The Christmas Legacy

What's Love Got to Do With It!

Genesis 2:18-25 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.


This morning while watching a television program I watched a report on parenting or co-parenting without attachment, meaning a man and a woman have a child together without any romantic relationship or commitment. In this scenario, the two people agree to co-parent the child outside emotional investment  and commitment to each other. 

Beloved, the fourth week of Advent is all about love, and the love of God in delivering Jesus our Messiah. God sent Jesus to be in relationship with each and every one of us and God created the relationship of child procreation to be all about love as well, and not just an act to make a child. 

Yes, love has everything to do with it and God created man and woman to be committed to one another in love and relationship as they bring children into the world, and as they nurture their children to adulthood. Can you imagine God creating us, just for the act and not relationship? 

Brothers and Sisters, God loves us and calls us to relationship with Him and with our husbands and wives. God has the expectations that just as He shows us love in relationship, that we, as God's people, will steward our children through our physical, spiritual, and emotional relationships as to raise them as a people prepared for a committed relationship as well.

My prayer for all of us as we prepare for Advent love is that we understand that love and relationship has everything to do with the arrival of the Messiah, and it has everything to do with our family structures and commitment to one another.
Love one another and love your children! What does love have to do with it? "Everything".

Pastor Tim.

The Present Messiah

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

This weekend I had the privilege of being present while several children visited Santa Claus. As they sat on Santa's lap, Jolly Old Saint Nick would ask them: "What do you want for Christmas"? As I watched these children respond, two particular children stood out because of their total opposite responses. When the first girl was asked by Santa what she wanted, she responded: "Whatever you bring me will be fine". When the second girl was asked, she responded with true decision and preparation, and even gave Santa a page from an advertisement that had her actual request (along with the inventory number) on it and left it with Santa.

Beloved, both these answers were good in the following ways:

The young girl that stated anything would be fine left her choice up to someone else in the trust that whatever was delivered would fit the intended need. The young girl with the advertisement clipping came prepared to ask for what she wanted.

Beloved as we approach Christmas I believe that we can glean something from both these young people:

1. Whatever God delivers to us will be just what we need: The people that first awaited the Messiah believed that he would come like a military general to defeat those in power and to free those in bondage. Instead, the Messiah came as a baby that would fulfill the role of the "Suffering Servant" that would free us from bondage my taking our sins upon himself.
2. God's people must come prepared: Prepared in study, prepared in prayer, and prepared in faith that God will deliver just what His creation needs, just at the right time and the right place. At the time of Christ's birth, a few prepared for his arrival and traveled far distances to come and worship the promised Messiah.

Brothers and Sisters, my prayer for you is that as we travel through Advent together, that we go in the confidence that God through His Son Jesus Christ will supply our true needs, and not just our wants. Additionally, as we await the coming of the Messiah, let us be prepared by reading His Word, and being in constant prayer communication with him.

What Do You Want For Christmas?

Pastor Tim.

FCC Benton

On Fire For The Messiah!

On Fire For The Messiah!

From Black Friday to Bright Light Wednesday

Matthew 2:1 ESV 

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem

Recently, many of us have experienced commercials on television and social media that were meant to guide us to great deals and great buying experiences on the Friday after Thanksgiving which is called "Black Friday".

Instead of leading me to great sales, I believe that black Friday is an opportunity to look for the light of God and the coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah. Yes, we have commercials and the Internet, but in the time of Christ's birth the wise men had a star to guide them to the true Christmas gift.

While many of us woke up and ventured out into the early morning darkness of black Friday shopping, wise men long ago followed a star in the darkness that guided to the bright light of God.

Brothers as Sisters as we concentrate on the approaching Christmas, my prayer for you is that follow Christ to Christmas with as much energy and zeal as you have in making your last minute great deal purchases.

The true gift of Christmas is the gift that God gave us through Jesus Christ as to leave the darkness of the world and to enter the light of eternity. May you feel a sense of calmness and peace and urgency as we approach the arrival of the Messiah, sent to remove us from bondage to freedom and from the darkness of consumerism to the light of healing, forgiveness, redemption and relationship through God's Son, Jesus Christ.

Blessings and Peace

Pastor Tim.

The Thanksgiving of Thanksgiving Peace

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion,that it may give grace to those who hear.

James 3:5-6 ESV

5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!6 And the tongue is a fire,a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members,staining the whole body,setting on fire the entire course of life,and set on fire by hell.

On September 11, 1995, a squirrel climbed on the Metro-North Railroad power lines near New York City. This set off an electrical surge, which eventually left over 47,000 commuters stuck without a way to get home. Something as small as a squirrel can cause much damage, additionally, something as small as one's tongue can also cause significant damage.

Brothers and Sisters, as we gather with our families this Thanksgiving, let us make sure that they are happy times that build loving and positive memories. Make sure that as we celebrate God's bounty upon us, we also celebrate through communicating positive and uplifting words to those that we gather with.

My prayer for you this day is that you build memories, eat well, pray well, travel well, and build stories of happiness and not ones that involve anger and possible visits by law enforcement.

Blessings and Peace

Pastor Tim.