Author: Pastor Ben

It isn’t told what Christ wrote in the dust that day, but I can surmise his writings revealed the heart of the Pharisees and the teachers of religious law. Christ revealed to them the sins that they had committed. “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” he stated. After reading sins they’d tried to keep secret now revealed in the dust, none of the woman’s accusers were able to throw the first stone.

Christ then began to write in the dust a second time. This time he wrote of who he was and why he was sent. He revealed to them he was the lover of God’s people, a healer of the heart, the forgiver of all sins, the redeemer and restorer of life. He revealed to them his character.

This woman, who stood before Jesus and the crowd of her accusers, had just committed the act of adultery. The sin she’d committed was a serious crime. It is not considered serious crime in our day, but in those times it was one of many crimes that carried the death penalty. It was ranked right along with murder, kidnapping, witchcraft, and offering human sacrifice. She didn’t need to be convinced of her sinfulness; she already recognized that. What she needed was to understand that God’s love and forgiveness was stronger than her sin.

The truth of the matter is we are all guilty of sin. We all point fingers at others. We are all guilty of throwing stones. Can we really afford to throw stones? We all make mistakes. We all have the same spiritual need for Jesus.

We would never think of actually throwing stones at other people but, far too often, we throw emotional or spiritual stones at others. We throw stones with hurtful comments, we use generalizations, we gossip, judgmental statements and sometimes we are harsh with the truth.

In the house of the Lord, criticism and condemnation must be replaced with prayer, and fault-finding eliminated with a covering of love. Where there is error, we must go with a motive to restore and a gentle spirit.

“Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” Jesus asked. “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

Jesus wrote love and forgiveness in the dirt because that was his character. We should strive to be in his image.

Pastors Ben and Wanda Anderson
June, 2015

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed” (1 Corinthians 12:1). I assume that applies to us also: we ought not to be uninformed about the nature and purpose of spiritual gifts. The term “spiritual gifts” comes from the Greek words charismata (gifts) and pneumatika (spirits).

A spiritual gift is a special attribute given by the Holy Spirit to every member of the Body of Christ, according to God’s grace and our abilities for use within the context of the Body; a special divine empowerment bestowed on each believer by the Holy Spirit to accomplish a given ministry God’s way according to His grace and discernment to be used within the context of the Body of Christ.

A spiritual gift, then, is more than being a possession; it is a channel through which the Holy Spirit ministers to His church. Spiritual gifts are abilities or capabilities which God assigns to us by His power and by His direction as tools with which to serve the body of Christ, impact and create influence in the world. This is the means He has chosen to edify, build up the church and to make us more effective. Every Christian is created, called, gifted, challenged, authorized and accountable for ministry. I believe that every Christian’s life should be used by God for kingdom purposes. While a spiritual gift can be developed, it does require a supernatural ability (Holy Spirit) to exercise it.

God has sovereignly and variously equipped each member to function in his or her unique place in the body. This function is not optional but expected and essential to the body as a whole. And while no one gift is universal, all within the body are to care for the others in every way possible. This is God’s way of ministering to His church, not through a pastor only, but through all the members gifted to serve one another. This is the only way a body can function.

I believe God wants to accomplish His work supernaturally on the face of the earth. God gets this accomplished through Spiritual Gifts. He wants to take natural people and work supernaturally through them to bring about a mighty surge of His power to impact the kingdom.

At SRCC we value your gifts and talents that God has given you for the kingdom. God has given us all that we need to build His kingdom. We encourage you to come be a part of this movement for God and have an impact upon the community of Colorado Springs. I challenge you to make yourself ready for Him to use you in this wonderful moment in which we live today.

Pastors Ben and Wanda Anderson
February, 2014

All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, and when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it. This is what the LORD says to me: “I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” —Isaiah 18:3-4 NIV

A Shofar is an instrument made from the horn of a ram or other kosher animal. It was used in ancient Israel to announce the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) and call people together. It was also blown on Rosh Hashanah, marking the beginning of the New Year, signifying both need to wake up to the call to repentance.

The Shevarim Sound—three medium, wailing blasts is the sobbing cry of a Jewish heart ― yearning to connect, to grow, to achieve. When we think about the year gone by, we know deep down that we’ve failed to live up to our full potential. In the coming year, we yearn not to waste that opportunity ever again.

Every person has the ability to change and be great. This can be accomplished much faster than you ever dreamed of. The key is to pray from the bottom of your heart and ask God for the ability to become great. Don’t let yourself be constrained by the past. You know you have enormous potential.

At the moment the shofar is blown, we cry out to God from the depths of our soul. This is the moment ― when our souls stand before the Almighty without any barriers ― that we can truly let go.

