Archive for the 'Notes from the Pastor' Category

Thursday Thoughts — Maundy Thursday

Published by Heather on Mar 20, 2008 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

Greetings one and all!
Today is Maundy Thursday!  What is that?  Maundy Thursday, also called Holy Thursday, is a time to commemorate Jesus’ Last Supper and the beginning of our sacrament, the Lord’s Supper. The word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, which means “commandment.” At the Last Supper, Jesus gave the disciples a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them (John 13:34).

In the Old Testament in order to receive forgiveness of sins, a spotless lamb had to be sacrificed.  Without going into great detail, when Jesus died on the cross He became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.  He did it because of His great love for us!  On this day, remember that you can be freed from sin!  No longer do you have to feel the tug between what you know you should do and what you do. Romans 7 explains the struggle that Paul went through that but in verse 25 he shares where he can receive the victory.  He writes “24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Jesus Christ will rescue you this day.  He can give you victory!  How because He was victorious over sin and the grave.  Did you know that you can go to the tombs of the major religious leaders in the world and they are still there? Wait… you can’t go to the tomb of Jesus Christ and find Him there!  He is not there!  He is risen!  On this Maundy Thursday, if you find yourself struggling with sin, it can be a habit, an inappropriate relationship, a wrong attitude, I encourage you don’t try to gain victory yourself.  Go to God, seek out accountability partners, be honest, get rid of pride, humble yourself before God and HE will raise you up. Just as Jesus Christ was victorious so you can be as well.  Life is too short and eternity is too long to play games with.  God will give you the VICTORY!

In closing, let me urge you to go to church this Sunday.  Why?  To celebrate the victory that is our in Jesus Christ and to worship with other believers!  I look forward to seeing you here at PFWC this Sunday at 10:45 AM for our Resurrection Celebration Service.

Don’t forget our Good Friday Service at noon on Friday!  God Bless!

Because of HIS Amazing Grace,
Pastor Myron

Luke 22:7-20,39-41 (NLT)
7 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”
9 “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.
10 He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, 11 say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guestroom where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 12 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” 13 They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.
14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”
20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people-an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
39 Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”
41 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

Thursday Thoughts — March 13, 2008

Published by Heather on Mar 13, 2008 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

This morning as I laid in bed contemplating what I should write I began to think of the many people who believe in God.  I have heard and read that most Americans believe in God so I decided to “Google” to find out what the latest statistics were saying.  According to a FOX News poll taken in 2004, 92% of Americans say they believe in God.  That’s great news for a pastor to know but what do Americans think about Jesus?  According to, The Harris Poll® #90, December 14, 2005, seven in ten (70%) believe that Jesus is God or the Son of God.   This is really great news!  It means that my job is not as hard as I sometimes perceive it.  But…is belief enough?

If I walk into my garage, sit down on the cement and say, “I’m a car.” Does this make me a car?  What if I make engine noises and am gassy? (lol) Of course not!  What if I focus really hard, will that change me into a car.  Nope.  Just because I act like a car, smell like a car and believe I’m a car it doesn’t make me a car.  My point… Just because a person calls himself or herself a Christian doesn’t mean they are.  It takes more than just believing.  James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.” (NIV)  Another verse in Matthew 7:21 says, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” (NLT)

So what does it take to get into Heaven? Not much, you just have to be perfect!  Now I know some of you think you are perfect, even I have been accused of acting that way, but none of us are really perfect.  I John 1:8 says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (NIV) I can hear people saying, well I’m not a bad person.  It doesn’t matter; just a little bit of sin messes it all up.  I can have a straight 4.0 grade-point-average and get one D and it will mess it all up. It’s a problem we all have.  There was only one person that ever lived who was without sin and that was Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:15) Ok, so if I have to be perfect and that’s impossible what can I do to go to Heaven?

A.    Admit that you are a sinner. – Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (NIV)  In order to admit this we have to put our pride aside and humble ourselves to the point of being honest.
B.    Believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and accept His forgiveness. -  That is what we will remember next Friday.  Romans 5:8 tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (NIV) That’s pretty incredible that Jesus would die for us!  Next week Passover will be celebrated.  This is a time of remembering that while the Israelites were in slavery in Egypt, God sent plagues and the last one gave them freedom.  During the last plague they had to kill an innocent lamb and place the blood of it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses.  When the angel of the Lord saw the blood he would pass over.  Jesus became the ultimate Passover lamb.

C.    Confess that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord – Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (NIV) We need to tell others who Jesus is and what He has done and the hope that we have.

D.    Determine to follow Jesus – We do this by reading the Bible, praying, going to church, worshiping Jesus and determining to follow His example.  I Peter 2:21says, “This is the kind of life you’ve been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.” (The Message)

If you have never done this and would like more information about having an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, please contact me.  It would be an honor to share with you about this life and eternity changing relationship.

God Bless,
Pastor Myron

A Bond Slave For Christ

Published by Heather on Feb 28, 2008 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

Greetings PFWC Family and Friends!

The past two weeks we have been having Morning Devo’s in Romans. We’ve been taking our time, digging in and applying it to our lives. In the introduction to Romans, Paul identifies himself first and foremost as “A Servant of Christ Jesus.” What does this mean?

The Greek word for “Servant” here means, “slave.” However it was not something that Paul was forced into but was something that he freely chose to do. This was called a “Bond Slave” (See Exodus 21). A bond slave was a person who willingly chose to serve his master out of love and as a result would be marked. Paul is saying that he is a slave to Christ not by force but by choice because of God’s great love for him. As Christians we are to willingly choose to serve Jesus Christ. Too often I think we want the “Get out of Hell” free card and never think about what Christ has done for us. Because of His death on the cross He has freed us from sin. No longer do we need to be in bondage to it, we are FREE.

Think about that for a moment… FREE. Imagine going hiking with a backpack. Not just any backpack, a heavy, smelly, moldy backpack that digs into your back, nauseates you and reminds you with every step of all the bad things you have done. You are walking up and down hills and it seems to get heavier with each step. You are tired, you are thirsty and you are overwhelmed.

Now imagine having someone willing to take that backpack off. They give you a refreshing Jacuzzi to bathe in and some fresh clean, crisp water to drink that restores you. As you sense this new freedom, cleanliness, and energy, you notice that the other person has taken this backpack and is willing to carry it for you. You no longer have to carry this putrid, heavy backpack ever! This is what Jesus did for Paul and what He has done for each of us. He has taken the nastiness and weight of sin and given us freedom.

In gratitude to Jesus Christ, Paul says, “I choose to be a bond slave for you Christ!” No one is forcing him, he freely chose to do this. It’s a monumental decision to go beyond just receiving this freedom to saying I will serve you no matter what because You have been so good to me. I’m no longer a slave to sin. I no longer have to carry this weight of guilt, bitterness, resentment and dread. I AM FREE! In the end, being a bond slave cost Paul his physical life but gave him a much better eternal life. A life that words cannot express how outstanding it is and will be. Hebrews 11:13-16 summarizes his attitude:

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

WOW the best is yet to come! Now… here’s the question: Will you freely choose to be a bond slave of Christ? There is no harm that can come to you that would surpass the pain the pain that was done to Jesus Christ on behalf of our sin. Paul loved his Master enough to live for Him and to die for Him. What about you?

Objects of Wrath?

Published by Heather on Feb 4, 2008 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

Above the pulpit at PFWC is the quote from John Wesley that says, “Give me 100 people who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God and I will change the world.” Have you ever stopped to contemplate that statement before?

Why should we fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God? This week at the Wednesday morning Bible Study we were studying Ephesians Chapter 2. In this chapter, verse 3 uses the term “objects of wrath.” This is referring to the habit of sin. Sin separates us from God! Isaiah 59:2 and Romans 6:23 tells us that sin separates us from God and that the penalty for that sin is death. What is that death? – eternal separation from God in hell! This is why we should fear Sin. I think that we take sin way too lightly and too often try to justify it or excuse it. That’s why Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” preached so passionately about sin when he said:

“O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder. And you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment.”

I remember my 8th grade History teacher saying that this doesn’t sound much like a loving God. He is a loving God (John 3:16-17) that why He came to earth to die for our sins so that we would not have to be separated away from Him. This is a good place to ask the next question:

Why should we desire nothing but God? Without God we are “objects of wrath” because our sin separates us from Him. A relationship with God brings LIFE (See Romans 6:23b and John 3:16-17). I John 4:9-10, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” In order to really live we need to pursue God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). When we do this we will be able to be used by God to make a difference.

As Christians we no longer have to fear death, we embrace life and look forward to eternity and hearing His words “Well Done!” Let’s pursue God with all that we are this day.  God Bless!

Because of HIS Amazing Grace,
Myron D. Atkinson
Pastor

Toothaches

Published by Heather on Nov 30, 2007 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

This past week I had a toothache! Ok… not just a toothache it was a mouth ache! I can’t believe how can one tooth cause so much pain! You would think that if only one tooth is messed up it should only affect one tooth but it didn’t! My one messed up tooth affected not only my mouth but also my entire body! Once I was able to get the pain under control it occurred to me how much life is just like a toothache.

