Words from the Pastor
I am not sure how many of you read the front of the bulletin (Or how many of you read any of the bulletin for that matter!), but as I was praying about and inserting a new scripture on the front page, I read this quote:
The church of Jesus Christ is to minister to people at the point of their need. It’s not a sacred society for snubbing sinners. It’s not a hotel for saints. It’s a hospital for sinners. It exists to help the hurting and aid the broken. Be the church God intends by inviting all people to know Christ and receiving them into fellowship when they express faith! Now even though I put the quote there, I am not sure where this quote came from or who wrote it, but I really do like it. We, you and I, are the church of Jesus Christ brothers and sister! We are His bride; we are His body! We represent Him on this earth. We are what people see when they think of a Christian. We are His ambassadors the Bible calls us. An ambassador represents something. Where ever the United States has an embassy in a foreign country, that land where that embassy is located on is considered sovereign land of the United States and the people that live and work in that embassy represent the United States, just like you and I represent the Kingdom of Heaven. In II Corinthians 5:20 Paul tells the church at Corinth this: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God.” We, as Christians are Christ’s ambassadors, as through God were making His appeal through us it says. If you read this passage of Scripture in context it is talking about Christ being made sin for us so that we could share eternal life with Him in Heaven. That is suppose to be our message to the world around us. That is what we are to share with people on a daily basis. We, as Christians, are to be sharing our faith with the lost and dying world around us. Verse 21 reads this way: “God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” That really does thrill me brothers and sisters! That is what we, as true Christians, are supposed to be sharing with the world around us! We should be sharing our hope that we have in Jesus Christ with others as true ambassadors of Him.
“Okay preacher,” you may be saying, “how am I supposed to share my faith with people that don’t want anything to do with church or the Bible?” Well, we share our faith through our actions. We share our faith through our love for those that are hard to love. We become the body of Christ here on earth. We always must preach, and sometimes we even have to open our mouths. Father, help me to be Your ambassador.
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
Where does you confidence lie? Where do you put your trust? Are your feet firmly planted on the Rock and is your anchor holding there? Do you realize that if we are Jesus Christ’s, we have given Him permission to do whatever He deems necessary to do to make us His disciples? And He wants disciples that will never falter! His desire is that as we go through things that we are able to say, “Not my will but Yours Father,” like Jesus did the night before He was betrayed.
This isn’t anything new. Isaiah wrote way back in Isaiah 29:16, “You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”?” Even way back then Isaiah thought of God as the potter and himself as the clay.
And, as Isaiah wrote, “You turn things upside down…” Have you ever felt that way? Like your whole world has turned upside down? That the way you had planned it out wasn’t even close to the way that God was leading you and you were a million miles away from the goals that you had set? That’s the key word here. The goals YOU had set.
As Christians we need to seek Him and ask Him to lead us and show us which way he wants us to go. Seems rather crazy doesn’t it? I mean, didn’t He give us a brain and shouldn’t we use it? Shouldn’t we use our own smarts to work out our problems and our issues? No, we shouldn’t. You see, God has the ability to see the end from the beginning. He knows what is best for our lives. And if we will just trust Him in all of our circumstances, life would be so much more enjoyable! Like it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all of you heart and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
That’s how the Apostle Paul could trust Jesus and rejoice even when he was in prison. Paul had such a close relationship with God that he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God had it all under control! That no matter what happened that it was all going to work together for his good and he was safe in the palm of his Master’s hand. Same way that Daniel knew that the lions weren’t going to have him for dinner. And so many more! Think about it! 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
Welcome to the July RFFD of 2019! It is so wonderful to have you with us here today. I am excited to see you all here and I hope that God speaks to your heart and you allow Him to change you from the inside out.
Did you know that God is in the business of changing lives? Max Lucado said, “God takes us just like we are but He loves us to much to leave us that way!” In other words, He is going to work on us as much as we will allow Him to so we can live that abundant life that He offers us in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Do you know who the “they” are in that verse? The “they” are you and me. We can have a full life because Jesus came and died for us! Some versions have translated the word “full” as “abundant”. Life more abundant. That sounds great to me, life to the full, or life more abundant! But does that mean He is going to change our circumstances or take away all of the issues that are clouding our way right now? No, it sure does not. Even though our Heavenly Father loves us more than we could ever imagine, He will not remove our troubles, but He will help us through them. Not to say that God will not preform miracles and that He can’t remove our problems, but most of the time He allows us to go through them so we can learn from them and learn to be more like Jesus.
