Greetings

Greetings! From Pastor Jeremy

            My name is Jeremy McClimans, and it is with great pleasure to announce that I have accepted the position of Pastor for Kings Creek Union Chapel, effective June 1st. I have had the honor of preaching at Kings Creek several times now over the last few months and have been welcomed to the Kings Creek family with open arms and warm blessings. My family and I look forward to serving the church and community, by first and foremost serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

            I am originally from Butler Pennsylvania, until marrying my wife in January of 2022 and moving to Weirton, West Virginia, to start a new life with her and my two boys (5 and 15). It was here in Weirton I was given the opportunity to teach Sunday School, teach bible and English at Tri-State Christian Academy in Burgettstown Pennsylvania, and begin preaching regularly at Kings Creek. After being called to ministry years ago, and despite making some mistakes along the way, the Lord carried me through to the completion of my bachelor’s degree in biblical studies and theology from Liberty University this past May.             

            I pray that the Lord uses my testimony (which you can find on our website) to show the deep well of His unending love for all mankind, from the broken and lost, to the joyful servants who are now found. At King’s Creek Union Chapel, we make it our mission to make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20), love God and our neighbor above all else (Matt. 22:37-39), and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

            It is only through Jesus Christ that we are forgiven, and through Him, we are forgiven of all of our sins. Come rejoice with us!

Our success will not be greater than our commitment.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  (1Peter 1:8-9)

In Seoul, South Korea, when the day is its most gloomy, the streets are their most colorful. That's because the streets have been adorned with beautiful murals of swimming water life, using a special hydro-chromatic paint that can only be seen when it's wet. "Project Monsoon" is an attempt to brighten up the otherwise dreary three-week rainy monsoon season.

Every life goes through its own monsoon season. What is the Gospel but God’s mural, designed to turn a gloomy day around by reminding us of all that has been promised to us in Christ. When trials come, at the very moment the streets begin to be drenched by the monsoon, the Gospel's promises are there to remind us of all that Jesus will one day restore.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

This passage of scripture is a lesson on how to not let our trials and temptations discourage us or defeat us.  We are to use the tough times as a stepping stone to become more pure, refined and stronger.  This passage offers a guide for victory over our trials and temptations.

We know that we have transgressed God’s law and were guilty and due just punishment for our rebellion against God.  But Jesus has stepped in on our behalf and offered Himself as a substitute and sacrifice for us.  He has taken our guilt upon Himself and died for us. This is the supreme love of Jesus Christ for us.  Could anyone ever do anything greater for us?

We love Him because He has made the ultimate sacrifice by bearing the judgment for us.  We love Him even though we have not seen Him and it is our love for Him that drives us to obedience, to keep His commandments, to turn away from temptation and to stand firm in our faith through any trials that we may encounter.

We stand and bear all sufferings in order to prove the power of Christ.  We want to be a strong witness to His presence and power in our lives, a witness to the great hope and deliverance that He gives.  We stand as a strong witness so others will turn to Him for salvation.  We stand victorious over our trials and temptations by our love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This passage tells that victory will come through our belief in Christ.  Jesus’s own words speak of this required truth in John 6:28-29 - Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 

If we believe in Christ, follow Him and stay in Christ then we will be able reject and turn away from all temptations and stand firm, relying upon His presence and power to conquer and to carry us through all trials.

We are told that we can be victorious by rejoicing and by the inexpressible joy that fills our hearts.  Joying and rejoicing in the Lord and His presence will stir us to stand against temptations and trials. Joy and rejoicing will help us to focus upon Christ and His glorious power.  Words cannot describe this joy that every genuine believer experiences.  Matthew Henry states:

"This joy is inexpressible, it cannot be described by words; the best discovery is by an experimental taste of it; it is full of glory, full of heaven. There is much of heaven and the future glory in the present joys of...Christians"

On January 27th, 2015, Auschwitz commemorated the 70th anniversary of its liberation by Allied Forces. In attendance was 81 year old Eva Mozes Kor, an Auschwitz survivor who lost her parents, two of her sisters, her grandparents, and several aunts and uncles at the hands of the Nazis. She and her twin sister, just ten years old at the time of their capture, were among only 200 sets of twins out of 1500 who survived the vicious “medical” experiments of the infamous “Angel of Death,” Dr. Josef Mengele.

Twenty years prior, at the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the camp, Kor was reported to have written a letter stating, "I had the power to forgive. No one could give me the power, or take it away from me. I refused to be a victim, and now I am free."

It was reported that, “Eva has returned to Auschwitz, and always dances on the platform where she saw her family for the last time. ‘That's where they took away the joy of my life and my family,’ she says. ‘This way, I reclaim it.’”

Life on this sin cursed earth may rob us of our freedom, our health, our possessions, our good fortune or fame, but it cannot rob us of our joy. To possess a joyful heart and attitude is a volitional decision which we can choose to make each and every day.

Do you feel you’ve been robbed of your joy by some trial, tragedy, or circumstance? Choose today to dance upon the platform of your sorrows and reclaim it!

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

The final directive offered in this passage that will bring us to victory over the trials and temptations that we face is to keep our eyes focused on the salvation of our souls.  This is the goal to which we all should be moving toward.  As in any successful endeavor we have to always stay focused upon our goal.  The greater our focus, the stronger we become in standing against all obstacles.  The more we focus on the salvation of our souls the stronger we become to reject and turn away temptation and to conquer the trials of this life.

Ultimately life will prove to us that our success in our trials and against temptations will never be greater than our commitment to loving, believing, rejoicing in and focusing on Christ.  My prayer for all is that we let our love for Jesus, our belief in Him, the inexpressible joy that is in our heart because of Him and our focus on salvation thanks to Him, successfully carry us through anything life may send our way.  In Jesus’s name I do pray.  Amen

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel.

The Love that we are to live.

1 Peter 1:22-25 22) Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23) For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24) For, "All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25) but the word of the LORD endures forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.

Did you know that major cities across the country hand out thousands of free one-way bus tickets to the homeless every year? It's called the Homeless Relocation Program. Its purpose is to ship "the problem" somewhere else.

God brings needy people into our lives to give us the opportunity to love one another, serve one another and grow in our faith.  To take advantage of these opportunities, we must resist the temptation to pass them on to someone else.  The Christian faith is nothing, if not a call to action. 

James wrote, "Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "[Here's a bus ticket] Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 2:15-17).

There is not a greater force known to mankind that can call us to action than love.  The love spoken of here by Peter is Philadelphia love, a very special kind of love.  It is a love that exists between Christians and is extended by Christians to all of those who are in need through our own personal ministry.  It is a love that binds us together in an unbreakable union, a love that is concerned about the welfare of one another; a love that brings us together as family. We love one another because we have the same love. 

