Rancho Tehama Community Church

June 30, 2021 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 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. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.... Paul ends this segment of his letter to the church in Thessalonica by declaring what will happen to those saints who are alive when the Lord Jesus returns in the air to gather his church to himself. He has just explained that those who have died in Christ, ones that had professed Jesus as Lord and Savior, repented of their sins, and followed him the rest of their lives until they passed away had already been caught up into the air to be with Jesus. Then the stunning conclusion to this amazing event: ‘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. We can only speculate what millions of people rising from the earth to meet the Lord looks like, but it will be spectacular I’m sure! And this is the greatest aspect of the whole event: ‘So we will always be with the Lord.’ For eternity! What a blessed thought! What a wonderful Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ! Paul closes the description of this remarkable event by telling the Thessalonian Christians to encourage one another with these words. Saints today can also draw encouragement from this great event to come. Whatever trials and tribulations, whatever troubles and persecutions, whatever hardships and challenges a believer may go through, it will be worth it all when we meet Jesus face to face. Whether we die or whether we are alive when Christ returns in the air, he is coming back for us. Our faith will make us completely whole, through Christ. Be encouraged, Christian brothers and sisters! Pastor Bill

June 29, 2021 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16 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. 16 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.... In these verses, Paul puts to rest the concern of the Thessalonians, that their loved ones and beloved saints who had already passed away before the return of Christ would be left behind when he returns to gather his Church. ‘We the living will not precede those who have fallen asleep.’ He then writes that those faithful ones who have died in the Lord will actually rise first. The graves will be opened, the sea will give up the dead, and a great ‘catching away’ will occur. One would have to think that there would be some sort of instant physical restoration to overcome the decay and decomposition that a body experiences after death, but Scripture offers no details on this. We do know that Jesus does all things well; this great miraculous event has been planned by God from the beginning, and will be wonderful! It appears that Paul himself received a direct revelation from the Lord about this event. ‘We declare to you by a word from the Lord.’ Such an incredible happening would be a challenge to describe, but Paul does not use wild, hyperbolic language to do so. ‘The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command.’ Some biblical versions say ‘with a shout.’ This will of course alert every saint on earth! Then the voice of an angel. Then the trumpet of God. Never before in the history of man has this happened. The dead will rise into the air those who have truly trusted Christ for salvation some time during their life. Will everyone on earth hear these loud and glorious sounds, or just the born-again believers? Scripture doesn’t say, but as the Christian hymn says, Signs of the times are everywhere, And there's a brand new feeling in the air. Keep your eyes upon the eastern sky - Lift up your head, Redemption draweth nigh. What a day that will be! Pastor Bill

June 28, 2021 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 "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. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep."... In these verses, and verses 15 through18 (which we will look at in the next two days) Paul was writing to the Thessalonian church about the Return of Christ, in which the Lord appears in the clouds above earth, and the church is caught up to meet him. The term biblical scholars have come to use is the word ‘rapture,’ which means ‘to be caught away.’ The word ‘rapture’ was not in the original manuscripts from which the Bible was written, or in the Bible itself, but the concept of Jesus pulling his church out of the world certainly was. Paul will address this. The Thessalonians knew that Jesus was going to return. Acts 1:6-11 describes Christ’s first ascension into Heaven, and with an angel telling the disciples what they had just witnessed. The angel told them (in verse 11): Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. The concern that the church members in Thessalonica had was, When Jesus returns, what happens to the beloved saints who have already died, and are in their graves? Will they be left behind? The short answer from Paul was, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. It was only right for them to be concerned about their loved ones who had passed away, but all believers will go to be with the Lord when he returns in the clouds. Something similar to this happened on a smaller scale immediately following Christ’s death on the cross. Matthew 27:52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. We will see more details from Paul in this letter, but we can be assured that those who trust in Christ for salvation will never be left behind when he returns! Pastor Bill

Don't forget our Church Picnic this Sunday, June 27, right after church. We'll be indoors in the air-conditioned comfort of our Fellowship Hall. All food will be provided! See you there.

Friday, June 25, 2021 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.... Paul’s previous admonition was for the Thessalonians to continue showing love to one another, and to anyone whom God puts in their path, which they had been doing. He continues with more instructions to that faithful church. Aspire to live quietly. Many people aspire to be rich, famous, influential, beloved by many, but the counsel here is to live a quiet life. This doesn’t refer to a dull life, but a life of one who doesn’t seek arguments or conflicts, and is a blessing not only to his church but to the society around him. Mind your own affairs. This is wise counsel. When Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs, he said a similar thing: Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears, (Proverbs 26:17). In those days, to even touch a wild undomesticated dog would guarantee one would get bitten. When we insinuate ourselves in someone else’s affairs without their invitation, it can come back and bite us. In today’s society, commenting on social media about a situation we do not have all the details about is common. It can lead to many problems. My parents had their own proverb years ago about weighing in on every subject: ‘Fool’s names and fool’s faces often seen in public places.’ This was long before the internet! Let us aspire to mind our own affairs. We want to walk properly before outsiders, even people we’ve never met and never will. Sometimes believers can get the attitude that ‘these people are unbelievers. Who cares what they think?’ Our desire should be that we behave in such a manner that God is always glorified, no matter who we are around. Paul concludes this short section by the admonition: Be dependent on no one. Of course, our dependency is on Christ. He is all-sufficient in every area of our lives. Let us grow closer to him in word, in deed, in Bible study and prayer, and strive to bring glory to his name by our good testimony in every area of our lives. Pastor Bill

