Are You A Spiritual Leper?

Are You A Spiritual Leper?

Matthew 8:2&3 NIV

2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean."

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.

   I always thought lepers lost their fingers and other body parts because the parts rotted off.  Not entirely correct.  The parts are lost because the person has a nerve disease that prevents them from feeling pain.  Not being able to feel pain lets them injure themselves over and over until a body part catches gangrene or is damaged beyond the ability to heal and is lost.

   I have known many Christians who have a type of leprosy:  spiritual leprosy.  They followed their own desires and sinned and then ignored God when He tried to call them back to Him.  They kept ignoring the feelings of remorse their conscience gave them until their hearts were so damaged that they are beyond the ability to feel anymore.  Some have even kept damaging their heart until parts of it die and they lose the ability to heal. 

   Leprosy diagnosed in its early stages is easy to treat and control.  Once one of the most feared diseases known to mankind, now it is a rare disease requiring lifetime treatment, just like cancer patients, heart patients, diabetes patients and others who require a lifetime of treatment to keep well. 

   Spiritual leprosy is a dangerous condition found in some Christians.  First there is numbness in the heart and you fail to respond to God’s movements in your life.  Then the ears get deaf and you no longer hear His call to you to come back to Him.  You begin to lose other spiritual aspects of your life and eventually your spirit dies and you become hollow inside, and you no longer are capable of receiving anything from God. 

   There is good news, though!  There is hope for you if the spiritual leprosy is diagnosed early and you seek treatment.  In its early stages it requires a simple dose of prayer and seeking God and then requires a lifetime of treatment.  So simple.  A prayer and a little remorse for having sinned against God and you’re in remission and recovery.    

   I, like every other Christian I have spoken to, have points of weakness in my life.  There are sins I never commit because I am not tempted by them.  There are sins I do commit because I have a weakness towards those areas.  And our Adversary knows where to attack us, and probes these spiritual weaknesses.  So we need to take our medicine regularly as a preventative measure.  Read the Bible daily and pray often.  Reading the Bible feeds your spirit and makes you stronger and better able to resist attacks.  Praying connects you to God and when you are close to God you will be less likely to want to sin. 

   And never forget the He is willing that you get well.  You just have to ask!  If you suspect you have numbness around your heart or your ears don’t hear God clearly anymore, seek treatment immediately.  If your eyes wander and are hard to focus on the words in your Bible, seek treatment.  There is no danger in taking treatment even if you don’t have spiritual leprosy.  Treatment is not harmful to a healthy spirit and will actually help you grow. 

Stephen Cram                                   October 26, 2014                                

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Join Pastor Jon Tuesday nights at 6:30 for Praise Chapel TV at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/praise-chapel-tv .

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Hindering the Work of the Lord

Hindering the Work of the Lord

   My first visit to a church was when I was 9 days old.  I’ve been going to church pretty much ever since.  I can count the Sundays I’ve missed in the last ten years on my fingers and toes.  In the time I’ve been going to church, I’ve heard many sermons, and seen churches going through prosperous, blessed times and times when they have come under attack.  And I’ve noticed that often, these bad times follow one of three basic patterns.  The Spirit has recorded an example of the first two in Acts chapter six and of the third in Acts chapter eight.

Acts 6:1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.  
   The enemy will create dissension within the church.  When you hear constant bickering and complaining, beware!  A church known for it’s bickering and complaining won’t be able to effectively witness to its community.  Who would want to go to a church like that?
   More importantly, don’t join in the bickering and complaining.  You cannot pray effectively about a problem if you’re involved in the problem.

Acts 6:2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
   The enemy will try to keep pastors and teachers from concentrating on their duties by distracting them to doing other work.  There wasn’t anything wrong with wanting to feed widows and orphans.  The problem was that the Apostles needed to be in prayer and studying to minister to the spiritual needs of the church.  They were distracted by the need to feed the hungry – work that could be done by others.  Church leaders will always feel pressure to do too much.  I have seen pastors vacuuming floors and cleaning toilets because no one else would volunteer.
   And beware when you begin to think you are too valuable and need to do everything yourself.  A good leader has to learn what the job he has to do personally is and what he has to delegate.  Then he has to find good people to put in those positions and trust them to get the work done.  Leaders so involved in church programs that they have little time for prayer and the study of the Word are failing in their ministry.

Acts 8:3a As for Saul, he made havoc of the church,
   The primary work of the enemy is to destroy God’s people.  Jesus told us the Thief comes not but to steal, to kill, and to destroy.  We need to be aware that we will come under attack; either personally or as part of a church.  At some time in your Christian life you will be the victim of gossip and lies, suffer illness and injuries, see others hurting and lonely, and suffer many other attacks.  You are not being singled out nor are you backslidden.  Attacks happen if you’re doing God’s work.  Try to be clear about this.  YOU WILL COME UNDER ATTACK IF YOU’RE DOING GOD’S WORK.  Sorry to shout there, but I really want you to get this.
   Christians in particular and churches in general must always be ready to counter attacks.  Be in prayer every day, whether or not you feel like it.  Pray for yourself, pray for your family, pray for your friends, and pray for the leaders of your church.  Whether you call them pastor, minister, bishop, father, or “hey you”, they need your prayers.  Whether you agree with them or are disagreeing with them, they need your prayers.    
   Don’t contribute to dissention and don’t backbite.  If you’re really that unhappy, go somewhere else and try to start over.  You are not responsible for how others react to an attack on your church, but you are responsible for how you react.  Your reaction should be to stop, drop to your knees and pray.

