Harbor Family,
We have had a wonderful month so far as we have been studying Biblical Financial Principles; likewise, we have seen a drastic increase in the finances as well. The neat thing is that God truly sees your faithfulness and blesses you accordingly. You need to prepare yourself because His blessings are on the way!~
The Word of the Lord tells us to "Give, and it shall be given unto you"... As a church you blessed the Shepherds Sunday before last with an outstanding offering of $1683.00 and this past Sunday you laid $567.00 on the open Bible for the Gideons International to provide bibles around the world. I said that to say this: You have given and God always gives back. The amazing thing is that His hand is so much bigger than ours.
Also, we are challenging everyone to help us break 200 on Wednesday night. We have come close a few times lately, but haven't yet done it. Invite your friends and let's accomplish this goal together!
Our Pioneers For Christ just returned from the State Rendezvous in Tifton, Ga. They really represented the Harbor well; they won several trophies and placed in numerous events. However, the most important thing is that they were being mentored by men who love God enough to pour their time and lives into these young boys that will be young men before you know it. I want to say thanks to all the men who took part in the Rendezvous! May God richly bless you and your family.
SHOW ME THE MONEY!!! This past Sunday I preached a message on Sunday morning entitled: "Show Me The Money"; I asked everyone to participate in an exercise for this week. It is an exercise where we will log everything we spend money on. Don't worry, this is for "Your eyes only", no one else is going to look at your ledger. This is an eye opening exercise that will reveal to us the money trail. The only way we can manage our money is to know where its going; this exercise will give us this information. Then, and only then, can we make good decisions about our money, so I hope that everyone will take part in the exercise.
APRIL WILL BE BUSY!!! We have many events planned for the month of April, and everything will be leading up to our Easter Sunday Celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. There will be special events taking place every Sunday morning in the month of April; one Sunday it will be kids, another Sunday will be teens, another will be adults, and the last will be the Easter Choir and Worship Service. We will also have a Sunrise Service at 7a.m. on the front lawn.
Volunteers Needed! We are always needing people in various ministries of our church, so please contact one of the team leaders listed below if you are interested in working in a particular area. Also, if you have not yet filled out the gifts assessment form please go to our website and do so. This will help us in determining the best area of ministry for you.
1. First Impressions Team--Robert Reeves
2. Outreach/Evangelism Team--Becky Kneeland
3. Creative Team--Tonya Cribbs
4. Worship Team--Adam Sanes
5. Follow up Team--Aaron Kirkland
6. Children Team--Margaret Shanahan
7. Youth Team--Joshua Cribbs
If you cannot get in touch with either of these leaders you can message me at sanes7@yahoo.com
and I will be glad to help you.
I am looking forward to what God is doing in the church. Please remember to invite your friends~!
In His Service~
Michael D. Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Hell-Bent: I Did it My Way!
I Did it My Way
Have you ever decided that you were going to do something your way regardless of what anyone else says or does? Sometimes people do things their own way, when they are well aware that God would not want them to act in this way, but they go ahead and do what is in their mind to do. There are those who think they know better than God, how, or what to do in a given situation. So they choose to do things their way instead of God’s way, and somehow they’ve convinced themselves that God will see it their way. Let’s consider the story of an Israelite King that decided to do it his own way.
The king’s name was Saul. He was chosen by God and anointed by Samuel the prophet to be king over Israel. When he was little in his own eyes he did fine, but there came a time when he got big in his own eyes and decided to start doing things his own way. He was told to totally destroy the Amalekites for the way they had treated Israel. He was not to spare a man, women, child, or animal. He went out and defeated the Amalekites; he killed all the people, but he spared the king, Agag, and the best of the sheep, cattle, lambs, and all that was valuable. But everything that was worthless he utterly destroyed.
To Lord spoke to Samuel the prophet saying, I regret that I have made Saul King of Israel. The prophet was angry and cried out to the Lord all night long for Saul. The next morning he went to meet the king. Upon arriving someone told Samuel that Saul had gone to Carmel to build a monument to himself. This is what happens when we get so big in our own eyes that we do things our way despite Godly counsel or the Word of God. But notice, you still see the man of God crying out to God all night in prayer for a backslidden king.