The soul of a true believer in Christ is cleansed of sin.  We are forgiven, purified from every sin we have committed.  Peter tells us what it is, that cleanses us – obedience to the truth.  When we walk in the light of the truth, the Spirit of God cleanses our soul through the blood of Christ.

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.  (1 John 1:7)

We only know this love when we are born again.  When we are spiritually created into new men and woman by God, cleansed by the blood of Christ, we become brothers and sisters to one another and we are able to love one another in this capacity. 

Our natural birth came about through perishable or corruptible seed.  If we are born again by corruptible seed, by the work of man we would still be corruptible.  If we are guilted into coming to the altar and “giving our life to Christ”; if we are given an ultimatum, “you go to church or else” - I am leaving you, I won’t cut the grass, I won’t do your laundry, I won’t baby sit for you etc., the process of being truly born again will be thwarted.

If we are “religious” to satisfy a demand that man or woman has put upon us, we still are of the perishable or corruptible seed.  Our heart and life will not change much.  We will still have selfishness, bitterness, self-seeking, prideful ways that include hypocrisy, hate, envy and arrogance. We are not cleansed and purified but we are still continuing in our sin. 

By contrast, when the Holy Spirit changes us, His changes are permanent.  As we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we become a "new creation."   We are born of the imperishable seed and it is the imperishable seed that is planted in our heart where the word of God will live and abide forever.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If we have this Philadelphia love, it is because we are born again.  When we are born again we know that obedience to the word of God is our priority.  When we are the new creature we actively and continually receive the word of God into our heart and allow it to take root, so that we can be continuously cleansed and kept pure and continually love each other above self because we love God first and foremost. 

I pray that you know this love, I pray that you live this love and I pray that you are known by your love.  May the word of God abide in your heart for all eternity!  May your witness and God’s word lead the lost souls of this world to saving relationship with Christ our Lord! 

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  (Ephesians 4:3)

We walk in peace to keep us bound together united in Christ.  Jesus broke down all the barriers between man, who are we to rebuild them?  Race, gender, nationality, financial circumstance, it is all done away with.

A dangerous thing that can happen to a church is that it becomes homogenous.  Everyone looks the same, sounds the same, has the exact same political views, the exact same social views, the same financial circumstance, everyone is around the same age and everyone is the same demographic.

It then may appear to be an exclusive organization where someone from the outside might not feel welcome or comfortable if they are not exactly alike everyone else.  A church in this situation can easily become a self-serving and self-centered endeavor. It might not give the appearance of a church but look more like a club to the outside world.  Some churches who head down this road that have the right type of leader may end up as a cult, which unfortunately does happen.

The point is that the people in the church should not rebuild the walls that Jesus made such a great sacrifice to tear down.  Every person is precious to God and we all come to Christ on the same level.  We are no better or worse than anyone else, we all need God’s forgiveness.  If we consider that Christ called Simon the Zealot who stood against everything the Roman government was along with calling Levi the tax collector who took money from the Israelites to give to the Roman government we then can realize that all of our differences are irrelevant when we are called to serve Christ and His church.  

When we come to Christ we all become servants of Christ, all of our own ideas, thoughts and opinions are set aside.  We have a great spiritual bond of peace brought by the Spirit of God to all believers.  All divisiveness, differences, and prejudices are done away with.

We cannot allow our old self, our old life to enter the picture.  We cannot bring pride, arrogance, prejudice, grumblings, judgment and criticism back into the mix.  Divisiveness and a disturbance of the peace and spirit of unity is catastrophic for the church.  Divisiveness tears apart a church.  God calls us to peace and unity inside His church.

 Be Perfect, of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.  (2 Corinthians 13:11)

When you trust Christ as your Lord and Savior, God gives you a new birth, spiritually. God makes a new creature, places His divine nature into the believer, and puts His Holy Spirit into the believer. The true believer will bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and meekness. God will place the believer into the new body of people He is creating.

For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body-whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  (I Corinthians 12:13)

A modern version; For we are all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body-whether Republican or Democrat, whether gainfully employed or living on government assistance, whether you support the second amendment or believe in gun control laws, whether you drive a Chevy or a Ford, whether you are a Cleveland Brown or Pittsburgh Steeler fan; we were all given the one spirit to drink.

When the barriers are broken down, we are all one body, given the one Spirit to drink.  If you bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit and are in the new body then unity will happen.  If you are not in unity with another believer it is because you are most likely walking after the flesh and are in a backslidden position.

Walking in a backslidden position will produce things that are contrary to love, joy and peace.  It will produce things that hurt the body of believers: An ill spirit, struggling for position, self-centered differences, reactions, feeling superior, seeking our own way, forming cliques, selfishness, envy, and anger.  These things will destroy unity in Christ’s church.

This is why we are called to walk with humility, meekness, longsuffering and forbearing others in love.  We are called to strive to keep peace and unity in the church.  We may not agree perfectly on worldly matters, but if we agree on who Christ is and what His life, death and resurrection means to each and everyone’s eternal life, then we can walk together just as we are called.  If we are focused on our duties and service for Christ and His kingdom exclusively then we can walk together just as we are called.   

We are in a time where our country is greatly divided and I pray that we stop turning to our politicians, ideologies and the opinions of man for the answer to our problems.  I pray that we as a country turn back to God and realize that He gave the solution to all of our problems in His Holy Word and through His Son’s life, death and resurrection.  I pray that we ask Christ to come into our hearts and we put our faith and trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Most importantly, our faith and trust stay in Christ alone.  My prayer is for peace and unity in our country. My prayer is for peace and unity in Christ’s church.  My prayer is for the understanding that peace and unity will only be found, and this country will only be great again, if we stand together united in Christ.  In Jesus’s powerful name I pray. 

Sincerely,

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

Childlike faith!

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.  And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  (Matthew 18:1-4)

Have you heard about the cell phone ringtone that junior high and high school kids are using to keep teachers from discovering that they are using their cell phones in school? The pitch of this ringtone, called the "mosquito tone," is too high for people over 25 to hear. So the kids can still send and receive text messages during class without the teacher knowing.

The mosquito tone was first developed in Great Britain to irritate teenagers who were loitering around convenience stores and keeping customers away by their loud and obnoxious behavior.  One creative young mind figured out how to use that sound as his cell phone's ringtone.  Now kids are downloading it by the millions.

Due to the aging process our ability to detect the sounds of high frequencies deteriorates. Our sensitivity to spiritual frequencies also fade as we age.  That's why Jesus cautioned that those who would come to Him must come like little children. It is the humility and innocence of a child that makes it possible for us to hear the voice of God. So, we must either come to God early in life when we are better able to hear His voice, or become like little children so we can hear it.

