Tag Archives: spiritual growth

Truth and the Kingdom

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

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Last Sunday our Lead Pastor, Barry Risto, preached a message entitled “What Is Truth” from John 18:36-38

“Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.”

The passage and the message got me thinking:

Men are always seeking kingdoms, power, authority or positions of strength. But Jesus taught that while He was a king, He had not come to rule but to “testify to the truth”.

With those words Jesus helps us to understand that the truth must always come before kingdom, power, authority or strength because truth is the foundation of any kingdom if it is to govern in actual power, authority or strength. In fact any time the truth falters a kingdom’s power, authority and strength are reduced incrementally. If truth falters long enough that same kingdom’s power, authority and strength will eventually come to nothing.

“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3

Bigger Angels

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

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I once heard Joyce Meyer preach a message in which she said that when you go to a bigger level you are going to face a bigger Devil. That is the truth. The enemy tends to oppose us in increasing strength as we grow closer to God. While I think there is some merit in recognizing this truth, so as not to be caught unawares; It is important to remember that this is only a part of the truth.

As we grow closer to God we may face greater attack or resistance from the Devil but we also receive more power from the presence of the Living God. if we are confronted by “bigger devils” then God will always be faithful to send us “bigger angels” to war on our behalf.

We have to remember that God and Satan are not coequal. However much power the Devil might have at His disposal, he is quickly outmatched by the power of God. In fact, comparing the devil’s power to God’s is like comparing a static electric shock to an atom bomb.  And God’s power is dedicated to seeing us through every valley of shadow the Devil with his power creates.

However else it might sometimes feel, Christians never fight from a disadvantage. We always wage our warfare (which by the way looks different from any other warfare in the world) from the already-won victory of the cross and resurrection.

Bigger levels (growing closer to God) bring bigger devils, ’tis true. But the far more important info to cram into your head is that bigger levels also bring bigger angels.

Enter Their Pain!

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

Here are some great quotes from our guest Missionary at Cornerstone yesterday…

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“Jesus really is the Savior of the world”- M.G.

” Jesus has not called us to shrink back from the sin and pain of the world. He has called us to enter into it, to minister to it.”- M.G.

“We have to help people understand what it is they already long for.”- M.G.

“The deeper the pit the stronger the search for God.”- M.G.

It’s OK That It’s Not OK

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

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One of the terms my grandfather used for this world after my grandmother passed away was “This vale of tears”. Gramps was a pretty cheerful and easy-going guy but Grams passing knocked a lot of the wind out of his sails. He didn’t curl up and die exactly but he just wasn’t the same after her death.

I think there are few who can relate to the pain of losing a spouse after 61 years of marriage but each of us have life events that rock our worlds in foundational ways.

I remember during one of my own earth shaking events a well-meaning brother walked up to me in church and asked, “How are you doing J?”

“I am OK.” I answered ( I wasn’t really but then the moment wasn’t right for a sit-down-and-cry).

His response was to wrinkle his nose and say, “Just OK? Not fantastic?”

The brother knew what I was walking through at the moment and I was a little… no a lot flabbergasted by his insensitivity. But I didn’t haul off and clock him, Pastors aren’t supposed to do that.

Instead I simply said, “Sometimes, brother, OK is good enough.” Then I went to my office and had a sit-down-and-cry.

Can I just say that sometimes it’s Ok not to be “good” or “fantastic” or even “OK”. There are life events that are just so wrong or hurtful that it is OK to not be OK for a bit. Further it is OK to think and feel that your situation is definitely not OK. While God may work all things together for good not every situation is good, in fact some situations just suck.

We have had four deaths connected to our church in the last week-and-a-half, six in the last month. Today I prayed with two  men in church who wept through the entire service. What they are walking through is definitely not OK and I wouldn’t be OK if I were in their shoes.

Hope isn’t found in pretending that everything is coming up roses while your really sitting under a pile of manure. Hope is found when we realize that though we may be walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, God is with us through all of it.

Brother…Sister, It’s OK to admit that it’s not OK right now. In fact admitting that to yourself and others is the first step in moving to a better place. Being honest about where you are now is part of figuring out how to move beyond it. Here’s a song to help you in your meditation this evening.

The Forever Space

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Linger.”

The Post has asked us to Tell us about times in which you linger — when you don’t want an event, or a day to end. What is it you love about these times? Why do you wish you could linger forever?

I love to linger in the place of prayer. To find that space where the troubles of the day just melt away in the sweet presence of Jesus, is to find life’s greatest treasure.

