I have found this principle to be true of other areas of my life as well. It seems that it takes considerable effort and determination to cultivate habits into my life that are physically and spiritually beneficial for growth and maturity. On the other hand, bad habits that inhibit healthy development in my life seem to appear overnight, like the weeds in my garden without any conscious effort on my part, and if left unattended become quite a project to remove especially when one begins to go after the root of the problem. To often, in my experience, I have attempted to hide or remove the visible evidence of the habit – akin to tearing the top growth off of a weed – leaving the root to continue to grow deeper ultimately resulting in the habit reappearing in a short while ever more deeply entrenched. The more often this pattern is repeated the more deeply the roots entangle themselves into other areas of our lives, and the more complex and painful the project of removal becomes. The deeper we let the roots go, the more likely it will also be that some of the beneficial plants surrounding the weed will be harmed when it is removed. At this point one might think that it would be better to leave the weed there in order not to harm the surrounding plants, but what we often do not realize is that these plants are already being harmed as the root of the weed is sucking up valuable resources in the soil that the garden plants need in order to flourish.

The Bible speaks quite clearly about planting and harvesting, often using this metaphor to describe how the Kingdom of God functions. The principle being that both in this life and the next we will harvest what we plant. It is a principle that is true of our physical world… it is a principle that is true of the spiritual realm. It would seem that there is also a principle evident that all we have to do for weeds to flourish and abound in the garden of our lives is…nothing. If we do nothing intentional with the garden, the weeds take over. Similarly, if we do nothing intentional with our lives, the “weeds” will take over to where at the end we will harvest nothing of value. This can also be true of us corporately as a church… if we do not go about the work of the Kingdom of God planting the good seed of His word with intentionality, we will find weeds sprouting up that – while they may make the garden look green from a distance – will amount to little of values when it comes time to harvest.

As we observe the growth of spring turning into summer this year, may I encourage us to take a close look at the garden of our lives and invest some time and effort into planting the seed of God’s word into our hearts and habits, while we root out those weeds in our lives which are sucking up our time, talent and treasure thus limiting the growth of the good plants we are attempting to nurture. Happy gardening!

Blessings,

Pastor Peter

I wonder at times if we really grasp the immensity of the implications of Jesus resurrection. Imagine for a moment what it must have been like for those who were close to Him to have seen Him die. How shockingly unbelievable it must have been to see Jesus taken into custody under false accusations, and then to witness the crowd condemn Him to crucifixion and demand the release of Barabbas in His place!

Imagine the emotions one would experience if a close personal friend of yours, whom you knew to be innocent, was falsely accused, convicted and then executed. The sorrow, the rage, the confusion would be difficult to manage, then a few days later you begin to hear rumors that your friend has been seen alive! These testimonies are coming from friends and acquaintances you had previously assumed were rational people! Nothing is making any sense. You think back to just a week earlier when your now deceased friend had seemed to be the most popular person in the community – now he is gone… or is he? Then as these thoughts are coursing through your mind, you realize that He is suddenly in the room with you! This is unbelievable! He really is alive?! Or is this some apparition of your mind? How can this be? What does it mean?

The resurrection of Jesus and His subsequent appearance to over five hundred witnesses in the days that followed is undoubtedly the most significant event in human history. This event changed the course of history and continues to influence the affairs of humanity to this day. I can think of no other person or event in history has influenced the world to this degree.

The reason this event is so significant is that the resurrection of Jesus is the difference between life and death for every human being who ever has or ever will walk this earth. It is the resurrection of Jesus that sets us free from the penalty of death that we deserve. The fact that God raised Jesus from the dead verifies that Jesus sacrifice for our sins, once for all, paid in full the penalty that we deserved, setting us free to experience the freedom of eternal life in Him. This is not just Easter Sunday! This is the celebration of God’s free gift of eternal life to us!  If you have not yet opened that gift to experience it for yourself, I would encourage you to set aside your pride and look into the wonderful free gift of life that God is offering you through the resurrection of His Son.

Happy Easter!

Pastor Peter Enns

As I write this article a young Christian pastor named Youcef Nadarkhani sits in an Iranian prison having been condemned to death under Shariah Law for becoming a Christian. At this point, while it does not appear that his sentence will be overturned, we continue to pray that somehow God will intervene so that He can be restored to his family and his church. The reason I draw your attention to this young man is not only to solicit your prayer on his behalf, but also to challenge all of us here in America who call ourselves “Christian”.

