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Putting Yourself First

3/6/2021

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Animated Text Ashley Duschinsky

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Put yourself first! I know, I know. You’re probably thinking wait a minute, that doesn’t sound right. But hear me out. How many times have you suggested someone go before you? I’m not talking about the generous, thoughtful, being kind to others suggestion. I’m talking about the I’m not so sure about this, I’m a little nervous, I’d rather see you do it first suggestion.

I think about the power we hold in going first. Showing others it okay. It’s safe. Maybe we are even a little uncertain ourself. A few years ago at a public swimming pool I often take my kids to, my daughter decided she wanted to jump off the diving board. To be honest I never really even got in the pool to swim. I would just sit in the lounge chairs to myself trying not to draw too much attention, often in a swimsuit cover up. I love watching my kids swim and enjoy themselves and soak up every fun moment of summertime. This was actually one of my favorite things to do as a kid. I could swim all day long and you bet I would be jumping off the diving board! But now it was more just sitting back and watching. But today my daughter wanted to jump off that diving board.

​That’s when the question came.

"Mama, will you jump first?"

​Wait... What??
get out of my cover up, walk in front of all these people, stand in line and walk across that diving board and jump off with everyone watching? After a really long pause I said SURE! Not because I was excited and thrilled that she would ask me to do this but because I knew it would reassure her that if I could do it and be okay maybe she would be too. So there I went.. out of my comfort zone putting myself first to put her first. I felt a little uncomfortable and insecure but my focus was her.
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These are humbling moments in life. True humility is not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. We are called to be humble because there is power in that. It doesn’t mean we sit back, be passive in life, never drawing attention to ourselves but rather putting others before ourselves. We never know how much encouragement and hope we can bring someone by doing this and how many are watching and waiting to see how we handle uncertain situations in life. It may just be exactly what someone needs. I’m so glad I got out of my comfort zone and jumped off that diving board. In fact it was so much fun I did it several times. And to see my daughter go after me and feel so brave was totally worth it. Something great happens when we stop focusing on ourselves and start focusing on others. Not only do we encourage them, we might end up encouraging ourselves as well. We begin to grow in new ways and our hearts naturally change. Others begin to see themselves in a new way and we also see ourselves in a new way. The world we live in tells us the key to happiness is self love, self care, self..self..self. But really it’s when we set ourselves aside no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient that may be and ask God to give us the strength, confidence, and ability we need to put others first.

That’s what brings the real true joy that we are desperately seeking.

That’s what fills our heart. So go ahead, go first. 
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When A Christian Dies

2/8/2021

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Animated Text Erika Crabtree

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Recently I saw a post on FB that listed a few things the believer would experience “a minute after they died.”  It was a nice reminder seeing it seems we have lost so many loved ones this last year.  Scripture tells us, “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9.)”   Christians really cannot fathom all the joys we will experience for all eternity in Heaven with God Almighty.  Still, we are given some glances into the mysteries of this “blessed hope” if we look closely at what Scripture tells us.
 
In 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 we read, 
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling if indeed, when we have taken it off, we will not be found naked.  For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.   He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So, we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord for we walk by faith, not by sight.  Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.  For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.”

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Paul was a tentmaker by trade.  As we often do, Paul used an analogy of something he was quite familiar with to explain something more abstract.  He compared our physical bodies to tents, which house life.  He goes on to say we want “to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up in life.”  In other words, we want to have immortal bodies to cloth our souls.  He continues to explain that God has prepared such for us and when we are “away from the body” we will be “at home with the Lord.”  In short, we will be in God’s presence when we die and we will “appear before the judgment seat of Christ.”  To the Christ-follower, aka Christian, we can celebrate knowing once our physical bodies die, we will be with God.
Luke 16:19-31 records Jesus explaining about a rich man and poor man passing from this life to the next.  The two are both conscious – able to think, feel, speak and remember.  The two men also still know each other.  Paul described it like this in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”  Although one man is in torment in ‘Hades,’ the poor man, Lazarus is with Abraham and they are ‘fully known.’”  Likewise, when we die, we will know and recognize others and be able to communicate with them. 

