March 2025 - A Living Bible

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of esoteric and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.

Down the street from the campus is a well dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to go about it. One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the front of the sanctuary and, when he realizes there are no seats, he just sits down right on the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, trust me, it had never happened in this church before!)

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.

The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't continue with the service until the deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone.

Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, "What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget. Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read."

LORD help me to be as accepting of others as you are of me. You accept me no matter how I am dressed or what I have done. Open my heart to accept others as quickly and fully as you have accepted me! Lord forgive my sins like I forgive other's sins against me. Help me to become more like Jesus in everything I do and say. Amen.

February 2025 - It's Time to Grow Up!

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  Eph 4:15-16 (NIV)

     Did you know that the goal for ALL of us is “Grow up?” I love my granddaughters... but I am glad when they move out of the bottle and diaper stages. They are fun as babies but I am thrilled to watch them grow up, get more independent, feed themselves, dress themselves and not need constant care. That’s truth for all of us.

     In the Christian life, it isn’t enough just to get in, we have to actually DO SOMETHING once we’re there! What are YOU doing while you’re there? Are you doing anything worthwhile? If you are simply sitting week after week with your mouth open, like a baby bird, then you are missing the whole point of the Christian life. It isn’t about what I can get... it’s really about what I can give!

     That is the ultimate test of maturity, isn’t it? Whether we are a giver or a taker. That is the hope of all of us who are parents: that our children will finally grow up to the point that they finally start to give a little rather than just take, take, take! When I was growing up I accused my parents of having children just so they could put us to work. My mom told me that was true. I believed her! I was the oldest and so there were days it really seemed that way... 

     So, are you a giver or a taker? Is the primary focus of your life ministering or being ministered to? Do you constantly need attention and building up and encouragement or are you the one doing the back patting, looking for ways to encourage others? Do you see the needs and work to meet them or do you see the needs and wonder why they aren’t being met?

     The good news is that it IS possible to grow up in your relationship with Christ. It isn’t an age thing, you teenagers can mature in your faith just a rapidly as the oldest person in the Church. In fact, it is often easier for you, that for us “older” folk. You minds are far less cluttered than ours and your hearts are often far more sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. Growing older is not an option. Maturing is something that we must choose to do.

Pastor Ed

January 2025 - Does Prayer Work?

Roger Simms, hitchhiking his way home, would never forget the date--May 7. His heavy suitcase made Roger tired. He was anxious to take off his army uniform once and for all. Flashing the hitchhiking sign to the oncoming car, he lost hope when he saw it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his surprise the car stopped. The passenger door opened. He ran toward the car, tossed his suitcase in the back, and thanked the handsome, well-dressed man as he slid into the front seat. "Going home for keeps?" "Sure am," Roger responded. "Well, you're in luck if you're going to Chicago." "Not quite that far. Do you live in Chicago?" "I have a business there. My name is Hanover."

After talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to witness to this fifty-ish, apparently successful businessman about Christ. But he kept putting it off, till he realized he was just thirty minutes from his home. It was now or never. So, Roger cleared his throat, "Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you about something very important." He then proceeded to explain the way of salvation, ultimately asking Mr. Hanover if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger's astonishment the Cadillac pulled over to the side of the road. Roger thought he was going to be ejected from the car. But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ, then thanked Roger. "This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."

Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. A receptionist told him it was impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. A little confused as to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and found himself facing a keen-eyed woman in her fifties. She extended her hand. "You knew my husband?"

Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when hitchhiking home after the war. "Can you tell me when that was?" "It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army." "Anything special about that day?" Roger hesitated. Should he mention giving his witness? Since he had come so far, he might as well take the plunge. "Mrs. Hanover, I explained the gospel. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day."

Explosive sobs shook her body. Getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, "I had prayed for my husband's salvation for years. I believed God would save him." "And," said Roger, "Where is your husband, Mrs. Hanover?" "He's dead," she wept, struggling with words. "He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see, I thought God had not kept His promise." Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, "I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!"

Does prayer work? No question about it. Does it work in ways that we expect? Not always. As we begin this New Year with 7 Days of Prayer remember, “When we work, we work. When we pray, God works!”

Pastor Ed

A Brown Paper Parcel

Harry Winston, a famous diamond broker, was excited. And so was the crowd that had gathered around him. He had just purchased one of the most famous diamonds in the world. And he expected it to be delivered at any moment!

