The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda | Pastor Brian Hutchinson

Seize the day!

The Lord be with you this morning in a most powerful way.  He has gone out before you to prepare the day for you.  The table is set.  Your enemies have been dealt with.  You are not alone.   May He cover you with blessings,  mercy, Grace and joy as you go out ready for battle.  Victory Is yours! Seize the day and take the spoils! In Jesus name.

The Lord Bless and keep you

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
The blessings of God are far and beyond anything we could hope or imagine.  Have you ever wondered how something happened in your life?  Did you get that house or car in spite of your credit?  Did your enemies suddenly stop pestering you? Yes, it is a miracle. The Lord is blessing and keeping you.
The Lord does keep us in the palm of his righteous right hand.  Jesus said that no one could take us from Him.  The world may threaten us, but they will not succeed.  Saul chased David with weapons and men, but he had no success in catching or killing David.

May the Lord bless you and keep you! Amen.

Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1-8
The transfiguration.  On a mountain Jesus is changed and begins to shine as the glory of God.  With him stand Moses and Elijah who had gone on to glory much before him.  Some of the disciples see them and are amazed. Moses, Elijah and Jesus.  The law, the prophets and grace standing together. The Old and the New Testament.  The number of perfection -3. God's promise. All prophecy. All His work for us there on the mountain. We are saved through faith.  He sent hope to us in each generation.
Romans 15:13. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him so that you may OVERFLOW WITH HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit".

So you think you have troubles? Meet Mephibosheth

War was raging between two Titans of the day.  The carpet was being rolled up on the former king's reign and a new day was dawning.  Man, oh man, does change always have to be so difficult?  Families were in danger, even children were being slaughtered.  During the battle of Mount Gilboa King Saul, and his reign came to an end.  Even his son, and best friend of the new king, David, was slain.  All the men fought valiantly and each side wanted to win, but the dye had been cast.  Farther away, a nanny heard how the battle was going and she grabbed up little 5 year old Mephibosheth and she ran as fast and as far as she could with her little charge.  In her haste and fear she dropped the little boy and didn't immediately notice that he had been badly injured.  In fact, due to lack of immediate medical care, he became crippled from that day.  Mephibosheth was the grandson of a king, the son of a prince and an heir himself.  In one day he went from a life of luxury, pampering, and having more than enough, to a life of fear, pain and suffering.  he had lost every member of his family, his home and his title.  this poor baby would never be held by his father, smiled at by his grandfather, kissed by his mother, bathed by the nurses, or fed the choice foods that he liked.  He lived this way for a long time. Then one day, David, who was now king, asked a servant of Saul if there was anyone at all left from Jonathan's family.  The servant remembered Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, and King David sent his men to find him.  Now the poor Mephibosheth had gotten word that the king's men were looking for him.  What could he do? He couldn't run.  All the other members of his family had been killed.  Was it his turn now?  King David brought him to his castle, had him fed, bathed, dressed in fine clothes, and then he restored to Mephibosheth all the land of his father and grandfather.  He ordered to servants to work the land for his best friend's crippled son, and to care for him.  Mephibosheth ate every day at King David's table.

     There are times of trial in all of our lives.  We may feel completely deserted by God, but He has a plan for our lives.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, " I know the plans I have for you,  plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  No matter what your situation looks like, God hasn't forsaken you.  His plan for you is to give you hope, prosperity, joy, peace and salvation.  Maybe you don't see it now, but it's coming.  Have faith in God.

1.  Jonathan's good will, faithfulness and kindness came down to his grandson.  Remember that your actions, too, can have an impact on future generations.

2.   Perhaps Mephibosheth was dropped as a part of God's plan.  As a cripple, he posed no threat and perhaps it was that action that spared his life for the future.  Don't get angry when you are hurt.  Ask God what you are to do and then have faith.

3.    God didn't forget Mephibosheth.  He had a very rough start in life, but he did live, and he was blessed. He was given "hope and a future".  David once said, "I have been young and now I am old, and I've never seen the righteous forsaken and their children begging for bread."  Hang on.  God has not forgotten you.  No matter what you're going through, God has not forgotten you.  There is a plan and in it, you are victorious..

A Letter to My Brother

                                                    A Letter To My Brother

I’m having a difficult time writing this letter because my thoughts come so quickly and my emotions run so high when I think about our dad.  This morning I felt as though the Holy Spirit was pushing me to write it, so here goes.  I love our dad.  When I think of him I get wonderful, loving, happy, warm feelings.  He was my hero and he was my confidant.  He was funny and fun.  He had the biggest bear hugs that a person could give or receive.  We could talk for long periods of time.  Dad always did things for me.  Sometimes he did too much and sometimes he was over protective, at least to my way of thinking.  I know that he didn’t want to see me struggle or be disappointed, but that just happens in life.  You just can’t protect your children from life. It’s going to happen- to them, for them, and all around them. It’s a part of growing up.  I think dad knew that, but it didn’t stop him from doing his best to protect us and to be continually present in our lives. 

