PastorTim

ARE YOU IN GOOD HANDS?

I just can’t believe that another year has passed, and what a year it was. I think I have experienced more change in my life in this past year than any other I can remember. "Pictures of the year below" In our church we are getting settled into our new facility, my daughter got married and moved away, my son moved into his own place, he’s 25 it’s about time! I got a new Mac book and moved forward a little on technologies road,” a big sorry to all my PC friends here” did I mention that my daughter got married and moved away…far away? A lot of change, a lot of new feelings, “can you say empty nest?” Many new faces, and a heap of new friends, along with the pain of loosing some old friends that I will miss dearly. But I must say that through it all I was in good hands. Now I’m not talking about my insurance company here. I’m speaking of the hands that have held and guided my life since I was a mere teenager. Hands that have helped and encouraged me… “Psalm 92:4
For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.”
Hands that have protected me often when I was even unaware… “Psalm 91:12
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
” Now some of you reading may have a regret or two about the past 12 months. A neglected diet or a few home improvement items that still remain undone, but I believe the greatest regret we can have is a year lived without God’s hands upon our lives. The good news is, it doesn’t have to stay that way! We can decide right now to live this year trusting in his hands.
I want to share with you four keys that will help all of us get the most out of the year 2008. Keys can be used to start something or used to open doors. It is my prayer that these for keys will start you off on the right foot in the right direction. It is also my prayer that you will use these keys to open the doors of opportunity that God places before you. I will label these keys A, B, C and D. A - Accept responsibility for my life. This is something that is hard for many people to do. Some people would rather blame someone else for the problems and difficulty in their lives. These are people that go around looking for someone who will accept responsibility for them. Someone who will accept responsibility for the way they live their lives and the choice they make. When things don’t turn out the way the hope, they have someone they can blame. Accepting responsibility for ones life is not popular concept in our society, because we live in a culture that embraces a concept called "political correctness". This basically says, "None of your problems are your fault. Everything bad in your life is somebody else’s fault. We will never be a success in life and we will never make our lives count if we have the attitude that it’s someone else’s fault. We must accept responsibility for our own lives. Galatians 6:5 “ For every man shall bear his own burden. ” Here is the truth of this scripture. I am responsible for my own life, if I like it or not. B - Believe God can change me. Stop saying, "I can’t" and start saying, "I can". The person that believes that they can change with the help of God will change. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Many people never succeed in life because they believe they can’t change. They never enjoy life because life to them is just one big failure after another. They face a new year with regret rather than the joy of knowing that God has given them the opportunity to make a difference in their own lives with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ. God can use me and God can use you. The good news is God wants to use you. First you must accept responsibility for your own life. And second you must believe you can change, that God can give you the power to change if you’ll trust Him. C - Clarify you’re priorities. You must decide what’s important and what’s not important. God has given each of us an incredible gift called the freedom to choose, the freedom of choice. That’s one of the things that makes us like God. The only way can clarify what we really want is to make a list and decide what is important and what is not. And last but not least, D - Don’t wait to begin. Do it now! If you and I wait for the right situation or the right kind of circumstances we will miss out on life all together. There will never be an ideal set of circumstance to start out on. If you’re out there using the excuse, “ When things settle down or get better, I’m going to start having a daily quiet time and read my Bible every day,” you’re never going to do it. “When things settle down, I’m going to spend more time with my kids.” They’ll be grown and gone! There are a lot of people that have missed out on life waiting for the ideal set of circumstance or waiting for things to get better. While they were waiting, time just kept right on going and passed them by.
I read in John Maxwell’s book, “ Developing the Leader Within You ”, of a Middle Eastern mystic who said, “ I was a revolutionary when I was young and all my prayer to God was: ‘ Lord, give me the energy to change the world.’ As I approached middle age and realized that my life was half gone without my changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to: ‘ Lord, give me the grace to change all those who come into contact with me, just my family and friends, and I shall be satisfied.’ Now that I am an old man and my days are numbered, I have begun to see how foolish I have been. My one prayer now is: ‘ Lord, give me the grace to change myself.’ If I had prayed for this right from the start, I would not have wasted my life.’
ARE YOU IN GOOD HANDS?

I SAW CHRISTMAS THIS WEEK…..

