S.B.: Psalm 46: 1 – 11
It’s a bit hard to believe, but the busiest part of the year has just exploded on the scene. This past Thursday we gathered around the table with family and friends, gave thanks to God for the many blessings and lessons that he has given us this past year… the Bible does say to give thanks in all things… and then we enjoyed a sumptuous meal that was lovingly prepared and served… after the main course we enjoyed enough pumpkin pie to float the Mayflower… then we prepared the leftovers of this meal… turkey sandwiches… turkey salad… And just when the tryptophan was beginning to wear off… BAM! We are plunged headlong into the yearly commercial feeding frenzy that lasts until the first week of January.
If you want to get an idea of who is important in our lives, take a look at our Christmas lists. Here’s a “WHAT IF” for you… What if we were to put Jesus at the top of our Christmas list… not the end. After all, it is his birthday, and it is a month-long celebration. Could we spend even an hour a week with him?
It’s only 30 Days, 6 Hours, 10 minutes and 22 seconds worth of shopping until Christmas (but who’s counting…) Did you see the reports on Channel 10 News yesterday morning about the mob scenes during the early morning rush to get that latest electronic gadget, XYZBox, kitchen gizmo or football-watching accessory that your cousin Nell just has to have, or Christmas just won’t be the same? Some of the news footage showed people crammed against the front door of the mall, and a line stretching around the corner at quarter-of-six in the morning, waiting for the cattle call, and it’s a miracle that there were no people getting trampled in the stampede for stocking stuffers, yet people will drag their feet, and complain that 9:30 in the morning is too early to go to the house of God.
The Psalm of the Shopper
My soul follows hard after deep discounts…
Early in the morning will I rise up and go shopping…
And because thou hast been “buy-one-get-one”
Under the shadow of my credit card bill will I rejoice.
Yet, please hear the words of King David… I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID TO ME “LET US GO TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD…” This declaration from King David gives an interesting word picture… King David would often run to the temple to worship God with the same energy and religious fervor with which many people flocked to the malls this past Friday morning. “I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID TO ME ‘LET US GO SHOPPING!!!”
My point for this morning is simply this: Christmas is a month away, and we are in the downhill run of our annual shopping mad-dash. Most of us have well-developed lists of gifts to buy, and will attack that list with military precision, you will leave the house extra early so you can swing by a store (or two or three) on your way to work, and will stop by the shopping mall on your way home to pick up an extra stocking stuffer or three… What would happen if we went to God’s house with the same religious zeal in which we check the malls for stocking stuffers? Could you imagine rising up extra early to worship God… Isaiah writes “my soul longs after thee, EARLY IN THE MORNING WILL I RISE UP AND SEEK THEE…”
Add God’s name to your Christmas list, and the gift that he wants from you is the same gift that the important people in our lives want from us… a little quality time with him.
I Bid You Peace...
Pastor Ken+
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Attitude Adjustment
S.B. Psalm 33: 1 – 11
What a wonderful promise we have from our text this morning… Verse 4 proclaims that “the word of the Lord is right and true, He is faithful in all he does!” We sing wonderful hymns of faith which declare how great is God’s faithfulness, and remind one another of the fact that the way that God provides for us is over and above anything that we can possibly imagine.
One fine day last year, Amanda came home from school and asked us if we wanted to hear a new song that she had just learned… (Of course we would…) And she started singing “The B-I-B-L-E… Yes, that’s the book for me… I stand alone on the word of God… the B-I-B-L-E… Bible!” That day she also learned a new Bible Memory Verse which she has used several times since then… Psalm 56:3 which says “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee…” I had to remind both of us this last week when I was standing on the side of Swanzey Lake in New Hampshire, talking to Amanda who was being taken to Children’s Hospital… and we said it together on the phone several times that afternoon “what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee…”
Change is inevitable… It is scary… change means facing the unknown and stepping out of familiar routines and comfort… it means risk… and it means potential failure… When all else fails you, you can trust in God’s word… and HE never breaks his promises. (He doesn’t… WE do, frequently.) And his promises are new every morning… and every morning He reminds us of his promises.
The Pilgrims faced an uneasy future as they embarked on their journey to the new world…
Verse six declares “by the word of the Lord, were the heavens made… their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”
The Hebrew word that the psalmist is using in this text is the word “ruach” which translates roughly as “breath” or “wind.” The word “ruach” can also be translated as “spirit.” The implication of this verse is that the Breath of God is the activity of the Holy Spirit. When we sing “Breathe on Me, Breath of God” we are asking “Breathe on me… move on me… or move through me… Holy Spirit.
Agreement is powerful… The union of two people is a powerful force… The union of a man with a woman in marriage has the potential of creating a new family unit… it is powerful enough to create a legacy… it has the potential to create children to fulfill that legacy. The union of one man plus one woman united in marriage releases God’s creative power.
In like fashion, the union of God’s word plus the Holy Spirit always releases God’s creative power. What can the power of God’s word, united with the power of the Holy Spirit do when we stand on faith?
Let’s take a look at John 1… The word was in the beginning… the word was with God… the word IS God… He made everything… life and light were in him… In Genesis 1 we also see that the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water… If I were to put this into a mathematical equation, it might be expressed in the following manner:
The word of God + the Spirit of God = Creation
Verse 11 reminds us “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”
Every day we make plans… every day we consult our dayrunners and palm pilots to see where we need to be, and what we are going to do when we get there.
God’s plan was for the glory of the Lord to be restored to the church, the Body of Christ. God’s plan was for the intimate relationship that God had with us in the Garden of Eden to be restored… That is why:
He raised up Moses and Joshua (Yeshua) to lead his people out of captivity…
He sent Noah to rescue his people from the flood…
He sent Gideon to demonstrate the need for us to depend on him and follow his direction…
He sent his son, Jesus (Yeshua ha’Meshiach) to lead his people out of darkness and into his marvelous light… to restore HIS glory to the church.
The glory that is in the church is not in the church suppers of the past, but in eager anticipation of the marriage supper of the Lamb!
