Denise Whitfield
Director of Christian Education

Logistics

I am somewhat fascinated by language and vocabulary and its evolution in use with the passing of time or in response to current culture.  The word “logistics” is a word that in the past was most often applied to the aspect of military science dealing with the procurement, maintenance, and transportation of military material, facilities, and personnel.  While logistics is as important as ever in the military, in more recent years, thanks to UPS, FEDEX, and AMAZON, we all have been made aware of the, once behind the scenes, process of planning and executing the efficient transportation and storage of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption.   Now during this COVID-19 pandemic, logistics is part of everyday terminology.   The term is enjoying more common use ever since the common use item of toilet paper became scarce, and we have been watching daily media reports related to concerns about supply chains and everyone having what they need, where they need it, when they need it.

A logistics system provides excellent customer service by fulfilling the six “rights”: ensuring that the right goods, in the right quantities, in the right condition, are delivered to the right place, at the right time, for the right cost.

 I think as believers, we don’t need to be concerned about logistics.  The Lord is our logistical expert.  In every situation that we face, He is more than able to provide exactly what we need.  His provision comes in perfecting amounts (not to be confused with the amount we think is perfect). His sufficiency is delivered with great care to each individual heart.  He moves in the time He deems best, tarrying only if the result is greater glory.  And He has made full payment for all that is made available to us. 

Like most logistical activities, much of what is being done by God on our behalf is happening behind the scenes—deep in the heart of us.  And like commercial logistics, it is all about confidence in the provider’s ability to make good on what is promised. We can be absolutely sure that our God will be faithful to provide the right goods, in the right quantities, in the right condition, delivered to the right place, at the right time, for the right cost.  But not only will He deliver to us all that we need for successful living here, but just as surely, we will be delivered safely to our heavenly destination.  I’d call that logistical perfection!

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms

because we are united with Christ.” 

Ephesians 1:3

“Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.”

2 Timothy 4:18

Brandon Glenn
Director of Youth Ministries

We Can Do Better

The Apostle Paul tells us that because of the gospel, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, NIV).

Recently, it came to light that a young man was gunned down while jogging in his neighborhood. His name was Ahmaud Arbery. Ahmaud was black, and his killers were white. The fact that this event occurred in February and it didn’t come to light until May is troubling at best. As Christians, we can do better. As Americans, we can do better.

God says that everyone is equal in His eyes! He doesn’t look at outward appearances (1 Samuel 16:7).

You may be asking yourself what you can do to help end racism in the U.S. Recently, Shiloh’s 4:12 Youth talked about this topic, and here are some ways we discussed ending racism:

1. Interrupt racist jokes and comments. We’ve all been there when racist remarks were being made. Interrupt them before they are told in their entirety.
2. Listen. When people of color share their experiences with you, listen.
3. Amplify. Amplify the message of people of color so their thoughts and ideas are shared with their own voice.
4. Speak. This is critical! Speak up when you witness an injustice and speak up when you have the opportunity to educate and advocate.
5. Don’t do it alone. Ask someone to take a stand with you. Better yet, if you see someone else taking a stand against racism alone, join them.

I whole-heartedly believe that racism can end with this next generation! However, we older people need to be an example. Brothers and sisters, we can do better. Every human is made in the image of God. Jesus died for every person. When we see an injustice like racism, take action.

Bob Lehman
Executive Pastor

Okay, But Can He Really Do That?

I was reading a familiar passage during my devotions last week.  It may be one you know.  It was Genesis 18:9-15.  It is the story of God informing Abraham and Sarah that they will have a son.  You remember “Sarah laughed to herself.  It is at this point that God asked a question that I think sometimes gets lost in the narrative, it is a rhetorical question, not one of which an answer is required because the answer is obvious.  And the Lord said, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?”  The unspoken answer is, of course, a resounding NO! 

