Those are sweet words to most of us who are used to non-stop toiling to try to keep the boss happy! It is truly enlightening and encouraging to know that our REAL BOSS COMMANDS us to rest one day each week. Last Sunday we discussed the fourth command in our Ten Commandments series enjoining us to “remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy.”  The Jewish faith observes Sabbath on Saturdays while Christians, following the New Testament church, observe it on Sundays and refer to it as “The Lord’s Day.” As we discussed, the Bible does not direct which day of the week (e.g., Saturday, Sunday, etc.) is to be regarded as “the Sabbath,” it simply tells us to observe it one day each week. That day is to be “Holy” and it is blessed by God.

The Bible spends a great deal of time promoting the value of hard work while, in Proverbs particularly, it also makes multiple mentions of the dangers of laziness. So why does God single out this requirement to command us to take a day a week to rest? Because He designed us, created us, and knows what we need to function at our best. Those of us who have worked more than 24 hours straight know He was Right! After a certain point without rest, your brain turns to jell-o, your cognitive powers are sharply reduced, your emotions become uncontrollable, and you just shut down.

Modern medicine confirms the biological need for humans to rest in order to function. But, what did God mean when He commanded us to “rest” and to make the Sabbath “Holy?” Why, exactly, did He tell us to do this? It was intended for us to Rest and to Worship (Mark 2:27-8). Observing the Sabbath Day as God intended will accomplish two things for us:

It will draw us closer to God.

It will prevent burnout.

Taking this time each week to observe corporate worship and quiet time with God and family will prepare us to continue doing Kingdom work. There are three ways God wants us to utilize the Sabbath:

1. To Rest my body

2. To Recharge my emotions

3. To Refocus my spirit

When we obediently follow God’s directives we find ourselves far more productive and joyful. So how are you doing in the “rest” department?

See you Sunday!

-Pastor Dave Jones

There was a 95 year-old lady who was passionate about prison ministry. Every week she visited the prison witnessing to and encouraging the inmates. The inmates came to respect and adore the grandmotherly figure. One day, one of the inmates, who had taken the time of his incarceration to study law, said to her, “Did you know that there are over ten thousand laws which, if broken, could send you to jail?” Without a moment’s hesitation the wise old lady answered, “Did you know that there are ten which can keep you out?”

The wisdom of the ages! This dear little old lady, who had very little formal education, knew the simple way to stay on the right side of the law. Ten simple rules to live by which will keep you out of trouble – Christians know them as THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. For over two thousand years these “laws” which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai for the Nation of Israel have been used as a basis for civil law in almost all civilizations. “Natural” or “moral” laws have been universally accepted as “binding rules of moral behavior from God’s creation of reality and mankind.” In simpler terms, they are the basic, immutable rules by which all mankind operates. For thousands of years these laws have governed civilizations and, when followed, maintained a peaceful and just society.

The historical significance and effectiveness of these laws is difficult to overstate, so why is it that they are now being banned from public display? What suddenly happened in the last half-century which caused these treasured and respected principles to become a target of ridicule instead of a guiding light? That is a long story describing America’s degeneration into immorality. While there are several political factors involved in the attempt to dethrone God’s laws, the primary reason they have fallen from prestige is that Christians allowed it to happen. I don’t mean to assert that Christians actively attacked the public display of the Ten Commandments, but rather that we passively allowed it to happen. By most statistical accounts, the majority of Americans still identify themselves as “Christian” by faith. Since we live in a democratic republic and elect representatives who make the laws, shouldn’t government policies be those which are favored by the majority?

The truth is that Christians have segregated their “faith” from their “politics” and tried not to be involved in civil government concerns. The result of this withdrawal from civic duty is the escalating immorality in our country – much of which has now been “legalized,” and sanctioned by the state. Things like abortion and same-sex marriage are now “protected rights” under the law of the land rather than “sins” as determined by God. There are many things Christians must do to turn this country around and get it back to being the “one nation UNDER GOD” which (for the time being) is still our money’s motto! Let’s start with something simple. I challenge you to memorize the Ten Commandments. You don’t need to get them word for word or from any particular translation – just get the meaning of each and memorize it. As you do this exercise, say them to yourself several times a day and see how your own personal behavior changes. Remember, God’s Word does not return void!

