April, 2020

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#Drive-By#WorthIt#

Tuesday, April 28th, 2020

Have you ever wondered if what you are doing is making any kind of difference in someone’s life? I think we all have those thoughts. Something we do goes unappreciated or at least unnoticed. We don’t hear a thank you for some heartfelt action we took. We gave it our all and instead of encouragement someone finds fault. That’s the way of life I guess.

BUT IT SURE IS NICE TO HEAR GOOD WORDS UPON OCCASION!

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned by “drive-by” approach.  You can read about that here.  I am not doing it so I can hear good words back. I am doing it for two reasons: 1) So the people know they are loved and being cared about; and 2) for me. That’s right. It is for me. I miss people and if this gives me a chance to pray for and then chat with people face-to-face then I’m happy. I am also convinced it was an idea that came from a pastor’s heart to a listening God.  It has gone well so far. I’ve had 3 afternoons of visits and most have been home and come to the door or stood on their porch. Yesterday (Monday) I had 2 not home-which I expected- and 2 home. I had fantastic visits with people (making sure we were more than 6 feet away. I found out one was home and I didn’t know it. I’ve asked her permission to reprint her email to me. She says a world of truth in it. I have edited it to keep out the name of her company.  She gave me permission to include her name.

Good morning Bill,

Last Thursday (business name) told us that we were staying home until at least June 1st, then we would go back in waves, what those waves look like, who knows. I am studying the minor prophets with the girls in bible study, there I was being Jonah for sure, pouting under my plant, feeling sorry for myself. I even told God, I know this is wrong, I need to keep my focus on you, this is just more circumstances, but I’m sick of staying home all by myself, all kinds of me me me stuff. I tried to spend some time reading Paul, my favorite writer in the Bible, pray more, but with the raining, windy, colder weekend, I was still Jonah. Monday morning came, I went to my computer and I said Lord I know I pouted most of the weekend, even tried to pretend like I wasn’t, but you know where my heart is. I just couldn’t shake it. Sometime Monday afternoon, all of the sudden I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. I wasn’t praying at the time or even thinking about what was going on. It just made me stop what I was doing, it just felt like a big wave washed over me, my stubbornness pouting self just left. I said thank-you Lord, I was tired of pouting under my plant. I just couldn’t see what I needed even though I knew where the answer was. Thanks for just removing my pouting stubbornness on your own, making my mind clear to focus back on you. I went to the mailbox, around 4:30, and when I came back to the house, I saw your card. I missed it on the way out. I thanked God, for you. I sat down on the porch prayed, for you and our church. I thanked God, that he listened to you to speed up my recovery, and to put a stop to my pity party. Everyone keeps saying that these are some strange times we are dealing with, but honestly if you read the Bible, know about the spiritual warfare, this is nothing new to God. Our world has turned their back on God, we as Christians need to show the world our joy, and peaceful heart, that you can only have through God. It’s a really an opportunity to display that, I could not focus on that pouting. Thank you Bill, I know not all prayers have such a quick response but from my heart to yours, thanks for the push.

Gail

All that to say I was humbled by her email. I was certainly humbled God used me that way (and that quickly).  But let me leave a word with you. If you know of someone who needs thanked for an “above and beyond” during this time, take the time to tell him/her.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Leadership, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Pick me Up | 2 Responses »

#AvoidThese!#Devastating

Saturday, April 25th, 2020

I’m a little bit late posting about the sermon this week. It, despite the encouragement to stay inside, has been a busy one. You can read here the approach I have taken starting this week.  That took me away from the office two afternoons.  But I am loving it and actually getting to see some people at a distance. It has satisfied, for now, my desire to see the people and to let them know I am thinking of them.

There is a tradition in Poland I read about. It started over 700 years ago. Every day from the steeple of St. Mary’s Church a bugle is sounded. The last note of the bugle is muted and broken, as if some disaster had befallen the bugler. This 700+ year commemoration is in memory of a heroic trumpeter who one night summoned the people to defend their city against the hordes of invading Tartars. As he was sounding the last blast on his trumpet, an arrow from one of the Tartars struck and killed him. So there is always a muted note at the end. The Krakovians (Krakow, Poland) have never forgotten this heroic warning.

Part of American history is the warning of Paul Revere that the British were coming. Some of you are old enough to remember the air raid drills in school where they hoarded us together in the hallway with no windows, sat us down, had us put our heads between our knees, and cover our heads.

Our life is filled with warning signs. Some very blatant; some as subtle as a lump or a cough or a stumble. Some are heeded immediately; some pushed aside as a cold or aging. The current Covid-19 virus has a list of warning signs of possible infection. The Bible is filled with warnings.

