Lawlessness

Greetings Brethren. The topic of sin is not a popular one today. Many view the concept of sin as archaic and demeaning -- something that needs to be cast aside in light of current " modern thought". Christians however know that there are some things taught in God's word, which will never become outdated. Sin is one such topic that is as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. Sin is lawlessness. When trying to define sin two or three simple passages in scripture are very helpful in providing the information needed. In the following verse sin is described as lawlessness. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4) God has given His commandments and laws to man to govern the way man lives. These laws are for the good of all and are meant to preserve the gift of life, which God has given. When man obeys God's law there is liberty and freedom to enjoy the gift of life with others without fear of future problems. The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; (Psalm 19:7) But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25) So we see that the laws of God are perfect and are given to bless man. When we break God's law we have committed sin and are acting in a way that will be detrimental to our own good and that of our neighbor. Perhaps the whole matter can be summed up in the words of James: Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17) God has given His laws to govern His creation. The point also needs to be made, that these laws govern mans life in the context of the pursuit of God's plans and purposes. God has created and designed this world with specific plans and purposes, which are not to be neglected or rejected. In Genesis it tells us God's original plan for the human family was to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth. And as we discovered in the book of Ruth, this puts the focus of life on the family; husbands and wives raising children in loving families where the truth about God is learned from God's word. Sin has revealed the extensive plans and purposes of God. In addition to populating the human family, God has other plans and purpose to which He calls us. The will of God for our lives now also includes our salvation and sanctification and service for the kingdom of God. However, the important point to realize and accept is that God has not created the human race so that each one could decide for themselves what they will do with "their" life. God has given very specific instructions regarding the plans and purposes for our lives. God's word teaches us that when a person rejects the plans and purposes of God for their life in pursuit of their own they are committing sin. Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, "Who sees us?" or "Who knows us?" (Isaiah 29:15) "Woe to the rebellious children," declares the LORD, "Who execute a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance, but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin; (Isaiah 30:1) I pray we will all give these verses some thought as you continue your faith journey. May our discernment lead us to Christ, who satisfied the Law for our sake. Blessings, Pastor, Bringman

Immanuel (God With Us)

“Behold, the virgin shall be with Child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” Greetings Brethren! I am overjoyed at this moment to be able to share with you the many ways God continues to surprise us. It is God’s joy to give and His full delight to bring surprises to our lives. How many of us, like Joseph, have worried about how to handle difficult situations? Have you found yourself in a spot where you couldn’t confide in anyone; where you knew for certain, any decision you made was going to affect someone or many others negatively? I have; we all have at one time or another, faced situations beyond our control. It’s in these moments that we often fail to remember that God knows about it. Sometimes, as in Joseph’s case, God is even the reason for the miss-understood dilemma. This is an important concept we must all be aware of! “God is with us!” It is imperative we remember God is sovereign. If He has brought testing to your life, be certain that He will have an answer for your success in that test. We need to learn to depend on God completely and acknowledge that testing our allegiance is something God does continually. The only way Joseph was going to understand his circumstance with Mary was going to have to come from God. Think about this! Not one person in the whole wide world was going to be able to explain this situation and give Joseph counsel and direction in this matter other than God. God always has the answers for us; we just need to learn to listen to Him and only Him. The last thing Joseph expected to receive from this nightmare was JOY! As he racked his brain and thought hard about what to do to keep Mary safe, God intervened. God didn’t provide a solution for Joseph’s assumed crisis, God only pointed out to Joseph that a crisis didn’t exist. In fact, it was a blessing in which Joseph was to be included in. Amazing isn’t it! Certain gloom and doom from our perspective was turned into joy and a promise from God’s perspective, (Immanuel)! God is with us! I pray this advent season, especially if you’re going through a difficult time that you open up your heart and give God a chance to reveal the joy he has prepared for you. It is his delight to present you with joy and surprises! O, come; O, come Immanuel! Amen. Pastor Bringman