In the crowd were friends and news reporters and curious onlookers, all anxious for the first glimpse of the famous stone. While they waited, Mr. Winston entertained them with stories from the diamonds past history. The crowd buzzed with excitement. The people kept watching for the armored car and police escort that would make the delivery. Security was sure to be tight.

At the edge of the crowd a man in a postman’s uniform tried to make his way through, but he was shoved back. The people wanted nothing to distract attention from the arrival of the fabled gem.

The crowd grew. Self-appointed sentinels kept their eyes on the roadway, ready to shout the arrival of the armed escort. Again, the postman tried to push through the crowd. In his hand he clutched a brown paper parcel tied with string. He said he had to deliver it to Mr. Winston. Imagine! Who was he? Some crackpot trying to get his name in the paper?

Finally, with more irritation than courtesy, they let the stubborn postman through. Mr. Winston took the parcel, glanced at the return address, and gave a short cry. With trembling hands, he tore the paper away from a small box. Then he opened it and tenderly lifted the precious diamond for all to see. He held it up to the sun and let the gems reflections play over the amazed crowd.

For a few moments they stood in stunned silence. How could such fabled beauty arrive in such a common wrapping and in such an ordinary way? And then they burst into a loud, spontaneous cheer! But no one in that crowd ever forgot how they had almost rejected one of the world’s most precious diamonds!

How like what happened nearly two thousand years ago when Jesus came to earth. The people were expecting their Messiah. They were waiting for him, longing for His arrival, but they didn’t think He would come in a brown paper parcel!

"And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." (Luke2:16)

Pastor Ed

WAKE UP!

As I have been studying and praying these past few days, I have been asking God to reveal anything in my Life that needs course correction. If you ask God for this kind of information - be prepared - because He loves us enough to give it! Along with prayer for personal direction, I have been asking for clear direction for our church as well. I have been impressed that we are on the right track and we are doing the things that churches are supposed to be doing. That IS great news! Then came the part that I don’t like. “You are on the right track... BUT”! This is probably the second most hated three letter word in any language (the first is “No”!). As I have been seeking what this means, I haven’t been able to escape from these verses in Revelation 3: ". . . I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.” Rev. 3.1b-3 I don’t know about you, but that is pretty scary. At least it isn’t like to some of the other Churches in Revelation that are REALLY in trouble... but it is still quite a shock. I wouldn’t consider our church dead... would you? I mean, we love God and we feel the Spirit’s presence when we worship. Good stuff is going on... isn’t it? But the message is clear, “something isn’t right”. We are commanded to “Wake up and do the things that we know to do”! Because in some way, “our deeds are not complete in the sight of God”! I challenge each of you to read this passage every day this next week and consciously ask God to reveal to you what we (that’s all of us) aren’t doing like we should be doing. Then take it a step farther and ask what you personally need to change to “Wake up” the way God wants you to.

Wake Up, Obey, Repent! Three commands from Jesus to us. The real question, of course, is, “Will we do it”?

Yours to Count On,

Pastor Ed Eby

Run to the Battle!

You have probably figured out that God is up to something at Moscow Naz. It has become increasing evident that there is a spiritual battle going on. I know that you already know it but it has come home to me in a more realistic way. God has been revealing to me that a lot of what we consider a part of “normal life” is really Satan’s attack on God’s Church. I don’t know about you but it seems that the struggles (on every level) have been greater than usual. They manifest themselves as physical ailments or injuries, financial shortfalls, conflict at work, school and in our homes, increased irritability and lack of patience, difficulty in relationships, etc., etc. Satan has really been turning up the heat and the Bible is clear that he is out to destroy God’s people and God’s Church.

I know that it has been said to “rejoice when we face trials” but that seems to be asking too much. I am learning that God doesn’t expect me to be happy about the struggle but I can be “joyful” in the midst of it. Understanding the cause can really help to keep the “Joy of the Lord” which is our... that’s right, our Strength! Satan may be attacking but God is still in control. The ONLY way he can truly get to us if there are holes in our armor. Ask God to show you where you may be vulnerable and then allow Him to fix the holes, so that you will be protected from all those flaming arrows.

There is a song that Steve Camp released back in 1995 entitled, “Run to the Battle,” that talks about this battle and the key to winning it! I know I have quoted some of the lyrics to you in a couple sermons but as a reminder, below are part of the lyrics... If it ministers to you, look it up online and listen to the whole song (I still have an original cassette tape from ‘95!).

