Pitts Creek Presbyterian Church

Pitts Creek Presbyterian Church Pastor: Rev. Lance Ness
Pitts Creek Presbyterian Church
208 Market St., Pocomoke City, MD 21

Worship 11am

Men's Group at Beaver Dam, Fri.6AM

PC Women meet the first Thursday of every Month at 1:30

08/02/2026

Abusing the Word Revelation 22:12-21 Matthew 4:1-11
1999, a mini series simply called “Jesus” came to TV. In the opening scene we see crusaders charge into battle yelling, “in the name of Jesus Christ.” The scene then instantly switches to a WWI battlefield, an injured man screams for Jesus.
The next thing we see is Jesus opening his eyes. It had been a dream. He sits up looking confused. Apparently Jesus is looking at the future, a future he does not want.
People want to blame religion for everything. Atheists like to say, “no one has ever murdered anyone in the name of atheism.” Well since atheism is about “not believing” it’s ridiculous to say this. How can you kill in the name of nobody and nothing?
But sadly there is truth behind the allegations. A great many wrongs have been done and someone tried to justify them by religion. People have been killed in the name of Mohammed or Allah, Buddha, Hindu deities like Vishnu or Rama, and other religious leaders.
More than 900 years ago European Christians marched into the Holy Land in the name of Jesus. Many people, including children, were killed. Entire cities, and their inhabitants, slaughtered. This went on for about 200 years.
After 1492 many people felt God was calling them to cross the sea and use force to take these 2 continents away from “barbarians.”
And Muslims invaded Greece and Europe, killing many Christians, in the name of Allah or Mohammed. And there are many other examples.
The bible has been used to justify slavery, war, oppression of minorities, oppression of women, and more.
Although the church may have condemned Galileo for saying things like, the world is round and revolves around the sun, there have been many times Christian leaders did not fear science. Many important discoveries and inventions came because the Christian society encouraged education and science. Today? There is a lot of hostility because some people feel science is trying to contradict the Bible. If you think the earth is millions or billions of years old, or if you believe in evolution, people fear you. People will reject you, claiming you have a fake faith.
But is this what Christianity really is?
Wisdom comes from odd sources sometimes. When it comes to wrongs being done because of religion we can look at a very odd source; an atheist named Karl Marx. Karl Marx wrote his “Communist Manifesto” around 1847. A lot of people relied on this book and other teachings for ideas and inspiration. His works definitely influenced people who would set up governments that would be called “Communists” by the world.
However, toward the end of his life, Karl Marx once said “If anything is certain, it is that I myself am not a Marxist.” Why would he say such a strange thing? Because, while he was still alive, people were misquoting and misapplying his teachings. Imagine people so brazen as to misapply someone’s beliefs and theories while they are still alive. But it actually happened. People were saying, “this is what Karl Marx believes” while the author, Karl Marx himself, is right there ready to say, “that is not what I said and not what I meant.” And yet many people were not listening to Karl Marx himself.
If people are going to misuse teachings while the teacher is still alive and even denying the words, what do you think will happen when the teacher has been dead for many years, or even centuries? People will misuse, misquote, misapply, and find ways to tap dance around the word of God.
The third commandment: Exodus 20:7. We often quote this as “thou shalt not take the name of God in vane.” So we tend to think of this as using words like God or Jesus as “cuss words.” But there are other ways to translate these read, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” is used in some translations.
According to Carmen Joy Imes, writer and theologian, the meaning of the 3rd commandment is far deeper than “saying God’s name irreverently or taking hasty oaths. It is a commission to live lives that accurately and honorably reflect God’s character. God has marked his people with his name such that his people represent him to the watching world. Misrepresentation of God then, either through one’s words or actions, is the core prohibition the commandment addresses.”
So telling people God wants one thing, when the scripture tells us God wants something else, is violating the 3rd commandment. Using the Bible to enrich ourselves is not what God wants. Misapplying scripture is what leads to all sorts of evil. People have quoted scripture to allow segregation, oppression, injustice, war, and more.
When the devil tempts Jesus what does he do? “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” He quotes scripture and quotes it accurately. He is not exactly lying. But by taking a few verses out of context he uses God’s word for evil purposes.
Revelation 22:18-19. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City.” The angel is literally talking about the special scroll an angel opened, but the message to us should be clear – We are not to add our own special spin on scripture, and we are not to “subtract” some of the things we do not like. All the scripture exists for our good.
Does Jesus tell us to go to war, or does he tell us, “blessed are the peacemakers”? Maybe war is necessary for us sometimes. I do believe Hi**er had to be stopped, but that does not mean God wants it. Being told to “love your neighbor and love your enemy” seems to be inconsistent with war.
Does Jesus tell us, “Here is a long list of my teachings and you must believe every one exactly the way certain people interpret them,” or does Jesus say, “whoever is not against us is for us”? – When the man crucified next to Jesus said, “remember me when you come into your kingdom,” did he know everything Jesus said? Was he educated in the most important aspects of Jesus’s teachings? Probably not. But Jesus said, “today, you shall be with me in paradise.”
In centuries past, in Christian Europe, Popes said they spoke for God. Most people did not say, “that contradicts scripture,” of course many could not read so they didn’t know. (Here is a good reason why education is so important.)
James 3:1: “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” It is a big responsibility to be telling people what the Bible says, what it means, how to apply it, how to live by it’s standards.
One problem we will always face is there is more than one interpretation for many scripture verses. Before the Civil War people quoted scripture to allow and condemn slavery at the same time. People quoted scripture to argue for and against women’s rights and ordination at the same time.
But much of the time the message is clear. “Love the Lord your God… And love your neighbor as yourself.” And, “Love your enemies.” This is definitely the word of the Lord. Even though we might be able to argue over the exact definition of love the message is simple.
Do not judge, do not condemn, but Forgive others – That may not be an easy thing to do, but the overall message should be clear.
Remember the poor, the sick, hungry. Take care of one another. – Fight for justice – This is the word of the Lord, and the message is clear.
Stay true to Christ, stay true to the faith, and it will make a change in us and in others when they see us be true to all that God has said.
In Jesus’s name.

