Hope Comes In The Morning!

Yesterday we lost (Mouseketeer) Annette, and the Iron Lady (Margaret), but closer to home we lost Billy Ray from Benton. In the darkness of the night Billy Ray passed away and passed on to his Heavenly Father. As I approach my second year in ordained ministry I have said goodbye (for now) to many dear friends who are church family.

As a local church pastor I have witnessed many such events in which wives, husbands, daughters, sons, grandchildren and siblings have ended the day in tears and sadness in the loss of a loved one. Last night was no different, and was just as special when I witnessed true love being expressed by Billy Ray's family .

As I left the hospital this morning, I noticed the silence of the hospital and those sleeping on couches as they waited on news of their family members. While walking outside in the parking lot I observed the first signs of new life in the form of a new day, and the morning making its initial appearance. As I approached my vehicle, the sound of chirping birds brought forth the sign of God's creation in the form of life making itself known. 

I believe that our journey to heaven may be the same way, in the fact that the loving arms of Jesus Christ are like a morning sunshine. Beloved, our earthly deaths are not the end, but just the beginning of an eternity with Christ Jesus. In my life I never met Annette,or Margaret, but I knew and loved Billy Ray and I know for a fact that he strolls in joy this morning with Jesus in heaven. Yes, joy does come in the morning with the sun and the chirping birds, but we must not forget so soon after Easter that true joy in the morning started with Resurrection morning.

Psalm 30:5

English Standard Version (ESV)

For his anger is but for a moment 

and his favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may tarry for the night, 

but joy comes with the morning.

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Love and Prayers From Eight Hours Away!

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Love and Prayers From Eight Hours Away!: Pastor Tim's Dad With FCC Benton Prayer Blanket. James 5:14-15   Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the chur...

Love and Prayers From Eight Hours Away!

Pastor Tim's Dad With FCC Benton Prayer Blanket.

James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

This weeks blog is a bit of a long distance blog as I am writing it from Moline Illinois, while Lynne and I visit with our families. As I write this weeks blog I will be visiting with my dad who is fighting throat cancer. He is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. As dad enters his third week of treatments he is doing well , but is beginning to face some of the initial reactions that come along with these treatments.

The loving congregation in which I pastor, truly understands the biblical truth that prayers reach farther than Marshal County Kentucky. In fact their  prayers that have no limitations and no borders reached eight hours north of Benton today, in the form of a prayer blanket.

Since my call to FCC Benton I have been so amazed at the power of this blanket ministry, and the effect that it has on those that are facing health issues. Each blanket pattern that is chosen for the person seems to fit their personality perfectly, while each knot that is tied on the blanket contains a single prayer from each knot that is tied.

The powerful prayers that were placed in this blanket are now firmly wrapped around my father, and the Holy Spirit is truly at work in the choice of the blanket pattern that was selected. The blanket that was selected for my dad is patterned with cardinals, which happens to be my dads favorite bird. In fact when dad sits in his chair and looks out the window he diligently watches the two cardinals that are regular visitors to their deck. 

The scripture from James tells us that powerful prayers work and that prayers from the righteous, are prayers that are constantly at work. So I know that as dad wears this blanket he will think of the powerful prayers lifted up to God that are working and being sent from a small loving congregation in Benton Kentucky. 

Thanks for blanketing dad in prayer.

Pastor Tim.

Raise the Roof at FCC Benton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdJBL287zN8&feature=youtu.be

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Finite or Infinite, The Choice Is Ours

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Finite or Infinite, The Choice Is Ours: As I sit here this Monday morning I should be writing an Easter message full of flowers and happy little stories, but I can only write as...

Finite or Infinite, The Choice Is Ours

As I sit here this Monday morning I should be writing an Easter message full of flowers and happy little stories, but I can only write as the Holy Spirit guides me. So on this Monday morning, I'm going to start the day by talking our our deaths.

What could be the reason for such a deep topic on a Monday morning? Could it be that I learned of a seminary classmates passing yesterday? Could it be that I have a member grieving the loss of a sister? Could it be that I have an eighty year old father battling cancer? Or could it be that we had a great discussion at our young adult gathering last night, and a great discussion in last weeks Revelation study? I'm thinking that it is a little of all these things, plus a Holy Spirit that said: "Preacher Tim, write about this"!

Is this all there is? Is our life finite and are we just destined to a six foot deep hole in the ground? Are we a civilization whose only future is an errant asteroid striking us and wiping out any semblance of our existence? These are such deep and downing questions for early morning, especially a Monday morning, but they must be discussed.

Yesterday we shouted in celebration as Jesus entered Jerusalem as our King that entered in humbleness and humility. Little did the crowd know that a few days later they would be shouting "Crucify Him", and this king would soon be killed. Was his death his choice, our choice or God's choice or was it part of God's Master plan that would supply us all with a choice to be finite or infinite?

Often we speak about this Free Will choice that God gave us when we were created, a choice to turn to God or to turn away from God. This free will choice actually goes much deeper in the fact that God loves us so much that we are given the choice to decide if we will have a limited shelf life and be finite, or to decide that we will do not have an expiration date, thus being infinite.

Yes, we are all going to die and we do not know when, today, tomorrow or years in the future, our date of death is unknown. Today is the day of salvation, today is the day of choice, today is the day to decide if you are to be or not to be, yes that is the question!

As we journey this week and can see the cross in the near distance, we must make a choice to follow the Christ on the cross, the Savior that paid our price as to be infinite. Will you be here an hour from now, a day from now, our years from now????? Finite or Infinite, the choice is yours and the decision must be made sooner than later.

If you have yet to make your choice for finite or infinite, I pray that you look at the cross in the near distance and pray this prayer today.

“God, I know that I am a sinner. I am sorry for my sins, and I ask You to forgive me. I believe You gave Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die in my place, for my sins, on the cross.
I believe You have forgiven me, and I accept Your salvation through Jesus.
Jesus, I choose to turn from doing them again and to live for You for the rest of my life.
I choose You to be the Lord and Master of my life.
I will be who You want me to be.
I will do what You want me to do.
I will go where You want me to go.
Thank you, God, for hearing my prayer and forgiving me of all my sins.
Amen.”

See ya in church, welcome to God's kingdom where the word "finite" is not in the heaven dictionary.

Pastor Tim.

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Raise The Roof Easter Service 2013

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Raise The Roof Easter Service 2013: First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Benton KY about an hour ago We invite you to join us this Easter for our Raise...