Beginning Again

85 Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.

² Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people; thou hast covered all their sin.

Recently I was listening to a song called “Begin Again” in which a couple begins a brand new relationship together. I immediately began to think of Psalm 85 in which the Israelites were returning from Babylonian exile and asking God to find favor upon them again. The Israelites wanted to begin again and thus they turned back to God and asked for Him to be present with them again.

How many of us have at one time or another felt the absence of God in our lives? Beloved the question is not if God has been absent in our lives, but rather if we have been absent from God.

My friends my message for us all today is that God never leaves our side, it is we that turn our faces from God when we make decisions without Him or choose to separate ourselves from His love. The ancient Israelite's had not been abandoned; it was they who turned from God.

My prayer for you today is that you involve God in every aspect of your lives. If you have separated yourself from God I pray that you begin again your relationship today, this very second. Only a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can free us from our feeling of captivity and being alone in fractured and troubled world.

Beloved, turn your faces back to God today, I guarantee that He is still looking at you and looking out for you. Forgive yourselves and begin again.

This is the day that the Lord has made.   

Trust and Loyalty the True Keys to Relationship

Proverbs 21:21 ESV

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.

Once I was walking down a hill at our local county park while walking my dog pal Tuffy. As I proceeded down this hill pathway I twisted my ankle and fell into the grass next to the pathway.  As I tripped and fell I let go of Tuffy’s leash. While on the ground holding my painful twisted ankle, the thought came across my mind that Tuffy had probably ran off when I dropped his leash.  Instead to my surprise Tuffy was sitting right next to me with his whole attention fixed on me. My wife caught up to us and went to get the car to come and get me and during this whole time my dog pal Tuffy never left my side.

On this day I knew that my dog cared for me and was loyal to his human friend by refusing not to leave his side. This day sealed the day that Tuffy became not only a pet but rather a family member that had tightened his bond to us.

The same goes for our human relationships in knowing who we can trust not to leave us during our deepest and darkest nights. Yes, loyalty and trust are the keys to any human and need I say animal relationship. More importantly as followers of Christ loyalty and trust are everything. Beloved, Christ promised his disciples and us as well that he will never leave us alone. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be by our sides in good times and bad times.

Trust and loyalty in our relationship with God works both ways in the fact that God desires our relationship with him. Knowing that we have a loyal and trust worthy relationship with God is the key to living lives in which we pursue righteousness and kindness, and honor.When we are loyal to our God, there is no way that we cannot be loyal to those around us, those that need and desire someone that will never leave them when the times get hard. 

My prayer for you this day is that you will place all of your trust in God, and take that feeling of trust into all of your human (and pet) relationships. By doing this you will find the true life and relationships that God hopes and promises for all of us. Walk in trust that God will never leave our side when we walk, and when we stumble.

This is the day that the Lord has made

Pastor Tim.

We are the Lost and Found Department for God!

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

There is a story of a man that was watching his young son play on his Speak – and- Spell computer. He was concentrating intensively, typing words into the computer so the computer would repeat back the words.

The young boy punched in the word God. To his surprise, the computer said, “Word not found.” The young boy tried again with the same result, and with great disgust, he stared back at his computer and told it in no uncertain terms, “Jesus is not going to like this!”

Brothers and Sisters, in today’s world there are many places where God is not mentioned and many people that don’t know what you are talking about when you mention God’s name.  My good news for you today is in the fact that for those who know God, God is already present and at work.

For people that need to know who God is, we are needed to make the introductions and assist that person at looking towards God who has been looking at them the whole time. It is not God who is lost, but rather those that have never heard the name of Jesus Christ, that are lost.

My prayer for you all today is that you will go out naming and proclaiming the name of God through His Son Jesus Christ. Help others this day and every day to seek out God with all their hearts and minds, so when they shout out his name they will never hear back: “God not found!”

This is the day that the Lord has made.

The Lifestyle of Following Jesus

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever. John 14:16 (ESV)


Recently I had an opportunity to do ministry with a family that revolves around the charity of that persons work. When I asked the family about their work and doing things on their supposed days off, I was told that the career of the husband is not just a job but a lifestyle change and commitment for the whole family.

The same goes for us that have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in the fact that our relationship with Christ is not just from 9-5 or on Sunday mornings. When we accept Christ into our lives we are forever changed and everything that we do in this life must revolve around Jesus Christ, in the fact that the old is gone and our lives are made anew in Him.

What Lifestyle are you leading? Is Jesus a part of your life from waking till sleeping, from day begin to day end, from sunrise to sunset? Beloved, my prayer for you this day is that you remember that it is not you that live in Jesus, but rather the fact that Jesus lives in you. Jesus is not to be turned on and off like a light switch, but rather always kept in the on position. Only is this way can you truly be Christ's shining light to the world for all to see.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

The Discomforted Heart of a Missionary

Mark 16:15 ESV

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

There is a story of a missionary who went to Africa when he was eighteen years old. Upon his arrival he was told that his sleeping quarters were in the church, so he went into the church and placed his cot in front of the pulpit and went to sleep for the night.

Within minutes, several people had slipped into church. The missionary lay motionless on his cot, only able to stare straight up. Could it be? Yes, there was a service that night and the church was packed.

Finally, the pastor arrived, went behind the pulpit, and started the service, graciously ignoring the missionary. The youth ensemble came forward, formed a half circle in front of the missionary, and began to sing.

Soon the service ended. The missionary realized there was nothing that he could do, so he sat up wearing only his pajamas and greeted and shook the people hands as they departed the church.

Beloved as I speak of having the heart of a missionary this day, understand that God often puts his people in positions that are uncomfortable. Through this discomfort and unpreparedness God truly touches the heart(s) of those in ministry and mission, and is where the strongest of relationships are forged.  

My prayer for you this day is that you will seek out your areas of discomfort and make them your place to have the heart of a missionary. Through your discomfort, the bonds of Christ centered relationship will truly be born.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Recapturing the Joy of Memories

Philippians 1:3-5 ESV I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

The other day I was going through some of my things when I came across something that a good friend had given me. When looking at this object I began to think about this person who has gone to be with the Lord, and several emotions came over me.

This year I have lost close friends as well as close relatives and often I will look at a picture or an object that makes me think of them. As much as I miss them I thank God for the opportunities to look back on the relationships with happiness and joy.

Beloved, we are only on this earth for a short time and in human form we are finite. My prayer for you this day is that you will look back on those that you have lost, not just in sorrow, but in joy. Remember the good times, the happy times, and the blessed times in the joy and thanksgiving that God placed you together in relationship.

Look back in joy in the fact that as Christians we believe that our friends and loved ones that have passed are residing with our Savior Jesus Christ, and the fact that eternal joy is theirs. Remember those precious ones in your prayers and thank God for the salvation offered by His Son Jesus Christ.

As you review the lives of loved ones passed, take the joy of their memories into building new relationships that are founded through love and faith as presented in the gospel of Jesus Christ. May you thank God for the joy of relationship this day and every day.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Pastor Tim.

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Staying Spiritually Nourished

Pastor Tim's Benton Blog: Staying Spiritually Nourished: Galatians 5:7   ESV You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? There is a story about a foolish farmer th...