And God saw that it was good…

By Curt Myers

Genesis 1: 9-13

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

This past weekend we traveled to Swallow Falls State Park with our small group for their annual Mothers day camping trip. This was our first year to join them but it will not be the last.

Swallow Falls is the most beautiful and breath taking place I have every seen here in Maryland. On one end of the park is Muddy Creek and Maryland’s largest natural water fall (Muddy Creek Falls) and a short 2 minute walk brings you to the Youghiogheny River. From there another walk of 3 minutes brings you to Lower Swallow Falls and then Upper Swallow Falls. Just a short 6 minute walk from there takes you to Tolliver Creek and another falls called Tolliver Falls. Through out the walk you are in the middle of towering old growth Hemlock and White Pine trees reaching toward heaven. The serenity of the natural beauty is just beyond words. I could never grow tired of walking this ½ mile trail and gazing at the flora and fauna.

I am generally an outdoor person and I love to hunt, fish and camp. I have camped in a tent in 10 degree weather during a blizzard in southern Montana while Elk hunting. I have climbed up the peaks of the Himalayan Mountains in Northern India. I have flown in a helicopter over and though the Grand Canyons and I have camped, hiked and tubed the rivers of the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. I have walked the banks and delta of the Mekong River in Southern Cambodia. In all my journeys I have seen God’s hands at work. He has molded and formed everything we see for his own pleasure and he said it was good…

I would like to encourage you to take an hour or so this week to drive up to Gambrill Park at Mountaindale (off of Putman Road). If you go west on Mountaindale road you will pass the Frederick City reservoir on the left side of the road. From the reservoir west for about 1.5 miles runs Fishing Creek. I suggest you drive ¾ of a mile up stream of the reservoir and pull over. Take your bible and walk down to the creek, find a rock and sit down and take in the beauty God has made for 15 minutes. Then read the follow verses.

Genesis 1

1 Peter 1:23-25
The human life is like that of a flower: it blooms and is beautiful for a time, but inevitably fades and withers away. By contrast, God is eternal and will never die or fade away.

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Finally send time in prayer, mostly listening to what God wants to say to you. I have found that when I am out in the beauty of the mountains and I sit and listen God says some big things that I can’t hear when I am my own house or car. Go out and find him and listen…he will come to you…

Anger and Rage

By Pastor R

This week we will be turning a major corner in the third chapter of Colossians, a series we are calling Living the Christian Life. We have been talking about the vices that characterized our former life and this week we are talking about the virtues that characterize our new life.

I hope you are beginning to implement what Brenda talked about in her introductory comments about Inductive Bible study. Your understanding of Colossians 3 will only increase when you ask What is the author’s intent? What are the commands in this passage? What does want me to obey? How can I apply this truth to my life?

I hope you are beginning to implement what Alec talked about in his introductory comments about looking up words in the text that are unfamiliar. I can almost hear his mother saying to him when he asked about a word Alec, look it up. You will begin to see the richness , beauty and depth of the text by looking it up.

Last week I spent some time camping out on two vices of the old life that God would like you to get rid of. Those vices are anger and rage. To get rid of something is a command. God is commanding you to some house cleaning and get rid of something that does not belong in your house; namely, anger and rage. It may be lying just below the surface like a toxic substance just under the sink and you may not be consciously aware of its presence in your life. It will take some work then to look beneath the sink and see what is lying in your soul. Whenever I have stilled my soul and invited the Holy Spirit to illuminate my true soul’s condition, He begins to show me where I am out of alignment.

I believe that many of us try to pretend we don’t have anger in our souls trying to put a lid on it. We either deny that we are angry or we try to justify our anger by saying I’m just a little miffed. F reedom comes when we admit the truth about ourselves to God, to ourselves and to safe others. We can feel bottled up and congested until we do so.

The two words that are used in the original to describe anger are orge and thumos. Orge describes the settled condition of the wounded heart that moves from being angry to seeking to get revenge. Thumos describes the kind of volcanic anger that is ready to explode. These words describe behavior that is consistent with a believers former life and not their new life in Christ.

This week we take a good look at the virtues that characterize a believer. You have heard I’m sure sermons on the virtuous woman. We will see what clothing should accompany the new life whether you are a man or a woman. Bring with you some woman or young woman this Mother’s Day who could use a good dose of encouragement about who she is and the life that flows out of who she is.

Tamara Lowe at Christ Fellowship

Can I Only Imagine?

By Emerson Work

Since our I Can Only Imagine (ICOI) Sunday, I’ve been thinking about that phrase.  It takes on different meaning when you change the emphasis on the words.  Try it… Say it once emphasizing the “I.” Try again but put the emphasis on “only;” or again, with the emphasis on “imagine.”

I think I prefer the emphasis on “imagine” and that sense of endless possibilities.  When the focus is on the word “only,” I’m struck by my own limitations.  Matthew, however, reminds us that Jesus said, “…with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).  How reassuring that is, and how encouraging to know we are not bound by our limitations and shortcomings when we stop living for ourselves, for our stuff , and follow Christ. 

Sometimes I have trouble really imagining how things could be because I’m too practical, too economical.  I can’t really grasp God’s infinite, incomprehensible greatness.  Since Sunday, however, I’ve really been thinking about what our church ministries would look like when funds are freed from servicing debt and available to do God’s work. I am imagining:

v  the day when our dedicated Youth space above the Family Life Center is completed 

v  when we can have a Middle School Praise Team, as well as the High School Praise Team, and they can leave their equipment in place for impromptu worship sessions, or rehearsing new songs 

v  when we can have space for small group Bible studies at various times throughout the week, more space for the large group on Wednesday nights, and space where students and youth staff can hang out and invite friends to without having to book a room in advance  

v  when we have more resources for curriculum, speakers, or guest artists who will challenge students to grow deeper and develop their spiritual gifts  

v  when we have a finished kitchen and more opportunities for eating together and getting to know one another 

v  when we could host dinners for families that are enjoyable, inexpensive nights out, and yet could also help us raise funds for more students to attend Momentum and retreats 

v  When we can have lunch with visiting missionaries and hear more about their experiences firsthand

v  And the list is just beginning…Let’s keep imagining, thinking, and praying about these things.