The Gathering Light... A Christmas Message

Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ…

Tonight is Christmas Eve… In keeping with some of the traditions of Christmas, we celebrate the Birth of Christ with carols and candles, and the re-telling of the story through Luke’s Gospel. This evening, at the beginning of the service, we paused to light the Advent Wreath… lighting the four surrounding candles symbolizing prophecy, peace, joy, and love… and then we lit the Christ candle in the center of the wreath… As we lit each successive candle, the light grew in its intensity… And in a few minutes, we will take the light from the Christ Candle, and pass it on to the person next to us… As we stand around the perimeter of the sanctuary and bask in the soft glow of the candlelight, we will sing “Silent Night… Holy Night… All is calm… All is bright…”

We will then blow the candles out… the sanctuary lights will come up, and we will disperse into the night singing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king!”

For a moment now, I would like to ask us to pause and contemplate the intensity and the meaning of that light…

The Light of Christ Jesus is the same light that was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah when he observed that “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light…” And then that light shines upon us… The people walking in darkness… through the darkness of sin… through the darkness of broken hearts and broken relationships… through the darkness of despair and disappointment… those people… you… and I… have seen a great light!

Those people have seen the Living Word… It was of that living word that King David wrote these words… “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path…”

There’s something fascinating about light, isn’t there?

The interesting thing about light is that it has certain properties… certain qualities which are unique to it, and define its characteristics…

It warms… It gives warmth to those who are in its glow… as a ray of sunshine streaming through a window gives warmth and comfort…

It illuminates… One cannot hide a light under a bushel basket, but set it on a lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house…

It gathers… It draws people into its glow…

By these three properties, I mean to suggest that the Light of Christ transforms our hearts and warms them. Of his own experience with the Holy Spirit, John Wesley observed that his heart was “strangely warmed” by the divine presence in his life…

The Light of Christ illuminates… this evening, the light in this sanctuary is dim, and you can, to a certain degree, tell who is sitting close to you, but you can scarcely tell who is sitting a few pews away from you. But as the light from the candles is passed on, and as the light grows and gathers, you can see more faces… you can recognize more people… And it dawns on you, as the Light of Christ dawns on you, that you are not alone… you are gathered this evening with more than a hundred people for the same purpose… to worship Christ Jesus… Tonight we are in one accord as we gather around the manger. We are focused together on the Light of the World.

I am reminded, not of some scripture at this point, but of words from Simon and Garfunkel… Their memorable song “Hello, Darkness, My Old Friend” contains words which speak of a revelation… of an epiphany. The writer is seemingly wandering around in the darkness, aimlessly, feeling alone and distraught… when “In the naked light I saw ten thousand people, maybe more…”

Suddenly… you realize that there are a lot of people… more and more people streaming into the light as it shines more brilliantly than before… On this night… there are people, too numerous to count, gathering in churches throughout the world… across the 7 Continents… to celebrate the Light of Jesus… to celebrate the Birthday of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Literally a cloud of witnesses to that light… and Paul the Apostle asks the question… “Who can deny such a cloud of witnesses?

John bore witness to that light… to the light shining in the darkness… shining in the streets… in the homeless shelters… behind the WalMart… in the bus terminals… and while the darkness did not understand it… could not comprehend it… still the light shines brightly… testifying to the one… the only… the Bright Morning Star.

The Light of Christ shines for everyone… through every situation… through despair as well as through joy… it shines with God’s love, and the hope of the Savior.

It shines for the mother of the newborn child… it shines for the husband praying by his wife’s hospital bed… it shines for the widow bidding her husband a tearful “good bye” at the graveside… just as it shines for the young man who is happily stunned to hear the words “yes, I will marry you” from the young woman he loves more than life itself…

It shines for the Bride and Groom entering into the vows of marriage… just as it shines for the child celebrating a birthday… “Silent Night… Holy Night… Son of God loves pure light… Radiant streams from thy holy face… with the dawn of redeeming grace… Jesus, Lord, at thy birth… Jesus, Lord at thy birth.”

On a personal note, I must admit that it was rather difficult for me to get into the Joy of Christmas this year… With the economy spiraling out of control… with the hustle and bustle of Christmas Shopping… with the commercialism which has run rampant… Deep down inside, I felt like a Scrooge. I just wasn’t connecting with it… Until the evening of the Christmas Concert at my daughter’s school.

One of the songs that they sang that night declared that “Mary was the first one to carry the Gospel.” It really hit home for me that evening that the real Joy of Christmas isn’t in opening the presents under the tree and in your Christmas Stocking… The real Joy of Christmas is found in the smiles on the faces of those who are closest to you, gathered with you this Christmas. Jesus pointed to you and to me, and said to us “You are the light of the world…” and then passed that light on to us.

The real light of Christmas is not found in the glow of the candles this evening… The real light of Christmas is already here… it is shining in you… and it was ignited in you by God himself.

In the Message translation of the Bible, Jesus gives us these words. “Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

The best gift you can give to others this Christmas is to open yourself to those around you. Share the love of Jesus, let it overflow in your heart, and let that light shine brightly in your heart.

Monica and Amanda, and the whole Beres and Calandra family join me in wishing each of you a very Merry and Blessed Christmas.

I Bid You Peace...

Dr. Ken+

Prophecy: A Birth Announcement

S.B.: Isaiah 9: 2 – 7

It’s almost hard to believe, isn’t it? Once again here we are at the first Sunday in Advent. Last evening we put up the Christmas Tree in the Parsonage living-room, and plugged the tree in to find that more than a few of the bulbs had burned out. “Well, that’s okay,” we thought, “we’ll just go to Ocean State Job Lot after church tomorrow and pick up a strand of while Christmas tree lights, and that will be okay…”

The beautiful thing about the Christmas Tree we have is that after everyone else is asleep, I can tip-toe downstairs to the living-room, turn on the lights, and just admire the tree shimmering with all those lights. I remember last year, putting the tree up, decorating the tree, and then later on that night sitting mesmerized by the dazzling display of ornaments. It was so other-worldly beautiful, that I sat there until it was almost morning before I realized that I had been up all night.
Back in the day that Isaiah wrote down the prophecy that foretold the birth of the coming Messiah, the people were walking in darkness. I do not necessarily mean the sort of darkness that you experience in the middle of the night, but rather the political climate of the day was one of oppression and tyranny, and the economic climate of the day looked grim. The people were walking in darkness, and God was about to do something wonderful… something powerful… something which would change the course of history.

Light was coming into the world… Prophetically, when God was about to do something, he would tell his prophets… he would give a sign… and then, when the time was right, he would roll it out. In this case, light was the sign. John wrote these words…
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

Isaiah got the word from God that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… and it was the same light of which John testified. And he looked back and saw that it was the same light that God called forth at creation

John not only tells us who that light is, but he traces its existence back to the beginning of creation, when God said “let there be light…”

The first candle of the advent wreath, which we lit this morning, symbolizes hope… and the hope of the world is the one person in all of history who is the complete fulfillment of every last prophecy concerning the messiah.
Here’s an interesting fact for you… There are, in the Old Testament, 363 prophecies relating to the messiah…

Question: Out of those 363 prophecies, what are the odds of 10 of these prophecies actually coming to pass…

How about 50 of these prophecies… or 100 of these prophecies… or even 200 of these prophecies?

The fact of the matter is that ALL 363 Old Testament prophecies concerning the messiah were fulfilled in one and only one person in all History… Not one single prophecy was missed… proving conclusively that Jesus was and is the fulfillment of prophecy… that HE alone is Messiah… He alone is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I could load you down with point after point of prophecy that was fulfilled in Jesus… But I’m not going to… Instead, I am again going to point to the light… In Isaiah 60 we read this wonderful declaration… “arise, shine… for your light has come… and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Jesus is repeatedly referred to in the New Testament as “the light of the world…” The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light… He who follows Jesus shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life!”

Today, as we observe the First Sunday in Advent, and later on this morning, as we deck the hall… and as gifts and presents seemingly multiply under the tree, we do not have to wait until Christmas to have the greatest gift of all… This gift does not have the words “Do Not Open Until Christmas…” You can have that gift today… You can know what true love is, and you can personally know the Light of the World.

Later on tonight, as you and your family settle in for the evening, turn on the lights on your Christmas Tree… and say “Thank You” to God for speaking the light of the world into existence… for promising us through the words of the Prophet Isaiah that the Light of the World would roll back the Darkness… and for Jesus being the Light of the World.

That same light has the power to roll back the darkness today… even in the face of political unrest and a grim economy… even in the face of adversity and doubt… when your faith is faltering… when it seems like all hope is gone… when you are walking in darkness… look to the Light of the World… And listen to what God’s word says about you and your relationship with Him… For you are a chosen generation… You are a royal priesthood… You are a Holy Nation… You are a people who belong to God… That you may declare His praises… (listen to this…) because HE has brought you out of darkness… and into HIS marvelous light!

