Prayer Requests

ICANRAY: Please pray for Client Eva Doyle recently evicted, She says she needs rent and a deposit for new place, please pray for Pastor Dan as he prepares to be interviews on a local program on WLMB-will air in late February, Pray for $31,000 budget shortfall by September, pray for people who have recently accept Christ to follow through on their decision, Pray for AS-back pain, JK addiction recovery, Several others who have text about health concerns, mental health concerns, and life circumstance. God knows every person's genuine need and we can trust Him, Pray His will be done. Thank you. Any person can be added to receive these prayer prompts by telling them to text ICANPRAY to 419-419-0095. Don't forget to pray for your neighbors by name or however you can. We win in Jesus. If you want to be removed respond STOP ICANPRAY. Responding SETTINGS will allow you to update your profile and choose from other free services. God Bless, P. Dan

A Reasonable Request

A Reasonable Request

We've been working through a number of apologetics texts again at New Heights on the Tuesday nights opposite Faith Force which is our new children's program. During our time together I have been reminded vividly of exactly how reasonable our faith is.

What strikes me hard is this: why did I spend 25 years of my life not recognizing the plain and simple fact that the creation in which we live is so organized as to be undeniably created by an intelligent being? Why did I not make that very logical realization to its next to most logical conclusion? I guess I can understand why I failed to connect Jesus clearly to the God of the universe who must exist. I didn't know much about him or what people were claiming he had done.

As a 25-year-old man I literally only knew one person who was professing to be a Christian and trying to live the way they thought Christ would want them to. If that was so in 1995 imagine how many 25-year-olds now have no living witness in their circle? Don't think about it too long though. It will break your heart.

The teleological argument for an intelligent designer is also called the pocketwatch argument. It basically says that if a person were walking along in the desert and stumbled upon a pocketwatch they would naturally assume by virtue of its intricate design that it was put together by a designer. There's no way the various parts that make up a pocket watch fell together on their own or by the impact of chaotic forces.

Our world shows incredible attributes of intelligent design. There are so many factors necessary for sustaining life and making our planet habitable that if they did not exist we would not exist. Yet, these factors do apply And we do exist.

DNA contains information and everyone who studies DNA recognizes it as essentially a programming language. It's a programming language that exists in every organic thing. Trees have DNA, dogs have DNA, and people have DNA. DNA which is intricate and essentially submicroscopic controls the operations of every living thing like incredibly well-built HTML code. However, DNA is infinitely more complex than HTML.

Someone put it together. I could have figured that out. Maybe I did.

In retrospect, I think I was like a fish in a fish tank. I was considering that the things that I could see were all of the things that I would ever have to deal with. I never considered that the glass walls that surrounded me and contained my life were temporary. That is, I never considered it until 25 years in.

Graciously, God led me to Himself. I don't know how many people encounter God because they take a long and deliberating look. It seems to me like most encounter Him because as Paul says in Acts 17 their life has been organized in such a way that they will look around for him. Then in the looking they find him and realize he was never far away in the first place.

I think we should let our light shine before men. Jesus commanded it of course. But, what I'm saying is that I think it makes sense. We must entreat everyone that we know to accept that the incessant, very clear, merciful pleading of the God of heaven should no longer be dismissed.

This is why we don't save people. Jesus saves people. We can only add our witness. We certainly should. That's the pathway to people glorifying God at the coming of Jesus. Jesus said it this way: So let your light shine before men...

I don't live in regret now. I don't regret the first 25 years of my life that didn't glorify God the way they might have. I don't regret pushing off my decision to be saved two weeks even when I knew with absolute certainty that I was taking a risk he wouldn't call me again. Would I do it again? No way.

Even though I don't live in regret now I know that one day, looking back at my life, I'm going to get a clear view of all the waste. It seems like that will be a sad day, a day when I will need to be comforted by the Lord. As I have been looking at the very logical reasons to believe in a living God, who sent his son Jesus to die for us, came in the flesh was God the Son and took on the sins of men to take them to the cross, and rose again on the third day, I prayerfully desire that I'll find more souls who will join me in the pursuit of representing Him well for as long as we have left.

Tell them. Shine before them. Seek them out. Overcome evil with good. Do not be ashamed of the gospel. Those who hear you and see you will one day wonder why it took you and such a concerted effort for them to see what was right in front of their face.

gal 12 23 2022

Faith over Fear

 We are individually equal because we are individually unique. You can actually be different from every other person by letting the power of God flow thru your experiences, background, and borders. God set these things up so that you might look around for Him. (Acts 17) and having found Him realize He was never far away at all. 

 

 

Courage and wisdom are the two sharp edges of a mighty sword that will carve a swath through the enemies of justice and mercy in this day. Flowery I know, but the bottom line is: God's people are supposed to be courageous and wise. Fear Not. Do what you have to do but set the standard as what God says you have to do, not what someone-anyone else says.   

 

Whether it is New Heights Fellowship Baptists Church of East Toledo or not, you are meant to function as part of a local body of believers. One of our Personal Trainers may be able to help you sort out which body, what is a body and what isn't, or you may just want to listen to the voice of God and let Him point you in the right direction. We are willing. He is patient. But it's time.  

 Worshipping with other believers is just one of many things that we simply miust do and the fact is that wearing a mask all the time, praciticing social distancing, and other COVID enforced activities has caused a side effect of people becoming more distant and less friendly. We MUST not go down that road. 

We must be the embodiment of our father's love and we must be actively learning better how to do so every day. He will bless us as we pour ourselves out for kingdom causes. We must brook no excues and instead choose to live with complete adn unwavering loyalty to our Go adn one another. Love! HUgs must happen, be careful if you must, but hug. Gifts must happen, be cautious but give. Service must happen Be cautious if you want but never, ever quit Denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following daily after Jesus!

