What Is Right?

You know what? It is really easy to complain about everything isn't it? We carry our tendency to complain right into the church family don't we? Does this kind of behavior help anything or build up anything? Not at all.

What I'd like to challenge you with this week is to work really hard at lifting up the good things about your Church family and being a part of what is RIGHT about your church.

I find a lot that is right about my church. Here are some.

• Inclusive
• Diverse
• Down to earth
• Caring
• Welcoming
• Energetic
• Loving

What can you find in your Church that is "right?" And what can you do this week to keep it right?

Blessings to you this week.

Reverend Bill McBride

Where Is Your Hope?

No matter what the world brings our way or what we bring into the world every day, things sure can go better and outcomes can bring peace when we live in hope.


Where is your HOPE?

Do we go through our week living in chance or some wishful thinking or do we base our thoughts, feelings and actions on something and someone far greater and stronger than anything we will face?

Hope is the assurance we carry when we know that the Bible is true and what God says to us about forgiveness, love and resurrection is true for us and for all.


There is HOPE for you this week. Hope from God is stronger than all our fear and even conquers our greatest darkness and doubt. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ we know that we are moving each day closer to our own resurrection to eternal life, healing and peace.

It's called the GOSPEL. The story of God forgiving us, coming to us,living within us and guding us to a better day in a better way. AND THIS will give you hope.


Live in hope this week.

Blessings

Reverend Bill Mcbride

Letting Your LIght Shine

God tells us in Matthew to let our lights shine. (Matthew 5:14-16). An important message for us as we often-times walk around in a darkened world.


This is God's call for our lives...to be people who walk in the LIGHT.


How Do We Walk In The Light?

1. Acknowledge that we sometimes walk in the dark and we need some light.
2. Shine our light and share our light with others who are walking in the darkness.
Loving, Forgiving, Encouraging, Helping 

Have a light-filled week.

Blessings.

Reverend Bill McBride

REBIRTH? - YEA RIGHT!

Now isn't this an intriguing topic?

Actually in the history of religion the concept of being literally born again was taught and accepted. It wasn't until sometime in the 6TH CENTURYthat the organized church in Rome started teaching against this topic, called "Reincarnation." (Reincarnation was removed from the bible during the COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE [ 6TH CENTURY AD])

Some even today in the larger spiritual realms still teach it, believe it and have developed process to help one get in touch with their "past lives." (Here is a short news story to just get you thinking)


So while this concept of being born again, reincarnated literally is still in vogue today, there is strong split division amongst believers about its truth and reality.

BUT the one more spiritual concept we are actually addressing today is the spiritual understanding of being "REBORN" again in a real spiritual sense. This is the lesson Jesus taught a learned Pharisee and scholar by the name of Nicodemus in John 3:1-18.

Can one enter a second time into their mother's womb and be born again? That was the Nicodemus question to Jesus Christ one dark and question-filled evening. Christ then taught that just as one is born of the water, they too must be born of the spirit to enter the kingdom of God.

REBIRTH?  Yes very real and possible in the strictest spiritual sense, by opening one's heart, mind and soul to the influence and presence of God's Spirit.


Reincarnation - a physical rebirth when our souls and minds are reborn into another physical body? Maybe.  Don't know for sure. But that is not the focus of today's post. Intriguing, but better left for another day.  Let's focus on being born of the spirit and the heart.



Blessings

Reverend Bll McBride

Ah Temptation!

Like it or not, we all get tempted.

Temptation from Kevin Anderson on Vimeo.
Temptation comes in all forms...including me

You'd think by the way some people act, maybe some folks you know, they really love getting tempted? Do we walk right toward a temptation or put ourselves into the midst of a situation where we know we will be tempted to make a choice that is unhealthy, life-diminishing and bad for us and others?

Maybe you think you can not resist temptation? Like the BORG attack, you quickly say "Resistance is Futile." That's what the BORG thought in the face of Captain Picard. Is resistance futile like this movie clip would suggest?

What can we do this week to resist temptation?

Watch this movie for some sound ideas.

How 2 Resist Temptation from Bill McBride on Vimeo.
We all get tempted. The question is what can we do to remain strong in the face of temptation and make choices that enhance my life and others? Resistance is possible.

Remember this week: Prayer-Deteremination-Action

Blessings

Reverend Bill McBride

Where Is God?

Ever try to find God? Where might you look if you wanted to find God.

Where is God? Part 1 - Watch more Funny Videos

According to our scriptures, God can be found right inside of you. "You are the temple of God." (1 Corinthians 6:19)

So, how do we make our lives a fit home for God? This movie gives a way. See if you can catch the meaning.

Where is God? Part 2 - Watch more Funny Videos

May God find a home in your heart and your life this week.

Blessings

Rev. Bill McBride

So You Are Ordinary?

How does it feel being ordinary? Yes you and I are just plain ordinary, every day people. Feel good about that? I hope so. Because being ordinary is a good thing. It means then, that God has a lot of room in your life and your spirit to do extraordinary things.



God is in the business of blessing our world with extraordinary accomplishments and things, but God requires ordinary people who are not so full of themselves that they have no room for the creative source for all good works.


Recall the verse from 2 Corinthians 4:7 7-12 If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us.


The Bible record is full of stories of ordinary folks who did indeed accomplish extraordinary things. We make a mistake when we confuse the work with the worker. We see a great act like Noah building the ark and saving animal and humankind and we think he must have been a great guy to do all that. Not so. The final result was great, but God began with a plain old guy.

What do you suppose God will do with you and through you this week?

How To Shine

What does it mean when Jesus said in the Bible "Let your light shine, you are the light for the world?" (Matthew 5:14-16)

Watch this movie about Eddie.


What will you do to let your lights shine this year?

Blessings

Rev. Bill McBride