Christmas everyday

Guys!  Merry Christmas to you all.  Celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Celebrate His life, His mission, His suffering, His death, His resurrection ... Celebrate Jesus!  A lot of people want to celebrate Jesus and believe that in order to do so they must not do anything related to ....  "Santa" or "Saint Nick".  I know I said it...  the dreaded "S" word.  Guys if you feel convicted that how you celebrate takes away from the focus on Jesus then change it to focus on Jesus.  Saint Nicklaus was a historic Christian leader who stood firm for Jesus and against heretics.  Yes the myth of Santa is not true but you can take the historical person and turn your modern celebration into the Jesus focused endeavor.  Be honest and tell your children the Truth about Santa and Jesus and Christmas.  If part of your fun celebration includes Santa then fine but maybe have Santa tell the True Christmas story, read it from the Bible.  Make it so that the pretend person of Santa talks and does things more like the Historical St, Nick.  

Redeem the season and then remember that we are to celebrate Jesus year round.  As Men you need to lead in this.  Set the tone fro your family, your friends, your community and celebrate Jesus the Savior this Christmas and then continue through out the year!

Preacherman

Christmas Humility

At Christmas we celebrate the coming of Jesus. This Jesus the Christ, the Holy one, the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord of All, God in the flesh; it is He that is to be our example and guide. As you celebrate this Christmas, remember what Jesus really did when He came. He reduced Himself from being on a throne at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, to being a human. Not just a human but a baby, small and physically helpless, born to a young poor couple in a difficult situation. His birth surrounded by dirty livestock in a stable. These were very humble beginnings. Yet they are the beginnings of the earthly mission of our Savior, our Lord, our God.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. - Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV)

So let us surrender our pride, our selfishness, our desires, our rights. Lets look to the example of our Lord and walk in humility. We do not need to display extravagance, we do not need to attract attention to ourselves. We need to point others to Jesus, lets make sure we are not distracting them. I know that many of you have "big" Christmas traditions, a lot of decorations and family events. Often your homes are filled with presents wrapped in fancy paper. I am not suggesting you stop celebrating. I am instead suggesting we all look at what we do and discern if it directs people to Jesus, the reason for the season or does it distract them from Him?

This may sound harsh but please understand that if you say Jesus is my Lord then you need to live like it. Do not use the celebration of His coming for your own selfish desires. If it is just an opportunity for you to show off your new clothes, decorations, songs, events, food, toys, cars, electronics or other presents, then consider repenting and drawing near to God about how He wants you to celebrate. Celebrate? YES! But direct the glory and honor and attention toward Jesus.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. - James 4:8 (ESV)

So the answer is not to refuse to celebrate.   Nor is it to judge the celebration of others.  But to draw close to God and celebrate and honor Him in the way you are directed to.  You may do similar things but your emphasis might be different, your interactions with others may be significantly different.

Walk with humility this Christmas and point others to Jesus!

Preacherman

Its Christmas so Worship!

Men I just wanted to share a quick reminder with you all.  This season of Christmas that we celebrate is to be a time of worship.  We as men are to lead our families, our friends, our Churches, our communities in worship of God, because He has sent Jesus the Son of God to be our redeemer and our salvation.

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,"  - Luke 1:68-70 ESV

So remind others today about the coming of the Savior, Jesus the true reason for this season.   Celebrate the great and awesome gift of salvation that you have been given by the Grace of God through Faith in Jesus.

Today be the Man you were created to be!

Preacherman

Regen Men

Lately I have been hearing way too often about men that "used to" follow the "New Way" but live now more like their old ways again.  I hear about the reasons like a ministry or men's group that no longer operates.  I hear about Churches that have changed leaders or directions.  I find myself thinking about how Jesus reprimands Peter in John 21 -

²⁰ Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” ²² Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”  - John 21:20–22 (ESV)

Like Peter, who Jesus has called us to be is not to be based on what another is to do or has done etc...  Rather we are to follow Him no matter what.  Even if I am the only one, I must follow Him.  This is foundational to being a HIT Man.  Yes we teach about walking together, challenging one another, admonishing and encouraging each other, that is all true.  Yet when everything seems to fall apart or get difficult we must remember that each of us is personally called and directed about who we are supposed to be.  The Truth about who you are to be as a man who follows Jesus is not to be determined by others but by your Lord, Jesus himself has directed and you are to follow.

