Love From Your Pastor

Posted on Sep 10, 2015 in Devotions |

Greetings FBC!

If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:19)
The good news is our hope in Christ is not for this life only!  1 Corinthians 15 is an incredibly powerful reminder of the eternal hope we have because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I’d encourage you to read that chapter today.  I like a note from the Gospel Transformation Bible here: “These gospel truths lead to two major applications.  1st, rather than defining ourselves by the emptiness of ‘this life’ and its pleasures, we must cherish the promise that we will share in Christ’s glory.  2nd, we must embrace this resurrection hope as a source of power by which we may endure hardship and struggle against sin.  Gratitude for the victory that God has given us through Christ must lead us to be ‘steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord’ (v. 57-58).  The gospel therefore combats hopelessness and gives purpose to our daily endeavors: ‘in the Lord your labor is not in vain’ (v. 58).”
Speaking of hope, this Sunday I will be preaching on Revelation 19:11-21, “The Victorious King & the Defeated Beast.”  Jesus is coming back!  What a day that will be.  Please read the passage ahead of time, and especially pick out the names and descriptions attributed to Jesus Christ.  Hope to see you Sunday!
I received this from Aaron Savage (Youth for Christ/Campus Life) – “I’m organizing for blessing the Central Linn staff with food this coming Monday!”  Would you be willing to help Aaron bless the CL staff?  He can use help with food, and someone to help with decorations.  Please contact Aaron at 541-971-6985.  Thank you!
Men’s Roundup starts tomorrow and runs through Sunday.  You can still register there at the registration tent at Tadmor tomorrow.  This is going to be a great weekend.  Contact me or Jeff Stoneberg with any questions.
Friends, I can’t go into details now, but I just found out that we need to be praying hard for Wade & Marianne Doerfler today.  Please be in prayer for them.  Wade is being transported to a hospital in Portland with very serious injuries.  Please pray.
Hoping in Christ for this life AND the next…
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael

Love From Your Pastor

Posted on Sep 4, 2015 in Devotions |

…yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. (1 Corinthians 8:6)

What a great reminder from the apostle Paul!  Let us keep our focus on what is essential in our lives.  We have one God and one Lord.  We exist for the Father and through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  May all of our lives revolve around our relationship with the One true and living God!
This Sunday I will be speaking on Revelation 19:1-10.  Please read that in advance.  May it move us to praise the Lord (the meaning of “Hallelujah”) as we consider the four “hallelujahs” in this passage!  May we exult in the promise of the coming marriage supper of the Lamb!
Also this Sunday, we will be sharing the communion table together.  A great reminder is found in 1 Corinthians 11:23-29.  Let us examine ourselves in preparation for the Lord’s Supper.

Love From Your Pastor

Posted on Aug 27, 2015 in Devotions |

Michael, called by the will of God to be a minister of Christ Jesus, to the church of God that is in Brownsville, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus…

Wow!  We just don’t start letters like that anymore.  We started reading 1 Corinthians in our daily reading today, and the way Paul starts the letter got my attention.  Even though we find out later in his letter that the church in Corinth had a lot of problems, he reminds them from the very beginning of who he is as God’s servant, who they are in Christ, and what the Lord has provided to them by His grace.  While we want to guard against sounding too “super-spiritual” or overly pious, I wonder if we would benefit from more of such reminders in our communication with one another in the body of Christ.  Just a thought!
This Sunday, we will be in Revelation 18, “Babylon the Fallen.”  After this chapter we will really turn a corner in our Revelation study.  Our hopes for Christ’s return and the kingdom of God to come in all its glory, will soon be revealed.  But we need to see the fulfillment of prophecy regarding the downfall of Babylon.  I again encourage you to read Rev. 18 before we meet together on Sunday.  I also intend to share a number of cross-references from Jeremiah 50 and 51, so if you want to do a little extra in preparation for the sermon, you may want to read those chapters as well (those using the Bible reading plan read those on Aug. 21-22, but if you’re like me, it doesn’t take long to forget what we read!).  In the midst of the report of Babylon’s destruction, there is an interesting command in verse 4.  See if you can understand what the readers of Revelation are being told to do, and how it might relate to us as Christians as described in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

