And they said to them, "Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."  - Exodus 5:21

"It is possible for people to become so accustomed to their bondage that they resist efforts to free them.  The Hebrews had been slaves in Egypt for four hundred years.  Slavery meant that they were not free to do God's will or to go where they wanted.  Moses had come to tell the Israelites how they could experience freedom, yet they were more concerned about the reaction of their taskmasters than they were about pleasing God.  For them to be free would mean that the pharaoh they were serving would be angry!  It would mean that the Egyptians they had served all their lives might attack them.  Freedom from their slavery did not seem to be worth the hardships they would inevitably endure.

When God sets out to free us there will often be a price we will have to pay.  Grief can be a terrible form of bondage, yet we can become comfortable with it.  We can grow so comfortable with fear that we don't know how to live without it.  As destructive as our sinful habits and lifestyle might be, we may prefer living with the familiar, rather than being freed to experience the unknown.  We may recognize the harmful influence of a friend but choose to reject God's will rather than offend our friend.

As incredible as it seems, the Israelites were angry at Moses for disrupting the life of slavery to which they had grown accustomed.  Have you been lulled into a comfortable relationship with your bondage?  Do you fear change more than you fear God?  Are you willing to allow God to do what is necessary in order to free you?"

Pastor Mark

And David said on that day, Whoever climbs up the water shaft, and defeats the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Therefore they said, the blind and the lame shall not come into the house.  -2 Samuel 5:8

David wanted the city of Jerusalem for both spiritual and strategic reasons. So he said to his men, “The first guy who can find a way into the walled city of Zion will be my general.” The fact that Jerusalem was surrounded by valleys on three sides and a mountain on the fourth made David’s challenge seem impossible. Yet, with no water source on the inside, David knew that, because the Jebusites couldn’t survive without water, there had to be a camouflaged shaft descending seventy-five feet to the Kidron River below.

First Chronicles 11 tells us the name of the man who found the shaft was Joab. As we have seen, Joab was not the most upstanding man. But one thing he did do: He found a way to get into the city. Joab’s example is vital for us. You see, we serve a Greater-than-David - the Son of David - Jesus Christ. Like David, Jesus desires to take cities. But He also desires to take countries, families, and individuals. He wants to beat back the spiritual Jebusites who keep people in bondage. So what does He do? He comes to people like you and me and says, “I want to talk to him; I want to see her saved; I want to touch them. And the first person who will shimmy up the shaft will be My man.” Like Joab, we might not be the greatest, the most worthy, or the most spiritual. But if we are simply willing to shimmy up the shaft, He’ll use us mightily.

There are desires the Lord places on your heart, thoughts He puts in your mind, things you know the Lord would want you to do - to talk to your neighbor, to teach a Bible study, to reach your co-workers. But as sure as you feel that tug on the strings of your soul, you hear the taunting of the enemy saying, “You’re blind. You’re lame. There’s no way you can make an impact.” If that’s the way you see yourself, you are in a perfect position to be blessed, for it was especially the blind and lame whom Jesus healed (Matthew 21:14).

William Carey, the great missionary who opened the continent of India for the Gospel, said, “Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.” In other words - “Shimmy up the shaft.”

Pastor Mark

"I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."  - John 10:9

As Christians, we talk about God "opening doors"to us as a means of His revealing His will.  What we are asking God to do is engineer our circumstances to match what we think would be best. The problem is that we misunderstand what the door is.  Jesus said He is the door.  Circumstances are irrelevant, for no one can shut the door that Jesus opens – He tells us that in Revelation chapter 3 verse 8.   If you have substituted activity for your relationship with Christ, then circumstances can disrupt your activity.  When the activity is hindered, you may assume the door has been closed.  Yet, if Christ is the door in your life, He will guide you into every experience of Him that He wants, and there is nothing people can do to stop Him.
When Paul and Silas were thrown into prison at Philippi, it appeared that the door to their ministry in Greece had been violently and firmly closed (check it out in Acts 16).  The reality of their situation, however, was that their Lord had opened a door of ministry to a previously un-reached group of men in prison.  The Philippian jailer and his household would become a significant nucleus of the new church in Philippi.  From a human perspective, a door had been closed; from God's perspective, Paul and Silas continued to minister exactly where God wanted them.
When people oppose us, we can become discouraged or worry about what others are doing to us.  We may even try to take matters into our own hands to accomplish what we think God wants.  This reveals that we do not really believe Jesus is the door for our lives.  If we did, we would be assured that through Christ we have access to everything He wants to do in and through us.  Now that is a thought to ponder.  

