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!