Your Faith: Dead or Alive? Prove it.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. -James 2:14-17

It’s been all over the news. ISIS. Terrorist attacks. People beheaded. Christians driven from their homes simply because they believe in Jesus.

It’s hard to believe it is happening in 2014. We are so advanced, so civilized, so tolerant… but it is happening.

Right now. 

Just a plane ride away. You have brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering the persecution Jesus promised believers would endure.

The only question for you is: what are you going to do about it? Can we simply dismiss it, pretend it’s not happening? Can we be content to say, “That’s too bad…” and go about our business? What are you going to do about it?

By the way, James tells us that if we are able to hear the need and quickly move on, without helping, our faith is dead. Not real, not even just “weak” - dead.

So what are you going to do about it?

What can you do about it? The answer is you can do a lot - if you are willing!

Pray. Pray passionately, persistently, specifically, like Jesus taught us.

And help meet the needs. Dan and Alicia Thompson are two incredible people from our church who are unwilling to sit back and watch. Right now they are spearheading an effort to get supplies to these persecuted Christians. And they need your help. Yes, you! You can partner in this effort and show the love of Christ!

Click on this link for the details. And I thank you in advance for demonstrating a faith that is not only alive but compassionate and active!

p.s. - thankful to be surrounded by people who have a heart of compassion and a faith that steps out

Dead to Sin!

One of the most encouraging passages in the Bible about having victory over sin is found in Romans 6:2.  The Apostle Paul asks the rhetorical question, "How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" (NASB). If we're a blood-bought believer in Christ, having confessed and forsaken our sins, and surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ, then we DIED to sin. To continue in it would be unthinkable!

The phrase "died to sin" refers an act or event that happened once in the past and is now completed.   We died to sin the moment we placed our faith in Jesus Christ.  Because of His finished work on the cross, the reign of sin has been crushed in our lives and replaced by the reign of grace.  The cords of the enemy that held us in bondage were broken and we were set free. This is fantastic news! 

Dying to sin does not mean that we are perfectly sinless now.  Even despite our heightened vigilance against sin and temptation, we will still continue to succumb to our human nature and commit sin.  But what this passage is saying is that sin does not have a death grip on us anymore. This means that we are no longer slaves of sin.  We are no longer under sin's dominion. Sin no longer controls us. The sin that once terrorized us and defeated us has been rendered powerless in our lives.  When sin controlled us, we had no option but to sin.  Sin was our master, and slaves must obey their masters. But things are different now!  We have a different Master!   

Yes, we're going to sin. We are going to blow it. We're going to stumble and fall sometimes.  But when this happens, we confess, repent and get back up. Why?! Because we died to sin.  Sin doesn't reign over us anymore, God's grace does.

A New Chapter is About to Begin

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you-- Titus 1:5

Can I overemphasize how important this season of our church is?

No, I cannot.

We are entering a new chapter at Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North. Up to this point, leadership has come from me and Rick Donald, who serves Harvest Bible Fellowship so faithfully and has served HBCPN faithfully since Day 1. 

But the goal from the beginning of the church plant has been to identify, select, interview, approve, train, and install men in our own church to shepherd this flock.

It has been a long process, but we have indeed identified, selected, interviewed, approved, and trained 3 men. And officially installing them will happen in service on September 14. These three men are Darren Keller, Jay Knauer, and Mark Ort. (Check out our “staff“ page on this site for pics and bios!)

What does it mean?

Simply put, it means HBCPN is now a self-governing and autonomous church (wait, is that simple?). With our own leaders in place, we are “independent” as a church body. We are not part of a denomination, we are a part of a fellowship. So while we have great relationships and influences in the Harvest Bible Fellowship Family, we strive to function as a local self-governing NT church as is the goal of all other HBC plants.

It is a milestone. It is a transition. And it is an exciting new chapter in the life of our church. Do not miss Installation Sunday on September 14!

Please keep Darren, Jay, and Mark in your prayers as they step into their new roles.

p.s. - thankful to God for these men

When Facing Death...

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. -1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

It’s been a bit of a sad month. I have had to say goodbye to some good friends. And I don’t mean, “Goodbye, have a nice vacation.” I mean, several people I have done ministry for and with have graduated to glory. It’s a two edged sword of sorrow and joy. Sorrow because, selfishly, I am going to miss these people. But joy because these people were all born again believers. Recipients of the promise of God in Christ to forgive sins and provide eternal life. So, as James MacDonald says about the departed in Christ, “they are having a good day!”

So this is just a reminder. For me, definitely. For you if it applies. (If it doesn‘t now, it will some time soon.)

A reminder of what?

1. I am not uninformed. Notice Paul’s first statement. He is saying we are not ignorant about those who have died. I don’t need to sit here and wonder “Where are they? What’s it like there? Are they happy? Will I see them again?” God gave us His Word to take the guess work out of what it's like to step into eternity.
    
2. I am not hopeless. Paul reminds us that Jesus died and rose again. This is not just a fact in history, this is the core of my faith. This is what keeps me going. This is what makes it all worth it. This is my very hope. If not for the death of Jesus for my sins, and the resurrection of Jesus to give me eternal life, this life is meaningless and death is horrifying. So there is grieving, sure, but not grieving like people who don’t know the Lord. Because we know better. See #1.
    
3. I am to encourage others going through this. Look at that last phrase. Encourage one another with these words. We will always be a people dealing with death (that is, until Christ returns for us, as Paul mentions). We will see loved ones die - after many years, after few years, through illness, through tragedy… it’s always happened and it will continue. So in the face of such sadness, I am to remember to encourage people with the living hope that we have in Jesus Christ. You be an encourager, too.

Thank you, God, for these reminders.
p.s. - not uninformed