I was wondering, “How many bosses do you have?” I know some of you reading this will say, “No one is my boss.” That’s fine until you talk with your spouse. Then you might reconsider that thought. Unless you’re self-employed, most of us have to answer to others. We have our boss at work; we have bossy folks in our families; and people in our every day lives that boss us around.

Now as for us pastors, we have many bosses. At least the church folks think we do. Pastors feel that on a given Sunday there are many in the congregation who feel they can do a better job. Likewise, you may have people at your work that feel the same way about what you do. But in reality we only have God as our ultimate superior.

In fact I found a job description from one church that wanted a Senior Pastor; this is really good. I hope you enjoy it.

Handsome pastor needed to preach 10 minutes each Sunday. You will be working daily from 8 a.m. until midnight. The perfect candidate will have a burning desire to work with teenagers, and will spend most of his time with the senior citizens. He will smile all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his church. He will condemn sin but never hurt anyone’s feelings. Attendance at all church meetings is required. The perfect candidate will make at least fifteen home visits per day and will always be in his office to be available should an emergency arise. Preference will be given to a young pastor with 15-20 years of experience. Some light janitorial duties required.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could get what WE want all the time?  But life doesn’t always go according to our way of thinking. Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:18 & 19 “Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age…”  In other words we need to look at more than the standards of this world. We need to look at God.  Remember it is not about our thinking it’s His thinking that counts… God is our boss!

I wonder how many of us have used God to get our own way. By making the statement, “God is telling me to.”   I hope when you say this, you make sure that it is God and not your own wishful thinking because you want your way in a certain area of life.

The pastor is a man who daily tries to follow God and the leading of the Holy Spirit; let it be in the sermon he preaches, or which person he calls on and when.  Please remember Matthew 7:1 & 2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Remember we are fellow workers together. Let’s not point fingers. Let’s use our hands to serve God.

The sports world has given us a lot to think about in recent weeks. First, we’ve seen the best of who we can be. I’m not a winter sports enthusiast, but I’ve been captivated by the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. I love to watch the competition and see athletes who’ve trained so long and so hard do their very best.  Sometimes they win a medal, and sometimes they don’t. Regardless, they teach us that focus, practice, and more practice are keys to fulfilling our dreams and finding our passion in life.

I’ve been moved by the stories of athletes who’ve overcome injuries and obstacles to get to the Olympics and compete for the love of their sport and their country. U.S. alpine skier Bode Miller won his first gold medal in the men’s super combined this year after competing in 2002 and 2006. U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn won gold in the women’s downhill after dealing with a leg injury. Many of the athletes and their families from around the world have made sacrifices just to get to the Olympic Games.

For all of the joy of the 2010 Olympics, another story from the sports world challenges us to look at ourselves for the ways we fall short of being our best. It was late last year when golfer Tiger Woods was found to have had extra-marital affairs. In a speech last week, Woods made a public confession of his behavior and public apology to his wife, family, and fans. He claimed full responsibility for his actions.

Here are some of his words: “I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in. I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled. Thanks to money and fame, I didn’t have to go far to find them.”

“I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife’s family, my friends, my foundation and kids all around the world who admired me.”

It’s easy for us to point fingers at Woods and focus on his terrible behavior, but each of us has sin in our lives.  Woods’ sin is public because of his fame and fortune, but we stand in need of forgiveness just as much as he does. Perhaps our sin isn’t the same as his, but anything that separates us from God is sin. Anything that keeps us from being what God intends for us to be is sin.

And it’s interesting that we deal with these examples of the best and the worst just as we’re entering into the season of Lent (the 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays).  This is time to hold up a mirror to our lives and see how we’re doing according to God’s call on us. Are we following God or going our own way? Have we strayed from what God calls us to be as spouses, parents, children, friends, and neighbors? Are we willing to admit to God, to ourselves, and to others that we have messed up? Are we ready to seek true forgiveness?

When we put our trust in God through Jesus Christ, we have hope to overcome whatever it is that separates us from God. Jesus was very clear about his purpose: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).  And Paul, who struggled with his own sin, offered great hope: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5: 8). Friends, there is Good News for us, even when we struggle: we are loved, cared for, and redeemed by God when we offer God all that we are.

