Men of Faith

By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house – Hebrews 11:7

We all have a lesson to learn from Noah, whether we are fathers, husbands, brothers, or sons. Noah trusted God, believed his warnings, and obeyed his commands… as a result, he was able to save his entire family from the destruction of the worldwide flood that came as promised.

Notice that Noah was warned by God, but he was warned about things that he, himself, had not yet witnessed — he was warned “of things not seen as yet.” This is where faith comes in. When we are able to trust what God has told us in his Word—even when it contradicts what everyone around us is proclaiming or what our own experience has been thus far — it is then that we are able to truly walk by faith.

What about you? When you look at the many instructions and warnings in God’s Word, do you believe him and act accordingly or do you ignore his Word and keep on walking in your own way? Husbands, are you loving your wives sacrificially? Fathers, are you nurturing your children in the Lord? Children (of any age), are you honoring your parents?

Those who listen to God’s Word and obey it by faith prepare for the destruction and judgment that are coming upon this world. As a result, those around them are positively affected, being influenced by the faith that they see.

May you, like Noah, be moved by a healthy fear of God to a determined, faithful preparation of your own life and your own house, in obedience to his Word.

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Death and Dying

Whether…the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours – 1 Corinthians 3:22

What a strange thing to say. How can Paul claim with a straight face that everything—even death—has been given to God’s people and belongs to them?

It certainly does not feel as though the world belongs to us, that our present life is completely under our control, or that the future is ours for the taking. Least of all, death does not ever feel to be mastered or owned or tamed; more than anything else, death reminds us of just how frail we are and what little power we have over our surroundings.

And yet Paul claims that they are all yours, if you are Christ’s (3:23). Even death has been made a servant to the people of God. How can this be?

The truth is that we, in ourselves, do not have autonomous control over our life or our death; but the truth is also that Christ has—through his death and resurrection—brought even our greatest enemies into subjection and made them to serve us for our good.

Death, for instance, has been subdued; instead of acting as the jaws of fate to consume us, it has now become the door of salvation to renew us. Whereas death was once to be greatly feared, as the result of sin entering into the world, it is now made an occasion for rejoicing, as the vehicle that brings us into the presence and likeness of Christ.

Life, through Christ, is yours, dear believer. And, yes, even death is yours, to serve you for your good and for God’s glory. Rejoice today, then, in the possessions that are yours in Christ.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

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Have a blessed Christmas!

There are many ways you can serve at Cross Pointe and we encourage you to find a point of ministry at Cross Pointe; to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. There’s a place for you.  Come and join with us in the work of reaching a lost world for Jesus.  Together we can make a difference in the lives of others

Vessels of Honor is an extension of our church ministry both within the church and in the community.   We recognize the distinguished position held by the Seniors of the faith in our church family.   Many may not be able to attend church services due to age-related health or transportation issues.  Through this ministry we want to engage our most Senior members, and to assist them in their daily lives as needed.   This ministry is not exclusive to Senior members, but serves as a central point of outreach to those Seniors in our community.   Outreach includes but is not limited to:  providing food, transportation, hospital visitation, hospice, and assisted living ministry.

Have a blessed Christmas!

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"For all things are for your sakes..."

For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:15

Every person, every situation, every thing is allowed through the wise and omnipotent hand of God for your sakes. He is, like the potter, shaping this world for his own purposes, and he purposes your good, if you are one of his.

As Paul wrote in his first letter to Corinth, “the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:22). God has subdued even your greatest enemies, so they now work for your good.

But the good of those who love God is not God’s only motivation. His primary motivation, because he is God, is always and rightly his own glory. And so, we are reminded, God has purposed our good for his glory.

It is the great purpose of God that his abundant and conquering grace should redound to his own glory. It is only right that it would be so, like an author or a painter or a sculptor being credited for his masterpieces. But how does abundant grace resonate to his glory? Through the thanksgiving of many.

