On This Rock

2010-11-03T11:39:00.005-04:00

Lord, I lift Your name on high
Lord, I love to sing Your praises
I'm so glad You're in my life
I'm so glad You came to save us

You came from heaven to earth
To show the way
From the earth to the cross
My debt to pay
From the cross to the grave
From the grave to the sky
Lord, I lift Your name on high

I love the song "Lord I lift Your name on high"! It's a doctrinally sound modern hymn. It tells the whole story of Jesus Christ!

Perhaps the reason I like it is because it tells the story of the TRANSITIONS that Jesus when through just to prove His love for you. The theology o this song can also be seen in Philippians 2:5-11. Look at what it says: our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Notice that this passage starts with a word about your attitude. In the Greek, the word is phroneō, meaning to have understanding, to be wise, to feel, or to form an opinion. But... it also means to savor a thought or to stew over an issue... That's right, you have to THINK about your attitude! If your attitude stinks, then there is a pretty good chance that are not dwelling on the person of Jesus. Really! You will be amazed at how your emotions will become lighter and your attitude will be healthier when you just stop and think about your Savior and the transitions He endured for you.

TRANSITION #1(V.6-7)- From heaven to earth: From a heavenly existence to an earthly experience. Jesus left His comfort in the home of Heaven and took on human frailty to show us all how to live in this place we call home. He knows all about temptation, loss and pain because He experienced all those things just like we do. He knows about our issues because He has experienced them as we have. The only difference is that He never sinned while enduring the hardship of His human experience. That gives us all hope in that since Jesus is the key to a future heavenly experience of our own, we can trust in His perfection and not our own.

TRANSITION #2(v.8)- From earth to death: From human experience to suffering obedience. The main message of the life of Jesus is His complete obedience to God the Father, obedience even to death. I can't even imagine how Jesus could have left His heavenly home in obedience to God's command, but to think that He came to die in order to satiate God's wrath against sin, just for me, is almost incomprehensible. To be honest, when one is called into serving God, the transition is not always easy. Obeying the call is often very, very tough, but the reward is always rewarding! If Jesus had not obeyed and suffered so horribly, then we would not have access to God and our heavenly home. So, yeah, when we suffer, we are reminded of the ultimate suffering of Jesus and the awesome reward that we received because of His obedience. Oh, and by the way, our suffering just might not be about us, but it is always about God.

TRANSITION #3(V.9-11) From Death to heaven: From suffering obedience to transcendent acceptance. Because of Jesus' obedience, even to the point of dying for the sins of the world, He took the punishment that should have been ours. In that single act, He satiated God's wrath against sin AND paved the way for those who believe to achieve heaven. To the Believer, everything we believe hinges on this fact. We believe that Jesus is in heaven preparing a place for us when we pass from this life. On the other hand, we also believe that at some point, everyone, believer and unbeliever alike is going to be held accountable for what they believed about Jesus. We believe that everyone one will finally realize that Jesus was who He said He was and did what He said He would do and we will all know absolute truth. That's when everyone one will fall before the Lord Jesus, some out of love and reverence and some out of fear and shame. Now that's a transition I can't wait to be a part of!

TRANSITION #4(Rev. 3:20) From transcendent acceptance to personal acceptance. Ultimately, Jesus wants to make one more transition. He wants to transition from heaven to every human soul. He wants to be invited to move into your heart, take up residence and do life with you. This is the only transition in Jesus life that He won't make unless you participate with Him. He will not enter the locked door of your heart unless you ask Him to. He will never supersede your will, but will glad replace your will with His if only you Him to. For some of us, that means we need to ask Jesus into our life right now, for others, myself included, we need to ask Jesus to keep opening the door of my heart and enter into a communion with Him.

So there you have it. If Jesus went through so many transitions and is still seeking to transition with you, then transitioning with for Him is really nothing compared to His transitions. You see, the life of a devoted Christian exhibits the attitude of Jesus no matter what transition God allows us to go through! He wouldn't ask you to do it if He knew you couldn't!

2010-10-27T13:06:00.004-04:00

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

For those of you who know me you know that if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all (OK, before you have a fit about me using the word Luck, stick with me)! I'm one of those guys that nothing quite works like it should the first time. Like the mouse for this computer I'm using; the one I inherited with the use of this computer was a wireless unit that wouldn't "click" on anything. I ordered a new one from Staples Online and got it a few days later. Once it was installed, nothing happened... no movement, no courser, nothing. I called up the manufacturer and after an hour they decided to send me a replacement. Once I installed that one I found that it wouldn't highlight anything and "clicked" on everything it touched! After yet another hour on the phone with the manufacturer, we discovered that this particular wireless mouse must be incompatible with my desktop computer. I'm now using an old, reliable wired mouse.

There's another guy kinda like that in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul seemed to have a series of unfortunate events follow him around all the time, also. He was shipped wrecked a couple of times, had some sort of physical malady that limited his eyesight and was put into prison a few times just for talking about his faith. Unlike me, Paul never seemed to loose his patience or his Christ-like demeanor. By the way, even-though I was tempted, I never threw any of those wireless mice at the wall.

Back to Paul... I think the secret to Paul's attitude was the belief that the vision and the provision were one and the same when directed by God. In Acts 23:11, God calls Paul to go to Rome to witness about Jesus to Caesar. God had already sent Paul to the Gentile people including the people of Asia and, at this point in his life, God had called him back to Jerusalem to witness on behalf of Jesus to the religious leaders there. Every step of his journey, Paul experienced God's hand providing for his every need in order for his mission to be accomplished. Now that God called him to go to Rome, he obeyed, knowing that everything would work out for him to have an audience with Caesar.

You can read through Acts 23-28 and see all the calamity Paul had to endure just to get to Rome, but looking closely at chapter 27 will give us some insights into how Paul dealt with stress. In this section of Acts, Paul has been arrested by Roman soldiers and is about to set sail with his guard on a shipping vessel with a fairly large crew. Paul knew that this particular voyage was going to be disastrous, but the sailors and the guard wouldn't listen to him, so they all set sail for the home of Caesar.

Day 1 (vs. 13-17) A wind starts to kick up that eventually leads to a full-blown hurricane! At first, the sailors try to resist the storm by heading into the wind and gave that up in favor of just letting the storm take them wherever it takes them. Eventually, they decide that the fury of the wind is going to rip the ship apart so they secured the rudder and passed ropes all around the body of the boat to reinforce the hull. They put every once of their experience and expertise to work to save their boat, their cargo and possibly even their lives!

Day 2 (v. 18) Through the night the storm worsened. Men began to throw the precious cargo, their livelihood, over the rail to lighten the ship. When no end seemed close to this massive northeaster, the men were forced to plan for survival and all thoughts of future welfare were abandoned.

Day 3 (v. 20) This must have been the biggest thing these people had ever encountered. They started acting irrational and did things they would never have done in the normal course of a voyage; they threw all of the ships tackle into the sea! When the storm continued their actions actually became self-destructive!

Day 13 (vs. 21-26) Yep... 13 DAYS!! By this time all the sailors and the Roman soldiers gave up all hope of being saved. The prolonged stress these people endured lead to loss of appetite and a disabling emotional and physical depression. But wait, there's more! Paul, who had been through the exact same turmoil as all the others isn't feeling lost or even overwhelmed. He is actually the only one speaking any reason and encouragement. Why? Because he had a vision from God that reminded him that he had not yet been to Rome. God had given him a vision of things to come and they had not happened yet. So, to Paul, the storm was bad and I'm sure he would rather not have been on the ship, but he wasn't worried about his life.

Day 14 (vs. 27-38) Things actually work out. The ship is run ashore and the hull smashes on impact, but no one looses his life! Paul was right, they never should have started this particular trip, but that didn't kill the vision that God gave Paul.

So what about your adventure. Are you so completely overcome by the storm in your life that you are acting like the sailors and the Roman guards? OR, are you so reliant on the vision God gave you first as a new Believer and then later when you discovered your purpose? Paul endured the same storm as those around him but never lost hope because he never lost sight of his God-given vision. are you giving hope to those around you? OR, are you as worried as they? Please remember this: When God gives you a vision, He has already provided a means for the vision to happen!

The Vision and Provision are the same thing!

transitions: when God calls

2010-10-15T15:16:00.013-04:00

You ever feel like you've been pulled into something that you are really not equipped or any way prepared for? I have. I truly felt that God called me to lead a group of teenagers on a missions trip to Tampico, Mexico but I knew that was a huge step of faith and a stretch of my leadership abilities. As if that wasn't trying enough, the day after we arrived, I was the only adult leader of 20 other adult leaders to be "volunteered" to take a bunch of teen girls into the city to play volleyball against an all teen girl's jail. Once we arrived at the jail, I was informed that I couldn't stay on the premises and that I had to go back to the village where we were staying. The village was only about 10 miles away, but Tampico is a metro-plex of nearly a million people and none of the roads are straight and none of them have two-way traffic. A local young adult girl road shotgun in the big 15 passenger van on the way to the jail, but I had to return by myself. Talk about feeling overwhelmed and intimidated! I asked the young lady how to get back and she told me to just follow the signs that say "puente" (bridge) since the village was located in the foot of the rather large Tampico Bridge. She also said to simple say, "el puente" to someone if I got lost. Well, you guessed it, I found myself at a stop sign in front of a small grocery/deli over looking what appeared to be a part of the city made of cardboard boxes and blue plastic tarp without any idea where to go or what to do. I started to feel very uncomfortable at that point. Since there wasn't any traffic behind me, I bowed my head and prayed, "Dear Jesus. I know You sent me to this place. I know you have more work for me to do. So, if You want me to use this very episode to bring You glory, please, please please help me get back to that stupid ole bridge! Amen." I looked to my right and saw on older gentleman sitting on a park bench in front of the store reading a news paper. I pushed the automatic window button down and, in my very weak and broken Spanish said, "Como, senor, el puente?" The fellow looked right at me, slowly stood up, snapped the paper folded, stuffed it under his arm, turned to his right, pointed straight ahead and said in a rich, baritone, ENGLISH voice, "The bridge is that way, young man!" That's when I cried... I put the van in drive and five minutes later found myself in the comfort and safety of my friends.

There's this other guy, a guy in the Old Testament book of Judges, that found himself being called to something he felt he was totally unprepared for. His name was Gideon and you can read the whole account here & here.

The narrative of Judges 6 opens with a record of the renewed idolatry of Israel. This time judgment came from the Midianites who swept down through the plain of Jezreel, terrorizing Israel as far south as Gaza. They didn't permanently occupy the land, but each harvest season they would arrive unexpectedly and plunder the harvest. What spoil they could not carry away they destroyed. So insecure were the Israelites that they lived in dens, caves, and strongholds to seek safety for their possessions and for themselves.

But suddenly things changed. A stranger appeared under the great oak by Ophrah, a little township on the southwestern border of the territory of Manasseh. There Gideon, the son of Joash, was beating out wheat with a stick. He did so secretly and with constant apprehension that a wild band of Midianite Bedouins might sweep down on him, taking his grain and his life.
Although the stranger called him a "mighty warrior," Gideon's clandestine operations at his father's winepress did not exhibit great valor. For seven years his people had been oppressed by the enemy and this mighty warrior was despondent and discouraged. This stranger appeared to him at his lowest point to call him to the great work of God.

Gideon was startled at first by this stranger, not certain who he was. When the he proclaimed that the Lord was with Gideon, Gideon's questioning response was, "If the LORD is with us, then why has all this happened to us?" Gideon believed that if God had not withdrawn Himself from Israel, the present Midianite occupation would never have occurred. As well, this mighty warrior, like Moses of old, questioned why the Lord would choose him to deliver Israel. His family was poor in Manasseh and he was the least of his father's household. But in the midst of Gideon's concern he heard the promise of God, "I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together." Point #1, When God calls you, He sees you as He created you, not as you see yourself!

But, Gideon was still not convinced this was an encounter with God. How did he know this person was really the angel of the Lord? Gideon asked for a sign to prove that he was, in fact, being called to serve the Lord. He started to worship God by preparing a sacrifice of a goat and the makings of unleavened bread knowing that if the stranger accepted his worship he would know that the stranger was delivering the truth. Not only did the stranger accept Gideon's offering He sent fire from heaven to consume the goat and bread of His servant. At that moment Gideon knew he was not in the presence of some nameless angel or unknown stranger, but in the very presence of God! After Gideon freaked out a bit, God placed His loving arms of peace around him and assured him that he is the man God wants for His own good purpose. Point #2, When God calls you, He reveals Himself in Worship!

Once Gideon understood the gravity of his calling, God gave him the authority to dismantle pagan alters that his family built and worshiped at. In fact, he stood against all the wrongdoing of the people in his home town and gained respect as a judge of the people on behalf of God. So, when God called him to deal with Midianite problem, men from all over the Promised Land enlisted to stand by his side! A whole nation of oppressed and frightened people were energized by the passionate response to a Godly calling of a single obedient person! Point #3, When God calls you, He equips you with passion and authority that will rub off onto other people!

Even though Gideon fully understood his calling and knew his purpose, he still needed assurance that he was on the right track. Some have said that Gideon lacked faith before attacking the Midianites, because he laid out fleeces; not once but twice. I feel that he just needed assurance that he was still in God's will. Think about it... a young, seemingly weak farmer leading nearly 32,000 other seemingly weak farmers into battle against a countless number of conniving, ruthless assassins... Yeah, I'd probably want to make sure I was hearing God correctly, too. Asking God to confirm His will isn't about doubt or fear but about timing and direction! Point #4, When God calls you, He will confirm you!

Point #5, When God calls you, He wants all the glory! This is the best part of the story! Gideon was all ready to take to the field of battle when God tells him to pair down his army. When it was all said and done, there were only 300 men left to fight with Gideon. Why? Because God wanted to prove that Israel needs Him in order to succeed! He wanted to show His people what can happen when He takes control. If you don't get anything else in this blog, get this point because your calling is not about you!

Oh, one last point. The night before Gideon and his 300 warriors were to attack, Gideon snuck into the enemy camp. While there, he heard an enemy combatant interpret the dream of his friend. This is what he said, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands." That's when Gideon cried! Yep, right there in the midst of his enemies, Gideon worshiped God! At that very instant, he knew the battle - had - already - been - won!!! Point #6, When God calls you, He goes ahead of you!

So, embrace your calling. God wouldn't have called you if He knew you couldn't do it. He will reveal Himself even further when you worship Him for calling you do do His work. He will equip you and give you everything you need to get the job done. Keep asking Him to confirm His will and I promise He will! Don't worry about fame, God is going to receive it all for Himself, you get your reward later! And, don't forget, God has already gone before you and getting everything ready for you to effectively answer His call!

'Nough said!

2010-10-14T16:39:00.000-04:00

Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus' death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way.

Hebrews 9:16 (The Message)

Boy! What a difference a month makes! It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve been in Fillmore for two weeks already. The girls and I have unpacked almost everything and we are all starting to settle into routine. Both Cassie and Bailey really enjoy their schools and are quickly making friends. Kimy was hired at Houghton College and is now the Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the Chapel. I have fully moved into the pastor’s office at church and have all my books on the shelves (they are nowhere near any kind of order, but they are up!). I have met with several of the ministers from around the area and have had a few of the Fillmore Faithful stop by my office to offer warm greetings and sincere welcomes. I even received a big ole bag of squash and apples and 1½ dozen fresh farm raised eggs! Yep, what a difference a month makes!

It goes without saying that I have met some pretty great people, but perhaps the coolest of them is the awesome staff I get to see on a daily basis. Both Pastors Alicia and Mike are beautiful Christian people that I absolutely love working with! We have met together for two staff meetings and I keep discovering just how in tune with FWC and Jesus they truly are. I praise the Lord God Almighty for His foresight in choosing these wonderful people to serve the Fillmore Faithfull with me. We are truly blessed to have such dedicated people behind the scenes working to meet the needs of God’s people and the expansion of His Kingdom!

We started a new sermon series for October called “transitions: when God calls”. The first message was based on the story of Elijah calling Elisha. The main point was to follow when called and not to worry about all the other things you think you need to do instead. Please join me in thanking Laura & Jim Wardell and Pastor Mike and Ben for their leading of worship this last week-end. This coming Sunday we will look at Gideon and how he responded to being called by God when he saw himself as a poor choice to be a mighty warrior. Next Sunday is about the vision Paul had to go to the people of Macedonia. Then, on the 31^st, I will speak about how Jesus made the ultimate transition in order to bring us to God. That Sunday will also be Communion. Please pray with me that Jesus will receive all the praise and honor from this series and that people will be challenged to follow Jesus and His plan for their lives!

Change

2010-07-27T11:43:00.002-04:00

Worship

2010-07-27T09:17:00.002-04:00

Adversity

2010-07-26T23:02:00.003-04:00

STUCK! In A Rut!

2008-09-30T09:25:00.001-04:00

Hey everybody!

This Thursday's Rap With Pastor Bill will focus on the "rut" that we often find ourselves stuck in. I know for me it's devotions and prayer. I have found that if I make time to pray with friends I get so much more out of it than when I pray by my self. But, I don't take the time to actually call someone and ask them to coffee for the expressed purpose of praying. When I neglect to pray the way that I know God speaks to me the best, I find myself praying half-heartedly and without much conviction.

What is the rut you find yourself in, either all the time or just from time to time? Some people find themselves stuck in a dead end relationship, stuck in a dead end job, or stuck in the past. Others struggle with self-esteem and self-worth issues, financial issues, or faith issues. These are just a few examples of the things I've helped people through in the last ten years of ministry, but I'm sure that you have other examples of just feeling like your spinning your wheels and not going anywhere. So, that's a start for this Thursday's discussion.

Let's get the discussion going early this week! You don't need to divulge deep, personal information if you don't want to, but commenting on something somewhat generic that most of us struggle with would be a great start. At the very least, comment and let me know that you at least read this note.

Thanks and we'll see ya' Thursday!

Bill

The Contest!

2008-09-19T13:18:00.003-04:00

Jesus makes it very clear that He came to seek and save the lost and the be a doctor to the sick. He said He didn't come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. He said that the Followers, Christians, should be humble and always put others first. He said that whoever wants to become great among us must be a servant and whoever wants to be first must be a slave. I think He really knew what makes a person great, and it appears as if the standards we have for greatness in this culture really has nothing to do with greatness in the culture of Heaven. So, in the interest of my next Sunday sermon, I would like to hear from as many of you as I can who you think is great among us.

First, some rules...
1) the criteria is based on the way Jesus explained greatness in light of humility (see Matthew 20:20-28).
2) the person does not need to be widely known, but must have at least one other person you know able to affirm your claim.
3) the person be can living or dead, but had to have lived in our life-time.

Second, the prize...
The winner of this contest will receive no compensation or recognition and will remain known only unto me.

Third, respond in the comment field below this post

Thanks!

Divorce & Remarriage

2008-09-04T10:48:00.006-04:00

Jesus is the answer for the world today!

Have you ever stopped to think about all the people who have been effected by divorce? The national statistics show that somewhere between 40% and 50% of all marriages will end in divorce. Evangelical Church statistics are some better, but not much. With numbers like that, I can imagine that you have either been through a divorce or have seen a close family member or friend go through it. Everyone I know has a been effected by this epidemic in some manner.

If you were to believe what you hear from the media, Christian and Secular, you might think that this is a new development within our own country. What if I told you that divorce is an ancient concept that has been an issue in just about every culture that has a recorded history. Even in the Old Testament of the Bible you can see that divorce was common. Moses, in the book of Deuteronomy, wrote a special amendment to the Law to allow for divorce because he wanted to make sure that the people effected by it could continue to be cared for and have a certain amount of personal rights. Even Jesus and the Apostle Paul spoke to the subject in their day over 2000 years ago. Yeah, divorce is an problem in this great country of ours, but it is not new.

I love how Jesus handles this issue. In Matthew 19, a group of pharisees wanted to trip Jesus up by exposing His thoughts on divorce. (You can read one of my last posts if you want to know the background on the whole story here.) But instead of being duped into a discussion that would have caused dissension and possibly gotten Jesus arrested or killed, He simply pointed out what the intention for marriage was in the first place. He then follows up those thoughts by making it clear that there is only one acceptable reason for a divorce. Yes, there is an exception. The exception is this: divorce is permissible when a married person has a physical relationship with someone other than their spouse. That is all that Jesus said about the matter.