So, enjoy these Olympics and the moments of triumph that we see there. And, when you see people struggle, whether it’s someone famous or not, remember that we all stand in need of God’s grace and forgiveness. God calls us to be our best every day!

If you don’t have a church home, join us on Sunday mornings at Cedar Springs UMC.  If you’ve been away from church for a while, consider getting back to church. I invite you to worship with us this Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. We share the warmth and hope of Jesus Christ!

Pastor Mary Ivanov
Cedar Springs United Methodist
140 S. Main, Cedar Springs

The high ground has always been an important practical and tactical advantage. During a flood, livestock and people will seek to escape the rising waters by moving to higher ground.  In a tactical sense, many military operations require the taking and holding of the high ground. .

During WWII, US Marines stormed ashore on Iwo Jima (February 19, 1945). Holding this particular island was imperative in order to have a forward air base for our B-29’s to reach Japan. It took three bitterly fought days to gain the high ground, and nearly a month to take the whole island. Immortalized in pictures, statues and stamps is the image of the Marines raising the Stars & Stripes on top of Mt. Suribachi on February 22, 1945.

Two thousand years ago, the high ground was again the focus of attention as an assembly gathered to watch the raising of another symbol of freedom. The crucifixion of Jesus Christ brought to a close the condemnation of the Law and the revelation of God’s grace. Among Jesus last words were those which remind us that a conclusion has been reached, “…it is finished.” In a short period of time, we move from a picture of hopelessness to unbounded joy and hope in the resurrected Jesus!

John reminds us, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). No other words, nor historical events have ever brought so much hope to the hopeless. While I can appreciate all who have given their last full measure to ensure my freedom as an American, only Christ can ensure my eternal freedom (Romans 10:9).

Pastor Jim Howard
First Baptist Church
233 S. Main, Cedar Springs

Next Sunday is Valentine’s Day, which of course is recognized as the National Day of Love. Sweethearts will grow closer together. There will be cards given, flowers and candy and other gifts exchanged. All of these are designed to show someone that they are loved. It is a fun day and it is good to have that special someone to love and someone special to love you. But in thinking of the theme of love I had some thoughts I wanted to share.

First, there is the love of family. Thank God we have the haven of family life. Thank God there is a love flowing between husbands and wives and parents and children. The family unit has been designated by God as the very basic unit in society and we need families that love one another. In these days when there are enemies trying to tear families apart, let’s all commit to doing our best to have strong families. Let’s build households of faith and love.

Second, there is the love among fellow Christians. When we come to faith in Christ, we find that we have a spiritual family. We find new brothers and sisters in Christ. Some of them have different ethnic and racial backgrounds or are from different cultures, but that makes no difference, because we are part of the same spiritual family. There must be love in that family. We must care for one another; we must help one another; we must lift one another. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.” That love reaches out and cares.

Third, there is the love of God. All of these other loves are based upon this one.

My Bible tells me that God is Love. My Bible tells me that God loved me so much that He gave His only Son to die for me, so that I might be made free from sin. And now every day He loves me and cares for me and helps me. As the songwriter said, “O love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong.” What great love that is.

As you think of love this week, I hope you will be reminded of these three loves. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pastor Knox Bullock
Pilgrim Bible Church
361 Pine Street, Cedar Springs

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. (Ecc. 3:1-8)

What time is it? I remember when I was traveling to different countries for Amway, I always made sure that I learned this phrase in several languages. The problem is that there is more than one answer to this question. First of all there is the 12 hr clock and the 24 hour clock, so 8 o clock isn’t always 8 o clock, sometimes it is 20. Then there are the time zones because it is not the same time all around the world. If you call someone in Sydney and ask what time it is you will get a different answer from a caller in Istanbul, Turkey. Then on top of that there is or is not daylight savings time. Ho’ boy, asking what time it is can be confusing. At least I know what year it is—then again, maybe not.

For some of us this is 2010 but this month many others are going to celebrate 4704, the Chinese New Year. The Chinese calendar, like the Hebrew, is a combined solar/lunar calendar. It is not surprising that a few similarities exist between the Chinese and the Hebrew calendar. First, determine the dates for the new moons. Here, a new moon is the completely “black” moon (that is, when the moon is in conjunction with the sun), not the first visible crescent used in the Islamic and Hebrew calendars. The date of a new moon is the first day of a new month. Secondly, determine the dates when the sun’s longitude is a multiple of 30 degrees. So maybe knowing the year is not that easy. It all depends on your perspective.

