From our Pastor
Newsletter Articles
July 2024
I am writing this article days before we leave on a vacation to Alaska. When you read it, God willing, Lorie and I will be in the process of returning from the vacation. We will be traveling with the Smyths and the Johnsons. We have been planning this trip for about a year. I have never been real hip on cruises, but I did mention to Lorie one day I would try an Alaskan cruise. Before I knew it, she was planning us a trip to this country’s 49th state. So off we go, Lord willing.
To go on a trip like this one requires preparation. You cannot throw things together at the last minute. We have been going through a check list that is helping make sure we do not forget anything important. Preparation is the key!
There is an old story of a king and his clown or “jester” who sometimes said very foolish things. One day the jester had said something so foolish that the king handing him a staff, said to him: “Take this, and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself.”
“Some years later, the king lay on his deathbed. His courtiers were called: his family and his servants also stood round his bedside. The king, addressing them, said, “I am about to leave you. I am going on a very long journey, and I shall not return again to this place: so, I have called you all to say goodbye.”
Then his jester stepped forward and addressing the king said “Your Majesty, may I ask a question? When you have journeyed abroad visiting your people or paying diplomatic visits to other courts your heralds and servants have always gone before you, preparing for you. May I ask what preparations, your Majesty has made for this long journey that he is about to take?”
“Alas!” replied the king, “I have made no preparations.” “Then,” said the jester, “Take this staff with you, for now I have found a bigger fool than myself.”
Hebrews 9:27 says, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,” This is one appointment you will not be able to cancel, reschedule or refuse to go to. The question is have you prepared for this appointment? Have you repented of your sins and trusted Christ for salvation? One day you will journey into eternity. Make sure you are prepared! As a wise man once said, “Eternity is too long to be wrong.” Trust Christ today!
February 2024
In the Bible study that I am sharing on Wednesdays, we have come to the passages in James 3 dealing with the tongue and the problem with controlling our tongues. It reminds me of the Great Fire in Chicago on October 8-10, 1871. I have always read about the O’Leary’s cow kicking over a lantern in their barn as the cause of the deadly fire. Three hundred people lost their lives and thousands were left homeless. Over 2,000 acres were burned and over 17,000 buildings were destroyed. But the truth of the matter is that there was never an official cause of fire, just rumors.
James 3:5-6 explains that an uncontrolled tongue can do damage like a wildfire. All it takes is for a little spark to cause a massive inferno that can destroy lives and property. Mrs. O’Leary was accused of starting the Great Fire of Chicago, but she claims she was asleep in bed when made aware of the blaze in their barn. The fire changed her and her family. People later said that she died of a broken heart because of all the rumors and innuendos concerning the origin of the fire. All it takes is one comment or a few words that can change the direction of a person’s life. I shared this past Sunday in my Proverbs study in my Discipleship 1st class about the illustration using a tube of toothpaste and asking a child to squeeze it all out on a plate. Then after the child squeezes it out, I ask them to put it back in the tube. It cannot be done. Once the toothpaste is out there, you cannot put it back. Same way with our words. Once we say them, they can never be retrieved.
Social media has taken our culture by storm. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms are being used by people everywhere to communicate with others. Some of it is good. I have a dear pastor friend who uses his Facebook page to communicate with fellow church members. But I must admit that social media has been used to bully, intimidate, and allow people to be downright rude and insensitive. Have you found yourself posting something after becoming angry or agitated about a certain subject? Do you have a filter that can help you control what to say and what not to say? Would Jesus be pleased with your words, posts or sharing of articles?
Proverbs 21:23 says, “He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.” Ask God to help you to control what comes out of your mouth. Ask Him for a filter to know when to speak and when to bite your tongue! Mark Twain said it this way; “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” God desires to be Lord of our lives and that includes our speech! Think about it, especially before you open your mouth!
Bro. Jim
I am writing this article days before we leave on a vacation to Alaska. When you read it, God willing, Lorie and I will be in the process of returning from the vacation. We will be traveling with the Smyths and the Johnsons. We have been planning this trip for about a year. I have never been real hip on cruises, but I did mention to Lorie one day I would try an Alaskan cruise. Before I knew it, she was planning us a trip to this country’s 49th state. So off we go, Lord willing.
To go on a trip like this one requires preparation. You cannot throw things together at the last minute. We have been going through a check list that is helping make sure we do not forget anything important. Preparation is the key!
There is an old story of a king and his clown or “jester” who sometimes said very foolish things. One day the jester had said something so foolish that the king handing him a staff, said to him: “Take this, and keep it till you find a bigger fool than yourself.”
“Some years later, the king lay on his deathbed. His courtiers were called: his family and his servants also stood round his bedside. The king, addressing them, said, “I am about to leave you. I am going on a very long journey, and I shall not return again to this place: so, I have called you all to say goodbye.”
Then his jester stepped forward and addressing the king said “Your Majesty, may I ask a question? When you have journeyed abroad visiting your people or paying diplomatic visits to other courts your heralds and servants have always gone before you, preparing for you. May I ask what preparations, your Majesty has made for this long journey that he is about to take?”
“Alas!” replied the king, “I have made no preparations.” “Then,” said the jester, “Take this staff with you, for now I have found a bigger fool than myself.”
Hebrews 9:27 says, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,” This is one appointment you will not be able to cancel, reschedule or refuse to go to. The question is have you prepared for this appointment? Have you repented of your sins and trusted Christ for salvation? One day you will journey into eternity. Make sure you are prepared! As a wise man once said, “Eternity is too long to be wrong.” Trust Christ today!
February 2024
In the Bible study that I am sharing on Wednesdays, we have come to the passages in James 3 dealing with the tongue and the problem with controlling our tongues. It reminds me of the Great Fire in Chicago on October 8-10, 1871. I have always read about the O’Leary’s cow kicking over a lantern in their barn as the cause of the deadly fire. Three hundred people lost their lives and thousands were left homeless. Over 2,000 acres were burned and over 17,000 buildings were destroyed. But the truth of the matter is that there was never an official cause of fire, just rumors.
James 3:5-6 explains that an uncontrolled tongue can do damage like a wildfire. All it takes is for a little spark to cause a massive inferno that can destroy lives and property. Mrs. O’Leary was accused of starting the Great Fire of Chicago, but she claims she was asleep in bed when made aware of the blaze in their barn. The fire changed her and her family. People later said that she died of a broken heart because of all the rumors and innuendos concerning the origin of the fire. All it takes is one comment or a few words that can change the direction of a person’s life. I shared this past Sunday in my Proverbs study in my Discipleship 1st class about the illustration using a tube of toothpaste and asking a child to squeeze it all out on a plate. Then after the child squeezes it out, I ask them to put it back in the tube. It cannot be done. Once the toothpaste is out there, you cannot put it back. Same way with our words. Once we say them, they can never be retrieved.
Social media has taken our culture by storm. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms are being used by people everywhere to communicate with others. Some of it is good. I have a dear pastor friend who uses his Facebook page to communicate with fellow church members. But I must admit that social media has been used to bully, intimidate, and allow people to be downright rude and insensitive. Have you found yourself posting something after becoming angry or agitated about a certain subject? Do you have a filter that can help you control what to say and what not to say? Would Jesus be pleased with your words, posts or sharing of articles?
Proverbs 21:23 says, “He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles.” Ask God to help you to control what comes out of your mouth. Ask Him for a filter to know when to speak and when to bite your tongue! Mark Twain said it this way; “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” God desires to be Lord of our lives and that includes our speech! Think about it, especially before you open your mouth!
Bro. Jim