light house church

FREEDOM IN THE SPIRIT

2010-09-20T13:28:00.001-07:00

Romans 8: 9-11

God's Holy Spirit lives within me for resurrection power in this life and in the

end, resurrection power for eternal life spent where the streets are paved in

gold. God's Word assures me that the Holy Spirit "will give life to your mortal bodies," advocating that the power to change-not my situation or circumstances, but to change me and who I've become. To change me from the inside out. God never intended for me to live a fruitful and victorious life apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. The harsh reality of the Christian experience is that it is impossible to even try. Apart from the power of the Spirit we will only know frustration as we try to live life "more abundantly." Self-knowledge,will power,reasoning,a new game plan, or the ever popular inspirational self-help book always seems to fall short in the pursuit of real power that changes lives. But,if the same Holy Spirit who was more than able to resurrect Jesus Christ from the dead and today lives within me,surely longs to resurrect my sinful and broken life into something of value to be used to minister to a hurting world that surrounds me."Greater is He who is in me than he who is in this world."

By: Mark Dellacqua

A BIG PICK ME UP

2010-07-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

I was sitting on my porch this morning reading the Word, hearing the birds sing, a family of bunnies are running around the yard, I feel the breeze flow through the screens, my legs wrapped in a beach towel, the sun is making its way passed the trees onto the pages of my Bible...And bam, I get this word picture.

Isaiah 6:

Isaiah sees the Lord, He is holy, and the angles are saying so, many times over! The whole earth is filled with His glory, and the singing shook the Temple to its foundations, to the point that it was filled with smoke. It makes me think of the earthquake I was in just a few weeks ago in the San Diego airport, much less eventful, but I get the idea.

The Lord touches Isaiah’s lips with coal and removes his guilt and forgives his sins. Then He asks “Whom shall I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?” Isaiah, said with enthusiasm, without even knowing what God was going to ask him to do, or where he would be send, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”

Jump back to days of old…The teacher is standing in front of the class, she announces she needs a volunteer for a special job. No one knows what that job is, but if Miss Jones is asking, it must be good, and most definitely fun! All hands go up, little bodies are almost out of their seats, the room is filled with, “ew, ew, pick me, pick me, Miss Jones, I want to go, please pick me”! She looks around the room; actually, Miss Jones sees that not all hands are up. A few kids don’t even look up; they just stare at their desk, cringing in fear that she just might call their name. They are the same kids who stand by themselves at recess, always watching, never joining. Her attention is once again captured by the “pick me’s”.

Me, she called me! You march up front serenaded by the “sighs” of all the “unpicked”. You are thrilled, what could it be, and what will I do? Miss Jones tells you, a 9 year old, that you will be moving a mountainous pile of dirt from one side of the playground to the other…all by yourself, with a shovel. You are thrilled, she has total confidence in you and you can feel it. You march out the door, get half way down the hallway, all of a sudden it hits you, “What, me I can’t do that”! “Does she know I’m only 9 years old”? You turn around, walk up the hallway, open up the classroom door, poke your head in, “Miss Jones, all by myself”? “Oh, you won’t be by yourself, we’ll be watching from the window, you can do it”, she says with a big smile!

Has God sent you on a journey, were you yelling “pick me, pick me” with your hand held high? Are you now walking down the hallway, thinking, I’m only 9 years old, have you seen that mountain of dirt. Is God saying to you, you’re not by yourself, I’ll be watching from the window? Here’s the good news, if God picked you, He’s not watching from the window, He’s walking in front of you, beside you and He’s got your back!

Church, let’s always be the kids with our hands held high, saying “pick me, pick me”! Let’s not be the ones watching, never joining in, gripped with fear! What’s that song say…Savoir, He can move a mountain…!

By Diana Shibilsky

ESSENTIAL #22 LATE Freedom In Christ

2010-07-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Galatians 5

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205&version=NIV

Galatians 5 was written by Paul to a group of Christians who were struggling in their walk with Jesus. And much like us, they needed to be reminded of their commitment, love and freedom they once found in Him.

You see, the Galatians started off strong; they got radically saved by Paul's message about Jesus and were on fire for Him in the beginning. As "life" happened and time passed they began to allow the world and old habits to creep back into their lives, robbing them of the joy they once had in knowing and walking with Jesus. Sound familiar? It does to me.

I truly believe it is the little sins and compromises that we allow to invade our lives and walks with Jesus. They steal our freedom and before we know it we are entangled in our old habits, fears, bad attitudes, bad language, and unhealthy relationships. We have given up our freedom in exchange for bondage.

BUT there is good news. Everyday is new with God's incredible LOVE and MERCY, and HIS desire for us is that we would have pure, uninhibited freedom in our lives! That we would, as Paul reminded the Galatians, "stand firm and DO NOT let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery!"

Fight for that freedom everyday and don't allow little compromises to lead you away from the joy of walking with JESUS. I know it can be tough and exhausting at times but it is so worth it. Don't give up!

By Ruth Foster

ESSENTIAL #30 The New Heaven and Earth

2010-06-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

Revelation 21 - 22

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+21-22&version=NIV

I find that that older I get, the less I have to look forward to. But maybe it’s actually that the things I look forward to are much more simple, like taking my shoes off after a long run or seeing Lucia and Asher's face as I walk in the door from work; a night out with Ruth so I can vent or a great piece of steak with a fine glass of wine; and of course seeing my church family on Sunday mornings. All of these may seem superficial at first glance but the fact is that the major thrills of life are closer than we think. There are certainly really exciting moments but those things usually come unannounced and spontaneous. So I have conditioned myself to look forward to the more common-place pleasures in life and I am more content for it.

BUT, there is one event that I eagerly look forward to. The great return of my Triumphal King JESUS. But wait it only gets better.

In the final two chapters of the Bible (Rev. 21-22) we are given a peek at something that you would have to be dead not to look forward to. We see that there is a place being prepared for God’s people that is hard to even conceive. John describes it as a place that will come down from Heaven. There will no longer be death in this place, there will no longer be crying or mourning, although there may be tears of inexpressible JOY. There will no longer be pain. There will no longer be heart break or disappointment. The scripture also describes this place as one that will no longer require the light from the sun because the radiance of JESUS will illuminate EVERYTHING perfectly. Our residence will be in a city called the “New Jerusalem.” For those of you who don't like city living, don’t worry, there will be nothing not to like. The city will be constructed with the finest jewels and gold that is so pure that you will be able to see through it. And it will never become dirty because there will never be anything unclean there.

But the best part is that Jesus Himself will be there in all of His Glory. He will be the epicenter of our new city and He will be our God and we will be His people, for eternity. We will know Him and He will know us .

If you are having a hard time imagining this place don’t strain your noodle. First Corinthians, chapter two, verse ten, says “that no eye has seen nor ear has heard nor is there a mind that has ever conceived” what God has in store for us." That means that this place is BEYOND your wildest imagination. It is impossible to imagine how it is going to be because it is too incredible for the human mind to grasp. All of this is made possible by the death and resurrection of our King Jesus, that He would satisfy God’s wrath and He Himself would then adopt us and make us sons and daughters with this great inheritance to look forward to.

THANK YOU JESUS.

By Paul Jr.

ESSENTIAL #29 Jesus The High Priest

2010-06-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 4:14 - 5:10

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+4%3A14-5%3A10&version=NIV

For sheer overwhelming holiness, it was hard to beat the office of the High Priest. The Jewish High Priests were consecrated, decorated, elevated and celebrated. Separated and revered, the ceremonies and responsibilities of the High Priests required them to be largely isolated from the common people, because they couldn’t risk being polluted by the sin of the masses.

They were a breed apart, descended straight from Aaron: an almost alien race, spiritual giants, often intimidating, frequently aloof.

And so you can imagine the people wondering if men like the High Priests could have possibly understood them and their common, sinful lives.

Were they tempted like us, the people may have wondered? Could they sympathize with the common people?

There was no way to tell.

The Priests were almost unapproachable.