Some of those warnings are of a false gospel.  Read Galatians 1 for Paul’s feelings about the false gospel. In this week’s passage- Colossians 2:16-23- Paul warns them of three false teachings to avoid.  I’ll make it easy for you. They are legalism, spiritualism, and asceticism. You might be surprised how they are applicable to our day and time.  We will, once again, be using FB to stream the service. We have new equipment coming which someone donated the money for so please be patient with us as we try to overcome the hurdles which we were (admittedly) unprepared for.

Thanks for your prayers.

Posted in Christian living, Church, Doctrine, Legalism, Opinion, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Truth | 3 Responses »

#Drive-By

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2020

Say the phrase and you are sure to get visions of someone driving by and shooting at will or maybe at a specific target. I want to give a new picture and reality to the word “drive-by.” I realize even as I write this or say this there will be those who disagree; will call me reckless; etc.  Save the hate speech. 🙂

Monday afternoon I was riding my bike. During most of my rides I play mind games with myself.  Or is that mindless games? I don’t ride to think; I ride to relax. I ride to gain perspective because you know how exercise frees the mind, especially when you are in pain. I wasn’t in pain in the sense of hurting, but the 14 mph wind out of the SW was killing me.  Not just hurting…killing me. I rode yesterday also. About froze my you-know-what off since I underestimated the 15 mph W wind that lowered the temps into the 40s. I did stop back at the office and put on some more clothes (arm and leg warmers and a jacket) but didn’t have anything to cover my head or ears. My helmet is designed to allow air flow. Trust me…it did flow through! I wondered if I would have any ears when I got back after my 14 mile ride.

Anyway…it hit me hard on Monday how much I miss seeing the people at the church. I am a social creature.  I sent notes to everyone several weeks ago (over 100). I try to text or call. I preach each week via FB. But I miss the personal touch of seeing, laughing and hugging. So while I was riding an idea came to mind. One I began implementing yesterday. Why not do a version of a drive-by? I hit 4 out-of-town homes yesterday (and one I couldn’t find). No I didn’t throw stones. I threw prayers. Actually, I pulled into their driveway and prayed specifically for them. I texted them to see if they were home afterwards and told them what I did and to look outside. Every family, to a “T,” came outside on their porch to say hi. I stood by my truck, maintained a safe distance, and chatted with them.  Got to see some of the little ones who will give me hugs on Sunday (but could only smile and wave). Even some of the adults who will.  Got to fist-bump a couple teenage boys. And the best medicine of all? I got to laugh with all of them. I have a mask but one wasn’t needed…not at the distance I was at (except for the teen boys. I had to fight off their hugs. Yeah, and if you believe that I have some swamp land in Arizona I’d be glad to sell you).

All in all, it was a great afternoon. Gave me the social interaction I needed. Hopefully gave them a sense that they are loved and missed.  I plan to do take a couple hours in the afternoons and do some more drive-bys until this thing is over and we can see each other in person and up close.

Posted in Church, Family, Friendship, Little Bit of Fun, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Pick me Up | 11 Responses »

#Anniversary#Celebration#Honored

Monday, April 20th, 2020

I took a break last week from posting on this blog except for the sermon. After posting on two blogs for over a month, a break was needed. Something happened yesterday that I wanted to share.

April 13th is a day that has significance to me.  On April 13, 1932 my mother was born. She went to be with Jesus in March of 2004. So when April 13th came this year, I thanked God for her influence in my life and then moved on. I am not a real sentimental person on things like that.

But something else happened on April 13th. To honor her in one of the biggest ways I could think of, April 13, 1975 was the day I chose for my ordination into the ministry. I had been preaching since I was a Sophomore in college (1972) but that was my official day of being licensed as a pastor. I had heard of it while in college but I didn’t like the reasons some of them did it: to be an official pastor which basically gave them a free ride on Vietnam. I can also remember my mom telling me not to become a pastor because of the respect and “fame” and honor given to clergy. Back then, pastors were seen as upright and worthy of respect. (My how times have changed!)  Anyway, when I saw how some acted and talked and chased woman, I didn’t want to move too fast on this idea of being ordained (not that I did those things). I wanted it to be an occasion where I knew what I was doing and was serious about my calling.  As I reflect on those ideas today, I’m not sure I knew either! What I did know is that it was a big step for me.

So on April 13, 1975 I chose to honor my mother, whose influence on my faith is unquestioned, by being ordained on her birthday. Besides, as I got older I figured it would be easier to remember one date instead of two. Remembering Jo’s birthday and my two daughters was hard enough.  I’ve never made a big deal about special days in my life, except for my wedding date (which I am trying to remember…oh yeah, June 16, 1973) and the birth of my girls (June 3, 1975 and August 23, 1979).  Let’s see…mine is…oh yeah, October 9, 1952.  And I hereby refuse to publish Jo’s birthday since I value my life.  But trust me when I say she is a tad bit older than me, like from January 30, 1951 compared to mine. (But please don’t tell her I said anything! I love my life!!)

