Y2K

Do you remember that thing called Y2K? WAY BACK in the 1990’s we continually heard how, when the year 2000 came, all our computers were going to go crazy. Millions of dollars were spent to prevent a catastrophe. We wondered if we would have electricity. What would happen to banking and large businesses? People bought generators and stocked up on food. Some were truly consumed with fear.

Now, here we are, with only 45 days left in 2009, a full ten years after Y2K. Ten years? Yes, ten years. Where did the time go? I am finding that time is flying by more rapidly than ever. To me, the 1990’s are not that far back. It’s hard to me to fathom how quickly the years are going. Within a few years high school graduates won’t know about Y2K from personal knowledge, but only because they were told about it.

Along with the faster pace of life, changes are coming at us so fast that it is impossible to keep up. As much as I would like to, there is no way I can keep up with the changes in technology. Cell phones and I Pods and computer games come and change so quickly. I do well to keep up with what I have, much less the new stuff.

I remember when someone was talking about something amazing. Instead of having records or tapes, we would listen to music on tiny machines that have no moving parts. Music would be simply a file on the machine. That seemed incredible because listening to music has always had moving parts – turning a record or moving a tape across a tape head. That dream is true today as a tiny player has enough memory capacity to hold thousands of songs. And, that technology now includes video.

Time is flying, life is moving at a dizzying pace. What are we getting done? What will last? What of value will be here in the future. 8-track tapes are now found only in a museum or your great grandparents house. Some time soon the latest I Pod or digital camera will be considered a dinosaur. What will last? What has value?

Let me leave you with words I used to hear quite often:

Only one life will soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Veterans’ Day

Since today is the day we honor veterans, I thought I would like to share some thoughts and pictures in remembrance of my father. For most of his life he was known as Pastor Thomassen, or Pastor T. For a few years he was known as a soldier who served in WW II in the European Theater of War.

He was a medic in the 99th Inf. Btn. (Sep). It was a group of American soldiers of Norwegian heritage. The original goal was the liberation of Norway. They trained at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado as a ski troop.

When they got to England, their mission was changed and they landed in Europe shortly after D Day. They spent the war moving around Europe plugging holes. One of the stories my father told us about was the Malmedy Massacre.

It happened during the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, 1944 near Malmedy, Belgium. The 1st SS Panzer Division under the command of Lt. Col. Joachim Peiper captured a truck convoy of Battery B, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion, in the Ardennes. They took about one hundred unarmed American POW’s in a field and shot them. A few faked death and escaped. Most died.

This group of Nazis earned the nickname "Blowtorch Battalion" as they burned their way across Russia. They were also responsible for slaughtering civilians in two separate villages.
The 99th was nearby and they raced there. They rescued a few survivors. The rest they found dead in the snow. It was a very sad day in the war.

If you go to Malmedy today, you will find at least two memorials. On the edge of town, at the location of the shootings is a memorial with the names of all the soldiers murdered that day. On the other end of town is a memorial to the 99th, put up by the town in memory of their brave actions in the war.

I heard about this memorial many years ago. I never thought I would see it in person. A few years ago I was privileged to be there and see it. The pictures posted here are of the memorial, as well as my brother, George and I.

Memorials are very important in life. In the Bible God directed many memorials so that people didn’t forget the things He did for them. Today, Veterans’ Day, is a memorial of all the sacrifice given in the service to our nation. We are free today because millions have served and paid the price so we can be free.

Memorials, we need to actually SEE THEM. As we looked for these memorials in Malmedy and talked to people to ask directions, they didn’t seem to know where they were, even though they had passed them many times.

Memorials . . . . Lest We Forget . . . . . . .

Memorials . . . . See Them . . . . . . . .

Memorials . . . . Lest We Forget . . . . . . .

Memorials . . . . Veterans’ Day . . . . . . . . .
　

How Hungry Are You?

Let me share some random of the thoughts from Sunday morning’s service.

Hunger is universal. Every person who has ever lived understands hunger.

Hunger is continual. Many teenagers are ALWAYS hungry. Food is the fuel that keeps our bodies going.

Hunger drives actions. Many people hate their jobs, but they have a bad habit, they like to eat. So, they keep on working.

It is true, it is universal: We need food. Another universal truth is this: We need connection with God. Both hunger for food and hunger for God are universal because that is the way God made us. He made us with a need for physical fuel to keep us going. He made us with a hunger and desire to know HIM and be close to Him.

Jacob and Esau – the birthright for a meal.
Genesis 25:29-34 NIV
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom. 31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” 33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.

Hunger can cause you to make poor choices. Hunger can make you not see beyond this moment. Being hungry can cause one to make bad choices. It is said that you should never grocery shop when you are hungry. You will buy many things you wouldn’t normally buy.

From Esau’s illustration here we can learn that we shouldn’t make major decisions when we are weak and hungry. Hunger can blind a person to not see the long term impact of the decision made out of hunger.

