More Friends Are More Better!

Ecclesiastes 4:9 ESV 

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

This week begins many changes in not only my life, but in the lives of many as I transition to another town and another church.  This week begins a time of firsts. First introductions, new locations, moving and beginning a new ministry. These firsts also involve my wife and children as well as a new church community and civic community. It involves leaving old friends and making new friends in another location.

As I often say: "Ministry is not a job for the Lone Ranger!" Yes, new things are better accomplished as a group in the fact that there is labor enough for all. At the end of the day all are rewarded for their labors.

I leave this week feeling that my labors in Benton have been fruitful through the labors and successes of many. I head off to Carrollton Kentucky this week feeling that God will embrace us all as we build His Kingdom

So as I leave old friendships, I pray that they will be long-lasting friendships. I pray that new friendships will be established as we go forward together in relationship. So thank you to all the friends that I have made, and "Hi, my name is Tim" to all those that I will soon meet.

My prayer for us all this day is that we have embraced our togetherness in life lasting memories, For those that I will soon be meeting. may it be the beginning of new lasting relationships. 

Hi, my name is Tim and it is nice to meet you.   

Don't Just Press Like!

Acts 20:35 ESV

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

At this time of the year social media and everywhere we look are positive posts about how we should feel and how we should respond to others this Christmas season. Even I am guilty of seeing an awesome Face book post and I immediately hit the like button or type “Amen” into the comments field.

My question for us that hit the like button or respond by saying how much the comment touched us is: “How often do we leave our social media response as our only response to God's wise words expressed by others?”

My friends, being touched and feeling warmed by words at this time of year is crucial and critical, but more must be done. As we welcome the Messiah to come in a few days we must understand that this is also God's call to action for His people.

My prayer for us all today is that the next time we feel like hitting the like button or typing amen, we place the posting as our call to action. As we celebrate Christmas we understand that this is part of God's Master Plan for His creation, but it is also a wake up call for those that call themselves church, for those that call themselves followers of Jesus Christ.

There is still time, go out this day not only in amen, but in action. God is leading the way for us and the Messiah is the one who was sent to clear our paths. What love is in your heart this very moment? Don't let it sit idle and be forgotten, go out and act on it. Know that helping others in God's name is not just work it is a pleasure and our calling, not just our: “Hey I agree with what you are writing!”


Merry Christmas. The Messiah is our greatest gift, what are we going to do about it?


Pastor Tim.

Ending and Beginning

Revelation 21:4 ESV

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

This year has been a difficult one in which many of us have had to say goodbye to dear friend’s way to soon. As much as we relish life, we all too often are faced with the death of those we know and those that we love the most.

As we journey through this season of Advent, many will be on that journey having suffered some sort of emotional loss this year. Beloved the main thing that we can do for one another this year is to support those that are in the dark places of emotional distress.

As people of faith we cling on to God’s hope and promise of new life come in the form of the Messiah, come to set us free and come to die so that we can be born again and enter new life.

In his book The Five People You Meet In Heaven, Mitch Albom states that “All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.” My prayer for you all this Christmas season is that you will support those that are suffering loss, those that are mourning loved ones.

Support others and yourselves in the fact that God has promised and provided us a Savior who’s life, death, and resurrection has made eternal death extinct and eternal life the constant.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Looking for the Peace of Advent

John 14:27 ESV 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

As I write this weeks blog we are celebrating the second week of Advent, it is the week that we speak of peace and the Messiah come to bring peace on earth and good will towards humanity. Yet for many, this time of year does not seem so peaceful.

We find a world that is troubled and conflicted, a world that at times seems the farthest from anything peaceful. Even though it is Advent and we are approaching Christmas, many have lost loved ones, and many find themselves in the hour of darkest despair and even hopelessness.

How do we speak than of this Messiah that we call the Prince of Peace? Did His arrival mean that world violence would stop, and tragedy would never again befall on His people? Well you and I are first hand witnesses to the fact that violence and tragedy still continues to this very day.

My friends, the love of Jesus and His presence as the Prince of Peace is much bigger than this world. The fact is that the peace of Christ is an inner strength and endurance in all of us that carries us through the darkest times of our lives. The peace of the Messiah is the peace that we have in the fact that He would one day sacrifice himself for our eternal peace with him in heaven.

