Lighthouse on the Corner

Volume 21 Issue 4

April May June 2008

PASTOR’S CORNER

Skunks, Chains, and the Joy of the Lord’
Philippians 1:13-21
A funny thing happened in Darlington, Maryland several years ago. Edith, a mother of eight, was coming home from a neighbor’s house one Saturday afternoon. As she walked into the living room, she saw five of her youngest children huddled together, concentrating with intense interest in something. As she slipped near them, trying to discover the center of attraction, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Right dab in the middle were five baby skunks. She screamed at the top of her voice, ‘CHILDREN, RUN!!!” Each child grabbed a skunk and ran.
Life’s like that sometimes. You are going full steam ahead, with the wind in your sails, when you suddenly hit a sand bar. It is like confronting a room full of skunks. You just want to get out of the room. Maybe you are confused, angry, and discouraged. All you know is all of the sudden, your JOY is gone.
I believe that one of the missing commodities of life today is joy. Turn on your television and even the sit coms are centered around making fun out of someone’s misfortune or something crude. Consider the weather report. Often you hear, Tomorrow will be cloudy with a 20% chance of rain’ When was the last time you heard a weather report say, ‘Mostly clear with 80% chance of sunshine’
I believe what the world needs is a ‘JOY infusion’. However there is confusion as to what joy really is. Even Christians have a hard time believing in joy. I have been to funerals that were more joyful than some churches I have attended. A few churches have mistaken joy for one of the 7 deadly sins. It is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit though! God expects us to know his joy. What is joy?
Chuck Swindoll says that joy is “a positive attitude we choose to express”. It is not pie in the sky. It does not come and go like the wind. Our circumstances do not determine our joy. Where then does this joy come from?

The ground and source of our joy is the Lord Himself. Jesus declared that, ‘I am the vine and you are the branches, if a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit,
Paul later affirms the source of Christian joy in Philippians 3 when he writes, ‘Rejoice in the Lord, I will say it again rejoice!’

God’s word is a biography of men and women who faced insurmountable odds to achieve victory and maintain their joy. They experienced pain but never let go of their contagious joy.

The practical application of joy is made real through choosing to live in His joy. There are so many things that seek to rob us of joy. Circumstances shake our faith, people will discourage us, and things will distract us from what God truly wants us to enjoy. To expense is abundant, overflowing joy involves a choice. We choose the level of joy we want to live on. He does not coerce us nor seduce us.

So let the peace of Christ, fill us with His joy and rely upon Him, for through Him we have “Joy unspeakable and full of glory”.

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner

Volume21 Issue 3

January/February/March

Pastor's Corner

Good Gifts

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Father of Lights,

“What a title! You are the father, the begotten, the creator of light, of enlightenment. You are the giver of knowledge and truth.

These are the true gifts. Understanding. Light. Wisdom. Are these the good and perfect gifts from above?”

As a people, what do we see when we read these words? As the New Year has come upon us, what are we expecting from God? Are we expecting the easy road without trouble, trials, disappointment, despair, or frustration? We know that sometime this year our hearts will be torn, our hopes dashed, our faith tested, but nevertheless, God’s promises are sure and will not depart from us. His word is sure, “……… I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Heb 13:5.

With the disappointments, whether great or small, there will be blessings that will outweigh and overcome any disappointments that may come, laughter will out shadow the storms.

We will make attempts this year to reach the moon and will scarcely make it off the ground, but remember, God’s abiding peace is beyond our comprehension. This is the perfect gift that He gives to the Christian, the good and perfect gift, the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

We will have choices to make this year. Solomon’s choice was wisdom. What would I have asked?

“Would I have asked for wisdom, for truth, for understanding? Would I have asked for pain to make me gracious and merciful or for tribulation to make my spirit grow strong? I don’t think so.”

This year may we all have the desire and the burning commitment to grow deeper in His love and grace, and with the song writer declare, “Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.

May I share with you a prayer from a book titled “Prayers From the Heart”? This about says it all.

“Forgive me, Lord, for being so earthly minded. Forgive me for not seeking wisdom as the priceless treasure Your Word says it is. Plant in me a desire for eternal gifts, a desire to find Your light, to search for Your wisdom, to cry out for knowledge and understanding, to seek every good and perfect gift that comes from You”

May God richly bless and keep you as we work together for the kingdom of God in this New Year.

In Christ,

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner

Volume 21 Issue 2

September – December 2007

PASTOR’S CORNER

The Pastor Writes:

Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life...."

Bob Gass writes the following: If you want to get the most out of today, do these three things:

1) Focus on your responsibilities, not your rights. It's an imperfect world, and you won't always be treated fairly. If you want to go far, travel light. Unload your resentments! Paul says, "...you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious - the best, not the worst..."(Phil.4:8)

2) Associate with positive people. The only difference in what you are now and what you'll be five years from now is the books you read and the company you keep. Henry Ford once said, "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." What do your friends bring out in you? Solomon said," He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." (Prov 13:20)

3) Make today the best day of your life. When Shirley Temple asked her mother what the happiest moment in her life was, she said, "Right now." "But what about your wedding day?" Shirley asked. Her mum said, "My happiest moment then was then, but my happiest moment now is now. You see, you can live only in the moment you're in, so to me that's the happiest moment." What a great answer! If His mercies are "new every morning," (Lam3:23) and He "daily loadeth us with benefits" (Ps68:19), then you should get up every day and announce, "This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps 118:24)

It's amazing how much we've complicated our lives these days with technology and jobs and responsibilities and now we are looking for ways to make it just a little simpler. Kind of ironic once you think about it. Not to say that technology or job or responsibilities are bad, but we tend to forget how simple life could really be if we just would allow it. God has made us with one purpose in mind, to love Him. When we love Him, everything else falls into place, and I do mean everything. Sure there are days when we think that God has completely thrown the original plan aside and He's just going by "the seat of His pants," but He hasn't! Don't lose heart. It's just our inability to see what the goal is in the end. So take each day, a day at a time, and know that the goal is the crown of life with Christ Jesus our Lord. When we make that our ultimate goal, even the "problems" will seem like joys because we'll know God is just strengthening us through it.

