Daily DECIDE to follow Jesus

If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. (John 12:26)

In social media, we become friends with others and we follow them and they follow us. We have interest in what they say and do and vice versa. But, we might not agree with them. We just read their posts and decide.

Jesus tells His disciples to "follow Me". It's a command not a suggestion. His commands are righteous, true and will never harm us. It's when we don't follow, we get ourselves in trouble.

Jesus may take you where you do not want to go, but if we put our faith and trust in Him and lean not on our own understanding, He will direct your path (Pro 3:5-6)

But, we need to decide to follow Him everyday. He will not force us to go. It's up to us to consciously make the decision to follow.

When we are following Jesus, He promises to be with us and the Father will honor us.

And that's the word of The Day.

DIRECT your heart to the presence of God

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13)

It is said that 'Seeing is Believing', but Jesus said 'Blessed are those who believe but do not see.' 

Having Jesus in your life means that He is ever present with us. He can lead us and guide us and avoid the temptations of this world. If we would only let Him, we can live a kingdom life of hope, peace and joy despite the circumstances.

In order to do this, we need to direct our heart to the presence of God. In Him there is fullness of joy. 

We need to remember that He is always there for us. He has indwelled us with the power of the Holy Spirit, the most powerful force on earth. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

The bible says that a man's heart is deceitfully wicked and who can understand it. That's why we need a different heart. A heart directed into God's presence ruled by the Holy Spirit.

It is difficult but not impossible for with God, all things are possible.

And that's the word of The Day.

The Night He Came

It was cold the night they came

Looking for a place to stay

They had journeyed from Galilee

They had travelled for many a day

The man’s hands and feet were nicked and cut

Even in calm she had a tinge of fear

Her womb was full of life

Her time was close, her child was near

We had no room for them and child

The town was crowded so

There was no room for any

They just had to go

But, all the same

It was the night He came

During that night the shepherds watched

When angels brought news of great joy

In a barn, in a manger came

Peace on Earth by a little boy

A king to save His people

Was He the one

That I had turned away this night

Because rooms at the inn we had none

I wondered awhile if this could be

That on this day I did a thing

And turned aside

A new born king

But, all the same

It was the night He came

Many years now have passed

To Jerusalem I went at last

For the passover feast just one more time

And remember the things of my past

They hung a man upon a cross

King of the Jews, the inscription said

With a deep sigh, He said ‘It is finished’

And let out his breath and dropped his head

At the cross, a woman I saw

Could it be after all these years

That this was the boy king

I let born in a barn, my eyes filled with tears

But, all the same

It was the night He came.

I felt such sorrow and despair

For what I had done and what I saw

Royalty should have been his lot

Instead I left him to a bed of straw

One night there came a knock

At the door a man dressed in white

He said do not fear or despair,

It was my Father’s will where I was born that night

This boy, this man, This King of Kings

Came once again and asked to come in

My heart was broken and contrite

He loved me and saved me from my sin

Now, nothing is the same

For it was the night He came.

All that’s left of Summer is …

…a 3-day weekend.

By Tuesday, everything will return to normal. Kids will be back in school. Traffic will increase as summer vacationers re-learn how to drive again. Mass transit will return to crowded platforms and standing only between Jamaica and New York. After weeks of sun, fun and hurricanes, reality returns and it’s back to homework, full offices and waiting for the weekend. At least the weather is beautiful.

It’s a time for a new beginning. Of course, this time we’re going to do it right. Like New Year’s Eve, we make promises of reading the bible more often; praying more often; and staying with that bible study class you’ve been wanting to attend.

King Solomon wrote in

Ecclesiastes 1:8-10 (ESV)

All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said, "See, this is new"? It has been already in the ages before us.

There is nothing new under the sun: Been there, Done That.

Some will succeed; most will fail. But, when you give it all to Jesus, you are the big winner. Only He can turn your life around. Only He can give you the strength to persevere. Only He can make things NEW!

It’s time for a new beginning. It’s time for Jesus!

And that’s the word of The Day.

He who has the most toys…

…dies like everyone else.

Nobody likes to bring up the subject of death. People just don’t like to talk about it. Surveys have shown that 100% of the population will die, whether you have the most toys or not.

Atheists believe that once you die, that’s it. That’s all there is; there ain’t no more. Some religions believe that when you die, you are reincarnated until you get it right. Others believe that God would never send a “good” person to hell. They’re all are wrong!

Hebrews 9:27-28 says, “just as it is appointed for man to DIE ONCE, and after that COMES JUDGMENT, so Christ, having been offered ONCE to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

God’s Word declares that ALL DIE ONCE and then the Judgment. Notice it also says that Christ was offered ONCE for the sins of many. The sin of many not all! Why? Because not all have accepted the sacrifice of Christ to reconcile us to God. Even a “good” person needs to be forgiven. Even a “good” person needs to accept the salvation that only Christ offers through His shed blood.

