Sermons

~The LITTLE CHURCH in the PINES ~
"The Birth of the Church"
Genesis 1: 1 - 2
Pentecost, that Fateful Day it all Began
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

1. In the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth. 2. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Thus, we find the Spirit actively involved in Creation. The same Holy Spirit that descended in the form of a Dove on Jesus at His baptism…and the same Holy Spirit that fell on the disciples, and later the Gentiles, all those gathered together in the city, to wait for the Promise of the Father, just as Jesus told His disciples in Luke 24:49. “And behold, I am sending the Promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you are clothed with POWER from on high!”
This same Holy Spirit…who is the third person of the Trinity…. who too is the Great I AM, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the end…the Eternal God…who changes not.
The role of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit is multitudinous, and has many functions and many names.
Joel 2:28 & 29.
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. (Remember, you and I are called to be the servants of the Lord.)
Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He…will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Mark 1:8 NIV “I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
There are verses after verses that speak of the many roles and names of the Holy Spirit, as noted His role spoken of in the very beginning of God’s Holy Word…. Genesis. From there it expands and expands.
The Holy Spirit as I read and have read who He is….is Creative Power of God in action, and all knowledgeable presence of the love of God, the very heart of God, in intent.
There are verses to back each and all of His role and names…….
He is also simply “the Spirit “as quoted in Genesis
He is the “Good Spirit”
He is “The Eternal Spirit”
He is “The Lord”
He is the “Paraclete” or Helper and Comforter.
He is the “Spirit of the Sovereign Lord”
He is the “Spirit of the Living God”
The “Spirit of your Father”
The “Spirit of Life and the Spirit of Grace”
The “Spirit of Prophecy”
The “Spirit of Truth”
The “Spirit of Holiness”
The Spirit of Justice and Judgement”
The Spirit of “Wisdom and Revelation”
The “Spirit of Fire” as in the tongues of flames hovering over the heads of the disciples on the day of Pentecost.
The Spirit of “His own Glory” and the Glory of His Son”
The Spirit’s names and titles are useful in helping us understand His many manifestations…and that which He does for us and in us.
In Judaism…. the Holy Spirit, also known as the Holy Ghost, is THE DIVINE FORCE, QUALITY AND INFLUENCE over all His creatures and Creation itself.
He is the Author of all verified Scripture
The is the Comforter…halleluiah
The Advocate, who intercedes on our behalf.
Counselor
Guide
Indweller…. He who lives in each and all of us…. who know Jesus
He is the Intercessor
The author of Revelation
Our Teacher
Our witness within us of the true revelation of Christ.
The Spirit is called “witness” because He verifies and testifies to the fact that we are children of God, that Jesus and the disciples who performed miracles were sent by God, and that the books of the Bible are divinely inspired. Further, by giving the gift of the Spirit to Believes, He witnesses to us and the world of His Love, Power and Might…..through us, that indeed we belong to God.
There is an App being advertised on TV called CALM. It is simply and beautifully done. You see a tree in full leaf….its leaves are moving gently and beautifully…..and the only sound you hear is the sound of the breeze blowing through and moving those leaves…
It is described as the earth breathing…..
I am reminded every time I see and hear it….that is like the Living Breath of God’s Spirit….moving in our lives….touching every fiber of our being….breathing into the us the breath of LIFE, our Life on
earth and our Life in Christ…..still now thy soul…(let’s take a moment here as a gentle experiment) breathe in deeply and evenly…..letting your breath go……gently……and KNOW that God lives in you….and is indeed in you….because Christ and His Kingdom is within you….
Responding to a question from the Pharisees about when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said, “the kingdom of God does not come with observations; nor will they say, “See here! Or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21).
How that must have made them angry…..as once again He was trying to teach them…about the soul and Spirit….not to live and judge by the letter of the law…but by the beauty and the Holiness of God, our living God…living within us.
And Now….the Church and Pentecost….all this up to this point was in preparation for what God by His Spirit was about to do.
I woke up at 4:42 Friday morning…having in my sleep mulling over today’s message to come….when I heard two words. KICK START.
I immediately thought of Greg Neil and his many years of riding on and then flying off of motorcycles…..and puzzled over what this had to do with the message for today….and then I got it.
You see….from the time when Jesus ascended…telling the disciples and those who followed Him…to “to go back to the city and wait until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit….” Again, His words, “And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised; but remain the city (Jerusalem” until YOU ARE CLOTHED WITH POWER FROM ON HIGH.” POWER!
Up to this time…. there was no church, so to speak, but being obedient to do as Jesus requested…. many were gathered together, praying, fasting perhaps….seeking whatever this Promise coming was.
They had just chosen by lots…. Matthias to take the place of Judas, now dead. Verse 26 of Acts 1, and they cast their lots, and the lot fell to Matthias. Ad he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
So far…all is good….there is an air of expectancy…..heightened by the completion of this task…and from the ongoing prayer and expectations. The engine is humming…..powerful…and then the KICK START….AND DOWN IT CAME……ENGAGED!!! Engine and tork…. coming together.
And suddenly…. unexpectedly and POWERFULY, well, let’s read it from the Word. CHAPTER 2:1-4…. (READ)
This event…unexplainable…supernatural…powerful…embraceable….
The foundation laid…. the right people and events in place…..people gathered from all over the known world….present…the timing perfect. VERSES 5-13…. WHATEVER CAN THIS MEAN…….
VERSE 14-39
A VITAL CHURCH BEGINS….40-47
As these people from so many different nations…dispersed…they took with them…Jesus….no iPhone needed….no TV cameras needed…but people with a new breath of life and love…. began…with Him, this new Savior….in their hearts….the church began mightily and powerfully….
The disciples too…being obedient, all becoming missionaries. Church planters…. the spiritual tidal wave of Jesus Christ…..his love, truth and salvation….a whole new world from this God-man…a humble uneducated carpenter….
In the last 100 years, the number of Christians in the world has quadrupled from approximately 600 million in 1910 to well past 2.5 billion presently, and still growing.
GOD BLESS THE CHURCH in all its denominations and differences, Pentecostals, Evangelicals, Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox,
Protestants, High Churches, Low Churches…. Home Churches, Cowboy Churches, etc…….as long as she, we keep the main thing the main thing, and that is JESUS CHRIST as the HOPE of the WORLD…SAVED BY GRACE….AND NOT BY WORKS…. As it is led by imperfect, but hopeful, Christ filled people…saved by GRACE…and in love with their LORD….who made a way to the Father by the Son, and empowered by His WORD AND HIS HOLY SPIRIT….however He chooses to manifest Himself in us…the church. Be open and welcoming to the very Spirit of God…..for He…knows best.
Ephesians 2:8….” For it is by GRACE that YOU have been saved, though faith….and this is not from yourselves…for it is THE GIFT OF GOD…IN CHRIST.
AMEN

The Little Church in the Pines
Macks Inn, Island Park, Idaho
May 1, 2022
A Merry (JOYOUS) Heart is the JOY of the LORD!
Proverbs 17:22
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine…. but a broken spirit drieth up the bones.” A merry or (JOYOUS) heart is the JOY of the LORD!”
We are just starting as a nation…as individuals, to come out of a long period of people, many people, including some of us, who have felt and some still do of being dried up…. with sadness, sorrow and questions unanswered yet. COVID, being a huge part of this, some of us having experienced sickness and even loss, of family and friends. In our congregation we lost to death Les Kiel, Willie Scheel, Missy and have people we love fighting cancer and other diseases that are ugly and frightening…. then we come to those who have moved away. Carl and Judy, Jack and Julie, Mark and Jodi, Dan and Drew, and Bruce and Toni…. plus, several others who have chosen not to attend our services and the church. For a congregation of our size, over a dozen people now gone is a huge loss….as we were friends of them all….and each added their own uniqueness to who we were and are.
When we look at all these people…plus in our own families and friends it has been a really rough year emotionally, spiritually and physically. Yet…this is how life is…. never static…. always changing. On the up side…. we also have gained new brothers and sisters in Christ….in the past year….and even recently and in this we find JOY! And along with these…. our summer members are starting to arrive.
Adding to this…. having just having come through LENT, the crucifixion and RESURRECTION OF our Lord Jesus Christ…it is time Psalm 30:11 says “Thou hast turned my mourning into ‘dancing’ for me Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness. Here are synonyms of gladness…. (Blessedness, happiness, JOY. Jubilance, Jubilation, Light-heartedness, Merriness, mirth and interestingly triumph.
There is a chorus from the 70’s that uses this verse, by turning it in to a simple song. Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing for me, thou hast put off my sackcloth, thou hast turned my morning into gladness for me, and girded me with gladness. To the end Thy glory may sing praise unto Thee, and not be silent, Oh Lord my God, I will give praise unto Thee forever.
When this came into being I was part of a small charismatic congregation that met in a little school gym in Moran, Wyoming, next to Grand Teton National Park…..our pastor was a former Baptist Minister from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The gathering was made up of cattle ranchers, guest ranches, Forest Service people, smattering of millionaires’ and then like myself and themselves, ordinary, everyday people who loved the Lord, each other, and felt the desire within us to express that love openly and often in song.
Among all those conservative people…they loved to lift their hands up unto the Lords…and sway back and forth in JOY, JUBILATION, MERRINESS, and not last of all, TRIUMPH in their own journey with each other and with Jesus. A very special time in my own personal spiritual life. I was in my thirties then… and of course now in my seventies it still feels like it was yesterday.
There is such a WONDERFUL FREEDOM in worship when we are not afraid of what the person next to us, or in the back watching us thinks of us…. because worship is such a multi-faceted act of LOVE AND THANKFULNESS TO THE LORD….IT CAN MANIFEST ITSELF IN MANY WAY…love of Him….and focus on Jesus…can lift us out of our human inhibitions…and worry about what others think of us. David of course danced before the LORD…Scripture says, in ABANDON…Samuel 6:14 “And David danced with all his might before the LORD.”
Now…don’t misread me here….I am not suggestion that we do the same, but yet, I am saying that perchance if some every does worship in this manner that none of us pass negative judgement on them….you see, this liturgical season upon us now, and with Spring “coming” Jesus having risen….we should have JOY, Gladness, Triumph, Happiness, Jubilation flowing through our spirits and our persons….a lighter step….and anticipation of His Presence in us growing, maturing and drawing closer and closer to Jesus…..ritual is wonderful and meaningful, but too is spontaneous and heart-felt LOVE and JOY.
When we are deep in our personal and abiding relationship with our Lord Jesus and the Father, the unexpected may happen…for this relationship can be deep and it is personal. NOT ONLY IN THE UNEXPECTED, but in our ordinary, every-day lives, even the mundane. For…. God is with us, God is in us, God is around us and God works through us…. IF WE LET HIM.
How temporal we are…as has been proven this last several years…though this is not new thought to us, it has been frequently brought to our attention by all the circumstances we have endured. How vulnerable we are….no matter how secure we foolishly try to think we are….by resisting changes and resisting challenges that confront us.
Our ATTITUDE and the things we prioritize our lives with are critical to how we will endure when difficulty comes…but yet even here, Paul says to REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS…AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE.
The values we cherish…we need to share. Why in God’s name would we even want to be critical, nay-sayers, judgers, being hard on people instead of helping, loving and lifting some of the burdens off their shoulder…and also not holding back (because of pride) when we too should share with others our own. In the Body OF Christ, the Church…we are to share both our JOYS and our NEEDS. The correct attitude….and the way we approach both the
difficulties and GOOD…can bring about healing in a multitude of ways.
PROVERBS 17:22 “A merry heart doeth good…like a medicine,
Like a medicine is a merry heart,
But a broken spirit drieth up the bones,
A merry heart is the JOY of the LORD!
Dr. Norman Cousins…on the medical staff at UCLA School of Medicine for years…. was diagnosed with having a strange, rare kind of disease that destroys the connective tissue of the body. The physicians he worked with gave him (knowing something was wrong) after many tests relayed to him that they were sorry, but there is really nothing we can do, as you know it is a degenerative disease and you dear friend are going to die from it.
Dr. Cousins said, “Well, I don’t want to just sigh, sit back and let it happen…I will not give up. (Remember the all the words I spoke in understanding the scope of meaning gladness, some being gladness, happiness, jubilation, triumph, merry and others.
He TRANSFORMED his attitude he was tempted immediately to adopt…an attitude of acceptance…well, here is what he chose to do and did.
1. He set himself on a regime of exercise.
2. He took high doses of Vitamin C
3. This became his adopt4ed ATTITUDE…. a mental choice.
4. He took his mega doses of Vitamin C and watched movies of slap-stick comedy including the 3-Stooges, Cartoons, the MARX Brothers and every funny movie he could locate, and as he watched in segments…he found that in 10 minutes of hearty laughter gave him a whole hour free of pain.
5. He discovered as he did this, that gradually he began to feel better and better more consistently.
The day came when he went back to his fellow physicians for more tests, and after a full battery of them, they relayed to him
the news, themselves astounded, and in joy, said, “we don’t know what has happened, because there is no known cure for this disease as you well know…..but your battery of tests reveal you are completely healed.
He went on to live another 20 years disease free, writing a book named “Anatomy of an illness, in which he made the point that ATTITUDE, cheerfulness, gladness, laughter…a merry heart, this having been written over 3000 years ago by one King Solomon.
A heart full of gladness is a trusting heart, uncrowded by fear, negativity, anger, doubt, trouble.
We all know that at times it is a very difficult world we live in, a world filled to overflowing with sins of all kind and magnitude leading to sickness, despair, brokenness and heart-ache.
Every instead of being overwhelmed, we choose to rejoice in the Risen LORD of our Salvation. Also remembering, that one fine day the one who Rose from the dead…will return…just as the disciples saw Him go…so He will return.
What a day of rejoicing that will be…for when, we all see Jesus we’ll SING and SHOUT THE VICTORY.
Whatever assails us if from a sinful world and the enemy of God, in our attitude…we are to CHOOSE to remember Jesus will walk with us, side by side, and eventually, if necessary, carry us, until we reach the destination of being with Him.
Proverbs 14:30 a. “A heart at peace give life to the body, between what goes on in the inside and the manifestations that occur on the outside. Our Goal is to have a heart set on Him…. Peace like a river will flow from Him to you…and overflow to others.
Proverbs 18:1 says, A man or woman’s spirit sustains them in sickness, but if their spirit is crushed, they cannot stand.
Song…He walks with me, and He talks with me.
And He tells me I am His own,
And the things we share as we tarry there.
None other than Christ alone…………. To wrap this up…. here are keys to developing an attitude of peace, joy and gladness.
1. Cultivate your relationship with God as the priority.
2. Keep the long view of life…. with eternity in your heart.
3. Cultivate a forgiving spirit…at whatever cost.
4. Be aware of who you associate with on a regular basis.
5. Be a load lifter, not a burden maker.
6. Something as simple as listening to good music speaks to you heart, mind and spirit.
7. Live a life of active serving and giving without expecting a return.
8. Come to KNOW and PRCTICE the teaching of our LORD.
9.Put on a glad heart…. with the JOY of the LORD as your strength.
REMEMBER THESE WORDS OF JESUS.’
“LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS….AND I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR ABANDON YOU.”
This is a story that parallels, well you can decide what story it parallels and where ultimate forgiveness based on LOVE…. has a similar impact, as the original story affected and affects the world to this day, and both would affect anyone one who reads and understands the depth of what lies beneath it.
I’ll close with this………….
A pastor in Connecticut had a son, the JOY of His life who was needlessly murdered.
This pastor, living out his faith and beliefs visited the young man in prison who murdered his son. Over time with forgiveness being offered by the pastor, the young man asked his forgiveness and accepted Jesus as his LORD and SAVIOR.
The Reverend Walter Everett not only got to know well but came to love him deeply. Therefore, the pastor was instrumental in getting the man released from prison early. He recently officiated at his wedding. Here is a quote from the pastor. “I had known people whose loved ones had been murdered, and years later were still consumed, being eaten alive from the inside, consumed by their anger and hatred. I could not let that happen to me.”
IF it is, gladness of heart you desire…IF it is, the JOY of the Lord that is your strength. IF it is, peace like a river that flows both into, through and from you.
This pastors’ love is a replica of God’s love for us. Though His beloved Son was killed….and those who did so deserved punishment even unto death…instead they were offered forgiveness…unto life. Eternal life….and still are to this day.
Yes. He was brutalized, scored and put to death…. what came next as I spoke about last week…. instead of punishment and death…comes life…a life possible, no matter the circumstances, even in this life…gladness of heart…a merry heart-attitude, does good like medicine. Amen!

The Little Church in the Pines
Island park, Idaho
April 24, 2022

"What Comes Next & Where Do We Go From Here?"
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

This morning I am returning close to where we left off last Sunday. Mary and Mary Magdalene are running to find the disciples to explain to them what just took place, concerning Jesus and give them the message the angel had given the women to relate to the disciples.
(As a side note)
At times, when I both read Scripture and am being read to, I like to put myself somewhere in the mix…in this case perhaps as a disciple, or one of the men on the road to Emmaus, or even perhaps one of the women as I attempt to gauge their thoughts and even emotions.
You might try it also…I have quite a bit of Scripture to read…..so, please listen close….thank you. “What Comes Next” following His RESSURECTION is what you are about to hear.
Luke 24, starting with verse 5-43 READ (Two accounts)
Matthew 28:18-20 READ
LUKE 24:44-52 READ
Comments on verses 5-9
Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the central fact (remember I said fact, established fact) of both our church history and the foundation on which this tact is is built. The pivotal point on which all of Christianity revolves, and without it there would be no Church today. Jesus’ resurrection in unique in religious history.
Other religions have strong ethical systems, concepts, about paradise and the afterlife and various holy words or precepts on which they are founded. Only Christianity tells us of the One True God who came in human form, born of a human mother and the Spirit of God Himself….with the promise of His literal return to reign and rule, His love and care palpable and tangible.
SO, WHY IS THE RESURRECTION SO VITALLY IMPORTANT?
Before I read what comes next….I want you to pause (selah) and think about this. About how blessed we are….and about how loving God is, and how awesome Jesus was and is. We have a tendency, to gloss over things that we hear often, but once-in-a-while and even every day, it is good to ponder….to be thankful and to understand on a deep level, all that Jesus is…and all that He did and does for us, every single day of our lives. Reflection is a good thing, or if, you don’t believe in the Resurrection, or that He is the Son of God our Savior and friend, what would be the point of even coming here to meet and sing about a mere man, upright and moral and loving albeit….for sure, but still a mere man. Coming to the table of the Lord and taking part in Communion would be pointless.
1. Because Christ was raised from the dead, we know that the Kingdom of Heaven has broken into earth’s history, into our world today, because of fallen human choices and decisions men with outsized ego’s, lusting for power and control have put us, as never before on the brink of disaster and potentially eradication as a people and the planet itself.
2. His promise to come again, He will take us from the brink of destruction to the establishment of a Kingdom of peace on earth…and goodwill to mankind, and His promises will be fulfilled, as was His promise to come back from the dead came into being. Scripture does not lie, is not made up, is not temporal but eternal….IT IS TRUTH. While many struggle to find and seek TRUTH…WE HAVE IT RIGHT HERE IN OUR HANDS, AVAILABLE TO US EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY….AND YET, WE NEGLECT IT, MUCH TO OUR SHAME, AND POTENTIAL FOR PERSONAL SPRITUAL GROTH IGNORED.
3. We find though that because they have not yet heard of the resurrection it will take
4. Jesus’ bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ is ruler of God’s eternal KINGDOM, not a false prophet or imposter.
5. We can be certain of our own resurrection because He resurrected, as I said above, and by doing so, broke the hold on death for us, bringing us NEW life…in Him. This is our hope and our faith, in that He fulfilled all the prophecies related to His resurrection, and will fulfill all of those related to His return,
6. The POWER that brought Jesus back to life, is available to us to bring our spiritually dead selves back to life.
7. The Resurrection is the basis for the church’s witness to the world. Jesus is more than just a human leader as I already explained; He is the Son of God.
An Old, but at one time contemporary chorus we sang in the early charismatic days goes like this.
My HOPE is in you Lord,
My STRENGTH is in you Lord,
In You, It’s in you!
I’ll praise you with all of my life,
I’ll praise you with all my strength
With all of my life, with all of my strength,
All of my HOPE Is in you……repeat.
WE WILL GO IN LUKE TO THE NEXT EVENT…….
We find two men on the road to Emmaus that witnessed all that took place with Jesus. We are never told one of the men’s names, but the other is Cleopas. As they walked along the road, they were discussing these things that had happened, Jesus suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing Him.
He asks them (already knowing of course) “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They stopped short; sadness written across their faces.
These men of course had not heard that He had been resurrected from the dead. Their sadness and sorrow were palpable.
3. We find though, that because they have not yet heard of the resurrection, it will take the disciples encountering Him as He reveals Himself by the holes in His hands and feet for them to do so. They remain to this day, as a testimony forever of His great love for us. This comes just a bit later, but now……
READ Luke 28-34
As the saga of the two men continues…..as they join with the 11 in Jerusalem
NOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS WHERE JESUS APPEARS NOT ONLY TO THE MEN FROM EMMAUS….BUT THE 11.…..READ LUKE 35-48 for almost the rest of the story.
In Scripture He opened their minds to understand…..just as today, the Holy Spirit will open our minds to also understand, and all we need to do for this to happen is ask Him.
His role as a prophet we find in Deuteronomy 18:15-20
His sufferings were prophesied in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53
His resurrection was predicted in Psalm 16:9-11 and Isaiah 53:10
Psalm 16: 9-11 His RESURRECTION PSALM
No wonder my heart is glad and I rejoice.
My body rests in safety.
For You will not leave my soul among the dead or allow Your Holy One to rot in the grave.
Youi will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence, and the pleasures of LIVING with you forever.
Next and lastly we come to the ASENCION…..remembering He has a physical body…as prover by eating and those. Specifically stated, Thomas, who placed his fingers in the wounds in Jesus’ hands and feet.
Verse 50-53…..
Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting up His hands to heaven, He blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up to heaven. So, they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great JOY.
Jesus’ leaving must have been awe inspiring and amazing…..Put yourself there for that……but also seeing Him go in such manner, would have further deepened their faith, as to His return, having seen and experienced His Resurrection. He
Remember also His words to them where He told them to wait (together) in the city until they received the Holy Spirit in Power and Might…..which when this happened, would equip them to fulfill His last commandment, a commission to both them and us…which they fulfilled in an amazing way as led by the Spirit.
Mark 16:15-16
Called the Great Commission, for us too…in our everyday lives as witnesses, or called to go to the remotest places on the earth….as many have done. READ
Well…that is quite a commission…..and quite a variety of experiences along the way for some…..
“I AM THE RESURECTION AND THE LIFE. ANYHONE…WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL LIVE, EVEN AFTER DYING. EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN ME AND BELIEVES IN ME WILL NEVER EVER DIE.”
SO SAYETH THE LORD HIMSELF…..BLESSED BE HIS WORDS.

Morning Has Broken
(a New Day Has Dawned)
April 17, 2022
Sermon by; Pastor Tom Shanor
After the fear and horror of this day 1,988 years ago…with the arrest and trial…of Jesus. After enduring His beating and berating from both the high priest and the crowd, followed by carrying His cross through the crowd and up the road, to the top of the hill called Golgotha, then after being roughly stretched out on that same cross, splinters digging into His already torn and beaten flesh, His head still wearing a crown of thorns pushing into his forehead, due to His inability to hold His head up….and little to no strength left in Him. Then in finality and brutally…..spikes….not nails, were driven into each hand, which was contrary to the Roman executioners normally placing the spikes through the wrists to support the body weight….to cause more pain, the hands more sensitive and more easily broken, would cause extreme pain. His feet placed together on a small platform, spikes driven through the tops of His feet slanted up toward the ankles, separating the bones of the feet, thus unable as in His hands, to support His entire body weight…causing even more pain. Once that was finished the cross was roughly pulled upright…and roughly dropped into a pre-dug hole in the ground, hitting the bottom hard, causing agonizing pain throughout His body, especially where the spikes were holding Him to the cross, His head rocking back and forth…. driving each thorn yet deeper.
People wept…others jeered…others prayed, hearts broken, those who had believed in His message, some…..now doubting, now fearing for their own lives if associated with this Jesus.
Those who continued to hold on to their faith, seeing their long awaited Messiah….dying, like an ordinary man. Meanwhile….His beloved mother doing what she has done all these many years…painfully pondering, remembering the promises the angel had given her. So many memoires, as her heart, broken…..yet with
hope still burning, still believing, though perhaps not understanding, her pain almost overwhelming her, asking God, why, why, why?
This horror filled day, now turning to the darkness of night, darker than any can remember, one can still hear muffled tears and literally feel the depth and magnitude of sorrow in the air, as they all hear His voice piercing the darkness…My God My God…why have you forsaken Me…..a short time thereafter barely audible, Jesus last words spoken as a man….”Father, forgive them, for they know not what they have done….His head gently dropping, He breathes His last breath and dies.
SILENCE
Then…a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
This man wen to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the boy to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean liner cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had had hewn out of rock; and he had a large stone rolled against the door of the tomb.
Mary his mother and Mary Magdalene were there sitting opposite the door of the tomb.
On Saturday…the Sabbath, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to speak with Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise. Pilate then commanded that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So, the last deception will be worse than the first.”
Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go and make it as secure as you know how.” So, they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and placing there a guard.
Night has passed…. the earth seems unnaturally still.
Morning is soon to break…the last of the stars are fading from the early morning sky, and as this day begins to dawn Mary, Jesus’ mother and Mary Magdalene, came to the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the LORD had descended from heaven, and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, becoming like dead men.
The two Mary’s, after experiencing the earthquake…. seeing an angel….then having him talk to them…I am sure they were overwhelmed emotionally….even showing fear. But, hearing these words after asking “where have they have moved Him, the angel answered and said to the women, do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come see…..the place where the LORD had lay. The angel called Him LORD, for He is the LORD of heaven and earth. “Go quickly,” “and tell His disciples, that He is risen from the dead, and indeed you will see Him.” So, they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and GREAT JOY. They are excitedly exclaiming to each other, it’s true…it’s true. He has risen as He said from the dead, and they ran to bring His disciples the words of the Angel.
As the two women ran…. the sun broke over the distant mountains, and MORNING HAS finally BROKEN, in all the beauty and stillness, LIKE THE VERY FIRST MORNING of Creation, and birds are singing, like the first bird, finding JOY in the beauty of the new day.
Listen to these words from the Hymn……
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning, praise for the springing fresh from the WORD. The Living Word, the Risen Savior.
Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven…like the first dewfall on the first grass, praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung in completeness where His feet pass. Just imagine…. after the unnatural darkness, the pain and sorrow…now dispelled forever, that beautiful fresh morning with the fresh and pure dew-covered grass…. the sounds of birdsong in the air, early rays of sunlight highlighting the ground with dappling
shadows...the light heavenly in its clarity…and among the tombs, this one in particular, now open, that was sealed three days earlier, the seal now broken supernaturally, and the ONE who was entombed, once dead, now treads the dew-covered grass taking in the early morning freshness, the scent of flowers, the hum of bees collecting their nectar….and out there, out there, is a whole world…. unknowing as to what is taking place as they sleep.
This ONE, “Jesus” who broke down the barrier between life and death, bringing the Son of God-light, this is His morning, born of the One Light Eden saw play! Praise with elation, Praise Every Morning, and God’s Re-Creation, of the new day. This is the dawning of the day of SALVATION…for ALL, who hunger and thirst after righteousness and truth.
LET’S SING THIS HYMN FOUND ON page 6, in your hymnals, “MORNING HAS BROKEN.”
His pathway to the CROSS has purchased for us….a pathway to the Father…to a realm we cannot even being to imagine….time without end…in very presence of the ONE God, Jehovah- Jireh, translated, means “God our Provider.”
This pathway is for EVERYONE who acknowledges Jesus Christ as their SAVIOR….and REPENTS OF THEIR SIN….though sometimes others cannot believe just how deep this acceptance and forgiveness can reach. How on earth can Jesus forgive even the most vile of sinners….well… He both can and does. To me…this true story I am about to read to this day, many question both the man’s sincerity and Salvation as well as how could the SAVIOR possibly forgive some sins. But you see…. that is why He came…not for the religious, but for all sinners, even the vilest of them….so great is both His forgiveness and GRACE.
I DOUBT NOT…that this man was saved and sanctified…. because, He has accepted me…. of all people….me. Therefore, I LOVE HIM AND HE LOVES ME….no matter what you may think of me, I rely
on Him and Him alone for my redemption…being up here every Sunday is not about pleasing or inspiring you…though I am pleased when that happens….but it is about pleasing Him first by reaching into your life…perhaps even to convict you…or at times to get you to look deep within yourself to see where you…and I need to undergo the TRANSFORMATION THAT ONLY CAN COME THROUGH YOUR LOVE FOR HIM…..you may consider yourself an arbiter of wisdom and discernment….when in fact you may be nothing more than an unkind critic.
THAT MAN/GOD WHO DIED ON THAT CROSS, DIED ON IT AND ROSE AGAIN TO TRANSFORM US FROM THE EARTHLY TO THE HEAVENLY…. FOCUSED ON OUR MAIN GOAL OF BEING LIKE HIM IN EVERY WAY.
There have been in the past and clearly are in the present who will be required to give up everything….to be like and live like Him.
That we are recognized as followers and disciples of His should make us very careful about how we live or lives……are we? This Easter Sunday…let us examine ourselves….and if found wanting, of which He by His Spirit will point out if we permit Him…. CHANGE from our earthly temperament to His heavenly one…. otherwise, He died in vain, but we KNOW He didn’t…. there are many living dramatically changed lives…. because of simply saying YES LORD, YES.
EASTER IS ABOUT LIFE, DEATH AND RESURRECTION…NOT ONLY HIS BUT OURS…. THINK ABOUT IT, WILL YOU?
HIS NAME CARRIES WITH IT….SO MUCH POTENTIAL FOR US, BUT THE CHOICE IS OURS….TO ACCEPT OR REJECT……PRASIE HIM….
Now to the story………………………………………………………………
THE MONSTER FROM MILWAUKEE
His NAME.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s just something about His Name
Master, Savior Jesus, like the fragrance after the rain…
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, let all Heaven and earth proclaim,
Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away, but there’s
somethings about that name.
The Risen Christ……. beckons, come, comes……………
Amen
That true story ……and the life of your story….is what EASTER is all about.
REDEMPTION AND TRANSFORMATION………………………………. AMEN

The Little Church in the Pines
March 20, 2022
“GOD, YOU ARE MY GOD”
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

Having studied and read and read on Lent…. this has been a hard boat to row with today’s message. It seems each denomination that celebrates Lent…. has added in places emphasis on an interesting number of things, people and events.
My emphasis this Third Sunday of Lent comes down to my sermon title. “O God, You, are my God, which is found in Psalm 63, which you just heard read to you. VS. 1. “O God, thou art ‘my God’ early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water, to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus, will I bless thee while I live. I will lift up my hands in thy name.
God wants to hear from us in our minds, words and in our actions the fact that not only do we acknowledge that He is…but that,
We seek Him early in the morning, at noon-time, mid-afternoon, evening and night. Seek is purposeful and active.
We long for Him…as the deer pants for the water. (The same way we long for love…for acceptance, for companionship…. that feeling like no other, when that longing is fulfilled.
We long to see His Power, glory…. His majesty….in not only the sanctuary…but though our bodies, our actions manifested in our bodies…for Christ said our bodies are a living sanctuary of God, and what we do with and through them either magnifies His glory and power or denigrates them….and Him.
We long for the manifestations of His lovingkindness towards us and those we cherish…. better it is said, than life itself.
And because of this, not only in our church sanctuaries and body sanctuary…. we will give Him our ultimate best…by worshiping His Son…with our lips/words of praise, even lifting up our hands in
submissive praise, thereby worshiping Father God, the Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
We do this actively……not only by lifting our voices, hands and arms, but getting on our knees, and at time even on our faces before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In all of this…this worship must come deep within our souls, not by rote or because it is part of a celebration, but to FEEL with our God -given emotions…that deep seated love of connective expression.
Listen to more of Psalm 63, the benefits of such a connection.
My soul shall be satisfied…. pause, as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with JOYFUL lips. When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Because thou have been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul followeth hard after thee….and thy right hand upholdeth me.
He is our helper.
He satisfieth the longing of our souls.
JOY will be a part of our everyday life, irrespective of our circumstances.
We will rejoice in the God of our Salvation.
When is the last time or the first and only time…. have you felt the deep longing of your soul awash in satisfaction, awash in JOY, Feel God with feelings of LOVE, that He was holding you in His hands, when you were so in awe of Him that you went to your knees in grateful worship? That you were so thankful to Jesus Christ for taking your sins upon His own body…. shedding His life-giving blood for your salvation…that gratefulness filled your whole being.
When…. or ever? Intellectual acceptance of His deity is essential, but so is a deeply, heart-felt personal experience in able to understand His great sacrifice.
The first two weeks of Lent... the focus was on repentance and forgiveness, for those who desire to come out of the dry and weary land of sin and self-focus, hence selfishness.
The season is to remind us of our need for the Savior…. knowing that He is coming….and recognizing the journey that we, together with Him, deeply personal….and humbling need not walk behind Him, but with Him…as He journeys to the CROSS and all that it hold for both Jesus and us.
At times elevated beautifully into His presence…and other times holding on the hem of His garment…and also AT TIMES walking arm in arm with Him…. this dear Lord of ours.
He gave, and gives each of us, an opportunity to a complete change in direction in our lives if needed…Luke 15:17-20. Each of us is until we come to accept Jesus into our lives…. a prodigal son or daughter.
This choice comes with both the gift and sometimes it seems, the curse of FREE WILL. We should never, ever, feel that God maneuvers us like puppets on strings…but can and at times will, engineer our circumstances to get our attention…and He will never tire of doing do…that is His love for us, but it is ultimately our choice, Him or us.
17. When the son came to his senses, (how many never come to their senses because of pride, intellect, pursuits, wealth, power, etc.) he said, “how many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! Eating with pigs, (spiritually) he says to himself, I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. ‘So, he got up and went to his father.
BUT, while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he RAN to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
This is what this journey of LENT is all about…. coming home, to our Father (God) through repentance, forgiveness and restoration, adopted through Jesus in to the forever family of God.
Repentance….is a human activity and a gift from God, made possible through Jesus.
Isaiah says, “Turn to the LORD! while he can still be found. Call out to God for He is near. Give up your crooked ways and your evil self-centered thoughts.
I know, that, whenever the Father of the prodigal son went outside for any reason, he would always look in the direction that his son had walked away…hoping and praying that one day he would see that same son come back home by the path he took away. And he did. His faith…never diminished…as ours should stay strong…whether we too have a prodigal or are a prodigal.
This coming home is what God wants for all His children…red and yellow, black and white…. for all are precious in His sight. That is the enormity of God’s love, in that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him…shall not perish but, inherit (as son and daughters of God) eternal life. John 3:16
As the Father and his son were blood…so too are we, recognizing when we come to the Lord’s table…we are also blood family of our God and Father through His Son.
Think about this…. IF, another one of those IF’s. IF we are in a close relationship with our LORD, we are more likely to do the right thing, bearing good fruit in terms of acts of love for others, that helps build up the Kingdom of God. If we are distant from God, we are more likely to serve as in the Prodigal Son’s initial action, our own interests, thwarting God’s purposes.
IF ONLY…. we would follow through and do what I spoke of a couple of Sunday’s ago…. HUMBLE OURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD…and He will lift us up…higher and higher, and He will lift us up!
PRAYER….

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Little Church in the Pines
Humble Thy Self in the Sight of the Lord
March 10, 2022
Sermon by: Pastor Tom Shanor
2nd 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 I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
This verse is accounted as the second time that God appears to Solomon in the Temple, as He seeks God’s wisdom and direction.
Think about that…. God spoke to Solomon. This verse also more than any other in 2nd Chronicles, is the best-loved. It holds a promise from God, prefaced with the word IF. IF my people…at that time the people of Israel. He is speaking here of TRUE REPENTANCE, not just I’m sorry, but heart felt; and Spirit led, after both personal and national introspection, seeking forgiveness…. God will grant it. Look what will follow once forgiven.
Their sins and transgressions are forgiven, with the promise of healing for individuals and across their land.
This VERSE is called a REVIVAL PRAYER for ALL the ages, and peoples of mankind.
This verse reveals a PRINCIPLE applicable to God’s people in any period of history then, today and in times to come. It is the responsibility though, of God’s people, to seek God for His mercy, when sin unrepented brings with it the consequences of loss of the ability to love, in a Godly way no longer following the moral laws of God, and instead of turning inward with the focus on self-gratification, there is the necessity for us to always also, look outward, not forgetting or neglecting to help with the needs of those who are desolate, poor and forsaken.
Again, this is a two-fold condition, with a three-fold result. for ALL God’s people (those called by His name). IF they, (we) will humble ourselves (turn from (our self-focused sin) and seek His face in prayer, intense and sincere prayer, only then, will God hear us, forgive, and heal both the individual and our Land which today desperately needs healing. As a nation, we are divided into many segments, politically, culturally, race, denominations, families,
churches and more. These words of Jesus I am going to read tells us the results of this division, Matthew 12:25 “Every nation divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” This same thing He says is also found in Mark 3:25, “and if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
This is true also for individuals who are broken spiritually, who are broken mentally, who are divided in their own conscience. Forgiveness is such a vital part of being healthy in every way. Unrepented sin…for those who experience guilt knowing and acknowledging personal sin…. yet, not willing and humbling themselves before the Lord and repenting, will never find wholeness and peace, potentially causing mental illness, emotional fracture, physical discord resulting in disease and unrest.
“Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up, higher and higher and He will lift you up.”
America’s 5 great revivals have started with just several people, repentant and seeking God’s face….or presence, focused on praying not only for themselves and forgiveness, but for church, their town and nation, while also praying for a visitation of God’s Holy Spirt, who is the Spirit of Power and might, as evidenced in the Great Visitation on the Disciples, on the Day of Pentecost…and which then spread from the Disciples, first of all through Peter, when the first time He spoke, following his encounter with the Holy Spirit…a dramatically changed man, focused, and with new spiritual power…5000 were converted to Christ…and it spread like a great wave around the city, the nation and then the world.
HUMBLE THYSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD….AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP!
Some Christians do not want revival, do not understand it, see it as arcane and strange in today’s Christianity…irrelevant and irrational both personally and for our nation…and they also fear this strange power, as to why and how He, the Holy Spirit might express Himself through them, possibly making them look foolish (in the eyes of others). Speaking in tongues as an example, and, yes, He still
moves in those same way IF He chooses.…sometimes expressing Himself through prophecy and even as a mighty rushing wind, of which I have experienced these three, and would love to see tongues of flame or whatever gift the Spirit chooses to bestow.
At the core of receiving this Gift, that which is He Himself, lay the Virtue of HUMILITY. There are 5 steps to humility and prayer I am going to go over with you.
#1. HUMILIITY IS SIMPLY PUTTING GOD AND OTHERS FIRST above our own desires. It is as I have stated before, not weakness, this humidity, but controlled strength. The Spirit is God’s POWER given to us, not to feel that we are special…but to guide and strengthen us as we proclaim the TRUTH of who He is and, also the nature and person of His Son Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord and Friend.
So, number one our list is Humility, God cannot and will not make us humble, but He sure can engineer our circumstances, to show and teach us what it means to be humble.
Have you ever been humbled?
Have you ever felt humble in the presence of someone?
Here is a story of a God loving humble woman in the deep south over 60 years ago, and a chain gang made up convicted criminals who had escaped, only to be caught and put in, well, you’ll hear the rest of the story.
READ: "Book of Amazing Angels"
The Day an Angel Fed Angels
(June 1)
Genuine humility is a beautiful thing to behold and experience, in both self and others….it is almost like beholding the LORD Himself.
#2. I have already spoken of, as a way of restoration/by repentance and forgiveness. It is PRAYER, and in this instance what to pray for. PRAY for a fuller revelation of God’s glory by seeking His Presence, and you will KNOW when you come into His Presence with THANKSGIVNG IN YOUR HEART. You will know in your KNOWER.
3. Scripture says turn from everything that contradicts the Spirit (for He will reveal those contradictions by both His still small voice, and the written word of God, Holy Scripture) and give us the
direction our prayers are to go, with the promised results: God will hear our prayer, will cleanse us from all sin, and will bring healing where it is needed…again, for the church, for the nation and for His people. “Not my will we willingly say, but Thine be done.”
Psalm 42 describes how we are to seek God in prayer when come to Him, VS.1, As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul longeth after Thee, O God. Vs.2. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
Are our prayers are being prayed in this manner…..not as a side note, but with the totality of our being. whether for repentance or in intercession. Do we know what it is to pray in this depth and manner, knowing who it is we are praying to! Not to the wind, sky or mountains, but to the ALMIGHTY GOD. Not to a man who evolved to God, but the God who says I AM, I AM the Great I am. The ONLY God, who created the heavens and the earth and all that lives and breathes upon it and, finding their (our) sustenance from all else that God created, as we are born, grow, and able to be sustained.
Isaiah 57: For thus says the Lord and Lofty One, who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with those who have a contrite and HUMBLE SPIRIT, to revive the spirit of the HUMBLE, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
I create the fruit of the lips: peace, peace to those who are far off and to those who are near., says the LORD, and I will heal them.
Now, I am going to moving into the New Testament….for I have been only in the Old Testament up to this time.
Romans 12:16
Harmony comes from HUMILITY….for He says, “be of the same mind toward one another. Do NOT set your mind on those of position and power…but associate with the HUMBLE and do NOT be wise in your own estimation (mind) PRIDE
James 4: 6-10 READ
6. He give us grace and in doing so He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the Humble”
7. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil….and he will flee from you. Submit and Resist…. both we do by choice…..both take strength…given by our hearts submitting again, to God’s Holy Spirit.
8. A promise here. “Draw near to God…and He will draw near to you.” Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you who are double minded.”
9. “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned into mourning and you joy to gloom.”
In other words, until you take care of your unrepentant sins you cannot find joy, laughter, contentment, peace….do not have one foot in right living and another in sin.
10. HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD…and HE WILL LIFT YOU UP……HIGHER AND HIGHER, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP.
The Bible warns us that exalting ourselves will result in a disgraceful fall, but, humbling ourselves leads us to exaltation in both this and the world to come.
I think by now….you get the picture of the importance, not only during this Lenten season, leading up to the capture, trial, execution, death and ultimately the RESURRCTION of our Lord, call for us to go through this period of time of introspection, repentance and restoration. It is our free wills making the right choices to do the right things.
Why? Because it is the way we can show God, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit that we love them, need them and are grateful for indeed what together…they have done for us.
Humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord….and He will lift us up.
Let’s pray for revival…let’s pray for ourselves to be right with God through Christ and healing across not only this country we love....but across the world...that potentially today, stands at the brink of a war of potential annihilation.
HUMBLE YOURSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP, HIGHER AND HIGHER AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP.
Amen…………
Let us come to the Table of the Lord humbly, thankfully, in contrition and yet in JOY. THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH. “

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THE LITTLE CHURCH IN THE PINES
“PATIENCE ~ THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD”
February 13, 2022
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

Here is a promise…. from Isaiah 40:31 “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength…. they will mount up with wings as Eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” “Teach me LORD, teach me LORD, to wait.” To be patient, to endure to the end, or to the solution.
Patience does not come by wishful thinking, and the lack of it is impatience… with restlessness and irritability, and sometimes manifested in anger.
Patience as a NOUN, is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
HOW MANY OF US…HAVE THIS ONE DOWN PAT?
Waiting and Patience cannot be separated, and remember these words; “teach me LORD, teach me LORD…to wait.”
Question? How does He teach us?
Answer, by the circumstances in our everyday lives . . .that’s how.
Waiting…oh, waiting, especially when whatever we are waiting for is being held up due to, as an example, someone in charge who either does not know what they are doing, or, deliberately doing things to hold not only ourselves, but others who are waiting. That is as power ploy.
Most of us are patient when fishing, because we know how fussy those creatures can be. But we expect it in fishing and so for the most part we may be disappointed, but not irate.
Something as standing in line at the grocery store, where at the cashier stand…someone is paying in cash and is going through their purse digging out the correct amount, including coins.
Or as an example (this showing my patience) when I was working on my house several years ago, I was at Lowe’s buying paint. There was one man handling seven customers, but instead of delaying one person on the phone…. he was making the seven of us wait, barely acknowledging us. Well…what do I do after five a tolerable amount of time? Everyone has been looking at everyone else making eyes and whispering to themselves then each other.
I walk over and push the help button on the counter. No one comes even after more time has passed. So, I leave the line, by the way, I was the very first in the line, and go to find “the manager of the store” finally finding him, tell him our dilemma, (for the guy is still on the phone) Instead of him coming over to help, he sends one poor confused woman who knows nothing about paint in to help, and then he pats me on the shoulder, turns around and walks away. You don’t want to know what I was thinking and about to do, but by sheer will stuff it down inside. The poor woman can sense the pressure, and gingerly works her way to behind the desk. By this time the worst of me has risen to the surface, but before I go in and take over…..I used to work as manager of a paint and accessories department in a large hardware store, the man finally gets off the phone….looking at all of us rather apprehensively, but knows I was first in line and my paint had been mixed and shaken and the whole time I could have gone in and taken it with me, he gets it out of the shaker and gives it to me without even a apology.
In living and manifesting my impatience, I almost lost it… almost, but I WAS a force to be reckoned with, and not a good force.
After I left the store…. I had to deal with what I was feeling, and have to admit I never prayed during that whole time. The thing I should have and could have done…. could have been done without the looks, the resentment and the anger which had been eating up my insides. The steps I took, still could have been taken, but without all the intense emotional feelings. Could have been.
So much in life is involved in waiting. We twiddle our thumbs, shuffle our feet, stifle our thoughts (or try to) sigh long and loud, fretting in frustration.
During that time, God might have been saying, calm down, and I will help you even in this very small thing. Perspective…very small thing. Yes. In reality it was a very small thing, but often it is the small everyday frustrations and events that can seriously trip up our faith and behavior.
Waiting is one of life’s best teachers, for in life only can we learn the virtue of…. well, waiting, waiting patiently while God, unseen, works in us and for us. It is His desire and for our good that we develop patience and endurance….and along with those, the ability to trust, even when it seems we have waited long enough for whatever it is we are waiting for. Whatever it is!
Sometimes waiting is an event designed by God to show us where we are in this area of our lives…. because the outflow of impatience often washes over on to the innocent, even harming them. Road Rage is one of the most severe of repercussions from impatience.
For we Christians…. our outflow should be one of grace and patience. That does not mean we cannot interfere or get involved, but how we do so is the most important God is teaching us.
It is undoubtedly one of the most difficult disciplines to learn, though we certainly have ample opportunity to do so. (smile)
I am sure that all of you have stories similar to mine.
Here is an example of patience learned through experience I believe I have used before, but it is so clear and precise I just had to use it today.
A little fact you may not know. Pandas consume 20 to 30 pounds of bamboo each day.
The Chinese farmer learned through their ancestors on how to raise bamboo and what their expectations were to be….
They plant the seed just like any other seed, watering it and fertilizing it on a regular basis.
The first year, nothing, absolutely nothing happens, no shoot of any kind appears, but they patiently continue to water and fertilize and weed.
The second, third and fourth year, still nothing. Then, the fifth year, still being faithful from having learned patience…they continue their routine. Finally, the shoots appear, and in a period of six weeks that fifth year, they all grow roughly ninety feet.
The question…. what was happening during those five years? The answer…each seedling was growing down instead of up…. reaching a depth that would sustain the 90 feet of upward growth.
This can be a picture of our spiritual growth. We need to nurture and plant down in us TRUTHS, that will sustain us in difficult times and in time in which we desperately need patience and other virtues that God asks us to willingly learn.
The obvious facts are…what really counts in our lives, is both what and how we grow inside our mind, heart and spirit, by the work we MUST do, in all of the areas we know we need to grow in to be spiritually strong…and in the power of His might.
When tests comes and they will come, and we wait on the LORD and what He has taught us…. manifesting those life lessons, we will be able to stand….and not only stand but stand strong…. for if we don’t, we will fall, and great that fall will be…because we will have shallow spiritual roots, having paid so much attention to the outside things….and little to the inside.
This true account I am about to read….is about persistence, vision and patience. It is both exhilarating and tragic. He had vison to know where he was desiring to go…and patiently in defeat after defeat…he kept on…. though not without mistakes.
Read:
"Unbroken by Failure"
February 12
The Book of Amazing Stories

It is proven time and time again, that those who spend time, (as I spoke of last week) cultivating their life in God through Christ, are those who when difficulties and trials came…they came through them, not untouched, but with an inward strength and ability to cope far above those who do not have the spiritual walk and strength to do so. Being a believer is no protection from hard times in life….it is simply that we have the Creator on our side, walking by our side, through it all. Through it all! Along with Him, we also have each other…of the same faith and the same Savior, as we are all brothers and sisters in God’s family.
THREE THINGS I AM GOING TO FINSIH WITH
#1. Let God be your hope. 2nd Chronicles 20:12 “Our eyes are set upon You, for my eyes are ever on the LORD.”
#2. BE STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD. (Psalm 4610) “Wait quietly on the LORD, patiently getting to know Him.”
#3. Give ourselves to Him. Submitting our wills to Hs, for He works through and in all things for our own good.
As we go through difficulty, trials and temptations, He will never leave or forsake us. He is with us because He wants to renew our strength as the end of whatever it is we have endured. In these times if we allow Him, He builds into men and women in the image of His Son, Jesus.
Romans 8:28…. from the Message reads, “We can be sure that every detail of our lives of lives in our love for God, are worked into something good.”
FINALLY, (You, having endured with patience my rather long sermon)
Using Jesus as an example of waiting and patience, in a biography written by Missionary JO. Fraser, wrote, “nothing is more noticeable that the quiet, even poise of Jesus life. Never flustered whatever happened to Him, never taken off guard, however He was assaulted and assailed by men or demons, in the midst of a fickle, unpredictable people, hostile religious rulers, sometimes faithless disciples…always calm always collected. Christ the dedicated and consistent Son of His Father…doing no more and more less than God had appointed Him to do. No restlessness, no hurry, only once concerned for His future, but once reconciled to what awaited Him, said to His Father, “nevertheless, not My will be done, but Yours Father,”
In the midst of turmoil, relentless accusations, threats and ruthlessness…. was ever such a peaceful, disciplined, patient and Grace-filled life lived by anyone, but Him.
They who wait on God loses no time, but gains love, grace, mercy, maturity and of course salvation.
I will end with what I began with.
Isaiah 40:31 “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint, teach me LORD< teach me LORD to wait.”
Teach me, teach me…teach me…. that I might learn.
To God be the Glory…great things He has done.
Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
February 6, 2022
"Creation and Time"
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

It begins here. GENESIS 1:1 In the beginning…God created the heavens and the earth. The simple statement that God created the heavens and the earth is one of the most challenging concepts confronting the modern mind. The vast galaxy we live in is spinning at the remarkable speed of 490.000 miles per hour. Our galaxy still needs 200 million years to make a single rotation at this breakneck speed. And even more mind-boggling is that there are over one billion other galaxies like ours in the universe. This knowledge should give us a humbling perspective of God, the world, our galaxy, and the universe. We go to bed at night, sleep, and rise in the morning without ever thinking about these facts.
We are 98% water, 2 percent other elements, and live, breathe, talk, walk, hear, see, interpret, and interact so complex that it is mind-boggling.
Some scientists say that the number of stars in the creation is equal to all the grains of all the sands on the world's beaches. Yet…this complex sea of spinning stars and worlds functions with remarkable order, efficiency, and harmony.
To say that the Universe "just happened" or "evolved" because of its efficiency and harmony or order takes more faith than believing in creation.
There, of course, is disharmony between science and creation and the place of God in all of this.
There is disharmony in the discussion about the age of the world and the universe. Science says the earth is over a billion years old and halfway through its life cycle, destined to die and unable to sustain life. But scripture says though this may be true…. that God will at that time, "create and new heaven and a new earth."
Science has not been able to establish that there is God or to confirm there is not. Some Creationists say the earth, according to the Bible, is approximately 7000 years old. Yet, scientists, geologists, etc., have learned to read the earth and its progress, measuring with radiocarbon and other earth sciences. And as an example, it has been proven by science the Appalachians were once as high as the Rockies, that nearby, Grand Teton, now 14,766 feet, was once 36,000 feet in elevation. That at one time in the earth's history, all the land was joined as one central continent.
2 Peter 3:8 reads, "Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
Acknowledging that God exists, how did God create the earth, the Galaxies, and the Universe. This too is still a subject of great debate. Some say with an explosion, but an explosion of what? How matter and anti-matter form is still being explored.
Remember the joke I told once, where it was said two scientists had discovered the pathway to creation. Scientists, governments, reporters gathered by the hundreds both in person and watching on TV. The first thing they did was pick up a handful of soil…. and suddenly, out of nowhere, came a God-like voice that said, "Oh no, you don't, you make your own soil, this is mine."
Now… this following statement is my opinion. Not being an intellectual or a scientist, but a "poor humble pastor," I know the Bible does not say how long these periods were. There are two basic views about the (days of creation. #1. Each day was a literal 24- hour period. #2. Each day represents an indefinite period of time, perhaps even millions of years.
What is more important than this is the question, how did God create the earth and the universe?
The earth as an example…. and these two illustrations as examples were created in an orderly fashion. He did not create plants before there was light, and He created man and woman as unique beings capable of communication with Him. No other part of creation can claim that remarkable privilege…. given to humankind alone.
In many allegories and storied illustrations, Christians have often taken the literal approach to interpretation, much to the chagrin and amusement of Jewish Biblical Scholars.
Wisdom is what we need, using reasoning and research to gain wisdom, and wisdom is what we will receive when we ask God by His Holy Spirit to assist and reveal to us correct interpretations.
Add to this those Christians who are believers in a Flat-earth with edges, and those who believe in a hollow earth containing hell.
Proof, proof, and more proof. I sincerely believe in science and its quest for honest answers to the natural order of things. God gave us the brains we need to explore, make improvements, maintain order, and all within the existing laws of God.
In verse 25, God saw that His work was good. He looked at all that He had accomplished and said it was good, and it certainly was.
God did not need to create the world and the universe; he chose to create it. Why? God is love, and love is best expressed toward something or someone else….so God created the world and people as an expression His love. We should avoid reducing God's creation to merely scientific terms. Remember that God created the universe out of love.
The Creation story teaches us much about God and ourselves. First, we learn:

He is definitely creative.
As the Creator, He is distinct from His creation.
He is eternal and in control of the world.

About ourselves: (1) Since God chose to create us, we are valuable in His eyes; (2) we are the most essential part of His creation, as proven by the life, birth, and death of His Son to redeem us from ourselves and sin.
This world and the Universe are NOT a product of blind chance and probability; God created it!
This is where our faith plays a significant role because our minds, though amazing, are finite, and finite minds often cannot comprehend the infinite. As a minor example…. we can try to come up with the highest number possible, but we cannot do it. Likewise, we cannot limit the infinite God with finite understanding.
To my limited way of thinking…. all of this sermon and the subject itself is a mind-stretcher. I have to pause…and think about it, and the result is that sometimes it is simply impossible for me to do.
But…instead of retreating right now…. or stopping, I want to throw in another related subject, which is TIME. What role does time play in our lives and the universe?
Is time man created…. to make sense of progression and regression? The first sentence I started with today reads "in the beginning."
Since there is, as stated in Genesis, a beginning, there too must be an ending. Time Passages.
Time plays a huge role in our lives….and progression and revelation. It is the continued sequence of existence and events that occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past, present, and future.
Because time exists and everything (except God the Trinity) evolves and changes. Prophecy is all about time……passages and the events that are to occur, then do occur and come into being.
Once something has happened…we cannot go back and take it back or change it.
Time plays a role in creation as we have already heard.
On this planet and in this universe…. we cannot hold back the passage of time and its consequences, good or bad. Mountains rise and wear down. We are born, live, and die. Once where there were seas, are now deserts. Once there were powerful nations, they are now dissolved and no more.
Christ's birth, death, resurrection, and coming back to earth to set up His kingdom are all within the parameters of time.
Once again…in prophecy….as the prophets spoke of Jesus' birth and who and what He was and is…the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow….is as God not affected by time. We are…
In our time on this plane and planet…. we have choices to make, choices that affect us now and in the future times.
Time allows us to reflect, gain knowledge, and choose to do the right things that God has pre-ordained and directed us to live for Him.
In Ecclesiastes…. a book which various authors wrote; we find this understanding of life…within the passages of time.
READ
We are to use the time we have wisely……for we have it but once, for when eternity is our lives…our future has been chosen by the decisions made here in our time.
2 Timothy is powerful….in Paul's letter to him as he says, "He" God has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity …in their hearts, except that no one can find out the word that God does from beginning to end."
The ending spoken of here… is the end of time as we know…. for eternity, a word that is full and powerful…. in its meaning…and part of the infinite that we often find so hard to understand. Being…without aging…being, simply being.
This earth is our proving ground…. how are we doing?
Here is when time came to be…. for there was a time it was not. In 2 Timothy 1:9, we read, "According to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His purpose and GRACE which was given to us 'before time began' therefore before there was an earth, a human being…we were destined in this world to be, and were appointed by His purpose to a calling as His followers.
Earth…was created for us…. within an extended time, expression…. to destiny as sons and daughters of God. Time limits us and our decisions……also for a purpose that we may not even comprehend or understand…for they are His purposes, which thank God includes His treasure house of GRACE…. unsolicited, unearned, unexpected and bestowed.
Time is spoken of fifteen times in the New Testament, and in each case calls us to recognize the essence of time, as we have come to understand it, that what we have here is limited…as well as the time for the existence of this planet itself that we temporarily call home.
We live in a mixed existence…. of spiritual and what we call natural. A mixture of matter and spirit. Of all the things spoken of in Ecclesiastes.
Eternity in our hearts will guide us, while we live these finite lives here on earth…. what a remarkable dichotomy…. (a division or contrast between two things that are and are represented as being opposed or entirely different). It's no wonder we sometimes get sidetracked….and the answer within time, while here, is that God gave us three important things. His Son and all the gifts needed by us, His Holy Spirit….and His written Word…to help sort out our calling between the natural and the spiritual.
Time is of the essence…in our lives on planet earth, within our galaxy, within the universe, as eternity calls from within us, leading us to a far more meaningful and rich existence, with the Father and Son and Spirit…. for all of eternity.
Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
Sunday, January 16, 2022
“GOD IN CONFLICT? NEVER!”
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. NO, I came to accomplish their purpose.”
The role of the prophets….is two-fold as God spoke through them, thereby communicating with His people, and it was a serious role. Not one word was to change, and often the people would complain and want to hear something other than what God was telling them.
1… To keep the people on the right path in how to live for Him and serve Him.
2… To keep fresh in their heart and minds the reality of the coming of the Messiah.
With Jesus, righteousness no longer consisted entirely of observances of the external legal code. Animal sacrifices were no longer sufficient to receive forgiveness… for the greatest sacrifice to come would take care of sin forever, for the whole human race, not just the Jews. A new element was presented and raised as a standard before and for the people. Thus came a deeper and excellent understanding and participation in the meaning of forgiveness and Grace.
He, Jesus Christ, sees us… you and I, as disciples or apprentices to Him. Learning from His teachings, His example, and empowered by His Spirit to come. Having learned and taken to heart these teachings… we were then and now to live them out as an example to the world of what great gift we were given….so that forgiveness and salvation did not come from external sacrifices, but an internal
acceptance of God’s very own Son. Works were now to come, not because of an established external Law, but because the Law of LOVE and GRACE was established in our HEARTS AND MIND In Christ Jesus.
I have said this on many occasions. When God looks at us, He looks at us through the GREAT SACRIFICE of His Son, by which we are then accepted, adopted into the family of God. Not by our blood, or that of animals, but the life-giving blood of Jesus Christ.
This is a high-calling we are called to, and one which we need to take seriously, first with understanding founded first in the Old Testament, and expanded upon by Jesus as He says to us, “Love the Lord you God with all your heart, and with all your and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS…HANGS ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS” THE BIG THREE.
THINK ABOUT THIS…. THE KEYWORD ON WHICH THESE COMMANDMENTS ARE FOUNDED IS THE KEYWORD THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, AND WHICH IS ITS THEME. YES…THAT WORD IS “LOVE.”
John 10:30
Just as the Old and New Testaments are ONE…the Old, the foundation being laid for the New…Jesus further solidifies His ONENESS with God. “The Father and I are One.” God established this truth…when He answered Moses’ question, who are you? His answer was, “I AM THAT I AM!” Since the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are One…in understanding this statement, we must also know that they are in unity in every way. Every word spoken; every deed is done…in UNITY. The journey they have taken us on…all of humankind from the beginning, starting with Adam, then Abraham to today, is exactly as it is supposed to be, and beyond upon the return of Jesus Christ.
With the fulfillment of the prophecies regarding Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and coming again…the two Covenants became ONE… two words joins the Old and New Testaments.
The first is Jesus, and the second is Grace, therefore in word and deed…. please, if you remember nothing else from this message. GRACE TRUMPS THE LAW, AND LOVE TRUMPS THEN ALL.
Even all TEN COMMANDMENTS, WHICH ARE VALID TODAY, CAN ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED by LOVING THE FATHER, THROUGH HIS SON…. not by willful human obedience, but because we love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
We still have a portion of Christians who thunder the Old Testament as often as they can to enslave people to the Law, mainly because those who lead the groups desire to be seen as priests and almost kings with the bottom-line being CONTROL. They are to be obeyed…or those following them will be cast out unless they are obeyed. GRACE is not even considered.
For these people…it is still an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, their sole source, and version of what it means to be Christian.
These two approaches have resulted in wars, strife, confusion, chaos, religious powerhouses, the destruction of people groups, enslavement, etc. We…you and I are called to live like and be like Jesus Christ.
Remember, the Old Testament’s purpose was to lay the foundations for the New Testament….and therefore finds its fulfillment in the New. I started with this verse… “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets, NO, I came to accomplish the purpose for their existence.”
Some say God is in Conflict with Himself…by offering such diverse teachings…. that is because they do not understand the purpose behind the Old….and another part of that purpose is this. To show humankind that we are incapable of making it on our own. Fraught with confusion, strife, war and all the things I spoke of earlier. Look at the condition of the world today….and our history.
WE NEED THE GUIDANCE AND A RELATIONSHIP WITH God through His Son….to make the world work the way it is supposed to.
THE EVIDENCE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.

