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You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. (2 Timothy 2:1-4)
Those who have served in the military have an advantage in understanding the true nature of the church, and those who have died in our service have experienced what is most similar to Christ’s sacrifice. The church is an imperfect, undisciplined, and voluntary institution, but it has been entrusted with a compelling mission of unparalleled importance: to free and protect those oppressed and enslaved by God’s enemies, through the united, sacrificial service of its members under the command of Christ. The mission would be hopeless were it not led by Him who has already won the victory over sin, death, and the devil through His own voluntary sacrifice on our behalf. This Memorial Day weekend we honor the sacrifices that have ensured our freedom in this life—and the next. “Heavenly Father, thank You for the freedoms we enjoy now and in eternity. Make us good soldiers, sacrificially serving others, under Your command, in Jesus’ name, amen.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A pastor approached a little boy gazing at a plaque on the wall of his church. The plaque honored congregation members who had died for their country. The boy asked, “Pastor, whose names are these on the wall?” The pastor replied, “Those are members of our church who died in the service.” Suddenly solemn, the boy turned to the pastor and quietly asked, “Which one, sir, the 8:00 o’clock or the 10:45?” ----------------------------------------------------------------------- A little girl was touring the Veterans Cemetery on Memorial Day with her grandpa. Describing his own lengthy combat duty, the veteran mentioned he’d grown a beard. Pointing to a nearby monument, the girl asked, “Why don’t those soldiers have beards?” The grandfather replied, “That sculpture reminds us of soldiers who’ve gone to heaven.” With a wink, he continued, “Most soldiers who go to heaven get there by a close shave.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Lord give you grace and gratitude this week! Pastor Kirk
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Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:11-17)
We live in an age of anxiety, fueled by advertising. If we don’t have the newest and the best, we are told that we are missing out on the good life and that no one will love us. Yet God’s Word advises us to fear the LORD—not in the sense of being terrified, but in the sense of being more concerned about His approval than anyone else’s. We are encouraged to be made new through God’s forgiveness and to do what is best in God’s eyes, because He knows what is best for us and loves us no matter what. Those who trust His Word over worldly wisdom can be confident in His presence and deliverance when all else fails. “Heavenly Father, thank You for delivering our broken hearts and giving us new life; enable us to fear You above all and do what leads to life and good days, in Jesus, amen.” WORLDLY WISDOM FROM GRADUATION SPEECHES: ................................................................................. Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there. - WILL ROGERS ................................................................................. If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito. - BETTE REESE ................................................................................. Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself. - MARK A. COOPER ................................................................................. You will find the key to success under the alarm clock. - BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ................................................................................. We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. - OSCAR WILDE ................................................................................. If people do not believe that mathematics is simple, it is only because they do not realize how complicated life is. - JOHN VON NEUMANN ................................................................................ Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere. - ERMA BOMBECK ................................................................................. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. - VIDAL SASSOON ................................................................................ So, what’s it like in the real world? Well, the food is better, but beyond that, I don’t recommend it. - BILL WATTERSON ................................................................................. Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that. - ELLEN DEGENERES ................................................................................. The unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective. - JON STEWART ................................................................................. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of payments. - EARL WILSON ................................................................................. Go to it. Be bold. Be true. Be kind. Rotate your tires. Don’t drink so much. There aren’t going to be enough liver transplants to go around. - RICHARD RUSSO ................................................................................. You will never have more energy or enthusiasm, hair, or brain cells than you have today. - TOM & RAY MAGLIOZZI ................................................................................. If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm. – VINCE LOMBARDI ................................................................................. Now that you’ve graduated, just remember: Bosses don’t usually accept notes from your mother. — MELANIE WHITE The Lord give you wisdom this week! Pastor Kirk In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)
This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, when the Father fulfilled His promise to pour out His Spirit on those who believed in His Son. The people of Jerusalem were amazed, not at the sound of wind or tongues of fire that signified the pouring out of the Spirit, but at the consequent lifting of God’s curse that had confused human languages, so that each of them heard the news of Jesus’ salvation in his or her own heart language. And we continue to thank God for His Spirit, which enables us to believe and speak our faith so that others can comprehend it, despite our weakness. In fact, as Paul reminds us, the Spirit even translates our groans into prayers when we can’t find the words. “Heavenly Father, thank You for pouring out Your Spirit, that even in our weakness we are able to pray, speak, and believe according to Your perfect will, in Jesus, amen.” THE CONFUSION OF LANGUAGES… A 5 year old was sitting in church with his family. His mother gave him paper and a pencil to keep him busy. He began to draw small figures and label them with words. Then he poked his mom and whispered, "How do you spell 'sex'?" In a shocked whisper she replied, "What did you say?" The boy whispered back, "How do you spell 'sex,' Mom? She looked at an eight legged, bug-like figure he had drawn. He continued, “You know, 'in-sex!'" The Lord make His Word clear to you this week! Pastor Kirk LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:1-5)
I sometimes think we are impoverished by artificial light, which increasingly prevents us from seeing the stars with our own eyes. In ancient times, when only clouds or constantly fed flames could obscure the night sky, God’s people often looked up at the glory of the universe and marveled at His goodness, not only in creating such majesty, but in caring so magnificently for the smallest child. Our true glory is not found in human star power, but in the honor God bestows on us through His attention, compassion, and provision. “Heavenly Father, thank You for dark nights that reminds us of both Your majesty and Your mercy, in Jesus, amen.” MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU -- BAD JOKES FOR STARS WARS FANS: Q: Why did episodes 4-6 come out before episodes 1-3? A: In charge of planning, Yoda was. Q: Why couldn’t Luke Skywalker find his parents? A: He was looking in Alderaan places. Q: Why did Princess Leia put her hair up in buns? A: So it wouldn’t Hang Solo. Q: Why didn’t the Wookie’s son like his cooking? A: It was a little Chewy. Q: Which Star Wars character was most vulgar? A: R2D2—every word he said was beeped out. Q: How is duct tape like the Force? A: It has a dark side, a light side, and holds the universe together. Q: Why wasn’t Darth Vader satisfied with the dark side? A: It cost him an arm and a leg. Q: Who is the most evil Star Wars villain? A: Kylo Ren, Han’s down. Q: Why did Count Dooku buy a crow? A: So ten thousand systems would rally to his caws. Q: What sequels are likely to follow ‘The Force Awakens’? A: ‘The Force Hits the Snooze Button,’ and ‘The Force Is Late for Work.’ Q: If today is ‘May the Fourth’ what is tomorrow? A: Revenge of the Fifth. The Lord show you His power this week! Pastor Kirk |
Kirk HilleAs Pastor at Pilgrim, Kirk is fueled by a passion for God's Word and a lot of good coffee. Archives
July 2018
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