December 2023 Thought

Through the years many of us have, over and over again, heard the familiar carol, “O Holy Night”. We have listened to many recorded versions and undoubtably sung it ourselves hundreds, if not thousands of times. The lyrics are memorable and full of deep meaning when we truly stop and consider all that they communicate.

The very first verse sets the tone:
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees, oh, hear the angel voices
O night divine, O night when Christ was born

The announcement of a Savior being born comes to a world that is consumed in and destroyed by sin. We felt worthless and lacked the love and attention that God had originally planned for us to experience with Him. And yet, the declaration of One coming to set things back in order is, in a sense, a new morning - glorious, that causes weary humans to rejoice.

There is, in the air, a thrill of hope! The darkness won’t be dark forever - the light will overtake it; the sin won’t hold sway and cause death - life will overcome it; the brokenness causing feelings of unworthiness - the Savior will rescue and restore; the weariness will pass - songs of joy will ring out.

So in this wonderful season may we, as those who know this incredible Savior, be found full of hope…and joy!

May the last phrase of the song communicate where we find ourselves in the coming days:
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name

November 2023 Thought

Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.  - Psalm 105:1-4

This year is quickly drawing to a close. As we think back over these past months of 2023, where do our thoughts go? Without any doubt I am sure that there have been difficult days. Yet God invites us to look through those darker days and catch a glimpse of what He has been doing. Throughout all the events of the past year God has been faithfully and lovingly there aiding us through each and every one of them.

We are quick to remember the hard things, but God encourages us to remember the good things. He has been present and active in all these and He longs for us to acknowledge that and give thanks and praise to Him for all that He has done. His ever listening ear, His wonderful acts and the giving of His strength in moments of our weakness should cause us to well up with rejoicing, expressed in the words we speak and the songs we sing.

Our gaze is to be ever in His direction. He is to be our consistent and constant focus as we live our days here on this earth. As we do, we are able to live our life in light of God’s will for us as described in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

October 2023 Thought

In this life there is a constant push to change. Life is not static, it is fluid. Here in Upstate New York the seasons regularly change, thankfully! We grow older and our bodies change, maybe not as thankful here. Children become adults and then have children of their own. Careers change, moving from place to place and even from working to retirement. Technology continually advances, regularly leaving us on a steep learning curve to do old things in new ways.

Yet there are some things that necessarily remain unchanged. Most importantly, God Himself - “I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6) and “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows” (James 1:17). I, for one, am grateful that He is always there. His Word is also constant for our life here on earth. “For you have been born again…through the living and enduring word of God…the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever” (1 Peter 1:23-25). These are a steady presence in changing and uncertain times like these.

So we hold tightly to these and pray we remain faithful. May we continue to strive be healthy followers of Jesus Christ.

September 2023 Thought

Where did our summer go? The beautiful days seemed to fly right by. I pray that you had opportunities for rest and rejuvenation in the past weeks. A physical recharge is always needed and appreciated.

As the days move into fall, we reset once again. Life moves into a normalized routine. The ebb and flow of our days is more consistent and maybe more hectic. Let’s not allow the important things of life be set aside for the “tyranny of the urgent”. Our physical health is often jeopardized by the rush and hurry of life as we neglect the vital and insert the immediate.

The same is true for our spiritual health. While we know that time with God in prayer and His Word, as well as time with other followers of Jesus in worship and fellowship are important; these often get set to the side as the pressures of our daily life crowd in and make their demands.

Healthy believers need a healthy church AND a healthy church needs healthy believers. This should be our focus in this upcoming fall season. Plan to regularly dive into the Bible to see what God has said in regards to being healthy, you first and then your church.