Spiritual hunger will drive us to seek God in a greater way than we are doing at the time. What are you hungry for? More of God? If you don’t sense a hunger for more of God, do you ask yourself the question of why? Do you have enough of God and His power in your life?

Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:6 NIV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

The Sermon on the Mount is an amazing passage in the Bible. Blessing comes to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Don’t let the fear and anxiety of the things of the world that surround us destroy your hunger for more of God. The world system is full of lies.

The word “righteousness” comes from a root word that means “straightness.” Seek HIS Righteousness. Let God define the righteousness in your life. You will be amazed at the results.

Jesus is the Bread of Life
John 6:35 NIV
Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Let’s talk about real food. There is the stuff that attracts kids, that they would live on if they could. Except, if they tried to live on it, it would kill them. Twinkies, cheese curls, potato chips, Oreos, Krispy Kreme Donuts, and the list could go on. How long would a person live eating only things like that? Soon they would have all kinds of health problems.

Then, there is food that will give you good fuel for your body and keep you healthy.

Let’s look at spiritual food. We have a natural hunger for spiritual nourishment. There is an ample supply of spiritual fluff out there that many are consuming. A focus on whatever makes me feel good. Running from one fun event to the next. Simply feeding the emotions. All these (and more) will eventually lead to spiritual anemia – spiritual weakness.

Then there is the spiritual food that will make you spiritually strong and healthy. Jesus is the bread of life. We will find real spiritual satisfaction as we focus on Him and devour His Word. We must put out the effort to learn more of Him and learn to apply what we learn.
How Do We Do It?
Matthew 6: 25, 33 NIV
Do Not Worry
25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

We are not to worry about the provision of what we need. We are to trust God. We are to seek after Him and all that has to do with His Kingdom, and He will take care of us.

Are you hungry? How are you going to fill that hunger?

WHY STUDY THE BIBLE????

It is Wednesday, and I have been working on the Bible Study we will do tonight. This is something I have done all my life. Wednesdays mean going to church. There are very few Wednesdays in my life I have not been in church. Tonight we will have a group of people who gather together around some tables and read and study passages from the Bible.

I’m sure there are many people who wonder why we do this. Why would people take every Wednesday night and study an old book? What good does it do?

The Bible is the most published book in the history of books. There is a reason for this. People have discovered that the Bible contains the truths and principles for life. The Bible is God’s inspired Word for guidance in life. The Psalmist put it this way.

9 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Psalm 119:9-11 NKJV

How can we have guidance in life? We find it in God’s Word. Later in the same Psalm, v. 105 says,
Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Do you want to be able to see where you are going in a world that is dark and confused? God’s Word is a great big flashlight that shines along the path.

I have often said that the Bible is a practical book, it works to learn it and apply it. It answers the questions in life. I have been rambling through this life of being a pastor for about 36 years now. I have talked to hundreds of people in many different settings. One constant I have observed is that there is an appreciable difference in the life, life style and results of a person who is applying the Bible in their life and the one who is not. Many times, as I have been talking with a person and they are telling me their life story, it is extremely obvious whether they have or have not been following God’s Word. When a person has been learning and applying the Bible, when they have been letting God’s flashlight guide them, the results are amazingly better. It becomes easy to see the truths of one more verse.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 NKJV

Sin brings death and destruction. Jesus brings life. Think about that.

WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER?

Recently, a group of guys from this area headed south to Texas to go hunting. They piled in to vehicles jammed full of their stuff and started driving – for about 24 hours. When they came back they said they had an awesome time. This included the many hours jammed in to the vehicles to get there and back.
I didn’t have the opportunity to go on that trip, but a few years ago I joined in a similar trip as we drove to Mississippi to help with hurricane relief. This trip was also about 24 hours straight in the vehicle, making occasional pit stops.
One of the we comments expressed about that trip was how great it was because we got to spend time together, visiting, laughing, learning about each other. The "closeness in the vehicle" brought about another kind of closeness. Each member of the trip was a Christian who was going to minister to people in need. We experienced the blessings and benefits of Christian fellowship.
In Acts chapter two, Peter preached a powerful sermon and 3,000 people responded by making a decision to become a follower of Jesus. Peter told the people to repent, to turn around and change their minds by accepting the forgiveness God was offering. This brought them to a total transformation from the inside out.
Romans 12:2 NKJV says:
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
What happened to these people who made that decision on that day in Jerusalem? They joined together in communion based on their relationship with Jesus.
Acts 2:46-47 NKJV
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Wow!!! What a start the church had – an explosive beginning. 3,000 people!!! Amazing. God never saves people so they can wander off by themselves. The three thousand new believers did not scatter, but remained together and devoted themselves continuously to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship.
The early church experienced fellowship through teaching and through the focus of spending time together. It was more than getting together. It was a partnership in the purposes of the Church and a sharing in its message and work.
People enjoy fellowship, enjoy spending time together, based on what they have in common. Among Christians there are many different interests. But, the common connection of Jesus and the Christian life is the strongest connection and brings believers together.
One of the benefits of involvement in a local church is the people one gets to know and appreciate. The common bond of Jesus can take even strangers and quickly bring them together. I have experienced that in travels. I even experienced that traveling over seas and meeting Christians. Even with a language barrier I felt a kinship and fellowship with them.
It usually takes a common interest or experience to bring people together. The common experience brings followers of Jesus together.

