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WhatAHeritage!

Thursday, December 7th, 2023

We are rapidly coming to the close of 2023, but before that happens the focus must be on Christ and what Christmas means. One of my favorite subjects to talk about is GRACE and the lineage of Jesus is GRACE IN SPADES. My sermon Sunday is from Matthew 1.  You know…that boring lineage you, me, and thousands of others pass over. Let me rephrase that: USED TO PASS OVER until I studied it in depth and realized that it is filled with phenomenal people. All of them are important, obviously, but there are a few who stand out. Before I tell you who, I thought I would give you a fun fact: My original sermon title but5 Women and a Man. I received word that might not be a too appropriate of a title. So…being the humble man I am (AHEM) I changed it to the title you will see at the end of this post.

Now…back to the originally scheduled post.  Five Women and a Man. Here they are:

Tamar- a Gentile who dressed as a prostitute to seduce her father-in-law Judah.

Rahab- a Gentile from Jericho who saved two spies but then was saved from Jericho’s destruction. She married Salmon and they had Boaz.

Ruth- a Moabitess (mortal enemies of the Israelites) who followed her widowed mother-in-law back to her hometown. Ruth met and married Boaz.

Bathsheba- described as the “wife of Uriah” in the lineage. Committed adultery with David (she may have not had a choice).

Mary- a teenager (probably) engaged to be married to Joseph, pregnant out of wedlock. It was sort of like the scarlet letter.  But WOW! The mother of Jesus impregnated by the Holy Spirit.

Joseph- a godly man who was going to do the “right thing” by silently divorcing Mary to avoid scandal for her.  But his heart is seen in his decision to stay with Mary and being the earthly father to Jesus.

That is the sermon. I’ve entitled it What a Heritage! I hope to see you Sunday at 9:00 or 10:45 in person or listen via live stream.

 

Mother’s Day ’23

Thursday, May 11th, 2023

This Sunday, in case you were born yesterday or under a rock, is Mother’s Day.  I know…it is sorta hard to miss that. Florists certainly love it! The restaurants love it as well. But, truthfully, the woman/women in your life who have meant so much or now mean a lot are worth remembering.

This Sunday I am following up on something I started last year. Rather than me stand before the church on Mother’s Day and telling the women how they can be a better or more godly mother/wife/aunt/etc, I asked some women to take part. There will be three women in the first service and four in the second sharing what woman in the Bible they admire inspires them. We will hear from Lydia. Mary the mother of Jesus. Tamar (Judah’s Tamar). Sarah. Mary of Bethany. Deborah. Hannah.

We met Wednesday night to chat, get to know each other (we have two services which can often lead to not knowing folks), talk about their lady in the Bible, and to pray.

I’m looking forward to hearing from them as they share their heart. I’d like to invite you to visit us at 9:00 and 10:45 in person or via live stream. If you are new to OVCF or the Spencer area, I would love to meet you.

 

#DarknesstoLight

Thursday, March 23rd, 2023

We have all been there I’m sure. Darkness covers a room. We are sound asleep, cocooned in a warm, soft bed, wrapped in blankets that keep in the warmth. Suddenly our bliss is grossly interrupted by someone doing the unthinkable-turning the light on!  A-a-a-a-a-a-h! All peace and tranquility is shattered by the sudden interference to our “sound sleep pattern.”  An intruder (light) has entered our world.

The story of the cross is a story of two views.  It is the story of darkness where one of the ugliest, if not the ugliest of confrontations, took place. It is also a story of light where the ultimate victory was won.  To see the complete story is eye-opening and powerful.

My purpose this Sunday is to show the darkness and the light of the cross. I want to show the contrast which is so evident as we take a closer look at the bad (darkness) and the good (light).  My main Scripture will be Mark 15:33-39. I’ll bring others in as well.

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 and 10:45 in person or via live stream. You can find the links at the church’s website.

#TheLambisWorthy!

Thursday, February 23rd, 2023

In his book, The Ultimate Priority, Pastor John MacArthur opens with a unique story of worship gone crazy. Maria Rubio said she was frying tortillas when she noticed that the skillet burns on one of her tortillas resembled the face of Jesus. Excited, she showed it to her husband and neighbors, and they agreed. So she went to her priest to have the tortilla blessed. She testified it changed her and her husband saying she was more peaceful, happy and submissive since the tortilla had arrived.  The priest, not accustomed to blessing tortillas, reluctantly did so.

She took the tortilla home and put it in a glass case with piles of cotton to make it look like it was floating on clouds, built a special altar for it, then opened the shrine to visitors. Within a few months, more than 8000 people came to the shrine of the Jesus of the Tortilla.