Pastor Mark

And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  -Luke 9:54

"James and John were called the "Sons of Thunder." When they discovered a Samaritan village that would not receive Jesus, they were fully prepared to call down fire to consume the entire community. Perhaps they felt that through such a show of power, their gospel message might be enhanced. The two brothers were willing to sacrifice the lives of the villagers in order to further the cause of the gospel. Jesus rebuked them.

Later, the apostles heard that Samaria had responded to the gospel (Acts 8:14). Who was commissioned to go and help them receive the Holy Spirit but Peter and John! God's purpose had not been to destroy those people but to save them. God chose not to rain down fire on the village, but to shower it with His Holy Spirit. What must have gone through John's mind as he saw those same people, whom he had been ready to destroy, now rejoicing in their salvation? How grateful he must have been that Jesus had prevented him from carrying out his plans!

What an enormous contrast between man's thinking and God's! Man's thinking would have resulted in the destruction of an entire village. God's plan brought salvation to it. People will benefit far more from what God wants to give them than from your best plans. Have you been short-changing the people around you by merely giving them your plans instead of God's?" Now that is something to ponder this Lord’s Day!

Pastor Mark

The whole land of Israel had no blacksmith because the Philistines had said, “The Hebrews might make swords and spears.” So all the Israelites had to go down to the Philistines to have their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles sharpened. The Philistine blacksmiths charged about one-fourth of an ounce of silver for sharpening plows and hoes. And they charged one-eighth of an ounce of silver for sharpening picks, axes, and the sticks used to guide oxen. -1 Samuel 13:19-21NCV

When the Philistines controlled the country, they would not allow the men of Israel to have swords. So to sharpen their plows and other implements of farming, the Israelites had to go to the Philistines.

It is always the way of the enemy to take away your Sword. “You can still farm. You can still do your work. I’ll give you tools,” Satan says. “I’ll help you financially or educationally. I’ll give you the instruments you need to succeed. But I don’t want you to have the Sword.” Self-help and advice books fill the shelves of many who won’t open the Sword of the Word because Satan has tricked them into thinking they don’t need it. I suggest, however, that the sixty-six book library you hold in your hand contains enough material to keep you busy studying for the rest of your life.

I truly thought that by this point in my life I would have a much better handle on this Book than I do. I know the Word not nearly like I ought to, not nearly like I want to. I don’t have Zephaniah down like I ought to. I don’t have passages in Romans memorized like I wanted to. I’m still sketchy on the flow of certain sections of Revelation. Time is running out. My memory is fading and I need to give myself to the Sword. I am more and more convinced that everything I need to know is in this Book - about parenting and grandparenting, about finances and family, about faith and the future. It’s all right here. Satan will try to give us other tools - but it is the Sword that we need.

Pastor Mark

Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."
- John 20:13

Mary Magdalene could vividly remember the day Jesus delivered her from her demonic . She became His devoted follower that day as recorded in Luke’s gospel chapter 8. She watched Him heal the sick and teach people about God’s love. Her life was transformed as she experienced the joy of being with Jesus.

Then her world seemed to fall apart! Her Lord was arrested and brutally murdered. The crowds that had shouted “Hosanna!” at the beginning of the week cried “Crucify him!” by week’s end. A final blow came when she went to anoint Jesus’ body at the tomb. She saw that His tomb was empty. Someone had apparently stolen His body. As she sobbed in despair, angels asked the poignant question, “Why are you weeping?” A really good question because when you think about it she was standing before an empty tomb! Jesus had risen, just as He had promised! Knowing that Jesus was alive put everything back into perspective, and Mary joyfully raced to share the good news with others.

The Christian life is not always easy. There are joyful moments of walking with Jesus, but there are also times when nothing makes sense and when your world seems to be crumbling. The world will mock your Lord, and you may grow discouraged. At those times, you need to peer into the empty tomb. It is the abandoned tomb that gives you and I hope, The empty tomb promises that nothing, not even death itself, can defeat the purposes of your Lord. Are you weeping beside an empty tomb? Stop it! God tell others that Your Lord has risen!

Pastor Mark

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.  - 1 Samuel 3:1

The word of the Lord was precious - or rare. Speaking to believers in Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in and sup with him and he with Me.” In other words, the question isn’t whether Jesus is speaking. The question is: Are we listening?

