Come To The Table

Being “cleansed by blood” sounds a bit like an oxymoron, right?  What a contrast it is – the difference between the staining effect of red blood, versus the stark white color, and the purity it represents.  But the gospel of Jesus is such a beautiful thing, as it defies the traditional ideas of these concepts. You see, Pastor Mark makes it clear in today’s message that it’s entirely encouraging that we can receive Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the cross for all people and their sins.  By doing that, you’re wiped clean of the sins that once stained you, and you can stand before God - pure and washed clean, like a clean white sheet.  

Movies about the gladiator days might glamorize what it was like to be a warrior and be the center of attention – showing courage, but there was intense brutality that came with being persecuted as a Christian during the Roman Empire.  The Apostle John invites readers to see things through the lens of the persecuted church. While it may be difficult for us to relate to the church of John’s time in ancient Rome, Pastor Mark lays out plainly in today’s message what those within the church at that time were experiencing. Despite the intense persecution, the church continued to grow and thrive, proving again that God is in control!

We don’t understand God’s timing, do we? We want things to happen right now. We don’t want to wait. We often think our prayers are going unanswered, but they’re not. Sometimes the answer is yes, but not yet. In today’s message, Pastor Mark will teach that faith in God requires patience. Trust God will answer. Don’t give up on sharing your faith with your friends and family. Don’t give up on praying for them. You don’t understand fully how God works, and you don’t know His timing. However, you can know that God is good. He loves you, and when you ask with the right intentions, God will pour out His blessings at the right time.

Kids are great imitators, aren’t they? They love to pretend to be like a character on TV or a movie. We sometimes think they don’t notice what we do and say, but they absolutely do. In his message today, Pastor Mark will warn you to be careful how you act because your kids are watching. They see everything you do. Your kids will know when you say one thing, but do another. You need to be living out your faith instead of just telling your kids how to act. They can sniff out hypocrisy. Do you want your kids to follow your example of hypocrisy, or do you want your kids to follow your example of genuine faith and living for Jesus?

Are you ready for the storm that prophecy predicts is coming? In today’s message, Pastor Mark compares the coming trials and tribulations that are to come in the end times to a hurricane. You won’t be around when the hurricane hits, but there’s still some serious “head-winds” that will come before the hurricane. Are you ready for the storm? Do you have your spiritual life in order? Study your Bible, and keep your connection with God alive through prayer. Then you will be ready to stand against any trial that may come your way. There’s no need to be afraid. God is more powerful than any storm, so stand firm in the power He gives.

When we think about the storm of affliction that prophecy says will come, it’s easy to be afraid, isn’t it? It’s probably good to take those prophecies seriously enough that we prepare ourselves, but we don’t have to be afraid. God is with us now, and God will be with us in every trial that may come our way.  In his message today, Pastor Mark will remind you that you can trust in God to take care of you. You may experience the “headwinds” of the storm to come, but you won’t be here for the tribulation. If you believe in God and have put your faith in Jesus, He will take you home to be with Him before the worst comes.

The world will one day be gone. There is coming a time when everyone will be rightly judged and held accountable for their lives. Now, that can seem very terrifying…for those who don’t also know that Jesus will be there! He will be there to intercede for you and everyone who lives and proclaims Him as Lord. In today’s message, Pastor Mark will challenge you to look at ALL areas of your life and see where you can surrender even more to the Lord! He will challenge you to look at your friends, family, and co-workers and ask yourself who will be coming with you to eternity in Heaven with the Father!!!

One of the differences between people who have proclaimed Jesus as their Lord and Savior and people who haven’t is how they respond in times of stress and times of celebration. People who have publicly declared Jesus as Lord respond in a way that reflects their trust in their trustworthy God. In today’s message, Pastor Mark will remind you of the importance of truly following God in all situations and seasons! When you lean on the Lord, He WILL hold you up! He will be dependable in a way no person can be. God will meet your every expectation in ways you cannot even imagine!!!

Our minds are the number one way that the devil tries to attack us. If he can get into our heads, then he can manipulate the one thing that makes us function mentally and physically as human beings. The devil knows that, and he plans to use that against us every single chance he gets. In today’s message, Pastor Mark will encourage you to guard your mind and be aware of the deceiving ways that the devil tries to get at you. It’s so important for you to not only protect your mind but fill it with the good news of Jesus Christ! If your mind is full of Scripture, then how can the devil even try to attack that?!?! 

Hell was not created for us. We are not meant to go to hell; we’re meant to go to heaven. The tough thing is we have to decide…we have to be the ones who make the choice to choose Jesus or choose the world. Not an easy decision when we live in the world, but it’s a no-brainer when we actually know Jesus Christ! In today’s message, Pastor Mark will show you who hell was created for and how that benefits Christians as a whole. Hell was meant for the devil and his angels, so they have a place far away from our Father and us forever! So, how will you decide? Will you make that life-changing decision for yourself?