Furthermore, in Luke 16:22, Jesus said, “The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham”  Unseen angels are made visible and they escort the believer into the presence of God. 

According to Revelation chapter 4 and 5 we will also join angels in worshipping God.  Revelation 4:8 says we will sing with the angels ““Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.”   Although it is natural for humans to fear death, for those following Jesus Christ, we can take comfort in knowing we will be with the Lord.

While I don’t know that it will be exactly “one minute after we die,” it is Scripturally clear that when we die we will be:
1.  Ushered into Heaven by angels
2.  In the presence of God
3.  Recognized and able to recognize others
4.  Able to think, feel, speak and remember
5.  Joining angels and those gone before us to worship God for eternity.​
None of us knows all of the glorious details of our eternal lives with God in Heaven.  However, the things we find in Scripture should excite, comfort, and encourage us!  Our hearts break at the passing of friends and loved ones; still, we can have peace and joy knowing that those who follow Christ will be with Him. ​​
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After Job Prayed

1/13/2021

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Animated Text Erika Crabtree

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          Were you as excited as so many others about saying “GOODBYE 2020?”  While the year 2020 was definitely a year full of challenges, frustrations, heartbreak and loss, it was also a year of blessings.  Still, as humans it is easy for us to fixate on the negative.  When I think of individuals in Scripture who faced enormous loss, Job comes to mind.  Job is a fascinating story.  While we will take the liberty to paraphrase and summarize much of Job, please take the time to read through this story this year.  It carries with it some truth I think will help us as we continue on this adventure we call, life.

          Basically, Job begins with a meeting.  It was not a ZOOM Meeting either.  It was a meeting in the heavens.  The angels were coming before God and giving an account.  Wouldn’t it be awesome to see a video of that meeting?!  The book of Job tells us that Satan came too.  God pretty much says to Satan, “Look at my servant Job.”  Satan, the great accuser, claims the only reason Job is such an outstanding person is because of God’s favor on his life.  God allows the enemy of our souls to test Job by taking almost everything from him.  Job’s children and their families are all killed.  Job’s wealth in livestock is plundered.  After that Satan is even allowed to strike Job’s body with sickness involving a case of boils afflicting poor Job from head to toe.  While Job’s wife is spared, she is not much encouragement as she prompts Job to just, “curse God and die.”  Instead, we see Job making the famous declaration, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21).”  I wonder what he would have said about 2020?

          At any rate, most of us are in awe at Job’s ability to continue to praise God when life is at its lowest.  However, the book of Job does not stop there.  It continues as friends of Job come “to counsol” him.  That’s hardly what they do as they sit in silence for quite some time, then each begin explaining to Job that he must have some horribly hideous and hidden sin to have God take everything from him.  Job tries to persuade his BFFs that he is innocent.  The conversation gets quite heated at times until God shows up.  It reminds me of what our dear Brother. Carrol Redwine has said, “Everything changes when Jesus steps in the room.”

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Things did most certainly change when God began to speak from a whirlwind as recorded in Job 38.  God asks Job many questions in order to reveal His infinite wisdom and power.  Everyone is silent.  When Job does respond he says, “Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth… (Job 40:4)” It is amazing when we experience God’s presence in our lives how we realize our own limitations and nothingness without Him.  God continues His speech, and Job’s response to the Almighty is more awe and repentance.

          Then, as we continue to read chapter 42, we see God turn His focus towards Job’s friends.  He pretty much lets them know they did not have Him figured out and were wrong in many of the things they said.  In fact, God tells them to prepare a sacrifice of 7 bulls and 7 rams, bring them to Job and Job will pray for them.  They do so and this is where I think we should spend the rest of our focus.  Job 42:10 says, “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.”  I don’t know why I’ve personally not noticed this verse before.  Yes, we’ve talked before about Job ending up with double portions of what he lost in this narrative.  However, the connection to Job receiving this blessing is not without another positive response Job has in spite of his worst time ever.  Job received the “restoration of his fortunes” and was given “twice as much as he had before,” AFTER HE PRAYED FOR HIS FRIENDS.