Paul, on the other hand, states the same exception, but adds a second acceptable reason. He says that is if a person becomes a Christian and the other non-Christian spouse no longer wants to be married to the Christian, then the Christian would not be committing any wrong doing if the non-Christian divorces the Christian (1Cor. 7). So there you have it, although hated by God (Mal. 2), there are two acceptable reasons for divorce.

Don't misunderstand the point, divorce for any other reason than the two mentioned above is wrong. Wrongdoing is also hated by God and called sin. So, logically speaking, you could say that divorce for any reason other than the ones mentioned is sin. You could make very good cases for the right to divorce because of physical or emotional abuse, but that would be covered by the second exception stated by Paul about a Christian being married to a non-Christian. Yeah, that that is a judgment call, but think about it... If a person is going to totally ignore Biblical authority in the area of self control and continue to habitually beat someone (for whatever reason) and has been approached in the manner of Matthew 18, then the church would be obligated to take the correct measures to insure the safety of the innocent party. (As Paul states, this is my opinion and interpretation not necessarily the Lords intention, even though I think it is. Please feel free to state a different opinion or argument.) Sin is sin and must be dealt with.

Yes, people who remarry after a divorce that didn't line up with the two positions stated by Jesus and Paul have committed sin, a wrongdoing. However, the majority of marital mix ups are about as impossible to repair as the sin of murder. Therefore the guilty party may be forgiven by God, even though he cannot make all wrongs right. Even the guilty party will not find one word in the Bible which addresses them to separate from their present companion, much less find a Biblical example of a married couple that did separate because they had been divorced and remarried. The guilty one will find that they have sinned a sin like murder in the respect that they can’t make adequate restitution to the point of undoing the wrong they have done. In other words, if a guy divorces his present wife and breaks up their home in order to get remarried to his first wife, he would be adding another wrong to the wrong already done.

If every intricate detail of every marital situation could be untangled and resolved, the fact remains that not one time did Jesus attempt to advise individuals already divorced and remarried (guilty or innocent). He never tried to untangle the intricate involvements of the past. Jesus knew, and so must the church realize and under stand, that we should never try to repair something when we know before we start that, spiritually and socially, we will likely make matters worse instead of better. That must have been the reason Jesus never attempted to tell people who were already involved in divorce and remarriage what to do to solve their problem.

Now that I have said all that, let me tell you an awesome truth. Jesus forgives sin! He always has and He always will. He is in the business of healing wounds no matter how they were inflicted. Don't forget that marriage is the picture of intimacy that God wants with His people. That is why it is so damaging for people to go through a divorce for any reason, even the ones that are acceptable in His eyes. Just like untaping wrapping paper or separating super-glued fingers, some of the effected area will remain connected to the original bond. There really is no way around the pain of separating what God put together. Dealing with the guilt and shame of divorce through acceptance of God's love and forgiveness is the only way to live in the intimacy that God wants, even for the people who have been divorced, guilty or innocent.

Jesus left the door cracked open just a little bit on divorce, just read Matthew 19:11 and 12. There He points out that not everyone can live a celibate life. Keep in mind that He said that after He pointed out that divorce was not the original plan. He knew that human hearts are hard and that without His Holy Spirit, people will commit sin against Him and other people. He knew that we all have fallen short of His glory. But He also renews a right spirit in those with contrite, sorrowful hearts willing to admit to wrongdoing. If you have been divorced, take time to confess your part and then trust that Jesus has forgiven you and no longer holds that sin against you. For those of you who have been divorced for the acceptable reasons mentioned in this article or even for any wrong reason, forgive your ex spouse. As Jesus said in Matthew 17:7, "Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!" Take the person who has hurt you off your hook and simply place them on God's hook. He has promised to deal with the people who have caused harm, you don't need to carry that burden any longer. Divorce is not an unforgivable sin, and divorced people are not "damaged goods". Come to Jesus and He will set you free, even from divorce, guilty or innocent.

Ego and God's Will

2008-09-04T09:38:00.002-04:00

(I wrote this blog several weeks ago but didn't publish it because I thought it was a little harsh and somewhat defensive. Now, though, I feel that it needs to be published so you can see that even I struggle, from time to time time, with self esteem and clear vision. Feel free to weigh in on this post, but I'm not looking for my own ego to be stroked and I'm not probing to find out if others feel as the two people mentioned in the article do. I truly just want you to see that I am human and have feelings that get bruised as I deal with the pressures of leading Willow into the future with the Vision He has provided.)

There a very few things that make me nervous. Things usually just don't bother me. But, recently I have been accused of some pretty bad things and have been feeling a little put-out by those accusations. I wrote a blog a long time ago expressing how personal "flavors" about how a church does church is important to so many people (http://kiddsplace.blogspot.com/2007/11/what-to-do.html), so I know that there is no way to please everyone who comes to Willow with our style, format, or way of doing things. But there have been a couple of comments made lately that have shaken me up. I was told that Willow will never experience what God wants it to be and that people are not coming to Christ because of the "way" I preach. Interestingly enough, the same sentiment was repeated almost verbatim to me by a friend of the first person. Never mind that that previous Sunday, several saints came forward and gave huge amounts of themselves to Jesus as He convicted them. Never mind that just two weeks before that service, two people got saved and I am in contact with them about getting connected to a church in their own hometown. Never mind that just last week 5 people took the membership class at Willow and will become members with the approval of the next church board meeting. No, I guess I'm not following God's will for the two people who don't like the way I preach. It was very difficult to listen to such criticism because I have devoted my life to bring Jesus to everyone I meet, let alone my congregation. To think that I (or any pastor) am the sole reason people do not turn to Christ really spun into a mighty big bout of self doubt and personal crisis.

O.K., I'm over it now! I have been feeling defensive and I know that is not what God intended when He allowed me to hear such hard criticisms. I have done nothing wrong, so there is nothing to be defensive about. And if I had done something wrong, then I wouldn't have a defense anyway. But, I can tell you this; I have way more resolve now than I have ever had! I know exactly what and why God gave me a vision for North West Lansing, and for the congregation of Willow! I have been labeled "Old School" for well over 5 years now in regards to me preaching style because I don't do topical sermons and I get very excited about what the Bible says verse by verse. I'm very comfortable with that title and the exegetical way I present God's Word, emotion and all. I really don't sense God asking me to change the way I have always preached, so I'm going to be who He has made me be even at the cost of alienating other believers. Maybe God will convict me of the way I say things on the platform and maybe He won't. I will deal with what He brings to my attention and other people will have to deal with what they hear and decide if personal "flavor" is worth walking away from the place God has called to attend or even to serve.

Divorce?

2008-08-26T10:29:00.003-04:00

Currently, on Sunday mornings at Willow Community Church, we are looking at the life of Jesus Christ through the eyes of Matthew which covers just about everything Jesus said and taught while on earth. Every pastor must decide if he should present topics of a controversial nature or just pass by them in light of lesser difficult topics. Each pastor must adhere to both Biblical and doctrinal standards on every teaching whether it is popular or not, so it would make sense to some pastors to overlook something that might seem hard to talk about, let alone deliver a message to people in order to effect change. When I made the choice to follow God's calling to preach through the book of Matthew, I knew I would have to talk about the stuff that I really didn't want to. That is why my personal purpose statement is, "To preach the Word of God whether is is comfortable or not."

That is why I love how Jesus handled the very difficult topic of divorce as presented here in Matthew 19:1-12:

The pharisees really didn't like much of anything that Jesus said or did, especially when those things directly challenged a current trend that they liked or didn't like. In the case of divorce, there were two different schools of thought; 1)A man could divorce his wife for any reason as long as he gave her a written document stating that she was in, in fact, divorced, or 2) A man could only divorce if his wife had been unfaithful in an adulterous relationship. If Jesus came down on the side of #1, the pharisees could easily say that He was watering down the original meaning Moses gave for allowance of divorce just to appeal to the people He was ministering to. If He came down on the side of #2, the people would have been very upset because divorce was very, very common and no one likes to be told they are wrong. The pharisees actually thought they had Jesus in an impossible situation.

Look what Jesus did; He turned the question back on them and started talking about the original intent of marriage instead of the allowance for divorce. That was awesomely brilliant! He gave them the Old Testament background for the institution of marriage and what it was intended for in the first place! He went right back to the very source, the Old Testament Scriptures, that He knew no one could argue with.

He pointed out that marriage is between one man and one woman, bond together by God becoming one person that cannot be pulled apart. That's really the bottom line. We're going to talk at length about what "cannot pull apart" means in the next post, but for now, look at what the Bible says was the original intent of marriage as pointed out by Jesus and the Apostle Paul based on Scripture.

1) Procreation - Genesis 1:28 -Having Babies! Making more babies is making more potential worshipers!
2) Pleasure - 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 - Not to be inappropriate, but God gave us the physical feelings we have because He loves us. Think about your taste buds. God only needed to sustain us, He didn't have to give us a way enjoying our sustenance!
3)Purity - Hebrews 13:4 - There is no shame in the conjugal state. When two become one flesh, there is a closeness that cannot be replicated in any other relationship, physical or emotional. We are physical and emotional beings with physical and emotional needs and God gave us all we need to deal with those needs through the state of matrimony.
4) Provision - Ephesians 5:28-29 - Taking care of each other is both selfless and fulfilling. When you put someone else's needs before your own, you begin to think in less selfish tones.
5) Partnership - Genesis 2:18-25 - Giving Adam a helper was the reason God made Eve. He gave him another person for companionship, assistance, procreation and pleasure. Whoa! Man! What a gift!!
6) Picture - Ephesians 5:22-33 - Marriage is really the most beautiful picture of Intimacy ever painted. God always intended marriage to be symbolic of our relationship to Him through Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. There is a sense of perpetuating our relationship with Jesus among others so that more people may find the intimacy Christians have with their Lord. There is has never been more pleasure in the mind of a human than knowing they are being pleasing to God. There is nothing more pure than to stand blameless before the Creator without the guilt of sin and shame. There is nothing more rewarding than to put your needs aside, if even for a short time, and help to provide for someone else in need as Jesus did when He went to the Cross for our greatest need. There is no better partner to accomplish more than we could ever have hoped for or imagined than in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is nothing more intimate than the relationship between a human being and the God who created him.

Next up... Divorce and Remarriage.

Who and How?

2008-08-20T07:35:00.003-04:00

I've talked a lot about vision. Maybe, just maybe, I've talked too much about vision. I guess I'm stuck on this point because there really doesn't seem any other way to describe how God moves His agenda along. Without giving His people an idea of who, why and how to expand His Kingdom, we would all just be in the throws of worship. Don't misunderstand my point; Christians are longing for the Day of the Lord when we will be judged unto righteousness and spend eternity in the presence of Jesus Christ enjoying Him forever, but that time begins when we are in the Kingdom of Heaven in Heaven. While we are in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, we must be about our Father's business.

In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." This is the passage of Scripture Willow Community Church rallied around to bring our mission statement into focus. We struggled for hours and hours with what we need to be doing as a church. In fact, when we finally landed on this passage, there was a collective sigh! God had finally enlightened the Willow family with a vision to get His work started!

That was about two years ago. We still understand the we... Exist to Draw People to the Truth of Jesus Christ! We still rally around that war cry! We still feel energized and excited whenever we collectively state those awesome words! But, what does the statement really mean? As the pastor of Willow I think it means that we must do whatever is in our power to do in order to deliver the message of hope and love and peace to a people in tremendous need. Most likely, every regular attender of Willow would agree. Even you who are not from Willow would agree to a certain extent that churches should be going after the lost as Jesus did and that once you've reached them you must teach them as Jesus did.

Think about it though, can Willow Community Church, or any church, singlehandedly get the message out to every person in need? No. That would be impossible. I believe that Jesus is using churches all over the globe to do that. So, that leaves me with two simple but very important questions: 1) Just who are the People Willow is supposed to Draw to Jesus? 2) How is Willow supposed to Draw People to Jesus? (Notice that I didn't include the "why". If you need more clarity on why, just read the last 8 or so posts on this blog!)

I have some very certain thoughts in this area, but I would like some feedback from you before I say anything more about my answers to these questions. Please comment and let me know who you think your church should consider going after and how. This subject absolutely fascinates me, so the more replies the better!

Jesus Gives Vision to His Church (Corporate # 2)

2008-08-08T10:41:00.006-04:00

York, England

York Castle is an absolutely remarkable work of medieval construction. It is has everything that you would expect a castle to have: mote, watchtower, grand ball room, throne room, etc... But check this out; the foundation of this monstrosity was first laid in 1068 A.D.! What is even more remarkable is that it continued to be built, rebuilt and added on to up through the late 20th century. Think about it, this castle has had some kind of continuous construction for almost 1,000 years! The last major work to be done, was to knock down a few buildings built in the 1800's that were used for a prison. Now, the prison buildings that remain on the site are used as a museum to show visitors how the different owners over the last 900 plus years have each envisioned the use of such a unique land mark.

York Castle, or any other castle for that matter, is made up of millions of bricks piled, one on top of the other, to make up a huge amount of rooms. There are rooms of every size and for just about every occasion. Each room has a different decor to it depending on what it is used for, but each room is still a part of the same foundation as the rest of the castle. I like the progression of York because I can imagine how, over time, certain people, kings for instance, developed a different vision for a certain room and set about to change that room to fit their particular taste or function for that room. I also can see how sometimes there just wasn't a room suitable to change for the vision the king had, so a new room was added to what was already there, which meant that the foundation of the castle had to be extended. I can also imagine that there were just some pretty old parts of the castle that nobody wanted to go to or do anything with, so those parts fell into disrepair. Over the last 1000 years or so, York has been changed to look different than it's original shape and size, but it is still the same castle, just bigger.

I think the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth is very much the same as York. The Foundation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God was laid over 2000 years ago. On that Foundation are many, many Bricks (The Followers) that make up many, many rooms of varying sizes and shapes. Each room is based on a vision from God given to one person (the Leader) who develops a plan to make that room what it should be (the Cause). Usually, the person blessed with the vision (The Leader) has an idea of what the final outcome will look like, but until the room is fully complete the vision will not be 100% clear. However, the room can not be built on the Foundation by only one person. It is built by a group of others (The Followers) who understand the vision for that room and have a vision of their own on how to best enhance it. Someone will have a vision for the heating and duct work that must be installed. Someone else will begin to see how they can use their gifts and talents to lay the flooring or install the electrical wiring. Someone else will develop a sense of vision for a color scheme in order to make the room attractive. And, just like York, while working on the vision of one person (The Leader), some individual (A Follower) may develop a vision for a different part of the castle. The person (now The Leader) then develops a plan to make that room what it should be (The Cause) and others (The Followers) begin to understand the vision for that room.

I believe that every church, missionary board, Christian rock band, Christian liberal arts college and the like are just different rooms built on the same Foundation. We all follow Jesus because we believe that He is the Christ the Son of the Living God. We are each given a vision of our own unique contribution to expanding the Kingdom while we follow the vision someone has for a certain country, state, city, neighborhood or people group until such a time a more definitive vision for something else becomes a little more clear. Look at it this way, I have a vision for Willow Community Church to Draw People to the Truth of Jesus Christ in Northwest Lansing, MI. I even have a pretty good idea of what that could look like in the not too distant future. While I share my vision with other Believers, some begin to see what their unique role might be to help accomplish my goals. While they work with me, they help me refine my vision and help bring that vision into sharper focus. Some even begin to develop a vision for a new ministry that wasn't a part of my original vision but could strongly enhance my vision. And, on occasion, some may sense Jesus giving them a vision for a different people group, neighborhood, community, state or country based on what they have seen and learned while working with me and the vision that I have.

You see, Jesus has a vision of seeing His Kingdom expanded. He has given each person what they need to do their part and has chosen to use people to manage His Kingdom in order to see more people come to the belief that He is the Christ the Son of the Living God! Every Christian, every church and every Christian organization has but one goal in mind and that is put more Bricks on the Foundation! And that is Corporate Vision!

Jesus Gives Vision to His Church (Corporate)

2008-08-06T16:03:00.003-04:00

8.8.08
The 2008 Olympic Games open on Friday night! My family will be complete and total TV bums! The thing that is so interesting about The Games is how our country becomes embroiled in seeing our athletes win as many contests as they can. Every single athlete that makes the team have visions of standing on the podium and receiving the the ultimate prize for all the hard work, training and God-given talent they have. All the athletes have a huge support/coaching staff that help them do their very best. Everybody has a role and everybody has one thing on their mind: Winning the Gold! The more medals USA wins, the more pride we collectively have as a nation. We have a corporate vision of kicking butt and waving our Flag!

The Church isn't so different. In fact, Jesus gave the apostle Peter a vision of leading a new ministry that would eventually become a world wide movement. That's an Individual Vision. Jesus also knew that there would be a lot of work to be done in order to build His Kingdom on Earth. He endowed the other 11 apostles and many, many other followers with talents, gifts and abilities to accomplish that goal. As discussed earlier, Jesus is in the business of people, so it would stand to reason that He would use people to manage the work that needs to be done with people. That's a Structural Vision. All the individual vision and leadership structure that was in place had just one thing to work toward, drawing more people into the Cause of building the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. That's a corporate vision.

Just like all the countries that compete on the world stage of the Olympic Games have a vision to win more medals than any other country, the Church has a vision of winning more souls for Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Remember, the Church is not a building of brick and stone, it is a movement of people, Believers, who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Each individual Believer has been given gifts, talents and abilities to help the Kingdom grow. Each group of Believers has to be managed in order to have some sort of structure because more can be accomplished in numbers than by individual effort. But... the effort of every individual or group of Believers is not to gain personal fame or glory, it is and always has been to see more people become Believers, or to build the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Every Christian church, regardless of denomination or location exists to expand the Kingdom on Earth. Jesus makes it very clear that He came to seek and save the lost. To fulfill that purpose, He died and took the punishment for all of our sin. He did His job, but are we doing ours?

To Be Continued...

Jesus Gives Vision to His Leaders (Structure)

2008-07-30T15:38:00.005-04:00

In my last post I said we would look into what I meant by; If there are followers, there must be a leader. If there is a leader, there must be a cause. If there is a cause, there must be a leader. If there is a leader, there must be followers. So, without further delay... Read On!

1. If there are Followers there must be a Leader

a) Jesus came to "Seek and save the Lost". He had a clear mission with an obvious vision for the souls of people.

b) If you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, then you are a "Christian". Christian simply means, "Christ-follower" or "Follower of the Messiah". Therefore, Christ must be the Leader.

c) Christians, or Followers, make up the Church, not brick, glass and stone. Church means, "Called out ones" or "Assembled ones for a common cause". Christians, then, are simply Following their Leader!

2. If there is a Leader there must be a Cause

a) If Jesus is the Leader and His mission was to seek and save the lost and has commissioned His Followers to build the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, then the Cause is to build Christ's Church, to make more Christians, to assemble more people or, to lay more stones on the Foundation. Laying more stones on the Foundation perpetuates the Cause!

b) Jesus Gave Peter the Key(s) to the Kingdom. The Key(s) is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and believing in Him leads to Everlasting Life. Christians follow Jesus because they believe that He saved them from eternal separation from God... or 'death' for short. The Church, the Called Out Ones, the Followers of the Messiah now have purpose for existence!

c) The Church's purpose, then, is to proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God so that others will be saved and therefore become more stones laid on the Foundation! The more bricks laid on the Foundation, the more help there is to accomplish the Cause! What is the Cause? To proclaim that Jesus is the... you get the picture!

3. If there is a Cause there must be a Leader

a) As Jesus spelled out to Peter in Matthew 16 and in John 21, the church belongs to Him, it is His property, He is the final say and ultimate authority; He is the leader. But, Jesus knew He must ascend to His Heavenly Kingdom, therefore, leaving His Followers to grow His Kingdom on Earth.

b) Jesus knew that without a leader, people will quickly delve into chaos. It would only stand to reason that since Jesus' Cause is for people to come to know Him and for those who believe to proclaim that Truth, then it makes perfect and logical sense that Jesus chose to manage His Church with people. Peter was the first to proclaim the foundation of Truth that Jesus Is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and shortly thereafter became the Leader of the Church after Jesus ascended into Heaven.

c) But... Peter was just the first among many millions of people to make that same proclamation. For over two thousand years, Jesus has raised up Leaders by giving them individual vision (see the last post) of how to accomplish the Cause. He calls all Believers to the Cause, but some He gives more clarity which leads to more responsibility which, in turn leads to more authority. In our next post, I will breakdown who receives more authority which leads to more responsibility which is based on more clarity of a vision to accomplish the Cause.

