Category: Pastors’ Corner

The Israelites response to God and God’s frustration and anger shows us two things. First, it shows us that nothing can replace the presence of God! The fact that God was sending an angel with them was not enough. Even though it was a heavenly being, assigned from God, it still did not even come close to comparing with God’s presence. They knew, without a doubt, that the only reason they came out of Egypt and the only reason they had survived out in the dessert was because God had been with them and protected them. It is important that in our own relationships with God, we don’t settle for anything less than God’s presence because there are no substitutes.

Second, it shows us that God’s presence needs to be the first and only thing that we truly seek. The Israelites got tired of waiting for God and Moses so they created another god, being the golden calf. When they realized this angered God and he threatened to not go with them they went into mourning. In our culture there are so many things that we worship and spend our time with other than God. We look for happiness and comfort in the presence of money, friends and family, school, or even in a sense of religion. Those things in themselves are not bad to spend time with and definitely can make us happy, but when they take the place of God’s presence in our lives they become idols and begin to pull us away from our relationships with God.
Moses did not want to go anywhere without God’s presence. He knew there were no substitutes and that nothing compared with God. He was not willing at all to settle for anything else! Moses truly understood just how important God’s presence in our lives really is.

Nothing is more important than seeking God’s presence and there is no substitute that can even come close to what God has for us. Christ’s death on the cross tore down the veil that divided man and God. We all are welcome to enter His courts with praise and come before His presence in the Holy of Holies with thanksgiving. It is as simple as praying and telling God that you want to begin a relationship with him. When we have a relationship with God we can enter his presence no matter where we are because he promises to be with us. We can worship him and draw nearer to him as we bask in His presence. God’s presence and a relationship with him are better than anything else that we can have on the face of this planet!

Pastors Ben and Wanda Anderson
April, 2014

Joshua 4: 21-22 “And Joshua spoke to the children of Israel, saying, ‘When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do these stones mean? Then you will let your children know, saying, ‘Israel came over the Jordan River on dry land.’”

J  oshua and the children of Israel were instructed by God to take the Ark of the Covenant and cross over the Jordan River. Without any means of water transport and no visible way of getting across the flooding river, Joshua and the priests had to obey the voice of the Lord and step out into the water. Once the feet of the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant hit the water, it parted and gave way to the riverbed underneath. The children of Israel were given access to the roadway to the other side. In the midst of the miracle, God required the children of Israel to gather twelve stones of remembrance. These stones, which were once buried in the deepest part of the middle of the river, were now accessible and could be collected from the dry ground and brought to the campsite. Joshua took second set of twelve stones and left them on the dry riverbed as his own personal memorial. Those stones could only be seen when the water was at its lowest point. When the Jordan river rose to its normal flooding point, the twelve stones piled at the bottom of the river could no longer be seen.

Those stones served as a teaching tool for parents to teach their children and grandchildren about the one true God who is a source of help, supply, protection and promise. The stones also served as a memorial of gratitude so that those who experienced God’s grace and mercy would never forget what God did for them.

What stones of remembrance are we stockpiling as a memorial to God’s faithfulness and goodness to us? The same God who parted the Jordan River thousands of years ago is the same God who stands ready to do the impossible for us today. As we look back over this past year, let us always be mindful of the difficult situations God has brought us through. As we embark upon 2014, let us also gather two groups of twelve stones of remembrance: two stones for each month of the year. Twelve stones to be left in the middle of our crisis which symbolize the hard place from which we’ve come and twelve stones to mark the glorious place to which God will bring us through to victory on the other side of our crisis. May this be a landmark year for you as you gather your stones.

Pastors Ben and Wanda Anderson
January, 2014

Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” —The Prophet Isaiah

If  there were a power outage on December 25th, would there still be Christmas? The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree features 30,000 light-emitting diodes along five miles of wire using, each day, 1,297 kilowatt hours, the equivalent to what an average family would use in two weeks. But, does this glorify God? If every house in your neighborhood, festooned with blinking lights and glowing Santas, went dark, if the seasonal muzak stopped playing at the local mall, if every radio and TV went silent—would we still have Christmas? Can we have the “Christmas Spirit” without the ringing of Salvation Army bells? The Magi, whom we often refer to as the “Three Wise Men,” needed only a single star to guide them. And those men, whom the Bible does not number at three, were not Christians. There were no Christians yet because Jesus had not died and been resurrected. They came only to honor the King of the Jews. Is Christmas, therefore, only for Christians?

There is no commandment in the bible that we commemorate the day of Jesus’ birth, which was arguably not December 25th. Jesus Himself never celebrated His own birthday, nor is there any record, any biblical model, of His disciples doing so. Christmas was our idea, and not a bad one, but the intent of Christmas often gets lost in all the noise. The biblical model is not our giving gifts to our children or even to each other, but of gifts given to Jesus. What are we giving Him this Christmas? Nobody wants or expects us to abandon cherished traditions this time of year. The center of our plans, however, should be to honor the Lord; to tell His story, to share Him with everyone. Don’t let the flashing lights and razzle-dazzle push Him out of His own birthday.

We wish you and yours a safe and very blessed Christmas.

Pastors Ben and Wanda Anderson
December, 2013

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. —Cicero

Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” —King David

G od had us in mind, also, when this Psalm was written. But it doesn’t take very long to realize that the people of Israel needed a reminder, and I am afraid that we need it, too. Has it ever occurred to you that no Americans were more underprivileged than that small handful from the Mayflower who started the custom of setting aside a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God?

Most blessings are taken for granted. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness…you are more blessed than the six million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, imprisonment, torture, or starvation…you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death…you are more blessed than three billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead, and a place to sleep…you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace…you are among the top 8% of the worlds’ wealthy. We have a lot to be thankful for.

Like you, I’m sure the things I would also include would be family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. Let’s be grateful and thankful this holiday season and not only this season but throughout the year for the many blessings God has bestowed upon us.

Pastors Ben and Wanda Anderson
November, 2013