MARY, DID YOU KNOW?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you.
Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the Great I Am.
This is a very famous song written by Mark Lowery that has always been a favorite of mine. I have sung it for years but this year I want to answer the question. I was on Facebook the other day and one of my friends posted these words: “YES Mary knew!”
I believe that the scripture is clear on one thing: Mary knew what she needed to know to be the mother of God’s Son. I’m sure that God did not give her every detail but he gave her enough information for her to grasp what was about to take place. In Luke 1:26-38, the angel Gabriel came to Mary and clearly conveyed to her that she was pregnant with God’s Son. “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you will give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and HE will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end (Luke 1: 30-33).” Her response is incredible! She has just been told that she will be pregnant even though she was a virgin. She was looking at the possibility of being banished from her village and driven away from the one she was engaged to, and yet she responds, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said (Luke 1:38).” That is incredible commitment, incredible love and incredible sacrifice! It’s no wonder why God chose her.
We have read of all the things that God has done. We have seen the Living Lord active in our lives. We have seen miracles. We have seen God do the unexplainable. We have felt God’s presence as we worship Him. If that is true, then what is our excuse for not having the same abandonment to His will that Mary had?
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
P-R-A-I-S-E
“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips” Psalm 34:1
P Praise God because He is the Provider
Genesis 22:8 “And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb…’”
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
R Praise God because He is Righteous
2 Timothy 4:8 “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
1 John 2:1 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
A Praise God because He is Able
Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."
2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;
that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."
I Praise God because He is Infinite
Romans 11:33-36 “'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or, who hath been his counselor? Or, who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen."
S Praise God because He is Savior
Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jude 24-25 “To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
E Praise God because He is EVERLASTING.
Isaiah 40:28 "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard? That the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding."
Isaiah 9:6 "...and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
Aaron Hodges
“I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips” Psalm 34:1
P Praise God because He is the Provider
Genesis 22:8 “And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb…’”
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
R Praise God because He is Righteous
2 Timothy 4:8 “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
1 John 2:1 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
A Praise God because He is Able
Ephesians 3:20 "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."
2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;
that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."
I Praise God because He is Infinite
Romans 11:33-36 “'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or, who hath been his counselor? Or, who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen."
S Praise God because He is Savior
Philippians 3:20 “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Jude 24-25 “To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
E Praise God because He is EVERLASTING.
Isaiah 40:28 "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard? That the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding."
Isaiah 9:6 "...and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
AIM HIGH!
Aim High!
I grew up in a Christian home. My parents were both believers and taught my sister and I about the Lord. They taught us what was right and what was wrong. There were definite consequences to our actions. We were commended when we made the right decision and reprimanded when we made the wrong decision. Malia and I are trying to instill this in our own children. One thing I remember learning as a child was regardless of whether or not I was in my Dad’s presence, I was still responsible for my actions. Somehow he knew 99% of what I was doing even when I was not in his presence. I never understood how that was possible until I had kids. As an adult I realized there is a Biblical concept at stake. The Scriptures are very clear that everything we do has an impact on the name of Christ therefore making all our daily behavior influential.
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10
In this passage Paul is pointing out that our ambition in life should not be a proud selfish ambition but instead it should be striving for excellence in spiritual activity that honors God. He is pointing out that our motivating goal should be pleasing the Lord only. The term translated “well pleasing” is the same one used in Titus 2:9 to describe slaves who were passionate to please their masters. We should have that same passion. God is concerned with how we spend this life serving Him.
Our motivation to please God is also shaped by the understanding that we will be held accountable to God for what we have done and not done. This passage refers to the Judgment Seat of Christ. This judgment has nothing to do with our sins. All of our sins were atoned for at Calvary through the death of Christ. What this does refer to is all those activities believers do in their lifetimes, which refer to their eternal reward and praise from God. Paul was comparing eternal or spiritually valuable activities with useless ones. His point was not to prohibit believers from enjoying the wholesome earthy things of this life, but that they should aim to glorify God in them while spending the better part of their energy and time on what has eternal value.
How high is your aim? What are you spending most of your time doing? Are you spending it on things that are temporary and have no eternal impact? Or, are you spending the bulk of your time on things that have eternal value? May we take the time to aim high looking at our schedules and evaluating where our hearts are.
Still growing in Christ and aiming high,
Aaron Hodges
I grew up in a Christian home. My parents were both believers and taught my sister and I about the Lord. They taught us what was right and what was wrong. There were definite consequences to our actions. We were commended when we made the right decision and reprimanded when we made the wrong decision. Malia and I are trying to instill this in our own children. One thing I remember learning as a child was regardless of whether or not I was in my Dad’s presence, I was still responsible for my actions. Somehow he knew 99% of what I was doing even when I was not in his presence. I never understood how that was possible until I had kids. As an adult I realized there is a Biblical concept at stake. The Scriptures are very clear that everything we do has an impact on the name of Christ therefore making all our daily behavior influential.
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:9-10
In this passage Paul is pointing out that our ambition in life should not be a proud selfish ambition but instead it should be striving for excellence in spiritual activity that honors God. He is pointing out that our motivating goal should be pleasing the Lord only. The term translated “well pleasing” is the same one used in Titus 2:9 to describe slaves who were passionate to please their masters. We should have that same passion. God is concerned with how we spend this life serving Him.
Our motivation to please God is also shaped by the understanding that we will be held accountable to God for what we have done and not done. This passage refers to the Judgment Seat of Christ. This judgment has nothing to do with our sins. All of our sins were atoned for at Calvary through the death of Christ. What this does refer to is all those activities believers do in their lifetimes, which refer to their eternal reward and praise from God. Paul was comparing eternal or spiritually valuable activities with useless ones. His point was not to prohibit believers from enjoying the wholesome earthy things of this life, but that they should aim to glorify God in them while spending the better part of their energy and time on what has eternal value.
How high is your aim? What are you spending most of your time doing? Are you spending it on things that are temporary and have no eternal impact? Or, are you spending the bulk of your time on things that have eternal value? May we take the time to aim high looking at our schedules and evaluating where our hearts are.
Still growing in Christ and aiming high,
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE TO YOU
LOVING GOD, LOVING EACH OTHER
Loving God, loving each other, making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other, and the story never ends.
They pushed back from the table to listen to His words, His secret plan before He had to go. It’s not complicated, don’t need a lot of rules; This is all you need to know…Loving God, loving each other, making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other, and the story never ends.
We tend to make it harder, build steeples out of stone; Fill books with explanations of the “The Way”. But if we stop and listen and break a little bread,
we would hear the Master say…Loving God, loving each other, making music with my friends;Loving God, loving each other, and the story never ends.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love one for another.”
John 13:34-35
The Bible is full of commandments which on the surface look easy to fulfill but in practice they are impossible without the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us to, “Love one another.” That shouldn’t be hard, right? It is easy to say but not always easy to do.
I have been recently reminded that the love we show for one another is a direct reflection of the love we have for God. Let me explain: If I say I love God and yet hate my brother, then I do not love God to the extent He requires. If I show hate toward my brother, or even my enemies, the world will never know that I love the Lord. In turn if I don’t love my neighbor, then I do not love God, and therefore, my worship is empty.
As the Worship Team at First Baptist Church of Canton, Georgia, let’s apply this truth right where we live. As a worship team on any given Sunday morning, how can we on the one hand say we love Christ, when on the other hand we hold ill feelings toward our brother? It is impossible. Sure I can put on a false front and make people think I love God as I should, but that is a lie and plays right into the hand of Satan himself. In order for my worship to be pleasing to my Savior, I must first love my fellow believer.
May we offer the forgiveness and grace that was extended to us on Calvary. May we never think we are above forgiving and loving God’s people. This is what the Lord requires: love one another, as I have loved you.
Loving God, loving each other, making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other, and the story never ends.
They pushed back from the table to listen to His words, His secret plan before He had to go. It’s not complicated, don’t need a lot of rules; This is all you need to know…Loving God, loving each other, making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other, and the story never ends.
We tend to make it harder, build steeples out of stone; Fill books with explanations of the “The Way”. But if we stop and listen and break a little bread,
we would hear the Master say…Loving God, loving each other, making music with my friends;Loving God, loving each other, and the story never ends.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
By this all will know that you are my disciples,
if you have love one for another.”
John 13:34-35
The Bible is full of commandments which on the surface look easy to fulfill but in practice they are impossible without the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us to, “Love one another.” That shouldn’t be hard, right? It is easy to say but not always easy to do.
I have been recently reminded that the love we show for one another is a direct reflection of the love we have for God. Let me explain: If I say I love God and yet hate my brother, then I do not love God to the extent He requires. If I show hate toward my brother, or even my enemies, the world will never know that I love the Lord. In turn if I don’t love my neighbor, then I do not love God, and therefore, my worship is empty.
As the Worship Team at First Baptist Church of Canton, Georgia, let’s apply this truth right where we live. As a worship team on any given Sunday morning, how can we on the one hand say we love Christ, when on the other hand we hold ill feelings toward our brother? It is impossible. Sure I can put on a false front and make people think I love God as I should, but that is a lie and plays right into the hand of Satan himself. In order for my worship to be pleasing to my Savior, I must first love my fellow believer.
May we offer the forgiveness and grace that was extended to us on Calvary. May we never think we are above forgiving and loving God’s people. This is what the Lord requires: love one another, as I have loved you.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
O TELL
O Tell of His Great and Mighty Acts
We give thanks to you, O God,
We give thanks, for Your Name is near;
Men tell of your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 75:1
“Your Name is near.” The name of the Lord is the manifestation of His character. The name of the Lord protects; the Lord saves by His name; and His saving acts testify that His name is near. Therefore, trust in His name, hope in His name, sing praise to His name and rejoice in His name. This morning I knew for a fact that the name of the Lord was near and I was in the very presence of Jehovah. After much struggle and conflict, Cherokee Charter Academy held its very first Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle this morning. I was overwhelmed by the turnout and the Spirit of God in that place! Kids got to the school long before 7:00 am ready to fellowship, worship and study the Bible. There’s an old Hebrew term for that: WOW!
To the arrogant I say. ‘Boast no more’,
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak with outstretched neck.’
Psalm 75:4
When we initiated the approval process for FCA at CCA, we were met with open arms by the administration of the school. But at the same time we were met with strong opposition from a few. The Bible is very clear that it is the Lord who is in control. The wicked who oppose God are considered by the Psalmist to be both arrogant and defiant. The Bible clearly tells us, “No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges; He brings one down while exalting another,” (Psalm 75:6-7). Today was evidence that God is in control. No matter what man attempted to do these past few weeks to impede the will of God for CCA, God thwarted it to accomplish His purposes.
As for me, I will declare this forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.
I will declare that God has saved me and made His name near to me. I will declare that it is God who is in control. I will declare that Satan and this world do not control me. I will declare that it is God who exalts the righteous and it is God who brings down the unrighteous. I will declare that He is God and I am not.
Please be in prayer for all of the FCA Huddles around Cherokee County this year and Bill Queen as he oversees them. Also be in prayer tonight for the 2nd annual Fields of Faith event at Cherokee High School.
To God be the Glory!
Aaron Hodges
We give thanks to you, O God,
We give thanks, for Your Name is near;
Men tell of your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 75:1
“Your Name is near.” The name of the Lord is the manifestation of His character. The name of the Lord protects; the Lord saves by His name; and His saving acts testify that His name is near. Therefore, trust in His name, hope in His name, sing praise to His name and rejoice in His name. This morning I knew for a fact that the name of the Lord was near and I was in the very presence of Jehovah. After much struggle and conflict, Cherokee Charter Academy held its very first Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle this morning. I was overwhelmed by the turnout and the Spirit of God in that place! Kids got to the school long before 7:00 am ready to fellowship, worship and study the Bible. There’s an old Hebrew term for that: WOW!
To the arrogant I say. ‘Boast no more’,
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak with outstretched neck.’