But I digress. Yesterday during the virtual morning worship, I welcomed people to the worship and moved away from the pulpit to let the first song play. It wasn’t the one I picked and looked up and it was a slide show Tami had put together honoring my 45th anniversary of ordination. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. To say I walked away to gather my emotions before standing before the people again might (not) be a lie. Anyway, I was honored and humbled she put this together. And I was especially honored folks responded.  It was hard to see via the FB worship so she has posted it on YouTube. It was public at first but she is taking it private. You have the extreme privilege (I’m humble too) to be given the link to watch it.  Here is the link. Hope you enjoy it. And yes, you will notice two people missing from it: Jo and Janna (my youngest).  Least Tami still loves me. 🙂

I have so many people to thank for 45+ years.  But most of all, I want to give praise, glory and honor to the ONE who called me into this high calling. He has been a beautiful picture of grace, forgiveness, patience, and transformation through all of this. And thank you Tami for doing this (she was last one).

Posted in Family, Friendship, Grace, Joy, Leadership, Little Bit of Fun, Love, Miscellaneous, Pick me Up, Preaching, Story | 14 Responses »

#Choose!#JesusAlone

Friday, April 17th, 2020

Confronting Christianity, the excellent book by Rebecca McLaughlin (2019 Book of the Year) opened with this introduction:

In 1971, Beatles star John Lennon had a dream. Closing his eyes to the atheist regimes of his day, he dreamed of a brotherhood of man with no heaven, no hell, no countries, no possessions, ‘nothing to kill or die for,’ and ‘no religion.’ This dream persists. ‘Imagine’ was sung reverentially at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Despite prescribing an antireligious pill swallowed by one tiny fraction of the world, it is seen as an anthem of unity across ideological differences. As its notes rang out in PyeongChang, the sister of the supreme leader of North Korea-a state that has tried ‘no religion’ and still found much to kill and die for-graced the crowd.

Eight years before ‘Imagine’ was released, another prophet shared another dream. He dreamed that ‘one day in Alabama…little black boys and black girls [would] be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sister and brothers.

The difference between Lennon’s dream and Dr. King’s dream was the issue of faith. Lennon said None; King said fulfillment. Who was right? Of course, that is not all we have been inundated with.  Our world is filled, no make that flooded, with aberrant philosophies and ideas-vain, Godless and empty.

Paul’s letter to the Colossians presents the only one that will satisfy, that will fill: to follow Christ.  After a two week hiatus from Colossians due to Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday, I’m coming back. My first sermon is on the sufficiency of Christ from Colossians 2:8-15.  We are online as most churches are these days. We are still working  out bugs and I would appreciate your prayers as we navigate these waters.

Posted in Christian living, Doctrine, Jesus, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Truth | 4 Responses »

He’s Alive!

Sunday, April 12th, 2020

Today we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is not quite the Resurrection Sunday celebration we were anticipating that’s for sure.  The past few years we have had one service at a local venue (Abram Farm) that allowed us to be all together as one church family. This year was already going to be different due to the company that normally did our sound having to beg off this year. So, in spite of the graciousness of Bill & Suzie Abram, the owners of the venue, we were going to have two services at our building.

Then COVID-19 happened. Suddenly, we went from Abram Farm to our church building to a virtual celebration. But there is a great lesson here! The grave could not contain Him. What in the world would make us think a virus could? So we celebrate anyway. Virtually.

More could be said. But I’m not going to belabor the point. So I say, “Celebrate! Jesus is alive in our hearts. He is alive in our worship. He is alive seated at the right hand of His Father. Celebrate!”  I’d like ask you to listen to an old song. In my mind, one of the best Easter songs you don’t even know by my favorite Christian group of all time.

Posted in Doctrine, Easter, Jesus, Music video, Truth | 10 Responses »

#LentEnding#33

Saturday, April 11th, 2020

Sunday, Resurrection Day, is the official end to Lent.  A sad time ends in a time of rejoicing.

Pastor and author John MacArthur once said:

Neutrality is not an option. Either Jesus rose and rightly demands your attention, repentance, trust and obedience, or he stayed dead.  If He only became a rotting corpse why should you follow Him?”  {Quoted by Andrew Warnock in Risen With Christ}

Although I don’t always agree with his views on some things, Biblical scholar N. T. Wright made this statement:

The only possible reason why early Christianity began and took the shape that it did is that the tomb really was empty and that people really did meet Jesus, alive again.

