Yesterday morning we sat out on a deck overlooking the oceanfront here in North Carolina.  I was reading in the book of Numbers (still stuck in that book J) and Karen was reading a hymn . . . when she asked “what is surety?”  -the hymn she was reading was “Arise, My Soul, Arise” - #129 in the Favorite Hymns of Praise book.  We talked some on this, then I looked up the term and felt inspired to write the following commentary.  How does one go about posting stuff like this on the Glenvale blog / website?

The hymn “Arise, My Soul Arise”, (#129 in Favorite Hymns of Praise) notes “Before the throne my surety stands . . .”

What is surety?

1: the state of being sure: as a : sure knowledge : certainty b : confidence in manner or behavior : assurance

2a : a formal engagement (as a pledge) given for the fulfillment of an undertaking : guarantee b : a basis of confidence or security

3: one who has become legally liable for the debt, default, or failure in duty of another

My surety, Jesus, stands before the throne of God.

You see, there is a formal engagement between me and God.  This formal engagement involves several key points, each of which requires specific performance from the other party.  God has agreed to adopt me back into His family as a child.  God forgives the fact that I had wandered far away from Him.  I agree to live for Him, be a reflection of Him, consistently orient myself in His direction, and point others to Him.

The problem that presents itself in this engagement is that God has no basis for confidence that I, as a person, will be able to satisfactorily perform the activities required of my by this engagement.  My best efforts are simply not enough to be holy as God is holy. So, as in any formal engagement where one party to a contract needs some assurance of the fulfillment of the terms and conditions of the contract, surety is required.  Someone who has more credibility than the primary party to the contract needs to stand in and provide a guarantee.  Someone who has more capacity than the primary party needs to commit that capacity to be drawn upon in the event of a default by the primary party.

The contract I have signed with God is one which I have little capacity to fulfill.  Unfortunately, when I fail to fulfill the specific activities of this engagement, I rightly earn the wrath of God, resulting in an engagement which is completely broken.

Jesus stands before the throne of God as my surety.  He pleads with God on my behalf and brings fulfillment of the terms of the engagement.  In Him, I experience the fulfillment of God’s promises of forgiveness.

James Good CLU®, CFP®, ChFC®

TITHE A PART OF YOUR TIME TO THE LORD…

 

             As I was doing some church work at Trinity Reformed Church this morning, the Lord whispered an idea to me: “Ask my people to tithe a part of their time to me”. I was stopped in my tracks. The Lord loves us so very much; He would love for us to come into His presence often, yet I truly believe that He desires for us to at least begin with a tithe of our time each week. Maybe some of that time can be spent praying, reading God’s word and attending church services on Sunday. God knows we all get so very busy, especially during the summer months when it’s so nice outside. But wouldn’t it be great if we could make sure to go to our prayer closet, get alone with God, and praise Him for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us? Could we just attend Sunday service in honor of Him and worship Him as He alone deserves? I know a lot of people dedicate several hours a week to watching their favorite television programs—they wouldn’t miss them for anything. How about dedicating several hours on Sunday to praising our God—you know, He deserves some of our time more than anything or anyone else.

            A tithe isn’t really all that much if you think about it. And just think of the pleasure you give to God as you spend time with Him. He does truly love you, and He loves so much spending time with you. I truly encourage you all this day to really consider giving God a tithe of your time as you start your walk with Him. And as you get to know Him, I can guarantee you that you will be spending so much more time in His presence—in fact, you will want to. His love is perfect—He  can soothe our pain, and heal us in all ways; and He will never leave you nor forsake you. Just take a few minutes even now to get before the Lord and praise Him. You will feel better, your day will go better, and God will be so excited you stopped by.

            All, by the way, don’t give your time because you feel YOU HAVE TO; but rather, give of your time because YOU WANT TO. Let us live out Jesus’ greatest commandment, beginning with loving God with all we are. And through that love, you will find ample time to share with God; and the result will be blessings and a beautiful relationship. God bless and have a wonderful day!

 

Pastor Stacey

PRAYER—OUR DIRECT LINE TO GOD…

          Tonight I am writing to you about our communication with our God. I write this as I have been earnestly praying for my son, Jacob. He has come down with a fever that has lasted throughout the day. As many know, Jacob spent several days in the hospital over the Christmas holiday with a high fever that would not be broken. Ever since then, every time he has even a slight fever, I am on my knees praying to the Father on Jacob’s behalf. I believe in the power of prayer—I believe that God does hear our heart’s cries to Him through our prayers and He will answer us. I have faith in God’s answer coming forth in regards to Jacob’s healing from this fever. And I will continue to pray, praising and thanking God for my son’s healing and for God’s protecting hand upon my son’s life. Let me tell you folks, there’s power in prayer.

