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You may recall the story of the Pied Piper who led away the rats from the town of Hamelin (Germany) to save the town from a plague. Later, because he was not paid for his services – the Pied Piper came back playing his pipe and led the children away in retaliation. The story dates back to possibly 1200 A.D. (yes, I still use A.D. & B.C.). The story is a metaphor for someone who through their charisma, talent, or even lies attracts a following to use or abuse.

But there is actually an earlier metaphor than that which teaches a different and more important truth. It is found in Matthew 11:16-17 and also Luke 7:32 where Christ says: 

"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented."

That piper was not a “pied piper” (pied meant multicolored outfit) – no, He was one that was simple, unremarkable, straight forward in His preaching and teaching. He didn’t have a special charisma about Him accept the Holy Spirit, no talent other than truths that He taught, no clever manipulations of lives – just simply confronting people with the truth of His eternal Word. Christ was hoping and willing that all would respond.

The response was not good. The rest of the passage teaches that rather than repent, they attacked the messengers (John the Baptist and Jesus Christ). No matter if they played something positive such as at wedding or a sobering message such as at a funeral – there was no response. Though people heard – it seems no one was listening! 

The teaching is clear for our generation. Christians continue to ignore the plain teaching of Jesus Christ? How long will we continue to say – “It is the pastor, teacher, the church, or the program that is the problem.” When the real problem is that we need to humble ourselves before God – ask for his forgiveness for our callous heart and bitter soul. We need to ask God to give us a new heart of joy; an anointing of fresh oil for service; and a zeal again for His Word.

The Word is being preached; the ministry goes on but are we listening to what God is saying to us?  Don’t miss your devotions each day, where you are alone with God as He teaches us through Bible study, Bible meditation, and devoted prayer.  Don’t neglect the church services where God is leading your pastor and using the preaching and teaching to touch your soul and give you what you need in order to grow in the faith.  It can’t happen if you are not there – and it can’t help if you are not listening. 

God has given us everything we need – we need to avail ourselves of everything He has given to us. 

-       Pastor Mark Sage

There is a hymn that I used to hear as a special at church when I was younger, the lyrics were basically a question that we need to ask ourselves and it went as follows:

Do you really want revival?

Do you really want God’s power?

Do you really want His Spirit

To control your life this hour?

Oh, repent and turn to Jesus,

Seek his face and humbly pray.

Do you really want Revival?

Are you willing to obey?

If we really want revival and for God’s help in our lives, family, church, community, and nation it is going to start with: 

1.     Turning back to God with complete repentance of sin and full dependence on Him.  (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:7)

• Don’t depend on yourself, your reasoning, your strength, your abilities. Look to and trust in the Lord.
• Ask forgiveness for your wayward and backslidden condition.
• Quit excusing yourself and come clean with God and turn from your sin or disobedience.

2.     Obeying God (John 14:15)

• This is not complicated – it is simply allowing Him to be the priority of your life. What does He want you to do?
• God wants you reading your Bible and devoting time to Him in prayer daily.  
• God wants you in church and at the Revival meetings.
• By faith obey Him in all thing His Word teaches us and reveals to us.

3. Walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7)

• To serve the Lord, I'm going to have to decide to trust Him no matter what and to put Him first no matter what.
• There are going to be many things that will discourage or side track us from doing what God wants. As soon as Satan finds out what will keep you off track he will keep sending it your way. Don't allow him to do that. (2 Cor 2:11)
• Trust in God and follow Him completely - allow Him to take care of the rest.

There are many other things that are vital the Christian life – but there also basic things that are indispensable and our neglect of them are not only what causes revival to not happen in our lives, but it also contributes to revival not coming to our families, church, community and nation.  

Start with the basics, be at church when the doors are open (and especially the revival meetings).  Read your Bible and pray daily.  Submit yourself over the leading and control of the Spirit of God in your life and allow Him to take care of the rest.  

DO WE REALLY WANT REVIVAL?  I pray that we do!

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Have you ever felt like your life is distracted or scattered?  That your best laid plans for the day are often routed by some type of distraction, mishap, unplanned visit, problem, or even catastrophe.  Life is busy with many responsibilities and then even more challenges come our way. Add to those, our greatest responsibility in life is our relationship with God and service to Him.  How do we do it all?  Are we able to keep in focus as we should? It can be daunting.  

