Brothers and Sisters,
      The holiday season is coming to a close and it is time to start anew. It was a season of parties, family gatherings, meeting up with old and new friends. With everything that happened this year, relationships were strained due to disagreements on everything from life choices to politics. We let worldly things rule over us and there were many things that people became offended by even though they continue to listen, watch, or even conduct themselves in the ways and things that they found offensive (ex. Baby, It’s Cold Outside and they still listen to artists that promote sexual promiscuity). With the New Year starting on Tuesday we must remember what Paul said about things that tempt us and staying away from those who do not consider those around them.
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Romans 14:13-23
In today’s society this goes way beyond food and drink. So many boast in their sinful life choices and when we accept the life choices of others as a part of who they are, we are just as guilty (Jesus said that). This goes way beyond sexual preference and depravities, it is the materialism (love of money), addictions, fantasy worlds that become realities, life on the internet, all the distractions and idols that keep us from God. We live in a world where being sinful is the norm. This must end. 
It is time for us to welcome the Father back to our great nation. Jesus asked us to Love our enemies and bless those who persecute us but we have let them run over us. We also must remember to protect ourselves from those who may harm us. Remove, not welcome, those who do not conform and destroy our way of life. Give to those in need but ask God to lead you first. Too many seek to live off others while they are perfectly capable to be on their own.   
2019 is the year were we must take a stand against those who tempt us. Some of the things we can give up on our own but as for other things we must be vigilant and outspoken without the others thinking we are condemning and judging them. God gives us the way to helping others by opening their eyes to their sin by showing love and compassion through the Holy Spirit. We cannot let our convictions be compromised. I know many who are leading lives in sin, they know my thoughts and do not boast in their sinful ways. Some have given up their sinfulness and turned to God while others cannot escape it. By showering others with God’s Love and the guidance of the Holy Spirit we are able to protect ourselves from falling into their sin.

​Rob, Servant of God

This coming year we are headed for real trying times. The world has seen one disaster after the last and each one seems to get worse. Political and economic structures are breaking down and all we can do is sit back and watch as the people with the power try to worm their way out of dangerous roads. The way things are looking we will be seeing more and more people trying to tell us either about impending doom or that everything will be all right. So we must continue to pray for discernment in these trying times.

Micah the Prophet was told not to preach or prophesy of the truth. Many were caused to stumble because of these men as they told lies and took God’s Word in vain. Many of the false prophets had honestly no clue that they were preaching evil and the prophesies were given to them by demons. Some were so caught up in the world that they did not want to hear to real truth and condemned Micah. Though the prophet, God spoke about the false prophets and how they were ruining the people.
 
“Do not preach”—thus they preach--
“one should not preach of such things; disgrace will not overtake us.”
Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Has the Lord grown impatient? Are these his deeds?
Do not my words do good to him who walks uprightly?
But lately my people have risen up as an enemy; you strip the rich robe from those who pass by trustingly with no thought of war.
The women of my people you drive out from their delightful houses;
from their young children you take away my splendor forever.
Arise and go, for this is no place to rest, because of uncleanness that destroys with a grievous destruction.                                                                                                                                                                     If a man should go about and utter wind and lies, saying, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be the preacher for this people!
I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel;
I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men.              He who opens the breach goes up before them; they break through and pass the gate, going out by it.
Their king passes on before them, the Lord at their head.  Micah 2:6-13

There are preachers today who are so in the world that they forget their purpose. We have the common false prophets who have been exposed but they are so popular that they still get away with the false teachings. Recently I saw on an expensively computerized marque at a Christian Outreach advertising the raffling away of a Mustang GT. Sorry, we are not in the business of bringing people into a house of worship under material pretenses.

​The Pharisees and Sadducees had corrupted the teachings to suit man kind and their own pockets.  How different are today's false teachers?
How do we fight against those who would silence the truth and continue the worldly view? Well, we must ask the question “Is it really our fight?”. Is it worth getting upset over when what we need to do is forgive and express the truth of God. Remember, God has a place set aside for the false teachers and prophets. There are so many who want to stay in the world that they cannot feel the difference when the Spirit knocks at their heart door. We must fight the spiritual battle with the Holy Spirit guiding our every move.

