Looking at the life of the Apostle Paul, it is amazing how Christ transformed this man from brutally hostile to ‘The Way’ and filled with hate a rage for Jesus of Nazareth, to a man so on fire for the Gospel of Christ Jesus.  Even though Paul was told how much he would suffer for the name of Christ, he was also commissioned to go to the Gentiles, to kings and to rulers to testify about the amazing grace that was offered and afforded to him.  Paul states empathically, my life is worth nothing to me, but it is dedicated to spreading the Good News of God’s Grace.  And the most important aspect of his life, was finishing the race well and the ministry of God’s Grace.  We will all give an account of what we did with Jesus while on earth in this life, what is your life worth, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Stay strong in the faith, do not grow weary.  The writer of Hebrews makes the point much like the Apostle Paul in regard to staying strong in the faith.  Here we are told to understand that discipline is for our own good, yes it is unpleasant in the moment, but in the long run it is beneficial, it is helpful, it will make us a stronger person.  In much the same way an athlete trains and trains, it is hard work, but in time it will bring results, strength will increase, stamina will grow.  These things are just as important for our faith, it must be stretched in order to grow and mature into the Christ-centered faith the Lord desires each of us to possess. When our faith is tested and we are driven to our knees in prayer, we are brought to a place of true spiritual growth and this is how we endure and persevere until the end of the race.  Because this training brings about or yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it.  Those dark and challenging times we experience, they are the training mat upon which we grow in spiritual strength day by day.  Embrace all that God has for you, run the race with all endurance knowing that there is a prize when you reach the end of this earthly race, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

The apostle Paul was not only an amazing evangelist, he was a man who strived to encourage others to stay firm in the faith, to endure until the end, to stay in the race and finish well, all in following Christ Jesus.  Here is what is believed to be the last letter that Paul wrote to his young protege Timothy, Paul makes it clear he has reached the end of his race, he knows that he will probably die soon and go to be with the Lord.  He is not distraught, but he is confident that he has run the race put in front of him with all endurance and stayed true to his calling.  Each of us has been called by the Lord to come and follow Him. to live a life that is pleasing to God, to not allow ourselves to be sidetracked and led astray, but to keep our eyes on Jesus and abide in Him, walking with Him through the deep waters, and through the fiery flames of life.  
     I would encourage each one of us to take an inventory of our walk with the Lord, are we in step with God, are we in a solid intimate relationship with Christ, can we truly say we are walking the walk and talking the talk, and will you hear, well done good and faithful servant when that time comes?  May we all fight the good fight until the end of the race, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

If we understand this verse in context it shows us that in the end of days, when the whole world will see and experience the Glory of the Lord in all His splendor and might, everyone will know who He is.  As the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:10-11 "so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father"  Just as the empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greek, and Romans) of the ancient world were known worldwide, So also will the Glory of our Lord all will know and see that He is Lord and He is mighty to save, and there is no other God.  What this does not mean is that all the world will be saved and every person on earth will go to Heaven.  The Bible is clear that is not the case, the road is narrow and few will find it.  As much as we all would love for everyone to come to know Christ as Lord and Savior, most will not. It is sad, but it is true.  But we shall still go out into the world and preach the good news to all who will hear and spread hope in this lost world, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

The apostle John does a very good job of reiterating and reinforcing the words of the Lord Jesus throughout his epistles.  John is considered the Apostle of 'love', he writes about love a great deal in his letters, and speaks of living in obedience to the commandments of Christ.  Jesus said "if you love me you will obey my commandments"  and one of those commandments is found in John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”.   We are called to love others unconditionally just as Jesus did, that we walk in love, live in love, and be Christlike in how we love others.  John tells us that we are to live by the example of Jesus' love and His command to love one another, this is love therefore walk in it.  
       We must remember that the love of God is much different from the love of this world, God's love is real, it is abiding, it is living love, not fickle free thinking love.  Love one another as Jesus loves you, let the world see that you have been with Jesus, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Our Heavenly Father is filled with joy to see those who love Him, obey Him and follow all he has prescribed for their good.  This is a theme from the very beginning of God's Word, that He rejoices over His children when they walk with him in faith and trust.  And as such, human fathers too rejoice when their children grow up in the Lord and are faithful into adulthood.  There might not be anything that brings a parent more joy than to see their child embracing the Lord, and walking with Him as they grow up, willing to go to church and being involved in Spiritual activities.  It is much like what we see in the life of Jesus when His Father in Heaven spoke from the throne, "This is my son in whom I am well pleased", because He lived a life that was pleasing to His father in Heaven.  We too should strive to hear those words from our father in Heaven, one when we arrive and stand before him after living a full life here on earth, "Well done good and faithful servant"  Think about the influence you have on children around you, your own children and others as you walk in step with God and His plans daily, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

The marks of a true Christian, Jesus said that by this one thing, love, they will know you are my disciples.  Are we loving well, are we loving other believers as Christ has instructed us to do?  The Apostle Paul spent some time here in his epistle to the church at Rome talking about the person who is Born Again, a New Life in Christ, beginning with the fact we have been transformed by the renewing of our minds, we think differently.  Let your love for others be genuine, not just lip service, not just something we say as followers of Christ, but something we do because we have the love of Christ in us.  Love one another with true brotherly affection, and outdo each other the way you love each other and show honor to each other.  In loving others, we should be patient in all situations, kind beyond belief, fervent in the Lord, continually in prayer, and always rejoicing in hope for others.  And may we always live in harmony with others, overlooking their faults and embracing them as they are.
Let there be love shared among us, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Truly it is not a matter of if you will suffer but when.  Becoming a follower of Christ does not in any way eliminate suffering from your life, in fact most all of us suffer at some time in our Christian walk for the name of Jesus, the Lord said it would happen.  Many people over the past two thousand years have died for the name of Christ Jesus, it continues to this very day.  But when it comes and it will, do not allow the evil one to lead you into a place of shame and disgrace, stand firm in your faith and let the Lord lead you through that suffering.  Christ suffered a great deal to come and live a sinless life on earth and die a criminal's death on a brutal Romans cross to pay your sin debt, it was suffering beyond anything you and I will ever experience in this life.  So let us embrace those times of suffering that we go through, knowing that it will all make us stronger in our faith, and help us endure until the end.  And may we always Glorify the name of Christ Jesus as we walk in step with Him day by day living a Christ filled life.  Job said best, Job 14:1 "Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble"  Live for Jesus, love for Jesus, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, what exactly does the apostle Paul mean by this statement?  Is he saying that you can do anything imaginable through the strength that comes from the Lord Jesus?  If we go back to this section of the letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi we see that he was talking about something quite specific, the Apostle is speaking of his circumstances that he has lived through while doing the ministry of evangelism for Christ.  Paul says I am content no matter whether I have much or I have little or nothing, even sitting in prison for the name of the Lord, I am content.  He states I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  Paul is not speaking of Christ's strength as a magic ability to do anything in the world, not at all, he is speaking of doing the ministry of the Lord, even in the most difficult situation, in dire need, in prison, even when things are going great, I get my strength from Christ Jesus.  Know this, if you are doing the will of God, if you are living out the will of God in your life, fulfilling the calling He has made upon your life, He will give you the strength to complete the task He has called you to do.  May the Lord Bless you and keep you as you walk with Him daily, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