          Pastor Ronny has often said forgiveness (like so many other things,) “Says easy, does hard.”  Recently, I was visiting with a friend about this difficult task of forgiving our abusers.  We agree forgiveness starts by making a conscious choice to forgive.  Feelings are fickle, strange, often very inaccurate, and yet very real and very strong.  However, I believe when we honestly pray and tell God, “Look, I’m hurting.  I’m hurting because of them.  Still, I choose to forgive them.  Please help me with the emotions and everything else,” HE HEARS AND ANSWERS.  Does that mean the anguish just disappears?  Not normally. Does that mean we will suddenly trust and become BFFs with those who have hurt us?  No – and it’s possible we shouldn’t trust them even though we are commanded to forgive them.  In and of ourselves we cannot forgive or even love others as we should without God.  Such things are the work of the Holy Spirit.  His work begins when we turn to God.  We may have to repeat this prayer, “God I forgive, please help me!” hourly, daily, weekly.   Over time God helps us to forgive and the feelings become easier to deal with.

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          Another thing that we’ve been taught is to pray for those we are trying to forgive.  Here in Job 42, we see a fantastic example of that very thing.  Job prayed for his friends.  Yes, the ones intent on telling him he was an evil man who was hiding some dark, awful sin.  Yes, the ones God even said were wrong.  God tells them to take their sacrifices to Job and Job will pray for them.  Job might not have felt like praying for these “friends.”  Still, Job was obedient and prayed for these men who take the cake as far as the old saying, “WITH FRIENDS LIKE THEM WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?”
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          As we enter this new year, we probably all agree we need to be praying more than ever.  While true, I want to encourage us to not only pray for friends and family who bring love and joy into our lives.  But I also want to encourage us to pray for those who have wronged, abused, hurt, possibly even destroyed us in some way.  Here’s a thought, let’s pray for our enemies.  Let’s even pray for the politicians and others who we feel are so dishonest and corrupt.  We, like so many, may have lost a lot in 2020.  However, God is still on His throne.  He changes not!  He is able to do abundantly above all we ask or think.  We may need restoration that only He can give.  Job received miraculous restoration.  It came only after he prayed for his misinformed, misguided, hurtful friends. 

So too, let us pray!

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Nothing is New

1/13/2021

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Lessons from the book of Daniel


Animated Text Danielle Trent

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          I love history. Kings, queens, rebellions, a few love stories thrown in…it’s a better tale than anything you can find on television. Politics, on the other hand, are a necessary evil; I do not enjoy anything about politics. It just brings out the worst in our leaders, our mentors, and even ourselves. The events of the past few months (or millennia) have proven that. It is easy to be disillusioned by the events that occur daily around the world. From news of the critical coronavirus pandemic to the steady sex trafficking movement to pointless political commentaries, there is ugliness everywhere you turn. We are living in the midst of chaos. Fortunately for us, there is nothing new under the sun, and nothing that surprises our Creator. While kings and kingdoms change on earth, His is never-ending. No matter what what happens from day to day, our Creator is in control; our Savior is sovereign.

          During the sixth century before the birth of Christ, the Jewish people lived in captivity, under the authority of the Babylonians. When he was a young man, Daniel was taken to Babylon along with other “youths without blemish,” 1 to be of service to the king. It is very likely this was a political move by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Since he was essentially taking hostages, the captives back in Jerusalem would feel the constant reminder of Babylon’s authority every time another group of the best and brightest was deported. Daniel was educated in Babylonian culture, and during that time, the king dictated everything, including what the young Jewish men were to eat or drink. Over the course of his time there, Daniel gained access to the highest levels of Babylonian society. Despite this earth-shattering change in his circumstances, Daniel was unwavering in his loyalty to God.  He was immersed in Babylonian culture, which worshipped many different gods and did not observe the Jewish dietary restrictions or worship practices. Yet, Daniel and a few other young men remained faithful. While they were in Babylon, they were not of Babylon. Daniel refused to “defile himself” by eating non-kosher food 2 or praying to King Darius. 3
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          Christians, like Daniel, are living in a temporary home. When we find ourselves troubled by the world we live in, we must step back and remember who is sovereign. When we feel like strangers in a strange land, when we feel far from our like-minded friends, when we feel sobered by the world’s sinful practices, our God is still good, and He is still on the throne, and He will make all things new.

