The Work Begins Again

Work hard, but not just to please your masters when they are watching. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 
Ephesians 6:6

Brothers and Sisters, it's Monday again and the work week has begun. As we each sit at our work location, contemplate our new work week and consider how we are to perform our tasks, does anticipation of the weekend to come override our job performance? 

Personally, sometimes I find myself worrying about the tasks at hand instead of why they are being performed, or who they are being performed for. Sometimes on the job tasks feel menial, and are often done in repetition rather than thought. 

As we go about our occupations this week let us ask ourselves who we truly are working for, and in what attitude God wants on our hearts as we labor. The same goes in our work communications, in the fact that as God's people we are called to share his love, excitement, and compassion with those whom we work with.

My prayer for all of this week is that we concentrate on the tasks at hand, and not worry about the end of the week. Go forth in the promise, enthusiasm, and commitment, in the fact that the God who makes Mondays, makes Saturdays and Sunday's.

God's kingdom is the prize, keep your eyes on it this week.

Knowing who the Boss is!
Pastor Tim

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Back to Church Sunday. September 16, 2012

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Back to Church Sunday. September 16, 2012

Back to Church Sunday. September 16, 2012

 
With tomorrow being the eleventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, I would like to dedicate this weeks Pastor Tim's Benton Blog to the Emergency Service Personnel of Marshall County Kentucky as well as emergency service personnel all over our wonderful country.

Brothers and Sisters, these diligent hero's go into harms way on our behalf and like the attacks of eleven years ago these selfish hero's run in as we are running out.

We place our trust and safety in them and we thank their families for sharing them with us. This week I ask that you find one of these wonderful individuals and thank them for their service and their sacrifice.

Let us also keep in prayer our military personnel that are standing on that wall and protecting us from those that would try to harm us and our way of life.To those that lost their lives eleven years ago we mourn their loss. and to those emergency personnel that lost their lives on 911, and to those military personal that have given the last full measure,we can never say thank you enough.

Thankful for my Savior and those that he sends to protect me.
Pastor Tim

Prayer for Firefighters and Emergency Responders

Father, I'm praying for firefighters and others who hold dangerous jobs where lives often hang in the balance...

When they face danger—be their stronghold. (Psalm 9:9b)

When they feel inadequate—help them do all things through Christ. (Philippians 4:13)

When they're upset—give them peace at all times and in every way. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

When they're exhausted—give them Your strength. (Isaiah 40:29)

When they're overwhelmed—may Your grace be sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9a)

When things seem impossible—remind them that nothing is too hard for You. (Jeremiah 32:17)

When they don't know what to do—show them. (Isaiah 30:21)

When they're in trouble—be their ever-present help. (Psalm 46:1)

When they're confused—give them a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7b)

When they're afraid—help them trust in You. (Psalm 56:3)

When their heart grows faint—be their Rock. (Psalm 61:2b)

Bring them through fire and flood, that they may praise You. (Psalm 66:12, 17)

In Jesus' name, amen.

Source: "Prayers for the Moment: One-Minute Scripture Prayers" Copyright September 2006. Reprinted with permission of B&H Publishing Group

Parenting By The Book

Godly Parenting Works!

Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules^[a]—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, ² that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.³ Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

⁴ “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^[b] 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. ⁶ And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.⁸ You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:1-9 (ESV)

This morning as I sit in my office writing this blog, different emotions surround this pastor. Last Friday I lost a beloved friend and fellow brother in Christ. This person attended the congregation that mentored me into the pastor that I am today, he was a mentor, friend and confidant. 
Last week my parents visited us and I truly saw how aging is truly beginning to slow them down. With these visions in my head I began to draw on the memories of older mentors and my parents, while embracing the wonderful things that they have taught me.
Is Godly parenting a thing of the past? Is there room for it in today's society? Thankfully the answer is yes! Instead of this weekend being spent in mourning and melancholy, it was spent with God showing me new and miraculous forms of Godly parenting.

• It was shown through a young man showing me his new Bible, and proudly showing his pastor all that he had studied already.
• It was shown through the young mother holding her child on top of the pew so the young lady could sing God's music with the entire church.
• It was shown through the high school youth engaging me in conversation as we discussed the Book of Revelation.
• It was shown through the loving donations of a community to the local free clinic that benefits the working uninsured. 

Brothers and Sisters, as you go about your week, know that Godly parenting works! While it is not often seen, it is alive and well. As you encounter one another this week, embrace the past, embrace the present, and look to the future that God is making, and embracing and loving. 

God shines in the past, present, and in the future.

Pastor Tim

Dancing in the rain

Psalms 147:7-8 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow upon the mountains.

As I sit in my office this afternoon, this is the view that I am seeing. As it rains heavily outside, part of me sits inside thinking how nice it is to hear the rain on the roof while being dry and protected by the building. But part of me wants to go outside and run and dance in the rain, like I did as a child. As an adult I understand that running outside in the rain would not be the prudent thing or the adult thing to do. I think this is because people may see me and question my actions, the same goes for people that don't go out preaching Jesus Christ, because some may question their actions.

How often do we that profess to be Christians gather inside our warm and safe buildings instead of running outside like children, professing Jesus Christ to all that will listen. Like the rain that nurtures the soil, so is the Christian that goes out nurturing those with the word of God.

My prayer for us all this week is that we never be afraid to dance in the rain, because of embarrassment. The same goes in my prayer that we are never to embarrassed or afraid to go out sing to others about the Lord with thanksgiving.

Come and dance in the rain with me and lets watch God work.

Pastor Tim.

The Happy Tie Guy

While in seminary, I was required to perform a semester of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), which involves spending a semester internship in a hospital or health care setting. One of my favorite memories of this time was watching and learning from our Catholic Priest (Father Tim). My fond memories of Father Tim revolved around his appearance in the hospital, in the fact that his patient care and ministry exuded happiness and love.

When visiting with patients, he (Father Tim) would not wear the traditional black priests shirt with his collar. Instead Father Tim would wear the brightest colored, pink, blue, and yellow shirts with his priests collar. My belief was that Father Tim wanted bright colors to show happiness and joy, rather than the traditional black color that might bring fear to some patients.

Father Tim taught me that brightness and joy have a true place in settings that sometimes can be dark and scary to people. I learned that my happy attitude not only revolved around my demeanor, but also revolved around how I appeared to my flock in the hospital.  

The book of Ecclesiastes Chapter three, verse twelve tells us: I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live. As a now graduated seminarian and an ordained minister, I take this text to heart when visiting with those that are in dark situations, those that are in fear, those that need to see brightness instead of darkness.

I may not wear a priests shirt, but after watching Father Tim, I wear bright ties that express happiness and brightness to those that may be in fear, those that see nothing but darkness and fear on the horizon.

Brothers and Sisters, those of us the share and profess the "Good News" of Jesus Christ are called to carry ourselves in the same joy and happiness, in the fact that our eternity has been been sealed for us in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

My prayer for you does not involve wearing bright, loud ties, but resides in the fact that people will truly see God's happiness and joy in you, and that your Christ filled personality will turn someones darkness into a bright light.

Be Happy My Friends.

Pastor Tim