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The Little Church in the Pines
TO STAY OFFENDED IS OFFENSIVE ~ to the Lord!
January 9, 2022
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

This message is not exactly what one might expect for the second Sunday of a New Year…. but, one that I believe we all need to hear. There is no one in particular that this message is meant for. GOT THAT? So, no speculation is warranted. (smile)
Therefore, today’s subject matter I chose because of its sensitivity, and sometimes impact on all of us when it happens. I am going to try to bring it in a straightforward manner while hoping that you will not be offended by my doing so. It is to teach all of us the impact and the importance of words….and tongue. James 3:6 “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
That…is what I call straight-forward.
James was an elder of the church and known for his wisdom and ability to intercede in church strife…which yes, was in the church way back then.
As I move forward, please recall the source of these words, and the impact they should have on all of us, especially when we are tempted to ignore them.
There is I guess what we could call a spiritual song more than a hymn, that became popular I believe back in the ’70s.
Lord, I want to be more like you, like you,
I want to be a vessel you work through
I want to be more like you……………!
As a Christian, this should be one of the bottom lines of our faith, and if successful, sets in motion all the good that we can accomplish in our Christian walk.
To be like Him…. will always mean changes in our acceptance of self, and changes in how we interact with those around us, including family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and strangers.
To be like His. There will definitely be areas of lives, that the Holy Spirit and the written word will reveal to us. Then we call upon the Holy Spirit once recognized, to help us accomplish our goal(s).
For those among us, or those we know who have struggled with, as an example, alcohol. The first thing we must do is recognize there is a need for change. The second step then is our ability to move forward with the Spirts’ help, and the help of friends and family. This will often mean taking corrective steps of action. And if, and when, we fail…and we certainly may, then once again, get up on feet learning from that failure, and moving forward in the direction the Lord has shown us.
I have preached on this topic one time in each of the churches I have pastored. To my way of thinking and through my experience of pastoring, and counseling, it is one of the most hurtful and damaging sins a person can commit.
Let’s hear what Jesus and a few disciples have to say about this topic.
The first I already spoke of, and that coming from James.
The topic is centered more on not so much the offense itself, but, and on holding onto offense.
Offense, offending, offended, offensive, and offend start with the letter word “off,” something is off, something is wrong…off-ended.
These multiple words all describe the essence of wrongness. It is an adjective, which is described in several words. We can choose to be resentful, annoyed, and even outraged. Typically, as a result of a ‘perceived’ or a deliberate and intentional insult. It can be personal or aimed at someone else.
James 4:17 reads, “Remember, it is a sin to know what you ought to do, then not do it.” This simply says that “sin” is also not doing the right thing or things when given the choice.
So, how do we show Him we love Him? He tells us in John 14:23, “All who love Me will do what I say!”
A perceived or deliberate offense is to be handled in this way. In humility, not in outrage. Matthew 23:12. “But those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Also, please remember, humility is not being weak, it is deliberate and controlled strength.
“Tact is the unsaid part of what you are thinking.”
This now is one of my favorite verses and encompasses every aspect of our lives. Matthew 5:43-44 and can only be achieved when we are like Him. “You have heard it said Jesus says, “to hate your enemies, but I say to you, Love your enemies and do good to those that persecute you.” (in word or in deed) my addition. He goes on to say, “you will be acting as true children of your Father who is in heaven if you do as He says.” “Lord, I want to be more like You” (Let’s say it together).
These next verses are the essence of it all, and the summation of what it truly would be like to be like Jesus. Matthew 7:12, straight from the mouth of the Savior Himself. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Let’s say this together also).
At best…staying offended is one of the most pointless and devastating emotional indulgences possible. At its worst, it is the very seed of potential violence, persecution, and separation. To “stay offended” should never be welcome in the Christian vernacular. There is not one virtue in being indignant, and we have as Christians, no “right” according to our Lord, to hold on to an offense. We all have initially been offended and sometimes with a very good reason or reasons, but to get to the root of the issue and make peace, is of exceptional importance in being like Him.
The Lord was hurled all sorts of offensive words and actions, and the only response He had to these, was to use the Word of God, Scriptures in almost every instance in response, and use them He did in just the right manner. He though never held on to them as He hung on the Cross and said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they have done.” As He was consistently an example to us…. we too must do and be as He was…. with His help and His guidance.
There was one major offense that He took, but that was not personal, and that offense we know very well was where He proclaimed that He was offended for His Father, because the Jewish leadership, permitted the Temple of God to be used for personal gain and corruption.
His outrage was expressed in Luke 19:46. Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, “My Temple shall be called a house of prayer; but YOU, have turned it into a den of thieves.”
TO HOLD ON TO OFFENSE TOWARD A PERSON, MEANS YOU HAVE NOT GRASPED OR INCORPORATED INTO YOUR LIFE THE REALITY AND UNDERSTANDING OF GRACE.
Wednesday…. I was actually deeply hurt by someone….and it took me half a day to understand, that indeed I had truly done nothing to deserve it…but it was simply the easiest way for them to accomplish their goal…and that was to exit themselves from my life. I still do not understand why, but right now that is not important. The important thing is that I had to let it go, or it would have poisoned me spiritually and physically, emotionally and mentally. I JUST HAD TO LET IT GO….and put it into His hands to resolve, if ever it would be. I took a deep breath upon this recognition and from that moment on a HEAVY burden lifted off of me even though I was left with residual sadness. I will remain open to reconciliation if indeed the opportunity comes.
We Christians are to be ministers of reconciliation, peacemakers, with understanding, tolerance, justice, mercy, kindness, and finally forgiveness if necessary, and then restoration.
These are the virtues that Jesus exhibited and asks us to exhibit no matter how we feel.
How we would change the world if we just quit being self-righteous and full of indignation, speaking of all the wrongs that have been, or perceived, to have been done to us, instead of simply giving it all over to HIM.
If indeed we are to be useful to Jesus, we must learn to be “shockproof.” How can we go out into the world and serve “the least of these” if we insist the world first meets OUR expectations and criteria? It is bad out there…you all know that. Even when confronting actual lawlessness and sin, and corruption, our hearts must be ready (just as the early church was) ready to be an example of our Lord, who only condemned the self-righteous.
In talking to my son, a police detective and SWAT team member, also Chaplin of the Police Department, often sees the darkest of deeds, and people who perform them. His greatest pain he says is when it involves innocent children.
David says he first, always attempts to treat them with dignity and understanding, but it seldom works. If their response is aggressive or manipulative…he has to immediately, move into the offensive mode. To keep his soul healthy, he does not give into condemnation, because some very bad things have brought them to where they are…at that moment.
If…there is a conflict involving us…. we have to make sure; we are not the one who accelerates it, but in as much as possible, bring it to a peaceful resolution with the potential for restoration.
Please…… listen closely to these words and act accordingly with the TRUTHS we know. No one can push our buttons if we don’t have any. Being humble which I have said before is controlled strength.
Today, the news agencies, reporters, and others rely on we Christians to generate press. It seems they know how to rile us up and by design, can manipulate us to respond with a knee-jerk reaction…creating more negative news that is our fault.
Does all this mean nothing should bother us, convict us to action, or require confrontation? Of course not, but there is a huge difference between acting and reacting, in a healthy and even godly manner, instead of an unchecked emotional response. Our goal in any situation, be it at home, at work, at play, in our churches, amongst ourselves, should be to find avenues of reconciliation. First, to bring peace within ourselves, healing, and compassion within and without. Whenever we enter a confrontation, be it personal or not, let us be certain we are not the ACCELEERANT, but instead the fire extinguisher, as James wrote and with which I started this message.
James 3:6. “And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness corrupting your entire body. It can set our whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.”
But instead, let us live out the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law” to prevent them from being what we lead with, every-day!
Amen

January 9, 2022 Sermon
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The Little Church in the Pines
January 2, 2022
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

Embracing the new sometimes means letting go of the OLD” “Pardon Me?”
Old is described as in a person, as such, looking around, some of us (self as an example) in comparison to the younger among us, immediately tells one thing for sure…old is evident, and there are different degrees of old. There is kind of old, then old, then really old.
Here is a description. “The old man lay propped up on cushions.” Well, that was me a few times while the 17 of my kids, their spouses and my grandkids swirled around me for three days when here for Christmas. It was awesome…but it was all I could do at times not to run out of the house and into my car for a respite. Which, I actually did a couple of times, under some ruse of having to come over here to the church and do some work…which I found to do of course.
Change and old as a rather light medium would be Clothing styles which sometimes change dramatically…also every year there are new models of cars, and to some of us, in regards to technology….and today, big time, are phones, many or even most of us want the latest and newest, which means giving up the old.
Then there is another category of old we should give up but either can’t seem to or (secretly) don’t want to give up. That may fall under the category of habits, i.e., eating too much, drinking too much, spending too much money, etc. etc. Some of these may also fall under the category of sin. Again, possibly secret.
Then there is another category….and these can be most devastating, and that is in the area of emotions. Easily getting angry with the ramifications of too often taking the anger out on those we love. Gossip, especially under the guise of many who feel the person they are talking to about someone or something the person you are talking to, really should know, often malicious, and at times with painful and even devastating outcomes.
There is even another category….and this one is for some, the most painful of all. That one is not forgiving one’s-self. Here is a simple story I came across, named Pardon and Peace. Page 85. READ
There are those of us who carry around burdens for year upon year that we think are just too awful to be forgiven, carrying it or them around as a dead weight, totally forgetting or never really having the understanding of the meaning of forgiveness, and grace. “Come unto Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Verses 28-30 are in contrast to the heavy burden of legalism (which most of us even today carry, feeling unworthy of the forgiveness and grace offered us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ) In truth we are unworthy, but God in Christ has made the Way, and to deny that His death cannot forgive us we are denying His sacrifice itself as too weak.
Whether it is something as simple as clothing style, a car, a phone, or deeper such as bad habits, secret sins, self-condemnation…all of these things can be made new in Christ, otherwise, why did He die. He died to set you free from anything or even anyone who might drag you out of His presence and grace.
Perhaps some of you are good at making a resolution and sticking to it, for the time it takes to break it or change…a strong will. Most of us need help beyond ourselves to accomplish the goals and changes we KNOW we need.
We can ask help from family or friends, and that is a good thing to do, but too often we need a higher help. An almighty helper. The One who Jesus sent and sends us, the Holy Spirit of God Himself.
BUT FIRST…. we have to be honest with ourselves as to our need, for if we are not, we will never come to that place of freedom from, which in time can consume us and affect those around us, sometimes devastatingly.
TO BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES FIRST ALLOWS US TO ALSO BE HONEST WITH OUR LORD… a giant step in the progress of a healthy spiritual, mental and emotional life.
NOW LET’ S MOVE ON TO THE NEW…….
THEN WE WILL SEE HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER…………………. TO CREATE SOMETHING REAL AND LASTING.
These are one of my very favorite verses…
Lamentations 3:22-25. “Though the Lord’s Mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail note. They are NEW every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion says my soul. Therefore, I HOPE in Him.”
Going back briefly to the title of this message….” Embracing the NEW means sometimes letting go of the OLD.”
Remember…. The OLD, meaning carrying the burden of legalism, instead of embracing forgiveness and grace.
May churches today lean heavily on dos and don’ts, therefore embracing legalism. Many also go180 degrees in the opposite direction…embracing humanism instead of TRUTH. You might ask, what is the difference. The difference is that one is completely CHRIST CENTERED, AND THE OTHER HUMANISTIC CENTERED, WHERE EVERYTHING IS TAILORED TO HUMAN LOVE AND IT’S MULLTITUDE OF EVERY EXPANDING EXPRESSIONS.
Here are some verses regarding NEW.
God is faithful to those who follow Him….in both the Old and NEW Testaments…. the NEW manifesting what I have been speaking of all along…Forgiveness and Grace…. nullifying the OLD legalism, which meant earning one’s way into the Kingdom of God. I had lunch several weeks ago in Jackson with an Orthodox Jewish man who told me that in all of the churches in the world, the Mormon church most closely resembled Judaism is the Mormon Church. Their systematic theology of doctrine and covenants, is the
theology of earning by good works and following the laws of the church as the only way to heaven.
FORGIVENESS AND GRACE, FORGIVENSS AND GRACE. FREEDOM THOUGH DOES NOT MEAN WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE WANT…. INSTEAD, IT MEANS WE WILL DESIRE OUT OF LOVE FOR OUR LORD TO BE ALL THAT HE HAS MADE A WAY FOR US TO BE…LIKE HIM.
His Mercies are NEW every morning.
God also tells us…upon the return of His Son, our Lord, He will create after the last great battle between the Lord and Satan, and those who follow Him…He states in Jeremiah 65:17, “For behold, I create NEW heavens and a new earth.”
Matthew 26:28” For this is MY blood of the NEW COVENANT, WHICH IS SHED FOR MANY FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.”
The same theme is throughout the whole New Testament and that theme is NEW…contrary to what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 1:9
The things that have been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done…and there is no NEW thing under the sun. WRONG SOLOMON….
Not only the establishment of Forgiveness and Grace…but even a new Creation is on its way.
This one I love….it is, well you will now hear. John 13:34-35
Jesus said, “A NEW commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another, and by this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
There is that same NEW love theme again…you can’t just get away from it!
Another of my favorites…….” Therefore, IF anyone is in Christ, he or she is a NEW creation; for OLD things have passed away; behold, all things have become NEW.
Here comes another part of the forgiveness, grace and love. Verse 18. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the MINSITRY OF RECONCILATION.
This reconciliation is first personal in our own reconciliation to Christ, and then we are ministers by living our lives as a testimony, by assisting our Lord in reconciling the world…our neighbors and friends to HIM.
Early on I spoke of anger and its ramifications when unchecked. Colossians 3:9-10. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the OLD man or woman with these deeds, 10 and put on the NEW man or woman who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created Him.
These next verses speak of the Character of the NEW person in Him. Listen closely to see where we in our daily lives stand. READ COL. 3:12-16-page 1675. (Black ribbon)
I hope I have given you some things to think and pray about.
I also hope and pray…. Good things…good changes…. new mercies, abundant grace, love, reconciliation, hope and health are with each of us this coming year.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may He show you His favor and give you PEACE. AMEN
Numbers 6:24-26

The Little Church in the Pines
December 19, 2021
“WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS?”
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

Love ~
This subject of which the fourth candle of Advent has been lit today, is perhaps the most important word in every human language that exists. There is no way to measure it…. for it has no boundaries.
More music written, poems created, emotions shared, movies made, and which without, our world would be a very different world indeed. This LOVE is what makes the world a better place….a world set apart from all others that we know of. It can turn wrongs into right and sadness into JOY, tragedy into hope and Hope into Love.
This one thing I am going to establish before moving on, and that is the source of LOVE, as it begins with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. ONE GOD IN THREE UNIFIED IN LOVE.
With this there is one verse that (stands out to me) as perhaps the most important regarding LOVE, and that verse is found in Luke 10:27…quoting Jesus Himself. He answered, “You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and LOVE your neighbor as yourself.” X2
Therefore…with every fiber of our being. If we do not truly LOVE God….we cannot love to the depth that God enables us to love, where LOVE can move mountains. Where LOVE can do the impossible.
The second most important love verse (in my opinion) is found of course in 1 Corinthians 13:13. Written by Paul. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do NOT have LOVE, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I am nothing If I give ALL I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but DO NOT HAVE LOVE, I gave nothing.
“LOVE IS patient, love is kind. It does NOT envy, it does NOT boast, it is NOT proud. IT does NOT dishonor others, it is NOT self-seeking, it is NOT easily angered, it keeps NO record of wrongs. LOVE does NOT delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. IT ALWAYS protects, ALWAYS trusts, ALWAYS hopes, ALWAYS perseveres.”
“LOVE never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I thought like a child, and I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now, we see only a reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
AND NOW these three remain: FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.”
LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS.

We show we have LOVE in multitude of ways, as I just spoke of from Corinthians. LOVE given creates more love…LOVE taken away can leave irreparable damage…except in Jesus, who can restore all things…when we are willing, for He makes a way where we see no way.

We all need love…though many intellectually say they do not because of people, and or events in their lives that either hurt, and in some situations destroyed their own capacity to even begin to understand what LOVE is. This is a true and tragic tragedy. I can say with full assurance…that if given the opportunity to come into the kingdom of God through Salvation in Jesus Christ, they will experience what LOVE is for the first time in their lives. I have seen it happen.
The word LOVE is in the Old Testament 310 times and in the New Testament 348 times.
The old saying “LOVE make the world go around” I am not sure of but I am sure that without it, there would be no HOPE, JOY or PEACE of any kind. What love we have and share certainly makes our world a more beautiful place in the UNIVERSE.
Out of curiosity, I researched how many songs have been written about LOVE, and found that this question is impossible to answer because LOVE is one of the most common themes in music. Thus, there are millions of songs about love: losing love, finding love, missing a loved one, wishing for love, searching for love, grateful for love, etc.
There was one secular song that came to my mind, so I looked up the words. One of which refers to the Lord in searching for it. I felt that if I could get away in my sermon with “Be Happy, Don’t Worry, I could do this one without too much repercussion. Smiling.

HERE IS THE SONG. It is the title of my sermon.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
It’s the only things that there’s just too little of,
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No, not just for some, but for everyone.

LORD, we don’t need another mountain,
There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb,
There are oceans and rivers enough to cross, enough to last ‘til the end of time!

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It the only thing that there’s just too little of,
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No. not just for some, but for everyone!

LORD, we don’t need another meadow,
There are cornfields and wheat fields enough to grow,
There are sunbeams and moon beams enough to shine,
Oh, listen LORD, if YOU want to know.

What the world needs now, is LOVE, sweet LOVE
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of,
What the world needs now is love, sweet LOVE,
NO, not just for some, oh, but just for every, every, everyone!
This is what Jesus, this Advent Season, since that day so long ago, when born…. came to bring all of humanity. HIS LOVE….
And with that LOVE, Salvation, Eternal life…. HOPE, PEACE, JOY AND the greatest of these and more…. LOVE.
       “A TRUE LOVE STORY…. Denied in Life, Together in Death”
Selah, So be it!

The Little Church in the Pines
November 28, 2021
Sermon ~ HOPE can be a prayer
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

Advent…. within this word lies great anticipation, hope, prayer, prophets and prophecies fulfilled. For millennia a people, devoted to God, chosen by God, kept within their hearts, that HOPE alive. Their love of God, full and rich…. generation after generation having passed without that HOPE realized…. but one night, one glorious night…it happened! He arrived! Not in the manner anticipated, but quietly, beautifully…yet, on that serene night the storm clouds were already forming. With the beauty of His birth came the anticipation and darkness of His death…His fate was foretold and sealed.
But now, our focus is on His advent into the world.
HOPE at times it seems is all we have…. but HOPE turned into prayer goes from being passive to being alive and active, able to achieve what HOPE itself cannot.
There is a new hymn being sung this Advent Season in celebration of HOPE and light over darkness.
Veiled in darkness Judah lay, waiting for the Promised Day;
While across the shadowy night streamed a flood of glorious light,
Heavenly voices singing then, “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men;”
Heavenly voices chanting the, “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.”
Still the earth in darkness lies. Up from death’s dark vale arise,
Voices of a world in grief, prayers of those who seek relief.
Now the darkness peals out again, “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men,”
Light of light, we humbly pray, shine upon Thy world today;
Break the gloom of our dark night, fill our souls with love and light,
Send Thy blessed Word again, “Peace on earth, good will to men.”
Amen
Here is the background history of this hymn….
Abject hopeless lay across the land…for over a year, war had raged in Europe, and as dark war clouds hung over the earth, Rights wrote a hymn in response to the hopelessness and darkness that he felt in his own heart.
The hymn opens by focusing on the darkness that hung over Judah, which was shattered by the glorious light that came with the birth of Christ and the gifts to someday come of “peace on earth, and good will to mankind.
In the lighting of the candles, comes to us the HOPE realized when we too feel hopeless, followed by PEACE, JOY and LOVE. For in these the Christ Child, the Light of the World came with these gifts no matter the circumstances that we face and endure.
Just as in the land of Judah…
The second verse is written to remind us that to this day, a measure of darkness still covers our land…. but one day, one day, at the time of God’s choosing that darkness will also be destroyed, replacing it the Second Advent of Jesus Christ when He returns to rule and reign over all the earth.
In our own time of darkness (now) with Covid, with wars still raging, with persecution of Christians as never before in history, as morality declines and people lose HOPE, He remains our HOPE and our light. This is when we hold onto HOPE for peace on earth, and turn that HOPE into active, vibrant prayer.
It is our obligation to pray for “peace on earth and goodwill toward mankind.
The third verse of the hymn actually provides us with a prayer for the Light that God sent to the earth in Jesus Christ to shine upon us TODAY, to shatter our own personal darkness as well and to fill our souls with love and light, bringing once again within us, peace
and goodwill. First, between us and God; then secondly between each other.
We know that it is Jesus who ultimately brings us personal peace, national peace and world-wide peace.
In this world, it seems the bad news keeps mounting up, whether from ongoing wars, terrorist attacks, attacks on our judicial system, on our police officers, a fellow human being driving his vehicle into spectators at a hometown parade, the political and social divisions, the pain mounts up and up to greater heights, causing fear and hopelessness to pervade our lives…we should pray as we have never prayed before that the light of Jesus would shine in us and through us, and on us, so that we can lead the way to be the people of light and peace he calls all of us, all of us to be.
Far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of LIGHT…Romans 13:11-12
Listen to the words of the hymn once again…
Veiled in darkness Judah lay, waiting for the promised day,
While across the shadowy night,
Streamed a floor of glorious light,
Heavenly voices chanting then,
“Peace on earth, goodwill to man,”
“Peace on earth, goodwill to man,”
Still the earth in darkness lies,
Up from death’s dark vale arise
Voices of a world in grief, prayers of those who seek relief.
Now the darkness pierced again,
Peace on earth, goodwill to man
Peace on earth, goodwill to man
Light of light, we humbly pray,
Shine upon Thy world today;
Break the gloom of our dark night,
Fill our souls with love and light,
Send Thy blessed Word again,
Peace on earth, goodwill to man
Send Thy blessed Word again,
Peace on earth, goodwill to man!
READ: THE LONG PRAYER OF HOPE THAT CHANGED AMERICA – APRIL 28TH

Little Church in the Pines
November 7, 2021
Pastor Connie Day

How open are you about your life?
How much do you let other people see who you really are?
It can be difficult to let people see our failures and shortcomings.
We freely share our celebrations and successes, but it’s hard to let others get a glimpse of our weaknesses.
We don’t usually speak openly about the ways we have messed up.
When we make a mistake, We often try to cover it up. We hope that no one saw it. We try to fix it before someone notices.
Sometimes we even try to keep ourselves from seeing the reality of who we are. We justify our actions and our words, pretending that they weren’t that bad, (even when deep down we know that we were wrong).

When I read the first part of our scripture reading today, I kind of felt bad for the priests.

Here they are, working all day long on their feet, offering sacrifices again and again in an attempt to atone for sin.
But the writer of Hebrews says that despite their daily, repetitive work, they will never be successful.
The sacrifices they offer “can never take away sins.”
No matter how hard they try.
No matter how dedicated they are.
No matter how many hours they put in, they will never accomplish what they are trying to do.

It’s the same for us.
No matter how hard we try to cover it up, we are imperfect beings. We fail often. We do the wrong things. We say the wrong things. We cause damage to God’s creation, including to people who are precious and loved in God’s sight.
And we know it. We know how often we fail. But like the priests, who offer sacrifices day by day, we try desperately to cover it up. We justify our actions. Sometimes we compare ourselves with others: “At least I’m not as bad as he is!” Or we say things like, “I didn’t have any choice.” “It wasn’t really my fault.” Sometimes we minimize our actions: “I’m only human. It’s not that bad.”

Sometimes we try to make up for it. Saying, “I’m sorry.” Trying to fix what is broken. Trying to cover up the mistake.
As much as possible, we try to hide our shortcomings from others. But do have someone with whom you can be completely honest? Do you have someone in your life that loves you just as you are—warts and all? Someone who sees the good, the bad, and the ugly and is there through it all with you? Someone who will never leave your side, and will never give up on you?
There is freedom in dropping the charade.
When we can be honest
When we can confess the truth
When we don’t have to pretend
When we can admit that we have failed…we have fallen short

I was at a school leaders conference this week.
As you might imagine, a gathering of school leaders (founders of charter schools in Idaho) could be a time of displaying great confidence: talking about the great things that are happening in our schools telling others about the ways we are successful maybe even trying to convince others that we are doing better — that things are going better—than they actually are and there is some of that, I suppose.

But there are also the real connections.
I have a friend in this group of amazing educators with whom I can talk freely. She did some work with me last year at the school here in Island Park. She helped me through our verification process for Special Education; (which is kind of a complicated process) She gave me information I needed to get things in order, and to answer questions that would be asked. And through that process, I had to be honest with her about the things I didn’t know. I had to tell her about mistakes that I had made and things that I had not done right. She helped me, without judgement, to fix the mistakes and to learn what needs to be done to satisfy the requirements of the State Department of Education.

At the conference on Friday, I had a question about something that I wasn’t sure we were doing right. I didn’t really want to ask. Because if we were doing it wrong, I didn’t want to get in trouble. And I didn’t want people to think that I’m not a good school leader, or that I don’t really know what I’m doing.
So I asked Jennifer. I knew she would have the information I needed. And I knew she could help. And I knew she wouldn’t judge me.
It’s a relief: to not have to hold the questions inside.
It’s a relief to be able to be honest about my lack of knowledge, and even about the things I haven’t done right. A burden of fear, shame, and guilt can be lifted by telling the truth about it.

Do you have someone like that in your life?
Do you have someone with whom you can be completely honest even about the ugly stuff?

You do, of course.

God is always there for you. God sees all that you are: all you’ve done right, and all you’ve done wrong. God knows your motives and the inner workings of your heart. Sometimes we can fool the people around us, but God knows it all. When you confess your sin When you tell the truth about who you are and what you have done You are not sharing any information that God does not already know. But confession is good for the soul. Confession allows you to lay down the burden of guilt and shame Our sin is real. And it can be crippling. It keeps us from living the life that God wants us to live: a life of joy and peace a life of justice and truth a life lived in the very presence of God who loves us more than anyone ever could and who wants the best for us.

We can do things that will make us feel better about ourselves, and that will work for a while; but it doesn’t really solve the problem. The sin/guilt is still there But Christ has actually done something about it. We are no longer under the power of sin. We no longer need to carry/feel the burden of it. It’s “taken care of”. The burden is lifted. Christ offered himself so that our sin could be removed: not just for a while, but forever. Through Christ, God has forgiven our sin, and he promises, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Not because of who we are, but because of what he’s done.
Not because of what we’ve done, but because of who he is.
When God looks at us, he sees beloved children.

This is the foundation of the message in the passage from Hebrews.
Jesus has taken care of our sin. And, unlike the priests who were standing day after day, offering sacrifices, Jesus offered a single sacrifice for sin, and then he sat down. It is finished.

We are forgiven. We are set free from the power of sin. We are free to live in God’s presence, without fear. That’s the foundation of this passage.

And then, there’s a “therefore”.

Therefore. It’s a word of cause and effect. Whereas this…. therefore this…
It’s a word that expects a response.
This has happened, therefore…this should happen.

The word “therefore” in verse 19 is followed by four imperatives.

Since Jesus gave himself to atone for our sins…
Since Christ has set us free from the power of sin…

There are four things that follow:

1. (vs.22) “Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith”

God invites us into his holy presence. We might not think we are worthy. And we’re not. But Jesus has taken care of that. Some people are afraid of God’s judgment: afraid that if they step into a church, the walls will fall in on them. Some people have experienced judgement and rejection from “the people of God” and have no desire to come into God’s presence. (Sometimes religious people are a barrier) Sometimes we trust in our own goodness.
We ignore or justify our sin rather than recognizing it and confessing it.

The good news of Christ is that we do not need to be afraid to tell the truth about who we are. We can be honest with God and with ourselves, trusting that God has taken care of it, and loves us “no matter what”.

By being honest, we can be transformed. We can be changed, cured, set in a new direction. We can even become a catalyst of change in our world, through the power of Christ. Knowing that we are graciously loved and forgiven, we can be a gracious, loving presence to others.

Approach with a true heart… (bring your true self) and trust that God loves you just as you are. God welcomes you into his holy presence.

2. (vs.23) “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.”
Remember, it is not your faithfulness that makes it possible to live in God’s presence: it is God’s faithfulness. So even when you mess up, even when you utterly fail, hold on to the promise of God’s gracious love. Don’t waver. Don’t worry. Only believe. Then “have a little talk with Jesus” and keep trusting that God has not rejected you. God loves you, just as you are. Because God is faithful.

3. (vs. 24) “Let us consider how to provoke one another…”

Provoke is usually thought of as a negative: provoking someone is stirring up a response (usually of anger or irritation). Provoking one another is fairly easy. We see it on social media all the time. Usually, a person is trying to make a point, but the result rarely (if ever) provokes change. Either people who already agreed with you express their agreement, or people who don’t agree are provoked to anger or frustration.

They may respond. They may “scroll on”.
But the provocation results in a negative written response, or a negative feeling. What does it mean to provoke one another to love? How can we provoke one another to “good deeds”? If we put all of our creative energy into provoking goodness, the world might be a better place.

Consider, today and this week, how you might provoke someone to love.
Consider how to provoke someone to good deeds.
Consider how you might demonstrate love, and what “good deeds” you might do to make a difference in someone else’s life today and this week.

4. (vs.25) Don’t neglect to meet together…but encourage one another .It’s easy to neglect meeting together, especially when we feel like we are somehow not “good enough” to be in church. What should our “meetings” be, given the teachings of this passage? We should meet with honesty about who we are, openness about our struggles, failures, shortcomings; trusting in God’s gracious love and forgiveness, “normalizing mistakes” so that others feel free to admit that they also make mistakes, celebrating the goodness and graciousness of our God, seeking to live lives that are faithful to God, acknowledging our desire to follow God’s ways, even when we know we won’t always live up to the high and holy expectations, loving each other in spite of all our shortcomings, forgiving each other and encouraging each other to follow the way of Christ The church is not a gathering of saints.

This is a place where sinners meet to celebrate God’s love for us. We are here to help each other grow to be what God has created us to be. We are here to encourage each other: to lift each other up, to remind each other of God’s grace, to help each other focus on what God wants us to be and do.

God loves us as we are and invites us to live our lives freely in His presence…
Therefore:

Bring your true self
Trust in God’s faithfulness
Provoke each other (in all good things)
Support and encourage each other to keep the faith

Amen!

The Little Church in the Pines
October 17, 2021
“The Second Coming of Jesus Christ”
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

When Pam and I were in the waiting room at the Alpine Dermatology Clinic in Rexburg…the subject came up of today’s sermon. We both remembered how as children it kind of scared us.
For me I associated the Lord’s coming with the Atomic Bomb and Russia, for I could see (in my kid’s mind) no other reason of His coming back…. other than it being a very unsettling time in our nation’s history. I also was (being a little sinner) afraid I would be left behind, so I was always praying for forgiveness so that would not be the case. Every time the firehouse sirens would go off in our little neighborhood, I would run home as quickly as possible to be with my mother who could comfort me.
We don’t hear much about His Second Coming these days, and I can’t remember the last time I heard a sermon on this subject or for that matter preached one, though we do hear quotes of wars and rumors of wars, Armageddon, earthquakes, famines, pestilence…and a plethora of so-called prophets, proclaiming the date that Jesus is coming back. On that note, let me read to you what Jesus said about setting dates for His arrival, in Matthew 24:36, But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. NIV
This was in response to His disciples question found in Matthew 24:3. Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came` to Him privately, saying, “Tell us when will these thing be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the Age?”
He then goes into some of those things we are to be aware of. I will read directly now His words of warning. (MATTHEW 24:1-36.
Let’s go back a bit….and see places in the Old Testament where it speaks of this great and terrible day of the Lord, mentioned in Joel. Terrible being for those who have rejected Him as Lord and Savior.
Zechariah 14: 9And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be…The Lord is One, and His name One.
In Isaiah 11:4 we hear, “But with the righteous He shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall say the wicked.
Christ’s first coming accomplished this in the spiritual realm (Colossians 2;15) He will consummate it literally and spiritual at the end of this age, the age of Grace. (Rev. 19:11-16 and 20:11-15.
Listen to this quote found in Joel, which Jesus spoke of, and which I have just read, almost word for word. “The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.”
He spoke often of His Kingdom…the Kingdom within us, and Kingdom to come upon His Second arrival. The Kingdom without end…Amen.
In Acts 1:9-11 the disciples have just watched Jesus rise out of sight in front of their very eyes…. can you imagine the looks on their faces of astonishment, and the adrenaline rushing through their bodies as they witness this?
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud receive Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.
Eyewitnesses…. many have scorned even the ideas, not only of a resurrection, but of this whole concept of a returning Christ, of the kingdom of God…of miracles, of deity, seeing the Bible itself of nothing but fables and stories told of keep people subject to a religious history, governed simply by men to manipulate and control people. Not only control but to garner from these, a way of living, and for some, living well.
Witnesses…ten of the 12 original disciples willing to sacrifice their lives for a myth…. I doubt it. One having hung himself because of the grief he felt in having betrayed the One. I doubt. Since then, since 1901 to the year 2000 more Christians have died for their faith than all the centuries combined, since the beginning of Christianity. You will be shocked at the number, for in the 20th century alone, approximately 45 million Christians have been martyred, at the hands of Communists, Islamic regimes, Chinese, North Korea and African militants.
Why is this….? Because by our religion and faith…. we stand in the way of oppression…not willing to compromise into accepting corruption and a social order that demands individuals be allowed the freedom to choose….instead of the social orders that say the collective, and the loss of individuality is the only way to achieve the greater good for the greatest number. Belief in God stands in the way of the progression of human development the intellectuals tell us. We are thought of as fools, uncapable of making decisions that go beyond our selfishness. You see, they know that faith gives hope, and out of hope comes life….. a life that includes food for the soul and spirit. For without soul or spirit….we are nothing more than pieces of meat. It is out of the soul and spirit that comes life, love, creativity, joy, happiness, contentment, meaningful relationships.
It is our faith….in miracles, in Jesus Chris as the Son of the Living God, that shapes us into decent and good people, intent on moving beyond selfishness that includes (or should) loving God, loving His Son and loving ourselves, neighbors and strangers and even our enemies.
Our belief in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ…is the second part of His promises to us. The first being salvation…the second, eternal life with Him in a place where there is not pain, no sorrow, no tears, no death…but life…abundant and rich, forever more.
The Second Coming, we are told will be seen by all.
Revelation 1:7… “Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see Him, even those who pierced Him. All the nations of the world will mourn for Him.” Yes! Amen
I spoke of His kingdom to come earlier….but before He establishes his Kingdom on earth, Jesus will (we are told) come for His living church just prior to His return….this is commonly known as the Rapture. At that time (again we are told) the dead will rise and living Christians will be as the term expresses “caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be with Him forever.”
In this resurrection, those who have died in Christ will have their redeemed souls and spirits united with a body similar to Christ’s glorified body.
Christians living (we are told) will not die, but will be changed to be like Christ. This expectation is a motivation for holy living, as well as a source of comfort. No one we heard earlier in this message, knows or will know the day or the hour when this will all take place, and therefore, we are to be ready in season and out of season, or any moment.
Scripture says that after the rapture of the Church, Christians will be brought before the judgment seat of Christ. He will reward us; on the basis of the works, we have accomplished. This is not a judgment to determine our salvation, but a reward for that which we accomplished for and through Christ. (Something to think about) The Rapture will also initiate a period that the Bible characterizes as the “Great day of His wrath,” the Great Tribulation” as it is called…also the “time of Jacob’s trouble. It will be a time of unprecedented events that will affect Israel and all nations of the earth. Its purpose will be to prepare Israel for the Messiah they denied and continue to deny.
At the end of the Tribulation, for times of great trouble world-wide, Jesus will return…. with the hosts of heaven, as well as the Church to establish the Messianic Kingdom on earth….that will last a thousand years.
I am not going to speak in depth about the Tribulation, for there are several hypotheses as to the timing of this event. There are those who speak of #1. The Partial Rapture View
2. The Mid-tribulation Rapture View
3. Pre-Wrath Tribulation Rapture View
4. The Post-Tribulation Rapture View
Leaving that aside…at His coming…. we are told Satan and his followers will be cast into the Lake of fire, and he Satan, will be bound for a thousand years, then released for a brief time to lead those who continued to follow him into a final rebellion.
The nations and their representatives will be judged. Israel will be restored. Christ will reign for a thousand years, with firmness represented by an iron rod….to keep those still in internal rebellion in check. For many though, it will be an unprecedented time of both material and spiritual blessings, since the curse (Satan) will have been bound.
After the thousand years, the Messianic kingdom will close with apostasy and rebellion once more, since His iron rod of holding things in check will have been removed, but He will crush this uprising in the last battle of the ages…and Satan will be defeated once and for all.
All those who rejected the Word of God (Jesus) will now be resurrected, and then judged by Christ and they too cast into the lake of fire, the place where the judgment they brought upon themselves will be executed. What that lake of fire is literally, we are told very little about.
At this time……. there will be a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness and goodness triumph forever, now being the new and everlasting norm.
There will also be a new Jerusalem, and the eternal presence of God living among all those who will have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord, Savior and Friend.

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Scripture Reading: Exodus 23:20-23 (Yeuleta Bradley)

The statement “My name is in Him” shows that this messenger is the Angel of the Lord, who is none other than God Himself; with the promise of His presence and protection comes the warning “obey His voice,” for the Lord is a Holy God who cannot dwell in the presence of sin. Obedience is the evidence of reality of the covenant relationship.
  The Angel of the Lord “encamps all around those who fear Him” Psalm 34:7.

Angels – God’s Special Agents;
The Doctrine of Angelology October 10, 2021
by: Connie Funkhouser

A topic that I do not think has been spoken of before, and hopefully my message will be fresh and enlightening.
* * I am a self-proclaimed Angel Collector * *etc., etc.
Do you believe in Angels? If you do believe in Angels, how much is scriptural vs fable? Do we actually have a Guardian Angel? If we do, is it the same for everyone, or are we given a specific Guardian Angel?
        The fact that God created a realm of beings other than mankind should pique our curiosity and broaden our knowledge of God, and what He is doing and how He works in the universe. We are not to think that man is the highest form of created being. Between man and God there exist creatures of higher than human intelligence and power.
        They are superhuman, but not divine. Some have remained faithful to God, carry out His work. Others, who fell from their created state of holiness, live to oppose God and His children. God’s care and concern for His creation is evident in the ministrations of good angels. By contrast, Satan and his minion seek to prevent the purposes of God, but God has limited their powers.
        When we come to the discussion of angels, we are entering upon a subject that in some ways is the most unusual and puzzling of all theology. When I was deciding what direction to go with my morning message, I came across this several times. Me being me, thought, take the plunge and learn while I research and write.
Ancient theologians describe the topic of angels as the most remarkable and difficult of all. It is therefore a topic that it is tempting to omit or neglect. Some would say that Christian doctrine would be unaffected if we were to bypass this area, and in a sense that it is true. It would be possible to maintain the doctrines of creation and providence (wisdom) without reference to angels, for God most certainly created and can sustain and guide the universe by His own direct action, without utilizing angels as His agents. Yet, the teaching of Scripture is that He has created these spiritual beings and has chosen to carry out many of His acts through them. Therefore, if we are to be faithful students of the Bible, God’s Word, we have no choice but to learn and speak of these created beings.
        There are several views about when Angels were created: the first is based on Genesis 2:1 which says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the hosts (angels and other creatures) of them.
        The second view: is based on Exodus 20:1 that states, “In six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the sea, and all that is in them.” By following that thought the Angels may have been created by the sixth day. Another view is that God created the Angels in Heaven with Him where they had been given their ranks, and duties to carry out following the Creation of Earth.
        Supporting this idea is Job 38: 6-7, “The morning stars (references to heavenly beings) shouted for joy at the time when God laid the foundations of the cornerstone and sunk its bases in the process of forming or founding it.” Prior to the temptation of Eve, the angel, Lucifer, and his followers sinned against God by trying to assume His throne. This event must have occurred after the seventh day because in Genesis 1:31, God saw everything that He had made and beheld and said, “It is very good.” Once again; I mentioned this above; Genesis Ch. 2:1 continues, “thus the heavens and the earth, and all the hosts of them were finished.”
        I have noted the difficulty of the subject. One reason is that while there are abundant references to angels in the Bible, they are not very helpful for developing an understanding of angels. Every reference to angels is incidental to some other topic. They are not treated in themselves. When they are mentioned, it is always in order to inform us further about God, what He does, and how He does it. Since details about angels are not significant for that purpose, they tend to be omitted.
Again, by angels we mean those spiritual beings that God created higher than humans, some of whom have remained obedient to God and carry out His will, and others of whom disobeyed, lost their holy condition, and now oppose and hinder His work. My message will highlight the obedient angels and the various ways that our Creator has used and uses His Special Agents.
  The Hebrew and Greek basic meaning for angel is “messenger,” whether human or angelic. When used of angels, the term highlights their message-bearing role. The author of Hebrews tells us in 1:6b & 1:7 “Let all the angels of God worship Him. And of the angels He says, who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” The Son is superior to angels because He is the Sovereign the one to be worshipped, while the angels are ministers/messengers, that is, servants of God. Hebrews quotes Psalm 104 because that psalm places angels in a long list of created objects which God’s sovereignty controls.
Angels do the biding of God and Jesus. Angels minister to believers. They obey and worship God, carry out His plans, carry out punishment and watch over the earth. They praise and glorify God, sing, shout, and have emotions. Two examples are when Jesus was born and when someone turns to Jesus for salvation. In addition to singing and praising, Angels can speak to people. Angels being spirits or spiritual creatures, usually do not have physical bodies. However, on important and selective occasions, they take on the appearance of humans. They are also in charged with guarding and protecting us. Angels observe God’s people with interest. And yes, Scripture does mention that angels appear to have the ability to fly. (Revelation 14:6)
Humans and Angels are the only moral and highly intelligent beings created, however . . . unlike humankind, Angels are not made in the image of God, and they are not subject to the limitation of human flesh. Angels are powerful, mobile, and knowledgeable, but not omniscient – the capacity to know everything/perceiving all things, Angels are not omnipotent – one who has unlimited power or authority, and lastly Angels are not omnipresence – the fact of being present everywhere and at the same time.
        Old Testament terms for Angels are “Holy Ones”, (Ps.89:5,7) *the unfallen angels, they were created perfect without flaw or sin, they are called holy because of their purpose. They were set apart by God and for God as His servants and as attendants to His holiness. Another OT term; “Watchers”, (Dan. 4:13, 17, 23). Collectively, they are referred to as “the council” (Ps.89:7), “the assembly” (Ps. 89:5), and “Host” or “Hosts” as in the very common expression “Lord or Lord God of Hosts” found more than sixty times in the book of Isaiah alone.
        Frequently, when “Angels” appear in the New Testament, there is an associated phrase making clear that it is referring to angels: A few that may sound familiar:
The angels in heaven (Matt. 24:36) Jesus says, “but of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
Heavenly Hosts (Luke 2:13) “and suddenly there was with the angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God . . . “
Spirits (Hebrew 1:14) “are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”
Angels are not specifically mentioned in the creation account (Genesis 1-2). But that they were created is however clearly implied in Psalm 148:2,5-6
Read . . . Yeuleta please
The angels, as well as the celestial objects mentioned in verses 3-4 (which I did not read) are declared to have been created by the Lord.
This also is declared in Colossians 1:16 – 17
Read . . . Yeuleta please
All things were created through Him and for Him. Not only did God create all things, everything was created for His purposes. Angels have not always existed; but are part of the universe that God created. Another reminder, that despite the ministries that angels carry out for believers, it is important to remember that the Lord of hosts is our Savior, He is the one who ultimately sends them. We are not to give worship to the created, but to our Creator.
Like the angel in Revelation emphatically said to John: I love this verse 22:8-9 – “I John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”
We humans may have tendencies to exalt Angels unduly, giving them worship and reverence due only to the Deity. The most extended passage on Angels, Hebrews 1:5-2:9, makes a point of establishing that Christ is superior to the Angels. Although He was made for a time a little lower than the angels, He is every way superior to them. While Jesus became for a time subordinate to the Father, the angels always are subordinate to and carry out the will of God; they do not act on independent initiative. Although superior to human beings in many of their abilities and qualities, they are part of the class of created and thus finite, (definable and limited) beings. As totally spiritual beings they are unique among the creatures, but they are nonetheless creatures.
Angels derive their great power from God and remain dependent on His favorable will or permission to exercise it. They are restricted to acting within the limits of His permission. This is true even of Satan, whose ability to afflict Job was circumscribed by the will of the Lord. God’s angels act only to carry out His commands, not independently. Only God does the miraculous.
In most cases Angels are not seen. The Lord had to open the eyes of Balaam before he could see the angel standing in his way. (Num. 22:31). Elisha prayed that the Lord would open the eyes of his servant; then the young man saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha (2 Kings 6:17). When angels are seen, they typically have human like appearance, so that they may well be mistaken for humans. Luke tells us in chapter 2:9 & 9:26; sometimes the Glory of the Lord shines from them --- perhaps the reason they are sometimes seen to be wearing white clothing of brilliant appearance. Matthew describes the Angel of the Lord who rolled the stone from Jesus’ tomb: “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow (Matthey 28:3).
Elaborate schemes have been worked out at times regarding the organization of the angelic hosts. We do know there are arch-angels, who are evidently of higher stature than ordinary angels, but we do not know how many there are. The New Testament makes over a hundred references to angels, but only twice in the Bible is the term arch-angel used, in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Jude 9. Only Michael is identified by the name as an arch-angel. Michael meaning; “who is like God?” Gabriel is often commonly thought of as an archangel, perhaps because he is another angel specifically named. Gabriel means, ‘man of God” or “God is strong.”
The cherub (cherubim plural) is the highest order of class, created with indescribable powers and beauty. Their main purpose and activity might be summarized in this way: they are proclaimers and protectors. The Holy of Holies.
The seraph (seraphim) is pictured surrounding and serving as a throne guardian of God in Isaiah 6:2. It means to recognize God as extremely, perfectly holy. Therefore, they praise and proclaim the perfect holiness of God
.
† Where does the so-called and maybe the most popular of angels – Our Guardian Angel enter into this equation?
What did Jesus mean in Matthew 18:10 when he said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven”?
It is possible that “their angels” refers to a specific angel assigned to each disciple. There is one other text that some think points in this direction. When the praying believers in Acts 12 could not believe that Peter was knocking at the gate, since he was supposed to be in prison, they said, “It is his angel!” (Acts 12:15). That may or may not imply that all believers have an angel assigned to them. It may only imply that in that situation God had commissioned an angel to use Peter’s voice (Acts 12:14), and perhaps awaken even more urgent prayer for him.
It is even more difficult in Matthew 18:10 to conclude that each believer has an angel assigned to him. What it says is, “In heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” The word “their” certainly implies that these angels have a special personal role to play in relation to Jesus’s disciples. But the plural “angels” may simply mean that all believers have numerous angels assigned to serve them, not just one.

The promise here is better than the tradition that every saint has one personal guardian angel. What Hebrews 1:14 says is that all the angels — all of them — are specifically sent “for ministry” not minister “to” Christians, but ministry “for the sake of” Christians. This means that everything angels do, everywhere in the world, at all times, is for the good of Christians. An angel who does something by God’s assignment anywhere in the world is fulfilling the promise that God will work all things for the good of all Christians — everywhere. This is a sweeping and stunning promise. All angels serve for the good of all Christians all the time. They are Agents of God. Romans 8:28.

As obscure and strange though this belief in good and evil angels may seem to some, it has a significant role to play in the life of the Christian:
† It is a comfort and an encouragement to us to realize that powerful and numerous unseen agents are available to help us in need.
† The angels’ praise and service of God gives us an example of how we are to conduct ourselves now.
† I think it is sobering to realize that even angels who were close to God succumbed to temptation and fell.
† We receive confidence from the realization that powerful though Satan and his accomplices are, there are definite limits on what they can do.
† We can therefore, by the Grace of God, resist him successfully. And we can know thru God’s Word that his ultimate defeat is certain.
† An angel may bring an important message but it is the Holy Spirit who truly makes the lives of Christians completely different than anyone else.
† Angels are ministering Spirits. They minister to our needs by bringing us messages of Hope and Joy. By writing a letter of Joy or sending a card of Hope to someone, you can be an Angel too . . .
Amen!
BENEDICTION
A Wish, A Hope, A Prayer

I wish that every one of your days will dawn with a sense of hope streaming in with the sunlight, a sense of strength woven into the winds, and as many things to be thankful for as there are stars in the evening sky.

I hope that the distance between where you are and where you want to be grows shorter every day. I will never stop wishing that your journey through this world will be touched by kindness, inspired by wisdom, graced with understanding, and kept safe from all harm.

I hope and pray that you have a charmed existence, and that your heart will always be an open window to a joy so lasting and deep.