I Bid You Peace...
Dr. Ken+

Roll Up Your Sleeves

I Thessalonians 5: 1 – 11
Matthew 25: 14 – 30

In our first text this morning, Paul is tackling an issue which most theologians have debated for years – eschatology – the study of the end times – the second coming of Jesus Christ.

There have been people who would point to this date on the calendar, or that date and claim that this was the day of Christ’s return… only to be disappointed when it didn’t happen. Even as recently as New Year’s Day 2000… Y2K came and went without the trumpet sounding… without the Eastern Sky splitting… and without the return of Jesus at that moment. This only serves to emphasize that we really do not know the day or the hour of HIS return, but we are told to be ready, because the day of the Lord will come suddenly.

The word picture that Paul employs here is very vivid, and very violent – he writes that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

The whole point of Paul’s writing here is that he encourages us to be vigilant… be watchful… be sober… He tells the church at Thessaloniki, and the church at New Bedford, that God has not destined us for wrath, but for salvation through Jesus Christ.

The enemy of our souls would like nothing better than to see God’s children paralyzed with fear with the idea that God is a big, mean old tough guy who only exists to punish his children… not so, says the Lord… God is love… and perfect love casts out all fear…

Romans 8: 1 and 2 echo this point… there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit…

What people do not realize is that God is not angry with you! God loves you so much that he sent his son, Jesus, so that if you believe in him you will not perish, but have everlasting life… God did not send his son into the world to condemn us, but that we might be saved through him! Share the good news! Don’t keep quiet about it! Spread it around! Get ready!

Jesus shared a parable with his disciples one day, telling them not only to get ready, but to use the talents and gifts that God gave them. A businessman was going on a trip. Before he left for his trip, he called three of his household servants together, and gave them each a special assignment. He gave one servant 10 talents… he gave another servant 5 talents… and he gave yet another servant 1 talent. His instructions were to let the talents work… invest the talents, and when he came back from his trip he would see what were the results of those investments. The first servant invested the 10 talents and brought back 20. The second servant also invested his 5 talents and brought back 10. The third servant did something entirely different. He took his talent and buried it in the basement of the house.

When the master came back and called his servants into the boardroom, he was very pleased with the two servants who invested their talents wisely. The third servant was another story. The master looked at his talent, which had been buried, and read him the Riot Act… “You could have at least put the money in the bank and allowed it to accrue interest… you didn’t even do that! Instead, you buried your talent, and didn’t even use it.” He then took the talent from that servant, and gave it to the servant who had been given 10 talents and returned 20.

This point needs to be made… God gives us gifts… God gives us talents… not for our own benefit… the businessman in the parable wasn’t handing out talents simply for the benefit of his servants. He wanted to see how these three servants were going to invest and use the talents. He was concerned with one thing… what would his investment yield?

Jesus also pointed out what would happen if you do not use the talents you were given… One day Jesus was walking along with his disciples when he passed a fig tree. Fig trees are commonplace in the Mediterannean, and so that fact alone was of little consequence. Jesus was apparently hungry, and he wanted a fig. When he saw that this particular fig tree had not borne fruit, he pointed to the tree and said “You have not borne fruit, and you never will again!”

Paul gives us a catalog of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in I Corinthians 11: 1 – 11… He points out first that nobody can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit… so the gifts in this catalog can only be yours if you have a specific relationship… if you have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Then he points out that there are different kinds of gifts… different talents that we are given… but the same spirit… and the same Lord. Wisdom… Word of Knowledge… Faith… Healing… Miraculous Powers… Prophecy… Discernment of Spirits… Speaking in Tongues… Interpretation of Tongues… and the same Holy Spirit gives these gifts to each one as he determines… so I might not have the same gifts of the Holy Spirit that you have, but the overall message to each of us is simple… be ready to use the gifts that God has given you… let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works, and give God all the glory.

The last verse of Chapter 11 is an interesting springboard from the catalog of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, to the most famous chapter in the whole Bible… the Love chapter… Paul looks back in this verse, points to each of these gifts, and says “earnestly desire these gifts… but there is something more… and now I will show you the most excellent way…”

What Paul does in the Love chapter is point back again at the gifts, and says that each of the gifts mentioned in the previous chapter… prophecy… healing… faith… miracles… tongues… is meaningless and worthless without the greatest gift… Love.

It had been at least 20 years since I had done any painting or sketching, and yet, while I was away at on retreat one year ago, God rekindled my love for painting, and who knows how that gift may one day be used to share Jesus.

I Timothy 1:6 gives us a kick-start… “rekindle the gift within you…” God’s word tells us that it is not too late to use your gifts to be a blessing to others… it’s not too late to bear fruit and allow God to minister to others through you.

Galatians 6:9 gives us even more encouragement… “Let us not be weary in doing good…”

Yes, it is often the easiest thing, when you are discouraged, when you are tired, when you feel as if all hope is gone, to throw in the towel. My pastor and mentor, Dr. Ken Steigler has often encouraged me by telling me that when I feel like throwing in the towel, I am to pick up the towel, drape it over my arm, and serve.

My word of encouragement for you today is simply this… be ready to use the talents that God gave you, whatever they may be, because he has given you those talents to be a blessing to those people around you… will the master give you even more talents for having borne much fruit, or will the master point at you and say “You haven’t borne any fruit, and you never will again…”

Get ready… be ready… for the day of the Lord… Get ready to use your gifts… roll up your sleeves… put the serving towel over your arm… the King is coming!

I Bid You Peace,
Dr. Ken+

Roll Up Your Sleeves

I Thessalonians 5: 1 – 11
Matthew 25: 14 – 30

In our first text this morning, Paul is tackling an issue which most theologians have debated for years – eschatology – the study of the end times – the second coming of Jesus Christ.

There have been people who would point to this date on the calendar, or that date and claim that this was the day of Christ’s return… only to be disappointed when it didn’t happen. Even as recently as New Year’s Day 2000… Y2K came and went without the trumpet sounding… without the Eastern Sky splitting… and without the return of Jesus at that moment. This only serves to emphasize that we really do not know the day or the hour of HIS return, but we are told to be ready, because the day of the Lord will come suddenly.

The word picture that Paul employs here is very vivid, and very violent – he writes that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

The whole point of Paul’s writing here is that he encourages us to be vigilant… be watchful… be sober… He tells the church at Thessaloniki, and the church at New Bedford, that God has not destined us for wrath, but for salvation through Jesus Christ.

The enemy of our souls would like nothing better than to see God’s children paralyzed with fear with the idea that God is a big, mean old tough guy who only exists to punish his children… not so, says the Lord… God is love… and perfect love casts out all fear…

Romans 8: 1 and 2 echo this point… there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit…

What people do not realize is that God is not angry with you! God loves you so much that he sent his son, Jesus, so that if you believe in him you will not perish, but have everlasting life… God did not send his son into the world to condemn us, but that we might be saved through him! Share the good news! Don’t keep quiet about it! Spread it around! Get ready!

Jesus shared a parable with his disciples one day, telling them not only to get ready, but to use the talents and gifts that God gave them. A businessman was going on a trip. Before he left for his trip, he called three of his household servants together, and gave them each a special assignment. He gave one servant 10 talents… he gave another servant 5 talents… and he gave yet another servant 1 talent. His instructions were to let the talents work… invest the talents, and when he came back from his trip he would see what were the results of those investments. The first servant invested the 10 talents and brought back 20. The second servant also invested his 5 talents and brought back 10. The third servant did something entirely different. He took his talent and buried it in the basement of the house.

When the master came back and called his servants into the boardroom, he was very pleased with the two servants who invested their talents wisely. The third servant was another story. The master looked at his talent, which had been buried, and read him the Riot Act… “You could have at least put the money in the bank and allowed it to accrue interest… you didn’t even do that! Instead, you buried your talent, and didn’t even use it.” He then took the talent from that servant, and gave it to the servant who had been given 10 talents and returned 20.

This point needs to be made… God gives us gifts… God gives us talents… not for our own benefit… the businessman in the parable wasn’t handing out talents simply for the benefit of his servants. He wanted to see how these three servants were going to invest and use the talents. He was concerned with one thing… what would his investment yield?

Jesus also pointed out what would happen if you do not use the talents you were given… One day Jesus was walking along with his disciples when he passed a fig tree. Fig trees are commonplace in the Mediterannean, and so that fact alone was of little consequence. Jesus was apparently hungry, and he wanted a fig. When he saw that this particular fig tree had not borne fruit, he pointed to the tree and said “You have not borne fruit, and you never will again!”
Paul gives us a catalog of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in
I Corinthians 11: 1 – 11… He points out first that nobody can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit… so the gifts in this catalog can only be yours if you have a specific relationship… if you have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Then he points out that there are different kinds of gifts… different talents that we are given… but the same spirit… and the same Lord. Wisdom… Word of Knowledge… Faith… Healing… Miraculous Powers… Prophecy… Discernment of Spirits… Speaking in Tongues… Interpretation of Tongues… and the same Holy Spirit gives these gifts to each one as he determines… so I might not have the same gifts of the Holy Spirit that you have, but the overall message to each of us is simple… be ready to use the gifts that God has given you… let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works, and give God all the glory.

