He is Coming!

Let me start off by saying congratulations you did it!  If you have been with us since last January and have been faithful to read God's word each day you have completed the 1-92 challenge.  1 year and 92 hours later you have finished. GREAT JOB!  What next?  Well I am starting back at Genesis 1 tomorrow and would encourage you to do the same.  Later this month I will be announcing a new challenge that has to do with God's word, but until then go back and start again at the beginning of the Old Testament or New Testament.  The main thing is that you stay in the word!
I love how the Bible ends, "Yes I am coming soon." Jesus says.  And the writers response is AMEN, Come, Lord Jesus.  It is true Christ is going to return very soon the question is are we as ready as John was?  If Jesus spoke these words directly to you what would your response be?  "Wait, I still have more to do", or "can I have another day or two?", or "no, no, no I'm not ready yet"?  Could you say with full confidence AMEN come Lord Jesus?
If you can't say that I would challenge you to examine how you are living your life as a new year approaches.  If you need more time to tell others about Christ, do it now, Christ is coming.  If you want to spend more time with your family or kids, do it now, He is coming.  Whatever it is that would keep you from saying come Lord Jesus come, should be done this very day if possible because He is coming soon.
I don't expect that any of us will get it all done, but we should live each and everyday as if it were our last.  So we can say with confidence come Lord Jesus!

HAPPY NEW YEAR MAY YOU BE BLESSED IN 2010!!!
Pete

You can endure

You have almost made it to the end of the 1-92 challenge.  For those who finished I know you have been blessed because God's word never returns void.  I pray that you will continue with me by starting again on January 1 and go through God's word again.  I will be announcing a new challenge later in January that will take us right up to Easter weekend, but I want to encourage you to take your daily Bible and go back to the first page with me on January 1st.  This was the verse that spoke to me today.
 
Revelation 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

So many people think that the Christian life is easy, soft, and simple, but we walk on a narrow and difficult road.  Loving your enemy is not easy, forgiving the unforgivable seems impossible, accepting those who persecute us is unimaginable.  But it is what we are called to do.  The Christian life calls for patient endurance.  While our eternal transformation was immediate at our conversion, our external earthly transformation is still a work in progress.  God is still working on each of us and we are learning more each day about who we are in Christ.  Even the Apostle Paul said he had not yet attained perfection.

Philippians 3:12   Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

So wherever you are and whatever you are doing continue to be faithful and press on with patient endurance.  You can do this!  Even when you think you can't go any further stay faithful and God will see you through.

There's Still Time In 2009!

I know many people were out of town yesterday and could not make it for worship so here is a quick review of what we talked about.
There's still time for Jesus' return- Don't count Jesus out, 2009 is not over yet and there is still time for the sky to open up and for Christ to return.  Live your life in eager expectation for his return so you won't be caught off guard. 
There's still time for you to surrender-There is still time for you to surrender to God's call on your life.  There is a Divine plan for each of us but we must first surrender.  No one can reach their full spiritual potential without surrender. Why wait for 2010 to get involved in the membership of your church, or join a ministry or mission team?  Why wait to start the process of maturity?  Why wait to make praising and magnifying God a life style?  Start today, there's still time!  But you have to be willing to surrender.
There's still time for salvation- For those who don't know Christ there is still time in 2009.  They don't have to wait until 2010 to give their lives to Christ and we should not wait until 2010 to tell them about Jesus either.
2010 is going to be another great year at Cowboy Fellowship and for your family too.  But let's finish 2009 strong!!!  Let's use every single minute we are given to glorify God in all we do.  After all there's still time in 2009.
Pastor Pete

Don't forget you can hear this sermon and others on our website by clicking here, or by using the button below.

The Dead Church...

The church in Sardis thought it was alive, in fact others thought it was alive.  They had a reputation of being alive but Christ does not look at reputations he looks much deeper.  And Christ said this church was dead. Like most churches today the church at Sardis was full of many different kinds of people who were all at different places spiritually.  John MacArthur provides the following thoughts on this.

John MacArthur (Click here for the whole study)

Christ gives the church at Sardis five key commands that are critical to understanding the letter: watch, strengthen, remember, hold fast, and repent. Those commands are directed to the different types of members of the church in Sardis. Each command has at least one of the three specific types of people in view: the unsaved, who are in the majority (the dead people); the carnal Christians, who are sleeping-- hanging on the fringes; and the few who have not defiled their garments.

