Category: A Thought From Your Pastor

                                A thought from your Pastor!

If you have ever stepped barefooted on your child’s LEGO® brick in the middle of the night, you have the Hyatt brothers and Ole Kirk Kristiansen to thank. In 1872, the Hyatts, American inventors created the first injection molding process whereby raw material, like plastic, is squeezed into a mold and hardened. Molding: making malleable materials conform to a desired shape. This is the story of Legos.

 It can happen not only with physical material like plastic but with spiritual material like us!

1 John 2:15 (ESV) ¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Romans 12:2 (ESV)  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

It’s why when British Bible translator J. B. Phillips translated Romans 12:2, he put it this way: “Do not let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.” The defense against being molded into the world’s image’? The renewing of the mind.

Again, J. B. Phillips: “But let God re-mold your minds from within.” The result of being “re-molded”? Discovering the “good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Before coming to Christ, our minds are molded to the shape of this world. The renewing of our mind into a Christ-like mind is the doorway to knowing God’s will for a lifetime.

The secret of being molded properly is:

God’s Blessings, Pastor and Carolyn

Thanksgiving:—2020 may be a celebrated a little differently this year because of all of the concerns and all that is going on.

We still need to take time to especially thank our Lord and Savior for what He has done for us.

A thought from your Pastor!

Psalm 95:1-2 (NIV) ¹ Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. ² Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

In America, this Thursday will be Thanksgiving Day. Its roots go back to 1621 when the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in the New World. But it was not until 1863 that it became an official U.S. observance at the initiation of President Abraham Lincoln.

In the most general terms, the way to give thanks was expanded from the Old Testament to the New Testament. In the Old Testament, God was normally thanked “for” things-His works, His attributes, and His blessings Psalm 106:1  Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. While that focus is maintained in the New Testament, it is expanded to giving thanks “in” all things 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

 That is, in all circumstances. We can do that because we know God causes “all things” to work together for our good Romans 8:28 (NIV) we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

So why not do both today?   Give thanks to God for His blessings and give thanks for whatever circumstances you are experiencing. Fill this day with thanksgiving to God.

Psalm 100:1-5  ¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. ² Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. ³ Know that the LORD is God. It is

He who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. ⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Thanksgiving refocuses our attention: Life is filled with distractions that can make it harder to notice all that God has done for us.  Instead of living with the weight of the world on our shoulders, it’s good to try refocusing on the Lord by thanking Him for His faithfulness.

Thanksgiving refocuses our relationship: Gratitude keeps us from thinking that the Christian walk is about us and our needs.  Our fellowship with God is enhanced when we focus on Him.

When we’re overwhelmed, thanking God is probably not on your radar.  But I’ve learned from experience that acknowledging all the Lord had done is a sure way to change attitudes and re-energize

In the Book of Common Prayer (1549 forms of service for daily worship & Sunday worship in England) we read; “Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, thy unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all men.”

Even if our gatherings have to be small and maybe only immediate family, be sure to invite your Heavenly Father and Jesus.  They should be your most honored guests.

Always be on your guard, because satan wants to fool you into thinking that God doesn’t care for you or He is upset with you. Always remember Jesus loves you and wants the best for you.

Don’t’ be like this turkey and let Satan fool you.

God’s Blessings, Pastor and Carolyn

It’s raising its ugly head again!

As most of you know the “Covid Numbers” are getting dangerously high in Illinois again.  We need to wear our masks and social distance.  We also need to stay home as much as possible.  The church will be also closed until at least December.  Please keep praying for God’s guidance.

A thought from your Pastor!

With all this going on I am not fearful.  My God and His Son Jesus are still in control.  I don’t know why He is allowing all this to happen: but I do know that 2 Timothy 1:7  ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  Scripture also tells us that Romans 8:28  ²⁸  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

The one thing that bothers me most about the different churches shutting down is the lack of interest about Jesus and the Word.  Since people don’t go to church regularly and are not feeding on the Word, it seems to me the interest in Jesus is put on the shelf with a lot of Bibles.