In Hebrews 5 verse 8 the writer tells us, “Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered…” Jesus, who was God in the flesh learned obedience through the things He suffered! Sounds pretty wild, doesn’t it? Why Jesus? He was perfect! He was from Heaven for crying out loud! But even Jesus needed to learn to follow God. To allow God to have His will done in Him because Jesus was just as human as you and me, yet without sin. I believe that Jesus had to show you and me that it could be done. He was obedient in everything because He led the way for you and me! We know that He was perfect and we know that we can never be perfect here on earth, but we can strive for that! Isn’t that beautiful?
You see, Jesus is the 2nd person of the Trinity. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And being that He is God and that He laid down all of the glory of His heavenly home and came to earth so that He could become a sacrifice for you and me and allow us to have the chance of having eternal life causes my heart to sing. No other person has done that. Buddha went to the grave and is still there. Mohamud went to the grave and is still there. Any other person that people worship died and is still dead! But not our Savior Jesus. And He did it for you and me. He looked at you and me and He said, “They’re worth all of the pain and suffering that I will have to go through. I will be obedient to My Heavenly Father so they can have a way into eternal glory. Yes sir, they are worth it!” And I Praise the Lord that He did it!
Please let me know if you need anything. Naomi and I love you! -Pastor Steve
Words from the Pastor
I think that there are times in all of our lives that we feel low aren’t there? Times when we hurt and feel the pain and the weight of the world bearing down on us and it feels like we are just not going to be able to go on. Maybe a relationship has fallen apart or there are financial burdens or health issues have crept in and taken your peace. And remember, Jesus said there would be days like this for sure. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 this, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Isn’t that the best thing you’ve read in a really long time? Jesus said that we were going to have bad days but then He says, “Don’t worry about it!” in so many words. Why? Why not worry? Because we have King Jesus looking after us!
Do you remember the old hymn “For His Eye Is on The Sparrow?” The first verse and chorus went like this: “Why should I feel discouraged? And why should the shadows come? Why should my heart feel lonely and long for my heavenly home? When Jesus is my portion? And my constant friend is He! His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me. Oh His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me. I sing because I’m happy I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” That hymn is taken from Matthew 10. In verses 28-31 Jesus tells us, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Essentially, what Jesus is saying here is that even if you’re going to die, don’t worry about it! Easier said then done that’s for sure but non-the-less so very true. Remember the disciples trying to row across the lake in Mark 4:35-41 and a furious storm blew up and Jesus was asleep on a cushion in the back of the boat? They woke Him up and said, “Lord, don’t you care that we’re about to die?” And after He had calmed the sea Jesus asks them, “Why were you so afraid? Where’s your faith?” And it’s the same thing in all of our lives. “Lord, did you see that doctor’s report??” “Lord, I don’t have any way of paying these bills!!” “Lord, this relationship is hurting me so bad!!” On and on it goes and Jesus is saying to us, “Where’s your faith? Is it in the doctors or Me? Is your faith in your money or Me? If you trust Me, I will make you content in this relationship. But you have to trust Me!”
So, trust Him today. Give Him your burden today and don’t pick it up again. Allow Him to calm the stormy sea in your life. Then take His hand and step out of the boat into the sea and watch what He does. He is in the business of changing lives.
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
Hello, a friendly reminder that the 2nd Sunday food collection is this Sunday July 14.
We are especially in need of canned beef stew (Dinty Moore/Kroger/Amour brands) and canned veggies.
Please place your kind donations in the red collection boxes located near the doors at church.
Because of your generosity:
A mini food bank has been opened outside of the Sonoita library whereby people who need food can have 24 hour access to healthy food. (thank you to Santa Cruz County Supervisor Bruce Bracker for his support of this effort)
The mini food pantry outside the Patagonia food bank is being stocked with healthy food.
Over 70 families/individuals (mostly single senior citizens) who use the food bank located in Patagonia are being supplemented with food from our church
Families in need in our area are receiving delivered food.
Thank you for being the Church and for serving others in our community who need our help = Christ in action in and through you!