Love From Your Pastor

Posted on Aug 20, 2015 in Devotions |

Hello brothers and sisters of FBC!
 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! (Psalm 27:7)
There was a little theme that stood out to me in my Bible reading today — the theme of “hearing.”
(A side note: a number of you are joining me in using the “M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan” for 2015.  A few of us are reading out of the “ESV Daily Reading Bible” and the rest are using the printed out sheets that we supplied in the foyer.  The readings should have been the same in both formats, but I discovered this week that for some reason the one I’m reading has us in Psalms, while the printed out list has you in Luke instead.  So sorry about the difference – maybe we’ll get back on all the same readings in the months ahead.)
In Romans 10 Paul reminds us of the essential matter of the gospel being preached, so that people can hear the message, so that they might believe and be saved.  I’ve loved verse 17 for a long time.  It reminds me that what people around me need is not any fancy argument or well-worded presentation.  They need the word of Christ!  Hearing the word of Christ is what is absolutely critical for someone to come to faith.
In Psalm 27, David is asking the Lord to hear him as he cries out in prayer.  You will see this kind of request all throughout the Psalms (and many other passages as well).  One of the great blessings of our relationship with the Lord is knowing that when we pray to Him, he hears us!  He listens!  And He acts!
These two ideas together emphasize something very important for each of us: our faith is not simply some dogma, or some set of religious practices.  No, Christianity is about a real relationship with a real God who really loves us.  We can communicate with Him.  We hear Him, with faith, through His Word.  He hears us, by grace, when we pray.  What a beautiful thing!
It was a blessing to spend some time away with my family.  Thank you for your prayers for us.  I am grateful for the ministry of Bob Reister, Ryan, and Bruce Tissell as they shared the Word with you.  But it is also a blessing to be back here, and I’m excited to see you this weekend!
This Sunday we will jump back into Revelation!  We will be in Revelation 17, discussing “Babylon the Great”.  This is a challenging passage!  But please read it prayerfully before Sunday and let’s ask God to communicate to us what He wants us to hear.
A few other things of note…

Love From Your Pastor

Posted on Jul 23, 2015 in Devotions |

Hi FBC Friends!

And he (Gideon) said to Him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel?  Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”  And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” (Judges 6:15-16)
What a great promise from the Lord!  I will be with you.  I did a quick search and found many verses that say the exact same thing.  And of course there are many other verses that say the same thing even if not in the exact same words.  God promises to be with His people.  No matter what the circumstance.  No matter where the place.  “I will be with you” is one of His most precious gifts to us!  I like what the Gospel Transformation Bible says about this passage: “Our God willingly condescends to meet His servants because He understands our fear and frailty – qualities much more evident in Gideon than his heroism… In spite of Gideon’s objections, neither the presence of difficult circumstances nor the absence of God’s dramatic work should be taken as evidence that God has forsaken us.  Neither does a flawed or weak family background impede our usefulness in advancing the kingdom of God.”  Amen to that!
Here are some other great “I will be with you” passages if you want to look them up (and I suggest you do!) — Genesis 26:3; 31:3; Exodus 3:12; Deuteronomy 31:23; Joshua 1:5; 3:7; 1 Kings 11:38; Isaiah 43:2; Matthew 28:20 (slightly different wording – I am with you always…); John 7:33; Hebrews 13:5.
This Sunday I will be speaking on “The Ultimate Super Bowls” from Revelation 16.  It is a very sobering passage.  I’d encourage you to read it before Sunday.  Obviously, these devastating judgments are not something any of us want to experience.  We can be eternally grateful that those who are in Christ will not experience God’s wrath, as it was already place upon His Son Jesus Christ on the cross.  But consider the people in your life whom you know, who have not yet trusted in Him for salvation.  Pray that the Lord will use you as His instrument in bringing those people to faith in Christ.  We don’t want anyone we know to experience these Super Bowls!
If you missed the note from this past Sunday’s bulletin about the All-church lunch and informational and Q & A meeting, here it is:  “Everyone is invited to join us next Sunday, July 26, after the worship service.  We will provide a simple lunch of sandwiches and salads.  This is not a potluck.  After lunch we will meet together as a large group for a time for the pastor and elders to share about the reasons for considering the addition of a new Associate Pastor of Youth & Family Ministries.  A draft of the proposed job description will be available.  Following the large group meeting we will break into four smaller groups for questions & answers and discussion.  The reason for smaller groups is to encourage the participation of as many people as possible, as some people are very unlikely to share in a larger group.  We will have detailed notes taken in each group.  The meeting will conclude with another large group gathering to debrief and share what was discussed in each group.  We hope to be completed with the entire process by 2:00pm.  Please be sure to join us as we discuss this important and exciting step for our church family!”
Childcare will be available – if you will be staying for the meeting and have children that will be part of the child-care, please RSVP to Elizabeth at 541-979-1774 (call or text) or reply to this email.
So please consider joining us for this time sharing together as a church family.  Please be in prayer about it as well.  Thank you!
Thankful for a God who promises to be with us…
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael

Great Advice on Praying the Bible

Posted on Jul 22, 2015 in Devotions |

Click here for link to 5 min. video

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Love From Your Pastor

Posted on Jul 17, 2015 in Devotions |

Hi Friends,

This might be a shorter email than usual (I’m a little behind for some reason!).  We read again a lot of great stuff in our Daily Bible Reading.  But I was especially touched by Joshua 24:15, as I am every time I read through Joshua.  We all have a decision to make, and I hope our answer will be, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”
Men’s Breakfast – Saturday (tomorrow) at 7:00am!  Mike Riffle from Colombia Grace Foundation will be here to share with us.  And of course there will be lots of great food.  Please come join us men!
Revelation 15:1-8 will be our text for Sunday.  Please read and pray over that before Sunday.  What is the “Song of Moses”?  What is the “Song of the Lamb”?  Mike and Stacey Riffle from Colombia Grace will also be sharing during the worship service and the adult Sunday School.
July 26 – Everyone is invited to stay for a simple lunch and a time of information, discussion, and Q & A regarding the addition of an Associate Pastor.  There is more info in this week’s bulletin about this.
Thank you for continued prayers for Alan Blake and Bruce Landon.  Alan was transfered today to a rehab facility at or near the University of Oregon!  He’s working hard and making great progress.  Let’s keep praying for a complete recovery and for God’s glory.  Bruce is recovering from heart bypass surgery, and is expected to be able to come home Saturday or Sunday.  Thanks for praying!
Thank you to everyone for supporting my adventure coaching the junior high Central Linn baseball team.  The journey came to an end today with our second loss at the State Tournament.  But it was a great season with a lot for the kids to celebrate, including a 16-0 regular season and winning the Valley League Championship tournament!  Also it was a great opportunity for impacting kids and building relationships with families.  Pray for fruit from any seeds planted!
See you this weekend!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael

Love From Your Pastor

Posted on Jul 9, 2015 in Devotions |

Hi FBC Friends!