I believe now is especially an important period to spend time in the Bible, listen or watch good TV ministries, sing some old Gospel songs at home, take time to pray and praise our Heavenly Father.

Call a friend and tell them what Jesus has done for you.  Send a note to a loved one to encourage and strengthen them.  Copy these verses:

 2 Timothy 1:7  ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  Romans 8:28  ²⁸  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  And put them on your frig or send them to someone you know.

The church may be closed but Jesus is still alive and well.  Take this time to grow in your faith.  Don’t let it become stagnate.  God has given us a tremendous blessing in:

1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV) ⁹  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy..

When too many people are cooling off during this time, let us stand up and be that light to those that we can touch with cards, letters, notes and phone calls.  Satan is still a defeated enemy.  Let’s stand firm in the Word and proclaim it (maybe not on the house tops but there are many other ways God has given us). 

Make a point of praying for each other in our church family to have good health.  Let’s stand together in victory.

Keep smiling and rejoicing; God is still in control!

If you need anything please call.

Blessing to all,

Pastor and Carolyn Steele

Recently, I was mentally walking down memory lane and was thinking about some of the cars I had when I was younger.  My dad had this 1955 Chevy but it was a two door hard top.  When I was old enough to drive, we saw it on the lot and wanted to buy it back.  As we took a closer look, we saw it had been wreaked, repaired, but the red paint did not matching.  So we gave it up.  When I was younger, I was very fussy about my cars and cleaned and polished them quite often.  One other thing I did was read the car manual cover to cover.  I wanted to know how everything worked, what options I had and what I could expect from the car.  But when I got older sometimes I would browse thru the manual (a quick look).  Then it got to the point that I would only look at it when I was in trouble and needed some answers.  It has lost its excitement.

A Thought From Your Pastor!

As I was traveling down that old memory lane about these things, it made me stop and think.  Many times when people become a Christian, they can’t get enough of learning and studying about Jesus.  The Bible is like a book you can’t put down.  When you read the Word, you get excited about the new things you learn.  Just like those car manuals, there are times you find better things to do than read the Bible and it gets left on the shelf (lack of prayer goes hand in hand with that).  The only time you seem to have time for it is when you’re in trouble.  So, you try to find a scripture that will help you (if it doesn’t take too long).  We have a 2014 Chevy and we got the book out the other day and found out we have an option we didn’t know about.

This brings a question to my mind: How much are we missing out in our Christian walk by not taking the time to know our Bibles, cover to cover?  Do we really know our Jesus, our Lord and Savior, our friend that sticks closer than a brother? Is there excitement about our life in Christ?

I have come to the conclusion this is what I want:

If we know and trust Jesus and what the Bible tells us, we are not defeated!  We are not worriers; we are rejoicing in our day to day lives.

Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV) ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 When those concerns and worries come, remember what the Word says:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV) ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) ¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

An old Sunday school song says: “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”

Remember we are going to go through problems and uncomfortable times but Jesus has promised never to leave us or forsake us—trust Him and His Word and get to know Him better and better.

This will be my last devotional for awhile since we are back worshiping together.  I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have had preparing them.  If they have encouraged you and hopefully made you laugh a little, To God be the glory for the great things He has done and I truly mean that.

Of course as always: Keep praying but also keep rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  See you at church.

God’s Blessing,                                                                                                                                   Pastor Gerry and Carolyn

           

Joy Ridderhof was born on March 30, 1903 in Minnesota as Joy Fanny Ridderhof. She died on December 19, 1984 in Stanton, California —-Joy lay sick in bed, wishing to get back to Honduras, where she had been a missionary. But while she recovered, the bright idea came to her to record some gospel stories and songs in Spanish. After one record came more and more and more, in one language after another.

One of Joy’s favorite sayings was: “I have seen many find their way into a life of victory through rejoicing.”

A Thought From Your Pastor!

We read in Genesis 40:7 (NKJV): “Why do you look so sad today?”