Most of the more recent polls I have encountered which have asked people in America to qualify themselves as “Christian” appear to indicate that the majority of Americans would confidently answer “yes” to that question. I suspect that if a poll was taken of our local Rushford area there would be a similar response. The freedom we have in this country to follow our conscience in matters of faith and to freely speak about our beliefs is a precious commodity which we often take for granted. Imagine for a moment what it might be like to live in a nation like Iran where being a Christian is highly unpopular, and where speaking publically about your faith is considered a crime punishable by imprisonment or even death. I wonder if the numbers in the polls would be different if this were the case in America.

Perhaps you are reading and wondering why this young Iranian pastor would not just say the words that the officials there want to hear, pretend to recant of his Christian faith, and gain his freedom.  Surely God would understand. Surely a person could be forgiven for denying Christ as the Apostle Peter was after Jesus death and resurrection. Why would a young man with a family and a promising future throw it all away over a couple of words? Perhaps this has something to do with a few other words that Jesus speaks in Matthew 10:32-33 where he says to his followers: ““Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”  These words have often haunted me as I think of times when I have not been courageous enough to speak or act on behalf of my faith even just in the face of an awkward situation with family or friends. While I believe there is forgiveness for those who like Jesus disciple Peter denied Him in a moment of weakness, I am also very aware of countless thousands of Christian martyrs who in the past two millenniums has stood firm and given their lives rather than deny Christ.

As “Christians” we have a mandate to follow Jesus. Jesus did not turn back from His mission to suffer and die on the cross just because it was going to be difficult. Scripture does record how He agonized over this decision in the garden the night he was betrayed, and I would suspect Pastor Youcef has, and continues to agonize over his decision to remain faithful as he waits in his prison cell. As followers of Jesus we are continuously faced with decisions that in light of eternity may well be life or death decisions. We are daily challenged with choices to either walk in obedience or disobedience to Jesus call to follow Him. We are daily challenged to lay “our” life down for the sake of those we have been called to serve in our homes, at our jobs, and in our community. As Christians we are called to give up what we “love” in exchange for Someone (Christ) that we “love more”.

Perhaps the best way to determine whether or not we truly are following Jesus when we call ourselves “Christian” might be to ask ourselves this. “If I were arrested for being a Christian today, and tried in a court of law… would there be enough evidence to convict me?” Sadly, I suspect that many of us would be acquitted for lack of evidence. Friends, if we are calling ourselves Christians, let us live our lives in such a manner that there is no question in the minds of those around us as to Who it is we are following.

Blessings,

Pastor Peter Enns

The idea of ascribing a monetary value on the life of any person is something we typically would categorize as criminal in contemporary western civilization. After all, the slave trade has been abolished… or has it? While it is true that we no longer see people being sold like cattle in the public square, and that I can’t think of any person that I know who would even consider selling one or more of their own children at a slave market, there may be some subtle socially justifiable ways in which we trade our families away for things that ultimately are much less valuable.

There is no doubt in my mind that the traditional family is under spiritual and social attack in nearly every segment of our society. I recently read that statistical studies that have been done in the United States seem to indicate that since about the early to mid 1990’s non-traditional families have begun to outnumber traditional families headed by a father and mother who are married to each other. This trend appears to be continuing, and we now are hearing and reading reports which are subtly attempting to redefine what a “normal” family is. The child growing up in the current decade that has does not have some kind of “step-relatives” is rapidly becoming the anomaly in our public and private schools.

While some would be quick to point fingers at various agencies which certainly have taken advantage of this trend, the real enemy has been around much longer, and is one that is at work within each and every person. Ever since God created the first family in the Garden of Eden, Satan has been on a mission to tear families apart, and he will attempt to use you to destroy your family if you do not arm yourself with God’s truth, which is the only effective defense against his deceitful schemes.

For some time now statistics have indicated that about 50% of marriages in the United States end in divorce. This number is apparently not significantly different for those who say they attend church regularly. There is, however, a significant difference for those couple who say they study their Bible and pray together every day. Apparently, couples who actually do this are quite rare as the statistics would indicate that only about 2% of these marriages end in divorce.

