Who Is your Support Crew?

by Chris Freet

As some of you may know, I enjoy running as a means of exercise and stress relief.  There is a man named Dr. David Horton who is an exercise science professor at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.  Dr. Horton is also a legend in the world of ultra running.  For example, he has the third fastest time in history for running from Los Angeles to New York.  He is only one of nine men who finished the Barkleys ultra marathon--100 mile run has been around for over 25 years!  He also has held numerous speed records on long trails such as the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Coast Trail.  The Pacific Coast Trail is over 2600 miles long and he ran it in 68 days!

But I bring Dr. Horton to your attention for another reason.  Not only is he a running legend but he is also a born again believer.  And during his attempt at the PCT spped record a few years ago God laid something on his heart.  The illumination Dr. Horton received was this:  We need people.  Sounds simple, right?  It is really more important than we realize.  Dr. Horton could not have set the speed record on the PCT without a good support crew--people hiking food to remote spots, a doctor to 'doctor' his feet and blisters regularly, people to set up camp daily so that when he arrived at the certain point everything would be ready.  This simple but deep truth is something that is vital for Christ-followers as well.  For example, the apostle Paul wrote:

"Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."  - Galatians 6:2

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."  - Hebrews 10:24-25

You see, in the New Testament alone there are over 60 "one another" verses calling the church (gathered people, not an organization) to encourage, build up, edify, etc.  This means that it is vital for the church to regularly meet together.  If we are not regularly meeting with the church then how can we edify each other?  This is the point of spiritual gifts according to Paul in 1 Corinthians and Ephesians.  They are given to edify and build up others.

With this we can see how important it is to meet together with other believers.  It is not something that can be negelcted if we are to grow in our faith in Christ.  Like Dr. Horton realized so must those who call on the name of Christ--we need people.

So this is Christmas

     You have probably all heard the song "so this is Christmas" written by John Lennon. well I was thinking about the lyrics to this song "so this is Christmas and what have you done" as I pondered them I thought "what have I done this Christmas" what have I done other than shop for presents, bake cookies, decorate the tree and sing Christmas carols?
 well I was very disappointed in myself. I know the true meaning of Christmas. I know that I am celebrating the birth of our lord and savior Jesus Christ but what have I done. Then I realized Christmas is not about what I have done it is about what God has done.
"for God so loved the world he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16.

There is nothing wrong with giving presents putting up Christmas lights and decorating a Christmas tree as long as we remember to keep Christ in all these things.

So when you give gifts remember the gift God has given his son Jesus.

When you hang your Christmas lights remember that Jesus is the light of the world.

When you decorate your evergreen tree remember the everlasting life that we have through Jesus.

Christmas should bring us great joy our saviour has arrived!

                                                                                                                         Chris Sherman

"Bah, Humbug!"

Yup, I just can't let this season pass without mentioning one of my favorite Christmas movies, "A Christmas Carol", based on the book by Charles Dickens.

Hollywood made a few versions, but I grew up watching the 1951 version with Alastair Sim playing the title role of Ebenezer Scrooge, so I'm partial to that one and consider it a "classic". 

The wonderful thing about the movie is that the the basic message of man's redemption not only remains intact, but is also highlighted in a way that undoubtedly would not be part of a modern day screenplay. I love how we rejoice in the conversion of an old, amoral curmudgeon ("Oh Spirit - can't you find some younger man to save?"), into one whose abundantly generous nature leads people to say that he epitomizes the spirit of Christmas. 

How perfectly does this illustrate God's desire to offer us His "Divine Exchange". He wants to take our wretched sin nature, and give us His Divine nature, in its place. He sent His Son to be born into time, so that we might be "born again" to live eternally with Him.

So, at this time of year, if you're tempted to give up on that loved one that rebuffs you with a "Bah, Humbug!" each time you try to speak to him about your new life in Christ, don't despair - if God can redeem Ebenezer Scrooge, He can redeem anyone - and He DOES! Thank You, Lord!!!