4. If there is a Leader there must be Followers

a) The Leader can not accomplish much of his vision without help. Followers work together to accomplish the Cause by developing the Leaders vision. Some Followers are equipped to work soully within the framework of the Leaders vision for that part of the Kingdom, some on the other hand, start to develop a vision of their own while helping the Leader accomplish his vision for accomplishing the Cause.

b) In that case,the Leader helps the Follower develop a clear vision for accomplishing the Cause in a different way or in a different place or with different people. Don''t forget, the Cause is the same, the only thing that changes is the way in which the Cause is accomplished. One more thing... different does not mean WRONG, it only means different!

c) The Follower then becomes a Leader with Followers of his own with a vision of how to accomplish the Cause by getting more Christians to place more stones on the foundation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God! Starting to see a pattern here??

Next Up: Jesus Gives Vision To His Church (Corporate)

Jesus Gives Vision to His People (Individual)

2008-07-29T07:59:00.008-04:00

When I was a little kid, a long, long time ago... I just knew I was going to grow up and be the next Big Time Wrestling Champeeeen of the World! I remember watching some scufflin' with Papaw Lawson every time we visited his house near Detroit, MI. I can still see The Sheik, Bobo Brazil, Dick the Bruiser and Andre' the Giant tearing the snot out of each other. Once, a huge refrigerator box from my Mamaw's new Kenmore received a world class beating that ended in a knock-out by way of a flying drop kick! I still have a bruise on my left hip to prove it! Yeah, what a dream!

As I grew older, however, the idea of being the next Rick Flare kinda' faded away. At some point in my late teens, I began to search for a more realistic meaning to my life. I thought I had found it in my marriage, then in my chosen career, then in my children, but nothing really seemed to give me that deep satisfaction of doing or being what I was supposed to do or be. About that time, people around me started praying for me and invited me to visit a men's event where I finally found the purpose for my life. I had rediscovered Jesus! The same person I had grown up hearing about because my dad was a pastor, but hadn't believed that He was anything more than a bigger-than-life persona stoked by the church instead of the media. But once I understood that He was real and did what He said He would for me, I decided to learn all I could about Him and what He wanted from me and for me.

If you have been a Christian for even just a few months, you have probably heard or read Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." That verse was written to people who knew who God was. They were given that promise because they had a lot of questions about their then current situation. God had major plans for them as a whole and for them as individuals, but unless they believed that He was in charge and in control, they would never experience the legacy He had in mind just for them. You see, God was going to bless those people with the legacy of saving the entire human race through their bloodline. He promised that they would make a difference in the world.

The Apostle Peter was given vision for his life in Matthew 16:13-20. Jesus told Peter that he would be a leader of a group of people that would also change the world! But... Peter would never have known what that legacy would be if he hadn't first acknowledged that Jesus was, in fact the Christ, the Son of the living God! So check it out, point #1 is this: Jesus has a purpose and a plan for every individual, but that purpose and plan will never be realized until that individual proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. No one will ever receive a vision of God's ultimate plan until they ask Jesus into their life.

Point #2: Jesus gives vision to every Believer, but the vision is always for the expansion of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Many people are talented and have so much to offer humanity, but true fulfillment comes from knowing that you are doing what God created you to do. As discussed in an earlier post, God uses people to grow His Kingdom, so the vision He gives is always with that in mind. The vision may not be all that clear when you first ask Jesus into you life, but study, prayer and experience, God will sharpen that vision. If you don't think God has placed in you anything useful to expanding His Kingdom, then continue to ask Him for clarity. He has promised to give you a hope and a future, but that hope and future is fulfilled through Kingdom expansion. Proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of the Living God is just the first step in understanding your unique contribution. Look at it this way, being the next Big Time Champion could be used by God as long as more Bricks are being laid on the Foundation because of the proclamation of the Champion that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God! Otherwise it's just self promotion and selfish ambition and those are awful weak foundations to lay anything on.

Peter didn't quite understand what Jesus had commissioned him to do at first. He thought he was supposed to protect Jesus from harm. Not until Jesus approached Peter after His Resurrection, did he fully understand his vision as leader and care taker of the people who would later become the New Testament church. You can read that very interesting dialogue between Jesus and Peter here. So, point #3 is: Jesus always equips His vision. Once the vision is received and understanding begins to dawn, maturity follows. Just like Peter, so many of us run ahead of the vision that God has given. We tend to make decisions and plans based on an unclear picture of a future outcome. We need to slow down and "work out our salvation". We need to ask Jesus for clarity and sit tight, following, helping lay more bricks on the Foundation, doing what the Bible tells us to do until we have enough training, understanding and faith to step out and work the unique vision Jesus has given just you.

Once again, the three points to Jesus Giving Vision to His People are:
1. Jesus has a vision for every single person, but that vision will never be fully understood until they confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
2. Jesus gives vision to every Believer, but that vision is always for Kingdom Expansion.
3. Jesus equips every Believer to accomplish His vision, but understanding comes through prayer, experience and faith.

Next up... Jesus Gives Vision to His Leaders

Matthew 16:13-21: Introduction

2008-07-25T07:59:00.004-04:00

In my last post, we discussed that Jesus is in the business of saving lost people. We also discovered that the Foundation of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth is the Truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Pointing out that the Apostle Peter was the first stone, or brick, that was laid on that Foundation and from that time until now, millions and millions of stones have been laid on the same Foundation, makes the case for how Jesus intended to grow His Church.

Today, I want to start a series of four posts explaining how Jesus gives vision to His church with the intention of making His Kingdom on Earth bigger and bigger. Please keep this one main point in mind, the people who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God are the stones that Jesus is using to build His Kingdom on Earth with. The more stones that are placed on the Foundation of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth means that more stones, or people, gain entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven in Heaven!

But before we dig into point #1, let's make a couple of things clear. First, the word church means much, much more than a building with a steeple on top. It is actually the English word we use for the Greek words ecclesia & kuriakon. Ecclesia means assembled ones; it also has a sense of assembling the proclaimers, the called out, or the followers. Don't forget that the word Christian refers to the people who have proclaimed that Jesus is who He says He is and did what He said He would do, but it means Christ-Follower, or Follower of the Messiah. Kuriakon quite simply means the Lord's house. So, we must understand that when Jesus commissioned Peter to build His church, He wasn't talking about a building, He was talking about Christians coming together proclaiming that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and that that proclamation will convince people to become stones (Believers) on the Foundation of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth which means, in turn, that more people will be in Heaven after their days on earth have ended.

Second, we must never forget that Jesus' Vision for His church is a Global, Worldwide Vision that all should come to know Him. If we, the Church, the Called out ones, the Followers of the Messiah are doing our job, then there has to be a way to organize all the building that is being done. Since Jesus is in the business of people, it only stands to reason that He will use people to manage His Kingdom. Look at it this way, we who are Christians are followers and if there are followers, there must be a leader, if there is a leader, there must be a cause, if there is a cause, there must be a leader and if there is a leader, there must be followers. I'm going to unpack that last sentence in the future, but for now, read through Matthew 16:13-20.

The next three post will break down how Jesus manages His Kingdom by giving Vision:

1. Jesus Gives Vision to His People (Individually)
2. Jesus Gives Vision to His Leaders (Structurally)
3. Jesus Gives Vision to His Church (Corporately)

On This Rock

2008-07-23T08:48:00.008-04:00

Jesus had one main objective; to seek and save the lost. You can argue all you want about other things that He did, but when He says in Luk 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost", there really doesn't seem to be any other purpose for His existence. Argue with me if you want, but I'm kind of a "cool-aid drinker" on this one!

With that being said, let's look at what Jesus said in Matthew 16:13-18, "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

These words have been interpreted in a whole bunch of different ways, but there are really only three possibilities that make sense in contexts to Luke 19 or anything else in the Scriptures for that matter.
1) Jesus is calling Peter the rock on which the Church will be built. That would seem to contradict what Peter himself said in 1 Peter 2 (see earlier post). Although Peter was the first to preach the Gospel of Christ to the Jews (Acts 2) and to the Samaritans (Acts 8) and to the Gentiles (Acts 10) nowhere in Scripture do we see that Jesus commissioned Peter to empower anyone posthumously with the authority equal to Scripture. We must give him some major props for being the first New Testament Pastor/Leader, but if he acknowledges that Jesus is the Rock, the Cornerstone, the Living Stone, then who are we to put Peter in that place of honor?
2) Jesus is making a game out of the words used as a nick name for Peter and the authority of Himself. This one makes a little more since to me. I can almost see Jesus saying, "Yes, you are Peter a rock, strong, firm and brash, but I am the Big Rock, the Foundation for all things to come!", while He points both of His thumbs toward His own chest. Sometimes we don't give Jesus enough credit for being light-hearted. We seem to always put Him in the "serious teacher" mode. You have to make some assumptions in the original language to make that imagery stick, though. The punctuation used in this sentence doesn't give us any real clues as to how Jesus said it. Don't get me wrong, Jesus is the Rock, the Foundation of Truth and the Church, Scripture proves that thought, but did Jesus really compare Peter to Himself?
3) Jesus is acknowledging that the statement Peter said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God", is the Foundation of the future Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. This makes perfect sense to me, but you would, again, have to assume some things based on the punctuation of the original language.

The Catholic Church takes the first interpretation to an extreme, and the Protestant Church seems to combine interpretations 2 & 3. But consider for a moment, that Jesus could have been talking about all three. Stick with me on this... To take away any leadership authority from Peter would be putting all of the Bible into question. He most certainly was the first to proclaim the truth that Jesus was the Messiah, Son of the Living God and he was the first to be affirmed of a future ministry and then later was the first to be confirmed as the leader of the new church. The Catholics make some pretty sweeping assumptions that cannot be backed in Scripture, and as a result, the Protestant Church takes a different approach by making Peter out to be a loud outspoken often times blundering imbecile, but we should not take away anything from what the Bible says about Peter and his leadership. On the other hand, it is absolutely true that Peter was just one stone of millions and millions that have proclaimed that Jesus is, in fact, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. We must look closely at the book of Hebrews in order to understand that all Believers, all Christ-Followers, are priest and have a holy obligation to proclaim what Peter was the first to proclaim.

So, for me, it would seem that the Rock, the Foundation on which Jesus has built, is building and is going to build His Church on is the truth that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and that Peter was the first of many Christians to proclaim that truth in order to lay more stones, more Christians, more Followers of the Messiah, on that Foundation. Just imagine how huge the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth truly is because of the work Peter did and continues to be done by all true Followers Of The Christ, The Son Of The Living God! It seems to me, that Jesus is still in the business of saving people when they proclaim that Ancient Truth and become one more stone piled onto the Living Foundation making His Kingdom that much bigger!

A Living Stone and a Holy People

2008-07-23T08:39:00.003-04:00

1 Peter 2:1-8 (ESV)

2:1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”

8 and

“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

Wheat and Weeds

2008-03-15T16:25:00.006-04:00

This year, Willow Community Church will be 100 years old! Yep, 100 years of making disciples!

Some of those years were an awesome expression of love and commitment toward God and Lansing, Michigan, but some of those years were not. In fact, the previous year before Kimy and I started working at Willow the average Sunday attendance was under 30. It has been really rather cool to see Jesus change that over the last two years! With the help of Pastor Dave and his wife Annie and a whole bunch of other people and an innumerable amount of prayer, Willow has grown to 90 in attendance on Sundays! Yep, that's 300% growth in about 24 month!! OK, I know that growing from 30 to 90 is a lot different than growing from 90 to 270, but still!

The last two weeks we have been studying Matthew chapter 13. This is the passage where Jesus teaches in parables. A parable is like a simile. A simile is a simple comparison between two things that make up one idea. I could say that teaching 5th grade boys is like sticking a dull needle in my left eye, and most of you would get the point! A parable is like a simile on steroids! A parable uses a bunch of analogies to help the listener understand one main truth about how to live in the Kingdom of God on earth.

In Matthew 13 Jesus tells us a parable about a farmer who throws seeds on four different types of soil. The seeds represent the message of Jesus' love for the world and the soil represents the response to that message. If the soil represents the response to the message and the message represents the seeds of Jesus' love, then who is throwing out the seeds? Christians! Yes, the one main point in this parable is that the farmer is the Christian telling the story of Jesus' love to the world. Jesus uses the imagery of the soil to give comfort to the Christian's disappointment of the response that the world will have to their story. He is pointing out that the likelihood of someone responding in a positive manner and becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus is very slim. Jesus is actually taking the pressure off of the Christian in such a way that makes it clearly the listeners responsibility to respond positively and Jesus' responsibility to convict and convert, neither of which is the story teller's responsibility. All a Christian is required to do is sow the seeds of Jesus' love and leave the rest up to Jesus and the listener!

Jesus continues teaching in parables when He says that a field represents the entire world and that the field is full of wheat and weeds at the same time. He mentions that the farm hands hired to cultivate the field shouldn't pull out the bad weeds because they could possibly pull out the good wheat at the same time. He says that once all the vegetation is harvested all the wheat will be used for good and all the weeds will be burned in a furnace. The one main truth in this story is that the followers of Jesus live among people who do not follow Jesus. To make this point stick, Jesus explains that the followers don't need to judge the world or hold it to their standards because when the end of time comes, those who do not follow the truth of His teaching will be judged and ultimately experience total separation for God. Again, Jesus is helping the Christian take the pressure off by telling them to stop worrying about the way the world lives, but to love them as He loved us and let Him be the judge.

OK, so what? What does any of this have to do with the first two paragraphs of this bog? Well, before I tell you, look at these statistics: In 1920 there were 27 churches for every 10,000 people, in 1950 there were 17 churches for every 10,000 people and in 1996 there were 11 churches for every 10,000 people. Now think about this: Each of the 11 churches should average 909 people in attendance just to cover only 10,000 people in any given city. Average church attendance in the U.S. is 90, virtually unchanged since 1990. Willow currently averages over 80. In 2006 the population of Lansing, MI was 114,276 people. That means that there should be 1270 churches averaging 90 in Lansing! Current estimated population in the zip code where Willow is located (48917) is 32,000 people. Since there are only 11 churches for every 10,000 people, 35 churches averaging over 900 people are needed to ensure that every person in 48917 has a place of worship to attend! If we look at the national average of only 90 people attending any given church we would need 355 churches just to give everyone in 48917 a place to worship! Now keep in mind that healthy church growth is an increase of 5% more in attendance than the previous year. Since Willow is around 90 people 5% more next year would see 94 in attendance next year , 94 X 5% = 100 the year after that and 100 X 5% = 105 the year after that. Through 4I's (Willow's Outreach program), small groups, PIN, and various other outreach events aimed at 48917, we can safely estimate that we can effectively touch 3,200 people in one year; that's only 10% of the total 48917 zip code. A realistic percentage of response to intentional invitation to church is 2% (that goes up to 25% if you have a personal relationship with the person you are inviting). Check the math on this: 2% of 3200 intentional invitations to Willow in one year = 64 people visiting just one time. A first time visitor is only 34% likely to visit a second time (34% of 64 = 21.76 (22)). A second time visitor is 51% likely to visit a third time (51% of 22 = 11.22 (11)) and a third time visitor is 78% likely to make that church their spiritual home (78% of 11 = 8.5 (8 to 9)). 5% over our current attendance over three years would be about 15 people more than we have in attendance now if Willow just wants to be average. I think I like the 2% of 3200 rule better; 2% of 3200 invitations to Willow should yield 27 to 29 people more in attendance over the next three years!!

The one main truth of all of this is quite simple (even if the math isn't!): Willow Community Church must sow the seeds of the love of Jesus Christ all over the 48917 area and surrounding communities! We must realize that we are not responsible for convicting or converting anybody but that we are called to love the people of our wonderful city! I would like to come right out and ask you to help us to do this. I would love to introduce you to the awesome people of Willow Community Church and share with you the vision we have to see our community go to heaven with us! If you are not currently involved in a local, passion led, vision oriented church then please come check us out at 11am Sunday mornings. If your involved in a healthy, reproducing church, then please pray for Willow and its people as we work to fulfill our purpose in Northwest Lansing, Michigan!

Malachi 3:10

2008-02-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Kimy, my lovely wife, wrote a small but sweet blog about the faithfulness of a Christian sister who trusted God with her money. In that blog, she quoted Malachi 3:10. Apparently, someone we have never heard of took strong issue with her thoughts. I think the comment to her blog was sent by a robot that automatically sends out a reply whenever it hits a website or blog using certain key words and phrases. If it was a real person, then they should read the comments I put on Kimy's blog and respond again. I'm actually writing this post to see if I get the same response. Check out all the action at http://www.justbestill.blogspot.com/

the old man

2008-02-05T09:57:00.000-05:00

Up until a few years ago, I had spent my entire life trying to please all who know me. Do you have any idea how tiring that was? In fact, I became so overwhelmed by trying to be the perfect songrandsonbrotherstudentemployeehusbandfather that I kinda' checked out of everything except the bare minimum duties to feed myself and my family. I remember being so angry with the very people I was trying to impress that I ran away from most of them. There were years when I didn't speak to anyone close to me because I didn't want them to see what I was really feeling inside. I felt that if I let them see the real me, the real hurt, the real anger, the real disappointment (in them & in myself), they would surely reject me. The proverbial "mask" was so much easier to ware when I was many miles away. I must admit that Kimy, my loving and beautiful wife of 21 years, stayed with me even though I wasn't the most likable person to be around.

Have you ever been so low that you feel desperate for change? Have you ever been so confused about the way things turned out in your life that you would rather just curl up on the couch and watch TV until the day you die? Been there. Done that. Don't ever plan to go there or do that again. You see, I found out that there is someone who loves me just the way I am, unconditionally. Yes, Kimy's love for me is as close to unconditional love as I could ever expect from another human being, but the love I'm talking about is superhuman! When I felt that I was at the end of my life, I reached out for God and I found Him. I, like so many of you, had heard and even grown up hearing about God and the free gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ, but I really never bought it. But when things seemed out of control and I felt as if I had nowhere else to turn, it just seemed like the right thing to try something different but familiar. Since I made the decision to trust in the love and forgiveness of all the dumb, stupid and awful things I have done and started to change the idea of impressing people to impressing Jesus, my life has taken on whole new meaning! Now, I wake up in the morning passionate about doing God's will!

With that being said, I still, on occasion, struggle with feelings of anxiety. There have been a few times recently that I knew with out any doubt that I was doing God's will and that I had made the right decision about something. I knew that I was prayed up, that I had done my homework, that I had gotten wonderful advice from other Godly people and had made the correct choice. But... whenever there is a decision to change anything there is always loss. For instance, I knew that all of the decisions that were made at Willow Community Church were made within a group of trusted and Spirit lead people and that all decisions were made with a "what is God asking us to do?" and "We all stand behind what We decide God is asking us to do" attitude. I truly love and embrace the accountability and support. The end result though, is that I am the face of that decision. I know that the people of Willow have my back because they all helped make the decisions and they all know that God is totally in control, but there will still be individuals that see me as the ring leader and final decision maker. I can't change that. I would make every decision that we have made the exact same way if we had to make them again, because I know that God is in those changes. I don' walk around in regret of doing God's will, but I do feel awkward around people who disagree with what has been decided. That is the part of my old self that I am trying to come to terms with these days. Being the one person that others hold responsible for their discomfort is something entirely new for me.

Yeah, it's kinda' like that...

2007-12-20T09:16:00.001-05:00

I friend of mine sent this to me. Thought you'd get a kick out of it.

2007-12-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been so proud that you felt as if you could burst into a song about peace, joy and love? OK, maybe that's a stretch... But this whole last month I have seen things that have truly warmed my heart and deeply encouraged and satisfied my soul.

Some of you might know that Willow Community Church nearly closed its doors just over two years ago. There were very good people working very hard to keep that from happening but things had to change. Apparently, Willow had three pastors in about four years. They had seen the congregation dwindle to around 30 people on any given Sunday and they were being buried under a mountain of debt. Kimy, my wife, started working for Willow's daycare program a few years ago, so we were able to meet some of the people and learn about some of the struggles they were encountering. As we learned more, we began to pray that God would change the situation and allow His people to see victory in Spiritual and financial health. Eventually, I caved in to the pressure I was feeling from God to inquire about the problems at Willow from the West Michigan District of the Wesleyan Church. It was during that time, the decision was made bring me to Willow as the Senior pastor.

Willow has since seen the number of people triple to around 90 on most Sundays and even 100 on occasion! We have also seen people's lives transform right before our very eyes. Younger and older alike, have asked Jesus into their hearts and have grown from seekers to fully devoted followers of the Messiah.