Psalm 75:4
When we initiated the approval process for FCA at CCA, we were met with open arms by the administration of the school. But at the same time we were met with strong opposition from a few. The Bible is very clear that it is the Lord who is in control. The wicked who oppose God are considered by the Psalmist to be both arrogant and defiant. The Bible clearly tells us, “No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges; He brings one down while exalting another,” (Psalm 75:6-7). Today was evidence that God is in control. No matter what man attempted to do these past few weeks to impede the will of God for CCA, God thwarted it to accomplish His purposes.
As for me, I will declare this forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.
I will declare that God has saved me and made His name near to me. I will declare that it is God who is in control. I will declare that Satan and this world do not control me. I will declare that it is God who exalts the righteous and it is God who brings down the unrighteous. I will declare that He is God and I am not.
Please be in prayer for all of the FCA Huddles around Cherokee County this year and Bill Queen as he oversees them. Also be in prayer tonight for the 2nd annual Fields of Faith event at Cherokee High School.
To God be the Glory!
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
SAFE IN HIS ARMS
SAFE in His Arms
You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms
Monday afternoon around 2:30, Malia and I decided to come up to the church to do some minor decorating for this weekend. We left the five kids at home under the care of their big brother and headed to the church. We gathered up all the decorations that we would need and started tossing around some ideas. While we were brainstorming inside the building, something was brewing outside of which we were unaware. We knew that it was raining but we knew nothing about the storms that were on their way. At around 3:30, my phone rang and the call was from the house. Cohen was on the other end telling me that David Everspaugh called and needed Malia to call him immediately. It all seemed very dramatic at the moment. Malia then called David and he informed us that we needed to get home quickly because there was a tornado headed our way. We immediately called the house and told Wade to get all the kids to the basement and that we would be home in 3 minutes. On our way out of the church we were met by a Canton Police officer who told us to get home quickly. When we arrived home, we found everyone in the basement as we had requested and together we waited out the storms. We were safe!
In John 17:6-19, we find Jesus praying for his disciples. This prayer is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus. He prays it just prior to Judas’ betrayal and His subsequent arrest. In His prayer Jesus asks for the safety of the disciples because He knows that very soon He would no longer be physically with them. Jesus prays to the Father to “protect them by the power of Your name-the name that You gave Me-so that they may be one as We are one,” (John 17:11).
This prayer has two parts to it. The first part expresses how we are kept safe and the second part tells us why that is important. I believe this prayer was meant not only for the Twelve but also for Jesus’ disciples today. This awesome safety is for us too! God’s protection is all wrapped up in the name of Jesus. We read about the power of His name. We talk about the power of His name. We sing songs about the power of His name. But do we really comprehend the awesomeness of His name? In that Name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord! In that Name the enemy flees! In that Name we are healed! In that Name we are saved! In that Name we are eternally secure! In that Name we are unified!
Unity is found in the second part of verse 11. The meaning in this verse is not that unity would come to the disciples, instead it is a unity that they already had in the name of Jesus. We in the Church talk about unity all the time and how we need to be unified. News flash: WE ALREADY HAVE UNITY! That unity came when we took the name of Jesus. The Church’s present divisions are the result of the failures of Christians. We need to boldly take the name of Jesus under which we are unified in our goal of sharing His name with others. In turn, more people will be safe in His name.
Aaron Hodges
You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms
Monday afternoon around 2:30, Malia and I decided to come up to the church to do some minor decorating for this weekend. We left the five kids at home under the care of their big brother and headed to the church. We gathered up all the decorations that we would need and started tossing around some ideas. While we were brainstorming inside the building, something was brewing outside of which we were unaware. We knew that it was raining but we knew nothing about the storms that were on their way. At around 3:30, my phone rang and the call was from the house. Cohen was on the other end telling me that David Everspaugh called and needed Malia to call him immediately. It all seemed very dramatic at the moment. Malia then called David and he informed us that we needed to get home quickly because there was a tornado headed our way. We immediately called the house and told Wade to get all the kids to the basement and that we would be home in 3 minutes. On our way out of the church we were met by a Canton Police officer who told us to get home quickly. When we arrived home, we found everyone in the basement as we had requested and together we waited out the storms. We were safe!
In John 17:6-19, we find Jesus praying for his disciples. This prayer is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus. He prays it just prior to Judas’ betrayal and His subsequent arrest. In His prayer Jesus asks for the safety of the disciples because He knows that very soon He would no longer be physically with them. Jesus prays to the Father to “protect them by the power of Your name-the name that You gave Me-so that they may be one as We are one,” (John 17:11).
This prayer has two parts to it. The first part expresses how we are kept safe and the second part tells us why that is important. I believe this prayer was meant not only for the Twelve but also for Jesus’ disciples today. This awesome safety is for us too! God’s protection is all wrapped up in the name of Jesus. We read about the power of His name. We talk about the power of His name. We sing songs about the power of His name. But do we really comprehend the awesomeness of His name? In that Name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord! In that Name the enemy flees! In that Name we are healed! In that Name we are saved! In that Name we are eternally secure! In that Name we are unified!
Unity is found in the second part of verse 11. The meaning in this verse is not that unity would come to the disciples, instead it is a unity that they already had in the name of Jesus. We in the Church talk about unity all the time and how we need to be unified. News flash: WE ALREADY HAVE UNITY! That unity came when we took the name of Jesus. The Church’s present divisions are the result of the failures of Christians. We need to boldly take the name of Jesus under which we are unified in our goal of sharing His name with others. In turn, more people will be safe in His name.
Aaron Hodges
A CLEAN HOUSE...
A Clean House….
Last Wednesday night I had to run back to the house to pick up a few items that the kids had left. I took someone from the church with me. We got out of the car, went through the garage, and entered the house by way of the kitchen. I proceeded upstairs to get what I needed while my friend stayed downstairs. We then left the house and headed back to church. On our way back, I was asked if our house was always that clean. Many of you know that my wife, Malia, is a very organized woman who loves her house to be orderly and clean. It is true that when we leave the house everything is in its place but there are times when the house looks like a tornado has come through. I am not aware of any house that is not messy at some time or another. I guess the only time that everything is perfect is when we aren’t home! We are the ones who mess things up. How does this relate to Church life?
Some people say that a “healthy church” has the following attributes: 100% of its weekend attendance participates in small groups, it is saturated with people carrying their Bibles to church and is dominated by the Biblically literate. What if we surveyed FBC Canton and we discovered that 95-100% of our regular attenders were tithing, reading their Bibles regularly, inviting people to church every week, consistently serving on the weekend, attending Sunday school, and attending our Morning Worship? Would that be considered a healthy church?
On the outside, it may look clean and orderly, but on the inside it is not what God wants. Consider a stable: “Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox (Proverbs 14:4).” When you seek to have an increase, messes happen, but with the mess comes a great harvest. So what does a healthy church look like? In John 4:34-38 Jesus makes this very clear, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
The local Church will not be exclusively filled with whole-hearted, Bible-believing, salvation-proclaiming, passionate worshippers. On the contrary, the local Church will be filled with people at all stages of spiritual development. It’s important we at FBCC remember God desires a good portion of our church be the not yet or the recently converted. When we seek to reach out to a lost and dying world, things get messy. Glory to God! It is not our job to clean the place up. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. We are simply charged with the responsibility of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with a dirty world. When we start to really be the Church God wants us to be, then things are going to get a little messy. Hallelujah! BRING THE MESS! For with “the mess” will come a great harvest!
Aaron Hodges
Last Wednesday night I had to run back to the house to pick up a few items that the kids had left. I took someone from the church with me. We got out of the car, went through the garage, and entered the house by way of the kitchen. I proceeded upstairs to get what I needed while my friend stayed downstairs. We then left the house and headed back to church. On our way back, I was asked if our house was always that clean. Many of you know that my wife, Malia, is a very organized woman who loves her house to be orderly and clean. It is true that when we leave the house everything is in its place but there are times when the house looks like a tornado has come through. I am not aware of any house that is not messy at some time or another. I guess the only time that everything is perfect is when we aren’t home! We are the ones who mess things up. How does this relate to Church life?
Some people say that a “healthy church” has the following attributes: 100% of its weekend attendance participates in small groups, it is saturated with people carrying their Bibles to church and is dominated by the Biblically literate. What if we surveyed FBC Canton and we discovered that 95-100% of our regular attenders were tithing, reading their Bibles regularly, inviting people to church every week, consistently serving on the weekend, attending Sunday school, and attending our Morning Worship? Would that be considered a healthy church?
On the outside, it may look clean and orderly, but on the inside it is not what God wants. Consider a stable: “Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox (Proverbs 14:4).” When you seek to have an increase, messes happen, but with the mess comes a great harvest. So what does a healthy church look like? In John 4:34-38 Jesus makes this very clear, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”
The local Church will not be exclusively filled with whole-hearted, Bible-believing, salvation-proclaiming, passionate worshippers. On the contrary, the local Church will be filled with people at all stages of spiritual development. It’s important we at FBCC remember God desires a good portion of our church be the not yet or the recently converted. When we seek to reach out to a lost and dying world, things get messy. Glory to God! It is not our job to clean the place up. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. We are simply charged with the responsibility of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with a dirty world. When we start to really be the Church God wants us to be, then things are going to get a little messy. Hallelujah! BRING THE MESS! For with “the mess” will come a great harvest!
Aaron Hodges
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
On August 7, 2011, FBC began a new worship service and a new Sunday morning schedule. So far our new traditional service has been well attended and loved by all who attend. I grew up on traditional music and have always loved the deep meanings behind many of our older hymns. One of my favorites is “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” I can remember many times growing up in First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, sitting with my family as we sang that old hymn on Sundays. It is still one of the hymns that speaks to me. We often go to Lamentations for the basis of this hymn, “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness,” (Lam. 3:22-23). Obviously this is where the main theme of the hymn came from but I would like to venture to another passage and make this song relevant in another way.
“For I am the Lord, I do not change”
Malachi 3:6
Malachi wrote the last book of the Old Testament in which he delivered God’s judgment on Israel for their continuing sin and God’s promise that one day in the future, when the Jews repent, Messiah would be revealed and God’s promises would be fulfilled. Next came 400 years of silence with Malachi’s condemnation ringing in their ears. Then in Matthew 3:2, John the Baptist enters on the scene preaching, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” The Messiah had come. Now think back to Malachi 3. Malachi 3:6-12 is like a momentary breath of fresh air in the middle of God’s judgment and justice. In spite of Israel’s accusation of injustice in God when He did not act on their behalf and all their rebellion toward Him, Israel’s mere existence was due to the unchanging unwavering character of the Lord: His goodness toward His people and commitment to His promises. God promises His blessings again if they only repent and turn back to Him, “Return to me and I will return to you,” (Malachi 3:7).
Has much changed today? Has God changed? Have we changed? Just take a look at our world today. We still see rebellion toward God all over the world. We still rebel against God in our lives when we sin. We still refuse to follow His perfect plan for our lives. We still sometimes experience the silence of God. God is still saying “Return to me and I will return to you.” God does not change, but we do. God is always waiting for His lost sheep to come back to the flock. God is concerned for you. Just try to imagine a world without God’s mighty hand of protection. But God is not a God who will force us to return to Him. He will allow us to do our own thing and go against Him, but He will be there when we fall and realize we need Him. GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, LORD, UNTO ME!
Aaron Hodges
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
On August 7, 2011, FBC began a new worship service and a new Sunday morning schedule. So far our new traditional service has been well attended and loved by all who attend. I grew up on traditional music and have always loved the deep meanings behind many of our older hymns. One of my favorites is “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” I can remember many times growing up in First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, sitting with my family as we sang that old hymn on Sundays. It is still one of the hymns that speaks to me. We often go to Lamentations for the basis of this hymn, “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness,” (Lam. 3:22-23). Obviously this is where the main theme of the hymn came from but I would like to venture to another passage and make this song relevant in another way.
“For I am the Lord, I do not change”
Malachi 3:6
Malachi wrote the last book of the Old Testament in which he delivered God’s judgment on Israel for their continuing sin and God’s promise that one day in the future, when the Jews repent, Messiah would be revealed and God’s promises would be fulfilled. Next came 400 years of silence with Malachi’s condemnation ringing in their ears. Then in Matthew 3:2, John the Baptist enters on the scene preaching, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!” The Messiah had come. Now think back to Malachi 3. Malachi 3:6-12 is like a momentary breath of fresh air in the middle of God’s judgment and justice. In spite of Israel’s accusation of injustice in God when He did not act on their behalf and all their rebellion toward Him, Israel’s mere existence was due to the unchanging unwavering character of the Lord: His goodness toward His people and commitment to His promises. God promises His blessings again if they only repent and turn back to Him, “Return to me and I will return to you,” (Malachi 3:7).