Maria McKiernan

Christmas Miracles

by Ken Platt

It's that time of year again when inevitably you see the commercials, pictures, and movies that stress the importance of making Christmas something special.  One of my favorites is "Christmas With the Kranks" where Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis make plans to go on a cruise since their daughter is over seas.  When their daughter surprises them and tells them she will be home they rush all over the place to make sure everything is just right for their daughter.  They try to get the perfect food- a Hickory Honey Ham- which ends up getting run over by a semi, meanwhile, Tim Allen steals a tree from a neighbors house all in the hope of making Christmas 'special.'
I am all for making Christmas special.  Renee and I have a tradition of making Cinnamon Buns on Christmas morning.  Some friends of ours invite us over on Christmas eve for a party which includes Crab Bisque from Cooper's Seafood in Scranton.  This is a tradition I love.

But I have to wonder...in the midst of our traditions and making Christmas special, are we missing it?

It is almost cliche to say keep 'Christ' in Christmas, yet many of the people who may say that are the people Jesus decried in Matthew 23.  We get frustrated and angry that they are taking down nativity scene's yet in our anger we say and do things which in no way represent the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which the birth of Jesus represents.
You see, the miracle of the birth of Christ was only the beginning.  A part of the story that ushered in a new era in the divine drama.  A birth which would ultimately lead to death, resurrection, and in-dwelling.  
I don't care how many nativity's they take down, or how many times they write X-mas, or if people say happy holidays, or whatever.

A follower of Christ is the true sign of Christmas. 

If you proclaim Christ and follow him-You are a Christmas miracle.

Live the miracle-act justly, love mercy, walk humbly.*

*Micah 6:8

Learning to Listen and Listening to Learn

by Jim Corbin

In the great American Wild West the title of ‘fastest gun’ was coveted. The greatest gunslinger could draw quicker than the eye could see (or so the stories say). For most, the life of a young and immature person is much like the fastest gun in the west: quick to speak and slow to listen. Young Christians are often characterized by an overflow of opinion followed by an unquenchable desire to be heard. They draw fast and unleash a fury of ammunition aimed at shooting down opposing ideas and the thoughts of those who seem to be far less informed about the things of God. For them, to listen simply provides more time to reload.

Many of us are like the gunslinger. Wherever we venture our six shooters are loaded and we are ready to use them quicker than the eye can see. We don’t learn much because we already know all we need to know about a deep relationship with the Lord and his people. What we may not know is, after all, just incidental. If people would just see things our way everything would fall into place. Listening remains a foreign concept.

In the Keel Life we can go deeper than this. Listen to Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 5:

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

 ² Do not be quick with your mouth,
   do not be hasty in your heart
   to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
   and you are on earth,
   so let your words be few.
³ A dream comes when there are many cares,
   and many words mark the speech of a fool.
It’s amazing what you hear when the noise of your own words is silenced. The Keel Life is where one ‘learns to listen and listens to learn.’

The Good Shepherd

Many of you are aware that we recently experienced another life-altering accident in our family - my son had to have his right leg amputated below the knee, due to malfunctioning equipment at his job. We are grateful to God that Brian is still with us, and grateful as well to our family and friends who kept us in prayer during this time of crisis.

I continue to be amazed at my son's attitude, because he has always been very sports minded, with skate/snowboarding, and surfing being among his favorites. Yet, one of the first statements he made to me after the accident (when he was finally able to talk), was - "You know mom, I've been thinking about a lot of things, and one of them was my walk with the Lord. It really wasn't what it should have been. This was a wake-up call for me, because I realize now that I'd rather limp into heaven with one leg, than march into hell with two!"

OK - so now that a proud mama has had a chance to "brag on" her son, let me share what that statement prompted me to think about this week.

