Mark 1:40 “…if you choose, you can make me clean”.
This excerpt is taken from a discourse between a leper and Jesus. Picture if you will a man, begging to be clean. It would have been so easy for Jesus to just walk the other way. I’m sure the disciples would have rather been somewhere else. In this one statement, the leper expressed his faith in the abilities of Jesus.
“If you choose”, are words not meant to shame our Savior, but to acknowledge that life and death, health and sickness, are all in the realm of his glory. In order to have a full relationship with God, we must realize that it is up to Jesus to make us clean.
As we read on in the story, Jesus chose to make the leper clean. Like the leper, our sins make us unclean. A leper is cast out from society, and sin keeps us away from knowing God fully, yet Jesus chooses to cleanse us so we can know God. Jesus will clean whatever it is, so that we will no longer be cast out from the kingdom.
The only thing separating us from God is our inability to ask Jesus to come into our hearts and wash away the muck and grime that sin has put there. When we ask, we hear those words in verse 41, “I do choose. Be made clean.” The wonderful thing about Jesus is this; He will choose to make you clean.
Have you asked?
Pastor Kent
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Resolve
Joshua 24:15 “ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable for you, then choose for yourselves whom you will serve…”
I know what you are thinking, what a verse to start of the New Year with, but there is a reason for this.
We are entering into a New Year, and with that comes the annual tradition of New Years resolution. Many of you have made resolutions, and many of you have probably already broken them. The question I have is, what is your resolution for your soul?
Joshua told the Israelite nation that they needed to resolve whom they would follow; this was not the time to be wishy-washy. This call comes out to us to resolve whom we will serve, will it be God or the World. Can we resolve to choose to serve God this year, or will we fall off the resolution bandwagon and go back to serving the world.
This year is going to present all sorts of new challenges. We have new leaders; we will have new laws, and new guidelines. There will be new prices, and new unemployment. There will also be new ways to entertain our selves and new ways to get into trouble. But more importantly there will be new ways to minister to the lost and lonely.
Choosing whom we serves will allow us to focus on what is important to us. If we choose to serve the world, the hungry will remain hungry, the poor will remain poor, the lost will stay lost and the sick will die. But, if we choose this day to serve God, then the lame will walk, the blind will see, the lost sheep will be found, the hungry will be fed and the sick will be cured.
The way Joshua’s speech ends is what I pray your response will be, for it is my response. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Happy New Year and May God continue His blessings on you.
Pastor Kent
I know what you are thinking, what a verse to start of the New Year with, but there is a reason for this.
We are entering into a New Year, and with that comes the annual tradition of New Years resolution. Many of you have made resolutions, and many of you have probably already broken them. The question I have is, what is your resolution for your soul?
Joshua told the Israelite nation that they needed to resolve whom they would follow; this was not the time to be wishy-washy. This call comes out to us to resolve whom we will serve, will it be God or the World. Can we resolve to choose to serve God this year, or will we fall off the resolution bandwagon and go back to serving the world.
This year is going to present all sorts of new challenges. We have new leaders; we will have new laws, and new guidelines. There will be new prices, and new unemployment. There will also be new ways to entertain our selves and new ways to get into trouble. But more importantly there will be new ways to minister to the lost and lonely.
Choosing whom we serves will allow us to focus on what is important to us. If we choose to serve the world, the hungry will remain hungry, the poor will remain poor, the lost will stay lost and the sick will die. But, if we choose this day to serve God, then the lame will walk, the blind will see, the lost sheep will be found, the hungry will be fed and the sick will be cured.
The way Joshua’s speech ends is what I pray your response will be, for it is my response. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Happy New Year and May God continue His blessings on you.
Pastor Kent
Friday, November 28, 2008
Keep Awake
P.K.’s Corner
Mark 13:37 “And what I say to you I say to all: Keep Awake”
In Mark, Jesus warns us that when he returns we will not know until it happens. There is no way to guess or be sure of the second coming, so we must be awake and ready for the return. Unfortunately we have forgotten how to stay awake and we have become spiritual sleepwalkers.
Our physical bodies require rest, this gives the body a chance to repair and refresh for the coming day. Even when we sleep, our bodies are hard at work repairing the damage of the day and preparing for the day to come.
In our spirituality, we tend to just sleep and not let our spirit be refreshed. Instead of resting and allowing the spirit to heal, we just shut down and do nothing to strengthen the spirit. We fall asleep, and it is a non-productive sleep.
Our spirits need to be re-energized on a regular basis. This is done through Church attendance, Sunday school, Bible Study, Devotional time and prayer. Only through these activities can our spirit be refreshed and ready for the challenges to come.
In the upcoming season, it is easy to get so caught up in the Christmas preparation that we forget to be ready for the kingdom. We let our spirits lag and fall in disrepair, and then we sleep. Jesus calls us to refresh, not pass-out, to prepare, and not fall down in fatigue, to be ready for the King of Kings.