So I urge you today, begin fresh.  Repent of any self-centered protectionist attitudes you may have.  Repent of the sin in your life including following others instead of Jesus.  Repent of allowing what others do or don't do to influence you to become disobedient.  Repent and turn your heart towards God, He loves you and has given you forgiveness through Jesus.  Then draw close to your Lord and live to honor Him.  Be the man He has directed you to be in the Word.  Be the Husband / Father / Brother / Friend / Worker / Servant / Community member, etc... that you know Jesus wants you to be.  Don't do it in order to "please Him", rather live this way because it is the result of your repentance and drawing close to Him.  

Remember your Faith is not a works based religion.  It is a living relationship so make sure you are existing in that relationship and everything else is to flow from that.

Let us press on and be who we are made to be!

Preacherman

Are you at HIT Man? Guys you should be!

The following is what I call "The HIT Man Code". It has been used in some HIT Men groups but I think all Christian men should subscribe to it. Being a HIT Man is not about a club or an organization, it is about making the hard decision to be who God has designed you to be and who He is calling you to be. I want to challenge and encourage all men who consider themselves to be true disciples of Jesus to look this over and make a like this one.

As a HIT Man I will ...

Choose to follow Jesus Christ as taught in the Bible as the man He created me to be.

Love and support my local Church and Pastor(s) in the Mission and Vision God has given them.

Not walk alone, I will stay connected with other HIT Men for encouragement, support and accountability.

Promote the growth of Men to be who God has made them to be, Christ followers, God Worshipers, Bible believers, Family leaders, Community makers, Caregivers, Warriors for Truth, Protectors of those at risk and committed to growth and replication of Biblical manhood.

Keep the confidence of the other HIT Men, we deal with our issues together and will not give way to gossip. This is not about secrets it is about Honesty, Integrity, and Transparency.   We will honor our God and honor each other.

Not leave a stumbling brother to fall or leave a fallen brother for dead, we will seek to bring repentance and restoration to all HIT Men.

Work together with other HIT men to establish ministries for men, to men and with men in other Churches, my local Church is not the end but the beginning.

Men, let us take this commitment seriously.  The strength of the local Church is to be founded on the Word of God and centered on Jesus, we are to be led by the Holy Spirit, and God in His Word has given us a role to play.  Men are called to lead, care, support and be active in the ministry of the local Church.  Care for your families, live out your faith at work and in the community and work to help lead the Church forward.

The HIT men is not about any sort of "para-church" movement, the HIT men is about re-invigorating the local Church by challenging Christian men to start to follow what the Bible says for them to do.

Amen!

Pastor Bruce

Valentine's Day should represent selfless love

Valentines Day, a day in our culture of hearts, cards, flowers, chocolate and of course love.  So many things are written about this day and its origins that are not totally correct.  Many legends have emerged over the centuries.  Yet when we look back at the early reasons for this day being a celebration maybe we will gain a different understanding of the day.

Since we do not have a lot of 1700 year old texts that provide a lot of detail for us about the "saint" that Valentines Day is named after, we use the best information we can find and the oldest to help us.  What we learn is that St. Valentine was a leader in the early Church that still endured an amount of persecution from the political leaders of the day.  Valentine was known to be martyred for dis-obeying the edict of the Emperor regarding marriage and soldiers.  So that regular troops would not feel the urge to leave the battle to go to their families, they wife and children.  The Emperor made it illegal for common soldiers to marry.  This created a difficulty for any of these men who were drawn to Christianity and the Biblical teaching on marriage and relationships.  So against the direct command of the Emperor, St. Valentine performed marriage ceremonies, bringing together these common soldiers and the love of their life to be a married couple.  When he was found out and caught, he was tortured and eventually killed.

