Pastor Barry

The Fallen World

2 Samuel 23:8-12, Luke 6:27-36 and Romans 13:1-5

Sunday November 11, 2018 marks 100 years since the end of World War I. For most of us alive today that is only history long behind us. But such an event has had lasting impact on all. What should have been a convincing moment to commit to world peace seemed to have only set the stage for World War II; and wars and large scale violence ongoing still into the 21st Century! Something is wrong.

Yet, the remedy is always before us in the struggle to be people of faith in a fallen world. And ultimately as the Creator and Savior, God makes a way for all creation. There is hope.

Our texts today cover only a portion of the vast sweep of scripture addressing the human condition. We should hope for peace yet ask what is to be done before the fullness of the Kingdom arrives. We will look at King David’s “mighty warriors,” Jesus call to “love our enemies,” and Paul’s look to the state as a way to constrain evil.

I dare say we will still struggle with lived faith each day even with Biblical guidance but we will have guidance which comes from beyond mere human wisdom and human planning.

Pray without ceasing even in the midst of “wars and rumors of wars.” Remember those who have served and continue to serve this Sunday! Remember all who walk by faith and not by what they see in a fallen world.

Pastor Barry

Chaplain Rob

Cultivating a Thankful Heart

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers. – Philemon 1:4

The great English writer G. K. Chesterton once wrote, “You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing, and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”

Wow! What a reminder! There’s no doubt in my mind that I could give thanks more often. We set aside meal time, Sunday mornings, and my favorite holiday; Thanksgiving. But, don’t let an hour go by without giving thanks . . . for your work, school, kids, health, your spouse, your blessings and your challenges.

When you have a God-awareness about life and when you see and sense Him in your day (in the big things and the little things), it’s hard not to be thankful.

My prayer today is you will take a moment and be thankful for all that God has given you.

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Pastor Barry

Saints Come Marching In

Ruth 1:1-18, Hebrews 9:11-14 and Mark 12:28-34

I write this on Halloween. Or rather All Saints Eve. Kids of all ages tend to enjoy the “scary” night of costumes and candy! Fun scary not really scary. Behind the ghosts, zombies, Frankensteins, action heroes, and cartoon characters, there is a whiff of the real thing: our death. And also those of whom we love.

All Saints Day celebrates those who have become the Church Triumphant, the Church at rest, the Church at the Eternal Banquet Table. But the only way there is through Death and Resurrection and that too only through the Risen Lord Jesus. Our scriptures have the “bookends” of the grief of Naomi and the utter loyalty unto death by Ruth AND the High Priestly death of the sacrificial Lamb of God in Hebrews 9. In between those we have Marks’s Jesus describing the full life in loving God, neighbor, and self!

Death is real but love of God, neighbor, and self is greater still. And so we remember Jesus and all our hidden-in-Christ family and friends this Sunday. Dead, not forgotten, and ultimately alive in a Kingdom that has no end and has only the Light of God in whom there is no darkness!

Come to worship and Fellowship in this All Saints Sunday!

Pastor Barry

Chaplain Rob

Thankful Pilgrims

But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD! – Jonah 2:9

On September 6th, 1620, seventy men and women and thirty-two children climbed aboard the Mayflower headed for the ‘New World.’ Some of the people were looking for religious freedom, others in search of wealth. The ship was crowded. There was little room to sleep or eat. There were no bathrooms and little privacy.

Soon the treacherous ocean tossed the ship about, forcing the people to remain inside the foul-smelling quarters. Many suffered from seasickness. For two long months, the people endured these conditions. Until November 9th when they spotted land.

Now the voyagers faced new challenges. Hard land. Wild animals. A harsh winter. And little to no medical supplies. More than half the adults became sick and died. What were they to do? They considered returning to England. Then God brought a miracle to them: an English-speaking Native American named Squanto.