The child in this passage trusted and responded to the call of Christ.  The child was willing to give up what he was doing and go to Christ.  He obeyed and did exactly what Christ requested, despite any circumstance, he obeyed simply because Christ asked him. 

The child was humble before Christ.  It takes great humility to be obedient, submissive, and respond to Christ. It takes a great deal of faith which is brought by humility to trust Christ.  Humility will lead to greatness.  Unfortunately humility is a trait that is not held in high regard in our culture today. 

In today’s world everyone wants to be the center of attention, the hero, the main attraction and we want the fame, prominence and position that goes with it. The right shoes, the fancy car, the expensive clothes will get us attention.  A bling filled life is celebrated and highly regarded.  A position of authority and a prominent title is often sought so it can be rewarded by the admiration of our peers.

However these thoughts and ambitions are what Christ wants to change. Our thoughts and minds are to be centered on Christ, others and upon truth, not on our self or what is considered earthly greatness.  Children are not concerned with power, fame, fortune or position and we should not be either.  This is why we are called to conversion, to become like little children so that we may enter the kingdom of heaven. 

What Christ is expecting from us is a total conversion that is complete and thorough.  A conversion that requires our heart, thoughts and life to change.  These can no longer be centered on ourselves but on Christ and serving His kingdom by meeting the needs of those in this world.  We are called to humble ourselves like the child. 

Humility will lead to Christ and conversion.  Humility allows a person to realize their full potential because it will help us evaluate our self and work at improving the areas that need improvement.  Humility will lead to healthy and strong relationships because we are no longer self-centered.  Humility will lead to conversion and "unless you become like the little children you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

September 2014: Yoshiyuki Morioka, a bookseller who had been running a store in Tokyo, Japan for 10 years, had a curious thought. Lots of customers dropped in during book launches and other events to buy the same title; others often appeared overwhelmed by all the extra variety. So why not start a bookstore that only sold one book at a time?

Morioka’s simple idea opened its doors to the public in Tokyo’s trendy Ginza shopping district in May 2015. The store stocks multiple copies of just one title each week. Each book is offered for six days—Tuesday to Sunday—and then changed out for a new title.

The store has been dubbed both an “anti-Amazon” and a “minimalist solution” to the crippling indecision that customers face when standing among the many shelves of traditional bookstores.

Morioka’s catch phrase, “An open single book,” finds a parallel in the Gospel, through which we are also pointed to just one title.  While the world would confound and confuse us with its countless versions of the truth, God presents us with just one book, the Bible, and just one Savior, Jesus Christ, and just one means of salvation, the throne room of grace.

Jesus called it the “narrow way,” and promised joy and intimacy to enthusiastic seekers.

"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way” (Matthew 7:13, NLT).

The first step on the road of the narrow way is become childlike or humble, obedient, trusting, submissive and respond to Christ’s call for you and your life.  My prayers are with you in this matter.

God Bless!

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

Humility receives grace, pride receives opposition.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:  “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

(James 1:1-6)

What causes temptation and wrong doing?  We will face many trials and temptations in our life and all too often we may find ourselves yielding to and doing wrong.  To conquer our trials and temptations we have to understand the cause.  What is the cause of temptation and wrong doing? It is Evil Desire that wars within us.

Our bodies are a battlefield of want and lustful desire. Our flesh yearns after something and lust is very difficult to bring completely under control.  We can keep ourselves under control in the unacceptable big sins: vengeance or murder, but we tend to lose control in the more acceptable little sins: over eating, selfishness, materialism, hoarding, looking when we should not look.

The end result of lust or our desires is fighting or war.  We quarrel with our selves or we quarrel with each other.  The greatest need that man has is peace.  When we look at the world we find anything but peace because it is our desires that explodes into evil and destructive behavior.

There is a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer that says:

"Instead of trusting the unseen, we prefer the tangible fruits of desire. ...However no sacrifice is too great if it enables us to conquer a lust, which cuts us off from Jesus. ...When you have made your eye the instrument of impurity, you cannot see God with it."

Bonhoeffer made the sacrifice of which he wrote. Bonhoeffer never got to experience the tangible fruits of desire; he died in the Holocaust, still trusting the unseen."

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

What causes temptation and wrong doing -It is not asking God or trusting God or asking with the wrong motive.

We want something, but we don’t get it.  We want a lot of things in this world.  We may want food which is good we need it to survive, but if we want an excessive amount of food that is not good.  Food can go from productive and healthy to destructive and unhealthy.  That is the point of the verse here.

There is a good reason why a lot of people in this world don’t have.  It is because they did not plan well or they ask with the wrong motives.  In our world today so many minds are focused only on what they want that they have completely abandoned the reality of the many needed steps to get what they want.  They want instant gratification and will do whatever they have to get what they want now: lie, cheat, steal or kill and are willing to harm or ruin the lives of many, to get instant gratification and satisfy their worldly pleasures.

It is unfortunate, but many people misunderstand what they are craving for.  Our deepest cravings are spiritual.  It is the spiritual craving that eats away at us.  The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life confuses us. Most will learn that spiritual cravings cannot be satisfied with material things. Physical things leave us only wanting more.  Spiritual craving can only be satisfied by the Spirit of God.  Our want is never going to be satisfied apart from God.  

We are not able to control our desires without the presence and power of God.  We corrupt our minds, thoughts, and bodies and we hurt, disrupt, and destroy others by our uncontrolled desires and lust. It is our uncontrolled desires and lusts that are carrying us to the grave.  We must come to realize that the only escape, the only victory over the corruption of desires and lusts—is God.

We must trust God and call upon God.   We must learn to commune and fellowship with God—to walk in Him, live and move in Him, seeking and asking His opinion, will, and help every step of every day. This is what God wants from all of us.

So what is our cure for temptation and wrongdoing? There are two cures that we find in the final two verse of this passage.

First we must know that the Spirit of God yearns over us with jealousy at all times and especially when we are confronted by temptation and we do wrong. We must think about this and know this.  If we turn away from Christ and turn to the world, if we do wrong, the Spirit does not cast us away.  He longs for us with a deep intense jealousy to return to Christ.

God loves the believer no matter how we fall or fail.  When we understand this we know the first great cure for temptation and wrongdoing.  It is easier to repent and return to God when you know God still loves you despite what you may have done.  Love will attract and pull a believer back to God.  