Has much changed today? Has God changed? Have we changed? Just take a look at our world today. We still see rebellion toward God all over the world. We still rebel against God in our lives when we sin. We still refuse to follow His perfect plan for our lives. We still sometimes experience the silence of God. God is still saying “Return to me and I will return to you.” God does not change, but we do. God is always waiting for His lost sheep to come back to the flock. God is concerned for you. Just try to imagine a world without God’s mighty hand of protection. But God is not a God who will force us to return to Him. He will allow us to do our own thing and go against Him, but He will be there when we fall and realize we need Him. GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS, LORD, UNTO ME!
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Bless Me Indeed…
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you;
The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
I don’t know when Pastor George started it and I don’t know why. But I’m glad he did. What is the “it” I am referring to? At the end of each Sunday morning worship service, Pastor George stands with his hands lifted toward the congregation and offers the Biblical blessing that Moses was instructed to give to the Israelites. There are many in our congregation who will not even think about leaving the worship center until our Pastor has blessed us. I love the next verse in this passage from Numbers, verse 27, that says, “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Pastor George is literally putting the name of the Lord on us and thus inviting God’s blessing. There is an old Hebrew word for this that I have heard my seminary President use: “WOW”.
As I think about the blessing of God, I am overwhelmed by how good He is to us. We don’t deserve the His blessing at all, but He blesses us anyway. There are times in our lives we can see the blessing of God all over us. Everything seems to be going our way. Everything is clicking in perfect harmony. Life is just great! Then there are other times when the blessing of God is hard to find. In those difficult times are we out of the will of God or is it something else? We may very well be out of the will of God and He is responding with correction; but there is the possibility the Lord is teaching us something through divinely orchestrated times of difficulty or heartache.
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
So in your dark times don’t jump too quickly to the conclusion they are dark because of your disobedience. Instead, examine your heart to see what the Lord is trying to teach you and how He is trying to bless you.
Bless me indeed!
Aaron Hodges
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face to shine upon you
and be gracious unto you;
The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
I don’t know when Pastor George started it and I don’t know why. But I’m glad he did. What is the “it” I am referring to? At the end of each Sunday morning worship service, Pastor George stands with his hands lifted toward the congregation and offers the Biblical blessing that Moses was instructed to give to the Israelites. There are many in our congregation who will not even think about leaving the worship center until our Pastor has blessed us. I love the next verse in this passage from Numbers, verse 27, that says, “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Pastor George is literally putting the name of the Lord on us and thus inviting God’s blessing. There is an old Hebrew word for this that I have heard my seminary President use: “WOW”.
As I think about the blessing of God, I am overwhelmed by how good He is to us. We don’t deserve the His blessing at all, but He blesses us anyway. There are times in our lives we can see the blessing of God all over us. Everything seems to be going our way. Everything is clicking in perfect harmony. Life is just great! Then there are other times when the blessing of God is hard to find. In those difficult times are we out of the will of God or is it something else? We may very well be out of the will of God and He is responding with correction; but there is the possibility the Lord is teaching us something through divinely orchestrated times of difficulty or heartache.
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
So in your dark times don’t jump too quickly to the conclusion they are dark because of your disobedience. Instead, examine your heart to see what the Lord is trying to teach you and how He is trying to bless you.
Bless me indeed!
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
AND IT WAS GOOD
And It Was Good
God made all sorts of wild animals,
livestock, and small animals,
each able to produce offspring of the same kind.
And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:25
This week I heard a very interesting word used in a negative way. That word is PRIDE. Proverbs 21:4 calls pride, sin. In Proverbs 8:12, Solomon refers to pride as something that is the opposite of the fear of the Lord. In fact, he says we should hate pride. Pride is defined as “an overly high opinion of oneself; exaggerated self-esteem or arrogance.”
When we first think about pride, we rightfully acknowledge its negative aspect. When it comes to leading in worship, there is no place for arrogance or flaunting ourselves. But is there a positive aspect of pride? I believe there is. In fact, it is that positive aspect that we are singing about in the Call to Worship this Sunday. “I will boast in the Lord my God, I will boast in the One who’s worthy.” Our worth, our value, our pride, comes only through the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are ever prideful, it should be in the things of God. For example, I am proud of our worship choir and orchestra. I am proud not because of what I have accomplished or what you have accomplished, but because of your humble attitude and your effort that brings glory to God. What I don’t want is for anyone to be justified in saying we are prideful because of our abilities. If we do, in fact, possess great talents and abilities, we should never forget that those talents and abilities were given to us by the Lord when He created us.
Consistent self-examination is a God-honoring exercise and it is my confession that my heart is full of humility as I approach the ministry of leading in worship. With that said, I believe it is our responsibility to bring our best each and every Sunday. God expects nothing less. This is not pride, but obedience. Let me explain: when I was young, I was told that God had given me the ability to sing. I did everything in my power to develop that gift and not waste it. That’s not pride, but simply being a good steward of what the Lord has given me. When I lead in worship, I am not doing it for show or out of pride, quite the contrary. I am humbly coming before the Lord and offering Him the best gift I can possibly give and laying it at His feet to use as He sees fit.
I pray that none of us will come to worship with a prideful spirit. May we come to worship broken before the Lord, offering to Him everything we are and everything we have. When we come to Him with that type of offering, I know that God looks at it and says, “It is good.”
In Humility,
Aaron Hodges
God made all sorts of wild animals,
livestock, and small animals,
each able to produce offspring of the same kind.
And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:25
This week I heard a very interesting word used in a negative way. That word is PRIDE. Proverbs 21:4 calls pride, sin. In Proverbs 8:12, Solomon refers to pride as something that is the opposite of the fear of the Lord. In fact, he says we should hate pride. Pride is defined as “an overly high opinion of oneself; exaggerated self-esteem or arrogance.”
When we first think about pride, we rightfully acknowledge its negative aspect. When it comes to leading in worship, there is no place for arrogance or flaunting ourselves. But is there a positive aspect of pride? I believe there is. In fact, it is that positive aspect that we are singing about in the Call to Worship this Sunday. “I will boast in the Lord my God, I will boast in the One who’s worthy.” Our worth, our value, our pride, comes only through the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are ever prideful, it should be in the things of God. For example, I am proud of our worship choir and orchestra. I am proud not because of what I have accomplished or what you have accomplished, but because of your humble attitude and your effort that brings glory to God. What I don’t want is for anyone to be justified in saying we are prideful because of our abilities. If we do, in fact, possess great talents and abilities, we should never forget that those talents and abilities were given to us by the Lord when He created us.
Consistent self-examination is a God-honoring exercise and it is my confession that my heart is full of humility as I approach the ministry of leading in worship. With that said, I believe it is our responsibility to bring our best each and every Sunday. God expects nothing less. This is not pride, but obedience. Let me explain: when I was young, I was told that God had given me the ability to sing. I did everything in my power to develop that gift and not waste it. That’s not pride, but simply being a good steward of what the Lord has given me. When I lead in worship, I am not doing it for show or out of pride, quite the contrary. I am humbly coming before the Lord and offering Him the best gift I can possibly give and laying it at His feet to use as He sees fit.
I pray that none of us will come to worship with a prideful spirit. May we come to worship broken before the Lord, offering to Him everything we are and everything we have. When we come to Him with that type of offering, I know that God looks at it and says, “It is good.”
In Humility,
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
OBEDIENCE
Obedience…
Last week in Nashville was awesome! I wish I had hours to sit down with everyone and share all the wonderful stories of how God worked and continues to work through that missions project. As Chris Page and I started planning for the week, we talked about how we could create a sense of community for our team. So each night after everything was over we gathered them all together for worship. Every evening there was music led by either Joe Lee, Wade Hodges or Alison Everill followed by Bible study led by Chris Page, myself or one of the youth interns. The focus in each team member’s private devotion time was on the subject of prayer while the evening corporate Bible studies were all from the book of Acts. These were some awesome times of worship! I saw God work in the lives of our kids in a mighty way. As we were focused on Him, He allowed us to be used by Him. This didn’t happen by chance. Our kids and adults had to make the effort. They had to choose to serve God. They had to be obedient to the call that God put on their lives. You may think, by what you have heard so far, that the week was a challenge-free week. That is simply not true. When we are obedient in our walk with the Lord, we will almost always experience the following three things: clarity, challenge, and celebration.
In Acts 16, we find the obedience of the Apostle Paul. In the first part of the chapter, Paul receives his marching orders. As they traveled throughout the region of Phrygia, they were kept from preaching the Word because of their obedience to the Holy Spirit. While in Troas, “Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, `Come over to Macedonia and help us,` ” (Acts 16:9). Paul immediately got ready to go to Macedonia. He could have easily ignored the prompting of the Spirit but instead he obeyed and therefore received clarity on the plan that God had for him. Paul’s obedience was a factor in the conversion of Lydia, who they met outside the city gate by the river. In the next section of Acts 16 Paul faces an intense challenge. As they were going to a place of prayer, they met up with a slave girl who had an evil spirit which gave her the ability to predict the future. This ability brought her owners a great deal of money and made her a valuable commodity. For days she persisted in following Paul and Silas announcing that they were servants of God. Annoyed by her constant shouting Paul finally turned and cast the evil spirit out. Her owners being greatly upset at the loss of their profit scheme had Paul and Silas seized and brought before the authorities. While in the hands of the authorities, they were flogged and badly beaten and imprisoned.
We may think to ourselves at this moment that this is not fair, but sometimes the challenges in our lives are there to produce a beautiful outcome. As it was in this case. For it was in that very jail, while they were worshiping their Savior, they met the Jailer. Paul was able to share the gospel with him and his whole family and all were saved. The end result of his obedience, as well as ours, is celebration: celebration in seeing a soul transformed and celebration in a job well done.
Choose you this day, whom you will serve…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord!
Aaron Hodges
Last week in Nashville was awesome! I wish I had hours to sit down with everyone and share all the wonderful stories of how God worked and continues to work through that missions project. As Chris Page and I started planning for the week, we talked about how we could create a sense of community for our team. So each night after everything was over we gathered them all together for worship. Every evening there was music led by either Joe Lee, Wade Hodges or Alison Everill followed by Bible study led by Chris Page, myself or one of the youth interns. The focus in each team member’s private devotion time was on the subject of prayer while the evening corporate Bible studies were all from the book of Acts. These were some awesome times of worship! I saw God work in the lives of our kids in a mighty way. As we were focused on Him, He allowed us to be used by Him. This didn’t happen by chance. Our kids and adults had to make the effort. They had to choose to serve God. They had to be obedient to the call that God put on their lives. You may think, by what you have heard so far, that the week was a challenge-free week. That is simply not true. When we are obedient in our walk with the Lord, we will almost always experience the following three things: clarity, challenge, and celebration.
In Acts 16, we find the obedience of the Apostle Paul. In the first part of the chapter, Paul receives his marching orders. As they traveled throughout the region of Phrygia, they were kept from preaching the Word because of their obedience to the Holy Spirit. While in Troas, “Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, `Come over to Macedonia and help us,` ” (Acts 16:9). Paul immediately got ready to go to Macedonia. He could have easily ignored the prompting of the Spirit but instead he obeyed and therefore received clarity on the plan that God had for him. Paul’s obedience was a factor in the conversion of Lydia, who they met outside the city gate by the river. In the next section of Acts 16 Paul faces an intense challenge. As they were going to a place of prayer, they met up with a slave girl who had an evil spirit which gave her the ability to predict the future. This ability brought her owners a great deal of money and made her a valuable commodity. For days she persisted in following Paul and Silas announcing that they were servants of God. Annoyed by her constant shouting Paul finally turned and cast the evil spirit out. Her owners being greatly upset at the loss of their profit scheme had Paul and Silas seized and brought before the authorities. While in the hands of the authorities, they were flogged and badly beaten and imprisoned.