Because the work of the church is multifaceted, God has placed His people in key positions to get that work done. Pastor Dave Kallenbach is not only one of my very best friends, but he is also a wonderful leader and man of God. He does just about anything I ask him to do and he sees what needs to be done. I have seen him grow into an awesome Christian man and I know that God has major plans for him and Annie, his wife. They have both have been very instrumental in the inner-workings and structure of Willow. They both have made big sacrifices in order to see God's work fulfilled in North West Lansing. I could never thank them enough for all they have done.

Willow also needs solid lay leadership and God has provided for that as well. Each Wesleyan Church needs a Local Board of Administration (LBA). This board is responsible for, yeah, you guessed it, the administration of the church. Recently, the six people on the LBA have had to deal with the financial struggle that Willow has been dealing with for several years. We have worked and reworked the budget to get it inline with current giving and income trends. We have had to make deep cuts and limit all spending to just the necessities of keeping the doors open. All through this process, these leaders have stayed positive and encouraged. They have lifted my mood to the heights of joy by staying the course and working very hard to make things balance. Sue VanderJagt is the treasurer and has done an amazing job putting all the numbers together. She is very gifted at using QuickBooks and explaining things in terms that anyone could understand. Annie Kallenbach has also been involved with all the spreadsheet stuff and has exercised extreme faith when paying the bills with our last few dollars. The other members of the LBA have been key in helping to allocate the funds we do have and then praying, in faith, that God has already provided for the needs that we have. My heart is totally overwhelmed at the work, faith and example of Troy Pence, Sheree Ritchie, Bob Hodges, Paul Brehob and Kyle Glashower. These are true men and women of renown! we still have significant financial needs, but because of the prayer of these people, I have every confidence that God will provide!!

Then there is Kimy. She is the best thing God has given Willow Community Church!! She does nearly everything that no one else wants to do. Not only is the church's chief administrator, she is also the book keeper for the daycare and the women's ministry leader. The thing is... she is also my best friend, confidant and wife. I can not imagine being in the role that I have without her by my side. She has a heart that is just huge for God's work at Willow, but her true ministry is to me and her family. I'm not sure I can put this into words that will capture my thoughts, but I don't think Willow would be as strong as it is becoming if it were not for the work Kimy has done for me and my family. Again, my heart just swells as I think of her and the things she has done for me, which in turn impacts nearly everything at Willow

Wow, I've blubbered way too long! I know I haven't mentioned everyone that has helped Willow become successful, but I hope they all know how much I love them and how much they are prayed for.

Come, they told me....

2007-12-07T11:23:00.000-05:00

I have been playing the drums for Willow Community Church for just about a year. I never really played before. I did play the conga's, tambourine, rain stick and various other percussion instruments at Faith Church for a few years, but I never sat behind the floor kit. I gotta' tell ya', I LOVE IT!! I never thought someone could love something so much. I have the very fortunate opportunity to practice just about any time I want because the drum set it set up on the platform in the Sanctuary adjacent to my office. I have actually found that I receive thoughts about my sermons and wisdom about situations in life while I sit and bang the skins. I can't really explain it, but I actually worship while I'm playing. On Sunday mornings for instance, I try not to get too carried-a-way while playing with the worship band, but sometimes, the words and message coupled with the emotion of the music flat out overwhelms me. I try not to be showy, and I hope that isn't what people see, but sometime I just gotta Praise!!

I wonder if that's how God feels about His favorite instruments? Think about it... If God's children can find so much joy in playing an instrument for the intended purpose of worship, how much more joy must the Creator feel when His created instruments fulfill their intended purpose?

Check out this little bit of scripture. It's the drummer's permission slip!!!

Psa 98:4	Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
Psa 98:5	Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
Psa 98:6	With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

Peace, good will toward men...

2007-12-05T10:20:00.001-05:00

This says it all.

Are you ready to vote??

2007-11-30T08:33:00.000-05:00

January 15th is slated to be the day Michiganders vote for their parties candidate for the next President of the United States of America. Yep, January 15th. That seems really early to me. Does anyone think that, too? Now, there could be some legislation that would change to a later date, but I haven't heard anything about that. Have you? I have heard a lot about the Iowa caucus which is going to be held on January 3rd, but I haven't heard much if anything about the dozen or so other states having primaries in January as well. I have also heard that the people who actually run the day of voting in Michigan could not get ready in time to meet the Jan. 15th deadline.

Assuming that January 15th is the Michigan day of voting, then where is all the mudslinging and add campaigning? I have only seen a few commercials and very few yard signs. It seems to me that in the past we would have been inundated with TV adds that most of us either tuned out or changed the channel only to find another political commercial. I also remember pulling yard signs out of the ground for some candidate that I really didn't like only to turn around and find another one from a candidate I didn't like even more. Come to think of it, I pulled the signs out for the people I did like because I never gave them permission to put one in my yard in the first place.

Most of you might not be too surprised to know that my political tastes lean to the right side of things. I consider myself to be a conservative when it comes to religion and politics. I look for candidates that reflect a conservative fiscal outlook and a conservative social agenda. I have to admit, I'm not sure I know enough about any of the policies from any of the candidates, both Republican or Democrat, to make an informed decision on January 15th. I have seen some of the commentary from the debates that have taken place, but I've never been all that informed by thirty second sound bytes. I haven't seen a voter's guide put out by any PAC or anything from the two big parties that explains each candidates position on all of the hot issues. I have, however, seen a cool add spot about how Mike Hukabee would protect our U.S. boarders (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDUQW8LUMs8)! Well, it appears that I'm gonna have to do my own research and look up the candidates voting records and personal policies all by myself with just a little help from Mr. Google and Mr. Yahoo.

Let me know what you have seen or who you would endorse if you had to pick someone you like on January 15th.

All I Want For Christmas!!

2007-11-28T13:48:00.000-05:00

Think about it.

What to do?

2007-11-24T13:05:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since my last post. By the time I get to sit and relax and do something I want to do (as opposed to what I have to do) I really don't want to have to think very much. Between preparing Sunday messages, ordination prep and the all too real human factor, my brain is pretty much spent!

But... something keeps coming up that is worth bringing me out of my self imposed semi-retirement from the blogosphere. The issue that keeps coming up is the Willow Sunday Morning Experience. I am struggling with how much weight to put on all of the comments that have been made, both positive and negative.

I have been given solicited and unsolicited feedback about every possible aspect (and some I would never have thought of...) regarding the Sunday morning worship service, so much so that the comments seem to be contradicting themselves. Here's a good example of what I'm noticing: recently I heard that the music was totally awesome and filled the room just right and then I heard that the music was way too fast and a little too loud. Keep in mind that the people speaking to me were speaking about the exact same service! Now I know that taste in music is very, very personal, so I don't read too much into those comments.

If I followed and applied all the advice I've received just over the last few months, I would have to make sure that we sing mostly rock-n-roll worship songs because that keeps people excited and gives new people something to identify with and do mostly hymns because that helps people remember what God has done for them in their past and allows new people to understand the theology of past church fathers and to learn how to read music from the hymnal and turn up the sub-woofer because people need to "feel" the music and that the bass needs to be very soft in the background just to give the music a little depth and to read a Bible verse or two before or during the music portion of the service because people need to know what the songs are referring to and to not include certain portions of Scripture because new people wouldn't understand what was read because they may not have heard it before and that we need to read creeds in order to express the beauty of the ancient church's liturgy and that we need to read creeds that agree with everybody's theology and that would lead to people growing in their understanding of God and that we need to be careful what creeds we use because we could lead others to be confused about what we believe and that I need to come down off the platform once in a while so people don't think I'm lording over everybody and that I need to stay up on the platform because coming down could be very intimidating to visitors and that I need to preach deeper messages so Christians can grow in their understanding of their God-given purpose and I need to preach messages that are not too deep because that will discourage new people who aren't as mature in their faith as seasoned Christians and that I need to quit worrying about the length of my messages and just let God be my clock and not go too long in my preaching because people tune out after about 30 minutes and I shouldn't use terms like preaching because our culture hears that word as negative and that I should use any of the words that are in the Bible because Jesus used them and that makes them fair game. Oh, I forgot to mention all the advice I've gotten about what version of the Bible we should use during the service and that I shouldn't even use the Bibles in the pewbacks and just put the words up on the screen so everyone can see them and read along with me from that and that I need to have a "sermon notes page" available with a three point outline and that would help people stay engaged with my thoughts and that I shouldn't use three point outlines because that is going to restrict the Holy Spirit from speaking through me what He wants me to say and that I need to be very aware that I don't speak about stuff that may be uncomfortable for new people or visitors because we want them to come back a second or third time and that I need to be the only person to speak from the platform so people know who is the pastor and that I should let more people speak from the platform so we can put out a team effort for people to see that we are all about others exercising their gifts and purposes and passions and that we need to be very careful about using words like gifts, purposes and passions because those words mean so many things to so many people.

I said all that with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek! I don't mean to offend anyone. I believe that for every person who says something about anything there are at least a few who think the same thing. If you see yourself in any of the statements above, please understand that I have heard you and that I have considered your thoughts, but please also know that I have to look at everything in light of what I think God wants. If your suggestion doesn't make it to reality, then know that it was considered and, in most cases, prayed about. I truly welcome suggestions, observations and criticisms because I do need to know if the purpose and message of Willow Community Church is getting through. Let me know if you have anything you would like to add to the list above or if you would like to take issue with anything on the list.

Christians in America

2007-10-19T14:08:00.000-04:00

In the 1800's most people assumed that there was a God and that the Bible was true. Most people took for granted that they were Christian because they knew that they were not Jewish or Muslim. Most people had been to church and most people knew what and believed what the Bible said about Jesus being God's only Son and that He died to set them free. It was during this time that America experienced a spiritual awareness called the Second Great Awakening. In fact, this era helped shape the theology and doctrine of the Wesleyan Church and many other denominations existing today. It was also during this movement that many churches and denominations were formed to help shape political and cultural norms and standards such as the abolition of slavery and temperance.

Just recently a friend of mine made an observation about the difference between then and now that I thought was very interesting. He said that back then people took for granted that God was real and that the Bible was true. He also said that evangelism was different in that convincing people to get saved wasn't so much the issue as was telling them to change their ways and live the way they should.

So what about today? Do we need to just convince people to live the way they should? If so, then what standards would you use to set up the right way to do that? Do we need to convince people that God exists or that the Bible is true? Are we Christians just because we live in this country or are we Christians because we aren't anything else? For that matter, what is a Christian and how do you become one?

Let me know what you think and click the answer to my poll that best answers the question posted.

To Willow With Love & Respect

2007-10-11T12:53:00.000-04:00

Over the last several weeks, we have been promoting a new sermon series to be presented for the month of October that would deal with relationships between men and women and between man and God. We have called this series "Diamonds and Dogs". You'll notice the tag line on the pic at the top of the page as "Diamonds are a girl's best friend and a Dog is man's best friend". The idea behind this series is the fact the women and men value very different things. Most dogs have unconditional love for their master and respond with unconditional respect. Every woman I have ever met craves unconditional love and every man I have ever met craves unconditional respect.
The first two messages in this series talks specifically about how men and women are just plain different. It speaks to the thoughts of having very different opinions and ways of expressing and receiving love & respect, by using the story of Samson and Delilah found in the book of Judges in the Old Testament of the Bible.The next message deals with faithfulness and serving one another in love with respect. The fairer of our species needs to feel cared for and secure. They need to know that things are taken care of. They need to have clear and concise goals met in order to relax and enjoy life. The not so fair side of our species needs to feel understood and have some say in all things concerning the relationship. They need to have authority and know that they have been heard and understood. Take a look at Ephesians 5:22 - 33 in the New Testament of the Bible for the Scripture to make these points. (Oh, please keep in mind that when Paul addresses husbands he is talking just to husbands. The things he mentioned are between the man and God. The same is true when Paul speaks to wives. For instance, when he tells the wife to submit, he is saying that that is between the woman and God. He is not saying for men to make a woman submit).The final message is about the face only a Father could love! This is a call to a relationship with Jesus Christ. We will deal with how God loves us even if we don't feel all that lovely. We will focus on why God loves us and how He shows unconditional love & unconditional respect.

(Join me in thanking Mr. Mark Goggin (Kimy's cousin!) and our very own Pastor Dave Kallenbach for the awesome art work!!!)

OK, now that have said all that, let me deeply apologize for dropping the "Diamonds and Dogs" series for the time being. Yeah, I think I really screwed up this time. You see, at Willow we talk a lot about people following God's will for their individual lives. We try very hard to help people fulfill the purpose that God has for them that only they can do. We ask people all the time to reach deep into their faith and discern what God is asking of them. We feel strongly that God will always let you do what ever you want to do, but that He will give the conviction and then the power to do what He wants you to do. I feel the conviction in many different ways, but lately I have felt it mostly in the depth of my sermon prep time and in the depth of the night when I am all alone with just my thoughts. I actually felt God telling me to remain with "Through the eyes of Matthew" because of the momentum and response we have felt on Sunday mornings. But I followed through with what we have worked so hard on and have spent so much time preparing for and ignored the internal pressure to stay with Matthew. I can't really explain why God is so insistent on me staying with Matthew, but I must obey and follow the conviction that I have taught all of our people to follow. If you have invited someone to come to Willow in order to hear a message about relationships, please let them know about the change, but encourage them to come with you anyway because we will still be talking about the ultimate relationship with God!

If you would like to get a jump on this Sundays message, read Matthew 9:14 - 17. I've entitled this message, "In The Straight Jacket".

American TV?

2007-10-02T08:01:00.000-04:00

So the new TV season has kicked off. There are so many new shows that I couldn't name them all in this post, but I do want to draw your attention to a couple of them. But first let say something about the summer time TV stuff.

Earlie this summer, ABC TV launched "National BINGO Night". I really liked the show! In fact, the American Broadcasting Company really did a great job promoting the show by having BINGO cards available for the American public to play as they watch the show. American..? Now get this, the host is a very popular TV personality that received fame from his other TV show (and also a family favorite!) on ABC called, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", Ed Sanders. Ed Sanders is from England, accent and all. I like him a lot, and really have no problem with his performance, but aren't there any Americans who would have done just as good a job?

NBC launched another season of "America's Got Talent". Again, I like this show a lot (I think that is because I sometimes make my self out to be a buffoon in front of people on occasion!), but two of the three judges, Piers Morgan and Sharon Obourne are from England and David Hasselhoff is apparently an International Man of Intrigue. And then there's ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" that has Leo Goodman, also from England as one of its judges. And we all
know about FOX'S "American Idol's" Simon Cowell.

"Bionic Woman" was released just this last week. I think this is going to be a great show! I do have a little problem with the lack of detail to the source material like Jamie Sommers having a long lost sister that shows up on her door step, an illegitimate pregnancy that ended up terminating because of a horrible accident, and the presence another Bionic woman!?! I also like that the National Broadcasting Company has combined elements from in the body of the new bionic women with parts from the "Six Million Dollar Man." Think about, in todays terms, the bionics used would have cost a lot more than the bionics of the 1970's which would mean Jamie would have only a bionic little finger if they called the show "The Six Million Dollar Woman". The actress that plays Jamie Sommers is beautiful (maybe not compared to Lindsey Wagner!), and she does capture a kind of innocence that lends well to her character. The actress' name is Michelle Ryan and she is also from England. She tries very hard to cover her accent, but if you listen closely, you can hear it sneak in once in a while.

"Journey Man" is going to have to really catch up in order to have a shot at staying on the tube. It follows "Heroes" on NBC. "Heroes" is fast paced and always changing. "Journey Man", on the other hand, is bit slower and the story telling drags on without a lot of answers to questions that seem to be very important to the blot. This show really reminds me of "Quantum Leap" mixed with "Early Edition", so I don't think there is a room for lot of originality (I could be wrong about that, let me know what you think). Oh, by the way, the lead actor in "Journey Man" is Kevin McKidd (love the name!!) from Scotland.

These are just a few of the things I've seen recently. I would love to hear your comments about what you have seen and what you think about current American TV.

Follow Me

2007-09-22T08:23:00.000-04:00

We will be looking at Matthew 9:9-14 this coming Sunday (Sept. 21) at Willow Community Church. I love this passage because it explains why God became a man. Matthew first tells about his decision to follow Jesus and then tells us that Jesus didn't come to here to be a doctor to the healthy but to be a doctor to the sick. The implications from this account are enormous! After I recount the story of my own personal calling into ministry, I will explain the purpose that Jesus has for the church and for each Christian that attends the church. Notice I didn't capitalize the word church. That is because I'm not talking just about Willow Community, I'm talking about the entirety of the body of Christ on earth. I know that there is a school of thought that teaches that the church is a place to be separated from the world we live in in order to be faithful followers. But I strongly subscribe the school of thought that the church exists to be a part of the world and not separate from it in order to be the doctor to the sick that Jesus is.

Names

2007-09-11T15:38:00.000-04:00

All right, here's an observation I just made: Church planters choose interesting names for their new ministries.

I went to a meeting with a bunch of pastors from the West Michigan District of the Wesleyan Church, the denomination Willow belongs to. I love being in a denomination that is proactive about getting the truth of Jesus Christ to communities that need to know Him! It is truly amazing to me that here in mid and western Michigan four or five new churches are planning to open just this next fall!! Among the churches being planted are; The Deep, Journey, Rivertree and Overflow. Those are just the new churches I heard about today, or had heard about in the past but just now found out that they are up and running and will be in full service to their communities in the very near future. Impact, Engedi, Greenhouse, Compass and Epic are just a few that have launched over the last one to three years and are also doing wonderful work in their communities. I also have a friend that is working at a church plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana called Level 13. I think most of the above mentioned ministries have "community church" or "a Wesleyan Church" or "a Wesleyan Ministry" after the first name or as a tag line on a business card or letterhead, but for the most part they are called by just their first name. For instance, Willow is actually called Willow Community Wesleyan Church, but we, in daily use, just call it Willow.

Now for a few questions: What do you think the name of a church says about it's people, mission and community? Should a church have the denomination name attached? Is it good to have to explain what the name of a church means in order for people to understand the mission of that church? Does a name have anything to with the identity of a ministry? Does any of this matter at all?

2007-09-03T09:23:00.000-04:00

Sunday Sunday, so good to me,
Sunday Sunday, it was all I hoped it would be
Oh Sunday morning, Sunday morning couldn't guarantee
That Sunday evening you would still be here with me.

Sunday Sunday, can't trust that day,
Sunday Sunday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh Sunday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be
Oh Sunday Sunday, how could you leave and not take me.

Oh... wait... that's not the way that song goes... but I think I like this way!

I love Sunday!! Everything about it! I love getting up early and spending time alone with my Savior and God. I love replaying the words that I'm about to speak over and over in the shower, in the kitchen, in the study... I love opening up the church and being the only one in there! I love spending time with Pastor Dave before anyone else arrives for lead worshiper's rehearsal! I love lead worshiper's rehearsal!! I can't believe this, but I have even learned to really love preaching!! I love the response of the congregation during and after each service! I just love Sunday!

Over this past winter and spring, Willow Community Church worked very hard at putting our purpose for our existing on paper. You would think that wouldn't be too hard to do, but you try putting your own personal purpose into a sentence that is easily remembered and yet captures the entire reason that you exist. Now try doing that for an organism as large as a local congregation.

The hardest thing about this job was whittling down all the things that the Church does into one sentence that is easy for everyone to remember and articulate that states why we we exist, not what we do. Through a series of exercises, we discovered that there are really only two reasons for the Church in the first place: 1) We exist for the faithful who know Jesus, OR 2) We exist for the people who do not yet know Jesus.

As a pastor, I thought this would be a no-brainer. Boy was I wrong! There were very, very good arguments against making our statement follower based and there were very, very good arguments against making our statement non-follower based. The key passage in the Bible that we looked at to draw us to a conclusion and yet hung us up at the same time was Matthew 28:19&20:

Mat 28:19

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mat 28:20

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Since this passage ,and several others, speak to both the people who do know Jesus growing in knowledge and people who don't yet know Him at all coming into a relationship with Jesus, we decided to include them both into our purpose. We decided that we, as a church, are supposed to help people understand their purpose in order for them to know how to share their faith and bring people to Jesus. So, after all the hard work and hours of prayer for wisdom, we now know why we exist:

Willow Community Church exists to draw people to the Truth of Jesus Christ!

Now, everything we do, from Sunday morning worship to outreach to children's and youth programing must work from the above statement. How does the Sunday morning experience draw people to the truth of Jesus Christ? How does the outreach program draw people to the truth of Jesus Christ? How does the children's and youth ministries draw people to the truth of Jesus Christ?