Beginning Sunday I saw Christmas in the hearts and lives of a stage full of children who dressed as adorable bible characters, sang beautifully, and quoted scripture telling the timeless story of the birth of Christ. I saw Christmas in the heartfelt expression s of gratitude from the best church family in the entire world. I saw Christmas this week in the hard work and dedication of many who sacrificed their own Christmas funds to make a better Christmas possible for so many that are less fortunate in our community. I saw Christmas this week in the hearts of construction workers and a construction company who took their time and their resources to support a local church in their community and help them reach more families through their outreach programs this Christmas season. I saw Christmas yesterday as I had lunch in a beautifully decorated restaurant with a dear friend who will be retiring soon and moving to a far away land called North Carolina. I saw Christmas as I looked into the eyes of little children walking through shopping malls mesmerized by the lights and colors of the season, as I listened to my favorite Christmas music while driving and enjoying houses decorated with Christmas lights and more, and as I sipped hot chocolate while watching Christmas movies on the couch beside my adorable wife of 26 years.

Have you seen Christmas this year? It’s still around you know! Though challenged by the ACLU and others. While mocked and made fun of by many. And though long since forgotten by young and old, Christmas is still visible, if you are still looking.. I must admit I get laugh after laugh from those who seem to be so offended and worried about “The Reason For The Season”. I was told this week that Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford has issued a disturbing directive forbidding employees to say or write the word "Christmas." This directive was given by the University upon legal advice of the Oklahoma Attorney General. The controversy began when the University's Director of Human Resources recently visited various departments and said that decorations featuring the word "Christmas" in any areas of the University must be immediately removed. He also instructed the employees not so say "Christmas" while on the job. As a result the employees cannot respond "Merry Christmas" to other employees or visitors to the University. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised, the innkeeper had no room for him, those in Jerusalem who heard of a new king were troubled and Herod himself was plotting to kill the baby the moment he heard the news of his birth. There has always been opposition to the news of a baby who Mary was to name JESUS. “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. To relinquish control of their lives to another can be a scary proposition. But listen to the words of Mary…. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” Be it unto me…..what a way to live!
When I look at the Christmas story in the bible is see Christmas in the fact that God initiated this!!!! He chose the place....... hundreds of prophecies pointed to this. He chose Mary......an ordinary young lady in Israel. Thank God he still chooses ordinary people! He chose.....the time Galatians 4:4 says, ““But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And He chose.....the name.......Immanuel which means, God with us. All of this He chose.....but there comes the issue of acceptance. There is the issue of Obedience on our part....that was Mary's choice...to obey. So what will you do this year when you see Christmas? Will you shut the door, will you be troubled, will you try to get rid of it? What would your life be like if our heart spoke the same words s Mary? Be it unto me……
I love the story of Wally. Wally was big for his age--seven years old. Everyone wondered what role the teacher would give him in the annual Christmas play. Especially considering the fact that he was also a slow learner. Perhaps he could pull the curtain. To everyone's surprise the teacher gave Wally the role of the innkeeper. The boy of course was delighted. After all, all he had to learn was one line: "There is no room in the inn." He had that down in no time. Then came the night for the program. The parents took their places. Every seat in the auditorium was filled. The children entered singing "Oh come all ye faithful." The lights dimmed. A hush moved over the audience. The curtain opened on Scene One. Mary and Joseph entered the stage and walked up to the inn. "Please sir, my wife is not well. Could we have a room for the night?" Wally was ready for his line. He had rehearsed it all night. He began, there is.and he hesitated. He started over again. There is. . .and again his mind went completely blank. Everyone was embarrassed for him but poor Wally just didn't know what to do. Joseph thought he would improvise and started walking away toward the stable on stage left. Seeing him walking away Wally in desperation called out: "Look, there's plenty of room at my house, just come on home with me."
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

CHRISTMAS PAST…..