  1. When one person is hurting, it affects a whole host of people around them! Why? Because as Christians we are part of the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12) and “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26). Since this is the case we need to encourage each other and build each other up. (I Thessalonians 5:11) Too often when someone within the body of Christ is hurting rather than encouraging them we reject them. As Christians let us encourage the hurting and rejoice with those that are rejoicing! know not everyone that is reading this is a Christian; it still applies to you because you are not on a deserted island living by yourself. Your actions and attitude affect your work place, the people you live with and everyone else around you. Think about that…now move on to my next point.
  2. We shouldn’t put off seeking help when we have a need! – Too often we try to deal with our sin, our hurts, and our temptations all on our own. When we have a need it’s important that we immediately go to God. II Samuel 22:3 tells us that, “my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior.” He is the one that can forgive us, help us, and heal us (Psalm 103:3). Since He is able to do all that, why do we try to deal with it on our own? Unlike the dentist, (I don’t even want to think about that bill) Jesus Christ has already paid our bill and is waiting for us to turn to Him for instant relief!
  3. Just because the pain goes away doesn’t mean that the problem has been resolved! – Sometimes we cover up our sins and push our problems deep down so that we don’t feel the pain. The problem with this is that it causes an internal problem that ends up being worse than if we would have confessed our sin or resolved the problem to begin with. Nothing is hidden from God (Matthew 10:26) he is waiting to help you through it. Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.” Wow…

Do you have any teeth that are hurting? Don’t put off till tomorrow what you God can deal with today. Remember: God is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” Ephesians 3:20. Let’s begin allowing Jesus Christ to work in our lives because He knows what’s best for us. God Bless!

Because of HIS AMAZING GRACE,

Pastor Myron

Distractions

Published by Heather on Nov 13, 2007 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

Greetings PFWC Family and Friends!

Have you ever noticed how easily distracted we can become? I remember as a child that frequently I would space out and just be gazing out the window during school totally missing out on what the teacher was trying to teach me. Today we call it “Attention Deficit Disorder”, back then my mom called it “LAZY” and she had her ways of helping me to work harder at focusing. :) I’ve realized that not much has changed through the years. It seems so easy for each of us to be distracted. Have you ever been driving down the road and been distracted by an accident and almost cause an accident yourself? Maybe you have been distracted while talking to someone and miss out on what they are saying. Distractions happen and Satan would love to get us distracted from focusing in on Jesus. Satan strives very hard to get us to focus on circumstances rather than what God may be striving to teach us through that circumstance. He wants us to get our focus on anything and everything but Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:18 (New International Version) says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Re-read that verse! The circumstances that we get distracted by are temporary! Jesus is eternal! We need to learn to focus on the right things. As I grew I began to overcome the tendency to be distracted and began to focus. I remember the first time I made it on the honor roll and how exciting that was, my Mom was happier and my posterior was happier! Let me encourage you today to focus on Jesus Christ. As you keep your focus on Him things will dramatically improve. Your outward situation may not change but the focus of your attention will change and that will affect everything. May God Bless you this day as you continually focus on Jesus Christ!

Hebrews 12:2-3 (The Message) “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed-that exhilarating finish in and with God-he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

Because of HIS Amazing Grace,

Myron D. Atkinson
Pastor

Penn Forest Worship Center
“A Ministry of the Wesleyan Church!”
3735 Chaparral Drive SW
Roanoke, VA 24018
540-772-9482
www.pfwc.net

Teamwork

Published by Heather on Nov 12, 2007 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

Greetings PFWC Family and Friends!

Over the last several weeks I have had several opportunities to witness
Teamwork at PFWC. It’s exciting to me to see this taking place. The church
is much stronger when each person realizes their worth and partners with
others. The Bible is very clear that EACH person is important to the body
of Christ. Each person has a part to play and when that part is missing it
weakens the team. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
The key to teamwork is relationships. When they exist between each of the
members we are on our way to becoming undefeated.

T- together as a unified group of believers
E- each one of us
A- achieves miraculous results
M- more than we could ever do on our own.
W- Wow what God can do with teamwork!
O- Over-comers are developed.
R- Revelations are unleashed to the team.
K- Kingdom growth occurs and people are lead from here to eternity.

So, on this Monday morning as the pressures of work resume (maybe they
never ceased), remember that you have Christians brothers and sisters that
are lifting you up in prayer. You are an important part of the TEAM!
Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed, discouraged or withdrawn because
“GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU THAN he that is in the world!” Thanks for
being part of the team!