During this past month, a very special friend went to be with the Lord. Ross D. Thurber 52, a young man by comparison, was taken to be with his Savior and Lord Jesus Christ after a long and difficult illness.

There are questions that are asked at times like this, but we can be assured as King David was, “The Lord is my Shepherd”. Today our friend is home with the Lord with a new body and lungs that are fully functional.

I thank the Lord for the opportunity of knowing Ross, spent time, and ministering together.

Please keep Liz, his wife, in your prayers.

In Christ

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner
Volume 21 Issue 1
July/August 2007

PASTOR’S CORNER

Do You Know?

Do you know the most enduring hymn whose last verse is yet to be written because the author didn't know enough to write it?

While thumbing through the hymnal, one notices the dates at the top of the page that tells us when the words were penned and the musical score was set.

Generally one person wrote the poem and someone else "set it to music". Sometimes the two events came decades apart. One wonders what they were thinking and what moved them at the time to pen such beautiful compositions. Certainly it had to be some kind of holy inspiration that burned in their heart and drove them to seeking pen and ink and paper to "seize the moment", as they say.

Do you know that most enduring hymn?

It is, as you might expect, recorded in the Bible. The first time, when it was originally introduced, the author recited it (it evidently has not yet been set to music but it will be!) at a gathering of his whole nation. God thought it was so good, it pleased Him so well that He decreed it to be put to music and sung at a later date. God is saving it for that time, I guess, because I have never ever heard it sung or even heard of anyone putting it to music. It will be more of a cantata or some lengthy song because it is 39 verses long in the Bible!

Why not read it now and plan to become familiar with it because one day you will be invited to "join the choir" and we will all sing together.

It is "sung" by Moses first in Deuteronomy 32:4-43 and will be sung by a mass choir of Tribulation Saints. It is titled "The Song Of Moses and the Lamb" The second verse will be the "Verse of the Lamb" because Moses didn't know about it yet, it would be prophesied by Isaiah over five hundred years later and the Lamb would come and die on the cross several hundred years after that.

The songwriter penned these words “Angels cannot sing it, This song of joy and freedom, for mortals only know it, the ransomed and the free. Slaves were they in bondage, And deepest misery; But NOW they sing triumphant, Their song of Liberty”

And those who have given their heart and life to Christ, sing this song of the Soul set free, but more than that they will be singing a new song, “Coming Again” and “One Day” One day the trumpet will sound for His coming: One Day the skies with His glories will shine: Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing. Glorious Saviour, this Jesus of mine!”

Will you be in the heavenly chorus? Will you hear the trumpet sound? You can be in the chorus and also hear the trumpet. What will you do with the man called Jesus?

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner
Volume 20 Issue 6 May/June 2007

PASTOR’S CORNER
“Serving God Enthusiastically”
Picking up from the last pastor’s corner on spiritual health, the desire to worship God is and should be the desire of our hearts, so let’s begin.

Worshiping God Enthusiastically
This brings us to the second characteristic of a healthy Christian life. Christians who have a passionate spirituality marked by a fervent love for God will express that love in the enthusiastic worship of God. The question that might arise is how do we worship God enthusiastically?

Jesus reminds us, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24 NIV) To worship God in spirit and truth means that we worship the true God. In order to be in true worship it should be in honesty and integrity. It means that our worship should be spiritual, full of passion, emerging the whole person. Our worship should be inspired and inspiring.
It really does make a great difference when you come to a service in which people are enthusiastic, in which people are praising the Lord, where there is a real celebration of Christ’s victory over sin and of His love for us. Just a few Sunday’s ago we had such an experience when people lined the altar in brokenness and seeking God’s healing for emotion, physical and spiritual wholeness.
In quoting Vance Havner: "It’s about time we quit playing church in these services that start at eleven o’clock sharp and end at twelve o’clock dull." One of our hymns says, "Let the Amen be heard from His people again." When you’re enthusiastic, it shows.
To make you aware, the etymology of the word enthusiasm traces back to the Greek words en (meaning in) and theos (meaning God). So enthusiasm means that we are filled with God. Enthusiasm is how someone filled with God acts. If we’re filled with God then we are filled with life, filled with love joy, and filled with hope, filled with faith, filled with peace, and filled with power.
It has always struck me as funny how people change when they come to church services. In church they are all solemn and grave. But you take these same people to a social gathering like an office party, birthday party, block party, or ball game, and they suddenly become excited and enthusiastic, and in the case of the ball game, raving lunatics. We are emotional people and emotions are good. In church, we should be free to be enthusiastic in our praise to God. We certainly should be joyful and happy. There is so much to be excited about.
We serve a Savior who loves us, a God who has forgiven us, a Lord who provides for our true needs, and a Spirit who empowers us. When you think of all He has done for you, how can you not be excited about Him? We are told in Psalm 100:4 to, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise."
The Scriptures are full of encouragement to praise God. Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! (Psalm 66:1-2) Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music. (Psalm 98:4)
As Christians our lives should be marked by a passionate love for God of pure devotion, full of passion. Our gatherings should be marked by enthusiastic worship that comes from a heart full of Christ’s presence and grace. These are marks of a healthy Christian life.
Pastor Larry

Volume 20 Issue 5 March/April 2007

PASTOR’S CORNER

Are You Healthy, Spiritually?

John Bisagno, pastor of Houston ’s First Baptist Church tells the story of his coming there to candidate for the position of pastor many years ago. He said that as he entered the auditorium it was dimly lit, with just a few people huddled together. They were singing some old slow funeral type song that was depressing. Later that day he took a walk in downtown Houston and came upon a jewelry store. It was some sort of grand opening and there were bright lights and a greeter at the door to welcome you in with a smile. Inside there was a celebration going on. There were refreshments and people having a good time talking and laughing with each other. They welcomed him and offered him some punch. He said that after attending both the church and the jewelry store, if the jewelry store had offered an invitation, he would have joined the jewelry store!

How much of an effect do our churches have in making a real dent in the unchurched of our communities? Vance Havner once said, "Most church members live so far below the standard, you’d have to backslide to be in fellowship. We are so subnormal that if we were to become normal, people would think we were abnormal." If we show so little signs of life, people will conclude that if we are not dead yet, we are certainly getting sick.

For a church to be genuinely alive, it must be healthy. For the church to be healthy, the Christians that compose it must be healthy. Church health has become the real issue in our age. Church growth has been the issue, but now people are coming to see that church growth is the result of church health. Healthy things grow. Healthy churches grow. Healthy Christians grow.

Characteristics of a healthy Christian Life.

When you go to the doctor for a check-up, various tests are run which indicate a basic level of health. If your temperature is normal, and your blood pressure falls within a certain range, and your blood work shows the right levels of those things that are supposed to be there and those things that are supposed to be absent, the doctor knows that these characteristics indicate a normally healthy individual. In other words, there are characteristics or indicators of health in the human body. And there are those indicators in the spiritual body as well.

First off to develop a heathly Spiritual life we must have a heart for God , or we need to develop a heart for God.

For the limited space that we have, we’ll limit this article to the first of eight indicators that we have a heart for God. If we have a heart for God, we will love Him passionately and worship Him enthusiastically.

First: Loving God with passion.

You might ask how do I love God passionately ?

Jesus illustrates four ways to love God, and it’s found in His response to the question of someone asking Him to give him the greatest commandments in Scripture. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30 NIV)

First: love the Lord your God with all your heart. This means that we love the Lord with all with pure devotion. It’s not enough to give Christ a place in our hearts. We’re called to love Him with all (complete) of our heart.

God becomes the most important thing in your life. A. W. Tozer once said that, "We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God."

Secondly : The love we are to have for God has another characteristic. You are not only to love God with all your heart, you’re to love Him with all your soul. The soul speaks of our emotions. To love God with all our soul means that our love for God ought to be full of passion. Since, we are people of passion, we cannot deny our emotions, our emotions have a way of rising to the surface in spite of all our efforts to hide them, especially since God created them, and we need to express them in love for God.

To love God with all our soul means that we must be involved with all our emotions in our relationship to Him.

Our love for Christ begins with a pure devotion and expresses itself by being full of passion. Then thirdly Jesus says that you are to love the Lord your God with all your mind.

This is a love that is thoroughly considered. The Scripture contends that God fully intends for our minds to be involved in our relationship with Christ. In Romans 12, we are told that our minds need to be renewed. In 1 Peter we are told to prepare our minds for work. And here, we are told to love God with our entire mind. A mind committed to Christ and being transformed by His renewing power will be a tremendous asset to the Kingdom.

Lastly, the mind that is committed to God will become a mind into which God will pour His wisdom and His knowledge. Not only are you to love God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind, you are to love Him with all your strength. Being a heart dedicated to God, a soul full of passionate love for Jesus, and a mind committed to thoroughly consider the whole Word of God. Christianity must be fully lived out. To love God with all our strength means to love God in all that we do.

In Colossians 3:17 it says, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Again in that same chapter, verses 23 and 24 say, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

There’s a popular notion in our country that it is OK to believe whatever you want, as long as you don’t try to practice what you believe in the public arena. But that is not religious liberty at all. For the Christian his faith can be a life-changing, world-altering force, and it must be lived out in the lives of those who say they believe.

James tells us that we ought to be "doers of the word." Christianity becomes powerful as it’s lived out in the marketplace of this world. Next time at the Pastor’s corner, we’ll look at the second point, “Serving God Enthusiastically”

Excerpts are taken from Christian A. Schwarz, Natural Church Development , published by ChurchSmart Resources, Carol Stream , IL .

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner

Springfield

Wesleyan Church

Volume 20 Issue 3

PASTOR’S CORNER

God’s Provision

During the winter of 1940 Josephine Kuntz' husband, a house painter and textile worker, was temporarily unemployed because of the weather and a seasonal lay-off. It was a difficult time for the family. They literally had no money. Their eighteen month old daughter, Rachel, was recovering from pneumonia and wasn't doing well. The doctor insisted Rachel eat a boiled egg each day, but even that was beyond their means.

"Why not pray for an egg?" suggested a young friend. They were a church-going family, but the idea of actually praying for their needs was something they had never really considered. Josephine wasted no time. On her knees she prayed that God would provide an egg each morning for her daughter.

Later that morning Josephine heard some cackling coming from the hedge fence in front of their home, among the bare branches sat a fat red hen. (This is a true story.) She had never seen this hen before and had no idea where it came from. She just watched in amazement as the hen laid an egg and then proceeded down the road. In a moment the hen was gone but an egg sat in her yard.

What do you do under such circumstances but thank God? The next day Josephine was startled once again to hear cackling in the hedge. The red hen came by every day for over a week and repeated this routine. Each day little Rachel had a fresh boiled egg. The little girl got better, the weather improved, and Josephine's husband went back to work. "The next morning I waited by the window and watched," Josephine says, but the red hen did not return. ["The Little Red Hen."] Josephine M. Kuntz, SNOWFLAKES IN SEPTEMBER, (Nashville: Dimensions for Living, 1992), pp 29-30.]

God takes care of His people, and though we don't always see it in such striking and noticeable ways, the Bible promises that He will take care of those who are His.

Deuteronomy 32:11

"He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions."

I am told that the adult eagle will actually swoop down and catch her falling offspring on her back and carry them back up to the home perch. What a beautiful picture of what God does for us!

Paul told young Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:11, "What persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me!"

In Psalm 34:19 we read, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers him out of them all."

In 2 Peter 2:9, the Apostle tells us, "The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation..."

Thanksgiving will soon be upon us, as well as Christmas.

Let us not forget, the goodness of God and how He supplies our every need.

It’s been seven years now that Leona and I have been at Springfield Wesleyan.

At the time we felt it would only be a temporary time of pulpit supply, but God had other plans for us. During this time we have gone from a handful of the faithful to an average of sixty plus over this last month. I thank God for the increase, but it’s not about numbers. It’s about souls that are being prepared for eternity that’s the business of the lighthouse on the corner.

We have much to be thankful for, the hundred year old stained glass windows have been all reworked, two new furnaces have been added, renovations have been done throughout the church, and I thank all of you who have assisted in this work.

These accomplishments have not been done by a few, for many have been very active within the church as Sunday school teachers who have faithfully prepared their lessons in advance for each Sunday, bringing the truth to their classes and excelling in their own spiritual growth.

Also there are those who have made sure that the church is cleaned, the yard picked up and mowed, and windows & carpets cleaned, painting and much fixing up.

I as your pastor, am very thankful for each of you, and you know who you are, I applaud you, and say a Big Thank You, for without you we could not have done it.

As we are about to close out another year, and soon 2007 will be here, I’m looking forward to what God has in store for us next year.

I believe that God is doing a great work in and through each of you as we continue to serve Him. Don’t you want to be a part of the kingdom building, here at Springfield Wesleyan?

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner

Volume 20 Issue 2

September / October 2006

PASTOR’S CORNER

When Jesus Calls

After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up."
"That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?" "Well," said the little boy, "I have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell, than to sit and listen."

When Jesus looks upon my life, what picture does He see? Does He see His own reflection, or does He just see me? Does He see His likeness, the product of His hand? Or just another Christian, Who never took a stand? Does He see a child of God, A child that He has set free?

Living life to honor Him, or does He just see me? What about the other folks, I meet along the way; do I show them Jesus, to brighten up their day? Or am I the voice of discouragement without saying a word? When someone looks into my eyes, Can they truly see that calm and gentle peace of God that dwells inside of me? Or do they see a face that reflects disappointment and sadness with how my life is going?

When I reach out and shake a hand, Is He right there in my grip? Can they feel that strength from God that steadies when I slip? When folks are in my presence, do they know His Spirit's there? Can they see that He's the one, who guides me everywhere? When other people think of me, what is on their mind?

Do they see a person who takes pure delight in telling how many operations they’ve had, who insist that no one has suffered quite as much as they?

Do they seek appreciation and praise …… not that they don’t deserve appreciation, but they run into a great risk of not receiving it from unsympathetic listener?

Do they think of Jesus Christ, So gentle and so kind, after they have spent an hour with me?

Do I try to be like Jesus, Every single day- Spreading love and kindness, All along my way? I'm afraid that I have failed; I could not pass the test. Deep inside my heart I know, I haven't done my best. I have had to fight my flesh, since the day that I was born. It's always causing trouble, and being such a thorn.

Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd:

There’s one of us that’s humble, one that’s proud

There’s one who’s broken- hearted for his sins,

There’s one who unrepentant sits and grins,

There’s one who loves his neighbor as himself,

And one who cares for nothing but fame and self.

From such perplexing care I would be free

If I could once determine which is me!

Unknown

That's why His Spirit dwells in me; He's helping me to learn. In every situation, where I need to turn. He knew I'd never pass the test, that's why He took my place. He gave His life to save my soul, He suffered my disgrace.

Now I try to be like Him, I must present Him well. So other folks will want His gift, and turn their backs on hell. Other folks should see the joy, That Christ has given me. They should want to have it too, especially since it's free. They should begin to ask me, what is it they must do. Just how it is they go about, Getting Jesus too. Then I get to tell them, this wondrous gift is free. It only takes a humble heart, a prayer on bended knee. Someday when I'm face to face, with the Lord who set me free, Will He see His own reflection,
Or will He just see me?

Excerpts taken from “Take a look at Yourself” J.H. Miller

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner

Volume 20 Issue 1

July August 2006

PASTOR’S CORNER

Jackie Robinson was the first black to play major league baseball. While breaking baseball's "color barrier," he faced jeering crowds in every stadium. While playing one day in his home stadium in Brooklyn, he committed an error. His own fans began to ridicule him. He stood at second base, humiliated, while the fans jeered.

Then shortstop "Pee Wee" Reese came over and stood next to him. He put his arm around Jackie Robinson and faced the crowd. The fans grew quiet. Robinson later said that arm around his shoulder saved his career.

Leadership, Vol.11, no.2.

SO What’s New With You?

Proverbs 18:24 "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Anyone can stand by you when you are right, but a Friend will stand by you even when you are wrong...

A simple friend identifies himself when they call. A real friend doesn't have to. A simple friend opens a conversation with a full news bulletin on his life. A real friend says, "What's new with you?" A simple friend thinks the problems you whine about are recent. A real friend says, "You've been whining about the same thing for 14 years. Get off your duff and do something about it." A simple friend has never seen you cry. A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears. A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names. A real friend has their phone numbers in their address book. A simple friend brings a bottle of lemonade to your party. A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean. A simple friend hates it when you call after they have gone to bed. A real friend asks you why you took so long to call. A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems. A real friend seeks to help you with your problems. A simple friend wonders about your romantic history. A real friend could blackmail you with it. A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest. A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself. A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument. A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight. A simple friend expects you to always be there for them. A real friend expects to always be there for you!

Jesus had the 12 disciples who were very close and still among those twelve there were 3 that he was even closer to. In Proverbs, God tells us that having many friends doesn't mean anything, but there are those few people that really will be there for you through thick and thin. That's what's the most important. It's not important how many people you know or how many people know you.

As your closest friend, He said “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” Heb 13:5b (unknown)

Do you know my friend? If not see John 3:16

Pastor Larry

Springfield Wesleyan Church Volume 19 Issue 6 May/June 2006

Do You Know?

Do you know the most enduring hymn whose last verse is yet to be written because the author didn't know enough to write it?

While thumbing through the hymnal, one notices the dates at the top of the page that tells us when the words were penned and the musical score was set.

Do you know that most enduring hymn?

It is, as you might expect, recorded in the Bible. The first time, when it was originally introduced, the author recited it (it evidently has not yet been set to music but it will be!) at a gathering of his whole nation. God thought it was so good, it pleased Him so well that He
decreed it to be put to music and sung at a later date. God is saving it for that time, I guess, because I have never ever heard it sung or even heard of anyone putting it to music. It will be more of a cantata or some lengthy song because it is 39 verses long in the Bible!

Why not read it now and plan to become familiar with it because one day you will be invited to "join the choir" and we will all sing together.

It is "sung" by Moses first in Deuteronomy 32:4-43 and will be sung by a mass choir of Tribulation Saints. It is titled "The Song Of Moses and the Lamb" The second verse will be the "Verse of the Lamb" because Moses didn't know about it yet. It would be prophesied by Isaiah over five hundred years later and the Lamb would come and die on the cross several hundred years after that.

The songwriter penned these words “Angels cannot sing it, this song of joy and freedom, For mortals only know it, The ransomed and the free. Slaves were they in bondage, and deepest misery; But NOW they sing triumphant, Their song of Liberty”

Will you be in the heavenly chorus? Will you hear the trumpet sound? You can be in that chorus and also hear the trumpet. What will you do with the man called Jesus?

Pastor Larry

LIGHTHOUSE ON THE CORNER
March/April 2006
Volume 19 Issue 5

Meditate on these Attributes of God

Today, each of us will face troubles of many kinds. Just ask Mel Gibson during and after his film “The Passion”. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble…” (John 16:33).

God is up to things we cannot comprehend. He “gives” us troubles to accomplish His purposes—they are a grace, a gift, the means of His sovereign will. For example, how many people have seen Mel Gibson's movie (and believed) because of the controversy and trouble it caused him? Without Gibson's troubles “The Passion” would have been a small, eccentric film that few would have ever heard of, much less seen, but we know different as it went from to the top of the charts not only in viewing but also in box office receipts.

Jesus said, that this would not be an easy road that we travel, and he didn’t offer one, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me”. (Luke 9:23)

How do you cope with your troubles? Jesus went on to say, “…but take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). One way we can plug into the “overcoming” of Jesus is to meditate on His attributes. Over the years I have compiled a list of God's attributes, and here they are.

Holy, Sovereign, Great, Awesome, Almighty, Creator
Loving, Gracious, Merciful, Faithful, Patient
Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omni-benevolent, Self-Existent
All wise, Eternal, Infinite, Immortal, Invisible, Immutable
Transcendent
Alpha, Omega
King of kings, Lord of lords, President of presidents, CEO of CEOs
God who was, is, and is to come, in Whom there is no shadow of turning
The Holy Spirit, The Comforter, the Counselor
The Wonderful Counselor, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace
The Door, the Gate, the Good Shepherd
The Bread of Life, the Living Water
The Way, the Truth, the Life
Savior, LORD
The soon and coming King
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

Remember, a finisher is not one with no wounds or weariness. Mother Teresa is credited with saying, “God didn’t call us to be successful, just faithful.”

Let us be found faithful until the end.

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner January February 2006

PASTOR’S CORNER

. How do we attain eternal life?

Four equations of salvation but only one right answer!

Equation #1

Good works = Relationship with God/Eternal life

Everyone experiences spiritual longings in their hearts. And many people experience "eternity in their hearts," a sense of life beyond death. Often, people respond to these experiences by working hard to be good. They believe that if they are good enough, loving enough, and giving enough they can please God, gain salvation (go to heaven) and have a relationship with Him. This first equation describes these people’s approach to salvation and having a relationship with God.

Why doesn’t this first equation add up? Because it doesn’t account for the serious problem that God’s Word, the Bible, calls "sin." The Bible states that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and that the consequences of sin is (spiritual) death (Romans 6:23).

Even the most moral people have evil thoughts, attitudes and actions that are against God, His people, and His creation. These attitudes and actions are sin. Just as actions like disrespect, unfaithfulness, selfishness, and verbal or physical abuse can destroy our interpersonal relationships, so our sin destroys our relationship with God. The Bible speaks of God as holy, without sin, and unwilling to be in relationship with sin. Therefore, there is nothing we can do on our own to be accepted by a God who is holy.

Equations #2 & #3

#2 Good Works + Grace = Relationship with God/Eternal life

#3 Grace + Good Works = Relationship with God/Eternal life

In the second and third equations, the element of God’s grace is added to good works. God’s grace to mankind is found in John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life." Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, took our place on the Cross, paid the penalty for our sins and made it possible for us to have a relationship with God.

Although Equations #2 and #3 add up the same, they have subtle differences. The person who adheres to Equation #2 tends to minimize the problem of sin. In his mind, he considers himself much more worthy of God’s grace than say an Adolph Hitler or Jeffrey Dahmer. Minimizing the grievous effects and eternal cost of his own personal sin, this person counts on the "Big Guy Upstairs" to have grace and overlook the little vices in his life. Often, the motivation behind this person’s good works is pride: "By all my good works (or lack of bad ones), I could almost be worthy of God’s grace."

Conversely, Equation #3 tends to minimize the work of Christ on the cross. A person living out this equation doubts the complete effectiveness of Christ’s death to offer salvation. He or she often serves in church or performs good deeds to somehow make their salvation "more secure." Often, the motivation behind this person’s good works is guilt: "I’m thankful for salvation by grace, but I should be doing more to stay in God’s good graces."

Equation #4

God’s Grace = Relationship with God/Eternal Life + Good Works

God’s Grace = Relationship with God/Eternal Life + Good Works

Equation #4 represents the only "right" answer for attaining salvation: we receive salvation solely by faith in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us on the cross. This is God’s gift of grace to us.

Our sins against God are neither spiritual misdemeanors nor felonies; they are capital crimes. Consequently, we either have to be punished for our crimes or someone has to take the punishment for us. Jesus, who was without sin, took the punishment for your crimes when He died on the cross. Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves--pay back God for how we have run from him in thought or deed. Christianity is not about what WE DO to get to God but what GOD HAS ALREADY DONE FOR US.

How do we receive eternal life? Simply by accepting the gift of God’s grace, the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died in your place. And you accept this gift by faith.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

If your close friend presented you with a special gift he had picked out just for you, and then you proceeded to pull out your wallet to pay him for this gift, you would insult your friend. When we are offered a gift, all we need to do is receive it.

Likewise, with God’s gift of salvation, we simply need to receive this gift by faith. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God." Hebrews 11:6.

Where do "good works" fit in? No amount of good works could ever repay the love that Jesus expressed for us by dying on the cross. In Equation #4, good works are an expression of gratitude for what God has done; they indicate a changed life, a life that now lives for God. Good works are the natural outworking of eternal life, not a means to it.

Have you accepted this gift of salvation in Jesus Christ? If not, you can receive Him right now by praying this kind of prayer from your heart. The words don’t matter as much as the attitude of your heart. "Dear God, I have been ignoring you, minimizing you, and fleeing from you. My life falls short of your perfect standards. I realize I can’t work my way into a relationship with you or earn eternal life through my so-called "good life." By faith, I believe what the Bible says--that Jesus died to save me. Thank you for this gift of salvation through Jesus, a gift that I could never earn. Thank you for forgiving and loving me. Help me to grow in my new relationship with you." From various resources-unknown

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner

Volume 19 Issue 3 November/December 2005

PASTOR’S CORNER

. Thanksgiving – A time to reflect and to be thankful for all things.

After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up."

"That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?" "Well," said the little boy, "I have to go to church on Sunday anyway, and I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell, than to sit and listen ."

When Jesus looks upon my life, What picture does He see?

Does He see His own reflection, Or does He just see me?

Does He see His likeness, The product of His hand?

Or just another Christian, Who never took a stand?

Does He see a child of God, A child that He set free?
Living life to honor Him, Or does He just see me?

What about the other folks, I meet along the way-

Do I show them Jesus, To brighten up their day?

When someone looks into my eyes, Can they truly see

That calm and gentle peace of God, That dwells inside of me?

When I reach out and shake a hand, Is He right there in my grip?

Can they feel that strength from God, That steadies when I slip?

When folks are in my presence, Do they know His Spirit's there?

Can they see that He's the one, who guides me everywhere?

When other people think of me, what is on their mind?

Do they think of Jesus Christ, So gentle and so kind?

I try to be like Jesus, Every single day-

Spreading love and kindness, All along my way.

I'm afraid that I have failed, I could not pass the test.

Deep inside my heart I know, I haven't done my best.

I have had to fight my flesh, since the day that I was born.

It's always causing trouble, and being such a thorn.

That's why His Spirit dwells in me, He's helping me to learn.

In every situation, Where I need to turn.

He knew I'd never pass the test, That's why He took my place.

He gave His life to save my soul, He suffered my disgrace.

Now I try to be like Him, I must present Him well.

So other folks will want His gift, And turn their backs on hell.

Other folks should see the joy, That Christ has given me.

They should want to have it too, Especially since it's free.

They should begin to ask me, What is it they must do.

Just how it is they go about, Getting Jesus too.

Then I get to tell them, This wondrous gift is free.

It only takes a humble heart, A prayer on bended knee.

Someday when I'm face to face, With the Lord who set me free-

Will He see His own reflection,
Or will He just see me?

( Author unknown)

The question that this poem ends with is an honest one. During this Thanksgiving season are we thankful for everything, or are we thankful only for what we have ? Are we willing to share from our abundance to those who have the least? Are we willing to share our faith as much as we are willing to a share a ride? We need to let them see Christ in all that we do and say.

Happy Thanksgiving and let us be thankful for all things.

Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the corner

September – October 2005

Volume 19 Issue 2

PASTOR’S CORNER

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 14:13 NIV

AMAZING LOVE

I'm forgiven because you were forsaken.

I'm accepted, you were condemned.

I'm alive and well, your spirit is within me,

Because you died and rose again.

Amazing Love! How can it be, that you my king would die for me?

Amazing Love! I know it's true, and it's my joy to honor you.

In all I do, I honor you.

Stop and take a moment to think about how truly amazing His love really is. This song and this verse are so simple, they state such a simple truth, but the truth runs so deep. Deep in the heart and in the very being of our God, and deep in the hearts as Christians. Every time I hear these words, my heart swells with joy and amazement. How could our Father, our KING, die for us? How could we not honor Him with joy because He did?

Just think of the amount of water that you drank this summer. At times it never seemed to be enough, the thirst was never quite quenched, and yet it always tasted very good. Nothing satisfies like a good glass of cold water.

You see nothing satisfies like Jesus. As He promise the women at the well, I’ll give you water that will not only quench the thirst but will satisfy the very longings of your heart.

Have you met the master? If not, let Him satisfy you today, and then we can go on and praise Him for being our Father, our Abba, and our King! Confess to Him the times when you have not honored Him with your life and repent!

Thank Him for willing giving up His Son and for showering you with His amazing love.

Ask Him to make you more grateful for His love and to help you spread His love to others.

. Pastor Larry

Lighthouse on the Corner

July – August 2005 Volume 19 Issue 1

PASTOR’S CORNER

Ruling, Confusing? This past week was some-what cloudy concerning the Supreme Court decision regarding the Ten Commandments brings to my mind the real significance of God's teaching through Moses to all mankind.

Warren Wiersbe writes, "God's people have three responsibilities when it comes to His commandments: hear them, learn them, and do them. God's laws are clear and simple; man's laws are complex. Beware of a mere outward obedience to the laws of God. We must have true fear of God in our hearts as well as love for him."

Hear the word of the Lord, "Oh that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever" (Deut. 5:29).

Personally, the laws of God, that have been the model for man's behavior should be displayed everywhere, but one great concern of mine is that, in this day of "grace," that some, even within the church, see God's commandments, as simply suggestions. Possibly that may be one of the reasons for so much chaos in the body of Christ.

Probably all of you at one time or another have heard preached a series of sermons on the commandments. This might just be a good time to pull out your old notes (if you’ve kept them), review them, and once again feel the emphasized the words of our Lord, "Learn them and be sure to follow them" (Deut. 5:1). Perhaps you could take these truths to heart for the remainder of the summer.

"We know we have come to know him if we obey his commands" (1 John 2:3). God's direction for us is not restrictive, but very liberating.

With these commandments in place in our hearts and mind, brings us to another milestone in our life.

This past June23rd was our ordination service at Cadyville Wesleyan Church in Cadyville, NY. Dale Argot, Rebecca Rowley, (Rev. Royal Matoon’s daughter) and myself were ordained to the ministry of the Wesleyan Church.

This has been a long road over the last six years for completion and many trips to Houghton College, Stroudsburg Pa, & Asheboro NC, and a local community College.

With that all behind us, we press ahead.

As this letter is seen by many people either in written form (paper) or by e-mail, I want to thank the Springfield Wesleyan Church for bearing with me as I have prepared and worked for this day. I also owe a debt that I can never repay to my wife Leona for all the proofing, corrections and suggestions, with the many papers that had to be written.

It was awesome to have my oldest brother Don & his wife Judy, along with my daughter Karen, and my son Stephen, my daughter Kim and my grandchildren Evan, Timothy, and Hannah, and a special part, having my Son-in-law lead the singing and then presented a special medley of Hymns, that brought tears of blessing, joy and thanksgiving to all within the service that night Thanks John.

To all of you that I have known over the years, thanks for your prayers and love that has been shown.

One last thing that needs to be said, I owe so much to a man of God, who treated me as a son, along with his own. He is a special man of the highest caliber who always desires to serve the Lord, and who influenced me the greatest, is a man that I gladly call, Pastor, friend, much thanks goes to Rev. Hervey Taber. To all of you, Thanks and God Bless.

Pastor Larry

Spring, the time of Butterflies

Last month we reached the highpoint of what I consider to be an exciting time, I don’t know about you, but Easter inevitably finds me carried on the winds of joy and emotion of what Christ has done for me. It’s a season of contrition punctuated by the evidence of evil and suffering in our world, but that has been blown away by the reality of an empty tomb. Because we believe that Jesus literally came back to life, our theology suggests we have reason to look for life in places and at times when that seems illogical or impossible.

On a primary level, the vacant grave gives Christ-followers the confidence that a precedent has been set. If death was defeated once, it will be defeated again. The apostle Paul waxed eloquently on that very topic when he wrote his first century letter to a group of Christians in Corinth.

“Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ. Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life. 1 Cor: 15:20-22 NLT

But the message of Easter has application on a secondary level as well. The God who raised a crucified carpenter from his lifeless state has the power to transform dead ends into live options

Over thirty some years ago while serving in the USAF in Tucson, Arizona I’m reminded of a time when my world came crashing down in one sweep. Just a week before Leona, my young wife at the time had a miscarriage and underwent a D&C procedure, and everything seemed to be on the mend. Then a week later upon coming home from the base I found her very weak and crawling to the screen door to let me in. Taking her to the base hospital, the Doctor found that she had a tubal pregnancy that it had ruptured and she was bleeding internally. Upon further investigation they found she had approximately 4 pints of blood in her abdomen. Upon finding what the problem was she underwent surgery, and I made calls to my pastor, Rev. Neil Bailey, and of course called home to both sets of parents, where else beside the Lord does a young 21 year old call?

The doctor had told me, “One hour more and you could have stopped by the hospital for the death certificate” You see the one who removed a tombstone in a first century Palestinian graveyard also permitted Leona’s recovery in a Tucson hospital. The doctor and staff were excited at her recovery along with her husband (that’s me) and parents, and pastor.

Needless to say, that “Easter” took on a new meaning for me. They’re times that we need to take stock of the preciousness of life (not to mention its brevity).

Having inched along at caterpillar speed through the valley of death’s shadow we found ourselves soaring above it with grateful hearts for answered prayers. Our praise of God's faithfulness reached to the sky.

But my experience in life and ministry informs me that the outcome of unanticipated bleak circumstances is not always so wonderful. Sometimes near-death is replaced by tragic death. Sometimes the tears shed at the front of a church are not a bride’s tears of joy but a parent’s tears of grief as they look into an open casket of a child.

And then there are those other deaths where what we hoped for failed to happen. The death of a marriage. The death of a friendship. The death of a dream. The death of a much-loved job.

All the same, Easter is a reminder that the crosses we are forced to bear (no matter how painful or unjust) are not a death sentence. They are merely a phrase that is part of a dramatic paragraph that God is in the process of writing. The One who transformed the means of capital punishment into a treasured piece of jewelry is capable of redeeming tragic episodes in our lives by attaching priceless significance to them.

As the season of spring continues to unfold, you’ll be seeing more and more butterflies. Allow them to be a visual aid for the ongoing message of Easter. When you look at that beautiful majestic Monarch flying regally overhead remember his past. He was once a fuzzy worm crawling on the ground. During its crucifixion in its chrysalis, suffering and death paved the way for healing and new birth. The butterfly, like the message of Easter, points us in the direction of possibilities. It is an invitation into a season of hope all year round.

“Portions by Lucado”

Pastor Larry

Transformation?

Transformed by an Elevator

A family from a remote area was making their first visit to a big city. They checked in to a grand hotel and stood in amazement at the impressive sight. Leaving the reception desk they came to the elevator entrance. They'd never seen an elevator before, and just stared at it, unable to figure out what it was for.

An old lady hobbled towards the elevator and went inside. The door closed. About a minute later, the door opened and out came a stunningly good-looking young woman. Dad couldn't stop staring. Without turning his head he patted his son's arm and said, "Go get your mother, son." Owen Bourgaize, Castel, Guernsey, United Kingdom

We laugh at this illustration because we’re looking for an easy way to accomplish something without any effort and or pain. I desire the 6-pack abs and the loss of 40 lbs would be nice. With the pill that is advertised, all I have to do is take one a day and sit in my recliner and wa-la it’s done, yea right. If it was that easy and worked that great, don’t you think I would have tried it?

In today’s world we feel the pressure of achieving newer heights or having a deeper relationship. Better work practices are the demands that our secular jobs place upon us. Many times we strive to achieve the greatness at our work place and forget about the transformed life that God desires to work in His children.

Jim Cymbala uses an illustration of a young lady who was placed in a parochial school after her mother’s death as her father couldn’t take care of her. He thought it was a place that would offer the best of education and training, both secular and religious, but it was a place that misused and abused her. In her early teens her father took her from the school and finished raising her. She became rebellious, hard to get along with, and got into a lot of bad habits as well as keeping bad company. Finding no peace she felt a strong desire pulling her toward God and she along with her boy friend went to church at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. There she and her boyfriend were convicted of their sins and both of them had a life transforming experience that took place in their lives. Today they are the Pastors of “Christ Tabernacle,” one of the finest churches in New York City. What made the difference to this fragile young woman who went down so many dead-end streets? She is much more than just a survivor in the world. She has a transformed life through Christ who has made her more than a conqueror (Rom 8:37), and has become a lady that speaks to many women about this life changing, transforming life through Jesus Christ.

We have just completed the first part of the “Healthy Church Seminar” which was challenging, informative, and thought provoking. The question that arises is one of self evaluation. Are we as Christians living a transformed life? And if we are, does this reflect in all areas of our lives at home, work or in the market place? If someone were to see us, would our actions betray us as a follower of Christ? Is our church giving a message of transformation and the renewing of the mind, or are we giving a message of feeling good? God’s word tells us that there is and can be a difference, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2Cor 5:17

How about you? Are you ready to let Christ work a new work within you?

Pastor Larry