Gilbert Carter - God's Grace

 

Gilbert Carter visited our church and shared his powerful testimony.  What a blessing!

Lent - Consider the Cross

 

Baptized - Now What?

 

We have believed.  We have confessed Jesus as Lord.  We have been baptized…now what?  The answer is very simple: Let Him Do His Work in Us. 

The Way of the Cross

"...the rich young ruler is one of the last few specific people Jesus met on his way to Jerusalem.  As he left Ephraim where he had fled with his disciples to avoid the attacks of the priests, he began to make his way to Jerusalem.  On that journey toward the cross, the Scriptures record only five specific people interactions besides his disciples, Lazarus’ family, and the general crowds. 

When you realize these people met Jesus on his way to the cross, their stories somehow mean more.  In them I see that Jesus places emphasis on

• Healing the unclean
• Child-like humility and faith
• Full surrender and Abandonment
• Healing those who cannot see
• Rescuing the most despised

And all of these share the message of redemption, restoration, and relationship with God.  Those are powerful messages on the way to the cross.  If you also study the parables and teachings of Jesus in these final weeks, you also discover that some of the most important recorded teachings of Jesus were shared during this time.  In the next few weeks we will look at some of them.

However, today, I felt my heart drawn to the story of the rich young ruler who was called to follow the way of the cross."

A New Year's Meditation

Listen as Pastor Rick reflects on the past year and looks ahead to the New on this New Year's Day, 2017.

The Parenting Challenge

Listen as Pastor Rick talks about how God uses our children to shape us for His glory.

"Children truly are an heritage of the Lord.  It is through them that God can strengthen you in His character.  I encourage you today to accept the commission, embrace the call and be anchored in God’s character by way of this Parental Challenge.  So say it with me again, “I accept the Parental Commission.”  Welcome to God’s shaping in your life via your children as you surrender yourself as a tool in His hands to shape them.  This is the Parental Challenge."

A Disciple of Christ

"To become a disciple of Christ is a serious matter.  It is far more than a little prayer and handshake with a preacher.  It is more than an emotional baptism experience captured on video.  It is more than taking communion on a Sunday.  True discipleship is far more than a feel-good idea or brief ritual.  Discipleship demands abandonment of oneself to the Savior and His way.  In fact it is a continual living expression of devotion to the first commandment: Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."


Listen as Pastor Rick shares principles of discipleship from the words of Jesus Himself.

Book Review - Seeking Allah Finding Jesus

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a book I will always be glad I have read. Not only was the content interesting, but I was able to identify with the experiences of the author in a small way, and the story began to change my perceptions of the world in which I live and alter my understanding of one of the largest people groups and religions of history.

Framed in ten parts, Nabeel describes an autobiographical journey from a life and perspective steeped in Islam to a core-shaking foundational revolution in his understanding and life when confronted with the truths of historical Christianity and a call to personal faith in the risen Lord.

The journey he walks is heart-wrenching as he questions every fundamental tenet of his faith and finds it failing under scrutiny. Inexorably he is driven to the inevitable conclusion that Islam remains untenable as the means by which he may know and please the one true God. Ultimately he surrenders everything he is to everything God demands and places his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

This decision costs him immensely as reflected in the dedication of his book:
“This book is dedicated to my parents. Ammi and Abba, your undying love for me even when you feel I have sinned against you is second only to God’s love for His children. I pray you will one day realize His love is truly unconditional, that He has offered forgiveness to us all. On that day, I pray that you would accept His redemption, so we might be a family once again. I love you with all my heart.”

The choice to follow Christ broke every cultural and religious tie in which Nabeel was steeped. It violated his heritage, his history, his family, and his faith. Yet, like the disciples of the New Testament, Nabeel takes up his cross and follows Jesus though it costs everything. Such a powerful testimony!