Paul shows us that it can be done. In Acts 16:16 - 17:10 we see how that even in his life, he was able to keep God first while dealing with a great number of problems and unforeseen challenges.  In verse 16 we see a demon is cast out of a woman.  Paul and Silas have a great day, right?  But then, in verses 22 and 23, they are beaten and whipped and in verses 24-25 they are thrust deep into a prison and locked in the stocks.  I guess it wasn’t as great a day as we thought.

But wait, God blesses and they are released from the prion miraculously and then they even win the jail keeper and his whole family to the Lord - great day.  Then they travel to Thessalonica, preach for three weeks and a lot of people get saved.  Things seem to be on track and God is working, right?  But then in Acts 17:5 we see lewd fellows enter in, and the end of it results in Paul and Silas leaving in the middle of night, running for their lives.

You know, life is going to have ups and downs - life is going to back and forth - but our focus on God must remain no matter if it is a "mountain top" or even a "valley."  If we expect to do a work for God, raise a family for Him and bring the Lord honor and glory – and meet the challenges that often come – God must be the focus and center of it all for us as well.

Learn to love Him above all.  Love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength – and the way we show that love – the way this world can see this relationship I have with God – is by investing ourselves in the lives of others by showing them God’s love for them as well (Mark 12:29-31).   That is how Paul and Silas did it and that is how they showed that wonderful love of God through their lives even though they were often confounded, distracted, and sidetracked with problems. He made the statement in Acts 20:24:

Acts 20:24 

24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 

Paul and Silas were able to bring glory to God and not allow their busy and often side-tracked lives get them off focus that God's business was always their first business. God remained the first love of their lives.

May God help and use us to do the same!

-       Pastor Mark Sage

Please take a moment to consider this topic. I pray it will be blessing. God Bless.

An interesting piece of history to examine are the contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets on the night he was assassinated on April 14, 1865. These possessions were inquired by Lincoln’s granddaughter when he passed. In 1937, she would donate these items to the Library of Congress, where they were locked away until 1976 to be exhibited. 

The items the President had on him were not of much value. He had: two pairs of glasses, two pocket knives, a watch fob, and a handkerchief monogrammed with a red letter “A”. Among these items he had in his possession were also several newspaper clippings in his pocket.-Ministry 127

The intriguing part however were the newspaper clippings. What were they about? They were on a variety of topics. A more notable clipping however was an article that highly praised Lincoln’s leadership in his attempt at reelection in the fall of 1864.

Why were these clippings in Lincoln’s possession? One reporter wrote that perhaps Lincoln felt insecure about himself, and of what people thought about his leadership. Lincoln’s leadership was vilified during the civil war. Perhaps the newspaper clippings reassured him he was a good leader.

Even great leaders need encouragement. I am reminded of a scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:11- “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” The word edify here means to build.

Whose life are you building through encouragement? Encouragement can be a simple act, gesture, or word that can provide hope for someone needing it in their darkest hour. Christian we have an opportunity to impact those in our church, family, and community through such a small means. Practice being an encourager, and see what God can do through you.

-Pastor Jon

As we near one fourth of millennium as a nation, we praise God for the freedoms this country has afforded us.  Without Him and His blessing there would be no hope for our country.  Additionally, we thank God for those who bore the hardships, struggles, and sacrifices to establish this nation on principles that come from God’s Holy Writ.  They, too, certainly faced the modernist, secularist, and liberal theologians of their day as we do in ours. 

Countless men and women have continued to sacrifice and stand for freedom throughout our history as a nation.  They have fought wars at our borders, in our towns and streets, and on foreign shores.  For many others it was the sacrifice of sending and supporting those who fought for our freedoms while staying at home fighting against the slow erosion of our freedoms wherever it came from.

It has long been established that it would be almost impossible for America to be defeated from without.  Our vast country has so many natural resources and blessings that the battle could never be won be any type on invasion.  No, the way to defeat America is to corrupt her from within.  This is certainly going on like never before in our day.  The implosion is going on as we speak via the influence (yea – the brain washing) from the mega media establishment that is promoting socialistic philosophies, the woke agenda, and a promotion of godlessness or at least compromised religious institutions who have left Bible precepts in favor of woke religiosity.

