Pastor's Blog

A Message that Changed the World

Pastor Steve Nash

The last Christmas I spent as a non Christian was what God used to bring me to Christ the very next month.  I was not a nice person, thinking only of myself and indulging in horrible sins that many involve themselves in when they are headed in the wrong direction.  I guess it could be said that I was miserable and had no hope at all for the future.

My marriage and two children (at that time) were not the priorities they should have been.  I was in the Air Force but in total rebellion against all authority.  My mind was polluted, my spirit was dead and my body was wasting away because of drugs and alcohol.  I didn’t care about anything good because I was a complete reprobate narcissist!  That Christmas was not a pleasant one for me or my family.  Making a fool of myself at holiday parties made me realize that I needed a different direction for my life before I lost everything that had any real purpose for living.

After the holidays my 1^st Sgt. had told me about John 3:16.  I had never heard that message from the Bible before because no one ever shared it with me.  For me to understand the meaning of this passage it was broken down in this way:

“For God…” – He told me that this is speaking of the God who made the universe; the only true God who was my Creator who had a special plan for my life.  This was a personal God who actually cared for me and promised to help and forgive me of all my sins.  I couldn’t imagine that such a God would be interested in someone like me.  I had cursed His name and spoke against Him for years.  I considered myself an atheist who believed that belief in a god of any kind was a foolish thing to do.  I continued to listen because I was without hope and without any reason for living.

“So loved the world…” – How could a holy God love a world as wicked as this corrupt globe?  Why would the only true God even care to intervene when we have given him little regard?  Even if God loved this planet, He wouldn’t love someone like me.  How could a righteous God love this world that was filled with wickedness, war, violence the hate I heard about on the evening news?  Of course, at that time I didn’t know what love was all about.  My love was all about “feelings” whether perverted of not.  Was that the love that the Sgt. was speaking of or was there a love that was higher and deeper that could be experienced by some?  Maybe some, but not a sinner such as me!

“That He gave His only begotten Son…” – The man told me that God didn’t just say that He loved the world – He proved it by sending His Son as a sacrifice for all our sins.  I had trouble with such a statement.  Why would He bother; why would He go to such extremes?  He told me that God would do such a thing for the man down the street who often abused his wife and children and dealt drugs that brought ruin to many families.  He explained that the greatest price had to be paid for the greatest sin we could possibly imagine.  The Sgt. went on to say that this was the “plan” for this corrupt world from the very beginning.

“That whoever believes in Him…” – He said the word “believe” was deeper, yet simpler than I might think.  He explained that it had to do with trust, reliance, faith and a total surrender of my will to a God who knows better than I.  Fortunately, I had made such a mess of my life; it wasn’t that difficult to allow someone else to manage things for awhile.  I was tired, defeated and depressed.  I wanted someone to help me and he told me that the only true God was that person!  He shared his testimony how God saved and changed his own life and family.  That all sounded good to me!

“Should not perish but have eternal life!” – He told me of the horrors of hell and the splendor of heaven.  He explained that there was a hell waiting for those who have disregarded God’s Gift all their life and it was far worse than the hell they experience in the here and now.  But then, I also heard him talk about a future existence; a heaven that sounded so beautiful, so wonderful!  He tried to explain that each were “eternal” even though I could not fully understand that concept.

That evening I made an appointment with God.  It was 10pm.  I was alone in my bedroom, having gone upstairs before my wife.  I prayed a simple prayer, for I didn’t know how to pray.  I sensed that a great burden or weight was lifted from me and went off to sleep with a peace I had never before known.  The next day I awoke and realized that my mind was not thinking the same way.  My desires had obviously changed and I wanted to tell someone else what had happened to me.  Three months later my wife also surrendered her life to Christ.  We and our family of now, 26 members, have the promise of heaven and a wonderful reason for existence!  That message from my 1^st Sgt. changed our lives and continues to change millions who embrace it by faith!  Today, Christmas has a wonderful meaning for all who have embraced John 3:16!

Pastor's Blog

Hope for Our Children  (part 2)

Pastor Steve Nash

What is it that brought millions of immigrants to our shores?  I’m sure there were many reasons,  but we can all agree that one predominant aspiration was that many mothers and fathers who found their way to Ellis Island came because they wanted new hope and a brighter future for their children.

My grave concern is that the very reason many came to these shores (our children) is about to be lost forever.  Let me explain it another way.  We’ve had great hope for our children’s economic prosperity.  That hope today is fading like a setting sun.  We are selfishly saddling them with a national debt (nearly 18T) they will never be able to bear.  We long to have our children enjoy a healthy spiritual and social life.  Those values we feel important for a healthy society are constantly under attack from many fronts and we are rapidly losing ground in that battle.

Did you know that 75% of our youth believe there is no such thing as “absolute truth” and that all truth is relative?  Did you know that 83% of our High School students have been sexually active?  Did you know that 40% of our 8^th graders have used illicit drugs?  Did you know that 78% of our inmates grew up in a single parent or no parent home?  We are told by the Psalmist that “children are a gift from God,” yet we have aborted 55 million since 1973.  If the child survives the mother’s womb, many of our young ones feel they are a burden to their parents, not a blessing from God. The main reason we are gradually increasing in our population is not because of the natural pro-creation of the American family but because of immigration, both legal and not.  Couples living together outside of marriage is a growing trend that keeps the divorce rate at about 55%.  We can agree that divorce or illegitimacy is not a healthy upbringing for any child.

Children are more afraid of the divorce of their parents than they are of the drug dealer or physical abuse.  Some researchers on the family feel that divorce is more damaging to a child’s heart than even sexual abuse.  I don’t know if I agree with that, but nevertheless, such findings reveal the seriousness of a broken home.  Divorce is a sin against the child but few parents seek the forgiveness of their children after the home has been broken apart.

Today’s child is forced to grow up too quickly.  By the influence of the media, peer pressure and lack of a healthy family environment, today’s child loses their innocence and becomes a product of society’s demoralization.  Suicide, addiction, self abuse and violence are too often the outcome for the children God has blessed us with!

We have a wonderful missionary outreach program called “Save the Children” that encourages us to sponsor a child in a developing country, but what about our own?  Do we spend the time, show interest in their lives and equip them with spiritual and moral safeguards that will enable them to survive the constant attacks on their mind, spirit and body?  What is invading or permeating the mind and heart of your child?  Too many parents provide the sports, dance lessons and other club involvements for their children but neglect the most important need – the spiritual.  These parents run their children all around during the week for these appointments but fail to bring them to church!   Doesn’t the Proverb exhort parents to “Train up a child in the way they should go?”

What can we do to raise our sons and daughters the way God would have us? First of all, have them!  Many parents don’t want the responsibility of any children so they choose not to have a child.  The root problem here is “fear” and “lack of responsibility.”  Secondly, teach them!  Do not leave that responsibility to other people or influences that may not embrace your belief system.  Thirdly, demonstrate to them that they are secure in their family life and you will always be there for them when they need your help and advice.  Lastly, learn from them.  Didn’t Jesus constantly use children as an object lesson to teach profound truths to the adult?  “For such is the kingdom of heaven!”

Our children need not be part of the sad statistics I quoted before.  Our children must be special and equipped to make a difference in their generation.  The other day I asked my 24 year old 6^th child if she believed she was part of the “terminal generation.”  She indicated that she was determined to be a beacon of hope to her generation and leave the time table of God’s coming to Him.   May God help us to raise sons and daughters as sharp arrows who are able to pierce the darkness and turn many of their generation to righteousness!”