Pastor Jim Alblas
Pioneer Christian Reformed Church
3110 17 Mile Rd, Cedar Springs

In the coming weeks many of us will be quite busy. At this time of year some of us might find ourselves spending a great deal of time (and money) getting those last minute Christmas gifts for loved ones. Others, who manage to avoid the busyness of the stores, may find themselves busy in the kitchen preparing snacks and meals for family get togethers. Still others will spend lengthy stretches of time traveling in town or out of town to family functions, Christmas programs and New Years Eve parties. Andy Williams tells us in his classic song that this is the most wonderful time of the year, and the Christmas season certainly has its share of joy. But it can also be a rather hectic time. In light of this, I’ve written a poem that I hope will be helpful to you and will keep things in perspective during the sometimes overwhelming Christmas season.
When in December
When as you scrape the frost off your car and feel the cold in your face
and come to realize, you’ve just a few minutes to get to the workplace.
When there’s still gifts to be bought and cards to be sent
but you’re still trying to find the money for the monthly rent.
When the kids want you to help build the snow man and this year they want him with feet!
but your struggling to find time just to put those Christmas Cookies on the baking sheet.
When the dog needs to be walked and the tree still needs to be put up
and all the while you receive a call from a telemarketer who says “What’s up?”
When the Christmas play is at 6 and the Caroling is at 8
and your teenaged son wants the keys so he can go on his date.
When the busyness of this season, has you at wits end
Remember, our heavenly father and the Gift He did send.
When the days are cold and our windows full of frost
Remember Immanuel, God is with us; we’re never lost!
When the bills start to mount and we wonder how we’ll pay
Remember, that the Lord always makes a way.
When we start to lose our joy and can barely even talk
Turn your eyes to the one whose known as the Solid Rock.
When there’s much to do and not enough hours in the day
Never worry, because to Him we can always pray.
And in the sometimes hectic and pressure-filled December days
Always remember, by your side God always stays.

chad@thejourneychurch.net

I stood with a quiet gaze. Darkness swallowed dim light. Snow fell lonely. My eyes affixed to the child, broken momentarily by each bump of bodies pressing for a closer look. I furrowed my brow in suspicion. Dare I consider the immeasurable folded into human proportions, infinity fit in an envelop of skin, omniscience contracted to a central nervous system? Had God come once before, still leaving so much to do? The poor, the sick, the outcast and the oppressed; the righteous who pity them, and the powerful who exploit them.
An elderly woman stooped low to the child who drew my mind to wondering. Known by her prayers for His return, and her own likeness to Him in her service of the poor, she often gathered with a church on the outskirts of town. She had lived her life believing, truly, that God once smelled the scent of a mother’s milk, heard the lowing of ox and donkey, had once seen the far corners of the universe, yet blinked in a barn’s dim shadows. And now, she had come to visit, and this living nativity hushed in wait.
She quietly cried, “Now that you are with us we have but one question.” The child smiled as if to know already what it would be. “Tell us, Christ child, when will you arrive?” My mouth grew crooked with confusion. Only now, year’s later, do I understand her inquiry.
Philosophers and theologians ask what it means for someone to be with us. Does desire arise insofar as what we desire is absent? Or do we long for the arrival of someone only when that person has turned up? What if the presence of someone is precisely that which makes us yearn so deeply for them?
When we meet our beloved we will often feel that we were always looking for that person, that we were incomplete without them. The lover is one whose heart proclaims, “I had no need of you before I met you, but now I know I always needed you.” That being the case, our desire is not satisfied by the arrival of our beloved, but rather born there.
The people we meet are an interior world of infinite proportions, and how much more Him who constructed infinity. People we have known all our lives remain a mystery, even to themselves. Therefore, when the one we love arrives, we experience this person simultaneously as one who is still to come, not despite their presence but because of it. Thus, in the Incarnation, the mystery of God is deepened. In this Child, the mystery is not unmasked, but rather dwells with us, in our midst.
The God who has walked dusty roads and drank dark wine, has stroked the heads of children and touched the sores of lepers, has torn apart loaves and fish and overturned our tables of religiosity, has fingered words in the dirt and been kissed by our most reviled—this Child who comes to us in fragile frame testifies to our God’s absence, to the fact that He is always arriving. Our God is near and far in that, being infinite, we will never discover the last thing there is to know about Him. He has no limit. “Grant us, Lord, to know more of You.”
He made His dwelling among us that night (John 1:14), and by the cries of an elderly lady, I have begun, truly, to see His glory.

