Friday, September 11, 2020

9-11-20 We Can Still Unite

September 11th is a sobering reminder of a great many things, one that stands out to me in particular this year, when tragedy, confusion and heartache struck our country at the core, it didn't matter what color our skin was or what side of a political divide we stood on.

We stood united as Americans. September 11th, 2001 didn't break us or divide us, this is a great reminder that we can overcome all that 2020 has to throw at us as well!

This photo shows a group of bystanders At Park Row and Beekman St. looking up as the south tower begins to collapse.

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Receiving My Ordination

 

Ordained with the Assemblies of God

August 25, 2020 with Tiffany Rose
Very powerful evening for Tiffany and I as we became ordained ministers at this year’s Arkansas Assemblies of God USA District Council. Thanks to our family and friends who were able to attend with us 

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Jesus and the Marginalized


No matter what we face in this world, we can always find answers and wisdom from the words and actions of Christ. I look to how Jesus interacted with the Samaritan people, a people who were regarded as a lesser race, dirty, impure, and were overtly marginalized and cast out/aside. 
Throughout the New Testament we see that Samaritans were heavily looked down upon by the Jews and Romans, they were scorned. This makes them very important in the New Testament, Jesus taught that the common attitude toward the Samaritans had to change. 
It was so important that Jesus passed through Samaritan towns instead of crossing the Jordan to avoid them, like the rest of society. Jesus was intentional in his words and actions with the Samaritan people, in his parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus shows the Samaritan's exceeding kindness in doing as much as he possibly could to help his neighbor who was in need. When Jesus healed the Samaritan leper, he immediately went to Jesus, glorified God and gave thanks, this is an outstanding example of gratitude. Jesus interacted with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, we see how she listened to Jesus and believed what He told her. Jesus chose her to be the messenger of the Gospel to the Samaritan people as a whole!

God's word puts on full display that Jesus went out of His way to show that Samaritans were among those who exercised compassion, gratefulness and faith. They were hated by society and marginalized, but what Christ came for was much more important than walls of separation.
We need to understand what Jesus thought & taught about the Samaritans, and the attitude of Christ to the marginalized, when we do this, we begin to better understand God’s heart for mankind. No one is excluded. #LoveRequiresAction
"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses."
-Proverbs 10:12 ESV

Monday, May 18, 2020

Selfless not Selfmore

In times challenges and uncertainty, it is still important to remember that our own interests (self) shouldn’t rule our hearts.

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
-Philippians 2:4 ESV
“Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.”
-1 Corinthians 10:24 ESV
“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.””
-Romans 15:1-3 ESV

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Genesis Stories - Thriving Through Trouble

Join Pastor Ryan in his devotionals, "Thriving Through Trouble," these are published each Saturday morning at 8:00 AM and Sunday evening at 6:00 PM on the Evangel Temple Facebook page, you can find it HERE! Today, Pastor Ryan and guest Pastor Gene Riggins do a 2 part series and talk in depth about the Genesis stories of Cain, Abel & Enoch - Parts 1 & 2 - Watch the videos below.


Monday, May 11, 2020