Don’t get me wrong, I’m not hating on the celebration at all! I just don’t want us to miss the point. I’m all for the McDonalds Shamrock shake and dying the Chicago River green. But let’s not miss remembering the life of a man who impacted a nation with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Patrick’s journey has much meaning for us today. He was born to a fairly well-off family in Roman-controlled Britain around the middle of the 5th century. At 16 years old he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and sold as a slave in Ireland. For 6 years he worked as a slave, suffered greatly, but his suffering wouldn’t crush him, rather it would shape him:

“But it was here … that God first opened my heart…. God used the time to shape and mold me into something better. He made me into what I am now—someone very different from what I once was, someone who can care about others and work to help them. Before I was a slave, I didn’t even care about myself.” (1)

It’s amazing to me how God takes horrible situations and can turn them for good if we’ll allow Him. Most of the wisest, deepest souls I know have a story of pain and difficulty in their past. They would never want to walk through it again, but would also never trade all it’s produced in their life. Patrick allowed his difficult season to drive him deep into the arms of God. He allowed suffering to produce an empathy and love for people.

After 6 years of slavery, he received a word from the Lord that he would soon be set free. Several days later the Lord spoke again, ‘your ship has come in’. Patrick walked away from his captors, untouched and journeyed 200 miles to a Port city where he boarded a ship and sailed home to safety! If you’re going through the dark night of the soul in this season, I pray you are encouraged as you faithfully await the promises of God. I pray that like Patrick, your ship will come in!

Patrick arrives home and lives happily ever after………WRONG! You see Patrick was made for a purpose and a mission and so were you! God would give him a vision. A messenger that presented him with a letter entitled “The Voice of the Irish”. As he opened the letter he heard the people of Ireland crying out.”We appeal to you, come and walk among us again”. Patrick received this as his calling and mission from God. To bring the gospel to the very people that had enslaved him. He would indeed return and Ireland would never be the same. Patrick walked in his calling and mission from God and we feel his impact even today. What’s your calling? What’s your mission? How will your life impact the world around you?

This St. Patrick’s Day, I pray you have a blast and maybe even a green beer, but more than that, you’d begin to consider how God is shaping YOU and will use YOU to do great things to make a difference in your world! Cheers!!!

(1)”Embracing Grace” by Scot McKnight- pg 8

(1 Thessalonians 4:6)

If we could be honest, certain sections of scripture can be like reading through the phone book. The endless genealogies, architectural plans, Levitical laws at times make you want to just flip the page (if Christians did such things!) I recently hit a rough patch reading about the building of the wall in Nehemiah when this verse caught my eye: “Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes” (Nehemiah 3:16)

What is this “House of Heroes”?! Most commentaries believe it was where the great King David housed his “Mighty Men”. How cool is that?! I believe God is rebuilding the House of Heroes. Have you ever noticed our society has an insatiable appetite for hero stories? I mean think about it; you have Batman, Iron Man, Kung-fu Panda. Whoever you are, we love it all!

I read a statistic that said the Marvel Comic franchise grossed 11 billion dollars from 2009-2017 and that doesn’t include the recent blockbuster smash hits: Black Panther or the latest Thor and Spider-Man sequels. Hollywood is tapping into the deep longing of the human soul; let’s look at it a little deeper.

1) WE LONG TO LIVE HEROIC LIVES. I believe this longing is hard-wired in our DNA. It’s why people obsess over video games and fantasy. We read in Genesis 2 that God creates man, places him in the Garden and says “cultivate it and keep it”. The Hebrew word is literally “defend it” or “protect it”. My first question would have been, “protect it from what!!??” We find out later a deceiving serpent is present in the garden to destroy the beauty and harmony between God and man. The man would fail miserably, so God sent a Superhero who would undo all that was lost in the Garden. Before our Hero ascends to the right hand of God, He charges us, “Go and make disciples”. Jesus sends us out on a rescue mission… rescuing people from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light.