Dear friends, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for us to encourage one another to be reading and studying the Word – which is our only truly reliable source and standard of truth – on a consistent basis. As the moral fiber of our culture deteriorates this is rapidly becoming a matter of life and death for us. How foolish it would be for me to step into the cockpit of a commercial jet and expect to be able to fly it successfully without first going through at least some rudimentary training, yet for many of us, this is exactly how we go about attempting to live our lives and raise our families. The Bible has so much helpful truth to offer which can help us avoid costly and painful mistakes. Why would we not make it a PRIORITY to learn some of this?

For those of you who already are married, are planning to be married, or trying to stay married – I would encourage you to make plans to attend our Love & Respect Video conference at RRCC on February 10 & 11. It will involve a commitment of about six or seven hours of your time and cost you about $15 per couple to attend. If you have young children you will also need to find childcare for them. I would also encourage you to begin planning now to attend the three session class on biblical parenting that will be offered in March 2012 particularly if you have young children or teenagers. If you would like more information in regard to this class please contact our Family Ministries Director – Jeff Rasmussen or the church office.

Some of you will probably brush this off with the thought that the last thing you need is more commitments to make you life busier. While I may resemble that thought, I would encourage you to think again. These are opportunities to make an “investment” in your family. How much is your family worth to you? If you had to choose between giving up your family and giving up your job – which would you choose? If you were given a choice to decide between keeping your family and keeping your involvement in sports – which would you choose? While most of us would quickly answer that with “of course I would pick my family!” some of us may be unaware that the sellout has already begun.

Blessings,

Pastor Peter

As I see the year 2011 disappear in the rearview mirror I like to imagine the coming year like a newly blacktopped highway stretching out straight and smooth clear through the coming year. I use the word “imagine” because I have traveled enough “New Year” highways (as well as literal highways) to know that it would be unrealistic to expect to travel the entire trip without encountering some “variations” in the road along the way. Variations may be as unobtrusive as a few cracks in the pavement or minor road construction delays; however, if one travels long and far enough it is also likely that one may encounter more serious delays, such as dangerous weather conditions or perhaps even a serious crash. The reality of the future is that while we do our best to plan the trip, we do not know what really lies ahead, and while looking back at the road behind can at times be helpful in avoiding repeating mistakes, it also distracts our attention from focusing on what lies ahead.

It is with much gratitude to the faithfulness of the Lord that I glance back on the road we have traveled together as the RRCC family in 2011. The road was not without some delays and diversions and as I look ahead to 2012 I can only see to the next curve in the road, and until we navigate around that bend in the road we will not know what lies beyond it.

There are several ways to respond to this. The first is to refill the tank, check the tires and forge ahead as fast as possible; paying no heed to the caution signs or flagmen that may alert us to impending danger until we find ourselves upside down beside the road.  The opposite of that option is to allow the fear of what might lie around the next curve to cause us to stop all forward progress resulting in never reaching our desired destination.  Obviously the best option is to proceed forward at a safe speed, paying attention to the signs that have been posted to help us find the way safely. Even proceeding this way involves a certain amount of “faith” to continue forward until we see the next sign, or landmark that confirms that we are not only still moving, but that we are moving in the right direction.

As I contemplate the coming year I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:13-14; “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  We are called to “follow Jesus” – interestingly I don’t believe Jesus ever intended for Christianity to become a “religion”. He called people to follow Him to lead them out of what had become merely a religion. In the coming year I would challenge us to re-read the gospels and consider what Jesus really taught, and then compare that to how we are living, and how we “do church”. This might be a little unnerving for some of us, myself included, for whom the “religion” of Christianity as we understand it has become quite comfortable. My guess is that we will find that though following Jesus is rarely comfortable, and sometimes dangerous, it is the safest, most rewarding and fulfilling place we could ever be. So fill up the tank, check the tires, and fasten the seatbelt because only God knows what we are going to find around the next turn in 2012!

Blessings,

Pastor Peter

(by Peter Enns,  December 22,  2011)

T’was the day after Christmas, the gifts all unpacked,

Lay scattered about, like the house had been sacked,

The children all glued to their screens flashing blue,

Had ignored all the things mom had asked them to do.

I tapped my son’s shoulder to get his attention,

So we could discuss the terms of his detention,

“but dad” he objected, this mess is not mine,

“I’m quite certain it was someone else!” was his line.