We may think to ourselves at this moment that this is not fair, but sometimes the challenges in our lives are there to produce a beautiful outcome. As it was in this case. For it was in that very jail, while they were worshiping their Savior, they met the Jailer. Paul was able to share the gospel with him and his whole family and all were saved. The end result of his obedience, as well as ours, is celebration: celebration in seeing a soul transformed and celebration in a job well done.
Choose you this day, whom you will serve…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord!
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE
SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of
God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(I Timothy 1:1-2)
What will people say of us when we are no longer here? Will we be known as a people who lived for God? Will it be said of us that we drew people closer to God? Will people proclaim that we loved the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? Will we have made an eternal impact on the lives of people in our realm of influence?
For me, the past few days have been filled with laughter, pain, sorrow, longing, encouragement and challenge. I left last Sunday afternoon to fly to Houston, Texas to join in the celebration funeral service for a good friend of mine, John Dettore. I got to know John 3½ years ago when we moved here to Canton. Over those years I got to know John as a friend, a cook, a confidant, a servant, and a church member. I count it a privilege that I got to know him. There were many that I met at his funeral who knew John for more years than I did and who knew him in ways that I did not. I knew that he loved his family. I knew that he loved his job. I also knew that he loved his Jesus. We talked about his love for Christ many times. My eyes were opened to the impact John had on his co-workers. Time and time again, I heard stories about how John’s faith changed the lives of others. In fact, one individual stated that his own personal walk with Christ was closer because of the walk that John had with his Lord. What an honor to be remembered for that! Are we having that same impact on others?
In Paul’s writings to Timothy, we see the kind of spiritual impact Paul had on him. It was to the point that he called Timothy his son. How would you like to have been able to call Paul your
spiritual father? Paul made a very deep investment in Timothy. It is likely that Paul was the one who led Timothy to faith in Jesus. We even know that Timothy joined Paul and Silas on Paul’s second missionary journey. Timothy personally saw and experienced Paul’s faith so much that he knew Paul as his spiritual father. So then, who are you impacting for Christ? Who is your spiritual father? If you are not using your life to impact others for Christ, then start today. If you do not have a spiritual father, seek and you will find one. May people say of us when we die that their relationship to Christ is deeper because of us.
Aaron Hodges
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of
God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father
and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(I Timothy 1:1-2)
What will people say of us when we are no longer here? Will we be known as a people who lived for God? Will it be said of us that we drew people closer to God? Will people proclaim that we loved the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? Will we have made an eternal impact on the lives of people in our realm of influence?
For me, the past few days have been filled with laughter, pain, sorrow, longing, encouragement and challenge. I left last Sunday afternoon to fly to Houston, Texas to join in the celebration funeral service for a good friend of mine, John Dettore. I got to know John 3½ years ago when we moved here to Canton. Over those years I got to know John as a friend, a cook, a confidant, a servant, and a church member. I count it a privilege that I got to know him. There were many that I met at his funeral who knew John for more years than I did and who knew him in ways that I did not. I knew that he loved his family. I knew that he loved his job. I also knew that he loved his Jesus. We talked about his love for Christ many times. My eyes were opened to the impact John had on his co-workers. Time and time again, I heard stories about how John’s faith changed the lives of others. In fact, one individual stated that his own personal walk with Christ was closer because of the walk that John had with his Lord. What an honor to be remembered for that! Are we having that same impact on others?
In Paul’s writings to Timothy, we see the kind of spiritual impact Paul had on him. It was to the point that he called Timothy his son. How would you like to have been able to call Paul your
spiritual father? Paul made a very deep investment in Timothy. It is likely that Paul was the one who led Timothy to faith in Jesus. We even know that Timothy joined Paul and Silas on Paul’s second missionary journey. Timothy personally saw and experienced Paul’s faith so much that he knew Paul as his spiritual father. So then, who are you impacting for Christ? Who is your spiritual father? If you are not using your life to impact others for Christ, then start today. If you do not have a spiritual father, seek and you will find one. May people say of us when we die that their relationship to Christ is deeper because of us.
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
LIVE GIVE SERVE LIKE YOU LOVE GOD
Live, Give, Serve Like You Love God
Last Sunday was an awesome day at FBC Canton as we worshiped the one true living God! The Holy Spirit had freedom to move, and we saw lives transformed. It was a great start to the summer! After the incredible worship, powerful choir anthem and the deep look into the Word of God, I heard something incredible. I heard passionate prayer come out of the mouth of David Whitmire. I am not saying that other people have not been sincere in their prayers, but I am saying that for that one special moment, David Whitmire let us hear his heart. I have great respect for David. His walk with the Lord is evident in his attitude, his behavior and his love for others. On Sunday he made a statement that blew me away. As he was praying for the offertory prayer, he said that we need to “give like we love God.” That is the first time I have heard it said like that. Am I giving like I love God or am I giving out of a sense of responsibility or with the wrong motive? What does it mean to give like we love God?
I think we only need to go as far as Jesus’ example to answer that question. How did Jesus love us? How did He to prove His love for you and for me? The key to the way He loved and still loves is sacrifice. He gave Himself for us so that we might have eternal life. So then how do we give sacrificially? “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this” (Malachi 3:10), says the Lord Almighty. How do I live sacrificially? “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). How do we serve sacrificially? “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100).
Take a moment and examine your life. Are you living like you love God? Are you giving like you love God? Are you serving like you love God? If you are not, then begin living the sacrificial life today. If you are, then continue loving for the honor of His name.
Passionately Loving God,
Aaron
Last Sunday was an awesome day at FBC Canton as we worshiped the one true living God! The Holy Spirit had freedom to move, and we saw lives transformed. It was a great start to the summer! After the incredible worship, powerful choir anthem and the deep look into the Word of God, I heard something incredible. I heard passionate prayer come out of the mouth of David Whitmire. I am not saying that other people have not been sincere in their prayers, but I am saying that for that one special moment, David Whitmire let us hear his heart. I have great respect for David. His walk with the Lord is evident in his attitude, his behavior and his love for others. On Sunday he made a statement that blew me away. As he was praying for the offertory prayer, he said that we need to “give like we love God.” That is the first time I have heard it said like that. Am I giving like I love God or am I giving out of a sense of responsibility or with the wrong motive? What does it mean to give like we love God?
I think we only need to go as far as Jesus’ example to answer that question. How did Jesus love us? How did He to prove His love for you and for me? The key to the way He loved and still loves is sacrifice. He gave Himself for us so that we might have eternal life. So then how do we give sacrificially? “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this” (Malachi 3:10), says the Lord Almighty. How do I live sacrificially? “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). How do we serve sacrificially? “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100).
Take a moment and examine your life. Are you living like you love God? Are you giving like you love God? Are you serving like you love God? If you are not, then begin living the sacrificial life today. If you are, then continue loving for the honor of His name.
Passionately Loving God,
Aaron
HOT BURNING PRAYER
HOT BURNING PRAYER
How many times have we sat down to pray and ended up falling asleep? How many times have we been praying and not truly expected God do what we request? How many times have our prayers been a process of just going through the motions? I have to admit that for myself, too many times the answer to these questions has been a reality. In all honesty, most times when I pray, I really don’t expect God to show up. Shame on me! And right now, I sit in my office asking God to forgive me of my unbelief.
Yesterday, my prayer was different. In staff meeting, as I was praying for a friend of mine who is gravely ill, God hit me with a 2x4 and convicted me of my prayer for him. It was at that moment that emotions overtook me, and I began fervently praying. Never before had I prayed like that for my friend. The Lord wants you and me to pray with this much passion all the time. It has been a theme of mine this year to worship passionately. Prayer is meant to be a major part of our worship, yet we too often weakly pray, and then when nothing happens, we are surprised. Why are we surprised? We should expect no other outcome when we don’t come with passionate prayer.
In James 5:16b, James writes “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Let’s break that down into bite sized pieces. First of all, James says that our prayers should be effective. I like one of the definitions I found for effective. It says that in order to be effective, we must be equipped and ready for combat. When we come to God in prayer, we must realize that we are in a battle with the forces of darkness. Satan does not want us to pray because he knows that prayer changes things and defeats him. He will do any and everything in his power to distract us during prayer. Therefore, we must be ready for battle when we come to God in prayer. Next, James points that our prayers must be fervent. In order to be fervent, our prayers must be hot, burning and with intense earnest. We must never come to God in a half-hearted attempt at prayer, but instead we must come to God with a passionate, energetic expectation. Finally, in order for our prayers to avail much, we must strive to be righteous. This is not self righteousness; instead, it is the righteousness we have because of our redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness, and we should come in prayer thanking him for His sacrifice, making it possible to come directly to the Father. King David knew how to pray in the way James taught us. His intensity was always equal to his need.
But I pray to you, O Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love,
O God, answer me with your pure salvation…
Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.
Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
Come near and rescue me: redeem me because of my foes.
Psalm 69:13, 16-18
Aaron
How many times have we sat down to pray and ended up falling asleep? How many times have we been praying and not truly expected God do what we request? How many times have our prayers been a process of just going through the motions? I have to admit that for myself, too many times the answer to these questions has been a reality. In all honesty, most times when I pray, I really don’t expect God to show up. Shame on me! And right now, I sit in my office asking God to forgive me of my unbelief.
Yesterday, my prayer was different. In staff meeting, as I was praying for a friend of mine who is gravely ill, God hit me with a 2x4 and convicted me of my prayer for him. It was at that moment that emotions overtook me, and I began fervently praying. Never before had I prayed like that for my friend. The Lord wants you and me to pray with this much passion all the time. It has been a theme of mine this year to worship passionately. Prayer is meant to be a major part of our worship, yet we too often weakly pray, and then when nothing happens, we are surprised. Why are we surprised? We should expect no other outcome when we don’t come with passionate prayer.
In James 5:16b, James writes “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Let’s break that down into bite sized pieces. First of all, James says that our prayers should be effective. I like one of the definitions I found for effective. It says that in order to be effective, we must be equipped and ready for combat. When we come to God in prayer, we must realize that we are in a battle with the forces of darkness. Satan does not want us to pray because he knows that prayer changes things and defeats him. He will do any and everything in his power to distract us during prayer. Therefore, we must be ready for battle when we come to God in prayer. Next, James points that our prayers must be fervent. In order to be fervent, our prayers must be hot, burning and with intense earnest. We must never come to God in a half-hearted attempt at prayer, but instead we must come to God with a passionate, energetic expectation. Finally, in order for our prayers to avail much, we must strive to be righteous. This is not self righteousness; instead, it is the righteousness we have because of our redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness, and we should come in prayer thanking him for His sacrifice, making it possible to come directly to the Father. King David knew how to pray in the way James taught us. His intensity was always equal to his need.
But I pray to you, O Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love,
O God, answer me with your pure salvation…
Answer me, O Lord, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.
Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.
Come near and rescue me: redeem me because of my foes.
Psalm 69:13, 16-18
Aaron
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
WITH GOD....
With God…
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26
As I was reading one of the few daily devotionals I receive via email, I was reminded of the following story:
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress at the piano, a mother bought tickets to a performance by Ignace Paderewski. When the night arrived, the two found their seats near the front of the concert hall. The boy stared in wide-eyed amazement at the majestic grand piano on the stage. The mother began talking to a friend sitting nearby and failed to notice her son slip out of his seat. As the house lights dimmed and the spotlight came up on the piano, the woman gasped as she saw her son on the piano bench, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Before the woman could retrieve her son, the famous concert pianist appeared on stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. "Don't quit - keep playing," he whispered to the boy. Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Then with his right arm, he reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice mesmerized the crowd.
Have you ever started something knowing you did not have what it took to complete the task, yet when the Lord took over amazing things happened? I feel that way everyday. The Lord gives us talent. He gives us gifts. He gives us passion. But without the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, they are all for nothing. My abilities are as good as “Twinkle, Twinkle”, but when the Lord steps in to take over, a symphony occurs. It is our job to do our very best in preparation, but it is God’s job to produce the results. That is the very reason Wednesday night rehearsals are so vital. In order for us to give our best so that the Lord can use us, we must be prepared. As we move into the next few months of Summer, let’s commit ourselves to being at choir and orchestra rehearsal every Wednesday so that we can offer our best worship each Sunday!
