Sometimes we do not realize how precise our God’s names are. Many of us as Christians have not taken the time to learn those names.

 

David in Psalms 23 could have said “God” to start with but he uses a specific name Yahweh over El Shaddai (God Almighty), El Elxon (God Most High), or El Iam (God Everlasting) but David chose Yahweh is my shepherd. Why Yahweh? Because that is God’s name. For example, you call me Pastor, Reverend, Preacher, but my name is Shaker. The others are all descriptions of what I do.

 

Moses was the first to learn God’s name. We read in Exodus 3:13-14, “Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” and as we learn later in Exodus 6:2-3, “God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them.”

 

God says to Moses, I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I appeared as El Shaddar, God Almighty. The people of Israel consider God’s name too holy to be spoken by human lips.

 

Why do we need a name–it is important because we need a big God, one who is. Yehweh means “Am” and “I cause.” God is the “one who is” and the one who causes.” He is an unchanging God.

 

The above description was taken from the book, Traveling Light, by Mac Lucado. Psalms 102:27 says, “But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” God remains the same, He never changes. God was never created but He creates. The Psalmist says in 90:2, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” He is the everlasting God.

 

I am afraid that many of us have neglected the proper worship of God because we cannot describe more than one or two names of God.

 

Peter wrote, “But grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” (2 Pet. 3:18) Failure to know God will hinder our ability to fully give God the glory He so richly deserves. Some of us have been Christians for many years and yet are unable to articulate the names of God and their meaning and their significance to even those who are closest to us. Perhaps, we have never realized before how important it is to God that we understand the significance of the Biblical names of God used throughout the scriptures. There are over 20 names of God in the Bible.

 

David wrote, “I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord. The humble will hear it and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all of my fears.” (Ps. 34:1-4)

 

When we understand the names of God, we gain a greater depth of appreciation of the riches of His splendor, majesty, holiness, love and total attributes.

 

1. Elohim means God (Gen. 1:1: Ps. 19:1). “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Speaks of God’s power and might. The only supreme-true God.

 

2. Yahweh means The Lord (Gen. 2:4; Ex 6:2,3). “I am the Lord, I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them” Speaks of the name of the divine person above all.

 

3. El Elyon means the God Most High (Gen. 14:17-20; Ps. 7:17). “I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” Speaks of the fact that He is above all gods; nothing is more sacred than Him.

 

4. El Roi means the God Who Sees (Gen. 16:13). “You are the God who sees me, for Hagar said, I have now seen the One who sees me.” Speaks of the God that oversees all creation and the affairs of people and nations.

 

5. El Shaddai means the God Almighty (Gen. 17:1). “When Abraham was ninety nine years old the Lord appeared to him and said, I am God Almighty walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” Speaks of the God who is all powerful.

 

6. Yahweh Yireh means the the Lord will provide (Gen. 22:13,14). “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place the Lord will Provide.” Speaks of the God who will provide our total need (Physical, emotional, mental, social, cultural, material, attitudinal, behavior and spiritual)

 

7. Yahweh Nissi means the Lord is My Banner, My Victory (Exodus 17:15). “Moses built an altar and called it the Lord is my Banner. He said, For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” Speaks of the fact that we should remember God for helping us gain the victory.

 

8. Adonai means the Lord Deut. 6:4 “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Speaks of God alone who is the head over all.

 

9. Yahweh Elohe Yisrael means the Lord God of Israel (Judg. 5:3; Ps. 59:5). “O Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to the wicked traitors.” Speaks of the fact that He is the God of the nation.

 

10. Qedosh Yisrael means the Holy One of Israel (Isa.1:4). “Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt a brood of evildoers children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.” Speaks of a God who is morally perfect

 

11. Yahweh Sabaoth means the Lord of Host. Hosts refers to armies but also to all heavenly powers (I Sam 1:3; Isa 6:1-3). “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Speaks of the God who is our Savior and Protector.