 Stephen Cram                                               October 12, 2014                  

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ.

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.
Join Pastor Jon Tuesday nights at 6:30 for Praise Chapel TV at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/praise-chapel-tv .

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Picking Through Fossils

Picking Through Fossils

Psalm 104:24 KJV

Lord, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

   The boy did not want to go on the science field trip.  Field trips were always boring.  Science field trips were the most boring.  Today’s trip was going to an archeological site to climb around on rocks and look for fossils of animals dead a long time.  Big deal!  Nothing interested the boy less.

   Then, something surprising happened.  The boy was the first one in his group to find a real, genuine fossil.  He held the rock in his hands and traced the fragile trilobite fossil with his finger.  No one really knows how old this was, and there are no trilobites alive in the world today.  He was enthralled by the sight, and a new love was born in the boy’s heart.  He saw the earth as a treasure house of wonders too magnificent to understand.

   I remember sitting in church as a boy listening to preachers and teachers droning on about dead people and things that happened long ago and far away.  Big deal!  What did this have to do with me, anyway?  I saw the Bible as a dead, dusty book full of stories from, “long, long ago.” 

   My attention was elsewhere.  America was in a race to space with the Soviets and there were many other exciting things happening in the world around me.  Who cared what Moses said; I wanted to know what Kennedy said! 

   I felt studying the Bible was as exciting as picking through fossils.  Then something wonderful happened.  My teacher started to teach the Bible as a book of people, real people.  People like you and me who faced real life situations and had real life decisions to make.  And I made a connection.  I fingered the Bible I held in my hand and traced the life of Elijah, and then the life of Elisha.  They were the first two people to come alive before my eyes.  They went from fossils to people.  They went from dry and dusty names to vibrant characters. 

   Have you discovered the joy of reading the Bible?  Pick a story or a character and trace from the account from beginning to end.  If you think as I did that the Bible is a moldy oldie and not worth your time, then I beg you to try it just once.  If the life of Joseph or the story of Esther doesn’t excite you, you’re either dead or comatose.  Run your fingers over the texture of the stories and let these dead people speak to you.  Their lives were recorded to give you direction.  Learn from them.

Stephen Cram                                      October 5, 2014                                            

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Join Pastor Jon Tuesday nights at 6:30 for Praise Chapel TV at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/praise-chapel-tv .

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Napoleon and the Private

Napoleon and the Private

2 Corinthians 5:17 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

   There is an story about Napoleon, the legendary French leader, which may or may not be true.  But it’s a good story, so here it is.

   It’s true that Napoleon had a prize horse he valued above any other and he rode it everywhere.  I found different versions about his horse, but the horse’s name seems to have been Marengo.  The story goes that one day Marengo was spooked by something and bolted away from Napoleon.  An alert soldier, a private, was already mounted and he spurred his horse and gave chase.  He caught up to Marengo and grabbed the reigns and led the horse back to his general.  Napoleon took his horse’s reigns and said simply, “thank you, Captain.”  The private was surprised and thanked Napoleon and immediately went to his tent and gathered up his Private’s uniforms and went to the Quartermaster and turned them in and drew Captain’s uniforms.  He went back to his tent and packed his belongings and moved to the officer’s quarters.  He then went to his immediate superior and presented himself in his new rank and the superior put him in charge a unit of men.  He never once doubted or questioned his commander’s word.  If the commanding general said it, it was good enough for him.  He believed and acted on that word.

   As Christians, we are similar to the private.  We were of lowly status and really didn’t account for much in life.  But along comes The Commander of the Army of the Lord and by His death and resurrection we are offered a chance to join this army.  We ask forgiveness and suddenly we are accepted and promoted.  No longer are we condemned sinners, now we are soldiers in the Lord’s service.  All we need to do is claim our new rank and begin to function in it.  Christ says we are new creations and we need to grasp that and begin to act like Christians, not like “only sinners saved by grace.” 

   Have you claimed your new rank?  Have you obeyed His Words that tell you you are now promoted?  Move out of your sinful life and move into your new life.  Stop dressing in your sin and dress yourself in clean robes of righteousness. 

   

Stephen Cram                                                          September 21, 2014         

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Join Pastor Jon Tuesday nights at 6:30 for Praise Chapel TV at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/praise-chapel-tv .

