Don't Stonewall

Week of May 17, 2024

“Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men.” Matthew 12:31, (NKJV)

I've been asked many times is there a sin which cannot be forgiven? There is the sin against the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God working in our minds and hearts. He creates a sense of need and convinces us of the gospel. He gives us the gift of faith to accept forgiveness and new life.

The sin against the Holy Spirit is to say “No!” to his conviction. That sin is unforgivable. You have a free will and you can choose God to be part of your life or you can deny Him. The sad thing about human nature is that God is ready to forgive people of their sin but we may choose to say no.

To resist the ministry of the Holy Spirit and say no to the Holy Spirit is the unforgivable sin. The Pharisees and scribes refused to accept Christ as the Messiah. To do so would have meant listening to what He said and responding to His diagnosis of their sin and need for forgiveness. It can happen still today in those who stonewall against the working of God’s Spirit in their hearts. Say “Yes” to God today because there is the danger of saying “No” too often. 

God Bless, Pastor Rick

Week of May 10, 2024

“Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him” Genesis 12:7, (NKJV)

 God gave Abram an awesome promise that required a great deal of risk. The Lord astounded Abram with the promise that he would be the father of a great nation. All the families of the earth would be blessed through him. The cost of this would be high. He had to leave his home country along with all the familiar surroundings. Abram discovered that being obedient means risk.

The Lord is constantly calling us out. But think of how hard we work to eliminate the risks of life. We labor, save, and invest in ways with safety in mind. If we are not careful, we can settle into monotony.

As long as we are alive, there will be a next step in our adventure with the Lord. There should never be a time when what we have done can be our security. We are programmed to always be reaching for the next level. Is the element of risk a part of your life?

But never forget your risk is in accordance to where the Lord is leading. Or another way to put it is, you risk where He inspires us to do so. This involves a faith walk with our Lord.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

The Greatest Commandment

Week of May 3, 2024

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Mark 12:29-30, (NKJV)

How much does God want?  Our everything!  He doesn’t demand much, just that we put Him first 24/7.  He has every reason to expect this of us because He created us to be our best when we are fully devoted to him. 

We stress balance in most areas of life.  We need balance in our diets, exercise, sleep, spending, and in most other areas of our lives.  But in our relationship with God, complete devotion is the only acceptable response. Never lose sight that He rescued us from sin and death. He deserves our complete heart.

Someone asked Jesus on one occasion what is the greatest commandment.  There are hundreds of commands dealing with every aspect of our existence.  Without hesitation, Jesus said, “Love God with all your heart.”  When we do, our life comes into alignment in all other areas. This first commandment demands complete devotion.  Are our hearts completely devoted to God?  A.W. Tozer said, “The true follower of Christ will not ask if I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?’  Rather, he will say, ‘This is the truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may.”

God Bless, Pastor Rick