Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Psalm 121:4 tells us, "Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." That's a good thing for us! We all have a certain tendency to drowsiness. We "zone out" of what we're doing, or nod off in the middle of something. That can be pretty dangerous if it happens while we’re driving, but even with other activities it at least means we miss out on part of the experience. That's also true spiritually. Because of this, the New Testament often commands us to watch, that is, to stay a...
This weekend, we celebrate Memorial Day, the day of remembrance, where we honor the memory of our soldiers who gave their lives defending our nation and our freedom. Unfortunately, for many it is just another three-day weekend marking the beginning of the summer season, when it should be an opportunity to reflect on the gratitude and honor we owe to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. For most, it is not mere ingratitude, but inattention caused by stressful, busy lives and our human tendency to forget. It is good to know t...
Prior to the expanding spread of covid-19, the Shafter Community Task Force hosted a group from Kern County, "Waste Hunger, Not Food," in our church dining room. They gave an inspiring presentation of a food recovery program that had been started in Bakersfield in order to feed those who struggled with "food insecurity" issues. As it was discussed at our Task Force and plans were being prepared, unfortunately, covid-19 put a stop to all of it. However, those plans have been revisited over these past several months, and I'm excited to let you...
The Bible speaks of sincere faith in 2nd Timothy 1:5. Apostle Paul said to a young man named Timothy, "I see this faith in you and I first saw it in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice." Paul was telling Timothy to stir up the gift of God that was in him and to not forget what he had learned from his grandma and mother. Throughout the 36 years that I have been a pastor at our church, I have learned many things from moms and grandmas in the church. These moms and grandmas loved God...
Proverbs 27:14 – “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.” In this proverb, we are faced with a man who loves and likes and wants the best for his friend. There is one problem: The man loudly utters all that before his friend has gotten out of bed! And the horrifying reality is that this exuberant blessing turns into a curse because of that. The friend would rather have gotten some rest then received that loud blessing. There...
One of the attributes of God is that He is powerful. The Bible says power belongs to God. We see the power of God every day as we look at His creation all around us. Hebrews 1:3 says, ”Upholding all things by the word of his power. This world is filled with fear, lies and deceit.” We can rest assured that God has everything under control. God is called “the Strength of Israel.” I go to sleep each night knowing that the Strength of Israel watches over my family. 1st Samuel 15:29 calls God the Str...
What do you have to do to be right with God? How can unrighteous guilty sinners be made right before a perfect and holy God? Every person knows they fall short of their own standards of right and wrong, and have some sense of the righteousness of God. Often people think about if they were to stand before God right now, what would happen, what kind of evaluation would they face? The biblical teaching on justification explains the only way to be made right in God’s eyes is by faith in Jesus Christ’s sin-bearing work on the cross. To be right wit...
Easter is over for another year. The baskets are stored and the candy eaten. But let's not be so quick to move on from the benefits of the cross and the power of the resurrection that are available to us everyday. We can find some of these incredible benefits in Romans 8. It begins with an amazing declaration of one of the greatest benefits of Jesus' sacrificial death for us. [BEGIN ITAL] "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."[END ITAL] (Romans 8:1) The penalty for all sin for all time has been paid! So anyone...
This time of year is one of my favorite seasons. The colder days of winter begin to pass, the dormant trees push out their blossoms and the days get longer for a variety of outside activities. I find it somewhat facinating how plants of various kinds produce new growth in their environment. This time of year also make me think about what contributes to "spiritual growth" in my life and the lives of others. Let me suggest several things the Bible would encourage us to do in order to provide a "rich environment" for growth: • Bible study, p...
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of hope, life and eternal life. There is no other message in the world that offers so many benefits and precious promises. ``Gospel’’ means good news in the Greek (Evangelion) in the Old Testament. In Psalm 103:1-5 King David blesses the Lord saying, ”Bless the Lord O my soul and forget none of His benefits who forgiveth all thine sins, who healeth all your diseases, who redeemeth your life from destruction, who crowneth you with loving kindness and tender...
Receiving an inheritance was a big deal in the Old Testament. People set their hearts on entering into their inheritance, and were serious about maintaining that inheritance and passing it on to their own children. They had a great reason for that. God had promised to give them an inheritance, which we often call “the Promised Land.” We call it that just because God had promised it to them. God enacted special legislation to preserve that land as an inheritance. For instance, in order to pre...
“Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square… Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.”(Proverbs 1:20, 23). Wisdom in the Bible is available to all, but we must respond and receive it. Biblical wisdom is the practical application of biblical truth obeyed out of love and reverence for God that results in skillful, beneficial and productive righteous living in the world. Essentially, it is effectively living like Jesus Christ in the world. Wisdom in the Bible covers all areas of life fr...
Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. We are to grow and mature in this grace. We need to get out of the sandbox and mature in the Lord. I remember when I was in kindergarten at Vineland School and getting mad at some other kids. Running out of the class to go home, the vice principal picked me up on the way. I remember at Richland School getting swats from a couple of principals. I like to think that over the years...