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

A Whole Lot a Groaning Going On

A Whole Lot a Groaning Going On

ROMANS 8:20 – 23, 26 - 27

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 

21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;

27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

   First, the whole of creation groans and suffers pains of childbirth.  When Adam fell, sin entered the world.  Before the fall of Adam and Eve, the world was perfect – like a garden.  We can only imagine how nice it would be to live in a perfect world.  Imagine   perfect weather, perfect temperatures, no rain or snow, no earthquakes, no volcanoes, no tornadoes or hurricanes.  But after Adam and Eve’s sin things changed.  Sin grew and spread until the days of Noah.  God ended life on this world except for the eight people and the animals on the ark.  He did this by flooding the world which geological evidence shows damaged the earth grievously.  And it still suffers damage to this day.  We see storms, earthquakes and other natural disasters which cause wide-spread destruction.  So creation itself is waiting for redemption from the curse of sin and renewal when God will replace this damaged world with a new heaven and a new earth.  The world will be returned to its original, garden-like state.

   Next, we groan for a couple of reasons.  First, we live in a sinful world which causes us an inward pain in our souls.  Or, at least it should.  Christians should never be comfortable living with sin around them, but the reality of life is that we have to live with sin around us.  It permeates the world we live in and shows up in every part of society.  The sin we see around us should bother us enough and lead us to pray for our friends, neighbors, and family members who are unsaved.  We should never accept sin or rest until we spread the Gospel to anyone who will listen.

   Next, we groan because we know we ourselves are not yet fully grown into the Kingdom of God and that should also trouble our souls.  I know how imperfect I am before God and often find myself praying and suddenly sorrow floods my heart.  I cry out to God asking Him to forgive me my sins and help me grow more like Christ.  One thing that really troubles my heart, however, is how often I don’t feel that way.  It scares me that I can go days without asking forgiveness for my shortcomings before God.

      Lastly, the Holy Spirit groans for us. He intercedes for us here on earth in our times of trials and troubles.  There will come times in our lives when we won’t know how to pray for something.  This is where praying in the spirit comes to our aid.  The Holy Spirit will pray for us and help us in our prayers.  Just imagine!  We have the Holy Spirit, and remember He is a part of the Godhead and has a personality and is not an “it,” interceding for us to God the Father.  Also, we have Jesus, our Lord and Savior, as our Advocate with God the Father. With the Holy Spirit delivering the prayer request for us and Jesus advocating to God for us we have confidence that God will hear our prayer.

   Another reason the Holy Spirit groans for us is that He lives in us and experiences what we experience and feels the pain we feel.  He groans with us over the sin of the world and pain we see others suffer.  He knows how we feel and sympathizes with us, and if we will ask Him to, He will give us peace and calm our fears and heal our hurts. 

Stephen Cram                                                  September 14, 2014                 

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Keeping It Simple

Keeping It Simple

Mark 10:15

^“Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 

     Complexity!  Our lives are more complex than ever before and getting more complex all the time.  We’re up to our eyebrows in complexity. 

   Tried to buy cereal lately?  Wheat, corn, oats or rice.  You can get gluten-free or vitamin enhanced.  With fruit or without.  Or how about toilet paper?  Soft, extra soft, strong, quilted, fluffy, one ply or two ply.  You can make your choice from dozens of offerings.  If you really like choices, go to a coffee shop.  Used to be you had a choice of regular or decaf, sugar or unsweetened, cream or black.  Simple.  Now you can choose from literally scores of choices.  Last time I visited I looked over a menu board that had more choices than the New York stock exchange.  They even offered a choice of cream, half and half, whole milk, 2% milk, fat free milk, lactose free milk, soy milk or almond milk. 

   Even our church experience often is mired in complexity. We can choose from traditional service, more modern services, several types of music, pews or chairs, pastors in suits, pastors in robes, pastors in jeans and tee shirts.  Take your pick!  Want to be baptized?  You can be dunked or sprinkled.  Many churches don’t even preach salvation so you’re spared the embarrassed of repenting.  Got kids?  There are dozens of Children’s programs during the adult service so the kids can be entertained and the parents can relax.

   And then there are the preachers who take their pilgrims through intricate levels and stages on their spiritual journey through life.  We split hairs and get frayed nerves.  Some churches boast that they have no particular religious slant.  Does it all have to be that complex?   

   As I read and study the Bible, I don’t believe Christianity is not meant to be complex.  Jesus even said how we should approach God.  Come as a child.  And He had some advice to help us through the hard times.  Take what is freely offered.  Trust God.  And when in doubt - be like Jesus.
    God could have made salvation a complex maze of pre-requisites, but He made it simple enough for a child to grasp.  Say “I’m sorry” and turn away from your sin.  And if you do sin again, say “I’m sorry” again and try harder not to sin. 

   I believe the anthem of the church should be an old song that really speaks to Christians in today’s complex world.

“Trust and obey - For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”

Stephen Cram                                                          September 7, 2014

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Generic Christian

Generic Christian

Contents may vary in

Color, size, shape and texture.

Esther 4:12-14

12 So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.

13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 

14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

   There was a short-lived fad in the 70s and 80s of buying generic foods.  They came in plain white wrappers with blocky black lettering.  Usually there was a note on the labels that read, “Contents may vary in color, size, shape and texture.”  This type of food was simply food that was good enough to eat but was not good enough to be classified Grade A.  Perhaps the tomatoes did not have a uniform color.  The macaroni might not have been all the same size.  The eggs might not have been all "egg-shaped."  My mother once bought a bag of flour that was only coarse ground.  It looked a little strange, but still baked into some good doughnuts. 

