by Tim | Jul 11, 2010 | God, My World |
It’s a pretty humiliating feeling. Like you’re no one important. Expendable. Nothing noteworthy about yourself. But I also think it’s the truth. Some people have a special talent, skill, or personality that draws them out of the crowd and into the spotlight. Perhaps they are recognized for their intelligence, a unique talent, or incredible physical attractiveness. I think deep down inside, all of us wish we could become that kind of person. Nobody wants to die a nobody. Even in church circles, we have our celebrities. We elevate people who can speak well or have a musical gift. Or if they can write good books or grow a church. Or if they can somehow move us with their testimony. As I make this move to Colorado, I have to admit, part of me wonders if I’ll just fade into the background and become a “nobody” pastor in the middle of some distant small town, and I will live an insignificant life and drift into the shadows. Yet I’m also thinking that you are blessed if everyone perceives you as a nobody. If nobody perceives you as a somebody. That’s because the Bible teaches that only God is somebody, and we are nobodies. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches…apart from Me you can do nothing.” It’s hard for people who are perceived as somebodies to believe Jesus’ words. If you gain recognition in the eyes of others, you start to believe what they believe about you. When I was younger, people in church often complimented me for my musical talents when it came to playing the...
by Tim | Jul 7, 2010 | God, My World, The Church World |
In case you haven’t heard yet, we are moving to Colorado! I have accepted the opportunity to become the pastor of two small rural churches 15 miles east of Fort Collins. Whenever you announce something like this, everyone wants to hear the details. After all, you don’t do something crazy like leave your home and move your family over a thousand miles away from everyone unless something lucrative has turned up. Well, I’m sorry to say, there’s nothing lucrative to share. We are downsizing quite considerably, and we won’t be making any more money either. There are times when I think about what I’m about to do and my mind starts running…If this isn’t God, Tim, this is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done. And I believe that is a true statement. For several reasons, however, I do strongly believe God is calling us to these two tiny communities in Colorado. Because of all of this, I kinda feel like an expendable pawn in God’s hand. He’s sovereignly choosing where to place us, and it’s not my place to resist. I trust that He knows what He’s doing, and I want to do my all for Him where He places me. If things don’t turn out for my “good,” that shouldn’t factor into the equation. This should be all about what is good for Christ and His kingdom! I am much closer to accepting this than I was six months ago! The position is bi-vocational, and I hope to continue in the legal video business to supplement my income. If that doesn’t work out, I will have to find...
by Tim | Jul 4, 2010 | God, My World, The Gospel |
I have always wrestled with this: I know that as Christians, we should help poor people, because it’s the “right thing to do.” Yet, helping the poor is something that everyone feels obligated to do–Christian or not. I often resist focusing in on it, as it often makes Christianity appear to be a “works-based” religion, when I know that salvation comes by God’s grace, not our works. In addition, it seems that in Christian circles, liberal/mainline Christians fixate on helping the poor or other social issues, and as a result sideline what I see as the core of the faith: salvation through Christ from eternal punishment for us sinners and new spiritual rebirth. So it baffled me every time I read in Galatians when Paul recounts how he was appealing to the leaders of the Church to recognize that the Gentiles could also become Christians without having to follow the Law (become circumcised, etc), and at the end how the leaders decide that indeed Paul is right. But according to Paul in Galatians, they give him this one instruction: All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. Why does this keep coming up in Scripture and in Jesus’ words? Why does Jesus tell people to sell all their possessions and give to the poor? Why is this so important? Aren’t we saved by God’s grace, and not by good works, such as this? I would like to throw out something that I’ve been thinking recently: I have been realizing recently that I don’t really trust Jesus to...
by Tim | Jun 4, 2010 | My World |
I’d recommend you check hers out, as her posts will surely be more interesting and concise than anything you’ll find here! www.audrafalk.com Oh, and I’ve added a new feature to my blog–a photo gallery. You can access it from the top menu. I’ll be tweaking it to make it more user-friendly, but it will do as-is for now. Check it out from...
by Tim | Jun 1, 2010 | God, My World |
Yes, you heard that right. I’m blown away that I got a flat tire on my car today. Why would I be praising God for this? Read on… I should have replaced the tires on my car a long time ago. They’ve been bald for at least a few months now. The problem is, we haven’t had the money to buy new tires, so I’ve been literally praying everyday I drive my car that none of the tires would blow out. To make matters even more risky, my job requires that I regularly drive across the state (probably at least once a week). We have two cars, but the other car is used for taking Naomi to school and picking her up everyday, so we couldn’t downsize to one car. So I’ve been praying everyday that I drive my car for work that God would let it hold up until Naomi gets out of school for the summer. At that point, we don’t need to use two cars anymore. Well, my last job assignment was last week in Huntsville all week, and that was Naomi’s last week of school. This week, she’s home for the summer. Today, Audra was taking the minivan to get the brakes fixed, and I got in my car to follow her there so we could come home while the brakes were getting fixed. As I pulled out of our driveway, my tire was blown out! This is a miracle on two counts: 1. My prayers were answered literally and perfectly, as the tire blew out the very first week Naomi was out of school...
by Tim | Apr 28, 2010 | God, My World |
I was reminded yesterday of how rich I am. Not because I live in the wealthiest country in the world, but because what I read in Ephesians. Paul wrote this book while in prison to encourage God’s people of their true state, not whatever struggle they find themselves in (even if in prison). Among other things, Paul reminds us: You were once alienated from God, under His wrath, living in complete darkness. Now you are children of light, adopted into His family. How amazing is this to consider! Do we fully realize that without Christ dying on the cross, there would have been no hope for us (whether you are a Jew or Gentile)? It was through Christ that the door was open for already-screwed Gentiles and faithless Jews to be joined together to one another and to God as His family. If we are now adopted in, not only are we part of God’s family, but we are the very body of Christ, himself being the head. Jesus takes care of his body, just as humans make sure to take care of ours. The riches and fullness of Christ are ours, because we are his body. Everything that is his, we partake of, because He offers it all to us. Incidentally, Paul encourages husbands to love their wives similarly–as their own body. After all, he states, the two become one flesh. Therefore, I am to understand that my wife is my body. We, along with Paul, should be blown away that this same truth applies to Jesus and his Church. We are His body, we are “one flesh”...
