in the past. If you know Christ as your Savior you need to be seeking things in Gods Kingdom, not things on this earth. I am not saying that we need to quit our jobs and sit around and pray all the time! No, we need to go to work and share His love with our co-workers. We need to get involved in our community and show the love of Jesus there. We need to show His love in our homes, to our spouses and our children and our children’s children. We need to show our love in the same way our mothers show their love to us. Like Jesus does. Not based on what we do, but because we are the Kings kids!
Happy Mother’s Day!
Please let me know if you need anything. You pray for me and I’ll pray for you. Naomi and I love you all. -Pastor Steve
Words from the Pastor
Here it is, May 2019 already. Praise the Lord that we are that much closer to His return! We were studying the other day in Men’s Bible Study Hebrew’s 1:1-2, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.” Did you read verse 2? It says “but in these last days…” Now scholars believe that the Book of Hebrews was written before the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70 or the author probably would have mentioned the temple. But none-the-less if it was or was not written before or after, it was written around 2,000 years ago, and the author stills says, “in these last days…” Have you ever wondered why the author wrote the words, “in these last days…?” I think it was because the author was looking forward to Christ return. It was in the forefront of his mind and he was hoping it would be that day, that moment or at least in his life time! But here it is 2,000 years later and Christ hasn’t yet returned and caught His bride away. But it is closer brothers and sisters! “Duh pastor” I can hear some of you saying.
Or have we, like some people think, “Is He really coming back? Are we believing a lie?” Seems to me that He should have come back a long time ago. I mean, just look around. The whole world seems to have gone completely mad! What is right is now considered wrong and what is wrong is now considered right. Every where we turn it seems that God has turned His back on the world and left us to fend for ourselves. But has He? Not in the least my brothers and sisters. Not in the least! He is working just like He always has!
Remember what Philippians 1:6 tells us? “ Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ:” He started this whole thing and He knows when it is going to end. He’s got the whole world in His hand! He’s got you and me brother and sister in His hand! And do you know how I know this? Because I have the great privilege of watching each of you grow in the Lord. I see changes in your lives. I see the things that you are going through and yet you keep on keeping on because you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Christ is going to work all things together for your good. I am so encouraged by all of you and how you allow God to work in your lives. It is amazing to me.
So, let’s all keep it going. Let’s all pull together and shoulder each other’s burdens. God is so good to us brothers and sisters! And we are in the last days. It may go on for a long, long time, but it is still the last days. And I can’t wait to hear these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Please let me know if you need anything. You pray for me and I’ll pray for you. Naomi and I love you all. -Pastor Steve
There seems to be some confusion about church services and time for this weekend, May 5th. So let me clarify. We will be having our normal church services this weekend at Canelo Cowboy Church. 9 am Sunday School followed by 10:30 Church Service. Pastor Steve is back this week and will be preaching.
Also, at the Fairgrounds, Chaplin Tom Day will be hosting a church service for the races. It will be at Pioneer hall at 10:30 am as well. You can contact Tom Day at (915) 588-9281 if you have questions about that service.
Hopefully, this clarifies any confusion. We’ll see you guys on Sunday!
Words from the Pastor
Isn’t it great to know that we serve a risen Savior and that He loves us unconditionally? What does that mean? It means that if we mess up, which we will, He still loves us and still desires a relationship with us. We as humans aren’t like that usually are we? At least I’m not. When someone offends me, I hold them at arm’s length and don’t let them into my life again until I say it’s okay. And at times I have done that with our children. They aren’t doing what I want them to do so I am going to be sore at them and upset that they aren’t! Praise the Lord that He isn’t that way! He loves us no matter what. But I am getting better at not doing that, by God’s grace.
You see, when we are offended, that’s all we can see. All we can feel is the pain of the offense and we can’t see the big picture. We can’t see the fact that everything is working for our good like it says in Romans 8:28. God is going to use these things in our lives to help us mature in Jesus. Paul even goes so far as to say that our afflictions are light and momentary! Read what Paul tells us in II Corinthians 4:17: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” I know what you’re thinking I bet! “Light and momentary troubles! For crying out loud I just buried my son!” Or, “Do you realize that I was just diagnosed with cancer?” Or, “I hurt my back and I can’t work. How am I going to provide for my family?” All of these things are real in so many of our lives and they hurt and worry us so much, but Paul calls them “light and momentary troubles.” And here on Earth they aren’t. Our struggles are real and they hurt. They take a toll on us. But Paul wants us to look at it from an eternal stand point. Everything that goes on down here, even if we live to be 100 years old, is just a small blip when you compare it to eternity. It is just a blink of an eye and it is causing you to become better or bitter. It is causing you to become more like Jesus or more like the world that has no hope. It’s your choice.
Okay pastor, how do we get over it? Well, Paul tells us in the next verse, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Don’t be looking at what’s around you, look up and ask God to show you what He wants you to learn from this. Ask Him how He wants to you to grow and become more like Jesus!
This is what Paul told the church in Colossae to do in Colossians 3:1-3, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” It is all about our attitudes brothers and sisters. Where is your heart set? If it’s set on things that are around us, we are not going to have peace. But if it is set on Heavenly things God can do wonderful things through us. Look up!
Please let me know if you need anything. You pray for me and I’ll pray for you. Naomi and I love you all. -Pastor Steve