I also wanted to share with you some of the statements I received following the song we did last Sunday. I am amazed how God can use us to minister each week through song. One person stopped me to say that they were touched by “My Life is in your Hands.” And another person stopped and said that while we were singing that song, she got a text from a family member telling her that a relative had just had his leg blown off by a bomb in Afghanistan. She wanted me to tell you all thank you for reminding her that God is in control. See what happens when we allow God to use us? Symphonies occur!
Aaron Hodges
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26
As I was reading one of the few daily devotionals I receive via email, I was reminded of the following story:
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress at the piano, a mother bought tickets to a performance by Ignace Paderewski. When the night arrived, the two found their seats near the front of the concert hall. The boy stared in wide-eyed amazement at the majestic grand piano on the stage. The mother began talking to a friend sitting nearby and failed to notice her son slip out of his seat. As the house lights dimmed and the spotlight came up on the piano, the woman gasped as she saw her son on the piano bench, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Before the woman could retrieve her son, the famous concert pianist appeared on stage and quickly moved to the keyboard. "Don't quit - keep playing," he whispered to the boy. Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Then with his right arm, he reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice mesmerized the crowd.
Have you ever started something knowing you did not have what it took to complete the task, yet when the Lord took over amazing things happened? I feel that way everyday. The Lord gives us talent. He gives us gifts. He gives us passion. But without the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, they are all for nothing. My abilities are as good as “Twinkle, Twinkle”, but when the Lord steps in to take over, a symphony occurs. It is our job to do our very best in preparation, but it is God’s job to produce the results. That is the very reason Wednesday night rehearsals are so vital. In order for us to give our best so that the Lord can use us, we must be prepared. As we move into the next few months of Summer, let’s commit ourselves to being at choir and orchestra rehearsal every Wednesday so that we can offer our best worship each Sunday!
I also wanted to share with you some of the statements I received following the song we did last Sunday. I am amazed how God can use us to minister each week through song. One person stopped me to say that they were touched by “My Life is in your Hands.” And another person stopped and said that while we were singing that song, she got a text from a family member telling her that a relative had just had his leg blown off by a bomb in Afghanistan. She wanted me to tell you all thank you for reminding her that God is in control. See what happens when we allow God to use us? Symphonies occur!
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Storms will come but....
Storms will come but….
As I write this article this morning, the tornado sirens are sounding. The storms are on the way. Children are being huddled in the church basement. Adults are frantic. Phone calls are being made to check on families. Office work is being done on any table that can be found. It is organized chaos! (Well, it’s really not that bad! LOL)
I grew up in Oklahoma where tornados and storms of this type were and still are very common. I remember many a night being dragged in my sleep to the interior bathroom where we would all crowd into the tub and cover up with a mattress because the tornado was going right over our house. I have some good memories of some great storms, and then I have some extremely frightening memories of storms. I tend to get a little anxious when I hear the sirens go off because of all those memories. My wife probably thinks I am overly cautious and annoying.
What is it in your life that makes you anxious and scared? Is it the weather? Is it your job? Is it parenting? Is it your finances? Is it your marriage? Is it conflict? Is it retirement? Is it your health?
Storms in life will come but remember Psalm 27:
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Trusting in the Lord,
Aaron
As I write this article this morning, the tornado sirens are sounding. The storms are on the way. Children are being huddled in the church basement. Adults are frantic. Phone calls are being made to check on families. Office work is being done on any table that can be found. It is organized chaos! (Well, it’s really not that bad! LOL)
I grew up in Oklahoma where tornados and storms of this type were and still are very common. I remember many a night being dragged in my sleep to the interior bathroom where we would all crowd into the tub and cover up with a mattress because the tornado was going right over our house. I have some good memories of some great storms, and then I have some extremely frightening memories of storms. I tend to get a little anxious when I hear the sirens go off because of all those memories. My wife probably thinks I am overly cautious and annoying.
What is it in your life that makes you anxious and scared? Is it the weather? Is it your job? Is it parenting? Is it your finances? Is it your marriage? Is it conflict? Is it retirement? Is it your health?
Storms in life will come but remember Psalm 27:
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Trusting in the Lord,
Aaron
What is that in your hand?
What is that in your hand?
One of my favorite Old Testament stories is found in Exodus 3-4. There we find the story of God’s call on Moses. I find it amazing what all God did to get Moses to a place where he could be used. We find God’s hand all over Moses from the beginning of his life. From a poor Egyptian Hebrew child to the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and back to a sheep herding fugitive. God was preparing Moses to be used in a very unique way. When Moses encountered God in the desert in Horeb in a burning (yet not burning) bush, Moses started with his excuses: “Who am I?” “What shall I tell them?” “I am slow of speech and tongue.” “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” After all that God had already brought Moses through in his life, he was still reluctant to follow God. Exodus 4:1-3 states the following: Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Having been there with my own children, I can just imagine what God was thinking at this point. He was probably thinking, “When will Moses get it through his thick skull?”, when God had already answered this question in chapter 3. By this time, God figured that Moses needed an object lesson. The Lord answered Moses and said, “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied, “a staff.” Then the Lord gives a very strange request for him to throw down his rod. This rod, being a very important tool in the sheep herding trade, would soon be used to do miracles. Before that could happen, Moses had to release it and allow God to have it.
What is that in your hand? Wow, what a question. I started thinking about this in my own personal life, and I was convicted big time. What is it that I have been holding onto that has kept me from being who God wants me to be? I don’t have room in this article to tell you everything that I hold onto. Now, don’t start getting pious on me. We all have things that are keeping us from being used by God. Here are a few of the things that I hold in my hands. First, I hold control. Often, I do not give up control to God, thinking I can handle it myself. I hold my family. I know what is best for my family. I don’t need God’s help. I hold my abilities. I have enough talent to get through life on my own. I hold on to my finances. If I give God total control of my finances, He might ask me to do something I don’t want to do. I can handle my life by myself, right? WRONG! When Moses let God have his rod, it became the STAFF OF GOD.
Therefore, if I give God control, my family, my ability, and my finances, then He can and will use them in ways that I could never imagine. I promise you that when Moses was a sheep herding, Egyptian fugitive, he never imagined that he would become the vessel that God used to set His people free.
So what do you hold in your hands today?
To what or to whom are you bound?
Are you willing to give it to God right now?
Give it up; let it go, throw it down. Throw it down!
Aaron
One of my favorite Old Testament stories is found in Exodus 3-4. There we find the story of God’s call on Moses. I find it amazing what all God did to get Moses to a place where he could be used. We find God’s hand all over Moses from the beginning of his life. From a poor Egyptian Hebrew child to the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and back to a sheep herding fugitive. God was preparing Moses to be used in a very unique way. When Moses encountered God in the desert in Horeb in a burning (yet not burning) bush, Moses started with his excuses: “Who am I?” “What shall I tell them?” “I am slow of speech and tongue.” “O Lord, please send someone else to do it.” After all that God had already brought Moses through in his life, he was still reluctant to follow God. Exodus 4:1-3 states the following: Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Having been there with my own children, I can just imagine what God was thinking at this point. He was probably thinking, “When will Moses get it through his thick skull?”, when God had already answered this question in chapter 3. By this time, God figured that Moses needed an object lesson. The Lord answered Moses and said, “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied, “a staff.” Then the Lord gives a very strange request for him to throw down his rod. This rod, being a very important tool in the sheep herding trade, would soon be used to do miracles. Before that could happen, Moses had to release it and allow God to have it.
What is that in your hand? Wow, what a question. I started thinking about this in my own personal life, and I was convicted big time. What is it that I have been holding onto that has kept me from being who God wants me to be? I don’t have room in this article to tell you everything that I hold onto. Now, don’t start getting pious on me. We all have things that are keeping us from being used by God. Here are a few of the things that I hold in my hands. First, I hold control. Often, I do not give up control to God, thinking I can handle it myself. I hold my family. I know what is best for my family. I don’t need God’s help. I hold my abilities. I have enough talent to get through life on my own. I hold on to my finances. If I give God total control of my finances, He might ask me to do something I don’t want to do. I can handle my life by myself, right? WRONG! When Moses let God have his rod, it became the STAFF OF GOD.
Therefore, if I give God control, my family, my ability, and my finances, then He can and will use them in ways that I could never imagine. I promise you that when Moses was a sheep herding, Egyptian fugitive, he never imagined that he would become the vessel that God used to set His people free.
So what do you hold in your hands today?
To what or to whom are you bound?
Are you willing to give it to God right now?
Give it up; let it go, throw it down. Throw it down!
Aaron
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
I WILL LIFT MY VOICE
I WILL LIFT MY VOICE!
Yesterday, as I was perusing all the new posts by my friends on Facebook, I came across a blog by a college acquaintance of mine. His name is Brandon Thomas and he pastors Keystone Church in Keller, TX. In his blog for March 15, he writes about losing his voice on a Saturday night. There is never a great time for a Pastor to lose his voice, but especially not on Saturday night. He lists three truths about losing your voice. “Losing you voice is painful. It hurts! Losing your voice is frustrating. You can’t communicate. Losing your voice in unfair. You begin to lean on others to communicate for you.” It is the time of year when trees are budding, flowers are blooming and pollen is scattering. For those of us who have allergies, this time of year can be a very frustrating time. One day you may be fine, and then you wake up the next day with a sore throat and no voice. For those of us in worship ministry this can be very devastating. Without our voices, we can lose the very tool we use to proclaim His Glory! As Thomas points out in his blog, losing your physical voice is not good, but even more frightening is losing your spiritual voice.
What are some ways that we can lose our voice spiritually? The first way to lose your voice spiritually is to use your physical voice in the wrong way. We read all through the scripture that God does not like a gossip. This is not only because it hurts the person being gossiped about, but it damages the influence of the gossiper. When you gossip, you tend to ruin your reputation and your ability to be trusted. In turn, this can greatly impact your ability to proclaim God’s glory and have people listen to you. Second, you can damage your spiritual voice by not using your physical voice. When given the opportunity to stand up and speak out for what is right, and you refuse to do so, people recognize this and begin to question where you stand on issues. Then when you do speak up for something, you have lost the trust of those listening. Third, direct disobedience to the Lord’s commands can also make you lose you spiritual voice. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, people are watching you and looking at how you behave. The Lord expects us to live a certain way and treat people a certain way. When we disobey this perfect way, we have a negative impact on those watching. As Thomas states in his blog: “You must protect the voice of your ministry. Otherwise, there WILL be pain. There will be a loss of influence. There will be a loss of opportunity and you will find yourself leaning on others to do God’s talking.”
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies,
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your justice like the great deep.
O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is Your unfailing love!
Psalm 36:5-7a
If His unfailing love is priceless, then our voice which proclaims that truth should be protected!
Aaron Hodges
Yesterday, as I was perusing all the new posts by my friends on Facebook, I came across a blog by a college acquaintance of mine. His name is Brandon Thomas and he pastors Keystone Church in Keller, TX. In his blog for March 15, he writes about losing his voice on a Saturday night. There is never a great time for a Pastor to lose his voice, but especially not on Saturday night. He lists three truths about losing your voice. “Losing you voice is painful. It hurts! Losing your voice is frustrating. You can’t communicate. Losing your voice in unfair. You begin to lean on others to communicate for you.” It is the time of year when trees are budding, flowers are blooming and pollen is scattering. For those of us who have allergies, this time of year can be a very frustrating time. One day you may be fine, and then you wake up the next day with a sore throat and no voice. For those of us in worship ministry this can be very devastating. Without our voices, we can lose the very tool we use to proclaim His Glory! As Thomas points out in his blog, losing your physical voice is not good, but even more frightening is losing your spiritual voice.
