Walking Through the Pain

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Recently while preparing for Vacation Bible School (VBS), I injured my back. As of this blog I have spent time on the couch with ice packs and heat packs. I have been prescribed muscle relaxers, and I am attempting to keep moving.

One of my observations is that during a back spasm it is best to keep moving as to endure once through the pain, because each attempt brings the pain of back spasms. As I was getting out of bed and a spasm occurred, I continued getting up and endured through the pain as to get up and walk. When this occurred the Holy Spirit came upon me said, “What a great way to preach God’s Word.”

Our text from John 16:33 tells us that at the end of each of Christ’s sermon to His disciples He said: “These things I have spoken to you.” With these words, Jesus was passing on to His beloved disciples that God would always be with them. The peace that they would find would not be with this world, but rather in the heaven eternal that Christ sacrificed His life for.

The conclusion of this text has Christ telling His disciples to be of good cheer, because He has overcame all the things that this world has done and will do to us.

Beloved, whether Physical, Emotional, or Spiritual pain, we are called to endure through the pain. We are told to be of good cheer when our physical bodies as well as this world cause us pain and strife. There is a better way, and a better place, and His name is Jesus Christ.  

He has gone to prepare heaven for us and we can truly tell those that try to hurt us, my God will never leave me, and the worlds deeds will be upon me for only a short while. My home is not here, I will strive through the pain with good cheer, because we only reside in this world once. 

Heaven is my home, heaven is our home and one day the pain will be gone forever, and heavenly peace will be our reward. Get up, walk and endure through your pain! God is with you and heaven is your home. This is the Promise of Christ, and these are the things that He has spoken to you.

Go in Peace and Serve the Lord.

Pastor Tim.

Hitting the Snooze Button

Colossians 3: 1-4

¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

This week my Son has been assigned to the early shift at work and this shift begins at 6:00 AM. Both he and I set our alarm clocks for 5:00 AM, as to make the coffee and get ready. Well this morning my cell phone alarm went off at 5:00 AM and instead of getting up, I hit the snooze button. When I did this I discovered that I really didn’t go back to sleep, instead I just lay in bed pretending to sleep.

At 5:30 AM, my son came into the room and said “time to go daddy-o”! I jumped up, drank my cup of coffee that my son had made, ran out the door and drove him to work. We will be doing this at least all week until his schedule changes or until his mother gets home from her trip =)

How many of us hit the snooze button in regards to our faith life and our witnessing to others about Christ. How many times has God placed us in a position to be the Body of Christ, and out of fear or indifference we hit the snooze button of turning away from God’s calling for our lives.

Sometimes we may say, God will give me another chance to serve him so it’s OK to snooze away from this calling or faith witness opportunity. The crux of the Apostle Paul’s text this morning is that we are called as to always make it our habit to concentrate on things of above.  

Instead of the earthly snooze button of inactivity, it is our calling and task to serve and get up when called for things from above. When we are baptized we die with Christ and are given new lives in Christ in which He appears in us and we must appear in Him and through Him to others.

I often preach about using our God given talents for ministry, and I often wonder how many of us are continually hitting the snooze button on our gifts for God and only responding to the alarm when it is for worldly needs?

Beloved, we have a reason and a need to always answer the alarm and His name is Jesus Christ. Our Lord is saying, get up my child your daddy-o is saying it’s time to go. 

My hope and prayer is that when Christ extends His call to you, you will not pretend to be asleep but instead arise and say “I am ready Lord”!

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Pastor Tim. 

God Gave Us A Voice!

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Often preachers such as myself mention that we as people of Christ are the Body of Christ, the physical attachments that are Christ’s tools and servants in this world. As I write this blog, I think of one’s mouth as being used as the physical Body of Christ.

As followers of the cross, what upsets us, what worries us, and what injustices do we see in our local communities and around the world? Daily I drive around our community and I witness those that are fighting poverty and addiction in our small community, I witness their loss of hope.

As a fellow citizen in our community I witness parents that want much better for their children, in regards to what our communities, states, and nation can offer.  I witness those that require a better wage as to take care of their families, as to pay their bills.

But most of all, I witness those that are unwilling to change, those that are happy with the status quo. I witness those that instead of sharing, state “I’ve got mine”! 

Just as the Father wants us to use our voices for Christ, the Father wants us to use our voices to speak out to injustices that exist, locally, nationally and in the world that we live in.