We also must know that God gives the humble believer grace.  This is the glorious gospel: God gives grace and more grace to the humble. The person who turns to God, and away from the world and his wrongdoing will receive all the grace from God he will ever need and then some. God will look after and care for him

We should always remember that God meeting our needs is not automatic.  If a person is proud—if he is haughty, and rebellious against God—God resists the person.  God wants to pour His grace out upon the person, but if the person hardens himself and rebels against God and continues to live on in his sin, God has no choice. God is shut out of the person's life; therefore, grace is rejected. God can do nothing for the person.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”   Proverbs 3:34

My prayer for you is that these words take root in your heart and draw you nearer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   Amen.

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel.

Conviction of sin – A Work of the Holy Spirit

When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me;   (John 16:8-9)

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, that man is sinful.  The Holy Spirit convicts man that he misses the mark and comes short of the glory of God.  That he trespasses: wanders off the right path and that man transgresses: breaks the law of God. 

The Holy Spirit shows mankind their error concerning sin in such a way that it produces a deep sense of personal sinfulness.  This is where salvation begins in a lot of people, when one has the deep understanding that they are a sinner and need a Saviour then they are ready to accept Jesus Christ and receive Him into their heart and life as Lord and Saviour.

The need of the Holy Spirit to convict people of sin is always great and may seem to be an ever increasing need as the world we live in becomes more accepting of sin.  People of the world don’t consider certain sin to be sin. People of the world do not understand they are sinning before God despite what the world tells them. 

Christians are not immune to this problem either.  There are many Christians who have allowed sin to creep into their life and they don’t consider it to be sin because other Christians and/or outside sources affirm the behavior.  Or they do understand it is sin but have no urgency to change because the world affirms their behavior and the affirmation of the world is comforting to their sense of self.  If they do understand it is sin and have not changed the behavior then they have rejected the conviction of the Holy Spirit in their life in regards to the matter of sin.  This is a dangerous practice. 

It is important for us to understand that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict people of sin.  The Holy Spirit is the one who will bring a person to the realization of their sinfulness, lost condition and guilt before God.  We are not able to convince anyone of sin.  The human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and we see this truth in the blindness of every one of us to our own sinfulness.  We can see the sin in others perfectly clear, but we are all too often blind t our own sin.  The world is so blind to its own sin that only the Holy Spirit can convince the world of sin and brings people to see how sinful they are.  We need to keep in mind that no matter how persuasive you and I may be we cannot produce real conviction of sin.  Real conviction of sin is only produced by the Holy Spirit. 

It is the Holy Spirit that convinces man that Jesus died for sin.  It is the Holy Spirit who convinces the unbeliever that Jesus is Savior and that sins are really forgiven for those who truly believe in Christ.  We as Christians are the messenger, we share the good news; we share the truth.  If we share the truth it will allow for the Holy Spirit to convict a person and then turn to Christ.  If we try to do the work of the Holy Spirit and convict the person ourselves as we are sharing the gospel truth the person will not turn to Christ.  They will turn either to us or away from us.  In either case we fail because we did not allow the Holy Spirit to do the work that He alone is to do.  The result of our failure is the unbeliever does not turn to Christ.

We are to put ourselves at the disposal of the Holy Spirit for Him to use us as He sees fit.  And if we are more available to the Holy Spirit while we speak the truth and more willing to look to the Holy Spirit for conviction, then I believe more conversions would happen.  

My prayer is that we accept the conviction that the Holy Spirit brings into our life and that it leads to a true repentance, a change in our heart and our behavior and we draw nearer to Christ.  I pray that we are faithful in calling sin what it is according to God’s word; sin.  I pray that we do not set ourselves up for failure by taking on a task that God does not intend for us and I pray that we allow the Holy Spirit to use us as He sees fit.  God has a plan for us all and if we just stick to His plan a great change will come in our lives and in our communities and in our country.  I pray that we let the world know of His plan for our life.

In Jesus’s name I Pray.  Amen.

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

Do you know God? Do you love as Christ taught us to love?

“Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”   1 John 2:7-11

The question that we can ask ourselves is do we really know God.  If we really know God then we love our neighbor as Christ has taught us to love.  Do you love your neighbor?  In our world today there is very much an atmosphere of us versus them.  The seniors vs. the millennial’s, the conservatives vs. the liberals, the republicans vs. the democrats, Isis vs. western civilization, Steeler fans vs. browns fans etc.  The list can go on and on.  The harsh reality is that the devil shares just enough truth in these matters to make each side think they are right and the other side is wrong. The devil shares just enough truth in these matters to fool us into helping further his agenda of divide and conquer. 

When we lose our focus on God and place our focus on the world we will be pulled away from God and enter into false worship.  Deuteronomy 5:32 tell us that "you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left.” Deuteronomy 28:14 reiterates the point “and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”  We cannot set up for ourselves false idols in this world based on man’s ideologies, philosophies and agendas.  These only bring about division and inherently lack love.

The supreme commandment is love.  This is not new as John tells us.  The new commandment that John does mention is Jesus Christ.  Jesus gave love a new meaning.  Jesus taught us to love not only your friends but your enemies.  Love not only good people, but bad people.  Love not only the righteous but the sinner.  Love not only the accepted but the rejected.  Love not only the clean but the dirty.  Jesus tells us this clearly in Matthew 5:43-45

“You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

What makes this concept new is the fact that people have always felt free to mistreat others, especially those who they were mistreated by.  People by nature are comfortable with ignoring, neglecting, criticizing, retaliating, hurting and hating.  The new meaning of love that Jesus has taught shows us that we cannot mistreat anyone no matter what they have done or who they are. 

Our Lord is teaching us that we only become a child of God by loving as God loves.  If we do not love as Christ taught us it is because we do not truly know God.  God is love! He so loved the whole world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  In John 13:34-35 Jesus states “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Our discipleship and our knowledge of God can be measured by whether or not we love one another.  This is a command of God as taught by Christ and it is taught without any exception.  Jesus did not say love only those who look like you, think like you, sound like you, act like you or worship like you.  But what if an Isis soldier walked up to you and needs a helping hand?  Could you love them as Christ would love them?  Could you pray for them (not against them) as Christ taught us?

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “I remember a Christian teacher telling me long ago that I must hate a bad man’s actions, but not hate the bad man: or, as they would say, hate the sin but not the sinner. For a long time I used to think this a silly, straw-splitting distinction: how could you hate what a man did and not hate the man?"  But years later,” Lewis continues, “it occurred to me that there was one man to whom I had been doing this all my life—namely myself. However much I might dislike my own cowardice or conceit or greed, I went on loving myself. There had never been the slightest difficulty about it.”