The attitudes that are prevalent in the church today need to fade away as we focus on what is important… as we focus on the cross instead of the things of the world… I would offer you four thoughts…
A.) There are things which are really important…
B.) There are things which we think are really important, but which in reality are not.
C.) There are things which we think are really not important, but which in reality are very important.
D.) There are things which are NOT important.
The Pilgrim fathers had to make a decision. Was it
more important for them to live in an oppressive society which was imposing very strict laws upon the way the people worshipped God, or was it more important for them to worship God the Father in Spirit and in truth? They made their choice… they stepped out on faith into an unknown future, but a future which was redolent with the powerful combination of the Word of God combined with the Holy Spirit and gave birth to a promise… and a nation.
This morning, after church, we are going to be gathering together to partake of a sumptuous thanksgiving dinner. The Women’s Fellowship and many other volunteers have worked diligently to put this feast together, and it will take its place among the memorable feasts that we have enjoyed here, and will continue to enjoy here for many years until Christ’s return… We will be enjoying turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (my favorite…) a plethora of pies, and I am getting hungry just thinking about what is in store for us… perhaps you can smell some of the aromas wafting up here into the sanctuary… And yet there is one thing which is being served up even as we speak, which is more savory than the turkey and ham, more delicious than the mashed potatoes and cranberry… and sweeter by far than the sweetest desert… the fellowship which we have with each other under the banner of the Love of God in Christ Jesus. Dinner’s on the table… Taste and see how sweet in the Lord.
P.S. Prayer:
Our Father in Heaven, we honor all nations and their peoples. This is the season of togetherness, to live side by side in peace and harmony with our brothers and sisters… your children. Show us the wisdom of your ways so we can lead others in faith. We are forever your children and look to you for guidance. We pray to you in the name of your holy son, Jesus Christ…
Amen
I Bid You Peace,
Pastor Ken+
What a wonderful promise we have from our text this morning… Verse 4 proclaims that “the word of the Lord is right and true, He is faithful in all he does!” We sing wonderful hymns of faith which declare how great is God’s faithfulness, and remind one another of the fact that the way that God provides for us is over and above anything that we can possibly imagine.
One fine day last year, Amanda came home from school and asked us if we wanted to hear a new song that she had just learned… (Of course we would…) And she started singing “The B-I-B-L-E… Yes, that’s the book for me… I stand alone on the word of God… the B-I-B-L-E… Bible!” That day she also learned a new Bible Memory Verse which she has used several times since then… Psalm 56:3 which says “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee…” I had to remind both of us this last week when I was standing on the side of Swanzey Lake in New Hampshire, talking to Amanda who was being taken to Children’s Hospital… and we said it together on the phone several times that afternoon “what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee…”
Change is inevitable… It is scary… change means facing the unknown and stepping out of familiar routines and comfort… it means risk… and it means potential failure… When all else fails you, you can trust in God’s word… and HE never breaks his promises. (He doesn’t… WE do, frequently.) And his promises are new every morning… and every morning He reminds us of his promises.
The Pilgrims faced an uneasy future as they embarked on their journey to the new world…
Verse six declares “by the word of the Lord, were the heavens made… their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”
The Hebrew word that the psalmist is using in this text is the word “ruach” which translates roughly as “breath” or “wind.” The word “ruach” can also be translated as “spirit.” The implication of this verse is that the Breath of God is the activity of the Holy Spirit. When we sing “Breathe on Me, Breath of God” we are asking “Breathe on me… move on me… or move through me… Holy Spirit.
Agreement is powerful… The union of two people is a powerful force… The union of a man with a woman in marriage has the potential of creating a new family unit… it is powerful enough to create a legacy… it has the potential to create children to fulfill that legacy. The union of one man plus one woman united in marriage releases God’s creative power.
In like fashion, the union of God’s word plus the Holy Spirit always releases God’s creative power. What can the power of God’s word, united with the power of the Holy Spirit do when we stand on faith?
Let’s take a look at John 1… The word was in the beginning… the word was with God… the word IS God… He made everything… life and light were in him… In Genesis 1 we also see that the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water… If I were to put this into a mathematical equation, it might be expressed in the following manner:
The word of God + the Spirit of God = Creation
Verse 11 reminds us “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”
Every day we make plans… every day we consult our dayrunners and palm pilots to see where we need to be, and what we are going to do when we get there.
God’s plan was for the glory of the Lord to be restored to the church, the Body of Christ. God’s plan was for the intimate relationship that God had with us in the Garden of Eden to be restored… That is why:
He raised up Moses and Joshua (Yeshua) to lead his people out of captivity…
He sent Noah to rescue his people from the flood…
He sent Gideon to demonstrate the need for us to depend on him and follow his direction…
He sent his son, Jesus (Yeshua ha’Meshiach) to lead his people out of darkness and into his marvelous light… to restore HIS glory to the church.
The glory that is in the church is not in the church suppers of the past, but in eager anticipation of the marriage supper of the Lamb!
The attitudes that are prevalent in the church today need to fade away as we focus on what is important… as we focus on the cross instead of the things of the world… I would offer you four thoughts…
A.) There are things which are really important…
B.) There are things which we think are really important, but which in reality are not.
C.) There are things which we think are really not important, but which in reality are very important.
D.) There are things which are NOT important.
The Pilgrim fathers had to make a decision. Was it
more important for them to live in an oppressive society which was imposing very strict laws upon the way the people worshipped God, or was it more important for them to worship God the Father in Spirit and in truth? They made their choice… they stepped out on faith into an unknown future, but a future which was redolent with the powerful combination of the Word of God combined with the Holy Spirit and gave birth to a promise… and a nation.
