Reflections of a Retired Pastor

Shoes are an important part of our attire. Imelda Marcos, the wife of Philippines President Fernando Marcos, was said to have had 3,000  pairs of shoes when her husband died. Most of us have fewer pairs in our wardrobe. I’ve always had difficulty with shoes because of an uncorrected ankle issue as a child. This difficulty has worsened in recent years. So I know something about the importance of shoes, something that was amplified this weekend. I had the honor of conducting the graveside service for my wife’s 105 year old aunt on Saturday. I had a short walk from the car to the gravesite, but as I was walking, I had no support on my left foot. It was taking me forever to proceed to the grave. My brother-in-law, who was helping me looked down and said it looked like my shoes were on the wrong feet. Sure enough, they were! We all had a good laugh and before returning to the car, we put my shoes on the right feet, and I walked back to the car in about a third of the time without a prob...

  Which is more important? Overseas missions or local missions? Caring for church members or ministering outside of the church? Being part of the “fellowship” or welcoming new people? I’ve heard reasons, defenses, and excuses for things that the church has morphed into, all throughout my years of pastoral ministry.  Today’s Church is quite different from the Acts 2 Church. The reasons have been talked about and analyzed extensively. It is prudent to learn all that we can about the function of the early Church, and I admit that I’m no church history expert. However, I believe that the function of the Church throughout the ages is not either/or, but BALANCE. Acts 2:42 (NKJV) says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” I propose that the four characteristics of the Acts 2 Church delineate that balance. Perhaps my view of these characteristics could be debated by Biblical scholars among whom I don’t cla...

  I am so thankful for God’s grace and mercy, without which you and I are literally doomed! That is not hyperbole. It is truth. Grace is receiving something we don’t deserve and mercy is not receiving what we do deserve. God extends these gifts because His Son, Jesus Christ made it possible through His death on the cross. He paid for our sins, past, present, and future. When we trust Jesus as Savior, all our sins are forgiven. Thanks be to God.  But that doesn’t mean that we keep on sinning. We still need to confess our sins and when we do “He is faithful and just to forgive them.” 1 John 1:9. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6:1-2a, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” (KJV) Paul’s words were strong and direct.  The Scriptures, especially the New Testament, are full of admonitions and exhortations describing the way we are to live as Christ-followers. Space prohibits going into a deep dive of this subject, however what I ...

A little while ago I was talking with a friend about life in general, especially the current state of affairs in our society. As much as we want things to get better, I’m not sure things will before Jesus returns. While I do not profess to be a Bible scholar, especially as it relates to Biblical prophecy, Scripture does indicate that the last days will be accompanied by adverse events . Of course the exact timing and order of events are not clearly defined. Are we in the last days? If not, we certainly are getting close. This is not a doom and gloom message, particularly for Christ-followers. It is a call to action. Dr. Richard Blackaby, whom I highly respect, wrote, “Don’t merely dabble in the Holy Spirit. Seek to be filled to the brim so you avail yourself of his awesome power, love, and wisdom.”  In Matthew 25:1-13 we have the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids.  You might recall that the Bridegroom (Jesus) went to make preparations for his bride (his Church). While the bridesm...

Most of us have participated in a familiar church chant. It goes like this: “God is good,” with a response, “All the time.” And the counter chant, “All the time…God is good.” Permit me to ask the question: Is He? Do we believe it? Perhaps one of the most misquoted Bible verses is Romans 8:28, that many believe says, “All things work together for good.” We so desperately want the good that we don’t always know what to do when things in our lives are not always good. What the verse actually says in the New International Versión is, “And we know that IN all things God works FOR the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His PURPOSE.” (Emphasis mine) Jesus told us that in this world we would have trouble but He has overcome the world. He never promised us only good things; He did promise to never leave us or forsake us. (John 16:33; Hebrews 13:5) Many of my friends who read my blog either have or are currently going through things that most would not call good. What ...