January - 2019 - We are living in a time of change...and not for the good.

We are living in a time of change. We have left behind the values and morals of earlier generations. We have started on a roller-coaster ride that is moving us into immoral territory. We have lost our grip on vital truths. We are moving away from what our spiritual forefathers held close to their hearts.

There are so-called Christian books that have been written that are telling us that God's wrath against sin isn't really such a big deal. Preachers in huge churches have used the Word of God as a means to gain wealth. Churches today are being mocked for being ridiculous. What has happened to the churches of our once godly nation? The church today seems to be suffering from some form of amnesia.

One of the greatest preachers of the 20th century, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once wrote in his book revival: "It is very foolish to ignore the Past. The man who does ignore it and assumes that our problems are quite new and that therefore the past has nothing at all to teach us, is a man who not only is grossly ignorant of the Scriptures; he is equally ignorant of some of the greatest lessons even in secular history."

America's foundation was solidly built on the principles found in Scripture. Yet over time, it has been replaced with self-idolatry. The land appears to be ruled by the darkness of sin. When the American churches stop dealing with the souls of the people and spend more time on the issue of self-preservation, sin will only grow stronger. Christ has told us, "You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:13-16).

There has never been a better time for Christians to throw off the idea of comfortable religion. It's time for us to stop watering down the blood of Christ. We need to allow the strength of God, not to only save America, but to save the eternal glory of the Father.

March 2018 - What is true repentance?

What is true repentance? All through the Old Testament we meet people who, when they truly repented, would put on sackcloth. Picture in your mind a potato sack with holes in it. There are holes for the arms and a hole for the head and bailing string pulling it together at the waist. Now, picture you wearing it. Would you come to church like that? People did in Old Testament times. Of course, when people saw them they would think, "Whoa, that person sure is going through some serious soul-searching." The whole point of wearing the sackcloth was to show that the person was rejecting the externals. They would take off their fine clothes and wear sacks instead. Then they would take ashes out of the fire bed and smear the soot on their faces and throw it over their head. They were covering themselves in "funeral gray." In effect they were saying, "I don't care about looking the part anymore. I don't want an 'A' for appearance. I want the real thing in my heart. I don't want to just look right with God, I want to BE right with God. I don't care what it takes. I'm done with posing and posturing. I don't want to arrive at church in my Sunday best and look good for the crowd. I am not going to be a phony any longer. I'm going after the real thing." That's true repentance. True repentance is more than just saying "I'm sorry. I'll try harder next time." True repentance is a demonstration of humility.

April 2017 - Message from Bill

Christ died, but death did not conquer Him. On the first day of the week He would come forth triumphantly from the grave. He would show Himself to hundreds of witnesses that He was alive. He not only atoned for sin, but He demonstrated His Mastery over death in the process. The resurrection of Christ was a stamp of approval that He did indeed buy back sin through His dying. Paul wrote that Jesus was "declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:14). It's important that we know how the early church preached as much about the death of Christ as it did about the resurrection. Paul wrote, "We preach Christ crucified" (1 Corinthians 1:23); "I determine not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (2:2). So, again, without the work of Christ on the cross, the resurrection would merely be something to stand back and admire. Don't misunderstand what I am saying. I am not saying that the cross is more important than the resurrection or visa versa. The point I am trying to make is that we sometimes do pass over the meaning of the death of Christ on the way to celebrate the resurrection. It is the Cross that gives meaning to the resurrection of life. In the words of the apostle Paul, every believer's deepest desire should be: "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11). This month, we, as the body of Christ, will be remembering both the cross and the resurrection. And it will all start with the Good Friday Service on April 14th at 7pm. There will be music and a message remembering what Christ did for us on the cross. Then on Resurrection Sunday, there will be our annual Sunrise Service at Ramona Oaks Park in the Country Estates at 6:30 am. As always, there will be coffee, hot chocolate and donuts. This has always been a special time for us all to reflect on the events of Christ's resurrection. Afterwards, there will be an Open-Breakfast at the church from 7am - 9:30 am. Plan to attend and enjoy the fellowship and good food prepared for you. Then we will conclude our Sunday morning with our Easter Cantata at 10 am in the Sanctuary. The purpose of all these events is to praise, honor and glorify God.

March 2017 - Message from Bill

When Peter stood by the fire in Caiapha's courtroom, it was the greatest crisis of his life. He must have relived it over and over again in his mind, wishing he could take back his words, "I do not know Him!" He had said it not once, but three times. Somewhere in the night a rooster crowed out and reminded Peter of his failure. In that terrible moment, Peter looked over his shoulder and caught the eye of the One who loved him more than life. Peter turned his face from the fire and wept. What hurt Peter more - the smoke from fire in his eyes or the conviction of what he had just done?

