Satan Is a Bad Guy

Today's Scripture:
A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life - life in all its fullness.

John 10:10

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. A shepherd protects his sheep from predators somewhat like my good friend and brother in Christ Fairfax, VA police officer J.P. Weeks protects innocent people from the bad guys. A shepherd stays with his sheep, guarding them from harm through the night and making sure they don't stray during the day.

Satan is a bad guy. He, like a wolf, is after the sheep. He is described in John 10:10 as a thief and a murderer. Satan is real, and he has a mission. He wants to ruin you and I. He wants to take away all the good in your life. He is in charge of evil. There is nothing good about him. The Bible says he can even appear to be an angel of light or appear to be good, but it is just a trick. You've probably noticed how things that aren't that good for you can seem mighty enticing. Satan is a master at that trick. His whole goal is to hurt people any way he can. But there's no reason to be afraid of Satan.

The Bible is clear that Satan is real and has some power, but his power is nothing compared to God's power. God is the One in control.

Satan can't win; he can only irritate, trick, and entice you to do something wrong.

He specializes in making people feel guilt, unworthiness, and complacency. You need to be aware that he exists, but you also need to be aware that the Good Shepherd protects you from Satan. Jesus drives to fill your life with goodness and joy.

Selah people' and friends there are two main errors with regard to Satan: taking him too lightly(or not believing in him at all) or taking him too seriously. Understand that Satan is real, but his power is nothing compared to the power of God.

"Peace be with you and keep Christ in the center of your life and Satan will be kept at bay."

Your pastor,

Rev Muston(PreacherPatrick)

Church Leaders Intelligence 11-5-2008

Church Leaders Report For November 5th.

God's Son...

Today's Scripture:
A child has been born to us; God has given a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, Father Who Lives Forever, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Isaiah had the privilege and the burden of foretelling the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. His prophecy stands as one of the most significant predictions in the Bible. In a time of great suffering and darkness, he foretold of a King who would save the world. Isaiah identifies this child as the Son of God and as the leader of God's people. Isaiah's lists of names for the Son of God are a description of Jesus.

The word wonderful in Hebrew is pele, which means "extraordinary, hard to understand." The birth Jesus certainly fit that description.

No one could explain how a virgin could become pregnant and have a child. And the way Jesus healed people and provided for their deepest needs was nothing short of extraordinary. The Hebrew word for counselor is ya'ats, which means "to purpose, devise, and plan." Jesus came to fulfill God's plan. His purpose in life was to be the living sacrifice for all sin. The Hebrew word for sin is gibbowr, which means "strong, brave champion." Only the strongest and mightiest man could endure the sadness of being abandoned by friends and the shame of being falsely accused of a crime.

Isaiah's prophecy came true when Jesus was born. the prophecy is evidence of God's divine plan for your life. It is the record of his love for you. It is proof that the Bible can be trusted.

Jesus was God in human form. He died on a cross for your sins and conquered death by coming back to life and returning to heaven.

Selah people' and friends do you truly believe that Jesus was God's Son and that he lived, died, and rose again for your sake? How long has it been, how many times have you heard this story in the Word and not yet taken action? Please know who is in control of your daily life, our country, it's leaders and yes even our recent election. God does not make mistakes! He is in control. Don't you believe in Him and His Son? If so, what do you plan to do about it?

As our President Elect Obama shared last night...regardless if you voted for him or not he is our President now and united we can all make a difference for the future. Will your future be in Heaven?

"Peace and guidance we seek from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and may that peace and wisdom be shared by all whom believe in Him."

Your pastor,

Rev Muston (PreacherPatrick)

A Relationship with Jesus

He is the true vine...without him we can do nothing!

Today's Scripture:

I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing.

John 15:5

I write this blog as election numbers come in and our future leaders are being decided. In the Old Testament, grapes were a symbol of fruitfulness or abundance accomplished when God's people followed him wholeheartedly. Jesus used the familiar Old Testament analogy in John 15:5. He told his followers that he wanted them to have abundance in all aspects of life. He wanted them to be fruitful by telling lots of other people about God.

On a grapevine, if the branch is connected to the vine, it can get all the water and nutrients it needs to produce huge clumps of big fat grapes. If the branch is broken off from the vine, any grapes on the branch spoil and go bad. The branch itself will wither and die if it is not a part of the vine. A grapevine paints a serious picture about how important it is for you to stay connected to Jesus.

To get to know someone and stay connected to that person, you have to spend time with him. The same is true about God. When you read the Bible, you will read the written form of God's words and thoughts. When you pray, you are talking to God. When you worship, you are honoring God and acknowledging how great and holy he is. All of this binds your heart to God. The only time a branch can live and produce fruit is when it is connected to the vine, when it is part of the vine. The same is true for you. When you are connected to God, your life will produce fruit.

Selah people' and friends are you trying to live a good life in your own strength? If so, you're headed for total burnout. If you are looking to our political leaders of state and country as a party line or certain candidate you too are headed for disappointment and going to be let down. Choose this election day to connect to the Vine, Jesus. There you will receive strength for the life God has you to and our leaders that are selected too will gain power he allows them to control. May we be lifted by the hope of Christ!