Do you have a Merry Heart?  Do you look for the joy of living, especially living for Jesus?  Do you try to find the fun stuff around you?

Everyone has moments when they are sad. Grief, sorrow, and discouragement seep into our days like slow-moving landslides. But God does not want us to live in a state of chronic sadness. The Bible is filled with verses about joy, gladness, and triumph. Jesus said on five different occasions: “Be of good cheer!”

Charlie and Snoopy didn’t come around to help me today, but Grouchy Gator did.  Is this how you feel with everything going on?  Are you getting tired of all the rules and regulations?  God tells us in the Bible that we should be joyful for what we have and what is in store for us.  This world is not our home we are only passing through.

Psalm 96:1-13 (ESV) ¹ Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! ² Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. ³ Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! ⁴ For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods. ⁵ For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. ⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. ⁷ Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! ⁸ Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! ⁹ Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth! ¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.” ¹¹  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; ¹²  let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy ¹³ before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.

And have you ever noticed the three “merry” verses of the book of Proverbs?

   Proverbs 15:13 (NKJV) A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance                                      Proverbs 15:15 (NKJV) He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.                                Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV) A merry heart does good, like medicine

An old Gospel song says: “Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all; / He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall. / When I am sad, to Him I go, / No other one can cheer me so; / When I am sad, He makes me glad, / He’s my friend.”

Find your cheerfulness in Jesus today. The Lord wants to give you a merry heart.  Just think of the celebration we will have when we all can get together again.  Maybe we will have an early Christmas party, who knows what those St. Petrie people will come up with?

Of course as always: Keep praying but also keep rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  Hopefully we will be meeting together again in the near future.

God’s Blessing,                                                                                                                                     Pastor Gerry and Carolyn

Save those hugs up, one day we will be able to use them!

 

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”— John 14:27

A Thought From Your Pastor!

 Jesus Christ left us with a wonderful legacy when He left this world!

Do you ever feel that life moves too fast? Perhaps you can relate to the old saying “Stop the world—I want to get off.” Sometimes the world spins too fast; one day melds into the next; and, despite our frenzied and harried pace, we fall further and further behind on our obligations.

But God doesn’t want us to live this way. He wants us to Psalm 46:10 (ESV) “Be still, and know that I am God.  Jesus tells to us, Matthew 11:28 (ESV)  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. In fact, God instituted the Sabbath, an important time of rest. When was the last time you sat still in God’s presence, enjoying His rest?

So many things try and take our time we don’t have time to read our Bible, pray, call a shut-in or many other things we know God wants us to do.  Sometimes we are so busy making a living, going to sporting event, concerts or just plain sitting home watching TV.  One thing this virus has done is help us slow down because some of these things we enjoy are not available.

We desperately need “downtime.” Dr. Richard Swenson, author of Margin, a book about reducing stress, says that we need to restore what he calls our “margins,” our reserves. He points out that we live overloaded lives today. But, Swenson says, we can’t deplete our spiritual, emotional, physical, financial, and time reserves for too long without paying for it in one way or another. 

  Jesus left a legacy to His disciples, a legacy we share in and  a legacy that keeps us from depleting all our resources. What is this legacy?  His peace. Christ declares to us, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.” Oh, how we need it in these troubled times when people’s hearts literally fail them for fear. Threats of terrorists,        pandemic and crime rob millions of people of peace. Nervous breakdowns abound. Pharmacies sell tranquilizers by the millions of pounds each year. We desperately need Christ’s peace, and to gain it, all we need to do is surrender ourselves to God. We find the secret of peace in trusting in His perfect will for our lives, yielding ourselves to rest in His trustworthy arms.  Remember how much He loves us: John 3:16 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Do you need a dose of peace today? Just look to Christ, the sovereign Lord of all      history. He will bring His peace as you trust in Him. Whatever your problems, fix your eyes upon Jesus, and peace will flood your soul.

Of course as always: Keep praying but also keep rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  Hopefully we will be meeting together again in the near future.

