I’m sorry, but I did miss blogging last week and I don’t intend this to be become a habit, but I guess we’ll see. Right now I’m sitting in my room at Family Camp at Northland in northern Wisconsin in the middle of a week of preaching and teaching. I’m at the end of a travel “spurt”, where I’ve had the opportunity and obligation to do a bit of traveling and preaching. I don’t travel that often or that much, but a couple of times a year I do have some traveling to do, often for the seminary and other times just to help churches. These preaching trips have provided significant blessings to my life personally. Certainly sometimes they are long, hard, and exhausting, with little measurable benefit. However over the years, through these trips I have cultivated a few incredibly precious, significant, and edifying relationships that I treasure. These friendships have provided perspective, encouragement, instruction, refreshment, the “faithful wounds” of a friend, and “iron sharpening iron.” These times away also provide fresh opportunities to read, reflect, plan, dream, and on this trip in particular…get away with my wife.

I think most of us came into summer exhausted. I know I certainly did. However after a week of vacation and a little preaching on the road, I am feeling a bit “revived” and see/feel some wind filling my sails again. It’s good. It’s from God. I’m thankful. So, on Saturday, my wife and I are planning to fly home. Then, the Lord willing, we are planning to worship and fellowship with you on the Lord’s Day as we observe the Lord’s Supper. It will be a bit of a different Sunday as we as citizens of the United States remember the cause and cost of obtaining our political freedom, while giving first place to the cause and cost of the purchase of our spiritual freedom, our redemption through Christ’s greatest sacrifice on His cross. See you there, Lord willing.

In Him,

P. Tim

It seems that while the summer schedule does become a bit more “fluid”, it actually is just a full as the rest of the year. It’s not as predictable, but just as packed full of action. The Lord blessed our family last week with a wonderful week of vacation down in Ocean City. Sixteen of us packed into the house and had a great time together for the whole week. The weather cooperated. All of the grandkids had a great time together. As adults we ate a lot, talked a lot, chased kids, played a bunch of games, spent some time on the board walk, made many new pleasant memories, and otherwise had great fun together.

This next Sunday our teens leave for a missions trip to Thailand. They will be staying and ministering with Jim and Kathy Hayes, our veteran missionaries there. Please remember to pray for them as they go. It’s a trip full of great opportunities, but there has been some political unrest lately. So, I would encourage you to pray. I would also encourage all of our church family to join in or continue on in the 105 project this summer. It has been a great encouragement to hear of so many of you joining us in reading the whole Bible through in 105 days. If you didn’t start with us last week, don’t sweat it…just join in where we are in the schedule and finish the beginning sections you missed at the end…or make them up on the way. There is something transformational about spending extended times reading God’s Word for each individual who does it, but also for our church family as a whole. It isn’t easy, but it’s doable and really worth it.

See you Sunday, Lord willing. Remember it’s Father’s Day!

In Him,

P. Tim

Mark 6:31-32 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

So, that’s the plan! We’re going to get of town for a week to refuel, refresh, rejuvenate, revive, re-whatever! The longest hall of the year in my pastoral life is January till June. It seems to pick up speed, allow little rest, demand more and more, and get fuller and fuller. So, even though I’m not a sea-shore kind of guy, I’ve been aching for our family Ocean City getaway. It’s a fantastic family time. My wife does a wonderful job organizing things. It’s more recreational than restful, but it’s lots of fun…and even though it’s action packed, the early mornings provide some very refreshing quiet times for coffee, the Word, and unhurried conversations with God. So, in case you haven’t picked up on it yet…I’m really looking forward to going.

Just a heads up kind of prayer request…after many years of doctor’s visits, treatments, medications, and delays, Mark Farnham is right now in surgery receiving the gift of a kidney from his brother in law. I spent the morning down at University of Pa. Hospital with their wives and other visitors. A part from normal delays in schedules, things are going very well. This is certainly and undeniably a specific and essential answer to prayer, for which we are all very grateful. Updates on Mark and Tom are being posted regularly on facebook…wherever that is! I have no idea.

Have a great day, a great week in the Lord!

In Him,

P. Tim

So, here we are looking at the start of another summer. Obviously, our view differs dramatically from when we were kids, when our view could be largely summed up in one word, fun, or its synonym…no school! Still, summer offers us a bit of hope for a change of pace, a bit of rest, and some long need extended time with our families. For most of us at least, it offers opportunity to do something different, something more, or something that’s been needing doing for some time. So, what are you planning on doing different or more or that it’s time to finally get around to doing? Plans are just that, plans. We don’t always get them completely done and rarely do they go exactly as we plan, but we still plan and should.