There is a judgment for sin. But, believers are not subject to that judgment. We have already been judged and redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Non-believers will be judged for their sin and their fate will be sealed to an eternity without God. That’s just a nice way to say the Lake of Fire.

Believers will be judged by the works they did for Christ and His Kingdom. Good works don’t get you to heaven. Good works are a result of your commitment to Christ. But, the end result is still eternity with Jesus.

Make the commitment to Christ now before it’s too late.

It’s as simple as ABC:

• A  - Admit to God that you’re sinner and repent and turn away from your sins.
• B  - Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and accept His gift of forgiveness.
• C -  Confess your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord forevermore.

Jesus paid it All!

And that’s the word of The Day

Some random thoughts on Hurricane Irene

This past weekend, Aug 26-28, 2011, Hurricane wrecked havoc on the eastern seaboard from North Carolina to New England. Packing winds of 100 MPH, she slammed into North Carolina and Virginia. As she weakens on her journey north, she made landfall once again in Brooklyn and travelled up the Hudson River into Vermont and eventually lost all her energy in NE Canada. As of today, 38 deaths are attributed to her. Property damage may well reach over $12B.

Many areas were badly affected including my hometown on Long Island. Thankfully, God spared us and our property. We lost no siding or roofing and amazingly, never lost power. We cleaned up the tree debris on Monday and by the afternoon, it looked like just another beautiful summer day on LI.

On the Friday night before the storm hit us and throughout the storm, We prayed constantly these bible passages asking God for His protection in the storm:

• Ps 107:29-31

  He made the storm be still,
     and the waves of the sea were hushed.
  Then they were glad that the waters[a] were quiet,
     and he brought them to their desired haven.
  Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
     for his wondrous works to the children of man!

 

• Ps 121:7-8

  7The LORD will keep you from all evil;
     he will keep your life.
  8The LORD will keep
     your going out and your coming in
     from this time forth and forevermore.

 

• Ps 34:8

  8Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
  Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

There were others and we continued trusting in Him.

In the aftermath of the storm, I’m thankful that he spared us any damage and took us through the storm.

Other areas were not so blessed. The floods in New York and Vermont have been devastating. Does that mean that there were no Christians in those areas praying for protection. No, it doesn’t. I can’t explain it and I don’t want to try. It just happens. The best and only blessing each Christian can rely on and put all their faith in is their salvation. Regardless of what happens to us, we are always blessed. You might not think so if your basement is flooded or your house is damaged, but, you are blessed. God sent His only Son to take the punishment meant for us and reconcile us to Himself so that we can have eternal life. There is no greater blessing than that.

One more thing about the sovereignty of God: He is in total control.

Job 37:11-13 says  

He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
   the clouds scatter his lightning.
They turn around and around by his guidance,
to accomplish all that he commands them
   on the face of the habitable world.
Whether for correction or for his land
   or for love, he causes it to happen.

He turns the clouds around and around (like a hurricane) and it accomplishes what He commands. God may use it for correction or one translation says judgment. Everyone concentrated on the wind and rain from the Hurricane, yet, New Jersey, New York and Vermont unexpectedly, are dealing with massive flooding. Two of those states, New York and Vermont, have passed same-sex marriage laws allowing gays and lesbians to legally marry therefore making a mockery of God’s Word. Never underestimate the sovereignty of God. He will not be mocked.

Whose God?

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
(Matthew 24:24 ESV)

Glenn Beck has come a long way in the last 2 years since he became a fixture on the Fox News Channel at 5:00. He is funny, intelligent and a conservative with strong family values.

He opposes the rise of socialism brought about by the Obama Agenda and exposes the inner workings of the radical leftists who seem to be running the country.

Conservatives like myself loved him and he developed a huge following in the Christian Community. He evens talks about God and Jesus. He has even mentioned his own atonement and consistently has Christian pastors, authors and historians on his show to lead America back its Founding Fathers and its Christian roots.

He began the 9-12 Project and the Warrior Fund and is a darling of the Tea Party Movement.

Despite the fact that he is a Mormon, people were starting to believe that he was now a Christian. He was starting to talk and act like one.

Glenn often exhorts his audience to “question with boldness”. So I ask this question with boldness, “Is Glenn Beck a Christian or is he a Mormon?” Same thing you say? Think again! Mormons ARE NOT Christians.

This weekend Glenn has hosted 2 events in Washington. On Friday, it was America’s Divine Destiny at the Kennedy Center. Saturday’s event was called the 8/28 Restoring Honor Rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Glenn Beck said BOTH events were not Christian events but GOD events. God. Christians love to hear people invoke the name of God. But whose God is Glenn Beck talking about.

From the Website: http://caffeinatedthoughts.com/?p=8821

All Christians recognize the primary consequence of the garden sin: death. Beck, on the other hand, sees the poisonous meal as a good thing. Recently, he said Adam and Eve “came down” and “had to eat the apple” because “they had to have a knowledge of good and evil” because “freedom to choose is essential”. Here is an exchange he had back in 2008 with one caller, who actually had the right idea about sin in the garden:

GLENN: Ask your professor why Adam and Eve came down. Why, what was the whole thing about with the snake and the apple? What was that all about?