What are some ways that we can lose our voice spiritually? The first way to lose your voice spiritually is to use your physical voice in the wrong way. We read all through the scripture that God does not like a gossip. This is not only because it hurts the person being gossiped about, but it damages the influence of the gossiper. When you gossip, you tend to ruin your reputation and your ability to be trusted. In turn, this can greatly impact your ability to proclaim God’s glory and have people listen to you. Second, you can damage your spiritual voice by not using your physical voice. When given the opportunity to stand up and speak out for what is right, and you refuse to do so, people recognize this and begin to question where you stand on issues. Then when you do speak up for something, you have lost the trust of those listening. Third, direct disobedience to the Lord’s commands can also make you lose you spiritual voice. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, people are watching you and looking at how you behave. The Lord expects us to live a certain way and treat people a certain way. When we disobey this perfect way, we have a negative impact on those watching. As Thomas states in his blog: “You must protect the voice of your ministry. Otherwise, there WILL be pain. There will be a loss of influence. There will be a loss of opportunity and you will find yourself leaning on others to do God’s talking.”
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies,
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your justice like the great deep.
O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is Your unfailing love!
Psalm 36:5-7a
If His unfailing love is priceless, then our voice which proclaims that truth should be protected!
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
SHIPWRECKED WITH HOPE
Shipwrecked with Hope
On December 7, 1941, shortly before 08:00, Japanese aircraft from six fleet carriers struck the Pacific Fleet as it lay in port at Pearl Harbor, and—in the ensuing two attack waves—wrought devastation on the Battle Line and on air and military facilities defending Pearl Harbor. Onboard the USS Arizona, the ship's air raid alarm went off about 07:55, and the ship went to general quarters soon thereafter. Shortly after 08:00, a bomb dropped by a high-altitude Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bomber from the Japanese carrier, Kaga, hit the side of the main No. 4 turret and glanced off into the deck below, starting a small fire but causing minimal damage. At 08:06, a bomb from a Hiryu "Kate" hit between gun turrets No. 1 & 2, likely penetrating the armored deck near the ammunition magazine located in the forward section of the ship. The cataclysmic explosion that resulted destroyed the forward part of the ship. A widely accepted theory is that the black powder magazine used to power the aircraft catapults detonated first, igniting the smokeless powder magazine which was used for the ship's main armament. A 1944 United States Navy's Bureau of Ships report suggests that a hatch leading to the black powder magazine was left open, possibly with flammable materials stocked nearby. The Naval History & Heritage Command explained that black powder might have been stockpiled outside of the armored magazine. However, it seems unlikely that a definitive answer to this question might be found. The blast that destroyed the Arizona and sank her to her berth alongside Ford Island, took 1,177 lives of the 1,400 crewmen on board at the time, over half the casualties lost during the attack. (Report from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
In Acts 27, we find the story of another shipwreck which could have ended very badly, but instead ended with everyone safely on land. Paul was a prisoner at the time. Against the advice of Paul, the Roman centurion in charge decided to sail to Phoenix. On their way they were confronted by a very big hurricane-type storm. The storm tossed the boat around so badly that they had to take ropes and wrap the boat to hold it together. Soon into the storm, the crew of the boat had to throw all the cargo overboard. When all looked bleak, Paul let them know that the “God whose I am and whom I serve” would not let anything happen to them. The Romans, not being persuaded yet, even went so far as to plan on killing all the prisoners so that they would not escape. But by God’s providence, the centurion wanting to spare Paul’s life, let everyone on the ship swim safely to the shore of the island of Malta.
So what do we learn from Paul’s trip? We learn that we have the answer to the storms of life. That answer is Jesus. We ought to be the people that the world looks to for help in their time of need. Are you being a Paul in someone’s life? If so, share with them the truth that God is in control and that all things end on a safe shore for those who trust God. I am not saying that we who are God’s children will never face storms. What I am saying is that even in the storm we can have a peace that passes all understanding.
Look around and see all the people who are in a storm and unable swim. Toss them the life rope of Jesus and pull them into His safety!
Praising Jesus for saving me from the storms,
Aaron Hodges
On December 7, 1941, shortly before 08:00, Japanese aircraft from six fleet carriers struck the Pacific Fleet as it lay in port at Pearl Harbor, and—in the ensuing two attack waves—wrought devastation on the Battle Line and on air and military facilities defending Pearl Harbor. Onboard the USS Arizona, the ship's air raid alarm went off about 07:55, and the ship went to general quarters soon thereafter. Shortly after 08:00, a bomb dropped by a high-altitude Nakajima B5N "Kate" torpedo bomber from the Japanese carrier, Kaga, hit the side of the main No. 4 turret and glanced off into the deck below, starting a small fire but causing minimal damage. At 08:06, a bomb from a Hiryu "Kate" hit between gun turrets No. 1 & 2, likely penetrating the armored deck near the ammunition magazine located in the forward section of the ship. The cataclysmic explosion that resulted destroyed the forward part of the ship. A widely accepted theory is that the black powder magazine used to power the aircraft catapults detonated first, igniting the smokeless powder magazine which was used for the ship's main armament. A 1944 United States Navy's Bureau of Ships report suggests that a hatch leading to the black powder magazine was left open, possibly with flammable materials stocked nearby. The Naval History & Heritage Command explained that black powder might have been stockpiled outside of the armored magazine. However, it seems unlikely that a definitive answer to this question might be found. The blast that destroyed the Arizona and sank her to her berth alongside Ford Island, took 1,177 lives of the 1,400 crewmen on board at the time, over half the casualties lost during the attack. (Report from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
In Acts 27, we find the story of another shipwreck which could have ended very badly, but instead ended with everyone safely on land. Paul was a prisoner at the time. Against the advice of Paul, the Roman centurion in charge decided to sail to Phoenix. On their way they were confronted by a very big hurricane-type storm. The storm tossed the boat around so badly that they had to take ropes and wrap the boat to hold it together. Soon into the storm, the crew of the boat had to throw all the cargo overboard. When all looked bleak, Paul let them know that the “God whose I am and whom I serve” would not let anything happen to them. The Romans, not being persuaded yet, even went so far as to plan on killing all the prisoners so that they would not escape. But by God’s providence, the centurion wanting to spare Paul’s life, let everyone on the ship swim safely to the shore of the island of Malta.
So what do we learn from Paul’s trip? We learn that we have the answer to the storms of life. That answer is Jesus. We ought to be the people that the world looks to for help in their time of need. Are you being a Paul in someone’s life? If so, share with them the truth that God is in control and that all things end on a safe shore for those who trust God. I am not saying that we who are God’s children will never face storms. What I am saying is that even in the storm we can have a peace that passes all understanding.
Look around and see all the people who are in a storm and unable swim. Toss them the life rope of Jesus and pull them into His safety!
Praising Jesus for saving me from the storms,
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
I SMILE
I SMILE
“All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?”
Paul McCartney, 1966
Too often I get the opportunity to go with my wife to the mall. It is always a lovely time with my wife, but a dreadful time at the mall. I really despise shopping. I know that most of you women don’t understand this; it’s just a guy thing. Shopping to me is knowing what you need in the store, going in and getting it, and then getting out as soon as possible. I know that is not my wife’s idea of shopping, so when I go with her, I spend a lot of time people watching. I could and do spend many hours just sitting in those big comfortable chairs in the mall walkways watching people while my wife shops. I start out looking at the height of different people. Are they tall? Are they short? Then I look at what they are wearing. I sometimes ask myself what they were thinking when they left the house that day. I often ask what the parents were thinking when their kids left home that day. Then I look at all the different hair styles. Is it straight or curly; short or long; spiky or flat; traditional or wild; neat or messy? I could spend almost all my time on this one area! I look at who they are with. Are they with friends, family, or by themselves?
I finally get to all the faces. What are their eyes saying about them? Are they smiling or are they frowning? Why are they smiling? Why are they frowning? I think about what could be going on in their life right at that moment that makes them look the way they do. I have to be totally honest, the more I look at people, I see a lot of lonely, sad people. Too many people go around with a long face. As I people watch, I see very few people with a smile on their face seeming happy to be alive. All this watching makes me think about my face. Am I showing to those that are watching me that I am happy and that I serve a God who brings me joy?
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
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.
Philippians 4:4-7
When you smile at someone, that person can’t help but return the favor. It’s like turning on a bright light in a world threatened by darkness. Besides, you have good reason to walk around all the time with a smile on your face - not because of something you have done, but because of the undeniable truth that God loves you. As a result of His great love for you, God acted through Jesus to give you free and eternal salvation. That alone should certainly make you smile!
I smile when I think about
The way You've turned my life around
I smile when I think about
The happiness in You I've found
I'm so amazed at what Your love has done
And when I think the best is yet to come
I smile!
I smile!
Aaron Hodges
“All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all belong?”
Paul McCartney, 1966
Too often I get the opportunity to go with my wife to the mall. It is always a lovely time with my wife, but a dreadful time at the mall. I really despise shopping. I know that most of you women don’t understand this; it’s just a guy thing. Shopping to me is knowing what you need in the store, going in and getting it, and then getting out as soon as possible. I know that is not my wife’s idea of shopping, so when I go with her, I spend a lot of time people watching. I could and do spend many hours just sitting in those big comfortable chairs in the mall walkways watching people while my wife shops. I start out looking at the height of different people. Are they tall? Are they short? Then I look at what they are wearing. I sometimes ask myself what they were thinking when they left the house that day. I often ask what the parents were thinking when their kids left home that day. Then I look at all the different hair styles. Is it straight or curly; short or long; spiky or flat; traditional or wild; neat or messy? I could spend almost all my time on this one area! I look at who they are with. Are they with friends, family, or by themselves?
I finally get to all the faces. What are their eyes saying about them? Are they smiling or are they frowning? Why are they smiling? Why are they frowning? I think about what could be going on in their life right at that moment that makes them look the way they do. I have to be totally honest, the more I look at people, I see a lot of lonely, sad people. Too many people go around with a long face. As I people watch, I see very few people with a smile on their face seeming happy to be alive. All this watching makes me think about my face. Am I showing to those that are watching me that I am happy and that I serve a God who brings me joy?
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
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.
Philippians 4:4-7
When you smile at someone, that person can’t help but return the favor. It’s like turning on a bright light in a world threatened by darkness. Besides, you have good reason to walk around all the time with a smile on your face - not because of something you have done, but because of the undeniable truth that God loves you. As a result of His great love for you, God acted through Jesus to give you free and eternal salvation. That alone should certainly make you smile!
I smile when I think about
The way You've turned my life around
I smile when I think about
The happiness in You I've found
I'm so amazed at what Your love has done
And when I think the best is yet to come
I smile!
I smile!
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
A WORD FOR TODAY AND EVERYDAY
A Word for Today and Everyday
As I was at home yesterday morning not feeling too swell, I laid down on the couch and turned on the news. The headlines of the day can be very discouraging from the current job market to labor unrest; from earthquakes, wars and rumors of war to political turmoil and violence; from the housing crisis to disease, and so much more. The outlook on this world we live in is very bleak. I was tempted to question where God is in all of this. I was tempted to even question if God was even concerned. But as I continued to watch the news and then recall the Word of God, I began to understand that we have been here countless times before. Just look at the people of God throughout the Old Testament. Time after time, they pulled away from God and then He allowed something catastrophic to occur to turn their attention back to Him. For instance, don’t you think 40 years of wandering in the wilderness would get your attention? So why am I surprised when I turn on the news? Isn’t this what I should expect from a world that has turned its back on God? So where is the hope that we need? Where is the promise that everything will all work out in the end? Is anybody else asking? The Word of God has the answers to all of these questions and all of our problems.
“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. THEN you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I WILL LISTEN TO YOU. You will seek me and find me when you seek me
with all your heart. I will be found by you!”
Jeremiah 29:11
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whoa are called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified, those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:28-32
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha, and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Revelation 22:12-13
Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.
Aaron Hodges
As I was at home yesterday morning not feeling too swell, I laid down on the couch and turned on the news. The headlines of the day can be very discouraging from the current job market to labor unrest; from earthquakes, wars and rumors of war to political turmoil and violence; from the housing crisis to disease, and so much more. The outlook on this world we live in is very bleak. I was tempted to question where God is in all of this. I was tempted to even question if God was even concerned. But as I continued to watch the news and then recall the Word of God, I began to understand that we have been here countless times before. Just look at the people of God throughout the Old Testament. Time after time, they pulled away from God and then He allowed something catastrophic to occur to turn their attention back to Him. For instance, don’t you think 40 years of wandering in the wilderness would get your attention? So why am I surprised when I turn on the news? Isn’t this what I should expect from a world that has turned its back on God? So where is the hope that we need? Where is the promise that everything will all work out in the end? Is anybody else asking? The Word of God has the answers to all of these questions and all of our problems.