I have been amazed at how each ministry, that has put the hard work into working out their own purpose statement for their own programs into action with the church's stated purpose, has found that they know what they have to do and are now eager to change into what God created those programs for!

I feel strongly that every person has a reason to be on the earth. I feel very strongly that each church and congregation has a reason to exist. I feel strongly that churches who actually realize and understand their purpose will be so much more effective at drawing people to Jesus than those who don't to the work. I feel equally as strongly that the hard work that must be done in order to find that purpose will pay off in a huge way! In the next few posts. I'll chronicle some of the ministries that have done the hard work to come up with a statement and how they are going to put that statement into action! So come on back and see God work right before your very eyes!

Surprise!

2007-08-23T10:31:00.000-04:00

OK... here we go again....

When did God's children (Born Again Believers, Christians) forget that pastors usually follow the Biblical examples of Jesus and His apostles? Recently people have approached me about marriage. In three separate cases, there has been one thing in common; a Christian marrying a non-Christian. I told all three of them that I'm bound by Biblical mandate not to marry couples who are not equally yoked. Each of the inquiring parties seemed utterly surprised that I wouldn't even consider their request. I did tell all of them that I would consider the possibility of leading them through 6 to 8 weeks of pre-marital counseling, but I could not marry them in the eyes of the congregation and God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. On second examination, each of the couples in question back peddled and mentioned that their significant other person did have some Catholic or other religious background but hadn't attended church or mosque in quite some time. One of them even mentioned that they live with there boyfriend, but do not engage in anything improper.

Don't get me wrong, I love each of the people that have talked to me. In fact, I love them all so much it makes me want to help them see truth through the eyes of the Bible and Jesus Christ. I desperately want them to know why the Bible has such high standards for Christians and the life God has in mind for them. I want them to understand that I will not help them live in blatant disregard for Biblical truth only to have them suffer throughout the rest of their marriage and possibly the rest of their lives because I endorsed something unendorsable in the eyes of God. That is why it is so hard to not help them as they think I should. I am not judging any of them on any basis but Scripture and their words and admissions. I'm not saying that they are bad people, I'm just saying that if what they told me is true, then there is no way I can help them the way they want me to.

Since I made a commitment to allow Jesus Christ to rule my life, I gave up the right to make my own decisions in regards to doing what I want to do. I want to do the things asked of me by people, especially people I like and love, but I can not do anything that goes against what I already said I would do for my Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ.

I love you guys to much to be a part of leading you away from God's explicit, revealed truth. I'm still not sure why that is so surprising...?...

2007-08-14T22:20:00.000-04:00

I've tried to write this blog about 10 different times. I think I really have something to say, but I'm just not sure how to say it. I don't want anyone I've spoken with over the last six months to think that I'm talking about any of them in particular. So here goes...

There are so many Christians out there that are desperately seeking God's will for your lives. You pray and pray that He will show you what you should do when you grow up and how to live until then. But here's the thing... You will never understand God's special revelation about your life if you do not follow His written and revealed will about you first. Think about it... If you really want to understand why you're having such an awful time with your relationship with your boyfriend, stop living with him. If you want to change your financial situation, then start tithing. If you want to get a better job, then work really hard at the one you already have. You see, all three of these things are discussed in the Bible, so you already know God's will. It's all there. And so much more.

It still just amazes me that some Christians are clueless about why they just aren't hearing from God to deliver them from the jam that they are currently in. Believe it or not, God will always allow your will to supersede His. You can do anything you want, and He'll never stop you. He just won't. He wants you to allow Him to work within your heart, but He will never force you to do His bidding, which also means He won't force you to do something you don't want to do. But... you will live the consequences of the choices you make. If there is total sincerity in your confession and apology, God will forgive you, but He will most likely allow the consequences to happen. You will then have to trust Him that He will take care of you anyway. I guarantee, for example, that if you start tithing, you will see God take care of your needs (food, rent, doctor's bills) not necessarily your wants (cable TV, high speed Internet access, cigarettes).

So, I contend that most of the problems you face are most likely consequences of your own choices or choices of the people you hang around with. I also contend that you will never know the unrevealed, abundant life that God has in mind for you until you start living in the revealed will of God found in the Scriptures. God doesn't take control of your life unless you are willing to be obedient to what He has already told you to do if you are a Christian.

'Nough said.

Passion

2007-08-05T17:55:00.000-04:00

Today was a great day! I invited all of our ministry leaders to say a little something about the ministries they lead. All of them did just awesome! Each one of them told our congregation about the new programs that they are launching in September and how the congregation can get involved. Each one of them shared that they were not just leading these ministries, but that they felt called by God to fulfill their purpose. I love that! Every one of the people who spoke made it very clear that God had developed a deep passion for the ministries that they lead. Each one of them described how they felt compelled to do what God told them to do. That was really cool! You see, at Willow Community Church we believe that every person has a purpose to be on this planet. We believe the everybody has a reason to be here, and these people have found their purpose.

It was just incredible to hear all them speak, but one lady, in particular, really touched my heart. Heather has been coming to Willow for about two years. She has a Catholic background, but married a wonderful man who has a Protestant background. So, when they moved to Lansing to attend MSU they found Willow. It has been really cool to see how Heather has grown! When I first met her she was a little shy and didn't seem to know where to fit in at Willow. In fact, on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being unchurched without much knowledge of God or Jesus, 5 being a fully devoted, reproducing Christian) she would have fallen squarely in the 3's. She knew Jesus and understood His work on the Cross and considered herself a Believer. But over the last several months, she has sensed God calling her to go deeper with Him. She had been feeling that she needed to make prayer more important in her life and is now leading the front for a movement of prayer for our entire congregation! She has moved from a 3 to 41/2 in just few short months. She has gone from showing up on Sunday to leading one of the most critical ministries any church could every have.

I'm not sure where the church got this idea of producing a bunch of programs and then struggle to find people to lead them or even just work in them. I have found that the most effective churches pray and ask God to raise up people with passion for things that the church must do. If your church needs a children's ministry then God will bring you children's coordinator or a children's pastor. If your church needs a trustee to keep the building together, then God will bring a handi-man. You see, effective churches ask what a person is passionate about or what do they think God is calling them to do and then helps them fulfill that purpose. Philippians 4 makes it very clear that Christians are all called to serve in expanding the Kingdom of God on earth. But the church must help God's people discover their purpose and prepare them for works of service.

Seeing people discover what they were created for is the biggest kick I get out of pastoring! I love knowing that Willow is helping our people fulfill God's purpose for there lives. Today was just about as big a day for me, personally, than just about anything I have ever experienced!!

2007-08-04T19:50:00.000-04:00

Ok, Ok, Ok, I have heard your cry for more from yours truly! I'll start crankin' stuff out very soon! Please let me know that you're reading (it really does motivate me to write more!).

The Amazing Race 12!

2007-01-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

Ok, this is going to sound a bit crazy to some of you; Dave Kallenbach and I have sent in applications and a 2 1/2 minute video requesting that the producers of The Amazing Race consider us as a team for the filming of their 12th season!

We both have loved the show for several years and think we would do well. We really want to see how well we can work together under the microscope of the world lens and we know that we would grow in trust and understanding as a result of spending 30 to 40 days, 24/7 together! The idea of funding Willow Community Church with the prize money is also just little bit in the back of our minds.

If the producers of the show call us for an initial interview, Dave and I would go to Chicago on our own ticket. If we do well there, we would be sent to L.A. on CBS's ticket! We should hear something sometime in early March.

Check out the Amazing Race Website for more information about the show.

oh, yeah... I just created a new website on MySpace. My 14 year old daughter had been bugging me for quite some time and I finally caved in. But the only way to let her do it is if I did it with her and at any point I find something I don't think is appropriate, then I have the right and responsibility to pull the plug on her space and mine! Point your browser to: www.myspace.com/kiddsplace

WHAT THE BLEEP? I'M BACK!!

2007-01-09T07:29:00.000-05:00

I've been out of touch for a long time in the blogosphere. Things have been good for me and my family. Yeah, good but consuming. The last two months have definitely been consuming. Maybe, sometime in the future, I'll catch you all up on the inner-workings of the Lawson's 2006 last quarter... maybe.

As far as Willow Community Church... Things have been fantastic!! We are now averaging 90 people every Sunday morning. We saw 15 people give their lives Jesus Christ and a number of those have made a request to be baptized. We have made a few changes in the Sanctuary that has enhanced our worship experience, and the worship music has become something I very much look forward to participating with each week, and we are starting to offer a decent children's program, and we have reached over 1200 people a free gift with no strings attached, and, and, and... But the thing that is bringing the most people into our church is our people! They just keep inviting their friends and family! And their friends and family are sticking around! It truly is fantastic!!

There has been a lot of stuff going on right now around the world that I could write about and that I have opinions about, but something just recently came to my attention that apparently has been around for quite sometime. A friend of mine lent me a DVD over the week-end. I had heard about this DVD through the internet and I think I saw it at Blockbuster, but the title didn't seem to catch my attention enough to rent it. So... out of respect for my friend I watched it. "And now, a word from our Pastor..."

"What the Bleep Do We Know? Down the Rabbit Hole" will definitely intrigue just about anybody who takes the time to watch it. It's a slick production edited in a drama/ documentary/ cartoon/ classroom filmstrip/ human interest/ computer animation kinda' way. "What the Bleep?" hit two theaters in up state Washington back in 2004. It gained a bit of a reputation and started opening in art house theaters all over the Pacific Northwest. Eventually, it gained a place at every independent film festival around the globe and even won top honors in just about every contest it entered. Last year, the producers packaged it in a super expanded, six (6!) DVD set with three hundred minutes (300!) of extra footage and interviews and named it "What the Bleep Do We Know? Down the Rabbit Hole". This is the version I watched.

I'm not even sure where to begin...........

Oh, how about here: the producers of the DVD setup a pretty cool way of feeding you the stuff not included in the original release. In the opening menu you have the option of automatically being sent to the extra footage (called rabbit holes) when it is actually talked about in the movie (this will add about 300 minutes to your viewing experience) in an integrated and seamless way. Another option allows to see at random the footage in a "you don't know what you're going to get next" kinda way and (what I thought was just a little weird) could start and end in less that 30 minutes or include all 300.

Or, how about with the proposed premise of the film: Quantum Theory. Yep, that's right, Quantum Theory. Specifically, Quantum Mechanics. (Are you still with me?) The writers of the script interviewed several "experts" from the scientists/ physicists world and included almost all of the footage they shot.

Or, how about with the drama that is interspersed throughout: A woman in the middle of an emotional breakdown. Yep, intriguing, isn't it?

But what I really want to tell you is that this film is really about a group of people from Washington who are trying to merge science with spirituality, individualism with Universalism. Yep, Transcendental Meditation Universalism. In fact, all but one of the scientists follows a New Age guru who goes by the name Ramtha. Oh, maybe now would be a good time to tell you that Ramtha is channeled through a housewife from Tacoma named JZ Knight (the "J" stands for Judy!).

I could go on and on about the theories in the film, but what good would it do? The very nature, as I understand it, is that Quantum anything can not be fully understood because when there is an "observer" (a person or measuring device) introduced into the experiment, the results will change into actuality instead of a probability. Watch the film and see how they dance around explaining something they themselves admit can't be explained and how they try over the course of hours, to draw the conclusion that God is the Universe and that we are all connected to God through Quantum Mechanics and that we all will see soon enough the merging of physical and spiritual reality.

What the Bleep DO I Know, is that as a Christian I already know the answers to life, the Universe and everything (besides, didn't Douglas Adams already discover infinite probability way back in the 70's?).

I would love to debate about this with anyone else who has seen the the film or anyone interested in how God is not the Universe but the Creator of the Universe from a close minded, rugged individual who knows a little bit about religion and philosophy.

2006-11-13T10:07:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody!

Most of you might already know that my Grandmother, Lois Wallen died last Wednesday. To those of you who knew, please know how much my family and I have felt your prayers. I had the privilege to preside over the funeral service that was held on Saturday morning. That was one of the coolest, yet hardest things I have ever done. Everyone was so incredibly supportive. I love my family and would do anything for any of them.

I have included the obituary from the Ypsilanti news paper that ran on Friday.

Before you read that, I would like to ask you all to continue praying for my Mom, Saundra. She is doing very well considering the circumstances. Also. Please pray for my Dad, Bill. His mother had a massive stroke last Tuesday and is not expected to live through this week. I am taking Dad & Mom to the Lansing Airport today so they can get to Atlanta before Mamaw Lawson (Lena) passes into Glory. I'll write more about her and the my plans to attend her funeral in a couple of days.

WALLEN. Lois F.

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Age 79

Went to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, November 8, 2006 with her loving family at her side. She was born May 7, 1927, in Wheelwright, Kentucky, the daughter of Luther and Hester (Borders) Osborne. On November 30, 1946, she married Richard Wallen in Wheelwright, Kentucky and he preceded her in death on April 25, 1992. Lois was a member of Graceway Baptist Church where she was active in the WomensÃ’ Auxiliary and also a member of Forest Ave. Baptist Church . She will always be remembered for her love of family and gardening. Survivors include 5 children: Saundra (William) Lawson, Mike (Debbie) Wallen, Diane (David) Butler, Debby (Barry) Stanley and Theresa (Norm) Johnson; 10 grandchildren; 18 great grandchildren; l brother and 4 sisters; numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral service will be held Saturday, November 11, 2006 at 10:30 A.M. at the Janowiak Funeral Home, Geer-Logan Chapel with her grandson, Pastor Billy Lawson, of Willow Community Church, Lansing, MI officiating. Burial will follow in Knollwood Memorial Park, Canton, MI. Contributions in her memory may be made to Hospice of Michigan. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home where the family will receive friends Friday from 2-8 p.m.

Mamaw

2006-11-07T16:03:00.000-05:00

It won't be long until my Grandmother will be with Jesus! "Lois" to many, "Mom" to five and "Mamaw" to so many I have lost track, is losing her battle with Altzheimer's. She was diagnosed several years ago, but has recently began to weaken to the point that we can tell that she will not be with us for much longer.

There is a part of me that is very sad about losing her to this disease, but there is this whole other part of me that is, frankly, not so sad. I know that sounds awful to some of you, but check this out: Mamaw is a Christian! She believes that God loves her so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that she will not parish but have eternal life. ... "Not Parish But Have Eternal Life." That means life without end. She believed that her eternal life began when she accepted the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of all mankind, the great forgiver of all sin, the gateway to God, the only way to heaven and the anointed King who has authority over everything, even death. Yes, her body will eventually succumb to the disease of death and be buried in the ground, but her soul, that part of her that we all loved, will never die.

I had a wonderful opportunity to see Mamaw this last Saturday. She was awake and very much aware that a bunch of her family was with her in her room. She couldn't talk so she kept pointing at the children that came with us and they kept going to her in order for her to kiss them. It truly was beautiful! Every so often I would catch her staring at me. Once, my mom even noticed her doing that. I asked my mom what she thought Mamaw was seeing when she saw me. Mom said that I look an awful lot like Papaw, Mamaw's husband who died many years ago, and that she may be thinking of him. That didn't surprise me. I remembered a couple of years ago when Mamaw came to hear me preach and almost ran to me when the service was over. She grabbed me and told me that she loved me and was very proud of me. I thought that was just about the best compliment I could have ever received from someone I really respected! As I turned around to shake hands with a few other people, Mamaw reached out her hand and promptly patted me on my left butt cheek! When we got home I told Kimy what Mamaw did and she said that Mamaw had called me Richard a few times earlier that morning. Richard was my Grandfather's name.

Being identified as my Papaw was quite possibly the second best compliment I could get from someone I really respected. You see, Papaw was a Christian, too! Both he and Mamaw loved and served the same Jesus that do today. They set the greatest example of Jesus I could have ever had. I think my life is a living legacy to who they were and who Jesus is. I miss my Papaw and I will miss my Mamaw,too, but I have a tangible, real hope that I will see them again. If you would like to know more about the hope that we have in Jesus, just comment and ask me to share more. I will never get tiered of telling the same old stories that my Grandparents have told to me!

2006-11-01T10:22:00.000-05:00

How did you spend Halloween?

We at Willow Community Church offered our community the first ever Trunk or Treat! I had never heard of that, so this was a new experience for me, too. We asked our Willow family to decorate the trunks of their cars and fill them with candy and goodies for the kids that would be tricker' treatin' in our neighborhood. We then had them park with their trunks exposed to the sidewalk. As families walked by, they took a piece of candy from each trunk. It was a blast! We saw well over 100 families walk by and most of them received some information about the church. This was an awesome time to reach out to our immediate community.

I personally didn't dress up or anything, but several people did. My mom, for instance, had a pair of angel wings and a halo over her winter coat (I really do hope to have a picture of that up sometime in the immediate future!). I saw a lot of older kids and several adults who were in festive garb, too. And you know what? I didn't notice anyone worshipping satan or attempting to sacrifice humans anywhere near the church (Kim, my wife, said I should have taken this line out.?.). But I did notice many, many people having a wonderful time in fellowship! Even a few guys I know that are not yet Christians seemed to have a good time. In fact, several of them asked about service times and children ministries.

Did you dress up? If so, what did you dress up as? If not, why?

Did you give out candy? If not, why?

Did you go to a party? If so, what kind of party was it?

Did you ignore the holiday all together? If so, why?

As you can tell, this topic fascinates me in some ways. Please comment on this blog and answer some of the above questions.

Idols, Sex, and Evil

2006-10-27T12:14:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's almost Halloween. Didn't we just celebrate Easter? I know it must be close to All Hallows Eve, because I'm hearing a lot of Christians spout the evils of this holiday. I know, Halloween started as a pagan day to worship satan and sacrifice humans. I know that American culture is fascinated with the macabre. I know that Christians aren't suppose to glorify witches and vampires. But do we Christians really need to spend so much time telling other Christians how evil something is that we already know is really, really evil? I mean, think about it... Have you ever heard Bob and Tom in the morning talk seriously about how awful society is for reveling in one night of unabashed horror? I would truly be shocked to hear Oprah share her feelings of how truly evil this day of the year is and how it started and how so illinformed we are and... For some reason, Christians talk to other Christians about this stuff.

I have been reading the book "Seismic Shifts" by Rev. Kevin Harney. The book covers a bunch of stuff that will help Christians make little changes that make big differences in their lives. He uses the image of a fault-line moving just a few inches causing an earthquake that makes an impact for miles in every direction.

In chapter 10, I read a series of Bible verses from 1 Corinthians 10:6-13 that completely blew me away! Here's what I read; 6)Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7)Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." 8)We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9)We should not test the Lord, as some of them did and were killed by snakes. 10)And do not grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel.

11)These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12)So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13)No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Check it out - Paul uses Old Testament examples to help Christians see what evil is. Verses 6, 7, & 8 deal with idolatry and sexual imorality. Those things are clearly evil and no one, Christian or not, would argue that those things should be done by Christians. But look at verses 9 & 10. These verses deal with complaining and grumbling. Complaining is stating out loud that you disagree with the current situation you have no control over (if you had control you would change the situation to better suit your disposition, wouldn't you?). Grumbling, on the other hand is under the radar, in the shadows, in secret murmuring. You know, the meeting after the meeting in the parking-lot or the under their breath comment just loud enough for the immediate area to hear or the "Don't you think that was a stupid decision the boss/pastor made..." discussion around the water cooler at the office or the drinking fountain at church. What did Paul have in mind when he put grumbling and complaining in the same passage with idolatry and sexual immorality? Well, he is equating those things to evil, the same evil as idolatry and sexual immorality! WOW!

Let me make this point clear. If we see a golden idol in the front lobby of our churches we would throw the thing out and burn it on the spot it landed. If we see some kind of sexual immorality taking place in the front lobby of our churches we would kick the perpetrators out and pray that they would turn to Jesus and repent and be saved. But what about the grumbling and complaining that takes place in the front lobby of our churches??!!?? If idolatry and immoral sex is evil and we would do something about those things with out much thought if any, shouldn't we do something about complaining and grumbling, too?

Yes, there are certainly aspects of Halloween that are evil and Christians shouldn't rejoice in them, but why do we spend so much time explaining that kind of evil to Christians who already know that it's obviously evil instead of what the Apostle Paul calls evil?

What can be done?!?!?