God’s Blessing,                                                                                                                                      Pastor Gerry and Carolyn

                                                                                                                             Corrie Ten Boom says: “Don’t wrestle, just nestle!”

Ronald Wilson Reagan:  February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 and became a highly influential voice of modern conservatism.  Prior to his presidency, he was a Hollywood actor and union leader before serving as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 to 1975.

A Thought From Your Pastor!

 Reagan made many statements that are kept for posterity.  Some were political but many were for humorous, which he enjoyed.  The one statement that I appreciated was: “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.”

With his background and different things he was involved with, I’m sure he faced many difficult situations.  We may never have the worries or the responsibilities that he had, but I believe that statement still stands firm for us also (in fact, I have my life and my future based on that statement.)

We are all going through the same major problems that this pandemic is creating but with a little twist in our personal lives.  The Bible encourages us with: Psalm 91:5-9 (ESV)⁵  You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶  nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.  ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. ⁸ You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.  ⁹ Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—                                                                                                                                                                                  The Bible also tells us Luke 18:27 (ESV) ²⁷ But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”  This is a very short verse of scripture but a powerful verse; just think about it.  The best brains in the world are trying to cure this virus. Read your Bible.  There were many plagues in the Bible, but at any time God wanted to stop them, He could do it instantaneous without the help of the learned people.

Take some time this week to first of all praise God for all His blessings to us.  We are all blessed whether we think about it or not.  Then pray that He will remove this curse on the world.  Pray that his healing touch on this world would bring repentance.  

Remember that song that was fun to sing and just made you feel good; “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer”

 We do have a friend, better than what Charlie’s thinking about.  We have a friend that loves us more than we can imagine; no one is smarter or stronger or concerned about us like Him.  Take time to talk to Him today and bring all your joys, concerns and sorrows.  Then rest in the security that He has everything under control.

Of course as always: Keep praying but also keep rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  Hopefully we will be meeting together again in the near future.

God’s Blessing,                                                                                                                                Pastor Gerry and Carolyn

This is how excited I am to see all of you; I pray that it will be soon!

 

 

 

 

 

Martin Luther, (1483-1546) German theologian and religious reformer who initiated the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Through his words and actions, Luther precipitated a movement that reformulated certain basic tenets of Christian belief.

I was surprised to read this: History provides guidance. When a deadly plague hit Wittenberg, Germany, in 1527, Martin Luther modeled pastoral care: “I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.” But he added that if his neighbor needed him, he would go, taking precautions.

Luther experienced some of the same things we are.  It sounds like they had social distancing.  In those days viruses were even more dangerous without the health care we have.  We don’t hear any discontent or fear in Luther’s words.  There is a job to be done—reaching out to the lost and helping our brothers and sisters.  Helping people may be done by material needs but also putting a little joy or a little cheer in their lives. We have so many more ways available to us than Luther did.  The main things we need to maintain our joy and trust in God’s timing and direction.

Remember that Sunday school song: “The joy of the Lord is my strength!”  We need that joy as we go through these days of concern.  Proverbs 17:22 (ESV) ²² A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.  Where does that joy come from?  Psalm 34:4-8 (ESV) ⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. ⁵ Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. ⁶ This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. ⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. ⁸ Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

We have to make sure we don’t take Charlie’s thinking on loving people.  He only loves those that love him.  Listen to what Jesus tells us to do: Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV)  ⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

“SORRY CHARLIE” you need to read your bible a little more.

My goal through this pandemic is to keep you looking to Jesus with joy in your heart and confidence that He will bring you through.  Now is the occasion to spend time in your Bible.  Confidence and joy only comes from our Lord Jesus Christ.  Take this special time to get to know Him better and more personal.  As you trust Him with your eternal life, trust Him in your day to day life.

I have to admit—-I really miss your smiling faces and hope we can get back together soon.

Of course as always: Keep praying but also keep rejoicing in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  Hopefully we will be meeting together again in the near future.

God’s Blessing,                                                                                                                                      Pastor Gerry and Carolyn