07/04/2026

July 2, 1776, is the day the Continental Congress voted to ratify a Declaration of Independence. A committee of 5 people, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, wrote the draft for the declaration. Then it took 2 days for the Congress to edit and finalize the declaration. It was signed on July 4, 1776.
But the war did not end right after the declaration was signed. In fact American independence almost ended several times.
On August 27, 1776, the British attacked Brooklyn on three fronts. Washington’s army caught off guard and outnumbered. It seemed like only a miracle would save the Americans. How did they survive?
First, a small group of 400 soldiers from Maryland, the “Maryland 400,” fought and saved the army from a complete rout. This allowed a larger group of Americans to retreat to Brooklyn Heights.
British General William Howe ordered his men to stop the attack and dig trenches around the Continental Army. He expected the Americans to surrender. He also expected British ships to sail around and cut off the Americans from their only line of retreat across the river to Manhattan. But the ships never came. Why? Because there was not enough wind that night.
This gave George Washington a chance. He ordered every available boat to be taken and used to get his army across the East River. Working through rain and darkness, the oarsmen in the boats crossed the river multiple times to deliver soldiers across to the other side. But as the sun rose a large part of the Continental Army remained in Brooklyn. These men likely would have been killed or captured if they were unable to cross the river, losses the Americans could not afford.
However, something amazing happened. A heavy fog settled over the area. The British did not want to advance through the fog, so it gave Washington time to get his army across the river. As the fog lifted, the British realized the Continental Army was gone.
Fog arises at night, when the air temperature near the ground cools to the dew point. Fog dissipates when the air warms, like when the sun rises. Fog is not supposed to rise after sunrise.
The revolution probably should have ended right there, less than 2 months after the Declaration of Independence was written. Instead, 400 men from Maryland showed up in time. Coincidence? It does happen. –
There was no wind that night. Coincidence? It does happen.
Fog rising AFTER sunrise. That’s not supposed to happen. Could it be a rare but natural event? I don’t think so. And even if it was, what are the odds of it happening just at the right moment?
The Revolutionary War continued, and more unlikely events kept happening that kept the war alive.
As I often say, in the end Washington said his victory was due to “divine providence.” God wanted America to be a free nation.

“WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.
We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed BY THEIR CREATOR with certain unalienable rights. And among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
America may not exactly be a Christian nation, but it does seem God wanted this nation to be here.