Beloved, don't wait for the peace of Christ, He has already placed it in you. All that you need do is acknowledge Jesus in your life and understand God's plan of salvation for us through Jesus Christ. Once we understand the Master's plan, the strength, grace, and peace of Jesus will overwhelm us and carry us when we can no longer walk.

Beloved, my prayer for you this day is that you will discover what true peace is like. Accept the true Prince of Peace into your lives. Yes, bad things will occur in our lives but God has sent His Son in the form of a human child born in a manger as to set our worries aside and to endure until we are once again in the presence of the King of Kings.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Waiting on the Authority!

Psalm 27:14 ESV. Wait  for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Eight years ago I was a youth pastor in Northwest Illinois when our youth conducted a live nativity portrayal on a very frigid December night. As our youth stood outside in a manger scene bundled up underneath their costumes, many of them including myself were still shivering in the cold of night.

Yes, it was difficult for the kids to be patient between replacement breaks in which hot cocoa and warm shelter awaited their arrival. But that night something magnificent occurred in the arrival of an unexpected visitor.

As our kids stood outside portraying the Christmas story, a police car drove past our location. When this occurred our shepherds and even Joseph and Mary waved and made their presence known to the police officer.

The next thing that happened was a police car pulling into the parking lot of the live nativity. The youth thought they were in trouble and awaited the officers coming to speak to them. When the officer arrived, to their astonishment he supported them and praised them for standing outside on such a cold night.

With this the officer picked up one the the Magi gifts and stood with our youth in the cold as they portrayed the coming of our Messiah. For me the moral of this story is that it is often hard to wait for good things to occur, but those that are faithful will be comforted by God in His time and when we least expect it.

Brothers and Sisters my prayer for you this day is that you take courage this season of Advent and know that God is faithful and that the Messiah will come, and God's plan for His world will be put in place.

We saw courage and faithfulness in the form of a police officer on a very cold winters night in Northwestern Illinois eight years ago, and we will see our faith and courage be rewarded with the arrival of God's precious gift of the Messiah very soon. So be patient and wait in the hope of God's promised arrival.


This is the day that the Lord has made.

Trend Setter or Gospel Proclaimer

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Mark 16:15 ESV

Recently I reviewed an article by Thom S. Rainer titled Three Trends in Local Churches That Are Accelerating. (http://thomrainer.com/2014/11/24/three-trends-local-churches-accelerating/) In his article Rainer states that the three church trends that are accelerating quickly are:

• Churches that have multi-site and multi-venue locations
• Multi preachers and teachers
• Large churches that are quasi denominational.

Church trends in general focus on the direction in which ministries are going to be pointed as to get the largest outcome. In the sense of the church a trend is used to point the church towards the people rather then the people to the church. Often trends focus on fashion or a way of doing things that are brand new, or even non-conventional. Churches that consider themselves trend setters are focusing on the way that God is viewed in reference to new and out of the box ways of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As an out of the box thinker I’m all for new ways of sharing Christ with the world, but I often think that instead of being trend setters we are just actually doing what the gospel says we are to do in the first place. When I began my seminary education the term “Missional” in reference to church ministry was and continues to be the focus of the day. The missional perspective relates to God's people being among the people and going to where they are and becoming part of that community.

Even before the missional concept we were to be trend setters from the get go by adhering Christ's call for us to go out into the world proclaiming the gospel. My intent in today's message is to proclaim that God's people are to be radical in ministry and to be missional in thinking out of the box in the ways that we spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

But we are to understand that we are not trend setters. Jesus Christ was God's trend setter that came to reach out to the people in ways in which they would accept him as Lord and Savior. Additionally, that great idea that you or your church had for ministry, understand that it is not a trend but rather a God given and a Holy Spirit given revelation.

Beloved, my prayer for you today is that you go out preaching and teaching Christ Jesus, but in the understanding that it is what God intended us to do in the first place.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Don't Take Her Football!

Philippians 4:3 English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

I recently watched an NFL football game and observed the kind act of a player throwing a football to a female fan. Just as the woman got the ball into her hands it was snatched away by a man that was sitting in the same section. The woman begged the man for the football but was ignored and refused by the man. Fortunately the home football team saw this and brought the woman another football.

The topic I speak of today is not football or football games, but rather what happened to the days when men respected women and treated them as the precious flowers they truly are. In the Philippians verse we see the word companion used in relationship to our walking through this life together, especially those that truly have their names written in the Lambs Book of Life.