In amazing contrast to the High Priests of the Old Testament comes Jesus the Christ. He was completely accessible. To those who came to Him in humility and with child-like faith, he was infinitely approachable. He was willing to teach.

Eager to share, He gave away everything He had, including His life. He was ready to help, and willing to heal.

He was not afraid to mingle with the masses, because He couldn’t possibly be infected by their sinful lives. The Bible says He “was in every respect tempted as we are, yet He never sinned.”

Not once. Not ever.

But even with that kind of perfect track record, there wasn’t then - and there isn’t now - a sense of disdain or disappointment from Jesus towards common people like you and me. Rather (and incredibly) we’re reassured that in Jesus we have a High Priest who is not only able to understand us, but is actually able to sympathize with our weaknesses. Perfect in holiness, and yet perfectly reachable, Jesus stands alone, unique and mind-boggling in His profound, High Priestly ability to connect - through His death - common, fallen people to the infinite, Flawless God.

For we do not have a High Priest

who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.

Instead, we have One who in every respect

has been tempted as we are,

yet He never sinned.

Hebrews 4:15

By Gordon Smart

ESSENTIAL #28 God Is Love

2010-06-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

1 John 4 : 7- 21

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4%3A7-21&version=NIV

Love is truly a gift from God. He gave us the ability to love each other and Him through His Son. We have all seen the bumper sticker “Jesus Loves You”. But have you ever wondered how we know for sure He loves us? In 1 John 4, John explains Gods love, “In this the love of God was manifested towards us, that God has sent His only begotten Son in to the world, that we might live through Him.” That kind of love is simply indescribable.

Through God’s love we are able to love other people who are lost and dying. When we allow God to live in us, and love through us, His love is made perfect (1 John 4:12). There are so many people in the world who do not know love. Their eyes are still covered with scales. They are searching for fulfillment that they will never find apart from Jesus. It is our job to search them out and lead them to a love that will blow their mind! “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment” (1 John 4:17) Do not be afraid to speak out on God’s behalf. Because “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…” (1 John 4:18). Remember God’s love has been perfected in us, fear is gone! Now is the time! Be excited; join in the most epic battle, The Battle for Souls!

By Jaque Carnochan

ESSENTIAL #27 Called To Be Holy

2010-06-27T04:51:00.001-07:00

1 Peter 1: 13-25

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Peter+1%3A13-25&version=NIV

In 1 Peter 1:13-25, God through His word is calling us to be Holy. The question then is, how do I live a holy life? To answer that question you must first answer, “Why do I want to live a holy life?” If you can answer the “why” question, the “how” question then becomes very simple.

It says in 1 Peter 1:14 “Do not slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.” I’m twenty seven years old which isn’t that old but I’ve learned in that bit of time that the world has nothing to offer me. I know that when I was living for my own desires it got me nowhere. And while going nowhere, I was constantly hurt, lonely and frustrated. Why do I want to live a holy life? Because life is so much better when it is lived holy. Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I don’t care what the world says, the only way to experience true happiness and peace is live a life that is holy.

But most of all, I want to live a life that is holy because my Savior died for me. I remember when I was on my honeymoon and it was just about time to go home. The trip had ended and it was time to pay the bill. So I went down to the lobby area and met with the owner of the bed and breakfast Corrie and I had stayed in. I told him that I was ready to pay my tab; he then handed me an envelope. Inside was a note from my father telling me how happy he was for me, how much he loved me and my new wife, and that the bill had been paid for. Our Savior has done the same thing with us. He has told us so many times how much He loves us and not to worry about a thing, the bill has already been paid for. If that does not make you want to live a life that is holy and pleasing to Him, I don’t know what will.

By David Foster

ESSENTIAL #26 Pure Religion

2010-06-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

James 1

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1&version=NIV

The psalmist David says: “A father to the fatherless, defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. (Psalm 68:5). The small word “is” reveals that being a father and defender is not something God does, but rather it proclaims who He is.

As Abba/Father He is giving us a glimpse into the very center of His heart. He gives us this glimpse so that we may respond back to Him with what James 1:27 calls “pure religion”.

The dictionary defines “pure” as:

1. unmixed with any other matter

2. free from dust and dirt
3. containing nothing that does not properly belong

4. being thus, and no other

Caring for orphans and widows in their distress is putting our faith into action in a way that God Himself considers “pure” in form. Think of the pleasure we can bring to the Father's Heart as we live it out before Him.

Let us be about our Father's business.

By Jeni Smart

ESSENTIAL #25 Putting On The New Self

2010-06-25T06:38:00.001-07:00

Colossians 3 : 1-17

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3%3A1-17&version=NIV

The Bible tells us “take off this, put on that”, “don’t do this, do that”, “throw away this, keep that”, “don’t choose this, choose that”. How do we approach this new life with success? The same way we would approach a new eating plan, business, or exercise program, with vision, excitement, expectation, and most of all with the help of the Holy Spirit! We know that old habits have to die and new habits must replace them. Every day we are faced with choices that will determine the outcome, no matter how little they are. The more we make the right choices, the easier it becomes. Is it hard at first, absolutely! Without a goal there’s no reason to continue. We must keep our eyes on the prize…Jesus.

I’ve been thinking about the passage for a while and the picture I keep getting in my head is one of a person standing in front of a dresser with layers and layers of shirts on. Those shirts are ….well you name them, whatever it is that keeps doggin your heels, holding you back from being who Jesus wants you to be. Every time (I’ll make it a he) he makes the right choice and gets freed just a little more, he walks over to the dresser and opens the “drawer of no return”, he pulls a shirt over his head and tosses it into the drawer and shuts it. He’s a little lighter, he can run a little faster, feels good about himself. Reminds me of the Biggest Loser, each pound they shed, they can run a little faster, their attitude changes for the better. When we toss those shirts in the drawer, we’ve just shed a little spiritual baggage.

We can walk a little lighter, sing a little louder, have a “happier heart” knowing that we did what was right in His sight….which after all, is WHAT matters!

By Diana Shibilsky

ESSENTIAL #24 Christ's Example

2010-06-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

Phillipians 1:18 - 2:18

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%201:18-%202:18&version=NIV

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” Say what? If we state one of our main goals as Christians as being --- “becoming more like Jesus” --- then we have a LOT to work on ahead of us! And I don’t know about the rest of you, but I could spend the rest of my life working on this one little directive from scripture and still never have it mastered. Consider others as more important than me? Who can DO that? Of course, some people are better at it than others, but we’re talking about true humility here. And the best example we have to point to is, of course, Jesus himself.

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!”

There can never be another act of humility to match this one. The very Son of God in all his sovereign power, perfection, and holiness willingly putting on this stinking, corrupt, sin-sick flesh and coming down to dwell with the likes of us so that He can give His life that we might find life. And yet we sinners so often think so highly of ourselves that we look down our noses at others, put our conveniences before the needs of others, and turn our backs on one another when help is needed. All because we come first! Hey, it’s part of our sin nature and it’s something we need to constantly pray about and do battle with. Let’s all remember that James 4:6 says that God “…resists the proud and gives grace to the humble”. Let’s remember the supreme example of Jesus laying down His precious life to rescue ours. And let’s follow His example by not thinking more highly of ourselves than we should and doing a better job of “…considering others better than ourselves”.

By Dave Thompson

ESSENTIAL #23 The Whole Armor Of God

2010-06-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 6

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+6&version=NIV

As Christians we forget far too often the battle we're supposed to be fighting. We don't put enough stock in the spiritual realm, and specifically our enemy, the devil. We think that going to church every Sunday and listening to "Christian music" during the week is enough to carry us and keep us from sinning. But Paul warns us that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

In other words, there is a battle raging RIGHT NOW for our souls. Even if we are saved, the enemy is still alive and trying to do whatever he can to thwart the plans and purposes God has placed over our lives. He does this in a myriad of ways on a daily basis, even to those of us who think we are "safe." Paul reminds us here that we are not safe and in fact, we are at war! So let's make sure we have our uniforms on and our gear in place, and that we are trained for what's about to come our way. In the midst of battle, soldiers don't sit around on the battle field joking about their weekend, but instead they are crouched down and ready for the next bullet that may be coming their way. A wise soldier isn't going to walk into a mine field, where he knows there are bombs about to explode. He will avoid them. So why do we walk into mine fields in our lives, right into the traps the devil has set for us, and don't' even realize it?

