Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Sticking Your Head In The Alligators Mouth!

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Sticking Your Head In The Alligators Mouth!: This morning as we were sitting in our men's exercise group and were discussing reality television, a discussion came up about a televisi...

Sticking Your Head In The Alligators Mouth!

This morning as we were sitting in our men's exercise group and were discussing reality television, a discussion came up about a television show in which a person stuck their head in the mouth of an alligator. Our discussion focused on the fact that a person that would stick their head in the mouth of an alligator must not be to bright!

A person that would stick their head in the mouth of an alligator is placing a lot of trust that the alligator will not chomp down while their head is in its mouth. Whatever the reason for doing this, the person has a 50/50 chance of their head coming out of the alligators mouth or it biting down on their head. Personally the odds of trust are not good enough for me to ever place my head in the mouth of an alligator (I'm sure my wife appreciates my logic).

Yes, many would say that a person that would risk their life in an alligators mouth is not playing with a full deck, or maybe isn't the sharpest pencil in the drawer. Yes, how can one trust an alligator to do the right thing? Some of us may think of it as a magical feet of awesome trust and awesome skill, but we will see that our skill and our bag of tricks can never be 100% guaranteed.

This week, I speak of Simon and the Samarion people in Acts: 8:9-17. In this text, the people of Samaria followed the skills of a magician named Simon, and through his feats of magic people believed him to have the power of God. People paid attention to him and were constantly amazed with his magic. But with this we see Philip come on the scene preaching the good news of the Kingdom of God, and of Jesus Christ. Upon hearing the good news, both men and women were baptized.

The awesome thing was that the great magician Simon understood that his life and faith could not, and should not ever be placed in reliance of feats of magic. With this Peter and John heard of the baptisms in Samaria and they went to them and prayed with those recently baptized, as the power of the Holy Spirit had yet to touch the people of Samaria. Peter and John laid their hands on the people and scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit came into the people of Samaria.

Brothers and Sisters, I bet that the person who places their head inside of an alligators mouth hopes the alligator has already had lunch and won't touch them, let alone bite them. Even Simon the magician knew that the love of God was a 100% proposition, and that the only thing he needed to do was to trust God and let himself be touched (by the waters of baptism and the touch of the Holy Spirit).

As we move into the year 2013 some of us may go forward making decisions like a person sticking their heads in the mouths of alligators, in which they feel like an alligator has chomped down on their heads. Yet some of us can go into the year 2013 and be like Simon and know that magic and chance, or even risk can never compete with the power of God's love through the Holy Spirit.

My prayer today is for those that feel as if they are alligator wranglers in the difficulties of daily life! May they realize that the love of God, and the touch of the Holy Spirit are the only true safe touch that even magicians trust. The trust that will leave them with their lives and heads fully attached!

Praying for solid heads of trust and alligators that have full stomachs.
Pastor Tim

Is Your Journey Legitimate?

As we gather this Sunday we will be celebrating Epiphany and we will remember the journey that the Magi took in getting to the Messiah: 
What were their motivations for traveling such a great distance to see a mere baby born to such meager parents? Scripture tells us that they journeyed just to worship this child, but on the other side we see the motives of King Herod. Herod gave the Magi his blessing in crossing through his land, but he asked that they see him upon their return, so they could give him a report. We see that it was revealed to the Magi that they should leave the country by another route and bypass Herod altogether. 

We see that God knew that Magi had legitimate intentions, and that Herod did not, thus God made a clear path for their arrival and departure. In other words their visions were met! In his character of the "Church Lady", comedian Dana Carvey portrays the pious church lady that always has an opinion for what God has in store for people the Church Lady had ulterior motives in the form of her opinions about people. Created and played by Dana Carvey, The Church Lady is an elderly woman named “Enid Strict”, who is the 
uptight, smug and pious host of her own talk show, Church Chat. 
Enid is a spoof of “holier-than-thou” Christian churchgoers.

Thus we must ask ourselves if our church journey is legitimate, and if our path of focus is true? We must also ask ourselves: 

• What are the opinions of those that see us from the outside looking in? Does it appear that our journey is legitimate to them, our can the spot phoniness from a mile away? 
• Will our journey lead us to the Messiah and will God reveal our true path of travel? Brothers and Sisters the only true and legitimate path to Christ is through worship and praise. Often we get caught up in the politics and business of church and we forget that the main mission, the main journey, is to worship Jesus Christ! 

My prayer for all of us this week is that we consider the legitimacy of our Christian journey and ask ourselves what our motivation of faith is? 

• Is it about a pretty sanctuary? 
• Is it about the coolest minister? 
• Is it about what entertainment a church can give us? 
• Or is it about our reputations being assisted if we attend the coolest happening church in the community?

As we go into our 2013 journey: 

• let our true motivation be about worshiping the "One True God" and not things of the earth that cannot ever satisfy, and which will never give our journey direction. Let me re-phrase this: Worshiping with non-legitimate motives will point you in a direction and this is not the direction of heaven, but rather a direction that will spiral downwards (If You Catch My Drift).

May Your Journey Be True and Legitimate in Worship and Praise!

Well Isn't That Special!
Pastor Tim 

Its Not Only Your Presents That Are New!

Well, the gifts are barely unwrapped and maybe some have already been returned! Facebook is loaded with posts about the new gifts that people received for Christmas. Many are diligently reading instruction manuals, while practicing the use of new gadgets, because we need to know how to use these devices.

While we have all these new gifts, we soon will be entering and celebrating a new year. We will see many make resolutions about new ways of living in the new year. I often wonder if people are as diligent in planning new ways to worship God, as they are with planning diets or better ways to handle money and relationships.

Brothers and Sisters as we practice with new gadgets that play roles in our life and as we anticipate new things in the new year, shouldn't we be planning and embracing new ways to praise God? 

The Gospels tell us of the newness that the birth of Christ means. Also, the Apostle Paul told us in his letter to the Romans of our news lives in baptism. We are told that this new life gives us eternal life with Christ in heaven. Yes, we are people in which God continually gives newness.

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.Romans 6:4 (ESV)

As people that are made new, shouldn't we constantly be finding new ways to praise God and to spread His Gospel? My prayer for all of us in the new year is that we enter it finding new ways to praise, worship, and be the people that God has made us new to be!

Next time someone tells you at church "We have always done it that way", tell them that God has made us new people and is constantly having the Holy Spirit introduce new ways for us to tell His story and to share His Word.

Jump into the New Year as a "new person", finding new ways to spread the word that is unchangeable. God has no limits and neither do his people have limits, in ways of spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Reading the Instruction Manual (The Bible) and Excited That I Have Been Made "New"!

Pastor Tim

First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Benton KY Join us Christmas Eve for our Candlelight and Carols Worship. 9:00 PM at First Christian Church Benton. 2515 South Main Street. Benton Kentucky

The Race Begins

Many pastors have been preaching the fact that we are all on a journey through Advent, and that we are all going to arrive at the destination on Christmas. As I sit here and review my calendar for the day, let alone the week I cannot figure out how I'm going to get everything accomplished?

As we go to school concerts, Christmas parties, and as we try to complete our work prior to Christmas, the pace begins to quicken. Yes, this Advent journey has begun to go from walking, to a steady pace, and now it feels as we are beginning to run!

When we contemplate the pace of our Advent journey's we must think about the journey that the Magi took in getting to the Messiah, we must think of the distance that they traveled and how long the star shined in the sky as to guide them.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2: 1-2

The distance that the Magi traveled is not really known, but we know that it was a great distance. We know that the Magi were patient and meticulous about their journey to the Christ child. We even know that they did not arrive until well after the birth of Christ, yet the star stayed bright in the sky as to lead them.

Brothers and Sisters, my prayer for all of us this day is that as we journey this Advent is that we take time to slow down and take time to be patient and meticulous as we travel to the manger. Be patient and know that like the star that guided the Magi, God will make sure that the Son shines bright enough and long enough for us to journey slowly and surely.

As we journey we must not let humanities busyness take away the joy of our journey's, we must not let the quickened pace cause us to run so fast that we miss the true meaning of the Christmas journey. So take off those track shoes, slow the pace, be patient and meticulous and arrive at the destination ready to embrace the full meaning of God's love for the world.

One of my favorite scripture passages is from Psalm 46:10 "Be Still and Know That I Am God!" This is my mantra as I journey this Advent, and as I also follow the star that will lead me to the Savior. Beloved: "Be Still and Know He Is God!" and slow down.

Slowing the Pace
Pastor Tim

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: I Have Nothing

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: I Have Nothing: By now most of us have heard about the shootings at the elementary school in Newtown Connecticut, and the senseless murders of twenty chi...