By Rev. Tom Holloway, Senior pastor
Solon Center Wesleyan Church
15671 Algoma, Cedar Springs
(just north of 19 Mile)

Do you have any expectations for the Christmas season this year? Does your family have any traditions at Christmas? Many people use the day after Thanksgiving for the tradition of rising early and battling the other shoppers at the big box stores for the hopes of a new TV, I-Pad 2, or some other electronic gadget at a bargain basement price.  I have to admit to doing some shopping on “Black Friday” this year, and though I didn’t get up early and wait in lines at 3:00 a.m., I must admit I have done it in the past and I really like watching that TV!
Our family has some other traditions that we like to do every Christmas, and one of them includes going out to a local tree farm and cutting down our Christmas tree on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Some times when we do this the weather is warm, and sometimes it’s cold, and when we’re lucky there is snow on the ground. This year it was both unseasonably warm and dry. It didn’t start raining until after we had gotten the tree loaded up on top of the minivan, and got on the road. But now it’s up, lit, and decorated, and it looks awesome!
These are the traditions, and the expectations that are a joy to me. I must admit that I have a certain level of expectation when it comes to the Christmas season, and when all of my expectations are met life is good. However, I have found that often times my expectations go unmet. Sometimes life just gets in the way, and what I would expect and anticipate doesn’t always happen. I, like you, have had Christmas seasons that I would like to forget. Losing a loved one close to Christmas can make the season that I love the most very difficult. Unfortunately, I have lost two grandparents very close to Christmas, and those years were not filled with joy, but rather sorrow.
When we read the Christmas story from Luke, we meet some characters in the Bible.  One of them is Jesus’ mother, Mary. Mary has some expectations in her life. She is engaged to a man named Joseph. Joseph is from the family line of King David, the most powerful King in Israel’s history. The Messiah would come from this family line, and when Mary gets a visit from the angel Gabriel, she finds out that her expectations are about to change.
28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
When met with some unexpected news, Mary reacts in a way that many of us would, she is “greatly troubled.” Wouldn’t we all be? When we find out that our lives are going to change, and that our expectations are going to be altered, we are usually greatly troubled. It happens when we lose a job; when we receive bad news about an illness; when we lose a loved one; when we are downsized, etc. Life can throw us some real curveballs.
Gabriel gives Mary the best news though, because he tells her that God is with her. Life is going to change for Mary and Joseph; it will be difficult to deal with the news of this miraculous birth, because people will question the validity of it. People will question Mary’s character. Joseph will have to be brave.  Life is going to change and be more difficult, but even through it all, God will be with them.
So you might have some unexpected news this Christmas, and life may get altered. Life might throw you a curveball you didn’t see coming. But Jesus is there for you, and He’s not in the manger—He is with you to walk you through life’s difficulties. Expect and anticipate great things this Christmas season. As the angel tells Joseph, “Immanuel” means God with us!