          Throughout my life I have done quite a bit of praying. I find comfort in knowing that God is actually listening to me, and that He cares enough about me to answer my concerns. He truly loves me; He truly loves you too. God’s heart is to love His children and that includes you. His desire is that we come to Him in prayer, seeking to know Him intimately. Our heavenly Father tells us in His word to come boldly before His throne with our petitions, our prayers; He truly loves our wanting to communicate with Him. You were created in order to have a personal relationship to God—His intent has always been that we would come to Him and talk to Him as a child does to his earthly mother or father. Don’t ever be afraid to start a conversation with the Lord; in fact, wherever you are right now, I encourage you to pray with all your heart. God is very interested in how your day is going; He loves to hear you tell Him how much you love Him and need Him. Friends, I encourage you this day to stop what you are doing right now and tell the Lord how much you love Him. Share your heart and then listen to His reply. He will speak to you. Prayer is a two way street—sometimes we forget that. Remember to take time to listen to your heavenly Father; this truly shows Him just how much you love and respect Him.

          As I close, I ask  you to consider Jesus, the true prayer  warrior. As He lived on this earth as a man, He was in constant prayer with His heavenly Father. He had an intimate relationship, one-on-one, with His Father. He relied on God, depended on Him through prayer for strength and encouragement. Jesus is our role model as one who knew the importance of talking  to God and staying focused on and reminded of His ministry through this constant conversation with God. We can be like Jesus; we can have that direct line to God when we willingly pray from the heart. I urge you to pray as much as you can, not because you have to, but because you want to know God  in a personal way. Remember, the line is always open; just open up your heart and let the Lord in, and you will find rest for your soul, peace of mind and total contentment in the Lord. God bless you this day!

Pastor Stacey

THE VALIDITY OF GOD’S WORD…

          This topic ought to raise some questions from fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. The Lord woke me up this morning and placed this topic on the forefront of my mind. How valid is the word of God for today’s society? When you read God’s word, does it make a difference in your life for today; can you apply what you read to all areas of your life? The issue needs to be discussed…

          Throughout my life, I have heard a lot if interpretations of the word of God; many Christians see the word of God from a different frame of mind from one another. Some say it’s all true, some say not; some say it all applies to our lives, while others say not so. Ponder the idea for a moment: is the word of God valid in your life as your guide, is it the living word of God for today, is it truly the Son of God breathed into our lives so that we live by the truth and with integrity?

          I truly believe that God’s word is valid for today—100%, and that we as Christians must live this word out in our daily lives. It’s not just a history book, though it holds a lot of history; it’s not just a good, moral book to read; rather, it is living and it does apply to our lives. It’s funny to me that some people will take certain parts of the word of God and say, “Well, that part was written for that specific time period, and it doesn’t really apply to today’s society”. Okay, if that be the case, then what God wrote about salvation through Jesus Christ; does that apply today, or was that just for the first century Christians? My point is: do we apply all God’s word to our lives, or just what we pick and choose? Let’s look at 2 Timothy for a minute; “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Hmmm… My  thoughts are as I read God’s word, that is if I apply this scripture to my life, that God’s word IS VALID and we must live all of it out in our daily lives. Think about this also; the book of John begins by saying that  Jesus is the word of God, correct? The Bible also says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever—He does not change. (Hebrews 13:8) Well, if Jesus Christ is the word of God, and He does not change, and we profess Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, should we not apply the very words of God Almighty to our daily lives? The answer is a resounding, “Yes!!!”. When we give God’s word full authority in our lives, when we respect what He has to say to us, when we respect who Jesus Christ is—the living word of God and our Lord and Savior, WE WILL BE BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE! It’s as simple as that. But, be honest, how many of those you know who profess to be Christians, really are willing to live totally by the word of God? The Bible is black and white—I’ve never seen any gray  areas in it, yet, so many  people seem to find loopholes to go through so that they can live the way of the world, and still profess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We need to stand up for the word of God; we need to profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior with all integrity; we must live lives that honor and respect our God; and we must not compromise the word of God! I truly believe in this day and age, brothers and sisters in Christ need to make a stand for what the word of God says, and we must live it out. We  can not continue to water down His word, and expect to be blessed. The world is looking for hope; we need to give it to them—we need to stand out like a light on the hilltop; we need to be the salt of the earth, purifying everything we touch with the words we speak; we need to be unique, different; we need to be holy and set apart for the work of God, which is fulfilling God’s most holy word.

          I encourage everyone this day to apply the word of God in your life. The word of God is alive and is sharper than a two-edged sword; it is the sword of the Spirit with which we fight the enemy of our souls. Without this precious word of God, where would any of us who believe be? But with it, we are freed from satan’s deception, and through it we find our Savior. Live the word of God; and you will change into a child of the living God. Your life will never be the same, and your life will affect many with the truth; for people will see Jesus Christ in you. May God bless you this day.