Missions Convention

Yes, I have again let a long time go in between posts. Again, I will strive to get more consistent.
This is a good time to start over with the blog – we have just had our annual missons convention. There is something special about focusing on missions. It reminds us that God is alive (we can sometimes get so busy that we forget the great things that are happening). It was encouraging to hear the good stories of what is happening in the lives of people who are searching for truth and purpose in their lives.
It was also encouraging to see as people continue to commit to support missions with their finances. Yes, the world is facing an amazing financial future. We don’t know what will happen. We have always used the Faith Promise concept. "Lord, by faith we will trust you to provide so we can give this." Over the years it’s amazing how this has worked. I was excited to see the response.
Just a quick post here today, but I’ll keep trying.

Valentine's Day

Our local newspaper has a weekly column written by various pastors around the area. I was recently asked to write it. Since it was so close to Valentine's Day, I thought I'd write about that. The following is the article they published. Enjoy.

I started writing this column on another topic, and then decided that I probably should write about love, since this is the season of Valentine’s Day. I was just in one store that had about three aisles of every kind of pink/red product you could think of. Lots of people are going to get cute and fuzzy/cuddly gifts this week. This is the season that talks much about love. Hopefully, there is lots of real love that is being expressed this "V" day, and not just a bunch of words.
The greatest expression of love is found in the familiar words:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 NKJV
God loves everyone in the whole world so much that He gave us the gift of eternal life purchased by His Son, Jesus. We all want to be loved. We all need to be loved. God lets us know He loves us by giving us the gift of restoring a personal relationship with Him through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
If we had a contest to write a definition of love, I’m sure we could get a variety of entries submitted. Many would be good. Many would equate love with a feeling. "Love is the wonderful feeling I get when I’m with that special person." But, love is so much more than a feeling or emotion. Love is expressed in selfless action.
Somewhere in my ramblings through life I came across the following definition of love. I think it is the best one I have found. Love is the accurate estimate and adequate supply of another person’s need. The opposite of love is selfishness. Love is giving and meeting a real need of another. Let’s review the verse just mentioned – For God so loved that He gave. Let’s stop there. God, the author of love, expressed His love to all people through giving us something we needed more than anything else. He gave us the opportunity to receive forgiveness from sin.
Love looks at the real need of another person and does what is possible to meet that need. Love is about the other person, not me. Love is outward, not inward. That’s why the opposite of love is selfishness. A selfish person only thinks about the three most important people in the world – me, myself and I. A loving person thinks about someone else.
Love is giving. That is why a loving mother is up with her sick child at 3:00 A.M. Not because she doesn’t want to sleep, but because the child needs her care. Love is why a loving father goes out late on a cold night to rescue his daughter whose car won’t start as she gets out of work. Love is why . . . well, you can continue to come up with illustrations.
I trust that you can find ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I trust that you can find ways to express real love to others all 365 days of the year. Find a need, and then do something about it.

THE PRESENCE OF GOD

It’s Monday. That is a day that many people dread, since they have to head back to work after the weekend. Monday is a challenging day for pastors. No, not because we haven’t been working the past few days, but because we have. I love preaching and all that goes with it, the services and spending time with people. But, preaching and leading services is tiring.
On most Mondays I’m tired. This is true again today, but this is not a "bad" tired. As I think of yesterday, it was an awesome day. The strong sense of the presence of the Lord was felt in our services. It is sometimes hard to describe the presence of the Lord. As we sang praises there was a desire to sing and sing some more. The sound of all the voices blending together was beautiful. We could feel the power of God in our midst. It was amazing.
God has gives us to great promises. He said that He will never leave us. He said that His presence will fill us, especially as we worship Him. Our time together was powerful. I could feel His power during the preaching. I guess I shouldn’t say that since I was preaching, but God was there in a strong way throughout the whole service. From the responses during the preaching I know that all the people were feeling Him as well.
Yes, ministry is exhausting. When the "tired" comes from the great presence of God as we experienced it yesterday, then bring on the tired. I’ll take that any time.

I'm Back

I’m Back

Oh, my. It’s been over three months since I last wrote on this blog. I can’t believe I have neglected it that long. I have to get back in to the habit of writing. It’s not that I have not been writing. I have written two "books" that I have used for Bible Studies. We are in the process of going through them now. One is called "God Made The Family" and the other is "The Battleground Is The Mind".
I know I’ve been slow in writing, but I was just checking the blog of a friend of mine and discovered that he hasn’t written in about five years. Now, that’s getting behind.
I will attempt to be more productive in my writing. A quick post for this one.
Thanks.