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

“Thanks!”  I say this word more times than I can count in one day.  I write it on notes and type it many times as I finish an E-mail message.  It’s become a standard “sign-off” for us, but I was struck by some verses from First Thessalonians 5:16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (New International Version)
16 Always be joyful. 17Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (New Living Translation)
16-18Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. (The Message)
These verses come from the end of a letter to the early church, probably one of the earliest writings in the New Testament (50’s AD).  The apostle Paul is writing to a congregation that he formed on his missionary journey to Thessalonica, and these words come at the close of his letter—advice from a church leader to other followers of Jesus Christ.
The call to be joyful, pray, and give thanks is not so surprising.  These are a part of Christian character and practice, but the instructions on how and how often are powerful!  We can’t just be joyful in the Lord when we feel like it—when life is going great for us. Our joy is deeper than our circumstances. We don’t pray just when we “need to,”when there’s a specific situation that drives us to ask God for help. Prayer is a gift of God that keeps us connected to God and to people around us.  And we don’t just give thanks on one particular Thursday in November.  Giving thanks is a way to live “in all circumstances.”
Perhaps you’ve heard verse 18 misquoted before. I’ve heard it read: “give thanks for all circumstances…” but that’s not the right word or the spirit of the Scripture!  That small word makes a big difference! God’s Word doesn’t call us to give thanks for the difficulties we face or the struggles we have, but to give thanks and recognize God’s presence in the midst of all of life.
So whatever you might be doing this Thanksgiving Day—whether sitting around a large table with family or friends, cooking for one or two, recovering from surgery or illness, grieving losses and missing loved ones, feeling overwhelmed with blessings, or not quite in the holiday spirit—know that the call to “give thanks” isn’t limited to one day. It’s a call on our life to show our faith in God who walks with us on every step of the journey. Giving thanks in all circumstances is a powerful witness to God’s presence and power in our lives and in the world!
If you don’t have a church home or have been away for a while, every day is the perfect time to get reconnected! Consider getting back to church or trying it out for the first time during this season of Thanksgiving leading up to Christmas. I invite you to worship with us this Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.  We also have a special Bible study beginning this Sunday, November 27 at 10:15 a.m. called “The Journey” where we’ll learn more about the people and places surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ.  We share the love and hope of Jesus Christ!

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

Over the years I have come to appreciate the time that I spent with my grandparents as a small child and then as a young adult. I have many precious memories of the things that were said and the things that were done. It has been said that certain smells or odors will bring back the most vivid of memories, and I believe that it is true.
I recall as a small child going to grandma and grandpa’s dairy farm when I was just knee high to a grasshopper. It was during the winter, and in those days the snow seemed to be so much deeper than what we get today. I had gotten up early with grandpa to go out and do the milking. As we left the house by way of the garage I can remember the sound of the screen door slamming behind us, and then watching as grandpa struggled with the storm door as he pushed the snow in getting it open. Imagine my glee as a small child when I saw all that beautiful white snow.
Grandpa stepped out and headed for the barn calling for me to follow. I took two steps and suddenly realized that I could go no further. I was trying to step into the tracks left by my grandpa, but his steps were too far apart for me to follow. Several yards from the garage, grandpa looked back and realized my dilemma. He immediately came back and began taking much smaller steps in order for me to follow. It took grandpa twice as long to reach the barn, and I have never forgotten that experience or that lesson.
My grandpa left me a heritage of experiences and memories that will last my whole life. Whether he knew it or not, he was teaching that young lad lessons that would be passed on from generation to generation.
Timothy (2 Tim. 3: 14-17) was another who did not forget his heritage. The Apostle Paul praised Timothy for continuing in the faith, for taking to heart the lessons learned as a child and then in turn, sharing those lessons and experiences with others.
Many of you who are reading these words are already reminiscing about your own experiences with parents and grandparents. The lessons learned at the knee of someone respected and honored will stay with you your entire life through.
The substance of that heritage and the truth of the Word must also be shared with the younger generation. The children and young people of our communities are growing up without an accurate understanding of what life is all about. The end result of the instruction received by Timothy from his mother (Eunice) and his grandmother (Lois) was wisdom and salvation (2 Tim. 3: 15b). Knowledge is not synonymous with wisdom. Knowing your Bible is not enough! It requires faith in the God of the Bible (Eph. 2:8-9)!
The accumulation of head knowledge will mean very little without the practical application process. Children learn very early the difference between sincerity and hypocrisy. Teach how to live and live what you teach!
Being a parent and grandparent is one of the greatest privileges on earth. What a tremendous responsibility and opportunity to train the next generation of leaders. Don’t abdicate your privilege. Dare to make a difference just as Eunice and Lois did!