And with that he returned to his flashing blue screen,

Where his fingers pushed buttons too fast to be seen.

I thought to myself “what is this we’ve produced?”

“In the way we do Christmas, seems we’ve been seduced”.

What happened to focus on Christ in the manger?

At His own birthday party He feels like a stranger?

It’s not that the gifts and the tinsel are evil,

It just seems we’ve lost Jesus in all the upheaval.

If Christmas is all about Jesus Christ’s birth,

I can’t help but wonder why so much of our mirth,

seems centered on Santa, and shopping like peasants

instead of on Jesus and His Holy presence.

As I cleaned up the boxes and scraps of bright paper

A thought crossed my mind in regard to this caper

If Jesus desires first place in my heart,

To give Him “myself” might just be a good start.

If you found this Christmas leaving you feeling empty – it’s not too late to ask Jesus to fill the vacancy!

May God Bless you throughout the New Year!

Pastor Peter Enns

In the Dr. Seuss story of the Grinch that stole Christmas, the Grinch eventually realizes that what he has done is a bad thing and he repents and returns the stolen goods and everyone lives “happily ever after”.  In real life this is not often the case.  In real life the Grinch that attempts to steal our Christmas is our spiritual enemy Satan, and he does not repent, and he does not play fair.  His obsession is our destruction and his tactics are relentless.

One of his most effectively deceptive ploys has been the way in which he has derailed the celebration Jesus during the Christmas season.  It may come as something of a surprise to some (as it did to me) to discover that many of the best loved traditions that we have adopted in connection with the birth of Jesus (and this is also true of Easter), really have their origins in the worship of pagan deities.

For instance, how did December 25^th come to be recognized as the day of Jesus birth?  There are a few clues in the Bible about the date of Jesus birth that may help to place it in an approximate season of the year; however, there is no evidence that leads to a specific date.  In fact, what scripture, combined with historical, cultural and geographical evidence does seem to indicate is that December 25^th would very likely NOT have been the date.

Most serious scholars who have researched this tend to place Jesus birth sometime in February based on primarily two clues that the Bible gives us.  First, it is highly unlikely that Caesar would have called a census in December, the coldest time of the year, unless it was his intent to make life unnecessarily difficult for the people of the empire.  Second, and probably more compelling, is that the shepherds to whom the angels appear, who in that area of the country would have been watching the temple flock, were in the fields “at night”.  While not conclusive, this leads us to believe that it would have been lambing season for the temple flock, which is the most compelling evidence pointing to a time in February which is known to be the time Passover lambs were born.

Seems to me it would be just like God as well, to have Jesus, who became our “Passover lamb” to be born during the time when the temple Passover lambs were being born.  Incidentally, there is also some significant evidence that Jesus death on the cross occurred in conjunction with the slaughter of the Passover lambs in the temple.

So, how then, did December 25^th become the day we celebrate Jesus birth?  For this we need to jump ahead in history to around 300 AD.  Until this time the followers of Jesus did not celebrate Jesus birth at all, rather, they celebrated His resurrection – EVERY SUNDAY!  It was at about this time that Emperor Constantine became converted to Christianity and declared that the Roman Empire would from here on be a “Christian” empire.  Prior to that declaration the pagan priests of the Roman pantheon of gods would celebrate several significant Roman festivals which now appeared to be unnecessary.  Many people in the empire, however, still wanted their festivals.  What to do?  One of the more significant ones was the celebration of the winter solstice on December 25^th.  In some places in the empire this was celebrated as the “festival of lights” which involved lighting up trees with lamps or candles… hmmm does that sound familiar?  And yes, you guessed it… that is where we get our Christmas tree tradition from… sorry, nothing really all that “Christian” about it, unless you choose to make it so.

Now, does that mean I think we all ought to ban Christmas trees from our homes?  I think that might be a bit of an over-reaction and actually play right into the plan of the real “Grinch” who would like nothing better than for us to abandon the whole idea of celebrating Christmas altogether.  I think a better response might be to attempt to make certain that whatever we do to celebrate the birth of Jesus in some way points our thoughts and hearts toward Him.  Much too often Jesus gets lost among all the ribbons and bows and wrapping paper traditions that we attempt to wrap Him up with. As a result our celebration becomes more of a celebration of “our traditions” instead of a celebration of Jesus.