   The surprising thing about generic foods was that most of them tasted pretty good.  They did what they were made to do - feed hungry families for less money than name brands.          

   Most Christians I know are what you might call Generic Christians, and we should have a tag on us reading, “Contents may vary in age, education, experience or talents.”  We have different colors, and are different sizes, and have different shapes, and have more (or less) wrinkles than others around us.  But we all have the same family; we're all children of the same Father, we are all called Christians.  Our purpose is to do what we are called to do and do it as well as we can and minister to as many as we can in the time we have.

   Spoiler alert!  God does not expect us to be perfect.  He expects us to do our best with the knowledge we have been entrusted with.  And if you fail, He expects us to pick ourselves up and try again. 

   Joseph was a generic young dreamer, sold into slavery.  God took him from his prison and made him the second most powerful man in the most powerful kingdom of its time.

   Moses was a generic old man over 80 years old who stuttered.  God took him to Egypt to lead His people out of slavery. 

   David was a generic young man sitting on the side of a hill tending sheep and singing songs.  God took him to the throne of Israel to lead His people.

   Daniel was a generic prince who was in chains and taken to a foreign city.  God made chief advisor to the most powerful king in the world and later to the one who conquered Babylon.

   Esther was a generic young woman.  God took her to the palace to make her a queen and used her to save His people from destruction. 

   Remember the words of what Esther's uncle Mordecai:  “Who knows if you have come to be where you are for such a time as this?”   We may be Generic Christians, but we can do awesome things if we let God work through us.

Stephen Cram                                            August 31, 2014

Colossians 2:8

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Do You Tremble At His Word?

Do You Tremble At His Word?

Isaiah 66:1&2

“Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,”
Says the Lord.
“But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

  I still find verses that speak new lessons to me, even after nearly 39 years as a Christian.  I believe you can never get to a place where you can say, “I’ve learned all the Bible can teach me.”  The Bible contains too many truths to learn in a lifetime.

   Anyway, I read through the last chapter of Isaiah and this verse leapt out at me.  God has made all things and knows all things so what is it He could possibly be looking for? 

   According to verse 2 He is looking for someone who is humble and meek of spirit and who trembles at His Word.  It made me stop and ask myself if I still tremble at His Word.  And I had to be truthful:  I don’t.  Have I become too comfortable with His Word?  Do I take it granted and not hold it in the esteem I should?  It is God’s Word!  It is the words that come from the very heart of God Almighty. It is the one book that gives us answers to life and to how to live that life.  It is invaluable and it is awesome in wisdom and instruction.  And we get home from church and throw it on a table and there it sits.    

   This verse made me stop and ask God for forgiveness for not holding His Word in the proper esteem.  Oh Lord, I don’t see Your Word like that.  Am I so busy teaching it that I don’t see it for the wonder it is?  Somewhere along the line, I stopped trembling at Your Word.  I must realize You are looking at the earth for someone who trembles still, someone who hears Your Word and cries out, ‘Wow! That came from God!  I just read words sent to me from God almighty, from the great I AM!’”

   When you view the Word of God like that, you realize how much you need to listen, how much you need to absorb those words into your spirit.  Not just study the Bible, but to see that they are the very words of God.  Lord, rise up a people that will take the Bible literally and seriously!

   Can you imagine yourself sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him talk?  When you read the Gospels, you are!  Can you imagine traveling with Paul hearing him preach?  When you read the epistles, you are!  Read the Transfiguration on the Mount and see the three disciples tremble when God’s voice calls out from heaven.  You can pick up the Bible and see God’s Words calling to you from heaven!  The Words come from the very Throne of God!

   If you have not read Psalms 119 recently, do so.  You will hear the heart’s cry of a man who trembled at God’s Word.  David learned the value of God’s Word and he knew the power they contain.  He knew his life was forever changed by those words and wanted to know all he could learn from them.

   I want that in my life.  I want to regain my awe of the Bible and the mysteries revealed in it.  I want to tremble at His Word again.

Stephen Cram                      August 24, 2014                                             

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

IU2B

 IU2B

Acts 20:35

I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

“I used to be an athlete.”

“I used to be in band.”

“I used to be a good golfer.”

“I used to be in good shape.”

    If you listen to those around you, you know there are a lot of IU2Bs (“I used to be”).  For many people, it seems that their best accomplishments were in their past.  So when folks brag on themselves, excuse me, talk about themselves, it’s easy to jump to an “IU2B” comment.  Nothing wrong with a good “IU2B” story once in a while, but don’t try to live in the past and let the present go to waste.  Living in the past means giving up the dreams and plans for the future. 

  Did you “U2B” a Sunday school teacher in a church?  Do you teach now or do you live with “IU2B” memories about teaching? 

   Did you “U2B” one who prayed for family, friends, co-workers?  Do you pray now or do you rely on those “U2B” prayers?     

   Did you “U2B” one who helped people in need?  Do you help today or are you “too old” or “too busy” or “too important” to help and just remember those “U2B” times helping.