This morning, after church, we are going to be gathering together to partake of a sumptuous thanksgiving dinner. The Women’s Fellowship and many other volunteers have worked diligently to put this feast together, and it will take its place among the memorable feasts that we have enjoyed here, and will continue to enjoy here for many years until Christ’s return… We will be enjoying turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (my favorite…) a plethora of pies, and I am getting hungry just thinking about what is in store for us… perhaps you can smell some of the aromas wafting up here into the sanctuary… And yet there is one thing which is being served up even as we speak, which is more savory than the turkey and ham, more delicious than the mashed potatoes and cranberry… and sweeter by far than the sweetest desert… the fellowship which we have with each other under the banner of the Love of God in Christ Jesus. Dinner’s on the table… Taste and see how sweet in the Lord.
P.S. Prayer:
Our Father in Heaven, we honor all nations and their peoples. This is the season of togetherness, to live side by side in peace and harmony with our brothers and sisters… your children. Show us the wisdom of your ways so we can lead others in faith. We are forever your children and look to you for guidance. We pray to you in the name of your holy son, Jesus Christ…
Amen
I Bid You Peace,
Pastor Ken+
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Making History
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ;
Grace to You, and Peace from God our Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ!
It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Every Thanksgiving morning we drive up to my Mom and Dad’s home in Holland, Massachusetts, and celebrate the day with family and friends. We would arrive at Mom and Dad Beres’ home around 11 a.m. that day, and the Thanksgiving Dinner would be served mid-afternoon, after which we might go for a drive and visit a friend.
Whether we visited Pastor Bob or one of our other friends, the whole idea was that Thanksgiving was a time for giving thanks to God for our many blessings, but it was also a time for connecting (or re-connecting) with our family and friends. It is a time of meeting new members of our families, making new acquaintances and friends, and a time of renewing relationships and friendships that we have been blessed with over many years. My Mom and my Yiayia both taught me a little song a long time ago that said “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold…”
We are also seeing new faces in our family here at First Congregational Church, and this would be a good time to get to know some of them. We also have people here at First Church who have been a part of this church family for a long time. God is weaving us into a mosaic of faces, gifts, talents and personalities which are unique to this church family, and which changes with every new person who becomes a part of our growing family.
With each person in our family comes a story. Some of our stories are of Church Suppers and Bazaars, Dances, Parties, Fellowship Nights, and Hymn Sings that we have enjoyed. Some of our other stories are of Weddings, Baptisms, Funerals and other family events. My ears perk up when I hear somebody saying “I remember when…” or “Do you remember when we did the…”
Some of our other stories come from the newer faces in our family. Some of these stories come from concerts, coffeehouses, other churches, and other great experiences.
The point is that as members of the same family, we can’t help but sharing our stories with one another, and together we weave the story of what God is doing here at First Congregational Church. This is history… This is His Story.
In November, let’s take advantage of each and every opportunity of connecting with the people who gather to worship with us each Sunday…and who are involved with us in the activities which take place every week. Let’s celebrate every one of our stories, old and new, and let’s gather together to praise God from whom all blessings flow.
From the Beres household and family to your household and family, may we take this time to bid each of you a safe, happy and memorable Thanksgiving.
I Bid You Peace…
Pastor Ken+
Grace to You, and Peace from God our Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ!
It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Every Thanksgiving morning we drive up to my Mom and Dad’s home in Holland, Massachusetts, and celebrate the day with family and friends. We would arrive at Mom and Dad Beres’ home around 11 a.m. that day, and the Thanksgiving Dinner would be served mid-afternoon, after which we might go for a drive and visit a friend.
Whether we visited Pastor Bob or one of our other friends, the whole idea was that Thanksgiving was a time for giving thanks to God for our many blessings, but it was also a time for connecting (or re-connecting) with our family and friends. It is a time of meeting new members of our families, making new acquaintances and friends, and a time of renewing relationships and friendships that we have been blessed with over many years. My Mom and my Yiayia both taught me a little song a long time ago that said “Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold…”
We are also seeing new faces in our family here at First Congregational Church, and this would be a good time to get to know some of them. We also have people here at First Church who have been a part of this church family for a long time. God is weaving us into a mosaic of faces, gifts, talents and personalities which are unique to this church family, and which changes with every new person who becomes a part of our growing family.
With each person in our family comes a story. Some of our stories are of Church Suppers and Bazaars, Dances, Parties, Fellowship Nights, and Hymn Sings that we have enjoyed. Some of our other stories are of Weddings, Baptisms, Funerals and other family events. My ears perk up when I hear somebody saying “I remember when…” or “Do you remember when we did the…”
Some of our other stories come from the newer faces in our family. Some of these stories come from concerts, coffeehouses, other churches, and other great experiences.
The point is that as members of the same family, we can’t help but sharing our stories with one another, and together we weave the story of what God is doing here at First Congregational Church. This is history… This is His Story.
In November, let’s take advantage of each and every opportunity of connecting with the people who gather to worship with us each Sunday…and who are involved with us in the activities which take place every week. Let’s celebrate every one of our stories, old and new, and let’s gather together to praise God from whom all blessings flow.
From the Beres household and family to your household and family, may we take this time to bid each of you a safe, happy and memorable Thanksgiving.
I Bid You Peace…
Pastor Ken+
Saturday, October 6, 2007
In The Temple With Him
Amid the hustle and bustle of our daily lives… amid the trials and tribulations which so easily beset us, HE draws our hearts closer to him… if we would only just take the time to take a step back from the world’s distractions and focus, if even for only a moment in time, on HIM.
Popular denomination’s slogan “God is still speaking…” My reply to that is “are we still listening?”
A very dear friend, Fr. Jim Dwyer (Columban Fathers) who was one day spending some time in Contemplative Prayer (just basking in God’s Holy Presence…)
Friend asked Fr. Dwyer “Oh, you were in the temple with HIM… how did he look to you?”
