Often as I write the newsletter, I’m pulling up an old one and just typing over it.  And so I found myself thinking about what would be important for us to center on as we enter the new year and what came to mind is that we need to be like Jesus.  I even had the scripture in mind, the one where Paul says be like me as I am like Christ.  I pulled up June of this past year and what did I see as my article – Be Like Jesus.  And there was the verse in which Paul told the church at Corinth, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” I Corinthians 11:1.   I even remembered writing the article and as I reread it, I still agree with it.
 
   As I wrote in June, “What does it mean to “Be like Christ”?  I think we can safely hang up our robes, but since it is summer you might want to wear your sandals.  And Jesus came to save us from trying to follow each and every law or interpretation of the law, so you don’t need to carry around stones.  In fact, on that account, even Jesus when he had the chance to throw a stone didn’t, and encouraged others also to not throw stones, but find forgiveness.  In case you don’t remember that one, read John 8.  To be like Jesus means more than following his dress and customs, it means to think and act as he would have.  His attitudes need to be our attitudes.  The way to learn this is to immerse ourselves in the gospels, not just Jesus’ teaching but how he lived.  We may find that many of the ideas and attitudes we were raised with are not reflected in how Jesus lived.  We tend to be judgmental of those who aren’t like us, but Jesus was open and receptive to these people.  We seem to think the best way to influence our society for good is to pass laws making them obey, while Jesus first sought to win their heart.
 
   To live like Jesus is radical, and uncomfortable.  Truly living like Jesus will mean that you will often find yourself at odds with the people around you, out of step with popular media and ideas.  But isn’t that what we are called to do?  Paul said that we are not to let the world press us into its mold, in other words, the attitudes and ideas that are expressed around us.  We are to have our minds transformed by what God would have us know and think.  Many of you are thinking that I’m referring to the liberal media and folks on Wall Street.  Read the gospels again.  Who is Jesus most at odds with?  When the church puts power and politics ahead of mercy and real faith, we are out of step with the one who really matters. 
  
​   Go back to the verse we started with and read the verses leading up to Paul’s statement.  From I Corinthians 10:23 on he is talking about how we should live our freedom in Christ, and it isn’t to please ourselves or to fit into what those around us want.  We are to live in such a way to be Christ to those around us.  Sometimes that will mean putting aside our attitudes and doing what is best for the other person.  Sometimes the best we can do for the other person is to show them the example of Christ.  In all things we are to show love and forgiveness, because that is how Christ lived.”
 
   While I have preached on this often, I am still pulled to the message and the need to share it more.  It seems as I look around the call for the church to be the church grows instead of shrinks.  The world more than ever needs a Savior, needs Jesus to walk among us again, and the only way that will happen is if the church will return to her true calling.  So here we go again, “Be like Christ”.
 
    Don
 

 

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   You may be saying right now, “Hey preacher, you misspelled holidays.”  The origin of our term holiday is “holy day”.  From a spelling viewpoint it’s only a slight change but think about the impact that change should have on the way we view the holidays.  Holidays are fun, hectic, family centered and well secular.  For many people, though we know these holidays have religious origins, we don’t view them first from a religious viewpoint.  Sure having a religious program is part of the activities, but often it’s an afterthought or something we pencil in at the bottom of our list.  The main focus, what we spend most of our time, money and energy on, isn’t any different than anyone in Carthage celebrating, regardless their faith. 
   When we see Thanksgiving and Christmas as holy days, that puts the spiritual aspect of it front and center.  First and foremost I see Thanksgiving as a time to reflect on the blessings of God.  Taking time to not only count my blessings, but to reflect on how God has been there for me this past year.  The turkey and dressing becomes secondary.  The football games can wait while I spend some time with God.  Seeing Christmas as a holy day and not an excuse to shop till I drop shifts priority away from myself, or even family and friends, to the manger – the Christ child. 
How do I make this shift?  It is more than just changing the spelling; it is changing my mind.  Jesus wasn’t just an afterthought of God.  God didn’t say, “Well I guess that whole Law thing didn’t work out.  What should I do next?  Oh, I know I’ll send my Son.”  The whole focus of history is God telling us his love story for us.  From Genesis to the Gospels, we see man’s struggles with sin, with trying to be good enough for God’s love.  God already saw us through the lens of the cross – “For God so loved the world that he gave us his only son.”  Christmas is the beginning of this part of the story.  From the manger to the cross and on to the resurrection, God has put his plan into action for us.  The rest of the New Testament begins the rest of the story, “How will we respond?”  
   Christmas allows me to reflect on this story, but then to ask myself what my part of the story will be.  How will I answer God’s call to new life through his son?  When this is my focus Christmas goes from being a nice holiday to being the most important Holy day.
So this holiday season let us celebrate the HOLY DAYS!
 
