Pastor Rileys Blog

Good Morning,

“God will always give what is right to His people,
who cry to Him night and day,
and He will not be slow to answer them.”
Luke 18:7

Have you ever wondered why God waits, at least from our perspective? Why does God wait until the money is gone? Why does God wait until the sickness has lingered? Why does He choose to wait until the other side of the grave to answer prayers for healing?

I don’t know. I only know in my heart that His timing is perfect, always right. I know He will only do what is best, what is right.

You may not hear Him, but He is speaking. You may not see anything, but He is moving. Everything happening in your life He intends to use to bring you closer to Him.

All In and Holding On with Both Hands of Trust

Good Morning,

“For we have no superhuman High Priest to whom our weaknesses
are unintelligible; He Himself has shared fully in all our
experience of temptation, except that He never sinned.”
Heb. 4:15 J. B. Phillips

Are you ever tempted to think, “God’s it’s easy for You up there in heaven. You don’t know how hard it is down here.”? Look at the wording of the scripture verse again.

“He Himself”, not an angel or an ambassador, but Jesus Himself.

“shared fully”, not in part, not almost, not nearly, but entirely, completely.

“in all our experiences”, every hurt, each ache, all the types of stresses and strains, no exceptions.

Why? So He could know exactly how you feel. He cut no corners becoming our Advocate with the Father.

He was All In, so am I

Good Morning, and Happy New Year!

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth
unto those things which are before, I press toward
the mark for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus.”
Phil. 3:13-14

I read a magazine article where a man listed his seven goals for the New Year. They’re pretty good so I thought I’d share them with you. Maybe you’ll see one you like too.

“I want to consistently start each day with prayer”

“I want to consistently face life’s battles with the Word”

“I want to know God for myself”

“I want to be a shining light for others.”

“I want to honor, respect and uplift others”

“I want to live in the atmosphere of God’s peace, regardless of circumstances”

“I want to live in eager expectation of His return”

Not bad, huh? Might help you stay All In for 2012

Good Morning,

“God has given a Son to us . . . His name will be Wonderful Counselor,
Powerful God . . . Prince of Peace”
Isa. 9

We read these words every Christmas, or at least we should, for they are an important reminder. That if our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent a great economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, He sent a Savior.

Just a reminder why we’re All In

Calling hours for Kathy Dixon, today 3-7 in Outreach Center

Funeral, 10:00 tomorrow at the Palace
I know that we will want to show the community how supportive our church is of its family.

Good Morning,

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Ps. 23:6

I recently read the book “Killing Lincoln” which of course is a historical novel about the assassination of President Lincoln and subsequent apprehension of his killer John Wilkes Booth. The book described the chase to find Booth as one of the greatest manhunts in the history of the world. The Union Army, police departments from all the surrounding cities, private detectives, all chasing down one man. He never really had a chance to escape their reach.

There is a much greater manhunt.

The God who pursued us.

Chasing us, tracking us down, following us with goodness and mercy all the days of our lives. He began by looking for Adam and Eve who were hiding in the bushes. Gen. 3:9 tells us of God’s voice ringing out upon the earth “Where are you?” Thus the beginning quest for the heart of man, until finally He sent His Son, who later sent His Spirit. A relentless search it is. Amidst all the lights of Christmas, if you quiet the songs of the season, you will hear Him still, “Where are you?” calling the ones who have not yet been found.

All In for the Search

Good Morning,

“I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens.”
Phil. 4:11

Wow! I am soooooo not good at that. It’s not even 8:00 in the morning and I’ve already sent two e-mails asking why there’s no steel erected yet. Now I am satisfied with what I have in terms of material goods. But satisfied with “everything that happens”?

Another translation of that verse uses the word contented rather than satisfied. I think those are two different words. If I’m satisfied then I just accept whatever and move on, I’m okay with it, makes no real difference to me. But if I’m content, I can deal with it knowing there is a greater, deeper good which in the end will sustain my peace. Maybe I’m playing word games. Maybe I’m trying to justify my impatience. Maybe I hate that translation above.