As the ancient writers of Ecclesiastes remind us, there is a time or season for everything under heaven. God does not wear a watch or look at a calendar because He is timeless or as one person said God is always in the present. Time changes and the year is uncertain but we can put our trust in Him for all time and for all the seasons of our lives. Speaking of trust, according to the Chinese this is the Year of the tiger.

Pastor Herb Vanderbilt
East Nelson United Methodist
9024 18 Mile Rd, Cedar Springs

Job 1:20,21: “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’”
It is easy to worship God when things are going well.  We have no problem praising the Lord when the paychecks are steady, the bills are paid, the refrigerator is full, and our bodies are healthy. But, when life throws a curveball at us, worshipping the Lord becomes a little harder. Our natural response is to question God, and ask Him why all these bad things are happening to us, and unfortunately many times we become so preoccupied with what is going on in our life that we neglect to worship God. Sadly we become conditional worshippers. We may not audibly say it, but the message we send to God is that we will worship Him as long as everything is going well, but as soon as life doesn’t go the way we planned, our worship becomes conditional.
In Job, we find the well-known story of a man named Job. The Bible says that Job was blameless and upright, and that he was the greatest of all the people of the east. Satan is given permission to test Job, and in chapter one we read the account of Job losing everything. All of his donkeys (500), camels (3,000) and oxen (500) were taken by force, all of his sheep were consumed with fire (7,000), all but four of his servants were murdered, and all of his children were killed when the wind blew the four corners right out of their house. Job lost everything! In verse 20 we are told that Job’s response was one of worship. In the midst of losing everything, when he could have grown bitter, angry, or resentful towards God, we find Job falling down on his face and worshipping God saying, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” What in the world could possibly have driven Job to worship at a time like this?  Why wasn’t he angry with God? Why didn’t he begin to question God?
Job understood a fundamental truth that we all would do well to remember when life isn’t going the way we wish it would. Job knew that the nature, character and worthiness of God was not dependent upon his circumstances.  He knew that regardless of what was happening in his life, God was still God, and God still deserved to be worshipped, after all, He alone is worthy of worship.  Job could have allowed his circumstances to cloud his view of who God was but he didn’t.  He chose to focus on what he knew to be true about God—that whatever life may bring, God still deserved to be praised. And his response was “Blessed be the name of the LORD!”
We are all living in the same, fallen, sinful world. Things don’t always go the way we think they should. But we must remember, that no matter what is going on in our life, God is still the same. He has promised to never change, and He is still worthy of our worship.  Don’t let the circumstances of your life place conditions on your worship. No matter what is going on today, take some time to stop and worship our great God!  Blessed be his name!

Pastor Kevin Reed
Grace Evangelical Free Church
4714 13 Mile Road, Rockford

As the new year rolled in, I was spending some time alone in my home with the Lord. As the clock stroked midnight, the thought “Out with the old, in with the new” came into my mind. On the surface, it appeared as a very simple statement. We may not always understand at first, but in time, if spoken by the Lord, the Holy Spirit will bring clarity to our hearts.
John says in Revelation 21:1-5, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”
According to the Scriptures, in the “new order” of God that comes to permanently dwell with man, there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. This brings great hope and joy for all those who know Christ. No longer a visitation, but a permanent indwelling within the prepared bride.
The writer of Hebrews 9:7-10 also speaks to us concerning the “new order.” He states concerning the ritual of the high priest on the Day of Atonement when he entered with the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies that they were merely fulfilling “external regulations applying until the time of the new order.”
The Greek for “new order” is “diorthosis.” In a physical sense, it signifies “a making straight, restoring to its natural and normal condition something which in some way protrudes or has gotten out of line, as broken or misshapen limbs.” This aptly applies to the church in America. Somewhere along the line we got “out of line.” We are broken. We now call church that which is not church, and a Christian that which is not anywhere near what the Scriptures call a Christian. The truth of God has been replaced with more “user friendly” terms.
The good news is that “the period of restoration of all things” spoken of in Acts 3:21 has begun. The Lord is restoring that which His enemies have altered. He always has the last word.
May we be like the elderly Simeon and Anna in Luke 2:25-38 who were “looking for the redemption of Israel.” The word “looking for” means “to await with confidence or patience, to expect the fulfillment of promises.” I pray that we have the same heart, not missing what is about to take place. As the Lord spoke, it’s time, “Out with the old, in with the new.”

