"Morning Ralph, Morning Sam!"

Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

In the old Looney Tunes cartoons there were two characters, Ralph E. Wolf and Sam Sheepdog. In these stories nothing changed, day after day the same thing, the same routine. Ralph and Sam would fight all day until it was shift change at which time they would clock out for the day and two like characters would clock in and begin the same fighting and the same routine.

 I will save the fighting part for another blog, and focus today on the routine of these two animated characters. When we get into a routine we place ourselves in a position for normalcy, which is often good in our work lives. But when we get ourselves into positions of normalcy in our faith lives we find ourselves in positions in which ministry opportunities may have passed us by.

At the beginning of this new week I encourage all to step outside of your boxes of normalcy in regards to your faith lives. We are called to stir each other up as to love one another and to do the work that God calls has called us to.

My prayer for us all this week is that we will think outside the box in regards to our faith and ministry as the Body of Christ. Shake things up, and encourage one another as Christ calls us to do. Be exited, smile and greet all that you meet in the love and grace that we have been given.  Let us not be like the wolf and the sheepdog: “Morning Ralph, Morning Sam”, day in and day out.

May you feel and live out the excitement and passion that we have been given as followers of Jesus Christ, and knock out the walls of the box of faith that we sometimes enclose ourselves in.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Connecting, Growing, and Serving

2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

As people that are made anew through God's gift of the Messiah, we enter this new year full ready and fully excited to spread he gospel of Jesus Christ. The message the Apostle Paul is communicating is that the people of God are to be committed to His ministry.

The grace that we take with us is the fact that we minister with the full power and full energy that God has bestowed upon us. We that call ourselves the Body of Christ enter this year 2015 with God's message that we represent Him to the ends of the earth. 

We that we are called to be the bearers of God's providence to a suffering world, must be prepared to go out in full power and praise of the one who sent us.

Beloved, my prayer for you this week is that you will feel the energy that God has placed in you, as to be His disciples. May we take this moment and this opportunity to

• Connect with others
  
• Grow in Christ
  
• Serve others.
  

God has called and God has instructed. May we use this God given energy to touch others with the love and spirit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.




This is the day that the Lord has made.

More Friends Are More Better!

Ecclesiastes 4:9 ESV 

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.

This week begins many changes in not only my life, but in the lives of many as I transition to another town and another church.  This week begins a time of firsts. First introductions, new locations, moving and beginning a new ministry. These firsts also involve my wife and children as well as a new church community and civic community. It involves leaving old friends and making new friends in another location.

As I often say: "Ministry is not a job for the Lone Ranger!" Yes, new things are better accomplished as a group in the fact that there is labor enough for all. At the end of the day all are rewarded for their labors.

I leave this week feeling that my labors in Benton have been fruitful through the labors and successes of many. I head off to Carrollton Kentucky this week feeling that God will embrace us all as we build His Kingdom

So as I leave old friendships, I pray that they will be long-lasting friendships. I pray that new friendships will be established as we go forward together in relationship. So thank you to all the friends that I have made, and "Hi, my name is Tim" to all those that I will soon meet.

My prayer for us all this day is that we have embraced our togetherness in life lasting memories, For those that I will soon be meeting. may it be the beginning of new lasting relationships. 

Hi, my name is Tim and it is nice to meet you.   

Don't Just Press Like!

Acts 20:35 ESV

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

At this time of the year social media and everywhere we look are positive posts about how we should feel and how we should respond to others this Christmas season. Even I am guilty of seeing an awesome Face book post and I immediately hit the like button or type “Amen” into the comments field.

My question for us that hit the like button or respond by saying how much the comment touched us is: “How often do we leave our social media response as our only response to God's wise words expressed by others?”

My friends, being touched and feeling warmed by words at this time of year is crucial and critical, but more must be done. As we welcome the Messiah to come in a few days we must understand that this is also God's call to action for His people.

My prayer for us all today is that the next time we feel like hitting the like button or typing amen, we place the posting as our call to action. As we celebrate Christmas we understand that this is part of God's Master Plan for His creation, but it is also a wake up call for those that call themselves church, for those that call themselves followers of Jesus Christ.