Contemplative Prayer (something very near and dear to my heart... getting alone before God… is something that I have been practicing for a long time, and it makes a difference in my life…)
It takes discipline to take a step back, and just do nothing… just leave yourself silent before God…the natural thing for us to do when we are faced with a time of silence is to fill it with some activity… it is in human nature to abhor a vacuum, and yet God’s word to us today is to “be still and know that HE is God…”
In other words “Don’t do something… just stand there…”
Contemplative Prayer can best be defined by breaking down it’s Latin root words…
Con – “with”
Templare – “In The Temple”
Contemplation – “To be in the Temple with HIM…”
So… the key to our survival at the end of a rough day… or even at the beginning of the rough day… is to spend time alone with Jesus… To be in the temple with HIM…
Point of Emphasis: Meditative or Contemplative Prayer is NOT yoga… it is focusing on the presence of Christ Jesus in your life… focus on listening…
It is allowing yourself to steep in HIS word and in HIS presence…
Illustration: making a cup of tea… involves pouring a cup of hot water (interesting how we want to focus on his presence most often when we are in hot water…) and then placing a tea bag in the water… and just leaving it there to steep…
The longer the tea bag stays in the cup of hot water, the stronger the tea becomes…
In like fashion, the longer we stay steeping in God’s presence and in God’s word, the stronger we become in our faith.
Even God’s word points to the value of steeping and growing in God’s word…
Habakkuk 2:20 says “But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him."
Ecclesiastes 3:7 says that there is “a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak...”
And Revelation 8:1 says of the last days that “When he (the lamb) opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour…
Can you imagine that? Silence anywhere for a half hour???
()Experience with Columban Father’s Prayer Group (Sounding like Darth Vader…”
()Experience with Prayer Summit: trying to stay silent for half an hour (85 pastors trying to stay silent for more than 5 minutes is unheard of… we tried to last for a half hour, but most of us never made it past 12 minutes…
The silence that was spoken of in the book of Revelation would be best described as a “stunned silence” or a “shocked silence…” (OH NO, Lord… not that…!!!) As the Lord was about to move mightily…
The Lord is in HIS Holy Temple…
The Lord is about to move mightily among His people…
Let all the earth keep silent before him…
The great Christian Writer, C.S. Lewis once wrote these words to an American Friend on the subject of Contemplation…
“We all go through periods of dryness in our prayers, don’t we? I doubt whether they are necessarily a bad symptom. I sometimes suspect that what we are enjoying is the satisfaction of apparent success, as in executing a dance or reciting a poem. Do our prayers sometime go wrong because we insist on trying to talk to God when HE wants to talk with us? Joy tells me that once, years ago, she was haunted by a feeling that God wanted something of her, a persistent pressure like the nag of a neglected duty. And till mid-morning she kept on wondering what it was. But the moment she stopped worrying, the answer came through as plain as a spoken voice. It was “I don’t want you to do anything. I want to give you something.” And immediately her heart was filled with peace and delight. St. Augustine says “God gives where he finds empty hands.” A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift. Perhaps these parcels are not always sins or earthly cares, but sometimes our own fussy attempts to worship HIM in our way. Incidentally, what most often interrupts my own prayers is not the great distractions but tiny ones… things one will have to do or avoid in the course of the next hour.”
Did you get Lewis’ point? The moment his wife stopped worrying, and trying to control the situation… the very moment she stopped, she could hear the still, small voice of God telling her “I don’t want you to do anything… I want to Give you something…” And as soon as she left her heart open, God filled her heart with peace and delight…”
And then Lewis makes the point that “A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift… and then he hammers it home… “Perhaps these parcels are not always sins or earthly cares… but our own FUSSY attempts to worship him in our way… instead of in spirit and in truth.”
As we gather around the table this morning, let us take the time to leave our hearts and minds open to HIS leading, and let us stay patiently and quietly before him… and allow us to hear HIS still, small voice…
I Bid You Peace...
Pastor Ken+
Popular denomination’s slogan “God is still speaking…” My reply to that is “are we still listening?”
A very dear friend, Fr. Jim Dwyer (Columban Fathers) who was one day spending some time in Contemplative Prayer (just basking in God’s Holy Presence…)
Friend asked Fr. Dwyer “Oh, you were in the temple with HIM… how did he look to you?”
Contemplative Prayer (something very near and dear to my heart... getting alone before God… is something that I have been practicing for a long time, and it makes a difference in my life…)
It takes discipline to take a step back, and just do nothing… just leave yourself silent before God…the natural thing for us to do when we are faced with a time of silence is to fill it with some activity… it is in human nature to abhor a vacuum, and yet God’s word to us today is to “be still and know that HE is God…”
In other words “Don’t do something… just stand there…”
Contemplative Prayer can best be defined by breaking down it’s Latin root words…
Con – “with”
Templare – “In The Temple”
Contemplation – “To be in the Temple with HIM…”
So… the key to our survival at the end of a rough day… or even at the beginning of the rough day… is to spend time alone with Jesus… To be in the temple with HIM…
Point of Emphasis: Meditative or Contemplative Prayer is NOT yoga… it is focusing on the presence of Christ Jesus in your life… focus on listening…
It is allowing yourself to steep in HIS word and in HIS presence…
Illustration: making a cup of tea… involves pouring a cup of hot water (interesting how we want to focus on his presence most often when we are in hot water…) and then placing a tea bag in the water… and just leaving it there to steep…
The longer the tea bag stays in the cup of hot water, the stronger the tea becomes…
In like fashion, the longer we stay steeping in God’s presence and in God’s word, the stronger we become in our faith.
Even God’s word points to the value of steeping and growing in God’s word…
Habakkuk 2:20 says “But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him."
Ecclesiastes 3:7 says that there is “a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak...”
And Revelation 8:1 says of the last days that “When he (the lamb) opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour…
Can you imagine that? Silence anywhere for a half hour???