The Bible says the devil is cunning and knows our weaknesses. So we need to be proactive in making sure that he doesn't succeed in pulling us away or distracting us from our purpose -- to glorify God. So lets get on that gear and go fight this battle!

By Lisa Brown

ESSENTIAL #22 Freedom In Christ

2010-06-22T15:16:00.001-07:00

Galatians 5

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5&version=NIV

Coming Soon!!

ESSENTIAL #21 Unity In CHRIST

2010-06-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 4: 1- 16

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4%3A1-16&version=NIV

The miracle of the unity of the body in Christ is nothing short of that, a miracle. What the world struggles to do through seminars, motivational speakers, various company policies and even some fairly ridiculous Federal laws (all of which attempt to tame the outer man), the Holy Spirit accomplishes with ease, working through the heart of man (irresistibly reaching in and changing the inner man). Only the Holy Spirit could possibly take a group of former spiritual rebels and criminals, all basically known for their self-centered agenda, and knit them into a community of believers who genuinely care about each other. It’s nothing short of incredible.

So how is it even possible? That’s just it - it’s not possible, not unless God in His mercy and grace reaches down and shocks our spiritually cold and dead hearts back to life. But once He does, we find ourselves capable of doing all kinds of things that were formerly impossible for us, not the least of which is operating in unity to further the cause of the Great and Mighty Messiah. Unity is a real blessing and just one of many, many proofs of His unspeakable love for us, all part of the greater miracle of our surprising Awakening and completely unmerited Redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ.

By Gordon Smart

ESSENTIAL #20 The Power Of The Resurrection

2010-06-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

I Corinthians 15

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+15&version=NIV

Recently I have been preparing for a Triathlon with some members of the church. We have been meeting up a couple times throughout the week and biking and running together. We have become teammates in training. A number of times we have made plans to train and unforeseen circumstances, and some not so unforeseen, have risen to interrupt our training. Although we have had the best of intentions in aiming to stick to our training regimen, we do not always come through and fulfill our promises.

Lots of people make claims and promises throughout our lives that do not come to fruition. But our Hero, our Leader, and our Lord Jesus Christ delivered on His promise. He singularly rose again from the dead. And had the Offering of his life not been acceptable, our Great Priest would never had emerged from the tomb on Easter Sunday. Because Jesus rose again, we know that the Offering took; we know that His sacrifice was accepted; and we know we are forgiven. As the Apostle Paul states “and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” The resurrection validates His claim and its what makes Jesus unique in history. And most thankfully it means our sins are forgiven.

By Tyler Blocher

ESSENTIAL #19 The Way Of Love

2010-06-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 13

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+13&version=NIV

"And now these remain: faith, hope and Love. But the greatest of these is love."

How do we love and forgive an unfaithful spouse or someone we thought was a friend who shares private details of our lives with others? What about the person who lies to us outright when we are seeking the truth? And how do we not resent someone who stands in the way of our dreams? Especially, how do we love and forgive a person who would harm someone we are close to?

Well, the truth is because we are all sinners we could never fully love the way Paul describes in 1 Corinthians, chapter 13. However, God can and does love like this all the time. Love is His very nature. The Bible actually says that GOD is LOVE.

The awesome news is that for those of us who have committed our lives to following Jesus, we are able to love unconditionally -- really! If we allow the Holy Spirit that God has so graciously given us to flow through our lives, we are able to love Him, others and even ourselves

By Faith Rosseau

ESSENTIAL #18 The Battle with Sin

2010-06-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Romans 7 - 8

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+7-8&version=NIV

The sixteenth-century French theologian, John Calvin, once said, "you're not a sinner because you sin, you sin because you're a sinner." Before Jesus, the only thing that people had to let them know if they had sinned was the law. After Jesus died and rose again he sent us His Holy Spirit. Now we as believers do not live by the law, but we have the holy spirit dwelling inside of us.

Paul says in Romans 8:9-11, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

You see, we are not bound by the power of sin which leads to death, but we can live by the power of the Holy Spirit which has life.

So the best way to battle sin as a Christian is to just listen to the Holy spirit when He speaks to you. He will always tell you when you're about to do something sinful and he will give you an opportunity to flee from it. All that you have to do is listen.

By David Foster

ESSENTIAL #17 Justification By Faith Alone

2010-06-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

Romans 3

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+3&version=NIV

For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: 'TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.'" Then he went on to tell them about Jesus and the resurrection.

It's in our hard drive to seek after every thing but the True and only God. As it is written in Romans 3:
“There is none righteous, no, not one; ¹¹There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. ¹²They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. ¹³Theirthroat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit.”
We can not earn our way into heaven, we can not through the flesh please God. It's just not in us. It's only by His Marvelous Grace that we are Justified and made Righteous by what He did for us on the Cross.

The book of Ephesians says it so clearly: "for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

By Pastor Paul

ESSENTIAL #16 Paul's Defense Of The Faith

2010-06-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

Acts 26

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+26&version=NIV

Here we see Paul again being put to the test. Paul is to give his defense to King Agrippa, then be sent to Rome to stand before Caesar. Paul was a Pharisee’s Pharisee, a.k.a. he was “the man” for a Jew. He had spent his days hunting and persecuting Christians. Then…….he met Jesus. 180 degree turnaround. He then lives to testify about Christ and His gospel. Paul stood firm and gave his defense of his Faith.

A point in this that I think is often overlooked is not Paul’s defense, but his heart. Paul comes right after the King and asks him, “..do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Agrippa’s sarcastic response comes as no surprise, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” How many of you have heard something like this when talking with someone about Christ? Paul pleads for King Agrippa and for ALL who hear him to fall at the feet of Jesus. Paul emulates Jesus so well at this point. He does not respond harshly, but pleads with and for a dead and lost soul. Paul’s defense of the faith was simply that.... a plea for a dead and lost soul. The same plea, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, holds dear to his own heart.

Will you plead for the soul of another? Will you allow yourself to be grieved in your spirit for the dead and lost soul of another?

By Jet Tavenner

ESSENTIAL #15 The Gospel Spreads To Europe

2010-06-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

Acts 16

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+16&version=NIV

Acts Chapter 16 chronicles the spreading of the gospel to Europe. In this chapter a number of pivotal events take place: Paul is first introduced to Timothy, the first converts in Europe, Paul and Silas are imprisoned, an earthquake, and a jailer converted. As I read through this portion of scripture, the Holy Spirit continually reminded me of the power we have with Christ in us. And how ordinary men and women can do extraordinary things with the Spirit of Christ in them.

It is interesting to note that the first and second century Christians did not have a New Testament Bible to guide them in their faith. The most radical group of Christians that ever lived, the Christians in the early days of the church that turned the world upside down, did not have a New Testament Bible. Their lives impacted the world more than any other group of Christians and yet they did not have the New Testament scriptures to read from. But they understood the New Covenant, Christ in them. The Spirit of Christ was in them, giving direction and inspiration moment by moment. That’s what makes life exhilarating. The relationship where you realize Jesus is living and He is in your heart moment by moment guiding you where you should go and who you should be. The new covenant, Christ in you, brings exhilaration to our lives. While we may not have the ministry of the Apostle Paul, as Christians we can take comfort in the fact that we all have Christ in us, from the newly commissioned follower of Christ to the seasoned Saint. We are all equipped with Christ in us. And that makes all the difference.

