Deaf Devotion 9/27/2010

On a personal level, I have been feeling “under attack” on many different levels. I know and feel that through all the attacks and uncertainty God will bring a breakthrough to something that is greater than I can imagine. And in the middle of the struggle and feeling of defeat, God will glorify Himself in what He does. It’s not about what you or me are going through. God already knows that. But God wants us to let go and let Him turn loose every power He has to draw us closer to Him. In that way God will use you and me to show His power. I may feel forgotten, overwhelmed and even discouraged. Being disappointed will happen. Being discouraged is a choice. But God is our rock, our anchor, and our salvation.

We can be disappointed in ourselves, with others, or with a situation that involves home, ministry, or finances. But that disappointment cannot drag us into discouragement. When we look at God’s Word, one clear example of this comes out: David.

To set this up, the Israelites were trapped against the Sea on one side and the Philistines on the other side. (By the way – did you know the name “Philistine” is the old name for “Palestine?”) The Israelites had all but given up. Their disappointment in their leadership, and in God, to some extent had led them to become discouraged and then unable to act. They were just too afraid of what would happen, could happen, or should happen.

“David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:45-47 NLT)

Life's “Goliaths” come in all shapes, sizes, and strengths. It can be in the form of an unhappy relationship, a difficult job, a rebellious child, a pile of debt, an uncontrollable habit, and so on. David faced what appeared to be a problem too big to overcome. Like Him, we can gain victory through God's power, though we may "suffer and bleed" on the battlefield.

Notice that in verse 46 David declared victory over Goliath before the battle even began by declaring “Today the LORD will conquer you.” It was a done deal. But notice also that this did not stop the Philistines from advancing. They depended on their earthly “Goliath” to win the victory for them. They put all their confidence in the size and power of Goliath. But Goliath was a man. David had the unlimited power of God on His side. David knew his human limitations would not bring victory. David's confidence, on the other hand, was rooted in his past experiences. David credited God with protecting and strengthening him when he killed the lion and bear that had threatened his flock.

Furthermore, David believed he would triumph because he was God's servant. The boy had spent hours alone in the wilderness listening to God's quiet voice. Even a giant's discouraging shout could not shake his convictions about who the Lord was and what He could do through His servant.

David had practical faith habits. He spent time with God, which yielded a strong relationship. In turn, he responded to a problem with the certainty that he was a beloved child of God with full access to his Father's storehouses of power, courage, and wisdom. If David had a moment of doubt, he could recall his own poetic words about the Lord's great faithfulness in past troubles.

Our faith does not depend on the wisdom of men. Our faith depends on the power of God. Sometimes words of encouragement fall empty. Sometimes what others say to lift us up will fall short. But it is the faithfulness of God that will stand strong. I encourage all of us to practice David's faith habits. Spend time alone with the Lord, and keep a record of His work in our life. Then we can act in confidence that God is sufficient, no matter how big a problem looms. He gives victory to those who stand in faith and confront their “Goliaths.”

Deaf Devotion 9/20/2010

“He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” (Colossians 1:17 NLT)

There is a song some of us learned as children. It goes, “He’s got the whole world in His hands. Red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight.” We sing about the Lord having the whole world in His hands. But do we realize what is more remarkable than that? He has the whole universe in His hands.

He's the One who spoke it into existence.
He’s the One who keeps it going.
He's the One who is going to fold it up like a garment and tuck it away in a drawer somewhere.
He has absolute power over it; He rules it, and He runs it.

When we pick up the newspaper and read something alarming, we don't need to panic. It is no surprise to God. That just says "Praise God, I told you so!" God is in control! He who flung the stars in space has the whole universe in His hands!

There is one name that is above ALL names in heaven and on earth: Jesus Christ. The more we realize who He really is, the more we will give Him the worship and praise He deserves. Let’s do that today! “Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34:3 NLT)

We tend to lose sight of what was done at creation. God as Father, Son, and Spirit existed before the universe came into creation. God as Creator, Son as the spoken Word, and Spirit as the motivator were present when the universe was called into creation with a single Word. God looked at each step in creation and said, “It’s all GOOD.”

-A single drop of water is filled with so many molecules that if each one was the size of a grain of sand, you could build a road a half mile wide, one foot thick all the way from New York to Los Angeles.
-The surface temperature of our sun is about 11,000 degrees. Fortunately, we are 93,000,000 miles away. -- Just the right distance for life on earth to be possible.
-The earth is tilted just the right way for us to have seasons.
-Right now we are spinning at a thousand miles an hour.
-At the same time we are flying around the sun at a thousand miles a minute. -- But we don’t even have to hold on because the Lord’s design is so perfect.
-Our atmosphere is 21% oxygen. -If it was 45%, then the first time there was a spark -- BOOM -- the whole earth explodes!

Think about our heart. It’s about the size of fist and weighs 12 ounces. -- But in 12 hours your heart will do enough work to raise 65 tons off the ground one inch.

All of these things and countless more give glory to the One who created us -- Jesus Christ! “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:1-5 NLT)

What does this mean for us? It means that our God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is bigger than we can possibly imagine. Nothing is too hard for Him. It also means that God is paying attention to the smallest details of His creation. He cares about all of His creation. He cares about every person. As Pastor Bill Bouknight once said, “Every new baby bears the fingerprint of Christ.”

Give glory to God the Son! We give praise because He is the cause of all creation, and because He has the strength to sustain us. The common thread that holds all of creation together is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the spoken Word of all creation, the reliable revelation of God, and the source of our salvation. But who is Jesus to you? Now is the time to trust in the Lord, follow the Lord, serve the Lord, and worship the Lord. Share His Gospel and lead others to open their heart to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. Whenever we go to God in prayer, behold the greatness of God.

Deaf Devotion 9/14/2010

Pastor's Note: Please forgive my absence for a couple weeks. It has been full of activity preparing for the launch of Master's Hands Deaf Church (See update below). I thank each person involved in the hard work of preparing the building, assisting in worship and uplifting us in prayer as we start a new journey reaching the Deaf in our area. To God be the Glory! Great things He has done! -Pastor John-

Ahead with today's devotion:

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)” (Hebrews 10:23 KJV)

Let’s be honest. How often do we catch ourselves feeling "hopeful"?

“Hope” is one of those mysterious feelings. It sometimes comes across as an ”emotion” or “view” that we seem to know more when we don’t think about more than when we do think about it. It should not be that way, but it often is. Most times we may not recall the last time we felt hope-full, but we can probably remember the last time we felt hope-less.

Hope, often taken for granted, is nothing more than rock-solid assurance that what God has said is true and will happen. It will happen even when there is nothing except His Word to back up what He says He will do. Hope does not depend on a person’s circumstances. God says our hope is all about our relationship with Jesus Christ. With Jesus as Savior, we ALL have a place in heaven. Jesus said that in His Father’s house are many mansions. That means a place in heaven with your and my name on the door. (Mine has a Starbucks next door too!!!)

Seeing is not the same as believing. Hoping is believing! We walk by faith and not by sight. Hope is the knowledge and confidence that wells up as a result of our believing God. There's a fine line between the two, and one must take a close look to understand fully the difference. A person must believe before they can hope, and hope happens as soon as you believe. So if today we are walking confidently in our relationship with Christ, if we are at peace about today and the future, if Jesus holds the key to your and my future, we are full of hope. We are hope-“full”. When we are hope-“full” there is no room for doubt. A glass full of water will become full before it overflows.

What happens when we become hope-“full”? Our hope overflows and we tell others about the rock-solid assurance that God has a place for EVERYBODY in heaven through a personal relationship of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

The Bible says to "hold fast” to the Hope, the assurance, and the promise we already have. It was finished at the cross. When Jesus died, the temple veil was torn. Heaven was opened and God is calling His children to come home through Jesus Christ. Stay hopeful by staying faithful, just as God is faithful.

When we hold fast, it means we are “unshakeable.” It means confidence. It means trust. It means assurance.

When we are “unshakeable” we:
1. Depend on Jesus Christ – It’s not about what we do. It’s about what Jesus did for everyone at the Cross.
2. Plan for Growth – We seek to be the hope-“full” person where the hope we already have overflows to others. It is the growth in a closer relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
3. Meet with friends – We have fellowship with others. We have fellowship with God.
4. Encourage others – Our community strengthens our faith. We see someone struggling we come alongside to encourage. We see someone rejoicing we come alongside and help them share their joy.
5. Stay connected - Too many of us are “off and on” or “hot and cold.” We plug in then we pull out. We’re like yoyos – up and down, up and down. The people who are unshakeable are the ones with the HOPE.

Hope means believing that God is in control when things are otherwise hopeless.

Master's Hands Update

God is good all the time.
We had a wonderful "Launch Sunday" celebration with 22 in attendance.
It was a time of celebration, praise and worship.
A huge thank you goes out to those who gave up their time to make the Master's Hands building a place of worship to honor and exalt God.
The local ABC News came out and did a story on us also.

Here is the link:
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=7660874

Thank you to all who lift us up in prayer as we start a journey together.

God Bless you!

Pastor John

Deaf Devotion 8/28/2010

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 KJV)

Notice that we walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death. It is not the “valley of death.”It certainly is not Death Valley in California where the average daily temperature is 112 degrees. The writer is also speaking in the present. Meaning it is happening now. It is as if the valleys are something which we cannot avoid. There is a reason for that.

Think about it. Who doesn't love the mountains? The views, the cool, refreshing air, and no mosquitoes! In ancient times both pagan and real worship were always in "high places," These “high places” are mentioned nearly eighty times in the Old Testament. The temple in Jerusalem was on the top of Mount Moriah. It was on a mountaintop where Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John “Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them.”(Mark 9:2 NASB)

“Transfigured” is from the Greek word “μεταμορφόω” (metamorphoō) which means to change into another form. This is much the same when a caterpillar goes into the cocoon and comes out a butterfly. We go to the cross as sinners and come away from the cross redeemed and forgiven. We go into the valley of the shadow of death with fear and we come out the other side protected and saved. We are new creatures.

As nice as mountaintops are, we live in the valleys below. Even Jesus refused Peter's request to set up shelters on the mountaintop to extend their stay. By their very nature, valleys can be darker with roads that have many bends and turns. Life in the valley has more unexpected twists and turns than life on a high place. We can't see as far or as clearly in the valley, a fact that makes us insecure, even fearful. It is for that reason that God promises to be with us in the valleys of our life. He promises to stand with us even in the valley of the shadow of death.

Breathe deeply of God's goodness on the mountaintop, but when we return to life in the valley, we can know without a shadow of doubt that God goes with us. There is nothing to fear in the valley where we live.

God is God of the mountaintop and God of the valley. This means that God is God on the mountaintop. But He does not stay there. He comes down into the valley to stay with us as the Shepherd and leads us to places of rest and safety. The focus is not the valley or the mountaintop. God calls each and every one of us in a personal way to focus on the Shepherd, the One who is with us.

David says “I will walk, I will not fear, and I will get through…” David did not say, “I walk IN the valley” but “I WALK THROUGH the valley.” That’s why David starts off this Psalm declaring, “The Lord is MY Shepherd.” He does not say “was” or “will be.” Our Shephard is alive in the here and now ready to protect and save. When life blows up in our face and God seems far away and distant, we are not looking for reasons. We need comfort. We don’t need some answers. We need someone. And Jesus does not come to us with an explanation of “why” or “how.” Jesus comes to us with His presence.”

The basic question is not whether we have many or few valleys in life. It is not whether those valleys are dark or not so dark. The question is how we respond to them. How can we get through? Trust in the Shepherd. Depend on Him. We go into the valley at one end and we come out the other end as different people. He is the God of the mountaintop and the God of the valley. Jesus was transfigured on top of the mountain, but He transforms us coming through the valley.

ANNOUNCEMENT - The Deaf Church at Cornerstone

Praise the Lord!

On September 12, 2010 Deaf Church at Cornerstone will become Master's Hands Deaf Church. You may wonder why. The Deaf Church is a separate mission church Cornerstone is planting. We will no longer be in the Cornerstone Baptist Church building but in the building to the west. The address is 6273 Miller Rd., Swartz Creek MI 48473.

Master's Hands Deaf Church is a congregation of Deaf and Hearing individuals started as a mission of Cornerstone Baptist Church with the purpose of bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Flint, Michigan area.

Cornerstone Baptist Church had a Deaf Ministry for many years and will continue to serve the Deaf. The Deaf Church at Cornerstone began three years ago as a separate Deaf Church within Cornerstone Baptist Church. The focus was Deaf Worship, Sunday School and Bible study which is signed and not interpreted.