August 2023 Thought

You’ve got to love summer! Regular doses of sunshine, rain, work, rest, family, friends - all needed and appreciated. This change to our regular routine is something that we look forward to during the long winter months. As we take advantage of these times of rest, may we also focus on time alone with God - for a spiritual refreshing. May these relaxed moments allow us time to think, pray, read God’s Word, and reflect on all that He has done for us. As we prepare for the coming fall season, may we add these regular doses of spiritual disciplines into our daily routine. This balance is so needed to live in this crazy world.
Once again this summer as a church we are studying various chapters in the book of Psalms. These songs recorded for the people of Israel, and us as well, are great reminders of our God, Who He is and all that He has done. He is certainly worthy of our praise, our trust, and our obedient following.

July 2023 Thought

Summer is here! Looking around at the hillsides, the fertile valleys, and all of the beauty in close proximity to where we live, I am reminded of the greatness of our God. We read in Psalm 8:

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens…When I consider your heavens the work of your fingers, the moon and stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

Creation screams the amazing power and design of our God, and yet, He still has intention to focus His attention on you and me. Right where we are, in the simple moments of our days, He is “mindful” of us. He loves and cares for us. We are never far from His thoughts. Even when we experience dark days, where we feel He is far from us and uncaring, the truth is, He is “mindful” of us!

Don’t allow the enemy to fill your mind with doubt concerning God’s loving concern for you. He has demonstrated His love towards you and me. The evidence is all around us. May each of our days this summer be centered around lifting up the majestic and wonderful name of Jesus!

June 2023 Thought

The summer season is near (or is it already in full swing). This time of year brings us a new pace of life. More time outside, more time with family and friends, more time away for vacation, more time of contemplation. This season is known for fun and relaxation. I hope that we all can enjoy some of this.

Yet even in these days, I pray that we listen to the words that Samuel shared with the nation of Israel as he passed leadership to King Saul. "But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you." 1 Samuel 12:24 (NIV84)

May we make it our aim in these months to stop and reflect, that we may consider all the great things that God has done for us. We have been so blessed! He has loved us. He has saved us. And He keeps us. His blessings are new every morning! He guides us and aides us as we walk through our days on this earth. We have so much to thank Him for. May we take every opportunity to express our gratitude to Him in our quiet moments of reflection.

And then in these coming months may we serve Him faithfully with a grateful heart. May we give Him our best efforts of service as we seek to share the great things that He has done for us and desires to do for others.

I am praying that God would give us the opportunities to honor God and proclaim His love and the Good News of the Gospel to those who need to know all around us. As we identify those opportunities, may we then, willingly and joyfully, jump in and serve. Together, may God use us for His glory!

May 2023 Thought

It is good to take time to reflect on what God has done in and through us in the past. And we should also set aside time to dream and plan for what God might have us do in the years to come.

One powerful thought that ought to grip our minds and hearts is that God is not finished yet. He has a plan and He is at work completing that eternal plan. As we have come through the Easter season, we were reminded that many thought everything was over once Jesus died there on the cross. The death was brutal and the burial was a show of seeming finality. Yet we know better, since we have read the pages of the Bible and see that this was not the end…it was merely a part of the great work of God. No one took Jesus’ life, He willingly gave it, for us, so that we might be made alive even as He was made alive on the third day.

As we look around us, we may think that the end is near…that God has deserted us and left evil to have the day. But we would be mistaken! God is certainly at work. He is not finished…with you, with me, with His Church (both here in Candor and around the world). If we look closely, we can see the things that He is doing. We see those who are reading God’s Word and being changed by it. We see blessing that He is showering on so many. And most importantly we see the beautiful body of believers loving and caring for each other as Jesus commanded us to. There is much left to do. The opportunities are before us. Let’s not give up, but rather determine to be attentive to the leading of God for what He would have us do next.

We hold tightly to the words that Paul encouraged Timothy with - “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance…that we have put our trust in the living God…Command and teach these things…set an example for the believers…devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and teaching. Do not neglect your gift…Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.” 1 Timothy 4:9-15 (NIV84)

April 2023 Thought

Celebrating the Resurrection. This is a focus for this month of April. We eagerly anticipate the upcoming Easter Sunday, when we will gather to rejoice that Jesus Is Risen…He Is Risen Indeed!