 

12. El Olam means the Everlasting God (Isa . 40:28-31). “The Lord is the everlasting God the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and young men stumble and fall. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow tired, they will turn and not grow easy and they will walk and not be faint.” Speaks of the God who is eternal He will never die

 

13. Yahweh Tsidkenu means the Lord is Our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6; 33:16) “In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called. The Lord Our Righteousness.” Speaks of the God who is our standard for right behavior. He alone can make us righteous.

 

14. Yahweh Shammah means the Lord is there (Ezek. 48:35). “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is There.” Speaks of the God who is always present with us.

 

15. Attiq Yomin means the Ancient of Days (Dan. 7:9,13). “In my vision at night I looked and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.” He was given authority, glory and sovereign power, all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him, His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Speaks of the God who is the ultimate authority. He will one day judge the nations

 

16. Shalom means the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). “His name will be called wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, prince of peace.” Rest, wholeness and complete supply of whatever is needed to put one at perfect peace.

 

17. Jehovah-Jireh – The Lord will provide – Thank God that He promises to provide all you need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19). He will provide for you emotionally, sustaining you with energy, renewal and encouragement. He will make provisions for you financially, socially, culturally, mentally, physically, educationally, communicationally, attitudinally, family-wise, knowledge, wisdom, strength, guidance, deliverance, protection, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control along with all sufficient grace for every trial (2 Cor. 12:9,10). God allows a sense of weakness and shortages to force us to depend upon Him for our every need. David penned a great promise in (Ps. 34:1-4), “They who seek the Lord will not be in want of any good thing.”

 

I hope you gained as much by learning the names of God as I did and this will help us to have more intimacy to our Savior.
Enjoy the summer!

 

God bless,
Pastor Shaker

If you want to measure how much you understand grace and how much you’re living by grace, look at your giving.

 

The Bible says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8 NIV).

 

Notice the “alls” — “all grace,” “all things,” “at all times,” “having all that you need” — those are the promises related to the person who becomes like Christ. What was Christ like? He was a giver. God loved the world so much that he gave. Until you learn to be generous with your time, money, resources, and opportunities, you’re not going to be like Christ. Nothing is greater proof that you understand grace than being lovingly gracious and generous to other people and to God.

 

If you’re uptight or defensive when your pastor starts talking about giving, it means you don’t understand grace. Look at the verse again. He says if you give cheerfully and liberally, God will take care of all your needs — all the time, in every way, however you need them.

 

Here’s the question: Are you going to trust the God who gave his life for you? If you can trust him enough for salvation, can’t you trust him in your finances?

 

The truth is, you really don’t own anything. God just loans it to you for 70 or 80 years. It’s all His in the first place. If my daughter comes to me, and I give her five bucks to buy me a present, where’s the money really coming from in the first place?

 

God does that with us. He gives to us generously. Then he says, “Now show a little gratitude. Be generous in giving, including your tithe.” Does he need the money? No. He wants you to become like him. He wants you to have a heart that says, “I can’t wait to give in every area.”

 

Romans 8:32 says, “Since God loved us enough to give us his own son, won’t he love us enough to take care of every one of our other needs?”

 

The fact is, you can say you love God and sing that you trust God and put him first, but your checkbook is where you can show just how much God’s grace means to you.

 

Talk It Over
* Would you call yourself a cheerful giver? Why or why not?
* How have you seen God bless your finances or provide for you as you have been faithful to tithe?
* In what ways does your life reflect gratitude for God’s grace?

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” -James 4:10

 

The world seems to be adrift without any guidance. As you look around there is more chaos than ever before. We seem to be more self centered and not care what others think or feel. It seems we are in a culture that often rewards the proud and even admires and applauds the prideful. In the past the ones who were great always were modest and humble, gracious and mild mannered.

 

Humility gets God’s attention. In Isaiah 66:2b we read, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” Humility draws the gaze of our Sovereign God.