By Tyler Blocher

ESSENTIAL #14 The Conversion of Saul

2010-06-14T05:29:00.000-07:00

Acts 9

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+9&version=NIV

One of the amazing things about Paul's conversion is; Paul had no intention of being converted that day. He was going about his day to full-fill his well thought out plans. But God said, not today Paul. He knocked him to the ground, blinded him with a bright light, and spoke to him audibly, and then asked him a question. "Why are you doing this?" That my friend is a amazing. Is it not?

To those of us that have been converted, think back to when you first saw the light. You too were going about to full-fill your own well and maybe not so well-thought out plans. But God said not today. And your were knocked down and saw the light as Jesus spoke to you. Each one of us have our own unique conversion testimony.

Now here is the amazing thing about that, In John 15:16 Jesus said to His disciples "you did not chose Me, I chose you." Not a sermon, just a thought.

By The One and Only Pastor Paul

ESSENTIAL #13 The Coming of The Holy Spirit

2010-06-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Acts 2

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2&version=NIV

The information recorded in the Scriptures regarding the Holy Spirit is just incredible. The Holy Spirit is mentioned approximately eight hundred times throughout the Bible. The Hebrew translation for the Holy Spirit comes from the root word Ruwach which means a wind, a breath, a violent exhalation, or a blast of breath. Plainly put, the Holy Spirit is extremely powerful.

In Genesis 1 it says, “The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. In Like 3:22 we see the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove. In the New Testament when Jesus left us, he sent us His Holy Spirit, and for those who are believers in Christ, the Holy Spirit will never leave us nor forsake us.

Here in Acts:2 we see the Spirit of God falling on the people and empowering them to speak in different languages and allowing them to do all sorts of miraculous things. In Galatians 5:22-23 we read that the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. In the New Testament it says that the Holy Spirit is our comforter, our counselor, and our corrector. It is imperative that we as Christians realize that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is the same Spirit that is available to me and you every day of our lives. The question then is; are we living a spiritless or a Spirit filled life?

By David Foster

ESSENTIAL #12 The Resurrection of Jesus

2010-06-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

John 20

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+20&version=NIV

The Apostle Paul wrote "... if Jesus has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." 1 Cor 15:14

BUT JESUS WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD!!!

And because Jesus rose from death physically, we learn that God through Christ intends to reclaim and restore all that he made in creation and saw corrupted through the fall. Our eternity will be spent in a world much like the one enjoyed by our first parents in Eden, because the earth has been reclaimed and restored by God through Jesus' resurrection.

The full effects of Jesus' resurrection will be seen one day, following Jesus' return. The time between Jesus' resurrection and our resurrection is a lengthy season of love, grace, and mercy as news of the gospel goes forth, inviting sinners to repent of sin and enjoy the present and future salvation of Jesus Christ.... (Doctrine by Mark Driscoll and Gary Breshears)

There is no way anyone should remain neutral on the resurrection of Jesus. The claim is too large , too earth shaking and too life altering. The implications are huge and absolutely change everything. So you consider the significance of this truth and thank JESUS that not only did HE raise from the dead, HE caused you to do the same.

By Paul Foster Jr.

ESSENTIAL #11 The Ascension of Jesus

2010-06-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

Luke 24

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+24&version=NIV

Sometimes I fear that we, as Christians, can read the Bible and it’s many stories and accounts of events as if we’re reading Aesop’s Fables, or some other work of fiction. I think it’s crucial for us to remember that these things actually, historically happened. In Luke 24 we find that after His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus begins to appear to people. First to the 2 guys on the road to Emmaus and then to the disciples and “…all those with them”. See these are documented, eye witness accounts of Jesus being alive and well after hundreds, possibly thousands of people witnessed His death on the cross and His burial. People saw Him die, they saw Him buried, and they saw Him alive again after all that! And then He ascended to heaven to assume His place on the throne and the people were all fired up! It says they worshiped Him with great joy and stayed continually at the temple praising God. Their faith was pumped up because, as it turned out, He was who He said He was. And over 2,000 years later, our faith can be pumped up for the same reason: He’s real, He’s alive, He has risen, and He is who He says He is --- the proof is written right in front of you!!

By David Thompson

ESSENTIAL #10 The Arrest and Crucifixtion

2010-06-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

Matthew 26 - 27

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2026%20-%2027&version=NIV

I awoke to an alarm clock that had been screaming for way longer than it deserved. We have all been there; I was late, very late. I was supposed to meet my boss at the office at 5:30. I began praying immediately, “Lord please let all the lights be green and there be no slow pokes in front of me.” I hopped in the truck and off I sped. As soon as I made the turn out of the neighborhood I was trapped behind the world’s oldest living person. I must have caught every red light on route 3. Finally, I pulled up to the office it was 5:30, not 5:31, 5:30. Then it hit me, I didn’t even know what I needed yet God did. I didn’t need every light green or Dale Earnhardt to lead the way, I needed Jesus.

Before the Lord of the universe allowed Himself to be arrest and crucified. Peter was the front runner in the dismissal of any plan that involved the death of Jesus. It says in Matthew 16:23 “Then Peter took Him (Jesus) aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “far be it from you, Lord; this shall not happen to you!”” revering to the Crucifixion that was about to take place. Peter didn’t know what he needed either.

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was the pinnacle of what the entire world needed and we didn’t even know it. Sometimes we don’t understand what God is doing in our lives, but remember it is exactly what we need.

By PJ Carnochan

ESSENTIAL #9 Jesus' High Priestly Prayer

2010-06-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

John 17

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2017&version=NIV

In John chapter 17 we find what is known as Jesus’ high priestly prayer. I used to find it difficult to understand the difference between a prophet’s and priest’s function until it was explained to me like this: “A prophet stands with his back to God and faces the people. He is God’s mouthpiece. The priest stands with his back to the people and pleads with God. He is our intercessor.”

An intercessor is literally one who entreats favor on behalf of another. Sometimes we sin and fall flat on our face. At those times, it easy to picture God scowling down at us, waiting for our next mistake. Yet, this is completely contrary to Biblical truth. Jesus is in heaven interceding for us. God who became flesh and was tempted just as we are is defending us. He is saying “This is my son or daughter whom I love. I have covered his sins with my blood. There is no condemnation.”

However, it is important we remember why we have no condemnation. We are free because the cost of sin was paid. Imagine Jesus as our high priest, seeing how great our debt of sin was and how incapable we were of paying for ourselves. Instead of condemning us, He takes off his precious stones, beautiful white linens, and other priestly garb, and declares that He, the high priest himself, will be sacrificed for our atonement. This is the God we serve. This is messiah who came for us. And this is the One interceding for us in heaven. There is no condemnation in Christ.

By John Smart

ESSENTIAL #8 The Christian Life Defined

2010-06-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

John 15

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2015&version=NIV

Let me ask you something: have you ever seen a living tree branch that was attached to nothing? Maybe just sticking up from the ground, or hanging in mid air without being attached to anything? Of course you haven’t! Branches are fed, and derive their very life from the tree trunk or vine that they grow from. Jesus tells us, “I am the vine and you are the branches”. HE is the source of our life. Not obeying the rules, not attending church every Sunday, not being a good person..... but HIM. Elsewhere in John it says that “He (Jesus) is the way, the truth, and the life”. It is from knowing Him, following and obeying Him, and serving Him that we derive life. I think the key verse in this whole chapter is “….apart from me, you can do nothing”. Just like a branch lying alone on the ground, if we lose sight of having a relationship with Jesus himself, we can do nothing! We can never grow so “mature” as Christians that we can take our eyes off of the person of Jesus Christ, what He’s done on the cross, and having a relationship with Him.

By David Thompson

ESSENTIAL #7 Jesus' Power Over Death

2010-06-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

John 11

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+11&version=NIV

Via Text Message:

From: Mary & Martha

To: Jesus

THE 1 U LUV IS SICK!!

From: Jesus

To: Mary & Martha

This will not end in death. Nope, it is for God's glory so that God's son may be glorified thru it.