Truthfully, this is meant to be a regular focus for us as followers of Jesus. Each day we are reminded of our sinfulness and how we fall short of what God has for us. As we as a church at AMBC have been learning through this study of the Sermon on the Mount, we often do not live as those who are a part of God’s Kingdom. We have failed to obey Jesus' "own description of what he wanted his followers to be and to do”.

But along with the reminder of our failure, we are reminded of the hope that we also enjoy. We are not stuck in this mire of failure, but rather, as Jesus was raised from the dead after suffering for sin on our behalf, we too shall be raised to a new life through faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus. So each day we are reminded of the victory we have through Jesus! And through the power of His Spirit we are able to live each day as those who understand the full depth of meaning in the teaching that Jesus shared on that mountainside.

Let’s choose to live in such a way that shows others our daily celebration of the resurrection of Jesus and His once for all sacrifice that gives us a new and abundant life.

“You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” — 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20

March 2023 Thought

Change is in the air. Things constantly change. They always have and they always will. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Even this winter we have experienced some cold and snow, but then also the unusual warm days. As the saying for Upstate New York goes, “If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes!”

The Spring season is just around the corner…we will move our clocks move forward on March 12th and then Spring will “officially” arrive on March 20th. It is a hopeful time of the year. We anticipate more sunshine, more green, more warmth, more smiles, more outdoor activities, more change!

Change is what God does, especially in our lives. Someone has said, “bringing hope and new life to people is God’s main focus.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come.” As we follow Jesus, old ways are to be left behind and we are to live differently, following the God Who has loved us, forgiven us, and saved us. It should be our desire to see God change us.

In these coming days we will prepare ourselves for the celebration of our Risen Savior. Jesus’ death and resurrection is the basis for the change among us. Let’s lament our sin, pray for forgiveness, seek His mercy, and hunger and thirst for righteousness. 

God is at work all around us. Just follow the news of His working in Asbury, Kentucky and how it is spreading to other college campuses and localities. We pray that it may come here as well. People in our community and even us here at AMBC need to be changed. We pray that God would be pleased to do His work in our midst as well…for His honor and His glory. “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

February 2023 Thought

One month is behind us in this new year. The challenge before us in 2023 is to deepen our relationship with our God through regular time in His Word and prayer. We have many in our church that are working through the Bible reading plan, the Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble. The tools needed for doing this are your Bible, the Bible reading plan and the daily commentary. This is an incredibly valuable practice - even if you haven’t started yet, it’s not too late - begin TODAY! And then, find someone else to discuss what you are learning through this daily effort.

On Sunday mornings at AMBC we continue to study the important teachings of Jesus found in the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. (Messages can be found at the AMBC YouTube channel - follow the link at www.ambccandor.com). We have already seen the importance that Jesus is placing on living a life that is counter-cultural. As His followers we seek to take the lead from Jesus and not from this world as we live each and every day. These teachings are Jesus’ “own description of what He wanted His followers to be and to do”.

We’ve been reminded that our conduct flows out of our character - what we do is based on who we are. May we continue to grow in our understanding of God and His Word and then live our lives in such a way that the influence of our day to day experience points people to God and the truth that He has given all humanity.

January 2023 Thought

A new year is here…2023! As with every turn of the calendar to a fresh year, we evaluate that which has passed and endeavor to make changes in the year that is before us.

Our foremost aim out to be the deepening of our relationship with God. To know Him and follow Him better in the days ahead. One way we do this is a regular time of reading God’s Word and pausing to reflect on all that we have read.

Could I challenge us all to commit to such a worthy goal? A tool that Angela and I have used for the past couple of years is the Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble. This plan involves a daily Scripture reading along with listening to a brief 7-9 minute commentary on the reading by Tara-Leigh. You can find this plan at bible.com - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/17553-the-bible-recap-with-tara-leigh-cobble. To listen to the commentary follow the links at http://www.thebiblerecap.com/start. The Scripture and commentary is also available in book form that is shown here in this newsletter. These links will also be found at the church website.

It all begins on Sunday, January 1st! Jump in and grow in 2023! This can definitely change your life!