MVCC New Testament Challenge

Today was the final reading for the New Testament Challenge! You did it! Thank you for participating with us! Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. May you continue to study His Word, to accomplish His Will!  Pastor Tony

Having read earlier chapters about plagues, God’s wrath, and judgment, the last thing I expected to read in Chapter 19 was “Hallelujah!”…but there it was, not once but four times in six verses. Hallelujah is Hebrew for “Praise the Lord” and I’m told this is the only place it’s found in the New Testament. After this celebration about the end of the city of Babylon (“the great prostitute who corrupted the earth”), events we’ve all heard about are the next topics:  the wedding of the Lamb, the defeat and judgment of Satan, and the great white throne judgment. People with a lot more education than I’ll ever have, disagree over the meanings of what’s contained in Revelation. I suggest that it’s not important for us to understand the details. I agree with my Study Bible that Revelation encourages us to “stand firm against persecution and compromise in light of the imminent return of Christ to deliver the righteous and judge the wicked.”   “Amen, Hallelujah!” Elsie...

Psalm 46:10-11 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;  I will be exalted   among the nations,  I will be exalted in the earth.”  The   Lord   Almighty is with us;  the God of Jacob   is our fortress. This chapter is a common one used when difficulties in life arrive. I am particularly struck by verse 10. "Be Still", is what we are told to do even when "the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea."  Why are we to be still?...because we know the God who we serve. He is over-all! He is more powerful than any giant, any valley, any diagnosis, any struggle! He is greater! Know that He is with you today and that He, the one true God, is your fortress. Rest in Him today. May your heart be still knowing that He is God.  Pastor Tony

In Revelation 16 we see the great power of God, the wickedness of humanity and the unwillingness to repent. We see how the kingdoms of earth will all crumble. Chapter 16 is a difficult chapter to read. It will be such a horrible time, yet even that is temporary. The sufferings of Hell are eternal. Scripture is clear that there are two eternal destinations. We have the answer of how to live with God forever, are you willing to tell others about it?   We know that God wins in the end, yet we know that he has charged us with spreading His gospel to the world. We live in a society that is focused on legacy. "Being remembered". Why? Should that be what drives the way that we live our lives? If this life is temporary, and we are to be eternally focused should we be hoping that people remember us, or that they remember Jesus?  Listen to this song and ask God to open your eyes to someone in your life that needs to hear the gospel message. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v...

As I read through Revelation, I am reminded who wins! Who wins! Jesus wins! God wins! So many things in life are so difficult and take our perspective away from that, yet we must live looking forward knowing that God wins! I don't know all of what you are going through in your life, but let me remind you that you God wins. It is in the name of Jesus that we continue and press on.  This song is a powerful and wonderful reminder of pressing on in the name of Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=XuLqNvCplYs    Pastor Tony

Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,      and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,      my salvation and my God.   Where is your heart at today? Are you struggling with discouragement. This verse is a wonderful verse of hope. The Psalmist is struggling in his life. He feels rejected by God, yet knows that his hope is found in God alone. Take a moment to evaluate your own heart, listen to this song and praise your living hope! https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9f2FXxDVO6w   

What a great Psalm to speak to the heart of anyone who is in turmoil, to any who are discouraged, agitated, or worried! But before we get into the message of Psalm 42 let me explain something that some of us may never have noticed before.  Do you see Book Two written above the inscription of this Psalm? Did you know that the book of Psalms is divided into 5 books, each of which concludes with a doxology?  Psalm 150 is a concluding doxology for the whole book.  At our former church we studied the Bible in a course designed for pastors in other countries.  It was called Bible Training Center for Pastors .  Here is how the course designated the five books of the Psalms: Book One – Psalms 1-41 – Worship God as Creator Book Two – Psalms 42-72 – Worship God as Deliverer Book Three – Psalms 73-89 – Worship God in His Sanctuary Book Four – Psalms 90-106 – Worship God in the Wanderings of Life Book Five – Psalms 107-150 – Worship God by Obeying His Law ...

Today’s passage takes us through chapters 4-6 of the Book of Revelation. Full confession here—I have  never really studied Revelation as an adult. There is a lot of it that I don’t get, but would love to have a better understanding of. However, when I was in junior high, I remember having a brief study on parts of Revelation. (I’m pretty sure this was when the “Left Behind” series was getting popular, so that might have had something to do with it.) Our youth group was given the project of creating a diorama or little scene of what we thought parts of heaven might look like. Always a creative kid, this was totally in my wheelhouse! Yes! I couldn’t wait to do this project! Our leaders gave us a plethora of materials to create our scene but here’s something I realized early on—I could never, ever make something that even closely resembles what heaven is like. It doesn’t matter what earthly materials you give me or skills I acquire. Even the most gifted artist could never replicate...

I waited patiently for the Lord ; he inclined to me and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 David had called out to God for deliverance and we see here that David had to wait. Such a simple yet profound thing. We live in the world of instant. You have microwave popcorn, instant news on your phone, Amazon's shipping speeds where you can get something the next day...we live in a world of instant and we can expect God to act in the same way. Yet, while God can act instantaneously, there is often waiting involved. It teaches us to trust and lean on Him. Is there something you are waiting on God for? Know He hears you and will answer in His time. Pastor Tony

I don't know about you but I love the doxologies found in scripture.  The Doxology in Jude is found in verses 24-25.  Now to him who is able  to keep you from stumbling and  to present you  blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,   25  to  the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord,  be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time  and now and forever. Amen.    Look at the first sentence in particular. "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling..." What a great reminder! God is the one who keeps us from stumbling.  Temptation is not overcome by yourself yet through the power of God. Are you struggling with something in your life? Go to God and ask Him to help keep you from stumbling.  Pastor Tony