In order to take this verse in its correct context, we must read what the Apostle stated prior to this, this section of his letter is titled Cheerful Giver, Paul is talking about giving with a generous and open heart, not begrudgingly.  Tithing in church can be a very touchy subject for so many because they hear those people on television begging for millions of dollars to pay for their brand new Gulfstream Jets and more.  That is criminal to say the least, true giving from the heart to support the work of God within your local church is being a blessing.  Remember, God is the one who provided everything you have, it is all His and He only asks for a small portion, you get to keep most of it.  And Paul says that God will supply every need you could possibly have, God will make all grace abound to you, promising that provision.  Giving back to God is a blessing, it is something we do as part of our relationship with Him, and in return God pours out blessing upon blessing.  This has absolutely nothing to do with the false teaching of prosperity, that is not what God is saying, He says simply that He will provide your every need, God loves a Cheerful Giver, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

The Apostle Paul begins this portion of his letter to the church at Rome with this statement and it says it all, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"  By grace we have been saved, justified by faith, and we have peace with God.  But if that isn't enough, we have been given a Spirit of endurance to go through times of suffering, difficulty with a heart filled with joy that comes directly from the Lord.  We do this by the grace of God because we know that this suffering helps us to keep on enduring through whatever comes our way, and that ability to endure produces Godly character in us, making us more like Jesus day by day.  And that Godly character produces hope within us, a hope for a future that is promised to us by God.
     Let us all look at those times of suffering through a different lens, through the lens of hope in Christ Jesus.  He endured much suffering and pain to save you and me, and He did it willingly.  This life is filled with pain and suffering and it is not a matter of if it will happen but when.  When it happens, look to Jesus the finisher and the perfecter of your faith and endure until the end, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

David, the writer of this psalm lived some 2900 years ago and he writes of the cares of his heart in the time he lived.  Not that he did not have many cares, as a shepherd boy he was caregiver of sheep, they were his responsibility, he became a mighty warrior, had to deal with a crazy King who became his father in law, who tried to kill him, and then he became king over all of Israel.  David did indeed have his share of cares.  Now you and I do not deal with many of the issues David dealt with, but we have many other cares living in this ultra modern world.  We use automobiles that breakdown, many gadgets in our home and at work that stop working at the most inopportune time, technology that makes us crazy, and of course life.  You and I have many cares of the heart that can and will cause us problems if we do not allow the Lord to take them from us, let Him carry the burden.  David says that when the cares of his heart are many, you Lord, and your consolations cheer my soul.  When the cares of your heart are many, where do you go, to whom do you call on?  Is prayer and Scripture your first place to turn?  Do you allow the Lord's care and compassion, His consolations to bring you comfort?  When you are feeling overburdened by the cares of this world, go to God, let His consolations bring you comfort, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

You just have to love the heart of James, the half brother of the Lord Jesus, his epistle is amazing and one of the most quoted in the New Testament.  I know a great many people struggle with the idea of having a heart filled with joy while going through trials and difficult times.  But, if you have a relationship with the Lord, you have a different outlook on life, you come at it from a much different perspective, and you can have joy in trials.  For a non-believer, this is completely foreign, they cannot see or understand the possibility of having any kind of joy while dealing with trials in this life.  The non-believer looks for happiness and happiness is a fleeting emotion that is beyond fickle.  Joy is a true condition of the heart that is devoted to God, a new heart that has been changed from the old person to the new life in Christ.  And we can note that James says that when we meet trials of various kinds and not if, because they come and sometimes in waves.  But we can endure them with a heart that is filled with the Lord's joy, walking right on through that valley.  May your day be filled with joy as you walk with the Lord, and may your heart be filled with His peace, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Prayerfully we all do our best to stay in good physical health and shape for it does truly help us feel better and look better. But even more important than that is our Spiritual well being or as the Apostle Paul refers to it Godliness. From the moment we surrender our life to the Lord Jesus, repent of our sinfulness and turn to God, we begin a new life in Christ, and as we grow closer to Him, we grow in godliness and we mature in our faith. This godliness has great value for our current life but even more important is it has great value in our promised future in Heaven. Through the process of sanctification, growing closer to the Lord and becoming more like Him in every aspect of our lives, we also grow closer to eternity, not in a matter of time, but in a matter of Spiritual well being. 

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

The writer of Hebrews gives some very sound encouragement, as he lays the firm foundation of our faith out right before our eyes, that being Christ Jesus. He establishes a basis for his statement, that there have been many that have traveled this road before us, that great cloud of witnesses, they struggled with the same problems all of us have. Remember, as Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun, these human issues we experience, they have plagued mankind for thousands of years. But we are told to lay them aside, each and every one of those weighty sins, things that tend to draw you away from the faithful walk you trod every day. We are running a race, a race that will lead us into eternity, and the image used here is that of a runner in a race, and in those days they ran races such as the olympics naked in order to remove every weight that might hold them back. We too are running a race, and it can be far too easy to get tangled up in sin that will hold us back, that can stop us in our tracks. Today, if you know there is a weight, a sin, or anything that is hindering your walk with the Lord, shake it off, get rid of it, and then run with great endurance the race that the Lord has set before you, run the race, finish the race, endure until the end, Jesus Saves! 

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Where is your focus, being anxious about things you cannot change, worrying about events that are far out of your control?  Or are you focused on the Goodness of God?  Ponder these lyrics from the CeCe Winans song, "I love You, Lord, For Your mercy never fails me, All my days I've been held in Your hands, From the moment that I wake up, Until I lay my head, Oh, I will sing of the Goodness of God"  We can allow our minds to drive us to the negative, worrying about world events, social unrest, violence in the streets, politics, the list goes on and on.  Or we can keep our heart stayed on the Goodness of God, all His many blessings, being thankful for all He does for us each day.  Replace your worries and cares with Words of Life from Scripture, do not allow the evil one to take away your joy and get in that mindset that all is bad and that darkness is going to win the day, NO!  Take hold of God's promises and walk by faith, head up filled with the joy of the Lord and the Peace that is beyond all understanding.  Today, I choose Joy, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

The Golden Rule, it seems that this would be simple common sense, if I desire that you treat me well, I will treat you well, right?  Well, if it was that easy Jesus would not have placed an emphasis on this important aspect of life.  Think about how different people are, upbringing, experiences, life events, traumatic circumstances, and more, we are all quite different.  But, that does not give us unbridled freedom to treat people badly because of the things we have gone through.  I have no responsibility for your past and your hurt because I have my own issues to deal with, we all must consider how we treat other people, are we kind, or are we rude and nasty?  
       I know there are people who lean on their past to justify their actions, I know there is hurt there, but the people who are receiving the repercussions of your hurt do not deserve it, they are completely and totally innocent in your life's circumstances.  None of us is perfect, we all have our flaws, we make mistakes, we lash out in moments of weakness and agitation, and we make assumptions about others that are absolutely wrong.  Let's make an effort to be kind to everyone, even if they do not deserve it, let each of us pour out grace upon grace on others just as the Lord has for us, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Psalm twenty-three, a psalm of comfort, assurance, and protection.  It is believed that David wrote this psalm most likely when he was still a shepherd boy outside of Bethlehem, as he met with many dangers that went along with keeping sheep in the fields.  As we read through this short psalm, we can see and know the heart of the person who wrote it, the psalm is filled with a heart of trust, knowing that God will always be there to provide, to protect, to lead and guide, knowing that through his relationship with the Lord, his shepherd, he was covered.  
       As followers of Christ, we should have no fear because we know He is always walking right alongside us, that even in the darkest of days, even as death closes in upon this fragile life of ours, we have nothing to fear for our shepherd has us by the hand to lead us into eternity.  His rod and His staff they bring us comfort as they guide us along, just like with sheep keeping them from going astray and wandering off.  The Word of God is our rod and staff that keep us on the narrow path that leads to paradise in Heaven with our Good shepherd.  Today, as we ponder this verse, let it bring you comfort, peace and fill your heart with the Lord's joy, knowing Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