Squanto is a remarkable man of history. Kidnapped by Englishmen, Squanto was taken to England and taught English for three years. Many years later he was returned to his people only to be once again kidnapped by British seamen. This time, he was taken to a Spanish slave port. He was purchased by Spanish monks. They took him to their home, fed him, and told him he was free. He learned that it was their love for Jesus that prompted them to purchase him and set him free. These Christian brothers taught him the Christian faith and soon Squanto came to love and trust Jesus Christ too.

In time, he returned once more to his native village in the ‘New World.’ But this time, he found only desolation. His friend Samoset, another English-speaking Native American, told him that a sickness from the white man had in one year wiped out Squanto’s entire village. Six months later more white men arrived: the pilgrims. Squanto hid and watched them, these people looked different to him than the men who had once taken him from his native land.

Eventually, he visited the pilgrims with his friend Samoset and decided he wanted to stay and live with them.

He could have easily harbored bitterness over the lost years he spent kidnapped and enslaved. He could have watched the pilgrims die; after all, wasn’t it their kind who were responsible for the extinction of his entire village? But Squanto did not choose to hate or abandon these people. Instead, he showed them where they could find fish. He taught them where and how to plant. And he had the joy of celebrating the first Thanksgiving with them. The feast lasted for three days. The pilgrims gave thanks to God for their Native American friends, especially Squanto. Squanto gave thanks for his new family. And they all gave thanks for the One who rescued them: Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Uncategorized

Always There

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”- Hebrews 13:5

I remember one of the first times as a young believer when I didn’t feel God’s presence. I woke up one morning and just didn’t have the great feeling I had before. And being new in the faith and not knowing the Bible very well, I thought, “I think God left me last night. What happened?”

When I talked to a Christian friend about it, he told me, “You’re going through a trial.”

“What? I’m on trial?”

“No, you’re going through a trial.”

“What’s a trial?”

My friend explained there are times in our lives when we don’t feel the presence of God, but He is still there. And in time I came to realize that God will allow us to go through trials.

For instance, you might walk outside tomorrow, and it’s an overcast day. So you say, “The sun was here yesterday. But I don’t see the sun today. I don’t feel its warmth. I guess the sun must have gone away last night.”

No, the sun hasn’t gone away. It has been merely obscured by a cloud covering. And if you don’t believe that, then try going to the beach without wearing any sunscreen. When you return home resembling a ripe tomato, you will realize the sun was out.

In the same way, some people falsely conclude that when they don’t feel God, He is gone. He has disappeared. But He is there, even when you don’t feel Him. The Bible tells us in Hebrews, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ ” (Hebrews 13:5).

It is during these times that we must walk by faith, not by feeling, because God has promised in His Word that He will be with us. That is how we know He is there.

May today you all find that God is as close to you as the air you breathe!

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Chaplain Rob

Hiding God’s Word

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. – Philippians 4:8

What sorts of things find their way into your heart and mind? If you’re exposing yourself to a constant barrage of ungodly words, music, or images, you’re not taking full responsibility for your life.You can fill your heart and mind with God’s Word, and when you do, you’ll create a defense against some of the evil messages the world so frequently sends your way.

The writer of Psalm 119 declared, “I have tried my best to find you–don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:10-11). “Hiding” God’s Word in your heart essentially means memorizing and meditating on the Bible. God uses his Word–the Bible—to speak to you and show you how you ought to live.

You’ve been given the responsibility to guard your heart and to keep track of the things you hide inside it. So, what’s in there? Anger? Lust? Ugly images from TV, the movies, or the web? Are you harboring bitterness? Greed? Are you envious of others? If you’re struggling with these things maybe it’s because you have more of the world’s wisdom in your heart than the true wisdom of God.

Are you having a hard time finding God and following his commands? Hiding God’s word in your heart will foster spiritual growth by guarding against those things that hurt you and displease God.

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Pastor Barry

The Go Between!

I still have a vivid memory of being about 21 or 22 and going with a friend to speak with our pastor at the time. We had some “serious questions” about the faith. I don’t think he gave us a really good, satisfying answer but he did open the Bible and read a passage from Romans. It was a good example. I’ve tried to remember that as a pastor and I always carried a Bible with me as a hospital chaplain (but used it only as appropriate to the patient in the moment not as an instrument to always start with)!