So don’t let the Grinch steal the joy out of your Christmas this year by filling your schedule with activities and traditions that distract you from what Christmas is really about.  Praying you all have a truly blessed Christmas and may you and your family experience the true joy of knowing Jesus!

Blessings,

Pastor Peter

Have you ever wondered why it is that the unofficial rule of polite conversation is to “never discuss religion or politics”?  Based upon my own very limited research and somewhat extensive experience (and the occasional blunder) it is my humble opinion that while this rule may have come into being essentially to protect us from ourselves it is not working!  Faith and politics are possibly two of the most emotionally charged topics known to our western culture.  For some reason most of us tend to have very strong and deeply rooted opinions in regard to these matters, often running several generations deep.  Unfortunately, most of us would also have to admit that given the amount of information available in these two fields, few of us could claim to be experts or even serious students of either one.  So you see the problem then… we have these very strong opinions about what we believe faith to be about, but rarely read the Bible.  Similarly, some of the strongest opinions about politics come from those of us who have very little accurate knowledge about things political.  As a result, there would appear to be some wisdom in steering away from discussion of these topics in an effort to avoid stressing relationships with such highly opinionated, emotionally charged and at times simply inaccurate verbiage.

While avoidance may be effective and possibly necessary in saving some relationships, one may want to consider the ramifications of applying this rule too broadly.  If we actually were to consistently avoid talking about faith and politics at all times, what would we end up talking about?  The weather?  Sports?  The neighbors?  And how vigilantly should these topics be defined?  For example, if I mention that I was duly impressed by the hat Aunt Gussy wore to church last Sunday, is that discussing matters of faith because it took place in church?  How about if I elaborate that the reason I was impressed is that although it blocked my view of the preacher, the variety of plastic fruit perched upon it reminded me of the Fruit of the Spirit?   Surely that would push it over the line into matters of faith?  By now you may well be wondering why one would attempt to make such an issue out of this, and the answer is that I believe there is something much more sinister and dangerous going on here than what appears on the surface.

Faith and politics are both issues that have long reaching effects in our lives.  Politics affects our physical lives in the time that we walk this earth, and faith affects us not only in how we live this life, but has ramifications in how we will spend eternity after we leave this life behind.  If these issues are so important, who would be interested in shutting down discussion of them and what would be the motivation behind it?  Think about this for a moment…who would have the most to gain by us being ignorant of matters of faith and politics?  The Bible tells us that we have an enemy of our souls often called “Satan” or “the devil”.  In John 10:10 Jesus calls him a “thief” who seeks to “steal, kill and destroy” us along with all that God has created.  Satan then would seem to be the prime suspect, in that keeping us as ignorant as possible of what is in the Bible and in all matters of faith would serve his agenda quite well.  The question that remains is why would Satan be interested in keeping us from discussing matters of politics?  With how active he already seems to be in the political arena it would seem counter-productive on his part to attempt to restrict our discussion of this field especially when these discussions so often tend to have devastating effects on our relationships.  This is exactly where faith meets politics or, as currently appears to be the case in our nation, where faith has FAILED to meet politics. Perhaps one of the reasons the devil seems to have such a death grip on the political arena in this nation is because we for too long have believed the lie that faith does not belong in matters of politics.  How else could it come about that a nation once founded upon biblical principles of government and leadership by men who at times risked their lives to stand on their faith in God now seeks to forbid that same faith in that same God from having any influence on government whatsoever.

As I consider the how Jesus life is described in the gospel record, it appears He found a way to influence politics without allowing politics to influence Him.  He eluded the crowds when they sought to make Him king by force, yet he often challenged the “politicians” of His culture openly and effectively in public debate.  As followers of Jesus we have the unique opportunity, and responsibility, to follow His example in this.  To speak God’s truth into the politics of our culture is not easy, but I believe it is essential if this nation is to survive.  I would remind us also that, as was the case with Jesus, speaking faith into politics may result in the one speaking being crucified by an angry mob.  This should not surprise us nor discourage us, at least not if we truly call ourselves “followers of Jesus”.