   Don
 

   In Exodus 20:4 the second commandment is given, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”  We like this command, after all we don’t have idols, so this is at least one command I can keep.  But is it really that easy?  God speaks through Ezekiel speaking of the elders of Israel, “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces.”  Ezekiel 14:3.  An idol isn’t just some statue or image I build in my yard or house to bow before.  I first set up the idol in my heart, and it colors everything I look at in the world around me.   We often talk about money becoming an idol for many.  How does that happen?  Money is something that I find I have to spend some time and effort on, otherwise I can’t provide for my needs and that of my family.  So I do think about it and try to be a good steward of what money God brings into my life.  Little by little it isn’t just about having enough to survive, but we decide we need a little more of this and a little more of that and therefore we need a little more money.  After a while I’m not in control of my money, but my money is in control of me and I will do anything to please my new master, because I begin to think I need all this “stuff” that the money provides.  Now the money is my main thought and concern, from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed, and it even haunts my dreams.  All this time God is taking more and more a back seat in my life.  I have filled my heart with money and my face has turned from God and is focused instead on the almighty dollar.
 
   Money isn’t the only substitute we have for God.  It may be our family, or a hobby or even our flower garden.  The path is usually the same.  It doesn’t start out as central, but little by little we nudge it to the center and nudge God out.  Then one day there it is, an idol smack in the middle of my heart, a stumbling block before my eyes so that it is all I see.
 
   How do we keep the second command and avoid building idols around us?  Prayer is the place to start.  Psalm 139:23,24  “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  We need to be open and honest with God.  Let him do any x-ray of our heart and then share the results of it with us.  We need to look at where our hope and confidence is for all of our life, not just on Sundays or for after I die.  What am I hoping in right now?  Ask yourself, “If I were to lose ____(whatever we are putting in the place of God) would that change my hope, the foundation for my life?”  Job lost everything that most people put their physical hope in, his possessions and land, his livelihood, even his children.  He grieved that loss, but still kept his faith in God.  His life was shaken, but not destroyed.  He didn’t worship these things above God.
This is a matter of priorities, and God must have first place.

   Don
 

   The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 13:7 to give honor to whom honor is due.  I was reminded this week at how important that is, and how easily we can let the opportunities to do so slip by us.   Bob and Wanda Cannon are moving to be closer to family in Center, Texas.  One of those things we have known was going to happen and maybe we just wanted to deny it making believe it wouldn’t really happen.  Well that day has come and though we hate to see them go we do want to give some honor to whom honor is due and to also give them a lot of our love and thanks.
   Bob and Wanda have not only attended our church for the past several years, they have been a big part of it.  Bob has served in many capacities as teacher, minister and deacon.  Both Joe Kyle and I relied on Bob to step in to preach or teach at a moment’s notice, always knowing that he would do an excellent job.  Bob was a tireless student of the Bible, very well read.  He didn’t feel comfortable with the title of elder, but in truth he functioned in that office.  Wanda is the perfect helpmate, serving alongside of Bob.  She served in many ways herself, encouraging, serving and promoting the activities of the church.  Together they also served behind the scene, taking meals to folks in need, often hosting folks at their house always with an eye to ministry and encouragement.  We will miss the first Saturday in June, affectionately called Fishin’ Day at the Cannon’s.
   If I had to summarize Bob’s main ministry in one word it would be encouragement.  He was a constant source of encouragement with a firm handshake, a well thought out comment and just his smile.  Both he and Wanda will be sorely missed, and will leave some big shoes to fill.  We have several others who also deserve to be honored and given thanks for all they do.  Take some time to think of those who keep the doors open and the lights on so to speak at our church.  Don’t let the opportunity slip away to give them the honor they are due.
   Bob and Wanda we give you honor and thanks, and all the love.  May God bless you on the road you travel now.
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    Don

T Mobile (or whatever carrier you like) sent out an important text message to all cell phones, with a once in a lifetime offer for those who switch over and use their service.  Many phones either weren’t tuned in or just didn’t care about the message and deleted it right away.  Others received the message and got really excited at first, but when they realized, they would have to change how they were used to doing things they just went back to their old carrier.  Other cell phones loved the offer and started using it, but their old carrier kept on promising even better deals.  Not sure what to do, and afraid they might miss out on a better deal, they finally went back to their old carrier (who never really fulfilled all their big promises).  Some of the cell phones who got the text welcomed it and really made the change.  They have not regretted it but have great reception and service for life.  
The great carrier is God, the text message is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Some just never get the message or tune it right out.  Others get excited for a time, but when they realize they will need to make some changes in their lives default back to their original life.  Others receive the gospel and for a time do great, but FOMO (fear of missing out) causes them to question this new life and is it really worth the commitment, so they go back to their old ways.  Some receive the message and grow in their relationship with this carrier and find what they have now is so much better than anything that old carrier could have ever given them.
If God’s not the one carrying you, make the switch.  He’s already paid all the fees.
 