C.S. Lewis came to an understanding of the commandment of: “'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  (Mark 12:31; Matthew 22:39).   The thing that we have to come to grips with is that no matter the reason we might have for feeling the way we do, if it is not love, it is not love.  Love is love, it is not mistreatment and it is not hate.  It is also not being critical, grumbling, slandering, neglecting or abusing another.  Do we love as Christ has taught us?  Do we really know God?

In Jesus’s name I pray that we do!

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

The foundation for life.

1 Corinthians 3:11 - “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Christ Jesus.”

A man once said that “opportunity looks a lot like hard work.”  This made me appreciate the fact that each job that I had was a stepping stone to greater opportunity.  If I work hard and learn my craft then I will be ready and able to receive more responsibility which usually meant more compensation.  This made me also consider my walk with Christ.  Specifically Christ’s words in Luke 9:23 - Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

The deny yourself part in particular seems to be hard at first.  It takes a lot of work, but over time it does become a little bit easier.  When it becomes easier it allows for a greater opportunity to get closer to God and for more service for Him and His kingdom.  Its results are simple: less of me and more of Him.

The same person then said that, “being smart, thoughtful and generous is what makes us beautiful, everything else pales by comparison.”  Being smart means being honest about our strengths and weakness.  Being smart is the ability to be truthful about our circumstance and condition.  This advice again brought my mind to a verse.  Romans 5:6 tells us: “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”  I am now smart enough to know that my strength comes from Christ and Christ alone. 

Being thoughtful means, not to take out our circumstance or condition on others when things are not going as planned. Misery loves company, hurt people – hurt people.  We are not to do this.  Jesus told us to “love our enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.”  We are not to bring people down with us, but we are to comfort, edify and exhort one another to live a righteous, pure; holy and Christ like life.  

Being generous is not only about our financial abilities, but it is being generous with the fruit of the spirit.  Be generous with grace, mercy, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Be generous with your time and your talents.  This is how we meet the needs of others and have a strong witness for Christ.

The man who had such words of wisdom then concluded that we need to “build a life and not just live one.”  We should be actively engaged in building a life for ourselves as opposed to just settling for simply living a life.  The foundation that we build our life upon is of the utmost importance because it will have eternal consequence. 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:24 “"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. “

We have a wonderful opportunity for eternal life all glory be to Christ Jesus.  We need to be smart enough to know that Christ is who He says He is, thoughtful enough to bow down before our Lord in total submission to Him and generous enough to give all that we have and all that we are to our Lord for His sake.  He is the foundation that we build our life upon all else is sinking sand and will not withstand the storms of life.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7: 26-27 “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

God Bless,

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

Faithful investment into God’s kingdom is required.

Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Ecclesiastes 11:1-2

In his book, Stewarding Life, Paul Chappel makes the following observation about God's measure of stewardship.

"When a church or business hires an outside accounting firm to audit their books, the CPAS are not so concerned with the volume of the financial transactions on the church or business ledgers.  Rather, they check and double-check the accuracy."

When it comes time for God to "audit" each Christian's service, He will do so based upon our faithfulness in managing the resources that He has entrusted to us, rather than the volume of resources we have managed. Faithfulness is God's measure of stewardship!

"Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Solomon was an expert in shipping and agriculture.  Solomon had a fleet of ships, he kept them at sea, and years elapsed before he received a return on his investment.  There was significant risk as there was no guarantee in shipping for the investor.

You could deal with shipwrecks, storms and pirates.  But if we pay close attention to the wise council we receive here, it will tells us to assume the risk, load your grain and send it out to sea.  If we do not send it out, we will have bread but not a thing more.  We gain nothing if we don’t take a risk and “cast your bread upon the waters.” 

If we only hold onto what we have, our resources will never multiply.  Which will inevitably lead to exhausting the resources that we do have.  The key to having a continuous supply is using that which we already possess to grow God’s kingdom. This requires us to trust that God will do something for us that we could not do own our own.  God can return a ship full of treasure – we know what He can do. 

This means that we have to be obediently committed to God’s plan and take action.  Make a commitment and look forward to a favorable return.  Solomon knew his ship would not return for three years.  He was looking forward to where he wanted to be in three years when he sent the ship out.

We need to invest wisely by diversifying. We do not know what disaster may come upon the land.  We cannot send all of our grain out in one ship or plant all of our seed in one field, we need diversity. Some ships will wreck, some will not.  Some fields will produce greatly some might not.  Diversify to combat the unpredictability of the future.

Christ has entrusted us to invest into His work.  He will use our investment to produce eternal fruit and growth for His kingdom.  This requires us to be faithful in giving of our time, talents and resources that He has blessed us with.   

We must not take an overly cautious (nor reckless) position in the task of sowing or building. Time is of the essence.  Souls hang in the balance. We will never reap a spiritual increase if we do not cast our bread upon the waters. Be diligent and work while it is still day, because the night is coming when no man can work (John 9:4).

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

Our success or failures in life can be directly related to our thoughts and how we think. 

Positive thoughts +Positive actions = Positive Results.  Negative thoughts + negative actions = negative results.

Nothing can come from a sunflower seed but a sunflower just as nothing can come from a watermelon seed but a watermelon and nothing can come from a cantaloupe seed but a cantaloupe.  We do not need to be a farmer to know that nature has proven this fact repeatedly.

The same law applies to morality.  If our heart and life are completely surrendered to Christ and our mind is captivated and cultivated by the word of God then we will bring forth good fruit.  If our heart and life are not fully surrendered to Christ and our mind is filled with useless, empty, vain, worldly thoughts then it will produce useless, empty, vain, worldly fruit.

James 4:7 reads: Submit yourselves then to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Paul tells us in Romans 12:2: Do not be conformed to this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians (4:8) we read:  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.

Submit (completely surrender heart and life to Christ; Jesus is Lord and Savior; John 14:6) + renew your mind (do not be conformed to this world, God’s will is the standard to be accepted and applied to our life) + thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure lovely admirable, excellent or praiseworthy =

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

The mind will always produce of the seed that is planted in one’s heart.  If Christ and Christ alone is planted in our heart, just think of the wonderful fruit that we can bear, the souls that can be won to Christ and the difference that could be made in the world we live in.

Just something to think about!

God Bless,

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

Sin – Turning away from God.

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.  From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.  (Matthew 26:14-16)

When we study the life of Judas we have to consider the great potential and opportunity that was lost due to a terrible tragedy.  The terrible tragedy in the life of Judas is that he turned his back on Christ.  He had the wonderful privilege of walking with Christ day after day. He had been a witness to the many miracles of our Lord and he would have heard most if not all of His teachings.  Judas was trained to be an apostle by Jesus Himself and was taught about the consequence of sin by the Master Teacher. 