This Sunday is known both as Reformation Sunday and Bible Sunday. As Protestants coming out of the 16th century Reformation we are known for the primacy of Scripture in our doctrines and in worship. The church is often reformed when someone or some group re-discover a powerful message within the Bible, e.g. “justification by faith,” or “God is love,” or “the righteousness of God not our righteousness.”

As we listen in on Job and Hebrews and Mark we will hear familiar but life changing verses which capture our attention and strengthen our faith from week to week, year to year. We are indeed “people of the book!”

Open your Bibles and read! And come to worship the God revealed in scripture!

Pastor Barry

Chaplain Rob

Banishing Fear

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. . . – 1 John 4:18a

When we feel threatened in relationships, we tend to become defensive and guarded. On the other hand, when we feel safe, we’re far more willing to be open and vulnerable. This is true of our relationships with other people, and it’s also true in our relationship with God.

The apostle John wrote: “Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that [God’s] love has not been perfected in us. We love each other as a result of his loving us first.”

If Jesus hadn’t paid the price for our sins on the cross, there would be every reason for fear and defensiveness before a holy God. But, God showed His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to pay for our sins and free us from them. As a result, it’s safe to open yourself to God.

Jesus has his arms wide open, calling you to come and receive His love. Could there be anything better? His love is real, and waiting to embrace you. His love is ready to transform you and drive the fear from your heart. God is love, and He shows Himself to you in and through His Son, Jesus Christ.

When you open yourself to God’s love, you’ll become open to seeing the truth about God and yourself—and you’ll no longer need to be afraid.

Never take counsel of your fears. – Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Chaplain Rob

Staying The Course

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. – Hebrews 12:1

If you’re a Christian, God has already transformed your heart. But He also wants you to enter life in him like an athlete enters competition. That’s why the Bible, more than once, likens the Christian life to a race. Our faith in Christ motivates us to run it, and His power provides the strength to finish–despite the many times we all stumble along the way.

This illustration of a race refers to races where the runner would strip off his tunic and robe so he could run without any hindrance. If someone tried to compete in his robes, he would get tangled up and wouldn’t have a chance at winning.

God wants you to finish the race of life well. Set aside the distractions and the sins that entangle you. Pace yourself. Exert yourself. And remember, many have run and finished before you. They’re that “huge crowd of witnesses” Hebrews 12:1 speaks about, and they’re cheering you on!

By perseverance the snail reached the ark. – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Chaplain Rob

There for You

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33

Studies have found that 85 percent of the things we worry about never happen. This means that of all the things you’re worrying about right now, 85 percent of it won’t happen. But what about the other 15 percent? Well, the Lord will be with you in your time of difficulty.

God has not promised that we’ll live in a pain-free world. Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We need to face facts. Loved ones are going to die, marriages might struggle, days might be hard, and hardship will come into our lives.

But here is the good news: we live in the land of pain and struggle, but we are headed to the land of the living. Yes, death will come, but we have this promise from Jesus: “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave” (Revelation 1:17–18). I’m so glad that He holds the keys. If I had the keys, they would’ve been lost for years now.

Someone asked me not long ago what the most spiritual moment of my life was. In other words, when was the time in my life when I felt God’s presence more than any other? I had to think about it. And then I realized the most spiritual moment of my life, the moment when I felt the presence of God more than any other was when I spent time in rehab for addiction to alcohol. It was one of most trying times of my life, but looking back I am amazed at God’s grace. I was afraid, I was beat down, and I was unsure of what to do next. However God was there and that made all the difference!

We can rejoice in the fact that God is in control. He will be with us, giving us what we need, when we need it.

My prayer for each of you today is that you will turn to the God who knows what you are going through, the God that loves you, and the God that will carry you through!

Blessings,

Chaplin Rob

Open hearts. Open Minds. Open doors.