Sons vs. the Father

This week, we encounter a dramatic and horrific scenario inside the Jacob narrative. Now back in the Land with his wives and children, Jacob attempts to live a peaceful life free from outside influence and devoted to the worship of the Lord. Tragically, however, his life of peace is quickly interrupted with horrific sins both inside and outside of his family. How will this man of God respond?

Join us this weekend for an intense study on Genesis 34. Like Jacob, we all strive to live at peace and seem to fail miserably at achieving such. Learn with us how to avoid the mistakes of Jacob and others, and how to remain faithful to God in the midst of chaos and pain. Life happens, but so does God's redemption.

Beginnings: Jacob the Wrestler
Sundays @ 10am INSIDE the Midway Theater
Mondays @ 8pm INSIDE the FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram St)
www.fhcchurch.com

Are We Really Happy?

Our society is so wicked! In a world of "feel good" marketing and "Mr. Roger-esque" mentality, it has become sinful to feel overwhelmed, burdened, or convicted. Venues, books, television, food, medicines, and the like have been created and pushed into our present times in an effort to feed the culture's desire to be happy. Unfortunately, however, happiness is not really the goal; it's all about distraction.

All of the mediums mentioned do not bring about happiness; they merely lighten or distract us from the pain of personal despair and frustration. We have become very weak and very shallow as a culture and society, and I am not merely talking about the unsaved community. Tragically, this ridiculous mentality is just as prevalent inside the church.

The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Kindness, Goodness, Patience, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. They come from God and are the attributes of God; therefore, they cannot be achieved independently of God or exercised apart from God. Secular joy is not real joy, but an imitation or farce. The same is true of happiness, peace, kindness and the rest. Unless the source of all of these is the Lord, it is mere deception leading to destruction.

Too many Christian churches and media outlets are obsessed with making people happy in the same manner as the secular. They offer classes, sell books with clever sayings, do good deeds, create sermon series and sings songs about prosperity and feeling good. The main focus of the church has become all about making people really "happy."

But some will say: Why is this a bad thing? Do we not want people to be happy? Did God not create us to know joy and peace and serenity? Of course, He did; but not like this...

Jesus tells us that the joy of a believer is doing the will of the Lord. It is a life of repentance and abstinence from sin. It is a life of selflessness and denial of the flesh. It is life in pursuit of God and His holiness. It is the complete OPPOSITE of worldly joy and pleasure. Adopting secular thinking and practice while merely adding Biblical terminology is not what the church should be about. The church must be about the Lord's pleasure.

Biblical joy leads to weeping, conviction and dependence. Biblical joy leads us to the streets of our community and praying over our neighbors and government leaders. The joy of the Lord leads us to truth which means calling out sin in both our personal lives and the life of our culture. Yes, biblical joy more often than not leads to persecution, rejection, and loneliness apart from the world because Jesus alone IS our joy!

Are you really happy?

Who Am I?

"But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"

And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain."

-- Exodus 3:11-12

Last night at Unplugged the topic of the supremacy of God's will came up for discussion. We all agreed that the will of the Lord is the greatest and most wonderful, but debate arose over the effectiveness of the will of God. "Can we prohibit the will of God from being accomplished?" The answer to such a question is not as simple as it may first appear.

Traditionally, the answer "Yes" is given for such a question. Human beings have free will, thus we do not what God commands, instead we operate against His will. As a result, tragic results are unleashed, which cannot be attributed to the fault of God. Therefore, humans beings can prohibit the will of God from being accomplished.

On the flip side, however, there are those who affirm over all the sovereignty of God. They would answer "No" to the above question, seeing that as Lord over the universe cannot be hindered in any way shape of form. Nothing is equal or greater than the Lord, since He alone is above all things, including the will of man. To suggest otherwise, is to suggest that God is in someway limited, and, therefore, not sovereign.

So who makes the better case? Those who suggest that man's behavior is greater than the will of God, or those who ascribe complete responsibility to the Lord? The correct answer lies in both/and, not either/or.

The bible clearly teaches that the will of God is a vast and superior notion. The Word declares that the ways of the Lord cannot be comprehended or perceived by the simple minds of man, nor we attempt to try to (Isaiah 40:13 and Job 38-39). However, at other points of Scripture the Lord declares His will while also commending those who seek after such (Deut 30:6 and Rom. 12:2). Is this a paradox or a contradiction?

It is neither. The full counsel of Scripture declares that there is both the revealed will of the Lord, as well as the unspoken will of God. The first is that which the Lord grants to man through His prophets and revelations so that man may know the redemption and standards of God. This is the will of the Lord that can be broken.

However, His unrevealed will is that which under girds all of creation. It is this perfect and supreme will that man cannot fathom, prevent, or hinder. It is the supreme power of God that enables Him to use the sins of the world for His glory and exultation. It is this glorious truth that enables Him to use wretched, wicked, defunct sinners like you, me, and Moses for His glory!

So, get up, get out there, and serve Jesus! Repent of your sins, cast off your old self, and strive to fulfill the revealed will of God according to His good and sovereign purpose.

Brothers Hug

This week the wayward brother meets the other wayward brother, and nothing is as it seems...

After weeks of preparing and divine intervention, it all comes down to chapter 33. You simply will not want to miss the conclusion of Jacob's encounter with Esau, as it is the perhaps the most revealing and confirming part of the story. All of the events leading up to this encounter have not been for naught, nor have they been what all have expected. Instead, everything has been merely a preparation and preview for this radical encounter between two brothers' past, and two brothers' futures.

