Love From Your Pastor: Holy Week Edition – 1

Hi Friends! (I am hoping to send out daily notes this week as we gear up toward Experience Easter and Easter Sunday.  If you would prefer to be removed from my mailing list, please let me know. Don’t want to clog up your inbox unnecessarily!)

Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side.  Do not disbelieve, but believe.” (John 20:27)
If you want to prepare your heart and mind for Easter (a.k.a. Resurrection Sunday), read John 20!  It was part of my daily Bible reading today, and what a powerful chapter on the resurrection!  The characters in the (true) story are so intriguing.  Notice the Mary’s, Martha, and the disciples.  Study their emotions, their reactions, etc.  Great stuff!  Thomas has always gotten a bad rap as we call him “Doubting Thomas.”  But I love Jesus’s gracious response to him.  He answers Thomas’s desire to have the proof he was looking for.  And He challenges him to have faith.  He is saying to us the same thing: “Do not disbelieve, but believe!”  Of course, of all the characters described in John 20, the Hero is Jesus Christ!  And he’s the only hero really worth celebrating!  Celebrate with us this week!
Please be praying for the impact on the hearts and lives of people in our community this week!
Wednesday, 5:00 – 5:45am — Join us for prayer!  I believe the more we pray together, the more fruit we’ll see.
Wednesday, 6:00 – 6:45am — Join us for prayer!
Wednesday, 7:00 – 7:45pm — Join us for prayer!
Thursday, 7pm – pray for Awana and the parents class, and that as families receive invites to Experience Easter they will decide to come!
Friday, “Experience Easter!”  Tours begin at 5:30pm and continue until the last tour begins at 7:30.  We will be decorating during the day, beginning at 9:00am. Please contact Elizabeth (541-979-1774) or myself if you’d like to help!  A reminder – if you are donating items for the event, please have them to the church by Wednesday.  Also, if anyone has decorative trees or plants or palms that we can borrow, contact Elizabeth.  Thank you!
Sunday, 6:30am – Community Sunrise Service on Buttercup Hill.  For directions, contact Roger Ruckert – 541-740-7821.
Sunday, 9:00am – First Easter Worship Service!  Pray, pray, pray!
Sunday, 11:00am – Second Easter Worship Service!  Pray, pray, pray! (Pray for our musicians, singers, children’s and nursery workers, sound people, ushers, greeters, the preacher, etc. etc.)  (Pray for effective follow-up with our guests from these two services)
Have a blessed & holy week!
Do not disbelieve, but believe…
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael


Love From Your Pastor

Hello Friends!

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel… (Phil. 1:27)
What a great reminder of the Lord’s desire for us as a community of God’s people!  May this be true of us as we strive side by side for the faith of the gospel!
I have again been impacted during my daily Bible reading of the importance and power in prayer.  In yesterday’s reading (John 16:23-24; Ephesians 6:18) I was reminded of our need to be constantly in prayer, in the power of the Holy Spirit, praying in Christ’s name.  Then today we read John 17 and Philippians 1.  John 17 is Jesus praying for His disciples (and for us!), and Phil. 1 includes Paul’s prayer for the church at Philippi.  If you’d like a couple great prayers to model yours after, I’d recommend going back and simply reading those two passages in a spirit of prayer!
Sunday I will be speaking on Revelation 8:7-12, as we see the Trumpet Judgments begin.  We will also be singing the songs of Palm Sunday, and we will witness a great dance by some of our girls!  Don’t miss out – we look forward to seeing you Sunday at 10:30!
9 Days until Easter!!  Please be praying for the services to be powerful in glorifying the Lord and ministering to people.  I hope you are praying for unchurched members of your OIKOS, and looking for chances to serve them in Christ’s love, and for opportunities to invite them to FBC.
Easter Experience is one week from today!  Again, please be praying for this special outreach event for the families of our community.  Thank you for all who have stepped up to volunteer and to provide supplies!  Contact Elizabeth if you have any questions or would still like to help.
May God’s grace and peace be ours as we stand firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the gospel!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael


Love From Your Pastor

Hello FBC Friends!

For you were called to freedom, brothers.  Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. (Galatians 5:13-15)
What a great blessing it is to have freedom in Christ!  But, as every parent knows, with freedom can come the danger of abusing that freedom.  The best use of our Christian liberty is not in selfish pursuits, but in loving service to one another.  That is one of the things I am so thankful for here at FBC.  Many of you are demonstrating this truth through loving service.  Paul echoes the words of Jesus when he says that the whole law is summed up by this: loving your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with everything you are and have, and the second is “like it,” to love your neighbor.  Here Paul leaves out the first one but includes the second.  It’s as if he’s saying that loving your neighbor is loving the Lord.  May we rejoice in our freedom we have because of Jesus, and may we use it to serve others and love our neighbor!
I want to thank everyone who came out last night for our first vision/informational meeting.  We have the second meeting tomorrow (Friday) at 3pm.  If you weren’t here yesterday and can make it tomorrow, we’d love to have you join us as we share our heart about the vision of the future!


Love From Your Pastor

Hi Friends!