2006-10-11T11:36:00.000-04:00

The "Low Ink" light has been blinking on my desktop printer for over a week. I don't particularly like it blinking and blinking and blinking. Maybe if I wait long enough it will just stop blinking. If it doesn't stop blinking soon, maybe someone else will make it stop blinking. I can't print anything because the light is blinking. I have to send everything I want to print out to the network printer in the other office or send stuff by e-mail to my home computer printer because the light is blinking. Oh, yeah, the light that is blinking is in the shape of an exclamation point! Why would a manufacturer of a printer put a light that is in the shape of an exclamation point, that continues to blink, in such a place that I see it every time I look at the printer which just happens to sit right next to the computer monitor I use everyday for hours on end everyday?

I really need to talk to somebody about that blinking light. I really need to talk to someone about how frustrated that little blinking exclamation point shaped light is making me. I really need somebody to come over to my office and see for themselves how the light keeps blinking and blinking. I really need to find somebody who is going to tell me that everything is OK and that they understand what I'm feeling and that they are going to pray for the blinking light.

Does anyone out there have any idea of what I'm going through? Does anyone out there have any words of wisdom or advice that can help me deal with this blinking exclamation shaped light? I would welcome anything you have to offer about this situation.

Where should we go to church?

2006-09-30T15:32:00.000-04:00

Things have been going extremely well at Willow Community Church! We have seen God move in very real and effective ways (or is that affective? Bekk, let me know) over the last two months. You can look back through the last few posts on this blog and what people are doing for God and His Kingdom. You can even check out the Brothers of Willow blog and see even more about people listening to God and acting out His will in their lives and His Kingdom.

But... unfortunately, Willow is not for everybody. Just recently I have had conversations with people who think that we should include, change, or be more like what they think a church should be. I listen, but that's about all I do. Willow is a wonderful place to meet other believers and worship the Creator and maybe even learn about Biblical principles that just might enhance someone's life, but to think that we can meet every person's image of what a "good church" should be is entirely impossible. I've heard everything from "I'll give you money if you put in a library," to "I think you need to trash this program or that program because I've seen it work better at such and such a place." I listen, but that's about all I do, actually, that's about all I can do. I truly embrace a free exchange of ideas and thoughts and want as much input as is shared, but we can only be who God wants us to be.

We do the best we can given the volunteer base and financial feasibility of our programming. I will always listen to new ideas, especially concerning outreach to our community. I also understand that we can always do better in just about every area of our influence, but I'm surprised when people want us to change our theological stance or question our written statement of faith given to us from the Wesleyan Church. You see, Willow Community Church is a Wesleyan Church and we adhere to doctrine laid out by our denomination. I am not at all ashamed of that. In fact, I embrace it! I don't think all the "rules and regulations" are necessary, but the theology is solid. That's why I align my personal views with this denomination. I have been on a life journey of discovery and so for me, the Wesleyan Church is the closest to my views and Biblical interpretation than any other denomination or church I have experienced. That's why I'm here. There are a lot of other churches and denominations that adhere to all sorts of doctrine and dogma that I don't think is accurate or that I just don't understand, and that is why I don't go to any of them. I also know that there are many, many churches and denominations that are solid in what they believe and teach, but interpret the Bible differently than I do.

That is why we are free in Christ Jesus our Lord to choose those places of worship that reflect our own sense of doctrine and interpretation. Not many churches are going to emphatically state that they have an absolute understanding of the Bible and God's Word, that is why we must diligently seek the Holy Spirit's guidance and have some idea of our own personal response to the Bible when looking for a church home. Keith Drury, a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University wrote a wonderful article on this whole topic I hope you will take the time to read it. He says that we must look at our individual view of Scripture, the local church view of Scripture, the denominations view of scripture, the entirety of the current Christian movement and the early church father's traditional view of Scripture in order to define what the church is, but I think you could use his thoughts to determine where God wants you to go to church. What do you think?

Little Boys

2006-09-20T16:14:00.003-04:00

This had been an incredibly hard week. This last Saturday we received an e-mail from the West Michigan District of the Wesleyan Church with news that the youth Pastor's wife at Burnips Wesleyan Church, near Grand Rapids, had been in an horrible accident that claimed the life of their 15 month old little boy. I have developed an accountability relationship with the Senior Pastor at Burnips and knowing how he must be hurting is very overwhelming. This last Sunday we discovered that little Hawk, a 4 year old little boy who attended Faith Church, lost the battle with leukemia. I have had the opportunity to hang out with Hawk's father and knowing how badly he must be feeling is again, overwhelming.

Needless to say, my heart is woefully sorrowful. But... As we discovered this last Sunday at Willow Community Church, "in land that is plentiful.. in the way marked with suffering.. Blessed Be Your Name!!" Believe it or not, I am beginning to understand that. I love Jesus and I completely trust Him in the plans that He has for those who love Him, even if I don't understand what those plans are or why they seem difficult.

Sunday Morning Worship!

2006-09-15T11:02:00.000-04:00

Willow Community Church is an awesome place to experience God! He has revealed Himself in ways we just haven't seen before. I think one of the biggest factors is that Pastor Dave has stepped into the role of Lead Worshipper and is doing a genuine and authentic job of leading our congregation to the very throne of God where He then draws us to Himself. I love that! I truly feel like I have worshipped the Creator when we are being led by Pastor Dave. He is an open book for God to write His will in and seeing Dave respond to that is just amazing! Dave is a very gifted speaker and preacher of the truth and has developed a love of pulpit ministry, so his new position as Lead Worshipper is new. Please pray for Dave that he will continue to follow God's plan for His life as a vital member of Willow Community Church and the Kingdom of God! As a side note, Pastor Dave is going to be ordained as a Reverend in the Wesleyan Church this coming Sunday @6:00pm at Holland Central Wesleyan Church.

There has also been an awesome sense of God's presence in the spoken portions of our Sunday Morning Worship experience. God has used Kimy, Pastor Dave and me in ways that we can only attribute to His Spirit's guiding. I encourage all of you to check out the Willow Community Church website and download any of the sermons and discover for yourself what God is doing. By overwhelming requests, I have included in this blog an awesome list of names given to Jesus in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and you can hear this list recited in this message.

Please visit us if you do not already have church that call home. We are not far from the Lansing Mall in Lansing, Michigan go to the website for service times, phone numbers and a map of our location!.

He Is
By Aaron Jeffrey

In Genesis, He's the breath of life
In Exodus, the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus, He's our High Priest
Numbers, The fire by night
Deuteronomy, He's Moses' voice
In Joshua, He is salvation's choice
Judges, law giver
In Ruth, the kinsmen-redeemer
First and second Samuel, our trusted prophet
In Kings and Chronicles, He's sovereign

Ezra, true and faithful scribe
Nehemiah, He's the rebuilder of broken walls and lives
In Esther, He's Mordecai's courage
In Job, the timeless redeemer
In Psalms, He is our morning song

In Proverbs, wisdom's cry
Ecclesiastes, the time and season
In the Song of Solomon, He is the lover's dream

He is, He is, HE IS!

In Isaiah, He's Prince of Peace
Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
In Lamentations, the cry for Israel
Ezekiel, He's the call from sin
In Daniel, the stranger in the fire

In Hosea, He is forever faithful
In Joel, He's the Spirits power
In Amos, the arms that carry us
In Obadiah, He's the Lord our Savior
In Jonah, He's the great missionary

In Micah, the promise of peace
In Nahum, He is our strength and our shield
In Habakkuk and Zephaniah, He's pleading for revival
In Haggai, He restores a lost heritage
In Zechariah, our fountain

In Malachi, He is the son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings

He is, He is, HE IS!

In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, He is God, Man, Messiah
In the book of Acts, He is fire from heaven
In Romans, He's the grace of God
In Corinthians, the power of love
In Galatians, He is freedom from the curse of sin

Ephesians, our glorious treasure
Philippians, the servants heart
In Colossians, He's the Godhead Trinity
Thessalonians, our coming King
In Timothy, Titus, Philemon He's our mediator and our faithful Pastor

In Hebrews, the everlasting covenant
In James, the one who heals the sick.
In First and Second Peter, he is our Shepherd
In John and in Jude, He is the lover coming for His bride
In the Revelation, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords

He is, He is, HE IS!

The prince of peace
The Son of man
The Lamb of God
The great I AM

He's the alpha and omega
Our God and our Savior
He is Jesus Christ the Lord
and when time is no more
He is, HE IS!

Tumult!

2006-09-15T07:37:00.000-04:00

Tumult:

Function: noun
1 a : disorderly agitation or milling about of a crowd usually with
uproar and confusion of voices, b : a turbulent uprising
2 a : violent agitation of mind or feelings, b : a violent outburst

OK... We're in the new house!! All of my e-mail & Internet connectivity is all hooked up and I even think I'm going to have some time to keep up with my e-mail responses and this blog!

Things have definitely been in an uproar over the last two weeks. I have really enjoyed a lot of interaction with a lot of people! I love that! Getting to work side by side with other lovers of Jesus Christ is such a wonderful and growing experience! I have had the opportunity to get to know people who stepped up in our time of need just because they care about us and wanted to show us love and support. I have, however, found myself a wee bit overwhelmed. When there is so much going on in my life, I begin to forget things that I normally never have a problem remembering. I'm not talking about trying to find my socks buried in a box the first Sunday after we moved; I'm talking about appointments and commitments that I had made before we decided to pack-up and move in just 7 days. If you are a victim of my forgetfulness or inconsideration (is that a word?), please forgive me.
I would like to throw out a couple of thanks-yous. There have been so many people who have pitched in and helped us in one of the major transitions of life, but there is no way I'm going to remember all of them. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it's a start:
First, let me thank the Lord my God; with out Him, Kimy and I would have never gone from totally unpacked to moved-in in only 7 days! Dave and Annie Kallenbach have been awesome in this time of change. They purchased a home and moved out of the church owned house which enabled Kimy, the Girls and I to move in the first place. With out their support and help we couldn't have done any of this (you guys rock!). Jack Kann installed a new counter, sink, dishwasher and painted the entire kitchen in only three days (I still haven't found the lost roller?!)! Did I mention that Jack is a paintin' maniac? Jack had help from Steve Weatherby who, in his own right, is a jack of all trades (the 5.1 Surround sounds awesome!). Sheree Ritchie spent a lot of time painting Cassie's room, the living room , and she also "cut-in" a couple of rooms that yours-truly just couldn't do right (you are truly an wonderful friend to our family!) Did I mention the Sheree is a paintin' maniacette? Kyle and Heather Glasshouer painted Bailey's room in one day which gave us the joy of hangin' out with little baby Emma! Needless to say, Cass and B didn't help with much of anything that day! And last but far, far from least, I want to thank my parents Bill and Saundra Lawson. They have chipped right in and done those little things that just need to be done (you guys are the best role model a kid could ever have!). You are all very special to us and saying thank-you just doesn't seem to be enough.

It's Moving Day!

2006-09-06T20:03:00.000-04:00

Hey everybody!

Tomorrow is Moving Day! I have been so busy with things at the church (averaging around 80 every Sunday now!) and packing to move into our new home just off of West Willow in Lansing. We are actually moving into the church owned home adjacent to the churches parking lot.

Some of you might know that Dave and Annie bought a home just a few miles south of the church and moved out of the church home into their new home last Saturday. Actually, the home they bought was owned by a couple from Faith church that recently had to move to Ohio.

I'll try to upload some pics of the house and the interior work we have had done soon.

We have had all kinds of trouble with the church's e-mail and Internet access and now I'm about to shut down my home PC to get it packed So if you respond by commenting or e-mail in the next few days, it could be while before you hear from me.

Wifespeak - Husbandspeak

2006-08-16T12:30:00.000-04:00

To listen to the message where I originally read this list click here.

WIFESPEAK (What she really means)

I'll be ready in a minute = Kick off your shoes and find a good game on TV.

You know what we need? = Do you know what I really, really I want.

Do you like this recipe? = It's really easy to make, so you'd better get used to it.

This kitchen is so inconvenient = I want a new house.

I heard a noise = I noticed you were almost asleep, but I really need to talk.

You're so manly = You need a shave and you sweat a lot.

How much do you love me? = I did something today you're really not going to like.

Does this dress make my butt look fat? = Tell me I'm beautiful.

I'm not upset = Of course I'm upset; you just told me I'm fat.

Do you like it? = Look at my hair not my dress.

No =No. Maybe = No. Yes = Right Now!

It's your decision = The correct decision should be blatantly obvious by now.

We need to talk = You did something really stupid and I'm not as mad now as I was when I found out you did something really stupid so now is a good time to tell you how stupid that really was!

You have to learn to communicate = Just agree with me.

I'm not yelling! = I'm only going to get louder if we don't resolve this issue soon!

HUSBANDSPEAK (What he really means)

Take a break, honey, you're working too hard. = I can't hear the race over the vacuum cleaner.

Oh, don't fuss. I just cut myself, it's no big deal. = I have actually severed a limb, but will bleed to death before I admit it hurts.

Have you lost weight? = I've just spent our last $30 on a cordless drill.

That's women's work. = It's a difficult, dirty and thankless job; there is no way I'm doing that!

Honey, we don't need material things to prove our love. = I forgot our anniversary, again.

You know how bad my memory is. = I remember the theme song to 'Gilligan's Island', the phone number of my first girlfriend and the Vehicle Identification Numbers of every car I've ever owned, but I forgot your birthday.

Of course I like it, honey, you look beautiful. = Is that a new dress or did you do something to your hair?

Does your butt look fat in that dress? = Give me a minute while weigh out my options.

You look terrific. = Can we just go now.

That's interesting, dear. = Are you still talking?

I heard you." = I haven't the foggiest clue what you just said, and am hoping desperately that I can fake it long enough so that you don't know I haven't the foggiest clue what you just said!

A Biblical Study on the Dynamics of RELATIONSHIPS
A four-part series dealing with: Friendship, Love & Romance, Marriage and Family is currently being offered at Willow Community Church. To hear the first three messages in this series please click here.

...dependence...

2006-08-16T11:16:00.000-04:00

Jesus Christ is the most beautiful person I have ever had a relationship with! He has done so much for me and has given me so much to be thankful for. In fact, He has given me the second most beautiful person I have ever had a relationship with in Kim, my wife (My Kimy!). The Bible speaks a lot about having an abundant and fulfilling life, and the longer He allows Kimy in my life, the more I understand abundance and fulfillment.

Kimy and I have been together for over 20 years and have been married for over 19 of them. We have had a lot of trauma and difficult situations in our marriage, but I must admit that we have never had a relationship threatening issue ever come up. Hard financial times? You bet. Times of difficulty in communicating? More than I would like to admit. Times when outside influences dictate how much time we get to spend together? Absolutely; we're in the Ministry! But at no time have I ever felt like hanging it all up and walking away.

I'm not sure I can fully describe why we have stayed in love (and lust!) with each other for so long. I think a lot of it has to do with the timing of events in our life as a married couple. It seems that when ever I am in a deep moral or extended family drama, Kimy has been strong and faithful to the Biblical standards we set as the foundation of our relationship way back in 1987. The same is true of me towards her. We have always been able to separate what is happening inside our interdependent relationship with what is happening outside our home.

Notice that I mentioned "interdependent" and not "codependent" relationship. Codependence means dependence on the needs of or control by another person. I truly believe that I am in a codependent relationship with the One who created me. Both Kimy and I give the place of the "need provider" and "life controller" to God because of our belief in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit (comment on that last statement and I'll elaborate more). By interdependent, I mean that Kimy and I are mutually responsible to each other not for each other. At the end of our lives, in the presence of God the Judge, we will have to give an account for our own actions and reactions. Therefore, we have agreed to take an active part in the wellbeing of the other by praying and asking God to provide for the others needs (and even a few of their wants!). We have worked very hard to help the other grow in their own understanding of God's will for their life. We have not, on the other hand, tried to determine what God's will is as we see it for the other person.

The idea that my Kimy is praying for me, on my behalf to the Creator of the Universe, is one of the most awesome thoughts I have ever had. She loves me so much that she is asking God to reveal Himself to me for His good purpose, which in turn will be for my own good. There is absolutely nothing more attractive than a man's best friend and life mate taking time out of her day to lift him up before God! Now that is true beauty and the basis for an abundant and fulfilling relationship.

How long has it been?

2006-08-08T08:32:00.000-04:00

Since my last post over a month ago, things in my life have gotten really busy. I don't think there has been any one thing that has kept me from my PC. Actually, I think there has been several reasons, but the most obvious is the time I've been spending in prayer and contemplation.

As most of you know, I became the senior pastor at a small Wesleyan church in Lansing, Michigan back in January. I truly love this job! I am more fulfilled than I ever could have imagined. I have loved every position I have had since I made the decision to enter full-time ministry, but there is something about Willow Community Church that makes me smile and expand my chest cavity just a little bit more than anywhere I have ever ministered.

I have never worked this hard in my entire life and I love it! It's only been seven months, but I still wake up in the morning very excited to get to work. The load is big, but the burden is light. There are dozens of people that call on Willow Community Church for everything from food & money to counseling & spiritual advice. There are times I don't get to do those things that I think need to be getting done when I think they need to be getting done, but I always seem to get them done anyways. In fact, most of the time I don't really feel like I'm working at all.

There has been a bit of a learning curve... Time Management. The things I have been involved in at other churches were very fulfilling and fruitful, but the schedules and events were pretty much planned for me. In this situation, I have to plan my day on my own. When I say "plan my day" I really mean the whole day. I have to be very particular how much time I spend at the "office" and how much time I spend at coffee with people and how much time I spend with my family. I love doing it all, but there is still only 24 hours in a day and I need to spend a few of those sleeping.

The other thing I'm learning is... Role Management. I'm trying to figure out when I'm Pastor Bill, Brother Billy, Son William, Honey-Babe or Daddy. Again, I love everything about each of those roles, but I'm finding out that I get the placement of those roles wrong a little too often.

That leads me to the opening statement of this blog, "the time I've been spending in prayer and contemplation". I have a drive that I can not control, a drive to seek clarity and definition in my life. I just recently discovered that I don't know as much as I thought I did. In fact, I discovered that I really don't know that much at all. Therefore, I take God at His word and ask Him for guidance and understanding. My life Bible verse (the passage of Scripture I apply to every aspect of my life) is Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Followed closely by James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." I believe that it is often very difficult to discern God's will. I think that we as a culture find it very difficult to find the time to be still and quiet. But in order to know God's will and plan for our everyday life, we must find the time to seek God and He has chosen to speak to us a still, small voice. I know that I need to spend time with people especially my family, but I can not give them or anyone else for that matter, what I can until I have given time to God; still, quiet time.

Splash!

2006-07-08T19:33:00.000-04:00

Here it is!! My New Tattoo!!!!

I can't believe how beautiful it is! As you can see, its a cross of nails with an ICHTHUS hung over the crossmember. The characters around the bottom are a reference to Matthew 4:19 in the Bible which says, "'Come Follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.'" The letters in the reference are Greek letters Mu, Alpha, Theta, Theta.

My wife, Kimy, my Mom and Dad (can you believe it?), and a very good, already inked friend Rod came along for emotional support.

This is my Dad and Rod making sure my artist does everything right!

My artist is a pretty cool guy. His name is (now get this...) Mikey Vigilanti. Yep, that's his real name. He was great at explaining all that was going to happen. He is also very, very talented. He took my idea and really captured the image I've had running around my head for the last five years or so. I even had the chance to drop the Gospel of Jesus Christ on him. I figured that I was paying for his time and getting a permanent Christian symbol drawn onto my arm, so I started my evangelism technique with him. Please pray that Mikey will muster up the courage to visit us at Willow Community Church this week!

That's Mikey!

I would highly recommend Splash of Color in East Lansing, Michigan for any of your tattooing needs. The place is very clean and the people are awesome, desperately in need of the Savior, but awesome.

This morning, my Dad and I went fishing. At the doc, a guy about my age struck up a conversation about something that led to a discussion about Birthdays. I mentioned that I got a tattoo yesterday with money I got from my last birthday and he asked to see, so I showed him. Think about it, not even 24 hours after I get inked, I get the opportunity to witness with my new tattoo! I explained what the symbolism meant, and he said, "yeah, I need to get back to church." I gave him my business card and invited him to Willow!

It is finished!

2006-07-08T10:11:00.000-04:00

I got my tattoo last night! It really didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it was going too. It doesn't even hurt that much this morning after two hours of fishing with my dad. Kimy got some great pics of the event, so I'll post them up onto my blog later this afternoon!

It's tattoo time!

2006-07-07T17:45:00.000-04:00

Hey Every Body!

I'm on my way to Splash of Color in East Lansing, MI to get my first Tattoo! I'll upload some picture in next day or two.