Finally Samuel catches up to Saul, and Saul says to the man of God: “May you be blessed by the Lord; I have carried out the command of the Lord.” Samuel then asked: “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the cattle that I hear?” Saul said: “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the “people” spared the best of the sheep and cattle, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed. Notice now in Saul’s answer, he doesn’t use the word “I”, he uses the word “They”—you see, it’s always someone else’s fault when we choose to disobey God.
And then, there is always some great excuse: “They spared these animals to sacrifice them to the Lord”. Right! Samuel had heard enough of this self-righteous king’s rationalization of his disobedience. He said: “Stop! Be quiet! I’ve heard enough. Why have you swooped down on the spoil, and done what was evil in the sight of the Lord? Of course Saul rants on about his righteousness saying: "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.”
The question must be asked: Why did you bring Agag back? He is an Amalekite, in fact, the king of the Amalekites, and he was supposed to be killed. Oh, but Saul was doing this thing his own way. Samuel responded to this by saying: 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (NRSV) "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the LORD? Surely, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is no less a sin than divination, and stubbornness is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king."
Like Saul, many people have decided to take matters into their own hands and do things their own way without regard to what the man of God said or what the Word of God says. They are bent on doing it their way—a more fitting term would be: They are “hell-bent” on doing it their way. Whether it’s tipping God rather than tithing (tithe means 10%), or coming to church only when I feel like it, you know, once in a blue moon. It may be a bad attitude or un-forgiveness, but whatever it is, you’ve decided to do it your way.
Well, let me show the end result of the man that done it his way. Samuel turned away from Saul to leave after rebuking him; Saul wanted the man of God to go with him, but Samuel said no. As the man of God was walking away Saul grabbed his (Samuel’s) robe to hold him back, it tore his robe. Samuel turned around and looked Saul in the eye and said: “The Lord has torn the Kingdom of Israel from you this very day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.
To be continued…
Mike Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Harbor News---Revival is Kicking!
Church Family,
As most of you know, we are in the middle of a kicking revival right now with Pastor G.W. Carroll from Brooksville, Fl. We started Sunday night as he preached a message on Fear and Anxiety. Many people were saved in that service, and many more delivered from various fears and anxieties. Some people testified that "the message was just for them". Last night he came with a heavy heart to ask two questions, they were powerful questions that everyone had to answer for themselves. The questions were: 1). If not Jesus, who? 2). If not now, when? These questions asked under the anointing of the Holy Spirit spawned the response of numerous people making their way to the altar, surrendering their lives unto Him (Jesus). Likewise, many people prayed the prayer of salvation and accepted Christ as their Savior, and many more were touched and ministered to.
Brother Harold spoke to me before service began and told me that his blood-sugar had been running over 300 since Saturday, and that he would not be able to make it through the whole service. He and I joined hands in prayer and agreement that God would heal him. He called me after church and told me that his sugar level was 158. Praise the Lord!
I am looking forward to tonight's service, I am anticipating a great move of God.
Mike Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center
As most of you know, we are in the middle of a kicking revival right now with Pastor G.W. Carroll from Brooksville, Fl. We started Sunday night as he preached a message on Fear and Anxiety. Many people were saved in that service, and many more delivered from various fears and anxieties. Some people testified that "the message was just for them". Last night he came with a heavy heart to ask two questions, they were powerful questions that everyone had to answer for themselves. The questions were: 1). If not Jesus, who? 2). If not now, when? These questions asked under the anointing of the Holy Spirit spawned the response of numerous people making their way to the altar, surrendering their lives unto Him (Jesus). Likewise, many people prayed the prayer of salvation and accepted Christ as their Savior, and many more were touched and ministered to.