-Pastor Dave Jones

Fear and disbelief gripped the disciples. Their Messiah had been arrested and they ran away in fear (Luke 14: 50-52). Their fear was understandable…for three years they had followed Jesus awaiting the day that He would overthrow the Roman occupiers and set the nation of Israel free.

The prophesied Messiah was expected to deliver Israel from the oppression of her enemies. The people ASSUMED that meant the foreign powers which had oppressed them for so long. However, as usual, people think “too small” for God!

His plan was to deliver them from a much greater adversary – their own sinful nature.  Israel, like America today, was short-sighted and focused on purely physical and material well-being. They were so self-absorbed in their current circumstances that they couldn’t see the forest for the trees. They were interested only in the here and now. They wanted Jesus to be their earthly king and rescue them from the occupying forces of Rome. They could see NO WAY Jesus dying on the cross would achieve this goal of freedom. Furthermore, many of the people were concerned for their own lives since the government, including the ruling Jewish Council, may now come after them because they had been supportive of Jesus. It was indeed a time of great bewilderment and fear. The people ASSUMED that all their hopes for a Messiah delivering them died with Jesus. For three long days it appeared that their fears were founded. Then on the morning following the Sabbath, the world changed forever. Jesus rose from the dead!

You see, the people were afraid because they had put their faith in the power of what they saw as an “earthly king,” a human being. The people were guilty of thinking “too small” for God. God’s plan all along was to deliver Israel from oppression – the oppression of sin.  God had no intention of merely making their earthly life more comfortable – His goal was MUCH larger in scope. God’s plan was to deliver Israel and the rest of the world, from the oppression of sin and death once and for all. God’s offer of redemption and salvation has been extended to EVERY human being since Jesus rose from the dead declaring victory over sin and death. All you need do to gain your redemption and salvation is to trust fully in Jesus as your personal Savior, Lord and Master.

We live in a scary and uncertain world, but Christ-followers have no need to fear. Why? God said so!  God’s promise, “Fear not for I AM with you,” appears in some form or another 365 times in the Bible – once for every day of the year. Coincidence? I don’t think so! Jesus commanded His followers to “pick up your cross DAILY and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23) Jesus knows we are naturally afraid of the uncertainties of this world so He reminded us to defeat fear with Faith. This is God’s word – it is what He said. The solution to overcoming your fears is for you to determine, “Do I believe God, or not?”

He is Risen. He is Risen, INDEED!

-Pastor Dave Jones

As I have been reminded recently by the American Heritage video series we study on Wednesday evenings, Americans have largely forgotten one of the basic character principles considered to be crucial by our country’s founding fathers – Duty.  Duty, as defined by Noah Webster, who has been called “a founding father who helped define American Culture”¹, in his American Dictionary of 1828,  is a concept foreign to most Americans today.

Duty:

1.     That which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform. Obedience to princes, magistrates and the laws is the duty of every citizen and subject; obedience, respect and kindness to parents are duties of children; fidelity to friends is a duty; reverence, obedience and prayer to God are indispensable duties; the government and religious instruction of children are duties of parents which they cannot neglect without guilt.

2.     Forbearance (avoidance) of that which is forbid by morality, law, justice or propriety. It is our duty to refrain from lewdness, intemperance, profaneness and injustice.