CALLER: Because they disobeyed God.

GLENN: Yeah, but what did that do? If Adam and Eve could if Adam and Eve didn’t have the apple, they wouldn’t have been fruitful and multiplied. Man would not be if it wasn’t for that, okay? So what did they do? They ate the apple. Their eyes were opened. They saw the difference between good and evil.

Notice the talk show host tries to correct her and ignores that “disobedience thing”. He echoes Joseph Smith’s Pearl of Great Price (Moses 5:10-11):

“Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.
And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient”.

The Latter Day Saints doctrine in view is that “spirit babies” are born of Celestial marriage and as Glenn Beck says, “come down” to be born in human form. The Bible rather teaches that Adam and Eve were created and God breathed into them the Spirit of life. They did not pre-exist. In keeping with the serpent’s deception, Mormons believe that they must become human before they can become “divine.” In spite of his frequent allusions, some people refuse to acknowledge Glenn Beck’s LDS views have made their way into his radio and television shows on a regular basis.

Glenn Beck does not pray to or believe in the God of the Bible. He prays to a different God, a false God. Glenn Beck is a Mormon, not a Christian.

Click here for a chart of Mormonism vs Christianity

I agree with a lot of the politically conservative views he espouses but I can not stand with him on the issues of God and Faith. I wouldn’t stand with Oprah Winfrey and I won’t stand with Glenn Beck.  Both are false prophets.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6 ESV)

The only means of salvation is Jesus Christ. The real Jesus; the Jesus of the bible.

Jesus is having a conversation with Nicodemus who is a leader and a ruler of the Jews, a Pharisee. He’s a teacher, someone who knows the Word of God and Old Testament biblical theology. But he’s burdened because he wants to enter the Kingdom of God and in spite of his religiosity he’s not satisfied that he has attained that, that he has entered the Kingdom of God. So Jesus speaks to him in John 3:3 and says, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born from above, or, born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

What is He saying to Nicodemus? “Nicodemus, you’re working really hard to get into the Kingdom of God. But I want to tell you something. You don’t get in there from here, it comes from above. If
you’re going to be regenerated, it has to come down from above. You can’t achieve it.”

This is a divine miracle that comes down from heaven. This is not something you can generate. This is not something you can produce. This is not something you can manufacture. This is a spiritual thing, a work of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit comes to whom He will when He wills. That’s such a powerful answer. You’re talking about a divine miracle that comes down from above.

Has that miracle happened to you? Are you born again? It’s the only way to heaven. Not my words but Jesus’ words.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
(Romans 1:16,17 ESV)

The righteousness from God and not from man is revealed in the gospel. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. You can NEVER earn your way to heaven. The bible describes our works as filthy rags. Nothing “good” that we do earns us any points. Salvation is a gift to all who believe.

It’s as simple as ABC:

• A  - Admit to God that you’re sinner and repent and turn away from your sins.
• B  - Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and accept His gift of forgiveness.
• C -  Confess your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord forevermore.

Any questions? Read the Gospel of John!

And that’s the word of The Day

Burgers? We don’t need no stinkin’ Burgers

On Friday, July 16, 2010, the Joyful Hearts enjoyed a Summer BBQ. But, this was no ordinary BBQ. Hamburgers and hotdogs were not the fare of the day. No hotdogs-eating contests. No Wendy’s Double-Stack lookalikes. No ketchup or mustard necessary.

No, this was something special. As people began to arrive, they were puzzled when they saw that no grill was being used. No one was sweating over hot coals. There was no smoky fire with hotdogs and hamburgers. There was none of that. People were worried. Were we just going to have salads for dinner? “Where’s the beef?” was the cry.

Well, the beef was on the way and so was the pork.

    

Andy D’Agostino had graciously offered to cook for the Joyful Hearts. But burgers and dogs were not on his menu. Two days earlier, I went with Andy to the Restaurant Depot and we bought a 17-lb boneless ribeye roast and a 9-lb pork tenderloin. Andy did the cooking at home and at 6:45, he showed up with 2 of the most delicious-looking pieces of meat you ever saw. The beef ribeye was tender and juicy. The pork was cooked to perfection and came with Andy’s own spicy apricot-mango chutney. Hmmm good!

Needless to say, everyone was pleasantly surprised and equally satisfied with the special of the day. It was delicious. Thanks, Andy. You did a great job and the Joyful Hearts are very grateful.

Burgers? We don’t eat no stinkin’ burgers!

Potato Salad and Chocolate Chip Cookies

A beloved brother of Gospel Community Church, Al Eastwood (no relation to Clint), went home to be with the LORD last week. Al and his wife Merrill have been living in Florida for the past decade or so. Al had Parkinson’s Disease. Sue and I met him 3 summers ago when they came back to NY for the summer of 2007. Al was very frail even then but when he was younger, he was a valuable member of the church, well-loved and good friend to many. His wake was last Thursday and the service was Thursday night. We couldn’t make the service because of softball even though we wanted to go but there would have been no one to run the girl’s team that night.