Master's Hands Deaf Church is a church where you come as you are and are welcome. We do not get hung up on what you look like. We want you to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Come expecting to exalt the risen Savior, praise and worship God, and study God's Word to learn God's plan for each person. The goal is to make sure all Deaf know of the salvation God offers through Jesus Christ and by His grace and how to live a victorious life in His Will.

Sunday, September 12, 2010 will be “Launch Sunday.” Deaf Sunday School starts with fellowship at 945am. Deaf Worship is at 11am. Bible Study is Wednesday at 630pm. If you plan to attend and are in need of a voice interpreter, please contact us and we will do our best to provide accommodation for you. Sunday evenings, the service at Cornerstone Baptist Church will continue to be interpreted at 6pm and the Deaf are welcome to join our Hearing brothers and sisters in worship. Master's Hands Deaf Church does have child care and children's programs available with Cornerstone Baptist Church.

I would encourage you to visit and worship with us. If you have questions or need more information, please feel free to contact me. God Bless You! We look forward to seeing you soon at Master's Hands Deaf Church.

Blessings,
John Bienlein
Pastor
Master's Hands Deaf Church

Deaf Devotion 8/20/2010

“Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness." (Psalm 145:3 NLT)

Our God is too big to be contained in facts, formulas, or by limited minds. Trying to explain Him is like a child trying to teach about quantum physics to his friends in the first grade. If we could understand God who has no limits, and pack Him up within our soggy brains, there would be no way He could be eternal, limitless, uplifting, and glorious. It is our own minds that put limits on God. God will never limit Himself in any way.

If we could remove the “mystery” of God, He would not be God after all. As theologian Wayne Grudem wrote, "It is spiritually healthy for us to acknowledge openly that God's very being is far greater than we can ever comprehend."

Another scholar, Henry Morris, adds an important point. Speaking of the person of God, he said, "We cannot really comprehend this with our minds, but we can believe it and rejoice with our hearts." We can sing praise to God who reigns above, the God of all creation, the God of power, the God of love, the God of our salvation. The characteristics of God cannot be fully known by our limited understanding; we just know He is mighty, merciful, and full of majesty.

Many of us know the hymn “How Great Thou Art.” Psalm 145:3 is from where the song is taken. Think about the words.

“O Lord my God” – You are God we are not. We are sinners through and through. But you reach into history to lift us from our sin. Only from your hands can the universe be created, and controlled.

“When I in awesome wonder” - I stand in awe and respect of my Savior, my Salvation and the Creator of the Universe.

“Consider all” – well almost everything as my mind cannot take in all that you do, Lord. Isaiah said that your thoughts are not our thoughts and your ways are not our ways.

“The works Thy Hand hath made” - by your word the entire universe was brought into existence.

“I see the stars” - you want me to count them? Only you know how many, Lord. And you know every name too!

“I hear the mighty thunder” - My mom always said it sounds like angels are bowling. Really, it is you Lord making your awesome power to be felt.

“Thy power throughout” – there is nothing that exists outside of the limitless power of God. Wow that is some power.

“The universe displayed” - His power throughout the universe displayed. It’s HIS POWER that is on display. It’s HIS POWER that shows our sin and weakness. Thank you Lord for showing your power over sin through your Son Jesus Christ, Our Savior.

Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee. “How great Thou art! How great Thou art!” Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, “How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”

“When Christ shall come” – He said He will be back to bring us all home to heaven. He promised. What He says He will do He will do. God has not yet broken a promise. Can we say the same thing?

“With shouts of acclamation” – Praise, honor, glory, adoration, worship, and approval all belong to your name Lord Jesus.

“And take me home” – We are travelers in a strange land. We long to be home with Jesus.

“What joy shall fill my heart!” – And we mean filled to overflowing. There will be no other thing on which we can focus. Jesus now and always.

“Then I shall bow” – Before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

“In humble adoration” – To worship only you.

“And there proclaim” – “My God, how great Thou art!"

God is great.
His power and His might is more than we can figure out.
His gentle Spirit brings us peace and calm.
His saving Son brings us eternal life, and takes away all our sin.
And His saving power brings us home to an eternity of humble adoration of the great God we worship.

“And there proclaim” – “My God, how great Thou art!"

“If God were small enough to be understood, He would not be big enough to be worshipped.”
Evelyn Underhill, quoted by Elizabeth Elliot in “Secure in the Everlasting Arms.”