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;  there is nothing new under the sun.

-Ecclesiastes 1:9

1 - Daniel 1:3-4
2 - Daniel 1:8
​3 - Daniel 6:6-10
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The Coming King

12/4/2017

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Animated Text Danielle Trent

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Christ's birth was nothing short of a miracle. There is no way to justify it rationally or scientifically; it is inexplicable and supernatural. ​The birth of Jesus Christ was a momentous occasion for humankind; the world had been waiting for the Messiah for centuries, and suddenly, he was here. The weeks leading up to Christmas provide a timely opportunity to reflect on Christ's coming, both his physical birth and his second coming. 
While we celebrate the fact that Jesus came to earth as an infant to fulfill a holy plan, it is important to remember the bigger picture, the culmination of that holy plan. He came once before, and He will come again. The entire Bible is a message that points us to that very completion. 

God has always had a plan for us. That plan was put into action immediately once sin entered the world. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, resulting in a separation from Him. In his grace, however, he set about to reconcile the human race to Himself. In fact, the very first mention of Jesus, the means of reconciliation, is recorded in Genesis 3:15. We are not free from the consequences of humanity's fall, but we have hope knowing that our relationship with the Creator will be restored.

Because he is good and just, God established covenants with His people to symbolize his offer of eternal fellowship. Noah was assured that the earth would never again be destroyed. Abraham was promised to become a great nation with many descendants. Even as the Israelites continued to rebel, God promised to protect their future. ​King David was guaranteed that his kingdom would never end. And though the Israelites continued in their rebellion and ingratitude, God promised them a new covenant based solely on His grace.

Throughout this special season, it is easy to focus on the magic of nativity story and the coming of a holy baby. Indeed, it does deserve a special place in our hearts. But let us not lose sight of another coming. The Bible is a love story written to a rebellious creation by a holy Creator, and in his wisdom and mercy, He has not left us to reap what we have sown. Now, like the Israelites waited for the baby in a manger, we wait. We wait for the coming of a King who is our Savior. As you celebrate this holiday season, pray that God will prepare your heart for His coming. 
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Where do you go to hide?

10/27/2017

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Animated Text Danielle Trent

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Sometimes, we all want to hide. I'm sure you can think of many occasions in life where you need to hide or seek shelter. Severe weather, attacks, war, or sometimes just being fearful. Most of the time we have a set place to hide for each situation. 

REFUGE - a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.

Living in a sinful world, we encounter pursuit, danger, or trouble on a daily basis. The only place to truly seek refuge and find peace is in Gods hands. The almighty hands of Jesus Christ and nobody else. Often, we we encounter these times in our lives, we withdraw from God and possibly even remove ourselves from going to church. We want to "get it together" before we go back because we don't want to pretend to be happy. The truth is, God did not establish his church for us to "get it together" on our own. God established his church for us to use it as a place of refuge from anything and everything this world can throw at us. But, how many times to we fail and only run to God when we feel we have it together?

Psalm 119:114:
New International Version
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.

New Living Translation
You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

English Standard Version
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

New American Standard Bible 
You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.

King James Bible
Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

International Standard Version
You are my fortress and shield; I hope in your word.

American King James Version
You are my hiding place and my shield: I hope in your word.

American Standard Version
Thou art my hiding-place and my shield: I hope in thy word.