And I pray that you will always have an Angel watching over you, there to trace on your wonderful face a smile that you can share and keep.
Amen!
   †Douglas Pagels

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The Little Church in the Pines
October 3, 2021
Sermon ~ John the Apostle
And His Gospel
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

John, the APOSTLE also called John the Beloved….was the apostle who, well, here is the story found in John 13:23 as Jesus and the disciples shared in the meal known as the Last Supper, leading with this statement he spoke in verse 21, “When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. 23. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ chest one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. That disciple was John, and this account was written by John himself in his Gospel. He also was the youngest of the disciples.
He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, his brother was James the Greater, another of the twelve, and John whom the Church fathers also identified him as John the Evangelist, John of Patmos, John the Beloved and John the Elder (though being the youngest) as he lived the longest of the twelve, and the ONLY ONE to die of natural causes, all the others being martyred. Instead of executing John, he was exiled by Emperor Titus Flavius Comitianus in 95 AC on the Island of Patmos, living a large portion of his life in cave, where he wrote the Book of Revelation, from where last week I read about His encounter with the risen Lord, who revealed Himself to John as the King of Kings, and Lord of Lord.
Later John was able to leave Patmos, finishing out his life at the age of 93 in Ephesus, where he wrote His Gospel account specifically at that time to the Hellenistic Christian living in Ephesus. Hellenistic being those converts to Christianity who were educated in Greek philosophy, the dominant philosophical traditions of the Greco-Roman world. Many of these converts being the intellectuals of their day.
I love history….and the amazing thing in regards to our Christian history is, there are a vast number of documents that can be verified and trusted, as to the content of which they tell an accurate history of our faith.
There is a tradition held as regards to John’s parentage, is that his mother Salome was the sister of Mary, Jesus’ mother, making Salome Jesus’ aunt, and her sons John and James, Jesus’ cousins.
Now if you will remember…John the Baptist’s mother was a cousin of Jesus’ mother Mary…also making John the Baptist, and Jesus second cousins.
Other interesting facts. Peter, James and John were the only three of the disciples to witness the Transfiguration, and these same three were the only ones to witness Jesus’s agony in the garden at Gethsemane.
Jesus referred to John and James as the Sons of Thunder, and the gospel story relates how the brothers wanted to call down heavenly fire on the inhospitable Samaritan town, that would not offer them hospitality but instead asked them to leave, but Jesus rebuked them, the disciples that is. In this encounter also, Jesus stated that in forbidding a non-disciple from casting out demons in Jesus’ name, He said to them, “he who is not against us in on our side”
The most beautiful of John’s time with his Lord, came when he was the only disciple who remained near Jesus at the foot of the cross on Calvary, alongside the Myrrhr-bearers, Myrrh, a spice used for perfume, incense and medicine, often in burials. At the cross, John received instruction from Jesus, to take Mary his mother into his home to care for her… which was His very last legacy while alive.
With John’s background somewhat covered, let’s now move into His Gospel this amazing man/disciple/apostle, wrote.
His purpose in writing this Gospel which is made up of letters written to the Hellenistic Church was to correct in love, heresy, that at that time recently manifested itself in the church because of men (so called teachers) who had once been true members of the then body of Christ…but now ere corrupting truths and doctrine established by Paul and others, including himself.
…. John writing this now 50 years later, was still in awe, still reverberating in his spirit, heart and emotions, his own role in all that took place concerning Jesus. His love for His Lord flowed from the core of his being. He knew Jesus intimately, and we, of course are not privy to the one-on- one conversations he must have had with Jesus. In these first five verses of John1, He speaks of the eternal divinity of Jesus and His role in all of Creation.
Listen as I read them……….
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word was God. (The Trinity) And He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through HIM, and without HIM nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
1:1 IN THE BEGINNING…is an allusion to Genesis 1:1 with the intention of linking Jesus the Word with the God of Creation. The event of Jesus’ incarnation, therefore, had cosmic significance. THE WORD is as I stated Jesus Christ, the eternal, ultimate expression of God in the OT. God spoke the world into existence and in this gospel also, God spoke His final word through the living Word, His Son.
The phrase “the Word was God” attributes deity to the Word without defining all of the Godhead as The Word.
Now, you can understand why, including his deeply personal encounter with the transformed Servant King, to the King of Kings, you perhaps, can understand why John cannot tolerate false teachings and error…and, like Jesus often did, John corrects the erring congregation/church, not in anger and condemnation, but in love…the same love he has been given by his Lord and friend. The same love He also experiences every day he is alive. So, as both he and Jesus give us this gift…we too, should give to others.
…In adding to this affirmation of John’s love of Jesus and of TRUTH, Peter’s testimony. 2nd Peter 1. Listen to Peter’s own words as they come along side of John’s beautifully.
His divine power has given to us…. all things that pertain to LIFE…*He is the WORD of life *In Him is life *His life…is the light of men….
This…is who today….in this place….and in our hearts, we celebrate, we worship, we bow down….as he laid down His life…for us. …willingly…. that all men, women and children should acknowledge and follow Him, and His examples as to how to live.
Verse 2…His manifested LIFE, that not only John and Peter have experienced…but you and I also. We ordinary men, women and children…ordinary in the same way as John, Peter, Paul, Mary, Martha, Lazarus…. hundreds, thousand, millions and now billions of earth’s inhabitants do today. He is the Word of Life…who when Phillip asked, show me the Father, Jesus responded back in John 14:9-11, Have I been with you so long and yet you have not known Me Phillip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father,
(I cherish those words) for they tell me that God and Jesus share exactly the same family attributes or characteristics…those of love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, goodness, faithfulness, patience, kindness and restoration, at any time and place for anyone…because of Jesus.
THAT IS WHY WE CELEBRATE…WHY WHEN WE ARE SET FREE, WE ARE FREE INDEED! Do you get it….do you?
Today…we sang a hymn about the blood of Christ and what in His shedding it…brought us.
BLOOD IS LIFE….
Healthy blood…means a healthy life…. a healthy immune system…. that prevents impurities (sin) from taking over our lives.
…even pagan religions recognized where the source of life was…which is why so many offered blood sacrifices….
…. Our walk in the LIGHT, is a test of fellowship with God, since the life of fellowship is a life that is continually cleansed from sin by His shed blood. It also involves our relationships with one another, which by the health of those relationships indicates also our health as Believers/Disciples.
As John walked in the light and love of His Friend, I came across another testimony of this kind of relationship John had, that this other man also had….and we all can have.
The man you may have heard of…Dwight D. Moody, famous preacher and evangelist, now gone to be with the Lord many years ago. He and his ministry had and still has a very deep impact on both America and the world.
Here are His words…. I have come to Him as the best friend I have ever found, and I can trust Him in our relationship. I have believed He is the Savior; I have believed He is God; I have believed His atonement on the Cross is mine, and I have come to Him and submitted myself on my knees, surrendered everything to Him, and gotten up and stood by His side as my friend, and there isn’t any problem in my life, nor is there isn’t any uncertainty in my work, but I turn and speak to Him as naturally as to someone in the same room, and I have done it these years…because, I trust in Him…completely.
In this Gospel, John’s purpose was to keep these and today we believers from sinning, from believing untruths, staying on the narrow pathway to life.
Realistically…no one can go through life without sinning, even the best of us. We are weak, but He is strong….and we need His ongoing strength, wisdom and faith…that when we do sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, His Son.
God is the God of GRACE.
READ ROMANS 3:21-26
PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME
THANK YOU JESUS………………
Listen to these last words…. “To demonstrate, or show us at this present time HIS righteousness, that HE might be just and the JUSTIFIER of the one (that’s us) who has FAITH in Him.” Not works, but faith…Romans 10:17
Faith comes by hearing…and hearing by the Word of God,” which brings about changed hearts and lives.”
Today…before we come to the Table of the Lord….do any of you need an attitude, heart, tongue, mind, life forgiven, restored, changed?
At this time…. take a little time to allow the Spirit, the Revealer and Comforter…. search your mind, and soul, as to wrongs that need both forgiven and set right. It is your duty…………………………….
AMEN

The Holiness of God
Why it matters to him and should to us
September 26, 2021
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

KNOWING Christ in God….as much as we can, as told to us in the Bible is critical to our well-being as Christians in our daily life, and of course in our life to come.
GOD the Father, Jesus His Son and God the Holy Spirit are the core center of all life, of all matter, of all that we see, hear, feel and sense.
GOD IS LIFE AND IS FOUNDATIONAL FOR LIVING THE LIFE HE HAS GIVEN TO EACH AND ALL OF US again, though His only Begotten Son, Jesus the Christ, the Savior.
In Him is life, In Him is life
And His life is the light of men
He came unto His own
And His own received Him not
And His life is the light of men
Knowing God is foundational for living a godly and righteous life. If we have not developed a sense of the primacy of God, we will not get out of life…all that He desires and made available to us, living only partial lives. God in Christ is to be the literal CENTER of who we are. Not God in the margins; not God as an option, not God on the weekends, but Bod at the center and circumference; God fir and God last; the Alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.
Think about it…. creation, how God created us with the ability to also create…. but using only as our building mediums that which He had already created.
I recall a humorous story where scientists have out of soil created life….in their excitement they publish papers, claiming that the secret to creating life has been discovered, and set about to show the world via satellite their discovery. All poised and television cameras are ready to broadcast this miraculous event to the world, they with an instrument, start picking up the soil. When suddenly a voice from out of nowhere it seems, deep and resonant says, wait a minute boy…get your own dirt, you cannot use mine.
The central scientific quest has from the beginning been to discover scientifically, rationally, with telescopes, trips to the moon, drilling to the core of the earth…. analyzing water, particles from space, etc., the source and beginning of not only the world but the universe.
They (for the most part) cannot believe that God is behind and the source of it all…. although, Albert Einstein (not believing in a personal God) believed in intelligent design. Not only Einstein, but Freud and even Charles Darwin
God to them, an intelligent force, who created the world and universe, but then removed (it or himself) from it all, allowing it all the freedom, including mankind to evolve.
We, who believe in a personal God, a caring and loving God, creating in His own way, and time, including time itself, is with us and has a plan…from the beginning to the end…. which is the second beginning, at the return of Christ.
Since He is the Creator….and we the created….how can we the created, do anything other than revere…give honor to…worship….worship is one of several avenues provided to enter into the PRESENCE of this sometime mysterious God (in a deep and abiding sense) who is HOLY, who is SPIRIT and who is TRUTH….for if we understood and knew all there was to know about Him….(which is impossible anyway) He would cease to be God...for the finite (us) cannot fully grasp the (INFINITE) Him.
As some religions believe, in following the rules and precepts of their religion…they in time can become gods. The arrogance and ego of mankind can be enormous…. FUTILE, STUPID…regardless of intelligence.
Man…and on occasion (Elizabeth Clair Prophet as an example) has been attempting to become gods for a very long time. and in a great variety of ways by creating their own religion, with themselves as the center focus to be worshiped.
In the Bible there is the account of a King…at first a good king who caught up in himself….and his high opinion of who he was. He began his reign in Godliness, doing “what was right in the sight of the Lord.” He sought after God and God blessed him.  He was victorious in battle, strengthening Jerusalem’ s walls of defense. Dug massive cistern in the desert both for defense and daily use, stimulated great expansion n the nations agriculture.  For the most part of his reign. he was known as a great and beloved king.
BUT…his story ends on a sad, tragic note.  The last years of his life were like those of a Shakespearian tragic hero.  His life became marred by the sin of pride (reminds me of some of our own Christian Evangelists and Leaders) Anyway…. after acquiring great wealth and power…simply said, it all went to his head.
He began to take away from the glory of God (now this reminds me as I shared a couple of weeks ago, the fall of the Morning Star, who became Satan) and as we found out in that allegory, that God doesn’t like that very much, after all Uzziah received all, he had acquired, from the blessings of God in wisdom and in wealth and power as a result of Uzziah’s original intent and attitude.
He even tried to take the place of God as he boldly entered the Temple, arrogantly claiming for himself the rights that God had given ONLY to the priests.  When the priests of the Temple tried to stop his act of sacrilege, he became enraged…and while he was screaming at them in fury, leprosy broke out on his forehead. The Bible says of him.
“He lived in a separate house…being a leper…cut off from the house of the Lord. Chronicles 26:21
When the king finally died…Isaiah went to the Temple, presumably look for consolation in a time of national mourning, for the people had not stopped loving him…and what Isaiah saw was not what he had anticipated.  “In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated upon the throne...high and lifted up, and His robe filled the Temple. Isaiah 6:1
The earthly king was dead, but Isaiah was given the gift of seeing the real King…the King of Glory, of heaven and earth, the One who sits on the throne of heaven for ever and ever. Amen
There is a song that goes this way…. about our call to holiness, by living a holy life, and God’s holiness.
Holiness, holiness is what I long for,
Holiness is what I need,
Holiness, holiness is what He wants… from me
Take my heart and mold it,
Take my will, transform it,
To Yours, to Yours oh Lord.
Our wills…must be stripped and transformed into His will, by knowing Him intimately…we will.
Worship…as I said earlier…is one of the several avenues we can, by choice take…in understanding holiness…worship via song, prayer, obedience, doing good, speaking life, living rightly…will bring us into the presence of God Himself.
In worship we can touch the eternal…as we being to see beyond ourselves and our standard senses…and in doing so, we find REVERENCE captivating us…. touching a sense of awe...when we find we are entering into His Presence.
What also happens is we find HOPE rising within us…hope realized that there is life after death….and there is One who absolutely loves us…and this love…it is Holy…beginning to understand why Holiness means so much to Him…for it is a UNION THAT God has created us for…a love union between the Creator and His created, as illustrated in the allegory of Adam and Eve and God…where in paradise, they all walked together in Harmony and Unity…. before the fall.
Psalm 95, verses 6 & 7 contain a song….
Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker
Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord, our God our Maker,
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His Pasture
And the sheep of His hand.
And the sheep of His hand.
Another king…who grievously sinned before God…knowing and loving God….and through his sin separated from God…through repentance and forgiveness restored…wrote and sang this song.
Create in me a clean heart O God
Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me,
Restore unto me, the joy of thy salvation,
And renew a right spirit within me.
You see…listen now…. God is in the business of both restoration and renewal…. through the sacrificial gift of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ…. that’s what it’s all about folks…all about!
And when God does forgive…it is without hesitation… not so much from our plea…. but the plea of His son through the power of the Cross…
We can approach God…. because Jesus stands between us as out intermediary…on our behalf.
And through the renewed right spirit within us…we kneel before the Lord our God our Maker….and worship Him…. because we want to, not because it is required of us…and because we were made to.
I am going to finish with this…. a meeting the Apostle John had with Jesus as he, John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos, because of His testimony of faith in the Son of God.
Revelation 1:9-18 (read)
This….is our Lord revealing His holiness in appearance…the very same rejected, bloody and tortured Jesus…the very same one who said…from that instrument of death, the cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” He who lovingly and full of meaning…. calls us His friends…………………………….
John 15:13… “Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His for His friends.”
Today…is the day of our Salvation…today…is a new day in understanding a little more…. of the Holiness of Our God and Savior, so let’s not forget…as we live out our ordinary, everyday lives…remembering and honoring the One who created us…and breathed into us the breath of life…
As we come to the celebration of His life, death and resurrection, and coming King…. we are to surrender to Him completely, asking for the forgiveness of our sins and the thankfulness for our restoration and renewal.

Little Church in the Pines
September 19, 2021
Vision of Mission Statements
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

Last week I spoke regarding the church, our church, and every church in its need, to be a healthy and full functioning church, that the Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ came to establish on earth….and the need for unity among believers…to function in harmony. Harmony means being in unison, or of one heart and mind.
The things I am going to talk about today are meant not for just this, but for all churches.
I spent a lot of time in workshops with those who were, like myself, early on in my ministry…learning how to start up a new church. There are two aspects that are to guide a church through its inception, and throughout its history. These characteristics are both guides and core values, that keep the church on the correct pathway, in fulfilling its destiny for and in the Kingdom of God.
They are called the Vison and Mission Statements….and are to be referred to throughout the life of the church.
They are, in this order…
#1. THE LOVE…of Jesus expressed through us, you and I and to all who enter these doors. All!
#2. TRUTH…from God’s Word…in action, at home, church, work and play.
#3. UNITY, again as I spoke of last week, in the Spirit, in the bond of peace.
#4. GENUINE FELLOWSHIP, always, reflected in Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Mercy and Goodness.
#5. WORSHIP…expressed to God from our hearts and everyday lives.
#6. SERVING is the last, but vitally important….one another and our neighbors…in love.
OUR PURPOSE…Luke 4:18-19
Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to PREACH THE GOSPEL to the poor. He has sent Me to HEAL the brokenhearted, to preach DELIVERANCE to those in captivity and RECOVERY of sight to the blind, to set at LIBERTY those who are oppressed, to PREACH the acceptable year of the Lord.
This last means a space of time that is characterized by
God’s GRACE, REDEMPTION, AND DELIVERANCE. In Isaiah, the Acceptable Year of the Lord referees to God’s restoration of His people from Babylonian captivity…for us it means releasing us from the captivity of sin….and into the freedom, and peace and joy that He desires for all His children.
The same things He did, He said we also could do….and more, using as our guide Love, Truth, Unity, Genuine Fellowship, Worship, Serving…. all with His purpose of presenting His Gospel of love, forgiveness, and restoration.
OUR CALL is to flow in the River of His Life…as His, and each other’s servants….
OUR MISSION is also to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the spiritually and physically impaired, the oppressed and to All who are in need and to ALL WHO ASK, IN ALL Ways.
OUR REQUEST…is, that God through His Son, and by His Spirit, will fill us and enable us to accomplish His will individually and together.
Self-interest is one of our great obstacles to living out these core values. Self-interest alone can kill the spirit of unity and harmony quicker than almost any other obstacle.

Revelation 1:5&6 reads, “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blook…and HAS MADE US (you and I) priests and kings to His God and Father. So, how can a servant be both a servant and a king. I have the answer to that.
He, the Christ is the example…think of how He served. By healing, by feeding, by laying down His life for the average person and woman not only of His day, but ours.
He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords…but His servant leadership proves to us both His heart and God’s…and is to be our example.
A priest is a person, man, or woman…who represents God…in all HIS authority, as the King side tells us…and to minister…mean ministering…. always and in all situations and places we find ourselves. Ministering means nurturing…taking care of, giving direction, covering, and protecting…and much more. As was said in the verse I read first this morning…. we are called, all of us to the MINISTRY OF RECONCILATION.
Jesus is the ultimate leader in that He is God come in the flesh. Therefore, we can and must learn from Him, and though He is omniscient, he has chosen to teach and models to us certain ways of living. In Jesus if found the examples of a servant leader.
Think about this…. regard the moon. The moon exhibits no light from within, but outwardly only. It only reflects the light of the sun, as we also are to reflect the light of the Son of God to the world.
You and I are called to what I call “a More Excellent Ministry,” found in 1 Corinthians 12:31. “And now abide FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE…these three, but the greatest of these is LOVE.
And in this “More Excellent Ministry…ALL His promises for us were fulfilled in the cross…the ultimate ministry of LOVE…HIS LOVE, because through our RECONCILATION TO HIM...we are to minister to others as He does to us….

WITHOUT CONDEMNATION
WITHOUT PREJUDICE

WITHOUT WALLS
WITHOUT RETALIATION
WITHOUT PROFANITY
WITHOUT IDOLATRY

Idolatry is the worship of anything or anyone other than Christ Himself in God.
This most excellent Ministry…operates in us according to the power of the creative, spoken Word, and it flows to and from us in two primary directions through
1. Forgiveness
2. Blessing others.
Scripture also says…those who follow Him…all the way, said to those who overcome…He will grant mercy….
Because of His sacrifice…. God sees not our sins when He looks at us, for He sees us through our acceptance and belief in His Son…
“for there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1, and if we are without condemnation….it is to others as servant-priests we bring to them the same gifts of freedom that we have been given. Do you understand this so far?
Here is an example of what I am speaking about, which I found in an old Daily Bread…called LEVEL GROUND
Galatians 3:26-29
For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
James 3:17 “The wisdom (a recurring theme of mine) that is from above is…full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”
Civil war General Robert E. Lee, a devout Christian, visited a church in Washington D. C. During the Communion service, General Lee, a deep southerner who of course lost the war and fought over the right to own slaves…. was seen kneeling beside a black man. Later, when someone asked how he could do that, Lee replied. “My friend, all ground is level at the foot of the Cross.”
“What makes that ground so level? The awfulness of our sins, the terrible price Jesus paid to forgive them, and the love He has for ALL people. Prejudice cannot survive in soil from the ground beneath the Cros, for prejudice is evil”
YOUR MINISTRY (we are all as Believers called into ministry…and that is how we live our everyday lives, WITHOUT PREJUDIGE…not only racial, but all prejudice.
Your MINSITRY WITHOUT WALLS works two ways…to keep out or keep in…that depends on the openness of our lives. Some people have been so abused and used that wall s are built to protect them…but in the mind of Christ, which was the mind of the Father…there are and were not walls. Jesus Christ destroyed them even though we often re-erect them based on our prejudices. But, through the Cross He will (if they come to Him) bring PEACE to those whom the enemy has tried to destroy through abuse.
God is our defender and our reconciler…. Rom.6:20 “The God of peace will crush Satan under our feet.” Retaliation is not ours…Deut. 32:35.” To God belongs vengeance, and recompense; for their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of calamity will soon be at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.”
Remember this, so please listen…Genesis 50:20. “But as for you, your thought evil against me; but God meant it for good, to being to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive”
All that is good flows to us from the Ascended Christ. It flows to ALL His children without condemnation, with prejudice, without walls and without retaliation. Understand?
The key or catalyst which works all these principles in the mind that controls or does not control the tongue. In the positive the Tongue repeating the Spoken Word operates the mercy of God into my and your ministry. The SECRET to LIFE and HEALTH is a tongue that can be controlled and instead of judgement and negative words…should come instead a mouth filled with the WORDS OF LIFE…not death. Our lips and our speech must agree in all areas of our lives, with His Word and His Spirit,
Prov. 15:4
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness is a breach in the spirit.
Psalm 50:23 Who ever offers praise glorifies Me: and to they that keep their conversation right will I show the salvation of God.
And lastly: “What, the, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us…who can be against us.” X2
Hold up your hand, right or left and look at it for a moment. Ok, put it down. What you are seeing is what I am calling a TONGUE SMACKER.
When recognition comes as to the words you have just chosen to speak…that brought any one of those things I spoke of. Prejudice, Untruth, Unkindness, Gossip, oh, I did not speak of that one, but still a good point, Judgement, Retaliation, etc. just take your hand and SMACK YOUR TONGUE. YES. SMACK YOUR TONGUE.
We should have a group practice session! What do you think?
Here in what has become a swear expletive…I wish I could smack a few tongues over…. when the name of God or that of Jesus Christ is used in an unworthy manner. Such a beautiful names used to voice anger, retaliation, judgment, etc., but I cannot for that too would be contrary to what I should instead say, which is so simple. “I would appreciate it if you would not use my Lord’s name in vain when around me. Thank you….
The last today in our individual and collective ministry of reconciliation is a ministry without idolatry. An idol can be anything or any person we allow to come between Jesus Christ and us. ANYTHING….be it made of mortar, stone, wood, metal, emotion, prejudice, walls, habits…flesh and blood! Anything we sacrifice to and sacrifice and mean sacrifices of money that could go to the poor, ministries. You can figure it out…. if you let the Word and the still small voice of our conscience spoke by the Holy Spirit to us.
Who we are…the truth of who we are will be recognized in the fruit we produce. Excellent work, good words, good habits, generosity, kindness, goodness, mercy, grace, patience, etc., etc. etc.
Use your own measuring rod…. our conscious…. given only to we humans…undergirded by His written Word….be honest, and be forthright with yourself in your measuring yourself.
Closing with this from 2nd Corinthians 4:1-4, God’s written word.
Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s Word, but by the open statement of the truth, we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case, that would be the god of this world (with all it is self-seeking selfishness) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ…. who is the image of God.
A lot to think about here…. remember if you want to go over this to use as a help in your own assessment of where you are in your lifestyle ministry of your everyday life, you can find it posted on our website and on Facebook.
To God be the Glory…. Amen

NEXT WEEK…GOD’S GENEROUS HEART…………………………….

Little Church in the Pines
September 05, 2021
Peace Like a River (at all times and all places)
Luke 1:78 & 79
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
These words were spoken prior to the birth of Jesus….prophetically about John and his role in the coming ministry of the Savior, the forerunner as he was called…..and this light was to come from the One John introduced to the world, when he said behold, “I baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
This peace….is that peace…that we are told passes all understanding….it is a gift, a supernatural gift….that the Holy Spirit brings to us in the midst of, we are told…ALL the difficulties and trails that we will endure in this life. Not some, but ALL.
In order to receive this peace…our faith must be founded on the bedrock of who Jesus is….for we are to build or foundation on solid rock….not on shifting sand..
Philippians 4:6 says, “The Lord is Near! Do not be anxious about anything, instead, in every situation with prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God; And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
How many of us can claim to have this kind of peace when we are assaulted with things such as disease, broken hearts, estranged relationships, loss of a job, the loss of someone we love deeply, storms, earthquakes, war, and the list seems to be never ending of the terrible things than can and sometimes do come our way in this arena called life.
Is this peace and its availability to us realistic…is it truly possible? Is it?
Be anxious for nothing, but everything, by prayer and supplication let your request be made known to God…
Prayer is to be the rock we stand on in those times, for in prayer our focus in triune. What or who we are praying for, the vessel (us) who is doing the praying and who we are praying to.
We can…replaced anxiety in deeply focused prayer….another element of becoming less anxious, is when we can lose ourselves in worship by singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs unto the Lord, thanking Him in everything, even if it go cross ways to what we are feeling.
The key is changing our focus from the problem to the problem solver.
Especially in times such as we have for months, now years that we have gone through. Fear mounts up over family and friends, anxiety surfaces, so how can we respond to those feelings of anxiety and walk confidently that aligns us with these verses.
We run from pain…it is only natural, but any good doctor will tell us pain is trying to communicate to us that something in our body, mind heart and soul needs attention.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians about the peace spoken of here (was when he was in prison) and was all about giving thanks, and in doing so, was guarding his heart and mind (being isolated and alone…Paul’s only companion was the Lord Himself.
We have so many examples to draw strength from as examples, including those of the Lord Himself when He faced imminent torture, and eventual death.
There are 256 verses on fear and anxiety in the Bible…one for every day including leap year.
There are also some practical things you can do to alleviate anxiety and fear. A simple thing as changing your scenery by going for a drive or a walk, exercise, garden, clean house, go out for a dessert or simply a cup of coffee, or best of all some ice cream!!
At night when anxiety knocks on my door as it did the other night, having a hard time even praying…..I got up, when out to the kitchen, made some hot tea and a piece of toast, sat at the table and in doing just that simple thing, a new perspective began to come to me….I had to quiet the inner turmoil to hear that still small and wonderful voice of the Holy Spirit within me.
Another way…. Is to do something for someone else. It can be something small or monumental, depending on their need and your resources.
Another is simply talking to a friend….there is someone I could call anytime day or night and they will listen to both my irrational and rational fears and or needs.
We all need peace and, in many ways, we seek peace, Christ illustrated this by going off by Himself on occasion, to pray or just sit alone in the presence of His Father.
In the New Testament, the word “peace” has a different meaning from the way we typically use it in our everyday language. When we use the word “peace’ we are usually referring to the absence of something. The absence of struggle, strife, conflict or even noise. In the New Testament the word “peace” (arene) ereine in Greek) refers primarily to the presence of something or someone.
An example is a right relationship….not only with God, but with another person. In the second chapter of Ephesians, Paul explains. “But now you, who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. FOR HE IS OUR PEACE; FORO IN His flesh (by His birth, ministry, death and resurrection) he has made both groups, Jew and Gentile into one, and has broken down the dividing wall, that is the hostility between us. (2:14)
FOR HE IS OUR PEACE…HE, IS OUR PEACE…GO TO HIM, on your knees, prostrate on the floor, standing with your hands raised to Him, or simply sitting in a chair, and most of all in your heart and mind.
DIVISIONS exist today more than I have ever seen before. Divisions in opinions, divisions in families, divisions in the workplace, divisions in churches, divisions in politics, divisions in a multitude of places and ways. We talk more about our divisions than we talk about what we agree or have in common.
The chasms we erect are most often emotionally based….where we cannot always give a rational and forthright discussion before dissolving into irrational words and behaviors.
Since Christ is our peace….we are not to wait until we FEEL LIKE IT, but instead at that moment CHOOSE to do and say the right thing. For our emotions are too often like chains around our lives…chains of bondage, which takes away our freedom from doing and being the people God in Christ has called us to be.
When that peace is achieved….it takes on the supernatural presence of Holy Spirit. Jesus says we can choose to have this peace or reject it, at all times, in all places and with all people. The choice is our….did you hear me, the choice is ours…..one more time, the choice is ours to make.
John 14:27….Jesus says, “I am leaving you with a gift…peace of mind and heart. And the peace is giving a gift the world cannot give. Do not be troubled or afraid.
LISTEN TO PSALM 61……O God, listen to my cry!
Hear my prayer,
From the ends of the earth, I cry unto you for help.
When my heart is overwhelmed,
Lead me to the rock, that is higher than I, that
Is higher than I.
For you are my safe refuge,
A fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
May I live forever in your presence,
Safe…beneath the shelter of Your wings….IN PEACE.
In this sanctuary….right now, I am asking each of you to think about what Jesus says to us about peace…about Himself as our peace.
Peace…like a river in your soul….running pure and fresh….because of His great love for us…and the grace He has bestowed upon us.
Today…is the day of your salvation…your day of accepting His peace in place of any turmoil in your lives.
If dis-peace has overwhelmed you….trust in Him with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding…and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path…way to peace. He wants to help carry your burden, for your burden is heavy….and with Him it will be light.
If you have been wronged….in as much is possible…You…attempt to make it right instead of waiting for that person to come to you.
Sometimes I look out over all of you from up here and know some of the things you have endured…and you know some of the things I have endured. Some that have caused you and I pain, real pain. I know that not one of us is perfect, but each of us have a choice in releasing hurts and pain….for as He Himself said while nailed to the cross. “Father, forgive them…for they do not know what they are doing.”
Choose this day…who you will serve….the wrong done to you or the one who sets the captives free? The wrong you have done to others…or even to yourself. Rectify the wrong done….any way you can. Your choice.
In this mix of who we are…giving our great diversity even in this little building, the only way we can all get along…and be of one mind, heart and spirit is through Jesus Christ who is in each and all of us…this is the only way, the way that is right.
In this mix as it has been in all the churches I have pastored. I found and find great joy at times in seeing what I see. I see a people who have a desire to worship God, who love His Son and desire to live in the Spirit. We are told to
be one in the Spirit and one in the Lord….that goes beyond this one hour or so that we gather together in His Holy Name.
CHOICES….every day, we have choices. Let us choose to make the right ones.
We can choose to harbor ill will, unkind words, anger, self-righteousness, judgement, or any other negative emotion or negative thinking…of which all of these will harm both us and others, but, if you are tired of harboring such things…today is the day, in the presence of God and one another to release them to Him. Your choice.
Will we choose Peace at any cost? Perhaps a cost to our pride. Will you…and will I? We are known by both or words and actions…that come through our choices.
Choose this day…whom you will serve? Let a glorious day of freedom if needed.
We can truly worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness….by knowing Him so intimately and deeply….that our love for Him simply flows from our clean heart.
As David said to the Lord,
Create in me a clean heart O God,
And renew a right spirit within me,
Cast me not away from Thy presence O Lord,
Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me, the joy of my salvation,
And renew a right spirit within me……..
Sing it with me would you……………………..
AMEN

The Little Church in the Pines
August 22, 2021
ISLAND PARK, IDAHO

Proverbs 16:18-24 and Proverbs 13:10
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

Tying into last week’s sermon on WISDOM
“By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised come WISDOM”
WISDOM IS LIVING HUMBLY BEFORE GOD AND MAN…..AS STATED IN THIS MORNING’S CALL TO WORSHIP
Those who listen to instruction will prosper
Those who trust in the LORD will be joyful!
The wise….are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive.
Most of you know, and most likely most of us have read Jane Austin’s novel, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE or even seen the movie, which is excellent.
Jane’s story charts the emotional development of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, who learns the error of her making hasty judgments (not wise) and comes to appreciate the difference between the superficial and the essential.
Ahhhh….but only if we could all achieve that place of wisdom?
A protagonist is the main character among all the leading characters in any play, movie, or even real life in every and any family, workplace, school, etc. In your life….you, are the
protagonist, as am I in mine., though in our homes, work place and even in any church….though as in a play, novel, etc. there are the main protagonists, in a movie the lead character, the same in a novel and real life, and what you and I as the main protagonist in our own lives, we learn along the way, and then hopefully apply what we learn, or don’t, and the application of that knowledge and action, affects not only us, but those in our own circle and beyond, as does theirs. It is called the ripple affect…so in some minute and I mean minute way …every action we take affects everybody else. Using the president of the United States…supposedly she is the main protagonists in our nation, whose decisions of course have the ability to have that ripple affect all around the world, and at times beyond. Much like analogy of a pebble being thrown into the center of a calm pond….where the pebble fell and depending on how large eh pebble or in some cases a large rock…..the ripples” move forth in all directions from that center until eventually depending on the size of the not only the rock or pebble, but the pond, the further the ripples go, in most cases the smaller the effect because they are absorbed eventually by the larger mass of water or in life by those closest to us, and then beyond….and then, they as protagonists react to those in their own circle created, until, finally somewhere the diffusion ceases to exist.
Do you think that pride can be both good and bad? Yes, in my opinion….depending on our motives and what the foundation our pride is. If totally self-centered it will be harmful to not only others, to our-selves as well.
Pride is an inwardly focused “emotion” that carries two ‘anti-ethical’ meanings. Anti-ethical means they are NOT compatible and do not belong together and never will. Within the negative connotation PRIDE refers to foolish and an irrationally corrupt sense of one’s own self, or another’s, or even a group’s self-determined personal value, status, or accomplishments. Example would be a church denomination that believes that they only are the only true church.
One denominational church is the “Churches of Christ,” and they are only one of more than several who believe they are the only true church. Another is Jehovah Witnesses.
God has given us as a gift, and in some cases when used corruptly by individuals, this gift….for it all starts there, can turn around and swallow us. Free will…choices…egos, selfishness, narcissism.
Moderation, love the word and meaning in all things is spoken highly of except one…..I will get to that.
1Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Philippian’s 4:5 “Let your moderation be known unto all, for the Lord is at hand.” Healthy Pride in moderation, with the right motivation and focus thereof can a good thing.
Pride in what is ok to have Pride in, let’s say accomplishments, of both, yourself, your kids, your friends, your church, but not to excess. In this kind of acceptable pride, we also need to thank God, acknowledging that He is the source of all that is good, of every and all kinds, thanking Him for the abilities we and others, we know we, and they have.
Some evangelists/pastors start out well, sincere motives, but all too often, those with great and even modest success became prideful in what they believe are their accomplishments, , and with this pride came corruption, money is flowing, people seem happy and the Spirit it seems is moving….and with this inward corruption, it is manifested outwardly, usually in the form of materialism and then can, and often does denigrate to a sexual level….as in the example Mr. Swaggert, Mr.Jerry Falwell Junior, Ted Haggard and Jim and Tammy Baker….and the only reason I mention the names is because it points out the reality of PRIDE and end its end results, with their
eventual down-fall. Otherwise, it is just theory, but with names of actual people who have fallen…it is real., it happens.
But, with the Grace and goodness of God in Jesus Christ, manifested in forgiveness and restoration…..with true repentance, these and others like them can be restored both internally and externally.
Now this is another category and ….is just my opinion. A man or woman of the cloth’s lifestyle should not be bigger, and income more than the average member of their church, the average being from the individual’s income to that of the wealthiest, because our income comes from the people in the church, and should reflect that moderation Peter is speaking of, so that we can be on this level, be an example to all. This does not mean a Christian and or a leader in the church can’t be wealthy, yet I also believe that wealth should never be flaunted in excess by anyone in the church.
I know several wealthy Christians who live modestly, but very well, with both quality and quantity, but not excessively so, and having worked hard to get what they have, and often these folks, spread their wealth around to ministries and individuals in need, who benefit greatly through their generosity, most of which few know about, because they do so out of their love and respect for God, as they come to know the needs of those around them. My family and I have benefited often and gratefully, because of those whose generosity touched our lives in times of great need while raising three kids and pastoring a fledgling church. For two years, a drove a hundred miles round trip to a job, plus 80 hours a week in building the little church. In time….God blessed us and I did have to continue to do that.
Pride goes before destruction. Leaders of all kinds, but especially in the church need to know humility, and need to be simply grateful that God has placed them (us) inn such a position, to where they (we) can not only please Him but touch the lives of others in many ways. A leader is called by Jesus to be the servant of all, but Peter and Paul and states, that the congregation or church too, has a responsibility toward its leaders.
We find that in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 which says, ”Now we ask you brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.
Pastors and admonishing…..whew…that is a biggie. I have had to do this on occasion, but I too have at times had to be humble enough to accept some constructive admonishing, not for the purpose of their being right….as much as their looking out for my well-being and gave me (recently) some constructive criticism…all done in the right spirit and with the right motive.
Hebrews 13-17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as those who must give and account. (Obey ( hmmm) I didn’t write this). Obey them so that their work will be a JOY, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
My role, along with your role…is to serve one another in love, and by doing so we serve Him. Pride has no place in any of the variety of roles that we are to take on in the church.
Prideful people are really insecure people, needing to inflate themselves, their egos…..and as a result, through power and force (if in the position to use it) through manipulation and sometimes even fear. These people are demanding and demeaning, controlling and lack compassion, and even something so simple as understanding.
Oswald Chambers says, “Pride” is a sin of whose presence its’ victim is least conscious. Prideful people are so caught up in themselves that they can’t see where they are or that they need to change. There are he says, three test by means of which pride can be revealed.
1. The Test of Precedence. How do WE react when another person is selected for an assignment or position, we had worked toward and perhaps even expected.? When someone else is promoted and we are overlooked? When another person outshines us in gifts and accomplishments?
2. The Test of Sincerity. In our moments of HONEST self-criticism, needing to talk to someone, we will open up with private struggles, and things about those struggles, and entrust them to a trusted friend, only to discover that they repeated what we had shared with others. I had that happen…and it seemed it was doing to destroy all that the Lord and I had built in one of our churches….but it did not, and what came of intense situation and struggle, was God’s grace intervened and “all things worked together for good” though it took a long time to see it.
3. The Test of Criticism: Criticism is the easiest and sometimes the meanest thing a person can do…..it is so unkind if not true, but even if true, why we criticize and how we criticize is critical. Pray first…and make sure that what or who you are going to criticize is necessary….and not just a different opinion shared in a hurtful way. If we see something in someone and we believe that they would benefit from our observations, then we do so in the right place, the right time, and the right way, for the right reasons.
Yet even in unjust criticism, there is something we can learn and glean good from. Think about it.
I think I used this illustration a few years ago, but I so like it I just felt it was perfect for today.
Two ducks and a rather egotistical frog developed a friendship in their small pond. The ducks were rather generous to the frog even though he could at times be very puffed up about his own place in the little pond.
Well, their pond dried up due to a drought. They ducks knew that they could easily fly to another location, but what of their little friend, the frog? Finally, they thought about it and thought about it….deciding to fly with a stick between their two bills, and with the frog holding onto the stick by his mouth. All when well, until a man looked up and saw them pass close to him overhead. “What a clever idea, “ said the man. “I wonder who thought of it.”
The frog (being egotistical) opened his mouth and said, “I did.” And of course, fell and splattered onto the sidewalk in front of the man.”
PRIDE will manifest itself in unexpected ways, times, and places if it is in us….it will show up if there…. We may not see it, but others will…and hopefully in a kind way tell us.
Healthy pride is manifested in a healthy ego, and knowing who we are in Christ, because He said in Mark 12:31 “And love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all our mind.’ And Love your neighbor as yourself.” For in doing this….all the Law and the prophet’s words are fulfilled….
SONG
Lord, I want to be more like you, like you.
I want to be a vessel you work though,
Lord, I want to be more like you!
If indeed we are like Him….we will never have an issue with Pride.
Our desire and hunger should be fed to grow into the likeness of our Lord Jesus. Amen
We have a song for you this morning to finish out this message with. You are welcome to sing along if you so desire…………..
It tells us….in this Psalm/Song….how much we should desire to be Like Him.

August 22, 2021 Sunday Bulletin
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THE LITTLE CHURCH IN THE PINES
August 14, 2021
Proverbs 3:1-8
THE WAY OF WISDOM
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

One of the primary themes of Proverbs is wisdom. The words “wisdom,” “wise,” and “understanding” occur more than 140 times. Wisdom is frequently contrasted with foolishness. Wisdom brings lie, blessing, honor, and the very favor of God Himself, while foolishness can bring disaster of multiple way and means. Proverbs urges us to seek diligently and earnestly after wisdom.
This passage is, where Solomon is attempting to teach his own son the value of wisdom and consequences of choice in not choosing wisdom over foolishness.
READ this time…..verses 1-15
This sermon will encapsulate two secondary themes, and those being “Encouragement” and “Trust.”
We have as all are aware been and are still going through difficult times long enough that it has taken on the time parameters of a season.
TRUST BRINGS ENCOURAGEMENT
All TRUST IN UNDERGIRDED BY FAITH
A hymn that calls us to sing of Trusting our Lord Jesus Christ says this,
Simply trusting every day, trusting through the stormy way;
Even when my faith is small, trusting Jesus, that is all;
Trusting as the moments fly, trusting as the day goes by;
Trusting Him whatever may befall, trusting Jesus…..is my call!
Now, is a bit of a history lesson, starting with the author, Solomon of course, son of David and Bathsheba, also king of Israel for forty years. Solomon was quite mercurial…and in his youth, romantic to say it kindly, evidenced by the well-known and quoted “Song of Solomon.”
In his middle years he wrote Proverbs, where we find the Scriptures and teachings relevant even for today, imparting some very practical and spiritual wisdom.
In his mature years came Ecclesiastes, where he is inclined to philosophy and some at times, very annoying (to me) cynicism. Though smart, and perhaps even brilliant given the breadth of his knowledge as evidenced by the scope and depth of his writings.
History tells us under his leadership, Israel reached its greatest geographical extent and enjoyed the least violent period in her history. The resulting “peace” brought unprecedented prosperity to the nation, which became a cause of wonder and admiration in the then known world.
This well-known Scripture is employed, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” This fear means reverential awe of God, and what we can be and do when we put Him first in our lives. These diverse truths of “wisdom” center on six themes.
1. Wisdom (the ability to judge and acct according to God’s directive) is the MOST valuable of all assets.
2. Wisdom is available anyone who desires it and does what it takes to achieve obtaining it.
3. Wisdom, true wisdom originates in God…not self…and comes by following His instructions as to how to.
4. Wisdom and righteousness go together, as do “trust and faith” Righteousness means living as God would have us live, and in do so, wisdom will come.
5. Evil people suffer the consequences of evil choices, as at time under the corrective hand of God, good people who choose to leave God out of purposeful bad choices.
6. The simple, the fool, the lazy, the ignorant, the proud, the sin-filled are not to be emulated in any way, shape, or form.
The antithesis or the opposite of goodness follows suit in all of Proverbs, such as,
trust verses worry
faith verses doubt
wisdom verses foolishness
right living verses self-centered sinful living
good verse evil
honor verses dishonor
industry verses laziness
truth verse lies
light verse darkness
peace verses violence
discipline verses slovenliness
man (at times and multiple ways) verses God Himself.
and on, and on, and on and on…………we live in a world of choices and a world of opposites…we are to choose this day whom we will serve!
TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR WHAT? HEART
There are times we waste time trying to figure out what we don’t understand, and with those times when they come, we NEED to TRUST AND OBEY…FOR THERE IS NOT OTHER WAY.
Verses 5 & 6…be sensitive and listen close as God speaks to us through His written word and the still-small-voice of His Holy Spirit.
If we do this…one thing…..He will always walk beside us, no matter what it is we are going through…for He said, as I am fond of saying….” I will never leave you or forsake you” ever.
In these two verses contain the very heart and essence of the Torah. These are Jesus words to us, only they go a bit further in
both intent and meaning. “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’” ‘“on these commandments hang all the law and prophets.”’
With our HEART, used as a metaphor…..which encompasses the totality of our lives, since the beating of our heart keeps the blood flowing throughout our bodies, nourishing every minor and major aspect of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual lives. Without it working properly, there are serious (as we know) consequences, and so, it contains powerful emotions, affections, and desires. Our affections are deep currents that steer our lives. Thank of it as the rudder of a ship, therefore they need to be healthy, grounded in truth, good choices, and love.
Earlier, I spoke of TRUST and ENCOURAGEMENT….The area of devotion is determined by whatever or whomever we find the greatest value in….what is it for you and I? I challenge you to think about it. Will you please?
Matthew 6:21 read, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. That which we value the highest
will take the highest priority in our lives.
NO matter our circumstances…..if in our hearts we are devoted (which simply means loving and loyal)
Trusting will simply be there….and encouragement comes through knowing He is always there, or here, for us in all circumstances, even the most difficult.
I equate TRUST and FAITH relationally together…as essential in their combination for a solid and faithful life in Christ.
Quite often faith and trust are tossed about in our religious jargon easily and without distinction. Wisdom achieved helps in this area. They are like salt and pepper…each flavoring the food we eat, but in distinctly different ways.
FAITH IS A NOUN….it is something we HAVE…AND GROWS…as He more and more takes root in our lives. There is biblical KNOWING that over time and experience we, He and each of us becomes quite intimate.
TRUST IS A VERB….and together they produce solid (noun) faith, trust is action taken by us. Trust is something we choose to do…to know this and how they work together is gained wisdom…..
While FAITH SAYS HE CAN, TRUST SAYS HE WILL!
While writing this last sentence….an old and I mean old once popular song came to mind…showing just how old I am.
Goes like this…..
Love and Marriage, love, and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage,
And I tell you brother,
You can’t have one without the other!
I have to say….that these two at times seem hard to hold on to, at times. Times when it seems thing, events, people, etc. are so seemingly dark…and difficult that they could never be right again…..trusting, that there is a future and a hope when all seems hopeless…..but remember this. That God sees the beginning and the end, and all in between. We don’t. We see and live in the now. I have a rather interesting true story to read to you…from my Book of Amazing Stories. Because the event taking place in this story is so devastating…there was no way these people could anything but disaster. Yet…well, listen.
READ………..
At times, expressing, no matter the circumstances, the fear you and I (such as I just read) may have in such difficult times of our own distress….wavering, or honest fearful questions, all of which He finds no fault, knowing our weaknesses far better than even we do, as well as our strengths. You must KNOW this. He knows You…..and He, loves you and will walk with
you and at times carry you…to the end, which is just the beginning. Find encouragement in His truths, in His love and grace, and mercy, and goodness and kindness. Will you?
We have two choices here…two options of attitude, just two. Listen to this last illustration.
There is a book written by Allan Emery called “Little Lessons of Large Importance,” where he tells of one Ken Hansen who visits a young employee in the hospital who had a long and serious operation, the outcome questionable. Just like our Jo Dee.
Alex, said His boss quietly, “you know I have had a number of serious operations. I KNOW the pain of trying to talk and I think I KNOW what question you are trying to ask yourself. There are two verse I am going to give you, they, being Genesis 42:36 and Romans 8:28.
You have two options of ‘attitude’, just two and ‘you’ need the perspective of the latter option.” Hansen turned to the young man, read them, then prayer with Alex and left.
#1. Attitude. And Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me: Joseph is no more, Simeon is not more, and you want to take Benjamin. ‘All these things are against me!’” Gen.42:36
#2. Attitude. “And we KNOW that ‘all things work together’ for good too those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
The young employee took the message of the letter to heart, the result being a long, but full recovery.
He received encouragement through both Scripture and His employer, who had gained WISDOM through his own life’s circumstances….passing both His FAITH…and learned TRUST in the Lord his God to this young man.
Where is your attitude this morning in whatever circumstances you face at this moment….or are coming down the road yet unaware? What circumstances have already taught you WISDOM you can
share with others to help them in their own personal journey. THINK ABOUT IT…and do this. When the opportunity presents itself, share your wisdom to encourage someone or ones, and please don’t hesitate to do so, thereby proving to Him you are a true and faithful servant, and friend and disciple of Jesus Christ.
Selah, (pause and think about this)
Amen!

The Little Church in the Pines
Macks Inn, Idaho
July 25, 2021
John 6:37-40
The Impact of one man, Jesus the Christ

By having Jan read the Scripture she did, to me, speaks of the duty that Jesus asked of all of us, and that duty is to live our lives for Him and show it….and in a great variety of ways and vocations, be they, let us say a custodian, a physician, a teacher, a salesperson, a business owner, an artist, a song writer, etc., etc., etc.
In doing this we will fulfill His words spoken to all who call themselves disciples of Christ; “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nation (help the people, teaching them of Me, to believe in Me, and obey My words, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
There are countless ways to teach, countless ways to exhibit His role and place in our lives….and it is in this myriad of ways that we find people turning to Him….loving Him….devoted to Him….living out their lives for Him as they come to understand His great sacrifice, in obeying the Father, the One God, the Great I AM. That sacrifice being His willingness to die for the sins of the men and women of the world, who come to Him in acknowledgment and repentance. At that moment they are filled sealed by the Holy Spirit of God unto salvation….life with Him forever more.
In 2018 almost to the day I wrote and preached a sermon remarkably like this one. No one man born has impacted the world in almost every way possible.
Jesus….a common name in His day, born in the humblest of circumstances. Think about this. The story as it unfolds as we follow in the Bible is a remarkable tale. The fulfilment of words from the prophets of old, down to the smallest jot and tittle. Born, in the
then and still tiny nation of Israel, not formally schooled except by the religious leaders of his then hometown. The school was a religious school only….learning from the Torah His history, which was the history of His own people.
The adopted son of a carpenter, He Himself following in the footsteps of Joseph…learning a trade that would add income to the family needs, splinters, calloused hands, learning to develop and eye for detail, while again, learning, devouring Holy Scripture than one day He would use to confound the religious leaders of His day, with far deeper understanding of their true meaning that any of them could claim.
Though in many ways His childhood was not unlike that of the other children in His community.
Except….He, this child of His literal Father, Jehovah God, the One God, Creator of all….would have a deep and eternal IMPACT, not only the nation where he was raised, but throughout the entire world….and for all of eternity.

His impact would deeply influence & elevate the VALUE of human life.
Compassion and Mercy
Grace as deep as Universe itself
Marriage and Family
Education
Moral advancements
Government and social order throughout the entire world
Science
Art, Music, Literate
Freedom on a new level

The personal and deep changes brought about through His love, acceptance, and forgiveness in the lives of billions
To my way of thinking, though all these are amazing in and of themselves, as I will cover some, maybe all of them to a degree, the last one, the changed lives of billions of everyday human beings, is the most important of all, because that one itself is why and how all the other influences and changes come to be.
Throughout recorded human history, the IMPACT of Jesus has never even come close to being surpassed. No other person has inspired so many positive changes in the lives of both His followers and the world’s population. People who encounter and accept the Risen Christ are transformed….from within, then without. History is replete with their and our stories. To the degree often that transformation is often being compared to being “born again.” Their and our source of power for change for the better comes through His teachings and the transformative power of the Holy Spirit whom we receive the moment we believe.
It is just that simple……but involves a dedicated willingness to desire and then obey….and that transformation is both intellectual and spiritual transformation.
The power in and of Christ knows no boundary of time or space. In our age and in ages past, many skeptics have been convinced that Jesus was not the Christ, or that there ever would be a Christ, and set out to prove it. For example…Lew Wallace, a famous general and known as a literary Genius, was a known atheist. For two years (listen please) for two years Wallace studied in the leading libraries of both Europe and America, seeking information that would forever destroy Christianity and nullify Christ. While writing the second chapter of his book outlining his arguments, he suddenly found himself on his knees crying out to Jesus, “My Lord and My God.” His life turned around 180 degrees…now speaking with the same fervor and intellect as another man on the road to Damascus.
Similarly, the late C.S. Lewis, professor at Oxford University in England was an agnostic who denied the deity of Christ for years. But he too, in intellectual honesty, submitted to Jesus as his God and Savior, while studying the “evidence” he had hoped would confirm His previous denial that Christ was both divine and God.
Both men when on to write books such as Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, The Lion, the With and the Wardrobe, The Great Divorce, The Chronicle of Narnia, The Problem of Pain….and many others as a witness as to the power and Person of God….and His Creativity in Man.
The IMPACT of Jesus Christ, the Son of God continues to this day, influencing and changing the lives of those who in all honesty, are seeking truth…..I believe at some time not far off there will once again (because of what is coming on our country and world) be great numbers who will come to Him because of the events that are unfolding in our nation…with the loss of hope, order, lawlessness, justice and more….because in time of great need. people recognize their inability to put in place that which needs to accomplish and will call on God to intervene.
As I spoke on two weeks ago, God’s system of Justice is the primary outline of our own system of Justice. So extensive is the Christian contribution to our laws, our economics, arts and even our calendar. AD which means ‘the year of the Lord” meaning the reckoned year of the birth of Jesus, counting the years from the start of this epoch, and BC denoting the years prior to this era. There is no zero in this schematic, so, the year AD1, immediately follows the year,1BC. This calendar is that which the world turns on. The birth of this child, born in this tiny obscure town in the tiny nation of Israel.

COMPASSION AND MERCY
Kennedy and Newcombe in a book the two authors collaborated on, writing detail of the rise of charity in the name of Jesus over the centuries, still going on deeply and profusely without much recognition. Historians record that prior to Jesus, the ancient world left little trace of any compassionate and merciful organized charitable effort. Period!
For example, Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan is a classic illustration that is still a part of our language today, in pointing out this example of doing good birthed in Christianity….for even our enemies. We are all neighbors He says, and we are to love our neighbors and our enemies…doing good to both.
This concept was born of Christ and has changed the world tremendously.
We have the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, religious hospitals, church supported food kitchens, housing for the homeless. Orphanages all over the world, and oh so many more such organizations that work by and through the Christian churches.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
Christianity exalts monogamous love, which provides the basis for a lasting and exclusive family circle geared toward providing for and loving family units.
EDUCATION
From the beginning of Judaism, there was an emphasis on the written Word, as recorded by those assigned to let each generation to grown in and its history and God’s voice in their lives.
The phenomenon of education in American and now the world, has its roots in the Protestant Reformation. In order of promote Biblical literacy, Christians have been at the forefront of not only Scriptural learning….but practical and vocational learning. All this was accelerated with the advent of the printing press which was primarily invented for the printing of Bibles. Many of the world’s languages were first set to print by Christian missionaries for people to eventually be able to read the Bible for themselves.
The very first work printed on the Gutenberg printing press was the Bible, of which I have one page of one of the very first published. On this page are smudges that are said to perhaps be blood because it was against the law (the Catholic Church) persecuted unto death those who were printing Bibles….for the Church wanted only the priests to be able to do so, and most of even them could not read in those days.
Art is another witness as to the power of God….on the ceilings, walls, and canvases were painted powerful depictions of scenes from the Bible….so much so, that people were often overwhelmed by their majesty, and beauty, and even simplicity…as illustrations of stories they told, that many came to Believe because of them.
Music, another avenue to spiritual rebirth and the power of words and song….as authors told of their own spiritual journeys, moving many to understand for the first time the beauty and sometimes glory of God…and simply at times of God’s love for the world and all its people. Music is one of the most powerful witnesses to the world as exampled in the Messiah, the Passion of Christ set to music, hymns such as “How Great Thou Art”. “Amazing Grace” “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand” “It Is Well with My Soul” and so many others.
All of these are but witnesses as to the IMPACT of HIS WITNESS TO HIMSELF….AND WHO HE IS….AND OUR WITNESS AS TO HIS IMPACT ON US….
I am coming back to this where I started….that the Greatest Witness to the IMPACT of Jesus Christ to unbelievers….is YOU and I, who are to live lives that reflect His ministry and His life, as He exampled for us as to how to live….
Now to make this personal….Jesus IMPACT on Today’s world results in their being 7:3 billion Believers……and the reason, because of the witness for the most part of everyday Christians.
The question I leave with us is this….What IMPACT are you and having in our daily lives….on our neighbors, enemies and even our families….and friends.