However, make no mistake, more is happening here than merely the cathartic tale of a young Muslim man’s journey from faith to faith. Through the eyes of Nabeel we begin to comprehend the sincerity of mind and heart which can be so committed to a faith like Islam. We see the desperation with which Nabeel wishes to please God and how that desire results from every element of his identity being inculcated with the doctrines, tenets, and practices of Islam from birth. For Muslims this total immersion and indoctrination in a culture totally revolving around the teachings of Islam seems inescapable.

As a result, one begins to find compassion for a group of people that aspire to great faith and instead are obdurately bound as slaves to a harsh and oppressive religion that demands total obedience without question. One cannot help but admire the dedication of Nabeel’s parents to raise him correctly in the way they understood their faith. Yet, one cannot avoid resonating with the struggles Nabeel endures as everything he knows and trusts is brought into question. One also begins to wonder if there is a genuine conversation that should be initiated between Christian and Muslim communities to expose the cracks in the façade of Islam and highlight these in the light of the documented truths of the Gospel, providing a path to freedom.

I was profoundly moved by Nabeel’s personal struggle which I understood personally in a small way. At one time, I too questioned everything I believed; yet, I found the truths of Christianity too overwhelming to resist in their historicity, logic, and prospect. Not only so, but as I read this book, I also found the awakening of a new emotion in my heart toward Muslims.

Since 9/11, I have - along with many Americans - viewed Muslims with suspicion, frustration, and mistrust. Now I begin to view them with pity and compassion. Surely I should try in my own way to invite them to consider the claims of Christ wherever I have opportunity. In this way, Nabeel’s book will likely revolutionize my perspective and approach to Muslims for the rest of my life.

After reading this book, I hope I can be as genuine and committed in my faith as Nabeel has been. I also hope that I may walk more closely with God with deeper love of His children than ever before – including the Muslims for which Christ also died.



View all my reviews

Book Review - Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography

Book: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, as contained in The Harvard Classics, Volume 1, as part of The Five Foot Shelf of Books, © P.F. Collier & Son 1909, 1937, and printed in its 56^th Printing by P.F. Collier & Son Corporation, New York, 1965.

Author: Benjamin Franklin

Reading Completed: 20150415

Reaction:

As I read this autobiography penned by Mr. Franklin in two separate periods of his life, I developed a better understanding of how this man by determination, diligence, focus, frugality, sagacity, and cunning rose from poverty to a position of means, influence, and popularity among his peers, before the public, and in service to his nation. 

Mr. Franklin was very successful in most ventures to which he put his hand, displaying ingenuity, creativity, and a willingness to go above and beyond his peers to achieve the goals he desired.  He was widely read, opinionated, and relatively wise.  However, he was also egotistic and proud, and thought rather highly of himself, though it could be argued that he did relatively well managing this vice compared to what other men might have done in his stead.  He did greatly admire virtue, the ability to think and reason, and knowledge to be gained through reading, experience, observation, experimentation, and conversation.

Mr. Franklin was not a devout Christian, though he professed a deep faith in a sovereign God and a belief that His hand was at work in our world.  He regularly supported the church of his choosing and went often to hear sermons though not always pleased by their structure, content, or presentation.  He seemed to imply a longing for a church that was practically engaged in the matters of the world rather than one that spoke only of dry and distant concepts that were not anchored to practical reality.  Mr. Franklin also developed his own prayers and once conceived of beginning his own sect which he never actually pursued.

Mr. Franklin began many organizations or practices that endure even to the present time including public libraries, volunteer fire companies, and what is today the University of Pennsylvania.  He was instrumental in bringing printed money into common use in the colonies and was deeply involved in influencing public opinion on many matters by his writing and printing.  In my observation of his own accounting of some of these matters, it seemed to me that sometimes he worked very hard to advance what he believed to be in the common good even if it might in some instances trample on what we would today term a “right.”  Of course, in context, it is true that he was operating in a monarchical environment and the democratic republic of the United States had not yet been born.  Thus, it may be argued that he was not at fault for endeavoring to better his fellow men, even if it was not as advanced as the environment in which we now understand ourselves.  