Don
 

           “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known the things that make for peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.”  Luke 19:41
           How do we respond to those caught up in sin?  The answer to that today seems to be with glee in pointing out their sin, in pride that we are so much better than they are, and a spirit of self-righteous judgement.  Much of the Church today is more interested in calling out sinners and not calling to sinners of the love and mercy found in Jesus.  When Jesus entered Jerusalem the week before he was crucified he didn’t look down on the city and proclaim, “I hope you burn.”  He wasn’t planning his revenge or saying “You’ll get yours soon enough.”  He wept over the city.  He hurt for them because here he was their Messiah bringing peace to them and they wouldn’t receive it.  He wasn’t being prideful in his remarks, he was broken for them. 
         In Matthew 9:35, 36 we read, “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”   Can we say we look at the world with compassion?  Do we hurt for those who are lost, even the ones who don’t realize it.  What I see too often of the church in our culture are people more interested in being right, than in being righteous, people clinging to power instead of clinging to the cross.  Our response to sin should be a broken heart, both for our sin and the need for repentance and the sin of the world, because they are broken and need the mercy of God.
               How will you choose to respond?
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                            Don
 

​   Paul told the church at Corinth, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” I Corinthians 11:1, but what does that mean? Are we to walk around in a robe and sandals? Do we need to learn to speak Aramaic and eat a kosher diet? A.J. Jacobs is a philosopher, author and prankster who often gathers his material by actually living out an idea.  Once he spent time being completely honest and saying what was on his mind because a psychologist had written about the importance of being completely honest. So, if his wife asked him how an outfit made her look, he had to give an honest answer. 
 
   One of the biggest challenges he did was to try to live according to the Old Testament law for a year. He may have taken it a little far in wearing robes and sandals, but that’s part of his style. The law says that adultery is to be punished by stoning. So, he decided to carry around a stone in his pocket and if he met someone who had committed adultery, he would pull out the stone and throw it at them.  Well, at one point he is telling this to a guy who says, “Well, I’ve committed adultery, are you going to stone me?”  And A.J. pulled out his stone and threw it at the man, who then became rather upset with him.
 
   Are we to take Paul’s word to that level, what does it mean to “Be like Christ”?  I think we can safely hang up our robes, but since it is summer you might want to wear your sandals.  And Jesus came to save us from trying to follow each and every law or interpretation of the law, so you don’t need to carry around stones.  In fact, on that account, even Jesus when he had the chance to throw a stone didn’t, and encouraged others also to not throw stones, but find forgiveness.  In case you don’t remember that one read John 8.  To be like Jesus means more than following his dress and customs, it means to think and act as he would have.  His attitudes need to be our attitudes.  The way to learn this is to immerse ourselves in the gospels, not just Jesus’ teaching but how he lived.  We may find that many of the ideas and attitudes we were raised with are not reflected in how Jesus lived.  We tend to be judgmental of those who aren’t like us, but Jesus was open and receptive to these people.  We seem to think the best way to influence our society for good is to pass laws making them obey, while Jesus first sought to win their heart.

   To live like Jesus is radical, and uncomfortable.  Truly living like Jesus will mean that you will often find yourself at odds with the people around you, out of step with popular media and ideas.  But isn’t that what we are called to do?  Paul said that we are not to let the world press us into its mold, in other words, the attitudes and ideas that are expressed around us.  We are to have our minds transformed by what God would have us know and think.  Many of you are thinking that I’m referring to the liberal media and folks on Wall Street.  Read the gospels again.  Who is Jesus most at odds with?  When the church puts power and politics a head of mercy and real faith, we are out of step with the one who really matters. 
 
   Go back to the verse we started with and read the verses leading up to Paul’s statement.  From I Corinthians 10:23 on he is talking about how we should live our freedom in Christ, and it isn’t to please ourselves or to fit into what those around us want.  We are to live in such a way to be Christ to those around us.  Sometimes that will mean putting aside our attitudes and doing what is best for the other person.  Sometimes the best we can do for the other person is to show them the example of Christ.  In all things we are to show love and forgiveness, because that is how Christ lived.