2) WE ALL WONDER IF WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES. Isn’t it crazy to see how many different superheroes there are with totally different powers? Some can fly, some are fast, and some are strong. God has given each of us a unique gift, skill, and talent designed to bring glory to God and help people. You have a gift, and you are a gift. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10)

All Superheroes have strengths and weaknesses, but when they work together… well, you get “The Avengers” right? We all have strengths and weaknesses too and when you put all these gifts together, you get “The Church!” Jesus assures us, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against us!” (Matthew 16:18)

3) WE ALL LONG FOR A SAVIOR. If you pay attention, any and every successful movie has the same storylines and themes: sacrifice, redemption, and reconciliation. We can’t get enough of these because, at the deepest level, that’s our story. The Gospel story is that of the sacrificial death of Jesus redeeming us and reconciling us back to the Father. At the cross, our HERO, Jesus Christ was absorbing the penalty for sin, and one day He will return to remove the very presence of sin! But that’s the sequel which is COMING SOON!

Halloween has become a 5 billion dollar a year industry in the United States which is alarming to me, not so much as a Pastor, but as a human being! People are decorating their lawns with ghosts and witches? They’re paying money to walk through a house that is ‘haunted’? They’re also paying money to see horror shows, where half the time you cover your eyes to not see it! All kind of strange to me, but it is what it is. In Mark Chapter 5, we see a pretty scary chapter in the life of Jesus and yet He is cool and in control. We read of a young man possessed by demons, (we find out later it’s not just 1 demon…. It’s a Legion of demons.) This young man is tormented and lives among the tombs, he cuts himself and cries out in the night. Terrifying! Jesus sails across the Sea of Galilee and lands on the shore of the Decapolis as this crazed demon possessed man comes running towards him. A man filled with a Legion of ‘un-holy’ spirits confronts Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit. Think about it, the un-holy about to clash with the Holy, who would win?! And unlike all the movies you see on TV and in Hollywood, there is no epic battle or struggle. The demon possessed man falls at the feet of Jesus and the demons beg for mercy. If movies such as the “Exorcist” were biblically accurate, that’s a short film isn’t it? “Demons out in Jesus name…credits roll, movie over!”

The same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus in His earthly ministry empowers the Christian today. “God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of POWER”. I think this Halloween Jesus would like us to put on the Spirit of Power and walk in a Holy confidence.

Back to our story in Mark 5, the demons beg Jesus not to torment them and get this………He doesn’t?! Jesus shows the demons mercy and grants their request to enter some pigs. I’m guessing if Jesus shows mercy and compassion to a Legion of demons, there is a good chance he’ll do the same for YOU! Jesus is loving, even to His enemies. The same loving spirit of Christ is dwelling inside of you. God not only gives you a Spirit of POWER but also of LOVE. What does Jesus want you to wear this Halloween………LOVE. You have the ability to not only love your friends and families, but your enemies as well.

He also wants us to put on a “SOUND MIND”. The young man set free from demons was seen sitting at the feet of Jesus “in his RIGHT MIND”. He asks to remain with Jesus. Strangely, Jesus denies his request and encourages him to return to the Decapolis (Region of 10 Gentile cities) and to testify of all Jesus has done for him. The young man did a pretty good job I’m guessing, because Mark chapter 7 informs us that crowds came from the Decapolis to see Jesus. This Halloween, let’s put on a sound mind. A mind that is aware of all Jesus has done for us, and share it with others.

While I might think Halloween is weird and dressing up is ridiculous- this is one costume I can get behind. What does Jesus want you to wear……..”A spirit of power and love and a sound mind”

He talked about their early struggles and some of life’s difficulties as a couple, but along the way he and his wife found Jesus. Their lives were radically changed because of it and they got a vision for their lives in their marriage. They realized God had given them the ability and creativity to do great things. Their goal was to lead people to the Lord and to be generous with their earnings. Joe and his wife Anna now have 5 children and run 33 McDonalds. They use their platform in business and their testimony to love and lead in a difficult world. I watched family and friends say that because of Joe and Anna’s life change, their lives got changed! The one thing I took away from all that Joe said was: don’t forget where you came from and don’t be ashamed of where you came from! God can do miracles!!!