This is an interesting piece of Scripture, the apostle Paul tells of a time, some fourteen years prior when he was caught up into Heaven, though it is hard for him to understand exactly how it happened.  I believe this was when he was stoned to death in Lystra, I believe he died that day and God sent him back to keep on doing the work he had planned for him on earth.  Paul endured a great deal of suffering for the sake of the name of Christ Jesus, and Paul says here that he could boast of many things, but he will not, and he had been given a thorn in the flesh to keep him from being puffed up, a reminder to stay humble.  And here Paul says he asked of Jesus to take this thorn away from him, three times he asked, but the Lord responded to him with a simple but very true statement, my grace is sufficient for you, for it is in your weakness you are made strong.  
       Then Paul reiterates this promise from the Lord, no matter what comes my way, weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions or calamaties, for when I am weak, then I am strong.  No matter your circumstance, the Lord is your strength, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

The interaction between Mary and the Angel who brought her the news of her coming pregnancy, her conversation with Joseph the one she was engaged to, and her expressing the news to her cousin Elizabeth... They all show just how much Mary trusted in God, believed in God and was willing to let God lead and guide her life.  None of this would have been easy for her to deal with, this truly turned her world upside down, and this was just the beginning of how her life would change.  But Mary wrote a song that magnifies the Lord for who He is, her spirit was filled with excitement for she knew that she was living in the midst of His will.
       Are you living within God's will?  And if you are and life seems to be a little out of sorts, are you rejoicing that you are where you are today?  Our heart's desire should be that we are asking that the Lord's will be done in our life, that He would be our guiding light every day and in every way. Our daily prayer should be Lord, have your way with me, do with me what you will, I am yours for the taking, use me as you see fit.  Lord I surrender all to you, have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Throughout Scripture we are reminded that we are to be encouragers of others who follow God, Moses did it, Joshua did it, David did it, and as well Jesus did it, giving people that loving nudge to get up and make a difference in your faith community. Here the writer of Hebrews gives us the same advice, let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.  We are told in this same part of this epistle to not neglect coming together as like minded Christians, and in doing so we are to be encouragers, people that will edify those around us to step up to the plate and swing the bat, help others make a difference.  The church is one big family, all standing in faith  under the headship of Christ Jesus, we must live like a family, caring for each other and helping each other by showing the way. leading the way, and teaching others to do the same.  We are all the same, but all very different, and the differences are that some just get up and do, while others are much more bashful and will only get up when encouraged to do so, they need to be stirred up a bit.  So, let us not neglect to come together, and let us each be willing to stir others up to do good, to love others and to make a difference in our faith community, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

If you have been listening to a good pastor for any length of time you have heard this verse either preached or used in context to make a point in his message.  This verse from James is only one of so many great points he makes in bringing us to live a life pleasing to God.  Reading Scripture is critical for the follower of Christ, it is a guide, a light, and a teacher for each and every one of us to read, meditate upon and then as James states, do.  We are to be doers of the word, just reading the Word of God and then walking in the opposing direction is absolutely antithetical to true saving faith.  James completes his statement with do not be hearts only, deceiving yourself, if we hear the word, read the word, but then do not take action in our life according to God's word, then what does that say about us and our faith?  Christianity is not a spectator sport, it requires action on your part, from the moment of salvation.  First of all you must repent, and turn from your sin, there must be reformation if there is to be regeneration, then we live a Christlike life, trusting and obeying, doing the Word of God, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Holy is the Lord, God almighty, there is none Holy like the Lord our God, there is no other God.  Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, He never changes, He never hides, He is always present in our lives.  In reading through the Old Testament, we see how God came close, God drew His chosen people in, led them, guided them, gave them a new land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and they stepped away from God, they forsook their God, He never faltered, He never failed, for there is no one like our God.  But even as we fail, we let God down through our actions, words and thoughts in this life, He stays firm, He is the Rock of our Salvation, He is the Rock of Ages, for our God is immovable.  
       Ponder the omniscience of God , His omnipresence in your life and know that our God is the one constant in your life, He loves you, cares for you, and He desires to grow your relationship with Him.  The best place you can be right now is smack dab in the middle of God's will, walking in His ways, trusting Him completely and totally with your life, and obeying all that He has commanded you.  We serve a great and mighty God, a Rock that never moves, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Anxiety and worry are two of the biggest issues people have in this life.  We worry about so many things that are truly inconsequential, and we are anxious about things that never happen.  Today there is an epidemic when it comes to medication and other so-called remedies people consume to help them with anxiety, billions of dollars are spent to help people stop worrying...  When there is a much simpler method to keep ourselves from worry and anxiety, take it to God, lay your cares at the feet of Jesus.  If we will hand those issues, cares, and worries over to the Lord through prayer, His peace will take over and you can rest assured all will be well.  The Apostle Paul tells us here that we should, rather than worry or be anxious, pray, give thanks and through supplication bring them all to God.  First off let us be thankful for all we have been blessed with, we all have so much to be giving thanks to God for.  Then pray, pray about whatever it is that is on your mind, all of your cares, big or small, take them to the Lord in prayer.  And then through supplication, make your case for these things known to God, tell everything that is on your mind that is causing you to worry.  Then let God do what He will do, and sit back enveloped in the Peace of God that is beyond all understanding, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Teach me to do your will Lord, this should be our prayer every single day, to grow closer in our relationship with the Lord, to draw nearer to Him daily, and to always desire to be in His will doing His will.  And why would we want to learn to do God's will, because He is our God, our Father in Heaven, He is the one true God of the universe, the creator of all that was ever created.  Oftentimes we can get out of sorts with our relationship with God and then we wonder, why does God feel so distant, or why does it seem like God isn't hearing my prayers, God has not moved or changed, we have.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  If we are living within the will of God, we will be doing the works of God and we will need a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit of God on a regular basis.  As the Psalmist shows us, let your good spirit lead me on level ground, Lord fill me to overflowing with the Holy Spirit, that He may lead my life and keep me on level ground, fighting the good fight daily as I walk in step with you, Lord.

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

We have probably all sat and looked into a beautiful night sky that is filled with innumerable stars, and planets, the vastness of what is seen is impossible to really take in, there is so much of it.  And that massive sphere we call the sun that lights up the world in the daytime, it never goes out, we just rotate around it, and the moon and all of its beauty and significance.  And even as science build bigger and more powerful telescopes to look deeper into the sky and all she holds, they keep finding more and more, farther and farther away, all created by God!  The Psalmist peered into the sky and wondered as well, God you created all of this, you put all of these stars in place, the moon and the sun, and yet you are mindful of man, and the son of man that you care for him.  God almighty, creator of the universe is more than mindful of you, He loves you, He cares for you, and He desires to have a relationship with you.  Yes, it is hard to believe that God, who is far beyond anything we can imagine, loves us enough to send His only Son to live on earth with man, to be treated poorly, to be crucified, all planned and orchestrated by God to save you from your sin, to forgive you and to give you eternal life.  Yes God is mindful of you, He loves you, He cares for you, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