God will be glorified by us, no matter what — either in forgiving us or in condemning us. But our goal should be that he is glorified in us. When we grab from the gracious hand of God and run away thoughtlessly to enjoy his benefits, his abundant grace does not receive the glory it deserves.

So, dear pardoned sinner and beneficiary of divine goodness: make yourself today a soundboard for the glory of God. May each blessing sent your way reverberate to the glory of his name, through your conscious and joyful thanksgiving.

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NOTHING lasts forever, except everything that I do and say, Jesus reminds us

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away – Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)

“Nothing lasts forever.” We have become so used to the reality of this cliche that we have many times, even as Christians, unconsciously applied this earthly maxim to eternal things.

But Jesus would have us remember that, yes, heaven and earth shall pass away; nothing in this world lasts forever. Cars and carpet, bodies and bank accounts, hobbies and holidays — all eventually break up or break down. The things we strive for and try to obtain mean nothing when we are finally called to the Lord. Egyptians used to want to be buried with their belongings in the afterlife. Are we that different these days?

Even nations and world powers rise and fall over time. Did you know there is not a single world government still in power today that existed when the United States was formed? As young as this
country is, it is already the oldest living government on the planet!

Heaven and earth shall pass away, Jesus says, but my words shall not pass away. God’s words and God’s works will still stand when the earth is on fire. You perhaps will agree to the point Jesus is making, but does the reality Jesus is highlighting infuse your decision-making with an eternal perspective and priority? In other words, do you live as if everything in this world is momentary and God’s promises are everlasting?

If your joy, fulfillment, or comfort is found in your youth… what about when you get old? If it comes from your wealth… what happens when you become poor or too sick to enjoy it? What if your happiness comes from popular? When you friends move on will you  turn to the Lord? Have you turned to Him throughout your life for happiness?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, NOTHING lasts forever, except everything that I do and say, Jesus reminds us. May this reality be reflected this day in everything we do and say.

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Come love the Lord and His forgiveness

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. – Matthew 6:12 (NKJV)

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he responded with what is commonly known as the “Lord’s prayer.” Embedded in the language of the prayer is this specific request for forgiveness.

It's pretty clear from the words of the prayer that our Lord meant for us to pray after this manner daily because it includes a request for this day’s daily bread. It is therefore equally plain that Jesus is instructing us to confess our sins daily and ask for God’s forgiveness.

Too often we allow a long time, and many unconfessed sins, to amass before we go to the Lord in prayer. As a result, we begin to feel estranged from God; our guilty conscience then makes it even more difficult to go to him in prayer at all. Thus becomes a vicious cycle. The pile of sins becomes too tall and large to climb and thus we don't. More sins, bigger pile.

It is best to keep “short accounts” with God, going to him regularly with our sin debt and allowing him to wipe it clean. We then delight to go to him for a regular time of confession, communion, and refreshing.

Notice, also, how this daily forgiveness is tied purposefully and inseparably to our own forgiveness of others. Jesus, in effect, creates this prayer in such a way that we must either forgive others completely and daily, or we are cursing ourselves each time we pray!

“Forgive us as we forgive others,” Jesus tells us to pray. Imagine if you have a hard time forgiving someone who has "wronged" you. Now imgaine if THAT person had an even tougher time forgiving you. And so on and so on. The world would be a pretty miserable place to live with everyone wandering around dragging a cart full of sins and unforgivness in their hearts. Have you taken your sin (debt) to God in prayer today? Have you forgiven others as you yourself hope to be forgiven? Why should ANYONE forgive you if you aren't willing to forgive others?

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)

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A warm welcome

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" – Luke 15:17

My brothers & sisters in Christ, the story of the Prodigal Son is one of the more popular parables and describes us all, as children of God.

So often we are all unfaithful children of our benevolent God. We all have squandered the abundant
inheritance he so graciously has given to us. And we all —at one time or another— have known what it is to finally “come to ourselves”.

