Today is the Lord’s Day. It is the day when believers gather together to lift up His glorious name. We sing of His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and sacrifice, We sing with one heart, one soul, one mind, and with one voice!
I pray that you will make time to worship the “Fairest Lord Jesus!”
![king_james_bible7[1]](https://pastorbob.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/king_james_bible71.jpg?w=300&h=300)
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob” (Ps. 24.1-6 NIV).
Hope to see you on Sunday at 10:45 a.m. as we worship Jesus together!
I have always enjoyed studying the life of Joseph, the son of Jacob. He is one of the heroes of faith that we would all do well to emulate. This past Sunday we looked at some of the lessons we could learn from a man who was faithful to demonstrate Kingdom Character.
The kingdom of God is filled with people who seek to live out their lives in the power of the Holy Spirit. Their Kingdom Character is a direct result of continual fellowship with Almighty God.
Click on the following link to listen to or download the message, “Kingdom Character.”
I have often heard people say they have problems reconciling the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New Testament. In the Old we see Him kicking Adam and Eve out of the garden for simply eating something that was against His rules. Then we see God sending Cain out as a nomad with nowhere to call home all because he killed his brother Abel. And then when everyone has decided to live according what they think is right (sounds like something from the 21st century), God tells Noah a flood is coming that will destroy all humanity. Because Noah is a man of righteousness, God commands him to build an ark that he, his family, and a few chosen animals might survive the deluge. These are just a few of the examples that cause some people problems with a God who seems so unforgiving and unwilling to give anyone a second chance.
As I read the whole Bible I see something different. I see a God who consistently deals with people in the same manner. I believe the Old and New Testaments give us an unchanging picture of God. Over and over in both testaments we see pictures of God’s gracious patience. Never do we see an immediate outpouring of His righteous wrath. Throughout every story we can see His patience in not wanting any to perish, but all to come to a saving relationship with Him.
In this past Sunday’s message—Pictures of Grace—we looked at the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain, and the flood in order to see pictures of God’s grace. In each of these instances we can see how God patiently withheld what would have been just punishment to give ample time for all to repent and live in a loving relationship with Him.
If you have struggled with understanding what appears to be a different God in the Old and New Testaments, then I would encourage you to listen to last Sunday’s message. Simply follow this link, Pictures of Grace, and then click on the arrow pointing down. After that you will be able to choose between listening online or downloading it to a mobile device.
If you need to know more about becoming a follower of Jesus please contact me at pastorbob@lobc.net. And if you are looking for a church home, please join us on Sundays at 10:45 a.m. You can find out more about our church at WWW.LOBC.NET.
Have you ever had a time in your life when you were afraid that you were not really saved? You know of a specific time when you committed to live the rest of your life for Christ Jesus; nevertheless, there are days you wonder if you are really saved. The fear of spending eternity separated from God is paralyzing.
These insecurities are compounded as you examine your life and realize how much you do not reflect the image of Christ. You think to yourself, “I should not still be fighting this temptation. I should have better control over the words of my mouth. I should be more knowledgable of the Bible. If I were really saved I wouldn’t be having these spiritual struggles!” Then in your frustration, you roll up your sleeves and determine to try harder, study more, and volunteer to serve in several church ministries. What usually happens is an even great sense of failure, disappointment, and discouragement.
Does any of this sound familiar? The truth is we are desperate for the gospel. It is the gospel, not our works, that brings about the assurance of our salvation. It is when we daily apply the gospel of Jesus Christ to our lives that we will not only find confidence in our salvation, but we will begin to see a growing maturity in the Lord. Whether we know it or not we are Desperate for the Gospel!
If you struggle with the assurance of salvation, I would encourage you to listen to this past Sunday’s message. You can listen to or download the message at this link: Desperate for the Gospel.
I pray God will use this message to bring about His perfect peace within your life.
Bob Pittenger 