Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving as you’re seated,

At the table, in your place,

And you bow your head in humbleness,

Prepared to offer grace,

Don’t thank Him just for what is there,

Before you on the platter,

For these are just the extras,

And they really do not matter,

What are the blessings we recall,

Where do we even start?

The answer to this question lies,

Deep down inside the heart,

I can only answer for

Myself and so you see,

The thanks I offer Him this year,

Is relative to me.

I’m thankful for the freedom

Of this nation where we live,

And for the military and

The sacrifice they give,

The firemen, policemen,

And the teacher in the school,

For democracy in action that

Allows each one to rule,

I am thankful for the food we eat,

For we are truly blessed,

Clean water, and the air we breathe,

My bed wherein I rest,

For homes to shelter, clothes to wear,

The shoes upon my feet,

And for the ones that share my life,

This blessing’s extra sweet,

For health and wealth the world can know,

But only in their dreams,

We have it so abundantly,

We’re bursting at the seams,

Yes I’m thankful for His blessings,

He’s bestowed upon this nation,

But most of all I’m thankful for

His offer of salvation,

His willingness to die for me,

That I be cleansed of sin,

That someday I might hear His voice,

As he says, “enter in”.

So as you bow your heads this year,

Prepared to do your part,

Don’t speak to Him with just your mind,

But open up your heart.

Author unknown

Getting past your doubts

Did you know that self doubt robs us of our dreams, damages our heart and numbs the mind into believing we are not good enough. Doubt will disable your ability to share the Gospel or even help in the Ministry

Conscious or not, we all have experienced doubt in our heart that keeps telling us to stop what we are doing because we just don’t have what it takes.

How do we overcome doubt?

1. Quit assuming things – I can’t is an assumption. Why? Because you can’t possibly tell if you haven’t given your best yet. The next time you say those words, try to reflect if you have actually tried your best.

2. Stop comparing – Comparing drives us for action. But if you were to compare to yourself with someone who is much better than you, you might be in for a disappointment.

3. It's ok to fail – Success is when you got up from your last failure and continued walking for the Lord.

4. Listen to learn and Learn to Listen - Learning to listen empowers you learn God's way. When you listen it removes doubt through the Word of God. The very first scripture I learned was Phlippians 4:13 (read it and learn it).

5. Stop listening to others – Healthy criticism is one that improves you and the only one you should listen to. Always be on a lookout for the nay sayers. You can identify them by their consistent negative comments on whatever you plan to do and will not offer a better idea.

6. Stop thinking like a coward – You need to rid yourself of the thought of not winning and get back to work.

7. Focus – Quit thinking about things you have no control over and instead focus on things you do have control over.

Self doubt will try to imprison you by your own restrictions. A restriction that never actually existed other than through your very own mind.

Church membership is more than showing up

Have you ever wondered why some people in the Church do most of the work and the rest let them? When I got saved in 1986 almost immediately I was involved in the Church doing bus ministry, car washes, Bible Studies and just about anything else that would come up. I noticed a group in the Church that would come out on Sunday and do the Church thing and then vanish until the next service. This group refused to participate in anything outside of the Sunday Service. I recently was observing that even in Solid Rock some folks just don't want to be a part of outreach and evangelism in our area. We currently are getting for our 1st annual fall fest here in Harvard and I must say that just about everyone in the Church is involved in this event and I expect God to do a great work in our community. Sister Gardner is the most involved member of Solid Rock as she spends countless hours working on projects and outreach in our Church along with our members is really making a difference in our outreach into the community. We are celebrating our 18th year here at Solid Rock Community Church and believe God has a great work for us.

Go back and tell them.....I am still standing for God

God continues to amaze me with his blessings as we continue to experience his revival and re-focus in the ministry.

I remember my very first sermon "Trusting in God a Good Investment" back in 1988. Now we are in the year 2009 and I am still standing for God. The Lord has kept me since I got saved back in 1986. Over the years I have seen many souls saved and have Baptized many new converts in the precious Name of Jesus Christ.

We began a new work in Palatine in 1991 and I still Pastor the same Church today. I have raised my Children in the faith and have seen my grand kids Baptized and some filled with the Holy Ghost over the years. I have watched my sons enter the ministry and experienced the heartaches as the moved on to other Churches.