When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. (John 2:22)
What was it that He said that the disciples remembered?  That they would destroy “this temple” and raise it in three days.  He was mocked and misunderstood for the statement, but He was referring to the temple of His body, His death, and His resurrection.  It was His death and resurrection that made it possible for us to have such intimate relationship with God that a physical temple is no longer necessary!  We actually have the presence of God with us!  In fact, we who are in the faith have Jesus Christ in us (2 Cor. 13:5)!  How amazing!
Speaking of His resurrection, tomorrow it will be only 21 days, yes only 3 weeks, until Easter Sunday!  Who are you praying for, sharing with, and inviting to FBC?
Easter Experience is coming soon too of course!  It will be April 3, Friday, starting at 5:30pm.  This will be an amazing event.  We especially want to encourage families with children to come and experience this together.  So invite the kids and parents in your life to Experience Easter!  Elizabeth will have some “footprints” available tomorrow with items that we need written on them.  That’s one way you can help make this a special event.  She still will need helpers for the event, so please see her tomorrow if you can help.


Love From Your Pastor

Hi Friends!

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)
Isn’t it great to be able to see clearly?  Isn’t it frustrating when things are out of focus?  For those of us who have to wear glasses or contacts, we know the feeling of things being “fuzzy” when we try to see.  All of us are experiencing that in spiritual matters.  Living in a fallen world as we do, our “spiritual eyes” are not able to see everything clearly… yet.  But one day we will be able to see all things clearly, or as the verse says, fully.  Knowing only in part is a frustration.  Knowing fully will be fantastic!  It is good to know that we have been fully known by the One who knows all.  And it is a great promise that one day we will see no longer in a mirror dimly, but we will see face to face.
This Sunday I will be preaching on Revelation 7:9-17, “The Great Multitude.”  Another great worship scene is before us, as we continue in this “interlude” between the judgments.  I’d recommend reading it before Sunday and coming prepared to worship!
Also this Sunday we will experience together the two ordinances our church observes: baptism and communion.  We will be baptizing four children – Praise the Lord!  Thanks to Doris T and Alice T for teaching very instructive lessons to these kids in preparation for baptism.  Please pray for Emily, Gavin, Joshua, and Tyrel.  Pray that it will be a blessed and memorable experience for them.  Pray that family and friends will come to watch.  Pray that any unbelievers will be impacted by the message of the gospel pictured in baptism.  And if you’re following the ESV Daily Reading Bible this year, we will be in Exodus 12 as part of our reading this weekend.  That’s the story of the Passover, and a perfect passage for us to consider as we remember the death of the Lamb of God during our time of observing the Lord’s Supper.  Even if you’re not following that reading plan, it would be great to read Exodus 12 in preparation for communion.


40 Days Until Easter

Hi Friends,

Just a friendly reminder: 40 Days until Easter Sunday (38 until “Experience Easter” at FBC)!
What are you doing to prepare your heart for the remembrance of Christ’s death on the cross on our behalf, and for the celebration of His resurrection from the grave?
One idea for you:  I just received 10 copies of a book I ordered called “Growing in Christ: 40 Days to Deeper Faith.”  It is written by Arnie Cole & Michael Ross, from the Back to the Bible radio ministry, and authors of “Unstuck.”  Elizabeth has been using this devotional and loves it!  Here’s the summary from the back of the book: “We yearn for something more.  So what’s holding us back?  We want our lives to have meaning and purpose.  We want to make a difference for the kingdom of God.  So what are we missing?  We can experience the radical, thriving faith God wants for us all.  Real transformation happens as we set our focus on Jesus Christ – His message, His ministry, His miracles, His mission.  Here, in forty story-driven devotionals, the sights, sounds, and drama of our Savior’s story come alive before our eyes.  As our imagination ‘walks’ in Christ’s footsteps, we’ll begin to see through His eyes and share the compassion that took Him to the cross.”
This 40 day devotional would be a great way for you to focus on Christ between now and Easter.  I am planning to go through it.  If you are interested in getting a copy, please contact me by replying to this message or calling me at 541-979-1777.  I will try to get one to you ASAP.  The books cost $3/each.  As I said, I only ordered 10 of them, so I will get these to the first 10 people who contact me.  If there is overwhelming response, I may order more and some of you can just start a little later than the others.  You’d still be able to get started before Easter.  I look forward to hearing from you.
If you are using some other way to prepare yourself spiritually for Easter over the next 40 days, would you share that with me?
Also remember, I have asked for you to consider a day of fasting, and for you all to be praying for me and for the elders and for the future direction of our church.  I know of a few already who are taking me up on this.  I hope you will be praying, and possibly fasting & praying!  We have opportunities to pray together tomorrow, Wednesday, at 5am, at 6am, and at 7pm.  Please come join us in prayer.
Blessings on you as you pursue Christ in the days ahead,
Pastor Michael


Love From Your Pastor

And such were some of you.  But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11)