Several years ago, I first heard a story by a renowned Christian author, Robert Boyd Munger, who wrote about an American traveling in Syria. This American became acquainted with a shepherd who was personally carrying and caring for a wounded sheep with a broken leg. When the shepherd was asked if the sheep had broken its leg by falling into a hole or meeting up with a predator, he replied: "No, I broke this sheep's leg myself - this was a wayward sheep. It would not stay with the flock, but instead would lead others astray. It would not allow me to come near it - so I had to break its leg so that it would allow me, day by day to care for it. Thus, it will get to know me personally as its shepherd, trust me as its guide, and keep with the flock." 1

My pastor at the time posed the question: "Could this be the reason we see so many pictures of Jesus carrying a sheep on His shoulders when he's portrayed as the Good Shepherd? Is He training a wayward sheep to become totally dependent on Him - or is He simply temporarily carrying one who had been wounded by some accident of life, as in the poem "Footprints"?

What do you think?

Either way, I'm certain that my son's accident was not a direct judgment from God as punishment for some "wayward behavior", but rather an intervention that prevented a worse outcome - as well as providing an opportunity for a "wake up call".

As for me, I continue to pray that my children do not provide me with any further "close calls" in order to reflect upon the truths of God's word!


Maria McKiernan

1 Robert Boyd Munger in Enclyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations by Paul Lee Tan

As Raw As It Gets

I try not to use clichés.  I blame it on Mr. Sullivan my 12^th Grade Shakespeare teacher.  We had weekly writing assignments, which we handed in each week and in my desperate attempt to be poetic I would regularly use a cliché, because it just sounded right.  My papers would come back with the same thing written in the column-“Please do not use clichés.”

It’s the unoriginality of it; they are sell-outs of truth that prevent us from using the brains God has gifted us with.  The definition of cliché is: an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, "played out."  Unfortunately this can happen all the time in our spiritual lives. 

There was a song written 7 years ago by John Mark McMillan called How He Loves.  Most people know this song because the David Crowder Band recently covered it.  It is an incredible testimony of God’s unwavering and overwhelming love for us.  I have heard both versions and even performed it myself with our music team.  I appreciate both versions written by two artists and two styles.  There is also one subtle difference within the two version, one lyric has been altered.

In McMillan’s original he writes:

“And heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss…”

In Crowder’s cover he writes:

“And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss…”

This lyric is talking about the way in which the divine God meets the imperfect human and engages in a relationship that seeks to make man more in the image of the divine.  I will admit when I first heard McMillan’s lyric I was taken aback.  I was at a conference and the music team was leading us in this song (pre-Crowder) and when I got to this lyric I said to myself,  “Did that really just say what I think it said?”

When Crowder’s version came out I was relieved to hear they had changed the lyric to something a little easier to swallow.

Recently I have thought differently.  My different thinking comes from a deeper appreciation of McMillan and the message he is trying to send.  The message is rawness before God and about our relationship with God.

As I was talking with my good friend Jeremy we began talking about this particular lyric.  An “unforeseen kiss” is nice.  It is a sweet little surprise that might make us smile, it may even contain some passion but it is not mind blowing, is it?

But this other lyric is raw.  It emits a raw passion that is unmistakable, undeniably, and beautifully confrontational with the receiver! 

This is what we need to be pursuing with God;  A rawness which makes us rediscover the reckless love God has for us and to express it to him in new ways.  You see, God is not afraid to hear of all the terrible things we have done, to take those burdens on himself so he can give us life. 

We have gotten so used to proper language with a God created the passion, which lives inside of us.  Why shouldn’t we bite down and honestly express everything our heart needs to say to God instead of neatly packaging it into a little prayer we say before bed, meal, whatever.

Our journey with Christ should never become a cliché, where we lean on pithy sayings instead of the raw truth God reveals in our hearts through the salvation we receive through Jesus.

So be more raw, and know deeper passion.

