Pastor Rick’s Corner

 Norman Vincent Peale tells about two men who were standing on Fifth Avenue at 57th Street in New York City during the Christmas rush, waiting for a red light.

One of them was irritated by the traffic.  “This town is totally disorganized,” he growled.  “Look at this traffic!  It’s terrible!  Something ought to be done about it.”

The other man was more philosophical.  Thoughtfully he countered, “You know, it’s astounding, the romance of it.  There was a baby born of peasant parents in a little out-of-the-way place halfway around the world from here.  The parents had no money or social standing, yet two thousand years later that little baby creates a traffic jam on Fifth Avenue, one of the most sophisticated streets in the world.  This irritates you.  Instead it should fascinate you.”

“If our greatest need was for information,
God would have sent an educator.”
“If our greatest need was for technology,
God would have sent a scientist.”
“If our greatest need was for pleasure,
God would have sent an entertainer.”
“If our greatest need was for money
God would have sent an economist.”
BUT SINCE OUR GREATEST NEED IS FOR FORGIVENESS, GOD SENT A SAVIOR.

Christmas can be a hectic time with so much do. There is the last minute shopping, Christmas parties, and all the family functions to attend.
The Malls & stores are crowded and everyone is wearing out.

But, did you ever stop to think about what a sad world it would be  if there was NO Christmas!

The secular world today is trying their best to take Christ out of Christmas. Major retailers will not allow their employees to wish their customers a “Merry Christmas.”  They have repalced that greeting with “Happy Holidays”. The truth is if Christ is not in your Holiday it won’t be Happy”

Imagine if there were no Christmas, if Christ had not come:

• Be would be no New Testement, no verse that said, “Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise”

• No story of the Angel’s announcing the birth of the Savior.
• No account of the Shepherds visit, or the wise mens gifts.
• No “Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.
• No Sermon on the Mount.
• No story of Jesus walking on water or healing sick and raising the dead, no record of Him feed 5000 with five loaves and two fish.

• When the icy hand of death takes a loved one from our family there would be no John 14 that says, “Let not heart be troubled… in my Fathers house are many mansions” to comfort our heart.
• Instead of 66 books in Bible there would be only 39.
• Taking the New Testement from the Bible would be like taking the  sparkle from a diamond, the fragrance from a rose, or taking  numbers from mathematics.

If There was NO Christmas, the Heavenly Father would be Unknowable; The Gospel would be Unpreachable; Prayer would be Unprofitable and Heaven would be Unattainable!

Yes, it would be a sad world if there had been no Christmas! But thank God There Is Christmas! Thank God for the words of the Angel that annoucned the Birth of Jesus in  Luke 2:10-11

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

From all of us at Abundant Life Family Church

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

See you in Church Sunday

Pastor Rick
   

It seems that all the store’s are having what they call “Door Buster Sales” here during the Christmas season. I guess this is where large numbers of people bust through the doors of these merchants, and fight their way through the crowds to get the best sale prices in town. Some people live for that, however it doesn’t sound like much fun to me.

I believe that one of the greatest problems that we face today is the problem of STRESS. We seem to hear it all the time. People are always “stressed out”. Even in this season of good will & cheer many of God’s people find themselves either burned out or stressed out.

A holiday stress survey by NBC/Prevention magazine  revealed that:
• 57% felt that they couldn’t cope with all the things to do during the holidays.
• 30% felt that Christmas was the most stressful time of the year.
• 28% were stressed out over money issues during the holidays.
• 23% were so stressed that they couldn’t even enjoy the holidays.

For the Christian this should not be the case! We are “Too Blessed To Be Stressed!”

Jesus gave us some “Spiritual Stress Busters” in Matthew 6:25-34.

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? [26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? [27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: [29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? [31] Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? [32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. [33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. [34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

There are three “Spiritual Stress Buster” given by the Lord that tell us how we can live a life that is stress free!

1. Trust the Father’s Care. “Take no thought…”

This means not to get worried or worked up about what is going on in life.  Jesus said the Heavenly Father takes care of the birds of the air. He feeds them every day and they live worry free & stress free. If He takes care of them He will also take care of you. Jesus said that you are of more value that a sparrow. Learn to Trust the Fathers Care!