I don’t know; I certainly don’t know me as well as God knows me. I am satisfied with that, and I trust that He will complete what He began in me.

So I guess I’ll stay All In

Good Morning,

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

Really??? Do you remember the song, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth”? Karen asked me what I wanted for Christmas and my response was “nothing really”. When I asked her the same question, as you can imagine, she had a very different answer.

Zion Church Builders told me this week that the outer structure of our new building will be up by the end of December. That would be a great Christmas present.

Several sources are reporting that Urban Meyer will be announced as the new Buckeye’s football coach next week. That would be an exciting Christmas present.

President Obama, aka the Grinch, says he will put America back to work. That’s a great Christmas present for all of you who still believe in Santa Claus.

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel” If He comes in unexpected ways, sudden appearances, startling realities, what a great Christmas it will be!!!

I pray you will be “All In” the Spirit of Christmas this year

Good Morning,

The United States Marines are looking “For A Few Good Men”, (good movie by the way).

The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any (men) who understand, any who seek God, Psalm 14.

I don’t know how many men stood at the close of each service of Fully Devoted. I was praying myself, searching my own heart. Yes I was interested to know the response; but I was more interested in God’s search of my own soul. I’ve heard estimates that the number was between 60 and 100. From experience let me tell you that if 60 stood up, 120 wanted to, but were too shy or self-conscious.

Three months ago we thought if 200 men attended it would be a success; God nearly doubled that number. We thought if 50 men could receive help it would have a spiritual impact on our church; God probably tripled that number. I cannot imagine anything in the spiritual realm that compares to God’s dream. And the beautiful thing is that God’s dreams can be realities in His economy.

Men, do not waste what God has given you through Fully Devoted’s excellent workers.

Ladies, do not quench the moving of the Spirit within your husbands.

Bottom Line? More are All In this morning than before!

Good Morning,

“I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned, unclean”

You may be old enough to remember singing those words in church. I can think of several songs that use the word “amaze”, “amazed”, “amazing”. Wonder, awe, amazement, these are vital elements of the Christian faith. Do you think we’re losing them?

We are so smart. We transplant hearts, measure the depths of the oceans, send instruments to investigate distant planets, bounce signals off satellites to run our communication systems. We’ve discovered so much. Steve Jobs is considered to have been “amazing”. Unfortunately it’s almost like the more we learn the less we believe. The knowledge we gain shouldn’t lessen the wonder of creation. Who has more reason to worship than astronomers who have caught a glimpse of the scope of the universe?

And yet, fewer worship in awe and wonder. We’re more impressed with the one who discovered electricity than the One who created it. Steve Jobs, who by all accounts was just this side of a total jerk, is revered as a creative genius. They say that his last words were “Wow, Oh, Wow”. I wonder what he saw, do you think it was eternity and with it eternal truth. It’s a shame he didn’t have any “Wow” while he had life to live. Paul expressed God’s condemnation of man in Rom. 1:25 when he said “they worship creation but not the Creator”.

Lord today I am All In, knowing this one thing, that You are still amazing!

Good Morning,

In high school you begin to accept the subjects that are good for you and those that will not be in your future. History and Language Arts were my favorites, Math and Science were not. For example, I do not have a clue what “dry ice” is. I know it works and you can buy it at Graeters. But explain it? Not a chance. To me there are some things that should be simple, like water should always be wet and fire should always be hot. It just has to be true.

More importantly when it comes to God there is something that must always be understood as true. If you try to take love out of God, you no longer have God. God has to be love. Look deeply into Him, probe every corner of who He is and you will always find love. Go back to the headwaters of every decision He has made and you will find love. Read all the way to the end of every story He has written and it is there. No bitterness, no evil, no anger, just love.

“We know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love.”
1 John 4:16