The Magic Number Fifty-Five

Ecclesiastes 7:1 ESV

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.

Well as of today, I have existed fifty-five years on this spinning globe. I must admit while many approach their birthdays with a sense of excitement, today’s birthday is one with a bit of anxiety. My father died when he was fifty-four, and for the longest time I have thought about my approaching this age.

Many things in my life are different from my father, in the fact that I don’t smoke, and I see a doctor as regularly as possible. Our similarities are in our love for coffee and food.  This Tuesday, I will celebrate my birthday wondering about dad, and what if he had lived longer then fifty-four. Today, I will think of the things that I have accomplished in my fifty-five years on this earth. I will even think of the mistakes that I have made, and how I have grown from them.

What does another birthday mean in the scope of one’s life? It means that I (we) have another day to serve the Lord, it means that I (we) can try to do better than I (we) did yesterday. Another birthday means that I (we) have an opportunity to love my (our) wives more, and to love my (our) children more.

Beloved each day on this earth is a new opportunity to share the new you that was made by Christ, and to know that He loves you for your faith in Him, and that He forgives you for your mistakes and missteps.

Maybe a birthday is just another year, but I like to think that it is another opportunity to do new things, to love more, and to work even harder for His kingdom. What have I contributed to the betterment of society, what challenges await me in the future? Only God has these answers. 

The Lord has blessed me with a longer life span then dad. “Thanks Be to God”.

Beloved, at the end of the day, in every moment of our lives, we only leave this world with our names and how we lived our lives. Enjoy your special days, make every day new, and when it is your time to be called home...make sure your name is well written in the Lambs Book of Life.

Here’s to another special day, and here is one day closer to fifty-six.

Happy Birthday to Me (Dad’s hair color and mine are now the same, at fifty-five). “Grey” =)

Pastor Tim.

Wherever You Go...There You Are!

Matthew 6:25-34 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,[a] or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?[b] 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God[c]and his[d] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

The text from Matthew tells us that God has prepared and made a way for all creatures that inhabit this world that he created. Likewise we as humans are stewards of this earth and if God has provided for its creatures, he has surely provided for its stewards.

Beloved, worry is something that often overtakes us. We worry about our next meal, our next outfit, or the next place that we will lay our heads to rest. God has provided for this world and continues to do so, but we still seem to be a people of worry instead of a people faithful in the knowledge of God’s provision.

Does anxiety help God’s people? Will worry supply what God has already promised to supply us? The answer is no. Anxiety and worry place burdens on each and every one of us that God does not desire for our lives. Having faith in God’s provision for our needs is the only way that we can distance ourselves from worry as to focus on the work that God is revealing to us.

Instead of the what, why, and where, this text tells us that we must focus instead on the WHO... we must focus on God to provide the manna to us, just as he did for those fleeing Egypt with Moses. When we worry, when we are anxious, we show ourselves as helpless with nowhere to turn. For those that are followers of the cross, we have the proof and the promise that God provides not only for our earthly needs, but our eternal needs. When in the unknown, we have God to turn to in prayer, relationship, and provision.

Philippians 4:6, 7 tells us:  “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

As of this writing I have been extended a call to pastor a church in another community. Instead of worrying, I will place my faith in God.Instead of worrying,I go in the knowledge that wherever I go, there I am, and wherever I am, God is there!

Beloved, do not let worry and anxiety rule your life.Place your trust in the Father,the Son,and the Holy Spirit. He will provide just as he does for the birds of the air and the lilies in the field.

Thanks for letting me be part of this community over the past three and a half years. 

Don't Go There!

Don’t go there!

Ephesians 5:3English Standard Version (ESV)

³ But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

As of this morning’s news we see another public figure disgraced with accusations of sexual misconduct. Yes, the world is exploding with stories and claims of people who have sexually harassed others in the work place or in the public.

We have come to a place in society when we cannot allow our sons and daughters to walk the streets of their neighborhoods, to play, to trick or treat, to go door to door selling fundraising items. We have come to a place in our existence that our children, and adults have no place of guaranteed safety from violence and being the victims of sexual predators.

