I promised to post my comments from 2 Chronicles 7:14 that I preached on Dec. 28, 2008. I really believe this New Year will be a great year of hearing from God and healing from God. But as I stated, we must meet the conditions in order to have the blessing from heaven.
The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
God tells Solomon that there are two conditions to be met if he is to hear from heaven and receive healing for the land. These conditions are true for us as well.
Condition #1 - Acknowledge our connection with God.
We are God's people called by God's name. We should never forget this truth. Satan would try to trick us into not believing this but he is a liar. There is an intimate, personal relationship that we enjoy with God that can be clearly seen from the following scriptures.
Heb. 11:16 - Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them
Rom. 8:15 - For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba,Father.
Gal. 4:5 -(Christ came)To redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
All of these verses explain to us that we are the children of God, connected to Him in a very personal way. Hearing and healing from Heaven requires us to continually remind our self that we are connected with God.
Condition #2 - Accept the challenge to live for God.
1. Live Humbly before God - This verse tells us to humble ourselves and pray. Prayer is a recognition that I don't know everything. Prayer is humbling myself before God and asking Him for His guidance. Prayer is acknowledging my dependence upon God.
2. Live Hungry for God - This verse tells us to seek His face. Seeking God's face is acknowledging God as being most important in my life. David wrote in Psalm 42:1,"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. This gives us a clear picture of what it means to hunger for God.
3. Live Holy with God - This verse tells us to turn from our wicked ways. How do we do that? By repenting. Repentance is not something I say, it's something I do. Turning from sin to our God.
What happens when God's people accept God's challenge to live humble, hungry and holy lives? Then I will hear from heaven…then I will heal their land. May 2009 be a year of hearing and healing from Heaven for you.

Happy New Year,
Pastor Tim

Usually we ask, “What does Christmas mean to you?” This is a worthy question and merits reflection. But I would like to reflect on a different question, “What does Christmas mean to Jesus Christ?”
First I believe that Christmas meant submission for the Lord. Jesus Christ submitted himself to God the Father and to us. Since Jesus Christ was sent from heaven, that implies submission to the Sender. We read in Philippians 2: 6-7, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!” He humbled himself being born in a manger. He humbled himself to death on a cross. Christmas means submission to Jesus.
Second, it means service. Mark 10:45 explains to us that he didn’t come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. He gave us his all.
Third, it means salvation. He came to save us from our sins. He came to be obedient to death, even death on a cross. I love what Hebrews 12:2 says about Jesus, “ Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The Bible tells us that it was for the joy that he endured the cross. The mission of Jesus was to bring us salvation and for Him it was a joy. You might say it was Christmas joy. Submission, service, salvation – that’s what Christmas means to Jesus.
Lastly, Christmas meant shining the light to Jesus. The prophet Isaiah proclaims this about Jesus, “ The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). And in John 1: 9 we read, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” Jesus came into our dark world full of fears and uncertainties and brought the light of salvation, the light of God’s glory. Jesus is the light of the world. For all of us who follow him we no longer walk in darkness but we have the light of His life present in our lives.
Since Christmas means submission, service, salvation and shining a light to Jesus, let us submit ourselves to Him, serve Him, proclaim that salvation comes through Him and reflect the light that He brings us to others.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Pastor Tim

The Gospels do not record this statement made by Jesus, Acts does. Paul was giving his final address to the Ephesian elders and he encouraged them to remember the words of the Lord Jesus himself who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