2. Obey The Father’s Command. ”Seek ye first the Kingdom of God…”

Jesus is saying to make God and the things of God the absolute priority in your life. Put Him first in all you do. The order of priority must be: God/church; Family; Job; Money; Social Events. If this gets out of order you will probabally get stressed very quickly. When God is first everything else falls in place.

When God is our priority, then He promises Abundant Provision. Jesus said, “All these things will be added to you.”  Jesus is saying if we make the main thing the main thing, live for God & put Him first, everything else will be taken care of. God Will Provide!

Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China said, “God’s work; done God’s way; will never lack God’s Supplies.”

3. Accept the Father’s Control.  “… The morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Jesus is saying that today and tomorrow are in the Fathers control. I don’t have to be stressed and worked up about tomorrow… GOD IS ALREADY THERE. He will provide me with the Grace, wisdom, direction and power of the Holy Spirit to handle anything tomorrow throws at me! Praise God! That is Good News!

I love the words of the old hymn that says;

“Many things about tomorrow,
I don’t seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.”

Enjoy the Christmas Season and don’t forget: “YOU ARE TO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED.”

See You in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

Good Morning!

It is good to be a Child of God and to be enjoying the Blessings of The Lord. We all know the importance of living by faith. I received something that I think will be a blessing to you.

LIVING BY FAITH EVERYDAY
 
     How often do we find ourselves in this particular pattern: one day living by faith and the next day having difficultly believing God. I wonder why this happens. Perhaps because we live by our feelings, the circumstances of the day, discouraging words spoken to us, or maybe we are simply having a “blue Monday.”
    

By faith in God, Abraham left his native land and journeyed to a new land he believed God would show him. Then, when he arrived in that land, and God said, “this is it”, the first thing he had to face was a famine. Believing his life and the lives of all with him were in peril. Abraham abandoned “the promise land” and fled to Egypt. For a time, it seems, he forgot the promises of God.
    

Here is the key to living by faith every day, regardless of what the day brings: we must remember, believe and depend upon the promises of God. However, that is easier said than done. We may find ourselves in difficult days when we wonder why we ever thought we could, in fact, follow Jesus.
    

A common question is, “Who said life would be easy?” We could add, instead of easy, who said life would be fair, simple, rewarding, or kind? Do we expect life to be easy, fair, simple, rewarding, or kind because we are Christians? There are times when it may be none of these. Nevertheless, we are to live by faith in God.
    

 When we are well, our family is following the Lord, our work is prospering, and life is pleasant, it is not hard to have faith in God. But when our circumstances change and life becomes difficult, our faith in God is challenged. Still, we can go on believing.
    

Life goes on, whether good or bad, and God remains faithful to us. Trusting Him still, doubt gives way to belief, and faith causes us to triumph over the difficulties of life. It is wonderful to know by experience that God’s grace through Christ is sufficient for all who believe Him and live by faith.
                                                  
                 Robert J. Reesor

Have A Blessed Week! See You in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

It was June 18, 1815, the Battle of Waterloo. The French under the command of Napoleon were fighting the Allies (British, Dutch,
and Germans) under the command of Wellington. The people of England depended on a system of semaphore signals to find out how the battle was going. One of these signal stations was on the tower of Winchester Cathedral.

Late in the day it flashed the signal:

“W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N—D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D- -.”

Just at that moment one of those sudden English fog clouds made it impossible to read the message. The news of defeat quickly spread throughout the city.

The whole countryside was sad and gloomy when they heard the news that their country had lost the war. Suddenly the fog lifted, and the remainder of the message could be read. The message had four words, not two. The complete message was:
“W-E-L-L-I-N-G-T-O-N- - -DE-F-E-A- T-E-D- - -               T-H-E- - -E-N- E-M-Y!”
It took only a few minutes for the good news to spread. Sorrow was turned into joy, defeat was turned into victory!

So it was when Jesus was laid in the tomb on the first Good Friday afternoon. Hope had died even in the hearts of Jesus’ most loyal friends. After the frightful crucifixion, the fog of
disappointment and misunderstanding had crept in on the friends of Jesus. They had “read” only part of the divine message. “Christ defeated” was all that they knew. But then on the third day the fog of disappointment and misunderstanding lifted, and the world received the complete message: “Christ defeated death!” Defeat was turned into victory; death was turned to life!