Yesterday I recorded a devotional from 1 John 5. https://youtu.be/QXBhYGD37h8 Pastor Tony

Here is a recent devotional that I did on 1 John 3. https://youtu.be/QaSmKven2pM Pastor Tony

All through college I was looking forward to attending law school.  Ultimately, the Lord took me in another direction, but there are some facets about the law profession that have never left me.  I love to see evidence.  I appreciate logical, reasonable, and thorough investigations of facts.  That’s one reason why the first three verses of 1 John are so special to me.   In just three verses the Apostle John amassed nine verbs to indicate   the accounts of Jesus were based on primary sources – the firsthand knowledge of seeing Jesus’ life in actuality.  The life of Jesus reported in the Gospels is not a fairy tale.  Jesus is not merely a legend.  There is nothing mythical about Him.  The stories about Him are not fanciful or made up.  Notice the nine verbs that indicate eyewitness accounts of the veracity of Jesus life on the earth – heard (v. 1), seen (v. 1), looked upon (v. 1), touched (v. 1), made manifest (twice - ...

While 1 Peter deals with troubles from outside the church. The second chapter of 2 Peter deals with false teachers within the church.  I’ve been told the best way to recognize counterfeit money is to intensely study the real thing. A person who does, will then be able to immediately spot the fakes. To be able to recognize false teachers, it’s important for us to immerse ourselves in God’s Word and ask the Holy Spirit to provide discernment.   Matthew 7:15 tells us, “ 15 Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Most of you have likely heard the story of the old Cherokee grandfather who was teaching his grandson about life. The grandfather told the boy that there are two wolves, one evil and one good, fighting a battle inside every person. When the boy asked which wolf would win the battle; the grandfather told him it would be whichever wolf a person fed. I was surprised to learn that this ...

Psalm 34:1-3 I will bless the  Lord  at all times;     his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2  My soul makes its boast in the Lord;     let the humble hear and be glad. 3  Oh, magnify the Lord with me,     and let us exalt his name together! All The Time, The Christians life should bless the Lord at all times… The glory that we give to God verbally shouldn’t be limited to Sunday. We can truly never give God enough praise to express what He has done for us. The idea of continual praise points us to a lifestyle of continuous worship.  Verse 2 reminds us that our boasting should only be in the Lord and in His work.  Verse 3 is a wonderful reminder of the importance of community. We are to exalt the Lord together! Through the whole Coronavirus situation we have all been tremendously reminded of that. We are so thankful that while we did...

1 Peter 3:15 but  in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,  always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and  respect,   This verse is one of my personal favorites. We are told to always be ready to explain why we have hope. To have a defense.That speaks of preparation and understanding. Each believer is called to be ready to defend their beliefs. Many of you have heard of famous apologists such as Ravi Zacharias, but we are also called to be apologists. We are also called to understand our faith so that it can be defended.  How do we do that? We are told to defend with gentleness and respect. Our explanation should be done in love.  Are you ready to give a defense for your hope? Pastor Tony

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord ," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah  Be glad in the Lord , and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! Psalm 32:5,11 In Psalm 32 we see David's heart talking about sin and forgiveness. We see Gods great forgiveness. Is there any unconfessed sin in your life right now? Take it to the Lord, He is always there. Then in verse 11 we see David's proclamation of joy! What are we to be glad in? Be glad in the Lord! Why? Because He never changes. Because He is good! We shout for joy because of who He is!  Pastor Tony

James 5:16-18  Therefore,  confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,  that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.  Elijah was a man  with a nature like ours, and  he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for  three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit   Do you believe that prayer changes things? God has given us the privilege of coming before Him and listening to our hearts. James reminds us that Elijah was like us, a sinner, but he PRAYED....look at the next word...fervently. Can one describe your prayer life as fervent? We live in a world that looks at one thing and then is quickly onto another. I fear that our prayer lives can be like that as well. A "popcorn" prayer about this issue and then it is never prayer over again. What changes do you need to make in your prayer ...

 Have you ever seen the NBA Slam Dunk contest? Can you imagine the thrill of being a participant in it and being surrounded by some of the NBA’s brightest stars, as you perform an array of dazzling dunks? Not only that, but you are surrounded by NBA legendary players at courtside, in the stands, watching on TV, and even judging the dunks.  What a rush of adrenaline that must produce!  These stars whoop it up, give you high 5’s, and jubilantly celebrate each of your dunks.   To have the respect of your peers, of those who have gone on before – to have the opportunity to perform well in front of them and the desire to impress, pushes you on to even greater feats.   The word “ therefore ” in Hebrews 12:1 introduces us to a scene of positive peer pressure in our Christian experience.  It points to the gallery of stars, the heroes of the faith, the hall of famers in chapter 11 .  [Today’s references are from the New International Version, 1984...

One fun thing about my husband’s job is hearing his excitement over working with different and unique species of wood. I see his eyes light up and my rather introverted husband becomes a regular chatterbox when discussing wood. You see, he works for a company that imports exotic wood from literally all over the world. I won’t forget how excited he was the day he worked with actual Lebanon Cedars. First off, he said they smelled like freshly baked peach pie when they were first cut. Also, they were quite massive! It helped make certain verses of scripture come to life for him when he saw the famed Cedars of Lebanon in person. In our Psalm today, David writes about God’s power, particularly over nature. I’m not the most well-traveled girl, but I’ve gotten around a bit. Some of the parts of God’s creation I have seen have taken my breath away and reminded me just how powerful and mighty He is. I’ll never forget the awe I felt on a whale-watching excursion, surrounded by a pod of wha...