There is a blessing in receiving. All of us like to receive. There is something built into us that enjoys the act of receiving. It could be opening a gift at Christmas, receiving a hug from our kids, being the recipient of an act of kindness, an unexpected visit from a dear friend; all of these bring a level of happiness into our lives. Jesus is right; there is a blessing in receiving.
Equally as true, there is a greater blessing in giving – note the words “more blessed”. I remember one time in Bible College that Pam had paid all the bills and we didn’t have enough money to buy groceries. We were two weeks away from pay day so I was somewhat concerned about this. We went to church, parked our car in the usual place, and when we came out of church we discovered that our car was full of groceries…more than two weeks worth! What a blessing it was to receive those groceries. But Jesus says that the person or people who gave them to us were more blessed. They received a greater blessing. How does this work?
First, I believe there is a physical blessing when we give. Dr. Wayne Dyer has discovered in his studies that when people receive acts of kindness that serotonin is released in their brains. Serotonin is the chemical in our brains that is responsible for the joyful feelings that we experience. Furthermore, his studies have concluded that the receiver is not the only one that experiences serotonin. The giver of the gift also has serotonin released in their brain and anyone who sees the act of giving. I don’t have any scientific proof of this but I do have biblical evidence: I believe the giver gets more serotonin because it’s more blessed to give.
Second, and most importantly, there are spiritual blessings when we give. Jesus taught these principles to his followers: Mark 8:35 Jesus said, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” And in Luke 6:38 Jesus teaches, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” So we keep when we give and we get back more than we give. Doesn't the life of Jesus model giving so beautifully? He gave light to those in darkness, pardon to those who were guilty, peace to those who were troubled, hope to those who were hopeless, life to those who were dead and salvation to those who were lost. Jesus gave! I believe the most important blessing we gain by giving is that we are like Jesus when we give.
This Christmas many of you at the church are blessing families in our community. Over 50 families in the Evergreen community are receiving a blessing this Christmas because of your generous kindness. Please know that serotonin will be released and Jesus will be honored because His followers are giving.
To all of you giving this Christmas, I want to say thank you. Thank you for going for the greater blessing – giving. Thank you for modeling the spirit of Christmas and Jesus Christ – giving.
For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son…

With serotonin flowing in my brain (and tears in eyes),
Pastor Tim

Hanging outdoor Christmas lights is one of the best ways to bring Christmas joy into your life: NOT! There is a demonic stranglehold on this annual outdoor activity. I’ve made a commitment to fast and pray before hanging the lights next year to break this cycle of satanic attack. This year I hung my lights in a record 95 minutes on an unusually warm day. When I got the last strand hung I discovered that at both ends of the lights I had a female connector preventing me from plugging them in…Oh what JOY! I went down to the local hardware store to get a male to male connector.I erroneously assumed there was such an item. I figured this would be an easy fix and I still had a modicum of joy in my life. The man at the hardware store informed me that they don't sell that item.
"It's a fire hazard", he explained. At this point I don't really care if my house burns down because I've got my flipping Christmas lights up! A little less joy.
Then he asked me, “What did you do hang your Christmas lights backwards?”
He chuckled a little bit as these words came out of his mouth. I felt like punching him in his belly that looked like a bowl full of jelly. Joy is quickly waning.
He then added, “You’re going to have to start over”. No JOY!
The next day it’s cold and wet while I’m re-hanging my lights the correct way. What JOY!
I read some tips on the Internet for hanging outdoor Christmas lights that I thought I would share with you. Although I’m sharing these tips I do not necessarily agree with them.
Tip # 1 – Plan early to hang your lights. – Yeah like right after Easter. It takes a good 4 months to untangle them.
Tip #2 – Test your lights before hanging them. – Just beware that what works on the ground does not work on the eaves of your house.
Tip #3 – Gather the proper tools before starting. - Like what? A couple of eggnogs and a Valium? Maybe a priest that practices exorcisms.
Tip #4 – Get your spouse to help you. – Let’s pause here and think about this one. It’s a test for any marriage to hang Christmas lights. Make sure you go into this activity with some prayer and a licensed marriage counselor on retainer. There are some things that you should avoid saying while you are sharing this joyous activity together. Here is a helpful list:
•Did you tie these in knots when you put them away?
•Have you been drinking eggnog?
•Up a little higher…you can reach it…go for it.
•Just hold the ladder and keep your mouth shut.
•Look honey I found two more strands!
•You have two red lights together. The color scheme is all messed up.

Remember these are examples of what not to say to each other while hanging outdoor Christmas lights. You are not to infer that my wife has ever said any of these things.
It’s hard work to get the lights shining in the neighborhood. But when it’s all done and it works its well worth it. JOY!
We learn this about Jesus in John 1:5, “The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out” (The Message). Now that’s Christmas Joy!
Oh…Tip #5 – After Christmas remove your lights from the house and throw them away. It’s easier to buy new lights next year than untangle the old ones. JOY!