The Teruah Sound ― 9 quick blasts in short succession ― resembles an alarm clock, arousing us from our spiritual slumber. The shofar brings clarity, alertness, and focus.

The Talmud says: “When there’s judgment from below, there’s no need for judgment from above.” What this means is that if we take the time to construct a sincere, realistic model of how we’ve fallen short in the past, and what we expect to change in the future, then God doesn’t need to “wake us up” to what we already know.

God wants us to make an honest effort to maximize the gifts He gave us. You aren’t expected to be anything you’re not. But you can’t hoodwink God, either.

The reason we lose touch and make mistakes is because we don’t take the time every day to reconnect with our deepest desires and essence. The solution is to spend time alone every day, asking: Am I on track? Am I focused? Am I pursuing goals which will make the greatest overall difference in my life and in the world?

The Tekiah Sound is ― the long, straight shofar blast ― is the sound of the King’s coronation. The day of appreciating who God is. We then internalize that understanding so that it becomes a living, practical part of our everyday reality. God is all-powerful. God is the Creator. God is the Sustainer. God is the Supervisor. In short, God is King of the Universe.

But for many of us, the idea of a “king” conjures up images of a greedy and power-hungry despot who wants to subjugate the masses for his selfish aims.

In Jewish tradition, a king is first and foremost a servant of the people. His only concern is that the people live in happiness and harmony. His decrees and laws are only for the good of the people, not for himself.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam’s first act was to proclaim God as King. And now, the shofar proclaims to ourselves and to the world: God is our King. We set our values straight and return to the reality of God as the One Who runs the world… guiding history, moving mountains, and caring for each and every human being individually and personally.

As we begin our journey through a new year, let’s take time to wait, to reflect, and to listen.

Ben and Wanda Anderson, Pastors
January 2015

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. —Colossians 1: 15-18 NIV

This is the time of year when we think back to the baby Jesus: the baby Jesus who was born in Bethlehem. The baby’s parents, Joseph and Mary, who couldn’t find a decent birthplace for a king worthy of a four star hotel who was the creator of the universe. According to the Book of Matthew, Three Wise Men went to see the baby and, “presented unto Him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Who was this baby Jesus born in a manger?

The truth is, though we were created in God’s likeness or image, we only resemble Him. This baby— crying, kicking and sucking his mother’s milk—is God. The baby Jesus is God’s exact image. He is the Creator. He is the Creator of all things, active from the beginning in calling the universe and all creatures into existence. John 1: 1-3 says, “Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make.”

Think about what it means to be Creator of the Universe. John McArthur wrote: The moon is a mere 211,463 miles away. You could actually walk there in 27 years if you covered 24 miles every day. Now, a ray of light travels at 186,000 miles per second (a little faster than walking). It could reach the moon in just 1.5 seconds. At the speed of light, we could reach Mercury in 4-1/2 minutes.

The baby Jesus is the Sustainer of everything – visible and invisible (He holds and keeps it together). Scientists have various theories, but have so far been unable to figure out what holds the elements of our universe together. Verse 17 says that Jesus not only created everything but that in him all things hold together. He is responsible for the order of the universe and everything operating in synchronization and harmony.

The scripture also makes clear the baby Jesus’s relationship to the Church. Paul often pictures Jesus Christ as the Head of the Body. Just as our brain sends the signals that make our physical body function, Christ sends the instructions for the functioning of His Church. Through His church, a living organism, it continues the work of impacting the kingdom.

The infinite love of God for you and for me was made known in the baby who grew to become a man who suffered and died that we might live, truly live in the knowledge of His great love and compassion for us. Jesus has come to make God known to each of us. There is no other who so fully reveals the heart of God because Jesus wasn’t a good man trying to do right, He was God simply being Himself.

From our family to yours, wishing you a blessed, safe, and very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Ben and Wanda Anderson, Pastors
December 2014

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
—1 Thess. 5:18 NIV

As we gather with family and friends this holiday season, November should cause us to be more mindful of giving God thanks because of Thanksgiving. The Israelites celebrated holidays which were a reminder of how good God had been in their lives. Often times, it is easy to forget what He has done for us and how far he has brought us. With our busy-ness and schedules it is easy to forget and over-look the many blessings of God.

Paul suffered all kinds of hardships, yet he declared, “In everything give thanks.” “No matter what happens always be thankful.” Paul tells us to, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Sometimes the circumstances of our lives are not always the best. In fact, they may be downright unpleasant, but still, we are to look for something to be thankful for. And there is ALWAYS something positive for which we can be thankful. Give thanks in all circumstances.

A positive, thankful person is a great witness in this dark world. We only shine when we are thankful. Our light shines for the Lord when we are thankful, when we live it and express it.

