Author: pastorscottwordofgracefellowship

I was challenged recently by a contractor who happened to notice the end-times timeline on the wall as he walked through the church building.  He spent a considerable amount of time attempting to persuade me that not only can we not possibly know what God has planned, but that those of us who spend time studying eschatology (future things) lose touch with meeting the needs of the people that Jesus came to save in the first place.  He likened it to those who are so concerned with their own personal holiness that they build tower walls to separate themselves from the world and have no impact on it.  It was a lively debate and I certainly hope we weren’t paying him hourly…. But it did remind me of something in Pastor Grout’s recent blogs that said that we shouldn’t be too quick to brush off criticism without first seeing if any of it is merited.

Am I so preoccupied with being right about doctrine, including eschatology, that I’m not involved in doing good things in people’s lives?  Or am I so concerned about remaining unstained by the world that I have no contact with the world for whom Christ died?  The answer for me, and I contend for all of us, is “NO!”  Even if we really are completely disconnected from doing good and from loving people, it’s NOT because we are too highly focused on doctrine and/or holiness.  It might be that our lives are too crowded.  It might be timidity.   It might be laziness, or selfishness, or ______.  But it’s not holiness and it’s not “looking for the blessed hope” that keeps the “Good News” bottled up inside of us!

Let’s look at a familiar text:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.  It trains us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.   He gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good.  Titus 2:11-14 New English Translation (NET Bible)

Looks to me, that If I’m living the way God intended, God’s grace not only saves me, but it trains me to live a more holy life, it encourages me to look forward to His coming and will make me zealous for good works!!

Beloved, with the Holy Spirit living in us, not only can we walk and chew gum at the same time – we are supposed to!

Blessings,

Pastor Scott

All of our cars have some flex in their undercarriage.  Not because any municipality sets out to make a bad road, but because wear, tear, and weather make roads bad.  It’s so common to find a rough spot that our vehicles are designed to accommodate them.   The truth is roads aren’t the only place we can find imperfection.  If we look hard enough, we can find fault with our neighbor’s lawn, our friend’s laugh, our brother’s parenting style, our churches carpet selection; the list goes on.  I don’t even need to have a gift for it, criticism and fault finding is easy.  In fact, if I put my mind to it, I can disparage anyone or anything.  The Triune God is the ONLY perfect being in the universe and I bet if we took a poll 50% of respondents would take issue with His choices!

Let’s choose to be different.  Let’s stop doing the easy thing, the natural thing.  Let’s let our conversation be seasoned with salt, giving grace to all who hear (Col 4:6).  Let’s make sure our words are edifying, not destructive (Eph 4:29).  And let’s see if we can make the Golden rule apply to our words and our thoughts, even as we do our actions.   It’s too easy, at least for me, to gripe or complain to a brother about a brother, which is just makes me a gossip (literally a terrorist – James 3:5-6).  So, just as we teach our children, I – and perhaps many of my readers – need to learn again, to tell my troubles to God, and speak words of encouragement to others!*

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Scott

*Of course there are times when an individual can benefit from reproof, correction, or instruction, but speaking with the individual is more helpful than speaking about the individual.  🙂

Years ago, the pastors here each had a group of men that prayed with them one morning a week.  We also had a group of men and women who gathered before the Sunday morning service and prayed for the service, particularly for the souls of those attending to be healed, or grown, or saved, and for people who had been invited that week to attend, etc.  The following clipping from an old “Our Daily Bread” served, in part, as the impetus.

Five young college students were spending a Sunday in London, so they went to hear the famed C.H. Spurgeon preach. While waiting for the doors to open, the students were greeted by a man who asked, “Gentlemen, let me show you around. Would you like to see the heating plant of this church?” They were not particularly interested, for it was a hot day in July. But they didn’t want to offend the stranger, so they consented. The young men were taken down a stairway, a door was quietly opened, and their guide whispered, “This is our heating plant.” Surprised, the students saw 700 people bowed in prayer, seeking a blessing on the service that was soon to begin in the auditorium above. Softly closing the door, the gentleman then introduced himself. It was none other than Charles Spurgeon.

