There are two extremes that just can’t seem to meet in the middle during this Christmas Season – Hurrying and resting. So many people spend a lifetime hurrying up to get somewhere only to find that they have to wait when they get there. Have you ever been late to a doctor’s appointment and then after rushing to get there you find they are running behind? Then you spend the next hour just sitting and waiting patiently thinking of all the things you need to do. Then the nurse comes and calls out your name. The mention of your name never sounded any better after waiting for so long. In preparing for Christmas parties, concerts, services, shopping, decorating, and eating of course, it is easy to leave no room for margin. Jumping from one event to the next and just barely making it through seems to be a common occurrence for people these days. I don’t want to say that these things are not important but there has to be better timing for some of the things that I feel I need to do. Saying “yes” to some things is saying “no” to other things that may be important. The book of Ecclesiastes talks about there being a time for everything. It doesn’t say that I have to do everything.
2 Peter 3:8-14 8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Peter reminds us that God’s timetable is not the same as ours. He is not bound by space or time. During Advent we watch and wait for the Lord’s coming. If God seems slow about coming to us, that is only because God is giving us more time to be ready. What are you going to do with more time? It’s always the right time when you spend it serving others and sharing with others what God has done for you. It’s always the right time when you spend it in holiness and godliness. It’s always right when you allow Jesus to be in you so much that He spills out on all things you are involved in. Just as I referred to being bumped into on Sunday, what will come spilling out is what you have been filled with. So don’t forget to spend time to allow the Lord to pour into in the midst of your schedule. As we finish up much needed shopping, remember to get on God’s timetable. What is it that He wants you to accomplish as we finish this blessed year He has provided? I am looking forward to a wonderful Sunday with our choir and orchestra. May the God of peace interrupt your goings on… Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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I never get tired of observing Advent each year. I love the anticipation this brings of remembering and experiencing the new life only Jesus can bring. I love watching the world open their hearts to a Savior. I realize that not everyone will use Advent to mature in their faith and invite others to be open to the Savior of the world. Yes, there is a physical element that so many people promote. But I am not going to let that steal my joy and the reason for the season. My focus is fixed on Jesus.
Matthew 1:20b-21 “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” When the angel brought Joseph the truth of the matter of what was unfolding in his life, he could have just mentioned that a Son was being born and that he was to call him Jesus. That could have created some confusion. The name “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew name “Yeshooah” or “Joshua,” which means “deliverance” or “Salvation.” His mind would have immediately recalled Joshua who followed Moses as the leader of Israel. He led the people of Israel into the Promised Land. He was a strong leader that led them across the Jordan River. God used Joshua to “deliver” the people from the wilderness of death and led them to the land of life. He could have been led to believe that Jesus was going to be the next political leader and military commander of Israel. That’s why the angel went on to say, “For he will save his people from their sins.” The angel didn’t say anything about Jesus dying here. But there is a connection between saving people from their sins and Jesus’ death. It’s rooted in the character of God. God is holy. Part of what comes with holiness is separation from sin and sinners. If that is the case, then we are in trouble. How do we get right with a just and holy God? For no impurity nor evil will escape a holy God. He cannot overlook things that go against his character. So how can a just and holy God accept imperfect people? How can He forgive unholy people? The answer lies in God sending His one and only Son during this Christmas season. Something has to die for God’s wrath toward sinners to be appeased. Someone has to die in order for sins to be forgiven. Forgiveness always comes at a great personal cost. When we forgive someone who’s wrong us, there’s cost involved. We give up our right to retribution and we give them what they don’t deserve. In the same way, our forgiveness came at a great personal cost to God. In order for God to forgive us, He became a man to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins. God can’t die so He had to become a man so He could – His name is Jesus. So God put on human flesh and was born to die for sinners. Christmas points to the cross. Jesus’ death doesn’t mean that everyone gets to go to heaven. He was sent by the Father to purchase, through His blood, a people for Himself. Titus 2:13-14 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Jesus died to purchase His bride, not to make his marriage to her a possibility. He died to give her salvation, not just to give her a chance. At Christmas, parent’s don’t give their children the possibility of gifts, they give them real gifts that have already been purchased. This Christmas reminds us that Jesus loves us each individually. He died for each one of us. He doesn’t reserve His love for the one who cleans up their life and then dispenses His love all at once. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us – He loved us before. Now be zealous for the good works that overflow from receiving the gift and love of Christ. Merry Christmas! Pastor Mike During this Advent season, we will be traveling together as a church through the story of Jesus. To help our families, we have provided a devotional book from Focus on the Family with daily readings, faith activities, an advent poster, and different activities. I know that our classes along with our children’s and youth ministries have strategic times of usher our families into the presence of God. This year could be the most significant Advent season you and your family have ever experienced.