“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. THEN you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I WILL LISTEN TO YOU. You will seek me and find me when you seek me
with all your heart. I will be found by you!”
Jeremiah 29:11
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whoa are called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified, those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Romans 8:28-32
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha, and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Revelation 22:12-13
Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
You are the light of the world!
First of all, let me start out by saying the worship Ministry of FBC Canton ROCKS! Over the past months we have seen God’s hand all over the place. Sunday worship services have been outstanding opportunities to worship corporately and Wednesday evening rehearsals have been incredible. Last Wednesday in choir rehearsal, we experienced a true God encounter. It is always awesome when that occurs. In our time last week, I told the choir why I am so expressive in my worship. I can’t help but be expressive with my worship to Eternal God! Jesus put it this way:
You are the light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand,
and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5: 14-16
It was the experience of the death of my daughter that changed my way of worship. Well, let me go back to the beginning. In my leadership, I have always tried to encourage expressive worship, but I was always very intimidated to outwardly express it. I grew up in a time where you went to church, sat still and quiet, sang the hymns, heard a sermon and went along with life. I am not saying that this was bad. On the contrary, I loved corporate worship during that time in my life. It was just very reserved. Since I grew up in that kind of environment of worship, I naturally felt comfortable leading worship that way. But when I came in contact with my Jesus in a way that made Him the only way to get out of the hole that I was in, I had to change. I could no longer sit back and hold in my expression of worship; instead, I had to let my light shine -- not so that people would see Aaron Hodges, but so that they could see how amazing God is! As a testimony of God’s faithfulness, I had to let my worship be seen.
So what does that have to do with you? The same verse that applies to me, applies to everyone. We are not commanded to hide our light under a bushel, NO! We are commanded to let it shine! Have you experienced God in a way that makes it impossible for you to hold your worship inside? I pray that it does not take an experience like I had to open your eyes. Open up and express your love for Jesus so the world can see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven!
With hands lifted to Jesus in surrender,
Aaron Hodges
First of all, let me start out by saying the worship Ministry of FBC Canton ROCKS! Over the past months we have seen God’s hand all over the place. Sunday worship services have been outstanding opportunities to worship corporately and Wednesday evening rehearsals have been incredible. Last Wednesday in choir rehearsal, we experienced a true God encounter. It is always awesome when that occurs. In our time last week, I told the choir why I am so expressive in my worship. I can’t help but be expressive with my worship to Eternal God! Jesus put it this way:
You are the light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand,
and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5: 14-16
It was the experience of the death of my daughter that changed my way of worship. Well, let me go back to the beginning. In my leadership, I have always tried to encourage expressive worship, but I was always very intimidated to outwardly express it. I grew up in a time where you went to church, sat still and quiet, sang the hymns, heard a sermon and went along with life. I am not saying that this was bad. On the contrary, I loved corporate worship during that time in my life. It was just very reserved. Since I grew up in that kind of environment of worship, I naturally felt comfortable leading worship that way. But when I came in contact with my Jesus in a way that made Him the only way to get out of the hole that I was in, I had to change. I could no longer sit back and hold in my expression of worship; instead, I had to let my light shine -- not so that people would see Aaron Hodges, but so that they could see how amazing God is! As a testimony of God’s faithfulness, I had to let my worship be seen.
So what does that have to do with you? The same verse that applies to me, applies to everyone. We are not commanded to hide our light under a bushel, NO! We are commanded to let it shine! Have you experienced God in a way that makes it impossible for you to hold your worship inside? I pray that it does not take an experience like I had to open your eyes. Open up and express your love for Jesus so the world can see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven!
With hands lifted to Jesus in surrender,
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
ULTIMATE MAKEOVER
Ultimate Makeover
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are
convinced that one died for all,
and therefore all died.
15 And he died for all, that those who live
should no longer live for themselves but for him
who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.
Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come;
The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
About 7 months ago, I was told by my doctor (as I had been many times) that my blood pressure was high, cholesterol was on the rise, weight was on the rise, and my overall health was not great. I decided, with encouragement from my wife, to
finally try and do something about it. I have never consistently exercised in my entire life. I was an active child, but when I became an adult, I decided that I no longer needed to be that active. How very wrong I was. So, we decided to join the YMCA. When I started out, I was very committed to do what the coaches at the “Y” were telling me to do. I dreaded every day I had to go, but eventually, exercise started to grow on me. I now look forward to going for a work out. I will never be a Hulk Hogan, but I will be healthier. I have more energy, I feel better, and now I am trying to get off some of my medications. Then 9 days ago, my wife started me on an Advocare 24 day challenge. I began altering my diet. Yes, I have desired a burger and a Dr. Pepper, but seeing the results of my changes keeps me headed in the right direction.
Have you ever considered a makeover? TV shows have shown us how changes in clothes, hair, makeup and weight loss can radically alter the way a person looks. But these changes are only skin deep. You can change outward appearances, but the real you – the person inside- remains unchanged.
How do we “makeover” the real person inside? Many in our culture try in numerous ways to accomplish this change with drugs, alcohol, and secular counseling with no avail. The only way to change the person inside you is by giving your heart and soul to Jesus. Outwardly, you may not look any different, you may not dance any better, you may not have a better golf swing, and you won’t suddenly start talking intellectually, but you will be a new creation! Your old self is gone, and the new you controlled by the Spirit has come! Instead of looking for the approval of everyone you are surrounded by, you realize that Jesus is the only one you care about pleasing. GREAT NEWS – Jesus isn’t at all interested in how we look; instead, He is more interested in how we act. May people see in our actions, the transformation that Jesus has made inside the real us.
Praising Jesus for spiritual makeover,
Aaron Hodges
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are
convinced that one died for all,
and therefore all died.
15 And he died for all, that those who live
should no longer live for themselves but for him
who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.
Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come;
The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
About 7 months ago, I was told by my doctor (as I had been many times) that my blood pressure was high, cholesterol was on the rise, weight was on the rise, and my overall health was not great. I decided, with encouragement from my wife, to
finally try and do something about it. I have never consistently exercised in my entire life. I was an active child, but when I became an adult, I decided that I no longer needed to be that active. How very wrong I was. So, we decided to join the YMCA. When I started out, I was very committed to do what the coaches at the “Y” were telling me to do. I dreaded every day I had to go, but eventually, exercise started to grow on me. I now look forward to going for a work out. I will never be a Hulk Hogan, but I will be healthier. I have more energy, I feel better, and now I am trying to get off some of my medications. Then 9 days ago, my wife started me on an Advocare 24 day challenge. I began altering my diet. Yes, I have desired a burger and a Dr. Pepper, but seeing the results of my changes keeps me headed in the right direction.
Have you ever considered a makeover? TV shows have shown us how changes in clothes, hair, makeup and weight loss can radically alter the way a person looks. But these changes are only skin deep. You can change outward appearances, but the real you – the person inside- remains unchanged.
How do we “makeover” the real person inside? Many in our culture try in numerous ways to accomplish this change with drugs, alcohol, and secular counseling with no avail. The only way to change the person inside you is by giving your heart and soul to Jesus. Outwardly, you may not look any different, you may not dance any better, you may not have a better golf swing, and you won’t suddenly start talking intellectually, but you will be a new creation! Your old self is gone, and the new you controlled by the Spirit has come! Instead of looking for the approval of everyone you are surrounded by, you realize that Jesus is the only one you care about pleasing. GREAT NEWS – Jesus isn’t at all interested in how we look; instead, He is more interested in how we act. May people see in our actions, the transformation that Jesus has made inside the real us.
Praising Jesus for spiritual makeover,
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A STATEMENT OF FAITH
A Statement of Faith
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are
no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes
my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me
to tread on the heights.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
What is the most difficult experience you have had to weather in your life? What event most wrenched you emotionally? For some that might be the death of a spouse, a child, or of a parent. For others of you, it might be an act of violence committed against you. Still for others, being ignored, rejected, or put down by someone you love could be hard to overcome. For some, the consequences of a sin you yourself committed might be your most difficult experience to weather. Now think back: What were your thoughts toward God at that difficult time in your life? Did you pray? If so, how? With tears? With anger? With a broken and contrite heart?
Look again at verse 17. Remember, the economy of Judah at this time was based almost exclusively on agriculture and livestock. The first three items, figs, grapes, and olives – were all permanent crops. The next item mentioned are the fields – that is, the annual crops, the staple foods, and the source for most of the calorie supply. So neither the permanent nor the annual crops had yielded anything. The final two items mentioned were flock and cattle – those were, sheep and cows. All their livestock were dead. So do you see what he is saying? “Even though I’ve lost everything; even though all my income disappears...” We might say these things, “when I lose my job and the unemployment insurance runs out..., when I can’t work and am denied my disability claim..., or even when the bills come in but no money comes in to the checking account.” Another way to think of this verse, which perhaps is easier for us to relate to is, “though it looks like all God’s gifts have been taken from me...” And so, how did Habakkuk respond to this situation? And furthermore, how do we respond to our situations?
YET, I WILL REJOICE!
Everything that Habakkuk knew in life was destroyed yet he still chose to rejoice in the Lord. He did not let his circumstances dictate his faith. Instead he let his faith dictate his response to his circumstances. Walking by faith is always more difficult than walking by sight. It wouldn’t be a walk of faith if everything made sense. Living by faith means loving God, instead of loving God’s gifts. Habakkuk sees all God’s gifts disappear. Now, the question is: Will he love God? Think of a parent who lavishes gifts on a child. The child says he loves his parent. But isn’t the child’s reaction to the ceasing of those gifts the real test of his love? How easy it is for us to act that way to God! We love His gifts, delight in His gifts – and then become angry if those gifts disappear. There is a great deal of difference between, “I love what you do for me” and “I love YOU.” Living by faith means loving GOD Himself! We indeed must be thankful for His gifts – but God is our delight, He is our portion, He is our treasure, and nothing we desire compares to HIM.
Rejoicing in all things!
Aaron Hodges
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are
no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes
my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me
to tread on the heights.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
What is the most difficult experience you have had to weather in your life? What event most wrenched you emotionally? For some that might be the death of a spouse, a child, or of a parent. For others of you, it might be an act of violence committed against you. Still for others, being ignored, rejected, or put down by someone you love could be hard to overcome. For some, the consequences of a sin you yourself committed might be your most difficult experience to weather. Now think back: What were your thoughts toward God at that difficult time in your life? Did you pray? If so, how? With tears? With anger? With a broken and contrite heart?
Look again at verse 17. Remember, the economy of Judah at this time was based almost exclusively on agriculture and livestock. The first three items, figs, grapes, and olives – were all permanent crops. The next item mentioned are the fields – that is, the annual crops, the staple foods, and the source for most of the calorie supply. So neither the permanent nor the annual crops had yielded anything. The final two items mentioned were flock and cattle – those were, sheep and cows. All their livestock were dead. So do you see what he is saying? “Even though I’ve lost everything; even though all my income disappears...” We might say these things, “when I lose my job and the unemployment insurance runs out..., when I can’t work and am denied my disability claim..., or even when the bills come in but no money comes in to the checking account.” Another way to think of this verse, which perhaps is easier for us to relate to is, “though it looks like all God’s gifts have been taken from me...” And so, how did Habakkuk respond to this situation? And furthermore, how do we respond to our situations?
YET, I WILL REJOICE!
