Monthly Archives: February 2014

Devotional, God's Goodness

Devotion: Comfort in the Midst of Crisis

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2 Corinthians 1:3-5, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.  For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.”

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When tragedy strikes, people need comfort. Sometimes people need hugs, words of kindness, a smile, a tear, or just a sympathetic ear. There’s something to be said about the power of encouragement, as the loving presence of a loved one can change another’s overall outlook for hours, days, or even years.

Yet there is a greater comfort that is available for Christians: the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that if you are a believer and are hurting, He groans, He prays, He brings peace to you. Comfort, true permanent comfort, is found through the healing touch, the cool refreshing water of the Holy Spirit. It is an internal joy that comes from Him, knowing that although the situation seems impossible and the hurt seems limitless, the presence of God is still with you.

King David wrote in Psalm 30:5 that “weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” There is a joy promised, a hope before you, and a love around you. It may not feel like that right now, but God is surely with you, never to leave nor forsake you, never to forget your pain. Remember this as you suffer through the pain found in this fallen world.

May the power of God’s love surround you, and may the comfort of the Holy Spirit be with you in this time!

Pastor Fran

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Death is not the end

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Please be sure to read this wonderful entry written by my wonderful wife, Teresa, in her blog today as we love on our family members who have been hurt so much by the pain of death:

Death is not the end.

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A Prowling Lion…

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Satan knows how to get at us. He watches, studies, plans, and tempts each believer in every way, looking for a way to make each of us ineffective and destroy our testimony. When one thing doesn’t work, he tries something else. He uses the fallen world, the lost soul, even his demons and minions to take an already fallen human and spiritually ground them into powder. 

If you try to fight Satan with your own wisdom, power, and will, you don’t stand a chance. The only way to fight a spiritual battle is with a spiritual armor, a spiritual shield, a spiritual sword. And it begins with your faith in Jesus Christ. If your faith is in Jesus, your status before God has changed: you are His. He indwells in you. He guides you. He prays for you even when you don’t realize it. 

Your battle is not your own, it is the Lord’s battle. Be encouraged: even when you are knocked down, you are never out. The God that is in you will complete the work until the day of Christ’s return. Stand firm against the attacks of the devil, and as you do, it will result in praise and glory due His name!

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A Battle of Worldviews

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The debate about creationism vs evolution last Tuesday night was a blessing. Ken Ham and Bill Nye presented their arguments to a live audience, in an attempt to advance their views on the viability of Creationism. But what was the debate really about? I believe that the debate was really about two opposing worldviews- naturalism and supernaturalism.

Naturalism assumes that nothing miraculous can occur, and so any evidence that they see is explained through the lens of the natural. Christians, on the contrary, consider both the natural and the supernatural, including the view that God is and always has been at work in creation. This difference is huge, and it is why the both men can look at the same evidence and arrive at different conclusions. This is also why that philosophical bias was the real issue behind the debate- Ken Ham’s assertion from the very start.

Now as to the facts and figures: there were many points that Bill Nye presented that have long been dealt with on the Answers in Genesis website. If you want to hear more about how Answers in Genesis looks at the scientific evidence, click here. For more on their view on Greenland ice ring formations and the age of the earth, click here. For a good follow up discussion video with Dr. Georgia Purdue and Ken Ham, please click here. I think that these links and others on the Answers in Genesis website will be helpful as you do reflect on the presented facts in the debate.

Be encouraged and be in prayer, because even in this venue, there were many positive advances. First, pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ penetrate the hearts of the millions that watched. Second, pray that people might see that naturalism is indeed a worldview. Last, pray for the follow up discussions that are occurring- that civilized, godly men and women engage in discussion done both in truth and love. May God use these discussions for His glory!

Pastor Fran