Our destination is to the birthplace of Jesus so we can celebrate God’s gift to mankind – the hope of the world. On our way to the manger, our paths may look different according to what we are experiencing in life right now. Many are at a different place in life. Some have young children that are totally dependent on you to survive. There are some parents who are what we call, “empty nesters,” and their children are off to college or have their own home. They are sitting back and wondering where did the time go. Some have experienced loss, and this is the first Christmas without that special loved one. There are some who are living in a broken home due to disagreements on a larger scale. I could see some families who are experiencing rebellion to a whole new level and are finding it hard to sleep at night. Some are enjoying a new arrival and thanking the Lord for His provision. I could probably list more scenarios that could encompasses every conceivable situation whether it is a challenge or a blessing. Then this devotional thought could go on forever. So, I will resist the temptation. Let me remind you that you are not alone. The Scripture says that Jesus has experienced all that we go through. Hebrews 4:15 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. As we travel together, my prayer is that you will not let anything get in the way of what God wants to do with you and your family this season. I pray that your eyes will be opened to experience new sounds, new smells, new thoughts, and new directions that will glorify the Savior of the world. We need to remember that our destination is going to be a wonderful place to be when we finally arrive. But it is the journey that makes all the difference. Jesus is still here. He is waiting for you to embrace Him through the journey. Matthew 11:28-30 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Enjoy this Advent as we journey together and seek the Christ child together. Are you ready to receive what God has for you? What is it that God is wanting to show you? There are several things available this month to make this the most wonderful time of the year. On Sunday our services will be filled with hope, inspiration, and the truth of God’s Word. Make sure you keep posted on the serving opportunities and events that will happen. The chance to meet new friends and serve others will be delightful. I look forward to all the things God has instore for us. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Hebrews 13:15
There are two aspects of worship mentioned in Hebrews 13:15 – lips and service. They are both important as we look at living out worship in every aspect of life. Our lips are to praise the Lord – but “the fruit of lips that confess his name” will be lives that are continually lived for God’s glory in a “sacrifice of praise.” It is not an “either or” but a “both and.” Let me explain. Our lips delight in praising the Lord as we come together and worship. We corporately come together on a Sunday Morning and lift up the name of Jesus. It is a dynamic time of expressing how much God is worth to us. One of the early signs of revival is a worship that comes alive in the church. When the King makes his presence known, it’s only natural that his people will want to praise Him. According to our services, we are in the middle of revival. I enjoy coming and worshipping with our church. Our services are an inspiration and we are truly in the presence of the Lord. I always look forward to what the Lord is going to do with our time together. Even in the midst of a pastor’s feeble attempt to preach the Word, there is a spirit of excitement when we laugh together. There is also personal worship when you get caught up in a song or the presence of God when you are alone or with a couple of friends. No one can duplicate the sweet spirit of God that falls down on you when you least expect it. There is also a dynamic that takes place when we serve each and every day. There is an element of putting fruit to what we say and bringing glory to the name of Jesus. It is in the expression of our worship that serving opportunities arise. I mentioned on Sunday how our classes are growing, and how we needed to multiply classes and classroom space to create smaller groups. As a matter of fact, many of our classes from nursery to adults are growing. We are seeing new faces each week. A few people have responded and felt the Lord nudging them to serve as a teacher or an assistant. Our service is the overflow of our worship. There is still room for more to step forward. What better time to put fruit to our lips than Thanksgiving. We should always be a thankful people but especially when we gather with friends and family, around the table, sharing the many blessings God brings to our lives. What a great day to express the Lord’s goodness. During the Advent season, our theme is for everything we do will be “Journey to the Manger.” Each week we have family devotionals available in the foyer and we run out every week. Another supply will be here on Sunday. Speaking of Sunday, our building is looking amazing. Please look for all the things available to make this season joyous and purposeful. Many thanks for the people who decorated our church. My prayer is that the Lord will fill our church with the hope and love that will be life changing this Christmas. Invite a friend and let the church be the church. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike This morning in our prayer time at the church, we were talking about the disappointment with the vote yesterday. Both issues passed concerning abortion and marijuana. The good news is that we live in a county that is pro-life. The bad news is that we live in a state that is not. I personally think about all the false advertising that was prevalent and realized again how some good people can be deceived. But our God is still active in the chaos. In the midst of a State that allows abortions to take place, I still carry the conviction of life and have a new urgency to promote that God is in control.