–James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited
How many times have you faced what seemed to be certain defeat? The Fog of gloom & doubt had settled in & it appeared that victory would not come.

Then that fog of despair lifted & the victory came through.

Don’t ever give up, because the fog will lift, and you will experience a turn around in you situation. 

The Psalmist said, “Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes in the morning.”  (Psalm30:6)

God knows how to turn your darkest hour into a time of rejoicing & praise if you will only keep your faith & trust in Jesus Christ & His finished work at Calvary!

The enemy is defeated! Jesus is Lord! Don’t ever let the enemy forget that fact.

1 John 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

Have a great week! See you in church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

Good Morning!

God is Good! All the Time!

This past Sunday was Father’s Day and I hope that all of the Fathers enjoyed their special day with their family.

We had a great Fathers Day service on Sunday morning. We gave away some awesome prizes to several of our Dad’s. I preached a message from Genesis chapter 5 about Enoch, entitled “The Father that Walks With God”. When a Father walks with God, he will be On the Right Path; Walking at the Right Pace, and Going to the Right Place.

Of all the great things that can be said about us as fathers and men, the greatest thing is that we walk with God! That alone will count!

Gospel musician Hilding Halverson told of overhearing a conversation between his son and two other little boys. The youngsters were bragging about their dads. One boy said proudly, “My dad knows the mayor of our town!” Another said, “So, my dad knows the governor of our state!” Halverson’s son then came up with this touching comment, “That’s nothing — my dad knows God!”

Upon hearing this, Halverson quickly slipped away to his room and with tears in his eyes said, “O God, I pray that my boy will always be able to say, ’My dad knows God.’” He knew he had been paid the supreme tribute.

Let us all be sure of that one thing, that we know God & that we are Walking with God!

See you in church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

Good Morning!

“Great is the LORD and Greatly to be Praised.”

That is how I feel today after the Great service the Lord gave us yesterday.

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday and the emphasis was on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit began moving in the Sunday School class with the lesson being on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The flowing of the Spirit of God continued through the main service. The Presence of God was so real & special.

I preached a message on “The Sound of Pentecost” from Acts 2:2 & Joel chapter two. I believe that this is what the present day Pentecostal church needs more than anything, A fresh revival of Pentecost! We must hear the sound of Pentecost in our church’s again!

The sound of Pentecost is:

1. A Sound of Fasting & Prayer. (Joel 2:15)

2. A Sound of Joy & Gladness. (Joel 2:21)

3. A Sound of The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. (Joel 2:28-29)

4. A Sound of the Second Coming of the Lord. (Joel 2:1, 31)

God crowned the service with two people receiving Jesus as their savior, two rededicating their lives to the Lord, and one receiving the Baptism in the Holy Ghost!

So I say again, “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!”

See you Sunday!

Pastor Rick

Good Morning!

It is great to be a child of God!

The Christian life is likened to a race in the Bible.

The Apostle Paul said in Hebrews 12:1-2 ”Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Christian race is not a 100 yard dash, but it is a marathon. It is a race of endurance. The only way to be a winner in this race is not to drop out. Don’t quit! Stay in there! You may get tired, you may encounter hinderances, you may become discouraged, BUT DON’T QUIT! STAY IN THE RACE! KEEP GOING!

The following story illustrates this principle.

By 7 p.m. on October 20, 1968, at the Mexico City Olympics
Stadium, it was beginning to darken. It had cooled down as well.

The last of the Olympic marathon runners were being assisted away to first-aid stations. Over an hour earlier, Mamo Waldi of Ethiopia had charged across the finish line, winning the 26-mile, 385-yard race looking as strong and as vigorous as when he’d started.

As the last few thousand spectators began preparing to leave,
they heard police sirens and whistles through the gate entering the stadium.

The attention turned to that gate. A sole figure, wearing the
colors of Tanzania, came limping into the stadium. His name was John Steven Aquari. He was the last man to finish the marathon in 1968.
His leg was bandaged, bloody. He had taken a bad fall early in the race. Now, it was all he could do to limp his way around the track.
The crowd stood and applauded as he completed that last lap.

When he finally crossed the finish line, one man dared ask the question all were wondering. “You are badly injured. Why didn’t you quit? Why didn’t you give up?”