We have to ask, such what were some of you?  In verse 11 Paul is referring to the not-so-pretty list in verses 9-10.  Go ahead and look it up!  He covers a wide range of things describing “the unrighteous.”  We should never forget that “such were some of you.”  We need to marvel in the grace of God that washed, sanctified, and justified us in spite of who we were!  And we should have a burden for those around us who are in the “such are some of you” category, in need of the same washing, sanctifying, and justifying in the name of Jesus Christ!
Pray for Dave & Ron, & John.  Just this afternoon Dave Ezell and Ron Whitted headed to the airport to begin the journey to Terre Blanche, Haiti on a short term medical mission trip.  Please be in prayer for them, for their families and for the ministry in Haiti.  There is a day-by-day prayer letter for them on a table in the foyer.  But for today and tomorrow, we can be praying about the tiring overnight travel!  Also, John Joiner is heading tomorrow to Burundi to add his engineering expertice to a medical facility there.  His travel will be even longer than Dave & Ron’s.  Please pray for John and for an effective and meaningful time away.
Read Revelation 7:1-8.  This Sunday I am preaching on this “interlude” between the 6th and 7th seal judgments.  What does it mean to be “sealed?”  Who are these people described in the passage?  Join us Sunday as I share about “The Sealed Servants.”


Love From Your Pastor

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (Romans 16:20)

Since the promise in Genesis 3, God’s people have been waiting for the final crushing blow to be delivered to Satan.  I believe the victory was won at the cross, so he is already a defeated foe!  Yet he is still prowling about, doing his damage.  The end of Revelation will show us his final defeat when he is thrown into the lake of fire to be tormented forever and ever (20:10).  How we long for that day!  Romans agrees with Revelation that the day is coming “soon.”  Amen!
This Sunday we will begin to see God’s judgments unfold.  I will be preaching on Revelation 6:1-17, “The Wrath of the Lamb.”  Please read it prayerfully beforehand.  If you’re a football fan, you may have heard of “The Four Horsemen”, of Notre Dame fame from the early 1920s.  What do these four horsemen in Rev. 6 represent?  Come Sunday!
Church family, I want to apologize to you.  As most of you are aware, Jeff Moritz and his family will be here for a number of events this weekend.  If you are a member or regular attender you were supposed to get a letter last week explaing the itinerary and describing the partnership the elders and I have been considering with Jeff.  Although I have been in discussions with him and with the elders for months about this, it has been pointed out to me that I did not do a good job of communicating about this to the congregation.  I am truly sorry for that.  It is not our desire to push anything through without everyone being on board (as much as possible).  So this has come across to some as being a surprise or thrust upon the church too quickly.  I want to tell you that bringing Jeff on board to help with our ministry to youth, young adults, and families is not a “done deal.”  We are not voting on anything this weekend.  We would just like to give you the opportunity to interact with him a bit and perhaps ask questions.  We wanted some of the young people to have some exposure to him also.  Again, I am sorry for how this has come across.


Love From Your Pastor

Hi Friends,

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
This passage from our daily Bible reading two days ago has long been one of my favorites!  We would all benefit from meditating on this frequently.  The inexhaustible love of God is so amazing!  Look at this list of all the things that can NOT separate us from His love!  It sure seems to cover all the bases.  Chew on this today – nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Tomorrow I will be preaching on Revelation 5, “Worthy is the Lamb”.  Please read that passage and think about the worship that is due the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ!  Consider what He has accomplished for us in His sacrificial death, and in His resurrection.  An amazing phrase that stands out in this text is that John says he saw “a Lamb standing, as if slain.”  How can something (or Someone) which was slain be seen to be standing?  We worship the Lamb for His death and for His resurrection.  God’s love is nowhere better seen than in this.
We will also be remembering His sacrifice for us with the ordinance of Communion.  Let us examine our hearts and seek the forgiveness and cleansing that can be accomplished for us because of the shed blood of the Lamb.
Worthy is the Lamb!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael



Love From Your Pastor

Hi FBC Friends!

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”  And He (Jesus) said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40, ESV)

“The order of these two great commandments is important. Jesus did not teach that, in order to be in a loving relationship with God, his disciples must first love their neighbors. He taught instead that the “great and first commandment” is to love God with one’s entire being, and elsewhere Scripture makes clear that this love for God is possible only because God loved believers first (1 John 4:19; see also Rom. 5:8). A loving commitment to God, initiated by God himself, results in love for one’s neighbor. When we love God, we love what and whom he loves—because we desire to please and honor him.

In 2 Corinthians 8:1–7, Paul demonstrated how this works in practical terms. He used the Macedonian Christians as an example of unselfish generosity, to urge the Corinthian Christians toward the same kind of generosity. Although poor themselves, he says, the Macedonians gave beyond all expectation: “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us” (2 Cor. 8:5). Jesus’ disciples do not earn God’s favor by loving their neighbors; they love God because he has shown them his grace and mercy through the sacrificial love of Jesus, and this love for God overflows in love for others (Eph. 4:32–5:2).” (Gospel Transformation Bible)

What a great reminder of the ultimate priority in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ – love!  Are you loving God with your whole being?  Are you loving your neighbor as yourself?  What practical ways is that being demonstrated in your life? Read more…