The last verse of Chapter 11 is an interesting springboard from the catalog of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, to the most famous chapter in the whole Bible… the Love chapter… Paul looks back in this verse, points to each of these gifts, and says “earnestly desire these gifts… but there is something more… and now I will show you the most excellent way…”

What Paul does in the Love chapter is point back again at the gifts, and says that each of the gifts mentioned in the previous chapter… prophecy… healing… faith… miracles… tongues… is meaningless and worthless without the greatest gift… Love.

It had been at least 20 years since I had done any painting or sketching, and yet, while I was away at on retreat one year ago, God rekindled my love for painting, and who knows how that gift may one day be used to share Jesus.

I Timothy 1:6 gives us a kick-start… “rekindle the gift within you…” God’s word tells us that it is not too late to use your gifts to be a blessing to others… it’s not too late to bear fruit and allow God to minister to others through you.

Galatians 6:9 gives us even more encouragement… “Let us not be weary in doing good…”

Yes, it is often the easiest thing, when you are discouraged, when you are tired, when you feel as if all hope is gone, to throw in the towel. My pastor and mentor, Dr. Ken Steigler has often encouraged me by telling me that when I feel like throwing in the towel, I am to pick up the towel, drape it over my arm, and serve.

My word of encouragement for you today is simply this… be ready to use the talents that God gave you, whatever they may be, because he has given you those talents to be a blessing to those people around you… will the master give you even more talents for having borne much fruit, or will the master point at you and say “You haven’t borne any fruit, and you never will again…”

Get ready… be ready… for the day of the Lord… Get ready to use your gifts… roll up your sleeves… put the serving towel over your arm… the King is coming!

I Bid You Peace..
Dr. Ken+

Fear Not - Shalom!

Isaiah 41: 8 – 16

One of my favorite speeches of all time is Russell Conwell’s classic of encouragement and wisdom, Acres of Diamonds. It is about a wealthy farmer who was one of the richest men in all of Africa, who did not know that those shiny looking rocks that were peppering his property were actually diamonds.

Conwell was pointing to four weapons of mass destruction which the enemy of our souls uses against the Body of Christ in an attempt to render us ineffective in our work for the Kingdom of Heaven. The Body of Christ is being attacked by four heavy guns… four spirits which have been latching onto God’s people for years, and in some instances, stopping us dead in our tracks. These are spirits straight from the enemies’ camp, and we have the authority in the Name of Jesus to roll these attacks and render them ineffective. The true identity of these attacking spirits are Lack, Limitation, Hindrance, and Devouring. And while these spirits are pretty daunting we need to remember that greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.

Martin Luther was trying to tell us something when he wrote his famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God…” He was telling us that God has already given his children the victory over the forces of darkness…
Where there is lack… God has no lack…
Where there is limitation… God is limitless…
Where there is hindrance… God has no hindrance…
Where the enemy devours… God is the God of abundance!

The enemy would attack us with the Spirit of Lack…. The enemy wants us to believe that there is just not enough… That nothing we can do will ever be enough to make ends meet… The enemy is waiting in the wings to see the church fall on its face… God’s word says something different… Paul writes “I know my God will provide all your needs according to his riches in Glory by Christ Jesus!

The enemy would attack us with the Spirit of Limitation… The enemy wants us to believe that we will never be able to do enough – that because of whatever situation we face, we will never amount to anything… that we are fighting a losing battle… The Word of God says something different… “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…”

The enemy would attack us with the Spirit of Hindrance… The enemy has tried to stop God’s faithful people in so many ways… sickness, injury, “accident”, financial trouble, strife…” The Great “I AM” says something different… “Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength… they will mount up with wings as eagles… they will run and not grow weary… they will walk and not faint.” “He sent his word and healed them…” “By the stripes of Jesus we are healed!”

The enemy would attack us with the Spirit of Devouring…. The enemy seeks to rob, to kill, to destroy the things that God’s people have… our finances… our health… our families… our marriages… our relationships…our children… our parents…
The promise that the enemy does not want you to know is that God says himself that He WILL REBUKE THE DEVOURER FOR OUR SAKES!

The Greatest weapon that the enemy has to level against the church is the spirit of fear… Evangelist and Pastor Dwight Thompson uses a very revealing acrostic for the word FEAR…
FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL.

A Mighty Fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing…
We have on our side…
God himself (His word says “Fear not, for I am with you…)
We have the Word of God… We have his faithful promises…
We have the Blood of Christ… Without the shedding of his blood there is no remission for our sin…
We have the Cross of Christ…
We have the Resurrection of the Carpenter…
That is resurrection power!
HE is our shield and our great reward!

God’s word is simple and straightforward about paralyzing fear… This week I had a day in which the Spirit of Fear seemed to be encroaching on all sides, and it seemed as if there were no way out of the fear that was looming all around me… and it reminded me of an experience I had many years ago one autumn day walking along the beach at LaJolla, California. It was during a very difficult time in my life many years ago. I had taken a moment to sit on the rocks and watch the surf roll in and crash on the breakers below… as I was watching the seagulls rolling and playing above me, and the seals frolicking on the beach below me, I could faintly hear the voice of one speaking through the crashing waves, “fear not… fear not… fear not…”

God’s word has specific guidelines for navigating through rough waters and uncertain times.

II Timothy 3: 16 – 17 “All scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the Man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work…”

II Timothy 1:7 “God did not give us a spirit of fear (or timidity), but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

Isaiah 26: 3 “You will keep him in peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you…”
And these words from Jesus himself…

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.

Jesus invites us to come to his table today…
If you are anguished… he says “come”
If you are troubled… he says “come”
If you are careworn… he says “come”
If you are feeling condemned… he says “come”
If you are in pain… he says “come”
Whoever you are…
Where-ever you are in your journey of faith…
You are welcomed at his table…

I Bid You Peace...
Dr. Ken+

The Church That God Blesses

Luke 10: 25 - 37

About six years ago, one Sunday evening, I was on my way from our then-home on Wood Street in Bristol, down to church for the evening service. I was the second car back from the stop sign for the turn onto State Street, when I witnessed a horrible accident.

The driver of the pickup truck in front of me must not have seen the elderly lady. As he moved through the intersection, his truck struck the lady crossing the street, and she fell to the pavement. I was too numb to do anything but follow instinct, which led me to pull my car over to the side of the road, grab a folded blanket from the back seat of my car, and run over to see if I could help the lady who was by now bleeding profusely. I noticed that she had hit her head on the pavement, and that she was unconscious and bleeding profusely.

I knelt down next to her, and put the blanket over her, and then I placed my right hand at the crown of her head… it was covered with blood. I was relieved to hear the sirens of the ambulance which was on its way to the scene of the accident, and I stayed with her until the paramedics had stabilized her and were taking her to the Trauma Unit in Providence.

I must have looked frightful later that evening as I walked into the church… My shirt and hands were stained with blood, and I was incoherent for a while… Needless to say, I did not preach the sermon that night. Ironically, my scripture passage for that Sunday evening was the same passage which we just read this morning… and God was giving me a first-hand, point-blank-range life application of the Good Samaritan parable.

Last week, we talked about recognizing the Body of Christ, and we focused on Paul’s words “For you are the Body of Christ, and members in particular…” Today I would like to take that a step further, and focus on the question “Who is my neighbor?”