God Bless,

Pastor Peter

Have you ever been offended?  I have.  And I find that when this happens it has a tendency to ruin the whole day, perhaps even several days.   Proverbs 18:19 says “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.”(NASB)  I find it disturbing how the enemy uses our tendency to take offense to ruin our relationships.  The resulting carnage seems to wreak just as much havoc within the church as it does among those who make no claim to follow Jesus, although I would acknowledge that the rules are different within the church in how that offense is expressed.  It almost makes it worse in some regard when we attempt to somehow spiritualize and justify it with our own self righteousness.  Isn’t it interesting that while nearly all of us would agree how unfortunate and unnecessary it is for these often trivial offenses to divide families and friends, when we are the ones who have been offended it doesn’t seem trivial at all.

How then should we as followers of Jesus respond when we are offended?  The verse mentioned earlier correctly makes the observation that once a person has taken offense it is difficult to win him or her back but gives no instruction regarding how to avoid offense nor how to resolve it.  In the gospel of Luke Jesus is recorded as saying “Blessed is the person who does not take offense at Me.” (Luke 7:23)  It would seem that Jesus is there making the assumption that some would be offended by His words and actions.  This is verified in Matthew 15:12 where the disciples express their concern to Jesus that His teaching is offending some of the Pharisees.  Interestingly Jesus does not seem to be concerned or surprised that the Pharisees are offended, but simply responds “let them alone”. (Matt 15:14)   Jesus is also careful to point out to His followers toward the end of John 15 that if they choose to follow Him that there will be people who will not only find this offensive, but who will persecute them as they did Jesus. (John 15:20)   So then we “should not be surprised when the world hates us” writes John in his first letter. (1 John 3:13)  What we should perhaps be more concerned about is when we offend or are offended by our brothers and sisters in Christ.

There are many references which speak to this in the Bible.  One of the most direct and concise is Ephesians 4:32 where Paul writes “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”  This becomes even more imperative when we connect it with the truth of Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith n the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”   In other words, when we become a follower of Jesus, we give up the right to be offended because a dead person can’t be offended, and Jesus who now lives in me is the one who should be taking offense and He has already paid for the offense in full, so our only option then as a Jesus follower is to forgive as He has forgiven us.

So next time you are tempted to feel offended by something someone has said or done to you remember it is not “you” that lives in this body but Christ, and you really have no “right” to be offended.  Our best recourse is to allow Him to respond to the offensive word or deed as He sees fit.

God Bless,

Pastor Peter

It would seem that God has been in the business of transformation from the very beginning.  In the first few verses of Genesis He takes a void and formless mass of nothing and transforms it into a universe so big and awesome and beautiful that we have been unable to find the end of it.  A little later on in Genesis he takes a man named Abram and transforms him into Abraham, the father of several nations of peoples.  He takes a motley herd of Hebrew slaves out of Egypt, and transforms them into the nation of Israel as they journey across the desert.  In the New Testament we read of Jesus calling a ragtag band of fishermen and social misfits which He transforms into the twelve apostles, eleven of whom go on to transform the then known world with the good news that Jesus has made it possible through His death and resurrection for our broken relationship with God to be restored for all eternity.

There is no question in my mind that God is in the business of transformation.  I have seen it in people around me, and I have experienced it in my own life.  I believe that God is very interested in transforming not only each of us, and our church body, but our extended families, our neighbors, our community, our state and even this country.  I believe He will do this by starting with a transformation in MY heart; in YOUR heart… this is where revival begins.  When we study God’s word and BELIVE IT, we begin to see the world through God’s eyes our hearts are transformed by the renewing of our MIND.  When this happens the WILL of God becomes clear to us and the church becomes an unstoppable force that transforms entire communities.

Through this past summer the Lord has impressed upon me anew His desire and His ABILITY to transform this community using us.  I am not certain just HOW He will go about this but I have a strong sense that it will begin with repentance IN the church.   In 2 Chronicles 7 The Lord speaks to Solomon in regard to His indwelling of the temple and His blessing on His people and he makes an astounding statement.  He says “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14)

We all desire and pray for the Lord to heal our land, and one does not have to look far to see how badly this land needs healing.  But I do not believe it will happen until the “we the people” in the churches of this land begin to repent of our wicked ways.  Let me bring that a little closer to home… until we the people of RRCC repent of our wicked ways… or how about one step closer yet.  Until I begin to repent of MY wicked ways.  Repentance and humility is rarely an enjoyable experience, but I sure do like the potential effect… “then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and heal their land”.  I would consider that a small price for us to pay considering the potential reward.

God Bless,

Pastor Peter