Pastor Mike's Blog

2 Kings 21:12–16 (NASB95)
12. therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.
13. ‘I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.
14. ‘I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies;
15. because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.’ ”
16. Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD.

I remember very clearly hearing a government leader in recent past make the following statement in regards to the corona virus; “God did not do that, we did that. ” Whether you choose to believe this or not, this man lost his “Kingdom” just as the idolatrous kings of the Old Testament did when they decided to step away from God. It has happened time and time again. It was the majority vote that put him there and that fact validates where the majority of the people’s heart stood. This is their man.

Fast forward to today in the United States. I will openly admit to the fact that I am not a politician nor do I aspire to be, but I do want to point out some things that should cause great concern for each and every one of us.

1. Child sacrifice was one of the issues with corrupt Old Testament kings
2. Immorality was another issue with corrupt Old Testament kings
3. Disregard to the word of God was an issue with corrupt Old Testaments kings

All of these issues exist within or national leadership this very day. Here is the part for great concern, if the election was was legitimate, this is what our nation said we want. This is what the majority said “we are for it” and in doing so, told an almighty God that we disregard what you say. How long will it be for us as a nation who has clearly said to God, “we hear you but defy you,” until we see our captivity.

Hebrews 10:30–31 (NASB95)
30. For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.”
31. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Most all of us know what a compass is. It is that devise by which ships, planes and those on land plotting courses have navigated by for centuries. One thing that has always amazed me is the fact that no matter where you are in this big world, a compass will always point north. Even in these days of modern technology, when all of the advanced forms of navigation fail, you can always pull out a compass and it will work as prescribed.

So what exactly does a compass and navigation have to do with the Church? A LOT! The church, the Body of Christ at one point used the Bible exclusively as our compass to navigate this life we live here on earth by, but somewhere along the way, we have allowed other things to creep in and take the helm. We have a number of things other than God’s Word that effect how we as a body of believers live. In short, we have allowed to many things to tell us as Christians what we should and should not do, and with all of the uncertainties surrounding our future such as Covid and all of the variants, to CDC recommendations, to things suggested by all levels of government, where does a clear course of action lay?

Might I offer a couple of things in regards to this.

1. There will always be something on the horizon with a satanic design to harm or destroy the Church
2. This will be a continuous battle until Jesus comes back for us
3. The only clear path for us as Christians has and always will be the Bible

One thing that Satan is very good at is providing us with a reason to not come together as a church. While I certainly agree with exercising good judgement when it comes to those things that God has entrusted me with, I must consider where that “good judgement” comes from.

There is nothing that Satan wants more that to see the church shut down and our work of reaching the lost come to a stop. While there are many uncertainties on our horizon, the one thing that we can be sure of is that no matter what it is, there is a compass God has given us to navigate by, the Holy Bible. We cannot let confusion, uncertainty and the distractions of the world cause to take our eyes off of what God has given us to navigate by. Follow the Bible no matter what comes, for it will always be right.

In Christ, Pastor Mike

I remember many years ago as young firemedic, waking up one morning at the fire station I was working at, getting ready to go home. It was the end of my shift, and the beginning of my weekend. The oncoming shift had already been dispatched to one call, and moments later, I found myself responding to the same call, to a scene that would change a lot of lives. Before the tragic events unfolded that cost to good men their lives and left images in the minds of many others, it was just another day.

On a different day at the same fire station, the news comes of a good friend who’s life had been cut short by an act of violence, the type of violence that inspires people to write books and produce movies. But just twenty four short hours prior, it was just another day.

February 16,2020, as I was sitting in a men’s breakfast, I received a phone call from my mom telling me that my father had passed away from a heart attack, but just moments prior, it was just another day.

On a different day, we were all just going about our day as usual, when all of a sudden, I heard the sound of a trumpet, and before I knew what was happening, I along with many others were rising up into the clouds and it was there that I saw Jesus, but just moments prior, it was just another day.

Are you sure that you are ready, for when there will not be “just another day?” Please do not take your eternity for granted. Seek god and be ready.