Brother Harold spoke to me before service began and told me that his blood-sugar had been running over 300 since Saturday, and that he would not be able to make it through the whole service. He and I joined hands in prayer and agreement that God would heal him. He called me after church and told me that his sugar level was 158. Praise the Lord!
I am looking forward to tonight's service, I am anticipating a great move of God.
Mike Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center
Lost Values
Lost Values
Have you lost your values? This past Sunday we learned that when Israel disobeyed God it didn't take long for them to lose the values that once characterized who they were. The first value to go was their identity--they were once know for being the "People of God", now they had disobeyed God to the point that there was no longer a distinction between them and the rest of the world. I am afraid that is happening today in the church as well. Yes, we do want to win the lost, and I understand that we must meet them where they are, but I also know they can't stay like they are. Everyone sinner that Jesus encountered was changed if they were to become His follower.
The second value to go was their Usefulness. It follows logically that once you have lost your identity that it's only a matter of time, a very short time until you lose your usefulness. How could one be useful in the Kingdom of God that is no longer identified with the Kingdom? In other words, you have become like the salt that Jesus talked about that was supposed to be the "Salt of the Earth", but since it lost it's usefulness was good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. We were called to be the "Light of the World", but when we've lost our usefulness we become nothing more than a dim flashlight. It is good for nothing until the old batteries are taken out and thrown away and new ones put in.
The third value to go was her Strength; Israel could no longer stand before her enemies. Having lost her identity and her usefulness she now has no strength to fight anymore. She is like Samson who was once the strongest man of the Bible, but while flirting with sin he went to far, he could no longer stand on his convictions. He didn't have the power to resist evil any longer.
The fourth and final value was her Spiritual Sensitivity; she didn't even know or realize that she was backslid. Remember Samson? For three times Delilah bound him securely, or at least she thought she had. But the moment she said: "The Philistines are upon thee" he would break the ropes like flax. However, the last time when he finally gave in and told her the source of his strength while he lay sleeping in her lap. Then she said: "Samson, the Philistines are upon thee". He got up and went outside and shook himself as he had done before, but he didn't even realize that the Spirit of God had left him, and he had no strength to fight anymore. The Philistines gouged out his eyes and took him to prison.
Have you lost your values~?
Mike Sanes
Have you lost your values? This past Sunday we learned that when Israel disobeyed God it didn't take long for them to lose the values that once characterized who they were. The first value to go was their identity--they were once know for being the "People of God", now they had disobeyed God to the point that there was no longer a distinction between them and the rest of the world. I am afraid that is happening today in the church as well. Yes, we do want to win the lost, and I understand that we must meet them where they are, but I also know they can't stay like they are. Everyone sinner that Jesus encountered was changed if they were to become His follower.
The second value to go was their Usefulness. It follows logically that once you have lost your identity that it's only a matter of time, a very short time until you lose your usefulness. How could one be useful in the Kingdom of God that is no longer identified with the Kingdom? In other words, you have become like the salt that Jesus talked about that was supposed to be the "Salt of the Earth", but since it lost it's usefulness was good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. We were called to be the "Light of the World", but when we've lost our usefulness we become nothing more than a dim flashlight. It is good for nothing until the old batteries are taken out and thrown away and new ones put in.
The third value to go was her Strength; Israel could no longer stand before her enemies. Having lost her identity and her usefulness she now has no strength to fight anymore. She is like Samson who was once the strongest man of the Bible, but while flirting with sin he went to far, he could no longer stand on his convictions. He didn't have the power to resist evil any longer.
The fourth and final value was her Spiritual Sensitivity; she didn't even know or realize that she was backslid. Remember Samson? For three times Delilah bound him securely, or at least she thought she had. But the moment she said: "The Philistines are upon thee" he would break the ropes like flax. However, the last time when he finally gave in and told her the source of his strength while he lay sleeping in her lap. Then she said: "Samson, the Philistines are upon thee". He got up and went outside and shook himself as he had done before, but he didn't even realize that the Spirit of God had left him, and he had no strength to fight anymore. The Philistines gouged out his eyes and took him to prison.
Have you lost your values~?