Judas put his fate into the hands of the chief priests instead of putting his life into the hands of Christ.  We have to ask why he would make such a foolish decision. The answer is because Judas had worldly ambition and greed in his heart.  We know from the gospel of John (12:6) that Judas was embezzling the Lord’s funds.  The gospel of John also tells us of how Judas was very disturbed at Mary for using perfume that could have been sold which would have provided more funds for him to embezzle. 

Judas, I am sure, felt that wealth, power and position would be his when Christ set up his kingdom.  He would have become disillusioned with Christ after the triumphal entry, because Christ did not immediately set up His kingdom as Judas expected it to be set up.  The fact that Christ was not going to be the Messiah in the manner that Judas and the majority of the Israelites hoped for was becoming more and more apparent to Judas.

The religious leaders were also mobilizing against Christ and it would have seemed that they were going to be successful, especially to someone who was pessimistic and disillusioned.  Judas’ dreams of wealth, power and prestige were shattered, so was his faith in Christ.  In Judas’ self-centered mind, Christ was not the Messiah, at least not the Messiah that he was counting on and hoping for.  

Judas made the choice to get what he can get out of the situation; worldly, monetary gain that we know does not last and lost out on eternity with Christ in heaven in the process.  The choice could have only occurred in a heart that was lusting for more and more of what the world had to offer instead of being filled with Christ.  His worldly ambition would have fooled him into thinking that he was now siding with the winning side when he made the deal with the chief priests.  The devil blinded Judas and controlled his thoughts allowing for Judas to justify in his own mind the decision to betray Jesus.

The message that we get from the life of Judas is one that applies to all believers.  The reality is there are far too many professing believers who turn their back on Christ because it is culturally acceptable.  Seeking more and more of what the world has to offer without regard for God and His word.  The world and the ungodly will always reward you for turning your back on Christ and the reward is normally much less than 30 pieces a silver.

So why would we want to sell out our Lord for the world and its recognition, to win an argument, to be one of the guys or simply to fit in?  We are in the world but we are not of the world.  How can we turn our back on Christ and preach the gospel of our favorite politicians or sing the praises of our favorite celebrity instead of preaching the gospel of Christ and sing the praises of His righteousness?    

In these times we must remember the words of Paul, “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.”  By this gospel we are saved.  It should be the foundation of our life and all of our words, actions and deeds should flow from our devotion to our Lord and His message. 

Paul reminds that “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.”  We cannot allow ourselves to be swept up into the emotional wave of the ungodly world we live in.  We can’t heat up and cool down when the media tells us that we should.  We need to stay focused on Christ and Christ alone.  We, if true believers, are nothing more and nothing less than humble servants of His kingdom who are called to share the gospel message and meet the needs of those in the world around us.  The reality is and has always been that the greatest need that all people have is not our political or social commentary.  Our greatest need is certainly not affirmation from the world.  Our greatest need is a spiritual need; a right relationship with God, knowing Christ as our Lord and Savior.

The most wonderful part of the Judas story is that Jesus waited and gave Judas all the time that He possibly could to allow Judas the opportunity to repent.  Christ loves us so much that he will receive us with open arms even after we have turned away from Him, even after we seek out the world and its approval instead of His righteousness and kingdom.  All praise be to our Lord Jesus!

My prayer is that  we “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). I pray that our heart belongs to our Lord Jesus and Jesus alone and words, actions, and deeds provide an acceptable testimony to the presence and power of Christ for the non-believers of this world to witness.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

God Bless,

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel 

The path to Joy in our life!

Psalm 89:15-18 (15) Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD. (16) They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. (17) For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn. (18) Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Time magazine ran an article titled “14 Ways to Squeeze More Joy Out of Every Day."  The author, started the article with this thought: "Sometime this morning, during your shower or at work, you probably did a mental run-through of your day. You decided when you’d tackle various tasks and errands. Perhaps you vowed to hit the gym at lunchtime. Maybe you plotted to get out of something (apologies, PTA meeting). The one thing you forgot to plan for: happiness.”

The author then gives a list of 14 ways to be happy. The list includes some of the following suggestions about how to be happy:  Make happiness your goal, know what makes you happy, prioritize it, think happy thoughts, and make Sunday future-fun day (make plans for the next weekend).

In our passage today, the The King James Version reads in verse 15: Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound.  What is the joyful sound the Psalmist speaks of?  It is a call, to worship and praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This worship and praise is continuous, it is the sound that we are known for and occurs in all that we do.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

This means that we are not focused on our own rights, privileges or self as we are surrendered to exclusively living a life that is for the glory of our Lord.  In menial tasks, important works, eating, drinking and social gatherings all that we say, think, and do is for the glory of God.  This will take great sacrifice but great joy will follow.

Do we know this joyful sound?  To know this joyful sound you have to personally experience being born again.  A radical transformation of your life in every way.  I always think of 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

This verse explains that the old is gone which sticks out in my mind.  Our old ways, our old habits, our old problems that are a result from un-Christ like behaviors should be gone.

Another verse that comes to mind is Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I no longer live – life is not all about me. When it was always all about me I did not find joy.  I found heartache because things did not always work out perfectly the way I wanted them to.  This leads to a lot of disappointment, frustration and anger.  It also leads to alienation and loneliness. 

When we personally know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we experience God as our guide.  His presence will illuminate our path and His favor will rest upon us.   Because of His light, because of His presence we are able to rejoice in all circumstances, no matter what we face.  Our Joy comes from God and all that He is.  It is His glory and His strength that gives us the power to be joyful always.

There is a story of a man who was living in the third century, and he was dying when he wrote these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life.

They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. They are truly a joyful people. These people are the Christians ... and I am one of them."

We who are Christians, followers of Christ, have learned a great secret: Jesus is the reason for the joy of joys. His presence in our life and the promise of eternal life in heaven with Him brings a transcendent joy to any set of circumstances.  We do not need 14 ways or things for more joy, we just need Jesus Christ as Lord of our life.

If you want to squeeze more joy out of everyday life, fit more of Jesus into your life every day!

God Bless,

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

THE NEW BEGINNING

It is a new year with new goals, new plans, new dreams and new hopes.  I have made a strong commitment to achieve my goals, live out my plans, realize my dreams and acquire all that I have hoped for.  And all of it has started by simply taking a few things out of my life.

I started with coffee.  My four shots of espresso (sometimes 8) probably were not helping me very much in a few areas.  I and hoping that I do not crash in the afternoon anymore.  I hope that my concentration gets better.  Can they diagnose an adult with A.D.D. or is it just abuse of caffeine?   Three days in: 1 relapse due to being frugal.  I had two 8 o.z. cups of coffee that were watered down because I did not want to waste the church coffee.