I read Psalm 36 which is concerning human wickedness and God’s love. David points to two reasons why the wicked person turns to ungodliness. There is no thought of God, and they have a flattering opinion of themselves. In essence, they have no view of God and are always thinking of themselves. David reminds us that in the midst of wickedness, we meditate on God because nothing in the spirit realm has changed. God is still faithful to us in the midst of wrongdoing. God’s love is priceless. You cannot put a number on it. When we look to God as our source then we will experience the abundance of his provision and find satisfaction. No matter the outcome, God is still in control. This only reminds us that we are living in a mission field. People are hopelessly lost, and we have words of life to give them. We must work together to see the name of Jesus raised, sought after, and proclaimed to this city and beyond. Be encouraged today by God’s Word. Psalm 36:5-12 5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord. 7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. 10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise. Just remember, this vote may have made abortion legal up to 40 months but being legal does not make it right. God is for life from conception and this only shows us what obstacles are before us. I pray for these obstacles to become stepping stones of God’s grace. In the midst of evil, God still moves. Keep your eyes and your faith on God and His provision. May God give you a peace that will help you to walk in confidence of His provision in this day the Lord has made. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Hope to see everyone at the Harvest Dinner on Sunday night. We have lots to celebrate! First of all, I want to thank our church for appreciating our staff on Sunday. We are so blessed to serve alongside such a wonderful congregation. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
On Sunday after my message, Sarah Shroll talked to me about a letter she received from her birth mother. Sarah was adopted to a beautiful home where a mother and father loved her and provided for her when she was just a baby. As a result, she is able to see the hand of God in her life from birth to now. Her birth mother was at an abortion clinic ready to get an abortion when she felt the Lord telling her not to proceed but to have this child. She wasn’t able to care for her new infant and chose to let her go in hopes that someone else could raise her. Sarah is praising the Lord that her mother had the courage to make a difficult choice. Because of that, Sarah has experienced the love of Jesus each and every day. She married Kyle Shroll and they have a beautiful family with 3 wonderful girls. Isn’t God good? All because of a choice for life. 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:26-28 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7 We are all made in the image of God and bear that image to glorify the Lord in heaven. God’s hand is involved in giving and breathing life into His creation. I praise the Lord because we are all wonderfully made from conception. Let me encourage you to vote “No” on Issue 1 this Tuesday, November 7. This vote is so important in sending out a message to the rest of our Nation about lining up with God’s ways. Pray as if this ballot depends on your prayers alone. We can’t forget about Issue 2 that will be voted on as well. It is a ballot initiative that would legalize and commercialize recreational marijuana in Ohio. Issue 2 has been shrouded in lies and misinformation. Proponents of Issue 2 are attempting to fool voters into missing the devastating impacts on children, families, and businesses in the other states that have already legalized and commercialized marijuana. As a slew of deceitful ads on marijuana are hitting the airwaves, it’s important that we clear the smoke so that Ohioans don’t vote based on myths and political propaganda but understand the facts on why we must vote No on Issue 2. It is time for the church to stand up and be heard by a lost world. He has chosen to speak through each one of us. May God intervene in this vote in a powerful way. I am looking forward to coming together on Sunday and worshipping the God who goes before us in all things. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Whenever you read in the Scripture the concept of walking, it’s talking about the conduct of our lives. There are two ways that anyone can be walking. They can choose to walk in the Spirit or walk in the flesh. There is a difference. The outcome is also different.