Hard to argue with either one. Resurrection Sunday is the crowning event of our belief system. Take away the resurrection and WE. HAVE. NOTHING. Peter knew it. Paul most certainly knew it (he devoted a whole chapter to it. See I Corinthians 15).

Rise up followers of Christ! Do not despair! If the grave could not contain Him, how in the world and why in the world do we get this crazy notion some virus will? So the church is not meeting in a building. Good!  Meet in homes. Meet with friends. Meet with loved ones. Invite others to join in the party. Celebrate the RESURRECTION OF JESUS with me!! 

Bet you can’t guess what my sermon will be about tomorrow!! 🙂 See you on the church FB page at 10:00.

Posted in Church, Doctrine, Easter, Lent, Preaching, Sermon Series/Topic, Truth | Comments Off on #LentEnding#33

#Lent#32

Friday, April 10th, 2020

Today, April 10,2020 is Good Friday. A day of sickness and death for many, but for people all over the globe it is a day with a different meaning,

From Darkness to Light.

From Pitch Black to Blinding Luminescence.

From Dark Rumbling Clouds to Glorious Sunshine.

From Hatred to Love.

From Loss to Gain

From Loser to Winner.

From Death to Life.

It’s Friday…but Sunday’s Coming!

Posted in Death, Doctrine, Easter, Lent, Resurrection, Story, The Cross, Truth | 3 Responses »

#Lent#31

Thursday, April 9th, 2020

Not growing up in a religious tradition that observed the traditional trappings of a holiday like Easter is a learning experience. No, I did not grow up as part of the Jehovah Witness cult. I grew up in an independent Christian Church that had two pastors from Moody. So you might as well say I grew up Baptist. However, I went away to a college from the independent group after getting a new pastor who favored that tradition (denomination), but claim no allegiance to anymore.  While I had heard of Good Friday and we often went to Good Friday services our church observed with other churches in the community, there were still some phrases and “special days” I was ignorant of.

I had never heard of or observed Lent. To me, lent was something you did for someone else. They wanted to borrow something so you “loaned” it to them.  You lent it to them. So when I got deeper into church work, I heard of Lent but still never made a big deal about it.

Speaking of Lent, how about Ash Wednesday? That was a new one to me as well. I do remember being in high school and one of my teachers, Mr. Bano, had this smudge mark in the middle of his forehead. I can remember sitting there wondering, “Does he know? Should I tell him?” The wiser Bill said to keep my business to myself. I reckon that was a good thing. He was Catholic and that was part of his tradition…but I didn’t know.

Today is a day called Maundy Thursday. What in the world is that? I found out it was the day Jesus washed the disciples’ feet during what is known as the Last Supper the night He was betrayed.  Maundy is from the Latin word which means “command” and finds its meaning in when Jesus told His disciples “A new command I give you; Love one another.”  Okay, sounds plausible although I still am lost as to why that has been made into a holy day.

Then there is Good Friday. As if the crucifixion can be seen as “good.” But you and I know it can and will continue to be for all those who know Jesus. While some skeptics call it cosmic child abuse, I call it “essential.” Without that cross, I have nothing. No forgiveness of sins. No answer to my shame. And then there is…

Resurrection Sunday!! Now THAT I know! Without it I have no hope, no purpose, no reason to live. So no matter what tradition you belong to-one that observes all the holy days of the last week of Jesus or one that doesn’t (like me then and now), the resurrection is the game-changer.  We are drawing closer to that celebration. Keep your eyes looking ahead. In fact, maybe you might want to keep one eye on the sky as well.

Posted in Church, Easter, Lent, Opinion, Story, The Cross, Truth | 3 Responses »

#Lent#30

Wednesday, April 8th, 2020

I’ve been listening to some podcasts lately. The bulk of them have been on Crisis Leadership; leading through this pandemic; what a true leader does during times like this, etc. But I took a break the past couple of days to listen to one podcast featuring two ex-JW’s, and one podcast featuring an ex-Mormon for close to 40 years. All three have embraced orthodox Christianity, biblical Christianity. One of the teachings of JW is they don’t believe in hell. Generally speaking, the grave is the end. Worm food. No torment. No suffering.

Jesus has promised eternal life. His death, burial, and resurrection secured that for all who follow Him. His resurrection “blew apart” the grip of the enemy, death and hell. By His resurrection, eternal life became a reality. Not just an empty promise talked about. A reality to be realized.  I believe in hell. I just don’t have to fear it.

One of the reasons I relish this “Easter event season” is it shows me in vivid color that the best is yet to come. For those, and those only, who trust in Christ.  Jesus once said, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) The best is yet to come. Have you embraced Him?

Posted in Doctrine, Easter, Jesus, Lent, Truth | 5 Responses »

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