Thy Rod & Thy Staff
Nondenominational Church
A place to serve, not sit.
What We Do
Church Purpose
Our purpose at our Bible base church is to get people to be like Christ and turn from that which is contrary to Him. We would like very much to lead others to make Christ the foundation of their lives. We would like to show Jesus as a faithful friend, a loyal companion, as someone who will stand by our side when no one else will.
As a body of Bible based Christian believers, we see our whole purpose as doing the will of God so that His Spirit might be manifested in our midst. With His hand we hope to convince others that Christ is our Lord and Savior. We want to show that if we trust in Him, He will very clearly show us that He is who He claims to be.– a Provider who can supply whatever we need whenever we need it under any and all circumstances, a Physician with no limitations in His healing power, a Counselor with infinite understanding and wisdom. We would very much like to reflect Christ in our midst as the Good Shepherd (Psalms 23 and John 10:1:18), as the one and only way to God, our Father in heaven.
Consequently, our Bible based churches goal is to get others to see the love of God and act accordingly. Undoubtedly God wants us to do His will but He wants it to be done out of love. God wants us to serve Him not because we have too but because we want too. God wants us to serve Him because we see Him as He is. He wants us to do His will because we see that doing His will is for out good. This is the purpose of our church and the platform on which it stands. We want to weld together a body of believers who love Jesus Christ so much that they want to be just like Him.
What Jesus Did
‘Will Elijah Come?’ – Mark 15:35-36
Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought [Jesus] was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!”
Key Thought
From the vantage points of Jesus, the Messiah, and of the Gospel of Mark, Elijah had already come. John the Baptizer was the Elijah who was to precede the Messiah. Those in power had John murdered; now they are doing the same to Jesus. Those who are at the cross to mock the LORD Jesus misunderstand what he said. They simply turn Jesus’ words into another way to mock, belittle, and humiliate him more. Little do these mockers know that what Jesus endures on the cross ends up defeating Satan and bringing life to those who will call upon him as LORD. Elijah didn’t come and take Jesus down from the cross. However, God the Father did come and raise him from death in his tomb. Yet even in this moment of horror and humiliation with his crucifixion, the cross touches the heart of a hardened soldier and opens his heart to the truth about Jesus — he is the Son of God. [1]
Today’s Prayer
O Father, I am saddened that it took the humiliation of the cross to break through to our hardened hearts. Yet, dear Father, thank you for paying that price. I pray that the story of Jesus will reach hearts that no other story can. Please help me to never be ashamed of the message of that cross. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Ⓒ 1996-2024 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.