There’s no question God speaks. Psalm 29 tells us His voice is so powerful that it moves mountains and clears forests. The question is, are God’s people tuning in? Are they able to perceive and receive the Word He speaks constantly? There are numerous voices speaking via radio and television waves traveling through any given location. The fact that we don’t hear them is not because those voices aren’t present, but because we’re not tuned in to them. Our antenna isn’t up, our TV sets aren’t on. The same thing is true spiritually (John 10:27). Our Shepherd speaks constantly. The question is, are we tuned in to His frequency? Am I picking up and receiving what He’s saying?

Pastor Mark

The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed. Matthew 28:5-6 (The Message)

Easter:  the Christian experience is completely meaningless without it.  Unless Jesus got up from the grave you and I might as well party hearty now-because there would be nothing after this life.  The apostles called it our ‘eternal hope’ the authors of the gospels called it our ‘salvation’.  Jesus referred to it as His proof that He is the God-man He said He was.  Easter: for me it is the best day of the year. 
I look at Easter and think of one thing-purpose.  I say that because if Easter wasn’t real –then what is the purpose to this life?  We are told we are to lay up our treasures in heaven.  But just between you and me:  if Jesus really wasn’t the Messiah; then why bother?  But the fact is:  He did get up from the grave and there is more historical and physical evidence that the resurrection of Jesus Christ happened than that Napoleon Bonaparte ever existed.  It is amazing to me that no one refutes the fact that Napoleon existed and yet people spend their entire lives trying to refute the irrefutable fact that Jesus was alive, He died and was resurrected. 
How do we know for sure that He is alive?  More than the empty tomb, more than the fact that every apostle (except Judas) chose to die a martyr’s death rather than deny they saw Jesus alive after His death.  More than the fact that millions through the millennia went to their graves for that very same reason and still more preferred to devote their lives to the cause of spread the truth of His death and resurrection.  The greatest proof you can give is your own personal story of how real He has become to you. 
Ask a Muslim about their relationship with Mohammed, a Mormon about their relationship with Joseph Smith, a Buddhist with Buddha; or any cult member about their relationship with the founder of their belief and they all will look at you with a puzzled look and begin to tell you about the fundamental principles of their religion. 
If you want to find Jesus; you have to go to Jesus and not a religion because Jesus is all about a relationship.  That is why the angel told the woman:  yes He died, but He did what He said He would do-none of the other cults can say that.  Mohammed can’t Buddha can’t and Joseph Smith can’t.  You know why?  They are all are dead! 

Pastor Mark

Naomi and her daughters-in-law left the place where they had lived and started back to the land of Judah.
Ruth 1:7NCV

Naomi, the prodigal daughter, goes back home: And I am reminded of Luke 15 where we find the story of the prodigal son . . .

When the prodigal son - after leaving his father’s house, going to a far country, and spending his father’s fortune on wine, women, and song - finally came to his senses, he realized he was sitting in a pigpen eating pig slop.

The difference between a prodigal and a pig is that although the prodigal might spend some time in the pigpen, he doesn’t make it his home. If the pigpen is your home today, you need to seriously evaluate your relationship to your Heavenly Father. But if you find yourself in the pigpen today, wanting desperately to get out - take hope. Take the first step back home toward your Father, and like the prodigal son, you will see Him running to meet you.

The only time in the Bible when God is seen running is when He is running to greet a prodigal son. In Luke 15 the good doctor records that the son’s father sees his prodigal son coming towards him and the father then hitched up his robes and ran down the road with abandon to meet his son.

What a beautiful picture of restoration and redemption, renewal and revival! That’s our Heavenly Father. So if you find yourself in a real mess today trust you can make a step toward Him and He will come running to greet you, clean you off and renew your relationship with Him. Something to ponder this Lord’s Day.

Pastor Mark

Gideon divided the three hundred men into three groups. He gave each man a trumpet and an empty jar with a burning torch inside. Gideon told the men, “Watch me and do what I do. When I get to the edge of the camp, do what I do. Surround the enemy camp. When I and everyone with me blow our trumpets, you blow your trumpets, too. Then shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’ ” So Gideon and the one hundred men with him came to the edge of the enemy camp just after they had changed guards. It was during the middle watch of the night. Then Gideon and his men blew their trumpets and smashed their jars. Judges 7:16-19NCV

