From Pastor Tom - Did you know that...

BATS can locate objects in the dark?  They use sonar—making high-pitched sounds and listening to echoes—so they can fly without bumping into things!

 BATS come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors?  There are about 1,100 different kinds of bats worldwide.

 BATS can fly faster than most birds?  Bats have thinner wings than birds, which means they can move quickly and change directions easily.

 BATS can live up to 20 years?

 BATS are called “pups” when they are first born?

 BATS are not blind?  While most species have very poor vision, they are still able to see.

 BATS of some species have been discovered to detect ultraviolet light? That’s a type of light that humans can’t even see!

 BATS have very flexible “fingers?”  But bat fingers are different than human fingers, so they can bend and move in more direc­tions than human fingers can!

 Bats are amazing creatures!

      Did you know that the same God who made bats also created YOU?  God’s book, the Bible, says that though God cares about each bird in the sky, you are much more valuable (Matthew 10:29-31)!  And though you don’t fly with wings like bats and birds, and you don’t have sonar like bats, God made you very special in many other ways.  That’s because He loves you, He wants you to know Him, and He has made you so you can love Him back.

     God knows everything about you.  He knows the good things that you do but He also knows the bad things that you don’t want anyone to know about.  The Bible says that all of us have done bad things, called sins, and it says we all deserve to be punished for doing them—it says “the wages of sin is [eternal] death” (Romans 6:23a).

     But the Bible also says that “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b)!  You and I are so important to God that He sent His very own Son, Jesus, to die on the cross and take the punishment we deserve. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son [to die for our sins], that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  Then Jesus came back to life and was seen by hundreds of people before going home to heaven (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)!

      God loves you so much that He wants to forgive you for your sins.  But first you must agree with Him that you have sinned. You must also truly believe Jesus died for you so you can be forgiven and receive God’s gift of eternal life.  If you believe that with all your heart, right now you can tell God that you want to accept Jesus’ death to take the punishment for your sins and accept his gift of eternal life.

     Those who believe in Jesus become God’s very own children (John 1:12).  He even promises them a home in heaven someday (John 14:1-3).  He wants you to be part of His forever family and to help you live to please him every day!

If that’s your sincere desire, you can tell Jesus in words like these:

     Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me even though I have done wrong things that You had to die for.  I admit my sins and I do believe that You took the punishment that I deserved. Thank You for taking my place so I can learn to please you now, and live forever in heaven with you someday!

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - 4 Things God Wants You to Know

1. You need to be saved from sin’s penalty

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way. (Isaiah 53:6)

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

Each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)

It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)

2. You cannot save yourself

Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy. (Titus 3:5)

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. (James 2:10)

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

3. Jesus has provided for your salvation

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrigh­teous, that he might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corin­thians 5:21)

God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

4. You can be saved today

Whoever hears my word and believes has passed from death to life. (John 5:24)

Behold, now is the... time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6)

Your part:

Believe: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. (Acts 16:31)

Repent (turn from your sins): Unless you repent, you will all like­wise perish. (Luke 13:3)

Confess your sin to Jesus: For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 2:5)

Confess Jesus before others: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Trust Him to keep you: [He] is able to keep you from stumbling. (Jude 24)

That’s what God wants you to know!

May God Bless

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - A Friendly Church

Did you know that relationships are the glue that holds a church together?  It’s not the preaching or the teaching – its relationships.

 A survey was taken of church members.  They were asked, “Why did you join this church?”  93% answered that they joined because of the pastor.  Then they were asked, “If the pastor leaves, will you leave too?”  93% answered “No.”  When asked why they wouldn’t leave, the response was, “Because I have friends here.”  People stay in a church because they have friends there.

I once read about another survey of four hundred church drop-outs who were asked why they left their churches.  Over 75% of the respondents said, “I didn’t feel anyone cared whether I was there or not.”  What does that tell you?  Caring about each other is vital!  All of us want to feel cared for!

While some relationships will spontaneously develop, most relationships will take effort and time.  You can’t just “hope” you will make friends in church.  You must actively seek friendship.  Talk with people, visit, call them on the phone to see how they are doing, invite them to lunch or a walk around the park or just have them come over to your house to visit.  Friendships take time and effort.