______________________________________

Jesus LOVES Mary, Martha, AND Lazarus, but waits 2 days to go to Lazarus. When he arrives, Martha and Mary both hit him with, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." What a welcome. Jesus was very intentional through this whole thing. He knew the glory of God would be seen, even though “we” didn’t get it yet. Next come three words that change everything.........."Lazarus, come forth!".........then out walks the dead man, now alive. Jesus waited for his friend Lazarus to die. He didn't come when Mary and Martha told him. He was on God's schedule. He had a purpose. Actually he had an appointment with a dead man. He knew where and when, and he was going to be there when he was supposed to be. Just as he has done with me and I truly hope he has done with you. He met me at that place, at that time, and he told me to "Come forth!" He resurrected me and gave me LIFE.

Jesus gave us HIS take on his power over death...."I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Reader, Do you believe this?

By Jet Tavenner

ESSENTIAL #6 Jesus' Miracles and Authority

2010-06-05T03:53:00.000-07:00

John 5

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+5&version=NIV

In John chapter five we find a touching story of compassion and grace. The setting is Jerusalem in midst of a massive Jewish feast. Yet, while all others are celebrating, one man is sitting alone. He is a cripple, unable to walk, and has been this way for thirty-eight years. Imagine the life of a friendless cripple before social-security, modern medicine, or even wheelchairs; surely a desperate situation. But then Jesus enters the picture. Suddenly this man who a moment ago didn’t even have a friend to help him enter the pool of Bethesda has been touched by God himself and restored to complete health. But there is a double lesson we can glean from this passage. Jesus still eagerly desires to perform miracles in our lives. I’m not referring to snake-handling or swallowing poison. I implore you to look around our church this Sunday. From wall from to wall you can see stories: broken homes which have been healed, shattered lives which have been repaired, and hearts of stone turned to flesh. These are miracles. When all human efforts have failed, Jesus offers hope. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still calling the lost, still changing lives, and still telling the broken “Be healed.”

By John Smart

ESSENTIAL #5 God's Love For The World

2010-06-05T03:09:00.000-07:00

John 3

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203&version=NIV

"For God so loved the WORLD that HE gave His ONE and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Most of us have heard this verse our whole lives, seen it at football games, grown up with it in Sunday School and really over the years gotten immune to the power of this one sentence in the 3rd chapter of John. But in Jesus' day these words were revolutionary and even borderline scandalous! Jesus for everyone!?!?

This astounding statement made by Jesus himself was saying that salvation through God's gift (Himself) the Messiah was not only for the Jews alone but for ANYONE who accepts HIM, which was something that was taboo to say and faux pa for their culture.

Understanding that Jesus came for anyone and everyone is truly amazing, God's love has no prejudice, no limits, no expiration date and no exclusions. All we have to do is believe in HIM. Simple. He does all the work, then, now, and forever. The sending of His Son to save you, the keeping you and loving you through your stay here on earth.

So, I challenge you today, as I myself had to do, read these words like never before and allow them to free you and give you a renewed heart of gratitude, knowing that Jesus came for you; to liberate you and to give you a future and a hope and wants to spend eternity with you because he is madly in love with you.

By Ruth Foster

ESSENTIAL #4 The Core of Jesus' Teaching

2010-06-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5-6

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%205-6&version=NIV

My wife and I were speaking with my oldest son Jacob the other day about the story of Jesus walking on water. Jacob began explaining the story: “Daddy do you remember how both Jesus and Peter walked on water?” I nod in agreement. He then starts to smile: “And remember when Peter was walking towards Jesus and got really scared of the wind and the waves and he started to sink in the water?” I nod again. Still smiling he says: “And then Jesus had to save him?” I too smile. Out of curiosity Kim and I asked him why he thought Peter sank in the water and Jesus had to save him. Very assuredly, and still smiling, Jacob responded, “Because he stopped looking at Jesus.”

How often do we take our eyes off Him? It’s when we stop looking at the King we become overwhelmed in our personal struggles. Matthew 6:33 reminds us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” The core of Jesus’ teachings urges us to never stop looking at Him and seeking His kingdom. If we lose sight of this relationship, we too will begin to sink and find ourselves crying out for the Lord. Take time today to set your sights on the Him.

By Tyler Bloecher

ESSENTIAL #3 Jesus' Ministry Begins

2010-06-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

LUKE 4: 14 - 44

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%204:14-44&version=NIVL

As you can tell from the title, this passage in Luke marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to mankind at the age of 30. It looks to me that Jesus was trying to do 2 things right off the bat. He wanted to demonstrate His power and authority, and He wanted to establish one of His main goals in joining us here on earth ---- to speak and teach truth. He began to reveal who He was by casting out demons, healing many sick people of various diseases, and teaching in such a way that people were “…amazed at His teaching”. They’d never heard anyone teach with such power and authority. Jesus came to earth as prophet, priest, and King. The job of a prophet is to speak God’s truth to people, and this was one of His main missions while He was here. In fact, this passage closes out with Jesus saying that He had to go preach the good news to other towns because “…that is why I was sent”. That’s a pretty significant statement. And in my estimation, there are no greater truths in the Bible than the ones that are uttered by Jesus himself in the four gospels.

By David Thompson

ESSENTIAL #2 Who Is Jesus?

2010-06-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

John 1: 1-18

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201:1-18&version=NIV

Jesus Christ is undoubtedly the most widely debated human figure of ALL time. Jesus' claims were extrodinary and the claims of His followers are as equal. In the 1st chapter of the Gospel of John, God the Holy Spirit inspired John to pen several descriptive titles about HIM such as:

The Word.

The Creator of all Things.

The Origin of Life.

The Light of Men.

The True Light.

The Owner of All Things.

The Giver of Rights.

The Glory of God.

Grace and Truth.

GOD.

That's 10 straightforward ways of saying... JESUS IS GOD.

But just as Jesus asked Peter in Matt 16:15 we too must answer the most important question of our lives, Who do you say that JESUS is?

"You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is,the Son of God,: or else a madman or something worse …. You can shut him up for fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great humanteacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to." - C.S. Lewis

By Paul Foster Jr.

ESSENTIAL #1 The Birth of Jesus Christ

2010-05-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

LUKE 1 -2

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201-2&version=NIV

The birth of Christ is one of the simplest truths of Christianity. It is the starting point for many of our Christian doctrines. Yet, because we hear about the birth of Christ so much during Church or around Christmas, we sometimes lose sight of how awe-inspiring a truth this is. Whenever I start to lose sight of the greatness of this truth I picture a hill of fire ants. These ants are mean, angry, and ready to swarm any poor soul unfortunate enough to go near them. I ask myself: “Who would ever want to descend to the level of these ants and try to save them? Who could possibly have the capacity to love such spiteful creatures? Why not just let the rain wash them all away?” Thankfully, God looks on us much differently than I look on those ants. He descended to our lowly level and was spit on, beat, and eventually crucified by us ungrateful ants. What awesome humility our creator has to take on the form of his creation. What unending grace he must posses to allow these ants to be his heirs. And what all-surpassing love he must have for us to have come here. We serve an awesome God.

By John Smart

ESSENTIALS - The Must - Knows of the New Testement

2010-05-27T12:37:00.001-07:00

There are some things that we MUST understand. Beginning in June we will look at 30 MUST - KNOWS of the New Testament, with devotionals written by common Jesus followers with in the LIGHTHOUSE.

HANG ON... WERE GONNA WIN!

2010-04-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about one part of one little verse in the book of John that I think has real significant meaning for us as Christians. The verse is John 16:33 and it says:

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

There are 3 things I think are important about this verse. First, Jesus is talking to His disciples and telling them that, after He’s gone, they’re gonna encounter a lot of trouble in the world. The point is that He is talking to, not just people in general, but believers. So we can legitimately apply this verse to ourselves as Christians. He could just as well have been talking to the Lighthouse.