 

What is humility? It’s not timidity, weakness, or being a wimp. NO, humility is standing before God at the cross in all our weakness and failures, and then living life in the shadow and power of the cross.

 

When our relationship was broken, Jesus humbled Himself at the cross. He lay down His life for ours on a cruel cross, taking our punishment, death (as we read in Romans 6:23 wages for our sin is death) shedding His blood, the price for our disobedience, and restoring our relationship with God. Just like Jesus humbled himself at the cross, we too must humble ourselves at the cross.

 

+ Humility is born at the cross and grows up in the time of prayer. +Humbled disciples of Jesus Christ are quick to thank others for all the help they receive.

+Humble people recognize the gifts God has given us and our hearts are filled with gratitude. +Humble followers of Christ are willing to ask for help and accept help.

+Humble people are willing to laugh at themselves.

+Humble people are willing to learn from anyone.

+Humble people can accept gratitude and appreciation for a job well done.

 

Jesus is an amazing teacher. He says in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” is what humility means. Jesus defines the difference between exemplary life and sacrificing life. He came with the understanding HE must be willing to die for others. Our Christian life should not just reflect the Lord’s example, but it should draw attention to the sacrifice Jesus made for our disobedience and sinfulness. The precious verses of Mark 10:32, “They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him” it shows Jesus leading the way with determination and steadfastness. Jesus is aware of what will happen, betrayed, arrested, accused, condemned, abused, insulted, beaten, humiliated and ultimately executed. There was no hesitation or reluctance in His steps. He was leading the way with confidence. He accepted the fact that without His life of sacrifice, we cannot be redeemed. Someone had to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind. We cannot free ourselves from pride, selfishness, ambition, and our hopelessness. Our greatest foe is pride. We encounter this every minute of everyday.

 

Our greatest friend should be humility. How do we change what is a practical strategy:

 

(a) Reflect on the wonder of the cross.

(b) Begin our day acknowledging the need for God.

(c) Begin to express gratitude to God.

(d) Cast your cares on Jesus Christ.

(e) Count your blessings, small and big.

 

The world should not be our measuring stick but our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

 

His blessings are many and God’s promises are true. I love you but most of all God loves you.

 

In Christ’s steps, Shaker

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  Or just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” -2 Corinthians 1:3-5

 

Let me share a story I read recently about a missionary. She was walking through a medical clinic in a third world country. She saw several people waiting to take a turn to see the doctor. Most of them were there for cataract surgery.

 

The sun on the island is so intense, most of the people worked outdoor jobs and so the incidences from cataracts was very high. Many of the people had blurred vision. Most of the islanders were uneducated and would go to the clinic to find out why they were losing their sight but would not take advantage of what the clinic had to offer. The clinic was performing small miracles. For a long time they still would not let the clinic help and continued to believe it could not help. 

 

After a few years the people working at the clinic asked those who had the surgery to go into the village and share their  experience of success with others. They became story tellers of how their sight was restored. They were so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude that they shared with every person who would listen. Their stories could not be contained. They had to tell it, they had to find others like themselves who needed to hear it, and to believe it.

 

The story tellers would introduce themselves and share their experience on how a simple procedure could change their vision and life.

 

Here we see how the people who found sight were able to convince others to come to the clinic.

 

To me it illustrates how we, who see the blessings of knowing Christ as our restorer of life, who has helped us go through our life struggles and turn them into joy. It is our turn to be their story teller of how Christ can change others lives.

 

As Paul says in verse 4–they would be able to comfort others who needed the same comfort. Trials and struggles are never easy, but it is through those circumstances  that God can shape and mold our character.

 

We see people who are lost and struggling with life and the circumstance they are in and we as people who know the love and compassion of Christ should come alongside them and open their eyes to the Savior Jesus Christ. We are blessed to share the good news to the loved-starved world around us. It is not the words, but our actions bringing others to see God’s love.

