Pastor Bruce’s blog

I’m back in my office today after our trip south.  When we were in the car last weekend I received a message from a friend regarding the murders here in Brockport and then more murders in Canangaigua.  It was quite the shock, as our town and region aren’t usually the kind of places where such violent crime is committed.  That was on top of the news of the plane crash in Clarence where 50 people perished near the Buffalo airport.  And it may seem unrelated, but a blanket of snow is falling as I look out my window.  It’s covering everything.

Our area is blanketed with sorrow, anger and loss.  It’s covering everything.  It’s hard to put into words how the families of the victims of these two violent incidents must feel, but our community is overwhelmed by the darkness of these tragedies. 

I know that in the case of the plane crash that some of the dead were believers.  Their families are grieving horribly, but they are trusting their loved one to the Lord.  And that brings me to my point.  When sorrow blankets a family, a community, a region, even a nation, the Lord shows Himself to be the answer every time.  Where can you find peace, resolve, or even the understanding needed to overcome tragedy?  It’s always found in Him.  He gives hope, He gives assurance, He promises justice and He will be your Savior, if you call on Him.  If you’re grieving, today or any day, call on the Lord and He will answer.  His blessings, PB

Robin, the girls, and two of our sons came along with us to visit our married son and his wonderful wife.  It’s been great to see their house for the first time, spend time having fun, talking, playing games and attending their church.  It’s the night before we’re heading back home and I’m beginning to think again about how life does change. 

It was only two years ago that our married children had their wedding at Hamlin Beach State Park, their favorite place and one of mine too.  The wedding was long anticipated and even though it rained some on that day, it was a beautiful time.  Somewhere near the middle of the reception, also in Hamlin, they slipped away to their new life together.  A friend took a photo of them holding hands and heading for their car and their future.  That photo sort of haunted me.  The boy we raised was now the husband in a new family.  So here we are today, leaving these two again, now in a distant city, a nice place, but far away from our home town.  And I keep thinking, life changes.  They have settled here in North Carolina, bought a home and are putting down roots.  I feel a strange emotion as I plan the trip back tomorrow.  Sort of full and sort of sad.  I don’t know how else to explain it.

Our other sons and daughters are still living in Brockport.  For how long I don’t know.  They are embracing their own calling, destiny and destination.  Will we stay close?  Perhaps only in heart, as there are so many options for their futures.  And I think, Lord, I love these kids.  I want them to stay near, as they are such a joy and a comfort to have close.  Yet, life does change.  I release them to whatever it is that you have for them in life, Lord.  They belong to You.  They are yours to direct.  You are the only Constant when all else becomes something else, somewhere else.  I embrace the changes because I can trust You to never change.  His blessings, PB

Okay, we put Ronald away for 21 days (don’t you just love that picture?) and sought the Lord together for His will and purpose to be further established in our lives, our families and our community.  We prayed together and prayed individually.  Did anything happen immediately?  Yes, many wonderful things.  The Lord took the opportunity to heal some people.  One man had terrible pain in his legs for years.  A few days into the fast the Lord spoke to his heart about faith and the next morning the alarm clock woke him instead of the pain.  The pain was gone!  Another woman just wrote to me and said that she is sleeping through the night unlike the past, has been healed of two rather difficult, painful physical problems and has seen drastic changes in her job situation.  Another mom told me that her son who was having near daily seizures has been seizure free since we began fasting and praying together.  And the list goes on from there!  The bottom line is: God hears and answers prayer!  And as we give, pray and fast, the Lord who “sees in secret will reward…openly!”  He is God, Sovereign over the affairs of men and can be trusted by those who love and reverence Him!  Blessings, PB

I’m away for a few days on a prayer retreat and I’m relearning how important it is to pray!  We’re three days into our 21 day fast and it’s been so effective in focusing my prayer life.   I had a last minute opportunity to travel to North Carolina to spend these days with Larry and Carole Arendas, in the basement apartment in their home.  Between the long periods of private prayer and the times we’ve talked and prayed together, I’m really being touched by the Lord.  I had almost forgotten how wonderful an intense, extended time of prayer can be!  Blessings, PB

It’s hard to believe that 2008 is finished and that 2009 is about to begin!  There’s two thoughts we ought to have fixed in our hearts as we make this annual transition.  One, gratitude for what the Lord has done in the past year.  Look back on what happened and what didn’t happen; hasn’t He blessed you?  I’m sure you’ll find that in the past 12 months you have grown in your faith, found new truths, established new relationships and in every way saw God’s involvement in your life. 

The other thought in your heart ought to be trust.  The Lord is sovereign over the affairs of men.  Sure, there are lots of uncertainties, financial, political and otherwise.  But His promise is that He will personally work all of them out for good in you.  You may not become a millionaire this year, but you will be preserved, grow and increase in what’s important.  Trust Him as you make your plans, seek Him for His heart and you’ll be so peaceful when surprises come our way this year.  Surprises?  Yes, but kept in check by the One who loves you and works it all together for good.  New Year’s blessings, PB

Yup, sitting here in a waiting room.  It’s a funny thing, but we all seem to end up here at one time or another.  I’m at the hospital, awaiting my friend Pastor Mark’s emergence from an MRI.  Yes, it did take longer than anyone thought, although, that’s not a problem.  It’s always the question of changing your plans and whether or not that’s going to pose a problem.  And somewhere in the middle of the waiting you’re thinking, did the Lord really orchestrate this?  The answer is always yes.  Because He actually orchestrates all of those little and big things that are out of our control.  And that gives one a great sense of peace, as long as you know that He is gracious and merciful!  Still hanging out, but feeling like I’m in the palm of His Hand!  Blessings, PB

Okay, I’m really pretty perturbed after reading the cover story of Newsweek last evening.  The photo on the front cover shows a Bible with a rainbow colored bookmark extended from it.  The point of the front page article?  Apparently, to somehow educate us all that the Bible is for homosexual “marriage.”  I am absolutely offended!  The clear teaching of the Bible is that marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman.  And if I may go further, the Bible also teaches that the practice of homosexuality is in the same category as adultery, fornication and other sexually immoral practices.  Is Newsweek a news magazine or is it an editorial publication that should be renamed “Conjecture Weekly?”  The woman author of the article is neither Biblically literate nor is she objective.  It wasn’t “news.”

The culture war over homosexual “marriage” and abortion will never be over.  Those of us who believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that it teaches us what God thinks about life and how we should live it will never be able to explain away the plainly understood truths written there.  There will always be millions of Americans who will not agree with those who attempt to modify the collective conscience to accept the unacceptable.   We can never hate, persecute or harm those who disagree with God’s Word, but we can never captitulate under the assertion that somehow God’s Word supports these, and other, immoralities.  It doesn’t.  Sorry Newsweek, but you’re absolutely wrong.  And by the way, would you ever have dared to show a photo of the Koran with a rainbow bookmark on your front cover?  I don’t think so.  PB

I was reading an article this week regarding kids cheating in school.  In this article were the conjectures of people trying to explain away the fact that in a recent survey, some 65% of students admitted to cheating.  It included plagiarism of essays, traditional test cheating; the whole range of dishonesty when it came to their academics.  The reason given as to why more kids are admitting to cheating today was the great pressure our children are under today, along with the new tools available to carry out the deed, such as the availability of the internet.  There were no steps toward changing this behavior that I remember being put forward in the article. 

Is it really surprising that more kids are cheating and admitting to it?  Not really.  For decades now the prevailing philosophy toward morality is that morality is relative.  You might think something is wrong, but someone else might not, so there’s really no absolute standard of right or wrong.  It’s relative to you and your situation.  Sound familiar?  That’s because our society at large seems to have embraced and taught moral relativism, as evidenced in the expressed philosophy of many educational institutions.  For example, the Ten Commandments, once prominently displayed in public schools have been removed, as I read in one commentary, for concern that children might follow them! 

Is it really the fact that kids are under so much pressure now the reason that more admit to cheating?  I don’t think so.  Kids are people.  We all have defective hearts that will pursue evil if allowed.  Kids need to be taught that morality is absolute; that it’s absolutely wrong to cheat, to lie, to steal, to be sexually immoral and on and on.  And then we need to hold them to that standard by applying consequences, reasonable ones, for violating those rights and wrongs.  When we do, we’ll raise a generation of people who will carry honesty, integrity and morality into their adult lives and live happier and more fulfilled because of it.  We can’t let our kids grow up believing that they are the helpless victims of forces beyond their control.  Let’s love them enough to confront them in a loving but firm and consistent manner.  They will thank us later.  Blessings, PB

God is not a silent God!  He speaks through creation, through the Scriptures and directly by means of the Holy Spirit.  It’s amazing!  Psalm 113.5+6 asks the question: “Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?”  God not only cares about us and our affairs but He intervenes.  That begins with Him speaking.  His Word carries creative power and when He speaks, look out! 

Tonight we begin a great weekend of seeking the Lord for His word to us prophetically. May He lead, direct and otherwise interfere with our lives in His good way!

The elections are over!  Thankfully, we won’t have to be bombarded with political ads and commercials for a while.  As a country we’ve elected the first African-American to the White House, an historic first.  While I know that is exciting enough for some, the fact is that our new President-elect firmly stands for many principles that are plainly unBiblical.  Many Christians are concerned about the future morally and spiritually speaking, and I tend to agree with them.  So how should we view this turn in our history?

I think we view it as the Bible describes, a part of God’s overall plan.  When someone ascends to a position of authority, ultimately it’s not because a person put that person there.  God at least allowed it, even though He may not approve of the person or his/her actions.  In the book of Daniel, the pagan king of the Babylonians was “taught a lesson” by the Lord.  Nebuchadnezzer was driven from his kingdom for a time, and when he came back he was convinced of something.  It was “that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.” (Daniel 4.25)  So is our new president really in his office because the American people elected him?  Yes.  And no.  God has allowed him to be elected for eternal purposes.  Is everything this president is about to decide a godly decision?  No. But God, in His infinite wisdom and power, is able to use even ungodly decisions to bring about eternal good. 

So pray for this new president, President-elect Barak Obama.  May God accomplish all He has in mind for this earth through this man’s new office.   Blessings, PB