Pastor Tim Bauer
Capstone Ministries

“That isn’t fair!” (Sounds familiar doesn’t it?) How many times have we heard these words, and even uttered them ourselves? Those of us who are parents or grandparents  are so fortunate to be instructed in so many ways, what is fair and what isn’t. And of course we know that everything in life isn’t fair, but our heavenly Father is just and fair in everything.

So here’s the predicament we face; God is good, but life isn’t fair! In fact, to borrow a term that we all can understand, sometimes things that happen in our lives stink—disease, death, broken relationships, just to name a few.  I’m sure that we all could come up with things in our life that aren’t fair. We are living in a day of high anxiety, with so many concerns about the future within our family and within our country, the economy and jobs, our children and parents, our health, wars and terrorism, and so much of our future is beyond our control.

The bible has multiple examples of suffering right from the beginning to end, such as  Adam and Eve’s pain when one of their sons murdered the other, Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers, the sufferings of Job, the persecution of the prophets, all the way to the book of Revelation. The sufferings of God’s people are more than we could cover in this article today, but we know that  Jesus told us “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)

One thing is certain; injustice, pain and suffering, and unfair treatment by others is a major part of scripture. What we see in our lives as unfair or unjust generally produces something that will help us grow as Christians, as scripture tells us of Joseph’s account to his brothers. “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

It is doubtful that Joseph knew when he was going through his tribulations, exactly what God had in mind for him, and neither did Job, nor the prophets. Jesus knew the suffering that was appointed for his future but he went to the cross anyway, and today he knows our future, too. Peter writes “… Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, will make you perfect, stablish, strengthen and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10b). This is where our hope for the future is, with Jesus Christ the one who suffered beyond our ability to understand.

We look at unfair circumstances and wonder “how long?” We may not understand but God always does. God doesn’t need to wear a wrist watch nor does he need a calendar to keep track of time. He is not limited by time; God is never surprised by anything. One thing we will never hear God say is, “Oops, I didn’t see that coming.”  We are told by scripture, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God has done a lot of thinking and planning for your future, in fact, a whole lot more than you have or ever will. The truth is that some people seem to get dealt a bad hand in life, and that isn’t fair, but God is! So when life presents us with injustice, let’s put our trust in the one who can make all things perfect, in his time; the one on whom we can cast all our cares because he cares for us; the one who said “Yea, I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

Pastor Richard Nichols
Cedar Creek Community Church
2969 14 Mile Rd NE, Sparta

“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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” Heb 12:1-2 (NIV).
Well, here we are again standing on the verge of entering a New Year, a time when we often reflect on the past, and ponder the future. A time when we are hopeful that 2010 will bring with it blessings and happiness and many other things that did not exist, nor were experienced in 2009. However, we also often find ourselves questioning what difference does another year bring? What is such a big deal about a New Year? Why will it be any different than the last one? The truth is, not much, if I carry with us the same old attitudes, discouragements and disappointments of the previous year. Proverbs tells me, “As man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Meaning we are what we think! So, what are your thoughts for the New Year?
I have shared this verse in Hebrews because I find it gives some great insights into looking toward the future. First, it reminds us that we are not alone. Notice that the writer encourages us with the fact that there is great number of witnesses. The witnesses here are spoken of in chapter 11. They were men and women of faith, who, like us, faced challenges of many kinds. Yet, they continued to move forward in faith and hope. The thought of knowing I am never the only one and that many others have gone before encourages me to look to the future with hope. The implication here is also that others are encouraging us to keep going, don’t give up.
Secondly, we are encouraged to “throw off’ everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us. Notice it says throw off everything that hinders. Not just the sin, but anything else that may hinder our ability to move forward in faith and hope. What is hindering you from thinking different in 2010? What is hindering you from believing this year will be different? Are they broken relationships, past disappointments, maybe even past successes? Whatever they are, we are encouraged to “throw them off.” Remove them! Get rid of them! If it is some sin, we must do the same. Interesting enough, the biggest sin I find I must “throw off” is that of my doubt and unbelief. Those negative thoughts that are contrary to God’s thoughts. The ones that say, “this year will not be any different.”  Or “you will always struggle with your drinking, your marriage will always have problems, and your children will never give their life to Christ. You will always be a worry wart; you will never know real peace.”
According to Hebrews 12, notice the goal of these thoughts. They are designed to discourage us and get us the quit the race of faith, to just stop the race of faith and say, “I am done trusting he can make my life and circumstances different. Stop hoping and trusting Him altogether.” You may remember the old saying, “quitters never win and winners never quit.” Keep trusting the Lord in 2010. Keep believing His plans for you are to prosper you and not to harm you. God’s plans are always designed to give you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11).
Lastly, how do we do this when things right now are the same? Fix your eyes on Jesus!  Another translation says, “Looking” unto Jesus. This means, we realize that He and He alone is our answer.  He can and will still do miracles in our lives. He still answers prayers and provides for our every need.  So, we continue to look to Him as we enter the New Year. Why? Because He is the author and the perfector of our faith. He started this ability of ours to trust and have hope.  Therefore, He will sustain it and complete it in us, if we will just keep running the race in 2010.  So, “throw off” the hindrances of 2009 and enter 2010 with hope and faith that greater days are ahead.