   What is your “IU2B” story?  What is your flimsy excuse today for not doing what you know yourself capable of doing?  “Kids get on my nerves.”  “People are hypocrites.”  “They have enough help.”  “I’m no good at doing anything.”  “My back hurts.”  Why not be honest here?  Maybe the truth is “my attitude is bad,” which is probably closer to the truth. 

   Why not rejoice in the day that God has given us.  Why not rejoice that He gives us opportunities to work for His kingdom.  Why not put down the TV remote or the computer mouse and take up the slack on some job that needs to be done?  If you just go to church to help hold down the pews, thanks, but there are enough people holding them down now.  The pews don’t need your help, the people do.  Senior saints, marrieds, divorced, parents, single parents, teens, kids, toddlers, pastors, secretaries, teachers, just look around and there are people everywhere who could use help.  They cross all the age groups and social strata and their needs are endless.  Just imagine the blessing you could be to these people if you get over yourself and put aside the “IU2B”s and get on to some new challenge. 

    I hope your past was full of achievements and blessings.  But now, I pray that you can be more focused on the present than on the past.  Make your goal that your “IU2B” story was that you used to be an “IU2B” who lived on old memories.

   Get in there and get to work.

Stephen Cram                                               August 17, 2014

Stephen Cram                                                                   

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

The Unexpected

The Unexpected

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

   Last weekend, the residents of Toledo, Oh and surrounding areas, about 400,000 people, woke up to find their water contained a neural toxin and they could not drink it, wash in it, or even touch it.   The water from their faucets was unsafe and unusable.  Earlier this year, a chemical spill in West Virginia tainted the water to 300,000 residents of Charleston and surrounding areas.  This was a crisis that hit unexpectedly and what was reliable and became dangerous.

   When emergencies happen, our lives can become disrupted in unexpected ways.  My diagnosis of cancer in May disrupted my life and my wife’s life in unexpected ways.  We had plans for this summer, a vacation and a few day trips.  I planned to redo my backyard garden.  All our plans fell by the wayside and this summer became a blur of pain, treatments, doctor appointments and weariness. 

   Over the years I have talked to many people who have been hit with unexpected circumstances and had lives disrupted.  Loss of jobs, sickness, divorce, and many other things can sink your plans and leave you dazed and hurting and frustrated.  We can’t really protect ourselves from the unexpected, but once it happens, our response becomes very important and is a measure of who we are. 

   John F. Kennedy said, “The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity.” And this is the secret to coming through a personal crisis.  You face the danger, you face the change, and you face the confusion with courage.  JFK also wrote a book, and it was named, “Profiles in Courage.”  He was familiar with crises in his life and never gave in to fear or panic.  Also, as he worked through these crises he used them as opportunities to grow stronger and smarter.

   When the unexpected hits you, DO NOT give in to fear and panic.  The enemy wants you to fail and he knows if you succumb to fear and panic you will be worse off than you already are. You may find yourself helpless in the face of the crisis, but you do not need to give in to fear.  When I lay on a gurney in the ER and the doctor gave me the “long face” and said the word “cancer,” I could feel the tendrils of fear wrapping around my heart.  But I immediately began to pray in the spirit.  I would rather have God’s “peace which passes all understanding” in my heart than fear and panic.  It took me more than a week of intense praying to free myself from the enemy’s fear attack.  And make no mistake, the enemy uses fear as a weapon on you in your most vulnerable moments.  I testify to that.  But when he attacks, you can give yourself to fear or give yourself to prayer and let God’s love wash away the fear.  1 John 4:18 tells us that perfect love, (and perfect love comes only from God,) casts out fear.  One translation says it expels fear.  I like the sound of that – EXPELS fear.  Begone fear!  You have no place in my life!

   It will be hard to remember to pray before anything else when an unexpected crisis hits you, but if you do you will ahead of the enemy’s attack.  As someone said to me during my crisis, and I pass on to you:  “When you hit rock bottom, you find that Jesus is the rock at the bottom.”

Stephen Cram                                      August 10, 2014                             

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

We Are Fishermen - A Parable

We Are Fishermen 

A Parable

(by:  An Anonymous Writer)

   Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves Fishermen.  And lo, there were many fish in the waters all around, and the fish were hungry.  Week after week, month after month, and year after year, those who called themselves fishermen met to talk about their call to fish, the abundance of fish, and how they might go about fishing.

   Week after week, month after month, and year after year, they carefully defined what fishing means, defended fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing is always to be a primary task of fishermen.

   Continually they searched for new and better methods of fishing and for new and better definitions of fishing.  They sponsored nation-wide and world-wide congresses to discuss fishing, promote fishing, and hear about all the ways of fishing.  They researched the new fishing equipment, the fish calls, and any new bait.  In addition to meeting regularly, they organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish.  All the fishermen agreed that what was needed was a board which could challenge fishermen to be faithful to fishing.

   Large training centers were built whose original and primary purpose was to teach fishermen how to fish.  Over the years, courses were offered on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, where to find fish, and how to approach and feed fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fishology.  But the teachers themselves did not fish.  They only taught fishing.  And those who were sent out did exactly as those who sent them.  They formed groups and held special meetings to define fishing, to defend fishing, and to declare how important fishing was.  They talked about the great need for fishing.  They prayed much that many fish might be caught.  They analyzed the fish and discussed what is necessary in order to catch fish.  

