To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John

To all who call upon the name of Christ for hope and deliverance,

Grace and peace to all from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, you might have heard of a refrain repeated often by a member of the comedy team, Cheech and Chong: "not my problem, man." I've heard similar refrains being uttered in our current social climate, as if another's problems or issues are of no direct concern to us. That being said, are we not as Christians to bear some concern for what is happening throughout God's good creation, even if we do not perceive that some things may not have immediate or personal consequence on our thoughts and behaviors? Does not our relationship with Jesus connect us to the plight of others for whom Jesus also lived and died for? Do we really believe that other people's hurts and concerns are not relevant to us- "not my problem, man?" Have we come to the point where we divorce ourselves from the overall concerns of humanity in general because we have come to believe that we have not contributed to the problem directly?

I am reminded of Nehemiah's response (Old Testament) when he got word of the destruction of Jerusalem when he himself was over a thousand miles away, as a cupbearer to a foreign king. Nehemiah himself had no direct involvement in the tragedy that was happening in Jerusalem but he was connected to that concern as a child of God, as a believer, as a sharer in the covenant, as one who believed that "we are all in this together, as somehow or another, we have all contributed, knowingly or not, to the current human situation." And so, Nehemiah can do only what he can do in such situations, HE PRAYS: 

"O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against you."

Notice how Nehemiah uses "WE" when praying about sin, even though he was more than a thousand miles from the concern for which he was praying. Distance and silence are not an excuse. Nehemiah continues to pray as part of the whole human family:

"Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.'"

As Christians, the "place" we find ourselves and the presence of God's grace and command is in the risen Jesus, our Lord and our Peace. And in Christ we are brought together in the acknowledgment of our sin but also the redemption and forgiveness we receive through his grace and mercy. 

Nehemiah could easily have said, "not my problem, man." But he didn't; he had the courage of faith to stay connected to God's commandments, even in the confessing of sin. And now in Christ, we share a family, a family that is broader than genetics, deeper than social norms, wider than purchasing power. The Apostle Paul writes: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith... There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Our understanding of each other should not be based on the character of a few, character shaped in both good and bad. Rather, it need be based on the way God chose to reveal God's truth in the character of Jesus. Again, Paul writes: "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:27-30).

May we live as Christ calls us to live.    Pastor John