Al was buried at Calverton on Friday and everyone was invited back to the church afterwards for food. Sue and I helped Ellen setup the tables, make the coffee and make sure everything was right for when they came back. We were also waiting for the delivery of the Big Sammich (a 6-ft hero). We didn’t stay once everyone showed up. We were there just to setup.

Ellen’s mom, Dolores, makes the best potato salad ever. When we were setting up, I noticed a whole aluminum tray of her potato salad in the fridge. Our mouth’s were watering for a piece of hero and Dolores’ potato salad. But, we left as we had planned.

On Saturday morning, I open up the church at 6:30 AM for the Men’s Bible Study Breakfast. When I opened the refrigerator, I was disappointed that no Sammich was left but I did notice the aluminum tray. So, when the men were finished with the bible study and as I was leaving, I asked Pastor Ed if I could take the aluminum tray home with me because I was certain that Dolores’ potato salad would eventually get thrown out. Pastor said to take it home.

I got home and put it in the fridge excited about having the leftover potato salad to enjoy. When noon rolled around, I told Sue, I was going to make a plate of potato salad. She didn’t want any which meant that there was more for me. I got out a plate, took the salad out of the fridge and opened it to spoon some out. When I peeled back the aluminum foil on the aluminum tray, my eyes opened in amazement and then saddened as the disappointment was realized. It was a tray of chocolate chip cookies. It was the first time ever in my life that I was unhappy to see a chocolate chip cookie.

Two similar tray; 2 different foods; 1 disappointed man. So, I did what any other true-blooded American would do – I ate a cookie!

The object of my belief was the tray. I believed that the tray was what I wanted. That it contained all that I expected. I made it my idol, took it home and worshipped it. But, when I opened it, it was a lie. It wasn’t what I wanted. It was something else altogether. The outside was the same, the inside was very different. It wasn’t the real thing.

Unfortunately, many people today believe in god the way I believed in that tray. They claim to believe in their own god but once the true layer in peeled back, the One True God is revealed and it’s not what they expected. Potato salad and chocolate chip cookies are one thing but, salvation, eternal life and redemption are something else.

 

That One True God is God, eternally present in 3 Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He will never disappoint you. He will never fool you. He’s the real thing. The One True God is not an object. It’s not a feeling. It’s not an idea. It’s not an as-long-as-you-believe-in-something-you’re-ok kind of god. No, it’s none of these things.

The One True God is revealed to us in a Person, the LORD Jesus Christ. John 17:3 says “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (KJV)

Don’t be fooled by the outward appearance. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life. (John14:6)

So, go ahead and peel back and “taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him.” (Psalm 34:8)

Weekend with Basil

On the weekend of May 14-16, the Shiloh Retreat Center in New Baltimore, NY, was blessed to have a Men’s Retreat with Pastor Basil Harris of Virginia as the guest speaker. The theme of the retreat was “Men, do you have what you need?” exploring the who, what, where, and how of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Friday-to-Sunday retreat featured four different sessions of teaching from Pastor Basil. We learned about who we are in our relationship with God, about what we need to represent God to others, about the place of rest where God has put us and about how we can share our faith in God with others.

The worship led by Tommy G. was awesome. Each session the worship team brought us closer to the Holy Place of God as we gave honor, glory and praise to Jesus Christ.

As usual, the friendship, fellowship and hospitality of the Stadtlander Family at Shiloh was unmatched. The meals were excellent and we are certainly blessed to have such a beautiful family ministering to the retreats. Shiloh has never looked better thanks to the care and love they continue to show for it. May God continue to bless them.

It was too bad more people couldn’t make the retreat. All of us who attended were truly blessed by the teaching and the fellowship. It was also great to see two old friends who made the trip. Steve M. came up from Pennsylvania and Charlie B. made the trip from central New York.

Now here is some good news; Pastor Basil will return in the fall. So, men, check your calendars and clear your schedules and start making plans to attend the Men’s Retreat on the first weekend in November.

You will be blessed!!!

Joseph is Amazing

On Wednesday, April 28, the Joyful Hearts and guests spent an amazing day of fellowship, good food and great entertainment. The long-awaited and highly anticipated trip to Lancaster, PA to see the Sight & Sound production of Joseph had finally arrived.

The group of 45 eager saints of all ages gathered in the church parking lot early that morning and left promptly at 7:15 AM. During the bus ride to the theater, we had bagels with butter, cream cheese and jelly. There was also plenty of water and iced tea available throughout the day. We arrived at the Sight & Sound Theater at 11:45 and were greeted by a member of their staff who welcomed us and wished us a wonderful time.

The production of Joseph was outstanding.

Of all the characters in the Bible, perhaps Joseph is the best parallel to the character of Jesus that can be found. During a time of an “eye-for-an-eye and a tooth-for-a-tooth” mentality, Joseph’s story of forgiveness and integrity has made this Bible story a timeless truth, inspiring generations of men and women to walk uprightly in the midst of great temptation.