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Little Church in the Pines
July 4, 2021 ~ Independence Day
"The Bible" Is it the foundation of the Constitution?
Macks inn, Island Park, Idaho
Pastor Tom Shanor

Today, as we are all well aware, July 4th is a day recognized across our nation and even the world, as the day of celebration of our INDEPENDENCE from England….a hard fought and hard-won war, costing the lives of 6,800 Americans who fought for freedom, and who willingly laid down their lives for the freedom of those they loved and our freedoms today. . In addition, there were 6,100 wounded, and upwards of 20,000 that were taken as prisoners. Historians believe that at least an additional 17,000 deaths were the result of disease, including about 8,000-12,000 who died while prisoners of war, and so, 245 years later, you and I can freely, gather here, in this little church, without fear of repercussions and, as we know, out of that war came our Constitution, which became our foundation liberty and justice for all, built on their sacrificial deaths.
It is a day of pride, gratefulness, patriotism, of parades, fireworks, bands, and more….and yet, sadly, not all-American citizens celebrate this day, today, as there are those working within and without our nation, to take away many of the freedoms we have come to take for granted.
We are a nation because God has ordained it….and unless, for some reason or reasons, as exampled in the days shortly after Jesus’ ministry, and ascension as Israel and the Temple were destroyed, just as He said they would be, and as a result the Jewish nation ceased to exist, and her people were scattered across the globe, just as it was foretold. Called the Diaspora, until the Great and Awesome day of His return, also as foretold, when all those who are His will be gathered, to Celebrate Jesus, peace, justice and full and grateful hearts.
Whether we continue to stand as a nation depends on our hearts, our willingness to right wrongs, our continued striving for justice for
all, along with repentance and the ensuing forgiveness and restoration, as we place God, in whom we trust, at the forefront of our own sense of right and wrong, seeking guidance and wisdom from Him using as our guide first, the Bible, where we can read and follow the Ten Commandments, and Christ’s teachings on forgiveness, grace, mercy and justice… and second, our God breathed, through the inspiration of His Most Holy Spirit, our Constitution.
· I am calling this sermon today a spiritual history lesson, and hope that in its’ brevity you will leave today, knowing and understanding more than you knew and understood coming in.
This is not at all about politics…this is about our godly foundation laid out by the men who forged, perhaps, the greatest human document of freedom, ever conceived by men under the guidance again, of His Spirit and truth, for by knowing these self-evident truths, and both believing in and practicing them, will keep us on the right path that God has laid out for us, and that in its’ creation, was established to be by the people and for the people. Those words spoken by Abraham Lincoln in His Gettysburg address….following the Civil War, where 500,000 Americans were killed, in an attempt to make one of those wrongs I spoke of above, right, that of the enslaving of other human beings whose skin was not like ours, at a great cost, as often, hard and right decisions are made. Our democracy is built to be self-correcting in their governmental procedures and practices….and our great Constitution, laid the bedrock or foundation for this to happen, throughout our history, past, present and future.
How did the Bible influence our U.S. Constitution? It did so through the men who, who as you will hear, led lives equal to their task. Like us, mere human beings doing their best, under God’s leading to live decent and godly lives. None of them were perfect as none of us are perfect…and so it seems that God often uses, especially, those who are willing….to be instruments in His hands and He will do the rest.
Christians and critics, to this day, at times hotly debate how the Bible influenced this document. Secularists argue that contrary to popular opinion, the Founding Fathers were mostly “deists” at best and, never intended any religious influence in matter of government. A deist holds to the “Belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator, but one who does not intervene in the Universe, or in the world, specifically in any way.”
A brief look at the words of the Convention and the Constitution that it produced, and the religious background of its signers in their personal beliefs prove the secularists wrong. Very wrong in the area.
FYI…also, the words, separation of church and state, are not in the Constitution, but because of my time constraint I could not further explain where it came from and though, we chose unlike the Church of England for example…to have no specific Church or even religion define us a nation…for we allow for the freedom of diverse beliefs, even though our own foundation is most assuredly Christian, as evidenced by as you will now hear, the signers thereof.
Of the 56 signers, this was their religious affiliations………
Episcopalian/Anglican 32 men, 57.1%
Congregationalist 13……….23.2%
Presbyterian 12……….21.4%
Quaker 2…………3.6%
Unitarian Universalists 2…………3.6%
Catholic 1…………1.8%
TOTAL 56……….100%
Not one deist among them……………………………………………
These men were individuals who were Delegates to Congress at that time….possessing many basic similarities. Most, but not all were American born. Eight, foreign born, all but one subscribed to Protestantism, and for the most part political non-extremists….and
many who at first had hesitated at any thought of separation from England, let alone rebellion and the resultant war.
The Book,(THE BIBLE) and the personal beliefs of these men, repeatedly, served as their major reference in the formation of our Constitution was evidentially, the Bible. Their knowledge of and adherence to God’s written word, was what produced the rights of both the individual and the limitations of government in governing.
In pulpits across the nation during those tumultuous times, ministers preached, taught hope, and the dream of collective thinking, and prayerful summations of again, HOPE, if these self-evident trusts were practiced and adhered to.
Reverend Phillips Payson, A.M, preached, saying “We may, then, consider, “What reason have we to expect that, by the blessing of God, These Untied States may prosper and flourish, into a great American Republic, and ascend into high and distinguished honor among the nations of the earth. “To make Thee high above all nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name and in honor.”
Those words were spoken not in pride…but again, in hope clothed in prayerful humility.
He goes on to say, “that our system of dominion and civil polity would be imperfect without the true religion; or that from diffusion of virtue, among the people of any community, would arise to their greatest secular happiness: which will terminate in this conclusion,”
“That, holiness ought to be the goal of all civil government and that thou mayest be a holy people unto the Lord thy God.”
This next part I mentioned earlier, but it needs repeated. “We are not perfect, but today by denying portions through destruction of our history, has and will make us vulnerable to corruption from within and without. Denial…and elimination create untruths that as the further we recede from the truth, each generation that follows will have no truth on which to build the future.
Still, as a great nation today, we have time to turn from the direction we are heading toward, repent and reaffirm our dependence on a Being, God, greater than ourselves. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence were a profoundly intelligent, religious, and ethically minded group. Four of them were former full-time preachers, and many more were sons of clergymen. Other professions held by signers include lawyers, merchants, doctors, and educators. These Individuals too, were for the most part active churchgoers.
These signers have long inspired deep admiration among secularists, and by traditional religionists, who appreciate the Declaration’s recognition of God as the source of the right enumerated by the document.
I have so much more I could have said….so much more evidence that I could have given, but instead am going to close this message and a message it is…..with a quote from President John Adams.
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
This a profound statement…and a warning….that as we move further and further away from these self-evident truths as our foundations…we will continue to falter as attempts continue to be made to destroy or rewrite and teach our youth into the pathway of Marxism. All one needs to do is look at the countries that adopted this corrupt system, where only the elite (who claim to be smarter than the rest of us) make the decisions for all of us….because we are too ignorant…and UTOPIA stand, allegedly at our doorstep.
God give us the strength and wisdom as to know who to countermand, how to stand strong…yet, how to be godly, and, unmoving in His truths, as He says to us in Micah 6:8. “He has shown you O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Amen

July 4, 2021 Independence Day Altar by Pastor Tom Shanor

Little Church in the Pines
Macks Inn, Idaho
June 27, 2021
"Thy Loving Kindness is Better than L:ife"
Pastor Tom Shanor

Thy loving kindness is better than life,
Thy Loving Kindness is better than Life,
My lips shall praise Thee, thus will I bless Thee,
I will lift up my hand in Thy Name………………
Psalm 63:3-4 (NKJ version) reads, “Because Thy loving kindness is better than life. My lips shall praise Thee….because Your loving devotion is better than life….my lips will glorify you.”
The Psalmist is totally involved in this personal worshipful psalm that he is writing….so deep and so great is his love for God, his thoughts, his heart his words….all equal worship.
How can this measure and depth of love of God come to be, in a mere human being, with a God that he can neither see, or touch? His faith is deep and in conjunction with, produces automatically worship…his faith in the reality of His personal relationship with God, because, he has taken the time to cultivate this one-on-one relationship to the depth that is evident in the Psalm.
Worshiping God should involve our feelings because love even in its most basic level…involves feelings. Love often is expressed in forms and in individuals, which are at times new to us, though possibly even uncomfortable, at first, can, if we allow them, to bring freshness and joy into our devotional life, our times of worship and even in study. In true worship….not just in singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, but singing them fully engaged in the words and the music and the focusing on the recipient of our worship, can take us to new depths.
Again, worship can and often should involve our feelings….our feelings that rise up, because we are connecting to the One God who gave and gives us life….the very air we breathe, every step we take, every view our eyes take in….sometimes overwhelmed with
gratefulness, we should feel free to express that joy with true emotion and true adoration of our God and by doing so…we honor God. This can be through formal expressions, and deep and passionate expression.
Dynamic devotion at times produces dynamic expression!
Take for instance a worship band. Three of the four churches I started had worship team with bands, using drums, horns, violins, guitar, banjo, piano’s, at times almost a full orchestra, celebrated by those who are playing the instruments and those participating in the singing….as I said a few weeks ago, “clap your hands….all yet people….shout unto God with a voice of triumph, clap your hands all ye people, shout unto God with a voice of praise. Hosanna, Hosanna….shout unto God with a voice of praise.
That may have possibly made some of you UNCOMFORTABLE…….but if one would look at the faces, the body language, listening to the volume of singing….these are most often people (yes, and most often young, but not always) who are doing what Scripture says we are free to do….their hearts are most often, full and in tune with the heart of God. Worship becomes a time of celebration….which then exalts the Person and fulness of God the Creator. God is gloriously present when we worship Him in connection with our hearts, mind, soul, spirit and sometimes even our bodies….as his Word examples and instructs.
If you do not believe me…read Psalm 100, Psalm 30, and many more. Even Jesus talked about giving and invitation to dance and no one would.
I hope you all do not mind me singing as often as I seem to be doing so during my sermons of late….but I just cannot help it.
This song….is about a person, a human being that is so one with God through Christ…that (they) are the very air they breathe.
This is a song that expresses this.
This is the air I breathe,
This is the air I breathe,
Your Holy Presence
Living in me
This is my daily bread,
This is my daily bread,
Your very word
Spoken to me,
And I….I’m desperate for You,
And I….I’m lost without You,
You are the air I breathe,
Your Holy Presence
Living in me
This is my daily bread,
This is my daily bread (the bread of life)
Your very word
Spoken to me,
And I….I’m desperate for You,
And I….I’m lost without You,
I am lost without You……….
So lost without You, so lost without You.
I am personally….lost without God. Without the One and Only God…who exhibits to me and hopefully at times through me….
These aspects of Him that make my life more meaningful, richer, and fuller….when my focus is on Him….and Him through me as I
reach out to others, who also need Him, and looking for a sure way to rise out of the mire that life sometimes pulls us into.
Titus 3:4-7 says, “But when the KINDNESS and LOVE of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of our own righteousness, or the things we have done….but because of His MERCY. He saved us through the washing of REBIRTH and RENEWAL by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us GENEROUSLY through Jesus Christ our Savior….Jesus Christ, the name above all names, so, that, having been justified by grace (and not our good deeds) we might become heirs, having the Hope of eternal life.”
In my daily life, little stirs me more in my love of and for Jesus and hope for mankind than simple acts of kindness. I cannot explain it….but whether small acts or large ones…when I see a person being simply kind to someone…or someone is kind to me….I am stirred deeply…and voice in my head and sometimes out loud my gratefulness to the fullness of God….for those acts, which lift me up.
2nd Samuel 2:6 says this, May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same kindness because you have done this.
Kindness often shows up in unexpected ways. After the ship Paul while a prisoner on his way to Rome to stand trial broke apart in a storm….and being told by God that no one would perish….all ending up on a beach where the native population had been watching the ship break apart….instead of being attached in Acts 28:2 he says, “The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.”
What I am about to read is one of the greatest stories of kindness that I have ever come across….the kind that God would be right in the center of…doing out of kindness what to the giver would, well, you will see. It is called The Imperfect Story of Perfection (READ)
It is not a religious story….does not point to Jesus, but points to the fact that within all of us….with compassion, comes kindness that we are all capable of. Random or planned.
When I hear these stories……….of acts of kindness, I am always moved….always believe and aware that God, in and through Jesus uses ordinary people like us….if we are but willing to help change the world one kind act at a time…..and to me they are God breathed….God, in the very air we breathe….the fresh and very real breath of the Spirit coming into and moving through both believers and non-believers….making our world a better place,
When I attribute these acts to God….working through His Created beings, us….I cannot help but want to express to Him my gratefulness, that often lifts me out of my own self-centeredness, that in me turns into worship……that this God, though His Son created such magnificence, also gives us the ability to care. Care enough to reach up and out….to help often ease the pain and ache of someone in need, be it small or large.
Life tests us continually….there are conflicts at every turn, struggles with family and friends, irritating strangers we encounter and so on. Sometimes it is hard to be kind and do good to those immediately around us. But it is the hard things that build into us godly character….for good.
Galatians 6:13….For you, were called to freedom, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh but through love, be kind to one another.
Luke 6:31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them, for by treating others how we want to be treated, is one of the best ways to display our God-like hearts, as an act of worship.
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Rewards, come with kindness)
Proverbs 12:25 “Anxiety in a persons’ heart weighs them down, but a kind word makes them glad.”
THE GOOD NEWS….it costs us nothing to speak kind words to others and even to ourselves.”
1 Samuel 20:14 “But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live.”
Kindness has a secondary benefit….it also makes us healthier….scientifically, by being kind produces endorphins that improve effects such as improved blood flow….synapses are produced by our brain that are beneficial. A merry heart, or a grateful heart is good like a medicine….and all these together make a heart full of gratitude….and gratitude towards God for giving us the ability and actions, in showing kindness that by doing these acts, produces through that gratitude…worship.
Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks unto the Holy One, give thanks because He has given Jesus Christ His Son….and now, let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich, because of what the Lord has done for me….for us.
Here is a good verse to hold on to….COLOSSIANS 3:12
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Let us say this together as noted on the insert in your bulletin….
This is part of the Good News…for it is God’s desire for us to be always kind too one another. We have been chosen…to do well for and be well to, our sisters and brothers in Jesus.
You are now going to watch a music video…LIFTING UP the WONDEFUL NAME OF JESUS….who was often kind….speaking to and for those who were despised and hated, rejected, and spat upon. The outcast….the brokenhearted, the diseased….offering healing, listening, touching the untouchables. The unforgiven…now forgiven.
You see…in my own eyes….I consider myself one of those I just spoke of….therefore my gratefulness is deep and real.
Pastor Tom

Little Church in the Pines
June 06, 2021
"This Today is the Day!"
Sermon by; Pastor Tom Shanor
A Prelude………………….
Vs.4. REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS….AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE
Philippians 4:4
Come on Lord….always.
Here are the rest of the verses that go along with that simple but deep phrase.
Vs. 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near.
Vs.6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your request be made know to God.
Vs.7. And…the PEACE of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. AMEN…AMEN.
I only wish that with all that this last year and almost a half that we have all gone through….I wish that, I had remembered these verses. Not only remembered them…but had them emblazoned in fire on my heart and in my mind. FEAR of many verities managed to infiltrate my mind at time to the extent that I trembled….especially when one of my unsought Panic Attacks snuck up on me following my two TIA’s.
Fear swept through me like a tornado, and I had to repent before the Lord for not trusting Him completely, in that even if I had died, He would have been with me….and I could have felt His Presence instead of overriding fear.
Fear itself…can kill.
This year has seen many changes in our little church. From the loss of over a dozen people who have moved away, and loss of several through their deaths. Just this last week my sister-in-law Karen…a lovely gentle spirited (but lost soul) unexpectedly died. Alone….with no family or friend to hold her hand or speak any words of comfort. Living in a rooming house….one room, which had rarely been cleaned.
I think of Nancy Phillips, Elsie Grey, Willie Scheel, and my friend Adam Jacobson and others who have died in the parameter of this year.
I think of the changes coming….as more of you decide the winters are too long and hard to endure, and you too moving on. My daughter and son-in-law splitting up, and this list could go on and on…as I grieve for those who lost loved ones in this extended pandemic. The abuse of our police officers…..the loss of those who just because of their race or sexuality who have been targeted and both maimed and killed…..our cities being taken over to an extent by anarchists. Fire in the streets……Marxism raising its ugly head as a supposed solution…
And amid all this reflection and thinking….the words, REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS…AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE keep coming back to me.
Does this mean we should not mourn; we can’t get angry; we can’t voice our disgust and despair? Is that what this means?
NO…that is not what this means….but it does mean that within us, as we look to our Lord for comfort, even when we do not understand intellectually with our minds…..He is there to put an arm around us and hold us close….if we will just ask. The closer we are to Him in our daily lives…the easier it will be to ask. Believe….hold on to.
PLEASE pay attention to these next words for in them is truth, truth that is specifically Christian…specifically from the Savior, the Lord.
You see….we see, feel, sense, assess, live in the finite….we see things in the short term….we claim to have faith…and when temporal events happen it is difficult to see and feel beyond them because they are the here and now.
As we walk in faith, and being a Christian is certainly a walk of faith, we must LEARN, and I mean LEARN to see our present life and circumstances in light, in scope, of the future promises that God in Christ has given us in His written word. That this is not the end….but the interim.
We are beings in progress….and what we all endure is not to an end, but to a beginning that takes faith to see and believe in. We are told we can endure trials/suffering now because we KNOW OR SHOULD KNOW IN OUR KNOWER…that all this is transitory, as we head toward eternity with Him, and eternity is an exceptionally long time, very. The Lord also say we can be content in every circumstance. Not meaning we must stay in a difficult circumstance…unless we feel by faith, we must….for there often is something we are to learn in our progression of faith. He asks us (we do not have to) but He asks us to set our eyes on Jesus until we see Him face to face.
Remember the words spoken to John in the Book of Revelation, for ultimately (Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain….for the old order of things has passed away.”
KNOWING THIS….BELIEVING THIS….UNDERSTANDING THIS as truth….is why we can REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS….because it is temporal….and this truth is eternal.
My question…is our faith strong enough to take this in and live it out.
This brings us to TODAY….for TODAY IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE….and we KNOW WE HAVE because we are alive at this moment. We do not know about tomorrow or the next day or tonight, but TODAY, RIGHT NOW is what we know we have.
Philippians 4:4 has it’s root in Psalm 118:24 which also states, “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let US rejoice and be glad in it!”
This sermon, REJOICE….I had hoped this morning, along with the music….would be a way of helping us to gently in some way to leave the past, and look forward to the future….for too often we hold on to the past, dragging it along with us like chains.
I myself feel like rejoicing a bit…..There is a difference between happy and rejoice. Joy suggests a more complete, ecstatic, consuming passion than mere happiness, but is a willful choice in
spite of circumstances…as a means of worshiping God, knowing that He has all under his covering.
Rejoice has the root word Joy….which again, is more expressive than mere happiness. It usually involves making noises, like clapping of hand, stomping of feet, jumping in the air with hands raised…all things in worship that many of us are unfamiliar and uncomfortable with.
You see, the word of God tells us there are many dimensions of God’s personality…and yes, He has personality because Jesus said, “when you see Me, you see the Father.” It is the Spirit of God that calls us into rejoicing.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.
Rejoice, Rejoice…..and again, I say Rejoice………………
I am asking you this morning a question regarding an aspect of God, and His personality that perhaps many of you are unfamiliar with and along with this theme just might stretch you a bit. In a study “meeting God” the first chapter starts out with this. “Some people think of God as the impersonal soul of the Universe or even the sum-total of everything that is. Others, like to believe He is like a kindly grandfather in the sky, always available to grant our requests. Still, others see God as an absentee landlord (Albert Einstein believed this) who created the world and then went off to a celestial vacation to let things progress on their own. There is not a universally agreed upon description or definition of ‘God,’ and ideas about Him vary from individual to individual and religion to religion.
Moving on from there…..in our Bibles and the Scripture contained thereof, there is as portrait painted that God is often a God of Joy, Happiness, enjoys Celebrations, Songs and even Dance. Believe it or not.
So, this morning, I am as stated, going to use Scripture and some personal experiences and illustrations to back this up as to these character traits of God’s personality.
None of have an issue with singing….unless for some it is off key, or they can’t sing at all. That is….unless the singing is too expressive as in this example of Psalm 100, where it starts out with the word SHOUT. “Shout with Joy to the Lord of all the earth!
Worship the Lord with Gladness
Come before Him singing, with Joy!
Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He has made us, and we are His. We are His people…the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with THANKS-GIVING, go into His courts with Praise.
SHOUT…JOY EXPRESSED, GLADNESS, SINGING WITH JOY AND PRAISE….SHOUT WITH JOY ALL THE EARTH! DON’T HOLD BACK for it beings the Living God great pleasure that those whom He has created…love and love expressing that love.
Here is another one from Psalm l47. This one just might curl the hair of some of you….but remember, it is God’s word….Holy Scripture. It reads…COME, EVRYONE! CLAP YOUR HANDS!
SHOUT TO GOD WITH JOYFUL PRAISE!
We sometimes clap our hands when someone had sung for us or played an instrument for praise and worship.
Some to this day ‘feel’ because of its expressiveness sees it as irreverent.
Years ago…in the beginning of what is known as the charismatic movement within Christiandom….we love to sing this simple chorus. CLAP YOUR HANDS, ALL YE PEOPLE
SHOUT UNTO GOD WITH A VOICE OF TRIUMPH
CLAP YOUR HLANDS ALL YE PEOPLE…………
SHOUT UNTO GOD WITH A VOICE OF PRAISE
HOSANNA, HOSANNA,
SHOUT UNTO GOD WITH A VOICE OF TRIUMPH
PRAISE HIM, PRAISE HIM
SHOUT UNTO GOD WITH A VOICE OF PRAISE!
Colossians 3:16b “Sing Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs to the Lord with thankful hearts.”
Thankfulness (and we have much to be thankful for) is backed up by both rational and emotional responses to both small and great blessings….events, people, and situations.
Yet….as a leader…..as I Lead it is also my responsibility to see that all things in our time of worship are to be done decently and maintain order….chaos is not seemingly or to be permitted, yet, on the day of Pentecost…when the Holy Spirit descended as the Lord promised He would….there was lot of orderly but overt and unusual expressions of the Holy Spirit happening that may have seemed chaotic… but I will save that for another time and message.
Anyone here ever been to a full-Pentecostal service? Well, I will say….it can be quite an experience. One that makes even me uncomfortable…..yet…God often moves in their midst in sometimes miraculous ways….so, I am not going to criticize, though over the course of my years of ministry…I have had to on rare occasion, step up and stop some behavior that was out of place and context in a service.
Anyone know who Billy Sunday was…..well, Billy said, “if you have no JOY in your religion, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.”
The famous evangelist Charles Spurgeon, minister and author said, “There is a marvelous medicinal power in Joy. Most medicines are distasteful; but this which is the best of all medicines, is sweet to the tase and comforting to the heart.
In 2nd Samuel 6, King David is returning the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel, because the Philistines had captured and taken it. David made a few serious mistakes on the way it was being carried back, but through those acts corrected his mistakes, and was so joyous and joyful that the Ark was coming home….that he danced before the lord. Yep, danced. Verse 14 says “David danced before the Lord with all his might, wear his priestly garments.” He was criticized by his first wife Michael which had some serious consequences for her, for the Lord God was pleased by the passionate, loving expression of David’s dance.
David says in verse 21. “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family.
One more illustration…..in the Methodist Church I pastored in Florence, Oregon….we had two young sisters, ages 3 and 5 who during the worship times (always dressed in cute dresses) when the songs began, would both come into the center aisle and just dance their little hearts out…up and down the aisle. I loved it, but I had in the congregation one rather old curmudgeon who thought it was disrespectful and hated it, talked to me about stopping them….and I of course said I would not, but would encourage him to try it. Didn’t go over very well…..they continued and he never did.
The Lord God who made us……Christ who was with Him from the beginning…..placed in us a spirit capable of deep joy….happiness, with the ability to express that JOY in REJOICING….
You may not have the personality to do so…or the desire, but we must never criticize those who in their genuine expression of emotion, in their love of God….choose to do so…not for the purpose of drawing attention to themselves but for the joy of free expression in sincerity of their love of God, should never be criticized.
I have a question….can you imagine loving God so deeply, so actually real and felt to the point of JOY, TEARS, EMOTION?
I have….twice, in dance. One of those times on a Sunday Service during worship, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, not ask, but tell me to do so. Without hesitation I did. Surprisingly…..no one was offended or shocked….
My wife told me later that day, that as I was dancing out of obedience to the Spirit, and to the Lord….that she actually saw Jesus dancing with, in and around me.
That…just blew my mind…that I should be so blessed because of my obedience…to have danced with my Lord.
Religion….can box us in….
Faith, when alive and real can set us free….
To be willing to move out of the box of religion and into the realm of faith in a living God….with and into the Spirit of Truth and Life, an abundant Life….that can literally bring us JOY, PEACE, LAUGHTER…AND SO MUCH MORE….even amid pain, loss, sorrow, mourning and grief.
God is with us always….the Infinite side by side with the temporarily finite. Us. Jesus, and you, me, together one day….before and with the Father, when the time comes that comes to all. For He said…..HE…the Lord, would NEVER, EVER, LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US. For He died to make us Holy, and Created us to give us life, eternal life when we freely choose to believe in Him. Amen
*REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE*

Little Church in the Pines
May 30, 2021
Memorial Day Service Message
The Day . . . It's Inception, Purpose and Celebration
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

Today, Memorial Day, this Service, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, is Dedicated to the Brave Men and Women who gave their lives and limbs to fight for this one Nation Under God, indivisible and with Liberty and Justice for All, the United States of America, so that we the people might meet and worship freely without fear . . .
God Bless them All!

In my 30 years of ministry….today is the first time that my focus is the in-depth and non-political celebration and observation of MEMORIAL DAY. Of course, I have always before, during or afterwards had a tribute of those of our fellow country men and women who have served…and are currently serving our United State of America.
It is not my desire as you will recognize, to have this service be, a political rally of any kind, or for any one party, president, etc. My sole desire is to honor those as mentioned above.
I know, you know, we all know that we are not perfect as individuals or as a nation….in fact, as individuals and as a nation we have made some very grave and terrible mistakes. As individuals and as a nation it is our responsibility to acknowledge our mistakes and attempt to correct them, which I, in my 75 years have seen myself and we as a nation do. Sometimes it seems we move too slowly and not deep enough…..but for the most part our attempts are sincere and honest.
I know, and you know, that despite those mistakes, we have been a beacon of light shining in the darkness, not only during times of war, but in times of natural disasters and even sometimes political upheavals in other parts of the world. We are a generous nation…..a generous people, and it is my prayer that we remain so.
We have a great tool…..in fact several, that we fail to use as deeply and consistently as we can and should. The first tool is PRAYER. The second is honest and open discussion when we find ourselves differing (sometimes deeply) from one another. I find we all too often do not respect one another as we should when those differences are being manifested.
Jack Newsome sent me a quote from his mother this last week, and it reads “Show respect even to people who you think don’t deserve it, not as a reflection of their character…but as a reflection of yours.”
Think about that…………………..
I may, and do disagree with some of you in some specific areas, both political and non-political…..but I should not rip you apart…..though I do have the right (thank God) to disagree with, and enter into a meaningful and thoughtful dialogue with you, sometimes even passionately.
I wrote back to Jack…”We seem to have lost the beauty and wisdom of this type of exchanges….as individuals and as a nation.”
He wrote back, “WOW! I had not thought of that as a nation, and how we treat those who may be of different political views.
This is a man with a doctorate in psychology……
I responded…EXACTLY…it is being exampled every day in our Senate, Congress, Oval Office and media…..and (not just by this administration, or this Congress and Senate, but previous ones.
In respect of and for those (as written in the Battle Hymn of the Republic, “He who died to make men holy, let us live to make men free. Glory Halleluiah!
Living to make men free…..takes courage, takes a genuine desire to want freedom for all men and women, regardless of their race, their skin color, their ethnicity, their sex, their personality.
In our hymnal…..on page 684, you can read this.
There is no color barrier with God,
He is color blind.
There are many practical problems which still, must be wisely and with understanding and co-operation, worked out.
But one thing is certain,
That the color barrier
And the Christian Church cannot go together.
The Bible teaches loyalty to country as exampled in the protection of God regarding the nation of Israel, but loyalty and love of
country does not mean that we cannot to criticize and work toward a more perfect union, a more just nation for all its people.
It is the world which God so loved and loves, that Christ laid down His life for…..a world made up of individuals….a great variety of races, as well as those who came before us, for us now…and for those who come after us.
And, within the church, we are a representation the world that is to be the family of God.
We, you, and I, as we meet in this little church, made up of many different denominational backgrounds……are to be an example first, to one another, second, to the community in which we live, and thirdly….to the world as a whole.
Those men and women who gave their lives, and some their limbs came, and still come from all races. Both sexes, with some rich, some poor, some beautiful, some homely…..some small, some large, some well-educated some with little education. All…men and women just like us.
The greatest tragedy is that war itself….was and is the reason for their sacrificial loss.
Men….until the great and awesome day of His coming, will continue to wage war for a great variety of reasons, with the outcome of the majority of the losses being the innocent everyday men and women, both, those who fight and those who simply as ordinary citizens want to live out their lives in peace.
Christ calls us to be peacemakers…..for in the Sermon on the Mount He says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) As peacemakers, we are to strive to crate peace and attempt to reconcile tings and people that are at odds with one another.
Many of our troops are sent to various places, and even nations to act as peacekeepers and by their individual and corporate behavior as peace makers. This is where they see the people, they are keeping the peace for as equal to themselves….people, men and women just like them, who deserve, just by being people, the right to live peaceful and good lives.
We are to pray for peace every day…………………………………….
Whether our men and women are engaged in what is called a just war, or engaged in peacekeeping….they are always to be peacemakers…..and not only them….but we, who have called upon the God of the Universe….the Savior, our Lord….as He, God calls us to be like His Son.
We have had those in our congregation who worked for the CIA, the FBI, Homeland Security…..those who served in the Navy, the Army, the Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, Special Forces.
We all owe them….our freedom and our lives. Our freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Assembly and Petition, Freedom to bear arms, Freedom of Press and with those the Bill of Rights. The various amendments that give us additional freedoms.
No nation on this earth has within its framework such a magnificent system of justice….when it is honored as was intended by the framers of the Constitution.
My heart breaks for all of those killed in all our wars, as an example, the remains just recently identified….Navy Fireman 2nd Class Carl M. Bradley, just 19 years old…from Shelley, Idaho who died on the USS Oklahoma. A young man who could have had a full life. a family of his own…..chose, to serve their beloved nation and us.
Because of him and them….we can sit here today in this 82-year-old log building….exercising the freedom of religion….to worship our Lord and God….together, without fear of our door being broken down and arrested for this simple but beautiful freedom.
We are blessed….thank you Fireman 2nd Class, Carl M. Bradley, and all of those like you.
Who in this congregation today….served in one of the several armed force branches of our nation and where?
Would you stand please and tell us……………………Thank you!
We Honor You!
Who in here has, or had a grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, brother, sister, relative of any kind? Could you stand and state their name?
We honor them………..

THE LITTLE CHURCH IN THE PINES
May 16, 2021
Honest * Integrity = Truth
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

Honesty, Integrity, Truth, Valor, Justice, Loyal, Committed. So many fine words that carry such promising and valuable qualities, that each of us as followers of Jesus Christ are to exhibit daily. I think of Him and His brief life…. all that He did, taught, exampled by living out His own words. Words spoken by Him that speak as boldly and cutting edge as much today as they did when He walked this earth.
Then…there are the many who so loved and love Him, admired, and admire Him, and to this day follow Him, living and giving as He, Himself did. His being an example that no man or woman can live up to, to the extent He did, though, some come close.
Here…was a completely honest man/God, who because of who He was could not do otherwise. In His humanity, being both fully human and in being God, fully God.
There is only One of Him….and could be only One of Him. He was not a man who became God, He was and is The God who became man. That…is TRUTH.
His life of Honesty was marked as being free from deceit or untruthfulness, being sincere. Our lives as Christians who be a life marked with integrity and honesty, yet because we (through the Fall of Mankind, our kind and born with the seed of sin, honesty is something we must work at! An honest life, a life living out truth is so vitally important on many, no not many, but all areas of our lives from relationships, starting with our parents, siblings, eventual spouses, and our own children. In our homes, in our workplaces, in our churches, in our recreation, and, also our neighbors, enemies and strangers.
This can only be accomplished with divine help from our Divine Lord. Matthew 7:16 tells us that we are known (by everyone we know and some we do not), by the fruit or deeds that we produce. Let us be, yes, examples, living breathing, speaking examples of our God of truth and life, by first-of-all, desiring to be so. That means that we are to be less self-focused, and more Jesus focused. You, yes you, sitting today, and me standing her right now, (and I am the
one talking) could and just may walk out the door following this service, never really having heard this truth. Never desiring to think about these words, and how they could be and should be applied to all aspects of our lives. Why do we come to such a service as this…. if not to both worship and come with an expectation to be challenged to grow spiritually into the image of the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord, our God.
The Lord Himself is challenging you, me, today….to grow beyond your, our own often self-centeredness, otherwise, why would He teach and example for us as He did and does? Why? We are only on this earth for a short while, so instead why don’t we simply, eat, drink, party and spend our time doing only what we want to, with, how and where we want? Why are we here? Today, here?
God calls us to rightness….to honesty, to integrity, to truth, to justice, to charity or love, to give without expecting anything in return.
2 Corinthians 8:21 reads, teaches, says, “for we are taking pains to do what I right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of man. Taking pains simply means working at it…for we do have to work at it to put others before our self. We are self-centered at the core of our fallen nature. BUT…. again….we have to want to. We must see the importance (in the eyes of the Lord) to “want to.”
2nd Timothy 2:15 reads, do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles (or lives out) the truth that he or she knows.
Ephesians 4:25 reads, “We are to not lie, but speak truth to one another, because we are the body of Christ, together as one with Him.
Almost the whole world knows this one….but only if the whole world would live it out, how awesome it would be.
Luke 6:31…Pay close attention…and ask yourself, “do I do this?” Do I really do this? Do I really?
“Treat others as you would have them treat you!” X3 (let us say it together)
We could say it this way. “I will treat others as I want them to treat me.” This makes it more personal and applicable….
As you get up, out of your seat today….and begin to mingle amongst each other, then as you leave, get in your car, and begin interacting with those you are with…. remember what you said during the service… “I wills treat you as I want you to treat me.”
And how is it you want to be treated? Think about it.
How do you really want to be treated? REALLY?
Honestly….and with integrity…. justly, kindly, with respect?
This is a good one.
Proverbs10:9…Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.
I am agreeing with this…. A lie can only be hidden so long, for I guarantee (having had experience here) the truth will one day come out. Then…. there will be the consequences, for with justice always in God’s hands…. it is true.
Oh…I like this one.
Proverbs 24:26 “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.”
Are you listening to these…..for here is another one, not quite like the last one, but meaningful.
Psalm 1112:5 “Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
Generosity comes from an honest person who has the ability to see through the eyes of God, where there is a need, and how to respond to it.
Generosity…. does not always entail giving money…but giving of one’s time and self. There is as marvelous story of an extremely self-centered youth, who upon becoming a man, who upon hearing (through the word of God) saw himself for what through his choices he had become…and how that Word, spoken by a priest during mass turned his life around. This is an extreme story…. but God’s generosity through us can be from the finite (the smallest of things) to like this man, infinite in scope…. giving the ultimate, himself.
Would you like to hear it? It is titled “Kissing the Beggar’s Lips” which ties into Proverbs 24:26 “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” This was not a kiss of passion, but in a way, it led to a life of fulfilling the passion of God through this man. “Treating Others Like He Would Desire to be Treated if in the same condition of those he reached out to, in the most humbling and exalted ways.
READ……Now that…is life worth living. Treating others as you desire to be treated if you found yourself in such a needy position.
Jesus said, “if you give someone as a small a thing as a glass of water to someone who is thirsty….it is as though you are giving to Him.
Living honest lives…..in every area of our lives can be the most difficult at times….that which we have to do.
Honesty is being truthful……..without personal bias
Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, moral uprightness, whole and undivided.
Sadly…there are those who in being what they deem as honest, use what they know….as a weapon instead of an instrument for healing and restoration.
Honesty and truthfulness is a necessity…..but how we wield it is as vital as the honest truth itself.
God desires we be honest and truthful….but we also need the wisdom, that comes along with the truths we know, and that goes for both Biblical and personal, for we have the potential to kill someone spiritually, if we wield truth in such a way as to attack a person, that would cause them to feel unwanted and worthless…..we can kill someone literally by any truth that should be handled lovingly in the act of correction perhaps, but never to destroy. but instead, restore.
Being brutally honest…. can sometimes be just that, brutal. How we speak truth, reveals where our heart is….in how we handle the truths honestly, regarding both ourselves and someone else needs wisdom.
Jesus was brutally honest at times with the pharisees and religious leaders of his day…. but, his reason was that they were so full of themselves and so hard hearted….it was the only way He could break through to them of their all-consuming self-centeredness.
There are even those who would use God’s truths to simply hold power of people who are looking for a place to belong…a place where they feel wanted, secure and home. We have to be on the lookout for just such as these….all the time. Therefore, we are to test every word that anyone who claims to be of or from God says to us, and that includes this person here. Me.
I attempt by the wisdom of God and His power, to speak truth, truthfully, honestly and without persona bias. Sometimes I am misunderstood and therefore should have done a better job in my presentation….and when that happens you have the freedom to come to me and honestly and with the right attitude talk with me, not to me about your concerns.
Today…in our nation, and in both our churches and government, there are those who are twisting the very words of Jesus in such a way as to change their meaning and intent. His words are to bring life, but also correction and direction. We should not run from correction but embrace the truths that are spoken to correct us. We…need to know the written Word ourselves, not just relying on others like myself to explain it to you….and the reason for that is for self-edification, correction, encouragement, comfort….and direction. So that if you hear something being misspoken or misused…. you will know it and respond in such a way as to correct the speaker. For many who claim to speak the truth…are liars and deceivers if possible, even leading astray the elect/chosen.
I’m going to end this with Philippians 4:8-9.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…if anything is excellent or praiseworthy…think about these things, for whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the peace of God will be in and with you.”
I say AMEN TO THAT!
In saying amen….I am going to read them again……………….
You know…you just cannot go wrong with those in your life!
SELAH…think about it!
John 8:32…truth is all about freedom. NLT…And you…will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Jesus Himself is the truth that sets us free. He is the source of truth, the perfect standard of what right. He frees us from continued slavery to sin, from self-deception, and from deception by Satan. He shows us clearly the way to life…even eternal life with God. Thus, Jesus does not give us the freedom to do what we want, but the freedom to follow God in Christ, as we seek to know and serve God. Jesus’ perfect truth frees us to be all that God designed us to be.

The Little Church in the Pines
Island Park, Idaho
"Our Journey With Jesus"
May 9, 2021
Pastor Tom A. Shanor
The words journey, journeyed, journeying, journeyer are replete in both the Old and New Testaments. As an example, the first time it is used is in the Old Testament found in Genesis 11:2, And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. (Shinar and Shanor) FYI have the same meaning, "a level beautiful plain." A Hebrew word.
In the New Testament, we read in Acts 9:3, And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly, there, shined round about him a light from heaven.
Also, FYI…there is a difference between a trip and a journey. They are often confused as words that give the same meaning though those who have a good understanding of the English language know the difference. Me, I had to look it up, even though I suspected there was a difference.
They can also be used as both nouns and verbs.
Journey means "if you want to talk about a particular piece of travel, you can use the word journey as in the first Illustration in Genesis…..they journey from the east to the plain of Shinar.
On the other hand, a trip indicates both the movement and the trip together, not necessarily mentioning the place left or the destination.
I suppose to be accurate, I should have titled this message differently to be correct, but Connie had already printed the title on the bulletin.
Jesus and I (we) together are on a trip, journeying from where we met, to our mutual destination, heaven. When we met and how we met is a vital part of our journey because when and where will be, a reflection of that vital starting point. We will never forget it and often look back in gratitude, and sometimes solemn joy, that what came to be, though unexpected or expected, was the beginning of our life-long journey "together ~ in Christ Alone.
In Christ alone, it means that there will be no other figure, or god (with a small g), or religion. It is in Christ alone….that we find our journey, though at times filled with troubles, gains and losses, friends and foe, stormy seas to cross and high mountain-tops to climb…we will journey together, forever. Our faith may waver, our hearts may be broken, our health compromised, loved ones going the way all of us go ultimately.
As the Hymn, we heard last week….when He carries us on His shoulder, when He holds our hands to keep us from falling off, when there is only one set of footprints in the sand…..and we wonder how we are going to make it through….He, again, as I said last week, will never leave us…never forsake us.
In Christ Alone…we find our foundation strong, able to walk as He walked. We find in the Hymn you will both see and hear what He does for us in this journey if we will take the time to come to know Him well and deep. By His Spirit, we will be able at times feel His breath upon us, lifting us into places we could never have imagined, even in the most troubling of times.
When I was 25, I was introduced to Transcendental Meditation through a friend. I became quite a devoted follower, taking two times a day, twenty minutes each time to meditate, using my mantra, a word that later I found was the name of a Hindu god. I was faithful to my new religion but battled within myself as to how my belief in Jesus could co-exist with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
I attended a conference outside of Logan, Utah, with a good friend to listen to the teachings of the Maharishi on video, and of course to delve deeper into meditation, by the way of which I had some rather intense experiences, but in one video, a follower asked him about Jesus. His answer was, He was a great teacher but no more than that. At that moment, I felt within myself a deep conviction, having been born-again in Christ to know that what was just said was a lie. At that moment….with that conviction growing, I turned my back on TM, never to take it up again.
Even during that wayward time, I knew that the Lord had indeed never left or forsaken me but stayed by my side, patiently talking to me through His written word and beckoning me ever back to where I needed to be.
In Christ Alone…….
As we purposefully walk this journey, ever aware of our ultimate destination, here are some of the teachings that He gives us, again, in His word and in our hearts to learn an live out. You will be familiar with them as I often speak of them. Sometimes though, we don't go far enough and do enough to validate the essence and depth of what He is calling us to do and, most of all, be.
These tell me when I both do them and see you doing them, that indeed we are His disciples….His followers, the true children of God.
PLEASE listen closely to these…..and ask the living Spirit of God if this is who you are…..because it is who we should be. Like Him.

Love your enemies.
Pray for those who persecute you.
Do not love only those who love you, but those who hate you.
Do good to those who hate you and spitefully use you.
Bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who would harm or hurt you.
Give beyond what is expected of you.
Do not pan or carry out vengeance or retaliation.
Love justice and extend mercy.
Forgive, even when you feel justified in not doing so.

Word, religious words, edifying words are all good, but what is better is to live out daily what Jesus in His own journey on this planet exampled for and taught us……doing and being everything He said and did….thereby proving the validity and depth of who God Himself really is, as revealed in His Son.
This journey together, and in Christ Alone, for each and all of us is in many ways a difficult one because in it….we are to be humble and yet strong, live and yet die to ourselves. Be joyful even when sorrow surrounds us.
Roy Anthony Borges was a prison inmate who, becoming a Christian, had some very bad things to unlearn. All his life, he had been taught to hate, hate his enemies, and hate those whom he envied who had more and better than he had, using every opportunity he could to take from them, even while behind prison walls. One of his most consistent enemies was a fellow inmate, Rodney, who stole his radio and headphones one day while Roy was playing volleyball in the prison yard. The radio, a gift from his mother, was dear to him. The earphones had been a Christmas gift from his sister. Roy was angry, very angry, and wanted revenge. But, as he prayed, it seemed to him that this was a test from God.
Day after day, Roy wanted to respond as he would have in the past, violently, to know the wisecrack grin off Rodney's face. But the Lord had something else in mind for him. Romans 12:20-21 kept coming back again and again to him where Paul's instruction was to avoid vengeance and leave it to God to take care of it. Roy began to look at Rodney through the eyes of Jesus and have compassion for him. He then started praying for Rodney. He began to live out this teaching, trusting God to accomplish something good in Rodney's life.
Over time, Roy's hatred for Rodney began fading, and he found himself helping his enemy by telling him about Jesus and what he believed how he was to respond.
Then one day…..Roy wrote later, "I saw Rodney kneeling next to his bunk reading a Bible, and I knew…..that good had overcome evil.
Good overcomes evil, and daylight disperses the darkness. A candlelight, though tiny, can be seen on a dark windless night over a distance of ten miles.
Our light…the light of Christ in us, when we are living our everyday lives as examples of Him can be seen by all who know us, but even among strangers….as well as our enemies.
I would say almost all of us have people whom we could have a reason to hate or even dislike, but that is not to be the way of a Believer, a follower of Jesus. In hate, we have the most to lose, for we cannot have the peace of God in us if we hate, and knowing what that peace is….and how it feels when it is gone, indeed we are the real losers.
I once had a member of my congregation in Lander, Wyoming, ask me when I was going to cease speaking on love, forgiveness, and peace….etc., and start revealing how we should react to our corrupt government and those who hated us. His way was to buy more guns and get ready for the time when we would have to defend ourselves against our enemies.
He left the church shortly after that.
Jesus' love and, therefore, ours is not tied into or requires affectionate love, but a deliberate choice to stand down from hating and by doing good. It is just that simple….though simple in theory, is as we know difficult (under our own power) but not His.
He tells us not to emulate or be like the world…but be like Him. "If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat, and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink." These are fundamental ways to turn from hatred to expressing who Jesus is in our Journey with Him. It is not at all an easy journey, but we can do all things, all things, through the love and power of Christ.
This I am about to share is a bit like a parable that will require you to give some thought to, for it goes a bit deeper than what the words convey on the surface…..for it is a metaphor.
There is an old story of a holy man who, while meditating under the shade of a tree by a small brook, noticed a scorpion struggling to get out of the swirling, rapid water. Its effort to climb onto a rock was futile as the side was wet and steep, the current being too strong. The holy man, taking pity on the creature and its efforts, tried to help it. But the scorpion kept striking back at him, even in the water.
A friend of the holy man, passing by, said, "don't you realize that it is the nature of the scorpion to attack and sting, my friend."
"Yes," said the holy man, "but it is my nature to save and rescue. Why should I change my nature just because the scorpion doesn't change his?'
There will be many things, people, events, temptations, distractions that will attempt to try and knock us off this path, this journey with Him. We must keep our eyes on Him…on Christ Alone. We must. Not only for our sake but for the sake of those who, through our relationship with Him will too, be touched by His great grace, mercy, forgiveness, and yes, love.
Our Christian nature…..is not the nature of the fallen world, but the new nature of a new world to come, becoming new men and new women….as we journey together with Him, we become more and more like Him, in every way. He carries our baggage, eventually ridding both Himself and us of it….completely…..to where we together become ONE. In Christ alone……………SONG.

Little Church in the Pines
Why Pray?
Sermon by; Pastor Tom Shanor
April 25, 2021

Today’s sermon comes from the Reflections Column this week that Connie Funkhouser wrote and from a conversation Kelley, who wants to have a ‘long conversation’ on prayer. I referred her to the Reflections article, but her question to me was “why should we pray if God already knows the outcome, and basically predestined it?” Well, that set me to thinking….because when she asked me this, I was standing outside her new trailer on the doorstep trying to get it to work. But Kelley is like that, in that her mind is going all the time for it is not the first time she has said “we have to have a long conversation,” and most likely will not be the last.
PRAY….the word itself is a verb, meaning there is action in praying, in more than several ways and forms. It is simply (no matter the place or form) a request or petition being made in a hopefully and hope-full and humble manner…given the multiple reasons we set out to make a petition. We are doing so….because, whatever it is we are praying for is most often something beyond our ability to do anything about, and therefore we go to the one God, complete in His Son and Spirit, to ask to be heard and present our request.
At this time, I am recommending Connie’s article in the Island Park News if you have not read it. I in some ways will be most likely repeating or rather backing up what was written and written so thoroughly and well, that it should be read.
Most of you know that I enjoy statistics, so here are several that tie in well with my topic.

The word PRAY itself is in the Bible 313 times, fewer than I anticipated.
The word PRAYED 65 times.
The word PRAYER 109 times.

The very first-time prayer is mentioned in the Bible can be found in Genesis 4:26, “Seth had a son, and they named him Enosh. At that time people began to pray to the Lord.” This is significant not for any reason other than what it says, simply, for the first time it seems people began to pray by acknowledging God’s role in their lives, and their desire to honor and communicate with God.
PRAYER manifests itself not only in petitioning, but in worship, confession and in giving thanks.
You can be anywhere, any place and at any time and pray. Prayers are not MORE effective just because they take place in a church building, for it is more effective if they are coming from a sincere and humble, needy heart/person.
When we sing hymns, psalms and spiritual songs, they are in a very real sense a prayer denoting worship and adoration…especially if we are really paying or praying attention to the words themselves, and how we are singing them as they tell a story of most often our love of and for God,
In some ways prayer is one of the most mysterious aspects of our Christian journey. We sometimes wonder if God really hears our prayers and have a real effect on both our lives and the lives we are praying for. Do we have to use certain words, said in certain ways or with certain intonations….the simple answer to that is simply NO.
It should be recognized as a privilege. Here we are, so many of us ordinary every-day people….and by being given the gift of being able to communicate with God through prayer, worship, petitions, and thanksgiving. We are privileged because He desires that we do so. He likes, yes, likes being acknowledged by our talking to and with Him. In all the ways we engage in conversation with God, He desires deeply that we always be honest with Him, for really, He can see right through us when we are not.
There are people who through their prayers love to draw attention to themselves because they are (in their own opinion) quite good at
using the right words, the right tone and all else that they are putting into it. It is really the people around them they are hoping to impress more than the sincerity of their petitions or singing.
Remembering who God is, which of course comprises the entire Godhead…should be enough to humble ourselves both before man and God.
Prayer is also an invitation to get to know Him better. He is so far above us yet so near to us in His Son, Jesus who Scripture points out to us their holiness, and comprehendible since He reveals Himself to us. God allows us to approach Him. In fact, HE desires it. We are to communicate with Him as though we were talking with a close friend or family member that we trust and love, because they, like Him are listening to us. To deepen our understanding of who God is to pray often, commune often in all situations….and by doing this we deepen our relationship.
It is so remarkably simple to understand, because the more time we spend with a person or with God Himself, the better the relationship has the potential to become. (think about it)
We should exercise (think about that word) this privilege of prayer because of what our Lord Jesus Christ did for in bridging the communication gap. Heretofore, it was only the priests who were permitted to legally pray for the sins of the people, and other’s petitions, but again, the priests along with the sacrifices. That all changed with the ultimate sacrifice…of Christ on the Cross. Because of what He did, we can now (every one of us) go the Lord in prayer.
Hebrews 4:15-16 refers to Jesus as (OUR High Priest) “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning). Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we then receive mercy and find grace, to help us in our time of need(s).” Because of Jesus and Jesus only, we are free to pray and to pray boldly.
We also pray because we are commanded to Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him and bless His name!” Thanking God, praising Him and blessing Him are all aspects of PRAYER.
Matthew 6:5-13 describes Jesus teaching the disciples how to pray. He begins with discourse by saying,” and when you pray,” which tells us that it is assumed we will pray, or am called to pray, as He, Jesus is teaching the disciples how to pray with instructions to ask, seek and knock. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul writes, “pray without ceasing” meaning, how we live out our everyday lives is also a prayer, because in doing so rightly, in representing Him we draw others to Him….this is called a lifestyle prayer.
Jesus sets an example of prayer for us that together we pray this prayer every Sunday as part of our Communion celebration. This prayer is found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.
The Lord’s prayer, also sometimes called the Disciples Prayer has been memorized by countless Christians throughout our history and like we, prayed corporately. This prayer is helpful as a model.
Our Father in heaven, holy be your name: Jesus begins His exemplary prayer, by first acknowledging He, whom we are praying to, for God is our Father, meaning that He cares for us. God resides in heaven, and His Kingdom within us, implying we honor His name. We declare His name is Holy. This opening line, then, recognizes that God is both our Father and our King.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. After acknowledging the character of God, we pray for His will to be ours…our relationship so tight, so good that whatever we pray without wavering is within His will. We submit our will to His. We trust His way is better and pray that as we pray humbly and sincerely…our wills united-as-one, will be done.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts (or sins) as we forgive our debtors, or those who sin against us, for in forgiving we are forgiven…and our wills will be united as one.
We not only desire God’s will on a scale bigger than ours, but also in the small details of our lives. We look to Him for our daily needs in the physical, spiritual, practical, relational, and emotional. Matthew 6:33.
Truly, though we may not acknowledge it as much as we should, our biggest need is forgiveness, and if we think otherwise, we really need it. With His forgiveness we are made truly alive in Christ, and when forgiven we must ALWAYS remember to forgive. For by being forgiven and forgiving we will find ourselves able to obey His commandment to love Him, our neighbors, our enemies, and ourselves. When we can do this act of mercy and grace….we are in step with Him…….loved and cared for, our wills at that moment are one.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: this final request demonstrates a heart that is eager to please God. God will never lead us into temptation, though the enemy of God and ourselves will certainly try to do so. God is not the author of evil. This part of the prayer becomes an agreement with God that we do not want to sin against Him. This prayer calls us to be aware of the evil that often tempts us, thereby because of our prayer of relationship, we will then choose Him and His will over the temptations that come our way. 1 Corinthians 10:13. In a very real sense…we are asking God to keep us from harm, again, this means spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical harm.
The closing words of this prayer, “For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, forever….is a reminder of God’s sovereign control, great power and what we do choose is acknowledging who He is.
DOES PRAYER CHANGE GOD’S MIND…………………………………?
In Revelation 22:13, God describes Himself saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” God is omniscient. He has known His plans for the world before the beginning of time.
Some have questioned the notion that God is unchanging because of examples in Scripture where God, having created humankind, regrets that they have fallen into sin. Likewise, God as an example sends Jonah to Nineveh to tell the people to repent or He will destroy them…and they were a great heathen city. They upon hearing the ever-reluctant prophet Jonah, do indeed repent. This is not to say He regretted His decision to destroy them or that He changed His mind, but rather and (listen closely) He was comforted by their repentance and had compassion on them.
So…if God has already made up His mind, why should be pray? The Bible instructs us to pray without ceasing, in faith, in Jesus’ name.

We should pray with the right motive.
We should depend on God and Him alone, choosing to obey
Him.
1 John 5:14-15 “And this we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we KNOW that we have the request that we have asked for.”

Prayer may not change God’s mind, but it does change our hearts, as it did the people of Nineveh. PRAYER is how we communicate with God, through our PRAYERS, God reveals His character to us. We through prayer, learn that He loves us and wants what is best for us and our petitions. Yes, He knew from the beginning the circumstances that would bring us to petition Him, and because He saw into our hearts (so long ago) that what we were praying for was the best response to the actions He would take….and our prayers were part of His will in answering them. He of course could see what we could not….and what the best was for that person or situation…and together our wills became one in that moment in time (forever) as He heard our prayers even before we were born as we prayed them….He was pleased with our motives and moved by our love. Had our prayers not been answered in the way they were answered, only He knows what the alternative outcome would have been. He then imparts wisdom to us and speaks truth to us. Little by little
He transforms our hearts, so that our will becomes His will in all we pray…and hope. X2
Prayer does change things. God is omniscient and sovereign. His mind does not change, but God did then, and will use those prayers now as part of carrying out His will. He uses it to change us, and He uses it to draw our attention to His participation in circumstances. PRAYER is mysterious in many ways.
We like things that are tangible, that we can hold, see, smell, and know they are real. But prayer, like faith….all so often mysterious and as real, vital and important, as all of those things.
Prayer makes us co-workers in and with Christ in God, as we are part of His creation…part of His will. We are one in the Spirit we are One in the Lord….and have been since the beginning. Together in this great mystery called life….as we learn, as we exercise better and better communication with the God of the Universe through His only Begotten Son. The better we get to know Him, the better we get to know ourselves…and those betters together, can truly become one in the Spirit and One in the Lord….to the point of however we pray, we pray in unity as One, together.
I have one personal experience I want to share with you, though there are many, where the effective prayers of a righteous man touched me physically, and therefore also spiritually because it opened my eyes to the value of prayer.
Thirty years ago……………………………….
There have been many prayers I have seen answered, though not always is the way I desired, but in retrospect…knew that God moved and what was best was best.
Jesus prayed often, everywhere He went, as His life was a living prayer.
In the Bible is a prayer called the Prayer of Jabez….
The prayer of Jabez is found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”
Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.” One interesting thing about his little segment of Scripture is its location, right in the middle of a long genealogical record. The recorder pauses his listing of heritage to provide further information about Jabez., likely because his life was so noteworthy.
Born in pain and branded with a name that sound like the Hebrew word for “pain,” Jabez’s future did not look especially bright. However, he prayed to God with confidence! (that is noteworthy) He requested God’s blessing, enlargement of territory, God’s hand (or guidance) and God’s protection. Jabez specifically asked that God, would keep him from the pain his name implied. He wanted to live a life marked by God, not one marked by the pain of the world. God granted Jabez’s requests!
We, too, can approach God confidently Hebrews 4:14-16 and ask for His blessing, expansion of our influence, guidance, and protection (Matthew 6:9-13; 6:32-33; James 1:5…with an expectation of hope, faith, and assurance.
Please join me now as I pray these Scriptures as a prayer, for and over each of you here and all of you out there……………………….
May the Lord Bless you,
And keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine upon you And be gracious to you.
The Lord turn His face toward you,
And give you peace, His everlasting peace! Amen!

The Little Church in the Pines
"Who Are We, Really?"
by: Pastor Tom Shanor
 April 18, 2021
The past Days, weeks, months of reflections……a roller coaster ride unlike any I personally have experienced, ever. Through all these reflections I have been able to see and measure changes, priorities and well, feelings, which have and continue to ebb and flow.
To myself I have asked this question on more than several occasions, “who are you, really? I am the same and yet different than I was this time last year. That is normal thinking, I think.
Solomon said, “that there is nothing new under the sun,” and that may be true, but it is certainly new to me….in the realization that my and our humanity, is really very fragile….and how we hold on to it so long (some of us) is astounding. There is little that is stable, starting with the earth under our feet. Everything is in motion, absolutely everything. Nothing in this world, or universe is static.
….The fact that we exist at all, and our reason(s) for existing, is the one constant question that mankind has been asking itself from the beginning of self-awareness, or creations, which brings me back to my sermon title, “Who AM I, REALLY AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE AM I HERE?
For me, in order to be able to understand even a small measure of this question, Who Am I, Really, I first have to come to the conclusion (or go crazy) that indeed there is a reason and purpose for my existence. If not….all is futile.
I know this, we do live, we do love, we do hate, we do good, we do harm. Given these options that we have, why not embrace what we know we have and, doing our very best to be the very best we can be.
You see….we also, and you know this, live in a world of opposites. Stability/conflict ~ oceans/deserts ~ mountains/plains ~ order/chaos ~ love/hate ~ young/old ~ bad/good….and the list goes on and on and on.
These opposites have the effect of destabilizing even the stable, or what appears to be stable. Some of us…some of us, go through life it seems mostly unfazed by life’s conundrums. Others of us are affected by most everything that occurs in these opposites.
Bringing order out of randomness and seemingly opposites is one of the attributes that God has given us (some of us more than others) the ability to do so.
First perhaps, we can start with mankind’s internal need to believe in someone or something greater than itself. This is evident throughout our history as humans. Now this one could say this relates back to the question of our existence, because it seems we have a built in need to BELIEVE. Every people group or culture has the need for Deity as evidenced by the vast diversity of religions in the world.
33% Christian
21% Muslim
13% Hinduism
5.8% Buddhism
2.3 % Atheist
.35% Sikhism
0.23% Judaism
0.2% Baha’i
24% Other or local
Each of course believes it to be THE TRUE RELGION, yes, even atheism is considered to be a religion.
What drives this need….now, this is my opinion. It is driven by the simple truth that God is behind it all. God knows mankind better than mankind himself and has placed in all of mankind this need to acknowledge and seek Him for answers, for fulfillment, for purpose, direction, thereby giving us HOPE beyond what we ourselves are capable of conjuring up.
Within each of us….is a seed for potential….a seed that contains that desire or quest for Deity…and within that seed is potential for good, and since the Fall of Mankind, evil.
I can never prove to you….the existence of God….but I can show you by “Who I Am, If….I am following His teachings and laws, the evidence of His existence by how I live my life. Therefore, the responsibility lies solely in my willingness, to choose order over chaos, right over wrong, good over evil. And how do we know these truths that produce this evidence?
Well…we have a manual. This manual has withstood the onslaught of cultural change, of direct and violent opposition, of all-out war and hatred for what it contains and the truths that lie therein.
I must measure WHO I AM, Really, buy my desire and therefore willingness to once again, simply BELIEVE. To the intellectual I am naïve or even perhaps simple minded, yet the beauty of my faith or belief is born out in hopefully, WHO I AM, REALLY.
It also comes down to TRUTH. There are those who say, “what is truth?” Prove it to me? Well, I have already discussed that, so I will now say, “the truth is in the pudding”, or in the fruit that TRUTH produces according to Scripture, for by choosing that which is proven right, tells us that there are certain characteristics that flow out of truth, that benefits both individuals and mankind as a whole.
Philippians 4:8…tells us this. “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable…if anything is excellent or worthy of praise…think about these things.” And I add….”and do them.”
Galatians 6:4 reads, “but let each one, examine his own work.” The outflow of his or her life, using the measuring rod of the Manual and the Teacher.
These qualities…that lead to behavioral out-workings and even attitudes, brings us to as written in Galatians 5:22.” for the fruit of the Spirit, (now listen closely to these please) and measure who you really are, by them. “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” These give and bring life, not only life…but abundant life and a good life, a rich life, an enjoyable
life, leading ultimately to eternal life…with the Teacher, the Savior, Jesus the Christ. These are the FRUIT…THE DELICIOUS, LIFE GIVING FRUIT OF FAITH THAT WE ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE PRODUCING to one another, including spouses, children, friends, co-workers, fellow Believers…and yes, even our enemies. For, if we walk by the Spirit, let us all walk in the Spirit.
These virtues are characterized as FRUIT in contrast to works. The Holy Spirit in us produces them, and not our own efforts (though by our effort and will) we turn ourselves over to the Spirit who then works through us.
Look at the contrast between the works of the flesh (as they are called) to the works of the Spirit. For the works of the flesh are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies. Envy, murder, drunkenness, revelries and the like.
Well, there we go.
So…there really is a contrast between good…and bad, or evil.
There is a bit of an addendum here that I will add on. “Let us not become conceited (which is intellectual-ego centered) provoking one another and envying one another. For if one thinks of him or herself to be better than others, he or she deceive themselves.”
Humility is the complete opposite, of so-called intellectual objectivism, or ego-biased so-called strength. Humility is controlled strength. If you or I need to put someone down to build ourselves up we are truly not only at the bottom of the intellectual barrel, but the humanity barrel.
WHO ARE WE, WHO AM I, REALLY?
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with Christ-like love, in honor preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in Hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly n prayer; distributing to the needs of the
saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not think you are wise in your own opinions.
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all.
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, instead give it to God, for Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.
Now here too is where we go beyond what any other religion I have read or heard of says “therefore, if your enemy is hungry feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink.”
“Do not be overcome by evil…but overcome evil with good.”
These next words I am going to say are from the mouth of Jesus Himself as quoted. Jesus answered, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Have ever you head such love, understanding, kindness, patience, grace, mercy, tenderness, hope, humility, from the mouth of any other teacher or any other religion? Ever?
And I will almost end with these words, in that we really are to be like Him. That is who we are, really.
Following on the heels of Easter…..what we need and have needed this past year especially, and the year to come, is HOPE….someone to help us through all the losses, the pain, tears, sorrows…..and I tell you this with full assurance, He has been with us all the way….all the time, for all we need to do is this, is turn to Him, who stands ready every second of every day, to embrace and hold us closely to Himself. Comforting, encouraging and sometimes carrying us through our darkest times, for He said and says to all of us, “I ~ will never leave you (no way) or forsake you (no way) ever.”
Revelation 21:3-4
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every ear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passe away.”
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
Amen

Little Church in the Pines
The Journey after the Cross
(Now What?)
April 11, 2021
by; Connie Funkhouser
Easter is the beginning, not the conclusion. Just as our faith does not end with Good Friday crucifixion, neither does it end with Easter resurrection. The New Testament, God’s New Covenant, Our Journey after Calvary continues.
Resurrection is certainly a pivotal moment, but there is another act to follow . . . things are just now getting interesting . . . If you quit reading the Greatest Story Ever Told and was inspired by the most famous Author of all time, you will miss what unfolds when Jesus is rescued from the jaws of death.
Jesus’ future, His resurrection prophesied/planned by God Himself is absolutely 100% linked to our future. You may say, “but Connie, the Bible is a story that is two -thousand years old, an entirely different culture, there is no way we could apply that ancient story to our life’s today.” I am here to tell you, it can, and it does. During Bible Study, reading, and studying @ home I cannot tell you how many times I have looked up and said, only the names of changed. (And in my case even the names have not changed. Seems I hire Saras, Jacobs, Martha, Matthews, Josephs, Micahs, Katrinas ☺ oh kidding, and the list continues)
There is more to the story, our purpose during this exact moment in time, is more than simply making our way to heaven. Here are you few slang theologies or putting one’s beliefs into a nice box. See if any of these sounds familiar to you?

Lay-a-way Theology: Give your heart to Jesus now so you can go to heaven later. Easy installments of weekly church attendance.
Transport Theology: Buy your ticket now in case the glory train comes early. Then just hang out till the whistle blows. Nothing else much matters once you have your ticket in hand.
Life Insurance Theology: Once you read the policy and make arrangements for the payments, you file it away and hope you do not have to cash it in any time soon.

But the New Testament story of Easter is different. Resurrection is not life insurance, to be used only in case of emergency. It is more like mobilization orders for someone in the Military. The action, the moving forward, the journey has just begun.
Resurrection, as Clarence Jordon says, “is God’s refusal to stay on the other side of the grave. God raised Jesus, not as an invitation to us to come to heaven when we die, but as a declaration that He Himself has not established permanent residence on earth. The resurrection places Jesus on this side of the grave, here and now, amid this life – our life today! The Good News of the resurrection is not that we shall die and go home with Him, but that He is risen and comes home with us, bringing all His hungry, thirsty, sick, distraught, lonely, messed up, broken, outcast, marginalized, way-ward brothers and sisters with Him.”
Clarence Jordan, a farmer, and New Testament Greek scholar was the founder of Koinonia Farm, a small and influential religious community in southwest Georgia. He was also instrumental in the founding of Habitat for Humanity.) Which is a big non-profit in southeast Idaho.
Easter does not exhaust the biblical narrative of God’s saving work. There is more. What began with Adam and Eve, what began again with Noah and the ark, and again with Israel’s escape from Egyptian bondage, and again with Jonah emerging from the whale’s belly, and again with Israel’s repeated returns from exile, and again with Mary’s pregnancy . . . all these beginnings and new beginnings, now uniquely confirmed and summarized and restated in the resurrection, are the prelude to the final act in the story, one step short of the dramatic conclusion of the Salvation Story.

Jesus did not say “I am finished.”
He said, “It is finished.” He was just getting started. . . .
With most men their work stops @ their death, but with Christ it had only begun.

The crucifixion of Jesus is our gateway to salvation. Salvation: does not mean merely deliverance from sin or personal holiness. The Salvation which comes from God means being completely delivered from ourselves, and being placed in perfect union with Him.
God is not the author of evil. To those who believe in Jesus, He is the Savior of abounding love and forgiveness. God created this world, and He created man to have a relationship with Him. On the cross when Jesus said, “it is finished,” the debt of this sinful world was paid in full. The gift of a personal relationship with God was offered. When we believe in Jesus, we have no sin for God to judge. God is not a celestial prison warden jangling the keys on a bunch of lifers—He is a shepherd seeking His flock, a Father waiting for his son. Our sin was crucified on Calvary, and we now can have an intimate and deeply personal relationship with God . . . No longer our judge.
No one can make themselves pure by obeying laws. Jesus Christ does not give us rules and regulations - - - He gives us His teachings which are truths that can only be interpreted by His nature that is placed in us. The great wonder of Jesus Christ salvation is that it changes our heredity. He does not change human nature - - - He changes its source, and thereby its motives as well.
The heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason why salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. There is nothing easier than getting saved because it is solely God’s sovereign work. – “Look to Me and be saved” we are told in (Isaiah 45:22). The cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain was absorbed by the Heart of God. Salvation is our Gift, a Gift from God.
On Easter Sunday we do focus on the sacrifice of Jesus @ Calvary and His resurrection. From His atonement springs our blessed assurance of eternal life. Many people who trust Christ as their Savior know they are saved but are not certain about their eternal security – the work of God that assures us that our redemption is permanent. They believe their deliverance can somehow be forfeited through wrong actions.
If our salvation is based on anything other than the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross, then we will find ourselves on shaky ground. Therefore, some believers attempt to involve themselves in the redemption process by their good works or right behavior. Sadly, they are always prone to wavering faith because they feel they must continuously earn the Lord’s goodwill to get to heaven.
If we add a single work requirement to it, then it is no longer given to us freely; it is payment for services rendered. That is not how God works in our life. Absolutely nothing can revoke what He has given us. We can accept that He has made us secure. God’s grace in redemption is a gift . . .

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

The whole system of Christian theology can be found in these verses. Everything we believe is here in a tightly compressed fashion. The key phrase is “God chose you to be saved.” That speaks of the sovereign grace of God in salvation. Did you know God chose you to be saved? If He had not chosen you, you would never have been saved @ all. Sometimes we speak of “finding” the Lord, but if He had not found us first, we would never have found Him.
Salvation begins with God – not with us. He chooses us and then we believe. In putting the matter that way, I simply mean to declare that salvation is all His grace, all of God, all the time. So, when Paul says, “God chose us for salvation,” I am happy and content believing it is just as written. That does not mean I can fully explain (far from it) every nuance of how our choices – our free will fit into God’s sovereign plan for the universe. I believe that God arranges circumstances of life (and movements of the heart) to bring us to the place where we have no other choice but to freely choose to trust in Christ for our salvation.
God will seek us -- how long? Until he finds us. And when He has found the last rebellious soul and has depopulated hell, then death will be swallowed up in victory, and Christ will turn over all things to the Father that he may be all and in all.
To some that will seem like a contradiction, to others it will seem like a simple statement of biblical truth. Is there a mystery here? Yes of course, and I would much prefer a theology with some mystery in it than a theology that claimed to fully explain the mind of God. When it comes to salvation, we bring the sin that makes salvation necessary, and God brings everything else. Naturally, we are not robots or puppets on a string, and when we come to Christ, we do not come mindful of any compulsion. We come by faith because we want to come. And in our coming we discover later that God was drawing us to Himself all along by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When we trust and live by faith, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us what “paid in full” really means in our lives. If you are troubled by this, or wonder how it could be, just remember that you are on the right track when your view of salvation gives all the Glory to God. Magnify the Lord as Savior, give Him the credit, and you will be moving in the right direction, your journey is of hope and promise.
Salvation springs from the Heart of God who loved and gave His Son for us. We have been chosen, we were called by the work of the Holy Spirit to come to Christ for our salvation, we believe in God’s Word, and one day we will share in Christ’s glory.
God, the Author of History has a purpose. He is not making all this up as He goes along. Everything in the universe plays a role in the outworking of God’s plan. This ought to give us enormous confidence as we face the uncertainties of life. If we believe that everything in our life is a hit and miss affair, if we think that the events of each day just happen by chance, then we will be a prisoner to our circumstances. We will be up when things are good, and we will be down when things are bad. How wonderful it is to rest in the knowledge that our God is working out His plan for us in everything that happens to us . . . the good, the bad, the positive, and the negative, the happy and the sad. / There is no one who wants to be saved who cannot be saved! Rest assured on this truth. No one will be in hell who truly ought to be in Heaven. No one will be in hell who says, “I wanted to be saved but God would not save me.” Such a thing simply cannot happen. If you have the desire to know God, you can be confident that He gave that longing to you. (There maybe resistance, but truly save your energy, you will not win when playing tug-o-war with God.) God is always the initiator in salvation. God calls, we respond. God calls, we believe. God calls, we come to Christ. When God wanted to populate Heaven, He sent His Son to die for us. Then He sent His Spirit to draw us. And He gave us His word so we would know the truth. And He even gives us faith to believe the Gospel.
Everything is different because we now live in a world where death did not have the final word, where truth and goodness and love are the final realities, and where a resurrection has happened. We must never forget salvation is God’s idea, not man’s; therefore, it has a profound depth.
The perfecting of salvation will be realized in the glorification of true believers @ Christ’s second advent, His second coming. In this consummation of the entire movement of salvation, Christians will be perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
The following is from the book “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. Specifically, 10/07.
“The revealed truth of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took on Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took on Himself the heredity of sin that no man can even touch. God made His own Son “to be sin” that He might make the sinner into a saint. It is revealed throughout the Bible that our Lord took on the sin of the world through identification with us, not sympathy for us ( I Love that). He deliberately took on His own shoulders, and endured in His own body, the complete, cumulative sin of humanity. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us” and by so doing He placed salvation for the entire human race solely based on redemption. Jesus Christ reconciled humanity, putting it back to where God designed it to be. And now anyone can experience that restoration, being brought into oneness with God, on the basis of what our Lord has done on the cross.
The Doctrine of Salvation or Soteriology is a lot more complex and in-depth. Composing my morning message, reading, and re-reading, I kept thinking that my summary of salvation is elementary in so many ways. But I was “compelled” to following my initial train of thought, and I sincerely hoped that the Holy Spirit had someone(s) in attendance or viewing that needed to hear this.
My focus and concern was I wanted to invite you on the journey after Calvary and collect what is yours. It is up to us to invite God into our life and to Live in the Presence of God every day, all the time.
I used to tell our Juvenile Correction Students this scenario: and I may have shared before, but it illustrates the many gifts and blessings that our Creator has for us. . . . . .
Amen!

Little Church in the Pines
April4, 2021
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

Easter…………a new day begins with a new morning!
It is now early morning…the morning following a day and night of dramatic and mind-numbing events….beginning, with the arrest, trial, and subsequent death of Jesus, known as a prophet, the Messiah…and by His own words, the Son of God.
That night previous, from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, there was a supernatural darkness over all the land. Jesus, at the ninth hour cried out with a loud voice saying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me,” soon followed by His very last words “Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit!” And at that moment He gave up His Spirit….and died.
His disciples, their families, his own mother, and those who loved and followed Him, believing, trusting that He, their Jesus was the One…the One all of Israel had for generations been waiting for. The One who would lead them out of bondage and into a kingdom where God’s glory would prevail, and peace would reign, from the throne of David once more, but this time across the world.
Hope, belief, faith for some dies easily…for others, they cling with the tenacity born to those of deep faith…for a miracle. Through their tears, through their shattered dreams and hopes they cling. Some remembering He would as He said come back to life….a resurrection spoken of. Hope does not die easily….for some.
That night also events happened that fueled their hopes. Were they rumors, did they really happen? The darkness, the earthquake felt by all in themselves were mind numbing, but the rumor that the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and during the earthquake rocks were split….and the graves opened, where it is said many of the bodies of the saints who had died were raised from the dead.
So amazed and even terrified were some, that when centurion and, those with him, who were guarding Jesus at His tomb, saw felt the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying “Truly this was the Son of God.”
His tomb sealed and guarded during those night hours because of the demands of the religious leaders, fearing that Jesus body might be taken by His disciples….thereby spreading a false rumor that He had risen from the dead as He had stated He would.
It is pre-dawn…a clear and beautiful morning is coming. The eastern sky showing ever so slightly that lovely pre-dawn glow, but what is this, what is happening? The ground once again begins to move a sudden there is a great earthquake; for as we learn later, an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone form the door and sat upon it.
His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary who were on their way to the tomb, shaken by the earthquake, still in mourning and tears continued on, encountering the angel who spoke to them said, “do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
And go…go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold I have told you.”
And as they went to tell His disciples behold, Jesus met them there, (in the garden) saying, “Rejoice!” so they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
Let us sing…on page 106 MORNING HAS BROKEN……………
That morning broke as equal, if not even superior to the first morning of Creation. The pure light…not only from the early morning sun, but the pure light that radiated from the newly risen Son of God.
The Light that He brought was going to restore and break, the chains of bondage that the enemy of God bound humanity with, called sin. The beginning of a New Creation.
In time then, time present and time to come, we would then begin to the see the first fruits of this New Creation. An opportunity for each, and every individual man, woman, and child, given the opportunity by this Man/God, Jesus the Christ, to be healed, set free and even made whole by His Love, Grace, Salvation, and restoration.
No matter the degree of hurt, abuse, pain, sorrow, desolation, or rejection, He promises and delivers to us, the JOY of our SALVATION! Halleluiah.
No one cares as much as He does for all of humanity. From the least to the greatest, the poor to the rich, red, and yellow, black, and white…and all in between, are precious in His sight.
Beneath our skin, aside from our successes and failures, our looks, our body types, our sexuality….beneath these and more, He, looks at the pain, the heart, the soul, and spirit of each of us. What He wants to do is to wrap His arms around all of us, all of humanity and draw us close to his breast, to where we feel His broken heart beating for us.
He knows even more intimately than we know ourselves, all that we do through, endure and dream.
Oh, how He loves you and me.
Oh, how He loves you and me,
He gave His life,
What more could He give,
Oh, how He loves you,
Oh, how He loves me,
Oh, how He loves you and me….
You see…we are often bound by our past. By people who have hurt us, some deliberately and some not so. But, you see, pain is pain, abuse is abuse, sorrow is sorrow….and yes, sometimes it hurts and binds us more when it happens to be someone we love and care for who hurts us, be it physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual. When these things happen, sometimes in our loss of those we love, it hurts even more.
But you see…He promises us that one day all will be good. One day He says there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, no more tears.
One day….the chains that even still bind us, He wants you and me, to walk up to Him and say, Lord, I know you can do it, so would you please break these chains that hurt me and bind me, so that I can walk into Your open arms and be comforted, made free, made whole. Will you hold me?
You broke the chains of death….and You, even in this life, as well as the next to come can set me free. All I need to be is willing. Willing to let them go, no matter who, what, where, when, how they came to be.
I ask you to take them now….and envelope me, us, in your Resurrected arms until I no longer can or want to cry. Let today be my resurrected day….that you will have turned my MOURNING into dancing for me…You have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, where together, arm in arm, we walk on the cool grass with morning dew still on it.
A new day can dawn….a resurrection is possible, if indeed we simply say yes Lord, yes.
I read a remarkable story yesterday called “The Butterfly Miracle” I am going to read to you, for in some ways it is an Easter story….a story of life and death and hope/faith. I know your heart will be touched . . . Perhaps deeply.
“The Book of Amazing Stories”
"March 30 ~ The Butterfly Story"
by; Robert Petterson

Palm Sunday Altar by; Pastor Tom

Palm Sunday * Holy Week * Passion Week
March 28, 2021
by; Connie Funkhouser

Pastor Tom knowing this week is a favorite of mine, and after last Sunday’s service, here I stand before you to share about Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and why this week “Holy Week” is also known as Passion Week.
Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. The final week of Lent. The final and most profound week of Jesus’ journey to the Cross. A few interesting facts . . . .

The final week of Christ’s life is captured for us in the NT across 28 chapters out of 89 chapters that make up the Four Gospels.
Just for perspective - - - out of those 89 chapters in the Four Gospels:
Christ’s entire 42-month (or 168 weeks, or 3-1/2 yr.) of ministry is covered in 61 of those 89 chapters.
Christ’s Final Week fills another 28 chapters.
We know so much more about Christ’s final week, than any other week in the Bible.

Palm Sunday triggered the countdown to the greatest and most scared week of Earth’s history since Creation. The creation of our Universe, spoken into existence by our Creator, certainly was a grand event. But the universe shackled by the bondage to sin, groaning in anticipation of being liberated, must have rejoiced in the redemptive events of this week.
Jesus is wrapping up His 3-year ministry. He has done a lot of healing and teaching in the last three years but some of His important work will take place in His final week.
Jesus and His disciples have come to Jerusalem for Passover feast. But Jesus will not only celebrate the feast He will end up being the sacrificial lamb for the Passover meal. Tensions are high as the religious leaders are searching for a way to capture Jesus and have Him killed for blasphemy. The disciples are aware of this and they too are worried about what will happen when they go into the city. Massive crowds are coming to Jerusalem for Passover, so the tension also comes with some excitement.
By this point, Jesus of Nazareth has gained a reputation. Not only has Jesus taught the Scriptures like no one has ever taught them, but He has physically healed people, and the latest thing He has done to really upset the religious leaders was He literally raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. The religious leaders are frantically trying to figure out who Jesus really is, and how they can stop Him from creating more disruption among the religious establishment.
The NT Gospels recount the story:
On the first day of the week Jesus riding on the colt of a donkey. In Biblical times, it was common for Jewish kings or important people to arrive by a procession riding on a donkey. The donkey symbolized peace, so those who chose to ride donkeys showed that they came with peaceful intentions. Jesus even then reminded us that He is the Prince of Peace. Jesus made His way into Jerusalem, to celebrate the Passover festival fulfilling an ancient prophesy.
In Zechariah 9:9, we are told;
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The crowds of people welcomed Him and placed their clothes and palm branches on the road, shouting, “Hosanna (save now) to the Son of David. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21:9 NKJV). The Roman road climbed steeply to the crest of the Mount of Olives, affording a spectacular view of the Desert of Judea to the east and Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley to the west.
Palm branches, the significance of the Palm Branch during this time of year. God's Word tells us the multitudes of people cut palm branches and waved them in the air, laid them out on the ground before Jesus as He rode into the city. The palm branch represented goodness and victory and was symbolic of the final victory Jesus would soon fulfill over death.
It was Palm Sunday and because Sally had a sore throat stayed home from Church. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm branches. Sally asked what they were for. “People held them over Jesus’ head as He walked by,” her father told her. Wouldn’t you know it, Sally replied. “The one Sunday I don’t go to Church and He shows up.”
Christian’s recall, recount, reflect, and reminisce the events leading up to Jesus’ death by crucifixion, and according to their faith, His Resurrection.
This week includes five days of special importance:

The first is Palm Sunday also referred to as Passion Sunday. Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.
Maundy Thursday – Commemorates the Last Super.
Good Friday – The most solemn day of the Church year. Jesus was crucified.
Holy Saturday – A day of somber reflection on what a world would be like w/o Jesus.
Easter – Hallelujah, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior.

We celebrate and remember the final week of Jesus’ life and ministry before His death and resurrection, both events being cornerstones of our Christian faith. It is often referred to as Passion Week, and the events leading up to His death are called the Passion of the Christ. A few may wonder, me included . . . why it is called Passion Week?
Passion: is a feeling of intense enthusiasm for or compelling desire for someone or something. Passion can range from eager interest in or admiration for an idea, proposal, or cause. An enthusiastic enjoyment of an interest or activity; a strong attraction, excitement, or emotion towards a person.
Jesus did feel strongly about His impending death and resurrection, but that is not why we call it Passion Week. Attributing this week of remembrance to the English word “passion” has a long history, much longer than any of us have been alive. It dates back @ least to the 12th century (old English), and stems from the late Latin noun passio. Which meant suffering or “enduring.” Therefore, the Passion of the Christ, the week leading up to His enduring and suffering for us.
Jesus was/is passionate about us and His mission to the Cross. Passion is deep, focused, and a driving force to. I am not sure about you, and I can only speak for myself, but my passion and what I have chosen to be passionate about has on more than one occasion met with negativity, criticism, resentment, and resistance. I am ok with this, since I know, really know and am confident in the passions I do have are centered in God’s Word, His Truth.
I wonder, whether you are sitting here or watching Live Stream, are you thinking about your passions, do you waver when they are questioned? Maybe what created your passion(s) is from enduring and amid unthinkable suffering. We do know this; Jesus did not put the brakes on His donkey and turn His entourage and donkey around. The passion that He harbored for His assignment was true, it was deep-rooted in His very soul, and He “knew” what and how was about to unfold. The Son of God’s passion was unquestionably a deep conviction, a great devotion, a motivating and compelling action that must be taken to fulfill prophesy.
Jesus, God our Father is intensely passionate about reconciling us to Him. The great passion of God’s heart is that we will want to “KNOW” Him. God is talking about more than our salvation. An understanding of God starts when we begin to trust Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, but there is even more than that. He wants us to know all about Him! God’s main passion is His creation – His people.
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus that is passionate spiritually?
The following is a brief story, and Jesus delivers the punch line: “Martha, Martha” He tell His hostess. “You are worried and distracted about many things; there is need for only one. Mary has chosen the better part and it shall not be taken from her.” Luke's Gospel (Luke 10:38–42).
Everything, therefore, hangs on the one thing that Jesus mentions, the one thing that Mary has chosen and apparently her sister, Martha has not. (Mary and Martha remind me of my Grandma Daisy 102 and Great Auntie Ethel 101. Share a little story.)
I am sure most know the story of Jesus entering Martha and Mary’s home and the different reactions from the two sisters.
At 1st it looks as though the one thing that is necessary - is to sit @ Jesus’ feet, to assume a disciple’s posture; this over something so useful as bustling about to make your guests feel @ home.
It is even possible to set up the two sisters as examples of different vocations. Martha the thoughtful, and fortunate one that she devotes herself to prayer, to spiritual practice. Martha on the other hand, seems like the rest of us, who struggle with the demands of life in the world, and praying on the run, if @ all.
The distinction between Mary and Martha, contemplation and action, prayer, and service, comes across as a tidy distinction. Life is rarely neat. Issues of faith are rarely simple.
Something more is involved here. The story of Jesus as a guest in the home of these women does not justify dividing believers into two classes: spiritual aristocrats and the rest of us. Instead, it challenges all of us, and does so in a way that need not separate us from each other.
What makes Mary of Bethany an example is not that she sits @ the feet of Jesus. What makes her sister Martha need her example is not that she labors to accommodate others. What is @ stake lies elsewhere. A contemporary name for it is passionate spirituality.
Passionate spirituality takes many forms. It does not have to be emotional rather than reasonable, extroverted rather than introverted, or contemporary rather than traditional. What makes some spirituality passionate is prayer, enthusiasm, and boldness. People of passionate spirituality live committed lives. They practice and apply their faith with joy and enthusiasm. Passionate spirituality can spill out through service and study and devotion. It can be apparent in whatever one does.
The problem with Martha is not her hospitality. It is how she does not let her hospitality become a channel for spirituality marked by passion. Instead, she becomes distracted and complains to Jesus about her sister rather than speaking directly to her sister. While Mary listens to Jesus, Martha presumes to tell Him what she must do. Apparently, Martha is driven by duty (or in my case an urgency to clean), rather than to take delight in the presence of their guest. She may be an effective organizer, a great cook, attentive in all that she does, but she is simply responsible, not inspired, even on the day when Jesus Himself comes to dinner.
What makes Mary an example is not the simple fact that she listens to Jesus, but that she does so in a way that is passionate and bold. Jesus does not so much commend her behavior as the spirit behind it. Mary takes the role of a disciple, sitting @ the teacher’s feet. This is not something women in her society did, this is a role reserved for men. Yet, this is where she places herself, or rather listening to her inner passion, where the Spirit leads her.
Passionate spirituality is more God’s gift than it is anything we do. It is more for us to welcome than for us to achieve. It results from a series of conversions, a series of transformations.
Each of us is called repeatedly, invited to turn away from something and toward something else. The transformations that occur in our lives may cause us to turn toward God, toward Christ, toward a Church family and friends, toward the poor, to a life of prayer, toward a certain form of service, toward the world that God loves.
Each of us is invited many times to turn in a new direction. Passionate spirituality happens again and again when we answer these calls and enter new dimensions of the great gift of life. We cannot make these calls happen, but we can leave ourselves undefended so that we can hear such a call when it does present itself. Spiritual practices, properly understood, are to a large degree a form of listening to the Holy Spirit who resides within.
In this way, prayer, scripture, helping those in need, going on a faith-based retreat, and many others are ways for us, like Mary to sit @ Jesus’ feet and listen to what He wants to tell us.
We may find it risky and uncomfortable, for all sorts of reason, some of them self-imposed, to undertake spiritual practices in a receptive way, to answer the call to continuing our conversions/transformations, to become aflame with passionate spirituality or what Jesus calls the one thing necessary. We may after all find ourselves taken to unexpected places. And I am not necessarily speaking of physically relocating one’s life, but a new life in Christ with new and a fresh purpose.
Passionate spirituality took a biblical farm hand name Amos away from the tending of sycamore trees and made him into a prophet of God. He responded to his call.
Passionate spirituality took a slave from Maryland’s Eastern Shore named Harriet Tubman and made her into the Moses of her people. She responded to the call.
Passionate spirituality took Oscar Romero, a conventional cleric from the tortured country of El Salvador and made him into a voice for the voiceless. Oscar responded.
Fishermen dropped their nets, left their families, abandoned their comfort zones to follow Jesus and become His inner circle. They answered and responded.
Our Daisy’s Angels’ Ministry Team answered a call to volunteer and committed ourselves to ministering to a chapel full of Juvenile offenders. We responded . . . and speaking for myself, look where it has taken me. To a lifestyle of study, of reading and composing written assignments upon assignments, learning to articulate my words to paper, a passionate commitment, a highly focus and disciplined life, and for some of my peers, an exceedingly boring and lonely life.
As we contemplate Holy Week and the passion driven followers of Jesus, we must remember what our Lord endured for our salvation. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice of sin on the altar of the cross and washed away our sins with His blood.
We have so much to be grateful for this week. The enemy knows that, and you can bet, he is going to do everything he can to try and distract us away from the true meaning of what this Holy Week means. God’s word is unstoppable. One thing we can be sure of – God keeps His word. We can count on Him, trust Him, and believe His Word. Today as we remember Palm Sunday, we are assured that God will keep His Word about the future. How do we know that for certain? Because He has kept His Word so perfectly and exactly in the past.
Our responsibility is to repent of our sins. Our crucified Lord on the cross is a vivid image of His love. Meditating on His passion will strengthen us against temptation, move us to frequent confession and I am not talking about publicly confessing, just a sincere and deep conversation with God.
Today, Palm Sunday is significant as we begin Holy Week. I encourage you to delve into the meaning of this week and what is about to transpire. Scripture relates the grand story of how God has acted in grace to save His way-ward children. Reflect on God’s promise of salvation that is offered to all. This journey that Jesus willingly took to the cross is for us, yes, all of us. God’s plan to save us is about to unfold. Reflect, marvel, sit in a state of amazement and gratitude because this is for You! ☺ The gift of salvation happens on Calvary.
Calvary where we come with our sin and receive His salvation. Calvary, where we come with our ruin and receive His righteousness. Calvary, the place where we come with our darkness and receive His light. Calvary, the place where we come with our hate and rebellion and receive His love. I suggest making the journey and collect what is yours.
Of course, I am talking figuratively. Go to the cross, take all your brokenness, and lay them down. Take all your baggage stuffed full of regrets, sins, the should haves, the what ifs, your heavy burdens and placed those bags at the foot of the cross. Get on your knees and give it “all” to our Lord and Savior and tell Him, “Thank You!” Get up and begin a fresh new beginning with a life centered in God’s Word and discover your God-given purpose(s). Your life will be transformed
Not ready yet, it is okay, fortunately God is patient, diligent, and His vigilance never waivers with us, His creation.
Holy Week is a reminder that God is not finished. Hope is still coming. God is not done. In this Holy Week, may God direct our thoughts and attention towards what matters most, Jesus Christ our King...
Let us choose to focus on worshipping our Lord, thanking Him for the gift of His sacrifice, celebrating the power of the Resurrection, and the new life found in Him alone. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15
If you are able . . . make sure to witness the sunrise on Easter morning. Remember, the Son, S-O-N is rising for You!
Amen!

The Little Church in the Pines
March 21, 2021
Is it Possible? Absolutely!
Micah 6:8
by; Pastor Tom Shanor
As we know by experience, life is full of requirements and expectations, it just is, if we are going to live together in community and harmony. There are realistic and applicable expectations, fundamental ones as well as unrealistic and absurd ones. When they come from God Himself though, we had better listen for our own good. His are never unrealistic, absurd, or irrelevant. They are always life-applicable and necessary for the well-being of we as individuals, and for humanity-as-a-whole.
MICAH 6:8 – “He has told you, O mankind, what is good and what the Lord ‘requires’ of you, and that is, to act with justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly….with your God.”
This verse encapsulates the heart of God, and with that my goal and our eventual destination in today’s message. We will now go over these again, one by one.
a. We have been told!
b. What is good in the sight of God.
c. What our requirements are that need to be fulfilled in us being accepted by Him and they are:
d. Justice
e. Mercy
f. Humility
Think about just these three requirements and expectations, that if indeed they and they alone were fulfilled by us, how different the world would be. We need to look deep within our hearts and lives, examining ourselves through the eyes of the Spirit and see where we fall short.
We will become more intimate with this verse and these words as we go along in today’s message, for they are foundational to our Christian journey in making us more like Jesus.
I am now going to do a bit of what I call ‘a weaving’ of these words into a tapestry of a good life for each and all of us.
A requirement is in its essence a commandment.
Here is the meaning of each in their simplest definition.
1. Commandment, an important ‘rule’ given by God that tells us how to behave.
2. Rule, a statement that tells us what is or is not permitted, in-any-given situation we find ourselves in as Believers.
3. Requirement, something that must be done.
4. Expectation, a belief that something will happen or is likely to happen, if stated clearly what is expected.
5. Faithful; keeping our promises and doing what we are supposed to do, thereby showing true and constant loyalty to God.
6. Benefits, a good or helpful result or effect of doing what is expected.
Weaving these six together in a complete paragraph comes next!
“Commandments are important rules given by God, instructing us as to how to live our lives, and these rules or commandments tell us what is, or even perhaps what is not expected in our daily living, requiring of us, the needed musts that He instructs us in His expectations, of what will be the outcome or likely to happen. As we are faithful in keeping our promises, by doing what we are supposed to do, thereby showing Him our love and true consistent loyalty, for in doing so, the results will be beneficial and both helpful and good.
In Jesus’ teachings there have been determined by scholars to be thirty-eight actual commandments. These commandments in their totality, offer to us ‘the way of life’ that if followed, will bless, and enrich us that no other way offered to us can give us.
My question at this point is, is this easy? and my answer is no, but it is also not impossible. For in Christ we are told, all things are possible. This, friend, is the crux on which all of these and their successes or failure depends. Do we want to please God or ourselves? Do we want to have full and rich lives or not? What must come about first, is the desire to love and worship Him, or ourselves. When the desire of our focus is settled, that is the first step toward pleasing God. These virtues can be woven into the very fabric of our lives if we but desire them to be there, for God will enable us to become master weavers of our own lives when He is working the shuttle.
Jesus said, “IF…you indeed love Me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
These teaching of His will clearly tell us if we follow a form of religion, or instead true followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.
We can be like Old Faithful in Yellowstone, or like all the rest of the geysers., for it is not the largest in the Park, but certainly the most predictable or reliable.
As Christians, if we adhere to the commandments of Jesus, desiring to follow them, we too can be relied upon to be faithful and true because of the requirement and expectation that are being fulfilled. These, flowing from Him through us, as we interact with one another, with strangers and family members making changes for the better! Not only our lives and world, but all those whom we touch every day will benefit from our adherence to these virtues. Being Faithful is the key.
As we learn by studying His Commandments or requirements, it will also become noticeably clear to us, that God, being the God of expectations, is also the God of grace, justice, mercy, and humility, as exampled in Jesus when He washed the feet of His disciples.
Of the acknowledged thirty-eight commandments, there is one that in the past several decades became quite unpopular to speak of, and we find that one in John 3:7 – “You must be born again” (I have heard too many Christians speak against this statement, yet it was Jesus Himself who said it, and He NEVER said anything He did not mean. Just one of those requirements.) The benefits we are told is when doing so, (being born again) we receive eternal life, but not only eternal life, but eternal life with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in a place called Heaven. This is as opposed to the alternative, for it seems everyone born has an eternal life….the difference being, where one spends it. These are not my words, but I sure do not mind saying them.
Do you remember the man reaching out to Jesus when He stated this to him? John 3:4, Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter back into his mother’s womb and be re-born. Well, that was rational question.
In John 3:5, Jesus replies, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (baptism) and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Let us put it all together here….and this is called the “Message of the Kingdom.”
Upon repentance, (asking for the forgiveness of a person’s personal sins) then accepting what the Bible says about who Jesus the Christ as…(the begotten Son of God) and then turning to God in a new faith or belief in Him, for salvation. (benefit!) Acts 3:19. Turning from sin is NOT the definition of repentance but it is one of the results of genuine faith-based belief.
I will try to sum it up as best I can. “Upon repentance, a new order of life opens up to the new believer in Jesus Christ. Jesus used the term “new birth” to dramatically indicate three things.
1. Without a new birth there is no life, and no relationship with God, through His Son Jesus Christ.
2. In a New Birth, a new perspective is born as we now begin to see with new eyes and hear with new ears, the truth of the Kingdom of God. God’s Word becomes alive and clear, as the Holy Spirit brings us fresh revelations of truths.
3. Through this new birth we are given a second birth, not literally physically, yet literally in the Spiritual realm, by entering that new realm of growing faith, where God’s position in our lives is now being realized. (2nd Corinthians 5:17) It is now a re-qualifying experience, opening the possibilities, of our existence to a new supernatural dimension of life, and outfitting us for our new and vital spiritual journey.
Over the years there was formed a pattern that still exists in some religious circles, as to how to be born again. You had to get up, walk down an aisle (if there was one) to the front of the church building, and confess (in front of the congregation that indeed you were a sinner) inviting Jesus into your heart, so to speak. This I experienced personally at the age of 12 and found it to be a most memorable and wonderful experience. But in my opinion, this is but one way, this is not the only way. What occurs between you and God is between you and God, and to how this relationship comes about. One fact is that indeed it is through Christ and Christ alone. Publicly, privately, in a dump or in a mansion, a church, or a pool hall, it just does not matter. The moment you realize you by faith you believe, you at that moment are born again.
From that moment on it is a time to recognize that indeed, God will require of you, me, and all of us that call upon HIM, that we begin to live out Micah 6:8, and, that our new attitude and outlook, is focused on becoming like Jesus, who lived out and continues to live out humility, justice, and mercy as well as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
We are also told this beautiful revelation in Romans 8:1, “There is NOW no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus!” Nada, never, no way, NO condemnation! God now sees us solely through the eyes of His Son. Justified and whole.
Is your place a small place?
Tend it with care!
For, He set you there.
Is your place a large place?
Guard it with care!
For He set you there.
Whatever your place,
You are not alone,
But His place, and
He set you there.
Therefore. Tend it with care…………
Wherever we are now, is where we are supposed to be. It is here and now that God called us to be His followers, doing His will, learning His ways, so that His Son is given the freedom by us, to work through us, in assisting and loving others into the Kingdom of God.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ…help us to learn from You, opening our minds and spirit to your Holy Spirit…who teaches us in all things….also helping us to remember Micah 6:8. “He has told you, O mankind, what is good and what the Lord ‘requires’ of you, and that is to act with justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly….with your God. Amen
Story…….read. . . .

The Little Church in the Pines
March 14, 2021
“WHAT IS SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE?"
by: Pastor Tom Shanor

What is so amazing about Grace ties into what is so amazing about Life. Really, life is simply (but not so simply) a fact I am not always able to grasp even though
I live. The enormity of space…eternity…this amazing little dot we live on…amazing! That not only the mere fact of life, on earth, but the resources to sustain life and for it to prosper are all here. We take for granted all these facts, and live as if what? That life is our due? I tell you this, it is a gift, and should be recognized as such. A gift that we should use in the very-best ways possible as a means of giving thanks to God for it.
At the center of this amazing thing called life is God. Not a god, but THE GOD, for God is not a concept but a reality. We know it, we sense it, we feel Him. The order of life, the body we live in, so amazing! From dust and water…and the elements that God used to create both the Universe and us, amazing. Not only us, but from the mite to the mighty, amazing, the diversity of life, PERFECT in Creation, but when the perfect went awry through man who not being content to live in peace, harmony, and unity with all that God gave him, because he wanted to be like God…. came the fall. Unity, harmony became disunity and confusion resulting in a rift, when Gods and our enemy entered the picture and, as a result, the need for mankind, now exploding upon the earth to be able to become once again reconciled to the Creator through what and who? Through Jesus Christ and GRACE, because of His great life and sacrifice of that life for us. GRACE and RECONCILIATION THROUGH HIS SACRIFICE is nothing short of AMAZING. And all it takes is acknowledgment of the Savior with the forgiveness of sins, and the GRACE that separates them from us as far as the East is from the West! Vanished forever…that is Grace. God planted within us the desire for Him, for His Son at the very beginning of Creation. Many of us have tried to fill that space with so many other things.
And people….and yet the hunger for God, un-satiated, remains in us, which drives us on and up and into, finally, hopefully, the One who breathed life into us.
Amazing Grace……how sweet the sound ~ that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.
Twas GRACE that taught my heart to fear, and “grace” my fears relieved; how precious did that “Grace” appear…the hour I first believed.
He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.
Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come;
His Grace hath brough me safe thus fare, and Grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve not less day to sings God’s praise, than when we’d first begun.
(READ THE HISTORY OF THE HYMN)
Yes, I have spoken on GRACE before and will again, but it has been a while since a singular topic, and feel deeply the need for myself and all of us to simply remember the great and mighty “gift” that it is, and as we draw close to Easter and what it cost our Lord to bestow on us this gift….and what it cost Him to give it.
The first stanza of the hymn speaks of fear, so I am going to try and clarify the meaning of that fear. I believe what Newton is saying here is that without GRACE, with the GRACE given freely to all who come to that Saving Grace in Jesus, here, in this stanza is specific to himself. That the acknowledgment of his own sins…the weight of not having that GRACE…would cause him to be swallowed up by the sins that weighed on him, causing fear to rise within him to the degree of an it, then becoming a great fear, an awful fear, and that the result without this free grace ultimately….is not just physical death, but a total separation of himself from God in Christ. Do you understand….it would mean conscious separation, because Scripture tells us all will live forever, no annihilation, but conscious separation from the Savior. John Newton came deeply into the understanding of what GRACE meant to him. Freedom, freedom from fear, darkness, separation, and death.
He goes on to say…. how precious, how valuable, how light-filled Grace is, when both received….and then given to others, when through us, by way of witness of our lives and words………………
John Newton, following a difficult upbringing, his mother dying when he was but seven, because of the choices he made as a young man eventually let to his deep conversion…once recognizing his then immediate and eternal value of this GRACE.
Freely, freely you have received…freely, freely give. Go in my name and because you believe…. others will know that I live.
I have mentioned Philip Yancy before…because of his book he wrote and published called “What’s So Amazing About Grace.” I recall a line he wrote saying, “Little did I know what I was getting into when I began writing a book on the word grace. He goes on to say, “I chose the topic out of my concern that some of us in the U.S. Church have lost our way, and that we stand in danger of losing our most important contribution to the world, (along with the message of reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ) because we fail…we fail…to both understand and live out the grace given to us in our everyday interactive lives with each other and our neighbors.”
Philip also says, “I truly believe that the future of the church in America and the world, depends on how we master the ‘gift’ of giving Grace, not His grace for only He can give that, but the grace given to us working out through us to others…being grace-filled.
What makes Christianity so radically different from all the other religions in the world. C.S. Lewis put it this way. “Grace”
Think about this…. where in the Muslim religion is grace ever mentioned. The entire world and all its religions are considered by them as faithless infidels, worthy of being if not converted, killed. Without one iota of mercy or grace.
There are a few religions such as Buddhists, which incorporate peace into their faith, and here the four notables of that religion.
1. Existence is suffering.
2. Suffering has a cause, namely craving and attachment, (sin)
3. There is a cessation to suffering that can be reached in life. And that is called Nirvana.
4. There is a pathway to Nirvana, but only a few can find within themselves the discipline to achieving it. Nirvana is being One with all of creation.
There is the Bahai Faith…. which is a new religion, (19th Century) teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. They acknowledge Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad as predecessors to “the Bab, who is the one yet to come, called Bahuaullah, who will unify the world under one all-knowing God. Unknown to them, this is true as Jesus Christ will do so when He returns to earth.
If you adhere to any one of these faiths only…. then there is no grace extended…the idea is to incorporate the best of them all if indeed they can be found.
GRACE….as you know or perhaps do not know, cannot be earned…for in Western Christian theology, Grace is “the love and mercy given to us by God, because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have, will do or can earn it”. Undeserved, but given freely.
Christ paid for it…. period. Be grateful and accept it…. please.
Why do we sometimes find it so hard to extend to others this GRACE in us (having been forgiven ourselves by Christ) who have offended us?
Because it is beneath us to condescend to do so?
Because they offended us and therefore do not deserve it?
Because we want to feel superior to them…add infinitum.
Because of this, we often nurture the offense to the point where It rules our lives.
These among many others…. if not reconciled, become chains around our mind, heart and spirit that can blind and bind us to the need of letting the offense go. No longer walking in grace, it soon becomes almost possible to live without our self-righteousness indignation, hurt, anger…thereby making reconciliation next to impossible.
It is not out business to go around pointing fingers at others, pointing out their failures or sins…. but, for the most part we have all on occasion done so. In this area we don’t need any training either, as it seems to come naturally. Experience comes quickly and can be fed to the degree of becoming a ravaging beast. Then too often our tongue gets involve, blaming, accusing, gossiping, condemning for these actions keep us in control….and we like being in control.
I have mentioned Corrie Ten-Boom and her sister Betsy who from Holland ended up in a concentration camp for aiding Jews fleeing from Nazi persecution. It is all about grace……. titled, “The Deepest Pit of All” READ (from
One last illustration;
On April 4th, 1968, American Civil Rights Leader, known as Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated, leaving millions angry and disillusioned. In Indianapolis, a largely African American crowd had gathered to hear Robert F. Kennedy speak. They had not yet heard of Dr. King’s death, so Kennedy (heart-broken and shattered himself,) chose to share the tragic news. He appealed for calm by acknowledging not only his, but their loss……the country’s loss and his, having lost his own brother President Kennedy, and the abiding pain he carried within himself.
Kennedy then quoted a variation of an ancient poem.
Even in our sleep,
Pain which we cannot forget,
Falls, drop by drop upon our heart,
Until in our own despair, against our will,
Comes wisdom…through the awful grace of God,
“Wisdom through the ‘awful Grace of God’ is a remarkable statement. It means this…. that God’s Grace should fill us with awe, for it gives us the opportunity to grow in wisdom and Grace itself, during life’s most difficult times, will, when receiving and giving, change our lives for the better, and make us into men and women of gratitude and grace…. not judgment.
It will make us into kinder and gentler people…. with the side effect of doing the same to others when they see us being like our Lord.
God help us all…every one of us…to live such lives that in turn will bring us, us, health, peace and even joy, where no matter what comes our way, we can say and sing as we did last week. “It is Well with My Soul” for it will be well with your soul because of being men and women of God’s grace through Christ.
Acts of Grace begins with the small things, things as simple as small acts of kindness…so that when the big opportunities come, we will automatically do the right thing, because we were faithful in the small things. We will have stepped into that water I spoke of last week…. for we will have His Peace, Like a River in our soul.
Amen….
What is so amazing about Grace……Everything!
(Selah)

THE LITTLE CHURCH IN THE PINES
MACK’S INN, ISLAND PARK, IDAHO 83429
208-240-2327
March 7, 2021
“Peace Like a River” Pastor Tom Shanor
Peace is described as a “State of Harmony, characterized by alack of conflict of violence, anger, retribution, and freedom from fear of any kind. I would further describe it as benign…. serenity….free from conflict within or without. “Still my heart” A state of being, characterized as place I love being in!
Its Spring…birds are singing, butterflies are flitting, bees are humming, in repose NEARBY under a tree, lies a young fawn, nestled up close to its mother. Both have their eyes shut…sunlight dappling through the branches of the tress as the river almost silently ripples by, as water bugs are scurrying across the ripples looking for something to eat. Mountains lie in the distance, still snow-cap covered. Lying on the cool grass is me…or you…free (for the moment) of pain or worry of any kind. So perfect, timeless and all enveloping is the feeling, that we hold on to as long as we possibly can letting go of even those unsettling things that often wait in the periphery of our mind.
Because being human, and recognizing by experience of daily living, all could change in the matter of one second. One nano second. We know this, which is why at that moment we are holding on to this all-encompassing peace as long as we possibly can. I call it “peace, but, with an edge,” for we cannot seem to do the impossible, the impossible of being totally and completely at peace without that edge, of the unexpected events, person or noise that is going to bring us back to the reality that all things are fleeting…the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. Us.
Yet…. Jesus said to us in John 14:27, My Peace I leave with you; “My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. (that is fleeting peace) Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.” (NIV) WOW…if only.
The question is, if this peace is given to us, why then are we so little and seldom at peace? Is it our lack of understanding, lack of faith, of trust? What is it that allows fear at times to overwhelm us? Why is it we cannot seem to appropriate or hold onto this statement, planting it deeply within us, so that when occasions come, that take us by the mind and heart shaking us to the core of our being….or even lightly, how can we more fully hold on to this elusive thing place called Peace.
I know the answer….and when I fail to hold onto that peace, I can only point to myself, pointing out to myself, that it is simply because of those questions I posed above, where I lack the faith, and most of all I lack the radical trust…that Jesus who said these words meant them, and it is up to me to build and stabilize and deepen my one-on-one relationship with Him. And in doing this, I then will find His words resonating throughout my whole being, head to toe. fingertip to fingertip. (PRAYER)
Dear God…. In this season of Lent, we are reminded of our own difficulties and struggles. Sometimes the way has seemed too dark. Sometimes we feel like our lives have been marked by such grief and pain that we cannot see how our circumstances can ever change. But in the midst of our weakness and lack of that radical trust, we ask that You be strong for us on our behalf.
Lord, rise within us. and may Your Spirit shine through us, healing every broken place within us. Align Your power to be manifest through our own weaknesses and shortsightedness, so that other will recognize it is You who is at work on our behalf.
We ask that You, will trade the ashes of our lives for the beauty and Peace of Your Presence, not only at the moment of our greatest need but at every moment of our lives.
May we trade our mourning for dancing as David said, “Thou has turned my mourning into dancing for me, Thou has put off my sackcloth, and wrapped me in gladness. Our grief traded for the oil of Joy by inviting the Presence of Your Holy Spirit into us. We trade now, today, our despair for hope and because we can, we praise You. We choose to give You our thanks today and believe that this season of confusion and darkness will fade away, as You shine the light of Your face upon, us and upon this world.
That indeed You that are with us in whatever we face, and that You are greater than this or any trial we endure…because You and I and we, can face them together. We know and recognize that You are Sovereign, and we are grateful our victory is in Christ Jesus Your Son, our Friend, Lord, Savior and Advocate. On Christ the Solid Rock we stand…. all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
My we be confident that You still have Good in store for our future, “for You have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind…. also, with a future and a hope. Amen
Given the events of my own life these past several months in particular, today’s message is based on my own need to come to a better place than I have been. To gain a deeper understanding, and a deeper radical faith, than heretofore that I have ever had, by listening and building new ways to look at my own life, and you, yours, seeing where we can garner some new insight. You see, it starts here (in our mind) fueled by the Spirit and by our Lord’s teachings and example, being fueled by our need. This message of PEACE began at the birth of our Lord and one day will be established forever at His second arrival. As I said, it starts (here in our minds) and then is taken hold of by our soul and spirit…seen by us as a possible major turning point in our lives.
We can spend time watching the news, reading online, or in the newspapers and magazines, telling us of all the horrible things that are happening in our world, the pain so many endure and succumb to every day, even though we allegedly here live in a visual paradise, we cannot escape the world, no matter how much or how hard we try…. the world will seek us out.
Interestingly, lately, I have read and heard so-called prophets today, who say our role as Christians is to take over the government by elections, etc., (called Kingdom Now theology) and as Christians, governmentally we are to turn our nation and then the world around, through our Christianity….yes, this is becoming a growing focus out there, as I have listened on the radio to a pastor in Idaho Falls, called the River of Life (of all things) a Geneva Bible preacher,, who talks more about the government and Constitution than he does about Scripture, but it is never going to happen. What happens by those means, pointed out to us by history itself never works, for power corrupts when good men become inflated by their own success, and begin to compromise their beginning high ideals, for the sake of staying and gaining more power. I stated this in a sermon not long ago, that religion and politics are an extremely dangerous combination, hence, not have a state recognized church. Religion marrying politics causes great division, authoritarianism…and just plain dangerous trouble. That we a nation proclaim to be under God, and that is good, as well as individuals in government who w profess allegiance to God…. that is good. Basing our moral society on God’s commandments…that too is good, but using religion, any religion in a world as to force its citizens to follow and obey it will only bring disaster.
UNTIL that is…. the One, the Son of God returns. Then according to Holy Scripture, He will reign with love, justice, and righteousness. The King of kings and Lord of lord.
These false prophets I speak of, have already drawn many into their web of idealism, and corrupted truth for lies. Jesus said these words to us, “For many will come in My name, claiming; ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that YOU are not deceived, for these things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many places,” All these are the beginning of Sorrows. Matthew 24:5-7 See to it that you are not alarmed.
“Peace…. like a river (no matter our circumstances) attendeth our soul.”
The Puritan, Thomas Watson put it this way: “God the Son is called the Prince of Peace. He came into thew world with a song of peace: of “peace on earth, goodwill toward mankind.” He went out having preached a legacy of Peace, saying to us, “My peace I give unto you.” Christ’s earnest prayer was for peace; He prayed that his people might be one (Song)
We are one in the Spirit,
We are one in the Lord,
We are one in the Spirit,
We are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored,
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our Love.
Christ not only prayed for peace but bled for peace: having made peace through the blood of His Cross.” He died not only to make peace between God and man, but between man and man. Christ suffered on the Cross thereby He bought peace, paid for it, for you and for me when in our greatest time of need, He gives it to us, when we reach out…. taking and holding onto it. This He did for you and for me, and for all those who call upon His name…for He is there, here and everywhere, even now. For Scriptures say when two or three are gathered in His name…He is Present.
In the center of the whirlpool, while the waters rush around,
There’s a space of perfect stillness, though without turmoil it is found.
All is calm and all is quiet, scarcely even a sense of sound.
Who with us…despite the conflict…when in Christ our peace is found.
Have you seen the picture of a huge wave rushing around a towering lighthouse, where in an open doorway on the opposite side, at the bottom stands a man…unaware of what is coming?
I did a little research…and found that the man was unscathed, simply backing in…and closing the door….
THERE IS A RIVER OF LIFE….SO DIFFERENT THA THAT TOWERING WAVE…. for all we need to do is step up to the edge, trusting that it is not too cold or hot, not to swift or stagnant, wade in slowly as it drifts (this river of life) beckoning us to enter. First our feet…then up to our knees…thighs, waist, chest, neck….and allow ourselves to immerse ourselves into the current…of His river. Feeling no fear…. only trust and then joy…………………………
There is a river of life flowing over me….
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see,
Open’s prison doors, sets the captives free,
There is a river of life flowing out of me.
When we observe the life of Jesus as He walked His journey to the Cross…. nothing is more noticeable than the quiet even poise, of His life. Never flustered whatever came His way, never taken off guard, however assailed by men or demons while in the midst of fickle, volatile people, hostile rulers, sometimes faithless disciples, always calm, always collected. Christ, tireless teacher, leader indeed…but doing no more, no less, than God had appointed Him to do, not restless, nor in a hurry, no worry.
Was ever…such a peaceful life up unto the end was lived, under conditions so intense, dangerous, and unsettling.
We might say, but He was God, and He could do all these things, and yet we know “He wept” He feared…He identified so with us while in this earthly journey he became as one of us, and so having gone through (as I said two weeks ago) the same things we go through, only more, He says to us…..We CAN do ALL Things
through He (Jesus the Christ) who will strengthen and enable us…to do.
The Lord is aware of how you feel when you are under pressure, when you are physically sick or mentally exhausted, or emotionally distraught.
You…. are precious to Him. He invites each of, in this crazy, chaotic, upside down world to join Him, in the River of His life….and to trust Him with all your heart, mind and strength…and to walk together, forever WITH Him…..
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear,
What a privilege to carry,
Everything to God in prayer,
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry,
Everything to God in prayer,
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; but
Take it to the Lord in Prayer:
Can we find a friend so faithful?
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer,
Are we weak and heavy laden?
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
Take it to the Lord in prayer……….
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
IN HIS ARMS HE’LL TAKE AND SHIELD THEE;
THOU WILT FIND A SOLACE THERE
…Do you want peace…peace like a river in your soul? Do need peace with all the things and people in our everyday life?
Immerse yourself in Him………that River of Life, believing His parting words…. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world give. Do not let your hearts be troubled, DO NOT BE AFRAID!”
LET’S PRAY………….
The Lord who heals all your sins, bless you and keep you;
The face of the Lord who heals all your afflictions shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The Light of the countenance of the Lord who redeems your life, be lifted upon you…and give you peace………. Amen

Little Church in the Pines
February 28, 2021
Connie Funkhouser - subbing for Pastor Tom Shanor

“STRONG – CONFIDENT?”
       No, my friends, I Am far from it. What you are seeing is a simple - weak person, with a very faithful and strong God.
       When our Daisy's Angels' Ministry Team volunteered @ the Juvenile Correction Center, I wanted to be relatable. Not someone that they would think . . .. Lady you have no idea what I have done, or who we are. Of course, they were correct, but it was important that they knew who was behind the visual image of me. I knew they thought I was an individual that had it all together, composed, self-assured, wearing nice clothes, and once we were done with our 1-1/2hrs. of volunteer service we would not give them another thought until the following month. In those thoughts they were wrong. Extremely wrong.
I told them that I was an individual that lacked confidence, not a little, but a lot! So much so that I chose to find confidence not from myself, but from the Holy Spirit that resides within . . . . to “Be Confident in God!” It was important to our Team that we shared that confidence and how it was attainable.
So, we had them write out affirmation statements about themselves. We could see they were struggling so I showed them the one that I made for myself as an example. . .. show mine – we called them “I Am Statements” and I do have on there I Am Confident in God.
Their affirmation statements were not to be what they were, but what they could and would accomplish through the power of God. I do not know how many we made, but it was a lot. One cool thing was the JCC facility let the Teens tape their statements to the walls in their cottages. We requested that they read them morning and night to remind themselves of what they were capable of by remaining in faith and having an intimate and personal relationship with our Lord and Savior.
I often wonder how many Teens that have completed the program still have their I Am Statements and have checked off the desires of their hearts.
       I am going to read 5 verses from Scripture then ask a question:
(New International Version and King James Version)

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Isaiah 30:15 “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
Philippians 3:3a “Rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.”
Galatians 5:10 “I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind.”
1 John 5:14 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

I pose this question to Pastor Tom . . . in Bible Study he is always doing this to us ☺ READY?
What is the one word that is missing from all these verses?
SELF – Correct ☺

What does it mean to have confidence in God?
       God-confidence means depending completely upon God and His strength to handle the things in our lives. It is not about our strength or the confidence that we put into earthly things.
       We all need confidence, but the question is where does true confidence come from? It only comes from Christ. If our confidence is coming from any other source it will fail in the end. When our confidence comes from anything other than God, we will never be satisfied. When we take our focus off God, our confidence will suffer. God needs to be our confidence. We need to get closer to Him. I do not think I am telling you anything new when I say, “He is” our everlasting source for all that we need.
       We live in a world where self-confidence is the phrase of the 21 century. There is so much talk about self-confidence and how important it is. While yes, confidence is important, but as a Christian, do we really think we should be relying on ourselves instead of God? Absolutely not! There is a hierarchy God want us to follow. So, let us look @ God-confidence vs self-confidence and I will do my best to illustrate that God-confidence is truly the only way to go.
       Dictionary.com gives us two definitions of self-confidence. The first definition is a realistic confidence in one’s own judgment, ability, and power. The second definition is excessive or inflated confidence in one’s own judgment or ability. First realistic and then excessive? In any event, it is all about us!
       As a Christian, these definitions go completely against the grain of what God wants for us. It is not about our strength or the confidence that we put into earthly things like money, education, people, and appearance. Self-confidence has limited potential but – God-confidence has unlimited possibilities (Renee Swope). We must place no confidence in our own works, but only in God. Having a Godly focus means to seek those things from above.
The first step in God-confidence is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Once we have a personal relationship with our Lord, God-confidence starts with prayer.
When we get so focused on a trial, we will not be able to seek joy in the Lord. God helps to calm down our hearts. When we are confident in the Lord, we know that there are many promises in Scripture that we can pray for. “God you said my mind would be @ peace if I trust in you. Help me to trust.” God will honor that prayer and He will give us a special peace in Him. (Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in Him/God”).
Confidence in prayer is achieved by having special intimate alone time with God. There are many ppl that know what God can do and they know all about God, but knowing God intimately eludes them. They have never prayed for more of His presence in their lives. This is where confidence comes from, naturally prayer, but committing oneself to living in the Presence of God. We cannot afford not to be alone w/God. There must be an un-satisfied appetite for study, for God’s Word. The passion for truth in scripture is an extension of the passion we have for God.
Believing in God and Believing God are not the same, and it is important that we understand the distinction to live the victorious Christian life. Believing in God is saying, “I know God exists.” But believing God is trusting what He has said about Himself, about us, and about the relationship He desires to have with us. This goes beyond our basic salvation to having utmost faith and confidence in Jesus for every detail of our lives. Harboring full confidence that fear does not come from the Lord --- confidence, a sense of belonging, and clarity do. We can be sure that God is going to give us the strength, the love, the wisdom to face whatever may come.
We want confidence that our prayers will be answered. We want confidence in Him in the hardest of situations. We want a boldness in our lives that we never had before. Therefore, we must get alone w/God every day.
Personally, I have an open dialogue with God, I feel as though I pray my way through the day. So much so, I can pray as I am talking to someone and petitioning the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, which is a reflection on my words. A few summers ago, Pastor Tom recommended this book: 2 Chairs . . . I too recommend it. Crazy, I now brew my coffee and hightail it upstairs to spend time in my 2 Chairs before I begin the day. I look forward to that one-on-one intimate time with Jesus. And I admit, there have been times when I have said, I no longer know what to say or how to pray, please Holy Spirit who resides from within, take over for me, I am lost - I am crushed. And then I listen . . . .
Every time we are in personal contact with Jesus, His words are real to us. “My peace I give to you” (John 14:27) - - a peace which brings unconstrained confidence and covers us completely, from the tops of our heads to the soles of our feet.
Faith is not some casual emotion, but a strong, determined, and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is Holy Love. Martin Luther said, “Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake.”
Faith is the supreme effort of our life’s – throwing ourselves with abandon and total confidence upon God. God ventured His “All” in Jesus Christ to save us, and now He wants us to venture our “All” with complete abandon confidence in Him.
The author of Hebrews tells us in 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
1 John 4:17 tells us, “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment.” In this world we are called to be like Jesus. Every single verse that I have referenced so far, reinforces that we can have confidence because God is enough and, in Him, we are enough.
It is also important to remember that our worth does not come from our actions. Instead, our worth lies in God. He created us for His honor and glory and for His pleasure. He has known us from the very beginning and values us so very much that he created a plan for sinful mankind, even before the foundation of the world.
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God, created him; male and female created he them.”
We are made, not if we are made, in the image of God, then why do we struggle with our worth? Obviously, because of sin. But our true basis of worth can only be found through faith in Jesus and by accepting His free gift of salvation. As a result, we are precious to God. We were and are so important to Him, that He sent His only begotten Son.
Our worth from our Lord is why in a contest of God-confidence vs self-confidence, God wins every time. Our worth upon acceptance of Jesus as our Savior will never change, unlike self-worth of the world, which can change by the minute.
One of the truths of our identity in Christ is that we can approach God with freedom and confidence and when we are secure in our identity in Christ, we have no need to promote, protect, or prove ourselves. We have His complete attention and unfailing love. We freely and humbly point to Jesus instead of ourselves. We rest in our relationship with God, humbly serving as Jesus did, wherever He leads us. His Spirit assures us that we belong to Him.
We are God’s masterpiece. God knows and loves us just the way we are. Sometimes, I do struggle with comparisons, which is a sin, I know . . . however in those times of doubt, my Heavenly Father is waiting for me, for us, to turn to Him for strength. God-confidence is not walking into a room checking everyone out or comparing yourself to everyone, it is walking in . . . not comparing yourself to anyone @ all.
To love, live and be an Apprentice of Jesus Christ, is more than a catchphrase, more than a lesson to be taught. Loving, living, and learning from God’s Word is an ongoing way of life. When we open our hearts to God’s life transforming work, the Spirit begins the process of reshaping us into the likeness of Jesus. The life poured into us gives us a new nature and overflows into our relationship with others. The Spirit’s transforming presence flows into every aspect of our lifes: personal, professional, public, and private. Concern for others, humility, and God-confidence reshapes our lives.
I am going to end with a story that I enjoy, and I am confident you will too ☺
Every month Martin’s parents took a trip too Grandmas and came home on the same train the next day.
One day Martin said to his parents, “I am all grown up. Can I ride the train and go to Grandma’s alone?”
After a brief discussion, his parents agreed. They stood with him as he waited for the train to arrive. They said goodbye to their son and gave him a few last-minute tips and instructions.
Martin repeated to them, “I know. I’ve been told this a thousand times.” As Martin was about to get onboard, his father murmured in his ear . . . “Son if you feel bad or insecure, this is for you.” And he put something in his pocket.
Now Martin was alone, sitting on the train as he had wanted, without his parents for the first time. He was admiring the landscape out the windows. Around him people pushed and shoved while getting on and off the train during each stop. The conductor made some comments about him being alone. One person looked @ Martin with eyes of sadness and pity.
Martin was feeling more uneasy and insecure, with every minute that passed, and now was scared. He felt concerned and alone. He put his head down, and with tears in his eyes, he remembered his Dad had put something in his pocket. Trembling, he searched for what his Dad had given him. Upon finding the piece of paper, Martin read, “Son, I am in the last train car.”
I read this and instantly thought, God is so like that. When we are going through moments or phases of insecurities, loneliness, questioning our life’s, may we always remember God is right with us. Not in the last train car, but sitting right beside us, His Spirit is so close to us that He resides within us. Always offering His support, His strength, even trusting that we will remain confident in Him, and loving us regardless of whatever situation we find ourselves.
Do not let obstacles along the road of eternity shake your confidence in God’s promises.
*** The HOLY SPIRIT is God’s SEAL that you will arrive ***
(David Jeremiah).
Amen!

The Little Church in the Pines
Macks Inn
Island park, Idaho 83433
♥ February 14, 2021 ♥
Valentine’s Day (it’s origin) You will be surprised & moved.
SERMON: PAIN (what good is it?)
I know, I know…. quite a topic for Valentine’s Day, but since Valentine’s Day is not a religious holiday, and this Wednesday is the beginning of the Lenten Season, called Ash Wednesday, I chose to talk about one of the most difficult parts of being a human being….one topic with two streams that come together in the place of pain in Lent and pain in our lives. Most of us (especially those of us who are older) are seldom pain free, choosing of course, which is simply common sense, to alleviate it as much as possible, but at times impossible to do so completely, so we adapt, and as long as we can, deal with it as best as we can and with as good an attitude…. that sometimes takes work.
As I said above, we are entering this Wednesday according to the Church calendar, the Lenten Season. During this six-week period (a sober one) leading up to the death of Jesus, we commemorate and eventually celebrate on Easter Sunday His journey of pain, sorrow and death…. all coming together victoriously in the Lord’s Triumphant Resurrection.
It is often a dark and troubling journey, one aspect of which we will be covering today, as we (the world) currently are in a time of travail, and a time of what I have come to call The Year of Tears. Eventually, Grace will enter the scene…eventually, there once again will be light and joy, and laughter. But, for now, let us continue by starting with Isaiah 52:14 which correlates to my sermon title and specifically Lent. It reads, “Many were amazed when they saw Him. His face was so disfigured He seemed hardly human, and from His appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.” (direct quote from the Bible) In Mel Gibson’s movie “The Christ,” if you saw it you will remember that the Jesus was so disfigured by being beaten, cut and whipped so deeply, that indeed He was unrecognizable, and that yes, He barely seemed human. All for us.
Isaiah 53:2-5 continues, “There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him. He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way. He was despised and we did not care. Yet, it was our weakness He carried, and we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins. But! He was pierced for our rebellion, He was crushed for our sins, and He was beaten so we could be made whole.”
Now, there is so much pain in the world that I am surprised the world itself is not groaning under its weight. I am going to give you these few verses to help sustain us, and help us overcome those events, people and pain that could overwhelm us, if we tried to bear the weight of it ourselves. Through this journey, especially now in this season let us look to Hebrews 2:17, for in these verses we hear of why and how, Jesus came to understand more fully by being one of us, what indeed it is to be human. Listen closely please. “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like us, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, (for us) to make propitiation or atonement…. which means, appeasing God, and by doing so, incurring divine favor therefore avoiding divine retribution…all of it comes down to His sacrificing His life….to appease God for our sins.”
Knowing as He did, what lay ahead…. the pain He would have to endure, it was necessary for Him to be as human as we are, like us, His brothers, and sisters, and thereby literally by doing so, deepening His understanding by experiencing what we experience, so that, He could be our merciful and faithful High Priest as He stands before the judgement seat of God interceding on our behalf. Talking to God for us. (the man in the middle) so that when God sees us, He sees us of the faith, through the sacrifice and blood that he willingly bled for us. Because of this, Jesus says to us in His Word, that “therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
He knows…by experience our pain, deeply. He understands, yet, as in how own case, did not and does not always alleviate it, as His was not alleviated. Sometimes what we endure, teaches us valuable lessons of endurance, compassion, mercy, grace and understanding. When times like these come upon us….we can go to Him who Himself experienced emotional pain, the pain of rejection on the deepest level, pain from bodily injury, but as He cried out to His Father, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me where I can hear and feel in his words the anguish in His cry….and in some small way we can identify with it…rejection is one of the most painful emotions that we as human being can experience. The loneliness of it at times crushing as it was to Him.
In using the words He expressed at that moment, literally quoting Scripture from the Old Testament in Psalm 22…a deep expression of the anguish he felt when He took the sins of the world upon Himself….which in doing so for that moment, caused a separation or rift from His Father….and then in Luke 24:46 Jesus then shouts out, the separation about to be healed with these words, “Father….Abba….I entrust my Spirit into Your hands.” And with these words he breathed His last…and in that moment, He was immediately back into the Presence of His Father.
When we are enduring pain, from the lightest to the deepest, it should give us a bit of comfort in knowing what we feel, He felt. At times such as these I have to attempt at least, to do what I spoke briefly of and of which we sang two weeks ago….I put my hands in the rough by tender hands of the man who stilled the water, calmed the sea…who raised the dead….who set and sets today, the captives free. Those bound by extremely difficult situations…. of so many different kinds.
Job, St. Augustine, C.S. Lewis, and others have contributed to the ongoing dialogue swirling around not only us, but the proverbial questions of those who doubt the existence of God. “Why do bad things happen to good people, let alone the so-called bad ones.’ For some, stories of personal suffering, persecution and martyrdom provide encouragement and a reminder of the pain He endured. Others suggest suffering is a character-building opportunity. This is all true…but it goes deeper, for pain is one of the most powerful tools for learning…both how to avoid it and if we cannot, endure it and learn what we can from it.
The upside of pain is this…. practically speaking, and on the lighter side of the subject. It tells us simply that something is wrong. If we did not feel pain, we would not know we were either sick or injured and would not seek and answer to find healing. This next thing I am saying to men mostly. They, we too often make the mistake of not addressing the pain in a timely manner, thinking erroneously a times that just to ignore it…until we cannot….and then in some cases it is too late to heal….and the consequences are never good. God made us smarter than that, and we need to address our fears instead of burying them….by sanely seeking help in all four arenas we experience pain in…those being physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Jesus walked boldly and with pre-ordained purpose into His pain, embracing it, for the benefits that lay ahead for Him and us. Why God required His self-sacrifice through the death of His Son is because, He is a God of justice…. justice based on moral principles, whereas I said earlier there had to be by design and then planning, an atonement for sin. A sacrifice…. the greatest one that could be made. Otherwise, sin, error, evil would one day win out and God forbid, that just could not be allowed to happen.
Sin…is not a word we hear much about these days for the world has moved into a very gray area of right and wrong, often excusing behavior that needs to be defined as sin and is not….and this makes people uncomfortable and above all else human beings love to be comfortable.
You have the knowledge by observation alone, that we live daily in a world of opposites and sometimes deeply opposing forces. Duality is the nature of our world. Light and dark, earth and water, rain and drought, desert and jungle, mountains and plains, rich and poor, strength and weakness, health and illness, good and evil, war and peace, pain and comfort…and many more. Duality…. such as these
few mentioned co-exist, but in coexisting create both beauty and chaos.
Into this chaos came the God/Man, Jesus Christ, to reconcile the world through justice into wholeness. That day is yet physically to come, though spiritually it has been accomplished through His atonement.
There is much we can learn in and from pain that otherwise we would not learn, not only for ourselves but for others…. we can learn compassion, tenderness, gratefulness, kindness, mercy, even justice….and in doing so, we can also learn to appreciate our differences, join together in exhibiting and practicing these learned values. To appreciate this day, the day we currently have….and are gifted with. Looking through the big picture window of life in the Spirit, and not through the dirty window of emotion, where we do not clearly see things as they really are, we will at times allow ourselves due to our circumstances, choose the wrong attitude, even feeling justified in becoming, petty, vindictive, mean, angry, hateful, spiteful, and thereby even causing more pain, self-inflicted pain that can wash out and over on to others.
We all know by experience, that pain manifests itself in many different areas of our lives, to where we are affected, as I said earlier, emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Who can say with complete understanding which of these four areas are or can be, the most painful, or the most damaging, for all can be long term or temporary? Once having experienced it and then it is gone, we are grateful, incredibly grateful but what did we learn?
It is part of creation….and without its presence we would quickly destroy ourselves. Dr. Paul Brand, a deeply committed medical missionary works with lepers, and sees firsthand the suffering they endure. One of the problems with leprosy is that these people cannot feel pain in the affected part of their bodies. Dr. Brand speaks about what a tragedy it is for them that they cannot. He said, “If I had the power to eliminate pian, I would not exercise that right.’ Pain’s value is too great.
There is the necessary protective value of pain. He goes on to say, that when a healthy person has an injured leg as an example, he or she feel the pain and therefore does not put their weight on that injured leg. A leper not feeling the injury, wherever it is, will continue to use that injured limb to where it is destroyed, having never felt a thing.
We learn from our encounters or battles with it, in all the four areas I spoke of for it is a gift in our design from God. Pain unifies the body. Dr. Brand says, “I can tell the health of a human body by its reaction to pain. I f the body does not react, I know something is dreadfully wrong.”
Suffering….is a real and important element of our Faith. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I choose to lose all else. Philippians 3:8
I am now going to read to you one of the most painful, yet beautiful true stories I have ever read, of a young woman’s long and difficult triumph over pain.
READ
Kechi…like Jesus, was horribly disfigured…. both endured, both triumphed, each in their own way. Yet…it was He who having endured His pain, as she said…” enables her to walk with the confidence of one who knows that He sees her as beautiful, and instead of feeling resentment, she confesses “that all things work together for the good of those who love God.” Romans 8:28
God bless Kechi and all who endure great pain of any kind….and God bless you…each and all of you, with His great Grace and Mercy, but most of all His deep and everlasting love.
Amen (so be it)

THE LITTLE CHURCH IN THE PINES
Macks Inn, Idaho 83433 Febraury 7, 2021

” DO YOU HEAR ME? “
(AN ADDENDUM TO “COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS”
The Art and Discipline of Listening and Why it is Important
Silence
This morning….part of the reason you came was to hear, of all people, me, speak to you….to listen….perhaps expecting and hoping to carry away some encouragement, guidance, maybe even a little wisdom, as to how to live your lives. That, I have to tell you is my hope and expectation. Romans 10:17 says “So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing from the Word of God.”
If we truly are hearing….it is because we are really listening…and really listening sometimes takes focus and discipline, for, “listening” most often must be sought after and then calls for focused development. I hope I have not lost you already.
Here is a short secular, rather off-beat illustration, as to whether this person listening really listened, and the consequences of not.
A couple of hunters, good friends, are out in the forest, when one of them simply falls to the ground. Checking on him, his friend notices He does not seem to be breathing, and his eyes are rolled back in his head.
His friend frantically calls 911 on his cell phone, blurting out to the operator, “My friend Jackson appears to be dead! What can I do?
The operator, trying to calm him down says, “Take it easy…. I can help, just listen to me, and follow my instructions sir, first, make sure he is dead.”
There is a short pause, and then the operator is puzzled when she hears a loud gunshot. The hunter comes back on the line and says breathlessly, “ok, now what?”
Sometimes…it is easy to hear the words being spoken to us, without hearing the real message being spoken.
We think that we know what is being said, but do not clarify it (because we are thinking as to how what is being said, does not fit our understanding) we stopped listening to the person speaking, missing perhaps much of what the person is saying to prove their position. Listening means listening, clear to the end of that person’s narrative before we hear the whole thing. This, when done this way can cause us to what is the term jump to conclusions” that are untrue, and sometime unwarranted.
Listen to this…..and this is true. We have been designed with two ears, one mouth for a reason. Two ears so we can hear better, and one mouth so we can speak less that what we hear. Let our goal be to strive to become better listeners, especially if we are going to repeat what we are hearing to others, and especially if we disagree….we will repeat with our own interpretation.
Another example many of us have taken part is a circle game called “the circle whisper.” All sitting in a circle one person turns to the next on the right and whispers something in their ear. That person then allegedly whispers the exact words they just heard to the person on their right, until the circle of passing the information on comes back to the original person.
So, what is usually the outcome? It barely resembles the original words, with perhaps just a small element of the original….and sometimes not at all.
James 3:6 reads, “How great a forest can be set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a potential for good or evil and can stain the whole body by setting on fire a cycle of burning…….at times by hell itself. “
Then there is Matthew 13:12-13, “to those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But, for those who are NOT listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away. Jesus goes on to say, “that is why I use these parables, for
the people look but they do not really see. They hear, but they are not really listening, therefore they are not able to comprehend or understand.”
This now is important to hear, so please listen closely. Who we are is reflected in both what we say, and what we do, if concerned at all about our personal reputation, and as Christians, our reputation either holds up or diminishes the very reputation of Christ Himself.
The words we speak puts accountability in our own laps, and no one else’s. Human ears hear many sounds but there is a deeper kind of listening that results in spiritual understanding. When speaking parables, Jesus was not cloaking or hiding truth from sincere seekers, but those who were receptive to spiritual truths and therefore understood His illustrations. To others they were just stories with little applicable meaning. We hear…. really hear, only when we really listen.
I know…I am being repetitive here…. but it is only because it is such a vital discipline in our lives…. that can change the course of our ever days lives, everyday….by the choices we make in listening and correctly and fully understanding.
Steven Covey….an educator, author, businessman and motivational speaker says, “seek first to understand, then….to be understood.” Only by listening can this happen.”
He also said this, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to respond.” X2
Now here comes the chalkboard………………WITH FIVE TIPS FOR BECOMING A MORE EFFECTIVE LISTENER”
1. Be aware of your body language. The effective use of body language is often discussed when teaching how to deliver a message, but not so much when receiving one. This means…. try not to fall asleep when the speaker is speaking. I once had a young woman (a teacher) in my congregation in Kentucky who for some reason was really ticked at me. So, she sat one Sunday in the back pew correcting her student’s papers, rustling them…. while I was preaching. That was a bit amusing in looking back, though not so at the time. I will say it was one of the most.
audacious ways of publicly telling me and everyone else her feelings toward me at that time.
2. Do not be afraid of silence. Sometimes we are so used to noise that we start to feel uncomfortable when there are pauses during a conversation. One of the important lessons to learn is to allow for moments of silence while listening to others.
3. Restrain yourself. Many times, we fall into the trap of thinking we have a funnier anecdote, more fascinating statistics, or sadder story than the person speaking. (and it may be true) but we need to hold our tongue.
4. A good way to start a conversation is to ask questions. Asking follow-up questions can be an excellent way of showing that you were listening. It might even be a point where you may disagree….and that is ok depending on your approach of course.
5. Get rid of distractions. Put your phone on silent when talking or listening to someone. Honor the person by giving them your undivided attention.
Here are a few Scriptures about the discipline of listening.
Proverbs 10:8 “The wise of heart will receive what is spoken, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
Mark 4:24, and He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; and with the measure you apply what you receive, it will be measured back to you and still more will be added to that.”
Proverbs 20:12, “the hearing ear and the seeing eyes, the Lord has made them both. (Use them well)
Proverbs 18:5, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise…seeks knowledge.”
The last one. Proverbs 2:21-22 My son or daughter, if you receive my words and treasure my commandments, making your ear attentive to wisdom and incline your heart to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then (and only then) …. will you understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God?
Did you get that?
We are now down to the last illustration….
But before that…. did you know that we think four times faster than we can talk, and I know some fast talkers! Their minds must be like a blur.
Ok…here is the illustration.
Franklin Roosevelt…. often endured long receiving lines as do all presidents at the White House with political and social events. He complained to his wife and staff, that no one really paid any attention to what was said by him in these lines. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. (loved it) To, every person whom he greeted while shaking their hand murmured, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” The guests responded with phrases like, “marvelous!” Keep up the good work,” we are proud of you Mr. President.” God bless you sir,” and so on.
It was not until the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia that his words were heard. Non-pulsed, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, “I’m sure she had it coming.”
Remember…. who we are is reflected in what we say….and what we do, and they better be the same! Our reputation and our Lords are at stake.
Lord…give us the wisdom to help us, to both speak when we should and keep our mouths shut when we should. That is real wisdom! Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
Macks Inn, Island Park, Idaho
January 31, 2021
Pastor Tom A. Shanor

COURAGE….is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation.
PHYSICAL COURAGE is bravery in the face of physical pain, hardship, even death or the threat of death.
MORAL COURAGE is the right to act rightly in the face for what may be popular opposition, shame scandal, discouragement, or personal loss.
The classical virtue of fortitude can also be translated “courage” but includes the aspects of perseverance and patience.
Patience being the topic on which I spoke last week.
…. Courage, in both small matters and large matters takes a measure of fortitude. Fortitude means “strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with COURAGE.”
EXAMPLE
1. “They showed fortitude in the face of a hostile encounter.”
2. We pray we have the fortitude to carry on fighting for what is right!
This calls for being brave in the face of difficulty, be it physical, mental, emotional, even verbal….in thought word or deed. It is the ability to act rightly in the face of opposition when we KNOW what we are saying is backed up let us say, by Scripture, even Jesus own words. Those in themselves are substantive enough to give us courage.
We are at times when right facing unpopular opposition which can be manifested in politics, religion or in any other realm or topic. It could also involve an aspect of patience and perseverance, in the ability to stay calm while in a crowd that is not, and even involved in a conversation where there are sometimes great differences in opinions and outlook in any of the above-mentioned topics. STAY CALM…is a great virtue to develop in any situation that has the potential to evolve quickly into a mob situation.
How about in being a part of a conversation where you or I disagree greatly with what is being spoken? Have we the ability to maintain a kind of reverse courage by listening all the way through the conversation until it is our time to speak, without interrupting the person speaking. It is what you would want when you speak so why not give the others person(s) the same respect and patience? One of the most courageous things you can do…. which will draw attention to you is to stand perfectly still…. eyes closed perhaps…and pray. I guarantee you will be noticed.
In the world of our Western tradition, notable thoughts on courage have come from philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas and Kierkregard as a few examples.
In the realm of Western Christianity…. we have such notables as Billy Graham, Philip Yancey (controversial) Max Lucado, Pope Francis, Joel Osteen, J.I. Packer, Joyce Meyer, Aimee Semple McPherson to name just a few. Few have had the impact that Billy Graham has had…being a simple man with a simple and clear message, and having lived a simple, honest, and upright life.
Yet each, in their own way and in their own words have been influential to a greater or lesser degree. Each also, having displayed courage at times by differing and speaking those differences in both words and the written word, that at times veered off from what then was the current mainstream of Christian thought, especially of course the women. Simply preaching publicly was enough to put them on the blacklist of many denominations. Heretics and tools of the devil.
Jesus said you will know them by their fruit….and each and all of these, produced good fruit that is utilized and cherished to this day, and will be tomorrow and beyond. That is often the problem, that we look at people through our prejudices and bias’s, seeing neither the person, or the truths they speak and live…. judging them instead on those prejudices and bias’s alone.
Gathered here today….in the Name and Person of Jesus Christ, we come from a broad collection of different doctrinal backgrounds, but the same faith.
The ancient APOSTLES CREED written by the forefathers of our faith, who labored over what would come to the cement or glue of that faith. With all our great variety of structures and methodology in expressing our faith…. these words bind all of together. Let’s read them….
I want to say and will, that there is a simple hymn in our hymnals that for me is the bottom line and essence of, Who, and what we believe in that binds us together….in love, which we shortly will sing acapella. “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love”
Please think about what I am going to share next…. for it is very important, and for which I am and will be held accountable for.
IT IS NOT OUR DOCTRINE THAT SAVE US……IT IS A BINDER, BUT NOT A BOX FROM WHICH WE LIVE, FOR NO ONE CAN BREATHE AND LIVE IN A CLOSED, AIRLESS BOX.
If…I could get that across to people of faith, that though doctrine (important as it is) may give us comfort….it is the Lord Jesus Christ HIMSELF who saves us. We too often worship our doctrine above He, Himself. It is HIM whom we must find our security in. Doctrine is important…. please understand that…. but with our Lord, it was when in discourse with individuals or a crowd…. He saw the people, the pain, the heartache, the brokenness, and responded to those things. He always saw the person, even above the sin…. of what and who they could become, simply believing in and following Him.
In Luke 9:49-50, is a brief conversation between John and Jesus, (49) “Master, he says, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop, because he isn’t in our group.”
(50) But, Jesus said, do not stop him! Anyone who is not against you is for you.”
By using these words, He is saying, we are to embrace an open-arms attitude toward Christians outside our own group. Back then, there was not yet a bona-fide church of internal and external structure, and not the over 35,000 different Christian denominations that exist today. Yet…we are to rejoice with one another when we see the evidence of good fruit, being produced by any Christian gathering or denomination…. or for that matter, any individual. For we will know them by two things……their love of Christ and good that is produced by them in the name of Jesus Christ.
I do not know if you are aware of this, but several times, people of different denominations and even faiths in Idaho Falls, gather to discuss their commonalities and differences. It has brought together, many people who desire to be healers, finding understanding and therefore being not dividers. Some hundreds have attended, and it has been a blessing as it builds bridges, and not walls. It is about having courageous conversations in a godly and peace-filled setting and manner, in order to learn about each other, love and accept each other in an atmosphere of grace and kindness.
Now, somewhat briefly, (I think) I am going to turn this conversation to a place that is practical, personal, and potentially courageous, for the finger is now going to point to you…and me, of course, in our personal, interactive everyday relationships with one another and, in regard to family, friends, neighbors and even political adversaries.
WE ARE TOLD….”to love our neighbor as we love ourselves”, (who is our neighbor?) Mark 12:31…this is not a narcissistic love, self-ego love, prideful self-love…but a humble love in understanding that we are first loved by Him, and if indeed we are, and He loves us, having proven it by His great sacrifice…. knowing we are loved, enables us to love the self/person that we sometime do not love. He died for us which proves we are loved and lovable…. just as we are, seen by Him in His eyes. He made us worthy of His great love, otherwise why would He have done what He did for us?
We are also TOLD (dang) to love our enemies….and yet He goes further than that, by saying (as His finger points to us) do good to those who would harm us, and spitefully use us.
Well, we know, that just does not sit well with us, but, as He, (from the human point of view, did the impossible, by forgiving those who crucified Him…while hanging from that cross they put Him on…. He is telling us through this graphic example….TO DO THE SAME, no matter how much it costs us (our egos and sometimes pride)
That…is the sort of action that can change an adversary’s life as well as our own.
He asks us to do at times what seems the impossible…. but,
remember these words…if we are willing, “WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY AND STRENGTH TO DO SO)” if, we are but willing.
So…I am now going to make a recommendation here. At home, set aside some time. Get out a pen and paper and sit at your table or desk. Ask the Lord by His Spirit to assist you…… (not in guilt or punishment) but out of need, show you those things and people in your life, that you need to make amends to, change your mind about, stop judging, whatever! Write on paper or on your computer or phone, this list. Then ask the Spirit now, as to how you can make right that which is not right but wrong, and, that He will give you the wisdom as to how to do so. Remember…. we are weak, but He is strong. In being willing…. much like admitting (if an alcoholic, or addict of any kind) being willing to admit our condition, is the first step toward healing and wholeness.
I can guarantee…. He WILL assist you in this endeavor. The reason is that He wants you whole, and He wants you healed of events such as estrangements, hurts, abuse either given or received. Give to Him those events, people, and pain, willingly and watch what He can and will do…. the key? WILLING
If you are in trouble in your marriage and communication is not exceptionally good…. sit down together and have a courageous conversation.
Your children…your neighbor, co-worker, etc., etc.
God…continually will give us the opportunity to be healthy, happy, whole people, whom He loves without prejudice or judgement….NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE that has caused sin, sorrow, pain or rejection. ALL can be forgiven and healed. ALL.
If…your request for forgiveness from someone is rejected, it lay on them and no longer on you, for you will have done that which God in Christ expects you to do.
In having some of these courageous conversations, they will not at times go as we hope and pray, they will. That comes with being courageous…. but, we will have done what we were willing and courageous enough to do. I can tell you, God will honor our efforts, as we attempt to make things right. That is who He is….and He desires we be like Him as His dear Son exemplifies.
Well…that about wraps it up for today…. hopefully, I have given you some food for thought, with the intention of good and not evil. A way to please God and ease some of the burdens you just may be carrying around. They do not get any lighter.
As we now, as part of our service head to the Table of the Lord, there is something I am going to read to you that a childhood friend sent me yesterday.
It is about God…through the eyes of an 8 year old child….I think this will bless you…as it did and does me. (READ)
I have had a couple of interesting months…and through it all have found myself more emotional than usual….this really touched me in a beautiful way….and so I hope it does you as well.
God loves you….as do I, and God bless you…….

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The Little Church in the Pines,
January 17, 2021
Prayer
…. in its most basic form is simply communication.
…. communication is life!
…. communication is expressed in a multitude of means and is self-aware and self-realized. Without it we are dead, whether we are alive physically or physically dead.

~Prayer is an invocation (invocation being the act of invoking or seeking someone of higher authority and power) God as an example, for the purpose of activating a rapport or connection so to speak, through deliberate communication. Prayer can be a form of religious “practice” and may be either individual or communal, taking place in private or in a public setting. It may involve the use of words understood, or in feelings. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, a psalm, incantation, formal doctrinal or creedal statement, such as in the case of, as Christians, the Nicene or Apostle’s Creed, or it can be totally spontaneous.

~Scriptural references of prayer……………. include these four words.

Pray
Prayed
Prayers
Praying

PRAYER (I believe) is literally our most neglected tool in the tool box of a Christian, and I believe it to be so, because #1, we are too busy and #2, we fail to fully grasp its vital importance. As I said above, it is all about communication, and without communication, good communication, real and honest communication, explicit and pointed communication, with a person or with our Lord and God…. we really do not KNOW him (in the intimate biblical sense) but mostly know only about him.

2nd Chronicle 4:14 so beautifully lays the foundation of the importance and necessity for prayer.
“Then…. if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face…and turn from their ways of sin. I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land and life. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made.”
…………a key, is coming to the Lord with a heart that is open and honest, and believing that he does hear us……as it is said, “my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to your every prayer.”

~ WE cannot expect a return on our prayers if we do not believe that they are being heard, so faith is indeed an important factor. I say this because it is true, that unless you or I take the time to get to know God personally through His Son Jesus Christ…. we will not and cannot have the faith necessary to effectively pray. So…discipline, time out for this purpose of knowing him, is essential to not only prayer, but to deep, basic relational friendship with God. Once we draw closer to him…. our faith will grow, and our prayers will be not only more effective, but deeper and self-realized.

~ Like Brother Lawrence…. we will “feel” his Presence. Prayer is simply talking to God. As Brother Lawrence, a worker in the kitchen (his ministry) in a Carmelite Monastery in Paris, is remembered for the intimacy he expressed concerning his relationship to God, as recorded in a book compiled from his journals after his death; the book being “The Practice of the Presence of God.” This little book is a classic example of being in the presence of God all day and every day…and the joys experienced by being so. His whole monastic life was a living prayer of praise and intercession.

~ We are given permission to ‘pray for anything,’ but there is a prerequisite which is found in mark 11:24-25. “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you have received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins also.”

So, an obstacle of effective prayers lies in un-forgiveness, resentment, anger, hatred and oh so many other negative behaviors that we humans can come up with, and all of these are in truth designated as sin.
Doing what we do prior to taking part in Communion, is exactly what this is all about…. cleansing our minds, hearts, and spirits before God and each other…. praying along with David when he says to God…. “create in me a clean heart O God, take not your Holy Sprit from me, cast me not away from thy Presence O Lord, renew a right spirit, mind, heart and attitude within me.” Psalm 51:10-12

~My actual desire in talking on Prayer today is that we see it as a real and practical reality in our every day lives. Is it spiritual in essence, yes, but it is also practical in outcome, and vital to our lives and the lives of those whom we pray for…. including ourselves.

~ My real hope is that I can with the help of the Spirit, and Scripture accomplish this.

~ So…. how many of you have a cell phone?

~ When you desire to communicate with a friend, a family member, a business, etc., etc. It is one of the best means of immediate communication (unless of course the line is busy or disconnected) for whatever it is you wish to communicate. But…until you pick the phone up, making sure it is charged and powered up….it is just a dormant communication device lying there, wherever, doing nothing. But pick it up, turn it on and punch in the number…you are in touch…you are ready to communicate…ready to get down to business!

~ And, so it is the same with God. He’s there, just waiting for you to pick up the phone, power it up and talk to him. That is prayer…. talking to him. Now whatever you wish to talk about, implore, intercede, ask, cry out…. take a deep breath, knowing you are talking to a friend, (so you can be completely honest) and talk. You can laugh, you can cry, you can yell, you can ask questions, make your request known….so, just be yourself. No contrived religious talk, full of platitudes and sometimes high-sounding religious stuff….no contrived King James language…. quite simple, straight-forward communication is best.

~ You see…God is on the line all the time, fully charged and, looking forward to spending some time with you. Cool, huh!

~ He is like a fully powered atomic generator…. ready to light up the world, our world…. but until we turn the on switch on….it just sits there and quietly hums…. he saying to himself, somebody plug in, come on, somebody hit the on switch!

~ When we come together on Sundays, one of our group participatory actions is to both share our blessings….and the other to pray for those whom we know or don’t know, and who we do know, needs support through prayer. So…you speak, I pray, out loud, (and I’ve never been eloquent at it) but pray none-the-less, praying also that God will see my motivation and desire more than my lack of eloquence. Remember, I said he simply wants us to be honest and real. So…then, as I pray, you join with me in spirit, which makes it then a conference call/prayer…. for we are all on the line together. It’s kind of amazing and a good thing.

~ We have seen positive results, and some not so…. we are glad when we hear of progress and then in turn, thank God for intervening through our prayers, but disappointed when it doesn’t happen, as we had hoped and prayed, but the thing is, not to grow weary and stop when things do not turn out as we had hoped. We…. are not God, but are his people, and because we are, just as in the case of our parents when things did not go as we had hoped, though we may not understand, we accept and go on. Papa God.

~ Do I like it that some prayers are not answered? No, but, then what I need to do is some self-examination, referring to my earlier paragraph…. that obstacles of un-forgiveness, anger, hatred, etc. and sin, stand at times in the way, but it does not change my mind about prayer and the power to bring about change….and speaking of change…can I change God’s mind or pre-disposed actions. Yes…. God is not a puppet attached to our strings and we control him…. nor are we puppets, where he does this movement with his hand and we move this way or that way. No…. he gives us freedom and the ability to make choices, and that is in regards to prayer as well. But…we can move him by prayer.

~ an example can be found in the story of Lot and his family in Sodom. There is verse after verse of Abraham interceding on behalf of the righteous who were living among them…that God would not destroy everyone including Lot and his family. Abraham started with 50 righteous people…then continued to coax God by intercession, getting the number down to 10, and ultimately four.

~ Abraham’s prayer for Lot and his family…is a revelation of the faith of one man in the face of great odds. Abraham is an example to us that as he stood alone before God, he wielded a significant spiritual/practical influence over God’s actions. Lot and his family were saved. FYI, Sarah was a close blood relative of Lot, hence because of being family, Abraham interceded on their behalf.

~ There is one more element that is a bit more difficult (for me) to grasp, regarding unanswered prayer. That being that God desires to at times (test our faith) and as an extreme example, and, to understand this example, we must read the progressive story of Job. Job was caught in between basically a bet between God and Satan. The crux of the illustration being that most ALL of Job’s blessings were to be taken away, including all his children, his riches, his health and more…. his unkind and unsupportive friends. If, Job stood strong in his faith, and endured to the end of the test…. not only would Job win, but God would win too! This bet! And God won…. his faith in Job was verified.
So…hopefully, we are out of Job’s league, and the time of testing for our faith does not encompass those extremes.
A few verses on prayer and I will be close to finishing up, for today! Close!

Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
1st Timothy 2:1, “I urge you, first-of-all to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them.”
James 5:13-16, “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. 14 Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
17b, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

To earnestly pray takes discipline, and an effort of the will, but once involved it will flow from you to God…because like the phone illustration, you will be connected.

Conversational prayer can happen throughout your day, everyday and like it was with Brother Lawrence, simply become a part of your relationship with God in Christ.

Intercessory Prayer….is a step deeper than earnest prayer…and an illustration is praying in the Holy Spirit…meaning you sometimes may move out of your understanding into a place in the Spirit, where you sense you are one with God, and perhaps even praying in utterances that you do not understand.

PRAYER NEED NOT BE A MYSTERY…. BUT A FACT, AN ACTION OFTEN BEARING VISIBLE RESULTS.

Life is not without uncertainties, whether they come in the form of a major life transition, family issues, health scares and or financial trouble. What we should continue to learn is that God cares, about even the smaller issues in our lives, he asks us, and even invites us to let go of our fears on all levels, by giving them to him. When we do truly let go……he, who knows all things, promises that his peace, “which is transcends all understanding, will guard our heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

To that, I say Amen

January 10, 2021
The Little Church in the Pines
Macks Inn, Island Park, Idaho
“DO I WANT TO?”
(Why wouldn’t I want to?)

Then Jesus told him, “Follow Me.” John 21:19b
“Timothy will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go? 1st Cor. 4:17b
But…even as He spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “this is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to and follow him.”
Matthew 17:5
I have saved the last part of this verse to emphasize it….so think about it as you hear it, including the fact that all the disciples heard the voice, and their reaction to hearing it. “The disciples were terrified…and fell face down on the ground.”

Take a moment and with your active imagination, imagine the surprise, even shock of this voice coming out of the sky. Then, imagine the timbre, tone, and resonance of that voice…. the voice of God Himself.
What do you think your reaction would have been? I know what mine would have been, I would be right down there with the disciples…. face flat on the ground and quaking in my sandals.
There are some key words in these verses I am going to point out before giving you a composite illustration of those words. They are as follow, Son, Great Joy and Terrified.
Four words…so vastly different in meaning, yet bound together in intent…simply say, PAY ATTENTION!
Pay attention to who is speaking and what I am about to say.
~ <>~
A question?
How many of your have planted a Sunflower seed and watched it grow over the course of its growing season?
GOOD…a few, but we all know they are hardy flowers with strong stems and deeply rooted.
There are several characteristics of sunflowers that make them unique and stand out, for when in bloom, it is usually a large bloom that literally stands as a symbol for the sun and its beauty, form and colors.

It has a strong stem that can sufficiently carry the weight of the large, heavy flower itself.
It also follows the path of the sun it…all day long. It greets the morning sun, and as the sun traverses across the sky, it faces up ever so slightly…. then more and more as the bloom follows the traversing sun, facing it at the end of the day as it did in the morning. East to west.
That means in the early morning, as it senses the rising of the sun, it turns back around to once again greet the day.

With this illustration, we too are to emulate the Sunflower…. only with us, we are to follow morning to night the Son…. the Son of God, Jesus.
This sentence brings us back to the title of today’s Message….”DO I WANT TO follow Him?” (but why wouldn’t I want to?) There are some self-centered reasons that I might not want to, or you might not want to, taking into account something or someone we desire that we know would go contrary to following Him, His teaching and His examples. If so, we then must go back to THE VOICE from heaven that said…. “Listen to and follow Him.” Most of the trouble in my life stems back to where I did not heed the words of that voice, and instead chose, oh so stupidly sometimes to follow my desires, over what I KNEW I should have chosen to do, therefore reaping the consequences, some of which I still endue to this day.
Remember Jesus’ own two words in John 21... “Follow Me.”

We just came through weeks of preparation, then celebrations of the birth of Jesus, this Son of God in whom He is well pleased…. who throughout human history the past 2000 years has brought the world, both GREAT JOY amidst GREAT TERROR.
This past year has seemed at times on the brink of being apocalyptic socially and governmentally. It still has that feeling to a certain extent, even with the vaccine now being administered for COVID-19, for there is confusion and fear in that area, some conspiratorial and others seeming factual. Sorting it all out if (I’m sorry) is almost impossible, which brings us back to individual choice.
There has been great terror and great joy for those who have pulled through….and joy in my heart for those serving at their own risk, people just like me who ended up several times in the ER and overnight, in the midst of it all, and in the center of those dear people, both men and women ministering to me.
As a result, I and we go through a myriad of emotions…. from the mundane to extraordinary, much like being on one of those new high-tech rollercoasters with loops and turns that scare the (blank our of me) having ventured once onto one….and NEVER AGAIN.
BUT…IN THE CENTER OF ALL OF THIS. WE CAN BE…like that follower of the sun, the Sunflower. When we awake in the morning, as I do, facing the sun and before getting out of bed, say a prayer of thanksgiving with gratefulness in my heart and mind….as my soul and spirit reach out to Jesus.
We live in a world of opposites. Day and night, desert and tropical, wet and dry, cold and heat, wind and perfect stillness, good and evil, and the list goes on.
YET…...in the center…the center of all that we know…..like that sunflower we are positionally able (by choice) to follow the Son, through all the changes and opposites…to follow the Son.
We are but days into another so called “NEW YEAR,” not knowing as we did not know last year at this time. what would unfold.
Today…is an ideal time for serious introspection, laced with HOPE for a better year.
Solomon said it so well as he wrote, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a a time to gather. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A TIME TO LOVE AND A TIME TO HATE…A TIME FOR WAR AND A TIME FOR PEACE……….
A new year, a new month, a new day, a new hour, a new minute, a new second, the same life, but ever changing as time advances, yet all we have is what we have at this very moment…in time. Where both joy and sorrow came hand in hand…where laughter and tears co-mingled, flowing from the same eyes…where pain and peace seemed just a heartbeat apart. Such is life on planet earth.
Have you ended the year knowing what you now know that the choices you made were the right ones? A year where you kept the Lord at the center of your daily life, putting your hand daily in the hand of the man who stilled the water, put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea. Take a look at yourself, and you will look at others differently, put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.
SING………. ALL OF US.
My closing question to each of us this morning is…in following this Son of God…Son of Man….DO YOU REALLY WANT TO? Are you willing to do what is necessary….no matter what it takes? You see, there is a difference between following a religion than in following the Savior. The first can be ceremonial and ritual, comforting and predictable. The second sometimes takes blood, sweat and tears along with the laugher, joys and celebration... Christianity in as true and deep followers of Jesus is not for wimps, for in the process you will build character, stamina, patience, grace, justice, goodness, mercy and kindness, of which these are but a few of the benefits of this journey, fraught though it also may be with trials, temptations and pain.
My question now becomes another question. Why wouldn’t you want to? You see…the benefits (in the long term) far outweigh the immediate pleasures that we might have otherwise.
As the years wind down, and we all get closer and closer to that day…. that day of accountability, what should be our highest and deepest priority? In the daily devotional we are now reading, studying, and discussing on Friday mornings…. titled, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST. Should that not be our motto, for often we leave the highest and best our lowest priority….
This now is a challenge and not a question. Take your personal one-on-one relationship with Jesus to the highest level of priorities and I guarantee you…. your life will change for the better in so many, many ways.
No matter our physical, emotional state of being we find ourselves in, our lives can be better, deeper, richer, livelier, happier, more content, IF, we but set apart some small amount of time (determined by you_ to spend with Him and Him alone. It can simply be sitting in our favorite spot, reading even Our Daily Bread, or some other devotional, but taking that quiet time, one on one with Him. Read, talk to Him as you would talk to your best Friend, and in the spirit also, listen, for He will speak to you. It could be through your devotional, through Scripture or that “still, quiet, small voice deep in your heart.
Be grateful and speak your gratefulness in prayer and in quiet worship.
A merry heart (Proverbs 17:22) does good like a medicine, like a medicine in a merry heart, but a broken spirit, drieth up the bones….a merry heart…is the Joy of the Lord.
                                   Selah (pause and think about it)
                                             Amen (so be it)

Here is a little song…that many years ago came from the musical called God Spell.
Oh, dear Lord…three things I pray………….
To see Thee more clearly….
Love Thee more dearly….
Follow Thee more nearly…..
Day by day, by day.
Again, I say…. Amen

Little Church in the Pines
~ Advent ~
Sermon by; Pastor Tom
Luke 15:6-7
“I once was lost but now am found”

In John 9:5, during the miracle of healing the blind at birth, saying “When I am in the world, I am the LIGHT of the world”. This episode leads into John 9:39 where Jesus metaphorically explains that He came into this world, so that the blind may see. Isaiah 9:2
“The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who swell in a land of deep darkness…to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
A Marvelous Light!
The arrival of a notable person, thing or event
Christian Theology
The coming (in the case of Christmas) of the Light of the world, the Messiah, The Christ Child….as spoken by the prophets of God…. the only Begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a young virgin girl…Mary
Anticipation
Looking forward to
With each passing minute, hour day, weeks…
This season is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christ-mass, or Christmas.
All this condensed down to one word and that word is “coming”.
Not only are these weeks a time of anticipation, buy in those week, days, hours, and minutes we feel His light within us and in the getting brighter and brighter.
His birth, life, death, and resurrection all build to an even greater anticipation. That anticipation one day will be fulfilled in His Second Coming, when indeed the whole world will be awash with His light, bathed in glorious brightness, cleansed from all darkness, made new in the Glory of His Presence.
All things…all things will be new!
A new heaven, a new earth…. all of Creation will sing a song of praise, harmony will reign and finally there will be PEACE ON EARTH AND GOOD WILL TOWARD ALL OF MANKIND…FOREVER
“The celebration and full understanding of Advent is possible only for those of us who are troubled in soul, those who consider themselves sinners apart from Him and who know themselves to be needy and even imperfect, and who look forward to someone and something greater to come.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“God of hope, we look to you with an open heart and yearning spirit. During this Advent season, we will keep alert and awake, listening for Your Word, looking for Your Presence even in the unlovely, the harsh, the mean, the unkind, for they, like us are of the same need. YOU!
Our hope is in You, Lord
Our life is in You, Lord,
In you, It’s in You~

Today is no different from yesterday, nor tomorrow as our hope rises this time of year in anticipation of those who like us, will open their hearts and minds to receive Him as the Savior of every individual man, woman and child who live and breathe.
How will they hear of him, how will they come to know Him, but through those of us who are living images of Him….and who are unafraid to speak of what He has done and continues to do in our hearts and lives.
For those of us who celebrate the coming of the Christ Child…the Light of the World…. this ‘season’ last for four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day, starting on Sunday, November 29th, and ends on Thursday, December 24.
As we celebrate Advent, as in past years we will light each week one candle, representing HOPE, then LOVE, then JOY AND then PEACE…. the fourth candle also representing purity of heart, mind soul and body…. then a fifth candle will be set to light and it becomes the brightest flame of all, the LIGHT of Christ…a flame that we are to light our own candle (life) with as we are individually and collectively as the Body of Christ shine into the darkness of the world.
There is much darkness today, so very much, but there is also Light, and that light is THE LIGHT of God in Christ that shines through us…. from Him. A GREAT and MARVELOUS LIGHT that comes from the very center of the Universe He created and given to us freely…. freely, for freely we have received, and freely we are to give.
All His gifts come from the greatest gift of all, the GIFT OF LOVE, for of these three: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is LOVE.
These past several weeks I have been the recipient of His love, your love, strangers love, and my life has been changed because of it. This Advent Season, my hope is that we all “love one another. John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
AMEN
Let us share in a blessed and beautiful Advent Season together!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY…………………
Pastor Tom

Shekinah * Shekinah Glory
Homily by; Connie Funkhouser
November 29, 2020

Last Sunday Pastor Tom mentioned the term “Shekinah” followed with a brief explanation and a story of a friend experiencing, “Shekinah Glory.” I was immediately captivated, for I felt I had witnessed something similar. I have not been able to get the word Shekinah (shuh•kai•nuh) off my mind, nor do I want too. My inquiring mind began researching my textbooks and various resources.
     What is Shekinah Glory? Shekinah Glory is a visible manifestation of God on earth, whose presence is portrayed through a natural occurrence. The word shekinah is a Hebrew name meaning “dwelling, one who dwells, to reside, or permanently stay.” Shekinah Glory means “He caused to dwell” referring to the divine presence of God.
     If you read my “I Have a Secret” homily dated October 22, or attended church a couple of Sundays ago when I subbed for Pastor Tom, you know that the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, His Spirit dwelling within us, and Living in the Presence of God are two of my favorite topics. Now add the words, Shekinah Glory, and I am now on a natural high.
     The word Shekinah, and Shekinah Glory is not in the Bible, but the description is. The divine presence of God on earth is portrayed through the following:
           As a cloud (Exodus 24:16-18; Exodus 33:9; 1 Kings 8:10-13).
           As a pillar of smoke and fire (Exodus 13:21-22).
           As a fire and burning bush (Zechariah 2:5; Exodus 3:2).
     Not only is the holy manifestation of God depicted through Shekinah Glory, but it also entails the practice of honoring and praising God by exemplifying His glory. “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV). Jesus’ ministry is the ultimate encounter of Shekinah Glory that God has ever had with man on earth.
     Some describe as like gold dust suspended in the air – filled with shimmering light. Visualizing gold dust suspended in the air, think to the moments when you have been outside on a bright sunny, clear, cold winter day, and there are glimmering snow crystals falling around you. I find it to be magically, makes me lift my arms up to raise a Hallelujah to Heaven. My limited mind did not know how this could be, but I chose to marvel in the glimmering light that surrounded me. Could this be something like Shekinah Glory, or is it Shekinah Glory? We are the church, we are God’s Temple that houses His Holy Spirit, with keeping our hearts and thoughts toward God, we are able to feel the Presence of God, and on occasion see a Shekinah light, the Shekinah Glory.
     Regardless of what type of day is before us, and as we prepare for Advent season, let the divine presence of God dwell, settle in your very soul. We are God’s vessels, as broken as we may be, remain focused on God’s One and Only Son, the Light of the World who shines through us as we Live in the Presence of God.
     Continue to Bless those that are fortunate to be in your presence. Upon doing so, others will notice there is something illuminating from within. It is up to us to let God’s Spirit shine. Shekinah Glory Be Yours!
Amen
Connie Funkhouser
Little Church in the Pines
Steering Committee Chair

Little Church in the Pines
November 22, 2020
1 Thessalonians 5:18
“In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Sermon by; Pastor Tom Shanor

**This was Pastor Tom's first Sunday back after suffering a mild stroke. Understandably so, he was a bit weak, but was a pillar of strength. For those that were not in attendance, his message was from his heart, raw, passionate, filled with emotion, and beautiful. Sunday was a witness of Pastor Tom doing what he wants to do serving our community and Church Family in the place that he wants to be.
Your Prayers are sincerely appreciated  Please continue to Pray ~ Thank You!

I am happy and thrilled to simply be here today – to see each and all of you! Been a rather unusual, sometimes scary, and even over the top in fright at moments. Moments lasting an exceptionally long time due to panic attacks, but more on that later – but not too much later.
     Before leaving for Oregon, there were two topics I spoke on, two separate Sundays. One; The Church – as a community, purpose, and function. Then two; as a Sanctuary – described as a holy place, set apart for worshiping God and as a place or location that is a refuge from danger.
     The main Scripture verses for today is; 1 Chronicles 29:16-18 (Read). Lord our God, all our abundance that we have provided, for the building of your temple to worship your holy name, comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to You.
    I know my God, that you test the heart, and are pleased with integrity. All these things have willingly been given back to You. Lord God, the Father of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel may we hold these desires and thoughts in the heart of we, your people today, forever.
     All of what is spoken towards a temple, the Sanctuary to house and worship God whose Presence would fill His holy tabernacle - in doing so – in keeping their hearts and thoughts toward Him – thereby often literally able to feel the Presence of God, and on rare occasion see a shekinah light or also called “Glory.” Some describe as like gold dust suspended in the air – filled with shimmering light.
     There is in our Book a rather amazing collection of words spoken to us in 1 Corinthians 6:19 in reference to another temple – a deeper illustration and understanding of God’s greatest and most amazing temple – where the desires above all other places to live – for the temple or sanctuary is a living and breathing one.
     You must understand – I must understand that our bodies, mind, spirit, and soul have been redeemed or purchased at an extremely high cost. That being Jesus Christ, His only begotten son, by His death, the ultimate sacrifice.
    Knowing, grasping this singular truth should compel us to treat it accordingly. We do not own this body, for it is a temporary dwelling place, and we are told someday we will receive a new and eternal one. (Thank goodness 😊)
     How do we take care of this one? By treating it as a sanctuary, meeting place, a place of worship and with great gratitude.
     I have failed often, all too often to do so, and in a very real sense have suffered the consequences by my own choices, the ramifications of poor actions and even thoughts.
     We must pay attention to not only how we use this body, but what we put into it. We must feed our minds with healthy intellectual food. Our spirits with God’s word and clean books, articles that are proven to be healthy and beneficial to our minds and spirits.
     This body is made up of more than flesh and blood, water, and dust, but of mind, spirit, heart, and soul. In taking care of it properly, we make right choices as how to nourish it.
     We are to do more than just gather on Sundays for our services but count every day as a gift from God.
This does not mean that we cannot enjoy or forego pleasure, it just means we must choose appropriate and right pleasure. Fun, family, even foods, friends, the great beauty we have been given to flourish in and with. The good things bestowed on us to enrich our lives with which bright health, happiness, joy, and ultimately true and rich worship of God for all He is and all He does, for we, His ultimate creation.
     Joy is a word that I love – the hymn sings out through us. The joy of the Lord is my strength sustained by the Joy of my salvation.
     This coming week is Thanksgiving – giving thanks to our God, even with this pandemic. Even with the state of our government and nation, even with personal differences and all the things and people that could and do separate us.
    Our mouths, minds, soul and spirits should shout unto God – the joy of our salvation – for Scripture says;
Romans 8:35-39 (Read)
    Remember these words and thank God for all the people, things, and places He has given you.
     I thank Him for what has happened to me, for it was what I prayed for. When I asked Him about a month or so ago to change my heart, to help me become the person He made me to be, to use David’s prayer, I prayed, because I was sick and tired of who I had become. Psalm 51:1-2 (Read).
God loves you and me ~ Prayers for All!

Little Church in the Pines
“I HAVE A SECRET”
The Holy Spirit
November 15, 2020
Connie Funkhouser; subbing for Pastor Tom Shanor

     I am about to share a secret of mine; I have a favorite. My favorite of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Odd, you may think, how can anyone have a favorite within the Trinity: One God, right? God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three Divine persons within one. I do not know when my heart decided on a favorite, not even sure if it is okay to have a favorite, but I cannot deny that I do. Quite sure God is okay with this because I know in my very soul that the Holy Spirit, is God’s Spirit, and dwells within me. Not when I choose to tap into the Holy Spirit, but He is always there. It is up to me to let God’s Spirit shine.
     When I sub for Pastor Tom, I like to have a theme; July 4th, change of seasons, Veteran’s Day, you get the idea. This time when he asked me, I immediately knew I wanted to talk about the Holy Spirit. Being in the restaurant industry I talk with “a lot” of people, whether they are customers, employees, food and beverage reps, and delivery personal. A few years ago, I decided that I was not going to be bashful about my Faith and personal relationship with Our Lord and Savior. Which for me meant, Living in the Presence of God is foremost in my mind, thoughts, and actions. I guess this would qualify me as wearing my Faith on my sleeve, okay, sure, whatever, call it what you want. My desire is to share what I have, and I have been blessed with the resources to share what is in my heart and soul.
     This summer having heartfelt discussions with many folks I have noticed something is missing . . . a missing link between life (and I am talking all aspects of life) and faith. Me being me, typically responds with, “if it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit living within, I have no idea what my life would be like or I would never have survived Summer 2020 like I did.” Mentioning God’s Gift of His Holy Spirit brings a blank look from some. Even comments such as I do not know much about the Holy Spirit, let alone how to attain His presence. Or even, the Holy Spirit is the one part of the Trinity that is most confusing. Ok, so I know who God and Jesus are, but I do not get the Holy Spirit.
     Please take comfort in knowing that the Trinity, the Triune God is incomprehensible. We cannot fully understand its mystery. When someday we see God, we shall see Him as He is, and understand Him better than we do now.
As the saying goes, “Try to explain it, and you will lose your mind; but try to deny it, you’ll lose your soul.
     My prayer with the following homily is to bring awareness of a gift that is available to all and shed a little light on the fact that the Holy Spirit does not need to be foreign. Accepting God’s Gift is life changing. On a few occasions I have offered to give “all” my faith and trust in God away so that others will have what I have, and I will start from scratch. Yes, I trust and believe that I would regain all that was within my soul. Just maybe the following will serve as a gift to you. 😊 😊 😊
     Because the Holy Spirit is not systematically described in Scripture, the doctrine of the Third Person of the Trinity may seem elusive and even controversial. The Holy Spirit is important since He provides contact between the believer and God, He is the point at which the Trinity becomes personal to the believer. This has led to difficulties in understanding Him and His work. From the biblical evidence, God’s Word, Jesus’ teachings, we can discover His deity and personality.
     You may ask, “What are the qualities and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives?”
     One God eternally exists in three divine persons; Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes, and worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. Matthew 3:16, 17; Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14.
     The study of the Holy Spirit is especially important now is that we live in the period in which the Holy Spirit’s work is more prominent than that of the other members of the Trinity.
     Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, His Spirit has many functions, roles, and activities. He does a work in the hearts of all people everywhere. Jesus told the disciples that He would send the Spirit into the world. The Spirit applies the truths of God to minds of humans to convince us by fair and sufficient arguments that we are sinners. Responding to that conviction brings us to salvation.
     Once we are saved and belong to God, the Spirit takes up residence in our hearts forever, sealing us with the confirming, certifying, and assuring pledge of our eternal state as His children. Jesus said He would send the Spirit to us to be our Helper, Comforter, and Guide. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot see Him because it is not looking for Him and does not recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you” (John 14:16-17 NLT).
     “He will give us another Advocate.” Oh, how I love this. An advocate. An encourager, campaigner, supporter, someone that will even pray for us when we no longer have the strength or words. Full-disclosure, often I ask the Holy Spirit to go to bat for me; to advocate for me as my soul rests in His peace. (Adlib – Have you ever prayed and prayed to God for something, became so exhausted and had no more words, and decided to stop praying? Please let me encourage you to simply reach out to Our Holy Spirit and request that He prays for you. Let Him advocate for your requests. No words needed, except Holy Spirit I need you, I am tired and have no more words. I am giving you this to take to God for me.” That is, it . . .)
     Some Bible translations uses the word Counselor, meaning “one who is called alongside” and has the idea of someone who encourages. The Holy Spirit comes alongside the believer, to do what Jesus did when He was here physically, but now mainly from the inside of us. The Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in the hearts of believers (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:1-20, 12:13). Jesus gave the Spirit as a “compensation” for His absence, to perform the functions toward us which He would have done if He had remained personally with us. I love this, Jesus gave us the Spirit as a compensation for His absence. Thank You Lord Jesus!
     The revealer of truth. The Spirit’s presence within us enables us to understand and interpret God’s Word. Jesus told His disciples that “when He, the Spirit of truth, has come He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13 NKJV). He reveals to our minds the whole counsel of God as it relates to worship, doctrine, and Christian living. He is the ultimate guide, going before, and leading the way. He leads in the way we should go in all spiritual things. Without such a guide in our lives, the believer’s life, my life, are thoughts that I do not care to entertain.
     The Holy Spirit is also a gift-giver. 1 Corinthians 12 describes the spiritual gifts given to the believer in order that we may function as the Body of Christ on earth.
Read 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11 or have someone else read 😊
     All these gifts both great and small, are given by the Spirit so that we may be His ambassadors, showing His grace and glorifying Him.
     The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity through whom the entire Triune Godhead currently works in us. Through the Holy Spirit’s work that we feel God’s presence within, and the Christian life is given a special tangibility. He is someone to whom we can and should pray. The Holy Spirit, being fully divine, is to be accorded the same honor and respect that we give to the Father and the Son. It is appropriate to worship Him as we do them. The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son. His work is the expression and execution of what the three of them have planned together. There is no tension among their persons and activities.
     God is not far off. The Holy Spirit performs certain works that are commonly ascribed to God. He was and continues to be involved with the creation, in both originating it and providentially keeping and directing it.
     In the Holy Spirit, the Triune God comes close, so close as to enter into each believer. He is even more intimately involved with us now than in the incarnation. Through the operation of the Spirit he has truly become Immanuel, “God with us.” The knowledge that the Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence in our lives, that He performs all these miraculous functions, that He dwells with us forever, and that He will never leave or forsake us brings confidence, security, and is cause for great joy and comfort.
“Thank God for Your precious gift of the Holy Spirit
and His work in our lives!”
     In closing, I hope that I have shared a little insight to the attainability of God’s Gift to us and maybe why I secretly have a favorite. It is free, does not need to be paid back, a gift that we can share with so many others just by Living in the Presence of God. A gift that is embedded in our very being that enables us to remain confident, and at peace through these challenging times.
     With every breath, we will share your goodness Lord. Let everything that has breath praise you, faithful God. Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22, NLT).
     Breathe in me Holy Spirit so I may share Your gift of life and all of eternity spent with You.
Blessings Be Yours ~ Amen!