Pastor Craig Carter
North Kent Community Church
1480 Indian Lakes Rd., Sparta, MI 49345
Church Office (616) 887-2478
Service Time: Sunday’s @ 10:00am – Nursery & Children’s Ministry provided.

My family and I savored some 3-D delights of the recently released animated version of A Christmas Carol on its opening day. My children, being fans of Jim Carey’s farcical talents, and I, a lover of stories I knew as a kid, discovered a new ritual to prep us for the Christmas season, like the first snowfall of December. The movie was itself the “…scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmas’ long, long ago” about which we sing every year.

I was personally moved by the film’s images of Christmas Eve as a wildly festive occasion full of dance and drink and food and friends. The grand event erupted upon the creaky floors of an accountant’s shop where Ebenezer once worked as a young man, tucked among the cold alleys of 19th century London. And it struck me immediately, “Why do we no longer celebrate like that? What could others see as they peered through the windows of my own living room on a Christmas Eve yet to come? My wife loves to dance, so why don’t we on this most amazing of nights?” Maybe it was the ghost of Christmas future that got me thinking.

It being the Eve of the greatest day of the year, I remind you that tonight the darkness of Advent is pierced by the light of Christmas, the light that is Jesus himself. The “mourning of exile” (O Come Immanuel) is finally met with rejoicing. The waiting and anticipation are overcome with enduring joy and celebration. Tonight is that night! Tonight begins a jubilation (or “Whobilation” if you’re a little green person who lives on a snowflake) unlike any other!

A contemporary writer tells of the scenes that unfolded long ago on May 8, 1945. First from Paris, then London, the home footage of thousands of joyful faces pouring onto streets throughout Europe to celebrate the end of the war. Hitler was dead, and Nazi Germany turned back. VE (Victory in Europe) Day broke out as a mass of “celebrations so utterly unscripted and purely joyful” by people who had every reason to do so. “Soldiers kissed by young girls, champagne corks popping, aircraft flying in formation overhead, elderly folks and children all waving small flags, people dancing, laughing, and weeping. The raucous party was enough to bring a lump to your throat and tears to your eyes.”

Caught up in the busyness of our holiday culture, on top of an already full life of struggles and skirmishes and disappointments, we forget that the “war” will one day end. In a life where it seems always to be winter but Christmas never comes (C.S. Lewis), indeed it does! Tonight we sing the songs of freedom, hope, joy, peace, and love—all from, through, and to a God who has secured victory. Tonight at midnight I will take in the great occasion at the cathedral of St Francis downtown Grand Rapids where the bells will sound the victory of God with us—“Immanuel.”

At the same time, we must also know that tonight is but a prelude; one day Jesus will return, but then in far different fashion (Revelation 19-22). Salvation and power will be established, the Kingdom of our God, the authority of His Messiah! (Revelation 12.) Tonight ushers us to the great party that is Christmas, and Christmas points us to the great celebration we will know at the return of Jesus.

So, celebrate well this “Opening Night” of God’s grand story. And if you’re going to dance, be sure to invite my wife and me.

Pastor Chad Wight,
The Journey Church
chad@thejourneychurch.net