  Even though he’s gone now, I still love and appreciate our dad for so many reasons. 

     I know that he saved your life at age 8 when you fell in the lake.  He immediately dove into the lake to get you without thinking about his keys, wallet, or anyone else.  I remember his big dreamy smile the night you were born.  I watched him sacrifice for you.  He created special projects around the house and with the car so that the two of you could spend quality time together and so that you would be able to build things and make repairs yourself.  He loved you so much.  I remember the look on his face when you were little and you told him that you wanted to be just like him.  He took one last drag on that cigarette and he never smoked again.  I remember the look of pride on his face when you graduated from law school and joined the navy JAG.  His smile couldn’t be matched by a thousand suns.  You always brought him such joy and immense pride. 

     Let me tell you why I‘m writing this letter and making it public.  As you begin your new journey with the Lord, I want you to remember something.  When the disciples asked our Lord to teach them how to pray, the first two words he taught them were “Our Father”.  It occurs to me that when we pray, we get a picture of a father.  That picture depends largely on the person we knew, or didn’t know, as “daddy, dad, pop, or father”.  When children pray, “Our Father”, who do they see?  What image comes to their minds?  How do they relate to the word father? That is the only image they have to transfer onto God the Father.  How will they see our loving, faithful God?

     For us, we easily came to Christ because our perception of a father was one who was loving, kind, forgiving, a great teacher, protective, …well you know him.  But I ask myself each time I hear those words, “Who are the people envisioning when they say those words?”  Is it an absent father, or an abusive one?  Is it an unfaithful man, or one who never kept his word?  What picture do they have to transfer onto God, Our Father?

     As you embark on your  ‘Faith for Single Fathers” Ministry, I want you to know that I stand behind you.  I think that all our family, all of my friends and FB family members stand behind you.  Men fall, but it’s ok.  It’s our job as a community and as a society to help them stand back up.  I admire and respect what you are doing.  We are all praying for you.  I’ve often seen you beat yourself up when you felt that you’d made a mistake while raising your children alone.  STOP THAT.  You are amazing.  What an awesome example of fatherhood you are!  As you move forward with your single fathers breakfasts, bible studies, and your book on “What Happens When Fathers Fast”, know that we are all with you.  We are praying for you.  We are hoping for you.  Remember that when you begin to feel unworthy, that we are all unworthy, but GOD CHOSE YOU to do this work.  One day, when saying “Our Father”, many children will have a perception, a memory and a picture of a man who is a loving father whom God created, taught and ordained to be a daddy to His children.  One day, when our children begin with “Our Father”, all our children will know that God is Love. 

Be Blessed and encouraged in your –HIS work.

 Your sister, Lauren.

Jonah, rebellion, mercy and forgiveness

    Everyone seem to think that Jonah and the whale is a story about Jonah, and a whale. Maybe it is, but if we can get past the really huge sea creature, there could be something more. 
Jonah was a prophet who was called to warn the people of Nineveh that their sins and crimes were an abomination to the Lord and that in 40 days they would be destroyed. Jonah, as we all know, didn't want to do that. He hated Nineveh because they were the enemies of Israel. It has been said that the people of Nineveh (Assyrians) conquered and scattered the 10 tribes of Israel, among whom were members of Jonah's family. Why then would God send Jonah who was in such anguish about what they had done? Why not send someone else?
God is a forgiving God. He asks us to forgive also. Obeying God meant for Jonah, that he would be teaching God's forgiveness to wicked behavior to a people he wished would just die. It meant that he would have to witness and share God's love and forgiveness for people, and that he would have to see the people of Nineveh, whom he hated, spared, forgiven, restored. This story not only teaches us about the love and forgiveness of God, but that He wants us to love unconditionally and forgive unconditionally just as He does. It's extremely difficult to do that, but it's extremely important to God that we learn to do it and that we are willing to do it. That's how we become "One nation under God." Jonah needed to learn to forgive because God called him to do it. God didn't force him to do it, but He did encourage him to do it.
1. Jonah tried to run from God in pure rebellion
2. Jonah tried to hide his secret from the fishermen
3. Jonah willingly sacrificed himself so that the fishermen
would survive.
4. Jonah stayed between life and death for 3 days and nights
5. Jonah decided to ask God's forgiveness and obey God
6. Now Jonah had to show mercy and a way out of
destruction for his enemies.
7. Jonah saw the mercy of God several times during that
journey both toward him, and also toward his enemies.
8. God taught Jonah about mercy, forgiveness and restoration
9. Jonah is a story about rebellion, anger, unforgiveness and
hatred which changed to sacrifice, obedience, mercy and
forgiveness.
PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMIES. PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DESPITEFULLY USE YOU. FORGIVE. Get out of God's way, because His vengeance is more than you can imagine and HIs forgiveness is divine.
BELOVED, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER.