Coming to the Still Waters

I was "doubly" recorded this morning.  One was Facebook live and the other was for YouTube.  I am humbled, probably along with many other pastors, to be broadcasting beyond the borders of our walls.  What a unique opportunity we have been given through the COVID-19 pandemic.   Jesus stands toe to toe with the chief priests, scribes and elders in Luke 20.  His story exposes their fading part in those who will lead the family of God.  "The"  Cornerstone has been rejected by them which God Himself gave to escape this broken world.  The gap between Jesus and the religious leaders of the day will grow wider and wider as we get closer and closer to the cross. I put "humbled" in the title because of this picture that was posted on Facebook.  I was probably more nervous than I have ever been because I knew those listening and watching were those I couldn't see.  Here is a little girl ready to hear Pastor Adam and boy do I want her ...

The above picture is our first ZOOM prayer meeting.  It is a learning curve for many of us but I am thankful for my online masters class that makes me participate through this medium.  Technology can send us down a wrong path if not monitored well but it can also be used to keep us accountable to God as we involve others in our Christian life even when we can't be physically with one another.  May this pass soon because I have a lot of hugs pent up for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Today's Wednesday in the Word covers John chapter 17 and verses 6 through 19.  This chapter I call the "real" Lord's prayer.  In Matthew and Luke, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray with the "Our Father, who art in heaven..." but this time Jesus is actually personally praying to His Father.  It has three sections.  The first we covered last Wednesday as Jesus prays for Himself.  Today we will look at Jesus praying for His disciples and next Wednesda...

Empty pews.  It is definitely not the same.  But the scripture applies to the situation we are in.  During these times we need to increase our prayer and the "hanging on of His words" in our lives.  The CSB version says, "...the people were captivated by what they heard."    We have taken in a lot of information about the virus in the last couple of weeks and it probably has crept into our time with the Lord.  Maybe this describes you.  I know it does me.  What can I do about that?  How can I increase my prayer and Bible time this week? These are two areas that Satan loves to attack.  If he can get us to reduce our time talking to the Lord and get our eyes off of what God has said then we are in a vulnerable position.  Of course, Jesus was looking at a religious structure that turned the temple area into a marketplace where there was no room for ministry to the blind and the lame and for the children to sing praise to G...

Just over 100 years ago, the Spanish flu of 1918 hit our nation.  The churches were asked to not meet for a month.  On the first Sunday back, the Reverend J. Francis Grimke preached a powerful sermon and said, "The fact that the churches were places of religious gatherings, and the others not, would not affect in the least the health question involved.  If avoiding crowds lessens the danger of being infected, it was wise to take the precaution and not needlessly run in danger, and expect God to protect us." We can take comfort to know that God's church was not halted by the virus of 1918 and it will not be halted by the virus of 2019.  But we do know the God who can halt the virus.  Let's all pray for this to happen. Onto our Wednesday in the Word,... I've titled this "The 'real' Lord's Prayer" because in Matthew and Luke, Jesus is teaching His disciples how to properly pray and is sometimes called the "Our Father....

I never thought I would make a toilet paper announcement from the pulpit but it happened this Sunday.  With the COVID-19 virus spreading, one side issue is the disappearance of toilet paper from the grocery store shelves.  With the church bathrooms stocked, we pulled out the case from the supply closet to make sure no one was doing without.  After a few chuckles from the congregation and a push to say we were serious about this, a couple rolls went out the door.  Praise the Lord! We were also able to participate in the National Day of Prayer that our President called for.  I am praying that millions across the nation raised their voices to God for the stop of the spread of the virus, for the discernment of our government to direct us through this time; and for the protection of those who are in the identified vulnerable group.  We keep close watch on our state's recommendations during this uncertain time. I am so thankful to be back in the Gospel of ...

One of the great things about Jesus is that He doesn't first hand out "rose colored glasses" for us to put on and then speak to us .   He speaks plainly of the good, the bad, and the ugly.  He does this in such a way that strengthens our faith even when we hear of "this world" struggles.  Amongst the bad and ugly news in this passage is some great news about the love of the Father toward those who call Jesus "Lord."    Today's Wednesday in the Word covers John chapter 16 and verses 25 through 33, which read, v.25 - "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father." Jesus has been using word pictures to help His disciples understand His going away in a short while.  The last was the picture of the pregnant woman and her transformation in focus from labor pains to the baby now in her arms.  There ...

Sometimes I am in privileged positions to see scenes that others don't because of my clergy status.  Two weeks ago I found myself in the emergency room of our local hospital with a husband in the hospital bed and his wife by his side.  This couple, near our age, had a "world rocker" happen to them.  Life came to a shrieking halt to deal with what had happened.  The recovery started for the husband and he was back to work in about a week's time.  Whew!!! But about two weeks from the first incident, another call comes into the church office that the wife was rushed to the hospital.  I walked into the same emergency room, one bay over, and I find the wife in the hospital bed and her husband by her side.  Another "world rocker" and life that had just started again came to another shrieking halt.  I am thankful to say that recovery is happening but I do call upon all who read this to be in prayer for this couple as they proceed forward. I...

Just a stock photo, free from the internet to use, so I don't know this mother or child but it represents the illustration that Jesus uses in our passage of Scripture today.  I guess it might have been good to do a "before and after" picture, before the birth and after the birth, but those "before" pictures are usually not what the mother wants you to see.  They do show the full reality of this situation.  There is pain before the joy.  Jesus tells His disciples that there will be some pain coming up.  They will grieve while others are rejoicing but hold on, joy is coming.  I think this could be said to us as Christians today.  We live in a world of pain.  We grieve at times while the world is rejoicing in their sin.  But...hold on Christian for a time is coming when you will have your joy complete! Today's Wednesday in the Word covers John chapter 16 and verses 16 through 24, which read, v.16 - "A little while, and you will no...

The brothers and sisters in Christ are so important to our spiritual growth.  Satan and sin wants to isolate us whereas Christ puts us in a family structure for accountability and to use us for the sake of others.  This picture is of Stephanie with one of the two groups she is a part of at the church.  These times take effort but it well worth it. This man represents many men for me that God brings into my life.  I get to see godly men all over the country serving their church family and at times their community.  Again it takes effort but when it is put forth by God's family in the greater community, you see opportunities emerge for those one on one conversations you are praying for.  The photo below has me as the one standing in front of the rest of the guys but the real work is away from these events and around tables of coffee and the front seats of long rides to destinations known and unknown.  I keep praying for these one on ones that I ...