John Chapter 3

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about teaching and living John chapter 3 with Forest Hills Community Church.  There are very few portions in Scripture that get as much coverage and citation as this one, and so many of its statements are dynamic and independent.  But are they?

I do not mean to say that they are not dynamic, but are they really stand alone verses?

How many times have we seen John 3:16 plastered on a piece of poster board?  Thousands.  But how many of these posters also cite vs.17-18?  Pretty big oversight given the statements these later two verses declare in regards to God's position towards humanity.

Or how about John 3:3?  All the evangelicals go "ga-ga" over the command to be "born again," but where is the explanation of what this means, especially in light of the conversation from which the statement stems?  What does it really mean to be "born again?"

Please make a commitment to attend every service at Forest Hills Community Church.  I dare you not to be challenged, your love for God and His church increased, and your life to have greater meaning and implication.  I dare you.

Remember, we're just a church who loves Jesus.  We're not our to prove ourselves; just the opposite.  We exist to prove the righteousness of God, the glory of the Savior and the power of the Spirit in broken vessels called "us."  Come as you are this Sunday at 10am inside PS 144.  Bring a bible or pick one up courtesy of the church.  Come reThink:Jesus.

November Dinner Dates

November is the month of good eating, and you can never have too much of that, especially when you are with good company. We have broken the church roster into three groups, and have invited each to host its own dinner at Genesis. This will be the perfect opportunity to get to know new people and show off our church's incredible cooking. Dinners are Pot-Luck and open to all your friends and family.

Each Dinner is designed to host a unique group of individuals.  Please be sure to register with your assigned party.

 

Last Names A-F - Saturday, Nov. 12 @ 5pm
Contact Monica Bernal

Last Names G-L - Wednesday, Nov. 16 @ 7pm
Contact Mark and Nicki Lite

Last Names M-Z - Sunday, Nov. 13 @ 6pm
Contact Freddie and Magaly Faria 

 

To Sign Up please email INFO@FHCCHURCH.COM

FHCC Play Date

Fellowship in the church isn't just for grown-ups! Bring your little ones to Genesis for a time of interaction and play between the kids and fellowship amongst the parents. It will be a fun, laid-back afternoon for all our families to enjoy being part of God's family!

Contact VENUS MARTINEZ with questions or email info@fhcchurch.com

Women's Bible Study Returns

“The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart” is an intimate look into the passions, desires, dreams and priorities found hidden in a woman’s heart. It is a spiritual blueprint which colorfully portrays the activities that take place in every nook and cranny of a feminine heart. You will feel His presence in every room of your heart: restoring, remodeling, tearing down and then building on again. There is a corresponding workbook with daily devotions available for $15 (not required, but beneficial). Speak to Christina Rickheeram or email info@fhcchurch.com for more details.

Light the Night Success

Instead of waiting for "the holiday of the devil" to simply pass us by, members of Forest Hills Community Church decided to invade the darkness with the Light of the World!  Constructing a table full of bibles, candy, and children's activity books about Jesus, the church took to the busiest intersection in the community on Halloween night.

As a church of 50 weekly participants, 22 came out to participate in distributing the evangelistic items and sharing their testimonies of who Jesus is to them.  The night was a huge success with over 3,000 invitations to church going out and countless testimonies shared.

THANK YOU to all those who made it possible through your prayers, participation and financial gifts.

Quick Thought on Halloween

Truth be told almost all of our holidays have a pagan undertone (Easter = Ishtar, Christmas = Winter Solstice, etc.), but is this why we celebrate today?  No.  Are we even really aware of these things when we celebrate? No.  As far as I am aware, at no time when I am decorating Easter eggs with my kids am I thinking about a fertility god in any form or fashion.  Likewise, when I am going door to door with my kids collecting candy am I thinking about paganism or the devil? No.  Instead, I am simply enjoying the American aspect of family, treats, and the fall weather while getting my kids dressed up as superheroes.

Romans 14 and I Cor 8 are the key texts for Christian's living in a fallen world.  Knowing that I am doing nothing to glorify the devil in my celebration of fall costumes and candy giving, my conscience is clear for me to celebrate the American holiday of Halloween.  HOWEVER, I know this is not the case for all of my brethren.  If someone is against participation, then that is THEIR decision and I respect it without hesitation.  

The problem for me comes when the zealous in our ranks feel it their obligation to presuppose my motives or level of understanding when it comes to these sort of issues.  I think it is entirely wrong for Christians to tell me and others like me that we are honoring the devil by collecting candy and spending time with our family and neighbors.  This is especially annoying when we (as a family and church) use the day to witness with such ministries as "Light the Night."

As far as costumes, we make sure our kids are wearing God-honoring outfits.  No evil or gore allowed.  We also make sure that we teach our kids about the dark side of the holiday and remind them that we have NO PART in that aspect.  It's been good and beneficial for our family to take this approach and has also led to many conversations with our community about who Jesus, God and the devil really are.

The Poverty Gospel

While on the subject of evaluating the messages being preaching amongst the Christian church, I cannot help by mention and critique a prevalent thought making its rounds through Christian media and print.  It seems that everywhere you go you hear words such as "compassion," "justice," and the like.  Sadly, the reasoning behind this movement is not as pure or as biblical as they are currently being communicated.

Quite simply, being poor and needy does inherently make you closer to God or more valuable in His sight.  We must not allow the hidden message of the “Social Justice” to prevail that somehow God always sides with the poor (See also “Liberation Theology”).  Yes, God does command a love and justice towards the poor, but this is not favoritism, it is mercy.  We are directed to care for the poor and needy because this is the posture of God towards all humanity.  Every one of us is spiritually depraved and incapable of saving ourselves; we need the mercy of another.  By caring for the hurting, we demonstrate the mercy of God towards humanity and encourage an attitude of gratitude inside of us towards God.

Please care for the sick and poor, but do not equate their suffering with inherent righteousness.  The only reason why the poor were more quickly to receive the message and ministry of God was that they KNEW they needed help.  It was not because they were poor or sick.  The religious, on the other hand, largely ignored the Gospel and suffered rebuke, not because they may have been wealthy or middle-class, but solely because they felt that they were either entitled to God’s favor or did not need His assistance.

We are all poor, and we are all called to model the ministry of God.  No one is better, or more inclined, to the favor of God.