Second, the first half of the verse says, “In this world you will have trouble.” I think it’s vital to our faith for us to understand that nowhere in the scriptures does God promise us an easy, trouble-free life if we come to Him. We are sin-sick people living amongst other sin-sick people in a sin-sick world. Did I say sin-sick enough times there? There’s no way we can live in the middle of this big pot of smoking sin and not have it affect our lives! I think any of us who are beyond 5 years old already realize this. Life is often tough, cruel, full of hurt, and we’re not exempt from that as Christians. Too often I’ve seen people get angry at God, or even turn away from the faith, because they think God’s not holding up His end of some bargain. They think that, somehow, since they are now a Christian they become Superman (or Wonder Woman), and that’s a false premise from the very beginning. God will not hold up His end of a bargain that He never made! All but one of Jesus’ disciples died a martyr’s death --- and they were His disciples!!! If anybody was gonna have an easy ride, you would think it would be them. Job was a very godly man who the Lord allowed to go thru some horrible, horrible things. So be careful not to hold God to a promise, or presumption on your part, that He never made.

Third, and this is the good part, He says, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Translation: if we’re on His side, WE WIN!!! The thing to remember is that, no matter what difficult or tragic thing you might be going thru, He’s always there! It’s not easy and it doesn’t always feel like it, but we have to decide whether we believe His word is true or not ---- even when it’s very, very hard. He tells us in Heb. 13:6, “I will never leave you or forsake you”. There it is --- real plain and simple. This is really illustrated beautifully in a song by Natalie Grant called “Held”. The chorus says:

This is what it means, to be held
How it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life, and you survive
This is what it is, to be loved, and to know
That the promise was when everything fell, we'd be held!

Trusting Jesus doesn’t mean trusting Him to do what we want Him to do, or trusting Him to make our lives turn out the way we thought they should. No, trusting Him means believing that He’salways there with us no matter what happens!! It means actually believing that He has not left us, or forsaken us, even when it feels like He has --- because He hasn’t! We have a hope, we have the assurance that we will overcome in the end, and we know that, no matter what, we’ll be held!! He is a good and a faithful God ----- believe it!!

By David Thompson

EMERGING NONSENSE

2010-03-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading and seeing stuff about a new movement that bears the Christian name, but is really out of step with truth as it’s taught in the Bible, and I wanted to give y’all a “heads up”. It has a couple of different names, but the most popular is the Emerging Church. It’s a movement that is led by a couple of guys who were, at one time, very legitimate and somewhat popular pastors and teachers of the Word. But in an apparent effort to be more “in tune” with today’s culture, these guys and their followers have embraced things that are contrary to God’s Word. I don’t know a whole lot of specifics about what they believe, but I know they are openly questioning the existence of Hell, whether or not homosexuality is really a sin, and the legitimacy of the virgin birth.

Let me say this, I believe it’s OK to modify the way the gospel of Jesus Christ is presented to people in the name of being current, or hip, or in touch with today’s culture. For instance, using video to help present the Word, having coffee houses to reach the youth, or playing contemporary music in church rather than hymns and organ music. But what we cannot do, is modify the truth itself --- and this is, by all accounts, what these folks have done. Something that I believe is real important for us to understand as those who stand for God’s truth is that we really don’t need to know all the specific beliefs of groups like the Emerging Church, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witness, and other groups such as these. It isn’t wise for us to expose ourselves to false, and sometimes confusing doctrines that could possibly play with our heads. Paul says to the church in Rome in Romans 16:19, “…but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” All we need to know is Jesus and the truth as God teaches it to us in His Word. If we are walking close to Him and hiding His Word in our hearts, we’ll recognize the lies, half truths, and deceitfulness when they come along. We don’t need to study the bad stuff, only the good stuff!!

I just want to caution you all. If you hear the terms Emergent Church, Emerging Church, or Emergent Village, be aware that this is a movement that is preaching falsehood, that is questioning the absolute truth of the Bible, and yet calls itself Christian. And more importantly, to remind us all to keep drawing closer to Jesus and His Word so that we can’t be fooled by lies. Or as Ephesians 4:14 says, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”

By Dave Thompson

It's all good.

2010-03-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Paul read this scripture this past Sunday and I think it’s one that, if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you’ve heard before and probably thought about quite a bit at times. I would imagine that we all have wrestled with, or maybe are wrestling with, this scripture at a time when our lives have turned to crap – I know I have. You may have experienced a death in the family, lost your job, gotten sick, gone thru divorce, or any number of other difficult ordeals, and in a confused or angry state of mind thought, “how is THIS going to ‘work for my good’?”

I think the key to understanding, and really believing, this verse is grasping the meaning of the word “good”. There’s a vast difference between our definition of “good” and the Lord’s definition. It’s perfectly natural for us to wonder: “How can the death of my father/mother/son/daughter be good?” “What good can come from getting a divorce?” We look at things in the natural, Jesus sees things in the spiritual. We can only see things in the here-and-now, He operates outside of time and knows what the future holds. So while we are looking for “good” things that are tangible, things that we can see now, God’s “good” almost always refers to building eternal things in each one of us. He is concerned with building character in us, making us more like Him, and causing us to grow in ways that we never could’ve without going thru something very difficult. Make no mistake, going thru this stuff is not fun and I’m not trying to tell you it is. But by God’s definition, these things wind up working together for our good! He uses them to cause us to grow up in Him, to become more compassionate, to mature us so that we can help others who might be struggling with the same things. The Lord uses our difficult experiences to produce eternal results ------ and that’s good!!! Keep that in mind the next time you’re going thru a rough stretch. His Word is true and if we’re doing our best to walk with Him, He will bring something good out of your struggles.

By Dave Thompson

Do you drive your tithe?

2010-03-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

Do you spend your money or do you invest your money? This is a very difficult topic to write on but I definitely think that it is a necessary one. Recent research shows that the percentage of people that are responsible for upholding the financial end of the evangelical church is around 9%. That means that 91% of the church are giving very little or nothing at all.

I completely understand that we as nation are in an economic turmoil, and I'm not trying to undermined our financial situation. I do know this; we are a very rich nation. Did you know that if you have a house hold income of $40,000, you are in the top %4 of the wagers in the world. If you have a house hold income of $50,000, you are in the top 1% of the wagers in the world. You Are Rich!

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, 24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” So taking into consideration that we now know that you are rich and we now know that we cannot be devoted to God and money. My question then is; who are you devoted to, God or money?

One big problem with America today is that in spite of how rich we are, we are miserable. That is because we are constantly looking and focusing on what we don’t have as opposed to what we do have. Jesus knew this very truth when he said, “It is more blessed to give than it is to receive.” How often do you actually sit down with a humble heart and thank God for what you do have. Your wife, husband, kids, home, health, money and the list goes on and on.

Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I want to encourage you to give. Give to the church. Invest your money, don’t spend it on things that give you a one second thrill. Invest your money into things that truly matter. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

By David Foster

"MOST SIN IS ENJOYABLE..."

2010-03-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Gordon talk about how Nehemiah had to face the temptation to compromise his mission in the face of his enemies, and it started me thinking about how we have to do the same thing in our everyday lives. We have our own enemies to face --- our inner sin nature and Satan himself --- and constantly do battle with. Then I started to think about how we can do combat against these temptations that would have us compromise our faith and our testimonies and live lives that are not pleasing to God.

This all led me to remember one of Pastor Paul’s many, many, many, many little sayings that we’ve all heard many, many, many, many times. It’s actually my favorite one, and it goes like this: Sin will take you farther than you ever wanted to go, keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay, and make you pay more than you ever thought you could. I’ve seen this played out, up close and personal, in people’s lives, and it’s ugly. I think what happens is, we forget (or don’t think about) the consequences of what we are about to do. Human nature is to blow off the thoughts of the people we’ll hurt, or the long term suffering that we might have to endure, just so we can have our 5 minutes of pleasure, or get our way, or do what we want to do! It’s pathetic really, but that’s who we are. But we’re simply not gonna “get away” with anything. Galatians 5:6 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”. So suggestion #1 in battling against compromise is: always consider the consequences!