When you dress with excellence and put thought into your outfit, it will have a lasting
impression on others. (It is also important that we are aware to dress modestly.)

Let’s look at what scripture says about dressing with excellence.

What would a ‘Well Dressed Christian’ be clothed in?
Colossians 3: 10 and 12-14: (10) and have put on the new self which is being renewed
in the knowledge in the image of its creator. (12-14) Therefore as God’s chosen people,
holy and dearly loved clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness,
and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a
grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgives you. And above all these
virtues put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our being; our character will begin to
change to become more “CHRIST LIKE”. As a Christian we must see ourselves dead to
the old sins and put them aside… to DISCARD LIKE OLD RAGS!! The apostle Paul
states that because the believer is risen with Christ, he is to put off the old man and put
on the new man.

In other words we are stripped naked of our past sins and cleansed of them, and we put
on the renewed man. The old self is confined to the “closet of the past” with its former
passions and desires, its pride and self-centeredness and we now put on or ‘clothe’
ourselves with the new self.

As God’s chosen people we get to dress up with new clothes each day. As we arise to a
new day we can clothe ourselves with the most awesome attire. We clothe ourselves
with compassion and kindness and humility and gentleness and patience.

The best part about this wardrobe is that it is available to all who put their trust in Jesus.
We can all look, and feel fabulous! However we have to take care of these new clothes
by taking responsibility of how we present ourselves. The way we do this is to be so full
of these inner qualities that they can be seen on the outside, like well- fitting attractive
clothing.

All of these virtues display the very character of Christ.

How do we go about this?

By showing compassion to those in need, by showing kindness to others and humbling
ourselves, and showing gentleness to those who may have wronged us and by showing
patience to those who have hurt or disappointed us.

We are to bear with one another by refusing to give up on each other and always be
willing to forgive.

And the final thing we put on like a fabulous coat….over all these virtues, we put on love
as this binds all of the other virtues together in perfect unity.

The perfect outfit that NEVER GROWS OLD.

Jesus, himself, taught us the two greatest commandments are to Love God and one
another.

In conclusion we must carefully clothe ourselves each day by being aware of the
impression we leave with others; we are Ambassadors of Christ; we represent Him.

So today and every day lets put on our Divine Attire.

“WHAT’S YOUR MISSION?”

I’m not much of a Tom Cruise fan, but I’ve definitely gotta give the guy props. Cruise does most of his own stunts for his widely popular “Mission Impossible” franchise. If you’re unimpressed, consider that he strapped himself to an Airbus 400 in “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation”

Literally scaled the world’s tallest building in “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”

And, if that doesn’t impress you, while filming the famous scene in which Cruise drops from the ceiling and hovers inches above the ground, his head kept hitting the floor until he got the idea to put coins in his shoes for balance.

The films have grossed approximately 3-4 billion dollars globally. It seems we are a people who love a good story about a man with a mission. In Judges 13 we read of a man who was to have a miracle son named Samson. Samson’s father Manoah asks the pivotal question we all should be asking:

And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child’s manner of life, and what is his mission?” Judges 13:12

If you’re a Christ follower, do you realize you too are a miracle baby? You’ve been “Born Again” and not just to live mundane boring lives until Christ returns, but you’ve been born for a purpose; a rescue mission………”should you choose to accept it” (sorry- I couldn’t resist!) Jesus now calls you to HIS mission of rescuing and reconciling humanity back to Himself. It is the adventure and mission we all long for and are drawn to.

The first Mission Impossible movie started shooting without a completed script. In fact, while director Brian De Palma had all of the action sequences figured out. Writers had to scramble to make up a story that could then connect the narrative dots on the fly. For Christians, the big action scenes have already been laid out. Creation, Fall, Reconciliation, and finally the Restoration of all things. As we live our lives by faith and on Mission, God is completing His script! What an adventure!!

