When the Storm Rages

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My wife and I recently had the privilege of staying with a dear preacher friend and his wife at a beach house right on the ocean in Massachusetts.  Hurricane Jose was lingering off the coast and the surf indeed was raging.  We had the opportunity to drive along the coast and took some pictures of the waves crashing upon the rocks.  There is such destructive power in coastal storms that can wreak such havoc to the shoreline and homes built along it.  During the night that we stayed in the beach front home, the tides were very high and the waves were rough.  A deck ladder that allowed the homeowner to go from the deck down to the beach was bent and twisted right out off the concrete!  It lay on the beach and rocks below, nearly carried out to sea.

I am reminded of the the destructive power of storms in our lives.  We all have times when the tempest of life is raging.  Storms come across the shores of our lives and at times can have a dramatic effect on us.  One day the disciples were on a ship with Jesus when a terrible storm came upon them.  As they panicked and feared for their lives, Jesus was in the back of the boat sleeping.  Luke 8:24-25 tells us what happened:

“And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish.  then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water; and they ceased, and there was a calm.  And he said unto them, Where is your faith?”

When the storms of life come upon us, we need to remember that Jesus is always with us and is available to help us in the storm.  Someone once said that Jesus can either calm the storm, or calm you in the storm.  Either way, the question is the same:  “Where is your faith”  Faith in the Lord is the key to weathering the storms of life!  While we were in the beach house, we looked out onto the ocean and we saw an amazing site.  There were actually people out on the water windsurfing!  While others may have been intimidated by the raging waters, these saw the opportunity for joy in the storm.  I want to remember this the next time I face a storm in my life.  Will I see the storm as raging and about to destroy me, or will I stay calm in the midst of it and seize the opportunity to see God work and bring good out of tempest?  May the Lord help us to keep our eyes on Him!

Exciting Vacation Bible Club!

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We had a great time at our Vacation Bible Club this year. Our theme was “Over the Moat” which featured Finnegan the Fox and a wonderful castle emphasis. We call is the Cornerstone Kids Club. The kids, ranging from mostly five to ten years old, had a great time! They played several outdoor games, did a neat picture frame castle craft, enjoyed a delicious lunch and snacks, and were treated to the Over the Moat puppet play and prizes to take home with them. The Bible story was of David and Goliath and being an overcomer with God. If you did not get a chance to come this year, make it point to come next summer! It is awesome to be a part of the set-up crew, working with the kids, and being one of the kids attending!

Christmas in New York City

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Macy’s in New York City, December 2016.

I had the opportunity to visit New York City with my family this Christmas.  I have always heard that it was a great place to visit to see the sights and sounds of Christmas during the holidays.  I must say we had a great time trying to see as much as possible.  We started at the Statue of Liberty, went to Ground Zero to see the memorial and the new Freedom Tower, and eventually made our way to Times Square.  Walking through Central Park was amazing.  Trump Tower was cool.  Times Square was crowded, but the lights around the area were terrific!

What intrigued me, though, was going to Macy’s.  It was seven floors of expensive shopping, or should I say, looking!  In that building they had amazing wooden escalators that date way back. But it was the sign on the front of the building that really caught my attention.  The sign said, “Believe.”  It was written and lit in such as way as to be magical and whimsical.  I think the obvious implication of it was the magic of the North Pole, and of Santa and of gifting for Christmas.  In the movie, The Miracle on 34th Street, a mom who worked for Macy’s, along with her little girl, were challenged to believe–not in Jesus Christ, but in Santa.  I suppose that is the way the world is going these days when it comes to Christmas. Sadly, most people in this world are missing the greatest message that the sign really points to!  It is the true message of Christmas!  Here are some of the verses that come to mind which the Bible encourages us to “believe,”  or to have faith in.

…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved…

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me….I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

It is my hope that more and more people would come to know that Jesus is truly the reason for the season and that putting your faith in Him is life changing and awesome.  I got to see first hand what the hustle and bustle of Christmas has become. Shopping and fantasy has replaced the most important thing of all.  Jesus, born of a virgin,  came to this earth and lived a sinless life.  He was crucified on the cross of Calvary to pay for our sins, the just for the unjust.  He was buried in a tomb, but three days later arose victorious over death.  He sits at the right hand of God the Father now, offering the gift of salvation, forgiveness of sins, to all that BELIEVE!

Now that is what Christmas is all about!

Toys for Kids Program 2016

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We have had the privilege for the last fifteen years of serving our community by helping families in need of toys for their kids at Christmastime.  It is a great opportunity for all of our church volunteers to show the love of Christ to many families.  It is also an opportunity to share with them the greatest gift of all–Jesus Christ.  John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Jesus left His home in Heaven some two thousand years ago and became a man by being born of a virgin.  He lived a perfect, sinless life for 33 years and went to the cross of Calvary to bleed and die for the sins of us all.  He did it so that we might be saved from our sins.  If we will believe on Him and trust Him to save us, we can receive the gift of everlasting life.  What a gift!  To us it is free, but to God, it was the most expensive gift to be given–His only begotten Son!