Pastor Mike Shiery
Pilgrim Bible Church

As Thanksgiving Day looms in our near future, it is a fitting time to stop and examine the depth of our gratitude. In spite of the many challenges that we face as a nation and even in our individual lives, we are a people blessed beyond measure. In spite of the terrorist threats, the economic decline, the corruption of many government officials, the protests in our streets, and the general uncertainty of the future, a large percentage of the world’s population would quickly trade places with us if given the opportunity.
However, despite our liberties, opportunities, material blessings, and technological advancements, we are long on our demands, vociferous in our complaints, and deficient in our thanksgiving and gratitude.
It was a common practice in Old Testament times, for people who were distraught over bad news to publicly display their dismay by tearing their clothes and dumping ashes on their head. They would put on close of mourning. It was referred to as “sitting in sackcloth and ashes.” These unfortunate souls would weep and wail and complain about their lot in life. They were not pleasant to be around during those moments.
The antidote for that is recorded in Isaiah 61:3 where we read that God gives His people the “garment of praise” (NKJV). The Apostle Paul exemplified this verse. Wherever Paul went, he appeared in “the garment of praise.” Some people, if they ever wear thankfulness at all, wear it only when everything is going right in their life. As long as they have their health, there is excess money in the bank account, they get a raise at work, they have a new car, and they can go on vacation, they will deign to offer a few morsels of gratitude. When adversity strikes their life, gratitude becomes a forgotten virtue.
Paul refused to live on such a low level. Flowing continually through his writings are exhortations to thanksgiving and gratitude. Time and space do not permit us to list them all here, but let me share just a few.
“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 1:3 NKJV
“Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” Colossians 1:12 NKJV
“…abounding in the faith with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7 NKJV
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17 NKJV
“Continue earnestly in prayer; being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2 NKJV
“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” Philippians 4:11 NKJV
That last verse is amazing given the challenges Paul faced in his life. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 give a vivid description of unpleasant moments in Paul’s ministry. He was beaten with whips and rods, stoned, shipwrecked, almost drowned, faced robbers, hunted by religious and secular leaders, betrayed by supposed friends, endured severe cold, lack of food, and battled exhaustion and insomnia. Yet, his writings are filled with praise and thanksgiving and not personal gripes and complaints.
Let‘s endeavor to be people of gratitude, not just at this Thanksgiving season, but every day of our lives. As the poet once said so eloquently: “O Lord, forgive me when I whine, I’m blessed indeed and the world is mine.”

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

“Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers; flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations, it can never be moved.
You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them” Psalm 104:1-8.
When we talk about creation in the Bible, many people think that we are automatically talking about the story in Genesis 1 but this is not the only place in the Bible we learn about creation. Psalm 104 is one of the many “creation” writings attributed to David. In fact, not only do these Psalms echo the Genesis story but they are in an art form that in some ways is even more graphic than the depiction we see in the first chapter of the Holy Book.  My wife and I strolled through the streets of Grand Rapids looking at some of the over 1500 creations that have been entered into Art Prize 2011. Each piece is unique and reveals something that the artist sees or feels. Some of the entries have the artist present and many are willing to talk about their work and explain the meaning.  This is a special treat, getting to know the artist and their creation. They are often very passionate about their work and it shows.  The passion of the artist in Psalm 104 also comes through the verses that are rich in color and feeling. This is truly a piece of art of the highest quality. Many of the pieces of art in Grand Rapids will be scattered a long way far from here, but the collection of the Psalms we have with us as long as Bibles are printed. Sometimes God seems to be far away and distant but when we read a Psalm like 104 once again the creator touches our heart and mind, once again he, like creation itself is real again.