   But one thing they did not do, was to actually go fishing to catch fish.

My question for you is this:  Is a person a fisherman if he never catches fish?

Matthew 4: 18-20

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

   Are you a fisher of men?  You should be.  There are literally thousands of hungry fish all around you.  You walk through schools of fish just waiting to be caught by a savvy fisherman.  So why aren’t you fishing?  Let down your net and see the catch!

Lord, I live in the midst of schools of fish.  Remind me that my purpose here is to catch the fish, not to stand and watch them as they pass by me.

 

Stephen Cram                                                          August 3, 2014

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Meditation Is Good For the Soul

Meditation Is Good For the Soul

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

The term “think on these things” can translate to “meditate on these things”

   There are many in the church that are offended when you use the word meditation.  The word is linked in their minds with new age religion, or with an Eastern religion like Buddhism or Hinduism.  But in fact is Meditation is not new age, the Jews and Christians have been meditating for thousands of years.  Way back in an early Old Testament book, the book of Joshua, God tells Joshua to meditate on the Scriptures.

Joshua 1:8a

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.

David said he meditated a lot on God’s Word.

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. 

 King David loved to meditate on God’s Word.  He mentions he meditated in Psalms 1. 19, and 119 and it is implied in many other Psalms. 

Paul urges us to focus our minds on the Word of God in many places in his writings.  Indeed, in Romans 12:2 he tells us not to be conformed to this world: but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  The word “transformed” is “metamorphosis,” which literally means to be changed like a caterpillar into a butterfly by our focusing (or meditating,) on His word.  You cannot be truly changed by His Word unless you are meditating in it daily. 

   Meditation is simply pondering or thinking over something.  The subject of a person’s meditation is what differentiates one kind of meditation from another. You can meditate on a sports team but don’t expect to get a lot of life-changing insight from it.

Meditating on the Word of God is where you receive truth, and real life-changing insight.

   Don’t let anyone discourage you from meditation on God’s Word.  You will grow strong in your faith through time meditating on God’s Word.

Stephen Cram                                  July 27, 2014                                     

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

When God is in the House

When God is in the House

Genesis 28: 16&17

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 

17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

   I’ve been to perhaps thousands of church services in my lifetime, and many times God was in the house and I did not know it.  And I was not alone in missing His visitation.  I guess the real question is this:  why are you in church on Sunday morning.  (Or, why are you NOT in church on Sunday morning?)  What is your reason for going to church?  Tradition?  Duty?  Habit?  Guilt?  Visiting with friends?  Or do you need something that you only get on Sundays? 

   You should be going to church to worship God and share in the ministry there.  You should be getting a word and praying and worshipping, not just warming a pew and watching the time hoping the pastor isn’t too long-winded today.  You need to know that God is in the house and if you miss Him it’s your fault not His fault.  He calls to your spirit and will meet with you if you only let Him in.

   Church is a time to meet with like-minded Christians and share fellowship and encourage each other.  Church is not a place to fragment into cliques and argue endlessly over things that really do not have any eternal significance. Church is a hospital for the wounded and the weak, not a shooting range to see who you can pick off.  It has been said that the Christian church is the only army that shoots its own wounded.  This is not supposed to be!  We need to bind up the wounded. 

   When we are in church worshipping and gaining strength from God, we become powerful ministers and we can then go into the world and bring the Gospel to the lost.  This is what church is all about, to go and meet with God when He is in the house.

Stephen Cram                                        July 20, 2014                                                  

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

    

Attention to God’s Word Deficit Disorder

ATGWDD

Psalm 86:11

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your Name.

Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

   Have you ever tried to study Attention Deficit Disorder?  The doctors who write about this should be arrested for torturing the English language.   They use oversized words and tangled sentences to make you impressed with their knowledge of this disorder.  And by the time you finish, you’ll probable self-diagnose yourself with many of the symptoms.  What might escape you in the jungle of words is that there is a real condition that affects some people and causes them to have difficulty concentrating.  Their minds wander from interest to interest and they lose focus on what’s right in front of them.  Not just school children are afflicted by this, but many adults suffer from this as well.

   There is a still-unclassified disorder that afflicts many in the Christian church today.  It’s ATGWDD – Attention to God’s Word Deficit Disorder.  We are distracted by things and find little or no time to read God’s Word.  God expects our full attention – a difficult demand in a multi-tasking, multi-media culture.  Reading the Bible is a bore, and besides, I’ve got 2 movies here I haven’t seen yet and everybody’s talking about them at work so I need to see them so I can talk about them, too.  Then the phone rings, and off I go on a long conversation that takes up more time.  Now it’s time to go to bed and I will get up and do this all over again tomorrow.  Sorry God, maybe I’ll get a few minutes to read something on Saturday, after I mow the lawn and wash the car.   

   We let so many things distract us during our day, God gets pushed aside and ignored.  After all, He understands how busy I am, right?  He knows there are so many things going in my life I have to address that He really should be grateful I give Him and His Word five minutes a couple of times a week.  After all, I’m not a monk or a fanatic; I have a real life to live.