06/18/2026

Two Hundred and Fifty years ago, 13 Colonies decided they had enough of being subject of the British Empire and declared they were now going to be an independent nation. Colonies always suffer from some kind of oppression, find their economies suffering, their rights suppressed, no matter how fair and righteous the empire tries to be.
Many Americans have some flawed ideas of what kind of religious beliefs our founding fathers had. Many were heavily influenced by Deism; the notion that God can be known through creation but they tend to disregard ideas like miracles and revelations.
And some of our founding fathers were also very critical of churches and organized religion. They were very cautious to ban any kind of religious test in order to be elected and wrote the first amendment in part to protect and respect all religious faiths.
But there is no doubt Christian beliefs and morals played a huge role in their actions and their beliefs which shaped the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
There is also no doubt many of them felt elected leaders needed to be men of good character, morals and conduct. And many believed good character and morality flowed from faith. John Adams wrote in 1798, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Patrick Henry wrote, “The great pillars of all government and of social life [are] virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone, that renders us invincible.” In his farewell address George Washington wrote, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
We are not a “Christian nation” in the sense that some form of Christianity Controls the government. But we are a Christian Nation in the sense that Christian beliefs, the Bible, prayer, and faith helped to shape our nation and matter very much today.
At this time of elections, and with the coming of Independence Day, let us remember our faith, what it means, and pray God guides us as people, and as a nation, in a holy and righteous direction.

05/27/2026

Memorial Day

04/30/2026

“The Next Step” Acts 2:42-47 John 10:1-10
When you were in school, how many of you heard of Thomas Edison? Probably most of us.
Edison was famous for - The electric light bulb. The phonograph. Motion pictures. By the end of his life Edison held 1093 patents.
Over the years I have learned some interesting things about Edison. There were actually 20 people who invented something akin to an electric light before Edison, but he is the one who made serious improvements that made it affordable and practical. Were you taught this as a child?
Other people invented the DC electric generator and electric motor. Edison simply made major improvements in all these things and more. Were you taught these things as a child?
As a child I never heard of Nikoli Tesla. Today a lot of us are becoming aware of how great his contributions were to our modern world.
For a short time Tesla worked for Edison. It was a tense relationship. After this there was a bit of rivalry between Tesla and Edison. Tesla perfected AC current, which is far more useful than DC current and it is what we use today. He also made some major innovations that are part of our modern world. Even now we are making new innovations because of Tesla’s studies. In fact we are investigating his theory that electricity can be transmitted without wires.
We really cannot diminish the importance of Edison, but the reason he is so well known, while others have been left behind in history, is partly because of the sheer number of inventions.
But Edison had something else. Edison encouraged a young Henry Ford to pursue gasoline powered cars instead of electric. When Ford’s wealth far surpassed Edison’s he supported him. Ford rebuilt Edison’s lab after a fire. Took him on highly publicized trips. Made his lab part of the Deerfield village in Dearborn Michigan. Ford pretty well guaranteed people would know who Edison was.
Whereas Nikoli Tesla died poor, crazy, and his many innovations largely forgotten.
Edison’s legacy lives on partly because someone loved him, someone believed in his importance, and someone went to great lengths to make sure the world would never forget the name Edison and what he did for us all.
Imagine if Jesus had lived his life much the way he did, but he did not allow people to follow him. Imagine Jesus performing the same miracles; healing people, calming a storm, even raising a few people from the dead, then dying and rising from the grave himself, but when he ascended he had no disciples, no large crowds following him, no one writing down his teachings, and he left behind no instructions for the future. Where would Christianity be today?
It might not even exist. Christianity may have died when Jesus rose from the dead because if there was no group of followers, no trained disciples, no instructions, who would have carried his words into the future?
Jesus began the work. But someone had to be here to take the next step.
And those next steps were essential. One of the reasons I have written about the early church is because it was such a crucial time for Christianity. Obviously Jesus built the foundation. He gave them what they needed to know. Then he gave them the motivation and the call to go and do his work. To carry the message throughout the world. To make disciples of all nations.
This would not be an easy task. Most of the Jewish leaders were very hostile to Jesus. They would not appreciate his movement continuing after his death. The Romans may not have cared about Christianity, at least for a while, but they would soon see this new faith as a problem.
And the early church would find itself in world where the moral standards were quite revolting to the teachings of Jesus. P**n, prostitution, decadence was widespread. Throwing human beings to wild animal, making human being kill one another, were common types of entertainment in the Roman Empire.
In my screenplay I deliberately avoid most social issues, and for many reasons. But I do touch on one. Today, the horrific reality of clergy harming children has been well documented and well reported, and it is all true.
In the first century in the Roman Empire, harming children was actually illegal, but people found ways to tap dance around the law; such as “when exactly is a child still a child”? And a lot of people looked the other way when teachers were alone with children. And slaves were not exactly human beings so masters could do whatever they wanted.
I have found proof the early church fought against it. There is evidence early Christian groups would actually kick people out for doing that. In a world that found a way to tolerate such behavior, early Christians said no.
This is where we started. In a world that said yes, Christians said no and faced the challenge of holding on to their faith and morals when the world was saying, “just do what you want to do.” This was one of the steps of the early church after Jesus.
In the first century when plague broke out in a town people would often run fast, run far, and stay away. Early Christians often went into towns where there had been an outbreak of plague. They risked their own lives, and some did indeed die, but they saved lives.
Even though leprosy was a dreaded disease, and some kinds are contagious, some Christians dared to go to lepers and help them.
Jesus dared to eat with tax collectors, prostitutes and other sinners; people Jews despised. Some Christians dared to do the same even in Jewish territory. They risked being hated, ostracized, maybe even attacked by hateful people, - But they did it to love their neighbors and spread the good news of Jesus Christ, because Jesus came into this world for all people, even the most vile among us.
Early Christians often had to survive in secret. They often had to hide from others. But they endured. How? Maybe Acts gives us the answer.
42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
The early church found strength by following the teachings of the disciples. By having fellowship with each other. They broke bread together, and they prayed together.
This was the early church. This is where we came from. This was the next step after the Resurrection and Jesus ascension into heaven.
Someone followed through, started Christian groups so believers could gather, pray, and find strength in one another.
In some ways they were saying, “if we can’t see him then it’s up to us to do the things he did. It’s time for us to teach the message and bring salvation to the world.”
Sadly, when people organize it can make problems. The organization takes on a mind of it’s own, and even the best people will bring their issues to a group; even into a church.
This is why some people reject church, they hate “organized religion.” But where would we be without some kind of organization?
For us, it is not too late to look to the past and learn from that organization. We can see the first century church and rediscover who we are supposed to be. Perhaps for us the next step forward is to take a step backward and learn from our past.
Like them, we must focus on Jesus, focus on prayer, focus on word and fellowship. Focus on loving one another.
Jesus is Lord. Jesus is savior. Jesus is God incarnate.
But we wouldn’t be here if human beings hadn’t taken the next step and started the church. This is where we started. This is what we can be again if we let God be our guide.
In Jesus’ name.