Aquari, with quiet dignity said, “My country did not send me
seven thousand miles to start this race. My country sent me to finish.”

So it is with God. God didn’t just send you to start this race.
He didn’t just send you to begin a noble task or a noble relationship. God sent you both to start and to finish.

See you in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

Good Morning! God is Good!

We are in revival at Abundant Life Church!

We expericenced a great move of God in our services yesterday. The presence of the Lord was awesome! I believe the hearts of the people are hungry for revival. We are thirsty for a move of God in these last days.

We have a lot of folk today that would like to have us think the days of revival are over, that God is not moving today as He did in the past, but these are the very days that God is ready to pour out of His Spirit on all flesh.

In Isaiah 44:3 God gives us a great revival promise.

“For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:”

You can look around today at the church and see a lot of “dry ground”. And I speak of church’s where there is no manifestation of the Spirit of God. So many church’s just are just going through the motions service after service, following their own programs and agenda’s, while the Holy Spirit is left out completely.

There is hope for that dry ground experience! The Lord said that He would send a FLOOD of His Spirit upon those who are thirsty! I have said this before, and I believe it is true, there is much dry ground, but not many thirsty souls! And if we are to experiece a real revival & outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we must get thiristy for the things of God, and for an outpouring of His Spirit.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but as far as this preacher, I am thirsty! I am ready for the “Times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19)

Pray for Revival! God is ready to give it! He gave us this promise, “If my people, which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14)

Have a great week! See you in church Sunday!

Pastor Rick.

Good Morning!

I received something the other day by e-mail that I would like to share with you.

Sometime we need to do a personal inventory of our lives. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to examine ourselves and to prove ourselves. I believe there are times when we as Christians must evaluate our lives. Are we growing spiritually? Are we the kind of Christian that the Lord wants us to be?

Ponder these thoughts as you read them.

Norman Lawrence writes…

In thinking about Ministry, and the importance of every person being involved in serving I asked myself this question:
“What If Everyone In The Church Were Like Me?”

(To be read slowly and thoughtfully…)

What would happen to the church if everyone were like me?

What would happen if everyone had the same desire to serve as me?

What would happen if everyone had the same attitude as me?

What would the church be like if everyone were as friendly as me?

What would happen if everyone gave the same percentage of their income as me?

What would happen if everyone spoke about the leadership like I do?

What would happen if everyone had the same concern for souls as me?

What would happen if everyone attended church with the same frequency as me?

What would happen if everyone had the same burden for World Missions as me?

What would happen if everyone had the same devotional life as me?

ELEVENTH QUESTION:
Would the Church have Revival, or be struggling for Survival?

See you in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

Good Morning!

It is great to be a child of God! Living for God is the greatest life one can live!

However, just because we are saved doesn’t mean that we never have a problem, or that we will float through life on “flowery beds of ease”. I think some people get that idea.

When problems come in the believers life, many times the first thing that comes to mind is, “What is wrong? Why is this happening?”

In the Bible, Job faced the same situation. He experienced some of the most difficult trials that anyone has ever faced. He had lost everything he had. All his possessions, his family, and his health were gone.

He didn’t understand what was happening to him. He tried to find God, but it seemed that God had forsaken him. In Job 23:8-9 Job tells of his dilemma, “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:”

It seemed to Job that in his time of trial, when he needed God the most, that He wasn’t there.

But in verse 10 Job makes a statement of faith and he says, even though I can’t seem to find God in this time of trouble in my life, ”He knows the way that I take: when he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

Peter said in 1 Peter 1:7, “ That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

Job knew that even though he didn’t understand everything that was happening to him at the moment, God was still there and He would bring him through this trial in his life, and he would come forth as gold!  He knew that somehow it would be better in the end.

And better it was! God healed Job’s body, turned his captivity, and restored to him everything he had lost! And not only did God restore what he lost, but He gave him twice as much as he had before!  (Job 42:10-17)

His latter end was better than at the first! (Job 42:12)

He came through the fiery trial as gold!

You may be experiencing something in your life that you don’t understand, but don’t lose heart, don’t cast away your confidence. God has not left you! He is there to bring you through the trial, and you will be as gold, better than before! The blessing of God is on the way, don’t give up hope!

See you in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick