Some of you, we’re not saying who, may remember the above as a line that Dick always used on his brother Tom in the old TV show “The Smothers Brothers.”  Today we call this sibling rivalry at Los Angeles churches.  Usually the younger one is the mother’s favorite. This was true in a story in the Bible about Jacob and Esau. The story is found in Genesis 25:20-34, 27:1-46.

Jacob and Esau were twins.  When they were born Esau emerged first.  He came out of the womb, with his brother Jacob’s hand holding onto his heel.  The firstborn was the one whom the father would one day bless to become the leader of the family at Los Angeles churches.  Along with leadership came all the wealth which the family possessed.  But more than that, and seemingly of little concern to either Jacob or Esau, the firstborn carried the promise of Abraham to the next generation.

The Bible says; “So the boys grew.  And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.  And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” The Lord told Rebekah, while the twins were yet unborn, that each son would become a nation.  One of which would be stronger than the other, but the elder, Esau, would serve the younger, Jacob.  In God’s eyes, Jacob was the one to have the birthright even though he was the youngest.  Jacob and Rebekah set about to fulfill God’s promise in their own way.  People at Los Angeles churches learn about this in the Bible.

First, Jacob played upon his brother’s hunger and offered to share his stew with his brother, provided that Esau would sell him his birthright as the price of the meal.  Esau agreed and thus Jacob came to possess the birthright of the eldest son.  But there was still the problem of obtaining Isaac’s blessing.

According to the Bible, read at Los Angeles churches, this is where ‘Mom’ took charge.  Because Mom loved Jacob best, they both sought to deceive Isaac.  When Isaac was old and his eyes grew dim, he sent Esau to hunt for game to satisfy his hunger telling Esau that he would give him his blessing at that time.  Rebekah overheard their conversation and she disguised Jacob with Esau’s clothes and goat’s hair on his arms and neck.  Then she made a savory meal of goat meat and sent it with Jacob into Isaac.  The deception worked and Isaac gave the blessing due to the firstborn to Jacob.

Later, when Esau arrived with his food for Isaac, they both realized they had been deceived, according to the Bible studied at Los Angeles churches.  Jacob gave Esau a blessing, but it was not the one he had hoped for.  Jacob paid for his deception as he was forced to flee home and go to a far country.  Rebekah also suffered because she never saw her son again after that day.  There’s more to the story, but the point is:

“WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE WHEN FIRST WE PRACTICE TO DECEIVE!”

For some people, the above words might make an appropriate etching on a grave stone. Most people tend to live this way at churches San Fernando. Frank Sinatra even sang a song by this title and I think he lived it too. But, as Pastor has reminded us many times, ‘It’s not about you.’

When people live this way it creates tremendous problems in their lives. The reason is that they fail to make God a part of their lives at churches San Fernando. They are ignorant of or not interested in doing things ‘His way.’

The Book of Judges records a dark period in the life of Israel. It highlights their many failures to do what God had commanded them to do regarding the inhabitants of the land God had given them. As a result, God brought judgment upon them because they did not do it ‘His Way.’ The book ends with this sad statement, “and every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” In other words, they did it their way at churches San Fernando.

The New Testament records the story of an individual who did things his own way. He did not follow the traditional ways of walking in his father’s footsteps, but wanted to be different. We know him as the Prodigal Son. His way led him down a path of destruction, and it wasn’t long before he realized that his life was a failure. Things were much better in his father’s house even for the servants. So he returned to his father’s house and was welcomed once again as a son at churches San Fernando.

In the last week of Jesus’ life, on the eve of His betrayal, we see Him in the garden of Gethsemane. If there was ever a temptation for Jesus to do it ‘His Way’ it was there in that Garden. The agony of what awaited Him was so great that as He prayed, He sweat drops of blood. But Jesus did not exercise His own will. Hisprayer was, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39 (NKJV)

Have you ever been tempted to do things ‘Your Way,’ and been disobedient to what you know to be God’s Way at churches San Fernando? Of course; we all have. Sometimes it happens because we do not know God’s Way. We have not “…hid His word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him.” We have not made the reading and studying of God’s Word a habit in our Christian life.