In Christ, Pastor Mike

It is nothing uncommon for us as Christians to endure hardships. Sometimes we may even ask our Heavenly Father “why are these things happening to me?” We in our human minds struggle from time to time as to why if we are a child of the King, why do we suffer and struggle while we watch others prosper and live the so called “Good Life” without a care in the word. Well here is your answer, we are wounded ducks.

You see, its like this, I remember watching an outdoors show on duck hunting one day. Bird after bird would come flying in at the sound of the hunters call, only to find out a little to late that they were being summoned to the end of a gun barrel. One after another, they would fall, some wounded and struggling to to survive, while others fell lifeless. But one thing I did notice is that the dog that was really doing all of the work always headed for those that were wounded, while seemingly disregarded those that were dead. It seemed as if he knew those with no life left in them were going nowhere, it was over for them.

We my brothers and sisters in Christ, we are like those wounded ducks. There is life in us. We are all broken and have struggles in one way or another, and when Satan sees that life in us, he sends the dog in our direction, while those who have no life left in them are simply disregarded until a time of his convenience for he knows they are going nowhere, for they are already dead.

If you find yourself in a struggle or a place of despair, remember that as a child of God, Satan does not have you and he will tempt, entice and call or lure us in any that he possibly can. But there is life in each of us that cannot be overcome by Satan, for he has been defeated. We as children of God have eternal life through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. KEEP FLAPPIN !!!!!!

In Christ, Pastor Mike

As simple as it may seem to be at first, the question “What does it mean to be an American” is getting harder and harder to answer. The reason answering this question has growing difficulty is because the requirements are constantly changing. Here is what I mean.

Throughout history, countless people have dreamed of, and come to our great nation to live “The American Dream.” To flee oppression, poverty, even genocide in extreme situation. So what is that dream? The questions seem to keep coming.

I asked the question recently in an open forum, what does it mean to be American. The much appreciated input from several people seemed to have a common thread that run through all of the answers, and the word was Freedom. Our nation has been known throughout the years as “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. It is sang as the last words in The Star Spangled Banner as we honor our flag and our nation. So, what about freedom is so appealing, and should everyone be granted their own freedoms to do what they want, say what they want, and live like they want? I am sure at this point you may be asking yourself where all of this is going. Allow me to elaborate.

If in fact we should all be allowed our own freedom, then all religions are to be tolerated to include those that would allow grade school children to listen to those who advocate for options other than God in programs such as “After School Satan.” This is a real program that started in Salem, Massachusetts and is sponsored by Reason Alliance LTD, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. It was created as an alternative to Christian-based after school groups, like the Good News Club.

Unlimited freedom would also mean unlimited abortion, autonomous morality, and the list goes on and on if we apply unlimited freedom to any society.

The truth of it all comes down to this; our unlimited freedom stops at the point it contradicts God.

I am reminded more and more of the Nation of Judah who spent seventy years in captivity for idolatrous living, immorality and child sacrifice directed by the kings of that time. They each had unlimited freedom, but they forgot the attached consequences. One thing to remember, God used corrupt rulers such as Nebuchadnezzar to execute His will on disobedient nation. Remember, the Bible says the nation of Judah was “given” into their hands. Unlimited free will in the absence of Biblical boundries will create chaos every time.

What made our nation so great lays in the fact of where our guidance come from, and that is God. Interestingly enough, God is not mentioned in our Constitution but is mentioned in all of the States constitutions at least once and collectively, over two hundred times. The reason we are loosing freedoms are because without Biblical morals and values leading us in how we are to utilize those freedoms, they are abused, misused and in the process, we become our own god in determining right and wrong, and now we have a nation with no clear black and white lines of right and wrong and thousands of shades of gray.

Freedom is a privilege that should be exercised with responsibility, and within the boundaries of Gods guidance. What it means to be an American is not to be determined by culture, secular government our our own thoughts of right and wrong, but by God. Whenever God defines who we are, then we are at our greatest.