My wife and I have been blessed to fellowship with some of the greatest fathers of the Apostolic Church over the years.

We have learned much and have trusted the Lord in the Good times and the hard times.

So, to all my friends and even those who have tried to destroy me and my family, go back and tell them that......

I am still here and I am still standing on the promises of God.
Go tell them that I still preach the Word.
Go tell them that I still believe in the Apostolic faith.
Go tell them that for Jesus I live and for him I die.

Go tell them that I am still standing !!!!

The old ways were right

Some Old ways are still the best ways.

This writing came from an Old time preacher.

I liked the old paths, when our Mom's were at home and Dads were at work.
Sisters got married BEFORE having children!
Crime did not pay; Hard work did;And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook;Dads would work;Children would behave.

Husbands were loving;Wives were supportive;And children were polite.

Women looked like ladies;Men looked like gentlemen;And children looked decent.

People loved the truth,And hated a lie;They came to church to get IN, Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly; Sermons sounded helpful; Rejoicing sounded normal;And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked;Drinking was evil;And divorce was unthinkable.

The flag was honored;America was beautiful;And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public;Prayed in school; And preached from house to house

To be called an American was worth dying for;To be called a Christian was worth living for; To be called a traitor was a shame!

Sex was a personal word.
Homosexual was an unheard of word,And abortion was an illegal word.

Preachers preached because they had a message;And! Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!

Preachers preached from the Bible;Singers sang from the heart; And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!

A new birth meant a new life;Salvation meant a changed life;Following Christ led to eternal life.

Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God; Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord; Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus; And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!

Laws were based on the Bible;Homes read the Bible;And churches taught the Bible.

I have been observing how some modern day preachers seem to be more interested in so called new revelations and directions in their Ministries.

I watched a fellow Pastor sing an old song about the old preacher and how the Preachers were more interested in new converts,Than new clothes and new cars.God was worshiped;Christ was exalted;And the Holy Ghost was respected.

Church was where you found Christians On Sunday, rather than in the garden,working, fishing, on the golf course,Or being entertained somewhere else.

I still like the old paths the best!

Standing on his Promises

Did you know that God has made many promises in the Word for his people?

In my life all that has happened has been covered by the Blood of Jesus. We have an inheritance to all that God has promised us. When he gave to Abraham the New Covenant. Many are listed in Deuteronomy; He lists all of the benefits for those who walk in obedience to Him.

Did you know that there are things that no doctor or person could help us with ? When we receive our miracle, we know the Lord continues to bless us. God has already provided us with promises for every need we will ever need, so that we could not only look to Him for them, but so that we could put our faith in him and know without a doubt God has the answer.

Standing on His Word for His Promises

We need to understand how to, or the importance of standing on, God's word for His promises. When we believe for the Lord to move in our lives, we must find two or three scriptures that agree with us. In His Word, He states that where two or more agree, it shall be done. For this reason, when we pray His word, we are praying the results, rather than on the problem. We are believing Him for the answer by relying on God.

Don't Take his Word Out of Context!

Never take his word out of context... never twist the true meaning of scriptures into what you want it to mean, because that is clearly false. In this area, that is what the enemy uses to confuse us. If you do not know whether a certain scripture is for the purpose you would like to use it for, then ask God to reveal it to you.

Be Careful What You Say: "Bless" and do not "Curse"

The words that we speak are powerful. The Lord warned us that we will be responsible for every idle word that comes out of our mouth. If you speak doubtful words, you can literally block answers to your own prayers! His angels could be on their way with the answer, and you could speak doubt from being tired of waiting, and bind them from your lack of faith.

God's Will is His Word .

When you pray the Word, you pray the will of God, and the answer rather than focusing on the problem. If we are instructed to do what Jesus did, we need to learn how to speak the "end from the beginning". When you pray the promises, you pray the answers.God's word declares that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (the more we hear it, the more we believe and understand it) which is why we need to meditate on it day and night, and speak God's truth in our lives until we do it while we sleep. In other words, to stand on God's Word is to believe that He is not a man that He should lie, and that His word is truth. It is and always has been God's will for us to prosper in all things.

When Jesus said "it is my wish above everything else", that means that He is fervently stating what He wants for your life... more than anything. He loves you so much that He wants you to prosper in "all" things and to be in health, just as He wants your soul to prosper.