Some people want to live within the sound of chapel bells, But I want to run a mission a yard from the gates of hell.

And with everyone you meet I'll take them the gospel and share it well, And look around you as you hesitate for another soul just fell, let's run to the battle. Run to the battle

Do you have your armor on? We're in the middle of a raging war, We've been training for so long, have we learned to use His sword?

We may not be ready but we serve a mighty Lord, And He's made us more than conquerors So what are you waiting for? Let's run to the, battle...

He has trampled down the enemy and has given us the victory

When we pray we learn to see that His army we are marching on our knees!

Let’s Run (not walk) To The Battle!

Yours to Count On,

Pastor Ed Eby

When You Pray

Prayer is one of the mystical things that no one can really tell you how it works. I mean, how can talking to an unseen God REALLY make a difference? Men & women have been doing it for centuries. Granted, many have prayed to gods of stone and wood and metal. Today many pray to gods of plastic, paper, electronics and account numbers.

And yet... we pray. All of us, with rare exception will utter a prayer from time to time. For those who don’t believe, it is often a “just in case” or as a “last resort”. But how often for those of us who “do know” is it the same?

I have talked about prayer many, many times. We have a special time set aside to pray together - Saturday nights. For those who wonder about reason and time, I believe that God has called us to do it... called me to do it and had me invite those who would like, to join me. There are times when it is an incredible hour or so of closeness to God and to each other and there are others when it is just plain hard work. You see, prayer is not really about us, it is about God... AND us. As one author said, “the goal of prayer is not to get something FROM God but it is to GET God.”

At the bottom line, prayer is simply communication (hopefully 2-way) between us and the only hope for this crazy world we live in. And yes, prayer makes a difference. There are some of us who are alive today because of prayer. No child would survive through adolescence without prayer. Prayers for their protection, protection from the evil in this world AND from the wrath of their parents... from time to time, if you know what I mean?

Many have speculated about how to pray and what to say, looking for that magic formula that will get God to answer according to their wishes. I submit to you that the most important thing is simply to pray. Prayer is like many other things in life, you will get better at it the more that you do it.

Sometimes it is helpful to be practical. Below are some practical steps to making prayer an intimate and normal part of Every Day:

1. It’s MORE than what you Say. No formulas. Just talk to God & let Him talk to you.

2. Make it every Day. Consistency, consistency, consistency!

3. Be ready to Stay. Don’t talk and dash. Make time to spend in His presence.

4. You can Play as you Pray. God often speaks in the most surprising ways. Always be listening for that still small voice.

5. Make sure that God is in the Way. Look at EVERY situation through the lense of the cross.

Most important of all is... Pray! They say that practice makes perfect... The truth is, what you practice you make permanent.

Yours to Count On,

Pastor Ed Eby

Counter - Cultural Freedom?

What does it mean when we say, “counter culture”? The dictionary defines it as, “a way of life and set of attitudes opposed to or at variance with the prevailing social norm.” As I think about it, in today’s society if we are going to truly be Christ-like we WILL be counter-cultural. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor 1:18 (NIV) The truth is that Jesus was about as counter-cultural as it gets.

     As Ghandi once said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Ouch! But how often is that true? We marvel at the growth of the early church, the explosion of faith in Christ in such numbers and speed that in only a blink of history, the Roman Empire had officially turned from paganism to Christianity. How did it happen?

     We look for formulas and programs, services and processes. The simple truth is just that they were very much like Jesus, so much so that the name “Christian” (meaning “little Christ”) came into existence (Acts 11).

     One author noted, “they shared the gospel like it was gossip over the backyard fence.” It was/He was just a normal part of their everyday life. They didn’t plan or train or have special services. They just lived and breathed Jesus. What did people see? Tertullian noted, the awed pagan reaction to the Christian communal life was, “See how they love one another.”

     I recently read a line that caught my attention. One person said of another, “God looks good on you.” The context made it clear that it wasn’t meant to say that God looked on them in a favorable way, as in God’s attitude or spirit toward them, but that when people looked on their life, it made God look good. God should look good on us to others.

     God looked good on Jesus. I’ve always been amazed at how Jesus could proclaim absolute truth without compromise to those far from God, and then have those very same people invite Him to their parties.