In an online question site called Girls ask Guys, this question was recently posted by a young lady:

Guys: do gentlemen still exist?

I don't look for perfection, but its like I’m a genuine, giving person, that has lots of love to give, and thinks i deserve to be treated with respect and to be adored an cherished, as i would do for a guy. I'm fun and love to laugh and just me and happy, and have goals, and have been told I'm the perfect girlfriend material, yet wheres Mr. boyfriend material for me...but its like the right guys don't want a girl, and the wrong guys want me, so am i wanting something that doesn't exist anymore?

The Philippians verse tells us to help women who live in this world with us and who work and exist side by side with us in life’s journey. My prayer for all men this day is that we remember that we are gentlemen. Opening doors, pulling out chairs, and acting with kindness and respect to ladies truly expresses God's love for those we call true companion.

Men

Women still seek out gentlemen not only in relationships, but in everyday encounters in which respect, dignity, and kindness of a man towards woman should be the expected result.Today's women are stilling looking for gentlemen, and the question that I pose is:

Are we teaching our sons as well as today's male society to respect women, or are we teaching them to take their footballs?

This is the day that the lord has made.

Heaven or Earth?

Are You Waiting For A Response?

Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.

How often in your lives have you contacted somebody and they have failed to respond to you, failed to return a call, an e-mail, or a personal invitation? What is the reasoning for leaving messages unanswered, what is the reasoning for leaving people hanging on your response?

Are we afraid to speak the truth in love, do we not care enough about the person to grace them with our response, or do we find ourselves to busy to bring the communication loop to a completion?

Beloved, as brothers and sisters in Christ we go to God in the knowledge that God will supply an answer, even if it isn't the answer that we are wanting to hear.

A few weeks ago in a blog entry I wrote that 80 percent of life is done by just showing up and being present. The same goes for our communication with others in the fact that a 100 percent of our communication is done when we respond to others that communicate with us.

My prayer for you this week is that you will return your messages and complete all your communications in the knowledge that God Answers, and so should we.

 Be faithful, keep covenant and answer all those who contact you, and do so in the steadfast love of God.




This is the day that the Lord has made.

Different Paths, Same Destination

Proverbs 3:6 ESV 

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

This morning was a very busy morning at our house, in the fact that we were all rushing in different directions  this morning. I'm sure that for many of you, your morning's may look the same as ours. Yes, children heading to school and parents heading off to different jobs in different locations. It is enough to make you feel lost sometimes. The one thing that we do in the morning's as to slow ourselves down and to set all our paths straight is to tell one another that we love them before they leave the house. 

I think the same goes in the fact that often we are each living emotional paths and each person that we encounter is on a different emotional path than we are. Some are lost, confused, perplexed, unclear, and maybe even off course. The saving grace for all of us as followers of Christ  is the  fact that God is constantly telling us that He loves us, so we can walk different directions and still wind up all at the same destination. When we believe in Jesus and are faithful to him we can all be in different places, but the love of Christ leads us all to the same destination.

My prayer for you today is that you will always start your mornings by loving Christ and loving others. In this way all our destinations will be heaven and our paths will all be made eternal, through the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This is the day that the Lord has made 

Maintaining Your Faith

We Are God's Music!

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Last night as I was lying in bed I listened to the wind blowing the wind chimes that hang off our outside deck and as I listened, each gust of wind seemed to play a different sound on the chimes. It was as if God was performing a musical concert in the midst of a wind storm.

Beloved, I really believe the same occurs in our relationship with God in the fact that he has made each one of us differently and has breathed His uniqueness into each and every one of us. The fact is that when God breathes on us, we each make a unique sound and tone as we live our lives as people of God.

My prayer for you today is that you will take time to stop and listen for God’s breath in your life, as you discern His will for your life. Yes, you and I are the chimes that sound with each gust of God’s breath. 

Brothers and Sisters be still in faith and draw near to God and let him write the musical for your life. Know that you are a unique and special sound that God has sent into the world for others to hear.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Living in Thanksgiving

Are You The Fire Without Heat?

Matthew 7:1-5 ESV

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

In these days of political commercials and twenty-four hour cable news, it is often easy to judge others without knowing them. Beloved, we live in a world in which judging others can even come down to judging whole societies and groups of people.