He came to give us an abundance of all good things, so thank Him for every good thing that He has done in your life. As you stand on His promises.

Resurrection Sunday

Resurrection Sunday is here again -- the dawn of a new morning. Many of us may have been here last year, too, for the Service. But we are not the same people we were a year ago.

We have all changed, some of us in big ways, and some in small, The flow of daily living makes it certain that, in ways big and small, our lives are different then they were 365 days ago.

Did you know that the earth's daily rotation, and it's annual orbit around the sun, are very reliable, very predictable things ?

But life itself has a way of throwing the unexpected at us. . . . Sometimes that is a blessing, a joyful thing; and sometimes that can be a difficult challenge or even a huge burden.

No matter what we may go through, in good times or in bad times, the world keeps on turning, spinning its way relentlessly around the sun. And even as it turns, the world we live in keeps changing, too. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes in ways we may find very disturbing.

But there is one thing has not changed during the past year. Jesus Christ has not changed. He is the same -- yesterday, today and forever.

He lives today as he lived then, and as he lived anew that very first Resurrection Morning, over 2,000 years ago.

A man named Alfred Ackley said it well in a hymn he wrote a little before my time, back in 1933:

"He lives, he lives, salvation to impart! "You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart."I know He lives within your hearts, too, or I doubt very much you'd be here.

In her poem, Resurrection Morning, based on a passage from John 20, Peggy Keister has already done a good job of proclaiming the Gospel . . .

I don't know that I can add very much to what she has already expressed so well, but there is one story I would like to share with you.

Consider this, and let your imagination translate the story into our own time -- perhaps even to our own community here in Harvard Illinois. These are the words of a former president of the United States, in his own reflection on the miracle of his resurrection -- the greatest miracle of all. He writes:"A young man whose father is a carpenter grows up working in his father's shop. He starts preaching on street corners and in the nearby countryside, walking from place to place, preaching all the while, even though he is not an ordained minister. He does this for three years. Then he is arrested, tried and convicted.

"There is no Court of Appeal, so he is executed at age 33, along with two common thieves. Those in charge of his execution roll dice to see who gets his clothing -- the only possessions he has. His family cannot afford a burial place for him so he is interred in a borrowed tomb. End of story?

"No. This uneducated, propertyless young man who left no written word has, for 2,000 years, had a greater effect on the world than all the rulers, kings, emperors, all the conquerors, general and admirals, all the scholars, scientists and philosophers who have ever lived -- all of them put together. How do we explain that? . . . unless he really was what he said he was."

Who do you say Jesus was?

He may yet be in our midst without our realizing it, just as he was with Mary Magdalene on that first morning, and as he would later that day appear to the two men on the road to Emmaus. How will he become known to us today? Or in the days to come? Will we seek him out as Mary Magdalene and the others did that morning? Will we look to the Risen Christ every day as our Savior, as the Lord of our lives?

Sooner or later, the Risen Lord comes to us all, and speaks our name as he did that of Mary Magdalene. When he does, will we be ready to hear him?

So many of the post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus involved the sharing of food, that it does seem a fitting and proper way to acknowledge and enjoy his presence among the living on this Easter morning. That is why the carry-in breakfast we will soon partake in is, in many ways, much more than a meal. In some ways, like Holy Communion itself, it is a Sacred Event -- as we are gifted by the Presence of God.

And I guess in the final analysis, that is the Great Message of Jesus, and the reason for our joy. Because He lives -- because Jesus is alive and active in the world by the Power of the Holy Ghost, we can enjoy His presence with us, and the new life he brings, each and every day of the year. We don't really have to wait another 365 days to celebrate his resurrection.

Each new day the Risen Lord calls on you and me -- on all who believe in the miracle of the Resurrection -- to be part of new life in Christ.

So the words of the psalmist are proven to be true: Weeping may tarry for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

May God bless you with a full realization of the Miracle we celebrate -- and always.

Alleluia! He is Risen!

Faith is the Victory in our Lives

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.8. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
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When you look at newspapers across the world they tell us that we are plagued on every side by mudslides, earthquakes, hurricanes, wars, terrorism and homicide. These are natural disasters and acts of inhumanity.