A real key to a friendly church is:  You don’t have to know everyone in the church to have friends, but you do need to know some people!  Friendships are important.

Look what the Bible says about friends:

            “Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.”              Proverbs 18:24 (Msg)

             “The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.  Never abandon a friend – either yours or your father’s.  When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance.  It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away.” Proverbs 27:9-10 (NLT)

Even Jesus talked about friends when he said:

            “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”  John 15:13-15 (NKJV)

Friendship consists of communication, compassion and commitment.  All this boils down to caring.  Caring about each other is vital!  All of us want to feel cared for!  Friendship just does not happen.  You must actively seek friendship.  May we be known as a caring – friendly church.

May God Bless                                                                                                                            Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - How to Improve Your Prayer Life

              You can learn a lot about a person by the way they pray.  For instance, a selfish prayer indicates a selfish spirit.  Their prayers sound like a Christmas list.  Other people try to impress you with their prayers, yet they come off as arrogant and prideful.  How then should we pray?  In the first chapter of Nehemiah we find a model prayer that contains four secrets to improving your prayer life.

1.  Base your request on God’s character.

                Acknowledge the greatness of God.  That’s what Nehemiah did.  Verse 5 says, “Lord God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands.”

Notice that Nehemiah says three things about God:

A.  He calls God “great” – that’s God’s position.

B.  He calls God “awe-inspiring” – that’s shows God’s power.

C.  He says God “keeps His gracious covenant” – that shows God’s faithfulness.

When you start your prayer by acknowledging God’s character – this is called praise.

2.  Confess the sin in your life.

                The second thing Nehemiah did was confess the sin in his life.  “I confess the sins we have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned.” (v. 6)  Notice that Nehemiah confessed not only his sins but also the sins of his family.  In our society we are taught that we are only responsible for ourselves.  This is not true!  We are all in this together.  We are our brother’s keeper.

3.  Claim the promises of God.

                Nehemiah prayed, “Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses.” (v. 8) Can you imagine saying “remember” to God!  God doesn’t forget.  But He wants us to claim the promises He has made to us.  Nothing pleases God more than when we remind God of what He has promised us.  It shows that we are listening to Him and that we have heard His word.

4.  Be specific in what you ask for.

                If you want specific answers to your prayers you need to make specific requests.  Nehemiah did not hesitate to pray for success.  He boldly prayed:  “Give Your servant success today.”  (v. 11)  Have you prayed for success?  If not, why not?  What is the alternative?  Failure!  There is nothing wrong praying for success in what ultimately leads to the glory of God.  If you are God’s child, God wants you to be successful in serving Him.  Pray boldly.

May God Bless

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Needs Or Greeds

There is an incredible promise in Philippians 4:19-20.  The verse reads:

      “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)

Look closely at this verse.  It doesn’t say, “My God might…” or “My God may …” it says “My God will supply every need of yours…”  This is a written fact.  God has given his word.  He has put his character and reputation on the line.  “I will meet your needs.”

Does this mean rent?  Yes.  Car payments?  Yes.  Utility bills?  Yes.  It includes all of our needs.

Now, realize that this verse does not say, “God will meet all of our greeds.”  There is a big difference between needs and wants.  He is not going to give you everything you want.  If he did you would be spoiled to death.  However, he has promised to supply your needs.

If God has promised to meet our needs, why is it then that so many people struggle in the area of finances?  Did God fail?  Did he lie?  Did he exaggerate?  No!  But, with every promise that God makes, there are conditions and requirements.  Here are six conditions:

 1.  We need to ask God for help.

            “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, it will be opened to you.”               Matthew 7:7 (NKJV)

2.  We need to ask with the right motives.

            “You do not have, because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on you passions.”  James 4:2b-3 (ESV)

3.  We need to learn to be content.

            “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”  Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

4.  We need to practice sowing and reaping.

            Every farmer knows that you can’t harvest what you have not sown.  The same is true with God.  If you do not give him what he requires how can you expect to get anything from him?