We live in a world oppressed by Midianites, dominated by Midianites, controlled by Midianites. I’m not speaking of an external race of people, but of an internal struggle within people. The dominion of Satan, the control of self, and the oppression of sin is within the heart of every human being, for, like David, we are all born into sin (Psalm 51:5). We have all been tainted by sin; we have all succumbed to sin. But thanks be to God, we can be liberated. We can be rescued. We can be free. God has called us into His glorious Gospel - the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, paid the price for all of our sins, rose from the dead, and wants to set up residence within our hearts, to free us, to liberate us, to lead us into life that is both abundant and eternal. That’s the Gospel.
And we who have come into this saving knowledge of Jesus are to trumpet this Gospel to all who are still dominated, controlled, and oppressed by the Midianites of sin, Satan, and self. We have the answer. The Light of the world, Jesus Christ, dwells within us. His light is inside of us - but it is also to be radiating from us.
>>And there’s the rub.<<
You see: most of us understand that Jesus is the Light because most of us have walked in His light - and yet all too often His light remains inside, all bottled up. The Lord wants to release the light of Jesus which He has placed in you. He wants His light to shine out from you in order that others can be saved and freed and satisfied. How does this happen? Only by breaking - for just as the light of the torch was hidden within the earthen vessel until the pitcher was broken, so too, if our lives are going to be a blessing, there must first be a breaking. The light is in the earthen vessel. But the light cannot shine forth from the vessel until there is a breaking of the vessel.
Precious people: you cannot be a blessing until you first go through breaking. Why? Because we live in a broken world. The baby in his playpen cries over a broken toy. The little boy is upset because of his broken bike. The junior higher is in agony over a broken arm. The high school sophomore is in pain because of a broken heart. The young wife is crying because of broken marriage vows. The businessman is in despair because of broken hopes. The middle-aged man is hurting because of broken health. Wherever you look, wherever you observe people, you see hurts. People are broken. People are in tough situations. And we who have the Light and Life of Jesus Christ can only touch them to the degree that we are able to relate to them. So if you feel a bit broken today-rejoice! Now that is something to ponder this Lord’s Day.

Pastor Mark

After Gideon took all their provisions and trumpets, he sent all the Israelites home. He took up his position with the three hundred. The camp of Midian stretched out below him in the valley. Judges 7:8 The Message

How are you doing today…really?  Do you feel as though everything is stacked against you; maybe you are like the third party in our country’s two party system-just barely a chance for victory.  I have a confession to make:  sometimes I feel that way.  But then I think about truth and realize that what I ‘feel’ doesn’t affect the truth.   It is in those moments I recall stories from God’s Word and one I really like is from the book of Judges:  look at the verse above with me.

The odds went from 4:1 to 14:1 to 450:1 as only three hundred men were allowed to move with Gideon into battle against the Midianites. We read of those same odds in 1 Kings 18, where Elijah alone was victorious against 450 prophets of Baal.

Maybe today you feel as though the odds are stacked terribly against you, that your circumstances look impossible. Rejoice! Be glad! God has set you up to bring you through and to show Himself strong. That’s His intention, that’s His purpose for you - to put you in an impossible situation so He can show you and those around you just how strong, how wonderful, and how glorious He is.

Don’t you just love the encouragement found in God’s Word?  That is really something to think about this Lord’s Day!

Pastor Mark

. . .who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel.        
Judges 3:9 (b)-10 (a)

The first of the named judges was Othniel. What was his secret? The Spirit of the Lord came upon him. There is no substitute for the Spirit of God. Jesus said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon you and you shall be My witnesses” (see Acts 1:8). We must be those who seek the fullness, the power, and the anointing of the Spirit if we are to be used effectively for the Kingdom; for while the Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of conversion, His “coming upon” ministry uniquely empowers every believer for service. Every believer has the Holy Spirit.

The question I would seek to ask of you today is this:  Does the Holy Spirit have you?  Oh, more than likely if you are reading this you probably believe in the Holy Spirit and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit…but does He have you?  Does He have your attention; does your belief in Him cause you to lean upon Him in your decision making, in your priority setting?  That’s what I mean when I ask: does He have you?

How does the Spirit come upon us? When, like the Israelites, we cry out and say, “Father I need the power of the Spirit. I’m tired of being in bondage. I’m tired of the drought within. I want to be filled with You and used by You for Your glory.” Jesus said, “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost to them that ask?” (see Luke 11:13).