"Not now daddy is busy"

    If you are a parent you know that kids have a way of asking for things at the most inopportune times. I recently found myself saying to my kids "not now daddy is busy". In church last week we talked about how God is our father and how we are his children and I realized that God never says to us "not now daddy is busy". 
    God is always there for us. Even with all the big problems going on in this world God is never to busy for us. God is always there to listen, to comfort, to love us. God is always there. Psalm 139:7-10 " where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from you presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." 
    Even when we are facing a problem in our life God is there. God will never leave us or forsake us. Psalm 23:4 says "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." God doesn't just lead us into these valleys of our life he walks us through them and is always with us.  Don't be afraid to talk to God he is our loving father and is never to busy for any of us.

                                                                                                                              chris sherman

“The Secret of the Vine”

I have the world’s worst green thumb. OK, maybe it’s not the world’s worst, but I have been told that I might as well call it a “black thumb”!

I have killed any number of beautiful Mother’s Day plants over the years, as well as plants that I have volunteered to “care” for while their owners were on vacation (all I did was water them, as per instructions, honest)! Those loyal friends now insist that I wear a pair of gloves when approaching their (replacement) plants.

So in 1993, when my beloved grandma (who had been living with us for years) died, I decided to put her favorite plant in the basement (one step closer to the garbage), so that I would not be responsible for another “death” in the family.

Much to my surprise, I discovered the plant three months later – yup, not only had I forgotten to throw it away before I killed it, but it had somehow managed to stay alive despite my neglect! Well, just barely that is. It certainly was in need of some attention, so I decided at this point; why not try to save it – what have I got to lose? I invested in some Miracle-Gro products, added a good dose of fertilizing prayer, and, Voilá! It actually sprang back to life! Of course, I did learn later that this particular plant, a philodendron, is practically indestructible – finally – a plant for me!!!

Fast forward thirteen plus years, and my still thriving philodendron suddenly suffers a break in one of its branches. At this point, all I’ve done for years is water it once a week, so I figured – no problem, I’ll just put the broken branch into some water, and it will grow roots, then I’ll have TWO hardy plants! But, try as I might, the branch did not thrive. Was the old “curse of the black thumb” striking again, or what?!

The title of this blog, “The Secret of the Vine” is a take-off on Bruce Wilkinson’s “Secrets of the Vine”, in which he shares some insights on prayer. But, I am referring simply to the passage in the gospel of John, chapter 15 verse 4, where Jesus says, “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.” (Emphasis mine.)

Jesus goes on in the following verses to reinforce the idea that our need for Him is so critical that even if we were born with ten green thumbs (well, you get the idea), we STILL couldn’t thrive spiritually (or otherwise), without Him!

So, I think that perhaps I’ve been provided with a little reminder of the Savior’s desire to keep me grafted into Him. You see, even though I thought that all the branch needed was water, there were SO many more nutrients provided by the vine that were necessary to its survival.

Who knew? JESUS!!! Now, are you THRIVING, or just SURVIVING?!

Maria McKiernan

It's Too Early

by Ken Platt
4:30am is early-not just for me, but everyone.  In fact, not many people were ever up that early until the Industrial Revolution and the invention of the light bulb.  I think it was God's specific plan for us not to wake up until the sun rises.  I also think someone should tell my son that.