Truth, Justice and the Politically Correct Way!?!

2006-07-05T15:25:00.000-04:00

NEWS FLASH: Superman Returns to old girlfriends, old acquaintances, old villains and old world-ending threats, but not to the good old United States of America!

Some of you might know that I am a huge superhero comic book fan. I really loved collecting them when I was a kid and I really love what Hollywood has been turning out lately based on some of my favorite characters. Now that I'm grown up (please don't tell anybody I said that!), I've started collecting superhero DVD's, but I try to see every new movie the way it should be seen on the Silver Screen! Spider-man 1&2 tie with Batman Begins as possibly my favorite movies of all time. The X-men movies (all three of them) are quite possibly the best adaptation of comic book characters ever portrayed (yes, even Kelsey Grammer as Beast!). Fantastic Four was just plain fun and I'm really looking forward to the sequel. Even though Daredevil starred Ben Affleck, the DVD has the best sound editing for Dolby 5.1 Surround I have ever heard! Even Hulk had some very good special effects and the story was actually somewhat close to the Stan Lee original story. I heard that Punisher and the Blade movies were OK, but gratuitously bloody movies aren't really my thing. Catwoman and Elekrta didn't have any "super" powers so they don't count, besides isn't superheroine an illegal narcotic?

And then there's Superman Returns. If you haven't seen the movie you may not want to read any further. I'll try not to give too much away, but there is just too much to comment on to keep it all a secret.

First, I think what I liked about the newer superhero movies is the fact the writers recreated the comic book characters. Unlike the first Superman and Batman films and the Hulk TV series that reinvented them, the new era projects stay pretty close to actual characters you will see in the comics. Bryan Singer, who wrote Superman Returns, did a fantastic job when he wrote X-Men & X2, but didn't show any of the new era flare this time. The blockbuster is beautiful and the flying effects are stunning, but the film just seemed flat due to so much time being spent making the audience feel like they are watching Superman 3. Brandon Roth, the big guy in blue tights in this rendition, looks just like Christopher Reeve! I don't mean that he looked like Superman, I mean he looked just like Christopher Reeve. Even Kevin Spacey and Parker Posey, who I had all kinds of expectations, felt way too much like Gene Hackman and that bimbo that played his girlfriend/cheap comic relief. I also didn't understand why Singer spent time replaying old Marlon Brando footage from the 1978 project.

Second, every Superman comic book written since 1938 very clearly states that Supes stands for "Truth, Justice and the AMERICAN Way", but not Singer's hero. His invulnerable alien doesn't consider the U.S. his home at all and shows no patriotism whatsoever, but spends a lot of time globetrotting. I'm not sure why there was such an obvious nod toward political correctness in one of America's longest running traditions.

Third, the continued references to Supes being the one and only son sent to save a dying world just about drove me crazy! The connection that many people have made between Superman and Jesus Christ is nothing new, but thinking that Superman could have had an illicit physical relationship certainly is. I don't want to give away too much, but if Superman is suppose to be the embodiment of morality then shouldn't he be moral in everything he does? No matter what Dan Brown says, there is absolutely no evidence that Jesus Christ had a physical relationship with anybody, but if He did, He wouldn't have done it illicitly because He would have obeyed the laws of the Jewish people which means that if He had children He would have been married because He is the embodiment of morality.

I know it sounds like I didn't like this experience, but I did. It really is beautiful and Brandon Roth did a wonderful (if not copycat) job as the invincible Man of Steel. I just think that even something as wholesome and All American as Superman has finally been corrupted by Hollywood.

Hey everybody!

2006-06-22T07:31:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since my last post, but I'm still around, just very busy!

I'll be back in a day or two with a new post about something spiritually deep, like pictures of my tattoo or a rant about church discipline (it could go either way!). I haven't actually gotten a tattoo yet, but I plan to within the next week. My girls and I are planning to take week long vacation in St. Louis to visit Kimy's aging Grand Parents next week, so I'll try to get something in before we leave.

2006-06-01T13:54:00.000-04:00

The Older I Get...

2006-06-01T07:48:00.000-04:00

So, today is June 1st. No big deal, really. It's just that I am going to be 40 in 12 days. Yeah, I know I look young for my age, but still...

Actually, I'm not sure why it's so bad to get old. Think about it. Would you really want to be back in high school? I wouldn't! I felt awkward and my self esteem was pretty much nonexistent. I was somewhat popular, but I seem to remember working really hard at it. I had girlfriends and best friends. I had enemies and bullies. I had a full set of hair and a face full of pimples. I was fat and I was skinny (it's amazing what Mono can to do a person between 8th grade and 9th grade!). I could sing but only I knew church music. I was musical but played a trumpet. I really liked marching band and became the drum major (but before the rumors could start about my orientation, I started dating the very hot drum majorette!).

What about college age? All my friends went to MSU, Ferris State, Central and Western Michigan Universities and spread their wings and learned about "life". I went to a private Christian college with all kinds of rules and regulations. I always felt kinda' weird coming home to stories of wild parties and huge rock concerts when all I could tell were stories of breaking curfew and sneaking a kiss from my girlfriend. I was in my twenties most of those years and did a lot of growing up. I found out that my family (nuclear and extended) were human and had problems of their own. I found out that I am the only person responsible for the choices I made; financial and otherwise. At the time, I really hated that!

I wouldn't change any thing, but I definitely wouldn't go back. Oh, sure, there were times I felt at peace and even comfortable, but living up to other peoples expectations and demands always overpowered those feelings. In those formidable years, I was looking for significance in a lot of different and often unhealthy places. I did find the most wonderful person ever to walk the earth besides Jesus Himself at college, so not everything was horrible, but it was hard and awkward.

In my late twenties, I found that even my wife couldn't give me the value and worth that my soul was crying out for. It wasn't until I rediscovered Jesus that I began to feel at ease with myself and the people around me. I found that I had always made people the essence of my existence. I placed a very high value on what my family and friends thought about me. I expected my friends to except me for what I did, not for who I was. I expected my teachers to give me everything I needed to make it in this world. I expected my dad to give me the esteem I thought I needed to be a real man.

I have to tell ya', it was not fair to my family or my friends or to God to hold people responsible for my self-worth. I think I had to grow in my understanding of my relationship with God in order to fully understand who I am. Because I held those people responsible for my life, I felt sad and often angry when they didn't prop me up the way I thought I needed. But now, breathing down neck of 40 years old, I look to Jesus Christ as my source of value and esteem and even life itself. He is the only person who truly accepts me (acne scars and all) and that produces an incredible sense of peace which in turn produces an incredible amount of joy.

I love what the Apostle Paul wrote: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and ...He gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' " (Acts 17:24-28).

From the very beginning of Creation, God has wanted His Created to look to Him. I'm not sure that we are able to truly do that the first or fiftieth time we hear that. But as I have grown older, I guess I have grown wiser. Now that I have found my value to God, I live my life for Him. I am also discovering that if I seek His favor, the relationships I once looked for favor in are much more rich and enjoyable, because I accept them for who they are because I am accepted for who I am.

If you attend Willow Community Church, look for this to become a sermon in the very near future. If you are looking for a good church to explore your faith or if you are looking to find peace and contentment, then stop by and check us out this Sunday at 11:00am. If you would like answers to some of life's questions or if you would like to respond to anything in this blog please don't be afraid to do so.

The Cross and the Vampire

2006-05-15T08:12:00.000-04:00

I had a little free time last Saturday evening so I did a little research on what other Christians thought about tattoos. I found 70's hippy turned Christian women's author, Barbara Curtis, who put tattoos on her body a long time ago. I thought she was very interesting.

When I finished reading a small article, I looked up her "links". There was one pointing to Anne Rice. I found that odd. So I clicked on the link and discovered that Anne has become a Christian and has written a new book called, "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt." This book is obviously fiction, and appears to be written from the perspective of Jesus when he was 6 or 7 years old living in Egypt. The reviews I read mentions that there are several liberties taken with the story since there isn't anything in the Bible that addresses those years in the Messiah's life, but that it does not take away from the historical Jesus we read about in the New Testament. I admit that I have not read this book, so I'm repeating what I read from others who have.

OK, now it's time for a reality check! Anne Rice wrote some of the most popular books in America. She started a whole new fascination with vampires and witches. In Fact, one of her books became a Hollywood blockbuster (Interview with a Vampire, starring Tom Cruise). Now somebody tell me that there is no such thing as the life changing power of Jesus Christ!!! First Mel Gibson and now Anne Rice! Think about, even if you don't think she should be writing a "fictional" account of Jesus Christ, you have to be impressed that she is turning her talent toward the Risen Savior instead of an undead Lastat.

I was so impressed with her website that I sent her an e-mail telling her so. And get this... She wrote me back! She told me that she is overwhelmed by the outpouring and love from her new Christian family. She said that she has gotten a few negative comments from church leaders and Pastors, but most of the responses are people telling her that they are praying for her growth and understanding. Her website states that Anne will read every e-mail that is sent to her, but that there is no possible way to answer them all. But if you would like to e-mail her anyway (like I did!), check out her website.

Is that Tattoo or Taboo?

2006-05-11T11:21:00.000-04:00

OK, awright, here's the deal... I'm gettin' a tattoo.

I know, I know... Shocking!

I'm a conservative religious leader.

I know, I know... It's taboo.

Christians, let alone Pastors, shouldn't get tattoos.

I know, I know... It's rebellious.

The Pastors & religious leaders you know have tattoos from before they went into the ministries they currently run. And... they have them in places no one will ever see. And... they would remove them if they could, but...

I know, I know... There are big health issues.

People have gotten nasty infections.

I know, I know... I'm too old.

Correct. People do get old and the artwork starts to look awful.

I know, I know... It isn't Biblical.

STOP RIGHT THERE!!!

It isn't Biblical? What does that mean?

The one place in the Bible that says anything about "tattooing" is found in the Old Testament book of Leviticus 19:28; 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.' That's from the NIV. The KJV doesn't even mention tattoo but it does say, "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD." The word "tattoo" is translated from the Hebrew word nathan meaning to set, give, or put. and the word marks in the Hebrew is qa`aqa`, meaning incision. If you pay close attention to the whole verse, you see that Moses is referring to a pagan practice honoring dead people. Since I am born of Light and choose to honor the living Sacrifice, Jesus Christ, with my whole being, the thought of honoring the dead is ludicrous. Besides, if you look at the entire chapter, you might be surprised to see a lot of other stuff Christians aren't supposed to do. Things like men not cutting certain parts of their hair and none of us are suppose to wear two (2) types of cloth at the same time. Don't just take my word for it, look it up in Leviticus 19.

So why are these things mentioned in the Old Testament in the first place? It's because God wanted the Hebrew children to be separate from all other people on the globe at the time Moses wrote the Law. The rules and regulations were needed to please God and to keep them from falling into pagan practices. In fact, one of the ways that everyone knew who was an Israelite was the lack of any markings on their bodies, the other was circumcision.

Paul mentions in Philippians 3 that the Jews were circumcised in order to be recognized as separated from the world in which they lived. He goes on to say in 3:3, "For it is we (the Believer) who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh..." In other words, Christians do not need to be physically circumcised as a sign of being separated to God from the world. It is by virtue of knowing Jesus as Savior, worshipping in Spirit and in Truth, and not relying on "doing" that separates us from the world in which we live. That is why we don't have to worry about the letter of the Law as much as we need to adhere to the spirit of the Law. That is why we dress modestly by the standards of our culture and we never even consider not wearing two(2) different types of fabric's. That is why I don't ask my barber to avoid cutting the corners of my hair but I keep what I do have neat and presentable. That is why I trim my beard the way I like it (in fact most Christians I know don't even have beards to trim!?!) That is why I eat meat.

I believe that I may offend some Christians with my tattoo. I'm not sure why. I think some of them may see it as anit-Biblical which is why I wrote the above argument. I think some see it as a form of rebellion. I do understand that at some point in our American history, tattoos represented angry young people with something to prove. I know there are a lot of men and women who identified with motorcycle gangs in the 70's that got tattoos. But think about this: the World War eras (I & II) saw a lot of young men getting tattooed. I think both of my grandfathers had tattoos. Our family didn't consider them rebellious at all. But today, tattoos' are a culturally accepted form of expression. I know, I know, just because culture accepts certain things doesn't mean Christians should. But in the case of my personal choice to permanently mark my body with a symbol representing my relationship with Jesus Christ is accepted by the culture I'm trying to reach. I truly don't understand why some Christians believe it is good to wear T-shirts with Christian symbolism and religious messages on them, but then look down on a person who chooses to permanently wear the same symbols.

I would love as much feed back as I can get in order to become more informed with way others feel about this issue!

2006-05-06T13:46:00.000-04:00

Check this big guy out! This is Barney, my new best friend! He is a 5 year old Golden Retriever. We heard about him through a friend of Pastor Dave's. An older couple has retired and would like to travel without a big dog to take of. Apparently, there were a few people who called about taking Barney home, but the owner didn't feel they met the proper requirements. When I called and told him about the connection with Pastor Dave, he told me to come over and take a look. I called Kim and told her that we have an opportunity to have her dream dog breed for free with a months worth of dog food and she said we could go "just to see him." We picked up the kids early from school and away we went.

When we arrived, Barney met us at the door. I think it was love at first sight! We all felt an instant connection to each other, but weren't sure that should take him away from his owner. After a few moments of talking with his owner, we realized that Barney had been this man's best friend for five years. Kimy and I both felt a little awkward at first because the older gentleman truly loves this dog. Somewhere during our visit, the gentleman began to shed a few tears and then mentioned that he had been waiting for a family like ours to give Barney a good life. That did it! Kimy, Cassie, Bailey and I couldn't keep our own tears back. We loaded Barney and all his paraphernalia into my car and headed home.

Some of you might know that we already have a little terrier mix dog that we love. You might also know that we have been talking for a while now about giving her to a family with plenty of room and children for Sydney to run and play with. We really do love her, but she needs more room than we can give her. I'll upload a picture of her soon, but in the mean time, if you or someone you know would be interested hearing more about her being a part of your family, please let me know.

I'm So Skeered

2006-05-03T08:24:00.000-04:00

Hey everybody! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. Things have been a little crazy since my trip to Jamaica. I messed up my back (which really slowed me down for over a week!) and things have been busy at the church getting ready for summer! Check out Pastor Dave's Blog for an update on what we've been up to at Willow Community Church.

Over the next 6 (six) Thursdays, I will be teaching "How To Share Your Faith Without Fear" (not to be confused with the "Share Jesus Without Fear" by Bill Fay). This is a curriculum I wrote for teens way back in 1999, but I have adapted it for use with all ages at the same time. "...Share..." is quite possibly my favorite class to teach.

The class opens with a clip from "Indiana Jones and Last Crusade" (quite possibly my favorite movie!). During the climax of the film, Indy must save his father from a bullet wound. He goes through all kinds of traps and mechanisms that test his courage and his patients in order to get to the one thing that might just save his father's life. Eventually, though, he overcomes every obstacle because the fear of losing his father out-weighed his fear of losing his own life. Now That'll Preach!

I have found that most Christians really want to tell people about their experience with Jesus. I have also found that most Christians don't feel equipped to it. Most people are intimidated to witness to people about their faith for a number of different reasons, but the most common is simply fear. In this class, we are going to take a close look at all the areas that strike fear in the hearts of Christians all over the world. The fear of saying the right thing, the fear of embarrassment and the fear of rejection are just a few of the things we will deal with. We will also learn how to tell our stories in five (5) minutes or less (most non-believers really want to know your story, but not necessarily your entire biography!).

Once we get the essence of our faith story established, we will discuss some of the ways that we can start up conversations with the people we want to see in Heaven. If you are reading this and plan to attend this class, please come prepared write down three names of people you would like to approach about their spiritual state. I also believe that there are numerous clues in each person's life that invites us to approach a spiritual conversation. Things like the Gold Cross around a young ladies neck behind the counter at Burger King, a crucifix on the dashboard of your neighbor's car, a T-shirt with an expletive on the front worn by a kid at the park or a pentagram tattooed on the arm of a biker dude at the coffee shop are all invitations to talk about spiritual stuff. Sounds intimidating, doesn't it? But Christians must be afraid of not sharing what they believe instead of being afraid to share what they believe! Check out the Willow web site to get directions to the church. Hope to see you there!!

I'm Back!

2006-04-13T20:22:00.000-04:00

Hey, Hey, Hey! Cassie and I are back from our mission trip to Whitehouse, Jamaica. We had an awesome time. Cassie made a few new friends and I got a sunburn! Over all, things went very well.

We went with a team of six people with the anticipation of doing whatever the missionary family needed us to do as far as upkeep and cleaning of the huge children's home they run. There are 26 children from 18 months to 18 years old. The team really enjoyed getting to know all the children and by the end of our time there, we started remembering most of their names! The home has a few hired staff members and a couple of interns that help with everything from teaching school to serving breakfast to getting everyone ready for church and bed.

<-This is me and my cool little friend, Joshua!

Whitehouse is a small fishing village on the southeast shore of the island. We were able to spend a little time at the docks watching the fishermen prepare for an outing that would last five nights with five to six adult men on quite small row boats with 40 horse outboard motors!

I'll write more about our adventures in a few days. In the mean time check out the Kingdom Builders Ministrie s web site!

Jamaica Me Happy!

2006-04-01T00:53:00.000-05:00

Here we go! My 13 year old daughter Cassie and I are heading to Westmoreland, Jamaica in about 10 minutes. We are going down to work with an orphanage that needs some interior/exterior repair and we think we will get to lead a VBS and I might even get to preach. We want to thank everybody who has helped us with prayer and finances!! We will update you with pictures and stories as soon as we can. You can still e-mail us throughout this week: cas_E11@yahoo.com and bill@willowcommunity.com

I'm Stymied?!?

2006-03-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

Hey! We now have the Willow Community Church website completed! You can click on just about anything and it will be linked to another page or website. Join me in thanking Scott Ferguson from Faith Church for doing all the ground work! Oh, and don't forget to check out Dave K's new blog.

I'm stymied.

I know I'm not supposed to lean on my own understanding, so I'm asking God to show me what I'm missing.

I was at a conference with several other pastors and the subject of habitual sin came up and someone posed the question of how to have victory over that kind of stuff. The person asking the question asked me for my opinion. I mentioned that all sin must be confessed, and the process of renewal must begin by transformation of the mind. Before I could get another word out I was blasted by this; "That just sounds like a Sunday school answer!" Needless to say, I stopped talking. Then, a few days later someone stated that they couldn't put two certain people together on the same team for an outreach event because they don't like each other. I asked if these two people were Christians and was told yes. After I forced my wide open jaw shut, I said that there is absolutely no room in the Kingdom of God for two Saints to be at odds with each other, especially when they are preparing to do outreach ministry together. Again, I was blasted. I was told, "that may be all well and fine in theory, but..."

OK, so here's what I'm struggling with: Christians should live by the teaching of Jesus; the teachings of Jesus are found in the Bible; if the Bible is the teaching of Jesus, then shouldn't Christians live by the Bible?

If so, when did Christians start thinking that the Sunday school lessons they have heard were not meant to help them understand what the Bible says about problems in life? Wasn't that the whole point of Sunday school? When did Christians begin to consider the Bible only theory? Was it only theory that saved us from the penalty of sin?

I love the Bible and everything it says. I use it for everyday life and sustenance. It's a huge part of who I am and who I am becoming. If you spend any time with me at all, you will know that I talk about the Bible like it is something I use and read every day. It's not to show what I know, it's a part of me. I have seen it's power in my life and I want everybody to know that they too can have the same victory and hope and peace that I have. I'm still trying to figure out a lot of stuff, but there is one thing I do know, the Bible has the answer's in any person's life. How do I know? The Bible says so!