Pastor Mark

Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? Judges 1:1

In contrast to the Book of Joshua,(which talks about entering into the Promised Land by faith, the Book of Judges deals with enjoying the Land by faithfulness). The application for us is that we have entered into the Land of our Heavenly inheritance apart from anything we’ve done or haven’t done. We’re received salvation as a free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Yet, if we are going to be a people who enjoy our salvation, we must be a people who walk in faithfulness to the Lord. While we enter the Kingdom simply by faith, we enjoy our presence in the Kingdom by our obedience and faithfulness to the Lord and to His Word.

If you’re miserable today, if you feel as though life is a huge disappointment, it could very well be due to an area in your life where you are being disobedient, where you are not being faithful to the things God has shown you and to which He has called you. Hey if that is you don’t fret about it!  You’re at the right place, for the Book of Judges is built on the premise that faithfulness and obedience are not only necessary for victory in the Land, but for enjoyment of the Kingdom.

Although the Israelites were in the Promised Land, pockets of Canaanites were there as well. Consequently, there was still much guerilla activity throughout the land of Israel.

Pastor Mark

The same thing is true of the words I speak. They will not return to me empty. They make the things happen that I want to happen, and they succeed in doing what I send them to do. Isaiah 55:11NCV

When God speaks, nothing remains the same. At the beginning of time, God spoke, and a universe was created out of nothing. God followed a pattern when He created the earth: He spoke; it was so; it was good (Gen. 1:3–4). This pattern continued throughout the Bible. When we look at Philippians chapter 2 we see that God revealed His plans, things happened just as He said, and God considered the result “good” God doesn’t make “suggestions”; (although I must I admit that at times I wish He did)! He speaks with the full determination to see that what He has said will come to fruition.

Whenever Jesus spoke, what He said came to pass. Lepers found that a word from Jesus meant healing (Luke 5:13; 17:14). The blind man discovered that a word from Jesus meant sight (Luke 18:42). The apostle John records in His gospel in chapter 8 a sinner experienced forgiveness through a word from Jesus. How many attempts did it take Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead in John chapter 11? Just one time.  There was never a time that Jesus spoke that what He said did not happen.  If He says something: you can take it to the bank. 

Pastor Mark

When Joshua was very old, the Lord said to him, “Joshua, you have grown old, but there is still much land for you to take. -Joshua 13:1 NCV

In Joshua 11:23, we read that Joshua took the whole land and that the land rested from war. In the passage above we read that  a lot of land remained to be possessed. Is this a contradiction? No, for although the victory was secure, there were still “mop-up operations” to complete in pockets of resistance where the enemy was holed up.

In our soul, there are pockets of resistance as well. However, in the Spirit-filled life we don’t fight for victory because Jesus already was victorious on our behalf when He died on the Cross. The roaring lion has had his teeth kicked in. We don’t fight for victory, but from victory. Positionally, we’re the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), but practically, there are still enemies lurking around my soul that need to be rooted out.

How do I root out the enemy?  Good question-glad you asked!  Here’s the great news.: Positionally, I enjoy the riches and inheritance because of Christ’s death. Practically, I have victory over that which would make me miserable, ruin my testimony, and rob me eternally through Christ’s resurrected life. You see, Jesus not only died to wash our sins away positionally, but He rose again on the third day to live within us practically. So when the Canaanites rise up, when the temptation threatens, the good news is that Christ is right there with you. The good news is that God will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will always provide a way of escape, a way of victory - every single time (1 Corinthians 10:13). The Lord not only tells us what to do, but He sets up residence inside of us. Positionally, we’re cleansed by His death. Practically, we’re set free by His life.  Now that is something to ponder this Lord’s Day!

Pastor Mark

Then Joshua made this oath: “Anyone who tries to rebuild this city of Jericho will be cursed by the Lord. The one who lays the foundation of this city will lose his oldest son, and the one who sets up the gates will lose his youngest son.” So the Lord was with Joshua, and Joshua became famous through all the land.
- Joshua 6:26-27NCV

You just don’t go against one who has been anointed by God:  and Joshua was one that had been anointed by God.  A man by the name of Hiel tried to do what Joshua said not to do: and he ended up paying a very steep price.  We see in the narrative of 1 Kings 16 that His oldest and youngest son would die. He did rebuild Jericho - but his oldest and youngest son died in the process.

Maybe you can relate to Joshua and the people of Israel. You’ve been set free from Egypt and baptized in the Spirit. But before you is a wall, a fortress, a barrier between you and someone else that is keeping you from going all the way into the heart of the Land of Promise. As a father, it might be between you and your junior high son. As a mother, it might be between you and your teenage daughter. As a husband or wife, it might be between you and your spouse. As a believer, it might be between you and a brother or sister in the Lord.