Sometimes in life we find ourselves wanting to trust in the Lord, but deep down we may be feeling like there is just no way.  We may laugh like Sarah did, we may cry, we may shake our heads in disbelief and discouragement.   Feeling this way does not mean we are weak, or of little faith, what it means is that we are human.  Just like Abraham and Sarah you may find yourself saying, “how can this be?”  Remember that despite times of feeling like there was no way out, both Abraham and Sarah are listed in Hebrews 11 as people of great faith.  They had their times of doubt, but in the end, they truly believed that God was sovereign, that God was trustworthy and that nothing was too difficult for God.

How about you?  Are you feeling discouraged today?  Are your burdens heavy?  Is it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel?  Perhaps you, like Abraham and Sarah need to be reminded that: God is sovereign which means he is in control, God is trustworthy which means He will do what He has promised, and God is able which means nothing is too difficult for Him.

I hope you can say with me today,

“What an Amazing God We Serve!”

Denise Whitfield
Director of Christian Education

When Straining at the Oars

There are some stories in the Bible that I fear when we read them, we can almost miss the best parts.  We can miss the irony and humor in a moment of profound revelation—none of it is lost to God.     I think the Triune God delights in every orchestrated detail. 

I can remember listening to my dad and my uncle telling stories together with dueling embellishments.  They chronicled each tale with such sheer delight. Even after numerous telling’s, the twinkle in their eyes never diminished.  I picture the Father and the Son laughing in this way as they reminisce together about some events here on earth. 

In Mark 6:47- 52, we find the familiar story about the disciples, several avid fishermen among them, following Jesus’ instructions to “get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side to Bethsaida.”  Hours later, they find themselves straining at the oars, having gotten no further than the middle of the lake because “the wind was against them.”  What Scripture records next is hysterical . . .  “Shortly before dawn He went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them.”  I can almost hear Him saying, “Hey fellas, need a hand?”  And if they hadn’t been so scared out of their sandals, I imagine them replying, “Yes, for Simon Peter’s sake, grab an oar and get in here and help us row.”

The disciples were slow on the uptake.  They were still trying to figure out just exactly who Jesus was.  They had witnessed Him “heal many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons.”   He had raised a little girl from death.  Just earlier that day, they had witnessed the feeding of the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, with the end result—a banquet of leftovers.  Mind you, they had even been in a similar situation before.  Scared out of their wits on the water—this environment which had always been their area of expertise. 

And yet here they are, at first not recognizing Jesus as He approaches, and then, I imagine, still underestimating His contribution to the solution to their trouble.  But as always, Jesus meets them at their point of need.  He encourages them with the words, “Take Courage, it is I, do not be afraid.”  He climbs into the boat with them and the winds stop.  The Scripture says “and they were greatly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened.” 

We bear a striking resemblance to the disciples.  We have seen God’s faithful working in our lives and yet, under new and extreme circumstances we can underestimate what God is willing and capable of doing. In our own efforts, we strain at the oars. But there is a better way.  Welcome Jesus into your boat.  Expect and trust Him, not to make a contribution to your human efforts, but to exercise His complete authority over your life’s challenges.   

He can do greater things, for greater glory.

Brandon Glenn
Director of Youth Ministries

6 Feet Apart

               Music tends to bring people together in commonality. Shortly after September 11, 2001, a song was released called “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” recorded by Alan Jackson. Recently, Luke Combs wrote and recorded “6 Feet Apart” and the lyrics connect with listeners on an emotional level. The chorus ends with these words: “And there will be light after dark, someday when we aren’t six feet apart.”

               May I suggest to you that not only will there be light after dark, but there is light in the dark. God showed himself as light in the form of a pillar of fire, leading the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 13). In the New Testament, Jesus told His followers, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV).

               In the same way, Christians today should let Jesus’s light shine through them so the world can see. What good deeds are you participating in this week? How are you glorifying your Father in heaven through those deeds? In a time where many are hurting because of physical and mental illness, loss of job, and general uncertainty, we ARE the Light. Let’s shine together for the World to see.

Doug Lyon
Senior Pastor

THE NEW NORMAL

I do not know anyone who has been infected by the coronavirus, but I do know that we have all been affected by it.  I look forward to the time when social restrictions will be loosened, and civil restraints will be lifted. 