We Christians realize that the devil is a liar and a deceiver. He plays with our minds and tells us that there is no hope for what we are facing. It’s not always an easy road for us, but there is victory for us if we follow the Lord. In Exodus 14:15 as the children of Israel were at the Red Sea and the Egyptians were closing in on them, God told Moses to go forward. Get your eyes on the Lord. Exodus 14:10 shows that the Israelites lifted up their eyes and saw the Egyptians closing in, and fear g...
Do you remember the Amelia Bedelia books, by Peggy Parish? Amelia Bedelia works as a housekeeper, but is constantly causing disasters because she inevitably misunderstands what she is told. At one point she’s roped into a neighborhood baseball game. When she’s encouraged to steal the bases and run home, she picks up the object used to mark third base and sprints back to her house. Another time when she was told to give the chickens scraps, she took small pieces of cloth to the hencoop. Ame...
Pride, arrogance and self-conceit are at the root of every sin. Pride is the inflated view of oneself that derives pleasure from the self-perceived greatness of one’s own reputation, status, power, influence, abilities, possessions and achievements. Pride is the foolish puffing up of one’s own ego like a balloon, where every self-exalting action inflates it with more air; and yet everyone knows overinflated balloons must eventually pop (1 Corinthians 4:7-9, 18). Pride distorts one’s self-image and conceit creates a self-imposed blindness which...
Happy New Year – the old year of 2023 is gone with its failures and successes. It's time to press the reset button with new resolutions, new goals,and a new start. In the New Testament book of Philippians 3:13-14, Saint Paul says, "This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead." So press toward the goal, reach for the prize God is calling you in Christ Jesus. God has something good, something better for you this new year of 2...
In life, we see people who are experts in certain fields. Master plumber, master mechanic and master electrician are titles of people who are experts in those occupations. There are many people with a master’s degree, but Jesus Christ is the Master of all. I remember when I was a child, my pastor preached upon The Master. After hearing him preach, I came to the conclusion that Jesus can do anything. Jesus is the master of all things. No wonder Paul calls Jesus our All in All. In Luke 8:24 in the...
In the busyness and stress of daily life, we often fall into a rut, just battling to get through each day as it comes. We survive, but do we thrive? From time to time, we lift up our heads for a moment and wonder if things will ever improve, before the next task drags us back into our mindless routine. We dream about a life that is joyous and purpose-driven, but our reality remains the same. As 2023 comes to a close, let’s take a moment to not only dream of a better 2024, but to plan and prepare in practical ways. God is a planner! He had alrea...
What is the true meaning of Christmas? Is it about Christmas trees, lights and presents? Or is it about good food and reunions? Yes. But it goes much further than that. It's about God sending us a gift that we can enjoy forever. In Isaiah 45:22, the Lord said, "Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth." The question is, saved from what? In Isaiah 59:1-2, the Lord says, "The hand of the Lord is not short that he cannot save you, neither is ear closed that he cannot hear you, but your...
I'm sure you'd agree that it doesn't seem possible that another Christmas Day is drawing near! All of the preparations of shopping for gifts, purchasing and cooking meals, planning the day with family or friends, and that's not to mention attending Advent services leading up to Christmas Day. Have you ever wondered what you'd do if it wasn't true? What if Jesus was nothing more than an invented figure to rally the people of his day? For bestselling author and former investigative reporter Lee Strobel, those are the kinds of questions he asks an...
We would be in terrible trouble if our God was made by man out of wood or gold. Psalm 115:5-7 says, [BEGIN ITAL]”The false golds have mouths but cannot speak, they have eyes but they cannot see. They have ears and they hear not, they have noses and they cannot smell. They have hands but they handle not, they have feet but they cannot walk and they cannot speak.”[END ITAL] Our God is not made by man, but He has always existed. He is the Potter, and we are the clay. He reigns over all. Psalm 50:...
These days, we know little about leprosy, the disease that is both referenced more times than any other in the Bible and was the illness most frequently healed by Jesus. In Bible times, it was a terrifying diagnosis because it not only meant an incurable sickness, apart from a divine touch, but also a life sentence to solitude. Sufferers had to live away from the rest of society and could never again live in their own homes or experience the touch of a loved one. So, it may be surprising that...
Four times in Psalms 107 we are urged to praise the Lord. Verses 8, 15, 21 and verse 31 tells us to “praise him for his goodness and for his works." Psalms 52:1 says, “The goodness of God endureth continually." Psalms 119:68 says, “Thou art good and doest good." The song says, “All my life you have been faithful, and all my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God." Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness. He satisfi...
We have a lot to be thankful for. The specifics will be different for you than for me, but we live in a world that contains many wonderful things to enjoy, and blessings abound. If you take a moment to review problems you've survived and good things you enjoyed this week, I have no doubt there will be a good list of things for which you could give thanks. In [BEGIN ITAL]A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich[END ITAL] Alexander Solzhenitsyn takes the unusual tack of telling us about a good day in...
