Pastor's Pen

  Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: Esther: Developing an Awareness of Destiny                                                  Esther 3:1-4:17 Sometimes in the routine of life, we get the feeling that we are like a gerbil on a spinning wheel, that life is a rat race and the rats are winning. Then life may be interrupted by something that appears to be a disaster. There seems to be no solution! Such was the case with the Jewish remnant in Babylon as recorded in the book of Esther. An enemy of the Jews, Haman, had determined to seek the king’s permission to eradicate every Jewish person in the kingdom—from India to Ethiopia! But God had two people who were destined to be God’s tools to deliver His chosen people. But would Mordecai and Esther answer the call? ***** We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in pre...

Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: Eliezer: A Faithful Servant                                                                          Genesis 24:1-27 Scripture is filled with the accounts of the lives of famous and faithful servants of the Lord… Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Peter and Paul are likely all familiar to each of us. Yet some of the greatest of God's servants, some of the most faithful, are not names we would likely recognize. One such individual, named only once in Scripture, in Genesis 15:2, is Eliezer.  Although he was a Syrian, he had come to believe in the God of the man he served, and although he is not named in Genesis 24, I am among the students of Scripture who believe the servant Abraham sent, mission to seek a bride for his son Isaac was none other than Eliezer.  In fulfilling t...

Pastor's Pen, This Sunday: Gideon: Just an Ordinary Man                                                                             Judges 6:1-24 In 1924 while visiting a friend in New York City, English artist William Wolcott borrowed some ordinary wrapping paper and did two sketches of his impressions of the great metropolis. Later that year one of them sold for $500, the other for $1000-- princely sums in the 1920s. Ordinary wrapping paper in the hands of a great artist became a great masterpiece. In many ways Gideon was an ordinary person, yet as God enabled him to overcome a series of roadblocks in his life, he was able to accomplish extraordinary things in Israel, things we likely all remember from Sunday school days.  *****  We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities...

Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: The Servant Gives His Life                                                                                   Mark 15:21-47 In the Olympics just completed, the chief executive made reference to the words of John Lennon's famous song recorded by the Beatles, “Imagine.” The song, with words that reject the message of Christianity, ends with the expressed desire of many people that “…the world will live as one.” It’s a lofty goal, but as my friend Dr. Bill Lawrence observed last week, it cannot and will not happen, apart from Calvary. It is only through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross that forgiveness can ultimately lead to a kingdom where Christ will rule and reign. With this weekend’s message we make our way along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary, where Mark’...

  Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: Jesus on Trial                                                                                                Mark 14:53-15:15 Rodney Love, Founder of Master Life Coach Training Institute and longtime friend and ministry partner, will be speaking this morning. Using as his text Genesis 22:1, where God tested Abraham and Abraham responded, “Here am I,” Rodney will share how God tested him and his wife Beth through her ordeal with COVID 19.  You will be blessed and encouraged if you are able to attend, or, if not, can catch the live Facebook feed. Kathy and I will be away, presenting the ministry of The Worship Channel to a supporting church. Next Sunday we will resume our study of Mark's Gospel, considering th...

  Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: Loving the Lord                                                                                           Mark 14:1-25 How much do you love the Lord? For that matter, how can you tell if you love the Lord enough? And how can you tell if others really love the Lord?  There is no question about how much the Lord loves us. In fact that's the point of this section of Mark's Gospel. (Mark 10:45) But at this point in our Savior's journey toward the cross,  we are brought face to face with the question of loving Him, as we consider contrasting lines of hatred and love, of devotion and conspiracy, and ultimately of the sacrifice of the Savior Himself.  *****  We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities...

Pastor’s Pen, This Sunday: Spiritual Alertness                                                                                          Mark 13:1-37 The final week in the Savior's life was packed with many significant events. One of those we call the Olivet Discourse. One of four extensive discourses recorded in the Gospels, it focuses on the prosthetic panorama of events yet future to the disciples-- and to us! Yet the primary purpose of this discourse is not to provide a prophetic chronology, but to alert followers of Jesus to the need for spiritual alertness! The key word:  WATCH! . *****  We appreciate those who help sanitize our facilities for services each Saturday morning in preparation for Sunday worship as well as those who make it possible for us...