()Experience with Columban Father’s Prayer Group (Sounding like Darth Vader…”
()Experience with Prayer Summit: trying to stay silent for half an hour (85 pastors trying to stay silent for more than 5 minutes is unheard of… we tried to last for a half hour, but most of us never made it past 12 minutes…
The silence that was spoken of in the book of Revelation would be best described as a “stunned silence” or a “shocked silence…” (OH NO, Lord… not that…!!!) As the Lord was about to move mightily…
The Lord is in HIS Holy Temple…
The Lord is about to move mightily among His people…
Let all the earth keep silent before him…
The great Christian Writer, C.S. Lewis once wrote these words to an American Friend on the subject of Contemplation…
“We all go through periods of dryness in our prayers, don’t we? I doubt whether they are necessarily a bad symptom. I sometimes suspect that what we are enjoying is the satisfaction of apparent success, as in executing a dance or reciting a poem. Do our prayers sometime go wrong because we insist on trying to talk to God when HE wants to talk with us? Joy tells me that once, years ago, she was haunted by a feeling that God wanted something of her, a persistent pressure like the nag of a neglected duty. And till mid-morning she kept on wondering what it was. But the moment she stopped worrying, the answer came through as plain as a spoken voice. It was “I don’t want you to do anything. I want to give you something.” And immediately her heart was filled with peace and delight. St. Augustine says “God gives where he finds empty hands.” A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift. Perhaps these parcels are not always sins or earthly cares, but sometimes our own fussy attempts to worship HIM in our way. Incidentally, what most often interrupts my own prayers is not the great distractions but tiny ones… things one will have to do or avoid in the course of the next hour.”
Did you get Lewis’ point? The moment his wife stopped worrying, and trying to control the situation… the very moment she stopped, she could hear the still, small voice of God telling her “I don’t want you to do anything… I want to Give you something…” And as soon as she left her heart open, God filled her heart with peace and delight…”
And then Lewis makes the point that “A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift… and then he hammers it home… “Perhaps these parcels are not always sins or earthly cares… but our own FUSSY attempts to worship him in our way… instead of in spirit and in truth.”
As we gather around the table this morning, let us take the time to leave our hearts and minds open to HIS leading, and let us stay patiently and quietly before him… and allow us to hear HIS still, small voice…
I Bid You Peace...
Pastor Ken+
Saturday, September 22, 2007
"How Did You Find Jesus?"
Luke 15: 1 - 10
It really doesn’t make sense, does it? Does God really rejoice more over one sinner who repents than 99 who are righteous? It sounds as though Jesus is making a point. Nevertheless it is a lesson which we all need to hear. We all tend to be critical of the lost, and somewhat resentful that they can just walk back and say sorry. God however is never resentful, he rejoices without any feeling of bitterness. If the lost knew that when they returned they would receive rebuke and criticism, then they might be less likely to come home in the first place. There need be no such worry where God is concerned, he always welcomes the sinner, the prodigal… the lost sheep.Imagine how the father of the prodigal son must have felt when his son asked him for his inheritance and went off to squander it on the wrong sort of lifestyle. The poor father must have had so many conflicting emotions, sadness at the lack of wisdom shown by the son, perhaps some resentment or even anger. We will never quite know, but we do know that he let the son go. He did not try and make him stay, or change his mind. He knew that the son had to go and find out for himself, so he allowed him to make his mistakes. Sometimes this is the only way that we can really learn, from our own mistakes. Frequently parents see children make mistakes and they know that these are exactly the kinds of things which they themselves did! Sadly we cannot put old heads on young shoulders. All that we can do is to be there when they come home, perhaps realising the error of their ways, and make sure we don't say I told you so.This is how God is with us. God allows us to make mistakes, even big mistakes, and we learn the hard way… or sometimes we don’t learn the hard way… God is there for us and welcomes us back without the hint of recrimination, just love and forgiveness. The Gospel lesson this morning shows that God cares deeply for those who are lost and far from him. God isn't resentful when they are found or angry that they strayed, but rather God rejoices. Perhaps we should all ask ourselves, ‘are we able to rejoice in welcoming back the lost or would we be more likely to tell them that is was their own fault?’ It is hard for us to be prepared to accept people when they seek forgiveness. It is a human trait to be critical and willing to judge, we naturally think God wants people to be punished. To err is human but to forgive is divine. Its hard for us to forgive, it has to be conditional; and measured and not to freely given in case it encourages bad behavior .
We tend to think like public utility companies and we want every drop of God's grace metered and paid for. It's hard for us to forgive. We often think that forgiveness has to be earned in some way, even if it is only by asking for it properly. Forgiveness however is easy for God, it is God's nature. Jesus tells us about going in search of the lost sheep. Why does the shepherd search for the lost sheep? Is it because it is a favorite sheep? Is it because the sheep is a special sheep? Or because its coat is woolier than the rest of the sheep? No! The only qualification the sheep has which justifies leaving the other sheep and going off after it, is that it is lost.
So too Jesus cares for the lost, because they are lost and seeks them out. We so often get concerned about our qualifications for God. Are we good enough for him to bother with us? And perhaps the church has and still does reinforce this, making hurdles over which we have to cross before we are good enough. Think of Paul’s writings of the Lord’s Supper… Does Jesus, who shares his last meal with the disciples only come after those who have passed the test? Or does he come after the lost sheep?As your pastor, my glad task is to reassure people of God's forgiveness, and as members together of the Body of Christ, that is something which we are all called to do. God calls us to share together in that priestly task… sharing God’s grace is not only my job, it is your job too. Jesus shows us from the cross that he forgives even when people do not ask for it. The Christian faith teaches us that God cares for all of us, especially the lost. The Christian faith teaches that we are never beyond redemption, we are never so far from God that he gives up on us. The message of the day is that the further we have fallen, the deeper is God's grace to rescue us. The will of God can never lead you where the Grace of God can not cover you.Self righteousness and begrudging attitudes are alive and well, they didn't die out in 1st century Palestine. There are those who like the brother of the prodigal son will resent the fact that God is so forgiving. For many people recovery of the lost means that we are only happy when people decide that they want to join us and be like us. For Jesus recovery of the lost meant taking time to befriend and to associate with the lost. Even if it meant getting his own reputation tarnished. Think of the stories and gossip which there must have been about Jesus as a result of the company which he kept. Think of the Gossip around Jesus’ befriending Zaccheus, the tax collector… or Mary Magdalene… or the Lepers… or the sinners…We can sometimes begrudge the mercy of God being so freely given to the undeserving. We don't like people who threaten us… who invade our comfort zones… who appear different from us… who don't measure up to our standards.
