“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation…” (2 Corinthians 5:18)

Two brothers lived on adjoining farms, but they had a deep quarrel. They had often shared their resources, but that practice stopped; and there was nothing left but bitterness. One morning a brother that we will call John answered a knock at his door. It was a carpenter. The carpenter asked if there was any work to do.

John said that there was something he could do. He took the carpenter to where the two properties met and showed him how the other brother had taken a bulldozer and created a creek where the meadow used to be. John said, “I know he did this to make me angry. I want you to help me get even by building a big fence so I won’t have to see him or his property ever again.”

So the carpenter worked hard all day. When he reported back to John, John noticed there was no fence. The carpenter had used his skill and built a bridge over the creek instead of a fence. When John’s brother saw the bridge and was quite moved that his brother would do such a thing. The two brothers met in the middle and embraced. They saw the carpenter packing his tools and asked him to stay a while and do more work. The carpenter replied, “I’m sorry, but I have other bridges to build.” Does he have one to build in your life?

Reconciliation is simply building bridges to bring people back together. We Christians have received reconciliation through Christ building the bridge of the cross to bring people back to God. We have also been given the ministry of reconciliation to persuade men to come back to God. As we are still in the early days of a new year, are there any bridges you desperately need to build, bridges between you and a relative, neighbor, work mate, fellow student, or even a brother or sister in Christ?

Bro Larry

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38)

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Prov. 29:18 KJV)

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible; (Matt. 19:26)

Have you ever been up against what seemed impossible?  Jesus told his disciples that it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle that for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Notice that he did not say is was impossible. The disciples were astonished and asked how anyone could be saved given the standard Jesus just mentioned.  Jesus didn’t answer them directly, but indirectly with words of wisdom that have proven true over and over in life.  He gave them a principle that applies to ALL of life.  “With God all things are possible.”

If you are not yet saved, you may be thinking, “I have gone too far, God would never save me.” Or “You don’t know what I’ve done.”  Over the years, I have heard many statements from people who say in one way or another that God cannot save them.  With God all things are possible.  Romans 10:13 tells that “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you are saved and facing a situation that looks impossible in human terms, ask God.   While God may vary in different situations of life, God’s ability is never lacking.  Our job is to ask and believe.  Connect to the impossible making God.  You may look back on your situation in wonder of what God did.

As Corrie ten Boon once said, “Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.”

Bro. Larry

P.S. Our church’s web site is still being developed.  There are already some good stuff on it and more to come in the future including interaction programs and the Sunday morning services.

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; (Rom. 12:1-2)

What was the biggest giant David ever faced?  It was not Goliath and it was not on the battlefield.  The biggest giant David faced was the one in the mirror.  It was himself as an idol.  During an unguarded moment, this man the Bible described as a man who was “after God’s own heart” allowed his mind and heart to wander away from the spiritual to pursue forbidden fruits.  All it took was a fleeting moment.

David was approximately 50 years old and had been king for around twenty years when he fell to the giant in his life.  It was at “the time when kings go off to war” yet David the king remained in Jerusalem.  He should have been mature enough to have it figured out by this time of life.

If David had taken a closer look in that mirror, he might have seen that he was shirking his responsibilities as king and pulling back from the battle.  He also might have notice that he chose the place of comfort over the place of battle.  Was he wrestling with getting older or did he no longer feel like following God as closely as he had before.  Whatever he may have been facing, he allowed himself to take over the will of God and what was right.  David would not have had to be confronted by Nathan and told “Thou are the man.”

When you honestly look in your mirror, see beyond yourself and look toward the God who is within you as He attempts to lead by the prompting of His Holy Spirit.

Bro. Larry

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  (Rom. 12:2)

The following words were written on the tomb of an Anglican bishop in the crypts of Westminster Abbey:

When I was young and free and my imagination had

no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.

But it too seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only family, those

closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lay on my deathbed, I suddenly realize

if I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would

then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.

~ Author Unknown

As a pastor, there are times that I have to do marriage counselling sessions with couples.  Most husbands seek for change in their wives and most wives seek change in their husbands.  But, almost none seem to seek change for themselves. In their minds, the problems lie outside themselves. That’s the way it seems in most of life.  Even Christians seek change in others or change in their church but hardly ever seek change in the themselves. 

My Dad had a plague on one of the churches he pastored when I was a teen that read, “If every church member were like me what kind of church would my church be?”