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

“…Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant… …Just as the son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Matthew 20:26,28 (NIV).
There is an old song that we used to sing in Sunday school, and the words went something like this, “If you wanna be great in God’s kingdom, you gotta be a servant of all…” It is a catchy tune and still all these years later I remember it.  But lately I have been asking myself the question, “Do I believe it?” It is easy to sing about being a servant, it is harder to become one. It’s easy to quote the Bible verses where Jesus tells us to be a servant, but it’s harder to live them. It’s easy to praise Jesus for his selfless act of becoming a servant as mentioned in Philippians 2:5-11 (take the time to read it), but it’s harder to follow his example as we are commanded to in the beginning of that passage.
To serve others is a great idea, and we all believe it needs to be done, but at the core of our being we would much rather be served than serve, and therein lies the dilemma. Our society tells us to do what makes us feel good, well that is to let others serve us, while our Savior tells us to do that which goes against everything we feel, and that is to forego our perceived “right” to be served and use our lives to serve others. As Children of the Most High, this is a crossroads that we are faced with everyday. Whom are we going to follow? Whom are we going to listen to today? After all, being a “servant” seems so dirty, so low, so unamazing. Why would anyone want to voluntarily do that?
I would like to encourage you today that in becoming a servant we have the privilege of showing other people Jesus, and shouldn’t that be our number one goal as children of God? You see, it was Jesus who came to this earth and deserved the “red-carpet” treatment. He deserved to be worshiped, but the Bible tells us that he chose to serve rather than be served. There are enough people (Christians and nonChristians alike) in this world who want to be served, but there are few true servants who have realized that only in serving others do I have the privilege of showing them the greatest servant of all, Jesus.  And friends, may I propose to you that the world needs to start seeing less of God’s children and more of Jesus! The only way we can accomplish this is by being a servant, because only in becoming a servant can we reflect to this world our Savior! Think about it—who can you show Jesus to today?

Pastor Craig T. Owens
Calvary Assembly of God
810 17 Mile Rd, Cedar Springs
www.cscalvary.org

On Friday morning all around Cedar Springs, people will force themselves out of bed by saying, “T.G.I.F.—thank God it’s Friday!” But why not change that to this: T.G.I.T. – Thank god it’s today!
I did a quick search in my Bible concordance, and I noticed something very telling. The word today appears 203 times; as opposed to tomorrow, which only appears 56 times. The word now shows up nearly 1200 times; but later only appears 83 times. In God’s eyes, clearly today is the day, and now is the time. T.G.I.T. – Thank god it’s today!
In the Old Testament Moses wrote a song about T.G.I.T. It’s in Psalm 90: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:12, 14, 17 New International Version).
So make today and everyday T.G.I.T. – Thank god it’s today!
Do something memorable today… do something life-altering today… do something kind for someone today… do something for God today and He will establish the work of your hands.
I love the words of Mother Teresa: “Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is a beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is life, fight for it!”
Here’s to a great today! T.G.I.T.!

Tim Bauer, Capstone ministries

Psalm 22:16-18 declares the very words of Jesus while suffering on the cross. He says that “dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet… They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”
These prophetic words speak of evildoers surrounding Him at Calvary. The Hebrew word for “divide” in verse 18 is “chalaq.” It means “to divide, to be smooth, to be slippery, to flatter, to be deceitful.” This same band of evildoers surrounds Him today . Through their smooth and flattering speech, these deceitful teachers divide the church, piercing His Body.
They are the ones described in Daniel 11:32 who, by “smooth words turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant…” The Hebrew for “smooth words” in this passage is “chalaqqah”, which is taken from “chalaq”. It is defined as “flattery, smoothness, fine promises.” Through fine sounding arguments (Colossians 2:4) these deceived teachers persuade those with a divided heart in the Body of Christ to turn away from the truth.
Those who fall away are the ones who “act wickedly toward the covenant” they have entered into with Christ, leaving an open doorway in their hearts for Satan’s seductions. Those who violate the holy covenant through rebellion and disobedience are corrupted, soiled, and polluted by adherence to the smooth talk (flattery) of Satan’s liars, his false prophets.
The opposite reaction is found in the rest of verse 32 of those who walk in obedience to the covenant. It says, “but the people who know their God will display strength and take action.” Recognizing a wolf in sheep’s clothing, they will rise up in great courage and strength of heart, firmly resisting these wicked men.
Paul warns the believers in Romans 16:17-18 saying, “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions (“disunion”) and put obstacles (“snares, traps”) in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”
We are exhorted to watch for those who cause disunion in our midst, causing others to stumble and fall away from obedience to God’s revealed truth, and turn away from them. These people usually like to be first. They want to be the one in authority.
II Timothy 3:13 says, “But evil men (“evildoers”) and impostors (“a seducer, deceiver”) will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” Their seducing spells divide the Lord’s people, removing their covering. The leaven of falsehood has leavened the church in America. The Lord is dealing with this issue by exposing them in order for us to separate from them before His judgment falls. He is cleansing His bride in preparation for His return.