We have the best hiding place that could ever exist. The hands and word of Jesus Christ. So, wherever you stand today... Worry, fear, stress, overwhelmed, regret, 
unhappiness, lack of true joy... GO HIDE. But hide in Him. Hide in his word. Hide in HIs Church. Hide with His people. Don't wait to "get it together". Gods Church and His word is meant for the BROKEN, not the perfect. 

So, as we're all broken and fall short... GO HIDE!

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Waging Peace

7/13/2016

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Animated Text Danielle Trent

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Peace is defined as "an absence of civil disturbance or hostilities, or a personality free from internal and external strife." This is such a simple word, but the act itself actually proves difficult at times, especially in today's world. 

The Bible uses a Hebrew word for peace which means "to be complete or whole; to live well." How beautiful is that? Who wouldn't like to say they've lived their lives well? 

​Fortunately for us, our God is a God of peace.
​Many times in the Bible, those who were favored by the Lord were blessed with peace in their homes and the surrounding areas. In  Leviticus, God promises to give peace while His people rest comfortably. But the past was no place for sleep. In fact, throughout most of history, nighttime was incredibly dangerous. 

Once Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, humankind had a more difficult time acquiring food. They were no longer under the safety and comfort of their previous home. Until they became skilled in agriculture in this new, often dry, land, people were constantly on the move, searching for sources of food and trying to avoid predators. Because they moved often, there was no time to build up fortifications for protection. This meant that humans were at the height of vulnerability while they were sleeping. For God to allow His people to sleep without fear,  they must have had the utmost trust in Him. Even if they were surrounded by an enemy's armies or stalked by fierce predators, He promised to keep them from harm.

God offers this same peace still. Even today, if we only trust in Him and keep our minds fixed on Him, we will be given that same peace. As counterintuitive as it sounds, peace is something we must fight for. We have to make a conscious decision every day to trust God so that He will give us a peace that passes all understanding. How can we practice trusting Him?

  1. Talk with God daily. Tell Him everything, but above all, take the time to listen. 
  2. Resist evil. Focus on things that are pleasing to God, and He will draw near.
  3. Listen to the Holy Spirit. God sent a helper to act as a guide for His people; let Him.

Fear and fighting are common hindrances we all face, but thankfully, God provides a way for us to conquer them. Focus on Him, trust His power, and allow His peace to fill your hearts and minds.
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We Are One

7/8/2016

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​We live in troubled times, but we are fortunate to have peace through Jesus Christ. As His followers, we are responsible for spreading news of that peace to others, in both word and deed.

How often do we show the love of Christ to those who are not like us?
The Bible shows clear distinctions between Jews, biological descendants of Abraham, and Gentiles, or non-Hebrew descendants of Abraham. Once Jesus was sent to the cross, however, those distinctions became blurred. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For [we] are all one in Christ Jesus. In fact, Christ's death on the cross meant the death of hostility among God's people. 

But the reality is that we live in a world with people who are very different. In the United States alone, we are surrounded by rich and poor, black and white, young and old, believers and atheists. So when we consider the outside world as well, how can we focus on becoming a unified body of believers?

We can start by:
  1. Removing any preconceived notions of others. In God's eyes, we are all the same. Don't let others' backgrounds get in the way of establishing a genuine relationship.
  2. Surrendering to God's purpose, rather than promoting our own. Begin to seek God's will every day. His plans for you involve operating within the body of Christ. Ask Him to give you the willingness and the ability to create meaningful relationships and work toward a common goal.
  3. Appreciating diverse styles of life. God created all of us with different personalities, different quirks, and even different styles of worship. Don't expect everyone to behave exactly like you.

Remember, without diversity, unity is meaningless. It's easy to portray a Christ-like example of unity with those who share the same backgrounds and similar views, but we are called to establish that unity with all believers. It's time to step up, be the Church, and unite our town, our nation, and our world.
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CrossPointe Community Church
3304 Kibler Rd. 
Van Buren, AR 72956
Pastor Ronny & Linda Mayfield

479.474.3588

Sunday Morning Service: 10:30am
No Sunday Evening Services

Wednesday Night Services: 6:30pm
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