It seems incredible to me (to us) that this could actually happen. But there have been other instances as well. Images of Jesus in toppings of pizza. Scorched etchings on toast. Spot on a garage floor. Burn marks on a grilled cheese. We roll our eyes and cluck at the gullibility of people.

The final section of Revelation 5, verses 9-14, is full of hymns and is focused on worship. This final sermon in the first section of my series on Revelation will close the door on the whole idea of worship which is taking place in heaven and which John gets to witness. After this (beginning in chapter 6) things change.

We will focus on worship in heaven. We will also focus on worship as it takes place here on earth. Please join me in person or via live stream.

Next week begins a two month series I’ve titled To and From the Cross. More on that next week.

 

#Gifts!#Unexepcted??

Friday, December 17th, 2021

Admit it: we all like gifts.  No matter our age we like to open gifts. They may be “just what I wanted” or “just what I asked for” but there is still a certain excitement wrapped up in Christmas gift-giving.

In 1984 the rock group, Foreigner, came out with a song that struck a chord in the lives of many people…and still does. It tells the story of so many in our world. That song? I Want to Know What Love Is. It was a moving ballad and spoke of the desire of all of us: to find love.

We tend to hang our hats on things which will not last. We think the latest and greatest will make us happy or content. Not so fast! If you have ever watched Titanic there is a scene near the end where Rose is talking about the fictional character, Cal Hockley, who tried to “possess” her. As she speaks about him, she tells the undersea explorers how Cal took his own life after the economic downturn took his money.  Happiness and joy are two different animals. The angel didn’t say, “I bring you good news of great happiness.”

You don’t have to have lived through the Revolutionary War or Civil War or the world wars or Vietnam or Desert Storm or (take your pick) to know the world has been inundated with wars. When I say, “Wars” I do mean wars.  The end of WWI coined the phrase as it “was the war to end all wars.” Wrong. Peace is a missing commodity in our world. Take a look back at the summer of 2020 (then again maybe you don’t want to) and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the unrest which rocked our world.

You have just opened your unexpected gifts- Love. Joy. Peace.  Those are the three unexpected gifts I will be preaching about this Sunday. It is those three gifts I highlight as gifts I hope they find underneath their tree this Christmas.

I would love to have you join me. As bribery we also have a special gift we are giving everyone this year.  Just kidding about the bribery. We do have a special gift I’m excited about giving to the folks. I’ll try to post a picture of it next week.  Please join me if you are able either in person or live stream.  BTW: if you join us live stream, may I ask you to please sign in just to let us know you are there? No obligation I promise.

#Leadership#Afghanistan#Cooke

Tuesday, August 24th, 2021

The following is an article by Phil Cooke on his blog.  He writes about leadership and other subjects on his blog at philcooke.com. I am including this article-not to make a political statement, but to make a leadership statement. Perhaps some good discussion can ensue in churches and among leadership about the way decisions are made and carried out.  Here is the article:

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM JOE BIDEN AND AFGHANISTAN

The documentation of President Biden’s decisions surrounding the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan are now legion. But aside from the tragic results those decisions have created, it’s worth looking at what leaders could learn from this debacle. In coming years, we’ll have a chance to see much deeper into this situation and how much it tarnishes his legacy, but for now, here’s a handful of immediate reflections that leaders should consider:

1) Incompetent leaders can rise to remarkable heights. In 1972, 29-year old Joe Biden ran for Senate against Republican Senator Caleb Boggs. I was a senior in high school that year, so that’s a long time. And yet, Robert Gates, who worked with him and served as defense secretary for the Obama administration, has been quoted as saying that Biden has “been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.” Many of the changes he’s proposed so far in his presidency have made many ask why he hasn’t already accomplished these things over the last 40 years while in office. Never be caught off guard by poor leadership. In politics, business or the nonprofit sector, never think every high level leader deserves to be there or is capable of being effective.

2) Fantasy isn’t a leadership strategy. It’s well documented that Biden’s goal was to “bring the troops home” in time for the 20th anniversary of 9/11. That would have been a great victory and scored a lot of political points. But no matter how strong the fantasy, leaders must deal in reality. Ignoring better advice about a more thoughtful and realistic exit strategy, he chose the fantasy instead. It doesn’t matter if a leader’s fantasy is a new product launch, advertising campaign, fundraising strategy or anything else – reality is a brutal wake-up call.