Valentines Day needs to be a day where we are reminded to express our love to those we care about.  It is a day to celebrate the marriage that St. Valentine died to protect and teach.  Biblical marriage should be a part of our remembering why this day is on the calendar.  But also that as a leader, he would be willing to suffer and die to do what was right.

So even if you are single and have no "valentine" as our culture defines it, you can still live to celebrate the remembrance of Valentine.  You can live to benefit others, you can live to stand for what is True and Biblical.  You can seek to do what is right no matter what the cost and how others might respond to you.  You can show selfless love and care for others.

I am often reminded of selfless love when my wonderful wife Brenda shows such great care for me, even when I am not deserving of her love.  She will make me a card, give me a gift, a hug, encourage me in so many things she says.  She will patiently wait for me to wake up and become bearable for the day.  She will wait up with me and for me when there are things that keep me up late.  She sticks with me through the hard times and the good.  She does her best to share with me reminders from God's Word and the wisdom of life to help me stay on track.  She really seeks to serve me sacrificially to help me be a better man.  It challenges me and reminds me to look at how I am to love, care for and serve her. 

So whether it is Brenda and I or any of you, may we be reminded today to express a Christ-centered "selfless" Love for others like Valentine did.  Valentine is  not our ultimate example of this, Jesus is.  So may Valentine point you toward the True source of selfless Love, Jesus the Son of God our Savior and Lord.

Pastor Bruce

Olympic Motivation?

We are well into the Winter Olympics as I write this.  I find myself pondering the reality of the life of many of these great athletes and how much they focus and train as well as the amount that they compete.  I find myself being challenged by this concept of their lifestyle.

Don't worry, sure I try to exercise and eat right but I am not going to be writing today about some new training kick I am on to become a great athlete.  Instead I have found myself being challenged about how we as Christians are to be like those athletes in our Faith.

We are to be training and equipping ourselves and one another to be able to walk well in our lives.  We are to receive strong Biblical instruction so that our minds are renewed and we are prepared to share the Truth of the Gospel to those we encounter.  We need to practice these things with others in the Church, fellowshipping well in the Love of Christ, sharing testimony of how the Gospel has changed us, praying with and for eachother.  We are also to compete, not against each other but with each other, it is a team event.  We compete together as we put this all into practice seeking to intentionally give the Gospel to the lost around us.  This means we need to apply our lives to this endeavor, it is not a simple religion or a one day a week go to church type of idea.  Instead this is a life commitment to be an active and radical disciple of Jesus.  

So I urge you to be one who truly loves Jesus as the Lord of your life, displaying that love in your obedience to Him and His Word.  Hold fast to the community of Faith, the local Church and serve the Lord together, not in a ritualistic and empty way, not in traditions that no longer have effect, but with a fresh view to engage the culture around us with the living Truth of the Gospel as taught in the Bible.  May we actively love others and serve one another as a display of what the Gospel does in our lives.  If Jesus died for your sins and mine, if we have repented of our sin and received forgiveness through His name and placed all our faith and trust in Him, then we are to live in thankful response to this great gift by following Him and His teaching.  Do what He says, read the Bible and go to a Bible teaching Church that holds to the True Gospel as its core.  Be a part of serving Him.  

For those who have made up their minds that they do not need to be a part of a local Bible believing Church and that they do not need to actively serve Jesus or talk about the Gospel.  Read John 14 and ask yourself "If Jesus said that those who love me will do as I have commanded" then do I really Love Jesus if I refuse to follow what He has said about His Church?  About His Mission for us to make Disciples to follow Him?  

May we take seriously the life we have been given and not loose heart but apply ourselves diligently to the task we have received.

Amen

Pastor Bruce

Optional Christian?

As I ponder many things this morning, one thing that has been brewing in me lately is this issue of how many "Christians" view so much of their faith as optional.  Let me try to briefly explain.