Sight & Sound’s depiction of this classic story magnified the many qualities that made this story appeal to all ages. It included a cast of 45 professional adult and children actors, dozens of live animals gracing the aisles, several amazing dream sequences including Joseph in his colorful coat “flying” over the audience, larger-than-life staging which included a spectacular Egyptian palace scene spanning 300 feet and wrapping around three sides of the audience, plus, twenty original songs.

Inspired by Joseph’s colorful coat, we saw the brilliant color scheme woven into every fabric of this production including the music, the costumes, the lights, the special effects, sets, and more.

With the promise of redemption and forgiveness of Jesus Christ as shown by the character of Joseph, the Joyful Hearts and guests renewed their faith, and left inspired to dream big for God’s glory!

After being filled with the Spirit by the awesome show, we ate at the Good and Plenty restaurant where we filled our bodies with good and plenty of food.

We arrived back at the church safely at 9:35 PM and went to our homes blessed by another day in the LORD.

Is it just me or…

As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” Matt 24:3

does it seem to you that the end is near? Ever since the apostles witnessed Jesus ascend into heaven 40 days after His resurrection, the world has been waiting for Jesus’ return. It has been almost 2000 years and we are still awaiting His return.

In the last 24 hours, the President of the United States, a person who professes faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior, has issued 2 Executive Orders which go against the very essence of his professed faith.

Item #1 – The White House has canceled the National Day of Prayer ceremony for the second year in a row and it now seems likely that our government will no longer declare a National Day of Prayer because some liberal judge in Wisconsin has ruled it unconstitutional. President Obama has stated that he will still issue the proclamation for the NDP but won’t participate in any ceremony. Our founding fathers are turning over in their graves.

Item #2 – President Obama has issued an Order which demands that any hospital which accepts Medicare and Medicaid, (are there any who don’t ?), must allow gays visitation rights and granting power of attorney and healthcare proxies be honored, regardless of sexual orientation. They can make end care decisions and the like. This is an obvious outright bowing to pressure from LGBT groups. It’s only a matter of time, especially because of the Health Care Bill, when hospitals will be required to perform abortions. Again, this from a man who claims Christ as his Savior.

The very foundations of our nation are under attack by people in high places who are currently in the process of transforming this once great nation into a socialist, humanist and godless nation.

Maybe it’s time for us to pray earnestly and echo the words of the Apostle John at the end of the Book of Revelations when he writes “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20)

And that’s the word of The Day

Blessed be the Name of the LORD

 

I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. Psa 69:30

Every Wednesday, I go to an Assisted Living Home with my dear brother in Christ, Andy, and we minister to the people there. I bring worship music and Andy brings the message. We’ve been doing this for almost 2 months and the attendance has been small. Most times we get 4 or 5 people.

Today, God blessed us mightily. We had 12 in attendance and 7 were newcomers. Praise the LORD. We were truly blessed.

Blessed be the Name of the LORD.

And that’s the word of The Day.

The Baseball Chapel

Do you ever wonder where Mariano Rivera, a devout Christian and born-again believer in Jesus Christ and a pretty good relief pitcher, goes to church on a Sunday morning. Half the Sundays during the season, he is home and the other half he’s in cities all across the country. Even when he is at Yankee Stadium, he still can’t attend a service at 10 AM and expect to be in uniform by noon. What does he or any Christian ballplayer do to worship the LORD on a Sunday?

Well, it’s not as hard as you think, thanks to an organization known as the Baseball Chapel.

In 1973, Watson Spoelstra, a Detroit sportswriter, approached then-Commissioner Bowie Kuhn with the idea of organizing a chapel program for every major league team. Kuhn granted approval and the Baseball Chapel was created.

At the start of 1975 all major league teams had a chapel program. A minor league program was established in 1978 and chapels were first held during winter ball in Latin America. Baseball Chapel is a non-denominational Christian ministry committed to the spiritual development of people throughout pro baseball.

Chapel programs are established for all 210 teams in the major and minor leagues and many independent league teams.

Approximately 3,000 players, coaches, managers, trainers, office staff and other team personnel, umpires and members of the media attend each week.

Chapels begin in spring training and end after winter ball. Hundreds participate regularly in Bible studies that are conducted with many teams during the week.

Their statement of faith is very similar to ours. 

Their doctrinal statement represents the truths of Scripture on which the basis for all ministry shall be established and carried out.

It is by no means exhaustive but is intended to accurately reflect the truths of Scripture that believers have accepted as followers of Jesus Christ from the time He walked the earth.