Let me encourage you to make specific, intentional plans to spend more time with your husband/wife in unhurried conversation. Let me encourage to make plans (not just plan on) creating some long needed opportunities for unhurried conversations with your children. Most importantly, let me encourage you to make personal, specific, and REAL plans to have more and more extended unhurried conversations with God. When we were kids fun wasn’t planned…it just happened, but now for fun, for rest, or for unhurried conversations to “happen” we must make specific plans, work those plans, and protect those plans from the many inevitable demands and obstacles that “stole them away” last summer and the summer before that.

A specific opportunity and challenge for this summer is to join your pastors and friends in the church wide challenge to read the whole Bible through in 105 days. This will take planning and commitment and 30-40 minutes a day, six days a week. This will give…extended time personally hearing God speak to you, wonderful occasions for us to share what He is showing us and doing in us through His Word, and certainly a life changing time of His powerful and personal influence in our lives. I’m looking forward to what it will do to me and what it will do to us. Hey, it’s a plan.

I’m really looking forward to our next study in Hebrews this week. I’m finding this portion of scripture uniquely clear and powerful in my life. I’m looking forward to our fellowship around our Savior. See you Sunday, Lord willing.

In Him,

P.Tim

So don’t faint, but this is twice in one week for me to blog! I was reminded this week by a colleague of the great benefit of getting “out of the building” from time to time to find uninterrupted time to study the Word in an undistracted way. I have often done it over the years, but lately I’ve been so absorbed into and by everything that I hadn’t done it for quite a while. So Tuesday morning, after an early bible study and prayer meeting I grabbed my stuff and found a place of quiet and coffee! Having focused on a few special themes in our services over the past few weeks, it was good to get back into my study of the book of Hebrews, actually it was great. It was greatly refreshing and invigorating to get so absorbed by the Word that I lost track of time. A part from an occasional break for coffee, I enjoyed 7 straight hours of study. Equally amazing is that while I have always hated “studying” in school, I have always loved studying His Word. I was powerfully reminded of a favorite verse on mine.

Psalm 119:162 I rejoice in your word like one who finds a great treasure.

So, I quickly made it a point to work through my schedule over the next several weeks to be sure to intentionally schedule more of the “off site” or “out of the building” seasons of study. I’m really looking forward to them! I’m really looking forward to worshiping together this coming Sunday. Obviously I’m a bit “pumped” about beginning our study of chapter 12! See you there, Lord willing.

In Him,

P. Tim

Deuteronomy 33:26-29 “There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy. So Israel lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down dew. Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs.”

With all of the ups and downs, promises and predictions, optimists and pessimists, and conflicting forecasts for just about everything, it genuinely refreshed my soul to read these verses early Sunday morning at the start of my day. Certainly Moses knew more of these ups and downs than I have or ever will. What a grand reassurance of God’s presence and power in our day to day lives. This wonderful encouragement was followed up today as early this morning I was reading Joshua 1-6.

Joshua 1:5-7, 9 “…Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go…Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

One last passage for the day, Psalm 150:1-6 “Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!”…for those who were wondering about that tambourine thing Sunday morning!

In Him,

P. Tim

Well, I didn’t forget to blog this past week, it just felt like I didn’t have anything to say. In coming off of a series of the most challenging months, (maybe even years), of ministry, well, I was tired…really tired. Strangely enough, I thought of an old “Jordanism” that my dad used every now and then. He would say “I’m so tired my tired is tired.” I don’t know if I’m THAT tired, but it did come to mind. We had a great Sunday last Sunday with the theme “Partnering Together in the Gospel” as our new missions team under the leadership of Pastor Troy organized a wonderful day of services. Rob Clarke did a most excellent job handling God’s Word and passionately calling us to consider our part in God’s great work in the world.

This morning, with a reversed service order, Pastor Frank along with the music and media team, planned a powerful and exciting service. Taking the whole service for the Lord’s Supper is our long standing tradition. However, doing the morning service first and combining it with a baptismal service as our service, wasn’t my idea, but it was a great one! It was a glorious morning. We enjoyed the company of many guests, the Lord’s Supper was wonderfully sobering, and the testimonies of those baptized were exhilarating! Wow, what a powerful morning! It’s just about an hour until our special Sunday evening ABF “mixers” take place, where our ABFs will be mixed together cross generationally for fresh and stimulating fellowship. I’m looking forward to it. I am reminded of the second half of powerful verse in Colossians 2:19, “… the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”

In Him,

P. Tim

Once again, God gave us a great day last Sunday! The morning worship was powerful and His Word was, as it always is, precious. We had a great number of visitors and a GREAT, great, great concert Sunday night. Wow, what a great time it was. The music and testimonies were clear, powerful, beautiful, both breaking our hearts and lifting them up to God. Pastor Frank said the recording turned out great, so if you want to get it check with the bookstore on Sunday to order it.

Looking ahead to this Sunday, I was reminded of the powerful impact that my first visit behind the old “Iron Curtain”, former Soviet controlled Eastern Europe, back in 1992. The spiritual impact at that time was profound, but it’s also enduring to this day. In a good way, I have never been the same since then and neither has our church. What a grand and great door of spiritual opportunity was opened to us by God’s intervention into the kingdoms of men. Again in 2003 God opened another great door of opportunity to us as we visited China for the first time. That visit has also had an immeasurable impact on my life, the life of my family, and the life of our church. It was an extraordinarily powerful reminder of God’s ongoing supernatural work in the world. He is building His church and the gates of hell are not, will not, and cannot stop Him. We are looking forward to a great day again this Lord’s Day as Pastor Troy, along with a passionate team of men and woman, has planned a full day of services and fellowship to inform and transform our hearts and minds with God’s Word and work in the world. God calls each of us as individuals and all of us as a church to partner with Him in His great work of taking His gospel to the world. Don’t forget to prepare to stay for lunch and the “evening” service to follow right after lunch.

I would also like to ask you to pray for Mary Van Dame. She is one of the most senior of our saints and suffered a stroke this week. I just visited her in the hospital. I prayed with her and read a favorite Psalm. She was able to speak well enough to thank me for coming. That was both a surprise and a blessing. See you Sunday, the Lord willing.

In Him,

P. Tim

This has been a week of answered prayer. The truth is every week is, but this has been a week that God has answered many serious prayers in direct and positive ways. Obviously I always find it easier to enjoy the “yes” answers, especially if they have followed many “wait, wait, wait!” answers (one of my least favorite answers!). Ted Hampton almost went to heaven a couple of times this past weekend, but God graciously intervened to get him to the hospital for one reason to discover and treat him for much more serious reasons. I certainly praise the Lord he is out of the ICU and recovering nicely in the hospital. God clearly personally intervened on behalf of the Hamptons. God answered very specific prayer with Jim Szakacs getting a new job, which is a wonderful answer to prayer for him and his family that has been on many of our hearts. God provided some very specific answers at the “11^th hour” for direction in pressing and serious decisions that needed to be made. It never ceases to amaze me that as we humbly seek His direction in difficult situations that somehow we apparently stumble through life’s “mine fields” and end up safely on the other side, not because we are so clever, but because He is so present in our lives and immeasurably kind.

As (almost) always, I am really looking forward to worshipping together this next Sunday. We are getting close to the end of the section in Hebrews dealing with living by faith. This study has been a delight and encouragement to me personally. THEN, Sunday evening we are having our men’s group do a special concert! I LOVE their ministry in music. I can’t wait to hear them sing and share testimonies Sunday. You shouldn’t miss it. You can always get a recording of it, but it’s always better in person, being right there in the middle of the blessing! See you Sunday, Lord willing.

In Him,

P. Tim

This week has been quite a blur, lots of stuff packed into less than enough time, but I’m sure I’m not alone in this. I did want to take time to “publically” praise God for such a glorious Easter day. Obviously the truth of the resurrection is beyond human description in its glory, but even our personal celebration was close to being beyond description. Starting early in the morning with a great group of men, singing, hearing His Word, praying, and of course coffee and donuts was a great start to our day. Then a church full of people, a good number of unbelievers hearing the gospel, the joyous fellowship in sacred music, the power of His Word, and fellowship of all ages and flavors of brothers and sisters in Christ was beyond words. Only by adding exclamatory sounds and dramatic hand gestures can you get even close to describing His blessing to us last Sunday. Add to that the profound personal joy of a family dinner with children and grandchildren and my head and heart were about to explode. It was a great day, because of that great day that He conquered sin and death for us.

Well, I’m really looking forward to Sunday. We are continuing in our study of Hebrews 11, focusing our attention on the life and testimony of Rahab. Then in the evening service we will have the joy of a great number of our teens singing, leading in music, sharing testimonies, as Pastor Tim II leads in worship. You won’t want to miss either of these great opportunities for growth, fellowship, and worship. See you there, Lord willing.

In Him,

P. Tim