Sin is insanity. It is an unreasoning, illogical, self-destructive way of life. It ignores the plain hand of our heavenly Father and follows after the hallucination of worldly pleasures and fulfillment. But we do it anyways. We curse another drive who has cut us off. We envy our neighbor's new promotion at work. We desire a colleague or friend. Then we sin some more to try and obtain those self-destructing goals.

But when we finally come to ourselves, when we see the light, (often times it takes a smack to the back of the head so-to-speak), we realize that starving out in the pigpen is not what our Father planned for us. We are the God’s children! No one in his house is hungry or wanting, and yet here we are in the mud pit of sin because we walked away from the house of our Father. When we finally come to our senses, we finally come back to him. We take the long walk back home to His loving heart. We give up the miserable quest for self-gratification and begin to seek the abundant life that is found in God alone. We come back humbled by his ever-lasting love and forgiveness.

Have you come to yourself yet? Have you turned your feet back to the Father? If so, know that there is always a warm welcome for those who come to God by his Son Jesus Christ.

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When Times Are Tough

When Times Are Tough

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you. Isaiah 43:2 (NKJV)

I pray brothers and sisters that your life is going just as the Lord has planned AND that you are free of any trials or perils. But perhaps you are experiencing the drowning, crushing, burning power of a trial right now. Perhaps you are just overcoming one or for whatever circumstances you know of one coming. If so, then you need to know, first of all, that this is part of life.

I recently was told a story about a young girl whose mother had just passed. It was unexpected, unplanned, and devastating to say the least. Where was the hope for this little girl? Where was God for her? What great sin had she committed to be punished by God like this? She had not!

No matter who you are, or where you come from, or what decisions you make in life, you will face illness and pain and loss. No human lives forever and no one is perfect. Sickness and mistakes are part of the human experience. Embedded in the promise of this text is the reality of suffering: when you pass through the waters, when you walk through the fire. God’s children are not exempted from tragedy.

This is not bleak, this is God's plan for us. But there is hope friends. When you do face life’s difficulties, here is the promise for every child of God: He will be with you, the trials will not overcome you, and you will not be harmed.

For this reason, you need not fear no matter what obstacle or heartache you may be facing. “Fear not,” God says, “for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name, you are mine” (43:1). He knows exactly what is going with your situation and has already dedicated himself to YOUR salvation; you belong to his heaert, and therefore will not let anything or anyone harm you.

If you have given yourself to Christ then you have been redeemed by God and he will not let anything happen to you that is not for your good (Romans 8:28). No difficulty will drown you, no trial will overwhelm you, no sorrow will destroy you. It is THIS knowledge that we take into our darkest times.

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Helping others through the darkness

SERVING OTHERS
And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were sad. Genesis 40:6 (NKJV)

Let's think about this: how unlikely was it that Joseph would notice the sadness of his cellmates? He had plenty of problems himself, without taking on any more. His brothers had sold him into slavery and then his boss had fired and imprisoned him on false charges. Yet, Joseph noticed and cared about others.

Brothers and sisters, there is hope and the quickest way out of a dark pit of discouragement is to think of and serve others. The surest way to deepen your dark times is to draw into, and think more about, yourself. Joseph is perhaps the best example in the Old Testament of a selfless, servant-spirited saint and it is no coincidence that, in every situation in which he found himself, he continually rose above his trial and glorified God.

The old saying of walking a mile in someone eles's shoes most certainly applies. How often on social media do we see a heartwarming video of someone overcoming a deficit or tribulation? People post or comment on how "lucky" they are to not be in the same situation. So let us be thankful for what we have including our dark and difficult times. The Lord is teaching us something even though we might not see it right away. Reach out a hand to your neighbor; help a stranger; forgive a debt or friend.

Are you going through difficult times? Have others wronged you? What has been your response? Do you think of others and how to help them, or only about yourself and your own problems? Look around you: there is a world of opportunities to help, and they are all open doors that lead out of your darkness. Helping others through the darkness will bring you to the light as the Lord intended.

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