It includes the dogmatic beliefs of the church, specifically centering on the Triune God and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Their statement mirrors the desire for unity that should exist among all who proclaim the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

New York Yankees pitcher, Andy Pettitte gives this testimony:

“Pitching in the World Series was a thrilling experience, but the most exciting event in my life was when I trusted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. That happened in 1983 when I was 11 years old. Each of us make many decisions every day, but there is no decision more important than where we are going to spend eternity. God provided a way for us to live forever with Him in heaven when He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross. Since none of us is perfect, we all sin and fall short of perfection in God's sight, we need a Savior. Accepting Christ's payment and trusting only in His death as the means to bridge the gap between you and God is the most important thing you'll ever do. It's an awesome thing to recognize that God loves you and paid the price for your sins. But you can't just accept His free gift of salvation. The peace and fulfillment He gives is greater than anything in life. Greater than any ball game, even the World Series. Trust Christ today for your salvation, it's the only way to heaven.“

New York Mets pitcher, Mike Pelfrey echoes the same:

“During the 2006 season with the Binghamton Mets through our Baseball Chapel leader, I came to understand what the Bible teaches. I learned that my sins separated me from God. “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). But the Good News is that Jesus died in my place to pay for my sins, and by placing my faith in Him alone I would be forgiven and have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that He gave only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Now I have a personal relationship with God and know that someday, I’ll be in heaven.

“Being able to play baseball has been great! It was what I had dedicated my entire life to; now, however, living for and serving Christ is the most important thing to me, and this has given real purpose to my baseball career and everything else I do. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). Yes, I still love playing baseball, but now I seek to play - and live - so that I honor the LORD Jesus in all I do.”

In first grade catechism, I remember distinctly the question, “Where is God?”, and the answer was “God is everywhere.” He visits us here at Gospel Community on a Sunday during service and He is present in the clubhouses in the Major and Minor Leagues of baseball throughout the season.

For more information on the Baseball Chapel and other player testimonies, go to http://www.basebllchapel.org

What a great God we serve. Amen!

7 Tickets?… Are you crazy?

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Gal 6:7

In the summer of 1994, Sue and I took a 2-week vacation with her sister, Barbara, her husband Gerry and their 3 boys, Chris, Matt and Steven. We got in their van and drove the Interstate Highway System. We drove west to St. Louis, north to Green Bay and then back home. We made many stops in places like Canton, OH, Indianapolis, IN and Chicago, IL. The purpose of our trip was to enjoy the sights America has to offer and to visit as many sports venues as we could find.

Our first destination was Cleveland where we were hoping to see a Sunday afternoon game between the hometown Indians and the Chicago White Sox. We didn’t have any tickets but we planned on getting them at the game. We left Long Island on Saturday and went as far as Pittsburgh figuring we would stay over night and get an early start for Cleveland the next morning.

Unfortunately, the Pirates were on the road, but after settling down in a motel, we drove to Three Rivers Stadium in the hopes of maybe getting a stadium tour. When we got there, the parking lot was half  full. Although it was the middle of July, the parking was abuzz with hockey. We landed in the middle of a summertime roller hockey tournament. Hockey nets were set up from one end of the parking lot to another and kids in padded uniform on a hot day were skating up and down on the concrete.

We walked around the stadium and along the Ohio River and when we had enough, we went back to the parking lot and prepared to leave. It was at this time that a coach of one of the teams approached us with a frantic request for something to drink for his players. The tournament had run out of water and his team was dying of thirst. Since we had just left home that morning, our van was packed with plenty of drinks and food. As you know, you can never travel too far with kids (or Sue!) without having something for them to eat or drink.

This coach was waving a $20 bill and was willing to pay more just for anything to give his thirsty players. We had boxes of juice packs for our trip and gladly gave him whatever he needed. He insisted on giving us money for it, but we wouldn’t take. He was just so grateful for drinks and couldn’t thank us enough.

The next morning, we got to Cleveland and went to the game. But, we were about to disappointed. In 1994, Jacobs Field, where the Indians played their home games, was a new ballpark and the Indians were a good team playing another good team, the White Sox, for first place in the AL Central Division. The game was sold out. No tickets were available, even all of the standing room tickets were sold. There was nothing. Nada. No way we were getting in to see the game. That’s what everyone thought. But, God had other plans.

My sister-in-law, Barbara, went to the ticket window and pour her heart out with the story of coming all the way from Long Island to see the game. Was there anyway we could get in? The ticket agent told her the game was completely sold out. Barbara said she needed 7 tickets. “7 Tickets?…Are you crazy?”, exclaimed the ticket agent. Barbara asked her politely if she would just check one more time. The agent reluctantly checked and a look of amazement formed upon her face. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She said, “I don’t believe this. There are 7 tickets available in same row halfway up in the second level between home plate and first base.” She continued, “these are great seats.” And they were.

To this day, I stay convinced that God had his hand in providing those tickets for us. I believe He showed us His favor that day because we showed Him to thirsty hockey players the previous day. Matthew 25:40 states, “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

We went on to have the best vacation we could ever remember. We still talk about all the things we saw and the places we visited. We saw one Minor League game in Columbus, OH and four Major League games including the Mets in St. Louis and the Yankees in Milwaukee. We visited the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame, took a lap around the Indy 500 Racetrack, went to the top of Gateway Arch and toured the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field (of course it was July so it wasn’t frozen when we were there).