Sometimes, however, we willfully seek our way even though we know it is not God’s Way at churches San Fernando. When we do this, we sin and cause problems in our spiritual life. Sin separates us from fellowship with God. The only solution is to…”confess our sins” and allow God to “…cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (See 1 John :1)

The result is restored fellowship with God and a renewal of fruitfulness in our Christian life at churches San Fernando.

Let’s do it His way!

They say that if you are walking in the woods and meet a bear, the safest place to be is ‘up a tree’ at Santa Clarita Churches. The problem with being up a tree is that you are still at the mercy of the bear. You can’t go anywhere or do anything as long as the bear threatens you. Eventually, the bear may go away, but until then, life comes to a standstill.

There are many problems that we meet in life that are like that bear. They figuratively chase us ‘up a tree’. We try to flee from our problems but we seem to be ‘up a tree.’ Life for us has come to a halt.

The Bible tells us of a man that had problems and he literally climbed a tree. His name was Zacchaeus. He had three problems at Santa Clarita Churches . The first was that he was not a tall man. In fact, he was so short that he had difficulty seeing over the heads of those who were taller. This is what caused him to climb the tree in the first place. He had heard that Jesus was going to be coming through his town and he wanted to see Jesus. So up the tree he went.

The second problem was one that made him avoid crowds at Santa Clarita Churches . You see, he was a tax collector for the Romans. As such, he was despised by the Jews who barred him from any religious activity and classified him in their eyes as a sinner. If he were not careful, they would gladly do him mischief.  So up the tree he went.

The third problem was that he needed salvation that only Jesus could provide. This fact put him figuratively up a tree at Santa Clarita Churches . When Jesus came by, he did three things that solved Zacchaeus’s problems. He’ll do the same for us when we have problems.

First, He saw Zacchaeus up in the tree. Do you know that Jesus sees you when your problems have driven you up a tree?

Secondly, He called him by name saying, “Zacchaeus, come down out of that tree.” We sing a song in church called ‘He knows My Name.’ When you are ‘up a tree’ at Santa Clarita Churches, not only does Jesus know you are there, He knows your name. I don’t know about you, but I take great comfort in knowing that Jesus knows my name…it makes my problems seem less important.

Thirdly, Jesus invited Himself to fellowship with Zacchaeus in his house with all his friends. In the course of that fellowship, Zacchaeus declared himself to be an honest man. In his position as a tax collector, he had not purposely cheated anyone at Santa Clarita Churches and if he inadvertently did, he had paid him back with interest. Jesus told Zacchaeus that salvation had come to his house that day.

I don’t know anything more about Zacchaeus, but this I do know. If you find yourself ‘up a tree’, Jesus knows where you are, He even knows your name and He invites himself into fellowship with you. Your troubles will melt away when you open your life to Him and become obedient to His word at Santa Clarita Churches.

Get out of that tree!

The Parable of the Widow and the Unrighteous Judge

Jesus told parables for a number of different reasons: to reveal truth, to hide truth and to illustrate a point.  Sometimes we are informed exactly why Jesus told a particular parable.  That is the case with the parable of the widow and the unrighteous judge.  Luke writes that Jesus told this parable to show that we should keep praying at all times and not give up.  Apparently Jesus was concerned about our willingness to persevere in prayer and not give up when answers don’t come immediately in San Fernando Churches.

The point of the parable is rather straight forward: if an unrighteous judge who doesn’t fear God or respect men eventually gives in to a widow with no clout or resources — just so she will quit coming to him day after day, how much more will a loving Father answer the prayers of His children and bring justice for them swiftly.  That doesn’t mean that God will necessarily answer quickly in every situation in San Fernando Churches, but once He chooses to act, He will act swiftly.

Be Faithful to Keep Praying

From our perspective, we worry God won’t answer our prayers.  But from Jesus perspective, He has an even bigger concern.  Luke 18:8 says, “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.  However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

The real question that worried Jesus wasn’t God’s willingness to answer prayer, but His people’s willingness to keep praying.  He worries that by the time He returns will there be anyone here who still has the faith to pray?  Do you?  How’s your faith?  How’s your prayer life?  Jesus not only commands us to pray, but also to keep praying, even when God seems slow to answer.  Hang in there.  Don’t give up.  God is moving to answer even now in San Fernando Churches .  Do you have the faith to keep praying?

He Will Rest in His Love

“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save and rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing,” Zephaniah 3:17

The Living Bible says: “…He will love you and not accuse you.” And the Amplified Bible declares; “…in His love He will be silent and make no mention of past sins or even recall them.”

Romans 8 has a great verse: “There is therefore no condemnation (i.e. no judging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (V1, Amp. Bible)

Every person born into this world enters with the condemnation of sin in his or her heart.  Although often indiscernible, it is there nevertheless San Fernando Churches.  The word of God, given through the Law, makes a person aware of their sinful condition.  Paul said, in Romans 7:9: “When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” Condemnation cries out for relief.  He goes on to say, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” He just as quickly answers, “I thank God through Jesus Christ.” Romans 7:24, 25.

In I Corinthians. 5:17 he gives us this assurance: “Therefore if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold all things become new.”

Receive Christ as your Savior and He will remove all condemnation San Fernando Churches and He will rest in His love and you can rest in it too.

If Jesus is the vine, He is my source of life.  In fact, my life actually flows from Him.  He ultimately produces fruits within me that are consistent with whom He is.  As we studied this past Sunday, worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism are by-products of our connectedness to Christ at Churches in Santa Clarita.  We are not followers of Christ because we do these things, but because we are followers of Christ, these things will naturally drive our lives.

Worshipping God is a natural desire of a branch of Christ.  While there are many ways to grow in this area, the desire to worship grows out our connectedness to Christ.

Fellowship with other believers is a natural desire of a branch of Christ.   Fellowship can be challenging because people are imperfect, but the desire to fellowship grows out of our connectedness to Christ at Churches in Santa Clarita.

Discipleship is a natural desire of a branch of Christ.  Every true believer has a desire to grow and is willing to exercise some disciplines in order for that to happen because discipleship grows out of our connectedness to Christ.

Ministry is a natural desire of a branch of Christ.  God has placed in every believer the spiritual ability to serve the body of Christ.  Much fulfillment is produced in the life of the believer when they discover and use their gifts because ministry grows out of our connectedness to Christ at Churches in Santa Clarita.

Evangelism is a natural desire of a branch of Christ.  Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. As the father sent Jesus, He now sends us into the world.  Just as Jesus found joy in the one lost sinner who comes home, we too find great joy in sharing our faith because evangelism grows out of our connectedness to Christ at Churches in Santa Clarita.

Question:  Are these things you desire?  As I progress in my faith, the desire for these things drives me to learn more.  This week ask yourself if these things are the desire of your heart.  If so, chase after them.  If not, the psalmist said, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Who knows, if you begin to find your life in Christ, you might discover that His desires begin to emerge in your heart.  Have a fruitful week at Churches in Santa Clarita!

David is called a man after God’s own heart, and one of the chief areas his heart was on display was in his worship.  David was passionate in his worship of God and it can be seen in several areas of his life at Churches in Los Angeles.

His Public Worship

In 2 Samuel 13-14, we are told when David brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, that David was dancing before the Lord and was worshipping Him with shouting and music.  It didn’t matter that people were watching him; David was determined to worship God publicly – without shame.  When his wife Michal rebuked him for his public worship, David replied that he will celebrate before the Lord, no matter what she thought.  God wants us to be willing to worship him publicly, whether that means standing, lifting our hands or kneeling at Churches in Los Angeles.  We need to be more focused on what God thinks of our worship than what people think about us when we worship.

His Sacrificial Worship

In 2 Samuel 24:15-24, David was commanded to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, because that was the place God stopped the plague on Israel.  When David told Araunah what he wanted, Araunah offered to give David everything he needed: the threshing floor, the oxen to sacrifice and the wood for the offering.  But David refused to take it without paying for it, telling Araunah, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.”  David’s passion for God wouldn’t allow him to worship God on the cheap.  We need to give willingly and sacrificially to God because our God is great and awesome and is worthy of such sacrifices.  Cheap worship isn’t real worship at Churches in Los Angeles.

His Lavish Worship

Finally, despite his desire to build a temple for God, David was told by God he couldn’t (2 Samuel 7:1-17).  But that didn’t stop David from giving lavishly to the temple that his son Solomon would one day build.  In 1 Chronicles 22, David gathered stone and timber and gave huge amounts of gold, silver, iron and bronze so that everything would be ready for Solomon to build the temple.  David’s lavish giving inspired the leaders and people of Israel to give lavishly as well (1 Chronicles 29:6-9).  Our God is so great there are times when only extravagant worship will do, and it is this lavish worship that will touch the hearts of people around us at Churches in Los Angeles.

David lays out for us what a heart of real worship looks.  So do a heart exam today, and ask yourself, “Am I willing to worship publicly?  Is my worship sacrificial?  Have I ever worshipped God lavishly?”  These are the marks of true worship for the believer who has a heart like David’s, the man after God’s own heart at Churches in Los Angeles.

There are several great resources for Santa Clarita Churches and Churches in Santa Clarita.  Heart of the Canyons Church provides information about the Bible and Christian Networking resources.  Also, this Santa Clarita Church provides DivorceCare for those who are going though or have gone through divorce.

You don’t have to go through it alone…

Most people will tell you that separation and divorce are the most painful and stressful experiences they’ve ever faced. It’s a confusing time when you feel isolated and have lots of questions about issues you’ve never faced before.

We want to help you on your journey toward recovery. Don’t try to go through separation or divorce alone. Link up with our DivorceCare recovery support group. It’s a place where you’ll find caring people who understand the issues you face, and it’s a place where you can build on the right foundation to help you find your footing.

DivorceCare meets weekly to help you face these challenges and move toward rebuilding your life. Each DivorceCare session has two distinct elements:

A Seminar with Experts
During the first 30–40 minutes of the meeting, each DivorceCare group watches a video seminar featuring top experts on divorce and recovery subjects. These videos are produced in an interesting-to-watch television magazine format featuring expert interviews, real-life case studies and on-location video.

A Support Group with Focus
After viewing the video, the DivorceCare group participants spend time as a support group, discussing what was presented and what is going on in the lives of group members.

Don’t go through divorce alone, let us be there for you.

Contact:
Church Office: 661 255-7246 ext 0.

“The Life and Time of Jesus the Messiah”

This year I have been reading a Christian classic in my devotions at San Fernando Churches, “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah” by Alfred Edersheim.  The book goes into great depth about the background of the New Testament gospels and the religious, cultural and social life of the day.  As a Jewish Christian, Edersheim was also deeply familiar with the writings of the Jewish Rabbis around the time of Jesus.  His knowledge and insight are amazing, especially when you realize that he did his writing in the late 1800’s, without any help from computers.  In describing the synagogue service at the time of Jesus, Edersheim writes:

The weekly Sabbath, the pledge between God and Israel had once more come.  To meet it as a bride  or queen, each house was adorned on Friday evening.  The Sabbath lamp was lighted; the festive garments put on; the table provided with the best the family could afford; and the Qiddush, or benediction, was spoken over the cup of wine, which, as always was mixed with water.  And as Sabbath morning broke, they hastened with quick steps to the Synagogue; for such was the Rabbinic rule for going, while it was prescribed to return with slow lingering steps.

How Is Your Attitude?

As I read this, I was struck with just how different our attitude about gathering to worship God is at San Fernando Churches.  Rather than anticipate Sunday as a great day when the church, the bride of Christ, gathers to worship its savior and Lord, we come more out of duty or guilt.  Instead of expecting to meet God, we look at our watches and mark time until the service is over.  And instead of hurrying to church with excitement to be able to worship the God of heaven and a reluctance to leave the gathering of God’s people, we drag our feet, come in late and rush home as soon as church is over so we can watch the big game.  How different their attitude about gathering for worship was than ours is at San Fernando Churches!

Time for a Change of Heart

We need to remember the exhortation to us by the author of Hebrews, to not forsake our own assembling together, as some people were in the habit of doing, but to gather all the more as we see the day of Christ’s return drawing nearer (Hebrews 10:25).  We need the help and encouragement of others at San Fernando Churches now more than ever!  So let’s change our hearts and begin to approach Sundays with an attitude of eagerness and anticipation, excited about gathering with God’s people and expecting God to meet us.  Let’s be willing to linger with God’s people and see what God might do if we make ourselves available.  Who knows?  God might just show up in some surprising ways when we actually come expecting to meet Him here with His people at San Fernando Churches.  Think about it…

Most people today find very little in life to laugh about at one of LA Churches.  With the economic recession, which has affected us all, life has taken on a more serious note.  Guideposts magazine once quoted Zazu Pitts as saying; “Laughter is God’s hand upon a troubled world.”  If the saying is true that ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’ then we need to learn to laugh more.