The text from Matthew today is telling us to take a good look at ourselves before we judge others; yes our lives must be clean before we can complain about the mess that others have made of their lives.  Author and Pastor Stephen Kingsley wrote a short story about true appearances based on the scripture of James 1:22; and Matthew 5:16.

Kingsley wrote: “I walked into the restaurant and stomped the snow off my boots before walking up to the counter. As I ordered coffee and a bowl of chili, my eyes were drawn to an HDTV mounted on the back wall. The screen featured a close-up of a fireplace with dancing flames. Maybe it was because the winter weather had me chilled to the bone, but my eye kept wandering back to the screen as I stood waiting for my order. 

What good is a fire that doesn't produce heat? It looks good, but it won't really warm anybody. It's all atmosphere and no substance. If we're to shine as Jesus shined, it isn't enough to speak Christian, we must live Christian. We must do the very same good works that Christ himself performed. He not only taught us to love one another, to forgive, to heal, to mend, and to bear each other's burdens; he loved, forgave, healed, mended and bore the burdens of many.”

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).

Beloved my prayer for you today is that you look at yourself before judging others and that you take a look in the proverbial mirror, and ask yourselves if you are walking the walk as you talk the talk? This day I ask that you be the Word of God, and live the Word of God to all that you encounter.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

The "Son" Shines Even During Storms!

John 16:22 ESV

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

As I sit working in my home office, I occasionally look out the window because of the possibility of severe weather later on in the day. But as I look out the window I notice that the sun is shining, and I cannot see the possibility of severe weather.

This truly speaks to the way that we live our lives. The fact is that those that are in a personal relationship with Christ can truly see the “Son” shine at all times. Does this mean that those that know Jesus will not face storms in their lives? Of course not! The truth of the matter is that we all will face storms and challenges in our lives. The saving grace for followers of Christ is in the knowledge that they have seen the “Son” before the storm, and have been promised that the “Son” will continue to be in their lives even during and after the storm.

Beloved, Christ is not with us just in the good times; Christ is with us at all times and has promised that He will never leave us. My prayer for you today is that as you prepare for the storms that will come; you realize that Jesus is present in your joy, your sorrow, and in your stormy and your sunny days.

Yes, it will rain, and storms and winds will blow, but Christ is present with us as to insure that nothing or no one can ever take our joy from us. May you look for the “Son” that never stops shining, this day and every day.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Modern Day Miracles

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy: Mark 1:40-45

⁴⁰ A man with leprosy^[h] came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

⁴¹ Jesus was indignant.^[i] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

⁴³ Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: ⁴⁴ “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” ⁴⁵ Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

In today’s world with wars, famines, disease, some people doubt that God is invested in this earth anymore and they ask: “Where are the miracles of God?” Beloved, I bring you good news today in the fact that miracles do occur and that God is truly at work in this world He created.

Yes, miracles are occurring that you and I may not be able to see, because God is working these miracles through His people: “The Body of Christ!” If we look back on the miracles of Christ, we see that he didn't want to be known for his miracles. When we see Christ healing the man from leprosy, we see Jesus asking him not to tell anyone.

Beloved, Christ did not want to be known as a magician or a circus performer. Jesus wanted to be known as God’s Son who would come as the suffering servant who was sent to die for our sins. Christ came to re-establish our relationship with his Father, and he wanted us to be a faithful people through our love of God and one another.

Yes, miracles happen every day, but God wants us to base our faith on our relationships with Him, rather than the miracles that He is conducting in this world. If you want to see a miracle occur today, my prayer is that you be the hands and feet of Christ, and feed, cloth, and nurture those that are truly in need. Help those that don’t know Christ, to come into relationship with him.

Let us place our faith relationships ever stronger and more powerful in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, focused on the healing miracle of salvation through Jesus Christ instead of focusing on other healing s and miracles.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Letting Go and Moving On

Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Many of us have had times in our lives in which we have sustained a loss, whether it is the loss of a relationship, the loss of a job, or maybe even just feeling lost. As we gather here this morning, I bring you good news in the fact that no matter what you have lost, that God is working on a new thing for your life.

Recently I read an article about moving on and letting go and it stated that the hardest part about moving on is in our moving out of the way. When we move out of the way of our loss, we can prepare ourselves for the happiness that God will bring to us.

Beloved, moving on from a painful experience is very difficult, and this morning’s verse from Isaiah informs us that God does not want us to constantly look back. God wants us to move on into the things that He is doing for us.

