Happy Halloween

May God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Spirit) fill you with life and power flowing from Heaven, overcoming fear, death and darkness.

"What you'll get is the Holy Spirit (Ghost). And when the Holy Spirit (Ghost) comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem (Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk), all over Judea (Virginia) and Samaria (the U.S.), even to the ends of the world."

Acts 1:8 The Message, ( ) added by Steve Nethery.

Pastor Appreciation - THANKS

Thanks for the gifts this past week. Very thoughtful and encouraging. The gifts and cards given to Scott, Ruth and me on Sunday, 10-28-07, are appeciatted and uplifting. You guys are great people of God.

For SCC - The Lord's Supper/Communion REMEMBER

This past Sunday we took the Lord's Supper /Communion during the Weekend Service. Communion is about remembering. Remembering God's love and sacrifice. Remembering when we made the decision to accept Jesus Christ and begin following Him. Remembering how God has brought about wonderful change in our lives. Remembering our tendency to stray away from God. Remembering our bent towards doing things our way. Remembering God is love. Remembering God is righteous. Remembering we are God's. Remembering, and giving thanks. Remembering. Once we have taken the time to reflect on these things we have the opportunity to move forward and walk with God. Move forward in spiritual disciplines such as prayer, scripture reading, scripture memorization, fellowship, sharing our faith with others, giving financially, serving and individual and corporate worship. As you move forward this week in work, house chores, raising children, earning an income, having fun with friends and family, and in your spiritual growth pause for just a few minutes and remember.

23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. I Corinthians 11:23-26

As we move into November (the month of thanksgiving)

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving thanks.

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Fishing For Men

To catch fish, learn to think like them
by Rick Warren

If you’re going to be good at fishing, you’ve got to learn to think like a fish. If you’re going to be an effective fisher of men, you’ve got to think like a lost person. Here’s the problem. Unfortunately, the longer you are a Christian, the less you think like an unbeliever. I don’t think like a non-Christian; I think like a Christian. In fact, I think like a pastor. That’s even worse! It’s two generations removed from the people I want to reach.
You can tell just how differently pastors think than lost people when you look at church advertisements in the newspaper. You’ll see advertisements like, “Preaching the inspired, inerrant Word of God.” Who will that appeal to? I know what the inspired, inerrant Word of God is. In fact I believe in it. I’d die for the inspired, inerrant Word. But non-Christians don’t care about your view of inspiration.
Or you’ll see a church advertise “Holy Spirit services.” That’s going to scare people away! Non-Christians don’t know what you mean by the Holy Spirit. Is that Casper the Friendly Ghost? You must learn to think – and communicate – like a non-believer if you are going to communicate the Gospel to them.
To catch fish, you’ve got to know their habits, their preferences, and their feeding patterns. Certain fish like smooth water. Others are bottom crawlers. Some like rushing water. Others hide under rocks. You’ve got to know what the fish you’re trying to reach like to do. If you’re going to understand and reach non-Christians, you’ve got to begin with their mindset.
The Bible says in Luke 6, “Jesus knew what they were thinking” (GW). In fact, multiple times in Scripture we read that Jesus knew what the people whom he was ministering to were thinking. Jesus gives us a great example of someone thinking like a fish.
Jesus says in Matthew 10:16, “I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Jesus is saying we need to be strategic. Think about who you are trying to reach before you try to do evangelism. Unfortunately, we often fulfill only the second half of that verse. We’re harmless as doves, but not as wise as serpents.
If I went overseas as a missionary, I could have all of my doctrine right – be totally scriptural, I could have the truth that could change lives, but I’d still have to learn the language.
That’s true even in the country where we grew up. You have to learn the language of the unbeliever. They don’t talk in religious terms. I often hear about how resistant people are to the Gospel. But I don’t think that’s true. They’re not resistant. They’re just on a different wavelength.
About 20 to 30 years ago in the United States, CB radios were big. And people would communicate through these radios on different wavebands. I could have the best message in the world and if I’m on channel 4 and you’re on channel 8, it won’t get through. I’ve got to get on your channel.
I’ve got to speak your language. I don’t expect you to speak my language as a Christian. I have to learn to speak your language. That’s called love. That’s called caring enough about people and not letting the method prevent the message from getting through. You’ve got to start where people are.
I grew up in very small country churches and in a town of less than 500 people. All my life I was around poor people in a small town. I was told you couldn’t reach wealthy people with the Gospel. Now, at Saddleback, that’s about all we’re reaching; they are just about all who can afford to live in South Orange County, Calif., where our church is. I’ve discovered rich people aren’t turned off to the Gospel. We just needed to communicate on their wavelength.
How do you discover the mindset of lost people in your community?
You talk to them. Sounds simple, but it’s true. The more you talk to non-Christians, the more you begin to get on their wavelength. Then you can build a bridge from your heart to their heart that Jesus Christ can walk across.

This article was in an email subscription Steve Nethery receives called pastors.com dated 10-17-07. Fro more information go to www.pastors.com

For SCC - Steve at Lee Memorial "Praying Expectantly" 10-21-07

Lee Memorial and Sunrise Community Church are moving into a ministry partnership in which the two churches will remain as two churches doing ministry together. The leaders from each church have been meeting together since early August and it was recently decided to serve Christ as partners. For more on this see the Blogs dated 10-21-07.

As followers of Jesus Christ we are to pray expectantly. We are to ask of god and watch for the answer. Prayer is not passive. Prayer is active. Praying is not to be done lightly it is to be done with purpose, thought, and anticipation. In order to begin to pray with expectation we have to realize that God is able to answer our prayers and is bigger than us, has the power to move in us, around us and through us, and we must pray in and by faith (See Ephesians 3:20-21, Matthew 6:9-10, Hebrews 11). As we begin to realize that god is able we also need to pray with more purpose. We need to be more intentional in our personal prayer life and in our community prayer life. We need to remember what we have requested and watch for the answer. Praying with purpose takes thought, discipline, effort, work, and time. Intentional praying is wonderful and is preceded by thought about God, His Word, His Way, His Will and seeks to honor God. Expectant prayer watches for the answer throughout the day. When we are praying expectantly we will remember what we requested and we will live and watch with anticipation for the answer to our request. We will also begin to align our lives with the answer. We will begin to live in such a manner that our lives are already in tune with the answer to our request of God. Our living is in line with our request. Our lifestyle matches up with our prayer. We not only begin to watch for the answer with hope, but we also begin to live in hope and passion. Asking God for something and living opposite of that request is not expectant praying. Calling out to God and then living in faith for the answer is praying expectantly. When we pray in this way we will experience positive life change and we will live a life of personal metamorphosis towards Christ likeness.

For more see: Jeremiah 33:3, Philippians 4:6-7, John 15-17, Matthew 7:7-11, Psalm Chapters 3, 4, 5, 6.

Sunrise and Lee Memorial - Partnership Questions and Answers

How did Sunrise find out about this opportunity?
John Robertson, Portsmouth Baptist Association Director, contacted Scott Salsman and Steve Nethery and helped initiate communication between Scott and Steve and the Leaders of Lee Memorial. At the first meeting it was determined by key leaders in both churches to continue to meet together for discussion and planning in regards to a future partnership that would be beneficial to both churches.
Why is Lee Memorial interested in a partnership?
The leaders of Lee Memorial are seeking God’s direction for the church. They are seeking to make the most of the facilities for ministry.
Why are Sunrise leaders interested in the partnership?
Those involved in the process thus far are interested in the partnership for numerous reasons: 1. God placed this in our laps. We did not go looking for this opportunity. 2. The meetings we have had with the leaders of Lee Memorial have been positive and encouraging for Sunrise and Lee Memorial leaders. 3. This opportunity provides Sunrise the chance to have a much more permanent place for meeting on Sunday mornings and at other times. 4. The location is good. 5. The facilities will meet the current needs of Sunrise and allow for some growth. 6. The set up and tear down done by the Music Team and those who help set up and tear down on Sundays will not have to be done anymore except for special occasions. 7. The expense will be $400.00 to $600.00 less per month than what we currently pay for the School and the Office Complex.
Will Sunrise still have the Sunrise style service on Sunday mornings?
Yes. We will continue our service. We will meet from 10:00 – 11:00 AM and have our service in the Family Life Center and the infants, pre-school, school aged children and Middle and High School Students will meet in an area suitable for them.
What about those already in Lee Memorial?
There will be an 11:15 – 12:00 Noon service that is more traditional in style, music, and setting in the auditorium/sanctuary of Lee Memorial. We will have the opportunity to serve with them in ministry and at special events. We will seek to build a relationship with people in Lee Memorial and they will seek to build a relationship with us.
What about the name?
We will be Sunrise Community Church meeting at Lee Memorial. We keep the name of Sunrise Community Church.
Will this move help us reach more people?
Location is very important in regards to the business world and church world. Lee Memorial is in a good location that is central along the I-664 corridor and is near the Chesapeake Square Mall Business District and provides a good location for Sunrise. Just moving to the facilities of Lee Memorial will not automatically cause Sunrise to grow in numbers even though the leaders of Sunrise think it will help us reach more people. We will need to continue to invite others to our weekend services, share Christ with others, provide relevant ministries, strengthen our Community Groups, and plan ways to reach out to those along the I-664 corridor. Your involvement in the move and in helping Sunrise lead people to accept Jesus Christ and become totally committed followers of Jesus Christ is very important to touching people’s lives with the love of God.
When will we officially start meeting Lee Memorial?
The current plans are to have a Christmas Eve Candle Light Service on Monday, December 24, 2007 from 6:00-7:00 PM at Lee Memorial with the people of Lee Memorial and Sunrise meeting together for this service. We will promote this service and hope and pray for a large attendance and plan for an awesome and powerful Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. Our first Sunday morning service will be on Sunday, December 30, 2007 from 10:00-11:00 AM at Lee Memorial.
What needs to be done before the partnership begins and Sunrise begins meeting at the Lee Memorial location?
We need to continue to pray. You and I need to plan on attending the Open House and tour the property and meet the people of Lee Memorial. We will have at least two Saturdays scheduled for cleaning and preparing the building for use. We will have some evenings scheduled to do the same. We will have a scheduled times to move items from Jolliff Middle School to Lee Memorial in order to be ready for Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and the first Sunday service on December 30, 2007.
How can I help?
Pray for openness because god can do great things through those who are open to Him. Pray for a sense of unity in Sunrise and between Sunrise and Lee Memorial because God can and will accomplish great things through those who seek to live with a sense of purpose. Be willing to help with the move. Plan on giving some of your time on a few evenings and on a few Saturdays to help with the move. Keep up your financial giving. Keep inviting people to attend. Your invites and personal life story are very important to reaching people.
What’s the bottom Line?
This seems to be an excellent opportunity. We will need you to be praying and be willing to help on some evenings and on some Saturday mornings or afternoons as we make this transition. Please contact any MLT leader with questions, ideas, or concerns about this opportunity. In making this move we all need to keep in mind that we as a church are to help others come to know Christ, grow in Christ and begin to serve Christ. Sunrise is about Reaching Up (Worship), Reaching Out (Evangelism/Sharing) and Reaching In (Fellowship and Spiritual Growth). Sunrise Community Church exists to lead people to become totally committed followers of Jesus Christ. Since Sunrise began in April 2000 we have made many transitions and tried numerous ways to reach out to people and help them experience God’s love and power. This move will be just one more transition in the life of Sunrise as we seek to continue to touch lives.
How do I get to Lee Memorial Baptist Church?
From I-664 take Portsmouth Blvd. East (Exit 11B) and at the first stop light turn left onto Gum Road. Go 2/10th of a mile and look for the property of Lee Memorial on the left at 2430 Gum Road. From The Churchland, Western Branch, and the Portsmouth City Park area you can get onto Portsmouth Blvd. and go west like you are going to I-664. Turn right onto Gum Road and go to 2/10th of a mile and look for the property of Lee Memorial on the left at 2430 Gum Road. You can also use www.mapquest.com or www.yahoo.com and go to maps for directions and for a map in order to locate Lee Memorial.

Sunrise and Lee Memorial - Make The Move and Open House

MAKE THE MOVE

Saturday, November 3, 10:00-12:00 noon
Clean and begin room preparation. Plan on bringing your vacuum and other cleaning items to help do a quick clean of the facilities so that all will be nice and clean for the Open House.
Saturday, November 10, 10:00-12:00 noon
Open House at Lee Memorial Baptist Church. Please see the Open House flyer on the Information Tables in school hallways.
Saturday, December 1, 10:00-12:00 noon
Clean and continue to prepare rooms and other areas for ministry.
Saturday, December 8
GLARE, the Music Team, play at the Chesapeake Square Mall and promotion materials about Candlelight Christmas Eve Service given out.
Saturday, December 15, 9:00-12:00 noon
Meet The Community Day. Hand out flyers/door hangers that promote Candlelight Christmas Eve Service in the subdivisions around Lee Memorial. A goal of 3,000 given out.
Sunday, December 23, 11:00-12:00 noon
Service at Jolliff. Afterward we take all items from Jolliff Middle to Lee Memorial from 2:30-4:00 PM
Monday, December 24, 6:00-7:00 PM
Candlelight Service at Lee Memorial
Saturday, December 29, 10:00-12:00 noon
Final preparation of rooms for ministry.
Sunday, December 30
10:00-11:00 AM Contemporary Service in Family Life Center and Lee Memorial Sunday
School in Fellowship Hall
11:15-12:00 noon Traditional-Blended Service in Auditorium

OPEN HOUSE

The Sunrise Community Church Ministry Leadership Team members and some of the members of the Sunrise Financial Ministry Team have been communicating with the key leaders of Lee Memorial Baptist Church for almost two months about Sunrise and Lee Memorial developing a ministry partnership and Sunrise using a large part of the facility of Lee Memorial on Sunday mornings and during the weekday for office space and other ministry needs and opportunities. After much prayer, discussion and planning it has been decided to move in the direction of forming a partnership and have Sunrise begin using the Lee Memorial facilities in late December. The Open House is scheduled for all involved with Sunrise to come and tour the property, meet the people of Lee Memorial, hear briefly how this all started in July and then become involved in making the move from meeting at Jolliff Middle School on Sunday mornings to meeting at Lee Memorial on Sunday mornings and using the facilities for office space and other ministry opportunities.

10:00 AM Building open for tour and people meeting
one another
10:30 AM Everyone move to the Family Life Center
and Tom Bower of Lee Memorial and
Steve Nethery of Sunrise share about
partnership
11:00 – 12:00 noon Building open for continued touring

Prayer Quotes

"Prayer is not getting man's will done in heaven, but getting God's will done on earth. It is not overcoming God's reluctance but laying hold of God's willingness." - Richard C. Trench.

"Only those who see the invisible can attempt the impossible." - Dick Eastman.

"More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." - Alfred Lord Tennyson

"It is the habit of faith, when she is praying, to use pleas. Mere prayer sayers, who do not pray at all, forget to argue with God; but those who prevail bring forth their reasons and their strong arguments" - Charles H. Spurgeon"

"God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it." - John Wesley.

"Most men pray for power, the strength to do things. Few people pray for love, the quality to be someone." - Robert Foster.

"Prayer requires more of the heart than the tongue." - Adam Clarke.

"No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it." - Guy H. King.

By faith...

1-2The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.
3By faith, we see the world called into existence by God's word, what we see created by what we don't see.
4By an act of faith, Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference. That's what God noticed and approved as righteous. After all these centuries, that belief continues to catch our notice.
5-6By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. "They looked all over and couldn't find him because God had taken him." We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken "he pleased God." It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.
7By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.
8-10By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.
11-12By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. That's how it happened that from one man's dead and shriveled loins there are now people numbering into the millions.
13-16Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.
17-19By faith, Abraham, at the time of testing, offered Isaac back to God. Acting in faith, he was as ready to return the promised son, his only son, as he had been to receive him—and this after he had already been told, "Your descendants shall come from Isaac." Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that's what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar.
20By an act of faith, Isaac reached into the future as he blessed Jacob and Esau.
21By an act of faith, Jacob on his deathbed blessed each of Joseph's sons in turn, blessing them with God's blessing, not his own—as he bowed worshipfully upon his staff.
22By an act of faith, Joseph, while dying, prophesied the exodus of Israel, and made arrangements for his own burial.
23By an act of faith, Moses' parents hid him away for three months after his birth. They saw the child's beauty, and they braved the king's decree.
24-28By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God's people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah's camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king's blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn't touch them.
29By an act of faith, Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry ground. The Egyptians tried it and drowned.
30By faith, the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho for seven days, and the walls fell flat.
31By an act of faith, Rahab, the Jericho harlot, welcomed the spies and escaped the destruction that came on those who refused to trust God.
32-38I could go on and on, but I've run out of time. There are so many more— Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets....Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn't deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.
39-40Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised. God had a better plan for us: that their faith and our faith would come together to make one completed whole, their lives of faith not complete apart from ours.

The Brilliance Of A Fretless Life

Last night I read again the chapter, "The Brilliance Of A Fretless Life", in Moses Caesar's book, The Tree In The Middle Of My Garden. Well written. Thought provoking. Faith bulding. Moses Caesar will be at Sunrise on Sunday morning, 10-28-07. His message is "Stop Worrying and Start Resting". Very relevant. Plan to attend. Let nothing keep you from hearing this message of hope and liberation. Get the word out to friends and family. www.mosesbook.com for more about Moses Caesar and to order the book.

From the chapter:
Waiting is not about time. Waiting is about trust. You cannot adjust time. You cannot make it go faster or slower. You cannot make it stop. Time is independent of you. Clearly, trust is the dependent variable inviting your particpation. You can determine if you will trust or not. Do you trust God? Do you?

For SCC - Why Is There So Much Suffering? 10-14-07

Series Verses:
“Make the most of your chances to tell others the Good News. Be wise in all of your contacts with them. Let your conversation be gracious as well as sensible, for then you will have the right answer for everyone.”
Colossians 4:5-6
Why is there so much suffering?
Theories/Premises
Deny God’s existence
Deny suffering exist
God is not involved
God is limited
Suffering is God’s Judgement

God is all loving, all powerful, all knowing, merciful, just and righteous and does care for you and me. This is the theory or premise I believe.

Freewill of Mankind Genesis 1-3
The Reality of Freewill
The Good of Freewill
The Difficulty of Freewill
Natural Order

If God is so loving and powerful why doesn’t He end all the evil and suffering?

You and I would come to an end
In Christ God dealt with and deals with suffering
Heaven is without suffering and pain

Still the “Why” question remains
Joy and Happiness are a part of life.
Suffering and pain are a part of life

John 16:33, James 1:2-4, I Peter 4:12

Where is God in the suffering?
Very near

Psalm 34:18-19, John 14:26

Loss will come your way
Pain will knock on your door
Suffering will visit your home

Will you allow the reality of pain and suffering to drive you away from God or to God?