Not only will there be exciting drama this week, but more importantly, there will be radical and poignant application. Like Jacob, your life is not an accident, nor is it filled with mistakes that God cannot use for His glory and purpose. You have been intentionally created by God and it is not until we trust Him that reconciliation and peace occur.

See you Sunday!

Beginnings: Jacob the Wrestler
Sundays @ 10am INSIDE the Midway Movie Theater
Mondays @ 8pm INSIDE the FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram St)
www.fhcchurch.com

Last Call: Guitar Lessons

This is your last chance to get in on an incredible deal and opportunity. Forest Hills Community Church will be hosting an 8-week guitar lesson for beginners starting this Tuesday, July 27. Class begins at 8pm, will be 1-hour in length, and be hosted by a professional guitarist. Each member of the class will receive individual attention and will receive specific instructions depending on their development.

The total cost for this 8-week class is $100.00, and must be paid prior to the start of the class. You may pay via the FHCC PayPal account, or pay by check in person.* (You may bring a check with you to the first night's class, provided you have notified Johanna of your desire to participate and received confirmation from her.)

Please note that this an an acoustic guitar class, and you must provide your own guitar.

Enroll Now.

FHCC Guitar Class
INSIDE the FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram St, FHills, NY 11375)
Tuesday Nights @ 8pm
Class begins on Tuesday, July 27

Fire Rescue

A friend of the FHCC family has lost all that she has in a fire. She currently owns nothing but the clothes on her back, and she needs help. While it looks like the insurance company will be able to get her back on her feet, it can take several weeks to accomplish this week. Even then, however, there are limits to what insurance companies will compensate. The bottom line is that this woman needs the help of the church!

We will be taking a special offering on Monday night @ our UNplugged service to purchase a Visa gift card. Also, we will be sending a care package full of clothing that YOU will donate. She needs everything from t-shirts (size XXL), to jeans (size 22), to whatever other basic item you can contribute. All items must be turned in to the FHCC Campus by Thursday night, July 22nd, as we will mail the items out on FRIDAY.

Please do not miss this opportunity to demonstrate the love of Jesus...

FHCC
Physical Address: 6708 Ingram St
Mailing Address: PO Box 4114, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Phone: 718-247-7309

Jacob and the Man

This week we read one of the most famous passages in Scripture: Jacob Wrestles God. Very few passages of Scripture contain such theological quagmires, pitfalls, and spiritual dead ends. The ultimate question becomes: Can we manipulate God?

Join us this Sunday for one of the most theologically encompassing passages inside of Genesis. The lessons and truth that God desires to reveal to us through His encounter with Jacob are sure to transform and encourage. God desires for us to know and do His will with tenacity, but also with a right understanding of identity.

This week we get a lesson in Identity.

Beginnings: Jacob the Wrestler
Sundays @ 10am INSIDE the Midway Movie Theater
Mondays @ 8pm INSIDE the FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram St)
www.fhcchurch.com

Jacob's Prayer Pledge

Please do not forget what we learned this week in Genesis 32. Jacob was helpless against his fears and sins, leaving him nothing to do but wait for death. In desperation and despair, however, he called on the name of the Lord and was comforted.

As we go forward, may we always set aside time to pray. Not as an attempt to find "inner peace" or win the favor of God, but rather to simply acknowledge that we need God in our lives. He alone is capable of saving us, our families, and our enemies. Prayer brings life!

Join with me as we begin to incorporate prayer into our very existence. Rather than make it a familiar, insensitive or ignorant chore, commit with me to make (and keep) it communion with God.

Starting today, commit to set aside 10-mins. to pray, praying a personal four-fold prayer like Jacob.

• 1- Call on the Name of Jesus
• 2 - Confession/Repentance
• 3 - Petition
• 4 - Confidence/Benediction

If you get stuck, ask for help; but, please don't quit!

UNdone: Prayer Service
Mondays @ 7pm INSIDE the FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram St)
www.fhcchurch.com

Jacob and FEAR

Fear affects all us, Christian and non-Christian alike. The realities of life are not exempt from the Biblical narrative, rather they highlight the very aspects that you and I face on a daily basis. This week, Jacob will go from complete triumph over Laban to utter fear and despair at the hand of Esau. Jacob "the believer," is still very much Jacob "the man." Will he remember the promises of God, or will he cower in self-preservation and human achievement; which Jacob will emerge from chapter 32?

Join us this weekend at Forest Hills Community Church for the continuing saga of Jacob the Wrestler. Learn how trusting in Jesus' physical and spiritual salvation makes all the difference in a world of every increasing fear and anxiety. Don't miss it!

Genesis: Jacob the Wrestler
Sundays @ 10am INSIDE the Midway Movie Theater
Mondays @ 8pm INSIDE the FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram St)
www.fhcchurch.com

Dad First, then Pastor

Always remember your FIRST Priority...

I Timothy 3:4-5 - He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)

Man Night: Driving Range Part 2

Don't let your clubs gather dust any longer!

Be sure to join the men of FHCC for a night of "big driving." This Thursday (July 8th), we'll be heading over to the Douglaston driving range to smack some balls and enjoy the company. We will meet in front of the Midway Theater at 8pm sharp!, and return before 10pm. Don't worry about clubs or a ride, as there will be plenty to share.

Help make the night easier for all by RSVPing right now.

Thursday, July 8
8pm - In Front of Midway for Ride to Driving Range
You must RSVP for a ride.

Declaration of Independence

Many of you have been asking for a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Feel free to download your own copy here.

For a copy of God's Declaration of Independence for our sins, you may find His decree here.

July the Fourth

Special Message: Sunday @ 10am INSIDE the Midway Theater.