But there are those of us who will continue to fight on.  The War for Independence is still not over. It never will be and must be fought for and preserved.  Praise to God for the recent victories in the Supreme Court for the annulling Roe vs. Wade to give the rights back to states to decide of abortion is lawful.  Thank God for the recent cases concerning our rights to bear arms and to be able pray publicly and for the Supreme Court Justices who have not succumbed to this woke culture.  So the fight continues - and it is for something far more important that this temporal life – it is for the hearts and souls of men.  It is for freedom as a nation to allow us to have our own beliefs and opinions, the independence of the expression and communication of our beliefs, it is ultimately for the carrying forth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We must continue to stand, to fight, to share, to not be intimidated – but to faithful to our God.  Faithful for our Christ’s sake, for the Gospel’s sake, and for children’s and grandchildren’s sake.  

Don’t be pessimist and refuse to fight because the battle cannot be won.  Don’t be an optimist who does not fight because he thinks it will all work out.  Rather, be a realist, who knows the fight must go on because – THE FIGHT IS FOR RIGHT!

The Fight Continues on this Independence Day.  Praise God for what He has done, but may we not rest – let us fight on for independence and freedom!

Pastor Mark Sage

I remember I had a football coach, Coach Bush, he was the HIGH SCHOOL varsity coach, now I was a 185 lb middle linebacker my sophomore year – I was second string, played all the Junior Varsity games on Saturdays but would dress for the varsity on the Friday night before.

He would allow me in the game a little at the beginning of the season, but not a lot, end of the game type stuff. Then our defensive end, Mike Finnessey, a senior, got hurt. The coach put me in having never even played the position before. It was 4th down and they were punting. On the punt return team, there are only two basic plays, return punt (mock a rush and run backwards to block for your return man) or you go and block the punt. I don’t even think I knew that at the time what the play was – I was going for the kicker.

Well the ball was snapped, I started charging, you know what, before I knew it, I had sacked the kicker, we got the ball and we scored on the next series. I was the hero, I went to the sideline and my team was going crazy. (TRUTH BE KNOWN, MY GUY DIDN’T EVEN BLOCK ME, THE KICKER GOT A BAD SNAP AND HE ALMOST "JUKED" ME, AND I GOT EDGE IF HIS JERSEY WITH MY FINGER TIPS AND SWUNG HIM AROUND FOR THE TACKLE. It was a fluke, but from that day on Coach Bush had his eye on me. But more than that, he expected more of me.

In practice he would constantly be on me as I read the plays and was making a lot of plays but a lot of mistakes in reads as well. There was a constant thing I remember him repeating to me that year, “SON, WHERE’S YOUR HEAD?” Maybe you played some sport and the coach asked you that same question. Perhaps your parents have asked you that, I’m sure mine did.

Maybe your teacher asked that, I know mine did both in high school and college. If you were in the military, I know your drill instructor did. Mine did, bosses even say it. They are basically saying, get your head in the game; pay attention to what is important and what is on the line.

When the coach asked me that, he was basically saying, I need to get my mind on the game. Well, they fired Coach Bush that year, and they hired Harley Eichorn for my Junior and Senior Year, he had a slightly different approach…his was this, EAT, SLEEP AND BREATHE FOOTBALL! He would say (I still use this in my preaching concerning the Christian life and doing something great for God), “Dream of making the big play.” All of these were encouragements for us to stay be successful in our endeavor of football.

Let me ask you, when it comes to the Christian life:…WHERE’s YOUR HEAD? What are you thinking about, where is your mind? Are you dreaming of the world, money, pleasure, and things or do you have your mind on the things of Christ. Are you putting Him first and thinking about what you can do that is wonderful in service and honor to Him?

We have two general mindsets - it is either being carnally mind or spiritually minded. The Bible makes it very clear for us.

Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

The key to most of your failures or lack of success is found in this verse – this simple to understand, but not often applied verse of God’s Holy writ.

Where’s your mind, God says to us there are two minds, One is carnal and one is spiritual.

Proverbs 23:7 As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he.

What I think about, muse upon, focus on, read about, listen to, watch, meditate on - that is what I'm going to become. That is where my head is - so where is your head this today? What are you dwelling upon?

