“On my door there's a cartoon of two turtles. One says, ‘Sometimes I'd like to ask God why he allows poverty, famine, and injustice when he could do something about it.’ The other turtle says, ‘I'm afraid God might ask me the same question.’"
Citation: Peter John Kreeft
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Pastor's Corner
for Christmas Eve Dec 24th
“A sword shall pierce your heart also” (Luke 2:35) these words were spoken to Mary by Simeon when Mary presented Jesus at the temple. How Mary must have pondered those words with no small amount of apprehension, wondering how Jesus would pierce her heart. Jesus’ childhood years growing up in Nazareth were probably as sweet to Mary as they are to any mother; as she saw Jesus become a man she was proud of him as any mother would be when they see their children grow up to be well grounded mature adults. Those years were her happiest years, yet interwoven through them all I’m sure were moments of curiosity, expectation, fear and dread that plucked at her heart-strings. Then as Jesus entered His ministry and she sees His miracles, I’m sure her heart thrilled with excitement knowing as she did who Jesus was. She sees the multitudes following Him, cringes a little perhaps when He confronts the leaders and teachers of the law about their hypocrisy, yet over all a proud mother rejoicing in her son’s impact on the world around Him. But then the tide of His popularity begins to turn and she watches the growing jealousy, the hatred, and the unbelief on the part of the leading men of her people culminating in the darkest of days for Mary, the day they nailed her beloved son to the cross. How that must have torn her heart to pieces yet she couldn’t leave His side and so stayed at the cross to the end. Then they laid Him in a borrowed grave with Mary weeping as any mother would who must bury her son. Three days later the Resurrection! How this must have healed Mary’s heart, her son is alive again, her doubts erased! But then her son ascends into heaven and her heart is pierced again because many continue to disbelieve, scorn and hate her son! Oh how these words of Simeon were fulfilled at so many levels. Mary, you are indeed “blessed among women”, may you inspire us all to be faithful even when God’s blessing brings pain.
Pastor Don.
“A sword shall pierce your heart also” (Luke 2:35) these words were spoken to Mary by Simeon when Mary presented Jesus at the temple. How Mary must have pondered those words with no small amount of apprehension, wondering how Jesus would pierce her heart. Jesus’ childhood years growing up in Nazareth were probably as sweet to Mary as they are to any mother; as she saw Jesus become a man she was proud of him as any mother would be when they see their children grow up to be well grounded mature adults. Those years were her happiest years, yet interwoven through them all I’m sure were moments of curiosity, expectation, fear and dread that plucked at her heart-strings. Then as Jesus entered His ministry and she sees His miracles, I’m sure her heart thrilled with excitement knowing as she did who Jesus was. She sees the multitudes following Him, cringes a little perhaps when He confronts the leaders and teachers of the law about their hypocrisy, yet over all a proud mother rejoicing in her son’s impact on the world around Him. But then the tide of His popularity begins to turn and she watches the growing jealousy, the hatred, and the unbelief on the part of the leading men of her people culminating in the darkest of days for Mary, the day they nailed her beloved son to the cross. How that must have torn her heart to pieces yet she couldn’t leave His side and so stayed at the cross to the end. Then they laid Him in a borrowed grave with Mary weeping as any mother would who must bury her son. Three days later the Resurrection! How this must have healed Mary’s heart, her son is alive again, her doubts erased! But then her son ascends into heaven and her heart is pierced again because many continue to disbelieve, scorn and hate her son! Oh how these words of Simeon were fulfilled at so many levels. Mary, you are indeed “blessed among women”, may you inspire us all to be faithful even when God’s blessing brings pain.
Pastor Don.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Something to Think About
In happy moments, praise God
In difficult moments, seek God
In quiet moments, worship God
In painful moments, trust God
And in every moment, thank God!
In difficult moments, seek God
In quiet moments, worship God
In painful moments, trust God
And in every moment, thank God!
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday December 18th
4 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’(1 kings 9) Solomon had just finished building a temple to God. God in turn makes a covenant with him, if he remains obedient, God promises to be with him for the rest of his days. Solomon was very blessed by God; he was blessed with riches and wisdom beyond our imaginations. He was a faithful servant and steward of all God’s blessings, but he fell very short towards the end of his life. Like me, and so many other Christians we can look to God, be obedient and become truly blessed. This is our promise from Him, if we look to Him and become totally reliant upon Him, we will be blessed. On the flip side of this is if we stray from Him and become defiant some of the blessings we take for granted can slip away from us. This week’s Pastor’s corner is just a reminder to stay vigilant in our quest to know God better and show our love through obedience to Him. He wants to bless us, He has more in store for us than we can humanly imagine. 9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.( 1 Kings 11) Just as with Solomon we can have great blessings but if we turn from Him we can expect that those blessings may fade if not slip away. This message is not to scare anyone, just to encourage you to remain faithful in Him, so you can secure the blessings He has in store for us all. Thanks and God bless, Jake Thomas.
4 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’(1 kings 9) Solomon had just finished building a temple to God. God in turn makes a covenant with him, if he remains obedient, God promises to be with him for the rest of his days. Solomon was very blessed by God; he was blessed with riches and wisdom beyond our imaginations. He was a faithful servant and steward of all God’s blessings, but he fell very short towards the end of his life. Like me, and so many other Christians we can look to God, be obedient and become truly blessed. This is our promise from Him, if we look to Him and become totally reliant upon Him, we will be blessed. On the flip side of this is if we stray from Him and become defiant some of the blessings we take for granted can slip away from us. This week’s Pastor’s corner is just a reminder to stay vigilant in our quest to know God better and show our love through obedience to Him. He wants to bless us, He has more in store for us than we can humanly imagine. 9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.( 1 Kings 11) Just as with Solomon we can have great blessings but if we turn from Him we can expect that those blessings may fade if not slip away. This message is not to scare anyone, just to encourage you to remain faithful in Him, so you can secure the blessings He has in store for us all. Thanks and God bless, Jake Thomas.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Something to Think About
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. (St. Francis of Assisi)
Pastor's Corner
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (1Sam 17:45) There is such power when we can align our lives with the plan God has set before us. In the above scripture a young and inexperienced David has just left tending the flocks to come and bring his brothers some bread and cheese and to bring reassurance to his father that his brothers were doing well. When he arrives Goliath has been taunting the army of Israel for forty days and forty nights. Everyone is afraid to face this giant, but David is prepared to go against him. He understands he is not alone, God is with him. We are called to be more than conquerors in Romans 8:31 is reads “if God is for us, who can be against us”. David believed this and his faith was strong enough to face and slay the giant. I wonder what giants are you facing day in and day out? What area of our lives are we not believing that God will care for and wants to take care of for us? When the problems of life seem to be too much we can remember and take heed knowing “ we come against them in the name of the Lord almighty”. The word of God is the greatest tool or weapon we have to combat the giants of our lives. This week I encourage everyone to get into scripture, daily. Set it to memory and speak these words into your problem areas and trust God to empower you to face the giants in your life, and have victory over them in the name of Jesus. Jake Thomas.
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