Suggestion #2 is a real pet peeve of mine. When you get right down to it, a large part of the reason we sin is that we like it! We enjoy it! Most sin is enjoyable at the time --- if it wasn’t, it would be much easier for us to resist. So my second suggestion is to pray on a daily basis that God would give us a heart that we would hate sin, and love righteousness. Let’s be real, we just don’t hate sin very much. Oh, you might hate my sin, I might be disgusted by your sin, but we generally don’t hate our own sin very much at all. At least not until we have to suffer the consequences! Am I right? We need the Lord to change our hearts towards sin because, in and of ourselves, we’ll never get to the point where we hate sin like we should. So once again, suggestions #2 is: pray for a heart that hates sin and loves righteousness!

By no means am I trying to say that these are the only ways to battle compromise and temptations in our lives, but these are the two that jumped out at me and I just thought I’d throw ‘em out there for you all to think about.

By Dave Thompson

March 3rd UPDATE

2010-03-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

DIVINE DESIGN

2010-02-25T19:49:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at church during one of our recent Wednesday night meetings as we were all looking at the results of our spiritual gift tests, and the words to one of my favorite Steven Curtis Chapman songs kept running through my head. The particular verse says:

Never has there been, and never again, will there be another you

Fashioned by God’s hand, and perfectly planned, to be just who you are

And what He’s been creating, from the first beat of your heart

Is a living, breathing, priceless work of art

And I can see the fingerprints of God, when I look at you

God made you on purpose! And He saved you with a purpose! The Lord didn’t decide to adopt us as His son or daughter just to have us come to church on Sunday mornings, sit for an hour and a half, and then go home. What would be the point? Nope, He chose you and me to be a part of His body to do His work here on earth. And just like every fingerprint is different, every one of us is different. You are the only you that God ever made. Nobody else has the unique combination of ability, temperament, motivation, and character traits that you do – nobody! Hence, nobody is exactlythe right person to do what God chose you to do except ------- you got it -------- YOU!! God doesn’t need you or me, but He chose us and He wants us to do the thing that He made us to do in His body. Be encouraged! You’ve got something that our church needs! Pray about it, look back at your test results, and talk to one of our church leaders or their wives about where you might fit in and what you might be able to do. The Lighthouse needs you!

By Dave Thompson

Ohoo this is gonna raise some ruckus!

2010-02-16T06:58:00.000-08:00

By now, you’ve all heard about the earthquake that brought incredible destruction and death in Haiti. And I imagine that most of you have heard about what Pat Robertson said about the tragedy on his TV show, the 700 Club. I listened to his exact comments, and for those of you who haven’t heard about them, this is a direct quote:

“Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon the third, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, ‘we will serve you if you will get us free from the French’. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal. Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other."

He goes on to talk about how Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispanola and that Haiti has always suffered from governmental corruption, widespread disease, and tremendous poverty while the Dominican Republic has prospered. I would like to point out that he never directly said that the earthquake was God’s judgment, but it is certainly what he was implying.

I’d like us to think about 2 questions with regards to what Mr. Robertson said. First, could Pat Robertson have been right? Is it possible that the earthquake in Haiti could have been caused by the hand of the almighty, loving God? I’d like to know what you all think, but my personal opinion is yes, it could have been! I would point out the example of God destroying Sodom and Gomorahh because of their sin. And let’s not forget that there were occasions in the Old Testament when God told his people, Israel, to attack their enemies and kill them all ----- men, women, children, and animals. Never forget that love, forgiveness, and mercy only describes one aspect of who God is. Our Lord loves righteousness and hates sin. He will ultimately judge and punish all sin in His timing. But can we be sure that He directly caused the Haiti earthquake? I don’t believe so. No one knows the mind of God. But one thing we can be sure of, no individual or country can ignore, disobey and dishonor, or refuse to acknowledge Jehovah God and expect His blessing or protection in their lives. If what Mr. Robertson said about Haiti’s past is true, along with the fact that Voodoo is widely practiced in their country, they were certainly operating without God watching over them.

The second question we should think about is whether or not our Christian leaders, or even we ourselves, should be making statements of this sort in public. This is a tough call. On one hand, we cannot stop proclaiming truth just because it may upset those who are ignorant or hostile towards it. Jesus tells us in the Bible to expect opposition and persecution from unbelievers. On the other hand, we should be sure, because we represent Jesus here on earth, that the things we declare to be truth really are His truth and not just our interpretation or opinion. And also, we have to be careful not to come across as hateful or uncompassionate. You don’t just march up to someone who you know is not saved and say, “You, my friend, are going to Hell” simply because it may be true! Timing and tact are very important. This can be especially tricky because there are times when stating the truth might be necessary and may sound harsh no matter how we say it!! We should always try to be obedient to His Word and “speak the truth in love”. Even though I don’t think Pat Robertson’s statement was nasty and hateful as a lot of the media is portraying it, I’m not so sure he should’ve said it when he did ---------- or at all!!

But I want to hear what you guys think. Do you think Robertson was correct in what he said about the Haiti disaster? Do you think it was OK for him to even say it?

By David Thompson

HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING?

2010-02-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

All week my daughter Isabelle has been telling me that she is scared from all the storms and earthquakes she has either seen on TV or experienced this week. She keeps asking me, "Dad does this mean that Jesus is coming back soon?" I always respond by saying, I don't know if He is coming back soon. I just know that the Bible tells us that we as Christians need to be ready for when He does come back.

Mark 13:32-37 says, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: “Watch!"

Are you ready for Jesus' return. If your not, I highly encourage you to get ready and get serious about your relationship with Him; because when He does return your relationship with Him is all that is going to matter.

By David Foster

Monthly Book Review- HUMILITY True Greatness

2010-02-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for 2010 is to read 12 books (1 per month). The "books to read" list is established in advance at the beginning of the year. The reason that this goal is a such a BIG deal to me is because in years past I have not achieved my goal due to getting side tracked onto other reads and books that catch my attention. I wind up reading more than 12 books, just not the ones I wanted to at the start of the year. That's gonna change!!

I now have my list planned and your gonna keep me accountable. At the end of every month I will post a review on the book read and if not, you know that the goal was not met. In the month of January my book of choice that I would highly commend to you was HUMILITY- True Greatness by C.J. MaHaney.

My review will be short and sweet. It was a great book and a must read for all that desire a closer walk with Jesus. The great church father John Calvin once said "It is evident that man never attains to a true self knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down from such contemplation to look into himself." Outside of scripture this book helps one do just that. Upon reading the first couple pages you are quickly reminded of the severe importance to engage in the fight against pride. The modern day theologian John Stott has written, "At every stage of our christian development and in every sphere of our christian discipleship , pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend."

C.J. clearly defines each as such:

"Pride - is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him."

"Humility - is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness."

Humility is the one thing that captures the heart of God and His blessings as well. (James 4:6) It would be extremely beneficial to focus on the development of this Godly character in our lives and Humility - True Greatness is a great place to start.

What to do with a GOD sized idea.

2010-01-29T08:59:00.000-08:00

The year was 1965 and a man by the name of Fred Smith was attending Yale University. Smith wrote an economics paper explaining how goods were transported in the U.S. at that time. The paper explained how Smith had an idea involving overnight shipping. Smith received a “C” on the paper. A few years later, after serving in Vietnam, Smith was finally able to put his idea into action. By 1973, Mr. Smith had a total of nine airplanes and numerous investors. On March 12, 1973, the first of many packages were shipped out of Memphis, Tenn. to 25 different cities. You might know Mr. Smith’s company now as FedEx. Today FedEx has over 280,000 employees. The company grosses over $37.9 billion a year and makes approximately 4.8 million shipments a day. What was once an idea shortly became a reality for Fred Smith.

