Join in the Joyous Song

“It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth, to touch their harps of gold:
‘Peace on the earth, good will to men,’ from heaven’s all gracious King.
The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.”

In this Christmas hymn and so many others we have the picture portrayed of the angelic choir singing and giving glory to God at the birth of Jesus Christ. You see, the birth of Christ was a joyous event. It was something that stirred the shepherd’s awake with the glory of God. It was an event that caused joy to overflow and the stars above to shine in a special display to show the wise men the location of He who is born “King of the Jews.” The incarnation of God in Christ was a special and powerful occasion that called for the most joyous response. Dear friend, I pray that the old songs of Christmas would find an echo with us in modern times. The first Christmas at the birth of Christ was indeed a awe inspiring moment but looking back on what God did in taking human flesh can still cause wonder to come from our hearts today. Don’t let this Christmas go by without setting aside some time to sing a song of praise for the awesome thing the Lord has done for you and me.

In Christ, Pastor George

christian cross talk

Hello fellow friends from all around the world, welcome.

Books, Books, Books

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:30-31

One of a pastor’s greatest joys is in his books. I suppose it’s the quality and quantity of information about the Lord that excites a minister to keep collecting and gathering books. With that in mind, I’ve always had a curious note about a couple of verses in John 20:30-31 about the books that Jesus could have filled with all of the miracles and wonders He did in the presence of His disciples. I think about all that information that the church could have had about the incredible grace and power of Jesus Christ. However, when I find myself leaning toward the side of desiring more than what God has provided I read these words from the Apostle John, “…but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” You see, the Bible is just not about communicating information ABOUT God. The point of the Bible is to help us encounter God in a personal way through faith in Jesus Christ. Of course, the goal is that we would “have life in His name”, that is, each person who comes to the Bible in faith would experience the fullness of life that God gives to those who love Him. Dear friend, I pray that as you crack open your Bible today that you will meet the God of the universe and experience His joy deep within your heart.

Walking in grace, Pastor George

Taking the Exam

While I was in school the thing I feared the most was an exam. It was not only a show of your knowledge but it was the opportunity for much pain and heartache when I showed my parents the grade. Test time always brings a sense of anxiety because it is a place where we pass or fail. The Apostle Paul called the Corinthians to give a self-examination of faith to their own hearts. Inspired by the Holy Spirit the Apostle remarks, “5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” In essence Paul was saying “Look inside your hearts and lives to see if you really have a genuine faith in Jesus Christ.” You see, friend, sometimes life gets off track and we get caught-up in sin and a healthy self-examination is needed in order to deal with the blackness of our own heart. This type of exam is not something to be feared but this type of “soul-searching” will lead to a repentance of sin and an assurance of faith—if you pass. What is a passing grade? A passing grade is a heart of trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. It means looking at your life and coming to the conclusion that Jesus Christ lives inside you. Take time this week to examine your own heart and soul to answer the greatest question in the universe—am I a Christian?

Walking in grace, Pastor George

Mirror on the Wall

“Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”—The wicked Queen in the movie Snow White

We all look into mirrors. Some spend more time in front of them than others but we all spend some time looking at ourselves in a mirror. It reflects back to us who we are and what we look like. Well, my dear friend, if we gaze into the Scriptures we discover a much better gauge of who we are and what we look like to God. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 the Apostle Paul says that “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” The newness that we have in Christ is something special and unique. Think of it, a new name as a child of God, a new status as a friend of God, a new spirit that has been washed and redeemed, and a new community called the church. This is not to speak of a new mind and heart or the blessings that the Lord showers down upon us as believers. Mirrors can only reflect what is happening to you on the outside—but as a Christian the Bible declares who you are and what you look like through God’s very eyes. After all, He has your name inscribed on the palm of His hand! Beloved, I encourage you to take some time this week and look into the holy Word of God and see how much the Lord loves you. What an awesome God we serve!

Walking in grace, Pastor George

The greatest name (Names of God)

Hi guys, I would like to share a poem with you about some names of God found in the bible. 

his is just to show you how amazing God is and the fact that He truly is our everything. 

No matter what We might be facing, let's remember who He says He is in his word and grab a hold of it to speak into our situations. Breathe.....Read......and Be blessed

I pray that anyone who is reading this be abundantly blessed

written by Malene Fumany, a member of christian chickz

Listen guys, I'm gonna take you into an amazing journey

Our adventure into the names of God begins here...

El or if you prefer the english way "God".

You are one and yet three, Elohim.

You appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as The God Almighty or should I say El-Shaddai. You are all sufficient.

Now, getting a little bit personal. Let me introduce you to Him as 

El-Emet, the God of truth, who can be completely trusted with every aspect of your life and he will never fail you .

And Without getting too emotional...

from superman to batman, not to mention the fantastic four 

These are the characters we all wish we could portray in real life. But as powerful as they are, they're nothing compared to our heroic God, 

El-Gibbor, the mighty God

He rises up and dramatically defeats the bad guys. 

He rises up at the right time and does the right thing.

David described you as El-Yeshuati, the God of my salvation

To me,

El-Sela: you are my rock.

Most important, you have not looked at my sins but you forgave them;

You showed me that you are:

El-Nasa, the God who forgives,

Christ died upon the cross for my sin and shame, he paid the ultimate price.

You saw my heartache, my affliction and listened to my cry

For me you became, El-Roi: the God who sees me

I choose to worship you alone and no other gods,

For You are El-kanno, a jealous God, and a consuming fire.

As a matter of fact, no other god compares to you,

You are high and above all things.

From El-elyon, the most high God, to Jehovah, the self-existing God

The bible is full of names to describe your unique nature.

Creator of all things, you revealed yourself to Moses as YHWH, Yahweh

You are the great I AM...and I stand in awe of who you are.

Dad and The Silver and Black

I know it's hard to believe but I'm an Oakland Raider fan. Believe me, I've taken lots of ribbing over the years from the image of team to the losing ways on the field. However, it was the passing of Al Davis this weekend that made me look back over all those years--especially how it all started. You see, I cheer for the Silver and Black because my Dad and I would read through the paper every Saturday as we were working at the gas station and talk about how the "Snake" (Ken Stabler) would beat the Broncos or Chargers on Sunday. As I look back over those times, it's not so much the Raiders I remember (although I think I remember the '76 roster by memory) but the time we spent together talking and working side by side. My Dad showed me how to fill up the gas tank, check the oil and wash the windshield--all in under a 3 minutes!

As a husband and a father I search for opportunities--excuses--like the Raiders, to get next to my kids just like my Dad did. He showed me so much about life and how to act like a man no matter what comes along. I KNOW what you see when you see the Raiders--a crazy owner, a bad football team, or fans that are just plain sick. But when I look at the Raiders I see the tool that my Dad used to get next to me and spend time with me to build me into the man that I am today.

Don't blame me because I'm an Oakland Raiders fan--it's my Dad's fault--and I'm so glad for it!

Walking in grace, George