Suggested Books
Why I Am A Christian, Norman Geisler
The Tree In The Middle Of My Garden, Moses Caesar
A Search For The Spiritual, James White
Where Is God When It Hurts?, Phillip Yancey
Know Why You Believe, Paul Little
Christianity For Skeptics, Steve Kumar
When God Doesn’t Make Sense, James Dobson
He Still Moves Stones, Max Lucado
Excellent resource: www.christianity.co.nz
Visit www.stevenethery.blogspot.com for more on this topic

This will FIRE you up

Daniel 3
Four Men in the Furnace

1-3 King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold statue, ninety feet high and nine feet thick. He set it up on the Dura plain in the province of Babylon. He then ordered all the important leaders in the province, everybody who was anybody, to the dedication ceremony of the statue. They all came for the dedication, all the important people, and took their places before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.
4-6 A herald then proclaimed in a loud voice: "Attention, everyone! Every race, color, and creed, listen! When you hear the band strike up—all the trumpets and trombones, the tubas and baritones, the drums and cymbals—fall to your knees and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately into a roaring furnace."
7 The band started to play, a huge band equipped with all the musical instruments of Babylon, and everyone—every race, color, and creed—fell to their knees and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8-12 Just then, some Babylonian fortunetellers stepped up and accused the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "Long live the king! You gave strict orders, O king, that when the big band started playing, everyone had to fall to their knees and worship the gold statue, and whoever did not go to their knees and worship it had to be pitched into a roaring furnace. Well, there are some Jews here—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have placed in high positions in the province of Babylon. These men are ignoring you, O king. They don't respect your gods and they won't worship the gold statue you set up."
13-15 Furious, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be brought in. When the men were brought in, Nebuchadnezzar asked, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don't respect my gods and refuse to worship the gold statue that I have set up? I'm giving you a second chance—but from now on, when the big band strikes up you must go to your knees and worship the statue I have made. If you don't worship it, you will be pitched into a roaring furnace, no questions asked. Who is the god who can rescue you from my power?"
16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."
19-23 Nebuchadnezzar, his face purple with anger, cut off Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace fired up seven times hotter than usual. He ordered some strong men from the army to tie them up, hands and feet, and throw them into the roaring furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bound hand and foot, fully dressed from head to toe, were pitched into the roaring fire. Because the king was in such a hurry and the furnace was so hot, flames from the furnace killed the men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to it, while the fire raged around Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
24 Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, "Didn't we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?"
"That's right, O king," they said.
25 "But look!" he said. "I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!"
26 Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!"
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire.
27 All the important people, the government leaders and king's counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn't so much as touched the three men—not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!
28 Nebuchadnezzar said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him! They ignored the king's orders and laid their bodies on the line rather than serve or worship any god but their own.
29 "Therefore I issue this decree: Anyone anywhere, of any race, color, or creed, who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be ripped to pieces, limb from limb, and their houses torn down. There has never been a god who can pull off a rescue like this."
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Suffering Article

In preparing for this Sunday's message I came across this brief article.