 

As spring will be here soon, let us plan to show sight, or clear sight to others around us. This is the Gospel in action; serving the poor and the marginalized in the name of Jesus Christ. God, who is the source of all compassion felt compassion so deeply that He was willing to go with the knowledge of sending His son to be the ultimate compassion for us.

 

The missionary that same day saw a man holding the doctor and saying “I see, I see, I can see!” Wouldn’t you like to hear the same because of your love in action?

 

Have a wonderful spring. God bless.

 

In His steps,

Pastor Shaker 

”God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too—your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in!” -Psalm 139:1-6 (MSG)

 

J. I. Packer says, “Ignorance of God — ignorance of both His ways and of the practice of communion with Him — lies at the root of the church’s weakness today.”

 

The writer David says how God knows every deed, thought, motivation around us, about us, everything. Sometimes we don’t let people get to know us completely because we are afraid they will find something about us that they won’t like. But God already knows everything about us. Even the number of hairs on our head. (Matt. 10:30), and He still accepts us. Further, David (vs. 6) says, “such knowledge is too wonderful to me. I cannot comprehend it.”

 

Be honest as you can be with yourself. Do you know God? Do I know God? It is the secret of true success, the source of our wisdom beyond our understanding, the strength during our hard times. People of God are no different. Look at the church at large today. You have to agree that the lack of knowledge of God is the cause of our wavering spiritual life, inconsistency between our talk and walk, ineffective in our prayer life.

 

What does it mean to know God and to live with a knowledge of Him? It means intimacy and integrity, to experience the kind of relationship with God that He wants. We need to open up our innermost being to Him. Just like He revealed His innermost nature to us. Knowledge of God is more than an accumulation of facts, it is more than ideas about Him, or some broad perception of Him.

 

Most of you know me as your pastor. How well do you really know me? Do you know my favorite color, what foods do I like most, some would say Indian food, really, what kind of music do I enjoy, you might know my age. But how well do you know how God is working in my life. You can only get to know the details if you spend a lot of time speaking, sharing and asking questions about my life. You would not know these things about me unless you had a much closer relationship than we do. It is the same with our knowledge of God.

 

It is easy to get surface knowledge and think that is enough. Knowledge of God and our relationship with Him comes when we know. Psalm 139:22-23 says, “I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” The psalmist wants God to search him, test him and find what is not good (sin) in him, and lead him.

 

A true and intimate relationship must be based on truth and honesty. We are Christians and we claim to know God, His character and His commands should be intertwined with ours.  Knowing God requires a consistent life of faithfulness.  Obedience is the secret of a growing knowledge of God.

 

His character and His commands should be intertwined with ours.  Knowing God requires a consistent life of faithfulness.  Obedience is the secret of a growing knowledge of God. 

 

We have more knowledge than any other time in history.  Our technology is changing everyday.  We are smarter than any other time in history.  We are not destroyed by lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of in-depth study of scripture, prayer and living out the will of God.  Our character is shaped by cultural values rather than the knowledge of God. 

 

We were created to know, to love, to glorify and to serve God.  We were meant to experience intimacy with God, to know His heart, His desires, His plan for our lives.  God makes the first move.  Our knowledge, our relationship with God begins with Jesus Christ.  Do You Know God?  He knows You.     

 

Have a wonderful day.  Yes, spring is coming and be good to your Valentine.

 

God Bless, Pastor Shaker

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” -Psalm 1:1-2

 

First, Find time for God- Build that Personal relationship with Christ. Look at your day… where in that day can you make an  appointment to spend with Jesus. Then write under that time slot in your calendar Jesus. Invite Jesus to meet you. In this time you can read your Bible, read a inspirational magazine or book, pray, sing, walk, journal, etc. Jesus would rather meet with you for one minute a day than 20 minutes one day a year. As you build that relationship, you will learn to hear the voice of God through the Holy Spirit, and The Holy Spirit will then personally convict, guide, rebuke, teach, counsel, comfort. and when that happens our relationship will deepen and we will grow.