Yet Paul’s words to us from Romans 15:7 are to “receive one another, then, just as Christ received you, in order to bring glory to God the Father…
This morning we need to see Christ Jesus as Shepherd… I wonder whether or not we know him as our shepherd today… We repeat the words of the 23rd Psalm… “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…”
He is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep…
He is the Great Shepherd that was brought back from the dead…
He is the Chief Shepherd who is coming again…
He is the Shepherd and Bishop of Souls…
He is the Shepherd of the sheep, who gathers the lambs with his arms, and who carries them in his bosom…
He is the Shepherd of Israel…
He is Jehovah’s Shepherd…
So it is that Jesus tells these two stories from our lesson this morning to show that God has time for each one of us. Even when the rest of the world thinks that we are too far gone, Jesus comes after us and carries us home.
A young man named Yam Sing, was asked upon joining a church in San Francisco, “How did you find Jesus?” He answered “I did not find Jesus at all… He found me…”
A little boy, in a Chinese Christian family wished to make a profession of faith and join the church. He was told that he was too young to join the church… He replied “Jesus has promised to carry the lambs in his bosom… I am only a little boy… it will be easier for Jesus to carry me…”
I Bid You Peace...
Pastor Ken+
It really doesn’t make sense, does it? Does God really rejoice more over one sinner who repents than 99 who are righteous? It sounds as though Jesus is making a point. Nevertheless it is a lesson which we all need to hear. We all tend to be critical of the lost, and somewhat resentful that they can just walk back and say sorry. God however is never resentful, he rejoices without any feeling of bitterness. If the lost knew that when they returned they would receive rebuke and criticism, then they might be less likely to come home in the first place. There need be no such worry where God is concerned, he always welcomes the sinner, the prodigal… the lost sheep.Imagine how the father of the prodigal son must have felt when his son asked him for his inheritance and went off to squander it on the wrong sort of lifestyle. The poor father must have had so many conflicting emotions, sadness at the lack of wisdom shown by the son, perhaps some resentment or even anger. We will never quite know, but we do know that he let the son go. He did not try and make him stay, or change his mind. He knew that the son had to go and find out for himself, so he allowed him to make his mistakes. Sometimes this is the only way that we can really learn, from our own mistakes. Frequently parents see children make mistakes and they know that these are exactly the kinds of things which they themselves did! Sadly we cannot put old heads on young shoulders. All that we can do is to be there when they come home, perhaps realising the error of their ways, and make sure we don't say I told you so.This is how God is with us. God allows us to make mistakes, even big mistakes, and we learn the hard way… or sometimes we don’t learn the hard way… God is there for us and welcomes us back without the hint of recrimination, just love and forgiveness. The Gospel lesson this morning shows that God cares deeply for those who are lost and far from him. God isn't resentful when they are found or angry that they strayed, but rather God rejoices. Perhaps we should all ask ourselves, ‘are we able to rejoice in welcoming back the lost or would we be more likely to tell them that is was their own fault?’ It is hard for us to be prepared to accept people when they seek forgiveness. It is a human trait to be critical and willing to judge, we naturally think God wants people to be punished. To err is human but to forgive is divine. Its hard for us to forgive, it has to be conditional; and measured and not to freely given in case it encourages bad behavior .
We tend to think like public utility companies and we want every drop of God's grace metered and paid for. It's hard for us to forgive. We often think that forgiveness has to be earned in some way, even if it is only by asking for it properly. Forgiveness however is easy for God, it is God's nature. Jesus tells us about going in search of the lost sheep. Why does the shepherd search for the lost sheep? Is it because it is a favorite sheep? Is it because the sheep is a special sheep? Or because its coat is woolier than the rest of the sheep? No! The only qualification the sheep has which justifies leaving the other sheep and going off after it, is that it is lost.
So too Jesus cares for the lost, because they are lost and seeks them out. We so often get concerned about our qualifications for God. Are we good enough for him to bother with us? And perhaps the church has and still does reinforce this, making hurdles over which we have to cross before we are good enough. Think of Paul’s writings of the Lord’s Supper… Does Jesus, who shares his last meal with the disciples only come after those who have passed the test? Or does he come after the lost sheep?As your pastor, my glad task is to reassure people of God's forgiveness, and as members together of the Body of Christ, that is something which we are all called to do. God calls us to share together in that priestly task… sharing God’s grace is not only my job, it is your job too. Jesus shows us from the cross that he forgives even when people do not ask for it. The Christian faith teaches us that God cares for all of us, especially the lost. The Christian faith teaches that we are never beyond redemption, we are never so far from God that he gives up on us. The message of the day is that the further we have fallen, the deeper is God's grace to rescue us. The will of God can never lead you where the Grace of God can not cover you.Self righteousness and begrudging attitudes are alive and well, they didn't die out in 1st century Palestine. There are those who like the brother of the prodigal son will resent the fact that God is so forgiving. For many people recovery of the lost means that we are only happy when people decide that they want to join us and be like us. For Jesus recovery of the lost meant taking time to befriend and to associate with the lost. Even if it meant getting his own reputation tarnished. Think of the stories and gossip which there must have been about Jesus as a result of the company which he kept. Think of the Gossip around Jesus’ befriending Zaccheus, the tax collector… or Mary Magdalene… or the Lepers… or the sinners…We can sometimes begrudge the mercy of God being so freely given to the undeserving. We don't like people who threaten us… who invade our comfort zones… who appear different from us… who don't measure up to our standards.
