SOUTHLAWN CHURCH OF GOD

From Pastor Richard

NOTE: This message was shared January 1, 2020, two months BEFORE we were faced with a frightening World-Wide Pandemic! But notice how TRUE and FAITHFUL God was every day as we trusted in Him! The promise I was MOST mindful of was the second one listed: "God will be with you every step of the way!" I felt that, and shared that at every opportunity - and there were daily opportunities to share this good news with those who were filled with fear. We have spent the first several weeks of the new year reviewing each promise and rejoicing at how faithful, loving and PRESENT our God is! Our God is an awesome God!
How are you feeling about the New Year? Worried? Apprehensive? Hopeful? At peace?
If you are a Christian here are TEN great truths that will bring immense comfort, joy and peace!
TEN GREAT things that will hold true this year:
   • The Word of God will still prove infallible - Psalm 119:89 “Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens.”
   • God will be with you every step of the way - Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
   • God will still give You strength when you are weak - Isaiah 40:29 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak”
   • God will still give you wisdom for every situation you encounter - James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”
   • God will still supply every need you have - Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
   • God will still give you peace as you trust in Him - Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
   • God will still give you the Holy Spirit to be with you always - John 14:15-16 “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.”
   • God will still answer your prayers - Luke 11:9-10 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."
   • God will still forgive you - 1 Timothy 1:15-16 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”
   • God will still be saving you - Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

IF you are not yet a Christian your salvation is not as impossible as you might think. Just consider the predicament of those who were guilty of actually shouting for the crucifixion of Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. How could they ever be forgiven? Even Judas hanged himself when he realized his guilt. When confronted with news that God had raised Jesus from the dead they cried out "What must we do?" AMAZINGLY the response of Peter to them was that they could be forgiven and welcomed into God's family, and God's promise to you is exactly the same!
Acts 2:38-39 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
God wants all men to believe, repent and be saved. Nothing would please our God more than you responding in trust. He promises not only forgiveness, but the GIFT of His indwelling Spirit! You can be a "new creation" in Christ Jesus! If you would like more information about this promise and how to become a member of God's Kingdom please email me at ralcumbrack@mac.com.
                                                                                                                                                                             -- Pastor Richard

BIG CHANGES ON THE WAY!!
In 1927 the dreams of a small group of believers meeting in homes came true - the erection of the Southlawn Park Church of God church building on the corner of Jefferson and Abbie. The building served the congregation meeting here for nearly 100 years, and now we find ourselves on the verge of once again becoming a "House Church." We are changing from a small group of believers with the resources of buildings (a Church and Parsonage) to a small group of believers with the resource of finances from the sale through which we can greatly increase our focus on support of Home and Foreign Missions, supporting Youth Ministries, and other needs outside of our 4 walls. We are grateful that through generous giving we were able to maintain the properties, but it seems much better stewardship to use our finances to more directly support people and ministries. We are thankful the church building will continue to be used by a church desiring to serve this community.
At this point we do not know exactly what the future holds, but we are walking by faith through doors that God is opening. With every church in America realizing more than ever that "the Church" is the people - not the building we meet in, we are going down this path trusting we will be able to focus our resources where they can do far more to invest in God's Kingdom. We believe in the spiritual power of small groups and while we have mixed feelings about moving out of our comfort zone we are excited to offer ourselves and our future to God for His use. And we will continue to go through the doors He opens.

The Mission Trip to Guatemala has been postponed again due to the possibility of team members being stranded if someone tested positive for Covid 19 while on the trip.
The Bretschneider Boys (Clayton, Noah, Broden, Asher and Judah) are looking forward to participating when the trip becomes a reality. At this point the expenses are covered.