     Unfortunately, in the minds of many, modern day Christianity no longer seems very Christ-like. And much of that image has been earned. We’ve acted in ways, talked in ways, lived in ways, that have stolen from God’s reputation. Yet, the church remains the hope of the world. The problem is that many in the Church are not really free, so we can’t reflect that “Counter-Cultural Freedom” that Christ gives.

     If we choose, WHEN we CHOOSE to do so... to embrace the “Foolishness” of the Cross and the true Freedom that it represents... then God will begin to look good on us again.

     I challenge you to be counter-cultural... in all the right ways and for all the right reasons. We ARE Free! We are!! Let’s live it together... for God’s glory!

What If?

We have been on a journey together to discover our “true” identity for quite a while. Hopefully, you are discovering how much God REALLY loves you! Also, that we will learn to recognize the voice of God when He speaks. God does speak, in fact He is speaking to us all the time. The question is whether we are spending the time necessary to recognize His voice clearly?

     For several years now I believe that God has been calling us to pray “together”. For me this is NOT one of those, “if you want to or feel like it” or “pray when it’s convenient” kind of calls. It is a, “Do it or Else!” kind of call. That’s why I have continued to come and pray every week even when very few join me. I believe it is THAT important!

     Hopefully you know that we pray together every Saturday night from 6-7pm. It’s hard to believe but it has been more than 10 years since we started and it is getting better and better. I can’t tell you the number of times the move of God’s Spirit in our Sunday worship is more intense and more real because of our prayer. In fact I am convinced that our very survival as a church is dependent on us Praying Together!

     Therefore, we are going to kick off the “Year is ½ Over” with 7 days of Prayer (beginning on July 8th) every night at 6:00 pm.

     You might say, “Here he goes again. We have been hearing about this prayer thing for waaaay to long now!” Just for arguments sake, let’s say that is true? What do we lose by praying together? What do we really give up, except a little time and convenience? What does it REALLY cost us to come together and pray, regularly?   

     However, what if - just for arguments sake - What if this really IS a mandate from God? And we choose NOT to obey? What is the cost? What are we missing? What are we “losing” by our disobedience? 

     I need you to hear me clearly. This is NOT intended to bring guilt or condemnation. I know in my heart that this is a call from God to me, for us. Why else would I continue to do it when only Laurel and I and our staff show up to pray on some nights? When I hear excuse after excuse of why it just doesn’t “fit the schedule”?

     I heard this quote somewhere and it is what keeps me going, “When we work, we work. But when we pray, God works!” I long desperately for God to work. He has incredible things in store for me, for us. His word promises it. So, when God says pray... I pray!

 Yours to Count On,

Pastor Ed Eby

Who is Calling?

Have you ever had one of those times when you felt strongly impressed to do something but it didn’t make a lot of sense? I mean you couldn’t verify it except to say, “I just felt like I needed to do or not do it?” So, you drive home a different way or stop at a certain place or... and nothing incredible happened?

     How do you process that? I mean, is that the Lord speaking to you? Is it a hunch? Your imagination? The result of too much pizza... too late at night? 

     For me it comes down to the story of the Jade. Do you remember? A young man wanted to become a carver of jade. So, he went to the master and asked if he would apprentice him. The master agreed, with one stipulation: he must agree to do everything the master told him to do, without question. The young man agreed.

     The next day he began his “training”. The master gave him a piece of jade and told him to keep it with him at all times, yes even when he was sleeping. He then assigned him several menial tasks to perform. The young man did this without question for a whole month.

     Finally, he had enough of weeding the garden, preparing the meals, washing the dishes, wax on wax off...and went storming up to the master and threw the jade at his feet. He yelled, “I want to be a master jade carver not a house boy!” The master calmly picked up the stone and tossed it back to him. As soon as it touched his hand he exclaimed, “This is not jade!”

     The master took the rock from him and returned the “real” jade and said, “Now we can begin.”

     You get the point, right? If you spend enough time with something you get to know it well. You can recognize it immediately, as soon as it touches your hand. Anything that is “counterfeit” is instantly detected.

     It is the same in our relationship with God. The more time we spend with Him, the better we get to know Him. Then, when we feel “impressed” to do, say, responded, act, give, go... we will KNOW if it’s counterfeit or if it is from Him.

     There are lots of voices out there but spending time with Him will let us know “Who is Calling!”