Romans 12:2, tells us not to be conformed to the world, but to be renewed and transformed. When injustice exists we are commanded not to settle with its presence, but to speak the truth in love, by seeking the Fathers’ discernment as to know His will.

Beloved, my prayer for you today is to use your God given voice as the Body of Christ, doing His will for the world that he calls us to ministry in. When God says Speak, let us speak out in strength, in faith, and in hope.

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Pastor Tim. 

Hero or Corporate Line Response. Levite or Samaritan. Problem Solver or Problem Maker

Luke 21:15 ESV

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

Recently I have had the opportunities to point out injustices on a personal level as well as a community level. In regards to these, one must ask themselves, “What has happened to customer service”? Many times when dealing with issues that people have, we have two ways of responding to their pleas for assistance.

1.       The Hero Response: I (we) have heard your plea and we understand that your problem is causing you problems. Let us come up with some resolution together that can make us both better barriers of the situation, and of the service.

Hero

2.       The Corporate Line Response: Thank you, we really understand, but that’s the way it is, thank you for calling, you are on your own.

Corporate Response:

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary tells us that the Gospel of Luke 21:15 states:

Though spiritual judgments are the most common in gospel times, yet God makes use of temporal judgments also. Christ tells them what hard things they should suffer for his name's sake, and encourages them to bear up under their trials, and to go on in their work, notwithstanding the opposition they would meet with. God will stand by you, and own you, and assist you. This was remarkably fulfilled after the pouring out of the Spirit, by whom Christ gave his disciples wisdom and utterance. (Henry n.d.)

Yes, scripture tells us to bare up under adversity and that God is with us in times of adversity. This also means that we that call ourselves followers of the cross have the ability and the calling to be God’s representatives in regards to the Hero Response. We as the modern day disciples have a responsibility to come to the assistance of our brothers and sisters that walk on this earth with us.

Luke 10:25-37 tells us:

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Brothers and Sisters, when we respond to the cries of God’s people we can either be the Good Samaritan that utilizes the Hero Response and stops and helps, or we can be the Priest or the Levite and walk by giving the Corporate Line Response.

Which will you choose to be today, the hero or the corporate line? The choice is mine, the choice is yours, and how will God look upon our responses?

This is the day that the Lord has made.

Pastor Tim.

Footnotes:

Works Cited

Henry, Matthew. n.d. Bible Hub. Accessed May 16, 2017. http://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/21-15.htm.

"Mom, Tell Me Your Story"!

Proverbs 31:25-31 ESV

Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”

As we celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, let me ask you the following questions.

Do you know your Mother’s story, do you know her history? Have you ever just sat down with your mother and asked her, “Mom, who are you?” “Tell me your story”.

My mother was born in Ireland in 1935, the eldest child of a larger family. At a young age my Nan (Grandmother) came down with Polio. The family moved to Great Britain so my Nan could receive the care that she greatly needed.  While crossing to England the hospital ship that my mother and her family was on, was circled by a German fighter aircraft. The German plane observed the fact that the ship was marked with a big red cross, identifying it as a hospital ship and a non-combatant the plane left the ship alone. My mother (Mary) and her family survived bombings and food shortages in war torn England. Mary often helped get the younger children into the family’s bomb shelter during air raids. She and her siblings wore gas mask pack to school, she remembers the planes flying over for D-Day and she can tell you what the sound of a German V-1 and V-2 rocket sound like. She can even tell the story about her parents considering shipping all the children to Australia for safety.

In later years (the early 1950’s) she met my Father who was an enlisted man in the Unites States Air Force, stationed in England during the Korean Conflict. With a son and husband she ventured to the United States aboard the USNS Upsur, as to begin a new life. For my mother, home sickness was horrible, as she tried to begin a new life in the United States. With the birth of 4 children and the death of another when she was a toddler, she understood the feeling of experiencing these things without the presence of her parents. My parents divorced when I was four and my mother eventually remarried, we all moved in together and awaited the birth of my baby sister. Yes, seven to eight people in a mobile home was at times tough, but my mother made it work until we moved into a larger home. I was raised by this strong Irish lady, who taught me to make my bed with crisp tight hospital corners. I was taught the values of right and wrong, and the value of hard work. A few years ago her husband who I called dad, passed away. She now lives in her apartment alone and confident, surrounded by the love of friends and my siblings. Even though I am far away, I embrace my mother’s story as well as embracing the fact that she played an important role in making me the man, husband and father, that I am today.

