God has a name

God has a name and His name is Jesus Christ. God is His title. Jesus Christ is His person. John chapter one says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word WAS God. A couple of weeks ago we studied the statement by Peter in 2 Peter 1:1 which says, “…by the righteousness of our GOD and Savior Jesus Christ.”
That’s why it’s so important to teach and preach salvation by Jesus Christ alone. “There is no other name given among men whereby you must be saved.” Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by Me.”
Practically everyone, unless they are an idiot, believes in God or a god. But there is only one true God. That is why Paul when on Mars Hill debating the great Greek philosophers said, “ I see you are very religious in all respects, for as I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship I found an altar with this inscription, To an unknown God. The God who made the world doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands.”
What now? To simply believe in God isn’t enough. The devils also believe and tremble. We must believe in Jesus Christ and be born again as Jesus told Nicodemus. As Jesus was raised from the dead, so we too must be raised from being dead in our trespasses and sins into a new life through the Holy Spirit. Old things are passed away, and all things become new. If Jesus is the way and the truth, then we come to know Jesus by the truth. The Bible says that Your Word is truth.
Peter vouches that the Word is truth, because he and the Apostles were eyewitnesses to His glorification. “But”, says Peter, “false prophets arose among the people…. And because of them the truth will be maligned.” What he is saying is that sin never approaches us as sin, Satan never comes to us as Satan, sin always comes to us as pleasure and Satan always comes to us in the name of God. Error never comes to us as error, error always comes to us as truth...but it isn't.

Be Our Valentine

Did you know that Valentine's Day is actually a religious holiday? It is more correctly known as St. Valentine's Day, in commemoration of Valentine, who was martryed by Rome in 270 AD. It's interesting that love and persecution are combined in this holiday.
In our last Wednesday night study in 2 Peter, we learned that two of the seven qualities of a fruitful Christian are love: brotherly love (GR; phileo) and a Christlike love (agape) which is sacrificial. Jesus said that they will know that you are my disciples by your love for one another.
After being snowed out for the last couple of Sundays, we are going to be continuing this Sunday in our study of Matthew 10, when Jesus commissioned the 12 disciples to go preach the gospel of the Kingdom in the neighboring towns. In verse 17 He warns them that they will be persecuted because of Christ. Yet, their response is to be as harmless as doves. In fact, Jesus also had said that we are even to love our enemies.
This Sunday, we are going to be celebrating our love for one another with a little "love feast" of our own. Following the service, we will have a Valentine's Brunch, featuring waffles, strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate croissants and other items. We hope you will consider joining us as we fellowship together.

Sunday Service is cancelled for Feb. 7th.

God's workout plan

I don't know about you, but my New Year's resolution to get back in shape isn't going so well. With all the snow we've had and the crazy schedule I've had lately, it just seems that there isn't time to keep up with my program. Or at least that's my excuse. You know, God has a workout plan for us as well. His plan is designed to take us from the infancy of our new birth to spiritual maturity. As Philippians 2:12-13 says, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling."
God gives us a seven step workout plan in 2 Peter. Kind of like circuit training, and the order is very important. You start with new birth, ie, your faith, and then diligently add the following in order.
1. Virtue: this word in the Greek has the connotation of heroic deeds. Christ is the ultimate example God gave us for virtue, and his sacrifice for our redemption was the greatest act of kindness the world has ever seen.
2. Knowledge: We learn about God's standard of holiness and righteousness and virtue through the study of God's Word. There is no reliable substitute.
3.Self control: Paul said he buffeted his body and made it his slave. Growth requires discipline to forsake the things of the world that hinder us in our spirtual walk.
4. Endurance: No pain, no gain. The trials of life are used by God to perfect us and strengthen our faith.
5. Godliness: this word means the opposite of idolatry. Getting rid of the idols in our life is true worship.
6. Brotherly kindness: If you love God you will love your neighbor, but if you don't love your neighbor then you really don't love God.
7. Love: an act of the will, not of emotion. Sacrificial love that puts others first as Christ loved the church.
Peter then says that if these qualities are yours and increasing then they will render you neither useless nor unfruitful.