 

Second, choose to in 2018 to truly make Jesus Lord of your life by sacrificing your money, your time, and your talents for His plan and His ways. Look at your life and ask what  areas of your life are not turned over to God. A little story to illustrate: The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box “Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?” Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl’s upturned face. “A dollar ninety-five. That’s almost $2.00. If you really want them, I’ll think of some extra chores for you, and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday is only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma.”

 

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents.

 

On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill, and at last, she had enough money to buy the necklace. Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere Sunday school, kindergarten,  even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath because her mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

 

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story.

 

One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, “Do you love me?”

 

“Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you.”

 

“Then give me your pearls.”

 

“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She’s my favorite.”

 

“That’s okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night.” And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

 

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny’s daddy asked again, “Do you love me?” “Daddy, you know I love you.” “Then give me your pearls.”

 

“Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper.”

 

“That’s okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you.” And as  always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

 

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. “What is it, Jenny? What’s the matter?” Jenny didn’t say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, “Here, Daddy. It’s for you.”

 

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny’s kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the  other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her a genuine treasure.

 

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that He can give us beautiful treasures. Here’s the question: Are you holding on so tightly that you are missing your opportunity to be blessed.

 

Third, in the midst of the hardships and trials that may come in 2018, choose to lean hard on God…. life happens…. Financial troubles, emotional, family dynamics and there are many others. When we face these times we often want to quit… lock ourselves away…. pull the covers over our heads… and just stop… life happens to us all… but those who have a relationship with God have divine strength and un-surpassing peace that the unbeliever does not have. It is here where the power of our testimony draws other people to our awesome God.

 

When everything comes easy and life makes sense and there are doubts, it is our nature to forget God. When life falls apart and doubts arise, our tendency is to look for answers. It is God’s higher value to teach us how to trust Him in the middle of our doubts and provide answers that comfort us.

 

When you walk through times of adversity and doubts and come out on the other side, often our faith is deepened and our confidence in God is strengthened.

 

We have an amazing year ahead of us, with God on our side.

 

God bless,

Pastor Shaker

*Article was taken and put together from several resources.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

 

Christmas is a time of giving gifts as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. God gave us a gift of His Son Jesus in the flesh. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God gave us His Son so He could give us eternal life. The Bible tells us that eternal life is a free gift from God. There is something interesting about this gift, not only is it not earned it is also not automatic. We need to receive it and share it with others.

 

This brings to memory a few years ago. I met a lady in her seventies. She knew I was traveling to West Africa. She asked if I could do something for her. She went on to say that she was unable to travel long distances, so would I do her a favor. She gave me money and asked if I could give it to someone in Africa who I felt was in need of some help. I gladly accepted and said I will do so.

 

One evening I took a stroll and came across a family who was living under a tree. I sat with them and found out that they had lived under this tree for years and it was their home. I asked them what do you do when it rains? They said we have a tarp and we spread it across the branches and sit under it. When the rain passes they go back to their meager living. So I gave them a portion of the gift given to me by the lady. They were so amazed. I explained to them the gift was not from me but from a lady who made sure it was a gift I carried to give to them.

 

At my next stop there was a family of three who were living next to an abandoned building. Again I explained to them the gift was from someone other than me. I just passed the gift to them. I had the joy of distributing to four families who were surprised and tearfully rejoiced for the free gifts.

 

This reminds me of the gift God gave us through His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus trusts me to take the gift and give it away to the people who are desperate, needy, heart broken and to those who do not know there is a God who provides peace, joy, love and eternal life.

 

In the above story God used me as an instrument and extension of Him. The joy and pleasure was all mine.

 

This Christmas season let us ponder what are we giving to the needy and desperate. God would love to see us be the instruments to bring others to the living and loving knowledge of Jesus’ sacrifice.

 

God was willing to squeeze His awesome greatness into human flesh–Baby Jesus– so we would enjoy all we have.