            “Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best, then he will fill       your barns.” Proverbs 3:9-10a (Msg)

5.  We need to be honest.

            “God cares about honesty in the workplace; your business is his business.”  Proverbs 16:11 (Msg)

6.  We need to trust God with our life.

            “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you          everything you need.”  Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

This last verse says, “He will give you everything you need.”   It may not be everything you want.  There is a big difference between needs and greeds.  God will supply your needs.

May God Bless

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - John 3:16

Let me share a few thoughts with you from John 3:16.  You know the verse - it says:

                         "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,                                      that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  (John 3:16)

The verse is a twenty-six-word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same.  Brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions.  If you know nothing of the Bible - start here.  If you know everything about the Bible - return here.  We all need the reminder.  The heart of the human problem is  the heart of the human.   And God's treatment is prescribed in John 3:16.

He loves.  He gave.  We believe.  We live. 

He loves.

God loves you because he chooses to do so.  "God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important... He did it out of sheer love..." (Deut. 7:7-8, MSG).  God's love for you depends on his goodness, not yours.  And since he is totally good, you are absolutely loved.  You don't need to win his love, you already have it.  And since you can't win it, you can't lose it.  He will love you forever.  You may step outside of his will, but never his love.  Mark it down.  He loves you.  So much , in fact , that...

He gave.

He gave his one and only Son.  Jesus is God's "one and only."  He is unlike any other person in history  Every quality we attribute to God, we can give to Jesus.  Jesus has an eternal life span, unending wisdom, and tireless energy.  Most of all, Jesus is sinless.  When he lived on the earth, he never sinned,  "He never did one thing wrong.  Not once said anything amiss"    (1 Peter 2:22, MSG).

We, on the other hand, do wrong things daily.  We stretch the truth.  We hurt people.  We take advantage of the weak and disrespect our family.  What should God do?  He has made his position clear,  "Anyone whose life is not holy will never see the Lord"  (Hebrews 12:14, NCV).  Where does that leave us?

It leaves us depending on the 3:16 promise.  "God... gave his one and only son..."  Though sinless, Jesus took our sin.  God placed our sin on his Son and punished it.  When Jesus died on the cross, he died for us in our place.  Our response to this great gift is simple...

We believe.

We trust Jesus to do what we can't.  We don't trust our own efforts to save us.  We can't save ourselves.  We don't place our trust in other people to save us.  We believe in him.

We take similar steps of trust daily, even hourly.  Believing the chair will support us, we set our weight on it.  Believing water will hydrate, we drink it.  Trusting the work of the light switch, we flip it.  We have faith in the doorknob, so we turn it.  We trust power we cannot see to do work we can't accomplish.  Jesus invites us to do the same with him.  And when we do, when we believe...

We live.

God gives us brand-new life.  He gives us joy in this life and the promise of eternal life with him.  We have joy because we have his spirit living within us.  Little by little his Spirit changes us to be more like Jesus.  No guilt in life, no fear of death, he gives life, now.

And life for eternity.  In Heaven you will be you at your best.  No anger or sadness, tears or trouble.  Never weary, selfish, or defeated.

Clear mind, tireless muscles, unhindered joy.  And most of all, God!

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and the knowledge of God" (Romans 11:33, ESV). Heaven is a perfect place of perfected people with our perfect Lord.

Would you like to accept the 3:16 promise?  You can.  Tell God you accept him.

"Father, I believe you love me.  You gave your one and only Son so I can live forever with you.  Apart from you , I die.  With you, I live.  I choose life.  I choose you."

Jesus awaits your prayer.  Believe in him and you will...    Not..   Perish...                                    You will have life, eternal life, forever.

Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Getting Connected Matters

The world has never been more connected. Companies have laid millions of miles of fiber optics and shot satellites into space so that people can communicate with each other. People all around the world are texting each other on smart phones. Yet people feel more and more disconnected.  We don’t feel nearly as connected to each other as people did a generation ago.

 We were created for Relationship - In fact the first thing God said was, “It’s not good for man to be alone.” God said that humans were not made for isolation. We were made for connection. Why? We were created in the image of God. The Bible says God is love. And to love, you’ve got to have somebody to love.