3.     Obedience; submission.

4.     Act of reverence or respect.

Note that duty is something required (owes to, bound by) and expected of every citizen. Duty is not optional nor is it self-serving; it is doing what is right out of obedience, submission, reverence and respect. Our founding fathers served out of a sense of duty and considered it to be of paramount importance for the maintenance of a free Republic. Americans today like to tout our “rights” of free speech, pursuit of happiness, religious freedoms, and many other liberties granted us by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. However, those “rights” all come with “responsibilities” (duties) as designed by the founding fathers. Today, we seem to want to exert our rights without performing our duties. We complain about the way we are governed yet we do not exercise our right (and duty) to vote and otherwise legally influence the legislative process. When we fail to exercise our civic rights and duties to participate in the legislative process, we also, logically, should abdicate our right to complain about the results.

Noah Webster and the other founding fathers spoke and wrote voluminously about the importance of the duty of every citizen (We The People…) to participate in the governance of our country and built a democratic republic to facilitate this process.  This is nothing new, it is Civics 101. But what, you may ask, has that to do with my Christian Duty? As we will explore in a new sermon series starting this week, Christian duties are quite similar to Civic duties in our country because the founding fathers designed our government on CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES! As we ponder how our country has fallen into a morass of immorality, political bickering, and ineffectual governance, we should recall the words of George Washington in his farewell address of 1796, “Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports.” We The People have all but banished God, The Bible, and the morality taught therein from civil government. As can be seen by the statements of Webster, Washington, and many other founding fathers, this is far afield from the American government which they envisioned and designed.

It is time to change. We MUST get back to basics and exercise our civic and Christian duties in order to heal our land and realize the promise God so graciously extended His people in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” God CAN heal our land and we need to do our part by turning from our wicked ways and seeking Him.  I urge you to start today:

-Pastor Dave Jones

¹ The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster’s obsession and the Creation of an American Culture, Joshua Kendall, Penguin Books, New York, 2010.

It is SOOOO easy to get caught up in the ruts of our routine lives and SOOO easy to focus on our challenges rather than our blessings.  Please take a minute and see how the Psalmist told us to look at it as we consider this week’s prayer list.

PSALM 150

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
² Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

³ Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
⁴ Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
⁵ Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!

-Pastor Dave Jones

We hear an  awful  lot about “fake news” these days.  While I am by no means a journalist, I thought the duty of a news reporter was to chronicle and publish stories which were based on facts and truth about events.  It is true that one can view events from one’s own perspective and thus “see what you want to see,” but it is also true that professional reporters have a duty to present factual accounts which fairly represent the events covered.  In today’s highly politicized media world, it has become extremely difficult to find fair and balanced reporting.  It seems that both “liberals” and “conservatives” want to spin events to shine the best possible light on their particular causes.  It is a sad commentary on the culture of America today. Politicians spending all their time investigating and accusing one another instead of focusing on legislation and governance of the people.  Mud-slinging for political gain is certainly not new, but it has been given unprecedented “importance” thanks to the politicization of major news outlets.

I urge you to consider carefully what you believe to be truth.  Most news outlets have proven to be less than reliable sources of information.  As we know from history, it is best to go back to the original source documents (or happening) to find the facts.  If you want to know if a Court’s decision to declare something unconstitutional is valid, go back and look at the Constitution and see for yourself.  Many of The Supreme Court’s “opinions” rendered in the past century, when examined under the scrutiny of the Country’s original documents, do not appear to be valid.  Why? The justices who sit on the courts have biases (e.g. liberal or conservative) and tend to interpret the law in the way which best mirrors their own agenda.

With all this politicization going on in government and the media, how are we (Christians) supposed to fulfill our civic duties as citizens? It is simple: go back to THE Original Truth – Scripture, and measure everything against that. The Word of God has the absolute truth which we need to determine if an action is good or evil. Scripture has clear guidance on many hot-button social issues such as abortion, homosexuality, infidelity, marriage, bearing false witness, greed and a myriad of others.  The question we must ask ourselves is twofold: how well do I know Scripture and how well do I base my values judgments on its tenets?  Where do you stand on The Truth and what are you going to do about it?