Pastor Mark

And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. 
- Joshua 5:12

It is interesting to me that it was in the Promised Land, (a picture of the Spirit-filled life), that the miracle of manna ceased. If there was ever going to be manna from Heaven, I would think it would be when we’re Spirit-filled, when we’re moving in the arena of the miraculous, when we have the anointing of the Holy Ghost. But this passage tells me differently, for when the Israelites were in the wilderness - which speaks of carnality and dryness - miracles abounded. But now that they’re in the Promised Land, the manna stops.

In the Azusa Street Revival of the early 1900s, during which there was a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the leader of the movement prophesied that three things would cause the movement of the Spirit to be quenched: more attention given to the Holy Spirit than to Jesus Christ, more attention given to praise than to prayer, and more attention given to the gifts of the Spirit than to the fruit of the Spirit.

When they were released from Egypt and as they wandered in the wilderness, the children of Israel saw more signs and wonders than any other group of people in history. Yet it was unbelief that kept them from entering the Promised Land (Hebrews 3:19) because faith doesn’t come through seeing miracles. It comes from hearing the Word. Therefore, the new generation would eat the formidable fruit found produced in the Land of God’s promise rather than the manna of the miraculous.

Pastor Mark

Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
-Matthew 22:36-40

In His response to the question, Jesus supplies another summary of the message of the law of God: be loving. "Love the Lord your God...love your neighbor." Jesus then revealed that "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Every command in the law of God is related to one of these two commandments.
"Love the Lord your God." The primary demand of the law is an all-out love relationship with the Lord God Almighty. God is to be loved "with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." From the depths of our being, love is to be flowing out toward the Lord. In every expression of our personality, love is to be poured out toward God. In every thought that occurs in our minds, love for God is to be the motivation and the content. Any aspect of life that does not indicate a comprehensive, unrestricted love toward God is in violation of His law.
"Love your neighbor." The secondary demand of God's law is an unselfish love toward every other person. We are to love others as ourselves. Some have wrongly used this phrase to urge people to obey an imaginary third commandment: "We need to learn to love ourselves"?! No, Jesus said there are only two commandments here. This second one is a call to give others the consideration and care that we all have given to ourselves all of our lives. Jesus later intensified this second command by saying, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you" John 13:34
So with all that said:  just how loving are you?  Something to ponder this Lord’s Day.

Pastor Mark

The One on the throne said to me, “It is finished. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give free water from the spring of the water of life to anyone who is thirsty. Those who win the victory will receive this, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
- Revelation 21:6-7NCV

What an awesome passage: this is our inheritance and it is not at all based on what we do but rather on what we believe.  That is first and foremost – our belief in Jesus makes us His sons and daughters and we gain the victory He earned for us on the cross. 

Secondly, once we gain our belief and our position of being in His family; we see responsibility. The inheritance here is that of a father who’s sharing the family business with his son. Thus, the inheritance spoken of incorporates not only acquisition, but administration. That is, in eternity, there will not only be stuff to acquire, but things to do. In Luke 19, Jesus says if we’re faithful in our responsibilities here on earth, we’ll be given cities to rule over in the ages to come eternally.

‘I’m not really into ruling,’ you might be thinking.

Listen, the things you really wish you could do here but can’t will, I believe, be your area of rule, your responsibility in heaven. Some of you are master mechanics and find total satisfaction in tearing down and rebuilding an engine. Others are authors, artists, or athletes who never seem to have enough time to do what you love because of your responsibilities here on earth. I believe those are the very areas with which you will be involved eternally — or else why would God have given you those desires and gifts in the first place?

Pastor Mark

… And in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap: for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.     -Revelation 14:14-16

According to this passage, it would seem that there comes a point in the Tribulation when salvation is no longer possible. The 144,000 have been called to heaven; the angels have made their proclamation; and now there will be a separation between those who become Christians in the Tribulation and those who don’t.

So too, in your own tribulation you need to understand there comes a time when your own heart — even as a believer — can become hardened.

The Bible speaks of a root of bitterness which can take hold in the soil of a man’s soul (Hebrews 12:15). I’ve seen believers go through tribulation and, rather than allow the Lord’s work of grace to take place in their hearts, choose instead to be bitter and unforgiving.