A. Watch (vv. 2a, 3b)

1. CONSTANT VIGILANCE (v. 2a)

"Be watchful ..."

That command was especially applicable in Sardis because on two occasions, the city hadn't kept anyone on guard, and it was captured.

2. COMING JUDGMENT (v. 3b)

"... If, therefore, thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."

Will Christ come upon believers as a thief in the night? No. Then He must be talking to the dead ones--the unbelievers. Christ never comes upon believers as a thief in the night. For example, in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 Paul says, "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." But in verse 5 he says, "Ye are all sons of light ... we are not of the night ...." Christ is coming in the night of judgment on unbelievers. Christians are children of light, not night. Christ says to the unbeliever, "Open your eyes and watch out because I am coming in judgment." Jesus is coming again. You say, "When is He coming?" I believe He will come very soon to take His church and begin the Tribulation (Rev. 7:14).

B. Strengthen (v. 2b)

"... and strengthen the things which remain ..."

Evidently there were some Christians in the church at Sardis who were hanging on the fringes. So Christ tells the solid Christians--the living saints, the worthy ones--to wake up the carnal Christians. They are described as being next to dead. They were just remaining. They needed to be strengthened and built up. The solid believers were to strengthen the ones that remained.

C. Remember (v. 3a)

"Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard ..."

In other words, remember your salvation. Christ is talking to believers. Remember to keep your mind occupied with the person of Christ and the things of your salvation.

D. Hold Fast (v. 3b)

"... and hold fast ..."

Whenever you see "hold fast" in the Bible, it is referring to sound doctrine. Christ is saying, "Remember how you were saved and hold fast to the doctrines you were taught at the beginning. Hold fast to what you know. Don't get distracted by the world. Don't be influenced by false doctrine. The injunction to Thyatira was, "But that which ye have already, hold fast ..." (Rev. 2:25). He was also referring to sound doctrine in that verse. Christ was telling the worthy saints to hang on and not let the world distract them.

E. Repent (v. 3c)

"... and repent ..."

That command refers to both the carnal Christian and the unsaved. The dead, hypocritical church member and the carnal Christian need to repent.

Those were the five general commands to the church in Sardis--and to any dead church.

A Sermon to a Dead Church

If I was ever invited to speak at a dead church, I know what text I would use: Revelation 3:1-6. I would divide the congregation into three parts and say, "I have two things to say to those of you who are dead and don't know Jesus Christ. One, watch because the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. God is coming in judgment, particularly on those who have feigned a love for Christ and have no such love. Second, repent of your sin, and turn to Jesus Christ and His grace before it's too late. To those of you who are carnal, sleeping Christians, repent of the sin in your life. Also, remember what you had when you came to Christ. To the few of you who have remained faithful to Christ, strengthen those who are on the edge and hold fast to sound doctrine." That is the three-fold message I would deliver to a dead church, addressing each kind of member.

He goes on to point out some of the main problems the church in Sardis had. 

"One of the main problems in the church at Sardis was that it was not operating in the Spirit of God. Why is that an important thing for churches and believers to do? Look up the following verses: Romans 8:1-2, 26-27; 14:17; 15:13; 1 Corinthians 2:4, 11-14; 12:7; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:16-18, 22-23; Ephesians 2:18; 3:16; 5:9; 2 Timothy 1:7; Titus 3:5-6; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 4:14; 1 John 3:24. List all the benefits of the Holy Spirit's work in the believer's life. As a result of those verses, determine how you are going to apply the working of the Holy Spirit in your life."

We must allow the Spirit to operate in our own lives and in the life of our churches.  We can't expect God to move when we gather as a church to serve or worship, if we have not made following and obeying him our lifestyle outside of church.  Total surrender is required if we are going to experience the life that only Christ can bring to us as individuals and as churches. 

 

No Burden Here!

There are many things that seem so burdensome about life.  For some just getting up and going to work each day is a burden.  Others face difficult personal battles each day.  Some have health problems that cause life to be a burden.  It seems that we all have something in our lives that at one time or another is a burden.  Many misunderstand the commands of God and conclude that they are simply to burdensome to complete.  Some feel His commands and tasks are impossible.  The burden becomes so great for some that they fall away from the faith all together.  But today's reading sets the record stright.  The scriptures declare.

1John 5:3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome..