Sometimes we dwell on problems, bitterness, pain, discouragement. Other times it is simply sinful thoughts. Those things will not help us be what God wants us to be. I want my mind to be on the right things so I choose to study and focus on the Lord, His will and the things that will help me to grow and "make the big play" for Him.

The whole passage is applicable but for space, Colossians 3:1-2, 16-17 reminds us about how to keep our mind where it should be:

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 

• Pastor Mark Sage

"A girl who received a book from a young man, read it and said, "What a tiresome book!" The young man said, "Did you notice who wrote it?" She looked at the front page and saw that the love of her life was the author. She began to read it again, and at the end she said, "I never read a greater book." What made the difference? Her relationship to the writer. Look at God. Is He good or evil? It all depends on whether you are single in heart or evil in heart. If you look at Jesus, you may see Him either as a deceiver or as a Savior. What makes the difference? Your attitude, your eye."  Bible Illustrations - Bible Illustrations – Illustrations of Bible Truths.

You and I, at times in our lives or even right now, have not enjoyed the things of God. Particularly, His Book, His Church, His Will & Ways, and His People have all at times been a bore or even an annoyance. The problem we have is that we often do not love God like we should or we do not have the right relationship we should with Him. in order to enjoy the Bible and have the right attitude towards godly things and towards life we are going to have to get to know the Author and Creator – the Lord God of heaven.  He is the designer, creator, and sustainer of all.   He is the one that gives us all things.  Fall in love with Him, and you will fall in love with His Book, you will fall in love with His church, you will fall in love with His people and you will fall in love with His service.

Philippians 4:13 has been used much in our society today as a popular slogan.  It is varied in its use but the most common way it has been used is on the t-shirts of several sports stars and famous personalities.  The slogan though goes like this: “I CAN DO ALL THINGS.” While some are thankful for it as it is a Bible quote, in reality – it is a watered-down, mis-appropriated and inappropriate statement that gives a false message.

As Believers we should never emphasize what we can do.  It has never been about us but has always been about God.  Obviously, the real quote is “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”  It is our precious Lord who redeemed us from our lost condition by faith and repentance – and has promised to be with us and to bear our burdens and has also empowered us to be faithful in any situation.  To leave God out of Philippians 4:13 takes the TRUTH out of the verse and renders it worthless.

In addition, the context of the Philippians 4:13 shows us that Paul made this statement not in recognition of his successes – but rather in the hardships he endured.  When he wrote this, he was imprisoned in Rome, not knowing what the future held for Him other than this – whether he abounded or was abased, he could be content and give God glory.  Philippians 4:11 is a wonderful verse to help us in our walk with Christ.  It says, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”  So whether in a victory or a setback, Paul knew he could glorify God therein.

I'm glad we have the same God that we can depend on today that Paul had. But I can't do it. I'm not the key, it is through HIM! He is the one that strengthens me through every trial and hardship and keeps me settled when I have a victory because I know that it was He that did it and allowed me to be a part of it. It is not about "I", it is all about "HIM!"

• Pastor Mark Sage

From my Scripture reading this morning in the section from the Psalms we read a phrase three times in Psalm 42 and 43 with one small variation. It is in Psalms 42:5 & 12 and also 43:5. On its face value alone it such a great reminder that I need to question my souls when it is down. If I am redeemed of God then I have no business being down very long. I can ask for God's help to:

• Reveal if there is anything I need to repent of and seek forgiveness.
• Reveal any way wrong attitude I have and confess it to the Lord.
• Show me if I am harboring any bitterness, anger, or grudge toward someone or concerning a circumstance.
• Give all of these things over to the Lord once found and allow Him to carry the load.

Then I take a moment to command my own soul. It says here: "...hope thou in God:.." Every moment of every day, I need to command my souls to this position. I cannot excuse, deny, or ignore any sin or feeling that is not right before God. It must be dealt with now and get my should where it needs to be to have the right relationship and attitude with God.

Finally, there is one small deviation in these three verses. Two verses say "I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance" and one says "...who is the help of my countenance, and my God." What a blessing to consider that He is both of those things to us. He is the help and and the health of who I am in this world and my testimony. I want to have the right attitude in this world and toward this world, being the testimony He desires me to be. I cannot do that unless I am walking with Him, staying close to Him, and depending on Him for the help and health of who I am for Him as well. - Pastor Mark Sage