Pastor's Pen

Genesis is the book of beginnings. January is a month for new beginnings. As the Spirit broods over your life what creative act is God about to perform? Dear friend, I believe God is about to do great things in your life. John opens his Gospel by saying, "In the beginning was the Word..." Every real move of God starts with a Word from God. Why not begin 2010 with a fresh commitment to finding out what God has to say through His Word. A recent Gallup poll found that only 16 percent of Americans read their Bibles daily. Today I'd like to inspire you to become part of an elite group of people that makes up a much smaller percentile of the the populace. Why not be among those who read and daily ask the question, "How does the meaning of this text apply to me?" Our eye should be upon Jesus. If the Bible is not a tool for becoming like Him then we're using a rocket launcher for a paperweight. Lets commit to the rewarding work of applying the scripture in our

Pulling into the parking spot at our favorite Chinese restaurant, we were taken aback by our son's sudden incredulous exclamation. We had been there many times. It was all so familiar to us. But our young son who was becoming an excellent reader had noticed the signs for the first time. There in front of our parked car was a sign that read, "Parking for Human Customers Only." Well, at least that's what he thought it said. Neighboring businesses were conscious of the limited parking available and had taken steps to ensure that their own customers were not inconvenienced by someone else's. Hunan looked an awful lot like human to a speed-reading 1st grader. Personally I've wondered at times if there are any normal people out there. Wouldn't it be nice if our church parking lot was filled with cars delivering perfect families to our front doors every Sunday. Maybe we should reserve our parking spaces for regular, ordinary, normal people only. Wouldn't li

Think about the life this man had lived. Although a measure of success had come his way, it was not without costs. Something had caused him to become disillusioned with the religion(s) of his homeland. It is unlikely that he had chosen the life of a eunuch. He may have been picked from among slaves to serve in the palace and forced to undergo the cruel procedure. Eunuchs, however, were not always the victims of some cruel monarchs desire to protect his harem from harm. In many cultures parents mutilated their own children in hopes that they would someday be chosen to serve in the temple of their favorite god. If the young man didn’t end up with a job at the temple, a position in the palace wouldn’t be all that bad either, they may have reasoned. However it happened, there is a strong possibility that he was denied a voice in the decision. Think of the anger that must have boiled beneath the surface of his prim and proper palace etiquette. If in fact his parents had done this to h

Reading the story of Jesus can be almost breathtaking. It is shocking. Like the disciples watching Jesus ascend upon a cloud, we are left staring upward with slack jaws. God among us! It's almost to much to believe. In his introduction to the book of Acts for The Message Bible, Eugene Peterson points out an inherent danger. The possibility that we will be "...impressed - but only impressed." We run the risk of just becoming fans of Jesus. Peterson suggests, "we could easily becom enthusiastic spectators, and then let it go at that -- become admirers of Jesus, genourous with our oohs and ahs..." Mathew, Mark and John left of telling the story after the ascension of Jesus. But, Luke doesn't stop. Luke set out to make sure we didn't just become Jesus fans . Jesus continued to function and fulfil his mission through disciples in the next generation. And he continued in thier children and in thier children's children. In every generation since there have

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon with beautiful weather. On the drive home from our lunch in Paragould, Blake reminded me that I had promised to fly a kite with him. We stopped at Dollar General and bought a $3 kite. The wind was very cooperative and launching the kite was so easy. We simply held it up, released it, and started giving it slack with the string. There was no need to run. We didn't even have to wait for a gust of wind. The next hour was spent having some of the best fun a father and son can have. Blake immediately took over and before long was maneuvering the kite like a pro. Our fun came to an end when Blake noticed the dark gathering clouds of a thunderstorm. As he hurried to get the kite down Blake let me know that he had no desire to repeat Benjamin Franklin's experiment. The storm blew through and our Sunday evening service started at 6 pm. From the first chorus we were met with an incredible move of God. Worship gushed from the hearts our people. It seemed tha

Easter was not an end but a beginning. The tomb was not a trap but a tunnel. The disciples were not immediately filled with knowledge of all the implications of His resurrection. They were in shock and awe. It was (for the time being) enough to know that He was alive. In those days a mere appearance was cause for extreme excitement. The questions would be asked and answered as the disciples confronted the meaning of these events. Eventually the Lord’s instructions would place them on a trajectory to become world-changers. In Luke 24 we find Christ bringing them up to speed and setting their course. He explained the Old Testament prophecies concerning Himself. (v.44) He opened their understanding of the scriptures. (v45) He revealed the proper response to His passion. (v47) He showed the responsibility that this knowledge placed on them. (v48) He gave them the order (tarry… until ye be endued with power) (v49) He promised them the power ne