We are told in the Epistle to the church at Rome that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart God raised Him from the dead we will be saved.   And here the apostle John tells us that whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, then we can know that God abides in him, and he in God.  The act of confessing, declaring, or making known your belief in Christ Jesus is the first step in your walk with God, you have entered into a relationship with the Savior of the world.  John reiterates a great deal of what Jesus taught him during His ministry years on earth, here John speaks of abiding as Jesus did in John chapter fifteen.  Jesus makes it quite clear that we must abide in Him, as He abides in us, again a picture of an intimate relationship with Him, not a casual acquaintance, not a cold on again off again relationship.  Have you confessed Jesus as Lord, as the Son of God?  Are you in an intimate personal relationship with Christ?  Today, let us ponder this verse and be sure that we are in right relationship with the Savior of the world, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

People often say, how can God be good when there is all this evil going on all around me, with all this killing, wickedness, hate and so much more?  We need to look at God in a much different perspective, in a completely different way, we need to see God as Father, as the one who will protect us when no one else will.  This short life we live here on earth is futile, it is fragile, and it is temporary, we do not live for this life, but for the eternal life in Christ Jesus.  When we see God as our eternal hope, and look beyond the here and now, we can then stand firm in our faith and trust in God who is good all the time, and seek Him with all our heart, even in the darkest of times.  Jeremiah, the writer of the book of Lamentations lived a life of weeping and sorrow over his country that had turned against God and lived their lives away from the one true God.  But Jeremiah lived with hopeful expectation, he lived with intentionality knowing that God would indeed come through in time, if he would seek Him and wait upon Him.  Today, no matter your life circumstances, seek the Lord with all your heart knowing He hears you and sees you, be hopeful in your God given future, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

In chapter seven of the letter to the church in Rome, the apostle Paul gives us a statement that we can all relate too, I do the things I do not want to do, and I do not do the very things I know that I should do, wretched sinful man I am.  We are sinners by nature, we were born this way and our flesh desires to want what it wants.  The battle between the flesh and the Spirit is real, it is fierce, and it is ongoing.  But because of Jesus' perfect life, His perfect sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, and His resurrection from the dead, we have been freed from this conundrum of desiring to sin and being changed into a Child of God, a New Life in Christ.  
       Therefore, there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, when you become a Born Again Christian, there is no condemnation, you have been forgiven of your sins, you have been freed from the bondage of the evil one, the old is gone and the new is come.  You have gone from a place of severe condemnation to a place of Mercy and Grace in the Lord because the love of God has lifted you out of that old life of darkness.  There is so much good news in the Gospel of Christ and this verse today is a big part of that good news, there is therefore no condemnation in Christ Jesus, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Remember when you were a child and something would happen, you got hurt, someone was picking on you, or there was some kind of emergency...  And you ran to Mommy or Daddy, they were your strong tower, your place of protection and help.  This proverb is telling us that believers in the Lord have a strong tower just like the one we ran to as a child, we have the Lord, our Father in Heaven, He is our protector, our help when trouble comes along, a shoulder to cry on when life gets overwhelming.   Never forget who God is, the creator of the universe, the giver of life, the one that sustains this world we live in, providing air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat.  And here we see that the righteous man, the one who trusts in the Lord, the one who obeys the Lord, the one who depends upon the Lord every day runs to the Lord, because He is their strong tower, He is their protector, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

This idea, like one similar to it from the Lord Jesus, to love your enemies as you love yourself seems to be so much at odds with human nature.  People tend to like to get revenge, to return even more evil for the wrong that has been done to them, but they did whatever to me...  But the Apostle Paul tells us plainly never repay a wrong with more wrong, two wrongs do not make a right, hurt on top of hurt will help no one, nor will it fix the problem at hand.  We are told to do the complete opposite, when we are wronged by another person, sure it hurts, it feels bad, it might even anger us, but our first response should be silence and deep thought, consider Christ Jesus and all He has done for you and how He did it.  The Lord Jesus was treated poorly for some years during His ministry on earth, day after day being challenged and condemned by the religious leaders.  And was eventually taken, falsely accused, beaten, and crucified, and He never lashed out, never cursed at them, and He never resisted the punishment they dealt out to Him, even though He was completely innocent. When this happens to you, return good for the evil done to you, be wise in your response, be kind in your heart toward them for love covers a multitude of sin, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

We must remember, we do not have to agree on everything in order to stand in unity.  We are all different, we have opinions, ideas, cultural differences, religious preferences, we are all different, but we can come together in unity under Christ Jesus the head of the church.  The Psalmist sums it up well, how beautiful it is when brothers dwell in unity, everything is better when we can put our differences aside and live united in Christ.  Sadly our world has become increasingly polarized over anything we can disagree on, especially politics and faith, and this should not be and the church should be the uniting force to bring us all back together in the mighty name of Jesus.  Let us each do our best to bring our communities together in a Christ centered unity, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

People can be so easily distracted and drawn in by so many things, people, idea's, music, and so many other things that delight the heart.  The same is true within the church, and many of them cause division within the church body as a whole.  The apostle Paul is dealing with division within the church at Corinth where the people are dividing themselves according to whom they came to know and believe in Christ Jesus, Paul, Apollos, John or whoever it might have been. Nothing has changed in almost two thousand years, people idolize the church they grew up in, were baptized in, or got saved in, and compare every other church to that church.  People refuse to gather in prayer because of doctrinal differences from denomination to denomination, all causing deep divisions among people who should rightly be united in Christ Jesus.  The church is a body of believers in Christ, not people separated by a building, a denomination, or an extra biblical belief, Christ is the Lord of all, and we should all be united in Him, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

We typically see rest as something we do when we take a break from our work, but God sees this rest as so much more than a break from work, it is a New way of living a New Life in Christ.  We do not need to strive for our salvation, it has already been paid for, we do not need to work day in and day out to gain what God freely gives.  When you enter into God's rest, you have entered into all He has for you as a Child of God.  For many will miss the rest the writer of Hebrews is explaining here the same way that those in Joshua's day missed it, through disobedience.  It truly comes down to what the Lord asks of us as followers of Him, Trust and Obey. When we do this, when we place our full and untainted trust in Him, we live that free life He has promised.  And when we obey His commandments as He has asked us to do, then we can live in a right relationship with Him as well.  Living the free, abundant life in Christ leads us into God's rest, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

God's promises are good for all eternity, although this was spoken by the prophet Zephaniah over 2600 years ago, to a people in deep trouble and in deep distress, it stands as true today as it did back then.  The Lord your God is in your midst, if you are a true follower of Christ Jesus, you are indwelt with the Holy Spirit of God, He resides within you, with you every moment.  The Lord is a mighty one to save, through the amazing grace of God you have been saved, and we can know there is nothing that will take us too far away for His love to reach us, He is mighty to save!  God rejoices over each of His children continually, you are His prized possession.  The Lord quiets you with His love and through His peace that is beyond all human understanding, Oh the peace of God.  And He will exult over you with loud singing, just as you raise your voice to bring exultation to Him in praise and worship.  This verse from old is such a great reminder of the everlasting promises of God to those who love Him, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

