Pastor's March Encouragement
Springtime
“He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”” (Revelation 21:5) This is what I call a springtime scripture. The one who is seated on the throne promises to make all things new, and that is on display as springtime announces her return. We watch beautiful trees, shrubs and flowers that have endured a harsh winter come alive again. And when they come alive and bare their bright vibrant colors it is a reminder to all of us that we too can begin again.
In life you have little to do with where you start. You don’t choose your parents, or the home you were born into. Some people view their start in life as a hurdle they have been struggling to overcome. For others some bad decision along the way, an unintentional mistake, or a moment of indiscretion may seem to be holding you back from reaching your God given potential. Spring reminds us that the God who sits on the throne is able to give us a new start. You can begin again, and you can do it TODAY!
There may be people in your life who make it difficult for you to move past your mistakes. They tend to remind you of what you have done. Some of them may only see you as the person who made a huge mistake. Please don’t let other people define you. Determine for yourself that you made a mistake but that is behind you. Resolve to move forward and to learn from your mistakes as you go. When you ride past beautiful blooming blossoms see yourself coming alive again to new possibilities, new opportunities, and new horizons. Let the blooms of your new beginning be a testament to the power of the one who is seated on the throne who has promised to make all things new.
God Bless You,
Pastor Cox
3/26/22
Stand UP!
There comes a time in life when you have to stand up for what is right. You have to also be willing to stand against what is wrong. These are two different things. One involves being clear on the right thing to do and standing up for it. The other involves being clear when something is wrong and being compelled to stand against it. When these moments present themselves, we would sometimes rather say to ourselves “I’ll sit this one out.” But that is not what Christ called believers to do. We are supposed to stand out according to Matthew 5. We are called the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. That means believers don’t get to sit on the sidelines. Sometimes there seems to be a sitting epidemic. There are so many places where believers should be standing up against injustice, sexism, racism, and instead of seeing them stand up for what is right they are sitting watching things unfold.
Why sit when you should stand? Many of us sit because it is convenient. It is always easier to do nothing. Others sit because they don’t want their position to cause them to fall out of the good graces of people they admire or are fond of. And still others sit because of fear, they are afraid of what will happen after they take a stand. You should know that when you stand you send a strong signal to other believers that may encourage them to right action. You also send a powerful signal to the younger generation about the place they should occupy in the world. But most importantly you send a signal to God that says “God I trust you.” This is the most important reason to stand. So, take a STAND!
God Bless You,
Pastor Cox
3/19/22
Onward and Upward
The Christian faith is a forward faith. We are called to believe by faith that the best is yet to come. If we are to be faithful to God, we must be willing to move. Moving can mean a lot of things. It means progressing in one’s thinking, it also means growing and maturing. Moving forward means being dissatisfied where you are. Jesus calls us to go on, despite obstacles, hindrances, and fatigue. This is not easy, but it is important. The enemy wants you to stay where you are. Jesus says keep moving onward. Paul says, after forgetting those things which were behind him, that he decided to “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
Paul reminds us that the call of God on our lives is an upward call. We are to think upward thoughts, speak upward talk, and act in an upward manner. That means that we should do as Paul encouraged the Colossians and “set your minds on things above.” Colossians 3:2. If you read the life of Jesus it is clear that his life was on an upward, forward trajectory from his birth until his resurrection. Like Jesus we too must set our course to rise and the move forward. We must call on God to supply us with lift and thrust. My prayer is that God keep the wind at your back and the sun in your face. I pray that up above your heads you will always hear music in the air. And lastly, I pray that the road will rise to meet you where the road is straight, and the gate opens wide.
God Bless You,
Pastor Cox
3/12/22
Who Cares?!
Everyone you know has problems, in fact, that is one of the things we all have in common. The problem is when it comes to finding help for your problems it can seem like there is nowhere to turn. This can make you feel guilty when you pick up the phone, or worse, it can make you hold things in that are difficult to manage alone. I’m excited to remind you that in a world where no one seems to care, Jesus Cares. That is extremely good news! Here is why that is good news.
First, this was a reminder from Peter, who knows all too well that Jesus cares. Jesus invited him to be near him after His resurrection. Jesus did this after Peter had denied Him THREE times. This means that Jesus cares for us even when we don’t deserve His care. We can share all of our cares with Him. According to Peter we should “cast all our cares/worries/anxieties on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) When we cast our cares on Him we can rest confidently in the knowledge that He genuinely cares for us. That means you can turn to Jesus and know that nothing is too big or too small.
There is more good news! Since you know that Jesus welcomes our cares and you also know that everyone has cares, then you can share that good news with others. You can tell your family, friends, neighbors, and classmates that Jesus is that best place to cast all cares. Tell them He welcomes all anxieties. And if they know someone who could use a place to unburden themselves encourage them to pass the good news along. Who cares? Jesus cares!
God Bless You,
Pastor Cox
3/6/22