Galatians 5:16-18 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. To walk by the Spirit is to walk the direction God wants you to walk in. It is fully relying on God to show you and give you the strength to be able to maintain that direction. We are to rest in the Lord but that doesn’t mean there is no action on your part to walk by the Spirit. The Spirit will not do all the work. We are to commit to putting one step in front of the other and trust the Spirit will lead. Have you ever walked on a moving sidewalk in an airport before? Some choose to stand there, but if you really want to move, you can walk while relying on the conveyer belt to take you to your destination quicker. To walk by the Spirit is to be able to recognize when it is the Spirit leading and not the flesh. That is why we read the Word of God, pray, come to worship or discipleship opportunities. It puts us in tune with the Spirit of God in order to know the direction we are to go. The enemy of our soul will try to get you to walk according to the flesh which is contrary to the Spirit. Many times, the flesh will try to pull us away from the things of God. Jesus experienced this in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was on His way to the cross and He knew what the will of the Father was. The Scripture said His soul was sorrowful. He even prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus had asked the disciples to pray but they were overcome by the flesh and fell asleep. Jesus told them, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The choice you make will lead to different outcomes. Walking according to the Spirit will lead to a victorious life. You will have the fruit of the spirit exemplified in your life. I have heard it said that in verse 18 when it says, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law,” is the difference between being powered by batteries that need recharged from time to time versus being plugged into an electrical outlet. Paul isn’t talking about the law of Moses, he is talking about the “law principle.” That would be trying to work up your own strength to have victory. That is the form of flesh in a good way. Your strength should come from the Lord and His Word. Paul even tells us what the works of the flesh are in verses 19-21. Go and look them up, I don’t want to make it that easy on you. The examples are even longer than he mentions because he says at the end – “and anything similar.” Let me encourage you to exercise walking by the Spirit by coming to our last Spiritual Renewal service tonight at 6:30pm. Actually, come and bring your family and eat with us at 5:30pm. There is something for everyone at 6:30pm. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Beginning on Sunday, October 22, we will begin our Spiritual Renewal (Revival) Services. It is going to be a wonderful time of growth together as a church. Let me lay out how we plan to approach this time together.
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[a] and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, - Ephesians 4:11-15 I want to zero in on verse 13 where Paul says, “Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.” We are setting up a time for exponential spiritual growth and understanding as individuals and as a body. It will be good to come together and get into the Word of God. There will also be aspects of fellowship and breaking of bread together. It reminds me of what Acts 2:42 says the church was devoted to. Our children will be focusing on the Armor of God as they meet while we have our services in the Worship Center. They will be excited to learn together how the Lord gives them tools in the faith to grow and be protected every day. Maturity brings a sure footedness in the faith. Our walk is more secure and confident in the only true source of life – Jesus Christ. Have I told you that I am excited to be together as a church for this 4-day renewal? Let me lay out the schedule.