In our text, we see a man walking along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho… “there I was, just walking along, minding my own business…” When suddenly, and without provocation, he is robbed… the robbers beat him to a pulp… they strip him naked, and they leave him to die… laying in the road… moaning… bleeding profusely…
Along comes one of the Religious Leaders… a priest… it is obvious from the story that he is in a hurry to get somewhere… maybe to the temple for a board meeting… or maybe, more likely, it’s the Shabbat… and he is on his way to the temple to lead the worship service… He spots the man laying in the road… and he scurries on past… frightened that he might get some blood, or some dirt, on his hands… after all, he had to get up in front of the congregation and look his best…

And the man lays in the road… moaning… bleeding…

Next we see a Pharisee – someone who is devoted to keeping and observing the letter of the law – our resident legalist – and he looks down at the man… he shakes his head… gotta run… after all… it’s the Shabbat, and you can’t work on the Shabbat… Besides’ I’ve got to talk to the Rabbi about the candles on the Altar… they should have been lit for the service last Shabbat… what was that meshuggah Rabbi thinking anyway? He scurries past…

Meanwhile, the man is still laying in the road… moaning… bleeding…

Finally, we see Sammy the Samaritan walking along the road… minding his own business. ((Historically, the Jews and the Samaritans were two peoples who did not get along, and the very idea of a Samaritan having anything to do with a Jew was entirely unheard of!)) He rushes over and takes stock of the situation… here is a man who has obviously been attacked viciously… he is obviously in a lot of pain… and he is bleeding profusely… If I don’t help him, he’s going to die…

This Samaritan did not check to see if the injured man was a Jew, or a Hittite, or an Egyptian. The man’s nationality or city of origin did not matter… his label must have fallen off…

Sammy felt a deep emotional response when he saw the injured man, laying helplessly in the road… He knelt next to him and gave him first aid… he bound up his wounds, and poured antiseptic on him (in that day oil and wine were considered an antiseptic, and were often used to clean wounds.) Then he put the man on his horse and took him to an inn just a short way down the road. He checked the man into the inn (try saying THAT three times, really fast…) and gave the innkeeper some money to look after the injured man. I can imagine Sammy putting his hand on the shoulder of the innkeeper and saying “please take care of him, and if you incur any more expenses taking care of him, I will be back in a few days, and I will settle up the bill with you.”

We do not know how the story ends… whether the man recovered… what his name was… or the name of the kindly Samaritan… we do know, however, that the Good Samaritan is known and remembered to this very day for his act of mercy.

The church today is a church that has to have an outward look… The church today is a church that needs to stay focused on serving God by serving His people… The church today is a church that touches the lives and the hearts of the people in the community, and make a difference in the lives of our Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbors and their Kids.

Our mission… should we decide to accept it, is threefold… In the book of Micah, we read these words, and they are our marching orders from the Throne of Grace… “He has shown you, O Man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you… but to do justly… to love mercy… and to walk humbly with God.”

That is exactly what the Church that God blesses looks like.

I have a dream…
It is a dream of the church militant, and the church triumphant…
It is of a church in which people from all walks of life can come together in one accord and make a difference in the lives of those around them…
It is of a church in which nobody is wanting, because everybody gives out of love, and holds nothing back…
It is of a church that sees Miracles, Signs and Wonders because the Holy Spirit is allowed to flow freely…
It is of a church that is growing because we are accepting one another the way that Christ accepted us to the Glory of God the Father…
It is of a church which does not concentrate on the glories of the past, but stays sharply focused on the bright and beautiful future we have in Jesus Christ…
It is of a church which is engaged in extravagant acts of charity, not counting the cost, because Christ Jesus himself bought the church with the ultimate sacrifice…

I have seen the promised land… I have seen the church, the mighty army of Jesus, rise up and stand boldly for the Lord. The saints which have gone before… our parents, and our parents’ parents join in the chorus of the ages encouraging us, our children, and our childrens’ children to

Stand up, Stand up for Jesus, you soldiers of the Cross
Lift high his royal banner, it will not suffer Loss…
From Victory unto victory HIS army shall HE lead…
Till every foe…
Every foe… hunger… poverty… disease… hatred… jealousy… strife… prejudice…
Till every foe is vanquished…
And Christ is Lord indeed!

I Bid You Peace...
Dr. Ken+

At The Table... An Interaractive Communion

2000 years ago the bread was on the table...
And Jesus took the bread...
He broke the bread...

And he said "this is my body which is broken for you... do this in remembrance of me."

Paul brings these words into sharp focus when he tells us that we need to recognize the Body of Christ.

Here is some insight into this idea of the Body of Christ... Paul points to each of us and says "For you are the Body of Christ, and members i particular."

Jesus tells us to come to him when we are broken... when we have been kicked, beaten, battered, bruised...

2000 years later, the bread is still on the table... Take and Eat...

Jesus is the Bread of Heaven. Taste and see how sweet is the Lord.

+ + +

2000 years ago, the cup was on the table...
And Jesus took the cup...
He said "This cup is the new covenant in my blood... Take and Drink.

In the Old Covenant, the blood of a pure, spotless lamb was the atonement for our sins...
In the New Covenant, without the shedding of HIS blood there is no remission for our sins...

He tells us to internalize this fact... let it nourish you... let it sink deep down inside you... to the cellular level.

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins...
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

The cup is still on the table... take and drink.

+ + +

The message for today is crucial...
The bread and the cup is NOT the Body of Christ... only symbols.

You are the Body of Christ...
Within you lies the ability to:
*** be a blessing to others...
***show mercy to others...
***bring healing to those hurting...
***proclaim liberty to the captives...
***to do justly... to love mercy... to walk humbly with God...

I Bid You Peace...
Dr. Ken+

If These Walls Could Talk

If These Walls Could Talk
Luke 19: 28 – 40

Have you ever visited one of our many national historic sites, only to gaze around in wonder, and contemplate the words “If these walls could talk…”

Most recently, this past summer I had the privilege of attending our National Association’s Annual Meeting in Plymouth. I remember walking from the Conference Center to Memorial Hall that Sunday Morning and just gazing over the waterfront at Plymouth Harbor, and imagining what it must have been like Three Hundred and Eighty Eight years ago, in the year 1620. Certainly the shops and buildings that I walked past were not there at that time… nor was the young man who was trying to sell me a souvenir Pilgrim Hat…

I tried valiantly to put myself into the mindset of imagining what the Pilgrims must have endured that first winter in the new world, just as my Del’s Frozen Lemonade started melting… And it was very humbling to realize that there were things right in my vicinity which were here when the Pilgrim Fathers disembarked into what is now Plymouth…

While the Mayflower II, now docked at the State Pier in Plymouth, was built in the 1950s as a replica of the original Mayflower which was dismantled in England in the latter 1620s, it serves as a conversation starter, and it evokes vivid imagination of what life might have been life during the Pilgrims’ crossing from Southampton, England. If only those walls could talk…

Our text for this morning deals with one of the most fascinating stories in the New Testament. We join Jesus as he is starting the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, one week prior to his crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. His disciples are surrounding him, and generally making a ruckus as they are praising him… And this really gets under the skin of the religious leader in Jerusalem, and so a couple of the Pharisees try to get him to tell his disciples to keep it down.

Jesus’ answer really takes the Pharisees by surprise… But he said, "If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise."

I have a very dear friend who really gets into praise and worship. Every so often he will say “I don’t want any stones to do my praising for me…”

It makes me wonder every so often, would we have to have the stones do our praising for us? Will our legacy be that we were so caught up in worship and praise that we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we experienced God’s presence in church this morning? If only these walls could talk…

The whole idea of wondering what they would say if only they could talk is nothing new… Paul the Apostle raised the idea when he encourages us in Hebrews 12: 1 – 3 (I like the way this reads in the Message Translation) “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

Paul is telling us to listen for that massive throng of people who had gone before us, who are cheering us on from the Grandstands of Heaven, as we press on toward the finish line! Notice how he encourages us to study what Jesus did, and focus on the things that Jesus focused on…

That brings us to this morning. This morning is Rally Sunday, the official kickoff for the Sunday School. This is also the official kickoff for the fall season, and the crisp, cool air brings back many memories of homecomings, and of new beginnings.

There are those among us this morning who have been students in the Sunday School here at First Congregational Church, going back twenty, thirty, forty, fifty and even sixty years… These people are here today to encourage each of our Sunday School Students, and Sunday School Teachers to study to show yourself approved by God. These people stand today because they are not ashamed of the Gospel… because they know that it is the Power of God for Salvation. These people stand as testimony to the fact that God’s hand was moving among these people then… he is moving among us today… and for generations to come, until the day of Christ’s return, his hand will still move among his children.

Years from today, the lessons that you are going to be learning in Sunday School will continue to be with you. The Bible Memory Verses that your teachers will be sharing with you are filled with wisdom which will serve you as you make decisions, and as you seek to know the Will of God for your lives. These teachers are making an investment into your future because they love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.

I wonder what these walls would tell us if they could talk. I can only imagine what they would tell us about the faithfulness of the saints who have come through this place before, echoing back to the first days of this church… back in 1696. I also wonder what these walls would say 100 years from now, if they could bear witness to the things that we have said and done here.




Let it be said of us that the Lord was our passion
That with gladness we bore every cross we were given
That we fought the good fight, that we finished the course
Knowing within us the power of the risen Lord
Let it be said of us: we were marked by forgivness
We were known by our love, and delighted in meekness
We were ruled by His peace, heeding unity's call
Joined as one body that Christ would be seen by all
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song, by mercy made holy, by the spirit made strong,
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song til' the likeness of Jesus be through us made known,
Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song.