As so often happens, schedules change and one thing gets pushed aside for another. However, we are in a new place and we need to make new traditions, even if some of them are really very old (Acts 12:12; 1 Timothy 2:1-8).  I plan to start a “Heating Plant” ministry beginning in late October. It will likely run from 8:30-9:00am on Sunday mornings, and will be open for all comers, even if you only have 5 minutes to drop in (location TBA).

There are two things I’d like to challenge each of us to do in the intervening weeks: (1) Pray about whether or not you have the margin in your Sunday morning to be part of the Core Prayer Team. (2) Strongly consider attending the Sunday Night Prayer meeting or helping us grow that ministry by multiplying it – start one in your own home!!   

“My House shall be called a House of Prayer” – Jesus

Blessings,

Pastor Scott

As I was prepping to preach on the Harlot of Babylon, I read a number of defenses of adulterous relationships that contained the phrase, “You can’t help who you fall in love with.”  I have also heard that phrase on TV and used in defense of homosexual and even pedophiliac relationships.  “It’s not a choice. you can’t help with whom you fall in love!  After I picked up on this pattern I wanted to yell back at the author, “Yes, you can!”  Just run, don’t walk, away!  Of course some, these tend to be God-less people making these arguments and I’m the pastor of a local body who wants to grow in grace a truth, so with combating temptation in mind, I direct your attention to this study from 1992.  Pay special attention to the causes and cures in the final paragraph!

A recent survey of Discipleship Journal readers ranked areas of greatest spiritual challenge to them:

1. Materialism.
2. Pride.
3. Self-centeredness.
4. Laziness.
5. (Tie) Anger/Bitterness.
6. (Tie) Sexual lust.
7. Envy.
8. Gluttony.
9. Lying.

Survey respondents noted temptations were more potent when they had neglected their time with God (81 percent) and when they were physically tired (57 percent). Resisting temptation was accomplished by prayer (84 percent), avoiding compromising situations (76 percent), Bible study (66 percent), and being accountable to someone (52 percent).

Discipleship Journal, November / December, 1992.

Blessings,

Pastor Scott

A trip to the zoo with 1 & 3 year old grand-daughters re-enlightened me to the benefits and dangers of generalizing or labeling.  It’s phenomenal that a 20 month old can recognize that a 600 lb African lion is a kitty.  It’d be horrifying if she was able to try to pet him.  Labeling, generalizing, help us to understand things like; cats are cats, and a Yugo and a Lamborghini are both cars.  The problem, is that generalizations and labeling also can cause us to treat people as part of a group instead of as individuals for whom Jesus died.

As I was poking through my files looking for a good illustration, I found this, instead? 🙂

When Oxford and Cambridge Universities decided to admit commoners as students in the 1600s, the unprecedented flood of new innovative thought had a tremendous impact on British society. Each student was listed on the record by name and title. The commoners’ names were listed with the Latin inscription, Sine Nobilitate, meaning Without Nobility. The abbreviation was S. Nob., which within the rigid class systems of the time had both positive and negative connotations. The word “snob” is still in use today.

Bits & Pieces, June 25, 1992.

Our founding Fathers gave us the positive prospects of pursuing happiness. Be reminded again of their statement in The Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…

The founders understood their limitations; they could not guarantee happiness to all who followed them in declaring  independence, they could only give them the right to pursue happiness.

And what is happiness? The dictionary defines it as a state of well being and contentment…pleasuarable satisfaction…. Someone has suggested that happiness is dependent on “happenings” ie..If my health is good and my bills are paid and I have supportive friends and my circumstances are pleasant, then, I am happy.

I give you a far superior view of happiness in the following words:   and whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he.  Proverbs 16:20.   These words from wise Solomon came many centuries before Christ.

whoever trusts….This opens up the blessing of happiness to the whole human family. Happiness isn’t just for a few who qualify.

whoever trusts….what connects us to source of happiness is our faith. We don’t find happiness by trying;  we find it  by trusting!

whoever trusts….in the LORD, happy is he.  The object of our faith is the Sovereign Lord of the universe. Happiness is defined and experienced not by what we have, but rather by Who we have!  This LORD is present with us in all of life and will make us happy even in times of great distress….Remember, our happiness is not dependent on happenings!  Amen?