Don’t let that happen. Don’t be unforgiving. Don’t be cynical. Don’t be bitter. Don’t play that game because if you let bitterness and unforgiveness continue, there will come a point in your own tribulation when it will become an irreversible part of who you are.

Pastor Mark

And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. 
-Revelation 14:2-3    

Why could no one else sing the song of the 144,000? Because they alone went through testing and Tribulation — yet maintained their integrity. Thus, they alone could sing of what they were able to observe the Father do on their behalf in the time of Tribulation. Every one of us goes through times of tribulation. God’s intention is that they might produce in us ‘as it were, a new song’ — a symphony ...

There they were — in a damp, dark dungeon — without even a crust of bread to eat or the ACLU to plead their case. Yet what were they doing? They were singing. At midnight — in the darkest hour — Paul and Silas sang. They weren’t singing to try and get God to do something. They sang simply because the Lord was with them, and they were happy (Acts 16:25).

‘Well, that hasn’t been my experience,’ you might be saying. ‘My marriage’, or ‘my job’, or ‘my health is a dungeon to me, and I’m not happy.’

Precious brother, dear sister — God’s intent is to give you a new song. But there’s one thing which will stand in the way: sympathy.

You see, I can either go through challenges and hard times with a symphony in my heart because the Lord has promised not only to strengthen me in them (Isaiah 41:10), but to walk with me through them (Matthew 28:20) — or I can choose to get sympathy from people. If I choose to tap into sympathy, it will always be at God’s expense because the underlying though unspoken implication is that what is happening in my life is out of God’s control.

God is totally, absolutely, completely faithful to meet us in every trial, in every difficulty. Don’t let His plan get short-circuited by those who say, ‘I feel sorry for you.’ Instead say, ‘God is good. Sure, what I’m dealing with right now is a challenge — but I am discovering the Father is exactly Who He claimed to be — a God Who comforts me completely.’

It’s tempting to let people feel sorry for us, but we mustn’t, because it puts God in a bad light. Don’t settle for sympathy, gang. Go for the symphony.

Pastor Mark

And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.     -Revelation 9:7-10       

Even this description of bizarre and horrific demons would remind John’s congregation of God's promise. You see, in Joel 2, we find a parallel passage to Revelation 9: Historically, the prophecy of Joel 2 was fulfilled in Joel’s day when Israel was besieged with locusts.

Symbolically, the prophecy was fulfilled in 722 B.C. when the Assyrians marched south and carried the ten northern tribes into captivity.

Prophetically, the locusts speak of the demons which will be released from the abuso (the Greek word for hell) in Revelation 9.

But nestled among the dire warnings of this terrible invasion is a wonderful promise:  check this passage of Scripture out from Joel chapter 2:

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that has dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. Joel 2:25-26

Precious people, whenever we obey Scripture — when we listen to the trumpet, repent, and seek the Lord with sincerity — the Lord not only forgives us, but makes up to us what was lost. Amazing! I would have thought it would be enough for God to forgive us. But He says, ‘No, I’m going to do more than that. I will restore to you what the locusts ate.’

You might be fifty years old — or 60, 70, or 80 — and you might be saying, ‘There’s a big chunk of my life eaten away by grasshoppers.’ Good news for you: Whenever you choose to humble yourself and call out to the Lord, He’ll make up for lost time.  Now that is something to ponder this Lord’s day!

Pastor Mark

Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.  - Revelation 1:2      

Revelation was entrusted to John because he bore record of the testimony of Jesus and of all the things he saw. People, who say, ‘I just don’t seem to be getting any revelation from the Lord; I don’t seem to be growing,’ must understand that when it comes to revelation, information, or inspiration, the Lord has a very definite prerequisite: Are we going to personally receive it in our heart and freely release it to others?

After visiting with Abraham, the Lord said to His angels, ‘I’m going to tell Abraham what is going to come down in Sodom because I know he will receive and share it’ (Genesis 18:17-19).

Jesus put it this way: take heed how you hear, for the one who has shall be given more (Mark 4:24-25).

In other words, if you come to Bible study or your morning devotions saying, ‘Entertain me,’ or, ‘I’m just kind of curious about prophecy,’ you won’t receive. But if you are hearing, studying, learning, praying, and reading for the purpose of embracing it personally and sharing it with others, then the Lord will give you continual revelation, continual inspiration.

