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

Preaching Your Sermon

Everyone preaches. Yes, I know you may not stand behind a pulpit or stand up and declare the truths of the Bible but everyone preaches. You and I preach a sermon every time we are in traffic or when they get the order wrong at Wendy’s. We send a message of what we think of people and how deeply we hold our faith. Every smile, every tear, every affirmation tells of the life that we as believers possess. Our Lord said it this way, “14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” So, my dear friend, this next week I pray that you preach a really good message—the message of God’s love in Jesus for you and for those around you.

Walking in grace, Pastor George

Final Minutes of History

The motto of the boy scouts comes to mind when I look at the present circumstances in the middle east: "Be Prepared". I can't help but to see the proposed statehood of Palestine as a piece to the prophetic landscape setting for the end times. The conflict between Israel and Palestine is reaching a fevered pitch by the permanence of the proposal to the United Nations of an official "statehood" status of Israel's neighbor. What brings even more intensity to the situation is that Israel's neighbors (Syria, Jordan and Egypt) are increasingly unstable and seem ready to act on their threats towards Jerusalem. Of course, all of this conflict sets the stage for a prophetic peace treaty (Dan. 9:26-27) between Israel and her enemies by a man called "Antichrist" in Scripture. I believe, dear friends, that the time is drawing near (certainly nearer than when we first believed!) for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Whatever your eschatology, time is short. Now is the time to live for the Lord! Now is the time to declare His Gospel! Now is the time!

"Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." Revelation 22:7

Walking in grace, Pastor George

What did you say?

Let me share something that I’ve been mulling over for several years--even decades--Christianity is more than what you say. Over the years I’ve heard many a man, woman, boy and girl say to me “I’ve sinned.” Please don’t misunderstand me, these words are powerful and can be the beginning of a wonderful life with God. However, these words alone, outside of a transformed heart and true repentance, can actually demonstrate a hard-hearted rejection of the Gospel. Let me illustrate this for a moment: Pharaoh, King Saul, and Judas Iscariot have all professed “I have sinned” (Exodus 9:27, 1 Sam. 15:24, Matt.27:4). The issue with all three of these men is that they wanted to escape the consequences of their sin instead of seeking God’s forgiveness and responding in true repentance. To say it another way, if all you have to your Christianity is what you say then it is empty and useless. The apostle Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” This is the principle that we see in the lives of David, Job, and story of the prodigal son. They were people who readily admitted that “I have sinned” but then surrendered to the power of God in repentance.

We have a saying where I grew up that says “Words are cheap”. Well dear friend, let me ask you honestly, how expensive is your Christianity? If all you have is words, I’m afraid that your faith is very cheap indeed. Today I pray that you make your profession your practice--matching what you say and believe to what you live.

Walking in grace, Pastor George