I have cut sweets out of my diet.  This means only natural sugar, no chocolate, no candy. Three days clean but there is a giant container of M&M’s in the cupboard thanks to a very sweet lady from church who likes to keep my 8 year old son fueled up on chocolate.

Lastly I have cut out T.V.  I will only allow myself to watch Christian programs for education purposes.  The Steelers did not make the playoffs, Notre Dame did not make the championship, hockey is slow this time of year, the Big bang Theory is ending, everything lined up to help this effort.  This is the one that has had, in the last three days, the biggest impact on my life.  Without T.V. I have so much more free time for activities.  And that was the point in all of this.  No relapses yet, Praise the Lord!

I needed more free time, better focus and more energy to devote to our Lord Jesus Christ.  I prayed and prayed and sought God on what I should set aside to better serve Him.  My time is limited and very valuable, my energy is just as limited and as a Pastor of a small church my focus can be all over the place as there is always something to be done.  

I am committed to studying His word more, serving His kingdom more and leading more to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  This is my goal everyday.  At this time I have chosen to remove a few barriers in my life that will keep me from achieving my goals, living out my plans, realize my dreams and acquiring all that I have hoped for.  The new beginning was the end to T.V., coffee and sweets!

Please pray for me as I am on my journey!

My True Identity

My True Identity

All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. (Micah 4:5)

I have watched the movie Batman Begins a few times and I remember a scene where Rachel (Bruce Wayne’s lifelong friend and love interest) tells Bruce “It’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.” Later in the film when Batman is about to jump from a rooftop, Rachel asks him “Who are you?” Batman’s response to her is “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”

In studying the book of Micah, what we find is that both Israel and Judah have abandoned a right relationship with God.  Their heart no longer belonged to God or at least not to God alone.  In our study we can quickly identify a few reasons why God’s people chose to abandon Him.

Israel and Judah had a false sense of security. Where do we find security in our lives today?  We very often find security in our routines or patterns in life.  Our routines bring comfort which leads to security. Some find security and comfort in dark places such as addictions and vices.  Ultimately we all might just be looking in the wrong place.  Jesus tells us:

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.”  (John 10:28-29)

This verse tells exactly where we can find true security, where we can take comfort. True comfort and security come only from being in Christ.  The Israelites put their trust in their kings, armies, fortified cities and political alliances.  They had more trust in their army than they had in God, the one who promised to protect them.  This is one place where they went wrong.

Israel and Judah all too often relied on various sources of false counsel.  False counsel is a common problem in our world today.  Many have chosen to ignore God’s word and council and subscribe to the thoughts and ideas of their favorite Hollywood star or their favorite cable news talk show host.  In doing so many have created false gods for themselves.

When the adults have turned to outside sources for council the youth turn to the internet to tell them their options so they can choose what suits their feelings and thoughts.  The internet is a smorgasbord of false council!  The younger generations have abandoned seeking God’s word because the parents and even grandparents have done the same.  Each choose to turn to their own source of misinformation.

When we seek council from a source other than God and His word, we chose our own way (something other than Christ and Christ alone), our own truth (something other than the truth of God’s word and God’s word alone) and ultimately our own life.  Jesus tells us: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:24)  If any continue on this path they will not get to the Father.  In the book of Micah we read God’s statement that “I will remove sorceries from your hands, and you will not have any more fortune-tellers.”   One day all sources of false council will be removed.

Why do we do this?  I think we can trace it back to our own sense of identity.  How we define ourselves.  Our routines and patterns help define us.  They become a part of our identity.  We seek false council because we want to be identified with and like the ones we choose for council.  We follow after false gods of this world because it makes us unique and very often can bring about prestige. 

There are many things competing for our heart in this world today that can easily establish our identity.  If the world has our heart it has our allegiance and our wallet will follow.  We can trace our allegiance and wallet back to our heart.  What and where and to whom our heart belongs will define us in this world, in our own eyes and in the eyes of God.

When we allow Jesus to enter our heart, the Messiah will destroy all things that tempts us to put trust in ourselves and in ourselves alone.  If Christ and Christ alone is in our heart we will no longer chose to ignore God’s word and council and we will no longer continue to subscribe to the thoughts and ideas of worldly people.  If Christ and Christ alone is in our heart we can only worship the one true God.  Idolatry, false idols and false Gods will fall away.   To do this our heart has to belong to Christ and Christ alone!

If Batman was a Christian his answer would have been, “It’s not who I am underneath, or what I do, but who I am in Christ that defines me."

I am certainly no super hero.  I actually am very much the opposite.  I am less than the least of all of Gods people. But I am ok with this because I know my heart belongs to Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.  I am blessed to get to walk with and talk with my Lord and Savior each and every day.  I know the one and true living God has provided guidance and protection for my meek existence in His Holy word which is my only source of council.  And I find the only comfort and security that I need in the fact that my life is held in the hand of Christ.  In all humility I say that, only, who I am in Christ is what defines me.  I pray that you say the same.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me ..." (Galatians 2:20).

God Bless,

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

Our commitment will overcome our limitations.

As no one has power over the wind to contain it, so no one has power over the time of their death.  As no one is discharged in time of war, so wickedness will not release those who practice it.   (Ecclesiastes 8:8)

We all have limitations.  I use my limitations to a great extent in self-deprecating humor.  I made peace with who I am and understand my condition.  You see I am not what you would call tall.  Depending on the shoes that I wear I am maybe 5’4 but I don’t let that hold me back. In the 9th grade I was in good shape and I could jump up and touch the middle of the basketball net.  I was working to get to a point where I would be able to touch the rim.  I never quite got there though.

I know what you are thinking, with me being vertically challenged I would not have ever touched the rim.  I was getting closer in tenth grade, I could touch near the top of the net.  I was about 50 pounds lighter than I am today, worked out and ran about twenty hours total each week.  I was very athletic. 

I knew if I kept working at it and maybe grew my finger nails out about an inch or two, I would be able to touch the rim.  My gym teacher asked why I kept jumping at that hoop. He saw in me a limitation that I might not overcome.  But I disagreed, my limitation was not my height, in this matter.  I was really close and getting closer over time.  My limitation was not one of stature but was one of commitment. 

My High School athletic career ended with two concussions during one football practice and my athletic abilities slowly faded over time.  I was no longer committed to my goal so I started getting further away from that rim as time passed on and in my current condition I do not believe I could jump up and touch the net.

The point that I am trying to make is that we all have limitations and that is just a part of being human.  But we sometimes blame our circumstance on what seems to be the obvious disadvantage and thus overlooking our real impediment to success or better circumstance.