The feeling was instant as I looked through the old pictures I asked my Mom to get together for me. I was actually just looking for some old pictures of the Christmas Trees I remember from my childhood. The ones Mom used to decorate with those big old colored lights and he aluminum icicles remember those. She would take so much pain in hanging each one straight down so that they looked like real needles of ice glowing as they reflected the multicolored lights in the background.(Below) Ah the memories. Well Mom did find some great pictures of the trees of Christmases past along with a few trees surrounded by gifts all lined up along side of a pajama clad lad that slightly resembles yours truly. Pictures which are not for public viewing, mainly because I don’t want my dear friends to use said images against me, (The one below has been approved by the author), but which do contain many Tonka toys that would certainly sell well on E-Bay! It’s funny though, looking back on those many special Christmas mornings that were brought back to the forefront of my mind. I don’t so much long for the feeling of playing with a particular toy as much as I do long for those precious moments spent with my Dad and Mom. Yesterday during the morning worship service two particular testimonies caught my hearts attention. Pastor Frank shared how that in a recent service at STAR Community Justice Center some of the residents were remembering their Christmases past and none spoke of gifts received, but the precious moments remembered with those they love. Kevin, our Worship leader, who is also a local school teacher, shared how that the usual “what I want for Christmas letters” he had read from his class focused not so much on things that children want as much as the children’s heartfelt plea for a peace and joy in their families as the ideal gift to be desired for Christmas this year. Looking back I think we would all agree that our memories of Christmas past are mostly focused on the moments spent with those we love and cherish.
Could it be that God had this in mind during that first Christmas? Could it be that as the angels were announcing the Birth of the Savior that the creator was remembering back to the close relationship he had in Garden of Eden with His beloved creation? A relationship that would soon be restored through the finished work of Bethlehem’s precious gift to the world.
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:4-7 A relationship lost would be restored, a beloved creation would be reunited with a creator who loved them so very much he was willing to give his only son to make it possible. It was His plan, that’s how much God would spend on the first Christmas Gift.
He missed us before we ever knew Him, He longed for our company long before we were born. Someone has written, “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.” Pastor Clifford S. Stewart of Louisville, Kentucky, sent his parents a microwave oven one Christmas. Here's how he recalls the experience: "They were excited that now they, too, could be a part of the instant generation. When Dad unpacked the microwave and plugged it in, literally within seconds, the microwave transformed two smiles into frown! Even after reading the directions, they couldn't make it work. "Two days later, my mother was playing bridge with a friend and confessed her inability to get that microwave oven even to boil water. 'To get this darn thing to work,' she exclaimed, 'I really don't need better directions; I just needed my son to come along with the gift!'" When God gave the gift of salvation, he didn't send a booklet of complicated instructions for us to figure out; he sent his Son. So this year as you are spending time with your family making memories as well as sharing them let us not forget the most important part of the season isn’t found under a bow or nestled deep in a beautiful gift bag, but in the wonderful moments we will share with those we love and who love us. And may we especially remember and adore the one who gave us the greatest gift of all…… “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
MERRY CHRISTMAS