Are you sleepwalking, or re-energizing?
Pastor Kent
Mark 13:37 “And what I say to you I say to all: Keep Awake”
In Mark, Jesus warns us that when he returns we will not know until it happens. There is no way to guess or be sure of the second coming, so we must be awake and ready for the return. Unfortunately we have forgotten how to stay awake and we have become spiritual sleepwalkers.
Our physical bodies require rest, this gives the body a chance to repair and refresh for the coming day. Even when we sleep, our bodies are hard at work repairing the damage of the day and preparing for the day to come.
In our spirituality, we tend to just sleep and not let our spirit be refreshed. Instead of resting and allowing the spirit to heal, we just shut down and do nothing to strengthen the spirit. We fall asleep, and it is a non-productive sleep.
Our spirits need to be re-energized on a regular basis. This is done through Church attendance, Sunday school, Bible Study, Devotional time and prayer. Only through these activities can our spirit be refreshed and ready for the challenges to come.
In the upcoming season, it is easy to get so caught up in the Christmas preparation that we forget to be ready for the kingdom. We let our spirits lag and fall in disrepair, and then we sleep. Jesus calls us to refresh, not pass-out, to prepare, and not fall down in fatigue, to be ready for the King of Kings.
Are you sleepwalking, or re-energizing?
Pastor Kent
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Give Thanks
Psalms 107:1 O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever.
Last night, we had our Charge Conference. For those who may be new to this, this is the meeting where the church gathers to approve paperwork and plans for the coming year. It is also a chance for the District Superintendent to hear what has been happening in the church. During this sharing time I was told to not say a thing and let the members of the church share the good news. Those that were there shared many of the things that we had done over the year.
You, the Doniphan United Methodist Church, have been a loving, caring, committed family for Susan, the kids and I. The love that you expressed last night, and the love you continue to show confirms to me that this is the right place to be.
Throughout this year, Doniphan UMC has gone outside of itself. More kids than ever have attended church camp, for the 2nd time we sponsored a mission camp to an out of state disaster zone. You looked into your hearts and showed the love for the down trodden and handicapped through the PET vehicle project. You have shared in community ministries and have fed and housed over 2 dozen people this year. You have supported the local food pantry and continue to look for ways to help out those less fortunate. In essence God is working through every person in this congregation to reach every person outside of these walls. This is why I give thanks.
This past month, you shared your appreciation for Susan and I with a gift for Pastor Appreciation Month, and we feel truly blessed.
God is truly working here, and will continue, I give thanks for you, for what God is doing through you and for what God will do.
God Bless all of you.
Your Brother in Christ
Pastor Kent
Last night, we had our Charge Conference. For those who may be new to this, this is the meeting where the church gathers to approve paperwork and plans for the coming year. It is also a chance for the District Superintendent to hear what has been happening in the church. During this sharing time I was told to not say a thing and let the members of the church share the good news. Those that were there shared many of the things that we had done over the year.
You, the Doniphan United Methodist Church, have been a loving, caring, committed family for Susan, the kids and I. The love that you expressed last night, and the love you continue to show confirms to me that this is the right place to be.
Throughout this year, Doniphan UMC has gone outside of itself. More kids than ever have attended church camp, for the 2nd time we sponsored a mission camp to an out of state disaster zone. You looked into your hearts and showed the love for the down trodden and handicapped through the PET vehicle project. You have shared in community ministries and have fed and housed over 2 dozen people this year. You have supported the local food pantry and continue to look for ways to help out those less fortunate. In essence God is working through every person in this congregation to reach every person outside of these walls. This is why I give thanks.
This past month, you shared your appreciation for Susan and I with a gift for Pastor Appreciation Month, and we feel truly blessed.
God is truly working here, and will continue, I give thanks for you, for what God is doing through you and for what God will do.
God Bless all of you.
Your Brother in Christ
Pastor Kent
Thursday, August 28, 2008
His Will
PK’s Corner
1John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us. (KJV)
When was the last time we considered God’s will for us? Think about it, when did we last get on our knees and say, “God, I am available for what ever you have for me.” I would hazard to say that it has been a while, if ever.
You see, prayer is not about talking to God, it is about sharing with and listening too God. To follow God, is to desire to do God’s will. We try to tell God what to do, but we fall short in trusting God with our lives.
Trust is the issue. We trust a doctor who “practices” medicine, yet we have a hard time trusting the very person who created us. We know our will, but we do everything we can to avoid learning God’s will. We set up our plans, and curse God when those plans go awry, forgetting that God was not in those plans from the very beginning.
The next time we pray, lets take time to hear God. God is always reaching out to us, through His word, His spirit, His creation. We are the ones without excuse for not doing His will.
Pastor Kent
1John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us. (KJV)
When was the last time we considered God’s will for us? Think about it, when did we last get on our knees and say, “God, I am available for what ever you have for me.” I would hazard to say that it has been a while, if ever.