The first thing is that so often I have found in not only others but my own ministry that we treat the Gospel as optional.  We present it as a "you decide, take it or leave it" kind of message.  Yet I am troubled by such an approach.  God has not given us options.  The message is you must embrace the True Biblical Gospel of Jesus the Christ.  To refuse it is to accept your fate of utter destruction.  Really it is not some light, flippant, choice to make.  It is the one who is in the electric chair to be executed and they are told exactly what to do to avoid what comes next.  Sure they must choose but it is not an idea of choice that has equal weight or standing, to refuse God's wonderful Grace is the choice of the fool.  We need to take the urgency of the Gospel seriously.

The second is how so many "Christians" view different parts of how they are to live out their faith as optional.  We are to take all of Jesus teaching as something we are to follow, not teachings we may choose to follow.  Our Lord gave us His Apostles to continue that teaching to ensure we have understanding.  None of this instruction is intended to be optional.  So when the Word of God teaches us about marriage, family, sin, Church, etc... We are to follow ALL of its teaching as much as we are able.  And in any area where we seem to lack ability we are to rely on Him, through the Holy Spirit to provide the ability in us so that we can be obedient.  

Repenting of sin, not an option.  Going to Church, not an option. Getting baptized, not an option.  Humbly submitting yourself to Jesus, not an option.  Living to honour and glorify God putting death to selfishness, not an option.  These things are required of the disciple of Jesus.  This is not about earning favour with God or about some form of works based faith.  Rather it is about who you are called to be as a disciple, a follower of Jesus.  Our lives are to be an out flowing of the Sprit of God in us.  

So when we fin ourselves treating our Faith as optional, we need to humbly repent of our self centred ways.  We need to acknowledge the Truth we have been given in the Bible and whether we "like" it or not, we need to receive it and respond to it.

Let us walk together.

Pastor Bruce 

--
Bruce Taylor

Optional Christian?

As I ponder many things this morning, one thing that has been brewing in me lately is this issue of how many "Christians" view so much of their faith as optional.  Let me try to briefly explain.

The first thing is that so often I have found in not only others but my own ministry that we treat the Gospel as optional.  We present it as a "you decide, take it or leave it" kind of message.  Yet I am troubled by such an approach.  God has not given us options.  The message is you must embrace the True Biblical Gospel of Jesus the Christ.  To refuse it is to accept your fate of utter destruction.  Really it is not some light, flippant, choice to make.  It is the one who is in the electric chair to be executed and they are told exactly what to do to avoid what comes next.  Sure they must choose but it is not an idea of choice that has equal weight or standing, to refuse God's wonderful Grace is the choice of the fool.  We need to take the urgency of the Gospel seriously.

The second is how so many "Christians" view different parts of how they are to live out their faith as optional.  We are to take all of Jesus teaching as something we are to follow, not teachings we may choose to follow.  Our Lord gave us His Apostles to continue that teaching to ensure we have understanding.  None of this instruction is intended to be optional.  So when the Word of God teaches us about marriage, family, sin, Church, etc... We are to follow ALL of its teaching as much as we are able.  And in any area where we seem to lack ability we are to rely on Him, through the Holy Spirit to provide the ability in us so that we can be obedient.  

Repenting of sin, not an option.  Going to Church, not an option. Getting baptized, not an option.  Humbly submitting yourself to Jesus, not an option.  Living to honour and glorify God putting death to selfishness, not an option.  These things are required of the disciple of Jesus.  This is not about earning favour with God or about some form of works based faith.  Rather it is about who you are called to be as a disciple, a follower of Jesus.  Our lives are to be an out flowing of the Sprit of God in us.  

So when we fin ourselves treating our Faith as optional, we need to humbly repent of our self centred ways.  We need to acknowledge the Truth we have been given in the Bible and whether we "like" it or not, we need to receive it and respond to it.

Let us walk together.

Pastor Bruce 

--
Bruce Taylor

Cessationist or charismatic .... Maybe there is a different answer?

