New Life Christian Fellowship

Pastor's Post
with Pastor Buddy Meloy

Pastor�s Post 11/12/2009

On a really rough day you would like to go back and ask Adam; "Just what were you thinking?" "You had it made in the shade!" "And now we have to live with your mistake!" But if the truth be known, one of us would have messed up somewhere somehow. But something to think about is that when God created Adam, he also created the Garden and put Adam in it. The word Eden means "pleasure". This means that God's original intent was that Adam enjoy where he placed him. But he placed him there with some additional information. He told Adam to dress it and to keep it. (Genesis2:15) I believe that God also intends for us to enjoy where he places us. But it�s up to us to dress it and to keep it. Literally that means that we must work at it and then protect it. Today I want to encourage you with the word that God wants you to enjoy where you are. And if you don't, then work at it, and then work to protect and maintain your garden. Adam failed when he allowed Satan to put a question in his heart concerning God's intentions. The result was that he lost what he had. He lost his position, his authority and he lost Eden. The truth is that we don't know we have until we lose it. Don't allow Satan to steal your God-given place of pleasure. Thank God for it and dress it and keep it for his glory.

Pastor's Post 11/2/2009

Today I was reading in the book of Job. It's not one of my favorite books, but a familiar verse stood out to me. It's Job 13:15. It's where Job says; "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him." And I immediately thought what incredible trust Job had. Most think of this in the negative, but I thought about it in the positive. I thought of Isaac laying on the sacrificial altar with His father Abraham acting strange and carrying a knife saying "Where is the sacrifice father?" I thought about Abraham believing either for God to provide another sacrifice or resurrecting Isaac as the book of Hebrews states. And of course I thought of Jesus on the cross placing himself in his father's hands believing in resurrection. I thought that no matter how far that it may go or how dark that it may get we can still trust, wait, and hope in God. Most of us think of what Job went through. (That's why it is not one of my favorite books!) But James doesn't tell us to look at what he went through, he tells us to consider the end of the Lord, and how that Job ended up (James 5:11). Job ended up much better off than before his dark season. His end was better than his beginning. You see death wasn't beyond God�s ability, much less while he was still alive. Let's have that kind of trust today. Let's trust God with our life.

Pastor's Post 9/17/2009

It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord works. Last week I wrote on this post about the anger that seems to be taking over our nation. And then we have some major outbursts of anger in both the sports world and in the world of entertainment. Later this past weekend, as I was watching a news channel, they had a psychologist on the program and the news anchor was asking the question; "why is it that suddenly everyone seems to be so angry?" Everyone seemed to be surprised that it had jumped from the realm of politics and into other aspects of life. Well, the psychologist offered such explanations as the amount of information that we receive through multiple types of media (including things like twitter and facebook) and our ability to process that information and the corresponding emotions that the information invokes. Now that could have some element of truth, because, we can become overwhelmed with the amount of things that we would like to respond to, especially things that we perceive to be wrong. And anger is an energizer and motivator in life.

For instance, an injustice can cause us to be angry, and energize us, and motivate us to do something positive about that injustice. Or we can get angry about the condition of our finances and then do something positive about the condition of our finances. I have gotten angry about the condition of my house and went down to the local building supply store, picked up the supplies that I needed and came back and improved the condition of my house. In each instance, anger had a target, and it hit that target not missing the mark. Remember that Ephesians 4:26-27 says: "Be angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil." Anger has a target, but it should be a positive response to the target. That anger is meant to motivate you towards a positive resolution.

But there is another mark that I want to mention, and that is the mark of God's character in our life. While anger can be a tremendous motivator in our life, if it is not coupled with self-control, it can become destructive and detrimental to the cause of Christ. It would be a terrible testimony to God's goodness if we accomplished a noble task in an ungodly way; or if we did a good deed in such a way that what we did was overshadowed by the way that we did it. The first mark that we always want to hit is that of Christ-likeness. That should always be our primary target. But, Christ-likeness does not mean that we never get angry (remember, Jesus got angry). And having some temper is important. _Temper is what sometimes can give us our strength to cut through difficult things without losing our edge. Tempered steel, is steel that has been heated and cooled multiple times over. And it is that process that gives it strength. Without temper we possibly would not have the passion to cut through and continue in difficult times. Self-control requires that I remain Christ-like and that I focus my anger at the right target, because I don't want to miss the mark. But also, when I lose my temper in a difficult situation, I could get bent out of shape and no longer have the cutting edge. And if there is one thing that I don't want to do, is to lose my edge. So get hot and be cool and accomplish something great for God today.

PASTOR'S POST 9/10/2009

All across America the health care debate rages on. From town hall meetings, to outdoor protests, to the pundits on television doing news commentary, passions seem to rise high when this subject is discussed. Even last night, as the President of the United States gave a speech on health care reform, he was heckled by a member of congress who shouted; "You lie!" He later called the White House to give an apology to the President stating that at the moment his emotions simply got the best of him. What seems to actually shock everyone is the level of anger being exhibited on each side of the debate. In one instance, the level of anger grew so intense that a scuffle ensued and a man had his finger bitten off.

