I looked out our back window and was greeted by Mt St Helens to the North this morning and as I stepped outside to take a picture I saw Mt Hood to the South and this passage came to mind:
“I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”
Are you struggling today? We have a message of hope and help today! I hope to see you at 10:30!
Pastor Brandon
What if I told you that your ‘attitude of gratitude’, or your thankfulness, is more a reflection of your spiritual condition than the circumstances surrounding your life at any given time?
Think about it – if you’re only thankful when things are going your way you have fallen into circumstantial thanksgiving. The problem with that is the reality that circumstances change.
When we put our trust in Jesus – who is the same yesterday, today and forever – it becomes easier (no, I didn’t say easy) to be thankful in all things, regardless the circumstance. Why? Because it is when we are thankful in the tough times that we are really saying ‘I trust you’.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
Pastor Brandon
I was asked an interesting question the other day: “Would you drink a beer for one million dollars?”
I must have had a confused look on my face because they followed up with “If there was a million bucks in a suitcase in front of you, and all you had to do was drink a beer and it would be yours, would you do it?”.
Before I could answer, Deb (my wife), said “he’s drank beer for free before!” which is true. In fact I’ve had a few (literally just a few) beers in my time. I never enjoyed them. I don’t like the smell and don’t care for the taste. Someone told me once that it’s an acquired taste but, honestly, I don’t want to spend the time it would take to acquire the taste. But, then again, there are a number of things I don’t want to invest the time it would take to acquire a taste for. Things like sauerkraut, liver and squash to name a few. Of course if someone were to offer me a healthy sum of money I might, well, probably would, eat some of those items.
Let me get back to the issue of the beer. My answer was no. The reason might surprise you. It’s not because I think drinking beer (or any other form of alcohol) is a sin, I don’t. I said no because when I applied for ministerial credentials with the Assemblies of God one of the conditions for receiving said credentials was agreeing to abstain from alcohol. I agreed. I gave my word and I was raised to believe that my word is my bond. For me it’s a matter of integrity.
Someone reading this might think I’m crazy but consider this: the word I gave when I said I wouldn’t consume alcohol is the same word I gave when I promised to be faithful and true to my wife ’til death do us part (another vow I intend to keep).
In Psalm 15 David asks the question: “Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?” The answer comes: “He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous…who keeps his oath even when it hurts…” (Vs 1, 2, 4)
Jesus also spoke on the issue in Matthew 5:37 saying “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
The interesting thing about integrity is that it can be sold but it can’t be bought back. What is your word worth?
Pastor Brandon
Mountain View Christian Center 