This verse starts out referencing the fact that no one has the power over wind.  On a warm breezy day, the wind is rejuvenating and appreciated.  When we are at a picnic and the wind is blowing our picnic items all around the wind is a nuisance and unwelcome.  On a 90 degree day, working in the yard with humidity and no wind, we beg for a breeze.

The wind can also represent the worst in nature.  Tornados, hurricanes, straight line winds all have devastating power that can destroy anything in its path.  When we are faced with this type of situation, we hide in fear.   We cannot stop the effects of the storm nor calm the wind, we can only pray and position ourselves in the safest place that we can find.

It is the same with death, we can do nothing to stop it.  When our time arrives, it is our time.  We can’t reschedule or postpone it. We cannot stop it and we are powerless in our attempts to control it.  This is one of our many limitations.

This verse goes on to remind us that when we practice the ways of evil we cannot overcome its enslaving power by ourselves.  This is another one of our limitations. This basic truth is why we need to avoid all appearance of evil.  We cannot fool around with temptation.  Wickedness does not voluntarily release those that it has imprisoned.  It holds on to them as if they were more precious than gold.  Wickedness places great value on the wicked to serve its evil purpose. Does it not?

We have to open our eyes to sin and understand that there is a war going on and we are a part of this war.  Life is a battleground and not a playground. We will not be discharged from this war as there is no neutral, we cannot be like Switzerland in the matter. 

Satan declared war on man in the Garden of Eden.  He is like a lion that will toy with its prey and once he is ready he will devour it.  We cannot be like a fool and think for a minute that we can dabble in sin.  We often think we can dabble in sin, but when we try to walk away we find that we can’t break free from its grip on our life.  This is the trap of Satan, letting us believe that we can walk away when we want to.

We need to be like the wise and understand our limitations; the limitations of the flesh.  We have to understand that wickedness is sin and aside from God’s salvation through Christ, it is inescapable.  We are a part of an ongoing war.

The battle of Antietam in 1862 was the bloodiest day of the Civil War. In twelve hours, there were ten thousand Confederate casualties and even more on the Union side. “At last the sun went down and the battle ended, smoke heavy in the air, the twilight quivering with the anguished cries of thousands of wounded men,” wrote one historian.

Though the battle appeared to be a draw, Union General George McClellan was able to end Robert E. Lee’s advances into Maryland, forcing him to retreat across the Potomac. This was possible because two Union soldiers found a copy of Lee’s battle plans and delivered them to McClellan before the battle.

In some respects, we are no match for our adversary, Satan due to our limitations.  But as with General McClellan, our enemy’s plans have fallen into our hands. We know his strategies to entice us with lies, lust, greed, and such. With this knowledge, given to us by God’s Word, and God’s Spirit within, we too can resist the enemy’s advances.

The key to our victory is commitment, staying obedient to God’s commandments and being a faithful servant to Christ.  In my earlier pursuit my hope was in the fact that Muggsy Bogues (5’3, 15 NBA seasons) and Spud Webb (5’7, 1986 NBA Slam dunk contest winner) could do what I was working towards. Fortunately for me, my goal in life has changed and all of my hope for victory and achievement rest solely in our Lord and Savor Jesus Christ. 

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel

God’s plan and our purpose.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

Two years two months and one day ago, I had a heart attack while cutting the grass.  It was unexpected to say the least.  I went to the hospital with the thought that I was fine and would be out of there that day or maybe the next at the latest.  At 3 a.m. I was on a helicopter heading to another hospital.  Apparently the situation was much worse than I imagined.  I had seven blockages and the Lad artery was 99% blocked. The nurse referenced this blockage as the widow maker.

I spent a day in the hospital waiting for surgery.  This gave me a lot of time for prayer and reflection.  I meditated on God’s word almost the whole day and most of the night.  I made peace with my situation and resigned myself to the fact that I was just along for the ride. 

I made peace with the potential outcome of the surgery.  If things did not work out and I did not make it through, I knew where I was headed.  How many know for sure where they are headed next?  If the surgery was a success I knew that I had a long road of recovery in front of me.  I made peace with this potential outcome also.

The morning of the surgery I had a hospital room full of loved ones staring at me with a great look of concern. Some had tears in their eyes, some had signs of nervous anxiety.  But I was truly at peace with my situation.  I had complete confidence in my Lord Jesus Christ.

 As I looked into the eyes of the many who were in that room I seen the emotion that my wife was going through, I knew that I needed to take action.  I needed to minister to them before I was wheeled away to surgery. 

I prayed for the people in the room to find comfort through God’s Holy Word and peace in their heart because of the assurance that the Lord is with them in this moment.  I prayed that they stayed strong spiritually and were not afraid or dismayed and that they call upon our Lord to help them through this time.  I prayed that they turn their life over to Christ and let Him hold them in His hand of care.  I prayed not for my sake but exclusively for their sake.

In the first chapter of Joshua the Israelites were about to encounter the greatest trials of their life.  They were going to cross the Jordan and conquer the land promised to their forefathers.  They would face many enemies whose armies intended to wipe them from the face of the earth.  The struggle for the promise land would last years. 

We must remember in times of trials that Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.  The soul is refined when convictions are proved through testing. When what we believe survives the threat of persecution and trial, the courage involved is transformational. That's how character is formed. Put simply, a virtue is a belief that has proved itself.

 "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart" (Proverbs 17:3).

Joshua is told to be strong and courageous in obeying God and His law.  We must be strong and courageous in obeying God. We must keep His law, His commandments and Holy Word. We must never turn away from His Word; rather, we must meditate on it day and night. If we obey God, living in His word and keeping His commandments, we will prosper and be successful in whatever we do.

Joshua was encouraged by God to be strong and courageous in overcoming fear and discouragement.  Fear and discouragement can be conquered only as we are strong and courageous. God is with us, and He will never leave nor forsake us. This is His promise to us just as it was to Joshua.  His unfailing presence is always with us wherever we go.

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  (2Timothy 2:1)

Now they say there are two great moments in a person’s life- the moment when you are born and the moment when you realize why you were born.  The great purpose for which you were born is set forth in Deuteronomy 6:5, "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."  At that moment in the hospital bed as I was praying, I knew God’s plan and my purpose. 

We are called to be a strong witness to the presence and Power of Christ in our life.  We are called to help meet the need of others who are struggling.  We are called to share the Gospel message with any and all.  I had my moment to step up and in all humility, I did what I was called to do.  You will have your moment and you too have to take action. Stay strong and be courageous, do not be afraid and have complete confidence in the fact that wherever you go the Lord your God will be there.  Then you will be able administer God’s plan and fulfil your purpose and lead souls to the promise land.

God Bless,

Pastor Rick Gault

Kings Creek Union Chapel