Mike Sanes
Thursday, February 17, 2011
How to Live Triumphant in this World
How to Live Triumphant in this World
The apostle Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth to encourage them in their Christian walk. We find it in 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NRSV) 14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. Here we find that God is expecting us to walk in triumph, that is, in victory, success, accomplishment, and achievement. He really does want us to succeed.
Some Christians have bought into the lie that says: “Once you get saved you will never have problems again, you will always be experiencing the best of everything”. To the person that believes that, you need to wake up from the dream you’re dreaming and revisit the Words of the Lord— Psalm 34:19 (NRSV) 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD rescues them from them all. And shame on the preacher/person who led you to believe that the Christian life would be a life of ease.
In this verse Paul suggests that the Christian life is a life of conflict. Just to use the word triumph suggests that there is a battle going on. When I read the Bible I find great men of God continuously dealing with adversity and conflict, yet remaining true to God. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, yet later stated that it was God’s will that he ended up in Egypt. He found himself in prison, yet he understood that God even had a purpose in that.
Job suffered the greatest of all calamities with the loss of, not just his wealth and reputation, but the loss of all ten children in the same instant. I can’t think of anyone in antiquity, or in the modern era, who has experienced more devastation than the colossal devastation that job experienced. Yet, despite this, Job finds the way to say--Job 13:15 (NKJV) 15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
We find the apostle Paul in prison and dealing with demons and religious people; those that hated him despite the change in his life that was abundantly evident.
When I look at the words of the writers of scriptures, it is clear to me that the Christian’s life is one that is filled with conflict. Paul told Timothy, 1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV) 12 Fight the good fight of faith; Peter said: 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Paul would later tell Timothy…2 Timothy 2:3 (NKJV) 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. These scriptures make it obvious to me that the Christian life is filled with conflict.
The Christian life is also filled with triumph; the Lord does not expect us to live beaten down all the time. This doesn’t mean that we are not going to have battles and bad days, it does mean that we are victorious through Him, if we put our confidence in Him, regardless what the circumstances look like. Please notice the words that indicate triumph: Romans 8:37 (NKJV) 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Luke the physician would tell us: Luke 10:19 (NKJV) 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Paul would later say in 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NKJV) 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please remember that triumph comes through Him, and not by our own strength. I remind you that—it is “in Him we live and move and have our being”, and without Him we are nothing. He is the one who causes us to triumph. He is the one who makes us more than conquerors, over-comers in this life. It is He that is in us that is greater than he that is in the world.
Paul said: He leads us in “Triumphal Procession”; this is an illusion to the days of Rome when a general would conquer a people and acquire land for the king. If the general’s accomplishment reached a certain level the king would put on a “Parade of Triumph”, in which he and his men would be honored as they strolled through the streets of the city.
Therefore, we understand that when we are going through battles and trials that God has not forgotten us, and people are watching us in the battle. God is receiving the glory when we perform well in the battle, and that fragrance of knowing Him is being spread abroad. It is enticing to other people when they see you holding up under the load and you confess that it is not by your strength, but by the grace of the Living God. They then say, I want that grace in my life as well! Remember what Isaiah said: Isaiah 40:31 (KJV) 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Michael D. Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center
Monday, February 7, 2011
Harbor News
I am so excited about what God is doing in His church, and especially the part of His church that attends the Harbor Worship Center. I say that because I realize that His church is so much bigger than we are. We are just a small part of the sum total of His people. What I find so amazing is the fact that He loves us all the same.
This past week was huge for the Harbor. On Friday night the THUGS went Ice skating in Jax, and they were 45 strong in their group. Also, last Wednesday they set a THUGS attendance record by having over 60 in their group. Way to go THUGS!
On Friday the Children’s Team had 30 at a pizza supper, and the Worship Team had 6 at the Jason Crabb concert in Jax. I believe this is a testament to good leadership in each of these groups. Thank you for the hard work and dedication to the work of the Lord.
