I have been pondering all the many things I am thankful for. Since I have been given a little more time on this earth to reflect, the Lord brings random things to mind throughout the day. 

This old Hymn came to mind and I can hear Pastor Chuck Smith singing it with his deep voice:

Thank you Lord for saving my soul 
Thank you Lord for making me whole
Thank you Lord for giving to me 
Thy great salvation so rich and free

On the first Wednesday of every month during the summer we have a dinner for our church. In June we had a spaghetti dinner. My wife (Jennifer) and I sat with Darin, our college and career Pastor, who also works for the HB fire department. He came to the hospital to see me after my ruptured brain aneurysm. Darin had knowledge of what was going on and was a great encouragement to Jennifer explaining what the doctors were saying. 

After dinner, I left the table to go practice for worship and play percussion with the team. Darin told Jennifer it was amazing to see me doing so well. Doctors and medical professionals have told me that most people don’t survive what I went through. When they do, some have serious problems. When I tell my doctor about the issues I’m still having he says we shouldn’t even be having this conversation. And when I look at the photos that my daughter took from the Neuro ICU (with all the stuff they had hooked up to me) I feel very blessed I’m still here. Thank you Lord Jesus. It’s a modern day miracle to be here on this earth a little bit longer. Yes, miracles still happen and prayer still works and I’m so thankful to be surrounded by a great church family. I only remember a few things from the hospital like when Pastor Terry came to visit, pray and have communion with me, and when Pastor Joe came to pray with me as well as some of the elders. You know things are bad if everyone is coming to pray with you. I can’t say enough about our church family.

During part of the sermon on Sunday, Pastor Terry had us read Philippians 3:20-21 and Colossians 3:1-4 and I had these verses (below) already highlighted, and they speak to me.

“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”
Philippians 3:20 NLT

“Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”
Colossians 3:2 NLT

This is a temporary life here on earth and we need to be reminded to think about the things of heaven.

“We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.”
1 Chronicles 29:15 NLT

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.”
2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT.

I love these promises from the Word of God.

Tim Glenn

As believers, our primary priority is to do the will of our Lord Jesus Christ. So what were His priorities when he was in this world?

In chapter 4 of the gospel of Luke, Jesus gives us a clear answer.

After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit led him immediately to the wilderness for 40 days where He was tempted by Satan. After that ordeal, He began His public ministry.

Beginning at verse 14 of Luke 4, we are told: Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and stood up to read.

And He was handed a book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

         The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has             sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,               to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD (from Isaiah 61:1-2)

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

So Jesus give us His priority list… his “mission statement”:

 Preach the gospel to the poor
 Heal the brokenhearted
 Proclaim liberty to the captives & recovery of sight to the blind
 Set at liberty those who are oppressed
 Proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD

As the Holy Spirit enables us, our priorities should follow Christ’s lead. We should pray for the Lord to show us how each of His priorities can be applied to our own service of Christ!

Randy McMahon

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” –Philippians 2:3-4

In a press conference in front of Angel Stadium a couple days ago, Billy Eppler (Angel’s General Manager) spoke about Mike Trout, and his importance, and the role he will play in helping the team win a World Series. He says that Mike Trout not only wants to be successful, but also significant. He then went on to point out the difference in saying that success was accomplishing something, but significance is when you help others accomplish something and make those around you better.

If we’re talking about MVP’s, Jesus obviously dominates the conversation. Jesus was successful in His accomplishments as He fulfilled the purpose for which His Father had sent Him. His ultimate accomplishment was on the cross of Calvary where He took upon himself the punishment for our sins, His resurrection, and overcoming death that we would have eternal life through Him. But what Jesus did before His sacrifice and continues to do, was and is so significant. He helps others to become better by healing the hurting, loving the lost, and saving the sinners.

This world seeks success and will take significance as a byproduct. However, Christ desires that we, in all humility and lowliness, are significant in looking out for the needs and interests of others. And in so doing, the success and accomplishment of the Gospel of Love will truly be attained.

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” –Colossians 3:17

-Brian Lee

Next time you halfheartedly, or even grudgingly, decide you should probably pray for your list of people, needs, desires or complaints, remember this…

The moment you address your Lord, He immediately turns His focused attention to you. His heart is glad that His precious child wants to spend time with Him. He is excited to hear your heart, your concerns, your fears, your needs, your praises and your love for Him. The eternal, all-powerful Creator of all that exists chooses, even delights, to hear from you.

As He leans in toward you, in loving excitement and expectancy, will He be blessed or disappointed? Will He have to compete for your attention and your focus? Will He hear memorized, thoughtless, superficial mutterings when He hopes to hear your true heart’s concerns? Does He hear the deep love, praise and surrender He longs to hear? Does He ache to share unsearchable treasures, priceless gifts, and a fruitful life with you? Look directly into the loving, longing eyes of your Savior. Fall on your knees in surrender and adoration. Don’t miss the appointment for deep communion with your Lord and King. He wants to be with you, to hold you up, to embolden you and to love you every step of the way. He doesn’t want your prayers to start and stop, to be brief occasional periods of time; He wants to be in constant and deep communion with you.

Come to prayer with confidence and expectancy that you will hear from your Creator. He is waiting to hear from you right now. Don’t miss the appointment! How can we pass up a personal conversation with our Creator! Shed the superficial and dive deep into your Savior’s heart. Break through the shallow, one-way conversation and know what is the depth of your Lord’s love for you!

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Matthew 6:6 – “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

Randy McMahon

What is your legacy? What is it that you will be remembered for? The world will talk about what you accomplished, who you knew and your successes, but as Christians we have a more important legacy. We are called to build a legacy for Jesus. 

We recently had a men’s boot camp where we discussed the importance of building a spiritual legacy. We are called to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ with all those we meet.  It’s a tall order but we need to remember that we may be the only Jesus some people will encounter. So how do we go about building this spiritual legacy?

I thought of an acronym to help me think about the important elements of building a legacy.
 
L isten
E ncourage
G ive
A ffirm
C are
Y ield
 
Listen - It is so important to listen to others and to be engaged, to fully hear the matter. In James 1:19 we are told, “So then my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath…” By effectively listening, we can bring Godly counsel into every situation. Proverbs 27:9 says, “Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.”  Being a good listener is an important step in building your spiritual legacy.
 
Encourage – This is one of the more important things we can do. Be an encourager. Find the good in people and point out their positive traits. I always say that people need a little air in their tires, and it is so true.   You will be surprised at the reaction you get when you become an encourager. I Thessalonians 5:11 says “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing…” Encouragement is another important building block in your spiritual legacy. 
 
Give – Don’t be afraid to give. Be it your time, your advice, your heart, it is important to give of yourself.  It is important to invest in others and have a vested interest in their success.  “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so.” Proverbs 3:27.     
 
Affirm – Affirm is the cousin to encourage. But in order to affirm you need to really know that person; to understand their strengths and weaknesses and to point them toward success. Affirmation is a powerful tool to impact others and to help them become the best they can be.  “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17.
 
Care – To have an effective legacy for Christ, you have to care about others. It is important to be open and transparent by expressing compassion and sincerity. If we remember how much Christ loves us and cares for us, it will be easy to show that care to others. “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32. Caring for others is a sure way to build a positive spiritual legacy.
 
Yield – If you want to be effective in building your legacy for Jesus you must yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 8:14-16 says “For as many as are lead by the Spirit of God. These are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out 'Abba, Father,' the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”  The primary foundation for building our legacy is first surrendering to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Everything else comes after that.
 
So how about you? What do you think it takes to build your legacy for Christ?  Perhaps there are better words that fit your acronym for building your legacy. Take some time to contemplate the importance of passing on a love for God to your children and grandchildren, but don’t stop there.  What about the people you work with or come in contact with each day?  You have a chance to be a light in their world for the Lord.  Start building your legacy today.  

​John Ohanian

The Christmas story points out the “3 Wise Men”, but we must not overlook the “3 Faithful People” in
the same story.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

About 700 years later, the angel Gabriel visited a young virgin in Nazareth named Mary and told her
“for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him
Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the
throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Matthew 1:30-33

After the initial shock and confusion, Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said
about me come true.” Her amazing faith looked past something that first appeared impossible!
When Mary’s fiancée Joseph learned of this unexpected turn of events, he decided to put Mary away
privately to avoid the shame of the pregnancy. But Joseph also received a visit from an angel who said,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save
His people from their sins. So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord
through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call
His name Immanuel’ which is translated, ‘God with us’.” Matthew 1:20-23

Joseph’s faith in God’s message was also amazing… and fearless!

A few days after Gabriel visited Mary, she visited her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the
Baptist and told her the news. Elizabeth could have scoffed at Mary’s story, but we read, “Elizabeth’s
child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and
exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so
honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my
womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
Luke 1:41-45

The Holy Spirit gave Elizabeth incredible faith to believe such an incredible story, and she encouraged
Mary greatly!

Mary responded to Elizabeth with a song of praise which began with, “Oh, how my soul praises the
Lord.How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now
on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for
me.” Luke 1:46-49

Put yourself in the place of Mary, Joseph or Elizabeth, and be honest about what your reaction would
have been. These were people like us who overcame unbelief, peer pressure and inadequacy, and
pledged obedience to the Lord! Common people, young and old, who believe God’s promises can
change the world, and when the Holy Spirit fills you, you can do things the world says are impossible.
Through His Word, God is telling us that the gift of Salvation is in this same Jesus Christ, and that
through Him we can do all things! Follow the lead of Mary, Joseph and Elizabeth… believe your Lord’s
promises in spite of the circumstances!

Randy McMahon