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Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: A Shining Light in the Darkness

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: A Shining Light in the Darkness: John 1:4 New International Version (NIV) 4  In him was life,  and that life was the light  of all mankind. It was the height ...

A Shining Light in the Darkness

John 1:4

New International Version (NIV)

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

It was the height of World War II in the Pacific and a group of internees (American and British) captured by the Japanese army were being transferred by ship to a starvation camp on Christmas Eve. The last thing that the prisoners heard from their Japanese captives as they locked them inside a ships hold was: "American submarines are thick in these waters and you will probably be torpedoed".

With this all that the captives could gather was darkness and isolation in their tomb that was the hold of a cargo ship. Those gathered could only hear weeping and cries for help, when out of the darkness a ladies voice singing Silent Night Holy Night was heard. It was said that when the ladies voice was heard, the weeping slowed and came to a stop.

Instead of fear, the light of hope entered the ships hold as others began to sing along with the lady. With this the dark space became a church as prayers and praise filled the darkness with the shining light of the Messiah come two thousand years ago as well as that night in a dark ship hold.
(Source: Taking the High Ground by Colonel Jeff O'Leary)

Brothers and Sisters as you approach this Christmas go forward in the understanding and the hope that nothing is so dark that the light of Jesus Christ cannot shine through it. Turn your face to the light and its glow will be eternal.This is the Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love that God sent to a suffering world in the form of a baby boy named Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas
Pastor Tim Polley

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: The Christmas Legacy

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: The Christmas Legacy

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