Brothers and Sisters, be on the lookout for the false teachers. There are many on You Tube and other Social Media outlets that are spreading false information, be careful. If it looks fishy do not give the person your ear. Spend time reading the Bible and let God speak to you through your time in the Word. He wants to spend time with you and time is something that is running short.
Have a safe and happy New Year. Let go of all your worries and let God take control. He will guide you the way you should go. May this new year be filled with Joy and Compassion for your fellow man. 
Blessings,
 Rob, Servant of God

Peace is the one thing that many people desire. It is in our nature to not want anger and war to be everywhere in our lives. Unfortunately, also because of human nature we have this tendency to want to have rule over another which means there is a period of discord which comes before a peaceful resolution making one a victor over another. The peace that God has instilled in us does not have the desires of our nature but of a Spiritual one that is beyond all of us.
Jesus Himself said that He did not come with a peaceful intention but a sword. His sword was internal and external but it was not made of metal. It is the Word of God which breaks all chains that hold the soul captive in this world. When those chains are broken and melted, all that is left is the peace that the Word of God brings. His birth began the breaking of those chains as the lines that separate the poor from the rich were made grey and faded. The first to hear the that the Word had entered the world were not kings, nobles, or persons of earthly wealth; they were poor unimportant shepherds. These shepherds then became the most important people in the world as they were the first besides Mary and Joseph to feel the peace of the Spirit enter in. 
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
 and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
According to Dr. Eddy Coakley (Pastor of Trinity Baptist in Cayce, SC), these shepherds then became the first missionaries and evangelists who shared His arrival immediately after meeting Him face to face. Imagine the peace that entered into them once the fear of the angels subsided and they met Jesus. It is this peace that we should feel when we speak about Him to others.
In fact, let’s change something right here right now. Let us truly put Christ back in Christmas not just by saying Merry Christmas but by sharing Christ with all those we meet just like the Shepherds did that night. It is really easy if you only try. Start with each other by sharing your love for Him with your family then go into the world and share Him. There is no reason to stay at home (unless you are sick) this Christmas. God’s Word is meant for all creation not to be kept inside.
What do you say? Let’s Do this. God would not want us to keep His Word in a box.
Rob, Servant of God

This is one of two times of the year where many who call themselves Christians that stay in the world come out of the woodwork and pack the churches. Some are family members of those who are of the Body of Christ. Some are searching for answers. Some know about Jesus and say they believe but as soon as they step away, act as if Jesus never came. But which is more important, filling the pews (chairs) or opening the hearts to God?
God gives the answer to that question in just about every book of the Old Testament and it is reinforced in the New. With all the buildings of worship in the world it is more important for God to be working in the heart than for someone to sit or stand in a building and just be there. God can enter the heart anywhere in His creation.
The Holy Spirit is more than the one that enters in once we accept and give our lives over to God. The Holy Spirit dwells over the whole earth, finding those who seek the truth of the matter. The problem with the world is that people do not recognize the Spirit and just think that the joy of the holidays is what gives that sense of happiness even in suffering.
 How Can We Help?
We cannot do it alone but there must be some way that we can help open the eyes of their hearts so the door will be open enough for God to do His work. There are many things that we do as Christians that people see whether they want to or not. Believe it or not we do it every day. Everything from simple acts of kindness for the stranger to openly sharing the Great Joy in our kind words thoughts and gestures. Even just being there is helpful to some. But what does this have to do with opening the Heart Eyes of those who are just believers? When they enter the church for the first time since Easter welcome them with open arms, invite them to the after service dinner (for the early Christmas Eve Service goers), spend time with them but do not be pushy. Exchange numbers or email addresses. Follow Up, get to know them to the point where they will be totally open and honest with you. This is the Holy Spirit working in you to work in them. Invite them to talks and other church functions. Sometimes it just takes a kind invitation for someone to change their heart.
Do not just invite someone to church because that honestly is not enough.   
If you have a Christmas gathering do not leave it to just indoors (unless of course you are in extreme cold or the gathering is in a high rise). Sharing while physically seeing God’s Creation is one of the best ways for a person to turn to God. Also just standing and listening to the rustling of the leaves, the chirping, seeing the smiles on even the most downtrodden, this is the joy of the Lord working in the world.
Just like snowflakes that fall from the heavens, each one of us is unique and God works in each of us in ways that emphasize our uniqueness. You never know whose life you will touch in such a way that it awakens the soul to do what God calls the person to do. The prophets of old did not need walls nor did Jesus. They awoke so many lives to the initial calling of humanity, caretakers of creation and communion with God. We can do the same through the Holy Spirit.
Brothers and Sisters, It is Christmastime. It is time to harvest those who believe but are not fully in Christ so that the Holy Spirit gains ground in this corrupted world. Be the Joy, share God’s Love and Compassion, do not let it just fade.
Blessings to All,
Rob, Servant of God  ​

This first week of Advent we look at the hope of the birth of the Messiah and His triumphant return. To understand this hope we look towards the prophets. The first candle on the Advent Wreath represents not only hope but the prophesies that empowered this desire within the people.  Three of the prophets gave specific clues to the family, place, and actions of the Messiah who would be the Savior. The Messiah that the Israelites were seeking would save them physically but they did not fully understand that it would be their very souls which could be saved.
A Righteous Branch

The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness." Jeremiah 33:14-16
 
The people knew from the time of David that his line would eventually produce one who would keep the tribes together. This ruler would be just and God-fearing by ruling with a loving heart. Here, Jeremiah is speaking of both times that our Savior/Messiah would come because He turned many back to God’s Word, disrupted and corrected man’s distortion of the law, and He will come again to restore Jerusalem as the seat of the eternal kingdom.    
 