A visit to D.L. Moody’s resting place

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My wife and I were out touring NH covered bridges out in Swanzey when I saw that we were only eight miles away from Northfield, Massachusettes.  Northfield is the birthplace and final resting place of D.L. Moody, the great evangelical preacher of the late 1800’s.  Great revivals took place here in America as well as in England.  They say that Moody was responsible for a million people coming to know Christ as Saviour!  He and his wife are buried to the rear of his birth home, next to the campus he founded to educate poor children.  Sadly, today there is no longer a Gospel witness even though the school continues on as a secular institution.   There are many quotes attributed to D. L. Moody, so many they are too numerous to mention here.  But an appropriate one for this post is this:

Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield is dead.  Don’t you believe a word of it!  At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now.

The porch is marked with Moody’s birth date.

The shadow of a tree on the house where Moody was born.

A beautiful sunset over the birth home of D.L. Moody in Northfield, Massachusettes.

The tombstones of Moody and his wife in the backyard of his birth home.

Father’s Day 2015

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Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.  –Psalm 103:13

 

Father’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the role a dad plays in his children’s lives.  This verse from the Bible speaks volumes about a good father.  The word “pitieth” means to love and be compassionate towards.  It means to handle or touch lovingly, affectionately, or tenderly.  Every dad should work hard at being close to his kids and do all he can to understand them and what they are going through.  He does this by being a good listener!  Dad, don’t be so quick to jump all over your kids when they do something wrong!  James 1:19 says, “….. let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

An earthly father should be a picture of our Heavenly Father.  “As a father…….so the Lord…”  God has love and compassion towards us.  He is patient with us when we don’t always behave as we should.  Psalm 145:8 says, “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.”  As fathers we should exemplify and be a picture of the Lord to our kids.  I am glad my God loves me, is kind to me, listens to me, understands what I face every day, and forgives me in my weaknesses.  Aren’t you?

So dads, this Father’s Day, let’s remember how important it is to be godly examples to our children.  May they see Christ in us!

 

Spiritual Leadership Conference 2014

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Enjoying a beautiful summer evening in Lancaster, CA, after the meeting.

The Lord opened the door for Mrs. Prescott and I to fly out to Lancaster, California to attend the Spiritual Leadership Conference at Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College.  I was able to attend a couple of years ago, but this year was even better because I had my wife with me this time.  The services and workshops were awesome and very profitable.  My friend, Pastor Paul Chappell, and all the good folks of Lancaster Baptist Church did an outstanding job hosting the conference.  Every pastor needs to get away to recharge his spiritual batteries.  We got a chance to hear some great preaching that spoke to our hearts, and we were taught some great new things that challenged us to grow when we returned home to Cornerstone.

Sunday Night Fellowship–May 2014

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The theme for this month’s fellowship was Cook Out Night.  We had a great time grilling hot dogs and hamburgers on grill out in the parking lot of the church. What a great way to kick of the summer months!   We had a great turnout and everyone enjoyed the fellowship.  “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship…..”  (Acts 2:42) and “did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46).IMG_2005

The Blizzard of 2013

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In my driveway during blizzard of 2013!

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From the church ramp during blizzard of 2013.

The Post Office prides itself in not letting weather or anything else get in the way of getting their job done, so it has been with us!  This month we had a pretty impressive blizzard dump nearly two feet of snow in our area.  In spite of it all, we gave it our best and work diligently during the storm to press on with our renovation.  I love the winter time. I love snow storms, though I must admit I don’t like them on church days.  As I see the the beauty of a fresh blanket of snow, I am reminded of what the psalmist said in Psalm 51:7–“…..wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”  The Lord good to give us wonderful reminders of His goodness to us!  In this blizzard, the Lord gave us much to remind us!!

An Exciting New Year Ahead

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2012 has been an exciting year with lots of changes for us.  Last year at this time, I put up a post calling for the end of insanity–doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.  We made a decision this year to pursue another building and take steps of faith to trust the Lord to guide and provide.  It was definitely out of our comfort zone to do it, but God constantly is proving Himself worthy to be trusted!

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Gutting the bathroom!

By the grace of God we have made a lot of progress with our new building.  All the old peg board from the retail store has been removed and the walls have been either repaired or have new drywall.  New walls and stairway have been framed and we are beginning to drywall those as well.  The bathroom has been gutted and will soon be framed into two bathrooms.  The work is progressing!  Praise the Lord!

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Stairway and walls are framed!