Because of HIS Amazing Grace
Myron D. Atkinson
Pastor

Penn Forest Worship Center
“A Ministry of the Wesleyan Church!”
3735 Chaparral Drive SW
Roanoke, VA 24018
540-772-9482
www.pfwc.net

Running Out of Gas

Published by Heather on Nov 10, 2007 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

Has there ever had a time where you ran out of gas? I’ve experienced this on several occasions, the latest being last Sunday. As I headed to church Sunday Morning I knew that I was on empty and I decided I’d fill up after church. After church I left to head to the gas station and I could feel the car beginning to sputter. Several thoughts went through my mind: “Who would I call?, What would I do?, Not now, I’m almost there! How Embarrassing!”. As the car sputtered it died and I coasted to a stop. I was fortunate, I ran out of gas right in front of the gasoline pump. I thanked God and then filled up with
Premium gasoline.

Later as I reviewed what took place I realized that often we behave spiritually just like I did with my car. We fail to take the time to fill ourselves up spiritually by spending time with God through reading the Bible, Prayer and Worship. Once we realize that we are on empty spiritually a host of emotions go through our minds with the biggest being Pride! Too often we have so much pride that we won’t admit or are embarrassed to admit that we are struggling. Let me urge you this day to not allow Pride to get in your way of seeking help. Confess to God your lack of making Him a priority in your life. Ask Him to forgive you and to fill you up again. Seek Christian friends to hold you accountable and determine to return to your first Love. God is waiting and longing to fill you up with the best He has to offer!

You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:3-7

Because of HIS Amazing Grace,
Myron D. Atkinson
Pastor

Penn Forest Worship Center
“A Ministry of the Wesleyan Church!”

It’s Not Too Late!

Published by Heather on Nov 6, 2007 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

Greetings PFWC Family and Friends,

Last week I had the privilege to attend the Young Life fund raising banquet. Normally fund raising banquets are… hmmm… well fund raising events. However, I must say that this one was different. As I sat there and heard a young man from Cave Spring High School share how as a result of Young Life he came into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I was challenged! I was challenged that we as a church should be doing MORE! We need to do MORE! We CAN DO MORE:

  • Mentoring – Teaching others what we know. This is also called Discipleship
  • Outreach – Reaching out to others and connecting them to church
  • Relationship Building – The best way to reach out and connect a person to Jesus Christ is to build a relationship with them.
  • Evangelism – Helping people connect d to Jesus Christ!

As I pondered this thought I realized that getting a person connected to the church does not mean coming onto the church property. WE ARE THE CHURCH! In order to connect a person to the “church” we have to be the ones to reach out to them. We at PFWC have a wonderful tool that people use every week. What is that tool? Our Campus at 3735 Chaparral! Our Campus is a tool that God has given to us to connect with people and in so doing we are able to introduce them to Jesus Christ. If we do not take advantage of this opportunity then we are not being wise stewards of what God has entrusted to us.

  • Did you know that 80% of Christians made that decision to follow Jesus Christ before age 18?
  • Did you know that from now through May that we will 600-700 different people through our facilities and many of them under the age of 18?
  • Did you know that nearly 50% of those involved in UPWARD do not attend church?
  • Did you know that nearly 60% of those involved in Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts do not attend church?

Ok, so why am I telling you this? Often times we look for the more challenging way to reach people, i.e. going downtown in the evening to share JESUS, when all we need to do is come out and begin to build relationships with those already meeting on our campus. I believe that we could easily jump 20-30 people in our weekly attendance if each family would intentionally build relationships with an unchurched family that is already meeting on our campus. Come on out on Monday evening, and just greet the parents. It’s easy to do because they are EVERYWHERE ! As we approach 2008 we need to realize that it’s not to LATE to do MORE!Your Partner in Ministry,
Myron D. Atkinson
Pastor

Penn Forest Worship Center
“A Ministry of the Wesleyan Church!”
3735 Chaparral Drive SW
Roanoke, VA 24018
540-772-9482
www.pfwc.net

Battlefield of the Mind — Wrap Up

Published by Heather on Nov 1, 2007 in Notes from the Pastor. 0 Comments

Over the last several weeks I have been preaching through this series. During the rest of this month I will be wrapping up this series and focusing specifically on The Battle of Offense. The most deceptive snare Satan uses to get believers out of the will of God is offense. Most people are ensnared by the bait of Satan and don’t even realize it.

Don’t be fooled! You will encounter offense, and it’s up to you how it will affect your relationship with God and others as Satan battles against you. Your response will determine your future. If offense is handled correctly, you will become stronger rather than bitter and win the battle! Don’t miss the next two Sundays.