Liam Harper is nearly two years old and loves music.  I cannot say that I am surprised because my passion for it is pretty obvious.  But his young age he already possess a level of showmanship I don't know that I will ever possess.  My favorite is when he dons his air guitar, gets in a wide stance a rocks out Ala Pete Townshend.  Well Renee and I decided the air guitar and the pink Barbie guitar were no longer sufficient-he needed a real one.  We found one in a catalog for 25 dollars and ordered it.  On Monday it arrived.  Renee and I made a huge deal out of it, as if this were going to mark some major holiday or a a clip in an episode of VH1's 'Behind the Music.'  We broke out the camcorder and slowly opened the box.  Even though he is two Liam is no stranger to guitars.  Every time he is around mine he is like a moth to the falme, he can't help himself.  He needs to feel the strings under his fingers and hear the sound of the vibrating strings.  So when he realized what it was he got excited.  For the rest of the night he kept it very close.  When I put him down for bed, he would not settle until his new guitar was present in the room.   After he went to bed we finished cleaning up the packing material strewn about the floor and went to bed ourselves.
At 4:30am we heard him get up.  It was my turn to go check to see that he was okay.  As I walked through the door I witnessed the coolest thing.  There was my boy-groggy eyed sitting on the sofa seat, guitar in his lap, and he began to play.  I reveled in the moment then told him it was too early for guitar.  As I picked him up to get him back to sleep he sobbed.  He kept crying "Guitar, guitar, guitar" He eventually settled down and slept til 7.
I think Liam is on to something.
He loves that guitar more than anything right now, and just want to have it nearby and play.  I wonder if we seek that type of relationship with God in our own lives.  I have recently started getting up earlier than my allotted training time to spend some quiet time with God.  I would be lying if I told you I desperately seek this time with my Savior.  Because like I said-4:30 is early for everybody.  Yet I do not do it out of a sense of duty.  I do it because I want to know the heart of God that much more.  I know that the best time to do that is when there is the least amount of distractions.
But what if someone were to take that time away from me and tell me I could not have that time of meditiation?  Would I cry as my son did?  Would I be distraught?  Do I desperately seek to know the heart of God so badly that to lose anytime with him would be a sever detriment to my spiritual health?
You see, there is an acute danger for us to formulate our own idea of God.  These ideas of God are not always based in our passion for learning more about God, but our own passive experience with how we think God ought to act.  We feel our own experiences will dictate who God is and how he responds to us.  Yet we have been given a very consistent picture of who God is and how he interacts with humanity through the words of the scripture.  But we don't always seek it.  We always have some excuse like: I don't have time, I don't understand it, I can't focus, I don't read, I listen to preachers, add yours here __________________ because we all have one.
4:30 is early, but it is not too early to engage in things we are passionate about.  Liam woke up and made a bee line to his guitar. I would urge us all to make the priority in our day seeking God through his word.  I would challenge you.  See if it doesn't change you.  See if you are not more passionate about the heart of God.

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4 

Don't know where to start?  Try these daily reading resources:

Daily Reading www.dailyscripture.net

My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Liam and his guitar

What Lies Beneath

by Jim Corbin

Phrases such as ‘just scratching the surface’ and ‘the tip of the iceberg’ bring to mind an attention to what people can see. In his book entitled The Life God Blesses, Gordon McDonald paints a picture of a person completely overcome with attention to externals. The boat he is constructing has tremendous attention to detail with the most expensive riggings, brass fittings and other materials on the deck of the boat. It looks beautiful to everyone watching as it pulls out of the marina but when it encounters its first storm the boat begins to lose its way and fall apart. Why? McDonald explains that the builder gave little attention to the most important aspect of the boat; what lies beneath. The wood used for the keel and other connective pieces was cheap and poorly bound together. The design was flawed and engineered incorrectly.

It’s a simple lesson isn’t it? Working hard to build our life in Jesus Christ is most important in areas where people cannot even see; our prayer time, Bible reading and service in his name. Others may not see you pull out of the marina in awe but what you have built beneath the surface, by his grace and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, will take you through the storms of life.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:14

Childlike Trust

         A few weeks ago I was talking to my 6 year old daughter about taking the school bus.  I was telling her to make sure somebody was there to pick her up so she wouldn't be alone. She said to me "But daddy we are never alone God is with us"
     I was stunned! This little child had so much trust in God that she was not even scared to be alone.
     As I thought about what she said I realized this is what Jesus meant when he said "Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." (Mark 10:15)
     Kids are so trusting by nature. Kids depend on their parents for everything food, shelter,safety and as parents we watch over our children to make sure they are safe and taken care of. Kids have a way of trusting that their parents will do what is best for them.