Donations for the meals will go toward our Hands of Hope fund where we gave to the recent Apostles Build for Habitat for Humanity. If you are planning to come for the meal, please text the word – Dinner – to 419.422.8660 or click here to let us know you are coming. This will give us a good idea of how many meals to plan for. If you are available at the last minute, please join us anyway. As you can see, we are pulling all stops out for you and your family to come to these services. There will be times of fellowship and eating around the table, learning, and being encouraged from God’s Word, and prayer. Have I told you it’s going to be a great week? Be intentional and plan now to come just like you planned to watch your favorite football team this weekend. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike I have always heard that when you get older, time goes faster. I am a believer in this statement. I can’t believe we are nearing the middle of October. It seems like the weather has changed overnight and the leaves in my yard continue to fall at a breakneck speed. Along with Fall comes harvest season. Farmers are preparing to bring in the corn. It is important that the crops are ready and dry for storage purposes. I don’t want to go any further because I would have to pretend I know about the process, and I am not ready to receive phone calls from farmers correcting me in my analogy.
Jesus had something to say about the harvest. 35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:35-38 It is especially exciting around the church today because the trusses are going up on our new addition. I pray that means we will be seeing some good progress in the coming days. I can’t help but get excited for the possibilities this will open for us. At our church board meeting last night, we had some of our staff join us as we were dreaming about some future possibilities and opportunities. Can I remind you at how blessed we are as a church to have a unified, holy spirit-filled leadership? It is a joy to work with all the people of our church. Our future looks bright, and I get excited dreaming with our leadership. Coming in this next year we are exploring how we can utilize our building and space in a creative way with the many new families attending this past year. I need for you each to pray for how the Lord will stir your heart in helping us to take in a ripe, hungering harvest. We are going to be looking for several teachers for children, youth, and adults. For some, that means fanning the flame of passion the Lord has been stirring up inside of you. For others that may mean attending the Discover Findlay First class offered during Boost on Wednesday nights. Whatever the case, we want to build a team of ministers that will handle the number of people attending our church. We are in exciting days! It was just a few days ago that about 30 people gathered together on Zoom with Pastor Nabil from Odessa Church in Ukraine and pray for their safety and ministry. It was a wonderful time of realizing that God is the Lord of the church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. The same is true here in Findlay. A battle may be raging around us but our God is on the throne, and we are overcomers through the blood of the Lamb (inward faith) and by the word of our testimony (outward faith). Would you begin to pray for the Lord to speak to missional people in our church to step into these areas of need by faith? We are called to sew because you never know. It maybe you who God is preparing. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Do you make prayer a priority? If so, how do you do that? Prayer is more than a set time, although that is a big part of it. It is a frame of mind. It is a trust issue. Does your walk reflect the amount of trust you have in a big God? Afterall, He has promised to take care of all your needs. I believe that is why the Apostle Paul can be forthright with his three admonishments. They aren’t suggestions. They are imperative. Your spiritual energy depends on it. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. That pretty much covers every moment of every day. All things are possible when you put God first in all circumstances. Let me share with you a few opportunities to celebrate moving forward and trusting the Lord for His timing. City Prayer On Saturday at 10:00am, we will gather downtown at the plaza and pray as a community. Would you join us? This is going to be a great time of joining with other churches as we call upon the Lord together. I am praying for 150 from our church alone. Discover Findlay First Starting tonight at 6:45pm, we have another round of classes for Discover Findlay First. There are 3 sessions to attend to get the full picture. Come and find out what is going on and our plan to reach our city for Christ. Do you ever wonder why we do what we do? Join us tonight at 6:45pm. Prayer Around the World On Monday at 10:00am, we will be meeting in room 104, across from the office, with the church in Ukraine. Pastor Nabil and several church leaders from around Europe will join us by Zoom. Would you join me as we pray for the persecuted church and those in the middle of war? They will be with us live. May the Lord richly bless you today and open doors you never thought were possible. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike |
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Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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