Little Church in the Pines
2 Veterans ~ Military and Spiritual
November 08, 2020
Connie Funkhouser ~ subbing for Pastor Tom
This Patriotic Message highlights four key words from 2 Timothy: 3-4
Enlist • Endure • Engage • Entangle
These 4 words describe what it takes to be a good soldier, whether for Christ or County.
In many churches, just like ours, there stand two flags—the American Flag and the Christian Flag. These two flags represent two types of freedom. One is a freedom that allows us to go where we want to go, say what we want to say, to live where we want to live, to dream big dreams and pursue them.
The Christian Flag has a white field, with a red Latin cross inside a blue canton. The shade of red on the cross symbolizes the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary. The blue represents the waters of baptism as well as the faithfulness of Jesus. The white represents Jesus' purity. Each Flag also has its own Pledge. Naturally, we all know the Pledge of Allegiance, for those that are unaware of the Pledge to the Christian Flag it is as follows.
I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, and to the Savior for whose Kingdom it stands; one Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again with life and liberty to all who believe.
I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God's Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.
Someone once wrote:
It is the Veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the Veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
Veterans over the centuries have sacrificed so much to obtain and preserve this precious freedom—which also includes the God-given right to worship our Creator anytime anywhere. That leads us to the other type of freedom, represented by the Christian Flag—a greater freedom that can only be found in Christ, who died as a ransom to set us free. This is a freedom from a life of futility, freedom from the tyranny of sin, regret, hate, and bitterness. It is the freedom to love God and love our neighbor.
To serve either of these flags (and the freedoms they represent) faithfully and effectively, we must meet certain requirements. Before one can become a Veteran, they must first be a good soldier. So, my question for us today is—what does it take to become a Veteran? Not just a military Veteran, but a spiritual Veteran?
The Apostle Paul knew a little something about that.
Having enlisted in the Lord’s army after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus and enduring countless dangers, toils, and snares as a result, Paul was a Veteran Christian if there ever was one. Toward the end of his life—while facing execution for his commitment to Christ—Paul sat in a cold Roman prison, cut off from the world, with just a quill and some parchment. Paul knew that he would soon be executed and so he wrote his final thoughts to a young pastor named Timothy, passing to him the torch of leadership, reminding him of what was truly important and encouraging him to keep the faith. In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, Paul makes this brief statement:
“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4 NKJV).
In these two short verses Paul uses four e-words—enlist, endure, engage, and entangle—each representing a different aspect of what it takes to become a Veteran soldier of Christ. I want to start with the last e-word, which is—enlist.
• The first step to becoming a spiritual Veteran is Enlisting.
You cannot become a Veteran if you do not enlist. As Paul says in another translation, “A soldier wants to please his enlisting officer” (2 Timothy 2:3-4 NCV - New Century Version is a revision of the International Children’s Bible. The International Children’s Bible is a translation of the Bible that is aimed @ young readers and those w/low reading skills/limited vocabulary. It is written @ a 3rd grade level & is both conservative & evangelical in tone).
Our country no longer uses a forced draft. Recruitment officers are sent out to encourage people to volunteer, but men and women have the freedom to choose whether they serve in the American military today. Naturally, people make that choice for different reasons.
Young people I’ve talked to, and in my own opinion, enlist so that they can go collage, others out of a sense of patriotic duty, some were raised in military families, and still others because they’re looking for some sense of direction or purpose for their lives. No matter what the reasons are, it is a tough decision—life changing, to simply leave everything behind.
God does not force anyone to serve in the service of His Kingdom, either. He does send out recruitment officers, like you and me, to encourage people to serve in His Army, but it is our choice. People make the decision for different reasons. Maybe you were brought up with the faith of your parents, maybe you sensed God is leading in your life, or maybe you came to Christ looking for a sense of purpose and direction. No matter the reason, it is a life changing decision and not one to be taken lightly. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me but loves his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters—or even life—more than me, he cannot be my follower. Whoever is not willing to carry his cross and follow me cannot be my follower” (Luke 14:26-27 NCV). Following Jesus is a life-altering commitment that requires full devotion. It is a personal pledge that you are going to let Christ become the leader of your life. And I am certain there are many here today who testify that it was the best decision they ever made; I know it was/is for me ♥
The next step is enduring.
• ENDURE
American soldiers in ever branch of the military have a lot to endure, not the least of which is the grueling physical punishment experienced during basic training. . .. My husband Jim was in the Marine Corp back in the 60’s. I asked him what he remembers of his introduction into basic training. He said the toughest part was the first 2-3 days. Basically, a lot of marching, being constantly yelled at, lack of sleep, pushups, up and down, more marching, being yelled out, on and on. My 2nd cousin was in the U.S. Army, she said her toughest part was learning to call her Drill Sergeants – Sir and coming with terms with they did not mess up the oatmeal that it was actually grits. I also posed the question to Barry Phillips; he said traveling on the bus and everyone was so nice, then arriving @ Boot Camp, finding the # that you were to stand on, having all your civilian life taken away, hair, clothes, etc., and then the nice guys on the bus became Drill Instructors with attitudes.
Of course, there are fewer physical hardships that soldiers must endure as well. One of the most difficult things is just being away from their families. And then there is the rigidity of military life—often personified in ranking officers.
I read about an Air Force Major that was promoted to Colonel and got a new office. The first morning he was in his new office, an airman knocked on the door and asked to speak to him. The Colonel, feeling the urge to impress the young airman, picked up his phone and began talking. “Yes, General, thank you. Yes, I will pass that information along to the President this afternoon. Yes, goodbye, sir.” Then, turning to the airman, he barked, “And what do you want?” The airman said, “Nothing important, sir. I just came to hook up your telephone.”
If you want to be a Veteran, you must have endurance.
As Paul told Timothy, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3 NKJV). Thank God that we are living in a country where Christians do not experience the kind of hardships they do in other parts of the world—hardships like the ones Paul experienced. During his missionary journeys Paul was flogged, stoned, shipwrecked and much more. But even in America, life is full of hardships. Bad things happen. Our faith is tested.
James reminds us, “when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2-3 NLT). As soldiers of Christ, we must endure. We must keep the faith. And we must praise God, even during our struggles.
So, we enlist, we endure. And next we engage.
• ENGAGE
General Sherman once said, “You don’t know the horrible aspects of war. I have been through two wars and I know. I have seen cities and homes in ashes. I have seen thousands of men lying on the ground, their dead faces looking up at the skies. I tell you; war is hell!”
While I have never experienced the horrible aspects of war, I have great respect for those who have been engaged in war. Even those service men and women who were blessed to serve during peacetime, however, must still be prepared to engage the enemy. Through training exercises and combat practice they stay sharp and vigilant, always prepared for battle.
As Christians we need to do the same. As Paul explains, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NIV).
In other words, as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, we must be prepared to engage in spiritual warfare. We battle temptation. We stand opposed to false religions and worldviews that are hostile toward Christianity. We are called to defend our faith with reason and precision. We cannot be afraid to stand up for Jesus either in the public square or in our personal relationships. God is counting on us to “take captives,” which means surrendering our own thought and beliefs to Christ, but also leading other to do the same—with gentleness and respect. See in the Lord’s Army, we do not kill our enemies; rather, we make them our allies.
And in the Lord’s Army, we are not fighting alone. Just as soldiers in a squad, platoon, or company, depend on each other, Christians rely on our church family to support us and stand beside us. Even more, we have God on our side.
David Dykes, a Baptist minister from Texas, once shared an amazing story. He writes, “During WWII, soldiers were often given Bibles to take into battle. I recall one veteran showing me his. A German bullet punctured it and traveled halfway through until it stopped in Psalm 91.” The bullet seemed as if it was pointing directly at Psalm 91:11, which says, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Isn’t that amazing? As Christians, we should not ever be afraid to engage our friends, co-workers, or culture. After all, if God is for us, who can be against us?
To be a Veteran, we must enlist, endure, engage, and finally, do not get entangled.
• ENTANGLED
The last e-word that Paul uses in these two verses is entangled: “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life” (2 Timothy 2:4 HCSB).
I heard about a new recruit, shortly after joining the Navy, who asked his officer for a pass so he could attend a wedding. The officer gave him the pass but informed the young man he would have to be back by 7 p.m. Sunday. “You don’t understand, sir,” said the recruit. “I’m in the wedding, actually I am the Groom.”
“No, you don’t understand,” the officer shot back. “You’re in the Navy!”
When you serve this (American) flag, you are expected to be completely committed to your country and to allow nothing to prevent you from performing your duties and serving faithfully.
When you serve this (Christian) flag, you are also expected to be completely committed to Christ and His Kingdom. You are expected to serve Him faithfully, not allowing anything to keep you from doing His will.
Unfortunately, countless Christians, after coming to Christ in faith, do get entangled in the affairs of this world. They let other things become more important to them than Jesus. In fact, Jesus told a story about that very thing. He talked about a farmer who scattered seed everywhere he went. Then Jesus said, “The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so, they never grow into maturity” (Luke 8:14 NLT).
We need to be careful about the things we let distract us from Jesus. As Paul has said elsewhere, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NLT).
Conclusion
As I mentioned earlier, there are two types of freedom—embodied in two flags. We want to say many thanks to the Veterans who have served to preserve our political freedoms, which allow us to freely worship our Creator who gives us that greater freedom we all so desperately need.
Invitation
Maybe you’re entangled in the cares and worries of this life, maybe you’re afraid to engage people in spiritual conversation, maybe you’re enduring some hardship and need someone to stand with you and help you to fight the good fight, or maybe you haven’t yet enlisted in God’s Army but you’re thinking about it and you need someone to talk to. I don’t know where you are in your relationship with God, but if there is anything Pastor Tom, myself, or even our Bible Study Group can do to help you become a Spiritual Veteran, you have now received an open invitation.
Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
November 1, 2020
Macks Inn, Island Park, Idaho
"The Church * The Body of Christ”
Matthew 16:18 “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock) and upon this rock I will build My church, and all the powers of hell* will NOT conquer it”!
by Pastor Tom Shanor
~+~
Good morning church…the living, breathing representative of the Person and Body of Jesus Christ on planet earth, specifically here in Island Park, Idaho.
How are you this morning?
You did not “come to church’ you came to a building, this building that houses the church…. for you are the church!
     Instead of saying it is time to go to church, we should be saying, it is the time set aside to come together for our worship service and be the church. That is just being correct as far as the actual meaning of the word church. Wikipedia has it wrong in part, where they define it as a “building for Christian religious activities;” but in the second part have it correct by calling church “a local congregation” of a Christian (denomination) but, also instead of denomination, should simply say gathering.
     I am not attempting to make a big to-do about this, but I always think it is important to use words correctly and to apply them in the proper way as well. Also, on the upside, it is important also to fully understand just how valuable the church is…yes, the Christian church, in all its variety of manifestations, denominations, and gatherings. It is spiritually healthy to know what is correct or legitimate in the eyes of the Lord, for as stated above in Matthew 16, He said “He would build His church” by bringing together as a unit, ‘people’ from all races specified in Mark:16:15, (“go ye into all the world and preach the Good News to EVERYONE!” Paul further reiterates the importance of coming together in Hebrews 10:25, “Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching. (The day approaching meaning the second coming of the Lord.)
     Perhaps you may have figured out….that today you are mostly in a classroom, at least in the beginning of this message, because I think it is important to know as much as we can about our history, defined also as the history of “the church”.
     Coming back to the rock Jesus spoke of twice in the same sentence, saying, “Now I say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build My church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”
     The rock on which Jesus would build His church has been identified as (1.) Jesus Himself (Peters statement proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah) “You are the Messiah,* the Son of the Living God” (2) Peter (the first great leader chosen by Jesus to lead the church or at that time the gathering of the people in Jerusalem, who following His resurrection, became His followers, and of course this included the leadership of all the disciples. (3) by the confession of faith as I stated above, and that all subsequent Believers down to today would profess Him as the Messiah, therefore Savior.
     It seems most likely that the first rock Jesus spoke of did point to Peter as the upcoming leader of the church, and today that spiritual office and the person who fills that office is known as the Pope, and each successive Pope having been established as such, from the earliest days of the newly forming church, because of his role as the apostolic successor to Sant Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus Himself, giving him (Peter) the Keys of Heaven and the powers of “binding and loosing”, naming him as the “rock”.
     As a point of interest, the earliest recorded use of the title “pope” in English dates to the mid-10th century, when it was used in reference to the 7th century Roman POPE Vitalian, which is an Old English translation of Bede’s History of the early church. So, the title has been around for a very long time, and maybe I should have said this in the first place, but Pope means Father. Peter was the first and literal Father of the church.
     Later, Peter reminds the fledgling church that they are the church built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone. (1 Peter 2:4-6) All Believers are joined into the church by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior; the same faith that Peter expressed as Jesus praised Peter for his confession of faith. It is faith like Peter’s that is the foundation of Christ’s Kingdom.
     Jesus was prophesying in regards to the future, for the church He prophesied of was born on the Day of Pentecost…based on the New Testament happenings of the descending of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and all the others present that day as they prayed together as one, fulfilling Jesus words where he said, (Luke 24:49) “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” On that day, The Church was born as stated, empowered and soon to become the Body of Christ known as the Church, which following this baptism became the most powerful spiritual force in the world, changing everything.
     1 Corinthians 12:27 reads, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.”
      The diversity in this gathering is broad, but needing each other in all our gifts and personalities, to be a healthy representation of Him to our local community, therefore it is our individual and collective responsibility, and should be our goal to be One in the Spirit and One in the Lord, with no division or strife, so as to be a true witness of the Person and Unity that can be found in Him, thereby drawing others to Him through us.
     In verse 12:13-15 we read, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body…whether Jew or Greek, slave or free…and have all been made to drink of ‘one’ Spirit, for in fact the body is not one member, but many parts. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body….is it therefore not a part of the body….of course it is?
     These verses also point to this simple statement. “We should all get along”! But when divisions and strife come, and they do arise, we are to think first of what those divisions do to our witness, and upon realizing the importance of that, should honestly and in grace work through those disagreements as Christians. We are to be different in a good way.
     Pastor Eugene Peterson, author of The Shack and The Message wrote, “I would like to talk about the foolishness of the ‘congregation.’ Gods choice of venue. Of all the ways in which to carry out the enterprise of the church, this has to be the most absurd. A haphazard collection of people who somehow get assembled into pews or chairs on Sunday morning, sing a few songs and tune in and out of a sermon according to the state of their digestion, or sleep they had the night before, or not, and the preachers tonal voice and words, the decibels he or she uses, and sometimes awkward and in-cohesive in their structure”.
     But…those of you sitting in these pews at times, are people who suffer deeply and hopefully find God walking with you in your suffering. We make love commitments, and work to be faithful to them through trials and temptations that come our way. When failing to do so, are most often forgiven and given another chance…we also bear the fruit of making right choices, Spirit-related choices that then bless those around us, both great and small.
     As an example of what was big to me was small to my engineer friend Larry Johnson, so yesterday I took to Larry a timer for my new fireplace insert. Just looking at it fried my brain, let alone figuring out how to use and adjust it. Being an engineer (what kind I don’t know) but that did not matter, for within a few minutes after asking me a couple of questions, I heard the most soothing and comforting words, as he said, just plug it in. Halleluiah! Thank you Larry!
     The reality of living a Christian life together as the Body of Christ on this planet, and in this geographical location we live in, we can help and encourage one another and those strangers who come to worship with us, who in our spiritual reality are brothers and sisters, born of the same Father. That is part of our calling and ministry. We, always realizing we are fallible but redeemable, making mistakes at times, even sinning, we are forgiven both by God in Christ and by each other. Perhaps we even get grumpy, but get over it quicker than most, (or should) for we find a measure of happiness and sometimes JOY in just being together, for we are one in Christ and one in our desire to meet together for all the right reasons, and therefore we are blessed!
     We are not a perfect church….and no attempt to make it as such will never work, for all of us who are imperfect should be reasonable, rational, tolerant, understanding and in love forgiving.
     A man reportedly came to the British Pastor Charles Spurgeon, looking for the perfect church. The famous preacher told him he had many saintly people in his congregation, but a Judas could also be among them. After all, he said, even Jesus had a traitor among His own chosen disciples. He went on to say, that some in his congregation were most likely, even deliberately walking in sin, as had been the case among the believers at Rome, Corinth, Galatia, and Sardis. His final words to the man were, “my church is not the one you are looking for,” “but if you should happen to find just such a congregation, I beg you not to becomes a member, for you would spoil the whole thing.”

     Our call as followers/disciples of Christ is this, be gracious or grace motivated, and filled with love for one another as Christ loves us, He says. Since we represent Him as the Body of Christ on this little blue spinning ball in space and time, we are to exhibit to both believers and unbelievers, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Add to those grace and mercy and justice. (What does the Lord require of you?) “To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8,

     As a side note, think about applying this verse in our current social and governmental situations. In those two interactive environments, we are most exposed as to whether we are followers of Christ or ourselves and own opinions. These three Christian traits we must internally fight for when opportunities come up that require them.
Act justly
Love mercy
Walk humbly
“with your God”
This now, is a Key to the Kingdom of God within us. Our individual relationship with Jesus will always be vital, and we must always see ourselves not as loner Christians, but as living members of Christ’s Body, the church. We though individuals, need to continue to gather-together as we do, able to be and accomplish what the Lord Himself has asked and exampled. He…is the head of the Church, and as we continue to build up each other through our words, actions and participation, we are to remember this……we exemplify HIM!
     The parable of the Tree is a good one that tells us the true source of good, in producing good things (or what is called the fruit of the Spirit) both individually and collectively.
Luke 6:43-45 “You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It is who you are not what you say and do that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds. The Message
Amen

Now…we come to the Table of the Lord…. let’s sing,
                                                  “Let Us Break Bread Together” # 564

The Little Church in the Pines
October 25, 2020
Macks Inn, Island Park, Idaho
” WORSHIP”
Revelation 1:8 “…Which is, and which was, and which is to come, The Almighty
By; Pastor Tom Shanor
~+~
In beginning today’s message, we are going to start it by expressing what the sermon topic is about and sing a song of worship!
His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful
Jesus my Lord;
He is the Mighty King, Master of everything, His name is Wonderful
Jesus my Lord.
He’s the Great Shepherd, the Rock of all ages, Almighty God is He;
Bow down before Him, Love and adore Him, His name is Wonderful,
Jesus my Lord….
Amen

     A visiting woman decided to attend a liturgical service, attending a church in her hometown she had never visited before. As the pastor preached, she became so caught up in his message that she exclaimed out loud, Praise the Lord!” A fellow worshiper leaned over and whispered, saying, “Excuse me, but we don’t praise the Lord in the Episcopal Church.” A man on the other side of her corrected him: “Yes we do, and it is on page 19.”
     The word worship is derived from the Old English word ‘weorbscipe’ Nice eh? Anyway, it means “to honor outwardly” which over time has evolved to “worthiness” or “worth-ship” and now worship and in its simplest context, value to something or someone. So, in worshiping God we are acknowledging His value or worth from us, expressed outwardly to Him.
     We also call our gatherings on Sunday morning, Saturday night or whenever we meet collectively as Believers in our services…. our worship service.
     Wikipedia describes it as thus. Worship is an ‘act’ or religious devotion, usually directed towards a deity. An ‘act’ of worship may be expressed individually, in an informal gathering, or through a designated ‘worship leader’ in an organized or formal gathering or service.
     ACT…comes from the word ‘action’ which puts it in a category of expression, which is an “outward expression of an internal devotion.” Devotion, meaning a deep and internal connection. That action can manifest itself in countless ways of expression. Not all forms of action in worship are accepted by everyone. Shortly I will delve into some of those expressions, and we need to be careful not to judge those who express themselves in worship differently than we do….for true worship comes from the heart, and when coming from the heart can take on at times spontaneity of expression. Example, (standing on the pew.)
     Culture, race, denominations, history, experiences by both an individual and collectively can determine that expression.
     A friend of mine years ago asked, he being an atheist, why God would want to be worshiped? It was a good question and one I had not given a lot of thought to. Why? It seems to me that it is DNA’ed into the heart and mind of humankind, tracing our history back eons, that we have within us a place that has to be filled, and that place is a belief in a deity beyond ourselves that is wise, rooted in power and even majesty. Somehow this belief is an anchor when something is so wonderful or so bad, that beyond us is someone who we can thank/worship for the good and beautiful, and we can ask help from when we once again need wisdom and sometimes just a hand to hold.
      As we acknowledge God as existing and as our Creator, again a supernatural deity responsible for and giver of life and love, worship then comes spontaneously from within us in an outward expression of praise and worship.
      In some cultures, there are many gods. In others a female god, in yet others they or it is benevolent or demonic. Great and beautiful or great and malevolent. In some religions man can become gods themselves if indeed they are deemed worthy.
       Most acknowledge that they believe a god, or gods’ or goddesses’ are in themselves responsible for all of Creation, and that He, she or it simply can do what He, she, or it wants with, and to all that exists. We Christians along with the Jews and Muslims, and those unaffiliated with the above, yet believe in the Biblical God, totaling 4.3 billion of the world’s 7.8 billion people. Christianity being the largest of those totaling 2.3 billion and therefore the largest religion in the world today.
      Coming back to Creation, God, power and eventual spontaneous worship, and the evidence of a deity being responsible. I once quoted Albert Einstein in his personal belief in a Creator. He said,
     #1. “The theory produces a good deal but hardly bring us closer to the secret of the ‘Old One,’” “I am at all events convinced that He does not play dice.”
     #2. Tesla, another brilliant scientist is quoted as saying once, as he gazed out into the recesses of space, “I believe there’s some explanation for this universe, which you might call God.”
    #3. Benedict Spinoza, whom Einstein is quoted as saying “I believe in the God of Spinoza, Spinoza saying when asked, “All things, I say, are in God, and everything which takes place takes place by the laws alone of the infinite nature of God and follows from the necessity of His essence.”
Therefore, even the most brilliant minds that have been produced among mankind, they have through their own wonder of the Universe, have had to come to terms with the existence of a Being beyond their understanding who set forth eternal laws that cannot be understood or broken, as to their source, thereby provoking awe and wonder. A feeling that even for the most brilliant, is religious in nature.
Taking a bit of a curve here in talking about God’s rights with and in Creation, I have attempted to make an analogy that helps me understand God’s rights with not only all of Creation, but specifically with human beings. It’s very simple.
     When I create something, say a painting….it is my creation, as I spent the time, provided the materials, having come up with the subject applying paint to brush and brush to canvas. Now, depending on how it turns out and whether I am pleased with it, I can choose to do with that painting anything I want when finished. I own it, and I can hang it on my wall, put it in a closet, sell it, give it away or even destroy it….whatever I want to do I can do….because I created it.
I can say the same in regards to God…again, if indeed I believe in Him and have come to KNOW HIM, I am still His Creation, knowing that He made me, gave me the breath of life upon my birth and has every right to do with me that which He desires.
I too…because along with the breath of life given to me, and the wonders of what I believe are His Creation, and giving me free will as He most certainly gave all of us, I can choose to acknowledge Him….and come to KNOW Him, and by choosing this I then am then given the opportunity to experience His majesty, love and power, and all of this thorough His Beloved Son Jesus Christ. Choice is something we have every day. Choosing to believe is one of the greatest if not the greatest actions we can take in this brief life.
In this belief and acceptance, this deliberate ACT of recognizing God, connecting to God, giving to Him, turning over to Him…those things that are too hard for me (in my not so brilliant thinking abilities) I then feel compelled from the depth of my heart and mind, to not only acknowledge Him…but to worship Him.
Remember, in the beginning of this message I described worship as showing outward manifestations as indeed a part of worship. These outward manifestations as I also stated, can take on a great variety of expressions. Also, through worship I find myself being draw closer to Him, Him being the totality of who He is, described as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity.
In this relationship, with these acts of worship….I FEEL His PRESENCE more closely.
I believe God created along with our physical bodies our soul, and our soul is designed to contain His very real Presence 24/7. Every man, woman and child has a soul….and by design, our soul is spirit….but can be spiritual even apart from the Presence of God, but never fully, and never One with Him until we embrace Him, by accepting and believing that He is indeed the Creator of the Universe and all therein.
I will now read a Psalm which is an invitation to worship.
PSALM 95:1-7 READ
There were five actions spoken of in this Psalm,

Come, let us SING (no problem there for most of us)
Let us SHOUT JOYFULLY to the Rock of our Salvation. Ah oh!
Let us come before Him with THANKSGIVING (we can all do that)
Let us worship and BOW DOWN (most of us are good with that)
Let us KNEEL before the Lord out God our Maker (ok with that too_

We read where David danced before the Lord and was welcomed by God by doing so.
Also, Scripture say Clap Your Hands all Ye people, shout unto God with a voice of Triumph, clap your hands all ye people, SHOUT unto God with a voice of praise.
There are a multitude of ways in which to express to God our PRAISE AND WORSHIP…and are acceptable and pleasing to Him. If individuals are expressing themselves in an insincere way, using any of these I have spoken of to draw attention to themselves….it is no longer worship but a show, and unacceptable to both God and us.
The manner of expression of worship is secondary to the condition of our motives and condition of our heart in doing so.
David prays in Psalm 51:10-12,

Create in me a clean heart O God
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from thy Presence of Lord.
And renew a right spirit within me

David had it right, for we have lost much of the understanding of the meaning of holiness before the Lord…and personal holiness is much more than the “appearance of reverence” for that can be faked, and be a cover of what is truly in the heart, mind and spirit of a person. Always…be genuine and honest with God…that too is true worship.
Let us finish with this:
Come let us worship and bow down
Let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker
Come let us worship and bow down
Let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker
For He is our God
And we are the people of His pasture
For He is our God
And we are the sheep of His hand
Come let us worship and bow down.
Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
October 18, 2020
“An Attitude of Gratitude”
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

1 Thessalonians 5:18,
  “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, concerning you.”
This pandemic 2020, soon to move into 2021 has filled our lives to the extent we will only know as time goes forward. Up to this time fear has often crowded out what we remember was our ordinary-everyday-lives, making them into only a semblance of what we once called normal. Since January it has filled the news, fueled rumors, brough rifts between friends, family, and our nation, often bringing strife, divisions, anger, suspicion and definitely the ugly in people. Paranoia continues to reign.
      AND YET…. these words of Paul resonate through it all. He says to us in all sincerity, “always be joyful, never stop praying. Be thankful and full of gratitude in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
     Our Joy, our prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances. I have heard and experienced many examples of ordinary people who through their belief/faith came through some horrendous and even extraordinary circumstances with an attitude of gratitude, managing to be and do, all three of these. JOFUL-THANKFUL-GRATEFUL
     Doing so certainly goes contrary to our natural inclinations and definitely in our flesh the ability to do so when we make a conscious decision to do so. That which God in Christ tells us in Scripture is always for our benefit, and often the benefit of others. In being obedient, however, we will then begin to see not only our circumstances differently, but people also in those circumstances with a new perspective. A spiritual and godly perspective. Not that we are enjoying the suffering of others and our own suffering…. but joyful in that God knows our pain, our fears, our hopes, and dreams. God will never leave us or forsake us. Though we often cannot avoid these things that we are going through today, we can adjust our attitude, and often our attitude will heavily influence the outcome.
     A well-known stress researcher claims that two attitudes more an any other, influence the quality of everyday life, saying that on these two emotions “depends our peace of mind” through all that we endure. Those being gratitude and revenge.
     I shared this illustration once before but am going to do so again.
     In the devotional “Springs in the Valley” the author tells of those who found a location where Satan kept his destructive seeds, ready to be sown in the human heart. Through experimentation, Satan found that these seeds could be made to grow in almost everyone, but when he was questioned, he reluctantly admitted that there was one, just one place, in which he could never get them to root and thrive and that one place he replied in anger was, “in the heart of a grateful person!”
In everything give thanks,
In everything give thanks,
For this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus
Concerning you……
     Please note that this verse does not say for everything, but in.
     To give Him thanks in the midst of this very real situation we are living every day, shows that we are reaching out and up, simply saying and asking, God, we need you now perhaps more or equal too and (though different) many situations that we have been through. We may not understand, but that is because our understanding is limited and finite and God’s, is being able to see the beginning to the end, remembering that all things are ultimately for the benefit of we, your people.
     We all know, because we have been around this ole place long enough, that this life seems at times awfully unfair, and with that it comes with both short and long-term risks, some great and some small. In all of these we have choices to make…. Lord, give us we pray, the wisdom to choose the right thing and the right attitude.
     In reference to our attitudes about difficult things, be they illness, wars, relationships, disagreements, division, accidents, etc., the unexpected will continue to come about, and as a result, often painful, distressful… these possibly even to the point of death. Though hard to understand, this is simply the way life is since the pristine order and beauty of Creation was corrupted. That is the reality we live with daily. Remember also in this reality: God loves and cares for each and all of us, wanting the very-best for us. Remember also…. He gave us free will and therefore, we CAN CHOOSE how we are going to respond to both the good and the evil. Attitude is almost EVERYTHING.
     It is both my understanding and my opinion: God does NOT point his finger at any of us and says, “I am going to give you cancer, or I am going to strike you down with COVID or cause you to be in a deadly accident. Along with free-will, He permits the long-term effects of sin its’ resulting corruption to run its’ course. As Scripture says, and is seen as a sign of God’s mercy, we read in Matthew 4:45 where it is written: “That you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. All will happen within the natural course of the rules and laws set in place by the Almighty.
     Yet…in all of these things, as difficult and even awful they may be, He desires that we call on Him in those times, He, being invited by us, will walk with us through it all. Then His strength can be our strength and His wisdom our wisdom. His patience our patience, His touch upon us, forever.
     We together, are called to encourage and comfort one another for where and when two or three of us are gathered-together, He is there with us in the Person of His Holy Spirit. If we start our day with the Lord in an attitude of gratitude, for all that He has given us, we will more easily sense His Presence, comforting us, encouraging us, lifting us up. We can pray together, talk together, walk together and enjoy the presence of Godly fellowship.
     It is proven even scientifically through the study of psychology and actual physical testing that, there are deep benefits that come with an attitude of gratitude. Every morning when we wake up, whatever that time is, the first thing that we should do to prepare ourselves for the day ahead and whatever comes our way, is to go over in our head a list of those things that we find to be grateful for. Or, you can get up, have a cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate, and literally write down a handwritten list or perhaps do so on your computer. I can guarantee it, that in doing so, going into our day with gratitude, all will be a much better and brighter day.
     No matter the state or quality of our lives, whatever outcomes we have produced, goals we have reached (or even failed to reach), what decision we have made have yet to make, and where we ended up or will end up, has almost everything to do with our focus. While some thing may be out of our control, much of what happens is based on our thoughts, prayers, emotions, and resulting behaviors, are largely a conditional response of our attitude and therefore focus. Understand? There is always, always, something to be grateful for that can bring us a measure of peace and perhaps even joy.
     Though I do not know intimately the circumstances of your lives, I do know some things that, for some of you have been and are very difficult and knowing these things at times breaks my heart but also enables me to with more focus pray for you and at times to in my own way offer comfort.
     Instead of us worrying 24/7, let us agree to look to our God and Lord, praying with knowledge and with understanding, that He indeed knows who we are and what we are enduring. Also, that He (our Father) knows what is best for us. It helps me when troubled, to sing a hymn or read an encouraging account, or to call someone and ask for prayer or simply just to listen. No one has to go through or, should go through difficulties alone. We are one in the Spirit and we are One in the Lord and the body of Christ.
      As a minister and having listened to many accounts of pain and loss in people’s lives, I understand, sometimes more than I even want too, how difficult life has been and continues to be for far too many, both believers and non-believers. Sometimes, therefore, attitude, especially a genuine and positive one is difficult to create, but in Christ it can be accomplished. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13 “All things, not just some things.”
      I am going to read to you a true account of a man who had a horrendous upbringing….and how through unexpected love and acceptance, and because of this love being unconditional love, his attitude became a sound motivation, when coupled with His faith turned pain into health and joy, which today results in being able to share that with countless others, including me, and I hope you as I read his brief story.
READ, December 31st.
Please…as we now ready ourselves to participate in Communion, let us do so with a grateful heart, and with an attitude of gratitude, along with thanksgiving.  Ok?
Sing with me…. this song based on a grateful heart.
  Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks, because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now, Let the weak say I am strong Let the poor say I am rich,
Because of what the Lord has done for us,
Give thanks, Give thanks!

The Little Church in the Pines
October 11, 2020
The Church and Government ~ History and to Come
Multiple Verses as the Foundation for this sermon
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

The place of the Church in Government has dramatically changed since the Revolutionary War.
Because the writers of the Constitution having been under British rule and under the influence of the Church of England, the framers of the Constitution favored a neutral posture toward religion, though with the exception of one man, all were religious in their personal lives. These men who were members of the Constitutional Convention, the group charged with authoring the Constitution believed that the government should have NO power to influence its citizen toward or away from a religion. The principles of separating church from state was integral to the framers’ understanding of religious freedom.
In two instances, the first in Article VI, is a proscription of any religious tests as a requisite qualification for public service. The second instance is in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.
The First Amendment contains two clauses that prescribe the government’s relationship with religion. In the first instance, the Establishment Clause states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” This assures us that the federal government will not adopt any stance in favor of or against any religion.
The second clause is called the Free Exercise Clause. The Free exercise clause protects an individual’s right not only to believe what he or she would like but also to practice it. “Congress shall make no law respecting or prohibiting the exercise thereof.”
Since the establishment of our Government based on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Amendments, there have been many attempts to change, add and or delete. Some of these have happened through the Supreme Court, as cases come before them in which religion is involved, though I am not at this time going to go into them. Right now, we still have the right to gather (though that is being modified today in regard to COVID. There are some in government who are attempting, and who have been successful to use COVID to manipulate and prevent the free exercise thereof.
My personal opinion is, that within reason, those that are reasonable are necessary, such as of course, what we here are following, but the call for ceasing meeting at all is contrary to the established laws. There have been and continue to be churches and minister who have refused reasonable caution and have reaped the results of doing so. Common sense must be taken into account in protecting ourselves and one each other.
Moving on. Let us visit some of the verses in God’s word, scriptures that speak of government.
Roman’s 13:1 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
This one is a bit hard to swallow when an established government is corrupt, and it is when a government is corrupt that there are exceptions to this line of obedience.
Acts 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles replied (to the governing authorities speaking to them) the apostles answering, “We must obey God rather than men.” This was when the governing authorities commanded them to stop preaching Jesus
Anytime when we are being subject to the government and are being told to obey the laws that transgress the laws of God, we are permitted by God to take a stand contrary to those laws and must disobey.

The New Testament gives us some broad principles on how we are supposed to respond. Romans 13, above, is an example. The great theologian Augustine said the government is a necessary evil, that it is necessary because of evil.   Today we hear those demanding we defund the police, and because of the evil in their hearts, these people want no consequences for doing evil. This is not God’s way.
The true function of government is to restrain evil and to maintain, uphold, and protect the sanctity of life and property. Given this function, the Christian understands that government is ordained of God, and so, Christians, first of all, are called to respect that which God institutes and ordains. The true function of government.
There are occasions on which Christians not only may but must disobey the civil magistrates, but our basic posture toward government, according to the New Testament is to be submissive and obedient citizens of the state.
We are also given the duty of praying for earthly governments that they may fulfill the tasks God has given to them, which we do here every Sunday.
We have another responsibility, and this is the one that sometimes brings us into controversial areas.   I personally believe in a separation of spheres of authority between the church and state. I think it is a marvelous structure in the United States of America, which does not allow for the state to rule the church or the church the state. (this was one of the major things that forced America to rise up against the British Empire). The Church of England was in bed with the country of England causing great hardships on the citizens of America in the free exercise of their faith. The church is to have its job, and the government its job.
Unfortunately, in today’s culture, separation of church and state means separation of state and God, as if the state and the government were answerable to no one but themselves – as if the government did not have to respond to God. But God monitors governments; God raised them up and brings them down. Every human government is accountable to God and is accountable to maintain its affairs with justice and with righteousness. When the government is no longer acting justly and no longer protecting all its people, as illustrated in sanctioning of abortion, then it is the task of the church to be the prophetic voice, to call the state to task and tell the state to repent and do what God commands.
There is, in this disobedience, a way to do this and a way not to. We do NOT resort to violence of any kind in our objections. We are to diligently work smart and hard, praying for wisdom, using the tools we have the freedom to use to make changes. If the government turns against us violently, then according to the Constitution which is based on the principles of God, we do have the right to defend ourselves by necessary means, but never as the aggressors. We do not stand against evil by becoming evil. We are to be the conscience of America.
As we do this most important thing…. we make ourselves targets just as John the Baptist did by confronting Herod over the taking of his brother’s wife. It cost him time in prison and then his life.
Do you recall the term “the writing on the wall”? Belshazzar’s feast in Daniel, as he tells how Belshazzar holds a great feast and drinks from the vessels that had been looted in the destruction of the First Temple…..Belshazzar had blasphemed God, and so God sent this hand…….”a hand appears and writes on the wall.” The terrified Belshazzar calls for his wise men, but they are unable to read the writing. Under the queen’s request he send for Daniel who reads the words “he Belshazzar has been weighed by God and found wanting,” and his kingdom will be given to the Medes and the Persians. That very night Belshazzar was killed. Daniel 5:30-31
Please…when I say what I am going to next, this is my opinion based on my own observations, and coming to my own conclusions. You may heartily disagree and that is your choice. I believe that there is now, writing on the wall of our nation that is very faint and incomplete, unable to be read at this time because God is patient and God wants the best for us as a nation. But, if we continue down the road we are now on, hell bent for deep and dramatic change, letter after letter will appear, and at some point be completed and able to be read, and an interpreter will arise and read the then completed judgments that we will have brought on ourselves.
Our needs are to speak against evil, do no evil, speak loudly and clearly, using God’s Words and not our own, as each situation arises in our lives that gives us the opportunity to do so. Not attacking but to emulate Jesus, in the manner in which in all His words to the leaders of His day, were never backed with violence, but always, when necessary, confrontive and factual, emotions held in check so that what was being said had the words and power of God Himself backing Him, not feelings.
We….citizens of this country, within the Constitution, have been accorded the right to stand against a government, ours, when it no longer has the betterment and safety of its citizens foremost in its intent, stating the words as I spoke of last week from the Constitution itself.
Now…for a bit of history in regards to the Church, Ministers and Congregations prior to the Revolutionary War. I am going to attempt to do this in as few words as possible but would ask you to take it upon yourselves to do your own research.
Volumes have been written on the American Revolution, sadly, however, an important aspect of this heroic epic has been omitted: the Protestant Christian pulpits which constituted the media of the day, from which were preached dynamic sermons addressing the evil of tyranny and the blessings of God-ordained liberty.
Independence was boldly preached from Scripture throughout the 13 original States during the American Revolution. These sermons brought about enthusiasm; prayers, brought about courage, and parting blessings brought encouragement and ultimately resolutions.
Pastor Peter von Muhlenberg, known as the “the fighting parson of the American Revolution” received a circular letter from General George Washington, requesting that regiments be raised for the Revolutionary Army.
The following Sunday, Muhlenberg’s sermon was taken from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, ending with an appeal to his own congregation: “There is a time for war, and a time for peace; there is a time to pray and a time to fight!” Upon which he then dramatically pulled open his clerical robes, revealing the uniform of a colonel in the Continental Army. His parishioners readily enrolled in the then fledgling army – Muhlenberg’s regiment being complete. This great man of God served eight years’ military service for his newly forming nation.
During earlier years, prior to the Revolution there were chaplains in the colonial wars, such as the French and Indian War. At the conclusion of these wars, these chaplains became pastors of Protestant churches, preaching fervently to their congregations “the divine right of Resistance” “as opposed to the divine right of kings,” which of course the colonies were under at that time.
Reverend Phillips Payson, A.M., Pastor of a Chelsea church in part preached: “Recollecting our pious ancestors, the first settlers of the country, - nor shall we look for ancestry beyond that period. - and we may say, in the most literal sense, “we are children, not of the bond woman, but of the free.” It may hence well be expected that the exertions and effect of American liberty should be more vigorous and complete. It has the most to fear from ignorance and avarice; of their liberty in the eager pursuit of wealth, as the states of Holland have done, and it will always be as easy to rob an ignorant people of their liberty as to the pick the pockets of a blind man.”
Here is a list of the notable of ministers, priests and more, who effectively preached against the tyranny of England and the must for the Independence of American.
Of these…. are the denominations and churches listed for history?   READ
There is so much more available to read and study, but I will end with this.
This was the hope, the dream the collective thinking and prayerful summation of HOPE for America by these men….as long as these self-evident truths were practiced and adhered to.
We may, then, consider –

What reason have we to expect that, by the blessing of God, These United States may prosper and flourish into a great American Republic and ascend into high and distinguished honor among the nations of the earth. “To make Thee high above all nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name and in honor.”
That our system of dominion and civil polity would be imperfect without the true religion; or that from the diffusion of virtue among the people of any community would arise their greatest secular happiness: which will terminate in this conclusion, “that holiness ought to be the end of all civil government and that thou mayest be a holy people unto the Lord thy God.”

Though through the years, this nation has made mistakes, some very bad and difficult ones……we have striven to correct those mistakes when either pressure from the people, or simply recognition of our errors have harmed and unjustly affected portions of our citizenry.

We are not perfect but denying portions of our history have made us vulnerable to corruption from within and without.

Still, as a great nation, we have time to turn from the direction we are heading toward, repent and reaffirm our dependence on a Being greater than ourselves. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

PRAYER……………….based on Ephesians 6:10-18 READ

We…and our nation are involved deeply at this time in a deep spiritual warfare, and what I just read is who we must be and what we must do.
Amen

BE STRONG AND BE COURAGEOUS
October 4, 2020
“Have I not commanded you? “Be STRONG and of GOOD COURAGE;
do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD YOUR God is with you wherever you go.”
JOSHUA 1:9
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

There are times in our lives we have had to be courageous and there will be times coming down the road when, we will once again have to be courageous. To understand the word’s full meaning let’s take a look at it. Courage seems to come easier and deeper to some, than others, and there are times when we would rather have not desired to be courageous, but gladly let someone else step to the front, and do what needed to be done.

COURAGE (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation.

When looking at those five words, any sane person would want to avoid them totally, again, they being AGONY, PAIN, DANGER, UNCERTAINTY and INTIMIDATION.

The most courageous person I have ever met, and yes, I have met Him in multiple ways is Jesus Christ. With God by His side, with His mission firmly in place, he faced agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, and deliberate intimidation at almost every turn of His three-year ministry. In paintings from the renaissance, we see Him often depicted as this thin, pale, blue-eyed rather insipid looking victim, when the opposite is true. Being the stepson of a carpenter, his hands, forearms, biceps, shoulders, neck, legs, and feet belonged to a man who worked hard to help his family make living. His hands were calloused, splinter-filled from working with wood and stone. His skin was dark, made so by the middle eastern sun, and the dry arid climate. It is safe to say His hair was dark, his eyes either brown or even black. He was strong not only physically, but in the strength and power of God.

As His mission unfolded, beginning publicly (we are told) with turning water into wine for a wedding He and His family were attending, and then doing so only because He was obedient to His mother who rather insisted He do something because the family had run out of wine, so as not to embarrass the parents of the bride. It is evident that He is rather annoyed at Mary for asking Him to intervene, and in such a public way, but He had learned obedience during the course of His upbringing, and ultimately, He obeyed her. I also find it rather interesting that she KNEW that He was fully capable of doing this thing, and, put Him on the spot to do so. So…this was His first public miracle, one that certainly did not take courage, but instead simple obedience to mom. There is a lesson in here for all of us, and that lesson is always “obey your mother.”

From that time forward, courage walked with Him, for next in the series of events His next act was to cleanse the Temple where to the horror and fury of the priests and money changers, etc., He yelled at them saying “take these things away! Do not make My Father’s hour a house of merchandise, fulfilling Scripture by speaking these words, His “Zeal for Your house has eater Me up.” He then made a whip of cords, driving them all out of the temple, along with the sheep and oxen, pouring out the money-changers money and overturning the tables! The tone is set. He in His ministry will be in continual combative mode with the religious leaders, yet finding compassion, grace, forgiveness, and mercy for the everyday people that He was raised with. Yet, in time, even some of those would turn against Him. His focus and courage in each confrontation to come would only strengthen His resolve to fulfill His calling as the Messiah and Savior of the world, not just the Jews.

With each miracle each teaching He revealed more and more of who He was and the Father God He spoke for. He opened the eyes and hearts of anyone who could and would accept His message and His place as the Son of God. Courage gave Him strength and vision to take each new step in His journey, each new day and each new encounter or event.

Speaking of courage, let us now look at today and our contemporary life, using as examples those who serve us.
Where would we be without our men and women in the military, our men and women in law enforcement, our men and women as firefighters, those everyday people who are unafraid to speak out, in calling sin and wrong actions for what they are, no matter the ramifications. Also, for organizations such as doctors and nurses who volunteer skills in places where it seems no man or woman should be, often being attacked and killed in their willingness to serve. Strength and courage!

I speak these next words with caution but feel that I will be proven to be correct. As I said in my REFLECTIONS article, “the times they are a changing” and the acceleration of those changes are going to increase and deepen. I believe the days are coming when we, as ordinary everyday people, are going to have to stand up for our faith, for our country and for each other. We are going to have to be strong in the power of our God and in the strength of His might. We will be called upon to be courageous and to bear the standard of the truths we know to be self-evident. Spiritual truths for which the truth spoken of in our Constitution are shaped around. Both Spiritual and governmental truths we cherish and have relied upon for centuries are under attack and the enemy grows stronger, but God says as I started out in Joshua with this message. “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor dismayed, for the LORD YOUR GOD is with you wherever you go.”

Do you know our history well enough to know that it was ministers, standing in their pulpits preaching truths that played a very powerful in the Revolutionary War in our quest for freedom, and through them preaching those truths deeply affected the construction of the Constitution of this country? Did you know that?

Out of times like this that are upon us, and that grow exponentially as truths are deserted, the enemy of God and man is stepping up the attacks. I am not speaking lightly here but am speaking what I see on the horizon unless, those who are advancing their unjust causes, turn from their wicked ways and repent. I am comparing and mixing these two, faith and government, because our government is based primarily on the self-evident truths of God’s word.

Listen to this…..”We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (all people) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable right, that among these are LIFE, LIBERTY and the pursuit of HAPPINESS. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness.

I am now going to read to you a true account that epitomizes and combines everything I have just shared with you. Listen close and hold this account close to your hearts and in your minds, for it will give you courage when courage and strength is needed. It comes from the book, “Book of Amazing Stories, authored by Robert Petterson, and published by Tyndale, Momentum.

It is titled, THE FOUR CHAPLAINS
In an era of increasing polarization, it might do us all some good to remember an amazing act of heroism many decades ago. It took place during an era of nation against nation, race against race, and religion against religion, an era that began with ethnic cleansing and ended in the Holocaust.
On February 3, 1943, an army transport ship, the Dorchester, was ferrying nine hundred combat soldiers across the North Atlantic to join in the fight against Nazi Germany. It was not an easy passage. The winter crossing was stormy, making those aboard feel like they were riding a rodeo bull. Young boys in uniform were both homesick and seasick in hot airtight compartments below deck. But their queasy claustrophobia would soon be forgotten when torpedoes from a German sub slammed into the Dorchester. The captain knew that his vessel was going down, and he sounded the order to abandon ship with all haste.
The pandemonium was heightened by the utter blackness of the stormy night. Young men were desperately searching for life jackets and trying to find lifeboats on a ship sinking in icy seas a hundred fifty miles from Greenland. In the midst of this chaos, four military chaplains became immortal heroes: Father John Washington, a New Jersey Roman Catholic; Reverend Clark Poling, a Reformed Church of America chaplain from Ohio; Reverend George Fox, a Pennsylvania Methodist; and Rabbi Alexander Goode, a Jewish Rabbi from Brooklyn. Together, they did what chaplains are supposed to do as they guided soldiers to evacuation points, whispered courage in their ears, and helped them into lifeboats or over the side of the sinking ship. When life jackets ran out, the four chaplains peeled their off and gave them away.
Nearly seven hundred men died in the frigid waters that night, yet more than two hundred survived – some wearing life jackets handed to them by the Chaplains. One soldier said that he was going back to retrieve his gloves, but Rabbi Goode insisted that he take his. Witnesses remembered seeing those four Chaplains for the last time, linking arms together and praying as the ship disappeared from sight – a Catholic priest, a Reformed pastor, a Methodist preacher, and a Jewish rabbi. They may have come from different regions of America, voted for different political candidates, believed disparate theologies, and worshiped with dissimilar liturgies, but they believed in the same God, fought under the same flag, and were willing to die for young men whose views and lifestyles they may not have embraced. Its’ no wonder that they were posthumously awarded one of the highest honors this nation can give to its military heroes.
Today, in a time of intolerance, when almost anyone who doesn’t agree with us is dismissed as an enemy to be ridiculed, we would do well to dust off the amazing story of these four Chaplains who linked arms together in unity to pay the ultimate sacrifice for others. If it causes any of us to become less divisive, the retelling of this story will be well worth it. We might even benefit from something Malcom Forbes said;
“Diversity is the art of thinking independently ‘together.’”
Are we not all children of the same Father? Are we not all created by the same God:
Malachi 2:10
Amen

The Theology of Kneeology
Praise and Prayer
Sunday Message by: Connie Funkhouser
September 27, 2020

     Theology in a Christian context is a discipline of study that seeks to understand the God revealed in the Bible and to provide a Christian understanding of reality. It seeks to understand God’s creation, particularly human beings and their condition, and God’s redemptive work in relation to humankind. Theology has practical value in providing guidance for the Christian life and ministry.
     It is important for us to have good theology. It is good for us to know what we think and why we think the way we do. It is good to check what you believe and make sure it aligns with the work of God. However, no matter how much formal religious education we get. No matter how intelligent we become when it comes to scripture and God’s work. All of it means nothing unless we have a living relationship with Jesus. None of it matters unless we know how to communicate with God. None of it matters near as much as being on our knees speaking to the all-knowing, all powerful, all loving God Our Creator.
Jeremiah 29:12
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you” (NKJV).
Psalms 91:15
“He will call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him” (NIV).

     There are 58 verses in the Bible that commands us to “call” unto the Lord. We are commanded and demanded to pray. I find it intriguing that God must command us to pray. I think I know who is reading my Sunday homily this week, so I feel as I am preaching to the choir. At the Little Church in the Pines, we have a well-established Prayer Circle. I know for a fact, that I have a close circle of friends whom I affectionally refer to as Prayer Warriors, which write down petitions of prayers from others and will take them to Our Lord throughout the day. When our Daisy’s Angels’ Ministry Team was involved @ the JCC, we had a list of students that we kept with us so that we may pray specific prayers for the students. Personally, I feel that I am in a constant state of prayer. My own private never-ending dialogue with God.

     Charles Hadden Spurgeon said, “Prayer pulls the rope down below and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly; others give only an occasional jerk at the rope. But he who communicates with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continuously with all his might.”
Speaking for myself, I can honestly admit that I boldly pull on the rope.

     “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously. He has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise Him – my father’s God, and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:1-2 NLT).

     Moses and the Israelites praised the Lord for His deliverance from Pharaoh. The Egyptians, who were chasing them, were no more. God had hurled each horse and rider into the sea. The Lord was their strength and had given them absolute victory. Their God was also the amazing God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They praised Him for their miracle. They exalted Him for His promise.

     Here we are now, amid our own Red Sea. Our God is still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses. But He is more than that. His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus has defeated sin and disease on the Cross. He has opened the windows to heaven. God is no longer just our father’s God. Because of Jesus’ grace, He is also our Father. We can go to Him with anything. No longer the judge of His children, He is the lover of our souls. We pray in faith, believing, and we praise Him for His faithfulness. The Red Sea that appears before us shall be no more.
     Praise is synonymous with strength and is born of trust in our Father, whom we believe takes care of every aspect of life. We face our Red Seas, believing that He has already met our needs. Even now when we do not see His provision taking place, we believe because we trust our Savior, who has opened the door to all the resources of our heavenly Father. We praise our Father that we can speak to this mountain, and He who loves us so much will move it.

     When we pray, we are immediately ushered into the very presence of God. There are no restrictions to praying. God did not say, “Call unto me if it is important, or if it is serious.” We are not only to talk to God anytime, at any place, we are to talk to God about anything. Paul said in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.”

     What compelled me to talk about prayer is a personal experience that I had in February. I knew that I was going to die, and I was able to watch my life on earth end in slow-motion. It is true when people say that they see their life flash before them. I saw a quick reel of my parents, my brothers when we were younger, my husband, and then my pets. I even had the fleeting thought, well I guess they’ll just need to figure everything out at the business for themselves 😊 Then I prayed, I prayed out loud and I boldly said, “God thank you for this life that you have entrusted me with. It has been great and my honor to serve you. Please watch over my husband. Thank you.” I was at perfect peace. I did not fight what was about to happen, it was all good. I even remembered feeling happy. I was not afraid. Granted, sounds like there was a lot of time between the fast-moving snow grader coming right for me, but this all happened within seconds. The impact, glass shattering, my driver side door being crushed into me . . . and then I opened my eyes, and much to my surprise I was still on earth. Crazy, I thought did God change His mind? Seems I covered all the requirements in Philippians 4:6, but does God change His mind because we pray? More on this later.

The only thing that God wants us to pray about is everything. The only thing you do not need to pray about is nothing. The only prayer that God does not answer is the prayer never prayed.

     That is where kneeology comes in. We spend time praying with God to be a witness for Him, praying to let our words be used to touch others, praying to be anointed by God so that we may be used in His service. We are to share the good news of Jesus with others. It does not matter how deep our theology runs, how much we know about the word of God, or what limitations we think we might have. If we are willing to be used and are willing to put some prayer and effort into being who God wants us to be then we can make a difference. Do not believe prayer and praise are important? Then just study the life of Jesus. He continually went away to be alone and spend time in prayer with His Father. He prayed asking for direction, for assurance, for strength. He prayed to be used in the way he was meant to be used.

     Remember something about God. God always answers prayer on schedule, but it is always His schedule, not ours. Our problem is, we are concerned with time, but God is concerned with timing. Remember that God’s delays are not God’s denials.

     The greatest knowledge a person can ever have is the will of God. We will never know that apart from prayer. The greatest person we can ever know is the Lord Jesus Christ. You will never know Him intimately apart from prayer. The greatest book we will ever read is the Word of God and we will never understand it apart from prayer.

     Does prayer change things? Yes. Does God use prayer as a secondary means to bring His work to pass? Yes. Does God not only invite us to pray but command us to? Yes. Does the effective prayer of righteous man accomplish much? Yes. But do these things change God’s mind? No. Why? Because God has never had to change His mind from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:11).

     Kneeology; Communicating with God on a regular basis is way more important than most theology we are taught. Yes, of course theology is important, but prayer is what makes it come alive . . . it is what helps us to use what we know to become who we are supposed to be.

     If you do not have a degree in kneeology, learn, teach others to pray, to communicate, to listen for the Will of God. You will not be disappointed you did.

Prayer changes us ~ Praise moves the heart ♥ of God.

Luke 17:11-19
Sermon by: Pastor Connie Day
September 20, 2020

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

This is the second time in the Gospel of Luke that Jesus heals someone with leprosy.

In Luke chapter five, a man who had leprosy fell on his face when he saw Jesus and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus said, “I am willing.” He reached out and touched the man and healed him.

In this story (Luke 17), Jesus again encountered some lepers.

They stood at a distance from him. The law required that they do so.

Leviticus 13:45-46
Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as they have the disease, they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.

Leprosy was a disease that not only affected the body. Those who had it were forced to stay socially distant from others. As long as a person had this disease, he would be excluded from the community.

This was considered to be more than just a physical disease. It was considered a disease of body and soul: a judgement from God, a punishment for sin.

People feared lepers, much in the same way that people in our time sometimes view those with diseases: not only was there fear that coming into contact with such a person could put you at risk, but there was also a sense that somehow these people must have done something to deserve this illness.

The average person went out of their way to avoid people with leprosy, and laws kept these people at a distance, isolated from the community. But Jesus didn’t turn away when the men with leprosy called out to him. As in the earlier story, where Jesus reached out a touched the man who was considered “unclean,” Jesus had compassion for people whom others would turn away.

Maybe that’s why they called out to him in the first place. Maybe they had heard of his love for sinners and outcasts. Maybe they had heard that he healed others with this dreadful disease.

So they called out to him, “Jesus, have mercy on us!”

And Jesus told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”

You see, that was the only way that they could be re-admitted to society. It was the only way that they could return to their families: to a “normal” life. A priest had to certify that they were, indeed, healed. Until a priest examined them, they were still outcasts: excluded from the community.

All ten of these men acted on faith. Jesus doesn’t heal them and then send them to see the priest. They have had to act on faith—to trust in Jesus. They go, as Jesus tells them to, as as they go they are healed. Before there is any evidence that the healing would take place, they believed and obeyed the words of Jesus. And maybe there’s a lesson in that for us: to trust in God even when we can’t see the ways that God is working in our lives. To believe, and to step out in faith, even when we don’t have any proof that things will turn out all right.

These men trusted in Jesus, without any evidence that they would be healed. They literally “stepped out in faith”—they turned and started walking. And “as they went, they were cleansed.”

But one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back. He praised God, shouting out praise for what had been done. He found Jesus and said, “Thank you.” And Jesus asked some questions. “Weren’t there ten who were healed?”

“Where are the other nine?”

Where are the other nine?

Where did they go?

What were they doing?

What were they thinking?

Let’s imagine for a moment that we could get inside the minds of the other nine: that we could hear their thoughts and understand “where they were.”
I can imagine some of them thinking, “What a coincidence!” “Right about the time that Jesus came by, suddenly I started feeling better. It’s kind of odd that it happened that way. A real coincidence!” They don’t feel a need to go back and thank Jesus because they don’t see the connection of their cry for mercy and the healing that has taken place.

And don’t we do that sometimes too?

We pray. We cry out to God for help. And when the answer to our prayers comes, we forget that we ever prayed, or we think that things probably would have happened the same way even if we had not prayed. It was just a coincidence. And we don’t think to say, “Thank you.”

Maybe that’s what some of the nine men were thinking that day.

I can imagine some others who are so excited—so amazed that they were healed. They need to go see the priest to be examined. They need to be “certified.” Then they would go and clean up and shave, and put on some decent clothes…and then, there would be joyful reunions with their friends and families. There would be so much to do. There was so much ahead of them. There wasn’t time to look back, or to go back. A quick prayer of thanks on the run was all they had time for. Surely God would understand.

And how many of our prayers are said “on the run?” How often are we willing to stop? To take time to praise God and to thank Jesus for the ways we have been helped and healed?

I can imagine some among those nine men who did not return because they were busy getting on with their lives.