Grenville Kliester wrote in the New York Inquirer; “What this country needs is not a new national anthem, or a Wall Street boom, but the ability to laugh spontaneously,” at one of LA Churches. There was a time when you could go to the movies and expect to leave the theater having laughed ‘till your sides split.’  But not many movies are made like that today.  With some movies, you come out more despondent then when you went in.

I don’t claim to have any solutions to our present day circumstances.  I’m not sure that anyone can solve the American dilemma which we face today at one of LA Churches.  I’m almost certain that man does not have the moral fortitude to do what needs to be done.  Man’s moral character is corrupted by sin.  As the Apostle Paul observed in the 7^th chapter of Romans.  “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (v.20)

Laughter, in and of itself, will not cure the world’s ills. But I believe the ability to laugh comes from a right relationship with God at one of LA Churches.  And with that, we can, GO AHEAD AND LAUGH!

JUST BE HAPPY

If you asked a hundred people if they’d like to be happy the overwhelming response would be yes.  Everybody wants to be happy right?  In that case why are so many people unhappy?

The secret to being happy is to discover what brings happiness at one of LA Churches.  Some people think wealth would make them happy.  Winning the lottery would do it right?  Wrong!  More people are made unhappy in their search to win the lottery.  They are also made poorer.  What about power?  Would that make you happy?  Probably not because with power comes tremendous responsibility at one of LA Churches.  How about popularity?  Many of the “popular” people spend a lot of time in rehab trying to get their life straightened out.  They don’t seem to be very happy.

You can find happiness if you look in the right place. And the best place to look is in God’s Word.  Consider the following verses regarding happiness:

• Proverbs 16:30; “He who gives heed to the Word will prosper and happy is he who trusts in the Lord.”
• Proverbs 8:32; “And now my son, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways.”
• Psalms 34:8 says; “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.  Happy is the man who takes refuge in Him.”

Happiness is not a state of mind it is a state of being.  Becoming a follower of God through Jesus Christ leads us to true happiness at one of LA Churches.

For the past few days my wife and I have been redoing our bedroom and adjoining bath.  Part of this was applying a new coat (and color) of paint to both areas.  I have to admit it not only looks different, it also looks better.

Buried somewhere under that new coat of paint is the old color, but now you can’t see it, and it looks brand new. But if you scrape away the new paint at Churches in Santa Clarita the old will reappear.

People sometimes treat their lives with a new coat of paint.  They make some outward physical changes and maybe some new attitudes and actions.  To look at them they now look different (and sometimes even better).  But underneath their new exterior is hidden the old self.  If you scrape against it, the old will reappear at Churches in Santa Clarita.

Life cannot be permanently changed by simply applying a ‘new cost of paint’.  No matter what we do, the imprint of the ‘way of the world’ will remain upon us.  The only way to eradicate the old Churches in Santa Clarita and discover the new is found in Romans 12:1, 2: “Do not be conformed to this world [a new coat of paint?], but, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Verse 1 tells us how to renew our mind, by: “presenting your bodies as a living sacrifice holy, acceptable to God.”

Check out John 3:16 and start your spiritual makeover today.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

What keeps you from becoming a Christian at Churches in Santa Clarita ?  Perhaps it is because no one has ever told you about God and of His gift of new life given to us through His Son Jesus.  If that is true in your case read John 3:16 and let God’s Spirit speak to your heart at Churches in Santa Clarita.

I find a lot of people who believe in God and even believe that Jesus was His Son, and yet they have not accepted the offer of Salvation found in John 3:16.  Their question is not what ‘What do I have to do?’  But ‘What do I have to give up?’  They are afraid they will have to stop doing some of the things they are doing that they find pleasurable.  Nothing in this world is greater than, or better than, or more pleasurable than, having a relationship with God.  Your eternal soul is at stake at Churches in Santa Clarita.

In Matthew 16:24-26 Jesus says; “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me ” (“I knew I’d have to give up something,” read on),  “for whoever desires to save his life will lose it,  and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Do what you have to do and stop worrying about what God may no longer want you to keep doing. Receive Jesus as your Savior at Churches in Santa Clarita!