Those who love God obey God, and obeying his commands is not burdensome according to this verse.  This does not mean His commands are light, easy, or simple.  But because we are His children and the Holy Spirit guides us the scriptures assure us that we are able to do all that we are commanded.   God will never give us more then we can handle.  The burden comes when we remove the Spirit from our lives and we try to do things ourselves.  If you try to walk through the christian journey alone, the burden will be to much.  But with the Holy Spirit all things are possible.  The challenge for today is simple, obey God, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, this is the only way we can ever experience the burden-less life that is promised for those who obey His commands.

Do you like where you are?

 So many people, especially young people don't like where they are in life.  The small town we live in is generally a place most people long to escape just as I did growing up.  It's strange how myself and many of my friends have made our way back to this small town through God's divine calling on our lives and today we love it and hate to think of ever leaving it.  I wonder what Jesus thought of his home town of Nazareth?  The NIV New Study Bible says this about the town Jesus grew up in:

"Matthew 2:23 Nazareth. A rather obscure town, nowhere mentioned in the OT. It was Jesus’ hometown (21:11; 26:71; see Lk 2:39; 4:16-24; Jn 1:45-46). He will be called a Nazarene. These exact words are not found in the OT and probably refer to several OT prefigurations and/or predictions (note the plural, “prophets”) that the Messiah would be despised (e.g., Ps 22:6; Isa 53:3), for in Jesus’ day “Nazarene” was virtually a synonym for “despised” (see Jn 1:45-46)."

This is the point that God drove home for me today.  No matter where you are, how big or small your world may seem, or what others think about your way of life, God can and will use you in mighty ways.   If we would focus less on our circumstances and focus totally on God we would find fulfillment like few have ever experienced.  Where we are in life matters very little compared to who we are, and I am a child of the KING, who could ask for more?

One Year Bible

Now is a great time to start reading your Bible daily if you are not already.  Start 2010 off right!  Get one of these for yourself or a friend and read through God's word this year!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Pastor Pete

Who Could Make This?

About 6:45 this morning this question came into my mind as I watched the sun rise out the window of my deer blind. Who could make this? The answer of course is God ALONE. There is no way man with all of his wisdom, technology, or nuclear power, could ever even come close to doing what God has done. In fact we can't even get close enough to even make a comparison at all. God is amazing and that is all there is to it.

As I continued to wait for the deer to arrive I read:

Habakkuk 2:18–20 NIV ““Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. 19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. 20 But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.”

Let us be careful not to worship the things we do, or make, for they are nothing more then idols. May we trust in God alone, and long for his breath of life, words of wisdom, and holy guidance! What a great reminder this Christmas season!

Falling Away

Today's reading contains many warnings about falling away from the faith. It is strange to think that anyone would fall away at all but we see it happen all the time. People fall away for many reasons. Family or personal problems, work schedules, internal conflicts at church, laziness, pride, bitterness, stress, Sunday afternoon football, and thousands of other reasons pull us away from our faith. Why? Simply put, I believe much of it has to do with what we value. More specifically, it is our lack of values in the modern world. The fact is that what we value shapes and directs our lives and it seems that the values of people today change with the seasons. Many seem to go through a time in their lives where they value faith, church, and a personal relationship with God. But then, for one of a million different reasons, that value is replaced by something else at the top of the list. It is a slippery slope to be sure when faith moves to the second most important value in your life. It is never long before it is replaced at number 2, and pushed to number 3. Then it moves down to number 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and so on. Before you know it your faith has moved so far down the list you only practice it a few times a year on special holidays, why? Because you no longer value your faith.
This is not a new problem, it has existed since the first century as those believers who were once so faithful began to fall away. I suspect from the descriptions of why in the Bible, then as now, it had a great deal to do with values. As a new year approaches I would like to challenge you to examine your values. Don't put them in the order you want them to be in, until you have been honest enough to see what order your current actions prove they are in.

May you all be blessed and have a very Merry Christmas this week!!!
Pastor Pete

Sorry

WOW guys I am sorry it looks like there has not been much action on the 1-92 blog for over a month. As most of you know I was out most of the month of November due to the illness and death of my father in law. And I have not been able to get caught up since I have been back in the office. However I am still reading with you and am on pace to finish up the Bible in just a few days. Some of you have told me that you got ahead and have already finished. To that I say way to go over achievers LOL Just kidding! Great job though if you have done that. If you are a few days behind stay with it you will make it. I am praying about a few different things for next year's church wide push, if you have any ideas though I would love to hear them. I will try and get a few more post up before the end of the year. I hope to see you all at church this weekend!

Pete