If you have spent any time in church listening to Scripture teaching, you have heard this verse.  This verse is from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that is filled with so much wisdom to live by as a Christ follower.  As we know our heart is the true center of our being, our heart is what drives us to be the person we are, good or bad.  God desires to have your heart, a heart beating for him, a heart devoted and committed to Him.  King David was described as a man after God's own heart, David had a heart that belonged to the Lord.  Here Jesus says  'where your treasure is, there your heart will be also', the things you treasure in your heart, the desires of your heart, the dreams in your heart, that is the place your heart truly dwells.  If your heart is seeking worldly desires, riches, fame, sex, drugs and rock and roll, then you have no place in your heart for God.  God wants you to seek Him with all your heart, to love Him with all your heart, and to know Him with all your heart, God wants your heart in its entirety.  The desires of your heart determine the direction of your heart, what you treasure in your heart is what you will seek after.  Devote your heart to Jesus, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Pride, the sin of Satan!  Humility, the way of God.  We cannot truly have a reverent fear of the Lord if we are filled with pride and arrogance, for pride says I am more important than God, it is all about me.  The Lord desires that we put Him first in our life, that we stay focused upon Him, His greatness, and His love for us.  We have been created in the image of God, created by God for God, we were not an accident that was created in some Big Bang, that is plain foolishness and ignorance at its best.  God created you in His image so that you could have a relationship with Him, to rely upon Him, to lean on Him, to learn from Him.  And when we have that reverent fear of God and we serve Him with the utmost humility, as the proverb tells us, God honors us, provides for us and gives us an abundant life in Him.  Pride separates us from God, it is self centered living.  Humility unites us with God, it is reverent living in Him, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Are you living with intentionality?  Do you live each day as though the Lord Jesus could come back at any time?  Are you ready for His return?  These are questions that every true believer should be able to answer in an expectant manner.  It can be so easy to get caught up in the everyday tasks of our life, busy with work, school, children, Grandchildren, and so much other stuff that we allow our focus on the Lord to fade into the background of our busy life.  The Word of God tells us to look up for our redemption is near, to be ready for His return at any moment for none of us know when it will happen.  For almost two thousand years people have been predicting the return of Jesus, some by simply guessing a date, and others by making wildly fantastic, extraordinary predictions of when and how He will return.  They were all wrong, for no one knows.  That is why we are told to be ready because no one knows the hour or the day, it could be today, tomorrow, or even one hundred years from now, Be Ready!  Live your life with intentionality, prepared for the Lord's return to happen at any moment, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

When living your life your way is most important to you, you have no room for Jesus.  We are told in the Word of God that we must be Born Again, and that it is a process of true metamorphosis of the old person into the New Life in Christ.  The old life and the old way of living is gone, you have become a new creation in Christ and this changes your perspective on life completely.  When the Lord Jesus comes into your life, He does a miracle on you and in you, the desire to be that old person dissipates, it is gone, you no longer have those old desires, the new has come.  Here Jesus tells those who have ears to hear, whoever would save his life, that meaning continue to live the old way, not surrendering to the ways of Christ, that person will lose his life.  But the person who surrenders his life, gives up his life for the Lord Jesus and lives a life dedicated to Him, he will save his life.  Truly the reality of this is quite simple, the one who is truly saved is changed into a Christlike creation, the one who only says they are saved but never changes, is lost and will lose their life.  No conviction, no conversion ~ no change, no salvation, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Being youthful has its moments, when you just feel like you are too young to do anything, people shun your youth, shy away from your inexperience, and fear your immaturity, never giving you a chance to prove you can handle the task. But even when you are older, then people look at your advanced age and think oh, they are too old for this job, they will just not be able to handle the stress of this position, yet neither of these are really accurate. As the Apostle Paul tells his young protege Timothy, never let people treat you poorly due to your youth, you can do the job that is required of you. But in every aspect you must show them you are up to the task, show other believers that you are mature in the way you talk, in the way you handle yourself, your actions, and in love, faith and purity, of which all of these are of great importance. No matter your age, the way you carry yourself shows who you truly are, your words, the way you speak them, your attitude toward others, are you loving and caring. As well as your spiritual life, are you a true person of faith, are you real. And do you live a chaste life, living the pure life the Lord has commanded you to do. In reality, age doesn't matter, but the person within the body, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

This verse from Psalm 103 by itself is powerful and a great reminder for all who love God.  We are human and we do tend to forget, we allow ourselves to get busy, distracted, maybe even depressed at times and we move God out of first place in our lives.  But when we look at what the Psalmist wrote following this reminder it gives us a much better perspective of how much our soul must be blessing the Lord every moment of every day.  The Lord forgives our sinfulness, and He paid a great price in doing that, dying on a brutal Roman cross to pay my sin debt.  He is the great physician, healing my diseases, illnesses, broken bones and broken hearts.  When life gets hard, when I am walking through the darkest valley, He walks with me, He is always there to walk me right out of that valley.  The Lord covers us in His steadfast love, pours out mercy upon us everyday, and because of His amazing grace we are saved through faith.  Bless the Lord O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.  God is good all the time, Bless the Lord O my soul, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Jesus often used those things that were familiar to the people when He spoke to them, here using the vine, grapes were very prominent in those days and still are.  Most knew well the relationship between the vine and the branches, and the well known fact that a branch disconnected or cut from the vine would die off.  So Jesus uses the relationship between the branch and the vine to show how our relationship must be, abiding.  Abide in me as I abide in you, in other words, as the Holy Spirit of God resides in each believer, we too are to be in Him, well connected, in constant prayer, walking daily by the Savior's side, hand in hand, fully trusting and leaning in His understanding.  As Jesus continues, He says the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, only if it abides in the vine.  And neither can you bear fruit apart from the Lord Jesus, on your own, apart from Him, walking at a distance, pretending to be in Christ will not work and you will pay the ultimate price.  It is all in the relationship we have with the Lord Jesus, simply saying you have a relationship with Him is not enough, there must be evidence, fruit must be growing on the branch that is connected to the vine.  Jesus says abide in me, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

Throughout Scripture we are given ways in which we can show our relationship with the Lord, the apostle Paul says that ought not think more highly of ourselves, that we should put others first, never trying to one up another, be a servant, and here the writers of the letter to the Hebrews states that we should not neglect to do good and share what you have with others.  When we do these things and live our lives this way, our personal sacrifice is pleasing to God.  God looks upon our kindness and compassion toward others as real worship of Him, He sees this as your way of praising Him by showing His love to other people.  
       Think about how the Lord Jesus lived His life while on earth, He did not demand things His way, He was not the first in line for food, He did not even have His own home to lay His head.  The Lord teaches us to be self sacrificing, giving to others first, being generous, and if we wait to eat and nothing is left, that is OK.  Let us never neglect to do good for others, showing the Love of Christ to those around us, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

In context the apostle Paul is writing to the church at Corinth about a specific issue, what they eat and drink, how it affects them and others.   But we can take this lesson from the Apostle and apply it to our daily lives, whatever you do, from the time you get out of bed in the morning, to the time you lay your head down on the pillow at night to return to slumber, do it all to the glory of God.  And if we think about it for a moment, how we carry ourselves in the grocery store, at a mall, in a park, wherever we might be, people see us, they see how we react to certain situations, the words that come out of our mouths, our attitude, are we kind or are we rude and nasty?  As Christians, we represent God in every aspect of our lives, even when we are alone.  Our lives matter, they matter to God, and they matter to those around us, therefore we should always be cognizant of how we are glorifying God in our daily lives.  Let your light shine bright, bring glory to God, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

The Apostle Paul gives some of the best guidance a person can have and use, do not be conformed to this world.  Unfortunately the world we must live in is a hostile place, a polluted environment, filled with debauchery and wickedness, truly a place that has little or no use for God.  We must be diligent to ensure that our mind, our thoughts, our daily habits are not driven by the influences of the world in which we live, and Paul gives us the method of doing just that.  But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, take care as to what lands in your mind, what thoughts fill your head, what you see, and what you hear, they all are fighting for your attention.  By renewing your mind daily, you will then be able to discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  The best way to do this is by being in the Word of God every day, meditating upon what God says is good and letting that transform your mind and your thinking.  Cleanse you mind with God's word, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
702-219-0145