You see, prayer is not about talking to God, it is about sharing with and listening too God. To follow God, is to desire to do God’s will. We try to tell God what to do, but we fall short in trusting God with our lives.
Trust is the issue. We trust a doctor who “practices” medicine, yet we have a hard time trusting the very person who created us. We know our will, but we do everything we can to avoid learning God’s will. We set up our plans, and curse God when those plans go awry, forgetting that God was not in those plans from the very beginning.
The next time we pray, lets take time to hear God. God is always reaching out to us, through His word, His spirit, His creation. We are the ones without excuse for not doing His will.
Pastor Kent
Thursday, July 31, 2008
contentment
Philippians 4:11 “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” ESV
“It is HOT!” That seems to be the most common phrase of the “dog days” season in Missouri. Temperature and Humidity go through the roof, and the heat index keeps us thinking about how cool we could be if we stayed home. Contentment is hard to find when you are sweaty and hot and uncomfortable.
Paul points to us that he had to learn to be content with whatever situation he was in. When following God, he never knew where he would go next. Sometimes he went to a city just to preach, sometimes he also had to work (making tents) while he was preaching, but all the while he remained content. I believe he remained content because he knew God had a purpose for him.
When we become discontent with our spiritual life, we need to look at what is at the base of that discontent. Have we decided that God is no longer in charge? Have we stopped being in awe of God’s goodness? Have we stopped listening to God’s call for us? Paul remained content because he was always focused on God, so maybe our discontentment is due not to God forgetting us, but because we forgot God.
Yes, we can be content in the heat, and the cold and the uncomfortable, but to be content means accepting God’s way as the only way.
God Blessings to you all.
Pastor Kent
“It is HOT!” That seems to be the most common phrase of the “dog days” season in Missouri. Temperature and Humidity go through the roof, and the heat index keeps us thinking about how cool we could be if we stayed home. Contentment is hard to find when you are sweaty and hot and uncomfortable.
Paul points to us that he had to learn to be content with whatever situation he was in. When following God, he never knew where he would go next. Sometimes he went to a city just to preach, sometimes he also had to work (making tents) while he was preaching, but all the while he remained content. I believe he remained content because he knew God had a purpose for him.
When we become discontent with our spiritual life, we need to look at what is at the base of that discontent. Have we decided that God is no longer in charge? Have we stopped being in awe of God’s goodness? Have we stopped listening to God’s call for us? Paul remained content because he was always focused on God, so maybe our discontentment is due not to God forgetting us, but because we forgot God.
Yes, we can be content in the heat, and the cold and the uncomfortable, but to be content means accepting God’s way as the only way.
God Blessings to you all.
Pastor Kent
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Church
PK’s Corner
July News Letter
Ephesians 1:23 “And the Church is His body, it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with His presence.”
The last couple of weeks have been busy, and not just busy, but BUSY. Two weeks ago Susan and I had the privilege of taking 7 youth to Beaumont Texas to assist in Hurricane Rita Clean-up. This past week was Vacation Bible School and 25 adults assisted in teaching 65 Children the love of Christ. It was awesome.
Church was in Beaumont and Church was here at Vacation Bible School. Throughout the summer, Church will be on campgrounds around the country, in cities of urban blight, in communities recovering from floods and famine with the help of the church. Where ever Christ is shown, taught, or spoken, there is church.
We often equate Church as the place we go to one day a week for about an hour, but it is more than that, Church is the body of Christ, and thus is anywhere two or more are gathered in the name of Christ. It isn’t where you are, but why you are. The important thing though is to let yourself be part of the Church.
Wherever you go this summer, keep in mind that you are part of the awesome body of Christ, and when you do anything in the name of Christ he is there.
Pastor Kent
July News Letter
Ephesians 1:23 “And the Church is His body, it is filled by Christ, who fills everything everywhere with His presence.”
The last couple of weeks have been busy, and not just busy, but BUSY. Two weeks ago Susan and I had the privilege of taking 7 youth to Beaumont Texas to assist in Hurricane Rita Clean-up. This past week was Vacation Bible School and 25 adults assisted in teaching 65 Children the love of Christ. It was awesome.
Church was in Beaumont and Church was here at Vacation Bible School. Throughout the summer, Church will be on campgrounds around the country, in cities of urban blight, in communities recovering from floods and famine with the help of the church. Where ever Christ is shown, taught, or spoken, there is church.
We often equate Church as the place we go to one day a week for about an hour, but it is more than that, Church is the body of Christ, and thus is anywhere two or more are gathered in the name of Christ. It isn’t where you are, but why you are. The important thing though is to let yourself be part of the Church.
Wherever you go this summer, keep in mind that you are part of the awesome body of Christ, and when you do anything in the name of Christ he is there.
Pastor Kent
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