 

Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

 

Hope you will have a wonderful Christmas season. Merry Christmas from the Samuel Family.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Shaker 

“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” -Romans 8:39

 

Lately as I see the happenings around us it seems like the world is out of control. It is confusing and perplexing why a God of love lets things happen. You know as I listen to God’s word thru Paul, I’m relieved to know nothing can separate us from the love of God. We still serve a wonderful God, a loving God. In the midst of this dark time we as children of God have a responsibility to share His love.

 

Psalmist says in Ps. 63:3 “Because your living kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.”

 

We need to take this lesson from the Psalmist and praise God for his love for us. I remember the story of Dwight L. Moody. Once he was preaching in Chicago, a drunk man walked into the church service and saw a sign above the pulpit that read “God is Love.” It struck him with anger, he slammed the door and muttered to himself, God is not love. If God was love, He wouldn’t love a miserable man like him. It is not true so he walked away, but the statement kept coming back to him. “God is love, God is love” so he decided to go back to the church confused and desperate and sat in the back of the church as Moody continued to preach. When the service ended and all the people were gone, D. L. Moody saw this man setting and crying. So he approached him and asked him if the sermon had touched him. The man replied, “Sir I did not listen to the sermon but the words above your pulpit “God is Love” broke my heart. So Moody sat down and explained the depth of God’s love. The man broke down and gave his life to Jesus for the first time he understood that God really did love him.

There are many people in our world today who see the chaos in the world and wonder if God is love. I often wonder why we, the Christians, who have been given and shown love have not reached out to the lonely and desperate people. Is it because we are so busy taking care of ourselves and we forget the hurting around us?

 

We have a greater responsibility to see through the eyes of Jesus, who has redeemed us and given us hope in spite of our inability to fathom the full scope of God’s love. He has revealed to us in many ways that we can clearly understand. Through the laughter of a year old or the colorful sunset, or through the fall leaves around us and many other ways that HE loves us. Because God is God, He does as He pleases, and it pleases Him to love us without cause. From the beginning of time God does not love us because we love Him. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.”

 

God’s love is unending, so we are the extension of God’s love to the hurting and desperate world. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

 

This fall let us be the bridge to people who are blind for some reason and let them see God is love.

 

Fall colors are in full bloom so enjoy His generous love and share Him with people you come across.

 

God Bless.

Pastor Shaker

“Or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a
thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he
said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

 – 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

 

Cancer is a devastating and debilitating disease. It brings pain not only to the person but also to the people around them. I have often wondered how does this help in our spiritual growth. Yes, I do go through those moments when I visit the people at home, hospitals and doctors offices. I don’t have an answer but I do know it does in time.

 

Since most of you know, my friend Dan Peterson is going through this ordeal, I’m beginning to see God’s grace is sufficient. As I stood at Dan’s bedside, I was able to see what God has accomplished through his life. He has served people with disabilities over thirty years and has seen suffering and pain every day. Before that in Vietnam, he was a medic with the Marines and saw first hand the pain and suffering of his fellow soldiers. He did not just watch it, but made an effort to ease their pain and also share the love of Jesus Christ through his compassion. Through his servant hood many a young person has been mentored and are in service to God.

 

As Paul’s life underscored this truth, he was given a thorn in his flesh, three times Paul pleaded with the Lord to take it away

from him. But, the answer was “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

 

Our weakness not only helps develop Christian character it also deepens our worship because in admitting our weakness, we affirm God’s strength. Max Lucado in his book Grace shares: “A thorn in the flesh. Such vivid imagery. The sharp end of a thorn pierces the soft skin of life and lodges beneath the surface. Every step is a reminder of the thorn in the flesh. The cancer in the body. The sorrow in the heart. The child in the rehab center. The red ink on the ledger. The felony on the record. The craving for whiskey in the middle of the day. The tears in the middle of the night. The thorn in the flesh.

