May 16, 2005

• This weekend was an anniversary for Pastor Don and his ministry. In honor of that, his brother Pastor Jerry Moore flew in from California to help celebrate. He is an awesome pastor as well.

  
  

  What was funny was that before he started preaching he told us a few tales of how he and his brother got in trouble as kids. One that had us rolling was that, despite repeated warnings not to jump on the bed, they would go into their parent’s room, jump from the dresser onto the bed, and as they got more daring, they started jumping from a higher dresser. The bed broke and the boys repaired it as best they could, not confessing to their parents about the mishap. The parents found out about the broken bed the hard way. Since their parents spanked, Pastor Jerry cushioned his bottom with a towel, and took his swats howling very loud. Pastor Don copied his older brother, only did more so, he put not only a thin towel, but several of them so that the deception was noticed. Of course Pastor Don’s father (also a pastor) found out, and pastor Don ratted on his brother and they received their punishment without padding.

  
  

  Another incident involved Pastor Don and his younger brother baking cookies, and the older brother Pastor Jerry and friends were mocking this act, until the cookies were done, whereupon Pastor Jerry took one, Pastor Don chased him, and then the other cookies were attacked by Pastor Jerry’s friends. So Pastor Don and his younger brother had to guard the cookies, eating with one hand and holding a hammer to guard the cookies with another.

  
  

  To repay this past theft of cookies, Pastor Jerry brought cookies to share with Pastor Don and the congregation after services.

  
  

  Pastor Jerry also spoke on Sunday.

  
  

  He talked about how, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, satan left him until an opportune time. Satan is waiting to pounce at the least sign of weakness in you. Satan cannot be everywhere, he is finite, so sometimes he will leave us alone for awhile. Then when our guard is down, he will pounce. So we are not to sleep but to be ready.

  
  

  Because this was an anniversary, Pastor Jerry asked a question, Are we a church of God, a valid ministry. Who validates us.

  
  

  We don’t turn to the world for approval. So by world standards we seem strange. Worldy criteria doesn’t work. We don’t need validation from them because our goals are different from the world’s.

  
  

  We set our values along the Word of God, accept them, and strive to reach the goal that is worth attaining. And just like Christ asked His disciples, who do men say that I am, we have to ask ourselves, who do men say that we are.

  
  

  Our highest calling is to desire to know and do the will of God. We wouldn’t have a will if God did not place it in us. We need to be God called. Most of people in history are MAN called.

  
  

  Sometimes God uses people to call his people. For example Samuel came to anoint David. Samuel ws sent by God.

  
  

  Samuel heard a voice calling when he was a child in the temple. He did not know it was God calling Him. It took Eli to instruct Samuel to say Here I am.

  
  

  Sometimes we confuse the office with the gift from God. We have to know that the gift is from God, and sometimes the office does not negate the gift. The example he gave was that a person may have a gift of healing or prophesy. That person could be a pastor, but they could just as well be a janitor, a bagger in a supermarket, a teacher. They could be a healer in overalls.

  
  

  Even though they are not in a church official position, they may be in a position where they would be best able to serve God. God may place you in a position where you can use the gift where he wants you to use it. For example a person may not come to church but they do go grocery shopping, etc.

  
  

  We have to discern if a desire for a particular ministry is a call from God or a call from the flesh. The best way to know this is to ask God, your pastor, your elders.

  
  

  Peter asked Jesus to tell him to get out of the boat and walk on the water. He did ok until he took his eyes off of Jesus. We can operate in a calling or gift and we will do well as long as our eyes are focused on Jesus.

  
  

  We also have to be aware of God’s timing. God has a plan for us and a set time frame. We do not do well if we jump the gun and go ahead of God’s timing. We will not be nearly as effective as if we waited until God was ready to use us.

  
  

  Moses stepped out of time when he tried to speak for the people of Israel. Instead he ended up killing a guard, and had to escape to the wilderness. It was in the wilderness that God shaped Moses to be a shepherd, and when he returned to Egypt he was ready to step into the role that God had planned for him.

  
  

  We may have to sit a little longer than we want, but it is better to wait until God has fully prepared you. If you have questions, go to your pastor or the elders of the church and share what God has told you. Let them help you to seek the will of God in the situation.

  
  

  We are all called to spread the good news, and the Holy Spirit will be beside you as you do this. We have to be praying, your pastor has to be praying, the church has to be praying.

  
  

  Seek God’s will, do things in order. Seek God about what He wants you to do, He has to be the head, Pray for it, ask for it, and be submissive to the will of God.

  
  

  Pastor Jerry told us about 8 years ago Pastor Don preached a sermon called Get out of da boat. In order to accomplish God’s work you have to get out of da boat. In our daily lives we have to get out of da boat, take the first step, you may fall, but God will come alongside of you. Have you grown in the past year, if you have then you know that you got out of da boat.

  
  

  Then he told us to stay out of da boat, keep walking on, never go back, and don’t let the devil bring you back to da boat. When Jesus comes he needs to find you out of the boat.

  
  

  Keep in the will of God so that you do not squash the gifts of the spirit. And we have to remember that our lives are part of the next chapter (unwritten as of yet) of the book of Acts.

  
  

  It was great to see Pastor Jerry, and to hear him sing and share with us. We are so blessed to have such remarkable pastors coming through our church.

  
  

  Heather

  • 9:44 pm
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