But, on that Sunday in Cleveland, we were touched by the hand of God. 7 Tickets? … Are you crazy? No, we’re blessed. To God be the Glory. Amen.

7 Tickets… and that’s the Word of The Day.

The Next Step

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. (Ps 28:2)

She met the White-Robed Man as a student in college and put her faith and trust in Him. The White-Robed Man would supply all her needs and all her wants which lined up with His will. He promised to be with her on her journey in this life.

She waited patiently for a helpmate, one who would also trust in Him. The two together with the White-Robed Man to lead and guide would be a fruitful and wonderful journey. Two is great but three is divine. The White-Robed Man provided and their life, the journey, began.

They walked along the shore with their footprints quietly leaving behind a trail of carefully planned steps. Each one ordered and blessed by the White-Robed Man. Along the way, they found a rock. The rock brought them great joy and they held the rock tightly in their held hands and continued on their way. The White-Robed Man walking lovingly beside them gently holding them up knowing that soon a storm would arise. It was a storm only He could get them through.

They continued on their journey and there in the sand were 2 more rocks – little pebbles actually. They went down on their knees and picked up the identical little pebbles. They were most beautiful. She took them in her hands and held them tightly and never wanted to let go of them. But, that’s when the storm hit. With all its raging trouble, the storm turned the bright day into night and the calm into a furious howling wind.

She looked at the White-Robed Man with tears in her eyes. She knew what was coming but did not want to let go. The White-Robed Man looked back at her and with calmness and everlasting peace in His voice He said, “I need to take them, now.” She wanted so much to see them turn into large rocks. She wanted to keep them on her journey. She always wanted them with her. Knowing this, the White-Robed Man with a deep love and compassion assured her. He said, “I will keep them forever in My hand. Since I have always been with you on this journey, I will continue to be with you. Them with Me and you with Me, together forever!” In faith, she let go and the White-Robed Man took the pebbles home.

Their burden was heavy. The next leg of the their journey would be long and difficult. They wanted to stay on their knees for awhile. The weight of the moment was unbearable. The White-Robed Man understood. He placed His loving arms around them and whispered quietly in their ears, “Come to Me, you who are heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

The White-Robed Man took a step forward, turned and said to the couple as they held their one rock firmly in their hands, “Come, there is more for us to do.” The storm still raged but as they looked upon Him, they could see the clearing ahead. Still, they wanted to stay in this moment a little while longer. They rose but their legs would not move. But, they knew their journey needed to go on. Maybe there would be other rocks to find but they were anchored to the Rock and somehow all would be fine. Again, the White-Robed Man beckoned, “Come.” It was hard but suddenly they were surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses and in faith, they took the next step. But, the only footprints left in the sand were those of the White-Robed Man.

The Next Step… and that’s the word of The Day.

Pro-Choice… Really?

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Gen 2:7)

The Declaration of Independence states, "they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It also states that these rights are "self evident" and that they constitute the "Laws of Nature." These principles are taken directly from the Bible.

The Law of Nature can be viewed in Romans 2:14-16. That our Creator is the Author of life is seen in Genesis 2:7. That God, not government, grants liberty is seen in Galatians 5:1. The "pursuit of happiness" is found in Ecclesiastes 3:13.

Notice that in The Declaration of Independence, the first unalienable right is not Liberty but Life.

During the Super Bowl between the Saints and the Colts on Feb 7, 2010, Focus on the Family has purchased a 30-second spot at a cost of $3M to present the story of Ann Tebow who gave birth to her son, Tim despite being advised to have an abortion. Tim was her 5th child and she was terribly sick during the pregnancy as she and her husband were in the Philippines on a missionary trip.

Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy and the National Championship as a quarterback with the Florida Gators in 2008. Tim wears scripture verses on the black patch beneath his eyes on gameday.

As of this writing, there is an amazing controversy surrounding this ad. People and organizations who call themselves Pro-Choice have been outraged that CBS would even air this ad during the Super Bowl.

Last night on the O’Reilly Factor, Bill had as a guest, Jehmu Greene of the Women’s Media Center. Their position on the Tebow ad is this: “The Women’s Media Center, along with a united front of organizations dedicated to reproductive rights, tolerance, and social justice, has launched a campaign calling CBS to immediately pull an anti-choice advertisement sponsored by Focus on the Family to air during Super Bowl XLIV.”

Anti-choice? Hmmm. Didn’t Ann Tebow have a choice? Didn’t she choose to have her son? Isn’t it ironic that supporters of Pro-Choice are all up in arms when someone makes a “choice” to have a baby instead of killing it. They are not Pro-Choice; they are Pro-Death.

On their website, Planned Parenthood advocates the following:

• removing restrictions on abortion access
• expanding the number of abortion providers
• ensuring access to confidential health care for young women

Removing restrictions and expanding the number of abortion providers sounds like the choice they want you to make is death not life. Life is first of our God-given unalienable right.