Then children were brought to Him that He might lay His hands on them and pray.  The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”  And He laid His hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-15)
This week we are thanking the Lord for the little children who are coming to Jesus through the 5 Day Bible Clubs at Pioneer Park in Brownsville and Halsey Park through the ministry of C.E.F.  Each days seems to be having an increase in attendance.  The Brownsville club had 27 kids today.  Thank you so much for those who have helped with supplies and making lunches!  Thank you for praying for these clubs and the kids and their parents.  There’s still one more day!  Please pray that tomorrow’s clubs will be tremendous and the Lord will use them to bring little ones to our Lord Jesus.
This Sunday I will be speaking on “Harvest Time!” from Revelation 14:14-20.  Sounds like an appropriate topic for our community at this time of year, doesn’t it?  And no, I didn’t plan it this way, but apparently the Lord did.  As you are working in the harvest, or seeing it take place while driving around the valley, consider the great harvest that will occur at the end of the age!  Also, remember that Jesus said the Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few; so ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest.  Are you harvesting?  Are you praying for the harvest?  Are you planting seeds?  Are you watering?  Remember, God causes the growth, but we have our part to play!  See you Sunday as we consider “Harvest Time!”
Some important events coming up this summer;
  • July 18 – Men’s Breakfast with Mike Riffle of Columbia Grace Foundation, 7:00 a.m.
  • July 19 – The Riffles sharing with the adult Sunday School classes, 9:00 a.m.
  • July 26 – All-Church lunch & information, Q & A groups, 12:00 Noon
  • Aug. 2 – Bob & Teresa Reister, missionaries in Japan, joining us in the morning service, 10:30 a.m.; followed by Annual FBC Picnic at the Miller’s Playground in Halsey – after the worship service.
  • Aug. 2-7 – Camp Praise for kids entering 3rd – 7th grades.  Contact Elizabeth if you are interested in having your child/ren attend.
Praying for the children as they come to Jesus…
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael

Love From Your Pastor

Posted on Jul 2, 2015 in Devotions |

And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’  For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” (Joshua 4:21-24)

The people of Israel needed continual reminders of the Lord’s gracious dealings in their lives.  So do we!  They were commanded by God to pass on to their children the stories of God’s faithfulness.  So are we!  Let us thank Him that His hand is mighty.  Let us remember all He’s done for us, His marvelous work and saving mercy.  And let’s pass on to the next generation the great truths about Him and all He’s done!
I just spoke with Zsuzsa, and it sounds like Alan had a great physical therapy session today.  They found some movement in his right shoulder, for which we thank the Lord!  He continues to struggle to try to speak.  Please continue to diligently uphold them in prayer.  They still need much intercession.  We need to continue to seek the Lord’s face on their behalf.  Thank you for all your prayers.  I hope to fast and pray again tomorrow and would encourage any of you who can to join me.
Also, Diana Evans had a successful hip replacement surgery.  She is already in way less pain than she was before the surgery.  Please pray for her recovery.  She’ll be coming home tomorrow and staying with some friends while she recuperates.
Elizabeth would love some more help with the CEF 5 Day Bible Clubs that will be happening in Brownsville and Halsey next week, July 6-10!  She could specifically use more help packing lunches.  There is a chart on the table in the foyer showing which days need help.  Contact Elizabeth with any questions.  Thank you!

Love From Your Pastor

Posted on Jun 18, 2015 in Devotions |

Hello FBC!

The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. 5 The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I turned not backward. (Isaiah 50:4-5 ESV)

This week I attended a 4-day seminar at Corban University called: “The Spiritual Life of the Leader: How Leaders are Transformed.”  It’s been an amazing experience, for which I am extremely grateful.  In my devotional Bible reading this morning, one of the verses I wrote in my journal was the above passage from Isaiah 50.  And this afternoon, one of our sessions was about how Bible reading facilitates spiritual transformation.  During the discussion, one of the relevant passages talked about was this one from Isaiah 50.  As we were talking about it, I thought it sure sounded familiar.  I looked in my journal, and there it was from this morning!
Anyway, these verses were discussed as we talked about one way Bible reading facilitates spiritual transformation is when it is done reflectively.  That is, when we 1) Seek to be mastered by the Word rather than mastering it, 2) Listen deeply for a personal word from God, and 3) Explore personal thoughts and feelings evoked by the Word.  The Isaiah passage from today was relevant to the idea of listening deeply for a personal word from God.  Notice what Isaiah says: “Morning by morning He awakens… my ear to hear…”  “The Lord GOD has opened my ear…”  Other passages that deal with listening to the Word include Psalm 119:124-125; Psalm 81:8; and Ecclesiastes 5:1.
When you read your Bible, are you reading it reflectively?  Are you reflecting on it?  Meditating on it?  Listening closely to what the Lord is saying to you through it?  May we be those “who have ears to hear” what He is saying to us as we read, study, chew on, meditate on, memorize, and listen to His Word!

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