It's easy for us to be hard on Peter. How could he have done such a thing? Wasn't it Peter who just hours before vowed, "Others will turn away, Lord, but not me."

Peter's guilt could have caused him to be cynical. "What was I thinking to believe He was the Christ, anyway?" He could have run. He could have become hardened with unbelief. But that's not the Peter we meet three days later running to the empty tomb. That's not the Peter who steps out of the boat to get to Jesus. That's not the Peter that Jesus pulls aside in a private conversation that restores his friendship and ministry. Did Peter and Jesus talk about that terrible moment by the fire in their conversation? We don't know. That's between them. But what we do know is that Peter's crisis had taken him to the right place with God. Sin prompts repentance. And repentance had turned Peter around to meet the face of grace. He recognized his sin. He understood the problem. He turned away from sin and turned to the Lord with a whole heart. He was now stronger, more humble and ready for greater days ahead. That's what revival does.

February 2017 - Message from Bill

Years ago, the Christian songwriter Steve Green, wrote a song entitled, "Find Us Faithful". The song asks the question: Will those who come after us look back and see that we Christian believers remained faithful? That song still rings true today. The fire is flickering. The footprints are few. The storm clouds of persecution are gathering. The winds are blowing. But no matter how difficult times may be, we are not to let our hearts be troubled.

The Lord is our strength and I believe He is raising up a new generation of believers. Young people today are becoming more fervent in their faith. Young Christians today are counting the cost. They are taking a stand and God will honor their faithfulness. The time has come. Who among us will risk everything for the cause of Christ? Who among us is willing to rise up and declare that we are still one nation under God? "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (Chronicles 7:14)

The problems facing America today can't be solved in Washington D.C. Real hope and change can't be found at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The problems that America faces today can only be found at the foot of the cross. Hollywood and the mainstream media would have us believe that we are the minority. Don't believe it. We together are a mighty force.

So what are we going to do about it? We need Christians who are willing to stand firm in their faith. We need patriots who are willing to defend religious liberty. Yes, they may demand to know the content of our prayers. Yes, they may tell us that we can't have a religious symbol in our front yard. But we can't be bullied. We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced.

Standing Alone for God's Truth

Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, talks about a broad path that leads to destruction and many people follow it. He also tells us that there is a narrow way that leads to life and few follow it (Matthew 7:13-14). If we wish to reject the crowded broad way, we must then stand alone for what is right. This is so very important. It's important because when the world realizes that you are not going their way, they will pressure you to follow them. Jesus spoke of this in His prayer: "I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of this world" (John17:14).

To stand alone for God's truth means to go against the crowd. It means making decisions that are based on doing what is right and not what is popular. Our actions should be the result of our love for the Lord and a wholesome fear of Him.

Elijah stood alone when it seemed that the whole nation was rejecting God's way. In the process, he learned that 7,000 others were silently standing with him. When we stand alone for truth, we too will find others who are following our example.

Eric Liddell represented Great Britain in the 1924 Olympic Games. He was to run in the 100 meter race that the world fully expected him to win. He learned that the 100 meter qualifying race was to take place on Sunday. Because of his conviction to dedicate Sundays to the Lord, he declined to run. That meant that he was disqualifying himself from the final race.

He was questioned, misunderstood and ridiculed for his decision to not participate in a race that he was likely to win. However, God is the One who writes the last chapter. Eric ran in the 400-meter race instead. This was a race that he rarely was competitive in. Not only did he win the gold medal in that event, but he also broke a world record. In the end, his courage and success as a champion runner caused the world to stand up and cheer.

Being willing to stand alone for what is right is vital. It requires Scriptural convictions that we are willing to live for, and if necessary, die for. Are you committed at all cost to follow the Lord on the narrow way? Are you prepared to stand alone when necessary?

Using Our Spiritual Gifts and Talents

If I ask you what the mission of the church is, what would be your answer? The church has many tasks, but the primary task of the church is to tell the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Everything else we do is merely an extension of that goal. The gospel we offer is far superior to any other worldly philosophy. It's never outdated and it never needs correction. It's always sufficient to meet the greatest needs of the people, which is, reconciliation with the creator.

Even though the message is always the same, there are many methods used to make it known. There is, of course, the spoken word. But music is also used to get the message out, along with printed material and electronic media. However, all those methods require the involvement of people in the church. It's every Christian's responsibility to use his or her spiritual gifts, talents and abilities to help get the Word out to the world.

Some Christians think that this role is given only to ministers, missionaries, or other people with an "up-front" ministry. But all of us have the responsibility to be involved in wherever we are able and in whatever opportunity God gives us. No everybody is called to be a minister or missionary, but we can all give, pray and tell others what the Lord has done for us.

When you are truly committed to getting the gospel out, God will reveal what work He is calling you to do. He has a place for you. Nobody is insignificant or unusable.