3) Leaders take the hits. In spite of the overwhelming evidence, President Biden still hasn’t admitted he was wrong. It’s been a dark comedy watching members of his team like Secretary of State Anthony Blinken squirm during interviews trying to defend and support the president. But when a leader won’t admit a mistake, his entire team suffers trying to maintain the illusion. In far too many cases that only leads to disunity, frustration, and eventual splits in the team.

4) In a crisis, leaders must face the public. When the tragedy in Afghanistan began unfolding, Biden hunkered down at Camp David and it wasn’t until public criticism became overwhelming did he emerge from his vacation. But even then he refused to answer reporters questions, and immediately returned to his vacation (another big blunder). Only later did he respond to pre-approved questions. But during times of crisis, leaders must be available, candid, and open. For people to believe you’re in charge, you have to show up. Honesty and authenticity may be painful in the short term, but that builds trust far better than hiding.

5) Good leaders listen to advice. After the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, John F. Kennedy created the Executive Committee of the National Security Council whose express purpose was to openly debate issues surrounding national security. Kennedy realized the need to listen to all sides of an argument. President Lyndon B. Johnson actually designated an advisor to be his official in-house skeptic. The best business leaders are willing to listen to opposing ideas. Group-think is a massive mistake for leaders, and if you’re surrounded by yes-men and women, you’re headed in the wrong direction.

6) Finally, never forget that leaders who try to leave a legacy rarely do. A “legacy” isn’t something that’s manufactured, designed, or created. Numerous leaders have become obsessed with their legacy, but legacies are based on how others perceive you and your life’s work. So if you’d like to leave one, stop thinking about it and just get back to work.

I’m sure more lessons will unfold as time goes on, but the important lesson is that during moments of crisis, there is always something for leaders to learn. {End of post}

{My plan is to come back later this week to write about how these 6 lessons apply to pastors and churches. Please feel free to comment here or go to Phil’s blog and make a comment there. Please tell him I sent you}. 🙂  That, and just under a dollar, will buy you a fountain drink at Speedway gas stations.

#SalvationforAll#AllLivesMatter

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020

At the risk of being taken as political, I’m going to make a statement that I firmly believe: God does not care about a person’s race; a person’s skin color; a person’s nationality; a person’s social status; a person’s religious upbringing; a person’s education; a person’s job; a person’s political persuasion; a person’s state of residence; a person’s 401K, or any other distinction man may make. In our world today it seems like unless you state publicly, “BLM,” you are a racist or some other ugly moniker. I personally believe ALM- All Lives Matter- and refuse to say any one race is more important than another.

I believe God would say the same thing. How do I know that? The Bible says so. Here, check out Romans 10: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (v.9). Then notice the words in verse 11: “For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who…'” See that word? E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E. Oh, but I love verse 12: “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on ALL who call on Him. For E.V.E.R.Y.O.N.E. who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” There’s that word again!! Twice everyone is used; once all is used. That shows God is not black or white; rich or poor; slave or free; American or Hispanic (take your pick); or interested in class, color, or creed. God is for EVERYONE, especially when it comes to salvation. Jesus died for all.

“Father, thank you that I’m included, along with all others who come to you and claim the Name of Jesus for salvation.”

#BirthdayReflection#68

Friday, October 9th, 2020

Normally I post my sermon idea for this week right about now. But I decided to hold off on that for a day and copy a post I ran at my other blog earlier this morning.  (By the way: I post a devotion there each day. I’d love to have you subscribe to be able to get it each day. Then feel free to comment). I’ll leave it here for the day then tomorrow post about the sermon for this weekend. Here is the post:

I turn 68 years old today. (Don’t applaud just throw money! 🙂 You can also throw in a shock emoji here). I was officially ordained on April 13, 1975, my late mother’s birthday. I could think of no better way to honor the one person more responsible for my faith walk (other than my grandfather) than her. So that means for 45 years I have been “officially” a pastor. But I have been preaching since the end of my Sophomore year in college (1972).  I’m not sure that little church in Irvine, KY ever fully recovered. Being a pastor has been all I have wanted to do (except play professional baseball or basketball.  But there was a huge roadblock to both. It’s called talent). 🙂

But it is time for a heart check. After reading 2 Cor. 2:17 I got reflective. “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s Word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.” That verse led me back to I Cor. 2:1-5. (I encourage you to look it up or click on the link). It’s time for a heart-to-heart check with myself. Here are some thoughts based on the Scriptures:

  1. The word peddle used in 2 Cor. 2:17 means “to corrupt” in the Greek. It came to refer to corrupt hucksters, or con men who by their cleverness and deception were able to sell as genuine an inferior product. We would call them “cheap knock-offs.” It reminds me of the street vendors who sell “cheapies” that look original. People think they are getting an original but…nope. Fooled you!! This is a picture of a false teacher who worms his/her way in only to spew rank heresy couched in spiritual language. 
  2. Good language, perfect speech, even high falootin’ words cannot resuce a wrong message. I was visiting a couple Wednesday and was told that she really appreciated my sermon from this past Sunday on “What about Doubt?” She explained why and I cried inside that she lived so many years with inside turmoil. Our conversation went on and I commented how someone had said he didn’t think they (as a couple) would stay at OVCF (they came from a very strict, traditional church) because of our music. They both said, “Well, we don’t know the songs…although we are learning them…and do miss the hymns, but we stay because of the Word.  We hear the Word being preached.”  Is a pastor allowed to feel good? Proud…but not the bad kind? At peace? A sense of “I-did-okay?” I sure hope so because, to be honest, I felt validated. I hope that’s not wrong. I suspect if it is then God will bring me down a peg or two. 🙂 In a time of questions and evaluation, it was good to hear God say through them, “Good job.” I am humbled and eternally grateful that God chose me to do this.

I have no idea how much time I have left (who does?) but I do know this: as long as God gives me breath and as long as He gives me good health, I want to be found guilty of preaching the foolishness of the cross. I want to point people to the cross. For as long as I can remember my brother, Rob, has always signed his letter using Gal.6:14- “May I never boast except in the cross of Christ.” May that tribe increase.

Thanks for taking the time to read. Feel free to leave a comment if you would like.

#Doubts?#Faith

Sunday, October 4th, 2020

Have you ever had doubts? I don’t mean about faith things but doubts about other things? I ask that question because having doubts is almost like an everyday occurrence to some.  We find ourselves as adults almost acting like the three year old whose favorite question is “Why?”  Other than a little frustration we might feel when asked that over and over, we don’t chastise them for asking “Why” and call their faith into question.

Why then do we do that to adults who are either naturally inquisitive or have some serious questions about things? And when I say serious questions, in this case, I am talking about serious faith questions.  It comes down to this question:

IS IT WRONG TO HAVE DOUBTS?

I sure hope not because if it is I’m in deep horse do-do. Now…let me clarify.  My doubts are not the “what I believe about God, Jesus, or God’s faithfulness” variety.  My doubts come in other areas. I struggle, for example,  with understanding why things are the way they are. I struggle with not knowing what God has in mind in my life and if I will ever know. I don’t doubt His love for me, nor do I doubt He has an ultimate plan for my life. I struggle with Him not sharing it with me! 🙂

Methinks I am not alone.

I wish I could sit here and say that I have the kind of faith of George Mueller had, who ran an orphanage but determined to pray for everything and never ask for financial or any handout. Answers to prayers abound in his life story. Unlike most ministries today, he never asked for a dime.

There are two stories in the Bible I will be using Sunday in my sermon. The story found in Mark 9 of the father who has an encounter with Jesus, and one found in John 20: 24-29 where Thomas has an encounter with Jesus.  I will be finishing up with Psalm 13 and how it teaches us the importance of faith over feelings.  I’m planning on sharing them with you in a future post in the coming week.

My sermon, as you can surmise, is What about Doubt?  It is part of my series I’ve called Q & A. Tune if you are unable to be here for our morning worship. If you can’t do either, please say a prayer for us. Thanks.

#Dead#Zombies

Friday, October 11th, 2019

First, let me put you at ease. This is not a post about zombies. Not only do I think it is silly, but I have never watched even a moment of the TV show when it was on, nor will I while it is in reruns. As for New Death Experiences (NDEs) I have my own opinion which shall remain mine at this point. I have never been a horror movie fan so to talk about the macabre and living among the dead has never “yanked my chain.” I have enough trouble with reality. I don’t need people confusing the issue with other junk.

I have been a pastor long enough; I have been alive long enough, to know when death is either imminent or soon to take place. There are certain characteristics which manifest themselves. I suspect if we took the time to compare we would see some of the characteristics of death could be seen in some churches as well. There are all kinds of churches in various stages of “aliveness.” Some are vibrant; some are lukewarm; some are barely hanging on; and some are dead (but may not even know it).

This week’s postcard is written to the church at Sardis, the church I am calling the Dead Church. Revelation 3:1-6 gives us that letter and Jesus minces no words of judgment on them.  It is never easy hearing that you or your church may be dead.  I don’t want to sound harsh or judgmental but only kind and loving as I present the possibility that it could happen to us if we aren’t open to Christ’s leading. Please pray for me this weekend.