 The Bible says that that being spiritually connected means:

 We’re built like a Building - “In Christ you are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God” (Ephesians 2:22 NRSV). We are meant to fit together like bricks in a new building. It’s essential that the parts of a building fit together. You aren’t safe otherwise because there’s no support. Likewise, those who aren’t connected to a church family in any meaningful way have no support. Life is tough. We all need the support of people who care about us.

 We’re joined in a Body - “Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s Body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others” (Romans 12: 4-5 TLB). What Jesus Christ did when he was here in his physical body, he wants to do today through the church. We are the body of Christ on Earth. We are his hands. We are his feet. All of us have to play our part. Being part of the body of Christ means we are a part of something bigger than ourselves, and if we don’t play our specific part, the mission of the church is impacted.

 We’re born into a Family - “I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church…” (1 Timothy 3:15 GW). This is my favorite metaphor for the church. Most people think that Christianity is a belief system. There are beliefs in Christianity, but it’s so much more. Christianity is a belong system. The Bible says we were born again into God’s family when we became a follower of Jesus. It also says that we’ve been adopted into God’s family.  Because we are part of God’s family, we should accept one another and love one another.

 We’re attached to a Vine - “Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me"  (John 15:4 GW). Being connected isn’t just a horizontal issue. It’s a vertical one as well. We need to be connected to God himself. Jesus says when we are connected to him it’s like being attached to a vine. Fruit not connected to a vine dies. It’s that simple.

 Two new opportunities for getting connected are starting this month at APC. 

 1.  Purpose Driven Life Bible Study  Starting July 9th at 6:30 pm we will begin a study on the book - "The Purpose Driven Life".  I will be teaching the study which will help us discover what God's purposes are for our lives. 

 2.  Sit and Sew  On July 19th starting at 9 am - Sit and Sew will be meeting in the Manse Hall.  This is an opportunity to meet with others and work on your crafts or learn a new one.  Quilting, Scrap-Booking, Knitting are just some of the crafts that you might want to share. 

 Let’s work together to stay connected.

 Pastor Tom

From Pastor Tom - Stressed or Rest?

“I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.”  Job 3:26 (NIV)

 Have you ever felt the way Job felt?

 Consider these statistics: 

• People now sleep 2½ hours less each night than people did a hundred years ago. 

• The average workweek is longer now than it was in the 1960s.

• We spend eight months of our lives opening junk mail.

• We spend five years of our lives waiting for people who are late. 

We are a piled-on, stretched-to-the limit society.  We have too much rush, too many choices, too much work, too much debt, too much activity.  We’re information overloaded, chronically rushed and chronically exhausted.  Simply put, we’re stressed by the pace of life.  In the military we call it “OP-TEMPO.”  The pace has picked up and there is no hint of a slow-down anywhere in the near future.

 Is there a solution?  Yes.  It’s called rest!  Consider the following verse:

 “Come to me and I will give you rest – all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke.  Wear my yoke – for it fits perfectly – and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens.”  Matthew 11:28-30 (LB)

We think that rest is connected with a complete stop of work – it’s not.  It is connected with the following three principles:

1. Find what fits:  Find the parts of your job which you enjoy. These tasks become your “rest period.”  Why?  Because “it fits perfectly” – I enjoy them.  I have the skills and abilities to accomplish the job and I enjoy working on these tasks.  It fits!  It is no longer a burden but a joy.

2. Take smaller bites:  The question has been asked; “How do you eat an elephant?”  The answer is simple; “One bite at a time.”  Often we try eating the whole elephant in one sitting.  (Carry the whole load.)  Look at what Jesus said; “I give you only light burdens.”  Smaller loads.  Break down the large tasks into smaller pieces. 

3. Seek God’s guidance:  Many of the things we get stressed about don’t really matter in God’s big plan of things.  What does God care about?  Ask Him.  (Prayer)  Read the book He wrote for you.  (Bible study.)  I’ll bet He’ll let you know what the important things are.  He has already said, “Come to me.” 

May God Bless,                                                                                                                            Pastor Tom