Pastor Wendell Grout

(Pastor Grout was the pastor of our church in the 50’s and 60’s.  He and his wife are now retired in Loveland Colorado.  He gave me permission to steal his blogs, but my conscience requires me to give him credit!  I hope, you will all take serious consideration of the fact that no matter what circumstances {happenings} we face – happiness can ALWAYS be found in trusting the LORD because He doesn’t ever change! – Pastor Scott)

A missionary friend who served in the Philippines heard a local pastor use the following parable to illustrate Christ’s offer of rest (Matt. ll:28) and the response of people who won’t trust Him completely:

The driver of a carabao wagon was on his way to market when he overtook an old man carrying a heavy load. Taking compassion on him, the driver invited the old man to ride in the wagon. Gratefully the old man accepted. After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the man was doing. To his surprise, he found him still straining under the heavy weight, for he had not taken the burden off his shoulders.

I gotta tell ya, that one hit me right between the eyes!  It’s almost as if I can hear my Savior say, “I didn’t say cast ‘some’ of your burdens upon me!”

Because of Grace,

Pastor Scott

Last Monday night I helped my daughter hang some items on her walls.  One of them was a four-foot long shelf that when eyeballed from beneath looked level in one position, but when eyeballed from across the room looked crooked.  OF COURSE, the reader knows one can’t trust your eyes when affixing anything permanent.  We needed a level, AKA a “rule.”   Once we put the level on it, we KNEW that even if it didn’t “look” or “feel” right from either view, it was right because the level said so.

I wonder why since know we can’t trust our eyes to know if a picture frame or 2×4 is straight, we think that we can trust our heart to know if a point of view is straight?  Should we be living according to how we feel or according to what God says?

Of course the answer is “according to what God says.”  But here’s what I learned from hanging that shelf.  It’s easier to not bother carrying the level.  It’s easier (humbling) to not bother to consult the level.  No one would even notice the first couple of times you hung something crooked.  And, probably, once a lot of things are crooked, you wouldn’t even bother to hang anything straight…. until it all falls down.

Just a thot,

Pastor Scott

There is a lyric from a contemporary* Christian song that I have often quoted when training leaders or teachers.  It says, “It’s not my ability that is His main concern; it’s my availability and willingness to learn.”  In my view if God calls me or even puts me into a situation, God will be the one that enables me to do His will.  So if God nudges you to help hang invitations on doors in the neighborhood, or He nudges you to sign up to work in the Good news club or help tutor kids after school, or even to go across the street and invite your neighbors over for pie (and Jesus); He will enable you!  You ask me how I know?  Because once upon a time God used a donkey – and if He can use a donkey, He most certainly can use me!

Pastor Scott

*I use this word advisedly.  The song was on a 1987 Petra album.  Pretty “rockin’” in its day, maybe not really contemporary 31 years later.  J

Yesterday morning I ended the service with a time of corporate prayer; asking for God’s help in our mission and in our finances.  I will return to the topic of prayer, but first, because of that prayer time I neglected the post-message Q&A on Revelation Chapter 7 (#truthwgrace).

Question #1: Why are the 144,000 relevant? Why are they mentioned? Why do they matter?

We can only speculate on why God chooses to seal 12 x 12,000 – He seems to hold “12” as a very significant number when it comes to people, but if scripture ever declares why He does so, I’m not aware of it.  As far as the Jews playing a significant role in the Tribulation; I would say that it’s because it really is all about them (Daniel 9:26-27; Jeremiah 30:7).  I would also submit that these 144,000 Jews are finally going to get to do what Israel was always supposed to do: “be a light for the whole world.”  Starting with God’s covenant with Abraham and ending with Paul’s plea in Romans 15 – Israel was always supposed to be instrumental in bringing the Gentiles into a relationship with God.  Finally, I would submit that God is keeping His covenant with Israel (Romans 11:28-36) by bringing them back into Gospel preaching prominence.

Question #2 Who are the Elders referenced in v. 11? And who are the four living creatures?

I believe the Elders are human – not angels; angels don’t wear crowns – and I believe that the 24 are made up of the 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 Apostles.  I believe that the four living creatures (described in much more detail in chapter 4) are the Seraphim of Isaiah 6 that Isaiah saw as God’s heavenly attendants.  I believe that they are so overwhelmingly super-human, that John could only call them “creatures.”

Getting back to prayer – maybe Peter said it best….