Friends, get ready to move out of the wilderness, rivers and desert, because God has a plan for all of our lives and we only need get out of the way to see His blessings appear.

My prayer for you today is that you know that God loves you so very much and has made plans and provisions for life. May you find the strength to let go and let God continue on with the plans that He has made for you.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Voting for Jesus

Exodus 18:17-21 ESV

Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

By this time in any election year we have had our fill of political commercials and advertisements about upcoming elections and political candidates. In the book of Exodus we are given God’s guide to choosing our elected officials. We are told that we should select elected officials that are beyond reproach, those that have a relationship with God and understand His expectations for their office.

My prayer for us this day is not so much for us, but rather those that run for political office. My prayer is that they know that they not only represent us, they represent God as the caretakers of what He has created.  

May we pray for our candidates to make good sound decisions and truly represent those that sent them? Additionally, let us be careful to make sure that we place Jesus Christ before any political party or candidate, and at the end of the day make sure that Jesus is always our prime candidate as Lord and Savior.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Attitude is Everything!

Colossians 3:23 ESV

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men

There is a story of a cowboy who was driving down the country road in his pickup truck, his faithful dog in the back and his horse towed in the trailer being pulled behind. The cowboy failed to negotiate a curve and had a terrible accident.

Sometime later a state police officer came upon the scene.  An animal lover, he saw the horse first. Realizing the serious nature of the injuries to the horse, he drew his service revolver and put the animal out of its misery.

He walked around the accident scene and observed that the dog was critically injured as well, so he ended the dogs suffering as well.

Finally he located the injured cowboy hiding in the bushes. The police officer asked the cowboy if he was okay. The cowboy took one look at the officers smoking revolver in the officer’s hand and quickly replied, “Never felt better!”

Beloved, attitude is everything in regards to our labors in this world. We often hear that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), which means he wants our labors voluntarily and never under compulsion.

Have you ever been asked to do something for your church or community, and you do it out of anything but joy? Beloved, my prayer for you this day is in the understanding that laboring for God should only be done in an attitude of joy and never reluctance.

When we are called by God we must know that He knows our skill sets and knows that we are worthy of the task that He has asked us to complete. Go out in service this day and know that God has selected well in choosing you, and that the labor is never for us, but rather for the Kingdom of God.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Peach Pie Verses Apple Pie = Pie

Galatians 3:26 ESV  

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

Recently I have gone to some functions that have served peach pie for dessert; in fact most of the functions I go to serve some sort of peach dish for dessert.  Needless to say I am not a fan of peaches, in fact I often feel that I am an apple pie person living in a peach pie world.

Maybe this is how we can describe how God’s people get along with one another? Have you ever encountered people that rub you the wrong way, in fact they are the peach pie to your apple pie lifestyle. There is nothing we can do about these peach pie people, but accept them in the understanding that we are different, but we both like pie.

The same can be said for Christ’s people that worship differently in regards to how they worship. Maybe they baptize infants our wait for them to get older and decide about baptism; maybe their communion tables are open or closed.

Beloved, even though we may worship differently we are still united in the fact that we worship the same God. Even though we may worship differently, we still worship the same Jesus Christ that paid for our sins upon the cross and defeated the empty tomb.

Beloved, my prayer for us today is that as the Body of Christ, we look to building up our similarities instead of focusing on our differences. May we embrace our key unity in the words of John 3:16: ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Go forward today enjoying peach pie and I will go forward enjoying apple pie and we will both celebrate the fact that we both love pie. 

This is the day that the Lord has made.

The Fruits of Our Labor

1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV 

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of 

the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

As I sat in my home on Labor Day I thought about those that that don't always have Labor Day off, and today's scripture from 1 Corinthians came to mind. As we have a day to celebrate labor, we must remember that true labor never really takes a day off. Many of us know people that work jobs that have to work on holidays and weekends, because the labors of their chosen profession never stop.

But unstoppable labor is more then celebrating those that have to work on holidays. Unstoppable labor is when we do for others instead of ourselves, when it is done in the name of the Lord.

Could you imagine if the fire department refused to come to us when our home was on fire because it was their day off, or the police department refused to come when needed? Beloved, God does not take a day off and we as is people serving a suffering world do not take a day off from Christianity.

My prayer for you this day is that we all understand that laboring for God is an unending job, that pays eternal dividends.  

This is the day that the Lord has made.