Touching Base...
monthly message, February 2012

We have just begun what I am praying will be the most fruitful of our church’s 125 years of sharing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.. Many of you faithful ones have not been in worship each of the first 3 Sundays as I have been trying to lay out a foundation for how I believe the Lord wants us to focus as we are “Building for Life –Eternal & Abundant”. The first Scripture God pointed me to was 1 Kings 22:48, “King Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading shops to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail- they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber”. I shared that picture of the need for each of us to get the ship of our lives out of the harbor so we can accomplish the mission the Savior has for us individually and together as a church. I likened us to an aircraft carrier like the one our own Brett Jones flies off of to carry out his missions as a Navy pilot. If we just sit on the carrier, comfortable together in worship and study, we are not fulfilling our mission. We are to leave the ship, equipped and armed to engage the enemy (Satan) in our effort to reach the lost in our community who do not yet know our Jesus. I pointed out that each of us need to set some faith goals (Heb.11: 6; Mt.9: 29). I urge you to make one of yours, “Each One, Reach One” by December 31. Will you ask God to give you the name of someone you can begin to pray for in this regard? Remember the sign over the center door of the Worship Center that reminds us as we leave, “You are now entering your mission field”.

The second portion of the Word God guided me to was Deut.30:15-19 & James 4:13-17 and the concern that we make right choices and “Don’t Waste Tomorrow”. I pointed to 3 mistakes James says we must avoid: planning without praying, presuming about tomorrow, putting off what’s right. I believe most of you know what v.17 says is true: Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but doesn’t do it, sins.” I feel a sense of urgency about each of us giving the Lord our best, putting Him first in these trying times.

The third section of inspired Scripture I was led to preach was Luke 18:35-43 (also found in Mark 10:46-52). I believe every miracle Jesus performed was not only to heal an individual, but also to teach us life principles. This healing of blind Bartimaeus addresses what I fear has happened to many believers, namely, that they have lost their spiritual vision. I don’t think any of you have done it intentionally, but I am deeply concerned that all of us be obedient to Christ by living out the plan, the purpose, the vision He has designed for us. In this message I alluded to the importance of Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision the people perish”. If we have allowed our circumstances to cause us to push Christ off the throne as Lord in our lives, we will miss His best abundant and fulfilling plan and even invite His chastening (Hebrews 12) note especially v.25 “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks”.

The fourth Sunday I was drawn to 2 Cor.10:3-5 and our need to be aware of Satan our enemy and his efforts to win the spiritual war against us capturing control of our minds. I pointed out five things the Word of God teaches us so we can manage our minds and be all that God wants us to be. If you missed these messages I urge you to go online and listen at www.tularefbc.org to prepare yourself for the rich blessing God intends to shower on and through us this year. Printable Outline available there. If you do not have internet access, call the office and we will arrange to get a CD in your hands so you can, “Prepare your minds for action” (1Peter 1:13).

Pastor Bob