Food for thought,

Pastor Dave Jones

These words could be spoken by any of dozens of politicians, entertainers, business executives, and public figures who have recently been caught up in the rash of allegations regarding sexual misconduct. Some of these figures have resigned, retired, or been fired from their posts after admitting that they engaged in some form of sexual misconduct.  Others have apologized, but said  they intend to keep their positions which implies that they think their misconduct wasn’t all that serious. Then there are those brave few, perhaps only one, who staunchly deny all the allegations and have gone on the offensive to “clear their good name.”  While sexual misconduct by ANYONE is sinful, it is particularly disturbing and reprehensible when committed by a person who holds authority over others.  All these “celebrities” who  have abused their power and defamed their office by their misconduct shine an illuminating light on the bigger problem – our Country’s misguided standards for virtue and morality.

Our country was founded by men and women who wanted to be “one nation under God.”  This is clearly evidenced by our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, original laws, and the writings and practices of our founding fathers. All of these documents irrefutably show that we were designed to be a “God-fearing” people who followed God’s truth and His principles. Our earliest laws were based primarily on Scriptural laws and our first law school book stated that ALL civil law should align with Scripture.  Why did the founding fathers insist on such strict adherence to biblical teachings? Because, as many of them publicly stated, without the guiding principles of Scripture, we cannot have virtue and morality.  Without virtue and morality, we cannot exist as a civilized people. Our founding fathers had great foresight and we are now seeing the consequences of disregarding their directions. Our country has adopted a “relative morality” focusing on “individual rights” rather than a definitive code of conduct, which is leading us down the path to destruction. We have lost our way. The country’s original virtues of truth, respect, honor, and selfless service have been sacrificed on the altar of the all-powerful “pursuit of happiness” [at all costs]. Scripture warns us that “our sins will find us out.”  Our choices have consequences and sin demands payment.

It is so easy to get lost on our journey – after all Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:13-14: 13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

The way to life is narrow and sometimes hard to stay on – it is easy to take one of the million off-ramps which lead down that broad, easy-to-follow highway to destruction. Commentator Cal Thomas made some excellent points about the rewards of virtue (please follow this link to view article: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/11/30/cal-thomas-return-virtue.html) which reminds us of the consequences of ignoring Jesus’ entreaty.  My prayer for us all is that we will embrace the one true virtue and morality presented to us in The Person and works of Jesus Christ.

-Pastor Dave Jones

In the Beginning, GOD!  Everything else is details. When asked once why I selected “Gen 1:1” as my license plate instead of some other significant Scripture verse, I readily replied, “In the Beginning, God. If you believe that, I can help you the rest of the way to eternal life.”  The converse is also true; if you DON’T believe that God has always been, is, and always will be (i.e., He’s eternal), then nothing else in The Bible is going to make sense to you. The Bible is ONE book with sixty-six chapters written as a love letter from God to YOU.  In it, He is revealing Himself to you so that you can be in an eternal love relationship with Him. There is NO WAY that you can believe that you can ever have eternal life if you don’t believe that the God in whom you are putting your faith has eternal life! God is transcendent (outside of material parameters, human understanding, time and space) – why? Because He created all those things!

I know this concept is mind-boggling, but it is also reassuring to know that Christians are putting their faith and trust in Someone far greater than ourselves or anything we can imagine. That’s why we can have the peace that passes all understanding. So when your trials and tribulations come this week (yes, they will come) remember that God is above all and He invites us to “Be still, and know that He is God.” Come see us Sunday as we learn more about getting the beginning right – it will change your life.

-Pastor Dave Jones

The Media is all abuzz about the NFL’s actions with regard to teams linking arms and kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem. Some of the players interviewed said it was a display of “unity” although many of them didn’t really understand what they were “unified” with. Proponents of this display cite solidarity with one-time San Francisco Forty-Niner Colin Kaepernick, who began this practice last year in what he claimed was a protest against racism being suffered by black Americans at the hands of Law Enforcement. Other advocates of the practice have touted their “first amendment right” to free speech as a justification for their actions. While I have nothing against the people’s right to protest perceived injustices, and am certainly an advocate for upholding the Constitution, allow me to offer a few thoughts on this subject and challenge you to consider the argument from a different perspective.