My prayer for you is that you sit down with your mother say, “Mom Tell Me Your Story”. Like the text says, and in this way you will know that strength and dignity are her clothing. Many women have done it but your mom surpasses them all!

This is the day that the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it.

Mary’s Boy

Pastor Tim. 

A Destroyed Barn With New Flowers

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

One of the buildings that was severely damaged was a beautiful old white wood and brick barn, on the outskirts of our town. The barn which was beautifully lit with Christmas lights during the Advent season, had been a beautiful part of that community for many generations. 

As I drove past the barn I saw what the winds of destruction could do to man-made structures, but what I also observed is that the rock foundation is as solid as the day it was built. Many in that community were saddened over the destruction of this beautiful barn, as it has been such an essential memory of that communities past.

As we journey together through this season of Lent, I share my observations by just staring at a blown down barn.

• When the winds came, many suffered some sort of damage, but when the winds subsided many came together and spoke the same language of helping their neighbors: The Bible tells us: Acts 2:1-47 ESV. When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ...

• ·         Even though the barn structure was blown down, its brick walls and foundation still stands strong: The bible tells us: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. Luke 6:46-48 ESV

• ·         Even though the barn structure was torn down, we see the new life of God in the form of beautiful purple flowers that have begun to sprout. Purple (actually a shade of violet) is the traditional color associated with Lent, which is the 40-day period of time that comes after Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. Purple is a color rich in symbolism. It is a deep, almost night-like color that focuses our attention on the fasting and repentance associated with the Lenten season. It is also a color of royalty, particularly the Roman emperors at the time of Christ. As an act of derision toward Our Lord, Pilate placed a purple robe on Jesus, whom he called “King of the Jews”. Turning this act of scorn on its end, however, the final Sunday of the liturgical year in November is the Solemnity of Christ the King, in which the true royalty of Christ is revealed. The fourth Sunday in Lent is called “Laetare Sunday”. “Laetare” is Latin for “rejoice”. It occurs after the midpoint of Lent and because of that the deep purple color of the vestments are lightened somewhat to “rose”. It is a time of celebration in that, though Lent is a time of sacrifice, the resurrection of the Lord following His death on the cross is getting closer.

• ·         Additionally, the Bible says this about flowers: And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Matthew 6: 28

Beloved, may things on this earth made by God remind us not only of His power, but His love for us. So instead of seeing a blown down old barn, let it remind you of these things.

1.      When we build our lives on a Godly foundation, even the strongest wind will not remove our foundations. Let us build our lives on God in trust, faith, and love.

2.      From destruction comes new life: This Lenten season, Christ the King will be beaten, mocked, and crucified. From this he will be resurrected, thus telling us that because of Jesus death no longer holds its sting over us.

3.      Finally, even in times of loss and destruction... do not worry. We have been made anew through our baptisms, and through our personal relationships with Jesus Christ we are made strong and we are made eternal.

As winds blow down structures, they can be rebuilt. Likewise through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are all rebuilt. As long as we are in relationship with Him, Satan can never blow us down or destroy us.

Do You Believe This?

John 11:26

And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

“Dad, do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and do you accept Him as your personal Savior?” These were the words that my brother spoke to my father as he lay in a hospital bed preparing to die. With a nod of his head and a whisper of yes on his lips, my father had sealed his eternity.

As I write this week’s blog, my wife is on her way back to our hometown to be with her mother who is very sick. My wife is helping her mother to prepare for what may be the twilight of her earthly days. The topic of death is a subject that each one of us will personally face in our finite day as inhabitants of earth.

Recently I have observed other people facing the death of their parents as well as other friends or loved ones. We that are in the midst of a loved one’s death are faced with many emotions of love and being separated from the people that we love.

The one emotion that believers in Jesus Christ can never feel is fear, fear in the unknown, or fear in saying goodbye to a loved one. When we believe in the Son of God and bring ourselves into relationship with Him, we have become sealed from death and the word “fear” is forever taken out of our spiritual dictionaries.

Thus, or job and call as believers is to help our loved ones and all those that we encounter in developing their own Christ relationship. When this relationship is established we need never fear, we never need say goodbye, but rather say “until we see each other again”.

Do you believe this? Yes, because the One who lived, died, and rose again said it!

This is the promise of God through His Son Jesus Christ.

Pastor Tim.