If you could ask one thing of the Lord and you knew it would be granted, immediately, what would your request be?  As David writes this Psalm, he pours out his heart toward the Lord, his salvation, his protection, his confidence, and then says there is one thing I have asked of the Lord, that one thing that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.  David had placed all his faith and trust in God, David was dependent upon God, David leaned on God's understanding not his own, and he walked by faith not by sight.  The request that David makes here shows his heart for God, to dwell with the Lord all the days of his life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.  God is the center of David's life, God is everything to him.  Where is God in your life, is He the center of your life, or an afterthought, a once in a while need?  Do you spend quality time with the Lord every day, in prayer constantly, in reading His word, in meditation upon His precepts?  Relationships are built on trust and faithfulness... How is your relationship with Jesus?  Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

What is the Sabbath?  God says that it is a day of rest, a day made for man to take advantage of some time, relaxing and spending time with Him.  Sounds pretty simple, right?  Well, not so fast, man took this day of rest with the Lord and added enough rules to it to gag a maggot, truly making it a day of restraint and regulation.  But Jesus made a very profound statement in regard to the Sabbath, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath", meaning God put this day there as a day for man to take it easy and relax, God never put any stipulations on how man was to honor the Sabbath, but to simply rest as He did after creating the world and all that is in it.  For some people a day of rest might be a hike in the woods, a day spent sitting on the beach, for some it might be watching TV or movies all day, and for others doing absolutely nothing.  Truly the idea is for us to rest with the Lord, spend time with Him while rejuvenating our bodies.  In reality, the Sabbath is much more beautiful in God's economy than in man's, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

The apostle Paul's message to the church at Corinth was really simple, be encouraged, do not lose heart, do not allow the course of this life to get you down.  As time goes by our bodies change, we grow from a helpless baby, to a toddler, a child, a teenager, young adult, and life goes on, we age and the older you get the chances of bodily issues rises.  We are kind of like a car engine, they do not break in they break out, they wear out, our bodies eventually wear out and quit working, it is natural.  But, in that time prayerfully our spirit increases, we mature in our faith, as Pauls puts it our inner self is renewed each day.   As our bodies change in appearance, as the aging process takes hold and gravity has its way, there is a magnificent change that takes place within us as well, our faith in Christ grows, we mature Spiritually, we grow closer to the Lord as our appointed time to be with him grows closer.  Be lifted up today, knowing that your faith will make you well, that God has you right where He wants you, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

God speaks through the Prophet Isaiah to a people who are now living in a very bad place, they have been taken away from their home, they are now in exile in Babylon.  But God does not desire that His people live in the darkness of the past, is God telling you on this new day to stop dwelling on the darkness of your past and to seek Him and the Kingdom, to look forward not backward?  The Lord says stop remembering all the bad stuff, the former things, the past, forget it, for I, your God is doing a new thing, I want you to be a New Life in Christ Jesus.  If you will trust me, place all your faith in me, I will make a way, for I am the way maker, I will make a way in the wilderness, in your dry desert, in your broken life, trust me, follow me.  If we will stop leaning on our past as a crutch to remain the old self, and look to the Lord, things will change, we can be different.  But if we persist in hanging on to the bad of our past, refusing to let go, refusing to trust Jesus to lead our life, we are destined for a bad place, for we hang on to the former things in a lack of faith and lack of trust, truly in unbelief.  Today must be the day you say no more, I will no longer remember the former things, I am moving forward with the Lord, I am a New Life in Christ, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

Light and darkness, they represent complete and totally opposite realms within our world.  Light represents good, righteousness, Godliness, Christ is the light of the world, He brought light into this dark world.  And then there is darkness, darkness represents sin, wickedness, evil, darkness covers up the sins of this world, Satan is the prince of this world of darkness, he brought sin into this world and rules over it for a time.  Jesus is the giver of life, and He fills each life of the believer with light and therefore makes them the light of the world along with him.  The light of Christ is bright, it is steady and the darkness of the evil one has not and cannot overcome it.  Light will alway dominate darkness, light a match and darkness dissipates, turn on a light in a room and darkness is gone, the sun comes up in the morning and it is no longer dark.  When Jesus died on that cross on Calvary He was placed in a sealed dark tomb, dark with death.  But that darkness was only temporary, the darkness could not hold Him, He rose with the light of day, and He shines bright every day since and into eternity.  As we go into eternity, there will be no sun in the sky, for Christ will light the new Heavens and the new earth, there will be no darkness, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

In this portion of the Apostle Paul's letter to the church at Corinth, his second letter that we have to read, Paul gives us a number of traits and signs that show a person is in Christ Jesus.  We have died with Christ, we no longer live for the flesh as we once did,and we are known to God, therefore...  If anyone is in Christ, in a relationship with the Savior of the world, he is a new creation.  Salvation changes a person, even the most vile wretch will become a loving, caring, New Life in Christ.  There is no way a person can be Born Again and remain the same old nasty person they were before, the old person is gone, dead, passed away, and the New Life, the changed life lives.  The Lord Jesus makes this point as well when He says 'you will know them by their fruit', it will be obvious they are a New Life in Christ.  If the tree bears no fruit, it's a bad tree.  If a person exhibits no change in their life, then something is awry.  When Jesus becomes the Lord of your life, your walk changes, your talk changes, your attitude changes, it is no longer you that lives, but Christ in you, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

As Solomon has now completed the Temple, and the building has been dedicated, this is the last sentence of his benediction to dedicate the Temple.  And it was a true reminder to the people then, that God is alway faithful, and we are to remain faithful to Him in every way all the time, to be wholly true to our God.  How we follow God is a very critical point as to our relationship we have with Him.  Solomon tells the people you must be committed to our God, walking daily in His statutes, keeping His commandments, as you are doing this day.  You and I are asked by the Lord to do the same things, we are to walk by faith, daily committed to His word, in prayer, in community with other believers, growing and maturing in our faith.  So, as we get ready to start a New Year, let each one of us rededicate the Temple of the Holy Spirit to be wholly committed to the Lord in every way He desires, walking with Him daily, spending time in His word daily, in prayer with our Lord every day all day long, and establishing relationships within the church family, meeting new people, and making it a point to attend a bible study we have not attended.  Let's go all in for the Lord, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

The apostle Paul is talking to the church at Corinth about the proper way to give to God, yes he is talking about giving of your time, talents and treasure.  Paul makes a point here that you cannot out give God, if you give with a willing, loving, generous heart, God will see that you reap a bounty.  We have all heard people tell of how God has done this, they gave when they didn't have the means to give, it just seemed as though they were being irresponsible, it just did not make sense at all, but God did do exactly what He promised, they not only had enough, they had more.  I have seen this repeatedly over the years, giving faithfully, generously, giving with the right heart not begrudgingly, and God has always ensured we have enough and more.  No matter what you are doing, if you do it with the right heart, a generous heart, God will indeed see that you reap generously as well.  Paul says if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly, be it seeds, money or anything else you do, God is good all the time, God loves a cheerful giver, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

This verse that Paul penned in his letter to the church in Rome is one of the best evangelistic verses in all of Scripture, it is simple and to the point.  Over the past almost two thousand years there have been many people who have studied God's Word, written about His word, and taught His word, and many of them have missed the simplicity of the Good News.  Nowhere in the Bible does it say you need to be a good person to be saved, nowhere in the Bible does it say you have to earn your salvation, or doing anything to obtain a New Life in Christ other than what it says here.  You must confess with your mouth, speak the words showing that you truly do hold Christ Jesus in the Highest place within you heart, Lord.  And you must believe that God raised Him from the dead, this shows your faith in Him, knowing that Christ is resurrected from the dead and lives to this day.  Both of these actions on your part prove your faith to the Lord, for only He knows your true heart.  So today, if you do hold Christ as Savior, as Lord, confess it with your mouth, and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, and be Born Again, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