First, as an Army officer, I took the following oath:   “I _____, having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God.”  Let me explain what taking that oath means:

1)     I went places I didn’t want to go and put myself in harm’s way to protect the right of every American to protest – even when they were protesting against Soldiers.

2)     It means that I have stood through far too many memorial services saluting a flag-draped coffin while watching a comrade go home for the last time.

3)    It means that I have knocked on doors in the early morning hours to inform a young wife that her Soldier-husband had lost his life in the line of duty.

4)    It means that I have Stood at graveside services and handed a spouse a folded flag from the coffin of her loved one and watched her clutch it in her arms while trying to contain her grief.

The flag is our nation’s symbol of freedom – freedom for which countless men and women for more than two centuries have fought and died. Freedom which is so rare and precious that immigrants flock to our shores in hopes that they too can enjoy it. For over 200 years Americans have honored our flag and respected our country by standing during the playing of the National Anthem. So when someone decides that the flag does not deserve the honors traditionally given to it because they want to use the opportunity as a platform to protest a cause, I question their judgment and their regard for all the brave Americans who have valiantly served to protect it.  Consider how your “right to protest” stacks up against honoring the country in which you have chosen to live (yes, you are free to leave America if it displeases you – another of your valuable rights).

Second, as a Minister of The Gospel I have sworn to uphold and defend the Christian Faith and the sanctity of Holy Scripture. One of my “duties” in this regard is to proclaim God’s Word and exhort other believers to obediently follow it. Scripture has a lot to say about how citizens are to behave with respect to civil government. Jesus, when asked if it was right to pay taxes to the civil government, remarked “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s…,” effectively telling His followers that they should obey the laws of the land. Paul admonished us to pray for our civic leaders and reminded us that all civic leaders serve under God’s approval. As Christians, we should be obedient to the laws of our country (unless they contradict Scriptural law) and we should pray for our civic leaders. By the way, there is a law pertaining to the flag – it’s called the flag code, give it a read some time.

I believe that the citizens of the United States (Christian and otherwise) have become far more interested in our “personal rights” than in the laws of the land and the selfless service of our nation. That is, indeed, a reflection of our sin nature and evidence of how it manifests itself when we allow ANYTHING to become more important to us than God. So, where do your allegiances lie? “Put First the Kingdom of God…”

I am not advocating that you boycott the NFL or burn your team jerseys and season tickets as I have seen so much furor in the news about, but I would ask how much better off you might be if you spent the time you now spend with football with God instead.  You may exercise your “rights” as you see fit, but as for me and my house, we choose to STAND for the flag and KNEEL at the Cross.  Please pray for our country – Scripture tells us to!

-Pastor Dave Jones

I’m sure you have all experienced some sales pitch which “guaranteed” a hefty return on your investment…yet there always seems to be some “fine print” in the disclaimer if you search hard enough.  For instance, yesterday in the mail I received a check for $35,000 guaranteed to be wired directly to my bank account!  In (much) smaller print at the bottom was the stipulation that this was a “personal loan” for the low, low interest rate of 12%. As the old saying goes, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”  Pretty sound advice when we are dealing with matters in a fallen world filled with selfish people who are (mostly) only interested in promoting their own interests.  Even our closest loved ones will often fail to deliver on promises made – we are, after all, only human.

The Good News (really, THE GOOD NEWS) is that Jesus, the One Man who ever lived who never broke a promise, has offered us a number of fail-proof investment opportunities and we have it in writing!  Forgiveness, eternal life, joy, and peace, just to name a few of my favorites. But, there is one more promise which I would like to remind you of today – the promise of answered prayer (John 14:13-14).  In these dark days of trial, suffering, and continual attacks on followers of Jesus, I urge you to remember this promise and do not be discouraged, but be ENCOURAGED as we have the iron-clad promises of The One (and only) who has not and cannot break His word.

-Pastor Dave Jones