IT ALL STARTED WITH A SONG

Some of my fondest memories of Christmas as a child include putting up Christmas decorations to the sounds of Johnny Mathis singing “Winter Wonderland”, Elvis singing “Blue Christmas”, and even the Chipmunks infamous “Here Come Santa Claus”! I grew up around music. My Dad was a nightclub entertainer for as long as I can remember, my Mom loved music as well and so at Christmas time each year our house was filled with melodies that added to the season. My children are no different, I can still picture my little girl laying under a newly decorated Christmas, she was probably around six or so, singing along with Nat King Cole’s version of “What Child is this?” (Pictured below) oblivious to her daddy and the camcorder capturing the moments for Terri and I to cry as we watch years later. Kind of fitting don’t you think? That praise would be such a wonderful part of our Christmas memories? It’s sort of how the First Christmas started. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” Awesome isn’t it, how that praise, music, and song played a part in pointing people to the newborn King?
According to Historian Bill Petro, Music early became a marked feature of the Christmas season. But the first chants, litanies, and hymns were in Latin and too theological for popular use. The word carol comes from the Greek word choraulein. A choraulein was an ancient circle dance performed to flute music. In the Middle Ages, the English combined circle dances with singing and called them carols. Later, the word carol came to mean a song in which a religious topic is treated in a style that is familiar or festive. Interestingly enough, during the British Commonwealth government under Cromwell, the British Parliament prohibited the practice of singing Christmas carols as pagan and sinful. (Kind of reminds me of the some of the Christmas Grinches of our day doesn’t it?) Puritans at this time disapproved as well of the celebration of Christmas, and did not close shop on that day, but continued to work through December 25. “Can you say Scrooge?” During this brief interlude in English history, during which there was no monarch, this activity by the populace was to remain illegal. But this activity was prohibited only as long as the Commonwealth survived, and in 1660, when Charles II restored the Stuarts to the throne, the public was once again able to practice the singing of Christmas carols. And so it is today a wonderful part of our Christmas celebrations. Here at the Plymouth Heights church where I am blessed to Pastor, our choir has performed this years Cantata four times already.
(Choir below) And what is amazing is that just like the first Christmas when humble shepherds were drawn to the baby Jesus through the praise of the angelic chorus announcing His birth, this week alone we have witnessed 22 precious souls find their way to the very same Savior of the World!
When World War I erupted in 1914 launching the first great European war of the 20th century, soldiers on both sides were assured they would be home by Christmas to celebrate victory. However, on Christmas Eve in December 1914 one of the most unusual events in military history took place on the Western front. On the night of Dec. 24 the weather abruptly became cold, freezing the water and slush of the trenches in which the men bunkered. On the German side, soldiers began lighting candles. British sentries reported to commanding officers there seemed to be small lights raised on poles or bayonets. Although these lanterns clearly illuminated German troops, making them vulnerable to being shot, the British held their fire. Even more amazing, British officers saw through their binoculars that some enemy troops were holding Christmas trees over their heads with lighted candles in their branches. The message was clear: Germans, who celebrated Christmas on the eve of Dec. 24, were extending holiday greetings to their enemies. Within moments of that sighting, the British began hearing a few German soldiers singing a Christmas carol. It was soon picked up all along the German line as other soldiers joined in harmonizing. The words heard were these: "Stille nacht, heilige nacht." British troops immediately recognized the melody as "Silent Night" quickly neutralized all hostilities on both sides. One by one, British and German soldiers began laying down their weapons to venture into no-man's-land, a small patch of bombed-out earth between the two sides. So many soldiers on both sides ventured out that superior officers were prevented from objecting. There was an undeclared truce and peace had broken out. Isn’t that really what Christmas does in the heart of a man or woman who truly finds this Christ Child? The wars that rage in the hearts of those away from God find a peace that can only come from another world because it has never existed in theirs before. The music of Christmas still points us to the one who came to this world to bring hope, peace and love in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

WISHFUL THINKING…

I just love adorable Christmas commercials don’t you? My favorite recently has been the cute one with the little girl that is encouraged by her mom to go to sleep. Sheepishly she says, all in favor of looking at some more toys in the new Toys-R-Us catalog raise your hand. Just then the camera pans to the shelves in her room filled with stuffed animals, all with their little hands raised. Kids are so cute, but adults dream at Christmas time as well. It may not be a Toys-R-Us catalog, but our pace slows a little as we drive by car dealerships, and walk past jewelry store windows. Shopping will preoccupy much of our time between now and the 25th of December. Or if you’re like me, you’ll wait till at least the 23rd to get started! Although I will confess there are a few things that I’m busy already hinting to Terri for. You know, things in certain catalogs that just happen to be left open to certain pages throughout the house for Terri to notice as she picks them up. Looking for just the right gift is something we are all consumed with right about now. Wishful thinking in regard for Christmas is one thing, but when it comes to life and eternity it’s a shaky proposition.
Listen to this amazing story in Matthew 2:1-12 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.” Let’s take a closer look at this familiar story of some folks that were looking for something during this same season of the year.
First off did you notice that something out of the ordinary was what first drew them to the Savior? It often still works that way, something first gets our attention, but it doesn’t stop there. Lets notice the next step for this band of searching souls. They were then directed to the scriptures as they stopped in Jerusalem for directions. So many times God first gets our attention through a series of events or even tragedies. Then were confronted by the scriptures and we begin to find some true direction and insight to what life is about. Remember the sign led them to the scriptures and the scriptures would lead them to Bethlehem. Now let me stop here and interject that we often get derailed at this point because we stop right there and don’t seek the Savior. Many get close to Jesus this time of year but never truly get to know him in a personal way. They have only gone as far as Jerusalem, when Bethlehem and the Savior are just a short distance away. The Christmas season has drawn them close, but not close enough to experience a true changed life. Lets go a little farther with this band of travelers and find that when they finally found the king that was born, they left a different way. That’s my favorite part of the story. When we come to a personal relationship with Jesus we are blessed to leave that experience in a completely different way. Our life is never the same after that.
So what are really shopping for in life? And when you find it, will it be what you really want? In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their "flying machine" off the ground. Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine: "We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas." Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, "How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas." He totally missed the big news--man had flown! Don’t miss the big news by looking for the wrong thing.
By the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS!