“Be Alert In the Storm”

The rain started in the area on Sunday.  Heavy rains continued on Monday.  I don’t remember any time on Monday that the rains were not falling.  Rains continued on into Monday night and Tuesday.  In the Raleigh area on Tuesday there were those that had to be rescued by Water Rescue Teams.

On my way into Raleigh on Monday morning I saw four accidents.  Two cars which had hydroplaned and ended up in the ditch or in one case the woods.  The two other wrecks were with multiple vehicles.  It appeared that one had put on breaks and ALL the others ran into each other.  On my way home from the church late Monday afternoon I saw four more accidents all within a two mile stretch on I-440.  One that had hydroplaned into the concrete barrier and the other three were rear enders.  One of these wrecks involved six vehicles.

I know that with rain and wet roads the accident volume increases.  I was a law enforcement officer in the USAF and those stats hold true.  But, many of these accidents could be avoided by slower speeds, increased following distance, and being alert to your surroundings.  One guy on I-440 did not like the speed I was traveling on Monday afternoon so he decided, in the pouring rain, to get within a couple of feet of my bumper.  I had to bite my tongue and grip the steering wheel a little harder not to lash out at him in some way.  I thought, “Stay the course Marty, drive cautiously and you’ll arrive safely home.”

Ok, here goes my comparison again, my analogy using my experiences on Monday.  

I thought, “Isn’t that life?”  Doesn’t God call us to be aware of our surroundings and stay the course?  Doesn’t God call us to watch out for the enemy, the prince of this world, the deceiver?  Aren’t we suppose to guard ourselves so that we remain safe, on track, to arrive safely home (our eternal home)?

What did Jesus say as He was teaching on this?  In Mark 13, as Jesus is teaching on the end times and His return He states: “But be on your guard” verse 9; “take heed, keep on the alert” verse 33; “Therefore, be on the alert” verse 35; “What I say to you I say to all, be on alert.” verse 37.  Then in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus returns to the disciples after praying and says, “Could you not keep watch for one hour?  Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Mark 14:37a-38.

God has given us the instructions for weathering the storms.  The rains/storms of life will come.  And there will be a temptation for us to take things into our own hands, speed through them only to wreck.  Or not be aware of those around us, thus alienating them.  It is really not if the storms come, but when.  We will all face them.  The question is, how will you deal with them?

I would encourage you to be watchful, be alert, be in prayer, that you will keep your focus during the storms and the heavy rains that will come your way.  By His plan we arrive safely home.  Not without some scars and even scares along the way, but safely home with Him.  Oh, what a God we serve!!!

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty - Pastor of HOPE EPC Raleigh

Worship, Grow, & Serve

“May the Pressure Begin to Build”

“A portion of Interstate 20 westbound has been shut down in DeKalb County after part of the road buckled Monday.  According to GDOT, crews were working  underneath the interstate filling an abandoned gas line with concrete when something went wrong and the road buckled.  They are working to figure out what caused the pressure to build.” (Quote Reported by: Fox 8 News Atlanta)

I saw this picture and the report of I-20 in Atlanta buckling on Monday.  The last line of the report caught my attention more than the buckling of the highway.  I’m not an engineer and that is probably a good thing, but I thought “Really?  The Georgia DOT is going to have to research and figure out what caused the pressure to build enough to buckle the road?”  Hey, GDOT, call Pastor Marty in Raleigh North Carolina and I can save you some time and money.  Are you ready GDOT?  Wait for it: There is a blockage in the gas pipe that caused the pressure to build and you cannot continue to force concrete into a pipe with a blockage without the concrete having to go somewhere.  Thus, in this case, up and buckling the road some 5 to 6 feet.  Now if they would have said the GDOT was trying to figure out what blocked the pipe to create the pressure, that would have been different.

Of course my mind begins to process this news from Atlanta’s I-20 mess from a biblical point of view.  I’m not sure why that happens.  Some would say I’m crazy.  Some in my family would probably agree with you.  But here goes my crazy comparison.

A few weeks ago I told my congregation “You cannot bring out what you didn’t put in.”  Or in other words, If you do not read, memorize, and study God’s Word, (put it it) then when you need to call on it (bring it out) for witnessing or sharing comfort to someone, or having a foundation to make your stand, there’s nothing there.  With that in mind, the more you read, memorize, and study God’s Word, the more you worship and sing His praises, the more you put God into you the more the pressure builds up to the point you blow!  You cannot help but to talk about Him, share about Him, tell others what Christ has done for you.  The Christ in you HAS to come out.

We just celebrated this past Sunday the greatest event in all of the history of the world.  “If Christ has not been raised,” Paul states, “your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” (1st Corinthians 15:17)  In Romans 6 Paul reminds us Jesus has been raised from the dead through the glory of the Father so, “we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)  He goes on to say believers are “united” with Him.  He conquered death and we will too.  Read 1st Peter 1:3 - 9 again, today.

Believers, yes Believers, this is only for you, for if you are reading this and not a believer in Jesus Christ, it will be very hard to grasp what I’m saying.  But Believers, how in the world can you take in the fact that Jesus died for your sins, rose to life so you too could live, have eternal life and not share it?  How can we take all of what He has done for us and the pressure not build inside of us so that it has to come out.  How can we take His Word in, how can we have His very Spirit in us and not explode if it doesn’t come out?

I have the answer to my questions.  Unfortunately, far to few Believers are taking in enough of Him to build the pressure up to bring it out in witness.  If the pressure is not there, very little will be forced out.  That is the sad truth.

My challenge for you is to take more and more of HIM into your life this year, starting today.  Read more, study more, memorize more, pray more, WORSHIP Him more and watch the pressure build up to the point there is no way to keep His message of salvation inside of you.  There is no way to not tell what He has done for you.  Just remember; “You cannot bring out what you didn’t put in.”

May the Pressure Begin to Build!!!

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty - Pastor of HOPE EPC Raleigh

Worship, Grow, & Serve

“OVERCOMERS”

Yes, if you were to ask me, I stayed up and watched the NCAA National Basketball Championship game.  And YES, I’m a Tar Heel fan and was trilled with their win.  And YES I have a Masters Degree from Duke University on my office wall.  All of that is true.  So how can I pull for Carolina?  I’ve been a Tar Heel fan since I was a toddler.  I can remember my first sport T-shirt was a Carolina football shirt.  So, like my bent towards the Tar Heels or not, I’ve pulled for them for over 50 years and I really don’t think that will ever change.  Just as a side note.  When you are attending Duke University and walking through the Quads to class wearing your Carolina sweatshirt, be prepared to be called some names that would make your mommy hide her face.

Enough about my Tar Heel loyalty.  I watched the game on Monday night and was so pleased to see the fight on the floor of both teams.  The Zags had to overcome the fact that many said they were a Mid-Major team and really don’t belong on that stage.  REALLY?  The team was 37 - 1 and had beaten 5 power-five conference teams during their run to the Finals.  They were legit for sure.  Carolina had some injuries through the year, lost their starting guard for the year, ankle injuries plagued their star point guard, yet they battled.  This game featured a couple of heavy weights.  Some didn’t like the game for many reasons, but the battle came down to the wire and both teams, in my opinion, were OVERCOMERS!!!

Let me switch gears a little here, not theme, but to another conversation I was engaged in this week.  I was talking to someone who was questioning why they were facing the difficulties of life.  They asked, “But I believe in God.  I’m a Christian.  I try to be good to everyone, do the right things, why am I suffering in my old age?”  Just a few days earlier we had a conversation about salvation, so there was no doubt this person is a believer.  I assured this person that what they were facing in deteriorating health was a product of a lost/fallen world.  This is something we all will face with longevity of life.  Sickness/Death is a part of the curse of the Garden.  BUT, then I quoted a verse and talked about that some with this person.  What verse you ask?  

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation, but take courage, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Oh, there is so much in this verse that I certainly cannot exegete it in this article.  With this particular person I was talking to, I lifted up the fact that as a believer Christ is in us, with us, and only through Him do we really have peace in this world.  Being a Christian does not afford us the perfect life, no pain, suffering or sorrow, but that that day will come!  We will have trials and tribulations in this life, but remember Jesus was an overcomer so that we WOULD be also.  Take courage!!! Christ says!  This is our hope in all we face in this life.

Jesus Christ was an overcomer!  Hebrews 4:15 states: “For we do not have a great high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”  He is an OVERCOMER!  He overcame temptation and denial, even from His own family.  He overcame persecution by the religious leaders, the Roman government, and the abandonment of all His followers.  He is an Overcomer!  Even an OVERCOMER of death!  For the grave could not hold Him, death could not hold Him.  Satan had no power over Him.  He overcame and conquered death and the grave.  He is ALIVE!

Folks, you have heard it over and over and over again about Christ and His story, but do you claim it for yourself?  Have you found peace in your life, though trials persist?  Though this world and Satan will throw everything including the kitchen sink at you, are you persevering through it?  Have you claimed: “I’m an OVERCOMER because of my Lord and Savior Jesus, the Christ?  Believer, if not, do!  Don’t live your life with worry and doubt.  Be a King David and say, “…though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil.”  Claim your salvation through Jesus, live into it and be OVERCOMERS!!!

Blessings my friends,

Pastor Marty                   

Worship, Grow & Serve