     We should make our trust in the Lord this simple. A child doesn't understand why they need to hold hands when they cross the street or why we wouldn't want to leave them alone at the bus stop and sometimes we don't understand why God is or isn't doing something in our lives but we need to trust and know that God is looking out for our best interest's and know that we are never alone God is with us.

                                                                       Chris Sherman

The Creeper

I spent the latter half of last week in Philadelphia, attending a national travel training seminar. One of the classes I registered for was entitled "Getting Connected: A Primer on Social Media Networking", where we learned more about promoting our businesses through FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, blogs, etc.

The class reminded me of Pastor Ken's sermon of a couple of weeks ago, which introduced our current topic, "Following". That message, in referring to Social Media, taught me a new term - creeper - which was roughly defined as one who observes others' statuses while rarely posting anything himself.

Hmm, I thought . . . I guess I'm guilty of being a "creeper" myself. I enjoy keeping up with the highs and lows of my friends' and family's lives, but don't necessarily find the need to comment or post as often as they do.

While I was debating whether or not to feel guilty about something ELSE in my life, another thought crossed my mind - wait a minute! Could one then consider GOD a creeper? After all, doesn't He constantly keep track of all of OUR statuses, and only every once in awhile does He send us a "post"?

Actually, to be honest, even though I realize that my life is being monitored daily by my Heavenly Father, I would rather think of Him smiling as He takes note, without Him finding the need to "post" me!

Yup, the more I think about it, the more comfort I feel from the fact that I'm being watched not by a "creeper", but by a "keeper"!

"For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NASB)

                                                      
by
Maria McKiernan

The Keel Life Defined

by Pastor Ken Platt

There is something beautiful and graceful about watching a sailboat.  The idea that a giant sail catches the wind and pushes forward is pretty awesome.  As a 13-year-old kid watching my grandfather go back and forth across Blue Mountain Lake in the heart of the Adirondacks I too wanted to harness the power of the wind. 

My grandfather was always excited to teach others about the things he loves.  Just this past summer I got a thorough lesson on our family lineage.  I found out that my ancestors have been involved in some pretty historic stuff like colonizing America.  But when I asked him to teach me to sail he was pleased to help me learn.

One thing about me is that I am tragically impatient.  I cannot wait for anything.  Even now I sit here thinking about our second child-only two months away from being with us-and I want her here now.  This has also been a hindrance to me while learning new things.  Sailing was no exception.

I donned my life-vest and climbed aboard the small Sunfish.  My grandpa began to give me instructions.  I was hearing a lot of different things, and to this day I cannot tell you the finer points of the instruction.  I do know I had to hold the rope for the sail and drop the keel down the little slot in the middle.  When he was done I started my maiden voyage.  The boat began to inch forward then gather a little speed.  Within seconds though I was in the water along with the boat.  My big mistake-I did not drop the keel.  I repeated this same mistake numerous times and finally got tired of climbing out of the water and inevitably quit.

This brings us to the purpose of this blog.  When we look at bigger boats the keel is build in.  It does not have to be dropped, it is very pronounced in the water.  One definition I found says this regarding the keel it has two functions: it prevents the boat from being blown sideways by the wind, and it holds the ballast that keeps the boat right-side up. 

Many of us wander through our lives totally satisfied with where we are in our faith walk.  Our challenges are minimal and we are very complacent about who we are.  When tragedy or difficulty hits our lives it is no wonder that many people fall apart at the seams.  They turn to self-medication via relationships, substances, food, media outlets-whatever.  This is because they are okay with just living on the deck of the ship.  The storm comes and sweeps them into the water and they grab anything they can get their hands on.

The keel of a ship runs through the center of the ship and all the main connecting parts of the ship’s frame are attached to the keel.  The ship gains balance and stability from the keel.  Because life is not all smooth sailing, you will want a relationship with God that stabilizes you through the storms of life.  God will take you deeper if you seek him. 

This is the Keel life.

Grandma and Grandpa Hutchins

 at Blue Mountain Lake