Other Interests

Jamin Java will be taking a two-week break.  We'll be back up and running in August.  Until then, keep the coffee smooth and your life settled!
   
Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 18, 2012

"Other Interests"

Scripture Reading:
Philippians 2:4  (HCSB) Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Devotional Reading:

When it comes to serving our fellow man, most of us tend to live with a mindset that posts a "Do Not Disturb" sign over our heart. We think: "I'm too busy." "Leave me alone." "I don't want to get involved." "I've got my own agenda." Our culture is overrun with the attitude, "It's all about me." But as popular author writes in his best seller, "A meaningful life begins when we realize it's not all about us. It's all about God." When we get to know our Creator through Jesus Christ, and begin to worship God and serve Him, we realize the way we serve God is to serve our fellow man--especially those in need. "It's all about me" is incredibly selfish, and it leads to emptiness and spiritual death. Real living begins when we start to know God, and serve Him. Serving God means serving others. It's one of the keys to discovering your life purpose.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Christmas in July

Sunday Sermon -- Deep Creek Baptist Church

Wonder of Christmas

Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 16, 2012

"Wonder of Christmas"

Scripture Reading:
Matthew 1:20  (HCSB) But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit.

Devotional Reading:

Imagine your high school honey, whom you love and believe is a good person because she doesn't believe in sex before marriage, saying, "I'm pregnant, but don't be mad, because I'm still a virgin." How would you respond? This scenario really happened about 2000 years ago. In fact, the guy was named Joe and his pregnant girlfriend was Mary. She told him God caused her to become pregnant.  At first, Joe didn't believe Mary, and thought about breaking up with her. When an angel appeared to Joe and told him Mary was telling the truth, he stayed with her, believing the Lord in faith.  For the rational, secular, scientific mind of the twenty-first century, this story is incredible. But it's the story of Christmas--the story of Jesus' birth. The question: Do you believe? Be it Jesus' birth or His resurrection, I want you to know you've got to believe it fully to experience the wonder of Christmas.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Big Bang...Yeah Right

     Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 13, 2012

"Big Bang...Yeah Right"

Scripture Reading:
Genesis 1:1  (HCSB) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

Devotional Reading:

The debate continues over evolution versus creationism, versus combinations of all sorts of theories in between. Many see this as a simple philosophical conflict; others see it as a matter of science and proclaim that science wins. Does it really matter what we believe about the origin of mankind? Yes, yes it does. And here's why: If God is completely left out of your theory of origins, life is meaningless. If God is not involved, then we are nothing but a bunch of molecules that just magically came together over billions of years. Without God's involvement, ethics and morality become nothing but a loose collection of beliefs enforced by whomever happens to have the most power at the moment.  If you leave God out, there is nothing left except each man looking out for number one; the survival of the fittest that says, "I'm going to get all I can while I'm here, because I'm just an accidental mass of molecules accountable to no one. There's nothing more." But if God put life into motion, then we have a reason for living. We have a purpose for life. Only then does life begin to make sense. Because then we have someone to answer to. And that gives us a healthy appreciation of life itself and a very real reason for existence. Most of all, it is a matter of faith - faith in God or faith in scientific theory. Faith in God - where science explains how He did it, or faith in science that doesn't acknowledge God. I'll put my faith in a never-changing God versus the whims and presuppositions of scientific theory.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Hearing What You Want

    Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 12, 2012

"Hearing What You Want"

Scripture Reading:
John 8:47  (HCSB) The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.”

Devotional Reading:

In the last twenty years, a new number one objection to Christianity has emerged: "Why do Christians think they have the only way to God and heaven?" In our pluralistic world, this is hard to take. In a world of "tolerance," this seems intolerable.  But here's the problem: Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father but through me." Was Jesus really that narrow-minded and egocentric? A natural question, but the wrong question.  The key question: "Was He telling the truth?" If He wasn't, we certainly don't want to believe in Him. But, if He was, many have a problem with that if you feel there are many ways to heaven. You would be calling Jesus a liar...and saying that He is wrong. Your problem is really with Jesus, more than with Christians who believe Him.  What do you believe? Do you believe Jesus tells the truth? That's the decision we must deal with if we are open and honest.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

NLYPB

   Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 11, 2012

"NLYPB"

Scripture Reading:
Ephesians 5:25  (HCSB) Husbands, love your wives,  just as Christ loved  the church and gave Himself or her

Devotional Reading:

The famous psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud, once said, "The great question that has never been answered, which I have not been able to answer, despite my 30 years of research into the feminine soul is, "What does a woman want?" The Atlanta Journal-Constitution finally gave him the answer a few years ago when they said, "What women really want, put simply, is chocolate."  I'm going to let Sigmund and the AJC fight that one out, but the Bible actually answered that question centuries ago. The number one thing for all husbands to know is that our wives' greatest need is to feel loved. What is meant by "loved?" The word used in scripture is agape which means unconditional love. It's not speaking of romantic love. Agape love means loving people in a way to meet their needs. Yet most women have a need for romance, and there's no doubt that romantic love is important. But over the long haul, what is needed most of all is a mature, unconditional, committed love.  Scripture mentions other traits a woman seeks from her husband, such as patience, kindness, and understanding. These are certainly important, but all of these traits keep coming back to the base need to be loved unconditionally. In fact, if you love her unconditionally, the other traits she needs will usually follow.  So, while it is certainly okay for you to keep on buying your wife chocolates (you can always pass your chocolates my way), never let material gifts be a substitute for your clear responsibility to provide her with pure agape love.  Oh by the way, the tile is NLYPB  (Never Leave Your Partner Behind)


Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Be Prepared

Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 10, 2012

"Mirror...Be Prepared"

Scripture Reading:
Philippians 3:10  (HCSB) My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

Devotional Reading:

The person we spend the most time with is our self, so we tend to be pretty interested in ourselves. I ask you: Do you really like yourself? Would you rather be somebody else? Are you realistic about your strengths and weaknesses?  Many of us will kid ourselves and lie to ourselves when we don't the person we've become.  Of course this is a transparent window to those around us; they see right through the lie and see us for who we really are!  Socrates gets credit for saying, "Know thyself," even though what he really said, was, "the unexamined life is not worth living." Either way, the message is clear. Knowing ourselves is a key to a meaningful life.  When people begin to pull away from us, when they begin to accept negative attitudes or chalk it up to "that's just so and so" they not only see us for who we have become but are intimidated and frighten of our reaction.  Let me go a step further. Since God is your Creator and He knows you better than anyone, why don't you get to know God personally? Then you'll get to know yourself--the real you--better than you ever could on your own. God gives us the way to know Him through Jesus and His Word. If you get to know Him, you'll come to know yourself and why you're here. You'll be on the road to a very meaningful life.  You may not like the person in the mirror, you may not like what they say or do, but friend the mirror was created by the Lord and the person in it "is fearfully and wonderfully made".  God did not nor does He make mistakes.  Embrace Him and embrace yourself...be prepared for what He reveals to you!

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Understanding your Wife

Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 09, 2012

"Understanding Your Wife"

Scripture Reading:
1 Peter 3:7  (HCSB) Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Devotional Reading:

It had been a long day. I had gotten up early and did my Bible study, headed out the door for church at 9:00am, had time to chat with everyone that needed to this afternoon.  Went home changed clothes, answered an e-mail and got ready for dinner, I happily exclaimed to my wife, "Man, it's been a great day!" But the look she gave me was not filled with love. You see, Ashley was getting ready to go to camp, the dog needed to go out and the other dog needed water. In classic "airhead husband style," I had been oblivious to the needs of my wife.  God's Word says, "Husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way." We don't naturally understand our wives needs when we are wrapped up in our own little world. Understanding means love, unselfishness, compassionate listening without giving advice, partnering in parenting, and much, much more.  Men, ask God to help you be what you just can't be on your own - understanding of your wife.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Chic Image

Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 06, 2012

"Chic Image"

Scripture Reading:
1 John 4:1  (HCSB) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Devotional Reading:

It is so trendy to practice smorgasbord religion - a little dose of Jesus, a little pinch of Buddha, a little Mohammed here and a little New Age thought there. It makes you sound so "with it"...so spiritual. But it is fundamentally dishonest. It is an insult to each religion, for it is like spiritual looting. It is a classic refashioning of God into your own chic image. And it is a reminder of the many intellectual airheads today. Make a decision for crying out loud! But don't be a phony for every faith. They don't say the same thing. They don't believe the same things.  Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. No one comes to the Father but through me." Either He lied or was terribly insane - or is who He said He is. This is in direct conflict with every other religion. With Him, it's all or nothing. I believe He is the truth about God.  Make a decision about Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, or whomever. But don't insult them all with this airhead pseudo-sophisticated practice of smorgasbord religion if that is what you want try a Chinese buffet!


Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Brokeness Before Blessing

      Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 05, 2012

"Brokenness Before Blessing"

Scripture Reading:
Romans 8:18 (HCSB) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Devotional Reading:

Part of the maturing process of the Christian life involves suffering. We learn more through brokenness than we can ever learn in times of ease and blessing. I don’t know about you, but if suffering were an elective, I would never take the course. I don’t rejoice when suffering comes, I rejoice when it leaves. Whether it is a health issue, a financial difficulty, a relationship problem—whatever—tough times are no fun. We don’t like them! But Paul says if we have identified ourselves with Jesus Christ, we will experience brokenness. He did…and so will we. A.W. Tozer once said, “I doubt God ever uses any greatly until they have been seriously hurt.” Brokenness before blessing. This is an immutable principle. For a tree to be used, it must be cut down. For a rock to become the foundation of a skyscraper, it must be broken. If soil is not turned over with a plow, no seed can be planted, and therefore, no harvest gathered. The Bible says that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it cannot bear fruit. In Genesis, fellowship was broken with God, so that man would turn to Him for grace. In Exodus, the commandments were broken, establishing our need for salvation. In Samuel, a man with a broken back was seated at the king’s table. In Psalms, we read again and again that God honors a broken and contrite heart. In the New Testament, bread was broken, and an alabaster box shattered to pieces, tiles of a roof were broken to lower a broken man for healing, and a net was broken by the weight of many fish. Then finally, in the upper room, our Savior said, “This is my body, broken for you.” We see brokenness as a tragedy, but God sees it differently.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Happy 236th Birthday America

 
The Marine stood and faced God,

Which must always come to pass. He hoped his shoes were shining, Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, Marine, How shall I deal with you? Have you always turned the other cheek? To My Church have you been true?" The Marine squared his shoulders and said, "No, Lord, I guess I ain't. Because those of us who carry guns, Can't always be a saint. I've had to work most Sundays, And at times my talk was tough. And sometimes I've been violent, Because the world is awfully rough. But, I never took a penny, That wasn't mine to keep.. Though I worked a lot of overtime, When the bills got just too steep. And I never passed a cry for help, Though at times I shook with fear. And sometimes, God, forgive me, I've wept unmanly tears. I know I don't deserve a place, Among the people here. They never wanted me around, Except to calm their fears. If you've a place for me here, Lord, It needn't be so grand. I never expected or had too much, But if you don't, I'll understand. There was a silence all around the throne, Where the saints had often trod. As the Marine waited quietly, For the judgment of his God. "Step forward now, you Marine, You've borne your burdens well. Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets, You've done your time in Hell." ~Author Unknown~

 

Keep the Son in your eyes,
Pastor Ben J Lahay
Galatians 2:20

Independence Edition

    Deep Creek Jamin Java

(Serving Over ? Cups)

"God's Truth.......

Always Fresh,

Always Aromatic"

A Jolt of Spiritual Caffeine to keep you going!

July 04, 2012

"Independence Edition"

Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 12:9  (HCSB) But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."  Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.

Devotional Reading:

Just turn on your television at about any hour, peruse through the local book store, and you will be surrounded by self-help experts assuring us we can overcome all our weaknesses, must be true, right?. How often do we spend time, effort and dollars to get the latest "get rich, get happy, find peace" that are thrust at us on TV, radio, books and ads.  Honestly, we haven't seen much of it sadly over time, we come to the realization that the only ones who get rich, feel happiness and have a sense of peace (and arrogance), are the ones who touted the product, leaving many more unhappy with their lives.  What we have seen and come to know are those who, with God's help, have changed their lives by building on their strengths. Trying to stamp out weaknesses on our own just wastes valuable time, energy and money, that could be redirected toward Godly pursuits.

Whenever an addict stays clean, does it mean he is no longer vulnerable in that area, or has he filled the vacuum with something better. The fact that he is clean proves that God can help overcome "temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it". There are so many socially acceptable (and encouraged) weaknesses that masquerade as strength, perfectionism, materialism, judmentalism and status seeking. Many people who would be ashamed they are an alcoholic, are proud to be a workaholic ! Driven by fear and obsessed with time, they focused on doing instead of being. That is, their obsession with not having enough. They may wind up in cardiac rehabilitation, bargaining with God for another chance ! 

Constantly dwelling on your weaknesses just reinforces them, but building on your strength brings healing and happiness. The good news is, you don't have to do it alone. God said, " My grace is sufficient".

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20