Pastor’s Corner

Trivia:

Good guess everyone, the year that the Buffalo Bills lost their 21st consecutive time was in 1994. Even quarterback Jim Kelly admitted that this many losses in a row was beyond crazy. Oh well! They continue to be loved by the local community and their games are still well attended.

Here's a blast from the past. In 1956 Gene Vincent released a song that became famously popular and even still is today. Which song was that? Blue Suede Shoes; Great Balls of Fire; Only You; or Be-Bop-A-Lula?

Challenge:

Psalm 51:14-19 "Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing your forgivness. 15 Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. 16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. 18 Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit--with burn offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar."

We several things here about our Lords desires toward us, God's primary desire for our relationship is a seriously open relationship with Him. As verse 17 states He yearns for us to openly walk, share, and fellowship with Him upon our realization of our failures of only giving out some outward expressions of religion, when all that He desires is a transparent inner communion.

After we come into the understanding of His yearnings of communion and walking in openness and urgency to live in a way that pleases Him. Then evidences of His favor will be borne out through His ways of rebuilding our lives, and prospering our daily efforts.

Just as for Isarel the rebuilding didn't begin until the people set out their daily conduct in openness and surrender, to His ways. So we too must begin this process of daily coming before Him and making every effort to live in a fashion that unquestionaly is fully directed by our reading of His word. Then next assuring Him of our total and absolute surrender to walk His truths into our lives.

SO GO WITH GOD for He will carry us throug this life, the hard times and the times of blessing. The issue for us to develop our lives to be in harmony with His purposes, is to take absolutely every step of our life.

Carefully observe the truths that He teaches us today, and then to adjust our actions to be in harmony with just what our attitude, thought process, and direct motion should become each and every day. As we take these determined steps His guidance will reform, and refashion our lives to be in perfect communion to His ways.

After this restorative work begins in our lives, He then will begin the outward visual process of affirming His working in our lives. As in Israel's times, assist them in the physical rebuilding of the walls, then the people began desiring to openly live in obedience to His ways. They began to desire to sacrificially express their desires to walk with Him in each and every detail.

To turn from what used to be accepted as to what He would desire from our lives, to be finally adjusted to exactly what He would lead us to follow. You see my loved one, His ways are perfect, not just good enough to get by. Unfortunately in todays world "just good enough" is the standard that is being lived by.

So we must stop thinking in that way, and rather begin basing our lives on the standard of perfection. As we begin thinking and living by this standard in our personal life, this will result in our lives having a major influence on the surrounding people in our life.

I remember the first time that my Grandfather in compassion bought a whole trailer load of watermelon from a neighboring farmer. He was touched by the mans sadness at no one wanting to buy his melons. As the men were unloading them Grandpa asked me what he should do with all of these melons? They filled the entire front yard. I just joking said, Why not give one to each person that visits the yard. Just before they leave invite them to pick one out to take home.

Many people rather than just taking one for free, would make a donation, which Grandpa gave to the farmer. In only a few weeks this basket was worth more than Grandpa had paid for the whole load before. Upon this event each time the farmer harvested another crop he would bring by a trailer of this crop. Then grandpa would continue this with peaches, wheat, oats, etc.

This began the process where grandpa cleared off a corner of his yard to let the farmer sell his goods on. In time the farmer asked if we boys would mind the store for him. This was before the idea of free samples, but I can't help but think maybe these were the beginning of this mindset that we see at Sam's Club and Costco.