I suppose we need to expand our essentials list for corporate worship. What do we need to worship God together? 1) A sovereign God 2) A redeeming Savior 3) an indwelling Spirit 4) A holy, infallible, sufficient Bible 4) a gathered people 5) plenty of hand sanitizer. We're going to come against that swine flu in Jesus name and with Purell. I don't even like that name,"swine flu". It's got me so bugged (pardon the pun), I haven't eaten pork all week. I was going to try to make some parallel between this flu and the story about Jesus casting the demons into the pigs (Mark 5) but decided that was a stretch.

What isn't a stretch, is the fear that grips us as we watch these news reports. The media would have us think that the end of the world is imminent. (Just a side note here: I've read the Bible and the end of the world does not come because of flu). Don't get me wrong, I don't want to get this flu and I am taking precautions not to get it. However, I'm not freaking out with fear. There are a lot of verses in the Bible that deal with fear. I suppose it's natural for us to fear. Sheep are skittish animals. But it's not spiritually healthy for anyone to live in constant fear.

In our small group discussion we came to the conclusion that some fears are a result of not really believing what we say we believe. If we really believe that God is sovereign, if we believe that Jesus reigns, that God will lead us to green pastures and still waters, that He works all things together for His good...should fear grip us and rip us off?

Psalm 46: 1-3 states, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."

So let's gather together with BIG belief in God and with NO fear and with clean hands.

Pastor Tim