 

Please accept the truth about Jesus Christ and begin anew today to live your life for Him. Then be wise and Courageous in Christ with response to Covid-19 and every other threat that comes along.

Hope to See ya Sunday,

Pastor Daniel R. Stevenson

Never Quit Learning

Thanks to NAMB I am blessed to be attending Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary on-line. Currently I'm taking a Hermeneutics course. The course has been enlightening and that's the whole goal of education. Some get degrees so that they can make more money or get a better job, even to feel better about themselves. That's not what God gave education for. He gave it to learn, to grow, to better oneself. One could argue that all things good and bad are given for that purpose. I remember one time we were driving in the woods. Well actually on the a road that was weaving through a wood. As we drove I looked up at the tall pine trees and I could see that all their branches had been broken from the wind rubbing them together. The Spirit in me spoke up and I knew there was something more there. I thought about how damaging the wind was and considered that this is the way that people are to each other and how the growth was damaging one to another and the process of refinement could be seen in these broken branches. Now, years later I am thinking that that process had happened time and again as rough winds had come and branches had been broken away. All the while the trees were growing taller and taller and the broken branches never stopped them. Think on this. Your troubles are incidental. They may be the worst that you have yet seen but they do not have to be the worst you will ever see. You will heal, grow, and continue on. You will have broken remains where the branches were. You will have scars but like those trees you will grow well beyond so that someone might see what you are facing at any given moment and mourn the damage not even thinking about how this has happened before. You can make it. You have made it before. You will make it through many times before. So, I'm studying studying the Bible and I'm learning how little I know. It's cool really because it leaves me with a long journey ahead and equipped to take it on. Better yet, it reminds me that I have been here before, ignorant and needing to grow, and I have made it through and I will again. Pastor Daniel Stevenson New Heights Fellowship Toledo Life Station Firestorm The Moment: Blood Bowl

Count The Cost, not Set The Price

Count The Cost, not Set The Price There is a difference between "cost" and Price." As a noun a cost and a price are essentially the same. They both mean that the thing in question will be traded for the required amount of resources. ie. It costs $1 or the price is one Dollar. However, "Price" can also be a verb. You "cost" an item in your garage sale you price it so people will no how much to pay. Count The Cost, not Set The Price So, here's the problem. People want to determine how much salvation and being a member of the Kingdom of God costs. They want to price it. They'll even take salvation as they can control the price. Sorry, the price has already been set and indeed paid. The cost of salvation is one righteous man dying for sins he did not commit. Jesus did this. Price paid. Now, when people make a point of saying, Okay God, "I'm in. I'll follow you but don't mess with my money" or, "Let me handle my relationship decisions." They are telling God that they are not willing to give their all to be His. Jesus warned, "Count the cost, If any man does not hate his mother etc. he can not be my disciple-now of course the word here means to despise in comparison. Basically, he's saying in comparison to Jesus-nothing else may compare. Count The Cost, not Set The Price Choose Him above or you do not have Him. That's it. It really doesn't seem that complicated but when we get our personal preferences in there and start thinking about whether we can really submit every last thing to Him it starts to seem difficult or complicated. Nope. It's Jesus above all or Jesus not at all. Here's the beauty of it. Jesus also said that that which was commended into His hand would never suffer loss. So, concerned about your money, put it in His hand. Concerned about your time, put it in His hand, Concerned about your relationships, put them in His hand. Put things in His hands and they will not suffer loss. Know the price, Count the cost. Count The Cost, not Set The Price

Flying for Jesus

Flags have to held down or they can not fly accept away. To do their duty they must be attached. The force of the wind then strains at their point of attachment. This reminds me of us. We are supposed to represent Christ, to display Him for all the world to see.

The connection point between you and the foundation is the rub. It's the place in which you will experience all your struggles. I'm thinking faith is the place...

incidentally, Grease is the word, was a musical that's been remade expressing something less than Christian values. yeah, it's cure but like a lot of things that isn't enough. The classics aren't so classic sometimes when you look at what they are representing.

Anyway, If faith is the connecting point and the foundation is Christ then whenever the "wind' blows hard your faith may be stretched. Now the foundation is Christ and there can be no other, but if you have doubt as your connection point instead of faith then when the wind blows and your doubt is tested you will likely begin to wonder whether the foundation will hold or if it is actually there at all.

It is. That is how you begin to feel the pressures rather than to fly away. In other words, when things start to get tough for you in acting on Christ's principles that's when you know you have what you have but if doubt is the connection point then you shouldn't bother to think you have anything-cause when the tough gets tough enough you'll just let go and fly.

I like flags. The American flag has 50 stars which is a nice round number and probably an irritation to the people of Puerto Rico who could get the 51st spot, theoretically. It has thirteen stripes-That's not an even number. But, if there's one thing that's for certain it's that you can't go back in time and be "the original" as with the thirteen colonies which I think is what the stripes represent, right?

Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah. So, what to do. Here it is. Get Jesus-the only foundation-fortunately he is more than willing to give life to any who will accept Him. Then, get stress-stand against the prevailing trends when they are not Godly and cling to the foundation. Third, have faith not doubt as your connecting point. Then, let the wind blow and wave like crazy-but don't let go! be a flying-High flag for Jesus. Formula looks something like this: More wind, More faith, more flying. Don't worry, the wind comes and goes-that's about all that's certain in life in general. The foundation is real and lasts and is able to keep hold of that which I have entrusted to it (HIM.)

Pastor Dan
www.newheightsfellowshipchurch.org