   We make so many excuses, yet they just don’t cut it.  We come up with these excuses to sooth our conscious, but do you really think God is buying them?  Umm, probably not.  He is still calling you to a deeper walk with Him and it’s really in your best interest to give Him some of your time every day.

   Now I know things come up that we have to deal with, but hardly as often as we like to pretend.

   In the Bible we read that King David also struggled with spiritual focus.  He cried out “unite my heart” - another translation says, “give me an undivided heart.”  God will give us an undivided heart if we will disengage from the rat race and get quiet and study and meditate on His Word.

   Bible study is hard work and requires commitment.  It’s a choice we must make.  We must get back to the basics of a true relationship with God.  Prayer, worship, and time in God’s Word combine to produce an environment where He can be heard and known.  Only then will we experience a renewed mind.  Only then will we see our faith strengthened.  I challenge you to spend ten minutes a day in your Bible.  Just ten minutes.  I’m not asking for a sacrifice of time here, I’m not asking for you to jump into the deep end of pool all at once.  Just dip your feet in and get them wet and see that the water is warm and inviting.  Ten minutes. 

Stephen Cram                                July 13, 2014                                   

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Thou Man of Valor

Thou Man of Valor

Judges 6: 11 - 16
11 Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”
15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
16 And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”

   Gideon called it:  he was of a small clan and his family was small.  In other words, God should not expect a mighty army to come up from this clan.  Except that God rarely uses mighty armies to do His work.   God does not want mighty armies, He wants yielded vessels.
   He took Gideon and some volunteers and then eliminated most of them and left Gideon with only 300 men.  The Midianites were numerous; the Bible says they and their camels were without number.  So how could Gideon and his 300 men be expected to win?  In human terms, they were doomed to failure.  The Midianites would hardly even notice a little pin-prick like 300 men attacking.  But God had it all planned out and He doesn’t work like we think He should work.  His plans are different than our plans are.  Gideon and his men were thinking, “spears and swords.”  God was thinking, “If the Midianites think a vast army is attacking, they’ll panic and run.”  So He told Gideon to bring torches and trumpets and they caused a panic and the Midianites fled and many were killed in the panic.
   In our lives, we are often called to do work for the Lord.  Indeed, His last words to the crowd just before He ascended back to His Father were:
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
   He wants us to be witnesses for Him into all the world.  So does that mean I should witness to my neighbors?  Yep, even that annoying one.  Should I be a witness at my work?  Yep, and they will listen better if you actually act like a Christian  all the time – when you’re tired, stressed out, over-worked, grumpy, whatever.  Should I be a witness at my family.  Yep, even though they know you better than anybody and know all those times you didn’t act like a Christian.   Where else should I be a witness?  Look at that verse from Acts again.  Everywhere and to everyone.
   So why me?  I’m a lousy example of being a Christian!  I lose my temper and I doubt and I’m self-conscious and, and, and….  And the Lord said to me, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”  He knows I can do it and He will be with me when I witness and He will help me when I need the help.  And He will not accept any excuses.  I am to be His witness and I need to witness wherever and whenever I can.
   I have tried to be a witness more and found out the more I witness the easier it is to witness.  Who knows, maybe God was right and I really am a “mighty man of valor.”
When you walk closer to God, hard to fail.

Stephen Cram                                                                   

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

The Mysteries if the Kingdom

The Mysteries if the Kingdom

Mark 4: 10-11

10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 

11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 

   Jesus taught a multitude as He sat in a boat by the shore.  What He taught was the parable of the sower and the seed.  But to the disciples, the spiritual meaning of the parable was not immediately apparent. The disciples didn’t understand what Jesus meant, and they asked Him about the parable.  Jesus will answer the disciples’ question about the parable, but first He wanted to explain to them why He used parables.

   He explained to them that they were given to know the mystery of the kingdom - they could have His parables explained clearly so they would understand what the meaning behind the parable was.  In the Bible, a mystery isn’t something you can’t figure out; it’s something that you would never know unless God revealed it to you. 

   To those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive’.  Parables, in their spiritual function, are more like riddles or puzzles than illustrations. They can be understood by those who have right “key.”  A parable isn’t an illustration.  A good teacher can illustrate by stating a truth, and then illustrating the truth through a story or an analogy.  But when Jesus used parables, He didn’t start by stating a truth.  Instead, the parable was like a doorway.  Jesus’ listeners stood at the doorway and heard Him.  If they were not interested, they stayed on the outside.  But if they were interested, they could walk through the doorway, and think more about the truth behind the parable and what it meant to their life.

   But none of them could understand the spiritual meaning until Jesus explained the key to them: The sower sows the Word - Mark 4:14.  If you miss the key, you miss the whole parable.  If you think the seed represent money, you miss the parable.  If you think the seed represents farming, you miss the parable.  If you think the seed represents hard work, you miss the parable.  You can only understand it by understanding the key: The sower sows the Word – as in the Word of God. 