In Christ, Pastor Mike

As I am sitting here in my office this morning going over my notes for a funeral service this afternoon, coupled with thought of our message for Sunday on Job, my mind seems to be directed to the sufferings that people endure and the hardships that we experience here on earth.

Some things we have time to prepare for, while others seem to come out of nowhere, and when they come, how do we handle it, how do we respond to the unpleasant experience of loosing a job, or the heart crushing loss of a loved one?

While I was reading the first part of the Book of Job, I couldn’t help but to place myself as best as I could in his shoes. How would I handle the same loss, how would I respond to God?

First of all, we must understand that the Bible was not speaking of Job allegorically, but in a literal sense, a real man with real loss. It is only in that reality we begin to see a true understanding of the pain he was experiencing. Satan was attacking on every level of his life; family, financial, property and health, but in his darkest hour, his faith in God shown through.

Sometimes, God will lead us through tough times to expose to us areas of weak faith, and other times, He will lead us through tough times to display our strong faith to others, as a testimony to how strong our God is. Either way, faith is always displayed in hardship, faith is in the function.

What ever the reason God does, or allows things to happen in our lives, always remember these two things, 1) The power of God, 2) The presence of God. If we cling to those two fact, our faith will strengthen when needed, and be displayed to others as a testimont to others through our faith.

In Christ, Pastor Mike

Proverbs 22:6 (NASB95)
6Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

What a profound concept for raising children. Teach them the ways of God as to give them a foundation for life.

I think that one of the greatest misconceptions we as Christians have today lies in the fact that we expect our government to understand and exhibit Christian morals, and in turn, infuse them into society, and more specifically, set that example for our children. In short, it’s not going to happen, that is the responsibility of the parents.

We must keep in mind that we live in a nation that has banned prayer and Bible reading in school, legalized abortion (the shedding of innocent blood), removed the Ten Commandments from court rooms and legalized sexual immorality of various sorts. I think it is completely safe to say that we live in a morally bankrupt nation.

The teaching of morality which comes from the Bible is to begin at home and work it’s way up and out into society. It will never start at the top and work its way down.

Our hope is in Jesus Christ, and the teaching of Him is the responsibility of the parents. Morality begins at home.

In Christ, Pastor Michael Whitman

We live in a society of choices. Some of those choices may be as simple as deciding on which socks to wear, while other choices have a much larger impact in our lives. So what about morality, who is responsible for that choice? One might immediately offer the quick response, “the individual is responsible,” so lets look at that for a moment. If I as an individual have the liberty to decide from a moral standpoint what is right and wrong, then based on this philosophy, everyone has the same liberty, therefore, from a morale standpoint, there is no right or wrong. If we each have the liberty of deciding right and wrong morally, it is at that point, morality becomes subjective to the personal desires of every individual.

So what about the Bible, what about the morality as given to us by God. I suppose the very first question that should be asked is “do you believe the Word of God ?” If that is not affirmed at the inset, then all other point are moot, and hold no significance. However, if the Bible be the Gold Standard for living, at that point, all personal points of view in regards to morality dissipate into thin air.

One of the biggest issues we as a nation are facing is “self made morality.” While it is true we have an ability to choose, we must also understand that the consequences are bound to the choice. If we choose our own morality over that of God, then we must also stand ready to accept the consequences that accompany the choice. However, if we choose to follow the roadmap of morality given to us by God, then there is a reward for that. One way has consequences, one way has reward.

Often enough, I hear people say things such as “you have your right and I have mine.” I have also heard it said that “you have your Jesus and I have mine.” Just understand this, the Jesus of the Bible and a life crucified in Him and living that life has rewards, the others have consequences. Be sure it is you following the Jesus of the Bible and not a self manufactured Jesus that you have created to suit your personal life following after you.

Morality is a fixed point of reference given to us by the Bible, and not drifting, shifting point that we cannot navigate this life by. Set your course on Christ and remain steady at the helm.

In Christ, Pastor Mike