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. —Psalm 106:1 NIV

Instead of looking at the negatives in our lives and complaining, we must look at the positives and give thanks. Giving thanks is God’s will for our lives. Giving thanks to God and others is what pleases the Lord.

One of the greatest privileges of being a Christian is to have the capacity to give thanks regardless of what happens. It is easy to be thankful when things are going our way, but a child of God can rise above any situation to thank God for causing all things to work together for our good. Paul, the apostle, was a man who suffered a great deal of pain and yet he wrote, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Let every circumstance this month teach us how to be more grateful and thankful for all God has done for us. Let our energy and focus this month treat every problem as an opportunity to advance God’s kingdom and righteousness. Allow every joy and blessing be an occasion to give God praise and worship for his goodness, kindness, mercy and faithfulness.

Ben and Wanda Anderson, Pastors
November 2014

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
Matthew 5:13

When Jesus said that his disciples were salt of the earth, he was implying something about the earth and his followers. The earth, that is human society, was subject to corruption and decay. God’s people are to function in the earth as elements that would halt the evil process of corruption. Salt has at least three unique qualities.

1. A little salt sets the flavor in food.
Some people place food in a brine of salt. This is called “corning;” allowing food to sit for about 15 to 30 minutes, then rinsing it off until it has lost its saltiness before cooking it. Salt draws out old dead blood and unclean parts of meats and leaves it clean. When it is rinsed and cooked, the flavor is unbelievable.

2. Salt is a preservative. Our ancestors used salt to cure food to be used later. Ham, beef, and salted fish were staples of their diets.

3. Salt has healing properties. It kills most germs on contact. It burns when it hits a raw spot, but is very effective in cleansing a wound so it can heal. “Don’t rub salt in my wounds” is a statement often heard when a PERSON is hurt from good advice.

God’s children exhibit the qualities of salt. We add a better flavor to the life around us. We preserve the good of God’s creation. We bring healing to the hurting people in our community.

Salt is a preserver, sustains the life and quality of whatever it is preserving, but it has to retain its salt-like characteristics to be effective. Salt stabilizes us; prevents us from being blown like the wind.

Salt creates thirst for knowledge, for righteousness, for justice and to see that the world is in harmony with what God has ordained according to His nature which is love.

If we lose the qualities of salt, such as mercy, reconciliation, righteousness, being a peacemaker, being pure in heart—those qualities which are true and genuine—we lose the ability to impact the forces of evil that keep the power of hatred, prejudice, evil, immorality, tensions and divisions in control.

Christ wanted his followers to be in all zones and regions of society dispelling these forces of darkness.

The important quality to note is that salt ought to maintain its basic character. If it fails to maintain its basic character, if it fails to be salty, it has lost its purpose for existence and should be discarded. Let’s be the salt of the earth and impact the kingdom to preserve God’s agenda upon the earth that all people come to know His love through His son, Jesus Christ.

Ben and Wanda Anderson
Pastors, August 2014

Habakkuk 2:3-4
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.>/em>

The harvest is coming. God’s appointed word and manifestations will not be delayed. These appointed or assigned times are signs of God’s agreement with us, that He is our God and we are his people. His Seasons are not governed by clocks and calendars, but seasons are governed by revelation and truth of God’s plan. Each season has a purpose and a people assigned to it. Appointed or ordained times operate in specific seasons.

The power of the Spirit is imaginative, inspired, inventive and innovative and productive or nothing would come into existence. It seems to me that this is an irrefutable truth about the Holy Spirit, because His purpose is to bring life into existence and to surround us with the resources and people to achieve what has been designed for us. The Holy Spirit intends for us to have life and have it in increasing abundance. Jesus stated, in John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

We are experiencing the movement of God’s Spirit. The glory cloud of the Holy Spirit is hovering over the sanctuary and we are experiencing His presence in praise, in worship, the word on Sundays and Life Application Bible Studies on Thursdays. This glory cloud also has to affect our everyday life and our daily existence. God is and will begin to bless us with those deep heart requests and prayers that we present before the throne has to also be answered.

A harvest has to take place. Blessings, approvals, permissions, go-aheads and miracles must be revealed and displayed. God is saying within life—our life, our being— this abundance has no boundaries, is everywhere at once, and is endlessly abundant. It is not just huge, it never stops. The nature of the Holy Spirit is always operating so as to expand. The Spirit is a forming power, always producing. It possesses the power, principle and law of increase with no limitations.

As you go about your daily business, be in expectation of your harvest. The seeds have been planted and the ground has been cultivated and is waiting for the harvester to come along. Live in a state of expectation. May God bless you as you sow and reap abundantly from your harvest.

Pastors Ben and Wanda Anderson
May 2014