Why is there so much suffering

Pollster George Barna was once commissioned to inquire of people what one question they would ask God if they had the opportunity, and that God would answer. By an overwhelming majority the most urgent question was this, "Why is there so much suffering in the world?" The problem arises because of what we as Christians believe about God and about evil. Five things we believe as Christians: 1. God exists. 2. God is all good. 3. God is all powerful. 4. God is all wise. 5. Evil exists. Here is where the problem comes. How can the last statement be reconciled with the other four? If God had made no claim to being totally good, then the existence of evil would be easy to explain. So, how do you square an all good, all powerful, all wise God with evil and suffering.
The question is asked, why didn't God create a world where there was no evil, no suffering? He did! Genesis 1:31 reads, "And God saw everything that he made, and behold it was very good." Yet the world is soaked with evil, pain, suffering, earthquakes, and Tsunamis erupt. The question is what went wrong? In the beginning everything was perfect until man sinned. Genesis 3:1 records the time when everything went bad. It was when man and woman was deceived by Satan and sin entered the world. From that time sin has been passed on to every person who has been born. You don't have to teach a kid to be bad, you teach him to be good. You don't have to teach a child to lie, you teach him to be honest.
Romans 8:20 tells us that sin not only corrupted the heart of the human race, it corrupted the physical world, "everything on earth was subjected to God's curse."
Basically we have three types of evil that exist into he world. There is "Moral Evil" (such things as war, crime, racism and cruelty) and there is "Natural Evil" (hurricanes, tsunamis, flood, and earthquakes) and there is "Social Evil" (poverty, hunger, homelessness). Job 38:1 after Job demanded an answer of the "why question" and God gave him an answer that ends every other question about why. God's reply, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth?" God is saying in effect, you wouldn't even be here in the first place if I had not decided to create you to begin with.
We don't know the answers to a lot of the questions about why there is suffering, why is there so much pain, why flood, and earthquakes. This one thing we know, God is on the throne. He is in control. God has a plan and a purpose we cannot see. Our part is to trust Him. He is not obligated to answer any of our questions. God allows things to happen for a reason!
How do I know God can take the worst thing that ever happened in history and turn it into the best thing which could happen. He did just that in the death of His innocent Son, who died on a cross and made it possible for salvation and the opportunity for us to receive eternal life.

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Psalm 19

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19 (NIV)

For SCC - The Bible: What Makes It So Special? 10-7-07

The God Questions is the title of the series for October. We started the series on Sunday, 10-7-07 by addressing what makes the Bible special. The Bible is the key book for followers of Christ. The Bibles message is central to Christianity. A very fair question that people who are followers of Christ and skeptics want to know is what makes the Bible so special. Scott Salsman addressed this question by sharing with us insights from Josh McDowell and others who have done solid research about Christianity and the Bible.

Scott shared with us 5 Reasons the Bible is Unique:

1.Unique in its continuity
•Written over long period of time
•Written by over 40 authors
•Written in different places
•Written at different times

Written message is God's redemption of mankind

2.Unique in translation and circulation
Author When Written Early Copy Time Span # of copies
Ceasar 100-44 BC 900 AD 1000 yrs 10
Plato 27-347 BC 900 AD 1200 yrs 7
Illiad 900 BC 400 BC 500 yrs 643
New Test. 40-100 AD 125 AD 25 yrs 24,000

Throughout history great care was given to to see that the text remained the same.
3. Unique in its survival
•Its survival through time
•Its survival through persecution
•Its survival through criticism

4.Unique in its teaching

5.Unique in its influence
•Upon literature
•Upon morality
•Upon judicial systems

These are just the tip of the iceberg in regards to what makes the Bible special and unique.

I followed Scott and shared that the Bible is special because it is God's Word to us for life and for living. The Bible is a book of history, poems, wisdom, eyewitness accounts, letters and prophecy written to help us in life and living.

A few verses of Scripture that speak to God's Word for life and living

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
II Timothy 3:16-17

God's word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.
Hebrews 4:12

God’s Word. Read It. Study It. Apply it.

For SCC - Grander Vision Living 9-30-07

We finished up our series Just Walk Across The Room this past Sunday. The finishing of the series is really the beginning of the living of the series. Just Walk Across The Room has been about you and I learning to walk across rooms, offices, streets, and ball fields in order to meet people and give away what God has given to us. Scott shared with us that as we continue to think about and seek to walk across rooms we need to remember that people are the priority for God. God loves people and desires for everyone to hear of His love. As you and I serve people and help people enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ we need to keep in mind and heart that God sees incredible potential in all of us and He does the work of bringing new life and new hope. You and I have the opportunity of meeting people, sharing our faith, praying for friends and family, and being a part of God's grander vision living.