"Peace be with each of us and peace be with our country. God Bless you and God Bless America as our new leaders prepare this day to lead us in the blessing that God has for us."

Your pastor,

Rev Muston(PreacherPatrick)

Brain Stretching And Ear Tuning

Listen up... and pay attention!

Today's Scripture:

The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both.

Proverbs 20:12

"All you have to do is pay attention." Thus said my scoutmaster Mr. Quinn back in Boy Scout day. Whatever we were learning - tying knots, flag signals, emergency first aid - he firmly believed we could master it easily, so long as we paid attention to what he showed us. He told us that if we could memorize the lyrics to all our favorite songs on the radio (and yes we did), we could certainly learn to tie basic knot, put a bandage or sling on a victim or even build a stretcher from a pair of paint and a couple branches to carry our fellow scouts or leaders out of the woods if need be.

"All you have to do is pay attention." Thus said my high school biology teacher Mr.Fodse as well. We we learning in the life cycles of various forms of algae I believe and was neither fun nor exciting, yet he assured us the knowledge would have some value further down the line (I'd say this was not exactly true for me). He also said it would "stretch the brain muscles" (so he said) to memorize the sequences of the biological processes. He was right about the stretching. Our brain muscles got a good stretching, and memorizing was not so difficult, so long as we paid attention.

Another teacher we know sometimes used the phrase "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." I'm referring to Jesus, who often taught in parables.

Selah people' and friends where are some areas we could do better at paying attention to what God wants? Let us go to God in prayer and really listen and see what he calls us to do.

Peace be with you as you turn your ear to God. Please stop by and visit our church website...also listen to our sermon if you missed it: http://selahchurch.com

Your pastor,

Rev Muston(PreacherPatrick)

You Can Trust Him...Follow His Path

What path are you on? Are you trusting in Him?

Today's Scripture:

The person who trusts in the Lord will be blessed. The Lord will show him that he can be trusted.

Jeremiah 17:7

As you know, it takes a while to build trust in any relationship. Think about your best friends. You didn't just decide to trust one another; you trust each other because you know one another to be trustworthy. And if a friend ever betrays your trust, you know how long it takes to build back that trust.

You have lots of reasons to trust God. Here's a list of the top ten: (10) He is the Creator of the universe; (9) He never changes-never; (8) He knew you even before you were born; (7) He has been around a long time, is not going anywhere, and is everlasting; (6) He knows how many hairs are on your head or if you are a little older like me...how many you have lost; (5) He has a plan for your life that is beyond your wildest dreams; (4) He hears your prayers; (3) He can divide an ocean in two; (2) His love for you knows no limits; and (1) He loves you so much that he allowed His only Son to die as payment for your pardon. There are just a few example from the Bible of God's strength, power, knowledge, longevity, and love for you.

The stresses and challenges of everyday life can make you lose sight of God's trustworthiness.

You can't always see evidence of God's faithfulness. But to trust a person means you continue to trust even in the absence of direct evidence. Do you want to strengthen your trust in God? Remind yourself of the things you know to be true about His faithfulness.

Selah people' and friends as we shared in our sermon message today Parents are called to help lead their children to trust in God. We need to be loved and have that touch from a hug, a handshake, a pat on the back. How about today as a community of faith we choose to trust God with something you have never given to him before-perhaps a request, a dream, or a problem you didn't think he could handle. Give it to God. Remember; when he lights your path you can be confident that you can trust him with anything.

"Peace be us as we place our Love and trust in Him."

Your pastor,

Rev Muston (PreacherPatrick)

Lighted Way

Today's Scripture:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

On the tour of the Linville Caverns caves in our own North Carolina mountains, there is a spot where the guide turns off all the lights. It is so dark that you can't see your hand in front of your face. Then the tour guide lights one match. It is amazing how one tiny bit of light can penetrate even the darkest place.

The Bible can do the same for you. The Bible will light the way as you go along in life. When a crisis comes along, you can go to the Bible to find the way to handle it. Jonah's crisis occurred when he disobeyed God. As a result he was swallowed by a whale. Reading Jonah's story can shed some light on what to do when things go bad. The Bible can direct you in dealing with the gray days that life will bring. If you begin to doubt God, you can read about Peter; who struggled with doubt on more than one occasion. Even though he spent three years with Jesus, he had trouble believing all he had seen and heard about the power of God. Peter's story will bring light to your life and push out the darkness that doubt brings.

The Bible is like the match in a cave. One verse can pierce the darkness.

The Bible is filled with real stories about real people who lived real lives.

They had to deal with parents and friends and betrayal and confusion just as you do. God provided direction, guidance, and comfort to them then, as he does to you now.

Selah people' and friends if you aren't already systematically reading the Bible every day at least digest a verse per day like this blog offers, then as you grow you can start with Proverbs. Read a chapter of Proverbs every day. There are thirty-one chapters, so within a month you will have finished the book. Just as the Bible has a real story for you commit your life to be a light unto others as God show you the light unto your path.

"Peace and light be upon us as we ponder the direction God is leading and study His word."

Your pastor,

Rev Muston(PreacherPatrick)