Pastor Stacey

            Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Remembering the brave…

I’m sure everyone is aware of Memorial day weekend approaching; a time when families get together and have picnics, reminisce of the good-ole days and relax, relax, relax. I’m not really sure that we do on that day what we are supposed to do: remember those brave souls who gave freely of themselves so that we could have liberty; so that we could serve God Almighty without severe persecution, such as dying for our faith. Yet, we must remember each and every person who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that those of us here in the greatest nation of all could be free to worship as we do.

Remember how just a few years ago the veterans of WWII fought to have a memorial put in place in Washington D.C. to remember the folks who gave their lives for a cause bigger than themselves—to win the victory over evil, to protect the world from prejudice and hatred of their fellow man? They have received their memorial; and it is well deserved. You know, I just recently read that some 60 million people lost their lives in that war—and 6 million of those were Jews. Many Americans fought the good fight of faith to protect this land from the enemy and won one of the greatest battles ever and have shown that this is indeed a country of courage, strength and religious freedom. By the way, let us not forget the prayers of the brave wives and mothers of all those soldiers, who were constantly on their knees praying for safety for their boys and victory for the troops. God answered their prayers; and freedom, at least here in the United States, was preserved. As I said earlier, we need to remember our brave brothers and sisters in Christ for their sacrifice for a cause much bigger than themselves. To each of them I say, “Thank you friends for your commitment to freedom here in the United States and even around the world.”

You know, we need to remember someone else who set us free from evil and the tyranny of darkness in this world. He alone, single handedly, gave His life as an ultimate sacrifice for our sin, so that we would have liberty from sin and death. He is a hero of all times; and He did it selflessly, humbly, and without regard to the pain and death He would have to face. Jesus Christ was considered by many to be meek and gentle; yet He was fearless and strong, courageous and willing to give Himself freely so that His friends, His children—that’s you and me—would be able to be set free from the fear of death and so that we would victorious over the sins of our past. We are free, praise God, and we MUST praise and honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for our freedom. Look at Galatians 5:1 for a moment: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Paul was encouraging the Galatians to stand firm in their freedom in Christ from the former way of life they used to live; and not to return to the old ways of living that did not give them freedom. Again, remember what Christ has done for you, for we also need to stand firm; stand firm against the attacks of the enemy who desperately wants us to fall back into our old lives of unrighteous living without Jesus Christ. REMEMBER that God has provided grace through the blood of Jesus Christ in order that you and I will be free of past sins; free from the bondage of slavery to the same old demons of the past, whatever they may be. Today, you can be set free—just look to Christ for that freedom. Remember His ultimate sacrifice, the only one needed for our sins, the only one that could save our unworthy souls from eternal darkness. Praise God this day, praise Him for Jesus Christ; I mean really praise Him! Get down on your knees wherever you are and thank Him! Remember His death on the cross; remember that our sin put Him there. Now…, remember His life, His resurrection from death to life eternal. Praise God, He is alive and He gives us life, eternal life—all we need to do is surrender our lives to Him this day.

 Let me ask you readers; have you given your life to Jesus Christ this day? I pray that you will. This Memorial day, let us remember the brave men and women who sacrificed everything for our freedom in America; but let us most importantly remember Jesus Christ for His ultimate sacrifice. He loves you so very much…He gave His all for you…Ask Him into your heart this day; recommit your life to Him, and always remember God’s sacrifice of His perfect, sinless Son.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” These words are words to be remembered and shared with all. Share the power of Jesus Christs’ sacrifice with your friends and neighbors this day; and revolutionize the world with Jesus’ love. Make a difference in someone else’s life this day. Remember, life’s not about you, it’s about Him—Jesus Christ. Live life to its fullest—be set free today. Have a blessed Memorial Day! God bless you all!

--Pastor Stacey

Welcome Pastor Stacey

Have you ever  wondered if your life could be something better or more than it is?  Do you ever feel like you are defeated all the time?  I have felt that way frequently in the past and have just run through a streak where I felt that way again.  Pastor Larry gave me a book entitled Grace Walk.  It certainly helped me see things in a different light.  It helped me take the focus off the law, right and wrong and put it on grace, relationship and love.

I have been learning that many of the things I was taught at a legalistic church were wrong and binding.  The focus was always on right, wrong and rules rules  rules.  No movies.  No dancing.  No cards.  No alcohol.  Do this.  Do that.  Read the Bible 1 hour a day.  Pray longer.  Do more.  Be more.  A performance based religion.  I  am learning that is not what God intended.  Not at all.

Get the book.  Read it.  Let's talk about it.

Scott