Yet Paul’s words to us from Romans 15:7 are to “receive one another, then, just as Christ received you, in order to bring glory to God the Father…
This morning we need to see Christ Jesus as Shepherd… I wonder whether or not we know him as our shepherd today… We repeat the words of the 23rd Psalm… “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…”
He is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep…
He is the Great Shepherd that was brought back from the dead…
He is the Chief Shepherd who is coming again…
He is the Shepherd and Bishop of Souls…
He is the Shepherd of the sheep, who gathers the lambs with his arms, and who carries them in his bosom…
He is the Shepherd of Israel…
He is Jehovah’s Shepherd…
So it is that Jesus tells these two stories from our lesson this morning to show that God has time for each one of us. Even when the rest of the world thinks that we are too far gone, Jesus comes after us and carries us home.
A young man named Yam Sing, was asked upon joining a church in San Francisco, “How did you find Jesus?” He answered “I did not find Jesus at all… He found me…”
A little boy, in a Chinese Christian family wished to make a profession of faith and join the church. He was told that he was too young to join the church… He replied “Jesus has promised to carry the lambs in his bosom… I am only a little boy… it will be easier for Jesus to carry me…”
I Bid You Peace...
Pastor Ken+
Monday, September 17, 2007
A Cuppa Coffee for September
Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ;
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Summer is winding down, and autumn will soon be upon us. With the changing leaves and the scenes which seem to leap off of the pages of Yankee Magazine, comes not only a new school year, but also new opportunities for sharing what God is doing in each of our lives, and in our life together here at First Congregational Church.
I haven't yet seen one falling leaf, but I know with absolute certainty that before too long the leaves will be turning to vibrant red, brilliant yellow, and eye-popping orange.
With each changing leaf, I am reminded of the promise of God that HE will never leave us (no pun intended) or forsake us, and that HIS word endures from everlasting to everlasting. With each season comes change, and new beginnings, and each serves as a reminder that while HIS promises are new every morning, and it can truly be said that no two autumnal seasons are exactly the same.
In like fashion, no two people in the Body of Christ are exactly the same. The mix of gifts and talents that HE has blessed you with are different from the gifts and talents that HE has given me. Yet HE calls us to come together with our talents and gifts and make something beautiful out of them. Just as God designs the beautiful colors of teh changing leaves into a breathtaking tapestry, so HE takes our gifts, our talents, and our personalities and HE also weaves them together into something beautiful; something that brings glory to HIM.
As we begin anew this September and beyond, let us answer HIS call on our lives to come together as HIS people, and allow HIM to weave us into something beautiful... something that brings HIM glory! Let us allow our unique personalities and our equally unique mix of gifts and talents to be used to make a difference in the lives of the people around us.
I bid you peace...
Pastor Ken+
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Summer is winding down, and autumn will soon be upon us. With the changing leaves and the scenes which seem to leap off of the pages of Yankee Magazine, comes not only a new school year, but also new opportunities for sharing what God is doing in each of our lives, and in our life together here at First Congregational Church.
I haven't yet seen one falling leaf, but I know with absolute certainty that before too long the leaves will be turning to vibrant red, brilliant yellow, and eye-popping orange.
With each changing leaf, I am reminded of the promise of God that HE will never leave us (no pun intended) or forsake us, and that HIS word endures from everlasting to everlasting. With each season comes change, and new beginnings, and each serves as a reminder that while HIS promises are new every morning, and it can truly be said that no two autumnal seasons are exactly the same.
In like fashion, no two people in the Body of Christ are exactly the same. The mix of gifts and talents that HE has blessed you with are different from the gifts and talents that HE has given me. Yet HE calls us to come together with our talents and gifts and make something beautiful out of them. Just as God designs the beautiful colors of teh changing leaves into a breathtaking tapestry, so HE takes our gifts, our talents, and our personalities and HE also weaves them together into something beautiful; something that brings glory to HIM.
As we begin anew this September and beyond, let us answer HIS call on our lives to come together as HIS people, and allow HIM to weave us into something beautiful... something that brings HIM glory! Let us allow our unique personalities and our equally unique mix of gifts and talents to be used to make a difference in the lives of the people around us.
I bid you peace...
Pastor Ken+
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Grace To You...
Three things that we have learned about God's grace this week...
1.) God's grace is free... but it is not cheap.
Cheap grace, according to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was tantamount to a "007" Licence to keep on sinning. Costly grace, on the other hand, is the realization that God sent HIS son into the world, not to condemn the world... but that through him the world might be saved! Costly grace means nothing less than the fact that somebody died so that you and I could live...
2.) God's grace is unmerited... and undeserved.
Paul writes that it is by grace that we are saved, through faith... not of works, lest any man should boast. In this we can realize that God alone is the author and finisher of our faith, and that it is only because he loves us that we are alive to this day...
3.) God's grace is for you...
Truthfully, there is only one person who Jesus died for... YOU.
Nuff' said...
I bid you peace!
Pastor Ken+
1.) God's grace is free... but it is not cheap.
Cheap grace, according to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was tantamount to a "007" Licence to keep on sinning. Costly grace, on the other hand, is the realization that God sent HIS son into the world, not to condemn the world... but that through him the world might be saved! Costly grace means nothing less than the fact that somebody died so that you and I could live...
2.) God's grace is unmerited... and undeserved.
Paul writes that it is by grace that we are saved, through faith... not of works, lest any man should boast. In this we can realize that God alone is the author and finisher of our faith, and that it is only because he loves us that we are alive to this day...
3.) God's grace is for you...
Truthfully, there is only one person who Jesus died for... YOU.
Nuff' said...
I bid you peace!
Pastor Ken+
Sunday, September 2, 2007
A Side Order of Life (Part II)
Today was a real eye-opener for me. From my vantage point, it seemed to me as if I could see pretty much all of life spreading out before me. This morning, during the worship service, we celebrated a baptism, after church my wife had put together an impromptu birthday party for me, later this afternoon I had a memorial/committal service for a woman who had passed away a week ago, and then later on in the afternoon we celebrated with the family of the young boy who had been baptized this morning.
It rather reminds me of the famous verse from Ecclesiastes "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."
L'chayim! L'chayim! To life!
To Life! To Life! L'Chayim!
I Bid You Peace!
Pastor Ken+
It rather reminds me of the famous verse from Ecclesiastes "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."
L'chayim! L'chayim! To life!
To Life! To Life! L'Chayim!
I Bid You Peace!
Pastor Ken+
Saturday, September 1, 2007
"Whatever..."
My text for this morning comes from the New Testament Book of Philippians. Paul writes these words to the church at Philippi... "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is Near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praise-worthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of Peace will be with you." (Philippians 4: 4 - 9)
Here Paul is giving us the key to genuine peace of mind... genuine "shalom." First, he tells us to rejoice! (He actually says it twice for emphasis...) He encourages us to put on an attitude of praise (here we call to mind the verse from the Psalms reminding us that he inhabits the praises of his people, creating an atmosphere in us which he inhabits... )
Then he encourages us to "Let your gentleness be evident to all... the Lord is near." IF his spirit is within us, and IF we continue to focus on him... THEN his very presence changes not only our atmosphere, but our lives as well... we can not help but emulate gentleness simply because, as Paul writes elsewhere "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!"
Paul continues, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Did you get it? "Do not be anxious (or afraid, or concerned) about anything..." Think about this one for a moment... "Do not be anxious about anything..." Is Paul serious? We are by our very nature prone to worry, and prone to anxiety... Anxiety can kill... it can produce heart-attack-like symptoms... this is nothing less than Overmobilization of Fear. Remember something that the Bible says about fear? "God is Love... and perfect love casts out all fear."
Herein we are encouraged "...but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" Paul's message to us is to not be afraid or anxious to present your requests to God. Paul's overall message at this point is that if you have God's very presence permeating your heart and your soul, if you keep your mind focused on him, if you come into his presence with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise, then everything you need will be added to you, and you can come before God and not be afraid to ask him for what you need... because your request will be in line with God's will and God's word.
Watch what he promises next. "...And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The peace of God... the shalom... which goes above and beyond anything that we could possibly wrap our minds around... this peace will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus!" THIS is God's personal peace-of-mind guarantee... Isaiah writes that "HE will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed (or focused) on HIM."
This next portion demonstrates that Paul knew his target audience when he wrote the letter. He know that by this point the people at the church in Philippi would be asking themselves "Okay... now what? What do we do with this information from our friend, Paul?" Paul picks up the slack and says "Here's the deal... think on whatever is true... think on whatever is noble... think on whatever is right... whatever is pure... whatever is lovely... whatever is admirable... concentrate on the things that are excellent and praise-worthy... focus on those things..." The message, by reverse implication is "don't think about things that are false... or concentrate on the negative... don't concentrate on what is wrong with the picture... or whatever is not pure and hideous... don't focus on the muck and mire... don't deliberately go on a mission to find what is wrong... "
Then Paul sums it up... "think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of Peace will be with you." We are openly encouraged over and over again to focus on the positives, and emulate the lives of other people who also focus on the positives, and who focus on the things of God's kingdom... and his word for us today is that if we focus on these thing, and put them into practice, "... the God of Peace will be with you."
Life throws us curve-balls. Every day, we are faced with situations which jerk our heads around, and cause us enough "agita" In these closing moments, let us make a conscientous effort to focus on the things of God's kingdom.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus... look full in his wonderful face... and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."
I Bid You Peace,
Pastor Ken+
Here Paul is giving us the key to genuine peace of mind... genuine "shalom." First, he tells us to rejoice! (He actually says it twice for emphasis...) He encourages us to put on an attitude of praise (here we call to mind the verse from the Psalms reminding us that he inhabits the praises of his people, creating an atmosphere in us which he inhabits... )
Then he encourages us to "Let your gentleness be evident to all... the Lord is near." IF his spirit is within us, and IF we continue to focus on him... THEN his very presence changes not only our atmosphere, but our lives as well... we can not help but emulate gentleness simply because, as Paul writes elsewhere "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!"
Paul continues, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Did you get it? "Do not be anxious (or afraid, or concerned) about anything..." Think about this one for a moment... "Do not be anxious about anything..." Is Paul serious? We are by our very nature prone to worry, and prone to anxiety... Anxiety can kill... it can produce heart-attack-like symptoms... this is nothing less than Overmobilization of Fear. Remember something that the Bible says about fear? "God is Love... and perfect love casts out all fear."
Herein we are encouraged "...but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" Paul's message to us is to not be afraid or anxious to present your requests to God. Paul's overall message at this point is that if you have God's very presence permeating your heart and your soul, if you keep your mind focused on him, if you come into his presence with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise, then everything you need will be added to you, and you can come before God and not be afraid to ask him for what you need... because your request will be in line with God's will and God's word.
Watch what he promises next. "...And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The peace of God... the shalom... which goes above and beyond anything that we could possibly wrap our minds around... this peace will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus!" THIS is God's personal peace-of-mind guarantee... Isaiah writes that "HE will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed (or focused) on HIM."
This next portion demonstrates that Paul knew his target audience when he wrote the letter. He know that by this point the people at the church in Philippi would be asking themselves "Okay... now what? What do we do with this information from our friend, Paul?" Paul picks up the slack and says "Here's the deal... think on whatever is true... think on whatever is noble... think on whatever is right... whatever is pure... whatever is lovely... whatever is admirable... concentrate on the things that are excellent and praise-worthy... focus on those things..." The message, by reverse implication is "don't think about things that are false... or concentrate on the negative... don't concentrate on what is wrong with the picture... or whatever is not pure and hideous... don't focus on the muck and mire... don't deliberately go on a mission to find what is wrong... "
Then Paul sums it up... "think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of Peace will be with you." We are openly encouraged over and over again to focus on the positives, and emulate the lives of other people who also focus on the positives, and who focus on the things of God's kingdom... and his word for us today is that if we focus on these thing, and put them into practice, "... the God of Peace will be with you."
Life throws us curve-balls. Every day, we are faced with situations which jerk our heads around, and cause us enough "agita" In these closing moments, let us make a conscientous effort to focus on the things of God's kingdom.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus... look full in his wonderful face... and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."
I Bid You Peace,
Pastor Ken+
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