There is still time, go out this day not only in amen, but in action. God is leading the way for us and the Messiah is the one who was sent to clear our paths. What love is in your heart this very moment? Don't let it sit idle and be forgotten, go out and act on it. Know that helping others in God's name is not just work it is a pleasure and our calling, not just our: “Hey I agree with what you are writing!”


Merry Christmas. The Messiah is our greatest gift, what are we going to do about it?


Pastor Tim.

Ending and Beginning

Revelation 21:4 ESV

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.”

This year has been a difficult one in which many of us have had to say goodbye to dear friend’s way to soon. As much as we relish life, we all too often are faced with the death of those we know and those that we love the most.

As we journey through this season of Advent, many will be on that journey having suffered some sort of emotional loss this year. Beloved the main thing that we can do for one another this year is to support those that are in the dark places of emotional distress.

As people of faith we cling on to God’s hope and promise of new life come in the form of the Messiah, come to set us free and come to die so that we can be born again and enter new life.

In his book The Five People You Meet In Heaven, Mitch Albom states that “All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.” My prayer for you all this Christmas season is that you will support those that are suffering loss, those that are mourning loved ones.

Support others and yourselves in the fact that God has promised and provided us a Savior who’s life, death, and resurrection has made eternal death extinct and eternal life the constant.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Looking for the Peace of Advent

John 14:27 ESV 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

As I write this weeks blog we are celebrating the second week of Advent, it is the week that we speak of peace and the Messiah come to bring peace on earth and good will towards humanity. Yet for many, this time of year does not seem so peaceful.

We find a world that is troubled and conflicted, a world that at times seems the farthest from anything peaceful. Even though it is Advent and we are approaching Christmas, many have lost loved ones, and many find themselves in the hour of darkest despair and even hopelessness.

How do we speak than of this Messiah that we call the Prince of Peace? Did His arrival mean that world violence would stop, and tragedy would never again befall on His people? Well you and I are first hand witnesses to the fact that violence and tragedy still continues to this very day.

My friends, the love of Jesus and His presence as the Prince of Peace is much bigger than this world. The fact is that the peace of Christ is an inner strength and endurance in all of us that carries us through the darkest times of our lives. The peace of the Messiah is the peace that we have in the fact that He would one day sacrifice himself for our eternal peace with him in heaven.

Beloved, don't wait for the peace of Christ, He has already placed it in you. All that you need do is acknowledge Jesus in your life and understand God's plan of salvation for us through Jesus Christ. Once we understand the Master's plan, the strength, grace, and peace of Jesus will overwhelm us and carry us when we can no longer walk.

Beloved, my prayer for you this day is that you will discover what true peace is like. Accept the true Prince of Peace into your lives. Yes, bad things will occur in our lives but God has sent His Son in the form of a human child born in a manger as to set our worries aside and to endure until we are once again in the presence of the King of Kings.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Waiting on the Authority!

Psalm 27:14 ESV. Wait  for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Eight years ago I was a youth pastor in Northwest Illinois when our youth conducted a live nativity portrayal on a very frigid December night. As our youth stood outside in a manger scene bundled up underneath their costumes, many of them including myself were still shivering in the cold of night.

Yes, it was difficult for the kids to be patient between replacement breaks in which hot cocoa and warm shelter awaited their arrival. But that night something magnificent occurred in the arrival of an unexpected visitor.

As our kids stood outside portraying the Christmas story, a police car drove past our location. When this occurred our shepherds and even Joseph and Mary waved and made their presence known to the police officer.

The next thing that happened was a police car pulling into the parking lot of the live nativity. The youth thought they were in trouble and awaited the officers coming to speak to them. When the officer arrived, to their astonishment he supported them and praised them for standing outside on such a cold night.

With this the officer picked up one the the Magi gifts and stood with our youth in the cold as they portrayed the coming of our Messiah. For me the moral of this story is that it is often hard to wait for good things to occur, but those that are faithful will be comforted by God in His time and when we least expect it.

Brothers and Sisters my prayer for you this day is that you take courage this season of Advent and know that God is faithful and that the Messiah will come, and God's plan for His world will be put in place.

We saw courage and faithfulness in the form of a police officer on a very cold winters night in Northwestern Illinois eight years ago, and we will see our faith and courage be rewarded with the arrival of God's precious gift of the Messiah very soon. So be patient and wait in the hope of God's promised arrival.


This is the day that the Lord has made.