With so much being discussed on the gifts of the Holy Spirit lately I have thought about what position I find myself in.   Many scholars that I enjoy and tend to agree with are sitting on either side of the discussion.   But like so many of these theological discourses it can become quickly a forming of camps and a piling of Bible verses.   I cannot in good conscience jump into either side.    So  where does this leave me?

Well I think the answer is that I will remain committed to teach the whole Bible and sick to what it says as the foundation for my belief in these matters.   This means that until I can receive a clear piece of the Scripture the speaks of the gifts ceasing  then I will seriously consider that position.   It also means that when I encounter those who talk of the miraculous gifts and works of the Spirit of God I will make sure it is fitting with the Bible before I accept it as being true.
We are not to base our belief  on experience or feeling  but on the Word and its Truth.  
So whether you have seen and experience the abuse of what some call gifts or  if you have felt that people have tried to quench the Spirit,  neither is to be how we find the Truth.
So I encourage you to stick with the Bible and what it clearly teaches.

Amen

Pastor
Bruce

Sunday a new day

Today as I ponder and prepare to teach, peach and encourage the people of God, I am reminded that no matter how prepared I feel I am still at the mercy of the Lord.   Though I study and train and pray yet I find myself often nervous with the weight of sharing God's Word.   But what ever yesterday was it is gone and today is here.

God has given us this day for His purposes and glory.   No matter if you feel prepared for it or not the day is here and it is His.   So we serve Him fully and without restraint.  

Once again I proclaim "not me, but the Love of Christ control me".  I pray that today He will be greater and I will be less.

Let us walk together today in the Love of Jesus Christ and in so doing live in humility giving glory to God.

Pastor Bruce

What compels you? What controls you?

Last Sunday I spoke about Mission and Vision for 2014 and we talked about 2 Corinthians 5:13-15.  I would encourage you to read that passage or the whole chapter and ponder the question of "what compels you?" or "what controls you?". 

The challenge we receive in this passage of the Scripture is that the "Love of Christ controls us".  As we digest this statement and how it should affect us it can be problematic if we are not careful.  While I will not take the time to be exhaustive in such a study in this write up, I do hope to share with you what God has been showing me and reminding me about in this portion of His Word.

First I want to expose some pitfalls that we need to avoid.  We must not read this or any other passage of the Bible and believe that we just need to try harder to be like Jesus.  That we need to work to show His Love better.  We must not enter into any such forms of legalism where our works become something of value in our salvation.  Always be reminded that the sacrifice of Jesus is not only sufficient for you to be saved but His righteousness is in every way superior to any form of righteousness you can do on your own.

So when we are challenged to let the Love of Christ control us, what is this to mean if it is not about works?  Well is it about works in a way but not in the way people usually think or talk about.  The works of righteousness are Jesus works.  The works of people are sinful.  If you are a Christian then the Love of Christ is to control you.  The Jesus that saved you has taken up residence inside you by the power and person of the Holy Spirit.  His Love controlling you means that He (Jesus) is working in and through you and as such you are NOT doing the works but He is.  The basic reality here is that if we are to live in submission to Jesus then we will be controlled by His Love and we will desire to live in obedience to Him and His Word.  It should be the natural state of the saved.

This is hard teaching when you think about it.  If sin and selfishness is in me and flowing out of me then it is me doing that and it is something I need to repent of.  If true righteousness is happening in me and flowing out of me, something that truly glorifies God, then it is Jesus Love controlling me through the Holy Spirit.  So when I sin, I need to quickly and with great humility repent.  Then I need to submit myself afresh to the Lord so that He and NOT me is controlling my life.

It really is all about whether we will live God centered in and through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit or ...  we live for our own selfish selves.

At FFBC we repeated a phrase this week and I will share it here as something you can use to remind you of this Truth. 

Not me, but the Love of Jesus Christ control me!

We are called to walk together in this mission we are on under our Lord Jesus.  Let us walk on with the courage to submit to Him fully daily.

Amen

Pastor Bruce