Now the general attitude is that anger should not play a role in any aspect of our life. It's as if everyone thinks that we should be Mr. Spock (for all you trekkies out there), and show no emotion at all. And that if we do show emotion of any kind, it is totally illogical. It's as if anger, or passion, or any other kind of emotional reaction is of the baser nature of our life and is beneath us as educated human beings. And I see Christians struggling with the role that anger plays in their lives also. And it is if we should somehow feel bad about ourselves because we get angry. But that is not what the Bible teaches. First of all, God created us as emotional beings. Emotion, including anger, is a God given aspect of our lives. Even God himself gets angry. Jesus looked on the religious leaders of his day with anger and healed a man with a withered hand.(Mark 3:5) He also kicked the moneychangers out of the Temple using a whip that he made with his own hands for that very purpose. The disciples later said "that the zeal of God's house had eaten him up."(John 2:17) The word "zeal" itself means "to be heated or to boil."

So what is the proper biblical attitude towards anger? Ephesians 4:26-27 says; "Be angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil." The word sin here means "to miss the mark or to not hit the target." Anger is a tremendous motivator. It can energize you to go out and to do something positive. And when we are angry we are meant to do something positive to release that anger. And we should do it that day not allowing the sun to go down on our wrath. It can be changing something or having a conversation with someone with whom we disagree (without being disagreeable). But we should do something constructive with that anger (not destructive). Because unresolved anger becomes bitterness and bitterness is bad. Bitterness will cause us to give place (ground) to the devil (accuser of the brothers). Much ground is lost to the devil because of inaction and unresolved anger. So if you are angry, get busy and do something about it. Resolved anger is anger that has re-solved something. So be angry and solve a problem today.

PASTOR'S POST 9/2/2009

I was reading today that Jacksonville Florida made it on the list of the most stressful cities in the U.S. It's ranking was number 32 out 40 of the top metropolitan cities in the Forbes listings. The criteria used for this ranking were factors such as housing values, unemployment, air quality, cost of living, density of population and how many sunny days that they experience per year. Now this interested me because of the close proximity we are to Jacksonville. Plus, I have friends and family that live and work in that city. But, I was also interested because some of the same factors affect our community because our close proximity. Things like climate, housing values, cost of living, and unemployment can be similar even if we do not have the same density of population. And on top of that, stress is not altogether linked to external circumstances and factors. Stress is more about how we respond to those factors internally. Stress is an inside job not one that is done on the outside of our lives. In fact, to be stressed or not to be stressed boils down to a decision to practice certain activities in our life. The Bible says; "Be careful for nothing (anxious); but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." In very simple terms, the writer of this verse in Philippians says four things are key to living above the stress and anxieties of life. He says to worship God, to petition God, to thank God and to make your requests made known unto God. These four activities are a key to a stress free life. You don't have to move somewhere else to escape stress. You don't have to run to another location in any area of your life. These four activities work regardless of your location. They are literally location neutral. Right now try those four things. Begin by worshipping God. Then begin to petition God, being specific with your requests. Then finish by thanking God. The promise goes like this; "And the peace of God (the God kind of peace), which surpasses all understanding, shall keep you hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6-7) He says that you want understand it, but you shall experience it. It's God's peace. So experience God's peace today by putting these four things into practice. That's a move in the right direction.

PASTOR'S POST 8/14/2009

The word "misinformation" is being bantered about in today's news cycles. Its use is primarily in connection with the discussion on health care reform and whether or not the truth is being told by either side in the debate. Now my purpose is not to answer that question, nor is it to choose sides in the debate. (Although I do have an opinion) What I intend to do is to point out the prophetic significance of the debate using the term "misinformation". "Misinformation" is an attempt to change an opinion or a perception by means of deception or by speaking an untruth. I have often told our church that the end-time battleground will be the battleground of truth. And I have also said that the pathway to the rise of the Anti-christ will be deception and a lack of love for the truth. On the one hand there will be the Anti-christ who has a willingness to deceive to achieve his purposes, and on the other hand you will have people who have lost their love for the truth and as a result accept lies. And this battleground will be on every level of truth. These battles will manifest on the cultural level, on the moral level, on the political level, on the spiritual level, on the ethical level, on the educational level, on the governmental level and every other level possible. The end-time will be an all out battle for the truth. And everyone will be stocking up their information ammo for the battle. Have you noticed how big of a business the opinion business has become? It's simply a sign of the times. But truth is crucial to freedom. Jesus said "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free". Truth and freedom are intrinsically connected one cannot not exist without the other. Slavery is always built on a foundation of lies. When we do not have a love for the truth, no matter what it may cost us, we inevitably accept slavery. The belief of one lie will always result in the forfeiting of one more freedom. For the truth is tied to a love for freedom. And a love for freedom is tied to a love for the truth. Truth lovers are freedom lovers. When Paul spoke of being a lover of the truth in the end-times, he used the word "agape". In Christian circles this represented "unconditional love". He was saying that we should love the truth unconditionally. We should love the truth even if it rubs us wrong. Because, let's face it, if we are going to be clean and pure in the age in which we live, it probably will take us being rubbed the wrong way. But the results could be eternal.