The Place
 
Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. Micah 5:1-5

Knowing that the Messiah would be of the line of David it is only fitting that He be born in the same vicinity. The message here is that He comes from more than just David but His lineage goes back as a direct link to Adam following the Holy line through Abraham. This passage also speaks of a full return of all the tribes. The Messiah will be the Great Shepherd to the people.  

The Child, the Light, the Savior

Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder.
For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen! Isaiah 9:1-7
 
The most poetic and well known prophesies is this. Isaiah speaks of the truth of the Messiah being the Holy Son of God who will reign over the world bringing a peace that is beyond human comprehension. His armies will defeat all evil and there will be no more bloodshed. We will finally have full communion with God.

Signs and Wonders of His Return

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves.
People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees;

as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near.
So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly,
like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth.
Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:25-36
 
Luke was not a prophet but he wrote down the words that were given to him from Paul and the Apostles that Jesus had spoken. Jesus speaks of His triumphant return and brings us hope of a future peace that will be eternal.  It is this hope that carries us through the days and encourages us in our bleakest times. The hope in waiting for His return gives us the joy that keeps us from being hopeless in the godless world we live in today.
 
How beautiful this season of Hope. Let us remain hopeful that He will return while letting the Holy Spirit guide us through each day. Let us also not dwell on doom and gloom but the glorious kingdom in heaven that awaits us. Keep hope in your heart and let it bring love, joy, and peace.
 
Blessings,
 Rob, Servant of God  

Micahwas a prophet who warned the Israelites about both the Northern and Southern Kingdom’s destructions. He was a contemporary of Isaiah and Amos giving similar messages of destruction and renewal. Like Isaiah he wrote about a future savior.
Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. Micah 5:1-5
Micahgives a location but does not say anything about the future king being from the line of David. Instead, he speaks of a more ancient lineage. This passage is probably the one that helped in the confusion of a savior from the oppressors which ruled over them. How great a passage this is with a clearly obvious yet hidden message of the future time where the savior king shall have dominion over all the earth.
The people were looking for the temporary comfort of a king who would make them great again under their own rule and not under the dominion of another. When they had lost everything to the Assyrians and Babylonians they sought a defender king hoping for relief only to become subject to the Roman Empire. After the remnant was returned to Jerusalem they were still lost even though they had found comfort in their situation. Leaders rose up and were thought to be the messiah but their term was only temporary. The people still needed a saving of the spirit.
The peace of the people is the salvation of the soul. So many look for physical peace which is temporary. True peace is found in the Spirit. When inner peace is found then there can be peace among the nations. Jesus is the deliverer of that peace. He will come again to deliver a combination of physical and spiritual peace that will renew all people to the glory of God.
As we enter this time of Advent, think of the hope this gave the people of the day who heard Micah s they anticipated the birth of their savior in Bethlehem. As they hoped for His arrival we await for His return.
Rob, Servant of God        

Micah was a prophet who warned the Israelites about both the Northern and Southern Kingdom’s destructions. He was a contemporary of Isaiah and Amos giving similar messages of destruction and renewal. Like Isaiah he wrote about a future savior.

Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. Micha 5:1-5

Micah gives a location but does not say anything about the future king being from the line of David. Instead, he speaks of a more ancient lineage. This passage is probably the one that helped in the confusion of a savior from the oppressors which ruled over them. How great a passage this is with a clearly obvious yet hidden message of the future time where the savior king shall have dominion over all the earth.

The people were looking for the temporary comfort of a king who would make them great again under their own rule and not under the dominion of another. When they had lost everything to the Assyrians and Babylonians they sought a defender king hoping for relief only to become subject to the Roman Empire. After the remnant was returned to Jerusalem they were still lost even though they had found comfort in their situation. Leaders rose up and were thought to be the messiah but their term was only temporary. The people still needed a saving of the spirit.

The peace of the people is the salvation of the soul. So many look for physical peace which is temporary. True peace is found in the Spirit. When inner peace is found then there can be peace among the nations. Jesus is the deliverer of that peace. He will come again to deliver a combination of physical and spiritual peace that will renew all people to the glory of God.

​As we enter this time of Advent, think of the hope this gave the people of the day who heard Micah as they anticipated the birth of their savior in Bethlehem. As they hoped for His arrival we await for His return.
Rob, Servant of God