One point upon which he was very keen was equity.  He constantly strove to ensure the common people were treated with equity in comparison to the “proprietaries” of the province and that those in positions of power were treated the same as the common people in reference to the law especially in particular regard to equitable taxation. 

Two lessons stood out most strongly to me from his account:

1.      Speak always with grace and equity and remain self-deprecating even in the face of those you oppose.  Not only will this cause men to regard you with good will when you propose an opinion, but it will often save unnecessary embarrassment if one is found to be in the wrong.  It may also often take an opponent off guard and possibly allow coherent conversation to occur in the place of bombastic denunciations.  In this way I think the merits of an idea may be better judged on their own integrity when they are not obfuscated by the personality or the presentation of their proponent.  In the words of Jesus, “The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth.”

2.      Spend every opportunity to work hard, labor with diligence, commit to frequent regular study, and listen well to the perspectives of others.  This formula will go a long way toward contributing to the success of the person who follows it.

Finally, as a pastor, I found great interest in Mr. Franklin’s perspective of ministers.  Though often profoundly influenced by his interactions with the Quakers and the Moravians and even though he developed a personal friendship with the great George Whitfield, he was officially a Presbyterian.  However, he found the dry dogmatic theology-based sermons expounded by these men to be un-stimulating and impractical.  He much preferred the preaching of men who extolled people to live practically virtuous lives connecting Bible truths with life as people lived it.  He implied that he thought Christianity should also lend to making men good citizens.  When it did not contribute to this end, Mr. Franklin was frustrated.  In my opinion he would probably have been greatly intrigued by intellectual articulate Christians of our time such as Os Guinness and Ravi Zacharias.

Overall, though this book was dry reading at times, I enjoyed it very much and have a new-found respect for Mr. Franklin and the context in which he lived and served.

The First Words of Witnessing - Witnessing Workshops

Have you ever given much thought to the first words you will speak about faith to someone you meet?  Tonight is an exercise as a group to think about this very thing.  Not a typical sermon, this open format discussion is worthwhile if you spend the time to follow it. 

The Three R's of Witnessing - Witnessing Workshops Series

Listen as Pastor Rick opens a new series about "witnessing" or sharing our faith.  Do you know the three "R's" of Witnessing?  Listen to learn them!  :-)

STARVING CHRISTIANS

For some reason, when i last posted this, the audio didn't embed properly so I will try again!  Thanks for your patience!

Starving Christians

Listen as Pastor Rick examines the symptoms of starvation and prepares a diagnosis of our souls?  Are you a starving Christian?

INTERCESSORS

Listen as Pastor Rick breaks down intercession simple enough for even our children can understand it.  Will you be an intercessor?

More Than a Decision

Listen as Pastor Rick takes us through another concept derived from Kyle Idleman's book, "Not A Fan."  Have you gone beyond a mere "decision" for Christ?

Careful Living

Listen as Shane Gardner, a faithful layman in our church, fills in for Pastor Rick who was away.  His words on careful living are a wonderful admonishment to us all!

SACRED INTIMACY

Listen as Pastor Rick addresses the sacred 7th commandment and discusses the beauty of Marriage in its proper context, describing how it is to reflect our relationship with God.

FAN OR FOLLOWER?

Listen to this challenging message as Pastor Rick springs from the book NOT A FAN by Kyle Idleman to ask the essential question, "Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?"  Becoming a true follower of Christ is a lot more than most people think it is. 

The Strength of Sacrifice - Contagious Christians Series #6

Listen as Pastor Rick wraps up the teaching on Potent Christian Living from the book by Mark Mittelberg & Bill Hybels.  Sacrifice is memorable, powerful, and reaching.  Are you living sacrificially?

The Pull of Compassion - Contagious Christian Series #5

Listen as Pastor Rick challenges us to live and work with the compassion of Christ.  Are you as compassionate as you think?