The apostle gives us some words of encouragement here as he deals with the impact the world and the wickedness therein has upon us as believers.  There are wicked and evil people all around, they are just like what the Prophet Micah wrote in Micah 2:1 "Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds"  But we know that God is faithful, He never leaves us to fend for ourselves, He is always with us, He knows the darkness that pervades this world and He knows the battle we go through on a daily basis.  Jesus defeated the devil at his own game, but Satan is still the prince of this world and will be until the fullness of time comes when the Lord comes and takes him down.  But you can walk through this world knowing Jesus overcame this world and so will you, stand firm in the faith as you walk in it, the Lord is with you every step of the way, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

Merry Christmas Church family, may the Joy of the Lord fill your hearts and overflow with the Love of God.
A savior is born, the prophecy of a coming Messiah had been told for years, many years before it actually occurred.  Isaiah spoke this prophecy in the darkest times in Israel's short history, exile to Assyria and Babylon.  But there was some very Good News to be had, Mary is told that she is the chosen one of Israel to bring this child into the world, Mary you will conceive and bear a son, the Son of the Most High God.  And He will take the throne of his father David, and His kingdom will have no end, it is eternal, He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's, there is none like.  All of this is the culmination of God's amazing plan to reconcile man back into an intimate relationship with Himself, and it all started with the birth of a baby in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem over two thousand years ago.  As you celebrate this day, ponder the unfathomable depths of the love of God for bringing a Savior so that you could be saved, the pain that it caused God to see His son pay your sin debt, but the Joy it brings Him every time a sinner repents.  Jesus is the Only Reason for this Season, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

The Christ child has been born in a stable in Bethlehem, Mary's first born child, a boy named Jesus.  There is no fanfare, no crowd gathered to welcome the newborn King, but an Angel of the Lord has come down from Heaven to give this Good News to shepherds in a field outside the little town of Bethlehem, and he tells them, I have Good tidings that will bring  great Joy.  And then the Angel says to those shepherds, For unto you a child is born, this day, in the City of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord!  This is truly more than Good News, this is a promise fulfilled by God, He has sent the promised one, the Messiah to His people.  And this is just the beginning of this most important act of God, the birth of this baby boy leads directly to Jerusalem, to a Triumphal entry into that great city, a lamb being led to slaughter for the salvation of His people, culminating with His death on a cross and His resurrection from the dead, defeating sin, defeating death, defeating Satan, and bringing eternal life to all who would believe in Him.  
       That is the Christmas Story, a baby born to save His people, a Savior... Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

The birth announcement of the most important person to ever walk the face of the earth!  It was not printed on special paper, it was not engraved with gold, it was not announced on the nightly news... No, it was taken to the most lowly of people on earth, shepherds tending their flocks in a field outside of Bethlehem.  God does things in His way, without regard to what is normal or acceptable to humans, God does it His way.  God brings the Good News to these men by night in a field, the night is lit up like daytime with the appearance of an Angel of the Lord, and fear sets in.  This night would be forever remembered by these men, it was like nothing they had ever seen or experienced.  fear not men, I bring you Good News, an announcement of great Joy, and this news is for all people, it is for the world!  
       If we look at the ministry of the Lord Jesus, we can see exactly why God did this, the rich, the well to do, the Religious Leaders, very few of them believed, they fully rejected the Messiah, and they led Him to His death.  This news was taken to people who would believe, who would hear the news and use it.  Jesus is the Good News at Christmas and every day of the year, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

In reading of the birth of the promised Messiah over and over, year after year, I believe God is showing all of us that just because things do not work out as we have planned them, they still work out for the best.  We can be sure that Mary and Joseph did not plan on this baby being born in a stable, they surely never imagined it would happen like this.  They were in a strange town, a small town at that, there were most likely many people there, more than this small could possibly accommodate, and therefore it was a difficult situation.  But God, God had a plan all along, God was not surprised by how this child would be born into the world, this was all part of God's greater plan.  Prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus being born in Bethlehem, just one of many that Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection fulfilled.  
     We as People have a tendency to doubt what we do not understand, discount what seems impossible, and scoff at the absurd... But God doesn't always use the normal, the usual, or the mundane, God does what God does, even when we see it as unbelievable.  Nothing is impossible with God, Jesus Saves!  

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

A great deal has transpired in this young girls life in the last couple of months. An Angel appeared to her, he tells her she is the chosen one of God to be that virgin girl to deliver the Messiah into the world, and now she is with her cousin who is elderly expecting a child of her own... That is a lot to process.  But rather than sitting back overwhelmed, anxious, and retreating from life, she writes down her thoughts of all that has happened and her thoughts are truly praises of the God who has brought all of this about.  Mary says that her soul magnifies the Lord, her heart is filled with the Lord's Joy, Peace, Hope and Love, Mary is completely and totally content with her situation, God's situation for her.  Then she continues with more praise of the Lord, My Spirit rejoices in God my Savior.  Think about that statement, Mary, in a few short months will be delivering the One who will deliver her from her sin, the one who will save her, the child she will deliver in time will deliver her.  Every part of the Christmas narrative is filled with so much hope in Christ, it shows us how we can be at peace even when our circumstances might not be ideal, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

What a beautiful scene, two women miraculously blessed of God, one an elderly woman who was barren is now pregnant, in her sixth month, and the other a young virgin pregnant with the Son of God, both women blessed beyond measure.  And Mary's cousin Elizabeth takes note of the tremendous faith of young Mary, that even though this proclamation from the Angel from Heaven was far out of reality, she believed she trusted God to what was promised.   God has a perfect track record when it comes to fulfilling His promises, He has never reneged on even one, God does what He says He will do.  Oftentimes people lack faith and trust in God because it just seems beyond belief, they cannot see it, it is beyond their own reality.  But God does the impossible, and we must believe He still does the impossible, we need only believe.  Jesus said if you have the faith of a mustard seed you can move mountains... Think about that for a moment, faith the size of the smallest seed, can move mountains 10,000 feet tall!  Remember, the Holy Spirit that resides in you as a believer, is the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, live like you are filled with the Power of God the Holy Spirit, believe like He is guiding your life, trust Him do what He says He will do, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

The young Jewish girl Mary, the chosen virgin of Prophecy, told about for hundreds of years has been told of her upcoming pregnancy by the angel Gabiel.  But Mary says to him, how can this be, I have never been with a man?  And Gabriel explains it to her in this way, and an amazing, miraculous way it is indeed.  The Holy Spirit of God, let us never forget that the Holy Spirit is God, not an angel, not an it, but He is God!  The Holy Spirit of God will come upon you, (Think Genesis 1:2), and the power of the Most High, that being the very power of God, will overshadow you, the Lord Himself is coming to be with you, literally.  And you will at that moment, you will be with child, the very Son of God, the child of the Most High.  Now this is one of the most amazing narratives we read in God's word, it is the miracle of miracles, it is the greatest of interactions between God and a human being.  Young Mary is told exactly how the process of becoming pregnant with the Son of God will happen, it is truly unbelievable.  For man this is impossible, but for God?  Nothing is impossible with God, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, take a good look at the life and death of the Son of God on earth, all the pain and suffering He endured as He walked day by day toward that brutal cross on Calvary.  Jesus met the same temptations you and I meet, He dealt with hateful, mean, indignant people, He was accused of things He never did, He was taken and crucified for crimes He never committed, but He did all of that for the world, to bring salvation to this world.  Today, whatever might be going on in your life, good or bad, look to Jesus, the one who created and perfected your faith, and with joy in His heart endured the shame, the hate, the pain and the humiliation of the cross to save you from sin and death.  But Jesus did not stop at dying for the sins of the world, He rose from the dead, defeating death, sin and the evil one, and He is now seated in Victory at the right hand of God the Father.  Look to Jesus, lean on Jesus, trust in Jesus. Know He is the answer to all your problems in this life, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