With Christmas joy,
Pastor Tim

I have no problem giving gifts at Christmas. I have a problem giving wrapped gifts at Christmas. I can take a wallet sized gift, cut a 5 foot section of paper, place the small item in the exact center of the paper and somehow not have enough paper to completely wrap the gift. I end up cutting more strips to cover the exposed parts. On the other hand, my wife can take a gift the size of a refrigerator and wrap in completely, no exposed parts, with a shred of wrapping paper. How do you do that? Is there a school you attend to learn this? My wife would wrap toys and then wrap the batteries separately. She says you get more gifts that way. I always wanted to wrap batteries and on the card put, “Toy not included”. Of course, I wouldn’t have enough wrapping paper.
I know the Magi that visited baby Jesus did not bring wrapped gifts. There are two very clear biblical reasons why I know this: 1) They were wise. 2) They were men. There is another implied reason. We have no record of baby Jesus playing with the wrapping paper.
I have discovered ways of overcoming my gift wrapping challenges. Perhaps these can be helpful to you men out there. Consider this my gift to you.
• Buy gifts already wrapped. Make sure you know what’s in the gift. It would be tragic to buy a nicely wrapped gift and not know what it is. However, if this happens you can always tell the recipient its myrrh.
• Buy gift bags to put your gifts in. I like this option the best. The directions are easy to follow. Open bag. Place gift in bag. Crumple up paper and throw on top of gift in bag. No tape. No fuss. Just a word to all you wise men out there. If you get a really big gift you will probably need to use a hefty trash bag. Make sure it’s black. And put a bow on it. Most bows have a sticky backing which makes it simple to stick on the hefty bag. If it doesn’t have a sticky backing use Gorilla glue. When your wife asks you why there is a trash bag under the tree tell her its frankincense. She’ll know for sure you’re a wise man.
So men, when you give an unwrapped gift, you’re not only wise you are following an ancient biblical custom. Oh yeah, save your receipt.

Merry Christmas,
Pastor Tim

From Psalm 100 we read these words:
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
This psalm is addressed to all the earth and to all generations. In other words, God wants all people all the time to hear and practice these words. This psalm is all about the Lord God. His name is mentioned 4 times in these 5 verses. This teaches us that our gratefulness should be directed to God who is the Giver of all good things. There are 6 commands to practice in this short psalm of thanksgiving.
1) Shout joyfully to the Lord - have you shouted for joy to the Lord lately?
2) Serve the Lord with gladness - are you serving with gladness or madness?
3) Come before him with songs - keep in mind this is addressed to all the earth not just the choir.
4) Know that the Lord is God - how would you rate your knowledge of God's attributes? To know Him is to love Him...that should be a song, don't you think?
5) Enter into his presence with thanksgiving and praise - how do you approach God?
6) Give thanks and praise to him - why is this mentioned twice in verse 4?
In verse 5 we find the reason that we should obey all these commands. It's connected with God's character - the Lord is good, his love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.
May your Thanksgiving be focused on God's love, goodness and faithfulness and may your heart be stirred with gratefulness to Him.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Pastor Tim

It's refreshing in a deceptive world to see honesty and integrity. Especially from a professional athlete. Such is the case with John Patrick Hayes a professional golfer on the PGA tour.
J. P. was trying to earn his way back on the tour by playing in a "Q" (qualifying) school tournament. He inadvertenly played two strokes (out of 70) with a ball that was not approved. He called a penalty on himself during the tournament which cost him penalty strokes. Later that evening he realized the ball was not approved and would have to face disqualification. Not to mention the loss of several thousand dollars by being honest. The next day, he did what is right and what his honest and what shows integrity, he turned himself in and was subsequetnly disqualified from the tournament and from getting his PGA card back.
News of this act spread fast and Hayes found himself being interviewed and questioned as if this were some totally wierd act. J.P. couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about saying, "Any golfer would have done the same thing I did". This seemed to puzzle the media. His honesty became the fodder for the talk shows. It seemed to motivate people to talk for hours about honesty and integrity. I think that's a good thing but I wondered, "Have we become so dishonest that honesty is abnormal?" In a recent article I read, more than 90% of college students said they would cheat in order to get a job. So maybe honesty is abnormal. How sad.
I saw one interviewer ask Hayes, "No one would have ever known if you wouldn't have turned yourself in and yet you still did it, why?"
Hayes replied, "There's someone looking down on me and He knows." Thank You, J.P. Hayes. Great answer!
In a world where people live by a fake motto: It's not cheating if you don't get caught; it's wonderful to see a story like this. J.P. Hayes's decision to turn himself in is a small setback for the golfer and a big victory for virtues like honesty and integrity. Thank you J.P. Hayes, I just became a fan.

"The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful." Proverbs 12:22

Pastor Tim