Everything that Habakkuk knew in life was destroyed yet he still chose to rejoice in the Lord. He did not let his circumstances dictate his faith. Instead he let his faith dictate his response to his circumstances. Walking by faith is always more difficult than walking by sight. It wouldn’t be a walk of faith if everything made sense. Living by faith means loving God, instead of loving God’s gifts. Habakkuk sees all God’s gifts disappear. Now, the question is: Will he love God? Think of a parent who lavishes gifts on a child. The child says he loves his parent. But isn’t the child’s reaction to the ceasing of those gifts the real test of his love? How easy it is for us to act that way to God! We love His gifts, delight in His gifts – and then become angry if those gifts disappear. There is a great deal of difference between, “I love what you do for me” and “I love YOU.” Living by faith means loving GOD Himself! We indeed must be thankful for His gifts – but God is our delight, He is our portion, He is our treasure, and nothing we desire compares to HIM.
Rejoicing in all things!
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
BE STILL MY SOUL, BE STILL
Be Still My Soul, BE STILL
Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
And you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
JESUS
Matthew 11:28-30
I don’t know about your household, but since the beginning of this year, I feel like my family has been going 100 miles an hour 24 hours a day. Malia and I have been wondering why we are so exhausted all the time. When we stopped the other day to think about the exhaustion, we realized that we have been going to bed around midnight every night and have not had many uninterrupted nights. With restless kids, so many things to do and lack of ability to shut my brain down, sleep has become a rare thing. Many of you can probably relate to that scenario. So how do I get out of this hole that I have made for myself? How do I slow down? Will this rat race that I am in ever stop? On my own, I create bigger holes. On my own, I don’t know how to slow down. On my own, I will only make the rat race worse. Praise God! It’s not completely up to me.
Jesus made it very clear in Matthew 11 that our responsibility is merely to “come” to Him. It is Jesus who will give us rest, though that is easier said than done. I am sometimes guilty of reading scripture and agreeing with what I read, but then when I go to put it into action, I fall short. With everything in life, it is hard to just “come” and lay things at the feet at Jesus. I tend to bring my burdens to Christ, but then I pick them right back up and carry them on my own once again. It is like what Paul says in Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” I want to lay my burdens at the feet of Jesus, but do I really trust Jesus to take care of my life? I do trust Him, but in my actions, I often don’t prove that. Am I being too transparent? Am I the only one in this boat? Where do I go from here? I go to the Lord!
O Lord, I cry out - take control of my life!
Take the desire that I have to be in control
away from me.
Help me to be still and know that You are God!
Rid me of my unbelief.
Teach me to trust You.
Father, get me out to the way, so that you can shine through me.
I want to see you do amazing and
wonderful things.
Give me a glimpse of what You have prepared
for me when I totally depend on You.
I long for You to move!
Aaron Hodges
Come to me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
And you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
JESUS
Matthew 11:28-30
I don’t know about your household, but since the beginning of this year, I feel like my family has been going 100 miles an hour 24 hours a day. Malia and I have been wondering why we are so exhausted all the time. When we stopped the other day to think about the exhaustion, we realized that we have been going to bed around midnight every night and have not had many uninterrupted nights. With restless kids, so many things to do and lack of ability to shut my brain down, sleep has become a rare thing. Many of you can probably relate to that scenario. So how do I get out of this hole that I have made for myself? How do I slow down? Will this rat race that I am in ever stop? On my own, I create bigger holes. On my own, I don’t know how to slow down. On my own, I will only make the rat race worse. Praise God! It’s not completely up to me.
Jesus made it very clear in Matthew 11 that our responsibility is merely to “come” to Him. It is Jesus who will give us rest, though that is easier said than done. I am sometimes guilty of reading scripture and agreeing with what I read, but then when I go to put it into action, I fall short. With everything in life, it is hard to just “come” and lay things at the feet at Jesus. I tend to bring my burdens to Christ, but then I pick them right back up and carry them on my own once again. It is like what Paul says in Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” I want to lay my burdens at the feet of Jesus, but do I really trust Jesus to take care of my life? I do trust Him, but in my actions, I often don’t prove that. Am I being too transparent? Am I the only one in this boat? Where do I go from here? I go to the Lord!
O Lord, I cry out - take control of my life!
Take the desire that I have to be in control
away from me.
Help me to be still and know that You are God!
Rid me of my unbelief.
Teach me to trust You.
Father, get me out to the way, so that you can shine through me.
I want to see you do amazing and
wonderful things.
Give me a glimpse of what You have prepared
for me when I totally depend on You.
I long for You to move!
Aaron Hodges
THINK ON THESE THINGS...
Think on these things…
Philippians 4:4-9 The Message
4 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! 5 Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! 6 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 8 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. 9 Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Last Wednesday night at around 2:30 am, I was awakened by my wife telling me I was getting a text message on my phone. I have to honestly say that I did not wake completely up and get the message, but instead, Malia got it and answered it for me. She then woke me up enough to tell me what it was about. The message was from Ron Graves letting me know that Deana’s father, Dean Patterson, was on his way to the hospital with heart problems. In fact, on the way to the hospital, Mr. Patterson clinically died, but they were able to revive him and get him to the hospital in time. They put in two stints, and on Thursday, Malia and I headed to the hospital unaware of the condition we would find with Mr. Patterson. To my pleasure, I found Mr. and Mrs. Patterson in great spirits, thanking God for the great ways that He protected them. They were doing exactly what Philippians 4 says to do. It would have been easy for them to focus their attention on all the negative things that had happened, but they chose to focus their minds on the “best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not to curse.” He did go home, but has developed some complications and is back in the hospital. We need to continue to pray for him.
Last Sunday, Dr. Steve Parr did a great job taking this even a little further. In the times in our life when we face giants, are we choosing to rejoice in all things? In the good times and in the bad times, we are to make it clear to others that God is in control and we trust Him. How will others see our faith if all we do is worry about the giants? There are many things in our lives that we can worry about, most of which are out of our control. I serve a God who is ABLE - able to heal, able to provide, able to do miracles, able to see us through challenges, able to provide peace, able to work everything for our good and able to defeat our giants. I know from experience that when I give my giants to the Lord and think on the positive, God will always bring me through the rough times. To God be the glory for He has done great and mighty things for His children!
Reveling in Jesus,
Aaron Hodges
Philippians 4:4-9 The Message
4 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! 5 Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! 6 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 8 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. 9 Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Last Wednesday night at around 2:30 am, I was awakened by my wife telling me I was getting a text message on my phone. I have to honestly say that I did not wake completely up and get the message, but instead, Malia got it and answered it for me. She then woke me up enough to tell me what it was about. The message was from Ron Graves letting me know that Deana’s father, Dean Patterson, was on his way to the hospital with heart problems. In fact, on the way to the hospital, Mr. Patterson clinically died, but they were able to revive him and get him to the hospital in time. They put in two stints, and on Thursday, Malia and I headed to the hospital unaware of the condition we would find with Mr. Patterson. To my pleasure, I found Mr. and Mrs. Patterson in great spirits, thanking God for the great ways that He protected them. They were doing exactly what Philippians 4 says to do. It would have been easy for them to focus their attention on all the negative things that had happened, but they chose to focus their minds on the “best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not to curse.” He did go home, but has developed some complications and is back in the hospital. We need to continue to pray for him.
Last Sunday, Dr. Steve Parr did a great job taking this even a little further. In the times in our life when we face giants, are we choosing to rejoice in all things? In the good times and in the bad times, we are to make it clear to others that God is in control and we trust Him. How will others see our faith if all we do is worry about the giants? There are many things in our lives that we can worry about, most of which are out of our control. I serve a God who is ABLE - able to heal, able to provide, able to do miracles, able to see us through challenges, able to provide peace, able to work everything for our good and able to defeat our giants. I know from experience that when I give my giants to the Lord and think on the positive, God will always bring me through the rough times. To God be the glory for He has done great and mighty things for His children!
Reveling in Jesus,
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
THE STATE OF OUR UNION
The State of Our Union
Union:
a. The act of uniting or the state of being united.
b. A combination so formed, especially an alliance or confederation of people, parties, or political entities for mutual interest or benefit
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:3
On this the 5th day of January in the year 2011,
• What is the state of our union?
• What makes our union unique?
• What are the benefits of our union?
• What are the strengths in our union?
• What are the weaknesses in our union?
• What can make our union stronger?
I want to proclaim today that our union in the worship ministry at FBC Canton is strong. It is strong because of the great improvements we have made over the past few years. It is strong because it is a focused ministry. It is strong because of its members. It is strong because of what makes our union unique.
Our union is not like the unions that you hear about on talk radio and the news. No our union is based on a different foundation. As we read in Ephesians 4:3, our unity is founded on the Holy Spirit. It is based on the love of Jesus. It is held together by the powerful name of God. Our union cannot fail. Our union will remain until Jesus returns and unites all Christians to Himself.
The benefits of our union are not for the benefit of ourselves. I am not saying that we will not find benefit in this union. What I am saying is that the basis for our union is in glorifying Jesus and drawing all people to Him. Our union is basically for the benefit of others.
The strengths of our union are all around us. Our worship choir is seeing great improvement in their worship leadership. They are boldly proclaiming Jesus every week. In fact our Christmas worship service was by far the best presentation I have been a part of and it was a blessing to all who heard it. Our band and orchestra are incredible. What they give each and every week is glorious music that sets the stage for the message to be proclaimed. In fact, due to their passion in their playing, I have had a number of people inquire how they could join the orchestra. Our union is strong.
No union is perfect. Every union has its weaknesses. One area of weakness that needs our attention is in commitment to the union. Our union is a union that requires participation and when we are not participating our union suffers. Let’s all recommit to the worship ministry of FBC and make 2011 an even stronger year than 2010.
Another area in our union that needs help is in our technical side. Right now we need around 5-8 new people to help run the worship center screens. If you know of anyone who can push a button on Sundays, please let the worship ministry know.
Our union can be stronger because of individual commitment to each other and to Jesus Christ. What will you do in 2011 to make our union grow?
With His Song,
Aaron
P.S. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with any form of malice. BE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE TO ONE ANOTHER, FORGIVING EACH OTHER, JUST AS IN CHRIST GOD FORGAVE YOU.” Ephesians 4:30-32
Union:
a. The act of uniting or the state of being united.
b. A combination so formed, especially an alliance or confederation of people, parties, or political entities for mutual interest or benefit
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:3
On this the 5th day of January in the year 2011,
• What is the state of our union?
• What makes our union unique?
• What are the benefits of our union?
• What are the strengths in our union?
• What are the weaknesses in our union?
• What can make our union stronger?
I want to proclaim today that our union in the worship ministry at FBC Canton is strong. It is strong because of the great improvements we have made over the past few years. It is strong because it is a focused ministry. It is strong because of its members. It is strong because of what makes our union unique.
Our union is not like the unions that you hear about on talk radio and the news. No our union is based on a different foundation. As we read in Ephesians 4:3, our unity is founded on the Holy Spirit. It is based on the love of Jesus. It is held together by the powerful name of God. Our union cannot fail. Our union will remain until Jesus returns and unites all Christians to Himself.
The benefits of our union are not for the benefit of ourselves. I am not saying that we will not find benefit in this union. What I am saying is that the basis for our union is in glorifying Jesus and drawing all people to Him. Our union is basically for the benefit of others.
The strengths of our union are all around us. Our worship choir is seeing great improvement in their worship leadership. They are boldly proclaiming Jesus every week. In fact our Christmas worship service was by far the best presentation I have been a part of and it was a blessing to all who heard it. Our band and orchestra are incredible. What they give each and every week is glorious music that sets the stage for the message to be proclaimed. In fact, due to their passion in their playing, I have had a number of people inquire how they could join the orchestra. Our union is strong.
No union is perfect. Every union has its weaknesses. One area of weakness that needs our attention is in commitment to the union. Our union is a union that requires participation and when we are not participating our union suffers. Let’s all recommit to the worship ministry of FBC and make 2011 an even stronger year than 2010.
Another area in our union that needs help is in our technical side. Right now we need around 5-8 new people to help run the worship center screens. If you know of anyone who can push a button on Sundays, please let the worship ministry know.
Our union can be stronger because of individual commitment to each other and to Jesus Christ. What will you do in 2011 to make our union grow?
With His Song,
Aaron
P.S. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with any form of malice. BE KIND AND COMPASSIONATE TO ONE ANOTHER, FORGIVING EACH OTHER, JUST AS IN CHRIST GOD FORGAVE YOU.” Ephesians 4:30-32
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