Pastor Mark

And every spirit who refuses to say this about Jesus is not from God. It is the spirit of the enemy of Christ, which you have heard is coming, and now he is already in the world. My dear children, you belong to God and have defeated them; because God’s Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world.
- 1 John 4:3-4NCV      

The walls of the submarines which descend two miles in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean are constructed of thick steel plates to withstand the tremendous pressure placed upon them. But guess what the pictures taken from such heavily-protected submarines reveal: fish swimming two miles below the surface of the water with scales no thicker than that of any other fish. How can this be? The answer is simple: the pressure on the inside of those fish is equal to the pressure of the water around them.

That’s the beauty of Christianity. Some people erect massive walls to insulate themselves from the attacks of the enemy — only to find themselves filled with the frustration of isolation. The key is not to put up massive walls to protect you from the enemy — but to realize the One inside you is greater than whatever pressure threatens to attack you.

When we understand that He that is in us is greater than any temptation, problem, trauma, or difficulty which could come against us, we can move through life freely.

Pastor Mark

Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. -1 Peter 5:7        

‘Epirrhipto’, the Greek word translated ‘cast’, is interesting because it means to roll something which will most likely roll back upon you. Have you found that after casting your care on the Lord, you feel OK for a day or two, but then the burden rolls right back on you once again? If so, know that’s the way of the Lord. Why? Because He wants us to stay in close touch with Him, and if we cast our care upon Him never to feel the pressure, the anxiety, the tension, or the worry again, we would not be people who pray.

You see, the Father wants to do something bigger than merely taking our burdens from us so we can go on our merry way down the road of life without thinking about things of eternity. He wants to develop a relationship with us.

Thus, the burdens and struggles which repeatedly roll upon us cause us to become linked to Him in continual prayer. And that’s infinitely more important than the solution to the burden for which we were praying in the first place.

So cast your care upon Him — and keep doing it over and over and over again knowing how deeply He cares for you.

Pastor Mark

This Sunday’s sermon is about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and oh what inexplicable joy we will share that day! Problem is: we have to get there. Now being ready is simple: simply embrace the grace Jesus offers to each of us; but are you and I willing to trust Him on a daily basis and not just for our eternal souls? Consider this verse:

…Through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. -1 Peter 1:5       

A young man who was being hazed by a college fraternity was taken to a secluded spot where he was told to hold on to a knot at the end of a greased rope as his fraternity brothers lowered him into a dark well. Thinking they would pull him up after a few minutes, he was terrified to see them tie their end of the rope to the bar across the top of the well, leaving him suspended in mid-air.
‘This can’t be!’ he thought as he called for help. But none came.
As he approached the 15-minute mark, his arms aching unbelievably and his shoulders feeling as though they were on fire, he started to cry. Finally, after about 25 tortuous minutes, able to hang on no longer, he let go — and fell 2 inches — just as his fraternity brothers had calculated.
Isn’t that just like us? ‘Where are You, God? I don’t know if I’m going to make it, we cry. We fret and blubber and scream until finally we let go. And guess what we find? We discover that our Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, was there all along. I had this experience happen to me this Tuesday past: getting all worked up when ultimately I found out that the Lord really does have our lives in His hands—question is: are we really willing to live in a fashion of faith or of trying to hold on to our ropes so hard we walk around with rope burns all the time?!
A bunch of us have burning shoulders and aching arms for absolutely no reason. We’re trying to hang on through our own efforts, by our own spirituality. We get disgusted with ourselves and worried we’re not going to make it. But if we would just let go of the rope and rest in what Jesus did on the Cross of Calvary, we would realize it’s not our puny efforts which will see us through, but the power of God.
This is what Peter is telling the believers who no doubt were wondering whether, when the temperature rose and persecution came down, they would be able to hang in there.
‘I want you to know something,’ Peter said. ‘You have an inheritance waiting for you which can’t be taken from you. You are kept by the power of God who is committed to see you through. And all that remains for you to do is believe.’
Something to ponder this Lord’s day, isn’t it?

Pastor Mark

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. -Hebrews 13:15

‘I don’t feel like praising the Lord,’ some say. ‘The traffic bugs me,’ or, ‘The dishes are getting to me.’ Gang, those are the best times to praise Him —because then it’s a sacrifice of praise as you worship the Lord in spite of your own fleshly inclinations.
       You see, here’s the deal: In my Christian walk, I find myself going through seasons…
       There’s springtime — when, with new understandings and fresh growth, I sense the Lord’s presence in my heart. Springtime leads to summertime — those warm, wonderful days when the new