This blog will self-destruct in 5 seconds………..

Have a great week

PA

By: Shino Prater

The most life-changing words we will speak are the ones that led to our salvation that starts with a confession of our faith.

“For if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with the heart you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10). That’s how important our words are.

Words carry either a life-giving force or a destructive one. That is why it’s important we choose our words carefully — the words we say about ourselves, other people, and the words we speak about our circumstances and the future. Everything we say in this life has an impact. Words are containers of power.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21). Your tongue has the power to build your relationships up or tear them down. I can honestly say in the 34 years I have known my husband, Jim, he has not spoken an unkind word to me. Needless to say, we have had our share of disagreements! But there is a big difference between opinions and using words as a weapon to attack, criticize, wound, accuse, or tear down.

It’s the same thing with the words you speak about yourself. If we are constantly putting ourselves down we will see ourselves in a negative light. However, when you see yourself through God’s eyes, it will build you up. The more we get to know God’s word, the more we begin to see ourselves through his eyes. Romans 10:17 says “faith comes by hearing the word of God”. I find as I speak God’s word over my life my faith grows and I start to believe what God says about me.

Problems in our life can be like mountains because they are like giant obstacles in our life. However, Jesus told us we can speak to those mountains. We need to pay attention to what we say to our mountains. We need to talk to them rather than about them. “‘Have faith in God.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea’, and does not doubt in their heart but believes what they say will happen, it will be done for them” (Mark 11:22-23). This scripture teaches us to carefully choose our words. If our words are filled with doubt and unbelief, our emotions will follow that path. However, if we speak God’s word and stand on his promises, we will be filled with faith and strength.

When Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus answered every trial with the word of God. He kept saying, “It is written…”. He quoted scriptures that addressed every lie satan tried to deceive Him with. We see this in Matthew 4:3-4. “The tempter (Satan) came to him and said, ‘If you are the son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

When we are tempted to speak negative words filled with doubt we need to catch ourselves and follow Jesus’s example and say “It is written…” It is the word of God that brings the victory we need. We need to constantly be careful not speaking words that originate in our minds and our emotions, but remind ourselves what God’s Word says about our situations.

So no matter your circumstances, no matter what others may say or what your feelings are trying to tell you; when you begin to speak life into every area of your life by declaring God’s goodness and faithfulness every day, you will be amazed to see the impact it will have.

We loved honoring the parents in our church on Mother’s & Father’s Day this year. The children sang precious songs about how our mothers love us and how our fathers are our heroes. Their sweet faces and voices melted everyone’s hearts! There were also videos featuring pictures of the kids with their moms and dads. It was a special time celebrating the wonderful parents who are raising their kids to know and love God!

BIBLE LESSONS

We love to have our kids do hands-on crafts and games during their time in children’s ministry. Recently our younger kids have learned about forgiveness, and made a suncatcher craft that says, “God helps me forgive.” In Kid’s Club, we have been learning stories from the book of Acts, such as when God gave Christians the Holy Spirit, and when God gave Peter the power to heal a crippled beggar

SALVATIONS IN KIDS CLUB

We had a glorious day in Kid’s Club when five children recently prayed the prayer of Salvation! Teacher Marge led them through the prayer, and they accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts as their Lord and Savior. We all rejoice with them!

KIDS CLUB SUPERSTAR OF THE MONTH

This month’s Super Star is Ariel Tumamak! She has a true servant’s heart and is always ready to help out in Kid’s Club. She is bold and will frequently lead the class in prayer. She also loves to worship. She sets a good example for others and makes us proud. We love you, Ariel!

BAJA MISSIONS TRIP TESTIMONY

Matthew Garcia, age 6, was the youngest member to join the team for our 2018 Ten Days Baja Mission Trip. His little hands helped paint the walls of the church that the team built in less than 5 days. A highlight of the trip was Matthew’s decision to get baptized. What a special trip it was!