Disciples Not Consumers

Psalms 61:7 (NKJV) He shall abide before God forever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!

Even when I don't want to shop, stores are invading my email box with offers and advertisements designed to get me to buy. The pictures are always done in sunny places with happy people. If I just had that shirt. Wow, how happy I'd be. It's all false and fake. There's only one reason they would frame the shot the way they did, using the person they used, the way they did, with the angle they chose: to get me to buy! I notice things like that.

This all-consuming mentality of "consumerism" has invaded the church of Jesus Christ. Rather than prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit, church leaders are more interested in catchy phrases, intelligent marketing ideas, polished plagiarized sermons, and packaged church growth programs to bring more people into their buildings.

Please be careful, friend. We don't want to settle for the emptiness of man's ideas, baptized with Bible verses. We desire the Living God to move in and through us by the power and presence of His Holy Spirit! Away with such worldly nonsense.

Blessings,
Pastor Ed



The Truth in Living Color

Your new radio station is a real blessing to me and my family. I didn't know how exciting the Bible really was until I started listening to all of the teachers you guys have on. Don't stop the good work.

Always A Price To Pay

Galatians 6:7-8 (NKJV) Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Things can be so fun and exciting that it's easy to forget that there is always a price to pay.

Take a day in the life of Joey 'Jaws' Chestnut. Don't know who he is? He's a competitive eater who recently won the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest at New York's Coney Island. He won hands down by eating 62 hot dogs in buns in just 10 minutes. He's the champion this year! What a feat! He made national headlines with just 10 minutes of competition.

How much did it cost him to win? Well, the price was free. He didn't have to purchase them. But the nutritional cost was staggering. Ready? That 10 minute binge on 62 hot dogs adds up to:

19,158 calories
1,246 grams of fat
2,170 grams of cholesterol
42,408 grams of sodium

Not too good for his body, that's for sure! What's true in the physical realm is true in the Spiritual realm. There is always a price to pay for our actions. Sometimes it's reaped as a benefit, but other times it's received as a consequence.

Pray for wisdom this week with the decisions that are before you and make those decisions unto Jesus, and Him alone.

By Grace,
Pastor Ed

The Truth in Living Color

I'm always amazed how the Lord works. I'm at a job now where my manager seems to have a pre-conceived notion about my skill-set, and I am constantly being yelled at for not doing things the correct way. I feel like I'm always messing up at everything in this job, and I can never do anything right, and I'm really just not getting the proper training from her that I need. This e-mail really shows me that I need to stop worrying about earthly training, and I should more focus on my spiritual training. I put far too much faith and concern into my job and employers, and I'm always disappointed. I need to learn to let it all go, and at least twice when I'm at work, or when I'm being verbally attacked by her, to just consult the Lord, and let Him handle it. Just like Hezekiah, I just need to show the Lord what's happening, and see how He works. Great message on the Holy Spirit this past Wednesday, by the way. So encouraging!

Good Friends

Leviticus 19:17-18 (NKJV) You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

It's good to be surrounded by friends. Men and women who love us is a great gift from our loving, Heavenly Father. Hanging out together, fellowshipping in the Lord together, enjoying a coffee (at the One Way Café of course, ha ha), and just enjoying the wonderful opportunities God has given us with one another is a blessing.

Sometimes, it's through friends that God brings a message to us that we don't necessarily want to hear. Are you really ready to receive correction or rebuke from your friend?

That's where things get tough and the ball starts rolling down hill, when a person shares something with us that hurts. Because open rebuke is better than concealed love (Proverbs 27:5), the rebukes and exhortations which come our way should be embraced as friends.

I know it's more comfortable for us to ignore a difficult situation or issue, as we hope (and hope) it will get better. But that's not love. Love says, "I care more about you growing and maturing than I care about what you think of me. If you think I'm not a nice guy, that's okay, if what I'm saying will provoke you to love and good works."

Proverbs 27:6 says that the wounds of a friend are faithful. Be open and ready to grow as you may come across difficult words and penetrating insights, sometimes, even from friends.

In Love,
Pastor Ed



The Truth in Living Color

Nothing is more precious than to hear a child praying. Specifically, when my grandsons pray. The last time I visited them in TX, (May and July) hearing my 9 year-old grandson pray and in the midst of his prayer, ask God to get me home safely, was just awesome. It brings tears to my eyes because, of course, I don't want to leave them there. My plan is to move there eventually when I retire...

It will be hard to leave Calvary Chapel Aurora. Thank God for computers! But I always say, what I have planned and what God has planned, may be two totally different things.