If we wish to change those around us, seek personal change and see if others change around you.  How do I change?  The answer is in the above verses of Scripture.

Bro. Larry

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; (Rev. 2:5)

Hoddom Castle is a large tower house in Dumfries and Galloway, south Scotland with the “Repentance Tower” on the hill to the south, as a watchtower for the castle.  In the eighteenth century a Scotsman named John Maxwell built his castle home as a defense post for the area.  After building the castle, he was bribed to change sides in a battle for the hand in marriage of a beautiful young lady – Agnes Herries.  This decision cost the lives of many of his countrymen and even a twelve-year-old nephew.  In a move of remorse, he placed an inscription above the door to the tower naming it “Repentance Tower.”  It still stands today overlook the hillside and a graveyard.

A good question is, “When was the last time you visited your repentance tower?  Repentance is a difficult thing to do but it requires change and we humans resist change.  According to Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, repentance is “A turning away from sin, disobedience, or rebellion and a turning back to God.  

Repentance is more than just saying, “I’m sorry.”  There are unbelievable number of times that I have told my wife that I am sorry only attempting to get out the dog house.  Repentance is actually turning from the wrong you have done and planning to never do it again.

This week my two grandchildren where actually sitting side by side on the sofa with their heads leaning in each other.  It was such a warm feeling to watch — UNTIL! — until my granddaughter rolling over to her side accidentally did a karate kick into my grandson’s head.  He began to cry and she in humble feeling kept saying, “I’m sorry!”  But, even though it seems to come deep from the heart, it did no good because he was busy crying and never heard the words. Aren’t you glad you have a heavenly father that hears those words when they come from our heart with meaning.

Some of the hardest words to speak are “I have sinned” or “I have done wrong” and mean them enough to change our minds and actions.  In order to become successful servants of God and to become “Christ-like” is to repent.

Bro. Larry

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

(Psalms 90:12)

Today is June 21^st which is the first day of summer.  Summer officially began at 4:49 a.m. E.S.T.  For those of you who live in this area, you know it has felt like the heart of summer for over a month with higher than normal temperatures and higher humidity.  This being the first day of summer, today is the longest day of the year.  In Anchorage, Alaska today will have approximately 22 hours of Sunlight.  My family and I took a trip there a few years ago and actually went white water rafting at midnight and finished around 2:30 a.m. and there was still light.  We were able to do more things later because the days were longer.  That is a spiritual reminder to the meaning of the words of Jesus in John 9:4,  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 

One day when you get older, you most likely will look back on your life and wish you had done many things you did not do.  You probably will also look back at things that seemed important at the time which you will realize that they were not important and that you had done things differently.

An old Chinese proverb tells us to make the most of each day of our lives, for they may not be many.  The King James Version of the Bible teaches us to number our days.  That means to make every day count.  When today is over at midnight, it will never return again.  Each day is a new day and we should make it count for the Lord.  As I have heard it said most of my life, “Only what done for Christ will last.

One of the many stanza of a poem by C.T. Studd titled “Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past” reads . . .

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Bro Larry

Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise.

(Eph 6:2)

One New Year’s Eve when my two children were young, my parents were visiting our house.  It got close to midnight and the girls and my dad left the room for the longest time.  My oldest daughter (age 5) had come up with a plan.  She had talked both my dad and my youngest into a dress up scene.  When they returned, my youngest who was less than two at the time was dressed in nothing but a make shift diaper and a sign around her neck that proclaimed the incoming new year.  My dad was dressed as an old man.  He had a sheet about him, a covering over his head, a stick for a walking cane and a sign around his neck with the old year date.  After the long laughter, I’m trying to figure out how they got my dad to do that!  That was definitely a “Dad Moment.”

Since almost 40% of kids grow up without dad at home and many are raised in abusive environments, not everyone has precious memories of their fathers.  But many do.  Honor your dads on Father’s Day and take time to reflect on a few “Dad Moments.”  Here are a couple from the scrap book of life.

A father was carrying his four months infant along with a ham sandwich he had made himself.  He had the baby balanced between his left elbow and shoulder. He reached down for his ham sandwich when he notice a streak of mustard on his fingers.  He looked at his wife and said, “I love mustard.”  Having no napkin, he licked it off.

It was NOT mustard.  No man ever put a baby down faster.  Reaching for a napkin, he attempted a shoe shine across his tongue.

Bro Larry