This verse in the opening thoughts of chapter four of the Apostle Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus is part of a bigger thought.  We need to read the verses before and after to get the complete message that Paul is delivering.  He says that we are to walk in a manner worthy of our calling, and to do that we must walk in humility, with all gentleness, and with patience, always bearing with one another in love.  As well we must maintain a unity with each other in the spirit of the bond of peace, unity in Christ is essential.  We have all been called by God, set apart for His good purpose, we therefore must walk in a worthy manner, we must represent Christ in a way that shows we are children of the most high.  Humility is the one part of this that truly drives the rest of how we live among others, thinking more of them and less of ourselves.  And we should be gentle and loving always, this is the life of Christ, treating others with respect and dignity.  And of course we need to be patient with others, this one can be a challenge when dealing with people who are difficult, but it is not impossible at all, we need to be walking in faith and by faith in the Spirit as we walk through this world, walking worthy of our calling, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

You are a Child of God!  The moment you are saved by Grace through Faith, you become a Child of God, adopted into the family of God, you are an heir.  You are no longer that old self, you are no longer anything that people might say defines you, you are a New Life in Christ Jesus.  In the movie The Overcomer, a man in the hospital dying asks the man visiting him, who are you?  His response is, I'm a football coach, a teacher, a father....  And the man interrupts him, and says, no who are you?  The answer to that question from a believer is, I am a Child of God!  We cannot allow anything to define us, to define who we are in Christ Jesus, He defines who we are, and right here in the book of John, Jesus says, when you come to me in faith, you are in, you are a Child of God.  Never allow your past, your failures, your family, your poor decisions, whatever it might be, never allow that to define who you are, never!  You are born again, into the family of God, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

The faith you have was given to you through the word of God, all salvation comes from the Holy Scriptures.  Whether you heard a message from a Pastor, had another Christian evangelize to you, or you read the message on your own, the faith you have originated from God's own word.  Today we wonder if there are any people left who have not heard the good news, and I would say there might be many who have never truly heard the authentic good news of Christ Jesus.  In today's electronic age it seems hard to believe that not everyone has heard, but we must understand not all people have ears to hear, nor do they even allow the good news to come near them.  What we listen to, what we allow to enter our ears affects us, it molds us and it determines what we believe.  So, if hearing the word of God brings you to faith, then hearing the opposite does much damage to the soul of a person.  We can therefore say with certainty that the Word of God does indeed transform a person and draws them out of the world and into the arms of Christ Jesus.  Get into the word and let the word get into you, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

Time is of the essence. We live in a world where everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere, and there are so many people who are going as fast as they can and have no idea why they are in a hurry.  But much of life requires us to be patient, to wait, for the time is not right just yet, the fruit is not ripe, there needs to be a cure time, whatever it might be.  James uses the example of a farmer being patient for the crops he has planted, to ripen, to get all the time in the ground they need to become good mature fruit.  Our life as a follower of Jesus is like that, we must be patient in our suffering, patient in our discipling, and patient in waiting for the Lord's return, all things happen in their time, they cannot be rushed.  
     Have you ever needed to complete a project and it required to be painted, and you rushed to get it painted and then rushed to put it into use, and the paint was not dry yet, but you did it anyway?  The result is often not good, the paint was not dry, not sured, and it ended up not looking as it should have.  Likewise, we must be patient, establishing our hearts in the Lord, being ready for His return at any moment.  Look up for your redemption is near, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

Love, here in his epistle the apostle John talks a great deal about love, God's love and how the love of God affects believers.  The majority of this chapter is about the love of God for God is love.  John tells us that we love because He first loved us, and so we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.  And it is that love that came into our lives and changed us, redeemed us, justified us and saved us from sure death and destruction.  And the one who abides in the love of God, abides in God, and therefore God abides in them.  For God so loved the world He sent His only son into the world to save the world, that is real love, pure love, unselfish love, never ending love, the love of God.  Knowing God is knowing the love of God and living out the love of God every day as God resides within you filling you with His love, His joy, and His peace.  We love because He first loved us, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

When Jesus spoke to the crowds, to His disciples, He always made it relevant to their life and their times.  Sheep and shepherds were a very prominent part of everyone's life in those days, and most all people were well aware of the job a shepherd held.  One shepherd was responsible for many sheep, to gather them, to lead them to fields of green grass for food, to lead them beside still waters, and to protect them at night from anything that might come against them.  That is exactly what the Lord does for us, and it is a perfect picture of what He did for the Hebrews as He led them out of bondage in Egypt.  The Good Shepherd, He gathers wayward people who are much like sheep and He draws them to Himself for salvation, nurturing their souls, redeeming them and bringing them to a place of true repentance in Him.  Then over a lifetime on earth He guides their lives as they place their full and complete trust in Him.  The life of a believer is very much like that of a tender sheep who needs the love and protection of a Good Shepherd, they are vulnerable, trusting, obedient at times, and fully reliant upon the Lord as their Good Shepherd, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

The Superscription, or title of this Psalm truly says it all about what is written here within, Revive Us Again.  The psalm speaks of deliverance, forgiveness, mercy and grace, all coming from God.  As we read of the failings of the Hebrews in their journey out of Egypt, it should be a great reminder that you and I are no different, we fail in the same ways over and over again just as they did.  But God, God forgives the iniquities or sins of His people.  God is love and He shows us that through His long suffering, His ability to forgive us our sins, to continue to pour out mercy upon those who do not deserve it, and to give overflowing grace.  God, you forgave the iniquities of your people, you covered all their sin.  But God took it even further, God sent His only Son to die for the iniquities of the world, He died a brutal death, a horrible death to bring forgiveness of sin to anyone who would believe in Him.  But He went further, He rose from the dead to bring eternal life to all who believe as well.  If that isn't love, there is no love.  Know this, God loves you and He desires that you live with Him for all eternity in Heaven, call out to Jesus, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292

A verse of great hope from the Prophet Isaiah.  Much of what the Prophets of old said to the people was messages directly from God that the people did not want to hear.  But this message from the Prophet would have perked up their ears, this was a fulfillment of God's promise to send the Messiah, this is a sign from the Lord Himself.  But then when you read of this sign, this miracle, that a virgin would give birth to a son... Did the people in those days doubt it like the people of Jesus day?  But, nonetheless, God says this is how it would happen, and we know that this is exactly how it did happen, the virgin Mary did give birth to a son, the Son of God, and His name was Immanuel, meaning God with us!  Jesus came to live on earth through this virgin birth and lived among men, and died to forgive the sins of the world, to bring salvation to a lost and dying world.  This is what Christmas is all about, Jesus, Savior, Messiah, coming to save His people.  We can know that Immanuel, God is with us, in us and for us, Jesus Saves!

Pastor Roy
(928) 768-9292