What Child IS This? The most important question in the Bible!
Who is this baby in a manger? We are considering this question simply using Luke 2 as our source. Simply put, it doesn't seem to be the same baby that many profess. We see no hint whatsoever that the baby was "God Incarnate," "God in the flesh," "the God-Man," the "Second Person of the Trinity," or even as has more recently become popular among Christians -- "the Creator of the Universe!" Using Luke 2, some claim that this is exactly what Mary was contemplating in her heart: how she had given birth to the ONE who created her!! Of course, there is no hint of such a notion in the text, and it presents a question (or several!).
When the Word of God states one thing, but popular teachings use that same text to state something different, which should we believe? Of course the only correct answer is that we should always go with the Word of God. In most instances we do not need a theologian to explain things to us. For instance, the text that says "Mary pondered these things in her heart" is in reference to the shepherds coming to her stating that angels (!) had just come and announced to them that Savior had been born, AND telling them where they could find the baby. There can be no doubt to any reader that she was pondering what the shepherds told her - another visitation by angels confirming precisely what the angels had previously announced separately to Joseph and herself. This was a ONCE-IN-HUMAN-HISTORY event, with a choir of angels to herald the good news.
There is no possible way to suggest that Mary could have possibly been considering that she had just given birth to God, nor to the Creator of Heaven and Earth, nor to a God-man. The angels had told her who the child would be, and that was clearly "the Son of God" (Joseph was not the Father - what was born in her was of the Holy Spirit) AND the "Christ" (Messiah). The Messiah had been identified way back in the third chapter of the Bible as "the SEED of the WOMAN." No greater definition could be given that the Messiah would be a human - not a God, and certainly not God Himself. The entire Old Testament gave the promise of a Messiah, which means "Annointed One" (One annointed to accomplish a task by the One doing the Annointing, as kings were annointed for their service.) The New Testament continually makes it clear that Jesus IS the Christ, the Son of God. This was declaration of the disciples after witnessing Jesus' earthly ministry (Matthew 16:16 "Simon Peter answered, Thou art the Christ, the Son of God."), as it was the clear description of John (John 20:31 "These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God."). Jesus himself stated, "This is eternal life to know YOU, the ONLY TRUE GOD, and Jesus Christ, whom YOU have sent." (Remember, "Christ" means the one sent. God sent Jesus, which is what we are celebrating at Christmas...and every day!! On the day the Church was born (Acts 2) Peter declared, "Men of Israel, you know that Jesus of Nazareth was a MAN appointed unto by God...". The Apostle Paul said "For us there is but One God, the Father..." and "There is One God, and one mediator between God and men, the MAN Christ Jesus. It's safe to say that not only did Mary not contemplate Jesus being God, nor did the disciples (His own students), nor did the early Church until deceptions came in, nor did Jesus himself! His favorite description of Himself was "Son of Man."
IF this baby was God, that would trump every claim that the Angels made about the baby! It would trump everything said in the Bible about Him. It would trump everything He said about Himself. It drastically changes the Gospel to it's very core, which is exactly what proponents of such a view proclaim when they state: "You must believe Jesus is God to be SAVED!" Not surprisingly the Gospel states otherwise: "These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name!" (John 20:31). This is exactly what we teach! There is no need to add a word to it, to take a word away, or to change it in any way. Perhaps this clarifies things that may have confused you. When you take God's Word at face value, and accept the words at their common meaning, a lot of things become clear.
Whether we are meeting in person, or via phone meetings (Teleconference calls) we rejoice in the opportunity to clearly share the words of Jesus, the promises of God's prophets, and even the angels. THEY have the words of life - we simply share what they said. Contact me at ralcumbrack@mac.com to learn how simple it is to join us from your home!
Pastor Richard

WHAT MUST WE DO TO BE SAVED? “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39)

“As your days, so shall your strength be.” (Deuteronomy 33:25 - Adapted from Dr. David Jeremiah)

   Only one man is listed twice among the presidents—Grover Cleveland. He served two non-consecutive terms, so he’s listed as the twenty-second and the twenty-fourth president. Cleveland was a Presbyterian preacher’s kid who was trained in Christian truth. He faced a lot of troubles in office, but was considered honest. His dying words seem to have summed up his life: “I have tried so hard to do right.”
   Cleveland had a motto he lived by, and it hung directly over his bed where he would see it every night on retiring and every morning when awakening. He once said, “If I have any coat of arms and emblem, it is that.” It was a verse of Scripture—Deuteronomy 33:25: “As your days, so shall your strength be.”
   The point of this scripture is this: If God has given you this day to live, He will also give you all the strength you need to make it through this day. You never need fear that God will not strengthen you to face the challenges of the day!
   As we face a new year, none of us knows the challenges ahead. But if we have God, we have the passion of God’s power and strength within us. He will give us strength for each new day. In Him, you’ll always find strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. Trust in Him!
                                                                                                                                                                                               -- Pastor Richard

Proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ since 1927

From Pastor Richard