We sometimes feel helpless before the wrath of nature's elements and peoples wanton disregard for the sanctity of human life. Sometimes I wonder just where are we headed and how it can be repaired.

We become faint-hearted because we live in a generation of we want it now--we feel hindered and hampered when solutions are not within our immediate grasp. Yet, God's word will remind us that despite what it looks like on the outside, God is still working his purpose out. His response to our prayers will come.

I wonder then what should our attitude be as we wait on God? In Psams 37:7 the Psalmist encourages us to trust God and live right; to do what God wants; to dispense of our anger and to"be patient and trust the LORD" As a Bishop waiting patiently does not come easily to all of us.

We need to remind ourselves that we have already overcome the world by the Spirit that God gives us. Although it appears that evil is triumphing over good, we should not be discouraged in our quest to serve Jesus.

The aesome power that God gives us is wrapped in our faith that if anchored on Christ, produces unbelievable results. It is our faith in God that will keep us when the things around us seems to go crazy. The apostle Paul tells us that we ought to let the faith and love of Christ Jesus guide our every action (2 Timothy 1:13). Faith is the Victory when we walk by faith and not by sight.

God did it...........

Two weeks ago on Friday the 13th I went to a local Hospital for a stress test. During the test, I was running on the treadmill and was tested for problems by ultrasound. The technician and Doctor noticed that my heart was enlarged on the right side and showed me the image of my heart on the screen. This was a huge concern to my Doctor and he sent me back again to the Hospital to have a 2D Electrocardiogram on my heart. Last Sunday I told the Church about my diagnosis and my church family began to pray for God to heal me.

On Monday February 20th I arrived at the Hospital and was tested. To the surprise of the tech she saw that my heart was tested as normal. She looked at me while I layed there and said "Who told you that your heart was enlarged?" I replied to her after a moment and said "you did". She was in shock and said that my heart appears to be completly normal. I left the Hospital and my wife Maria and I proclaimed that God did it and we also praise God for this miracle in my life. Yes, God did it!!!

The Joy of Fellowship

I love to fellowship with the Saints of God. It brings strength and joy when we gather together.

“When two or more are gathered in my name, I am there also.” The Lord’s gives us the word. It’s a good word, the comfort of knowing that if we seek God’s word and seek him, we will find Him . Fellowship is an important aspect of the life of a believer.

The real benefits of Fellowship are obvious. We share time together and share God’s word with fellow believers. We receive ongoing affirmation about our walk with God. We have awesome interaction with others. I enjoy Teaching Bible Studies and Preaching God's word. It enriches my life.

God is life. God is love. Those who love him must possess His quality of life. We are to have true fellowship with Him and with each other.

In the Bible we read in 1 John 1:5-7 “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have Fellowship with Him and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light we have Fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.”

The power of believers gathering in prayer and thanksgiving is a powerful force that will be heard. When in fellowship, we are of one mind. When we are of one mind, we are within God’s will as Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 13:11: “Farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort. Be of one mind, live in peace; and the love of God and peace will be with you.”

Fellowship s an important part of a Christians life. It provides accountability, It provides a loving ear, a shoulder to lean on. Remember that two are better than one, unless, of course, the one is Jesus !

God's stimulus package

Call it a bail out or a hand out we need to quit worrying about the so called stimulus package because God has already brought America the greatest stimulus package.

You see, prayer is the greatest stimulus package that we need. We need to have God in our lives. With what our country is facing,we are going to need the power of God.

I believe that God will bless us in both to good times and the hard times. We must trust the Lord more than the problems. We all know that money solves a some of problems,but it does not solve all of our problems. I still believe in the power of prayer. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes people. There is no problem that God can't solve. God is still and will always be blessing and giving us miracles. God will continue to bring great revival and blessings t those who are called by his name.

Let's take time to pray for our Country

Wrestling for victory

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)

In the Bible we read that Paul said, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood". Our conflict is not with people, or nations, but with Satan and his demons. We need to understand that many times when people oppose us, the reason behind it is spiritual. The spirit working in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2) hates the true children of God and wants to hinder the work of God through us.

This is why there will always be certain people rising up against the children of God. Sometimes these people will be from within the church. Some of them will claim to be a Christian. We all need to be vigilant. We need to be on guard, prayerful, keeping the Word of God in our hearts and our eyes on the Lord If not, we are open to satanic attack

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We must love and forgive our human enemies, but we are to oppose the evil spirits at work behind them and use the spiritual weapons that God makes available to us.

Paul was aware of the reality of the spiritual conflict since he himself had to fight many battles with the powers of darkness in his ministry. Paul's letter to the Ephesians are relevant for us in our spiritual warfare against satan and his demons today. The spiritual realm operates in parallel to our physical world. There is some correspondence with physical geography. By this I mean, a certain geographical areas may have more or less demons or angels present at any given time.

Evil activities attract evil spirits.

Prayer, praise and faith bring God's angels on the scene and disperse demonic powers.

When we have victory in our lives the result will bring an outpouring of the power of God.

Church leaders must understand that this is the only way to revival. We are not going to have revival by entertaining people with groovy music or other cool events. We are free to do these things if it pleases the Spirit of God, but without prayer, combined with repentance,there will never be a true revival of significance. The need then in the west is that Saints and Leaders who can mobilise many to pray.

Our God is looking to Pastors for such leadership. Sure its tough in these last days. but, remember....this is war.

Jesus is God

Is Jesus God?

Why has the name "Jesus Christ" caused more division, agitation and controversy than any other name in history? Unlike any other widely followed religious leader in history, Jesus Christ made a unique claim. He declared himself God. Not a god, not god-like, but God incarnate -- the creator of the universe in human flesh. Intellectually, that's very disturbing. Spiritually, that's a direct attack on everything comfortable and coexisting in my safe little world. There are only four options for the identity of Jesus Christ. He is either a legend, a liar, a lunatic or He is Lord and God. There is little likelihood that Jesus’s claims are legend. There was not enough time for any legendary development of the story to replace what really happened. Also, if the claims Jesus made for Himself are legendary, the early Jewish opponents of Christianity would surely have charged that these claims never happened. Unlike modern skeptics, the rabbis apparently never denied that Jesus made such claims for Himself. Instead, they called Him a liar. Jesus thought of Himself as divine. According to the various gospel accounts, Jesus believed He had the power to perform miracles and the power to forgive sins. He even claimed, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).Since Jesus claimed to be God, His claims are either true or false. If false, He must have been a liar, deliberately misleading the multitudes. Or, He was a lunatic, sincerely believing Himself to be God, when in reality He was just a man. Jesus’ moral character and His willingness to die for His claim to be God have convinced most people that Jesus was not lying. Jesus’ humility and unselfish love, His intelligent communication with the crowds, and His amazing self control and composure amidst the tremendous physical and emotional stress for his betrayal and crucifixion, all point to His contact with reality. Jesus was no lunatic. Since the evidence shows that He is neither a liar nor a lunatic, then the only other alternative left is that His claim is true. Jesus is Lord and God. And that conclusion is further supported by the remarkable evidence that Jesus rose physically from the grave.

Now thats what I call a hypocrite!!

Hypocrisy (or the state of being a hypocrite) is the act of preaching a certain belief, religion or way of life, but not, in fact, holding these same virtues oneself. For example, if a person were to tell one to repent for his sins yet he never repents himself this is hypocrisy.

I have often wondered about what is a hypocrite? In 1986 shortly after becoming a Christian I experienced my first taste of a christian hypocrite. This person who I thought was so close to God really was just a plain old hypocrite. In later years after becoming a minister God revealed even more of these lost souls parading themselves around as being saved yet they had what I call a Holy Ghost vacancy in their life. As time went on over the years I see so clearly how someone can be lured into hypocrisy. First,when someone begins to attack your walk with God it would be hypocritical if the person making the claim had any sin in their lives at all. When a person claims to be a Christian and spends vast amounts of time looking at others lives and faults and spends vast amounts of time judging people then I believe that their lives must be perfect and holy which is impossible in God's eyes. I have experienced so called Christians and even my own family members who have taken their best shot at me and our ministry.(Some even boasting that they will destroy me) I wonder how God feels about them when they have made the decision to become a hypocrite. Now I must confess that the flesh is a powerful tool. With many years experience in asking God to forgive them and looking forward to a great year I will continue to pray for the Church and yes even the hypocrites.