   By quoting this passage from Isaiah 6:9, Lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them, Jesus explained why He used parables.  In teaching by parables, Jesus offered His hearers the opportunity to dig deep and find the truth, or to turn a deaf ear to a story.  This would avoid a greater condemnation for having rejected a clearly understood truth.  Jesus didn’t use parables to blind people, but because they were already blind.  

   In light of this, how blessed are those who do understand the parables of Jesus.  Not only do they gain the benefit of the spiritual truth illustrated; they also display a measure of responsiveness to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus calls all to come to Him for repentance, but only those who choose to stay and ask and study and dig into His Word will truly understand what He has to say.  Then the seed (the Word) will take root in their hearts and they will grow and produce fruit for the Kingdom.

Stephen Cram                                                                                      June 29, 2014                                                 

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

It’s Impossible!

It’s Impossible!

2 Kings 7: 1&2

1 Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’”

2 So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?”

And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”

   The Northern Kingdom of Israel, with its capitol at Samaria, was under siege by the Syrian army of Ben-Hadad.  The famine that resulted was so bad people were paying premium prices for donkey’s heads and dove’s poop.  There was no food.  Feeding the people or raising the siege were equally impossible.

    So into this the Prophet Elisha comes to the king and declares that tomorrow food will be sold so cheap it will be below average prices.  The king’s servant scoffs and says that even if God made windows in Heaven how could this be?  There was no food anywhere and so this was labeled, “impossible.” 

   But during the night, God made the Syrians believe another army was attacking them.  They saw nothing but only heard the noise of an attack. They fled so fast they left their tents behind, their weapons behind, their armor behind, even their clothes behind in their panicked flight.  Oh, and they left their food behind.  They had brought enough to sustain them for an extended siege, so there was a lot of food.  So much that that day, just as Elisha had prophesied the price of food dropped so much it was cheaper than average prices from before the siege.  And the king’s advisor got to see the food, but was trampled to death by the hungry people rushing to get to it and never tasted a single mouthful.

   So what is impossible with God?  In a word, Nothing! 

What did God need to perform this miracle?  Nothing. 

What hindered God from performing this miracle?  Nothing.

Does God need help doing a miracle?  No, none.

   And here is a revelation I recently received when praying and meditating on my illness.  What is preventing God from manifesting healing in my life?  I have been saying it’s my own unbelief.  But what I now know is this:  nothing can hinder God from manifesting this miracle in my life – NOT EVEN MY OWN UNBELIEF!  Even I can’t stop God from doing a miracle in my life.  My healing is so close I’m worried I might trip over it before it wells up in my life and consumes this illness. 

   You know that shelf way back in the back of your mind that you place those impossible things on?  That relative or friend who isn’t saved.  T That illness that is ravaging your life.  That habit or addiction that is taking over your life.  That financial pit you can’t climb out of.  Whatever that impossible thing is, go to the shelf and take it down and bring it to God.  What, again?  But it didn’t get answered before.  It’s impossible.  Yes, again.  Tell God it’s impossible but you’re there to ask Him again. 

Stephen Cram                                           June 22, 2014                        

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.

Shadows in the Light of Him

Shadows in the Light of Him

Isaiah 53:4-5

4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

   I have been going through the most challenging physical time of my life lately.  As I have fought with weakness, I have turned more and more to prayer.  And as I pray more, I find I want to pray more.  Now to be clear, I am not saying God made me sick to get my attention.  I do not see from the Bible where God would make anyone sick, indeed He has provided healing for us through Jesus.  But as sickness has come upon me and I have sought Him more and more in prayer He has used this time to fill me with more of Himself. 

    There is a chorus that has a line that goes, “when all things that surround us become shadows in the light of Him…”  I can testify to this.  As I have spent time in His Presence and sought His face things in life I considered important have become less important to me and His Presence has become so real to me.  At times in prayer, His Presence is so real to me I feel I can reach out and take His hand. 

   I regret that it took illness to make me focus more on God and His Kingdom, but I praise God that He has chosen to open His Word to me more now than ever.  His love has drawn my heart and filled me with a peace that truly “passeth all understanding.”  I can’t tell you how His peace fills me but I am more at rest in prayer than ever at any time in my life. 

   I have always tried to teach the Bible to the best of my understanding, and now I see how true it is that the Scriptures are all things to all believers at whatever level of growth and understanding you are.  To the immature Christian the Bible is a simple message that speaks to their heart.  And the more you grow in your spiritual life the Bible becomes deeper and filled with more and more meat for you to get nourishment from. 

   Lately I have been drawn to the song, “God is good!  All the time!”  I have always known we serve a good God, but as I draw closer to His Presence I am more convinced with each passing moment just how good God is.

   Please pray for me during this time and remember that God does not cause illness - illness is a result of the sin in the world brought about by the enemy.  Physical illness does come upon our bodies but we also know that God provided healing through Jesus Christ.  I am expecting when all this is over I will be stronger than ever physically as well and spiritually. 

Stephen Cram                                                       June 8, 2014           

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. 

Visit my pastor’s blog at http://pastorjonrhinehart.blogspot.com/.

Unless otherwise noted all Scripture is from the New King James Version of the Bible.