Personally, I don’t like the halftime shows at the Super Bowl. So, I don’t watch them. If you don’t like the ad, don’t watch it. But they will watch it and complain so more. According to Romans, they have already been turned over to their depraved mind. (Romans 1:28-32 NKJV)

Pro-Choice… Really? and that’s the word of The Day.

Life

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants (Deut 30:19)

About 40 years ago, my sister was 5 months pregnant when she started to spot and have bleeding problem. She went to the hospital where she went into labor and gave birth to baby girl. The baby struggled to live but died a few minutes later.

I will always remember my mother when she returned from the hospital. My mom held the baby in her hand and recalled how beautiful she was. She had all her fingers and toes. She even had a clef in her chin just like my sister. My mother kissed her before she put her down.

I was reminded of that story this weekend when a similar event happened to one of our church members. The circumstances was almost exactly the same only this time, in the 5th month, the tragedy was doubled because twin girls were born and died. I understand that the mother and maybe others held the babies for just a moment before giving them lovingly into the hands of God.

On the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, this past Friday, 100,000 people marched for life. Over 50 million babies have been killed over the last 37 years in the name of pro-choice. That’s 50 million babies who never saw the light of day, never were held by a loving parent or grandparent and never had a chance for life.

Psalm 139:13-16 states

For You formed my inward parts;
         You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
         Marvelous are Your works,
         And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
         When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
         And in Your book they all were written,
         The days fashioned for me,
         When as yet there were none of them.

You can read the entire Psalm 139 here.

My sister was very sad for awhile but the following year, she gave birth to a son. A year later another son was born and today, she has a wonderful granddaughter. Life is a good thing.

In time, my friends will recover from this tragedy and may even try again to have more children. The hurt will remain for awhile but as the Word says Joy comes in the morning. With our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, life will go on. And for a brief moment frozen forever in time, life was held and loved and blessed.

Choose Life… and that’s the word of The Day

Why would God Die for Me?

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8 NKJV)

The normal answer to that question is that God loves me and that’s why He died for me. But, do I fully understand what that means? He loves me. That’s great. Does He love me like one loves ice cream? I love ice cream yet I don’t eat it everyday. No, He doesn’t love me like ice cream.

I’m not sure I understand how much God loves me. What was His purpose in loving me? He created me knowing that I would love myself much more that I would love Him. Yet, He clearly states that I am to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. But, I love me more. I guess by definition that makes me a sinner. I would need help in order to get me to love God more.

He died for me because in my present state of self-love, I would forever remain ungodly and there is no place in heaven for the ungodly. In my self-righteousness and smug satisfaction of the human goodness of my life, I would be doomed to hell forever. God didn’t want that for me. He wanted me to be with Him in heaven. But, the cost wouldn’t be mine but His. There was nothing good in me that would satisfy Him. Nothing I could do; nothing I sacrifice would suffice God. For I was ungodly and Jesus Christ still died for me. He gave everything just to have me; to have me with Him in His kingdom. He chose me, I didn’t choose Him. He drew me near to Him and revealed Himself to me and beckoned me to come. I understood that I could never be godly on my own.

So, I answered His call and surrendered my life to Him. I was still ungodly in my flesh, but now, I was alive and well in my spirit. As the day goes by, He brings me closer and closer to Him. He leads me to more and more of His grace and mercy. He now has a purpose for my life. A purpose that will bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ. I do these things for Christ not out of my love for reward but out of my love for Christ.

Christ died for the ungodly so that one day the ungodly ones who are born-again, can be godly in the spirit despite still being ungodly in the flesh. The more one lives by the spirit, the more one puts to death the acts of the flesh.

One may never know just how much God loves them until they get to heaven and see Jesus face to face. What an amazing love there is in Jesus.

Christ died for all men and suffered the punishment for everyone knowing full well that most people would reject His sacrifice for redemption. But, He did it anyway! He did it for me. Billions will reject Him and yet He still died for them.

Why did He do it? He did it because He loved me more than I loved myself. I still can’t comprehend it.

Amazing grace… and that’s the word of The Day

Driftwood

We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting; (Eph 4:14)

Chapter 4 of the book of Ephesians, Paul says that we are to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Yet, there is so much teaching being proclaimed today which is not biblical. The body can easily be deceived into thinking that the “Prosperity” gospel is the right gospel. Or, that travelling to places like Toronto or Pensacola are the thing to do to see and hear the Spirit move.

In Verse 14, Paul tells us not to be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine (in this case, I think he means false doctrine) and wallow in a sea of confusion like a piece of driftwood.

There is a solution. Get into God’s word. Don’t just read or hear it on Sunday but, open it each day and ask God to reveal the great and mighty truth in His Word. When you know the truth, you can better determine when preaching does not line up with the Word. This allows you to stay away from false teaching, false doctrine and false preachers. Get yourself into a bible study. Download the spoken Word to your iPod. Put yourself on a firm foundation. Then when you hear nonsense spoken by men who preach a gospel other that the truth, you can know that you need to stay away from them.

Don’t be Driftwood… And that’s the word of The Day