​                          Don

   Our adult Sunday School class is having a great study on the person of the Holy Spirit.  Doris Rodriguez is leading a study written by Charles Stanley on the topic, but really everyone is joining in and sharing.  I would encourage you do get up on Sunday mornings and be at the church around 9:45, it is well worth it.
   One of the ideas that comes up over and over is how we see the Holy Spirit and how he fits into our life as a Christian.  Many of us grew up at a time when we really didn’t talk about him (often he was just an it).  We kind of ran away from him, which is hard to do since he is the part of God that lives within us as Christians.  We saw him as more of an intruder instead of an indweller.  But the Holy Spirit is a central part of God’s promise to us.  In baptism we receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).  He is a guarantee to us of our future inheritance, a deposit or down payment from God to us (Ephesians 1:13,14).  He is our comforter, our guide, our source of strength and ability.  He is our intimate connection to God (Romans 8:26,27).  So to diminish his place in our lives is to diminish God’s role in our lives and to rob us of all the blessings that God wants us to have.
   When I realize that God is present with me each and every moment, not only is that a comfort it is also a challenge.  It’s harder to willfully sin when you feel that presence right there with you.  When you were growing up did you cuss in front of mom and dad, or did you find yourself much more aware of how you were acting and talking?  That presence should be felt at all times, both as an encouragement and as a reminder.  We need to see the Spirit as a part of our life in Christ.  We need to be aware that wherever we are he is in our presence.  We simply need to SEE the Holy Spirit, because he is right here, right now.
   I hope to SEE you in Sunday School this coming Sunday.
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               Don
 

The older I get the more nostalgic I become. It's easy to think about the "good ol' days" with a wistful smile.  Much of the world today still looks like it did fifty years ago, and then again so much looks so so different. I see a lot of this looking back, longing for the good ol' days, on the faces of so many today. But would we really go back if we could, and would things really be as great as they are in our memory? When I watch reruns of the shows that were must see back then I find them silly (and not always in a good way) and wonder why I thought they were so great.  
 
Some things though still hold true. The feel of a warm Spring Day still feels as great to me now as it did back then. A good hamburger still makes my mouth water. I still believe that character matters more in a person than how much money or power they have. And my need for Jesus and what he did for me on the cross is even more precious. The cross of Christ and its importance has not dimmed in all the centuries since then. If we want to go back, we need to go back to the cross, hopefully we never left it. If you want to make America great, or our own lives or our family for that matter, we need to go back to the cross.
 
Easter is still relevant; it is still the most significant fact in history. There are not many things you can say that about that are centuries old. Not only has the message of the cross not lost its meaning if anything it is more needed today. What the 21st century tells me is that our wants may look a little different, but our needs have never changed. So this Easter take a step back and look at the cross all over again.  It may be the old old story, but it has never been truer and more needed than it is today.
 
Don
 

​   I often look for humor in life and usually find it in the strangest places and not always where others may find it.  Lately, we’ve all been getting a lot of political ads and flyers (glad the primaries are almost over) and one message on many of them is a statement to the effect “I will fight for conservative values.”  Or “I will stand up for traditional values”.  Now most of you right now are saying, “And what’s funny about that?”  To me that statement is like a Dallas Cowboys’ fan saying “I’m gonna yell as loud as I can for the Cowboys and I don’t care who hears me.” while standing on the 50 yard line in Cowboy stadium surrounded by 100,000 fans.  It’s easy to make those claims when in the company of like-minded folks, it’s another thing to do that when it really matters.
   Well now that I’ve offended politicians and Cowboy fans alike let me get to the real point of all this.  As Christians we are often making the same mistake.  We praise God on Sunday and declare our love for him and then the rest of the week we are as quiet as little church mice.  I remember growing up and going to church camp in the summers.  It was so easy for that week to walk the walk and talk the talk.  Actually, to do otherwise would have been a lot harder, to curse God or act like you didn’t care about him or church.  But once the week was over and everyone went home for most of us it was back to the Sunday Christian act and the rest of the week we were just our normal selves.  Church is not where we live out our Christian values and then pack them away the rest of the week.  Church is where we go to encourage one another so that we can then get back out and live our testimony.  If we only speak up for Jesus when everyone else around us is doing so, what’s the big deal? 
   Everyday evangelism isn’t going door-to-door and hitting people over the head with your Bible.  It shouldn’t be something forced.  It is being ready and willing to share why you believe in Jesus when the opportunity comes up.  It is your testimony about what Jesus has done in your life.  These opportunities come because our life is different from the ones around us.  During stressful times, hard times, times of loss and uncertainty we are living differently than those without Jesus and it shows.  If the only time we live our faith is when surrounded by others who feel the same it really doesn’t mean much.  It’s like turning on a light in board daylight, it doesn’t make a difference.  But turn on that same light in the middle of the night and it shines out bright and strong, and others will notice.  So don’t be that guy who tells you how strong he is from the comfort of an easy chair, be the one in the middle of doubters willing to say “I believe”.
 
   Don