I Bid You Peace,
Dr. Ken+

An Epistle From A Very Dear Friend

Dear Reader;

Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Inspiration and Lessons are found just about everywhere you look. God surprises us by speaking to us through different avenues... It may be through the scripture, or it may be through a gorgeous sunset, or a ray of sunshine. This particular ray of sunshine came through a letter from a very dear friend. Margarete and I were classmates in High School, and today, several years later, we are brother and sister in Christ.

Her words convey great depth and insight.

I pray that you are blessed by the following exchange which I title "An Epistle From A Very Dear Friend"

I Bid You Peace...
Dr.Ken+

*****************************************************************************

Margarete’s Epistle

What's up doc?? LOL Had to say it. I really am proud of you! Tthat is quite an accomplishment. You should definitely celebrate!! I am sure your family is thrilled for you. I actually like to hear about your work and your opinions on how things are going in that liberal area you are in.....we just shoot em in Texas! LOLYa know, just this weekend, I discovered some things about life. Sounds very philosophical, I know, but admittedly, there were pitchers of Margaritas involved...but, I realized that we are all in this life....just trying to get our way through it. Nobody has some magic pill, or religion, that is just going to solve all our problems and make it all go away. So, we all have to find our way. Another life lesson...if ppl are living in an apt complex at our age or older....most likely they have a story. Last Saturday Bob and I were sitting out on our patio and just chatting...a neighbor came by. She has always been nice, but we REALLY talked and learned a little about each other's story that night. Someone I really never would have thought had THAT big of problems...WOW, was I wrong. My first judgement/impression ....dead wrong. She leaves...another lady that I have barely said hi too...came out and I just started chatting...next thing I know....we are sitting out on the lawn...(LONG story there) and a few other ladies joined us and we were sharing a bottle of wine (or two,.....Margaritas to come) And we somehow got on the subject of church. And, this tatooed lady that I had not talked to much...told me she grew up pentecostal and was trying to find a church here. I was blown away..it hit me then that we have all just got to get through somehow. BTW, it was about three AM at this point....and we were sitting here just having this deep discussion on life...and lo and behold I hear this hissing sound...and I am like what the heck....Then I felt wet....as did the rest of us ....and we realized at that moment the sprinkler system had come on!! We got soaked...so we decided since we were already wet...to go to the pool. Long night, (which is NOT the norm for me) But...I decided that ...ya know we are just all in this together...and we have to muddle thru as best we can. I tell you all of this to set up something I read yesterday....a friend of mine sent me this thing on Revelation and told me to look up this verse...so, I did...and on the next page in my Bible, there was a devotion that caught my eye, Titled "Are You Coping or Conquering?" So, I went on to read the first paragraph.."Life is hard, and most people get throught it simply by coping. If ppl are unhappy in marriage, parenthood, career of friendships, they mostly do the best they can. They Cope. But is this the way God wants believers to live?" Paul once referred to life as a race. The goal is not merely to finish the race, but to WIN,to Conquer. Talk about hitting me square between the eyes! The devotional goes...on and I won't quote it all...but one of the final paragraphs says to read Romans 8:35-39. "and allow these beautiful words of hope to flood your soul. You are an overcomer because of Jesus Christ. "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." And, 1Jn 5:5 "The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world""When trials, troubles, persecutions, disasters or attacks come, don't give in to fear. God will supply the strength you need to overcome in your adversity; he gives you the strength to overcome in your adversity. Notice that little word "in." God does not usually deliver you out of adversity; he gives you the strength to overcome in (or through) the adversity."God truly has a sense of humor...because I had decided...ya know, I can just muddle through this on my own...But, alas, we do all have our stories...just like you do ...but you were humbled through the eyes of your mother...and found your way back. I hope you do not forget those roots..and I am sure AHS was good training for you...and I do hope you let people know your story as well. It has merit....most of the time you took the high road...but sometimes you took the detour as well...but God brought you through it! As I know he will me too! As Christians, we all have to start being more real with each other, sharing our stories and becoming authentic and letting our light shine!! (Margaritas optional!!)Anyway, rambled on enough....take care, Doc!!

Margarete

**************************************************************************

Hi, Margarete...

Sorry I hadn't gotten back to you before now... It's been a hectic few days around here. Sort of the order of "three weddings and a funeral... and a series of meetings... annual conference... and the like...
Nevertheless, I had not forgotten about you and your latest musings.

I am very impressed (and very proud of you) for your epiphany over a pitcher (or three) of margaritas. It reminds me of the different settings in which Jesus taught his disciples. He (almost) never taught them in a formal worship setting (I think as modern theologians we tend to get it wrong), but rather around the table, or in the back yard around the grill, or even later in the evening sipping a margarita. (I hope that doesn't sound too 'out there', does it?) Or maybe he was walking down a road with a couple of guys... or hanging around a watering hole... it happened, and people just wandered in and out of the unfolding story of Jesus.

Even the disciples were looking for some magic pill to swallow... or some quick fix that would put an end to the problem, but that was not the case... A couple of bottles of wine later, and the disciples were awed by the profound teachings of a few simple words from the master.

Jesus did not preach a sermon... he just turned toward one of the disciples, and would start with "Hey, John... (or Simon, or Andrew...), did you ever consider the lillies of the field?" I can imagine John must have had a quizzical look on his face, "Uh, no... I hadn't..." And Jesus would weave an intricately beautiful picture of a lilly in the field... and then draw a remarkable corollary between that lilly and something in the kingdom of heaven... and then he would wrap it up by applying the imagery to our life. Not preaching... just a conversation between friends.

By the end of the evening (or, in some cases, by the time the sun came up a while later, and they were still parked on the front lawn), it would dawn on the group that they had been in the presence of some profound wisdom. I can imagine them sitting there, and one of them would sum up the experience by saying "Wow, man..."

I enjoyed reading your epistle (I think I'm going to save a copy of your letter to disk and title it "Margarete's Epistle"). The learned lesson that Kingdom Living means more than merely surviving (or muddling through) is a lesson that most of the people we deal with on a daily basis need to learn.

Your point of sharing the title of that devotional was well received. The Question is "are you coping, or conquering?" I believe that Paul said it best... "We are more than conquerors through him who loved us first."
And that is as it should be. If our lives belong to HIM, then our calling must be to do more than just muddle through or merely survive... Our calling is to wake up to the fact that HE calls us from glory unto glory, and to realize that He has already given us the victory in each situation that we encounter.

I am grateful to be your friend, and I am humbled to be your Brother in Christ.

Peace, Love and Blessings...

Doc+

As We Forgive Those Who...

Matthew 18: 21 – 35
Matthew 5: 23 - 26


While the church is going to the field, reaching out to bring in new converts, Satan is taking them out the back door… back into unbelief… back into the world… through the Spirit of Unforgiveness…

The Spirit of Unforgiveness is doing more damage to the church today than any other tool or tactic that the enemy has in his arsenal…

In our texts today, we see very clearly that Forgiveness is important in the Kingdom of Heaven… and in fact, Jesus himself points to the idea of Forgiveness and the Kingdom.

Our texts today deal with Jesus’ parable of the Unforgiving Servant, and the importance of reconciling with your brother or sister before you come to the altar.

And so, in Matthew 18 we begin one of Jesus’ most important parables. The back-story to this parable is that Jesus was having a conversation with Peter about this important subject, they were talking about who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus pointed to a little child, and said that unless you become like a little child… unless you have a child-like faith, you can never enter the Kingdom of Heaven… Then he turns around and compares his role as the Shepherd of our Souls to the story of a shepherd who is missing one of his sheep, and goes out and basically moves heaven and earth in order to find that one lost sheep.

Then Jesus offers a riveting commentary… he said that there is a way to settle disputes between members of God’s family… and there are ways NOT to settle disputes among the members of God’s family… and then, seizing an opportunity to teach on the subject of Forgiveness, he launches into the Parable of the Unforgiving (or Unmerciful) Servant…

Jesus started off his parables with the words “The Kingdom of Heaven is like… a King who wanted to settle accounts with his servants… some of his servants owed him money, and one servant in particular owed him $10,000… and he couldn’t pay. In verse 25, we see that the King ordered that the servant… and his wife… and his children… and all his possessions… be sold in order to pay the debt that he owed.

Because he could not pay, five different relationships were effected… 1.) The King… 2.) The Servant… 3.) The Servant’s Wife… 4.) The Servant’s Children… and 5.) The Servant’s possessions… because the servant owed a debt of forgiveness…

And he begged and pleaded with his master, the King… and the King took pity on him, and forgave him all that he owed… and the man left.

What happened next is really sad, and very deeply disturbing… The moment the servant leaves the palace, he sees a friend of his who owes him $1.00… and the Bible says that this servant grabbed the other man by the throat… and said “you pay me what you owe, or off to prison you go…” and he throws the man into prison.

Another servant of the King noticed this interchange, and quickly informed his Majesty, who quickly summoned the servant… and threw the book at him. “You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that the reach of an unforgiving spirit is deep… it penetrates deep into the soul… and its reach is far… it can reach across many miles, and it can reach across the chasm of many years… Unforgiveness effected everything he had… it effected every relationship he had… it jeopardized his marriage… his children… every possession that he owned… every friendship that he had…

We are either a blessing to one another…
Or we are an affliction to one another.

What you do affects your wife… your family… your children… everything…

Unforgiveness destroys everything until the restitution of forgiveness is made.

The thing about the relationships we have is that offenses are inevitable… disagreement is inevitable… but as members together of the Body of Christ, the message is that we are called upon to be agents of forgiveness and mercy.

We offended God so much, that if he demanded payment from us, we would be destroyed. But God… demonstrated his love for us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ Jesus died for us. God himself made a way for us to be forgiven… and then he tells us to turn around and share that forgiveness with the next person… and the next…

Remember the words of the Lord’s Prayer? “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us?” Jesus meant business when he taught us this lesson.

If you’ve ever said something like “Oh, I just can’t forgive that person for what he has done…” or if you’ve ever held a grudge to the point where it becomes an all-consuming obsession, remember what happened to the Unforgiving Servant. As a result of his act of unforgiveness, his debts were recalled… they had been dead, but they were brought back to life. The other thing is that his master, the King turned that servant over to his tormentors until the debt was paid in full.

Sadly enough, it really wasn’t the King who delivered the unforgiving servant to his tormentors… it was his own act of unforgivness that sealed the deal.

In Matthew 5: 23 – 26 we see something interesting… Jesus tells us to be reconciled with our brother or our sister before we come to the altar with our offering…
if there is any strife among you… reconcile with your brother or sister first… leave your offering before the altar, go to your brother or sister… then come together to the altar and make your offering.

I Bid You Peace...
Dr. Ken+

"It"

Acts 2: 42 – 47


In Acts 2: 42 – 47 there was something going on that was extraordinary… something was happening among those disciples gathered at Jerusalem that day.

To give some of the back-story, there were about 120 disciples gathered together for the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem… they were all together, and they were praying together… and they were in agreement with each other. Any difference between them had been soft-pedaled and they were focusing on their Common Ground.

As they are gathered together in that place, everyone hears the sound of a mighty, rushing wind, and people see something that looks like tongues of fire dancing on each of the disciples’ heads… and people hear God being praised and extolled in their own languages.

Peter gives one of the most definitive sermons of his career, declaring to the people that “This is what the Prophet Joel spoke about…. That God’s spirit would be poured out on all people in the last days… that sons and daughters would prophesy… that young men would see visions… old men would dream dreams… that we would see wonders in the sky above… and signs on the earth below… before the Day of the Lord comes… and whoever calls on the name of the Lord would be saved…

At the end of that speech, someone came up to Peter and asked him “So now what do we do?” These people were looking for something, and they found IT… and they wanted to know how they could have IT too.

So, the question really is…

What is IT?

Where does IT come from?

Can you buy IT?

Can you sell IT?

Once you get IT how do you keep IT?


Almost every week, I hear the same thing as I greet people coming in and out of the church. I hear people consistently saying “Wow… I really feel God’s presence here…”

THAT’S JUST IT!!!

IT is that something special from God… that special working of the Holy Spirit… and we see it in our text… “And the Lord added daily those who were saved…”

The LORD… added daily those who were saved…

The Lord added DAILY those who were saved…

It was the Lord’s doing… and he brought new people into a relationship with him each and every day…. And it is still happening to this very day.
Every so often I hear another observation… that church is a place where I can find the things that equip me to go out there and face the challenges of the world...

Well, that’s true… church is supposed to be a place for the equipping of the saints… but you also meet saints out there in the real world… it’s a little thing called fellowship…

Almost every day, when I worked in retail management, I would ask God for a point of fellowship during the day… someone with whom I could connect with and pray with… and without fail, by the time I went home for the day, I would connect with at least one person and have a brief time of fellowship with them… And I am consistently amazed to this very day about the ways in which God allows us to meet other people who are looking for that point of fellowship as well… and who knows… maybe God is using you to meet someone else’s need for Christian fellowship.

I Bid You Peace,
Dr. Ken+

Faith that Makes A Difference...

Romans 8: 1 - 11

In case you missed this little bit of news from the International
and Technology Front...

After having dug to a depth of 10 meters last year, Scottish
scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years
and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had
a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the Scots, in the weeks that followed,
English scientists dug to a depth of 20 meters, and shortly
after, headlines in the English newspapers read: "English
archaeologists have found traces of 200-year-old copper wire
and have concluded that their ancestors already had an
advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years
earlier than the Scots."

One week later, "The Kerrymen," a southwest Irish
newsletter, reported the following: "After digging as deep
as 30 meters in peat bog near Tralee, Paddy O'Droll, a
self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely
nothing. Paddy has therefore concluded that 300 years ago,
Ireland had already gone wireless."


Question: What is faith?

Good News! We have a definition of “Faith…”
Being sure of what we hope for (the substance of things hoped for…)
Being certain of what we do not see (The evidence of things not seen…)

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command…

Christian “Big Bang” Theory… God spoke… and… BANG! IT HAPPENED!

Faith says to us today that what is seen is made out of what is not seen!

Faith means making a conscientious choice to believe certain things to be true…
This conscientious choice means making a commitment, and a promise to a lifestyle of living by faith…

Hebrews 10: 38 and 39… “But my righteous one will live by faith... and if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him… But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed… but of those who believe and are saved…”

Elsewhere in the Bible we see further evidence of the choice to live by faith… Joshua says: “choose this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!”

Now let’s take a look at our text…

Hebrews 11: 6
1.) Without faith it is impossible to please God…
2.) Anyone who comes to HIM must believe that he exists…
3.) Anyone who comes to HIM must believe that HE rewards those who diligently seek him…

So… there is joy in the pursuit… there is an eager anticipation that says “if I seek after God… if I follow by faith… if I follow his word and his precepts… IF I HAVE A SAVING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THROUGH HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST… I will find myself in a relationship with the Living God!”

There’s joy in the journey for the pilgrim who is seeking God in his or her life… because anyone who comes to God must believe that HE exists… and that joy is expressed most deeply in the belief that God rewards those who diligently seek him!

Thought: If you do not believe that HE exists, you will never find him through your own efforts and in your own strength.

Truth of the matter: There IS absolute truth… Jesus IS ALIVE today! HE LIVES!

Not only does He live… He calls us to live for Him… He calls us to live and love sacrificially for others because HE lives sacrificially for each of us today. He laid down his life so you and I might live free from our sins… this is called COSTLY GRACE… Our forgiveness cost him everything… His Kingdom… His Crown… His Life… so that he could make a difference in our lives today.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that when Jesus calls us, he calls us to “come and die…” Die to self… die to everything that would keep us from completing the things that God would have us to do…

Jesus gave us his mission when he said to the people gathered at the synagogue in Jerusalem “God’s spirit is upon me; he’s chosen me to preach the message of Good News to the Poor; sent me to announce pardon to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind; to set the burdened and battered free; to announce “This is God’s year to act…”

Jesus calls us to follow HIS example… He healed the sick… He raised the dead… He cleansed the leper… He made the blind to see… and his word says that He has given us the Holy Spirit… to teach us… to guide us… to comfort us… so we could do what He did…

The bottom line is that we are called upon to have the kind of faith that makes a difference… the kind of relationship with God through Jesus Christ that pricks at our conscience and tugs at our hearts when we see somebody in need. We are called upon to have the kind of faith that goes beyond superficial relationships and goes to the very depth of our hearts and binds us together… not merely as acquaintances, but as Brothers and Sisters who make a difference in the lives of those around us…


+ + +
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

I Bid You Peace...
Dr. Ken

From Olympic Gold to Golden Leaves

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ;

Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

My family and I loved watching the Olympic Games from Beijing. Four years ago, when the Olympic Games were in Athens, Greece, I wanted to take my wife and daughter to Athens, and not only show them around the city in which I was born, but also witness history in the making.

What comes to your mind when you think of the Olympics? For some it may be the extravagance — $100 million (plus) being spent on the opening and closing ceremonies alone.

The human drama of the games may come to your mind. Dara Torres was the oldest swimmer to win a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics when she was 33. Now, as a 41-year-old mom she is the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympics: 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008. She competed in the Beijing Olympic Games in the 50 meter freestyle, 4×100 medley relay, and 4×100 freestyle relay and won the silver medal in all three of these events.

For some it may be the pride of watching U.S. athletes and seeing the medal count add up. We thrilled to the news that Team USA brought home 36 Bronze Medals, 38 Silver Medals, and 38 Gold Medals, and our hearts swelled with prize as Michael Phelps came home with eight world-record (and Olympic-record) breaking Gold Medals in swimming!

Whether or not you watched the 2008 Olympics, it's interesting to note that the New Testament actually has numerous references to the Olympic Games. The culture in which Christianity spread was very familiar with the original Olympics in Athens, Greece, so early believers often used imagery from those games to make a point.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24, 25, Paul writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

The “crown” Paul refers to was the laurel wreath awarded to the Olympic champions of that day.

As we watched the Olympic games this year, they were a great reminder to examine our own priorities. What is the “crown” we're striving for and putting all our energies into? The Olympic athletes devote years of their lives for that one chance to become an Olympic champion, just as each of us, as God’s children, are called to live our lives for HIM in the hopes of attaining the prize… the crown of life.

Olympic Gold, the roar of the crowds, and the fame and glory will all fade away, as Jesus reminds us that “heaven and earth will pass away, but my word will never pass away.” . A personal relationship with God through Jesus offers a reward that will never fade away. As Elaine Breeden, another U.S. Olympic swimmer says, “If I put his (God's) kingdom first, everything else will fall into place.

As the fall season begins, let us take to heart the words from Matthew 6:33… “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and everything else will be added to you.” Or, in the words of a favorite praise hymn… “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…
Dr. Ken +

My Best Friend's (Brother's) Wedding

(John 2: 1 – 11, Revelation 19: 1 – 10)

This is the story of two young schoolboys in trouble… The Headmaster calls the first boy into his office. Headmaster asks “Where IS GOD?” The boy doesn’t answer. The Headmaster raises his voice and asks again “Where IS GOD?” No answer… Now the Headmaster raises his voice to a fever pitch and booms “WHERE IS GOD?” Scared, the boy runs out of the headmaster’s office, and runs into his friend.
Boy #2: “Ken… what’s wrong… you’re frightened…”
Boy #1: “Rob… we’re in real trouble… God is missing, and they think we did it!”

Answer to “Where is God?”
God is Omnipresent (Everywhere)
God is Omniscient (All-Knowing)
God is Omnipotent (All-Powerful)

An encounter with Jesus at a Jewish Wedding…
My Best Friend’s (Brother’s) Wedding…
Jewish wedding ceremony last Sunday afternoon in Woburn
Family was concerned that I would use the “J” word…

Yet I saw Jesus several times during the weekend…
In The Blessing of the Wine… It was the same Hebrew Blessing which Jesus used at the Last Supper, when he took the cup, and blessed it…
(Baruch a’ta adonai, elohaynu melach o’lam, bireh p’ree hagoffin)
(Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine…) And then he said “This cup is the new covenant in my blood…” take and drink…”

In the breaking of the glass at the end of the Wedding Ceremony… How he rejoiced with his family, how he raised his voice with the rest of the wedding guests and shouted “Mazel Tov!”
I Saw Jesus most poignantly during a conversation I had with the Groom’s father… my best friend’s father… before the ceremony I had been asked if I wanted to offer the blessing before the meal at the reception. Something deep inside of me thought it best that I defer to the Groom’s father. I asked him if he would do that particular blessing… He smiled, and said “You know… we have a traditional prayer for this… it’s a very beautiful prayer. ((Shelley took a dinner roll… and prayed “Baruch a’ta adonai… elohaynu melach o’lam. Hamotzi le-chem, min – harets. (Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.)) AND THEN HE BROKE THE BREAD…

And Jesus took the bread… and he blessed it… AND HE BROKE THE BREAD… and said to his wondering disciples “This is my body which is broken for you…”

Later on… after his death, burial and resurrection… after the rumor had started to surface that Jesus was alive… two men were walking down the road to Emmaus… and they encountered a third man on the road, and they invited him to walk along with them. For most of the afternoon, they chatted about the BIG current event of the day… how a man named Yeshua had been cruelly beaten and crucified for claiming to be the Messiah… the King of the Jews… How Yeshua had gone about healing the sick… raising the dead… preaching about Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness… As the evening crept in, the men invited their new friend home for dinner… and he accepted. As they were sitting down to dinner, they asked their friend to bless the meal… and he took the bread… and he blessed it… AND HE BROKE THE BREAD… Just then, as their friend broke the bread, their eyes were opened to who it was… IT WAS JESUS!!! How they ran back to Jerusalem to tell the rest of the believers that they had seen Jesus! How they celebrated!


The Wedding Feast at Cana is a story of a celebration… Monica and I enjoy going to Weddings because it is a time in which we can celebrate with the bride and groom… there is a festive atmosphere… there is music… we enjoy dancing together… and there is usually a very memorable feast… And as much of a celebration as a Wedding Reception is… as memorable as the Wedding Feast at Cana was…

It is nothing in comparison with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

One day, Jesus, the bridegroom will return for his bride, the church… and what a day of rejoicing that will be!

I Bid You Shalom... Peace
Dr. Ken+

Revival In The Land

S.B.: Psalm 33: 1 – 12
S.B. II Chronicles 7: 13 – 15

A while ago, a very dear old friend of mine, a veteran pastor who has been serving the Lord by serving his people for over 35 years re-introduced me to a word that has fallen into disuse, but which has a wonderful meaning. The word is Lagniappe. (“lanny – yap”) It is a Cajun word (although some might argue that it is Creole in origin), but, by definition, it means an unexpected extra blessing.

The whole idea of an unexpected extra blessing is one that God wants his children to take hold of, and share with one another, especially in today’s culture, and in today’s economic climate. God has given us so many blessings, not so we can horde them, but that we can use each of them to be a blessing to others, and not count the cost. That is why he sent us his son… he gave of his best… he held nothing back from us… he gave us above and beyond anything… he gave us the unexpected extra blessing of paying for all the dumb things we have ever done so we can spend eternity with him!

We are often guilty of under-praying… and of underestimating the power of praying. We cannot survive without praying, but praying together we can join together on a fantastic journey… on an incomprehensible adventure in Jesus!

I remember the story of a little church in a community in Kentucky where no alcohol was served. A businessman came into the town, bought the property across from the church, and began to build a tavern. The people of the church gathered to pray that God’s hand would move in such a way that the tavern would never open. Then one night during a thunderstorm, the tavern was struck by lightning, and burned to the ground.

The people of the church were very surprised when they sere served with a lawsuit brought by the tavern owner. The lawsuit alleged that the prayers were responsible for the lightning striking his building… and the people of the church countersued.

The judge hearing the case offered the opinion that it seemed as if the Tavern Owner believed in the power of prayer more than the people of that church did!

If you think “we’re just a handful of people… what can we possibly do for the Kingdom?” Consider this example. Nestled in the mountains of Southwestern New Hampshire is a little red building which used to be a power station for the local electric company. One day a man purchased that building with the intention of opening an Adult Bookstore. Once word got out to the people of that mountainside community that an Adult Bookstore was coming into town, they held a town meeting… and then they got on their knees and began to pray… not that the business would close, but rather that God would touch and ignite that man’s heart for Jesus. Then, one day, people driving along route 12 into Keene noticed that there was something different about that building. There was now a red and blue banner hanging on the tower of that power station declaring “Jesus Is Lord” for the whole world to see! Today that building is once again a Power Station… for Jesus. That little building has been used by God to spark a revival in that area that is reaching the world for Jesus. People gather at that little building several times a week for fellowship, for prayer, for praise and worship. The man who bought that building, a dear friend and brother in the Lord named Tom Travers gives all the Glory to God for changing HIS life, and for allowing HIM to reach people throughout New England with this ministry. He keeps pointing to one of his favorite verses in the Bible: Romans 1:16… “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”

The Lagniappe… the unexpected extra added blessing of this is that I personally had the privilege of attending the launch of this ministry four years ago. There were only four people there at that first Saturday night… Tom and Carol Travers, a young philosophy student from Keene State College, and myself. Today, Tom and Carol are two of our dearest friends, and every time they gather with the Power Station crew, they lift up “Pastor Ken, His family, and our brothers and sisters at First Congregational Church in New Bedford.” The unexpected extra added blessing is that you have brothers and sisters whom you have never met who are praying for you right now!

If you would like to find out more about what that particular ministry is doing to further the Gospel, please log onto www.stationpower.com , and you will learn more about what God is doing through The Power Station in Troy, New Hampshire to set the nation ablaze for Jesus.

Today, it is time for the sleeping giant called the church to wake up and reclaim its rightful place as reflecting the light of Jesus to a dark and lost world. We not only need something to hold onto… we need to share with those around us that when we think that there is no hope, that the horizon looks bleak, that all the evidence points to a dry spell on the way… that God’s word says there is hope, and there is safety in Jesus. The Word of the Lord is a strong tower… the righteous… those who have a right-standing relationship with God the Father… run into God’s word… and are saved!

We can no longer shirk away from the Gospel. God is calling the church today to take a stand and declare boldly to the people around us that we are not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes!” We cannot keep quiet about the Gospel any longer.

Last weekend our Sunday School and Youth Department went on a camping trip to Myles Standish State Forest, The theme for that campout was “Mission: Possible” They learned that it was possible to have a relationship with Jesus, and that it is possible for him to forgive us of our sins. They learned that it was also possible for him to transform us from being lukewarm Christians to people who are red-hot, on-fire, ready to set the world ablaze for Jesus! I believe that is what God is calling us to do as a church… as a nation… God’s word has a lot to say about revival in our nation.

If you wanted a Patriotic Message this morning… since this is the Sunday closest to the Fourth of July… then hear the word of the Lord…”

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14)

“For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live” (Amos 5:4)

And we have the words of the Messiah… Jesus… to his disciples… to the church… to the church at New Bedford… and to you and me… “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

We had a wonderful time at Bristol’s Fourth of July celebration this past week. It was a time of celebrating our American Saints who have served our country. We celebrated our God-given freedoms, and the men and women who put themselves in harms’ way… who went willingly into the heat of battle so that we might be here today, gathered to worship God in spirit and in truth

Amid the fanfare and the bangs and the booms of the celebration came the message of revival for our land…
All Gave Some… Some Gave All… And One gave his life that we might be free…

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

I Bid You Peace...

Dr. K.

Standing In The Gap

Ezekiel 22: 23- 30

As you may well know, ancient cities were walled for defense. The walls, of course, had to be kept in good repair, but sometimes a part of the wall would deteriorate and fall, leaving a gap or breach. When this happened the city would need to immediately begin restoration. In the meantime armed men would be posted in the gap to protect the city from enemies and invaders.

In this passage, God is essentially telling His prophet, Ezekiel, that the spiritual and moral wall surrounding Israel is deteriorating and crumbling. The land is awash in sin and corruption. There is strife, violence, extortion and oppression, sexual perversion and religious deception. And every level of society is indicted ~ government officials, religious leaders, merchants, and ordinary people.And what does the Lord say? He tells Ezekiel, “I’ve been waiting for at least a few good men to begin the repair work and stand in the gap… Where are they?” God could not find even one man who would stand up to be counted, who would put his shoulder to the plow to begin the work of restoration, no one to begin the repairs, no man who would stand in the gap.

History repeats itself. God is searching for men who will begin the work of restoration and stand in the gap for this nation .The Lord is calling young men, husbands and fathers to care enough, believe enough and be brave enough to make the necessary sacrifices for home, community and country.But what does it mean to stand in the gap and rebuild the wall?

If you are inclined to make a commitment to take a stand and do what needs to be done to advance the Kingdom, what exactly do you need to do?Standing in the gap involves several different things, prayer certainly being one of the most important. Moses interceded for the Hebrew people when they sinned as we read in the Psalms: “Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them.” We are specifically called upon in Scripture “to pray, lifting up holy hands,” making petitions and offering thanksgivings “for all people; for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct.”

And, of course, proper conduct is fundamentally important. In the Proverbs we read that “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” And also the Book of James tells us that the “heartfelt prayer of a good man works very powerfully.” The Lord Jesus teaches us that our outward conduct provides a witness, a testimony to our faith and can draw people to God.Jesus said, “In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Francis of Assisi echoed these words: “Preach the Gospel every day and if you must, use words.” The way in which we live out our lives speaks volumes. Actions speak louder than words. This message is especially important for fathers. Who hasn’t heard the old adage, “Like father, like son.” The conduct of the father ~ that is, his character and integrity or lack thereof ~ makes a unique and indelible imprint on the lives of his children.

It almost goes without saying, then, that it is absolutely imperative the man of the house ~ the husband and father ~ be a good role model. And this is a necessary part of rebuilding the wall, you see: raising up a new generation of men and women of character and integrity. And though this is possible without the presence or cooperation of the man of the house, it is exceedingly more difficult.

Gentlemen, God calls on us to put our shoulder to the plow and work to be the kind of husband and father we ought to be, the kind of Godly husband and father that God calls us to be to our wives, our children, our families. This is a great responsibility when we realize that lives have been placed in our hands, and God calls us to watch over the lives of our families and be good stewards.


Part of rebuilding the wall around our church, our country and community and standing in the gap entails bold witness and courageous testimony. It calls for men to stand up with boldness, finding their voice, taking a stand for what is right, and “speaking the truth in love.” It calls for laying aside the old self, as Paul instructs, and putting “on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness.”

It calls for men to be actively involved in the Church, to take hold of the reigns of responsible leadership and, under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, “contending earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” It calls for men becoming salt and light in this dark and dying world. God is calling for men to be raised up to reflect the light of Jesus into the darkness.

Rise Up!

It means calling that which is right to be right, and calling that which is wrong to be wrong.

Rise Up!

It means fearlessly proclaiming the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ without shame, embarrassment, reservation or hesitation.

Rise Up!

It means standing up and boldly declaring that I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ… for it is the Power of God for Salvation!

Rise Up!

To stand in the gap means to put your faith on the line and this takes divine courage and strength, Godly conviction and steadfast commitment.

Rise Up!

It is not a duty for the faint-of-heart.

Rise Up!

Rise Up, O Men of God!
Have done with lesser things!
Give heart, and mind, and soul, and strength
To Serve the King of Kings!

Rise Up!

I Bid You Peace,
Pastor Ken+

Show and Tell

Mark 4: 21 – 32

Have you ever wondered what the Kingdom of God is really like? I’m not referring to what we will experience after we have been called home to be with the Lord. We have several different words about this in the Bible, and we often sing hymns about “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be…”

No… today I would like to focus on the subject of what the Kingdom of God is really like. We have examples of what the Kingdom of God is really like. People have been asking what the Kingdom of God will be like, and we have Jesus’ own words to reflect on from Luke 17: 20 – 21… Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”


So Jesus has given us the basic idea that we are a part of the Kingdom of God… and that the Kingdom of God is active among each of us. It has nothing to do with the flesh, but is evident when we gather together to worship HIM in spirit and in truth. Paul writes these words to the church at Rome… “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.”

I could go on and on about different writings that make an attempt to describe what the Kingdom Of God is like, but I would like to focus on two parables… two analogies… Jesus showed us each day and in many different ways what the Kingdom of God is like… in the ways in which he taught his disciples, and in the ways in which he touched and healed the people around him… and then he told us what it was like through different parables and stories… Show… and Tell…

First he talks about what happens when someone experiences a relationship with Jesus… you do not hide a lamp under a basket or under a bed, but you put it in such a position that it’s light can be seen throughout the whole house. He was laying down some groundwork for this particular teaching when he told us that “There is nothing hidden which will not be revealed… and that with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you…

Then he launches into the first analogy… Notice the words from verse 26… “The Kingdom of God is as if…” and he talks about a man scattering seed on the ground. Soon enough that seed sprouts and grows… how it grows is a mystery, but Jesus pointed out three distinctive phases of that seed’s growth… it germinates and sends up a blade… then soon enough the blade grows and produces an ear… and then the corn develops in the ear. So there is a growth process involved with the Kingdom of God… just as there is a growth process involved with every facet of life.

Then Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed… Again, notice his words from verse 30… “To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God?” And then he talks about a mustard seed… the smallest of the smallest seeds… so small that it would look like a tiny dot on a piece of white paper… but when it is sown into the ground and allowed to germinate produces one of the largest herbs known to mankind… so large, in fact, that it shoots out large branches that the birds can nest under its shade…

Jesus’ whole point in these two parables was to tell his followers that Kingdom Living is a process, and that it often takes patience… especially when he knows that his people often hate to wait for results, but our faith walk is just like the kernel of corn, and the mustard seed… a little bit of patience, and a whole lot of cultivation will yield a bumper crop of results for the Kingdom of God.

There is another point to these two parables that needs to be brought to your attention this morning. Jesus not only points to the vast potential that is contained, not only in those two insignificant little seeds, but also in our faith, but he also points out in another passage the value of sacrificial living… preferring others above self… In John 12: 20 – 25 we read this story… Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. “ The Greeks at the Feast wanted to see Jesus… perhaps to talk with him, and to learn of him… and Jesus gave the message that if somebody wants to see Jesus, that person needs to die to self… or as he put it elsewhere in the Gospels… Take up your cross and follow him… and you will bear much fruit.

Theologian and Author Karl Barth once said that when Jesus calls us and draws us to HIM, He calls us to “Come and Die…” If you feel that God is calling you into a closer relationship with HIM… with Jesus… with the local branch of the Body of Christ, he tells us to come, not with our own agendas, but with hearts open to listen to HIS word, hands ready to do his bidding, mouths ready to sing his praises, and feet ready to follow where he leads.

I Bid You Peace,
Pastor Ken+