What's Up With That? (part 2)

2006-03-11T13:59:00.000-05:00

A very good friend of mine sent me a response to the blog I wrote on March 8th. I thought she asked a good question. This is my response:

My first thought for writing the blog you responded to was to get people thinking about politics and the Christian culture. I like Gov. Granholm, but I think she was playing to a group of people for their votes. The second thought for writing that blog was to see if anybody had a problem with the lack of integrity politicians have when it comes to standing for anything. It seems to me that most politicians don't go around displaying their personal beliefs because of obvious backlash from the media. In the case of Jennifer Granholm, nobody seemed to think it was out of line for an abortion rights Governor to be identifying herself with an openly pro-life religion. Although it wasn't what I had in mind, I like the question you asked! I'm not sure I can give you a pat answer to it, though. Yes, there are way too many Christians who believe that there is more than one path to God and that means there is a huge amount of them that buy into the whole "relativism" philosophy. You are absolutely correct in not holding the unsaved population to the standards of the Bible (God will deal with them as He sees fit), but holding Christians to those standards is our duty and responsibility. How we go about that is not so clear. I love what Jesus said in John 1:30, “I and my Father are one.” That means that they are the same being, the same spirit. So when Jesus says in John 14:6, “… I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”, we know that there is only one way to God. When a person gave in to the love and conviction of Jesus Christ for salvation from their sin and transgression they did so only through the blood that washed away that sin and transgression . If, therefore, they are born again, they should know with out a doubt that they were brought into the Kingdom of Heaven as a result of the absolute truth that Jesus is God and is the only way to God. Any other thought should make a Christian pause and consider if they truly believe that not only is Jesus their own personal Savior, but is Jesus the Savior of the world? The one thing that we have to remember is that not every Christian is mature enough or isn’t under enough good teaching to grasp what truly happened when they became a Christian. Paul said that we need to be very careful not to look down on our weaker brothers and sisters, but to teach them the way of truth. Peter says kind of the same thing in 1 Peter 3:15, “… always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the joy that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” So, to make a long answer even longer(!!), yes, it is very frustrating to me that so many Christians don’t get the absolute truth of salvation coming only through Jesus, but I must also remember that Jesus is still working things out in their lives and I must be very aware of the truth so that I can be used by God to help those people “get it”. I hope this helped to answer your question.

Talk to you l8ter!

Bill

What's Up With That?

2006-03-08T08:28:00.000-05:00

Hey every body! I know it's been a while since my last blog. Hope I still have some readers out there.

Last week I saw a news report on a local TV station about Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm. That may not seem like a big deal to some of you, because she is on TV a lot. But this particular story took place on Ash Wednesday. Again, so what? Well, Governor Granholm had a black mark right in the middle of her forehead. I know that many, many Catholics and many Protestants place ashes on their foreheads to symbolize their own remorse for sin and transgression they have committed against Jesus and the church. I also know that the persons having the ashes apply do so to show their devotion to their religion and consider it a duty to identify with Jesus and His suffering during the season of Lent. I did a little research and found that Jennifer Granholm claims to be a devout Catholic. Again, who cares? I'm not sure that anybody does. It just seemed very odd to me to see a political figure identify with a religion, let alone one they are in blatant disagreement with. You see, Governor Granholm is "pro choice" in matters of women's reproductive rights. I will admit that I have a very conservative view in all things politics, but I'm not making a political statement, I'm making a logical observation. I will also admit that I do not know or understand much of the Catholic point of view on reproductive rights, but I do know that the Catholic church has a very strong stand against abortion and considers it an evil act. It doesn't seem to add up to me: Jennifer Granholm states very clearly that she is pro choice and that she is a member of the Catholic church. How does the Catholic church feel about our state's top leader misrepresenting their religion? How do you feel about our top leader contradicting the leaders of her church? Do you see any integrity issues in this case? I would love to see some feed back about what you think. To read a letter and interview on the pro choice platform from Gov. Granholm herself, click here.

New Willow Website!

2006-02-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

Check it out! The Willow Community Church website is now updated! The site is still under construction, so be aware that some of the links don't work quite right yet. Infact, when you log onto the homepage you will not be able to surf to any of the other parts of the site. I know, that isn't cool, but you can TYPE /about.html behind www.willowcommunity.org (www.willowcommunity.org/about.html) and that will give you access to the rest of the pages. Once there you can click any of the other links on the left to surf to them normally. Please keep in mind that if you find yourself back at the homepage you will have to retype the web address including /about.html.

I've got the fever!

2006-02-07T10:15:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning feeling kinda' odd. Even now I have this butterfly feeling in the bottom of my belly. I don't think I'm gonna hurl or anything. In fact, there is a deep, high energy emotion that is not at all unpleasant. The weird thing is: I'm pretty sure this feeling is gonna last a little over two weeks. Yep, I got Olympic Fever!

I love everything about the Olympics (except, maybe, that they began as a pagan festival in Greece in honor of the gods of mythology, but other than that...). I can't wait to watch the Opening Ceremonies and see all the different nations come together in one place and march into the arena with pride and dignity. It is so cool to see the array of flags from countries I can't even pronounce being lifted high. They represent to the world the best that that country has to offer. It truly overwhelms me to see our own country enter the stadium waving Old Glory in the one place on earth where it is still the expected thing for us to do without a talking head apologizing for it. I just can't wait to wallow in our very own National Pride!

There is also something awe inspiring seeing that huge Olympic flag rolled out over the heads of every person participating in the games. As a Christian, I don't subscribe to good luck rituals, but it has always moved me to watch the athletes from every country reach up and touch the underside of the five rings of peace.

Watching individual stories of teams and athletes who we have never heard of before this time become common household names is always fun! I didn't know anything about Picabo Street, Scott Hamilton, Alberto Tomba, Mike Eruzione and the 1980 US Hockey Team, the Jamaica Bobsled Team or Eddy "the Eagle" Edwards before they took center stage on the world platform of the Winter Games.

Yep, I got it bad! Let me know if you've caught it, too.

Victory in Jesus!

2006-01-30T17:38:00.000-05:00

Hey!

Things have been going very, very well at Willow Community Church! We have seen God do incredible stuff in the lives of the people who have been coming out on Sunday mornings. We have experienced authentic worship and a deeper understanding of the Bible. Personally, I have enjoyed studying for Sunday morning sermon's. I truly can't wait to get to my office and rip open the Book to see what God is going to bring into my heart to deliver to the wonderful people of the Willow Community. We have taken a deep look at Ephesians 5:1-10 and 1 John 5:1-5. In both those passages, we have found that we are children of God because we believe that Jesus is who He said He is and has done what He He said He would do. We have discovered that every believer in Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah: long awaited, Anointed, Prophet, Priest and King) is a child of God! That's right, a bonified heir to the King!

Next week we are going to take a nice long look at 1 Peter. I think will need two or three weeks to sufficiently deal with what Peter calls our Living Hope and then how that Hope relates to our holiness (some people might call that sanctification).

Check out the map and come and visit us sometime!

Choices

2006-01-19T07:41:00.000-05:00

I recently had to buy a new car because some idiot slid through an intersection and clipped the front end of my 1996 Mercury Minivan and totaled the thing (that idiot is me!). A very good friend gave me an older car that I actually liked driving but it didn't have any heat and the defrosting motor didn't blow and couldn't clean off the windshield and the brakes needed to be fixed and the harmonic balancer needed to be replaced and the exhaust was really loud and the power windows and locks didn't work and the aluminum wheels didn't hold much air anymore, but the ride was smooth and floaty. So in October I decided to that it was time to get something a little more dependable. I looked everywhere and ended up buying a 2004 Chevy Cavalier. I love that car! It's a two door five speed in Silver Surfer Silver! It's the coolest thing I have ever driven.

So I'm on my way to a breakfast meeting with a couple of new leaders at my new church. I was driving east bond on Michigan Ave and I had to turn north onto Clippert Ave. I pulled up behind a CATA bus that was stopped in the median waiting to turn left. It took off and I followed right behind it. Less than two blocks later the dreaded flashing lights that immediately evoke a sense of panic in every driver that has ever been stopped, glinted in the review mirror. The officer approached my window and asked me if I knew why he was pulling me over. I said no. He said that I had ran the stop sign at Michigan and Clippert. I said that I thought that was a light and just followed the bus when it turned green. He reassured me that it was in fact only a stop sign and that I blew through it like a fork through whipped cream. I acknowledged that I was wrong. He looked into the interior of the car and saw a big ole stack of books with my Bible on top of the piled in the front passenger seat and then he saw the widow sticker of Jesus Christ that I have on the passenger side rear window. He looked me directly in the eye and asked, "Do you work for that guy on your window back there?" doh...! I had a choice to make right then and there! I could have said no, that I work across town and that I was just on my way to the office. But I just couldn't think of anything fast enough and so I said, "Uh, Er, Well... yeah, I do." As soon as I answered I knew it was the right one. I think there is power in identifying who you are in Jesus Christ. When the officer returned to the side of the Cavalier, he told me that the computer system in his cruiser was down and gave me a ticket to call and set up a court appearance. I have tried to do that for four days now, and every time I call they tell me that ticket number is not in their system. Go figure! Maybe God is honoring my honesty or maybe they just don't have the ticket in their system yet.

Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T16:52:00.000-05:00

This has been a wonderful day! I started as the new pastor at Willow Community Church! Instead of delivering a message in the traditional (preaching) way, we prayed through the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13 as a congregation. Keep in mind that this was the first Sunday service that the people from Willow Community Church and a few families from Faith Church that felt lead to make the transition with Kim and me worshipped together. I invited two leaders from Willow and two leaders from Faith to help me and Pastor Dave walk through the images and ideas presented in the wonderful prayer first spoken by Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago. It still amazes me how applicable it is for today! Mrs. Dawn Carlson lead our worship in music and did a wonderful job. All the people who participated did everything I asked them to do so much better than I could have done on my own. If any of you are reading this; Thank You!! We finished off the morning with a really nice brunch.

I mentioned in my last blog the names of Dave and Anne. These people are awesome! Dave is my partner in minstry at Willow Community Church and his wife, Anne, is our treasurer. They both have a wonderful relationship with Jesus and I can't think of anyone else I would choose to start a new career and minstry with. They both have a heart for Lansing, MI and the church. They have given so much to the people of Willow and have never asked for anything in return so I would like to take this little corner of the blogosphere to thnk them for their willingness to serve the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. If you ever get the chance to talk to them, please tell them how much you appreciate them.

New Year's Day!!

2005-12-28T08:03:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody!

Can you believe it? 2005 is almost over. Personally, this has been quite the year. I have learned so much about God's love and plan for my family and me. In fact, as some of you know, I will be the new Senior Pastor at Willow Community Church at 3200 West Willow Road in Lansing, MI beginning January 1st 2006. Yep, this Sunday! We will start the year off with a special worship and prayer service at 11:00am followed by brunch (it just seems fitting to start the year off with worship, prayer and food!). If you are coming from the east side of Lansing, take MLK to Willow and turn west. The Church is located on the north (right) side of the street just a half mile from the GM Metal Fab Plant and entirely too close to DeLuca's!! If you are coming from south or west of Lansing, turn east off of Waverly onto Willow and you will find the church a half mile down on the left.

I can't explain my feelings about all of this very well. First, the thought that God would use me as a conduit to His love is something I embrace and want to develop as a speaker and teacher. Second, the thought that anyone would want to hear me speak or teach is a bit overwhelming! I am comfortable on the platform and I like sharing all the wonderful stuff that God is teaching me, but I want to make sure that I clearly and concisely communicate truth. I have been told that I have an "old school" way of preaching and that kinda' makes me a bit nervous. I'm not sure what that means, but do know that I am very excited about being a Christian! If you spend any time with me you will see that I take life in Christ very seriously and want everybody I know to experience the kind of life and victory that Jesus came to earth to give every human being. But I don't want my antics to get in the way of the message that God has given me to tell. So, please pray that I will develop a style that is uniquely mine and yet conducive to the message God had placed in my heart.

There is so much more I could write, but I need to have something left to write later. So come back and visit this blog and find out who Dave and Annie are and why I am so excited to be working with them.

Happy Holy Days!

2005-12-23T07:52:00.000-05:00

OK, we have lost a few battles over saying "Merry Christmas," but have not lost the war! In fact, the people who have such an awful problem with 95% of us saying "Merry Christmas" wish us a "Happy Holidays". That kinda makes me chuckle :) Did you guys know that the root word for holiday is Holy? Yep, it really is; click holiday and read it yourself. Jist fer kicks, check out the meaning of the word holy. Now, if someone is totally offended by the word Christmas then why would that same person wish me something as religious as a happy holy day? It really doesn't matter what religion you are, to be blessed by anyone with a wish for a wonderful and happy religious experience is truly an incredible gift!

Please don't report this particular blog to the TPDPUSA (Political Correctness Thought Police of the United States of America); let's keep this one to our selves!

We Wish You A Merry Backbone, We Wish You A Merry Back Bone...

2005-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, everybody! Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. With the transition from Assistant Pastor @ Faith Church to Senior Pastor @ Willow Community Church on January 1st, I haven't been able to sit down long enough to blog anything.

I gotta tell ya', I did a little victory dance this last Tuesday! The legislators of the Great State of Michigan grew a Big Ole' Backbone seemingly overnight! They actually passed a resolution calling the lit up tree on the Michigan Capitol lawn a "Christmas Tree" instead of a "Holiday Tree." Can You Dig It? From what I understand, there was a bit of a brew-haha during the last session of the year, but in the end the Senate passed the resolution which included the terms "From This Day Forward..."! I'm not sure what that means because roll call wasn't taken which means it is only a resolution, not a law. But still, there is an official record that states the obvious, the tree is, always has been and appears to always be a symbol of Christmas. I am so pleased that the men and women we voted into office did something right just because it was the right thing to do. Join me in wishing Sen. Alan Cropsey (R-DeWitt) who sponsored the resolution and all of those who helped pass the resolution a Very Merry CHRISTmas!

Visit Sen. Cropsey's web site at http://www.senate.michigan.gov/gop/senator/cropsey/index.htm

Just Say "Merry Christmas"

2005-12-08T19:05:00.000-05:00

OK, things are just plain idiotic! Who are "they" and when did "they" make the decision for the rest of us to stop using the word Christmas? I know that we have been fighting the XMAS war for decades now, but I never considered that "they" would shame state governments into dropping the "C" word from their vocabulary all together. I heard last week that state officials in Michigan actually considered calling the huge lit-up tree on the Capitol lawn the "State Holiday Tree" instead of the "State Christmas Tree"?!? Are they serious? I thought that over 80% of Americans claim to be "Christian!" Are the atheists and agnostics of this great state so offended that they want to officially change a four hundred (or so) year old tradition? I don't thnk so. They usually don't really care what other people believe as long as those people leave them alone and not preach at them. And if they are offended by the words Chirstmas Tree, are there so many that they would impact the voting numbers of any future election? I'm not picking a fight with anybody. I'm only using atheists and agnostics because I know that their "beliefs" are contrary to religion in general. I admit that I have never had a conversation with someone about their views on this point (so, if you are atheistic or agnostic in thought, please comment and bring me up to speed on this issue). However, I do know a few Jewish people who wish me a Merry "C" word when ever I see them. I also have friends that are African American and subscribe to Kwaanza and they have absolutley no problem wishing me a Merry "C" word. So if atheist don't care, Jewish followers understand the rich history and tradition of the Christian faith, and Kwansa celebrator's have no problem with the rest of America saying the "C" word then why does local government?

Just today on the way home from Faith Church, where I work, I heard a story on the radio. A company associated with the Catholic Church in Ohio has started a campaign selling small plastic bracelets inscribed with the words "Just Say 'Merry Christmas'". Check them out at www.operationjustsaymerrychristmas.com . I love that! And so does America! In fact, the company started selling the bracelets two days ago and have sold over 15,ooo units! I think that says alot. What do you think?

Merry Christmas everybody!!

Cold!

2005-12-08T08:38:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe my ears!

Kimy gets up around 6:45am every morning. I get to lay in bed while my girls, Cassie and Bailey, get ready for school. I must tell you that I really don't like mornings! I would rather stay up 'till mid-night or later than get up early! So... when the clock radio weather man said it was only 3 degrees outside I just curled up even tighter into my little ball under the covers! I love living in Michigan, but this seems a bit excessive even for us! Do our brothers and sisters "Up North" endure these temps all winter long?

Narnia and the Chronicles of Disney

2005-12-04T16:59:00.000-05:00

I really love the idea that a major motion picture company has made what appears to be a very good adaptation of C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." I also love the fact Wetta Work Shops has done all the creature and battle armor effects (they did all of that for the Lord of the Rings!). I'm very excited to use this opportunity to reach out to our non-believing brothers and sisters with a movie that deals somewhat with a Christian view of good verses evil. In fact, Kimy and I are trying to get a pre-Christian friend of ours to go see this film with us so that we can talk about the spiritual overtones presented in the movie as a way of witnessing about the resurrection of Jesus Christ! But I have one big question: Aren't we supposed to be boycotting Disney?!?

By "we" I mean the Christian community. It doesn't seem that long ago that there was a huge hullabaloo about the awfulness of all things Disney. Everything from their fascination with witch craft and the occult in films like "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" and "Mulan" to the erosion of family values because of their desire to offer medical benefits to gay couples was just cause to eliminate the word Disney from the Christian vocabulary. I remember hearing some important companies and pretty big dogs in our "leadership" like James Dobson and the Southern Baptist Convention endorse the idea of staying away from Disney and all of it's accoutrements.

But now there seems be just as many Christian companies promoting this particular film as there were boycotting Disney only a year ago. Outreach Marketing for instance has a whole array of Narnia stuff to entice all people, especially non-believers, to see this film. To check out some of their really cool bulletin covers, door hanger and postcard mailers visit them at www.outreach.com. Pastor Joel and I recently received a cool promotional package with some teaching materials and some behind the scenes videos about "Narnia" from a youth ministry specialty group called Interlinc (you can see them at http://interlinc-online.com ). www.LifeWay.com/Narnia is an awesome web site promoting the books by Lewis with a really cool link to stuff about the movie (this really is a very well done web experience!). By the way LifeWay Publishing is a Southern Baptist Convention publishing company. Even Focus on the Family (www.family.org) has had some pretty good things to say about the Disney interpretation of this timeless story.

So who's changed? Disney or us? I know that Michael Eisner has resigned and the gay agenda doesn't seem to be a big deal with current Disney leadership, and that there hasn't been a huge blockbuster animated film with all kinds of controversial misgivings weaved throughout the plot (by the way "Finding Nemo" rocked!). I also know that I personally have changed as I've grown closer to Jesus Christ and I'm bettin' a lot of you have too. I know that the world is coming ever closer to an almighty end and Christians world wide are starting to pick and choose the battles we fight. Maybe it's a combination of both. What do you think? Comment and let me know.

2005-12-02T22:46:00.000-05:00

Told Ya' I Was Old!

The beginning of the end - the beginning of the new

2005-12-02T20:13:00.000-05:00

Today was a bitter-sweet day. So I thought today was a good day to share my pain and joy with the whole blog world.

I had to write a farewell letter to about 50 of my closest friends and co-workers because I am leaving a position as an assistant to become a senior pastor at another, smaller church across town. It really hit me hard to write it, so I thought I would post it here for other people who don't normally receive the communique' to read and comment on it.

Douglas Adams wrote a series of books about an alternate universe set in the not too distant future. The first book is called "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and was recently made into a sci-fi motion picture that is now a DVD rental. I wouldn't recommend the movie to anyone especially a Douglas Adams fan. At one point in "The Hitchhiker's Guide", all the dolphins on earth are returning to their home planet (remember, this is science fiction). Some of you might know that a dolphin's diet consists of only small fish, so on the way out of our galaxy they all sing a song called "So long and thanks for all the fish". I'm not sure they actually sang in the book, but the movie made it into a song that had a bit of a catchy tune. If you really want to know why the fish are leaving and why they were only using earth as a food source, read the book because the DVD is very confusing and disjointed. But that line is something I identify with at this time in my life. No, I have not lost my mind (well, not all of it anyway!). That line really says what my heart is feeling. You see, you all have been a very big part of my life over the last three years. I have truly been feeding off of you and your enthusiasm for the work that God has called us too. In fact, you have helped me become a better leader, a better Christian, a better evangelist, a better Pastor, a better man, a better person. You have given me something that I will take with me wherever God may lead. I could never tell you just how much you mean to me or how much of an impact you have made in my life. Because of your efforts, I have seen Faith Church grow beyond what most of us ever could have imagined. By grow, I don't just mean more people, I also mean spiritually as well. I have seen so many of you grow from a seeker of truth to a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. I have also seen you share your faith and bring people into our community in order that they might hear about this wonderful thing called True Christianity. In other words, you have become "Fishers of Men". Jesus is the Great Fisherman, but I truly feel that each of you has baited His hook while He has reeled them in. Remember that the impact you are making is bringing even more fish into our boat. I'm going to miss that. I'm going to miss you. I know we're not moving that far away, but the dynamic of our relationship will change and time will continue to put distance between us, but I will never forget you and will look forward to hearing about the advancement to the Kingdom of God that you will continue to make! I love you all. So for now, "So long and thanks for all the fish!"