Yesterday (Sunday) we had 8 new couples attending the Pastor’s Breakfast for the first time. I want to say thank you to Eric Kneeland, Aaron Kirkland, and any others who had a hand in making that breakfast the success that it was.
The message yesterday was titled “Authenticating the Word”, and in this message I showed the relationship that exists between the Spirit of God, and the Scriptures. We learned that the Spirit inspired/authored the Word when it was written, but it is the Spirit also that illuminates the Word, and makes it comes alive for us today. The message will be up online soon. Check it out!
Good News! We have our trailer back. Thanks to the watchful eye of William Cribbs who saw our trailer in Brunswick while I was out of town last week. He made a few phone calls and got the police involved, a few hours later the Chief of Police called me while I was on the road and told me that they had a trailer pulled over that they thought might be ours. As it turned out, it was. Josh was able to get their first to identify it and take possession of it. Praise God we have it back! Thanks to William Cribbs, James Galloway, and the Kingsland Police Department.
Revival is only two weeks away. Please begin praying and seeking the Lord for a mighty move of God in this meeting. We really need an outpouring of His Holy Spirit to fall upon us all as it did in the Upper Room, and to prepare us for this end-time harvest that we are charged to reach!
Blessings!
Mike Sanes
Pastor, The Harbor Worship Center
Monday, January 24, 2011
Harbor News
Harbor Family,
Sunday night proved to be just what we've been fasting and praying for; an awesome move of God's Spirit. Let me say thanks to all the ministry teams that have helped make the event the success that it was. Also, a special thanks to Brother Rick for coming to be with us, and to the church for the wonderful turnout and the great love offering that you gave to him.
The New Comer's Meet and Greet will be this Thursday night in the fellowship hall. We invite ALL who have come to the church in the last 4 months and those who have not yet attended a Meet n Greet. This will be a casual event where we will have fun, food, and fellowship. As pastor, I will share my vision for the church with you and through a questionnaire given I will help you find your place in the church, if you desire to serve at this point.
Bible Sunday is this coming Sunday, January 30th. We are making plans for a big show down as we show the extreme importance of the Word of God in the lives of believers. I am asking every one to INVITE, INVITE, INVITE! This could well be the most important day of someones life; a day when they come face to face with the BOOK that will change their life forever. They may have heard much preaching, lots of singing, and perhaps they've even done a lot of church things. But if they hear this message and begin to read God's Word; it will say more to them than you or I could ever say. It will be more convicting and convincing than we could ever be. So invite them and give them this opportunity!
Team Leaders, be on the lookout for email or a facebook video from me today or tomorrow concerning the importance of your entire team as it relates to Bible Sunday.
Blessings!
Michael D. Sanes
Pastor, THWC
Sunday night proved to be just what we've been fasting and praying for; an awesome move of God's Spirit. Let me say thanks to all the ministry teams that have helped make the event the success that it was. Also, a special thanks to Brother Rick for coming to be with us, and to the church for the wonderful turnout and the great love offering that you gave to him.
The New Comer's Meet and Greet will be this Thursday night in the fellowship hall. We invite ALL who have come to the church in the last 4 months and those who have not yet attended a Meet n Greet. This will be a casual event where we will have fun, food, and fellowship. As pastor, I will share my vision for the church with you and through a questionnaire given I will help you find your place in the church, if you desire to serve at this point.
Bible Sunday is this coming Sunday, January 30th. We are making plans for a big show down as we show the extreme importance of the Word of God in the lives of believers. I am asking every one to INVITE, INVITE, INVITE! This could well be the most important day of someones life; a day when they come face to face with the BOOK that will change their life forever. They may have heard much preaching, lots of singing, and perhaps they've even done a lot of church things. But if they hear this message and begin to read God's Word; it will say more to them than you or I could ever say. It will be more convicting and convincing than we could ever be. So invite them and give them this opportunity!
Team Leaders, be on the lookout for email or a facebook video from me today or tomorrow concerning the importance of your entire team as it relates to Bible Sunday.
Blessings!
Michael D. Sanes
Pastor, THWC
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