 

“Take it away,” you’ve pleaded. Not once, twice, or even three times. You’ve out prayed Paul. He prayed a sprint; you’ve prayed the Boston Marathon. And you are about to hit the wall at mile nineteen. The wound radiated pain, and you see no sign of tweezers coming from heaven. But what you hear is this: “My grace is sufficient for you.”

 

Grace takes on an added dimension here. Paul is referring to sustaining grace. Saving grace saves us from sins. Sustaining grace meets us at our point of need and equips us with courage, wisdom, and strength. It surprises us in the middle of our person transatlantic flights with ample resources of faith. Sustaining grace promises not the absence of struggle but the presence of God.”

 

As I watch Dan leaning toward heaven, I also see the legacy he is leaving behind. I see his unique spiritual depth, his coworkers faith in God’s goodness. I see the indelible impact he has made in my life. He is graciously allowing God to show forth His power to the rest of us. Yes, it is agonizing to see our loved ones suffer. God shows the futility of the sin filled world is only a passing phase for the eternity of glory awaiting us. So let us draw closer to the Lord who loves us and redeems us. Yes, we will all one day meet back together without our pain, heartache and suffering in HIS glorious presence.

 

Our God is an awesome God in spite of our struggles on the earth. Let me close with what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:8,
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

 

Enjoy the beautiful fall and rejoice in Him. Have a wonderful Fall.

 

God Bless.
In Christ’s steps,

Pastor Shaker

 

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness with it.” -Lamentations 3:22-23

 

Jeremiah points out that God will be faithful every step of the way. This book is about the lamentation of the prophet as he watched the way the Israelites were not responding to God’s guidance. So Jeremiah forces himself to bring truth to the forefront of his thinking. He realizes that if he does not think positively of God’s goodness he could be drawn into discouragement, despair and bitterness. Although Jeremiah is aware of the plight of the people, he understands that it is of their own making.

 

Jeremiah focused his mind so he could break out of this pattern and cycle of despair. What Jeremiah did was something we need to do as well. We need to engage our will and purposely focus on things other than our problems. We need to intentionally think about all the goodness we have had in God.

 

First of all we need to be thankful for our salvation. Verse 22 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” It states because of God’s great love we should not be consumed–His compassion never fails. God stands by the people He has chosen. God loves us because He promised to love us and nothing can cause Him to break his promise. As bad as we often think things are, if it were not for God, things would be much worse. We all can look back in our lives and see how God has brought us through our difficult times and circumstances. Compassion literally means “to be moved in the heart out of love for another.”

 

Verse 23 says, “They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” They are new every morning, think of this, each and every day we are given new blessings not old ones recycled. They are new and fresh every morning. God’s blessings are never too early or too late. 

 

God will give us more if we need more or if we need something else, He will give us that as well. Because His love for us is so immense He will never withhold anything. We need to remember He gave His son Jesus to die on the cross for my needs and sinfulness. His compassion will never fail.

 

How encouraging, refreshing and wonderful that we have a God who is always faithful, in spite of our shortcomings. God can be trusted. We often talk about God’s love, power and greatness but fail to rest in his assurance of His faithfulness.

 

Jeremiah saw the destruction of His beloved city, Jerusalem, His people taken into captivity. It would have been easy for him to question God, but Jeremiah says “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

 

God is consistent in His character. God is Holy, God is merciful, God is truth, God is love. There is no change in Him. Psalm 33:4 says, “For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.” God is faithful to say He is true to His word.

 

We can rest assured that God always keeps His promises. There is no greater hope than knowing that God is totally reliable.

 

I praise God for His mercies each morning. We may be faint and weary but our Heavenly Father is all powerful, His feelings are steady. He is unchangeable. The song “Great is Thy Faithfulness” sums it up all for me.

 

What an encouragement to live for Him no matter what our needs are. We can count on God’s faithfulness. We are hoping to have a great fall. Hope you enjoy the change of colors and glorify God’s blessings.

 

In Christ’s steps,

Pastor Shaker