June 24, 2021 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more When we become Christians, God puts a special affection, a special love down in our hearts. This love is toward our Christian brothers and sisters. We have been adopte...d into a big family, and having love for one another is how a family should be described. Paul goes as far as saying ‘you have no need for anyone to write to you’ about this special love. It has been placed by God. Two of many important verses about this subject, and I’m sure it’s familiar to most, are John 13:34-35. Jesus said, 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Not only is it a new commandment for us to obey, but God himself helps us by putting this great affection for one another in our hearts. Our admonition is to allow this grace of God to take hold and to obediently show it forth to those around us. Paul commends the Thessalonians for showing God’s love, not only to those in their own church, but to the other brothers and sisters in the churches in Macedonia, the area close to Thessalonica. We don’t know how they encouraged and helped, but surely they prayed fervently for others, and perhaps sent correspondence designed to lift the others up. They may have even taken and offering and forwarded it to their brother churches to meet special needs. Paul commends them, then exhorts them to continue on. Do this more and more. It is always good to stir one another up to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24) and to not let ourselves become weary in well-doing. As we’ve said many times before, the Holy Spirit will help us when we seek the Lord for this wonderful aspect of our spiritual walk with Christ. Pastor Bill

December 9, 2020 Luke 1:34-35 34 And Mary said to the angel, How will this be, since I am a virgin? 35 And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holythe Son of God. ... After hearing the angel Gabriel tell her that she would conceive and have a baby, and her baby would grow to be great king, it is no wonder that she wanted more information, more clarification. He was telling her what was about to happen, and she knew it to be an impossibility. She was unmarried and a virgin, so having a baby could not happen. Then Gabriel explained that the power of Almighty God would be revealed to her. Then another stunning announcement was heard: this child would be the Son of God. As was her nature, she received this news quietly, and without additional questions. What a great example of a godly woman and her trust in her Heavenly Father. Nothing like this has ever happened before; nothing like this has happened after. These incredible events brought about salvation to mankind, to everyone who puts their trust in the Son of God - Jesus the promised Messiah, and turns from their old sinful ways to walk with him. The time that the prophets had spoken of for centuries had finally come to pass. God came to man in earthly form, as a little baby, who grew into a man. One submissive, obedient young lady was a big part of this Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus. We look back on these events with awe and reverence of God, and with respect for his servant Mary. Pastor Bill

December 8, 2020 Luke 1:30-33 30 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.... Mary must have shown some alarm, some fear. Of course the angel saw this, and immediately he brought reassurance. ‘Do not fear,’ he spoke to her. I’m sure this had a calming effect on her. Then he added, ‘for you have found favor with God.’ What an encouragement from a heavenly messenger! Does God still reassure his own today? Philippians 4:7 says, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. What could be a greater blessing to a believer than the peace of God, guarding our hearts and our minds, because we have Christ as our Savior. The angel Gabriel goes on and tells Mary the plans that God has for her. Even though she is unwed and a virgin, she will give birth to a baby boy, and not just any baby a royal baby, destined for the throne. And this is not just any throne, but the throne of David, and that will last forever. The kingdom that he will rule over has no limits there will be no end to his reign. This is a lot for a person to take in. The circumstances she lived in would make the prophecy from the angel seem impossible. Something like this had never happened before, to anyone, much less a humble young lady who lived in a small town in the Galilee region. She must have been overwhelmed, but we’ll learn that she trusted in God the whole time. Trust in the Lord is never misplaced he is always with us, after we have put our trust in his Son Jesus. Praise God for his peace that comes through Christ! Pastor Bill

December 7, 2020 Luke 1:26-29 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you! 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ... When it came time for Jesus to come to earth as a baby, some amazing things started to happen. The angel Gabriel found himself with extra ministry he was sent to earth to tell Mary of Nazareth that she had been chosen as a special vessel for the Lord’s work. Shortly before this, he appeared to the husband of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth (whose name was Zechariah) and told him that they would have a baby son, even though they were long past the age of child-bearing. Their son was John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the coming of Christ. What a wonderful greeting Gabriel had for Mary. The Lord is with you! Mary needed the encouragement, as she was about to go through a challenging time of being pregnant but not being married. This was all part of the prophecy of Isaiah ‘Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel,’ (Isaiah 7:14). We will look further into these events in the days to come leading up to Christmas. One thing that believers can draw encouragement from would be the same message to Mary ‘the Lord is with you.’ Jesus told his disciples, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Here we are at a time that biblical scholars believe is close to the end of the church age, leading up to the second coming of Christ, and the Lord is with us! God’s ways are higher than our ways, and his plans for his people are wonderful: we will live and reign with Christ forever in eternity. Mary was troubled at the saying, and rightfully so, but we can draw strength and hope from Jesus himself Immanuel God with us. Pastor Bill

December 4, 2020 Matthew 6:5-6 5 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."... Jesus’ treatment of prayer is similar to his treatment of giving: don’t do it to be seen and thought well of by others. Do it to converse with God. The religious leaders of that day, the Pharisees, used to go about making a show of how well they prayed. No doubt they used flowery language, and let their prayers go long. They also made sure that those around them heard how wonderful they were at praying, and how often they engaged in that activity. The society in those times gave much credit to one who could pray like that. God did not. As with everything man does, God can see the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Pharisees’ intent was to be seen by men and congratulated for their greatness of prayer. That was the extent of their reward. God did not reward them at all God knows the proud from far away, but does not draw close to them as he does to the righteous. The opposite is the man who prays in secret not to be seen of men, but heard by God. This speaks of reverence of the Lord, and humility as well. God loves the humble man, and rewards faithfulness and obedience. We can be totally honest with the Lord in our prayers, even if our words are simple. We don’t have to be masters of our particular language to be heard by our Heavenly Father. He hears us as he would his own son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Can we pray in public, or in a group? Certainly! But we pray to be heard by God, not to impress those around us. God will honor our prayers, and reward those that pray, when we do it God’s way - not man’s way. Pastor Bill

December 3, 2020 Matthew 6:2-4 2 Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.... Jesus goes further into the area of religious practices, in this instance the discipline of giving. Again, what is the motive? Is the motive of our hearts to bless others and to be a part of the work of the Lord? Our tithes and offerings are used for these purposes; it is important to be a giver, and Scripture is very clear about the blessings that follow those who give to the Lord. It is also a blessed thing to help the poor, and Jesus said there will always be opportunity, as there will always be poor in any nation, any society. He addresses wrong motives in giving to the needy. Many people (the Pharisees come to mind) give to the poor to receive recognition, and to get the publicity that comes with being generous. But Christ wanted the people of God to be quiet about their giving do it in secret, so that the only one who could possible know about it would be God himself. Our human nature wants to receive credit for our gifts; God wants us to be discreet about it. He will then receive the credit and the glory. God loves a cheerful giver, it is more blessed to give than to receive, and God who sees all things, even secret things, will reward those who partake in the ministry of giving. Every Christian is called by God to be a giver, so let us seek the Lord as to how, when, and how much we should be giving. We are all called to support our local church and the ministry there, but most of us can go beyond that and find good areas to help support missionaries, the needy, people in our church with unexpected challenges, and those we know that have emergencies come up. There’s a classic saying: If you want to see where a man’s heart is, look into his checkbook. May our hearts, our minds, our time, our resources may they all show that we love Jesus and want to be used by him in the area of giving. Pastor Bill

December 2, 2020 Matthew 6:1 Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. We move on in our devotional study to chapter Six of Matthew. In the original manuscripts the text wasn’t broken into chapters, so we can look at Jesus’ sermon as one continual teaching to the people gathered there on the mountain in the Galilee region. These people put forth some effort to ...leave the little towns where they lived and go out into the desert regions around the Sea of Galilee. Jesus delivered a sermon packed with truth so much so that a human mind could barely take it all in, but when the Spirit of God is moving on a person, it comes to light and understanding can happen. Jesus will expound further on this verse, but isolated by itself it gives tremendous insight into the hearts of men. There were those who practiced their religion not to draw closer to God, but to appear as if they were already close to God. The Pharisees were the great example in the days of Christ. They ‘did everything right’ according to the rules they had written, thus they thought that they were close to God and represented him well. But Jesus rebuked them several times; once he compared them to lovely gravestones, which looked good on the outside but were full of corruption and defilement, like a decaying corpse inside a tomb. We want to practice our righteousness, not to be seen by others, but to glorify Jesus our Lord. There will be times when others see our good works and glorify God because of the example; there will be other times when no one notices and it might seem discouraging. But God sees our efforts at becoming holy, becoming mature as Christians, and our striving to bring glory to Christ. He will reward the faithful person who puts forth effort for the Kingdom of God often the rewards will come in this life, but definitely in the life to come when rewards for service to the Lord are distributed. Let us strive to be pleasing to God, not men-pleasers. The Holy Spirit will help, and Christ will be glorified. Pastor Bill