The question arises; how are we as Christians supposed to take the ideas and visions that God shows us and turn them into reality? There is no better example than the Biblical figure Nehemiah. Nehemiah had a God given big idea, which was to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for King Artexerxes. Upon hearing that Jerusalem had been destroyed, Nehemiah asked King Artexerxes if he could have his permission to rebuild the city. A cupbearer asking a King such a question could have possibly led to the cupbearers beheading for a perceived lack of loyalty to the Kings interests. But instead, the King honored his wish. King Artexerxes not only honored Nehemiah’s wish, he protected Nehemiah as he traveled to and from Jerusalem. The biggest surprise of all is that King Artexerxes financed the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

The first thing that we can learn from the story of Nehemiah on how God turns our big ideas into reality is that, after Nehemiah received his big idea, he began to pray about it. If God shows you something, it is imperative that you cover it with prayer. Mark 11:24 says, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Secondly, Nehemiah planned as though God was going to grant him success with his big idea. Remember, the only ideas that you and I really want to succeed are the ones that come from God. Thirdly, Nehemiah waited for the Lord to bring upon the right time to turn his idea into reality. It is often that God will test our endurance by requiring a season of waiting, while trusting that God's timing is best and not ours. Psalm 40:1 says, “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.” Lastly, we find that the model Nehemiah left to us would not have been so if he would have not wrote it down. It can be very useful to us and others to put on paper that which we believe God has shown us.

So look around you at the awesomeness and splendor of God's creation and know that all of it was HIS idea and as HIS image bearers HE continues HIS incredible creative nature through us!!!

Has God laid an idea on your heart? If He has, are willing to pray about it? Are you willing to plan for it? Are you willing to wait it out? And are you willing to write it down just as Nehemiah did?

By David Foster

Is there really only one way?.......... yep

2010-01-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

This is, of course, a matter of opinion, but given our current culture, I don’t think there’s a more simple, yet significant, scripture for us Christians to be familiar with than John 14:6. This is where Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” We live in a culture where everybody values “tolerance” so highly. And the thing is, they want to not just “tolerate” all religions, behaviors, and beliefs, but they want us all to recognize that they are all equally valid and equally true. We often hear people say “whatever religion you believe is right for you” and “I think there are many paths to God”. This mush-mouthed, cowardly way of looking at God and truth is completely void of conviction and is really hard to respect. People resist the idea of there being one truth, or one right way to believe and live because that means that they have to become accountable for the way they live their lives. It means that there are, then, consequences for their actions. And who wants that? Our sin nature demands that we be able to live the way we want. No rules. No constraints. Reject anything that points out sin or wrong behavior. We can all relate to feeling that way. But we, as followers of Jesus, know that there is an absolute truth and that there really is only one way to God and eternal life.

Common sense alone says that there can’t be “many paths to God”. Talk to a true follower of the Muslim faith, a devoted Jehovah’s Witness, a born again Christian, or a devout Jew and they will each outline a very specific and exclusive way that they believe eternal life can be attained – and they are all vastlydifferent! How could they all possibly be right? I’m pretty sure that none of these religions would agree with the “many paths” philosophy. As Christians, our response to the “many paths” philosophy is found in John 14:6. Jesus didn’t say He was a way, He said that He is “…the way”. There is no other way, there aren’t many ways, just the way. He didn’t say that He is a truth, He said He is “…the truth”. There aren’t other truths, just the truth – everything else is a lie. He didn’t say that He is a life, He said that He is “…the life”. All other roads lead to death. This is often criticized as a very narrow view, and that’s exactly right --- it is. But scripture says, “Small is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to eternal life”. So if you are accused of being narrow-minded because of your Christian faith, consider it a compliment!

I know we all have our favorite scriptures and our own styles of sharing our faith, but given today’s emphasis and obsession with “tolerance”, I think John 14:6 is one that we should always have in the holster and ready to go.

By David Thompson

The "Fusion Principle"

2010-01-15T09:27:00.001-08:00

In a day and age where so many people have various excuses why they don’t go to church (or why they don’t have anything to do with the church), it seems that the fusion process needs to be discussed. It’s a scientific fact that, whether in the core of the sun or in some laboratory, when certain atoms and molecules come together under some kind of pressure, they lose mass and create energy.

Lots of energy.

This simple scientific principle can also be applied to our church, because the fact is that when any group of people wants to make any type of advance for their cause, they either consciously or unconsciously incorporate the “Fusion Principle”. A great example here is the story of Scotland’s Independence. Scotland had been enslaved to the English for centuries. Against all odds, in 1297AD, William Wallace was able to unite virtually the entire country together in a desperate attempt to break free and win their independence. At the final Battle of Stirling Bridge, Scotland was outgunned and completely outnumbered by almost six to one. But instead of collapsing, the Scots took advantage of the Fusion Principle, moved solidly as a team and won this incredibly historic battle, which later led to their national independence. This is because Energy is generated when people simply fuse together.

Romans 12:12 says, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." My charge for this blog is that we understand how vital it is that we remain engaged, stay “fused” and keep using our combined talents and gifts for the cause of the church. Romans 12:21-22 says "The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’ In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary."

It said that it takes 70 muscles to make one hand movement. Every part of the body is of equal importance. When we come together as a church, truly fused as one Body, tremendous energy and strength are generated, all for the glory of Jesus.

By David Foster

What Are You Working On?

2010-01-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

Let me say, first of all, that I thought about writing this in a blog only after thinking about this issue in relation to myself --- and knowing that I often fall short.

I think that a lot of us Christians enjoy listening to a really good Bible preacher/teacher. Especially when we’ve been around a while and really learn to love God’s truth as it contrasts to the lies and ridiculous philosophies of the world. I don’t know about you, but more and more, I am so grateful that Jesus chose to reveal His truth to me and I can look at life, and people, and eternity and truly understand what’s going on! But sometimes, I think we become a little too satisfied with ourselves just because we hear a lot of truth. I think we get to a point where we feel good about ourselves because we’re learning a lot about Him and His truths. And certainly, learning about Him and His word is a good thing, but what does the Bible say? Luke 11:28 says, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.^”

So here’s where I think we need to challenge ourselves. How often do we hear the Word preached, or read something in the Bible ourselves, and then actually put it into practice? I mean, what good is knowing all this great stuff if it never gets into our lives? Know what I mean? When is the last time you said to yourself, “Man, I really need to work on my language”? Or, “I need to be looking for more chances to share the gospel!” Or, “I know I’m part of the church and I need to be serving in some way. I need to figure out what that is and start doing it!” These are just a few random examples, but when is the last time that you focused on one area of your life, prayed about it, and worked on it every day over a period of time? The bottom line is that our lives should be pleasing to the Lord and good testimonies to a lost and dying world that needs to be rescued.

So let me ask you ---- what are you working on?

By David Thompson

BIG UPDATE

2010-01-04T06:37:00.001-08:00

Good Monday Lighthouse!

This will be the first of many updates to come in 2010. I am really excited to see what Jesus is going to do through our church in this upcoming year! There is a lot going on and along with announcements on Sunday this will be another means by which we keep everyone informed and connected.

1. Home groups will be taking a few months off as we are going to concentrate our efforts on the move to Glen Burnie, aka "The 3rd Avenue project."

2. January is a BIG month for us! As the Apostle Paul wrote to the early church, "Now YOU are the body of Christ each of you are a part of it." 1Cor. 12:27 Clearly spoken..... everyone of us in the Lighthouse will be needed to make this MOVE to 3rd Avenue in Glen Burnie a success.

So with that being said, please BE THERE! Wednesday, January 13th & 20th at 7pm at the Lighthouse Church in Pasadena. (childcare will be provided)

3. Also Keep in Mind, "Faith comes by hearing... hearing the word of God." Rom 10:17 So above all this year set in your heart to complete the 90 day reading plan it will deepen your faith and love for our Hero Jesus. Here is the link, take the challenge: http://www.lighthouse33.com/newtestament.html

4. This coming Sunday Jan. 10th we will be kicking off a new series that will deal directly with the "3rd Avenue Project" you won't wanna miss!

Love you guys.

Making much of Jesus,

Paul Foster

2009-09-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

New And Improved!!! A New Present Just For You!!! Coming Soon!!!!