Everyone has hidden something behind a mask

Everyone has hidden something by pretending to be or looking a certain way in order to disguise what's really happening, on the inside.  When we are really hurting or struggling we never hesitate to say "I'm OK". We fake smiles, and pretend that everything is just great.  On the outside we appear all put together and pleased with life when on the inside we are crying and broken into pieces.  

Why?  Maybe because we don't want anyone to see us for the mess we believe we really are.  Could it be that we are so broken that we feel we have no value in life?  Whatever the reason big or small people find reasons to hide behind a mask, a false facade  attempting to appear to be something they desire but yet something they believe they will never be.  

How about this truth from God; no

matter how broken, how messed up, or how useless you feel, The Lord still views you as the glory and beauty He desires you to be.  When we quit hiding an disguising ourselves before The Lord he assures us He will transform us into something we never thought we could be.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

There is Strength for Uncertain Times

There is Strength for Uncertain Times:

Let’s face it, we a living in very uncertain times.  We have an uncertain government.  Who knows if our elected officials will act and respond to the best interest of the people or best interest of greed, corruption, and personal gain?  The national and personal economy is uncertain.  Are we headed for an indefinite recession, debt crisis, or even great depression? Job security is no longer common, but job insecurity is.  With financial insecurity everything from major corporations to small businesses are being forced to cut hours, lay off employees, and even close doors indefinitely. Traditional nuclear family dynamics no longer exist.  Divorce, domestic abuse, broken homes, absentee parents are at all-time historical highs.  Physical and mental health are never a given.  As a medical professional, I have witnessed firsthand professionally and personally the effects of health being snuffed out unexpectedly and permanently.  Safety is no longer.  All you have to do is watch or read the news.  Domestic, school house, workplace, and public violence are on the rise; with shootings and terroristic threats and acts of violence are nightly news.  I think I could go on and on, but the point is this; uncertainty is certain.  With uncertainty come fear, anxiety, and even failure.

Uncertainty can certainly devastate and destroy lives and futures.  Individuals are affected, families are affected, and communal groups are affected.  Not even local, national or even global governments are immune from the effects of uncertainty. 

To persevere and overcome uncertainty we need strength; a certain strength that will not fail or falter.  We need a strength that never weakens or runs dry.  This kind of strength will never come from self, family, friends, or governments.  This kind of strength can only come from something greater than man and greater than the threats that inundate our lives with uncertainty.  Although this kind of strength seems impossible, it is obtainable.  God, the living Lord almighty offers this strength if all you will do is fully commit your heart to Him.

 

2 Chronicles 16:9  For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him…

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.   

Deceived By Your Own Making

Do not be deceived by your own making.  When I was a little boy I made my dad up.  Sure I had a real dad who had a real job, a real family; he had very real limitations like every other dad.  But like most other boys I made my dad up.  For whatever reason most boys feel the need to make their dads out to be greater, stronger, smarter, more successful and more desired than any other man out there.  I would tell stories of how my dad could beat your dad up, my dad can fly, my dad makes 9887781 billion dollars a minute; and on and on with the stories.  So the truth was that I had two versions of the same dad.  My made up dad and the dad he really was. 

Most people believe in God or a god.  Like most boys, most people make up who their god is, even if the God they believe in is the one true God.  People still make up who God is by deciding for themselves what God desires and what He is like.  We allow culture, family tradition, pride, ego, sinful desires, misinterpretation, tolerance, relativism… and so much more to influence our hearts and minds into defining who God is.   This is nothing new; throughout history God’s chosen people have been guilty of it over and over again.

When I was little, my friends found out who my dad was by meeting him in person and getting to know him firsthand.  The more they spent time with him, the better they got to know him and the better they got to know him the more they realized how wrong they were because of my misrepresentation and lies.  Knowing who God is requires the same thing.  You cannot allow your outside influences, personal opinions, culture, family traditions, and so on to make up your view of who He is.  You must meet him firsthand, face to face if you ever want to know the real God. 

To meet God face to face and experience Him firsthand means that first you must enter into a covenant relationship with Him through His son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior over your life.  Even then you still will not know God fully until you actively seek and pursue Him in active church attendance, purposeful reading of the bible, prayer, fellowship, discipleship, intentional and active worship, and selfless serving of others.  The bible is full of wisdom and instruction on how we can best experience God.

There are a lot of bad pastors out there and there are a lot of good ones as well.  No matter how good or bad, I always confirm their preaching and teaching with the direct word of God as it is written in the Holy Bible.  I must add; my pastor is one of the greats, I’ve always held his teachings up against the written word of God and he has never flawed it or failed.  Always, I repeat always use the written word of God to affirm and confirm your thoughts and beliefs of who God is.  No matter who or what your influences are, you always have a choice and an obligation to affirm the truth.  Never be foolish and become deceived by your own makings of who God is.  A god of our own makings is no true god at all. 

 

2 Chronicles 15: 1-3 The Spirit of God came and said… 2 “The LORD is with you when you are with Him, If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God…

Pastors Appreciation

It is Pastor appreciation month:

I would like to pose a question; can you honestly and genuinely express appreciation for your pastor? If the answer is no, then maybe your church should examine the heart of its people. In 2 Chronicles, King Hiram expresses some good insight. Here is what he said to king Solomon:

2 Chronicles 2:11 Hiram king of tyre replied by letter to Solomon: "because The... Lord loves his people, he has made you king."

Pastors are charged with a huge challenge in leading the ministry and church God has place them in. By Hiram's insight I can't help but believe God awards the heart of the people by providing Great godly leaders. Could it also be that if the heart of the church is bad, then God places the great leaders elsewhere?

At Flippin FBC, the heart of Gods people has been blessed by an incredibly godly man and faithful servant. Thank you church for having the heart you do. We are blessed because of your heart by God; for has has made Bro. Steve our pastor and his wife Judy his right hand!

Thank you Steve and Judy, we have been so blessed by your faithfulness.

If anyone wants to experience how blessed we are, then come join us Sunday mornings at 9:00am for Sunday school and 10:00am for worship. We would love to share our Godly blessings with you!