04/21/2026

When we say the original Apostle’s Creed it contains a verse that many find very odd; “(Jesus) descended into Hell.” Many people really do not like saying it. It makes some people uncomfortable. It offends people and it definitely confuses us. What does it really mean? How could Jesus go to Hell? As usual there is more than one way to interpret the sentence.
Today many churches have a creed that reads “he descended to the dead.” That might mean he was simply dead for a few days, in the same way we all die. Or perhaps it means Jesus went into some kind of underworld that wasn’t exactly eternal flames, just a place where the dead waited for Resurrection.
But there are other very amazing ideas about what it means. One is that Jesus literally went into Hell, the eternal fire, home of the Devil and his demons, and that he preached his message to the souls in Hell. This interpretation could mean he gave even people in Hell itself an opportunity to believe in him and be set free. The teaching then goes on to say that Jesus did this for the 3 days. Then, on the third day, Jesus broke out of Hell. Even Hell itself could not hold Jesus for more than 3 days. Imagine the possibility that Jesus had the power to break out of Hell itself and even liberate souls from the eternal flames.
Today we often say Jesus broke the powers of Hell and death. If someone can break out of Hell then you know Satan’s power is broken.
I am not saying this interpretation is literally true but the belief behind it indicates it came from people with a deep and powerful faith. It came from people who have seen the powers of darkness in this world break because of the power of Jesus.
People will certainly question our beliefs but there is no question evil has been overcome by Jesus. People have broken out of their own personal Hell because of their faith in Jesus. There is no question the Word of Jesus has changed this world.
And it didn’t begin with people believing he rose from the dead. It came from people who said, “I have seen the risen Lord.” It came from witnesses who said they literally saw and touched and ate with Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. They saw the power of Hell and death broken because Jesus lived again. And this same Jesus lives with us still, setting people free from the powers of Hell and death
Praise be to God

04/13/2026

Hello. It looks like I may have control of this page again.

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