Beloved, the Bible is clear on this topic! If we look to the Ephesians chapter 5, verse 3 reading, we see that we are to live and act like the forgiving and loving God that created us. We are called to live our lives understanding the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross, and we are to live daily as people of the example.

Respect for others, begins at home, and respect for others begins with parents teaching their children more about Christ than what the world can provide. When the world forgoes its personal relationship with Christ and his church over worldly activities, we are showing our children that learning and living as God intends falls somewhere below any worldly activity.

In his commentary Theologian Matthew Henry States: “These verses contain a caution against all manner of uncleanness, with proper remedies and arguments proposed: some further cautions are added, and other duties recommended. Filthy lusts must be suppressed, in order to the supporting of holy love. Walk in love, and shun fornication and all uncleanness. (Henry 2017)

Beloved our call for today is to come back to the Word of God and the World of God through Jesus Christ. Our call is to only go out into the world as a person of Christ instead of a person unto the world. When in doubt of how to act in regards to your morality and your treatment of others, go to God, seek out his word. And when it comes to the lusts of the body outside of marriage,

“Don’t Go There!”

Works Cited

Henry, Matthew. 2017. Bible Study Tools. Accessed November 29, 2017. https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/ephesians/5.html.

No Answers, Only an Exit Strategy.

Revelation 21:4 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴ 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.”

When pastoring another church, our Church Adult Bible Study began to study the Story of Heaven by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee. The first chapter of this study begins with understanding our exit strategy.  As we enter this day, many of us are thinking about the year 2020 and the loss of life that has occurred in it. 

This year, many pastors such as myself are trying to bring comfort to horrific situations in which the reasoning for the events are unknown to us. My words in this blog are not trying to explain these situations in anyway, because I have no such explanation.

What I do bring this morning is the fact that whatever happens in this world, God has given each and everyone of us an exit strategy and His name is Jesus Christ. All of us will face death, whether it is in old age, disease, accident, or at the hands of violence.

Do you have an exit strategy? Have you made that commitment to Jesus Christ? Do you know him personally? Do you walk with Him and do you know heaven as your eternal home?

Today I ask that we all reach out in prayer for all those who have died this year, whatever the cause. Let us pray in the hope that they had an exit strategy that surrounded the saving grace of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Today I ask that if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that you seek him out this very moment and secure your own exit strategy.

Prayer of Salvation

"Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey you, and to do your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

Beloved, I have no answers to why violence and sickness occurs, but I do have hope in the promise that whenever we die, those that know Christ have an exit strategy that no violence or sickness can ever take away from us.

In the sure and present hope of the Resurrection. Pastor Tim.

Look to the Light, Look to the Helpers!

John 9:1-41 ESV

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Unless we live in a hole somewhere, none of us have missed the horrific events of the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting. Since this tragedy, many people, many pastors have been trying to cast some sort of sense on a senseless situation.

• We have had people asking, where was God?
• We have had people casting blame on the victims because of who they voted for, or even because of the world’s sinful nature.

In today’s text from the ninth chapter of John, we see the disciples doing the same thing in regards to the blind man. Did the blind man’s parents sin, or did the blind man have the guilt of sin upon him. Here we see Christ in the role of Rabbi which is Hebrew for Teacher, and Jesus the teacher uses the vision of the blind man as a teaching event.

Beloved, there is evil in the world and work and presence of God must be shown and was shown in the presence of those that helped, those that worked for good and not evil. God was present in the emergency responders, God was present in those that assisted the wounded and dying, and God was present in the people that used their bodies as shields to protect others.

How was God displayed at this tragedy? It was displayed in the acts of the people (The Body of Christ) that sacrificed their own well being for others, often strangers.  Beloved our job and our call on earth is to be Christ like and to shine his light in the darkest of places.

Even in the dark area of the shooting area, the light of Christ could be seen and the love of God could be witnessed in the actions of his people. Jesus died on the cross and sacrificed his life for ours, for the many, for all.

Yes, there is evil in the world and Christ has already achieved the victory over evil. As people of the victory, as carriers of the Light of Christ, our mission is to be witnesses of Christ’s love and sacrifice. Our light must shine, even in the darkest, evilest, and scariest places.

Evil happened, it was nobody’s fault except the shooters, but victory and presence did occur in the presence of those that gave their lives for others, and those that saved the lives of others. Try not to cast blame on this tragedy, and don’t even try to justify evil.  Be the shining light and example of Christ that has already claimed the victory over evil.

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world. Fred Rogers: Children’s Television Host and Presbyterian Minister.

In Christ

Pastor Tim.

The Faith Hunt

The Value of Wisdom

2 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, ² making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; ³ yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, ⁴ if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, ⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. ⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; ⁷ he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, ⁸ guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. ⁹ Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;
¹⁰ for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; ¹¹ discretion will watch over you,  understanding will guard you, ¹² delivering you from the way of evil,  from men of perverted speech, ¹³ who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, ¹⁴ who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, ¹⁵ men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. ¹⁶ So you will be delivered from the forbidden^[a] woman, from the adulteress^[b] with her smooth words, ¹⁷ who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; ¹⁸ for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed;^{[c] 19} none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. ²⁰ So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. ²¹ For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, ²² but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

This week at our church we begin the sermon series title “The Faith Hunt”, and we approach it from the perspective of Proverbs 2. Proverbs 2 is the perfect platform for us as many seek guidance from God on how to act in regards to football players kneeling, saber rattling between the United States and North Korea, and the worlds severe weather and geological events.

Beloved, just as we begin a new study as to learn about God’s direction for our lives, so go the words from Proverbs 2 that are here to teach those that are willing to be taught. Yes, how do we address the things of the world that are distressing us, how to we approach those life changing decisions that we need to make?

• ·         Wisdom and Knowledge are the key to our discernment.

Just as Solomon has taken God’s law as to live in faith and obedience, we are called to seek out God’s wisdom when making decisions, and making earthly choices. Seeking out God’s wisdom is crucial in navigating the issues and discussions on this earth.

James 1:19 tells us: Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.

My friends as you go forward in this troublesome world love God, live for God and obey His words for your lives righteously.

See you at the sermon series and bible studies in October, as we all continue on the “Faith Hunt”.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Pastor Tim.

Take a Private Jet to Heaven?

You Can't Take a Private Jet to Heaven!

As a Minister of Word and Sacrament, I must be the first to admit that I like to be comfortable and I like my family to like nice things. As I sit in my home office on a hill in Northern Kentucky, I realize that I have it better than some ministers, and maybe not as well as other ministers.

¹⁹"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not Matthew 6:19-21

Beloved, what treasures do we seek on earth and what treasurers of the world do we think we can’t live without? The key thought and meaning of today’s text from Matthew 6: 19-21 is that the things that we cherish of this world cannot and will not insure our eternal salvation.  One of my jokes is that some preachers need Ten Million Dollar Private Jets and I am just looking for gas money to a neighboring town.  

Beloved, the only thing that can fly us to heaven is a life that is lived for Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ shed on the cross is the only thing that promises those who believe an eternity in heaven. As much as we would like, our jet planes, fast cars and huge bank accounts cannot ever pay our way into heaven.

Worldly-mindedness is a common and fatal symptom of hypocrisy, for by no sin can Satan have a surer and faster hold of the soul, under the cloak of a profession of religion. (Henry n.d.)

Beloved, Christ has paid for our tickets to heaven, while blessing many of us with lives of comfort and wonderful earthly possessions. The question that I will ask of all of us this morning is:

• Is your wealth growing your pockets or is it growing God’s Kingdom?
• Have you invested in the ministries of your church, have you helped when others were not financially able to do so?

 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35

My friends, I ask that you stray away from the prosperity gospel preachers who tell you that God wants us all wealthy and living our best life now. Remember, God has already given us everything that we will ever need for an eternity, He gave us His Son’s life!

This is the day that The Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it.

Pastor Tim.

Works Cited

Henry, Matthew. n.d. biblehub.com. Accessed August 30, 2017. http://biblehub.com/commentaries/mhc/matthew/6.htm.