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While all prayer must eventually lead to action, I think most of us act to quickly and pray to hesitantly. It is not until I have refreshed my harried soul that I can safely come out of the place of prayer and into the fray of ministry.

It is not just the unburdening of my soul that draws me to this place. It is not just that I can freely express myself without fear of judgment or retribution; It is that even as I speak, He answers. Prayer is not a monologue shouted into an empty universe. It is a dialogue framed in the intimate whispers of lovers.

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I do not hesitate to leave the place of prayer out of fear of losing my space in line at the throne of God. Prayer is  an unending connection, a communion that always is and always shall be for the believer. It is the place in this world where we touch forever, where time and need are all washed away in the flow of the river of God. The thread of that tributary can be found in every moment and in every place. In one sense I never leave prayer or at least I am never more than a stone’s throw away. Yet even knowing I can always come back  I hesitate to step away from prayer because in that place I know forever and I understand grace in ways my time in this world makes me forget.

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God, Pastors and the Calling #calling519

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

I am just returning from our network pastor’s council. So much wonderful work was done this weekend. Our fellowship ordained 21 new pastors from Southern New England including our very own Youth Pastor here at Cornerstone Rev. Brad Hackett

Cornerstone Church - Winchendon's photo.

Our Lead Pastor and Presbyter Rev. Barry Risto and newly ordained minister Rev. Brad Hackett

During our missions banquet an offering was taken to support three large projects being tackled around the world by missionaries from our Network in Southern New England. 180 churches joined to raise  $121,000.00 for projects in Indonesia, India and Mozambique! And the District Youth Director made an appeal to our Network Pastors to help my sister raise the budget required for her vehicle when she returns to her mission in the The Netherlands.

Today the council was rounded out as we began what is going to become a year-long discussion about “being called by God” the title of the seminar was #calling519 (its Twitter designation)

Here are some quotes from the day

WHAT IF GOD IS TELLING YOU TO STAY WHEN EVERYTHING EXTERNALLY IS TELLING YOU TO GO?- SCOTT GIORDANO

WHEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES SHOUT “GO” BUT GOD CALLS YOU TO STAY, THE STAYING IS THE GOING.- SCOTT GIORDANO

INSTEAD OF PRAYING FOR A WAY OUT PRAY FOR A WAY IN.- SCOTT GIORDANO

FINDING THE GREAT ASSIGNMENT IS NOT NEARLY AS EASY AS HEARING THE GREAT CALL.- BRIAN KROGH

IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE OUT THE CALL OF GOD WITHOUT EVER MAKING IT TO THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID? BRIAN KROGH

THERE ARE ASSOCIATE ROLES AND POSITIONS. THERE ARE NO ASSOCIATE CALLS.- BRIAN KROGH

THE CALLING IS NEVER ABOUT SAFETY. SALARY PACAKAGE, PRESTIGE, TITLE, SELFISH GAIN OR PERSONAL GRATIFICATION. THE CALL IS SIMPLY ABOUT FOLLOWING GOD.- SELWYN BODLEY

MOVE IN GOD’S POWER AND AUTHORITY. LEAVE YOURS AT HOME.- SELWYN BODLEY.

Taking the Witness Stand Pt. 3

Posted on by under Pastor Wrinkles

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Taking the Witness Stand is one sermon in a series our church staff is preaching following the NBC series A.D. The Bible Continues.

If you missed either of the  first two parts of Taking the Witness Stand you can find them here:

Taking the Witness Stand Pt. 1

Taking the Witness Stand Pt. 2

Here is today’s portion:

Yesterday we concluded by saying…

We Have To Obey God in the midst of opposition

Taking the witness stand for Christ is not always easy. In America, right now, we have a right to declare our faith freely without fear of retribution. It is not that way in the rest of the world.

These headlines come from Voice of the Martyrs

March 2015-News has just come to hand from Vietnam sources of the Vietnamese Evangelical Mennonite Pastor Nguyen Hong Quang and his son Nguyen Quang Trieu being attacked by a group of seven young men while uniformed police sat back and did nothing to prevent the assault from happening.

April 1, 2015- A pastor’s daughter died, several people were injured and a Baptist church was torched during an attack on a village in the Rogo local government area of Kano State on the evening of 1 April.

We hear stories like this and cannot believe the ferocity of these attacks. We ask why. Jesus explained the reason in John 15 when He said,

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

 18“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 20Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. 21They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.

Still, why would we choose Peter and John’s road in Acts chapter 4? If what Jesus said is true,why would we choose to take the witness stand for Jesus?

We choose to do it because we understand that

Jesus is the foundation and because

  When we stand for Jesus, He shines through!

How is Jesus shining through your life right now?