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firstIMPRESSIONS
There are many churches that say that they love their pastor, but few that take the time to actively express it in such a magnificent way. WFA is a unique church. Every guest speaker we have had expresses how wonderful WFA is. Folks who visit WFA all remark of our uniqueness, and how loving and caring the people are. And, time and time again, I am the wonderful recipient of the loving-kindness of this wonderful church. I love WFA, and count it the most amazing gift of God that He has allowed me to pastor this church. I can wholeheartedly agree with the apostle Paul when he says in Philippians 1:7-8 “It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
Thank you, WFA, for doing that for me. Not just this past week on the occasion of my fiftieth birthday. Not just simply on days of “pastor appreciation” where such things are somewhat expected, but continually, regularly, as a part of who you are, throughout the years, in all ways Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 6.04. Live for God, on purpose, demonstrating the love of God in Christ Jesus to all who you meet. |
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 Consider Your Ways – Part 3
From the days when I was a member of my high school concert band, I recall my band director saying something during a moment of frustration at the continual lack of ability by certain band members to play certain pieces of music, in spite of the fact that they had ample time to practice and prepare the music. Mr. Macuga sternly and impatiently stated “You aren’t going to learn this music by osmosis!” Great saying, except that the majority of those to whom he was speaking had no idea what it meant. According to the dictionary, osmosis is the “diffusion of molecules through a semi-permeable membrane from a place of higher concentration to a place of lower concentration until the concentration on both sides is equal.” Phew! A lot of words to tell us that a substance contained in one kind of liquid will pass through a porous wall, going into a different liquid that lacks that substance. The idea is that the liquids will then “even out.” Mr. Macuga was trying to imply that the band members who didn’t know how to play the music were not going to learn how simply by sitting in the same room with others who did know how. The interesting thing that I have discovered over the years is just how many people try to approach their walk in the Lord with the same kind of “osmosis” principle. There seems to some sort of feeling that if they just “hang around church and church people” long enough, that they will then have a right relationship with God. It didn’t work for my high school band. And, it doesn’t work with the things of God, either! And this is the very essence of what Haggai’s third message to the people, as recorded in Haggai 2:10-19. We will consider this passage this Sunday, as we share the third message in our four part series, “Consider Your Ways – Purity and Promise.” You won’t want to miss this message! (top)  Why We Come to Church to Worship
by Mike Glenn All of my friends tell me they can worship God just as well playing golf, fishing on a lake or hunting in the woods. No, I tell them, you can’t hunt or fish or play golf in the sanctuary and you can’t worship in the same way outside of the church. Sure, you may have a moment or two of wonder, but not the life transforming moment that should happen in the Presence of God and His people. The first and obvious reason for worship is we need to acknowledge that there is no God but God. You would think this would be obvious, but during the week, all kinds of false gods compete for our attention. This is the time where we reestablish the proper order of our lives. God alone is worthy of our worship. Second, we gather together to encourage each other. During the week, we often fight our battles alone, but when we get together we are reminded that God is working in a lot of places and in a lot of people. Worshiping together helps us keep the challenges of our lives in eternal perspective. Lastly, when God is working in your life, you simply cannot praise God big enough or loud enough by yourself. You need the help of your brothers and sisters to praise God. So, we gather on Sunday. We sing; we pray; we worship – together. It doesn’t get any better. as seen in the Daily Devotional, by Pastor Mike Glenn, Senior Pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church, Brentwood, TN. www.brentwoodbaptist.com/ministries/sermons/sermons.aspx (top)  The Rise and Fall of the West
by Dick Innes King “Hezekiah trusted in the Lord... He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook” (2 Kings 18:5-7, NIV). According to an article in Restore magazine, Edward Gibbon in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire said that there were five major attributes that marked the closing days of the great Roman Empire: 1. There was an increasing love of show and luxury; that is, affluence. 2. There was a widening gap between the very rich and the very poor. 3. There was an obsession with sex. 4. There was a freakishness in the arts masquerading as originality and creativity. 5. There was an increased desire to live off the state. The application for today is obvious. Without a doubt our nation needs God. Many well-informed people believe Western civilization is in an accelerating moral decline, which, if it continues, will eventually weaken and cause us to fall. At the time of King Hezekiah ancient Israel had collapsed morally and spiritually, had turned from God, and had become weak and powerless. The nation was divided and Israel, the Northern Kingdom, had been taken into captivity. King Hezekiah was king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah and because he led his nation back to God, God delivered them from destruction in an amazing way. In one night the angel of the Lord put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men of the Assyrian army who were poised to attack and destroy Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:35). Where do we begin to turn our nation back to God? We do so one person at a time. We do this in our heart, our manner of life, our dedication to genuine worship of God, in serving God by helping others, in our giving, and in prayer. I don’t know any other way. Suggested prayer: “Dear God, I’m available. Please begin your work in me. Make me usable and use me to begin your work in others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, amen.” © Copyright 2006 ACTS International. Visit them online at http://www.actsweb.org (top)  Eagles in the Storm
Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. When the storms of life come upon us... and all of us will experience them... we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward Jesus. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God’s power to lift us above them. God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure, and disappointment into our lives. We can soar above the storm. Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them. The Bible says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles.” Isaiah 40:31. (top)  Stirring the Paint
by Marcia Lee Laycock I stood in the bare white room and sighed. Paint cans, trays, rollers and brushes were stacked in the middle of the floor. Every breath I took reminded me that I’d been here for a number of days, but there was still work to be done. These walls were still white. By the time we were finished painting the downstairs floors of two houses, I was tired, but I was getting pretty good at painting. I was even enjoying it a bit. It was satisfying, watching the paint flow onto the walls, turning them to a warm comforting colour. I grabbed a new pail, gave it a bit of a shake and opened it up. I knew as soon as I passed the roller over the wall that something was wrong. I looked at the label on the pail. It was the same colour. I looked at the paint inside. It looked the same as what I’d been using earlier in the day. But I looked at the wall and frowned. I dipped a brush into the paint and immediately realized the problem. It needed to be stirred. It took quite a while, and my arm was starting to object, before the consistency was right and I could use that paint, but once it had been stirred enough, the rest of the work was almost effortless. Like paint, our faith in God needs to be stirred. We need to see God’s hand at work in our lives and the lives of others. It’s the answered prayers, the obvious God incidents, and the manifestations of His glory in the world around us, which thicken our faith into something that will sustain us, something that can be used. Some of the stirring can only be accomplished by God Himself. Faith is a gift. Only He can open our eyes to its reality. But we can put ourselves in places where we will see the hand of God at work. Go to the third world. Help in a soup kitchen. Visit the dying and those in prison. Work with those who are disabled. Witness to those around you. Go to church. Take the risks that will reveal Him. God is always at work in places where He is most needed. When faith is thin, our spiritual life fades and God can’t accomplish much through us. But when it’s been stirred, life thickens with purpose and meaning. It is then that faith becomes a beautiful and useful tool in God’s hands. When our faith has been stirred, the work we do for Him seems almost effortless because we recognize that it is He who works through us. We see the difference only He can make, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose”. (Philippians 2:13). (top)  Heart Prints
Whatever our hands touch... Oh God, wherever I go today Heartprints of compassion May my heart touch a lonely neighbor Lord, send me out today (top)  Seven Warning Signs of Spiritual Cancer
1. An unusual preoccupation with self; over-emphasis in conversation about I, me, we, mine, ours. 2. A lump or thickening in the wallet or bank account without regard for the great need of others. 3. A sore feeling of anger or resentment that does not heal. 4. A change in prayer life and attendance at worship, from regular to irregular. 5. A feeling of uneasiness when matters relating to God, Christ and the church are mentioned. 6. Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing Christian thought or references to commitment, witnessing or stewardship. 7. A change in size, color, or complexion when asked, “Are you an active, participating member of your church?” If you were alarmed by any of these warning signs, we suggest a consultation with the Great Physician (3 John 2). (top)  The Last Impression...
Here are a few quick laughs to cap off this week’s issue of firstIMPRESSIONS! • Over the massive front doors of a church, these words were inscribed: The Gate of Heaven. Below that was a small cardboard sign which read: “Please use other entrance.” • Rev. Warren J. Keating, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Yuma, AZ, says that the best prayer he ever heard was: “Lord, please make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am.” • A woman went to the post office to buy stamps for her Christmas cards. “What denomination?” asked the clerk. “Oh, good heavens! Have we come to this?” said the woman. “Well give me 50 Baptist and 50 Catholic ones.” • During a children’s sermon, Rev. Larry Eisenberg asked the children what “amen” means. A little boy raised his hand and said: “It means — ‘tha-tha-tha-that’s all folks!’” • A student was asked to list the 10 Commandments in any order. His answer? “3, 6, 1, 8, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10, 7”. God has been moving in such a magnificent way here at WFA. I am looking with eager anticipation to what He will do in our midst this Lord’s Day! As we resume our series of messages on “Consider Your Ways” this Sunday, you won’t want to miss being here at WFA! See you then! |
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Yours for HIM, |
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Well, I was certainly surprised as well as overwhelmed last Friday evening, as WFA held a special surprise 50th birthday celebration for me. I had absolutely no clue at all that anything was going to take place, and have now come to discover that many people had been actively planning all of the details for many months. When I walked into the Fellowship Hall, and saw the room filled with folks from WFA as well as our church plants, I was amazed. Then, when I saw my parents, then my brother and his family, and then Rev. Leonard Jones there – who wasn’t supposed to be in Wilmington until the following day – I was just completely speechless.
I realize that there are literally thousands of people reading this issue of 