PASTOR'S POST 8/3/2009

It's been on the lips of almost everyone. If you listen to the news, or read the newspaper, or scan the internet, or listen to talk radio, you've got to of heard the controversy over Health Care Reform. The President is on a town hall meeting tour to promote the need for health care reform. Some say that it is long over do. And others say that it should never happen, especially if it becomes either government controlled or universal health care. I'm not commenting on this subject to be controversial or even political on any level. It is not my role to do so in this forum. My personal opinion is simply that; it's my personal opinion. However, it is my role to speak on the moral or spiritual implications of things that go on in our society. Within the present bill being proposed is provision for counseling for those that face an illness that may cost the health care system more than a specific amount of money, specifically if you are over the age of 59. There is discussion on the idea of government panels that will decide if you will get treatment or if you will get counseling on how to medicate yourself and just die. To me this sounds like a 70's science fiction movie where no one is allowed to live beyond a certain age. You will go through counseling after age 59 to prepare yourself to die. And if you get ill, even if you can be cured or extend your life through treatment, a panel will decide if you get the treatment based on cost effectiveness. The Bible is explicit about the care of the elderly. "Honor your father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth." As a society, how well we treat our mothers and fathers (the elderly) will determine how that God treats us. Also, this verse tells us that our length of life is determined by what we do for the previous generation. Oh, and by the way, we are setting a precedent, in a practical way, for the next generation on how to treat us when we become that elderly generation. Which for me is not that far away. We must be careful what we sow now, because one day those seeds will become the harvest that we have to live or die with.

PASTOR'S POST 7/13/2009

Today begins the hearings in congress to see if Judge Sonia Sotomayor will become the next Supreme Court Justice of the United States. This nomination has drawn a lot of media attention based on the fact that she could be the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice. Supreme Court Justices are important because they are unelected positions and they are lifetime positions. These individuals who hold these positions will determine judicial direction for the next generation of Americans. And, given America's leadership role, the rest of the world is also influenced by these individuals. I was recently expressing my concerns to a fellow minister about the direction of our nation and the policies that were voted on in congress and how they could have an affect on the Church and its future. This individual replied; 'Well, God told us that these thing are going to happen. And don't you believe that God is going to take care of us regardless?" This is a common attitude among believers today. So I replied with a scripture; "You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour (strength) by what shall it be salted? It is therefore good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trampled under the feet of men. You are the light of the world." (Matt. 5:13-14) I went on to say; "That we are thrown out and run over because we become strengthless salt. And that when the light refuses to shine the result is that darkness reigns." We've been given both authority and responsibility through the activity of binding and losing. We should work like everything depends on us and pray like everything depends on God. Both our voice to God and our voice to man are important. Speak up today and let your voice be heard to both God and man. Let's be the salt and the light that God has called us to be. I certainly don't want to be known as good for nothing.

PASTOR'S POST 7/9/2009

This week thousands of people attended a memorial service held in honor of the proclaimed king of pop music Michael Jackson. On the internet, radio and television others listened and watched as friends, family and colleagues spoke of his accomplishments and their relationship with the entertainer. Meanwhile, talking heads and media pundits, along with major network news anchors spoke of the life of Michael Jackson and posed the question; "What will he be remembered for?" "Will it be his success in the field of music?" "Will it be his abilities as an entertainer?" "Or will the negative aspects of his life outweigh the successes that he had in those areas of his life?" "Then the question was posed; "What will be the legacy of Michael Jackson?" As I heard these questions being asked about the legacy of Michael Jackson, I was reminded of a verse that I had read that day. "But you have fully known my doctrine, my manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity (love), patience..." (2 Tim. 3:10) The word "known" in that verse means "to follow after closely." Timothy not only knew Paul's manner of life, he followed after it closely. Legacy is built in the land of the living and isn't developed after we are dead; it is only revealed after we are dead. Today believers all over the world 'still follow after closely' the legacy of Paul the Apostle. Meanwhile, we are still developing ours. What will people say of our legacy at our memorial?

Pastor's Post 7/7/2009

I'm saddened today over the news of Steve "Air" McNair. Although I didn't like him as player (he almost always beat my favorite team), but I admired him as an athlete.

He was known as one of the strongest quarterbacks in the NFL. Defensive players said that hitting him was like hitting a wall. I remember one player commenting; "He's not just strong, he�s country strong." When my son came and told me of his death I was completely frozen momentarily by the shock. Another person with a celebrity status had passed on. But as the details of his death emerged I was also reminded of the scripture; "My son attend unto my wisdom, and bow your ear to my understanding. That you may regard discretion, and that your lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of a strange woman drip as a honeycomb (they are as sweet as honey), and her mouth is smoother than oil. But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death..." (Prov. 5:1-5). The truth is that the path of adultery is always downhill. The writer says "that you may regard discretion" literally meaning "to guard purpose or plan." This can mean that: "Adultery is an attack against your plan or purpose in life." When that temptation comes, remember that it is always a slippery slope. So watch your step.