I hear and read about people not wanting to return to normal—not wanting to go back to the way things used to be in their lives prior to COVID-19.  They desire a new normal—one that is better for them and for others spiritually, physically, emotionally, and socially.

One area that I need to do differently is to pray more regularly and fervently for wisdom, courage, and integrity for political leaders as Scripture instructs me to do.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

At the end of the 1^st century, a Christian leader known as Clement of Rome wrote a letter to the church at Corinth.  It’s not inspired Scripture, but it does contain solid pastoral advice.  In the letter, Clement included this prayer to God:  “Give harmony and peace to us and to all that dwell on the earth … while we render obedience to your Almighty and most excellent Name, and to our rulers and governors upon the earth.  You, Lord and Master, have given them the power of sovereignty through your excellent and unspeakable might, that we, knowing the glory and honor which you have given them, may submit ourselves to them, in nothing resisting your will.  Grant to them therefore, O Lord, health, peace, harmony, stability, that they may administer the government which you have given them without failure.  For you, O heavenly Master, King of the ages, give to the sons of men glory and honor and power over all things that are upon the earth.  Do, Lord, direct their counsel according to that which is good and well-pleasing in your sight.”

Life may never be fully restored to “normal” in Post Coronaville, but I hope my new normal is a more prayerful one.

Bob Lehman
Executive Pastor

Believing When It Seems Impossible

Twenty-three years ago, the Lord made me a promise.  As sure as I am writing this, I believe He did.  It was contingent on my holding up my end of the bargain, and I thought I did. Twenty-three years and many difficult situations later I still have not seen the promise come into being.  So, what am I supposed to do?  I think God has given me the answer in Scripture time and time again.  What did Abraham do when God promised him a son in his old age? What did Moses do as he wandered in the wilderness with a bunch of complainers?  What did Joseph do when he was sitting in a smelly prison cell?  The answer is the same in each case, they believed in the promises God had made, even when believing was difficult.  Is that not what Faith is all about?

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 1:11.

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,

because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea,

 blown and tossed by the wind.

 James 1:6”.

Are you perhaps struggling today with a promise you feel God has made to you, but the promise is still unfulfilled and seems impossible?   Remember, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”   I want to encourage you to, remain strong in your faith and wait for God’s perfect timing.  If you do this, God will do, in His time, what He has promised, and He will give you strength in the meantime.

Isaiah 40: 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Dave Celli

The Love of God

I really enjoy many genres of Christian music- contemporary, country, traditional, southern gospel, instrumental (the piano is my favorite!).  I also have many favorite songs among each of them.  One of them is the song “The Love of God”, especially this verse:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky. – Frederick Martin Lehman

Susan and I love going to the beach.  For me, there is nothing better than getting up early and watching the sun come up over the ocean horizon.  As I stand on the shoreline and wait, the words to this song flood my soul.  Although the ocean seems large and vast from my viewpoint, it is just a small fraction of what is actually there.  So it is with God’s love for us, our finite minds cannot even grasp the amount of love that God has for us.  Have you ever spent time thinking about God’s love?  Here are some characteristics to get you started:

God’s love is unconditional Romans 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

God’s love is eternal Jeremiah 31:3   The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

God’s love is sacrificial  1 John 3:16  This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

God’s love is constant  1 John 4:16  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them

God’s love is perfect 1 John 4:18  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

God’s love is overflowing Romans 5:5  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

God’s love is unfailing Psalm 36:5-7 Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD. How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.

This is by no means an exhaustive list.   Take some time today to meditate on the one that is meaningful to you or spend some time in God’s Word to discover more characteristics of His love.

Can you feel the sand between your toes, can you smell the salty air, do you hear the waves coming to shore?  Go ahead and sing it, you know you want to!O love of God, how rich and pure!
  How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
    The saints’ and angels’ song. – Frederick Martin Lehman

Brandon Glenn
Director of Youth Ministries

The Gospel Cannot Be Quarantined

How did Jesus model sharing the gospel? I believe in two different ways: traveling from town to town and training others. Mark 1:36-38 reads “Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages— so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’” Luke 10:1 reads, “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.”

I know we cannot go town to town right now, and it may be difficult to train others to share the gospel, but I am convinced there are people that God has uniquely placed in your life so that you may share the gospel with them. I recently had the opportunity to start a spiritual conversation with a neighbor. For you, it may be a neighbor, friend, co-worker, or family member. You may see them in person (6 feet apart, please), call them, or start a video call! Ultimately, it comes down to a conversation. We should get to the point of sharing the Good News of Jesus with them. Maybe you have a method by which to share the gospel. If not, here’s a simple way: Ask, Admire, Admit.

Ask

Start the conversation with a question to see where they are coming from spiritually, or sometimes conversations start heading this way naturally. Listen to the Spirit guide you in this conversation.

Admire

Say something admirable about what they believe spiritually. Even if they are an atheist or participate in a different religion. You could say something like, “I really appreciate your desire to seek out Truth.”

Admit

Admit that you are messed up and needed Jesus in your life. Feel free to share your personal testimony of who Jesus is to you, and what He has done in your life.

Methods like this one, the Roman’s Road, the ABC’s of Salvation are simply methods. They are not the message. I would like to challenge you to have one spiritual conversation over the next week. Share the gospel if you have the opportunity. We have the greatest News in the World—let’s share it!

Doug Lyon
Senior Pastor

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.

~Ecclesiastes 1:9

Even though COVID-19 is a new experience for us, there have been earlier pandemics.  The CDC reports, “The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history.  It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin.  Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919.  In the United States, it was first identified in military personnel in spring 1918.  It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States.”

Additionally, there have been many epidemics throughout the history of the church.  There was an outbreak of plague in Martin Luther’s city of Wittenberg, Germany.  When asked his advice in dealing with the situation, Luther wrote:  “I shall ask God mercifully to protect us.  Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it.  I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence.  If God should wish to take me, He will surely find me, and I have done what He has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others.  If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely.”

That was good advice in 1527, and it is good advice five centuries later—pray for God’s protection, sanitize your house, take medication, practice social distancing, and help your neighbor.

Bob Lehman
Executive Pastor

Looking In the Right Direction

Yesterday as I listened to Pastor Lyon’s excellent sermon on depression, I found myself thinking that depression is in large part a matter of focus.   During these times when what we have come to know as normal has gone out the window, it is easy for us to turn our focus inward and lament over the current circumstances.  Days start to run together because the routine that brought structure to our lives is not there.  The daily interaction that brought meaning into our day and gave us energy is difficult to find.  So many of the things that we found so enjoyable we cannot currently do because they involve interacting with people.   All of us can identify with these things. 

The trick to overcoming these depressive tendencies, as Doug did a great job of pointing out, is to resist temptation to look inward and downward, but rather determine to look outward and upward.

 In Lamentations 3:22-24 we are told:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
 Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!”

Take a moment to reflect on the following words taken from a familiar song written by Johnson Oatman, Jr.

“So, amid the conflict whether great or small, do not be discouraged, God is over all.
Count your many blessings, angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God has done!”

I want to encourage you today to see the blessings of the Lord that are all around you, to realize that His mercies are new every morning, and to say to yourself, “The Lord is my inheritance, I will hope in Him.”

Noah R. Hess
Contemporary Worship Leader

The Best Bowl of Stew You’ll Ever Have

Have you ever claimed the rewards of a birthright? I am going to make a sweeping generalization and assume you most likely have not. Birthrights by and large are no longer a part of our culture, but their influence over more familiar ideas like that of familial inheritance is undeniable. In the ancient world, there was an intentional emphasis put on the development and empowering of the firstborn male child in a family. This included not only a double portion of the physical inheritance from their family, but also the endowment of the great responsibility of taking over as the head of the family. Leading the family came with a responsibility to provide for the family financially, care for the family physically, and guide the family spiritually.

Read: Genesis 25:27-34, Hebrews 12:14-17

Out of all the redemptive acts in the Bible, one of my favorites is that of Jacob in the book of Genesis. When Jacob is first introduced, however, he is shown to be part of a duo that contrast each other many times. Today we’ll focus on the other individual of that duo, Esau. Compared to Jacob, Esau was a “bold and brash man, and Esau made it clear that he was more interested in pleasure and satisfying his immediate needs and desires than probing into the future. Despite this, according to tradition, Esau was the worthy recipient of the physical inheritance as well as the familial responsibilities than came with the birthright he was destined to acquire. We see in Genesis 25 that, whether intentionally or carelessly, Esau deliberately trades his birthright for. . . get this. . . a bowl of stew! Now I’ve had some pretty good soup, chili, broth and stew in my day, but as of yet none has checked the “sell off my inheritance” box or caused me to neglect my responsibilities in reckless abandon. To us, this decision seems absolutely absurd! But I argue that we behave like Esau far mor frequently than we want to believe.

How often do we trade our inheritance as followers of Christ and neglect our duties as children of God in exchange for nothing more than a glorified bowl of stew? These things we trade our inheritance for are like a bowl of stew in that they fill us up and satisfy for a moment, but in a few hours will leave us hungry yet again. During this time of COVID-19, let’s not settle for the exchange of the eternal for the temporal, but rather press into our relationships with God, understanding that our position and inheritance in Him is far more satisfying than anything that this fleeting life can offer, even if that thing is the best bowl of stew you’ll ever have.

Denise Whitfield
Director of Christian Education

RENOVATIONS

Across the street from our home some folks are into a full reconstruction project.  They plan to flip the house.  They have been ripping and tearing away old flooring, ceiling, and walls—down to the studs.    Several trees have been removed from the lawn.  The unwanted pieces and parts cast into the back of trailers and trucks and hauled off. The air is filled with the sound of lumber banging together, hammers pounding, saws buzzing, and drills screaming.  If that property could talk, it would often be moaning and groaning under the carpenters’ heavy hands.  At certain times, it would certainly cry out loud for the work it must endure to become the home a buyer would desire. 

While we are not a home being renovated for its family, the church is a family; each member being reconditioned for a new home.   The end goal—a perfect result.  Proven faith.  Maturity and completion.  Nothing lacking. (James 1:2-5.)

James has told us how each one of us should be responding to the trying experiences that are a part of being God’s restoration project—we are to be pleased with each new encounter. “Consider it all joy!”  Now that sounds downright crazy, if not impossible.  The testings of life are unexpected and unwanted in number, timing and impact.  But persevering with joy through our trials, can have the result of building our endurance.  

James anticipates our reaction to this exhortation.  He answers the question, “So how are we supposed to develop a joyful attitude toward difficulty?” James says, “Ask of God.”  He tells us it is going to require the wisdom of the Carpenter to rebuild our attitude toward trials. This is no time for us to rely on our own human tools because we can’t possibly know in such circumstances what to do or how to do it.  So, ask of God.  He has again made a way for us to do the impossible. 

Need wisdom as you try to joyfully make difficult finance decisions? Ask of God.  Is wisdom required to joyfully embrace employment changes?  Ask of God.  Is joyful perseverance through homeschooling your wisdom challenge?  Ask of God.  Would wisdom help you joyfully navigate close quarters and family dynamics at home?  Ask of God.  Might your joy increase if you felt you had the wisdom needed to confidently make choices about how to separate from friends and family? Ask of God. 

 James says we can keep asking, for our God will not hold back wisdom from anyone.  In fact, He doles out the wisdom generously.  And God’s wisdom can rework our moments of moaning and groaning into a joyful accounting of His working within us.   And as we await moving into our new home, the good result of God’s attitude rebuilding project within us will be evident.  There will be a strong family resemblance to the Carpenter. 

“For the Lord grants wisdom!
    From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 2:6