I can imagine others who didn’t return because they were angry.

They got to thinking, as they walked toward town, “Why did I have to go through this in the first place?” “Why did God allow me to suffer?” “Why did God allow me to be sick?” “Why did God allow me to be alienated from my family for so long?”

“It’s not fair! Look how much I have lost! That is time that I can never get back!”

They dwell on the illness, the suffering, and they don’t feel very thankful. The best they can say is, “It’s about time!” And they are unable to see or appreciate the gift they have been given.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever had a hard time being thankful because you can’t see beyond the hurt, disappointment, or anger? Or because you compare yourself and your circumstances with others, and you seem to have gotten the “short end of the stick?”

Sometimes we are blinded by the difficulties of our lives, and instead of being thankful for all the blessings we have received, we can’t even see them. We hold onto the hurt and the anger, and we miss the blessing entirely.

I don’t know all of the reasons why those nine men didn’t come back to thank Jesus. I don’t know all of the reasons why we fail to give thanks.

When we read this story about the ten who were healed and the one who returned, we like to think that we are most like the one. We like to think of ourselves as the one who came back. But the fact is, we are all of them.

About 90% of the time, we take our blessings for granted, and about 10% of the time, we remember to give thanks. About 10% of the time, we recognize how very fortunate we are and how much we have been given. And we stop. And we give praise to God. And we seek out Jesus to say, “Thank you.”

Maybe with some practice, we can increase that percentage a bit.

Let’s remind ourselves, and remind each other, of how God has blessed us. Let’s remember today the ways that God has healed us and helped us, and how God is working in our lives. Open your eyes and see what God has done. And just say, “Thank you.”

When you do, you will be blessed again—just as the one who turned back to thank Jesus was—you will be blessed with the very presence of Christ.

Take some time today to think about it: how has God blessed you? What has God done for you this week? What is God doing in your life right now? If you look, you will see your blessings. And when you acknowledge the source of your blessings, your life will be filled with greater joy. Give thanks.

The Holy Spirit
September 13, 2020
Connie Funkhouser subbing for Pastor Tom

     I am about to share a secret of mine; I have a favorite. My favorite of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Odd, you may think, how can anyone have a favorite within the Trinity: One God, right? God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three Divine persons within one. I do not know when my heart decided on a favorite, not even sure if it is okay to have a favorite, but I cannot deny that I do. Quite sure God is okay with this because I know in my very soul that the Holy Spirit, is God’s Spirit, and dwells within me. Not when I choose to tap into the Holy Spirit, but He is always there. It is up to me to let God’s Spirit shine.
     When I sub for Pastor Tom, I like to have a theme; July 4th, change of seasons, Veteran’s Day, you get the idea. This time when he asked me, I immediately knew I wanted to talk about the Holy Spirit. Being in the restaurant industry I talk with “a lot” of people, whether they are customers, employees, food and beverage reps, and delivery personal. A few years ago, I decided that I was not going to be bashful about my Faith and personal relationship with Our Lord and Savior. Which for me meant, Living in the Presence of God is foremost in my mind, thoughts, and actions. I guess this would qualify me as wearing my Faith on my sleeve, okay, sure, whatever, call it what you want. My desire is to share what I have, and I have been blessed with the resources to share what is in my heart and soul.
     This summer having heartfelt discussions with many folks I have noticed something is missing . . . a missing link between life (and I am talking all aspects of life) and faith. Me being me, typically responds with, “if it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit living within I have no idea what my life would be like.” Mentioning God’s Gift of His Holy Spirit brings a blank look from some. Even comments such as I do not know much about the Holy Spirit, let alone how to attain His presence. Or even, the Holy Spirit is the one part of the Trinity that is most confusing. Ok, so I know who God and Jesus are, but I do not get the Holy Spirit. One of my favorites, well if God’s Spirit is out there, there is too many people for Him to be a constant in my life and why would He want to be?
     My prayer with the following homily is to bring awareness of a gift that is available to all and shed a little light on the fact that the Holy Spirit does not need to be foreign. Accepting God’s Gift is life changing. On a few occasions I have offered to give “all” my faith and trust in God away so that others will have what I have, and I will start from scratch. Yes, I trust and believe that I would regain all that was within my soul. Just maybe the following will serve as a gift to you.
     Because the Holy Spirit is not systematically described in Scripture, the doctrine of the Third Person of the Trinity may seem elusive and even controversial. The Holy Spirit is important since He provides contact between the believer and God, He is the point at which the Trinity becomes personal to the believer. This has led to difficulties in understanding Him and His work. From the biblical evidence, God’s Word, Jesus’ teachings, we can discover His deity and personality.
     You may ask, “What are the qualities and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives?”
     One God eternally exists in three divine persons; Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes, and worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. Matthew 3:16, 17; Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3, 4; II Corinthians 13:14.
     Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, His Spirit has many functions, roles, and activities. He does a work in the hearts of all people everywhere. Jesus told the disciples that He would send the Spirit into the world. The Spirit applies the truths of God to minds of humans to convince us by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners. Responding to that conviction brings us to salvation.
     Once we are saved and belong to God, the Spirit takes up residence in our hearts forever, sealing us with the confirming, certifying, and assuring pledge of our eternal state as His children. Jesus said He would send the Spirit to us to be our Helper, Comforter, and Guide. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot see Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you” (John 14:16-17 NLT).
     “He will give us another Advocate.” Oh, how I love this. An advocate. An encourager, campaigner, supporter, someone that will even pray for us when we no longer have the strength or words. Full-disclosure, often I ask the Holy Spirit to go to bat for me; to advocate for me as my soul rests in His peace. Some Bible translations uses the word Counselor, meaning “one who is called alongside” and has the idea of someone who encourages. The Holy Spirit comes alongside the believer, to do what Jesus did when He was here physically, but now mainly from the inside of us. The Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in the hearts of believers (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:1-20, 12:13). Jesus gave the Spirit as a “compensation” for His absence, to perform the functions toward us which He would have done if He had remained personally with us. I love this, Jesus gave us the Spirit as a compensation for His absence. Thank You Lord Jesus!
     The revealer of truth. The Spirit’s presence within us enables us to understand and interpret God’s Word. Jesus told His disciples that “when He, the Spirit of truth, has come He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13 NKJV). He reveals to our minds the whole counsel of God as it relates to worship, doctrine, and Christian living. He is the ultimate guide, going before, and leading the way. He leads in the way we should go in all spiritual things. Without such a guide in our lives, the believer’s life, my life, are thoughts that I do not care to entertain.
     The Holy Spirit is also a gift-giver. 1 Corinthians 12 describes the spiritual gifts given to the believer in order that we may function as the Body of Christ on earth. All these gifts (read vs. 4-27), both great and small, are given by the Spirit so that we may be His ambassadors, showing His grace and glorifying Him.
     The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity through whom the entire Triune Godhead currently works in us. Through the Holy Spirit’s work that we feel God’s presence within, and the Christian life is given a special tangibility. He is someone to whom we can and should pray. The Holy Spirit, being fully divine, is to be accorded the same honor and respect that we give to the Father and the Son. It is appropriate to worship Him as we do them. The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son. His work is the expression and execution of what the three of them have planned together. There is no tension among their persons and activities.
     God is not far off. In the Holy Spirit, the Triune God comes close, so close as to enter into each believer. He is even more intimately involved with us now than in the incarnation. Through the operation of the Spirit he has truly become Immanuel, “God with us.” The knowledge that the Holy Spirit of God has taken up residence in our lives, that He performs all these miraculous functions, that He dwells with us forever, and that He will never leave or forsake us brings confidence, security, and is cause for great joy and comfort.
“Thank God for Your precious gift the Holy Spirit
and His work in our lives!”
     In closing with my homily 😉 I hope that I have shared a little insight to the attainability of God’s Gift to us and maybe why I secretly have a favorite. It is free, does not need to be paid back, a gift that we can share with so many others just by Living in the Presence of God. A gift that is embedded in our very being that enables us to remain confident, and at peace through these challenging times.
     I thank you for your time. Pastor Constance Rae (I love her name) will be subbing for Pastor Tom next week, I the following, then P.Tom will be back from vacation the first Sunday in October.
     With every breath, we will share your goodness Lord. Let everything that has breath praise you, faithful God. Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22, NLT).
     Breathe in me Holy Spirit so I may share your gift of life and all of eternity spent with you.
Blessings ~ Connie Funkhouser

The Little Church in the Pines
It’s not fair, it just isn’t !
Ephesians 1:7 & 8
September 5, 2020
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

How many times have you said these words to God, “it’s not fair, it just isn’t!” So then, what is? Here is what is fair…. brought about by what wasn’t fair to the one that made life if lived in Christ, ultimately fair, though along the pathway it at times sure doesn’t seem so.
In Christ…we (all) have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of “God’s grace that He lavished on us!” Lavished on us! GRACE…. OH, SO AMAZING…THAT GRACE! This speaks of ‘fairness in the extreme, when it is so undeserved, regardless of age, status, occupation, race, nationality or gender…. for, the only thing you have to be is ‘human.’
When we think of how unfair life seems to be and sometimes is…. let us think or of how it would be, without Grace.
This sermon is not about Grace in that Grace is not the central word, but it continuously exists, laying beneath the surface….especially as I read to you the true story of a boy born as an outcast, for we know (God has a special place in His heart for the outcast) as revealed through His Son, Jesus Christ, who did more for the outcasts of His day, than any other group of people and with the long-term result trickling down to today.
Here’s the story……………….a biblical one at that, that rises (in God) above human prejudice and hatred. The innocent are often the recipient of unfairness, sometimes to the extreme.
STORY……………………………………………………………………………………….
There are thousands of such stories in real life, and perhaps one of you has your own story of overcoming when life seemed to beat you down, and everything and everyone seemed unfair.
Jesus told a parable about fairness in Matthew 20:1-16 (read) If you or I were one of those who first agreed to work, for what in those days was a fair wage, and experiencing what these workers did, would you too not expect more and voice your disappointment, or even be angry. Of course, for…it is a natural reaction, but God calls us to a supernatural reaction. The allegory is specifically targeted to we Believers, that instead of grumbling, we should rejoice for each and every person, who by their acceptance of Jesus, even if it is with their dying breath, are saved by the same grace, we experience (those of us who have been His followers for years) thereby all entering into the same heaven.
You see…. we Gentiles are in the Kingdom of God, late comers. The Jews were following Jehovah God for thousands of years….and here we are, the tag-along late comers, adopted as such into the family tree. It is by grace we are saved and not by anything we have accomplished, and we, according to the Jews are (the unclean).
We are all the 5:00 o’clock workers.
Here is a secret about Grace…ten words that explain all you and I need to know: “If God is for us, who can be successful (in the long run) by being against us. His goal is for our ULTIMATE salvation, regardless of how unfair life on this planet treats us.
Let us look at four of the words in this verse, that deserve our attention. Say with me please, “God is for us” Maybe one more time would be good, “God is for us.”
You see…here is the bottom line…. GOD is for US!
You may have had in your childhood a not so good parent, a sibling who picked on you all the time. You may have been bullied. You may have (tragically) been sexually abused as a child, as a friend of mine was numerous times. You may have during your adulthood been overlooked for a promotion that in your eyes should have been yours. You may have experienced any number of negative, painful, even debilitating, unkind mental, emotion, physical, spiritual happenings, that impacted your life deeply.
But…. you, today, sitting here now, have been spoken to, recognized and called by God. You are a son or a daughter of your Father who art in Heaven, and He has called you by name to be a part of His family.
God is for you and NOT against you. NOT maybe, NOT has been, NOT was, NOT will be, but IS! In UNDERSTANDING this, does this mean you had or will have a care-free life, without pain, sorrow or disappointments? NO…for life on this planet, with the long-term influence of sin and all its ramifications, over the eons of time, affect us all…. just simply because we are alive. No one gets a pass on its influence.

Life in and of itself is “not fair, it’s just NOT fair.
One of the differences for we Believers in Jesus the Christ, is that HE will walk with us and even carry us at times when we need to be carried. Most of us have either read or heard spoken, the poem ‘Footprints in the Sand, and I have found it is sometimes a good thing to revisit something that spoke to us when we first read or head it. Here it is.
Lord, You promised me, you’d hold my hand.
Tell me why in the sorrow of my troubled time,
I looked back and would find only one set of footprints in the sand?
Mine….
One set of footprints in the sand?
Oh, yes, at last I understand
Through every storm YOU carried me,
For now, I praise the Lord each time I see
One set of footprints in the sand!

These words speak so beautifully as a description of the heart of God and the heart of Jesus. These words are not ‘religion speaking’ they are God speaking to a hurting people. Come to me all you who are heavily burdened and “I, I will give you rest.”
This is a truth that we can hold on to when the storms come, and in time they will come to everyone. To know that we are not alone….brings comfort to our lives that is like no other, by KNOWING Him.
He…the Triune God, manifested in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are as close to you now, (if you will embrace Him) as He ever will or can be, but are You close enough to Him to sense and KNOW His Presence? Are you? That my fellow Believer is OUR choice, not His. You can only KNOW Him as much as you seek to KNOW Him.
In Isaiah 49:5, God asks Isaiah, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and not have compassion on the little one she has borne? What a bizarre question. Can you imagine, a mother, feeding her infant child and when finished, asking later, what was the baby’s name? Of course not, and what God was telling Isaiah was this….” even if she could forget….I, God, will not forget, you.”
Going back…. knowing what I just shared from Isaiah, whomever comes against you can do no eternal harm. Can death take you away, yes. Can disease come into your life, Yes. Can pain greater than you think you can handle, reach out and absorb you? yes. Can your inherent value in God’s eyes be taken away, NO. Though hell itself may set itself against you, you cannot be defeated if you believe, that single set of footprints in the sand. We are protected for eternity for God is for us……and that is the meaning of grace, especially when life is so deeply unfair.
Can you grasp this? Can you?
For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it IS the GIFT of God…not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9.
We will find as we discover the Presence of God, His love for us, our focus where it needs to be…that we are able then to walk on the waters of life no matter how troubled they may be, for our failures are forgivable, and not only forgivable, but for times of learning, and once learned, to apply that lesson to our every day life.
Life isn’t fair…. but God is and is there always…to help us.
2nd Corinthians 2:14
But thanks be to God,
Who always…leads us in triumphal procession,
In Christ!
And through us…
Spread everywhere,
The fragrance of the knowledge of Him……
Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
August 30, 2020
“BLESSED AND BELOVED”
SOLOMON 6:3 ~ “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine “
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

The verse which is the foundation of this sermon as noted above, Solomon 6:3 says, “I am my beloved’s and he is mine, his banner over me is love.”
His banner, or placard, sign, poster or notice that tells the world who I am to him….is Love.

The song of Solomon is a very (at times) graphic and intimate love song and is noted as such by biblical scholars. It is a love song between God and His people, and between Christ and His church. Of course, ‘LOVE’ is the key word. The song itself is recognized as the best of all songs, a literary work or art, and a theological masterpiece. Unlike any other biblical book, it merits special consideration as a biblical archetype which presents the basic realities possible, of a man and woman’s relationship both in the natural and in the spiritual. It employs symbolic language to express ‘timeless truths.’
                                  I am my Beloved’s and he is mine (chorus of a song)
                                  His banner over me is love
                                  I am my Beloved’s and he is mine
                                  His banner over me is love
This chorus became important to me in the 70’s when I rededicated my life to Christ, and to this day I on occasion sing it just to remind myself of (our) relationship.
After all that, and in the simplest of terms, Beloved is to ‘be-loved.’
Now save that and let us move on to the next word in the verse and sermon BLESSED.
BLESSED, BLESSING, BLESS AND BLESSES all are derived from the Latin word ‘benedicere.’   The word benediction that is used in many churches means: speaking (diction) well) bene) or saying ‘good things’ about, to and over someone. That should speak to all of us, especially when we are going through difficult time, for we all and I mean all, need to hear good things said of us.
We should be in the practice of affirming each other when we see and hear things that need to be affirmed. Also, something as simple as sincere compliment goes a long way in affirmation. In doing so we are passing on to them a blessing. Doing so is more than a word of praise or appreciation; it is more than pointing out someone’s talents or good deeds; it is more than putting someone in the light. To give a blessing is to affirm, to say yes to a man, woman’s or child’s be-lovedness,
To receive this these in our lives can bring with them a potential healing within us. Kind words can go an exceptionally long way in lifting a person out of the dark places we sometimes by choice and sometime by the words of actions of others put us.
In our Bible study on Friday, we were discussing these past six months, and how the overall attitude of the general public and perhaps even ourselves has changed. Early in the summer folks were hopeful and even a little upbeat that in a short amount of time (it seemed) all would return to the ‘old normal.’ As we have discovered, that is simply not the case. All the external events occurring has brought up an element of fear, tension, strife, and anger. Now, normal has been overturned and it is now the uncertainties that we live with every day that are at time overwhelming us, and we, live far away from where most of what is happening.
The time is now when we need to look for the good, and pass the good around, and bless each other by deliberately choosing to do so. I do not mean by this ignoring what we and our beloved nation are going through, but we must offset some of the negativity with sincere positivity. We are still loved by our Lord who will be with us through all that even now, not knowing what lies ahead. Where we can, we must work to be thoughtful listeners and a part of the solution, not the problem. Set aside our prejudices and listen as we have never listened before, think before we speak and when we speak, speak in a manner that is sincere and thoughtful.
Blessings, even small ones can turn a life around. Being loved and knowing we are loved, well, it does not get much better than that, does it?
Read this real-life story and be encouraged as I was.
A young man was to be welcomed into adulthood during his Bar-Mitzvah, in this synagogue. At 13, he was declared as an adult by his congregation. For the first time he was asked to participate in a leadership role in the service. He read from the Book of Genesis and gave a short sermon about the importance of caring for our environment. He was affirmed by his Rabbi and his friends, then blessed by his parents. His father saying to him: “son, whatever will happen to you in our life, whether you will have success or not, become important or not, will be healthy or not, always remember…….how much your mother and I love you.”
Those words to that young man brought tears to my eyes, and a yearning deep in my soul for something I had never received from my natural father during my own childhood; and that was loving affirmation, neither verbally or through his actions. I believe I longed for that, if even not knowing exactly what it meant. Mom, well, what can I say except that she was the best, often making up for what I did not get from dad. My own story does have a happy resolution and that being that at the age of 21, dad (in a rather intense encounter with me) did hug me and tell me he loved me. It means as much to me now as it did the moment, I heard those words, and I was and am blessed.
As a minister I have realized over the years how much we human beings are fearful, anxious insecure and decidedly human. . . and how much all of us are in need of a blessing, at least now and then.
There are over 80 times the word “blessed” is spoken in the New Testament, and that is not counting the words blessing or bless.
There is an excellent illustration of our Father blessing His Son, and it reads as such. Jesus was affirmed by His Father as He was being baptized by John in the Jordan River, when a voice was heard by all (some thinking it was thunder) spoke so they all could hear and then be recorded for us. This voice came from the sky saying: “You…are my ‘Be-loved Son’ and on You rests My favor.” This was a blessing that sustained Jesus through all the praise and attacks, admiration and condemnation that followed Him up to and through His being crucified. Jesus never lost the intimacy of that blessing, knowing that His Father affirmed Him as the ‘blessed One.
In our lives….one day we feel great, the next we feel miserable. One day we are full of new ideas, things to do and the next everything looks bleak and dull. One day we think we can take on the whole world, but the next, even a little request seems too much for us. These mood swings show that we are not hearing or seeing the blessings that surround us.
When we are thrown up and down by the little or big waves on the surface of our existence, we become easy victims of our manipulative world, but, when we choose to remember and hear the deep gentle voice that blesses us by spending time in prayer, meditation and reading God’s affirming Word, we can walk through life with a stable sense of well-being and true belonging.
2nd Corinthians 10:4-5 read, “For the weapons of our warfare are NOT physical weapons of flesh and blood, but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction or strongholds (which exist often in our minds and in our spirit) in as much as we must come against arguments and theories or ways of thinking that are in error, of every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the (true) knowledge of God…..and……we are to take captive every thought (that is wrong) through obedience to Christ, the anointed One.
Please do not compare yourself to others, but look at what good things we, you, have been given and be blessed. Please, for there is no neutral territory between the land of the blessed and the land of the cursed. You must CHOOSE WHERE IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO LIVE, AND THAT CHOICE is the one that at times you will make from moment to moment.
One of our calls is to allow ourselves to be blessed and to give blessings at every opportunity and in every way we can. We are daily given small and large ways to bless, that are life-giving and sustaining. There is so much fear, so much pain, and so much rejection, but Jesus in you and in me wants to show the world around us, just what it means to be a son or daughter of God through being blessed and by blessing.
Galatians 6
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not lose heart.

The Little Church in the Pines
August 22, 2020
SHAME ON SHAME
by PASTOR TOM SHANOR
1 Corinthians 1:27 And now, dear Children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when He returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back form Him in shame.
Shame….  I HATE IT! Unwarranted, undeserved, I put it in the same category as BULLYING! Jesus never once used the word, ever. He never attempted to shame anyone into believing in Him, never. Even when speaking harshly, directly and pointedly to the religious leaders who continuously attempting to debase Him, trick and control Him. Never. Does it have its place? Yes, when in association with a need for someone to understand and feel appropriate guilt about something they did, that definitely crossed into the wrong, usually associated with a pattern of behavior, that in some way was destructive, or broke the accepted norm of social order, but even there is at times shameful to shame person.
     SHAME IS A DISCRETE, BASIC EMOTION, DESCRIBED AS A MORAL OR SOCIAL EMOTION THAT DRIVES PEOPLE TO HIDE OR DENY “ACTUAL” WRONG-DOING. The focus of shame is on the self or the individual; it is the only emotion that is dysfunctional for the individual and functional at a group level to achieve its collective goal. Shame can also be described as an unpleasant self-conscious emotion that involves the negative evaluation of self. This can be self-destructive.  Shame can be a painful emotion that is seen as a “comparison of the self’s action with the self’s own standards” but may equally stem from comparison of the self’s state of being, with the ideal social standards, and where the individual is found to lacking. Some scales measure shame to assess emotional states of being, whereas other scales are used to assess emotional traits or dispositions. “TO SHAME” generally means to actively assign or communicate a disposition of shame to another person!
     Behaviors, rules and standards are often designed to “uncover” or “expose” others for the purpose of placing shame on the other person, therefore, to deflect inadequacies that could be assigned by the accuser.  Whereas, having shame means to maintain a sense of restraint against offending others (as in modesty, humility and deference). In contrast to having shame, is to have no shame which is behavior exhibited without restraint in order to purposely offend others, similar to other emotions exhibited in pride. This is when shame is used to bully. Some people who claim they have the gift of discernment, (one of the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit), often are nothing more than mean-spirited individuals who like pointing out what they perceive as the faults of others, often shaming them in the presence of others as well.
     As a pastor/minister, I encounter all kinds of people on a regular basis. Many of these folks, often who love God and are followers of Jesus, have been the recipient of harmful narratives about themselves and about Jesus Himself. Because of the misguided perception by some that He, our Lord is the shame giver have harmed many individuals from small children to aged adults. Jesus does not shame…. Jesus points out our areas that need work, be they sin or simply misguided in our decision-making progress and behaviors. If sin….it is the Holy Spirit who will convict us, which will bring a measure of perhaps guilt, or simply recognition. At that point it is our choice as to whether to set that right, which is wrong, and in doing so the guilt is done away with and shame is avoided. It is prolonged and habitual sinning where shame can be used by both the Spirit and a person to bring recognition to the offending person, who needs confronted. Even here…it must be done in the right way, always with love and restoration in mind.
     Whether we like it or not, our world, our church, our culture, organizations and with whom and how we were raised, all influenced how we imagine God, and often giving us false perceptions of Him.
     One of the greatest “idols” of American Christianity, especially hyper- religious Christianity, has created and maintained the harmful tool of shame as a large part of its own narrative. For many who grew up in the church, the reason shame is often so thick is that they grew up with LISTS of so called spiritual ‘musts’ that defined an individual's worthiness or unworthiness, and if found to be unworthy under the weight of these ‘musts’ were often and are to this day, shamed into compliance. This is the very same thing that Jesus attempted time and time again to point out to the religious leaders of His day.
2 Corinthians 4-6
THE SPIRIT NOT THE LETTER
(4.) And we have such trust through Christ toward God. (5.) Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, (6.) who also made us sufficient as ministers of the New Covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life!
The Spirit is eye opening and uplifting, not destructive!
Many Christians spend their time feeling shameful about the so-called-  ‘spiritual things’, they have failed to accomplish. This mentality produces an on-going shame causing them to feel unworthy. Just one more failure to carry around in the burdens that Jesus said He wanted to take from us.
     For a religion that is to be the free giver of GRACE, (UNDESERVED FAVOR) we are all too often very lousy at doing so. Philip Yancy in his book on Amazing Grace states that is THE GREATEST GIFT we Christians are to give to all people, but we are so lousy in doing so. Remember that salvation, comes from Christ, not us, but grace is ours to give and to give abundantly!
     Sometimes, I have to inject here, the shameful narrative is one passed down from one generation of congregations to the next, and so deeply rooted is it that no one gives it a second thought because that is the way is has been. Many of these folks speak of grace, but understand so little of what it actually means, and therefore do not know (because the leaders themselves don’t know or understand) how to give this amazing and beautiful love-filled gift given to us by our Lord, Savior and Friend Jesus.
      Sadly, shame can be a powerful force that destroys goodness in the world sometimes propelled by people who believe they are proclaiming Hope and Healing. The New Testament claims through grace, over-and-over again, that Christ came to conquer fear and shame!  This needs to be re-announced in the CHURCH as though it were a brand-new gift!
     Our culture influences our picture of Jesus. Many Christians I know are shamed to be called “Christians.” Why? How about Social-Media. What do I mean? Social-Media continues to be a greater and greater source of multiple narratives in what is becoming a globalized world. However, the pace of stories and the struggle for humanizing discourse can leave us overwhelmed. We make judgments based on ‘clipped’ information, edited to often come across in ways that are untrue. Many of these stories have conjured up shame and exclusion as they bring light to parts of our Christian discourse, leaving a at time foul taste in our mind. Evangelical now means right-wing extremist as an example. But…. if we want to discover the real Jesus behind wrongful, clipped stories, we need to research, examine and discover if what we are being told is true or not. Behind doing so we, must care enough to want to know the truth!
     We need to de-clutter our mind and spirit of what is true about Jesus and what is not. We need again, to care enough to spend time studying, praying and sorting. We need to care enough about people, that we stop shaming them, but instead love them, loving them into the Kingdom of our God and Savior. Remember that He is the judge, not us. We need to stop being so gullible and question all that we see and hear. There are many who desire and are attempting to influence our faith in ways that are in gross error. We need to constantly be on guard against the nay-sayers, looking to our Lord to guide us in the path of right-living or righteousness for His name’s sake. How we counter incorrect narratives is through the Spirit of Truth, in gentleness and in goodness, not in bad-mouthing and unrighteous anger. Most of all, we are to be examples or even mirror images of Jesus, and this can only be accomplished through knowledge and understanding of who He is and again, how we are to be like Him.
2 Timothy 2:15 AMPLIFIED BIBLE
Study and be eager, and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman (person) who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing (rightly handling and skillfully researching) the Word of Truth.
In the days, weeks, months and years that lie before us, let us strive to please our dear Friend and Lord/Savior, by being a people full of grace, mercy, justice and goodness, no matter who or what comes against us. We can only do this if we truly respect and love Him who gave us the world in Him, by Him and through Him. Smile and simply say Thank you Lord, to You be all glory, honor and praise. Let us build people up, and not tear them down. Let us exhibit grace instead of shame, offering this same to ourselves when we fail, and fail we often will.
Please have a wonderful rest of the day, being thankful.
O what a wonderful, wonderful day – a day I will never forget;
After I’d wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Savior I met, .
O what a tender compassionate friend –
He met the need of my heart; Shadows dispelling,
With joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart!
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Savior made me whole;
My sins were washed away, and my night was turned to day
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!
                                       Amen
P.S. there is a place for shame, but by God, under His instruction, know whom, where, when, why, and how it is providently and in love to be applied.

The Little Church in the Pines
August 16. 2020
Requirements and Expectations
Micah 6:8
Pastor Tom Shanor

As we know by experience, life is full of requirements and expectations, it just is if, we are going to live together in community and harmony. There are realistic and applicable expectations, fundamental ones as well as unrealistic and absurd ones. When they come from God Himself though, we had better listen for our own good. His are never unrealistic, absurd, or irrelevant. They are always life-applicable and necessary for the well-being of we as individuals, and for humanity-as-a-whole.
MICAH 6:8 – “He has told you, O mankind, what is good and what the Lord ‘requires’ of you, and that is, to act with justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly….with your God.”
This verse encapsulates the heart of God, and with that my goal and our eventual destination in today’s message. Let us go over these again.

We have been told!
What is good in the sight of God
What our requirements are that need to be fulfilled in being accepted by Him
Justice
Mercy
Humility

Think about just these three requirements and expectations, that if indeed they and they alone, were fulfilled by us, how different the world would be. We need to look deep within our hearts and lives, examining ourselves through the eyes of the Spirit and see where we fall short.
We will become more intimate with this verse and these words as we go along in today’s sermon, for they are foundational to our Christian journey in making us more like Jesus.
I am now going to do a bit of what I call, ‘a weaving’ of these words into a tapestry of a good life.
A requirement is in its essence a commandment.
Here are the meanings of each in their simplest definition.

Commandment, an important ‘rule’ given by God that tells us how to behave.
Rule, a statement that tell us what is or is not permitted in-a-given situation as Believers.
Requirement, something that is must be done.
Expectation, a belief that something will happen or is likely to happen if stated clearly what is expected.
Faithful; keeping our promises and doing what we are supposed to do, showing true and constant loyalty to God.
Benefits, a good or helpful result or effect.

Weaving these six together in a complete paragraph comes next!
“Commandments are important rules given by God, instructing us as to how to live our lives, and these rules or commandments tell us what is or what is not expected in our daily living, requiring of us the needed musts that He instructs us in His expectations of what will be the outcome or likely to happen. As we are faithful in keeping our promise, by doing what we are supposed to do, showing Him our love and true consistent loyalty for In doing so, the results will be beneficial and both helpful and good.
In Jesus’ teaching, there have been determined to be thirty-eight actual commandments. These commandments in their totality offer to us ‘the way of life’ that if followed, will bless and enrich us that no other way offered to us can give.
My question at this point is, is this easy, and my answer is no, but it is also not impossible. This friend is the crux on which all of these and their success or failure depends. Do we want to please God or ourselves? Do we want to have full and rich lives or not? What must come about first is the desire to love and worship Him, or ourselves. When the desire of focus is settled, that is the first step toward pleasing God. These can be woven into the very fabric of our lives if we but desire them to be there, for God will enable us to become master weavers of our own lives.
Jesus said, “IF…you indeed love Me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15
These teaching will clearly tell us if we follow a form of religion or are indeed true followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.
We can be like Old Faithful in Yellowstone, or like all the rest of the geysers., for it is not the largest in the Park, but certainly the most predictable or reliable.
As Christians, if we adhere to the commandments of Jesus, desiring to follow them, we too can be relied upon to be faithful and true because of the requirement and expectation that are being fulfilled. These flowing from Him through us, as we interact with one another, with strangers and family members changes for the better not only our lives and world, but all those whom we touch every day. Faithful is a key.
As we learn by studying His Commandments, or requirements, it will also become very clear to us that God, being the God of expectations is also the God of grace, justice, mercy and humility, as exampled in Jesus, when He washed the feet of His disciples.
Of the acknowledged thirty-eight commandments, there is one that in the past several decades become quite unpopular to speak of, and we find that one in John 3:7 – “You must be born again” (one of those requirements.) The benefits we are told is when doing so, we receive eternal life, but not only eternal life but eternal life with God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit in a place called heaven. This is as opposed to the alternative, for it seems everyone born has an eternal life…..the difference being, where one spends it.
Do you remember the man’s reaching to Jesus when He stated this to him? John 3:4, Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter back into his mother’s womb and be re-born. Well, that was rational question.
In John 3:5, Jesus replies, “Most assuredly, I say to you unless one is born of water (baptism) and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Lets. put it all together here….and this is called the “Message of the Kingdom.”
Upon repentance, (asking for the forgiveness of a person’s sins) then accepting what the Bible says about who Jesus the Christ is…(the begotten Son of God) and then turning to God in a new faith or belief in Him, for salvation. Acts 3:19. Turning from sin is NOT the definition of repentance, but it is one of the results of genuine faith-based belief.
I will try to sum it up as best I can. “Upon repentance, a new order of life opens up to the now believer in Jesus Christ. Jesus used the term “new birth” to dramatically indicate three things.

Without a new birth there is no life and no relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
In a New Birth, a new perspective is born, as we now begin to see with new eyes and hear with new ears the Kingdom of God. God’s Word becomes alive and clear, as the Holy Spirit brings us fresh revelations of truths.
Through this new birth we are introduced literally by entering into a new realm of growing faith, where God’s place is being realized (2nd Corinthians 5:17) It is now a re-qualifying experience, opening up the possibilities of our being, to a new supernatural dimension of life, and outfitting us for our new and vital spiritual journey.

Over the years there was formed a pattern that still exists in some religious circles as to how to be born again. You had to get up, walk down an aisle (if there was one) to the front of the church building and confess (in front of the congregation) inviting Jesus into your heart, so to speak. This I experienced personally at the age of 12 and found it to be a most memorable and wonderful experience. But in my opinion though this is one way, this is not the only way. What occurs between you and God is between you and God, and to how this relationship comes about. One, true fact is that indeed it is through Christ and Christ alone. Publicly, privately, in a dump or in a mansion, a church, or a pool hall, it just does not matter. The moment you realize you by faith believe, you at that moment are born again.
From that moment on, it is also a time to recognize that indeed God will require of you, me, and all of us that call upon God, that we begin to live out Micah 6:8, and that our new attitude and outlook, is focused on becoming like Jesus, who lived out and continues to live out humility, justice and mercy.
We are also told this beautiful revelation in Romans 8:1, “There is NOW no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus!” Nada, never, no way! God now sees us solely through the eyes of His Son. Justified and whole.
Is your place a small place?
Tend it with care!
For, He set you there.
Is our place a large place?
Guard it with care!
For He set you there.
Whatever your place,
It is not alone,
But His
Who set you there.
Tend it with care…………
Wherever we are now, is where we are supposed to be. It is here and now that God called us to be His followers, doing His will, learning His ways so that His Son is given the freedom by us, to work through us in assisting and loving others into the Kingdom of God.
A Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ…help us to learn from You, opening up our minds and spirit to your Holy Spirit…who teaches us in all things….also helping us to remember Micah 6:8. “He has told you, O mankind, what is good and what the Lord ‘requires’ of you, and that is to act with justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly…..with your God.
Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
July 26, 2020
“KNOWLEDGE~ WISDOM~APPLICATION
“An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
Proverbs 18:15
Pastor Tom Shanor
      Are you curious? Do you love learning new things, new facts? Does learning something new give you a rush of satisfaction?   Do words, ordinary words sometimes kind of explode in your head with a sense of their meaning? Does your curiosity then drive you to know more fully what the word completely mean, clear to its root?
     Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
     Proverbs 2:6 “Tor the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come both knowledge and understanding.”
     Proverbs 18:15a “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
     James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let them as God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to them.”
     Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
     I do not really know why the word popped into my mind this last week, but I could not shake it. I thought about it in relation to the Universe, in relation to God, in relation to my everyday life and how its impact on myself and all of us, exists without us being even aware of it for the most part.
      The word is ABSOLUTES.
a. in Philosophy it is understood as a principle which is regarded universally factual or true.
b. it is also something that exists (tangible or unseen) without being dependent on anything else. It exists…period!
c. the ultimate reality & example is; God
     Moral absolutism has sound biblical elements in it as given by God, but it is also through what has been given, been narrowed down by we humans, which never really work including compromise, which is brought about by us to attempt to state as right that which in Moral Absolutism, wrong.
     You have heard… “the moral of the story” is, meaning there is or was some lesson core to the story to be understood. All else in the story, people, animals, events, etc., all revolve around a singular moral. In the Word of God, the moral is God…manifested in multiple ways, people, event, etc.….and when I say God, I am referring to the full Godhead. Father Son, and Holy Spirit, or the Triune God. Everything that exists, everything circles God. An example is the Sun in our own Solar System. All the planets revolved around the Sun.
     Morality is a derivative of moral, and the word morally. At the center of this absolute there are principles concerning the distinguishing between right and wrong, or good and evil behaviorally, reactions and or consequences. Good behavior results in order, structure, and good benefits. Evil or bad behavior results in chaos, destruction, and pain. There is universal morality…absolutes that exist, given by God for the full benefit humankind, and this principle is an eternal absolute, forever unchanged and which without humankind is doomed.
      There are determined by scientists, philosophers, religious leaders, seven Universal Laws or Principles by which everything in the Universe is governed. The Universe exists in perfect harmony, even though by observation may seem chaotic and random by virtue of these Laws. Ancient, mystical, esoteric, biblical and even secret teachings, dating back over 5,000 years, from Ancient Egypt to Ancient Greece and even to the Vedic tradition.... all have as their common threads, these seven Spiritual Laws of the Universe.
      There are the Immutable and the Mutable: Of the seven Universal Laws, the first three are immutable, which means “unchanging over time or even unable to be changed.” (THEY are ABSOLUTES) as they have always existed and will always exist, including the MORAL Laws of God.
      The Mutable Laws mean they can be transcended or improved upon to create an ideal or personal reality. (Free Will) The aim in these four is to make improvements. Something God is always attempting to do with us! Grin! It is His full-time job!
      I HOPE THIS IS INTERESTING....
The three IMMUTABLE LAWS, or ABSOLUTES are these.
        1. The Law of Mentalism....all began in the mind of God, and because of that we ALL collectively exist in the mind of God. We are One in the Spirit and we are One in the Lord. Everything we experience and see in our physical world has its origin in the invisible, mental/spiritual realm of God.
         2. The Law of COMMUNICATION which says, “As it is above, so below, as below, so above.” This means that there is HARMONY, AGREEMENT AND COMMUNICATION” between the physical, mental and spiritual realms. There is no real separation, since everything in the Universe, including you, originated form the ONE Source. The same pattern exists throughout the Universe from the smallest electron to the largest star. All is ONE in different manifestations.
         ARE YOU WITH ME.......?
       3. The third immutable law is called the Law of Vibration: This law is perpetual motion, nothing rests, everything moves, everything (even when dead) is changing. It is either evolving or devolving. Science has confirmed that everything in the Universe including us is pure energy. I like that! And that we are all VIBRATING...IS AWESOME! I think it would be great if we all vibrated in unity and Harmony!
         This Law is in harmony with the other two Laws....including the mental realm, where even our thoughts are vibrations. All our emotions are vibrations including “hate” which is the densest and most base, where “love” is the highest and most desirable, especially in the Law of COMMUNICATION. God through Christ proved to us the depth of His LOVE, and if we as Christians would fully believe in, adhere to, and manifest in our lives this VIBRATION OF LOVE, we could change the world....forever.
           The other four laws which I will not be delving into are the Laws of:
           4. The Law of Polarity
           5. The Law of Rhythm
           6. The Law of Cause and Effect
           7. The Law of Gender
      Lets look at our feelings which fall under the Law of Vibration and how much we express ourselves through our feelings. Remember the lowest and most base feeling is HATE, where the highest and most elevating feeling or vibration is LOVE.
       We desire and seek harmony and unity, because brings peace, and peace brings us health, brings us happiness, brings us unity. We sleep better, we speak better, we live better, in peace. This is the ABSOLUTE PEACE that God who vibrates with love speaks of through Jesus, as Paul as His spokesman says in Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds at peace through Jesus Christ.” All day, every day.
       Math in both its simplicity and complexity is diffused with, or within itself contains all three of the immutable Laws of THE ABSOLUTE. Mentalism, Communication and Vibration. It is a science invented by man, given by God out of necessity.
        Within the realm of math there are those who use it to help understand the Absolutes of the Universe. Numbers are almost magical in their ability to bring understanding and recognition to the existence of life, and in this case, the case of one Kurt Godel (1906-1978) Mr. Godel looked for the ‘ontological’ or the study of existence, within the realm of the Universe. It was his study in using math to determine for himself, the existence or non-existence of God.
       Now remember that these men and women are well into the genius range of intellect who take on these things. The argument follows that “God, by definition, is that for which no greater being can be conceived. God exists in the understanding, mental, ABSOLUTE LAWS. If God exists, Godel said in the understanding, we could imagine Him to be greater by existing-in-reality. Therefore, God exists he says because we perceive Him.
       As most brilliant people are a bit on the “different side” both behaviorally and inwardly, Godel proved to be no exception, but his research and desire to prove or disprove God’s existence, was sincere for both personal and non-personal reasons. He never became part of a congregation, but after his death his wife Adele said, that though he did not go to church he was religious and read the Bible in bed every Sunday morning. In an un-mailed answer to a questionnaire, Godel described his religion as “baptized Lutheran (but not a member of any religious congregation). My belief he said, is theistic, not pantheistic.” One God, Supreme.
        In his extended and deep study, again, using math, he concluded that by a percentage of 67% out of 100%, God exists. To Him that was enough mathematical proof that he sought for and needed in his own personal life.
      Einstein, though not a Believer in Jehovah God, the Biblical God, believed that behind Creation there had to be what is called “intelligent design”. An architect, because of the perfection in execution, and harmony because of the ABSOLUTES that exists in the Universe.

     My desire in all of this today is for us, all of us to see, hear and understand at least to some small degree, the mystery and majesty of life....and of the Universe which God has bequeathed us to live in, take care of and then acknowledge Him, in turn give Him the worship due His name. All too often our vision is self-limited by our lack of knowledge, or even desire to acquire knowledge, taking for granted that which we have been given by God. We should repent of our lackadaisical attitude and laziness. There is so much to know and understand.
PROVERBS 5:14 “The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly”.
PROVERBS 1:29 “They hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.”
PROVERBS 18:15 “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out.”

         Other scientists and mathematicians have worked on coming up with the percentage of the existence of the planet we live on. A new study estimates there are 700-Quintillion planets in the Universe and that we may be a 1-in-700-Quintillion kind of place. A 7 followed by 20 zeros – with the aid of a computer model that simulated the Universe’s Evolution following the Big Bang. Current estimates hold that there are some 100 billion galaxies containing about a billion trillion stars. That, my friends, is rather humbling and mint-boggling, and it should help us wear a blanket of humility and thankfulness.
       A quintillion is a million-trillion or a billion billion. Just a little trivia here. There are estimated to be about 10 quintillion insects on earth! An unsettling thought to say the least
       Further, one of the scientists, Zackrisson’s research indicates that, from a purely statistical standpoint, Earth should not even exist. How about that! But it does! We do!
       To me, this knowledge, as little as it is, helps me more clearly see my place on earth, perhaps seeming like nothing but a mite in stature, but a mite placed here by God Himself. That makes my existence and yours of vital importance in the Grand Design. God wanted me here, wanted you here, and here am I and so are you. Together we are called by God to be His people, and being His people, we are to be examples to other people representing who He is. And who is He?
. ELOHIM. My Creator
. JEHOVAH. My Lord God
. EL SHADDAI. My Supplier
. ADONAI. MY Master
. JEHOVAH JIREH. My Provider
. JEHOVAH ROPHE. My Healer
. JEHOVAH NISSI. My Banner
. JEHOVAH MAKADESH. My Sanctifier
. ANCIENT OF DAYS. Eternal
. My favorite....FATHER “But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, or Israel acknowledge us; You, Lord are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is Your name” Isaiah 63:16
THE ABSOLUTENSS OF GOD IS OUR EXISTENCE, AS ALL 7 ABSOLUTE LAWS COME FROM GOD WHO ESTABLISHED THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH, AND THE VASTNESS OF THE UNIVERSE, AND ALL THAT IT CONTAINS.
Great is the Lord and Greatly to be praised
In City of our God
In the mountain of His holiness
Beautiful for situations, the joy of the whole earth,
In Mount Zion, on the sides of the north,
The city of the Great King

                                             AMEN AND SELAH....SO BE IT~

The Little Church in the Pines
July 19, 2020
“Whatsoever THINGS ARE !
Philippians 4:8 NSFLB
Pastor Tom Shanor

In the first seven verses of this chapter, Paul is praising the Philippian Church, while at the same time telling them to keep their focus as he states in verse 8, starting out with; “Finally, brethren, whatever things are TRUE, whatever things are NOBLE, whatever things are JUST, whatever things are PURE, whatever things are LOVELY, whatever things are of GOOD REPORT, if there is any VIRTUE and if there is anything PRAISEWORTHY….meditate on these things.”
You see, character and conduct begin in the mind. Our actions are affected by the things we dwell on in our thoughts. Paul cautions the Philippians and therefore also us to concentrate on things that will result in right thinking, hence right living, therefore obtaining in the process stability in thought, heart and emotion, no matter the circumstances that surround us…..a full measure of PEACE. The PEACE that passes all understanding. In the hurricane of events that we all currently live in, if we do this we can live in the eye of the storm, where sunshine, peace and calm exist, while the storm rages around us.
The first thing is believing this is possible, but there too we are to remember that “I can do all things through Christ who enables me.” The first step to that is also belief. Faith is under-girded by believing. Do YOU believe this, or does the circumstances we find ourselves in rule our heart, mind, spirit and emotions? Where are you in these areas of your life?
Also, in Philippians 4:6 we read this, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. In other words,. also pray, leading into prayer for your request with thanks for what you already have, and what you have is HIM. How strong is YOUR faith? I am not asking you to let reason and caution behind therefore testing God but combine what you know you need to do with the faith you have in Christ through God. By using your brain and your faith together, you truly can do all things in Christ who both strengthens and enables you. Sometimes we need an enabler!

In the Old Testament we find in Proverbs 3 these words that God encourages us with in our quest of living life as He instructs us, by saying,
My children never forget the things I have taught you.
Store my command in your heart.
If…you do this, you will live a long life,
And your life will be satisfying.
Never let loyalty and kindness leave you.
Tie them around your neck as a reminder.
Write them deep in your heart.
Then…you will find favor with God and with people,
And you will earn a good reputation.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
Do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do,
And He will show you which direction to go in.
My children do not lose sight of common sense and discernment.
Hang on to them, for they will refresh your soul.
They are like jewels on a necklace.
They will keep you safe on your journey of life, and your feet will not stumble.
Do not withhold “good” from those who deserve it,
When it is in your power to help them.
These words tie in beautifully with what Paul was instructing both the Philippians and us. What I just read is not a complete reading of Proverbs 3, so I would recommend that you take some time to read Philippians and these verses…. or as Paul says here to meditate on them.
To meditate is a practice where an individual uses a technique…such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable conclusion….which then can be applied to your life.

Summing it all up, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your heart and minds with the deep and wonderful life applications of thought, reason, diligence and behavior that Jesus, Paul and all the teachers that God Himself has given us in learning how to live our lives, our brief lives well.

…..Jesus courageously and faithfully both represented and taught us a deeper and fuller revelation of God, which is also of course an aspect of Himself that we come across from time to time when reading the Old Testament, because He is deeply in the Old Testament.
…..We find in the Old there is much violence representing the culture of tribalism in the time the words were written, but even then, there we those seeking and hungering for peace. The players are good and evil, just as in today, with little difference in thought and attitude, sometimes even within the ranks of Believers and followers of Christ. God often takes the rejected and turns them into heroes, and He takes the proud and turns them into the rejected. Through this circuitous route int eh history of His people, He tells them time and time again, I love you, I want the best for you, desiring simply that you love Me in return by following my commands and teachings through my Son.

…..Attitude is foundational and critical to being a follower of Jesus. Attitude is a relational state of mind critical to how we observe and react to whatever life throws at us. Our attitude can change, simply by choosing to change our focus from the negative to the positive by what we read, and what we choose to do. Our intellect, our emotions, our relationships all reflect our faith and its depth or shallowness. Where is yours?
…..Jesus in the New Testament shows us a NEW WAY, THE WAY of choices that we are to make, as He made. “THE WAY” THAT REPRESENTS THE NONVIOLENT AND LOVING HEART OF God. A radical way then….and an equally radical way today, especially as we see the result of VIOLENCE in our own culture, and what it has not and will not achieve for good. Protesting is a constitutional right given by our Founders…. but violence is to be abhorred and stopped. Protesting with ideas for needed change should be welcome when recognized that indeed changes are needed…and they are.
…..In Christ whom we are to emulate, we see and image of God who is not armed with lightning bolts but with a basin and towel. (think about that) the Son of God being the Servant of God…actually on His knees washing the dirty feel to His disciples as an example of who they, we are to be also.
…..He, who spews not threats but THE GOOD NEWS for all. He who rode not on a war horse but on a donkey, weeping in compassion for people who would choose not to accept His message of love, but instead violence, ultimately being crucified, the bearer of reconciliation, grace, forgiveness and ultimate love. He did not demote (as some thought) God to a lower, weaker status, but to a status of supremacy. A revelation of God as pure light; with no shadow of violence, conquest, exclusion, hostility or hate. The early Christians understood this and lived it, exampling to us, who we too are to be. It is not an easy path, in fact it is the most difficult path to follow for we too, if we succeed in doing so can also bring on ourselves the wrath of others who will not get it, just as those who did not in Jesus day.
…..ATTITUDE AND FOCUS again….on….”WHATSOVER THINGS ARE”….as I stated earlier was then, and still is today, THE RADICAL WAY OF LIVING, and to choose this way to live is the greatest and most profound and difficult way to show the Lord Jesus Christ that indeed we love Him.
Lord, I want to be more like You, like You.
I want to be a vessel You work through,
I, I,.. . . want to be more like you.
Not so simple is it, but if we want something deep enough, we can achieve it.
Do we?
Pope Francis said, “this moment in time calls for spiritual and social poets;: sincere and creative people who will rise on the wings of their faith to catch the Wind of the Spirit , the wind of JUSTICE, JOY and PEACE. The season is changing, and it is time for US to rise.”
…. All of us should desire to hear these words spoken to us by Jesus, “Well done good and faithful servants, well done.”
WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE GOOD…. FOCUS ON THEM! Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
July 5, 2020
Macks Inn, Island Park, Idaho
”The Breath and life of the spirit”
Genesis 2:7 “He breathed the breath of life”
by; Pastor Tom Shanor

    After Marilee and I were married, the topic of the Holy Spirit came up as to the role of the Spirit in our everyday lives. She shared with me that growing up in an Evangelical denomination, and that until meeting me and attending church services with me, she had never heard any teachings on the Holy Spirit. So, her desire was to know who exactly the Spirit was and what was He all about?
     “The Spirit” AND “Holy Spirit” are the most commonly used names of the Spirit of God. People sometimes use the word “it” in reference to the Spirit; but those who do so neuter and depersonalize Him. Yes, I said Him...now exactly what Him means in His case, I really do not know, but let us go on. The Spirit is not simply an influence or force. As a ‘person’ of the Godhead, the Spirit has personality, thought, presence. As such, He can be resisted, offended, or pleased and more. Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, and so do you! Sounds like the Jews are in trouble again.
     About 9 years prior I had been baptized in the Spirit with the gift or evidence of speaking in other tongues. Gifts such as this one and evidence gifts as they are called, are said by more than several denominations to have died out with the Disciples, and no longer are desired or needed, since we have what is called the perfect gift, that being the Bible. Well, regarding that the Bible as we know it came about quite a while after the death of the disciples, and the evidence is that these gifts continued on and still are being dispensed. In fact, it is projected that by 2050 there will be over one billion Charismatics or Pent
I am not speaking on the Spirit to begin a debate on this issue or any other, but instead am going to talk about the Person and evidence of who this Spirit of God is. Included in this I will of course use Scripture to back it up.
     Let us start with my opening verse found in Genesis 2:7. “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” The breath of life is the breath of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit!
     As we proceed, I may be extending for some of you your own boundaries, and to me this is a good thing. One of my desires is to cause you to THINK as you challenge yourself into Scriptural examination. I will back up with Scripture what I tell you.

     Our Christian faith, we could say was born on a weekend between what is now known as Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Those three days were the birthplace of our faith, and later, one day following those three days, a day yet to come for the then believers, on what is known as the Day of Pentecost, the church as we have come to know it was born. The Holy Spirit played the major role in the birth of the church, bringing with Him miracle, wonders and signs, touching lives, changing lives dramatically and deeply. The Holy Spirit brought power and might unlike anything that had ever been experienced prior to that day, fulfilling the very words of Jesus when He said to His disciples, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued or filled with *power from on high.”
     In these words of Jesus there was no hint given about what would happen, but clearly the evidence shows that Jesus knew what would occur and would make it abundantly clear to them, the Promise of My Father” as the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit. (3:16) It is this supernatural power that Jesus used and uses to fulfill His mission to the world through His church.
Luke `11:13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who *ask Him.” Ask Him? In this passage He tells us that we have a choice, for the Lord wants us to have all that He has for us, but in some things He asks us to ask Him, for He is good and ever available to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. The Lord desires to pour out the Holy Spirit on those desirous of receiving.

Does this mean that when we become Christians, we do not have the Holy Spirit? No. As soon as we make a profession of faith in the Son of God as to who and what He is, this can only be done in, by, and through the Holy Spirit who draws us to His Son. We are sealed unto God by the Spirit through Jesus the Christ. This asking is for those who want more of what God has to give.
     The Spirit’s major role is to open the eyes and heart of men and women to the truth of who Jesus Christ is, and He does so in a great variety of ways, including using of all things, us. Today, our faith, for many of us and the church as a whole, specifically, needs a fresh move of God’s Spirit who gives life to experience a faith that is bigger, deeper and richer to all who seek.
     Young people are not buying into our faith as it exists for us, for what we offer them is a boxed in religion that has little usable air left in our box…for we, are content…and they are not interested in contentment. Our world has become to most of them spiritually irrelevant in an age of dynamic change.
    It is a world that most of us have trouble understanding, let alone keep up with. We could be like the Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites, withdrawing from the modern world content with our hymns, static celebrations and “this is the way it’s always been done and it’s good enough for me. That is often the problem…it all about me.
     Jesus brought dramatic change to both the religious world and human culture, never getting credit for equalizing men and women, for tearing down the veil between the alter and the Living God, opening the doorway for us to approach Him without the need of an intercessory except for Jesus Christ Himself.
    What have we done with the law of Spirit, grace, mercy, forgiveness? We have imprisoned it so that in many ways it looks and acts and sounds like the Old Law that He came to set us free from. In doing so, He brought into the world a new law; the law of love, with the promise of new life and new potential for a whole new world within and without, working its way out as He hoped, to fill the world with Himself through us.
    The Spirit call us to unity. The Spirit calls us to mercy. The Spirit calls us to empower us. The Spirit calls us to Grace, the most misunderstand and underused gift of all. The Spirit calls us to Peace. The Spirit call us to justice.

He is the Good Spirit…. through whom we receive good gifts as found in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. If we exhibited these in our everyday lives and encounters, we would change the world. Nehemiah says the “good Spirit” was given to instruct God’s people, and we by faith in Him are God’s people.

He is the “Eternal Spirit” for in Hebrews 9:14 says, “He hovered over the face of the waters during creation (Genesis 1:1-2

He is “the Lord.” We Christians call Jesus “Lord” and worship the “Lord God,” but the Holy Spirit is also called “Lord” in 2 Corinthians 3:17. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are aptly called “Lord” for there is no competition in the Godhead. To say the Holy Spirit is “Lord” is to affirm His personhood and divinity in the Trinity. He is worthy of worship as is the Father and Son.

He is also named the “Paraclete” The Greek word translated as “helper” in reference to the Spirit is parakletos. There are two main ways believers experience the parakletos. The Spirit is our advocate. An advocate pleads a case before a righteous judge. Scripture teaches Jesus is our advocate before the Father (1 John 2:1) Because His sacrifice on the cross enables us to plead our case. He understands us and what we go through because having been tempted Himself, yet without sin, he represents us experientially.

Jesus also said the Holly Spirit is also our Advocate or Helper (John 14:16, 16:26 and 16:7_ Jesus called the Holy Spirit alongside us to help us resist sin. We are also told the Spirit is another Helper, other than Jesus Himself.

He is also called:
The Spirit of Life) Romans 8:2)
The Spirit of Grace Hebrews 10:29
The Spirit of Prophecy (Revelation 19:10)
The Spirit of truth (John 14:17)
The Spirit of Holiness (Romans 1:4)
The Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17)
The Spirit of justice and judgment (Isaiah 28:6)
The Spirit of glory (1 Peter 4:14)

Earlier I spoke of the three days of Good Friday through Easter Sunday, the second day represents a silence, a contemplative pause following Friday’s great loss (or so it seems). His disciples and many others in confusion and in shock, and in mourning. Wondering what comes next if anything?

If Friday represented a letting go, Saturday represents sinking to the depth of a descent into despair, only to gain perhaps a deeper vantage point if one can rise to it. The recognition of a new reality in that death is real and what comes following the death of death before there can be new life. Change….oh how we often hate change!

In coming back to our youth, today’s youth culture is demanding change, with methods that alarm us. We know that it is a small percentage doing so with violence, but there is a large percentage that are leaving us far behind. We can, and if we can, will we listen to them, or will we simply moan and groan, bemoaning without listening to what they are attempting to tell us.

Today is a dynamic time to allow the Spirit of God to come along side of us to give us wisdom and grace, instruction and power, love and mercy. Young adults are calling us out for our lack of living up to what and who we have been saying we are, by focusing our latter years in being content to live in comfort and self-centeredness. Open our eyes Lord and open our ears, that we might see, and we might hear.

We are being called out in ways that seem ugly and harsh, demanding the acceptance of all people, of all races and all cultures. The minimalized, the outcast, the very ones that Jesus Himself said He came for. It is sobering and in some ways frightening. This is a day in time we need the wisdom I just spoke of. We need the Spirit to talk to us and to hear Him we need to open our hearts.

Just because I am a minister does not mean I understand all that needs to be done and how, but I am becoming or trying to become more tuned in to His inner voice, and allowing the Scriptures to speak to me more deeply, applying new lessons and new thoughts and new directions.

I also feel a deep compulsion to push a bit here. I have told my congregation that if I can, I want to push you all to think deeper, to reason, question, discuss and shift if shifting is needed…to think and think and think and pray, and pray and pray.

We all, the Church needs a fresh breath of the Holy Spirit, the Living Spirit, the very life-giving Spirit of God Himself, and in doing so, may He give us what we need to make a difference. We need, and I mean need to unleash Christianity’s potential for healing and transforming the world, by first transforming ourselves by the Power of God, His Spirit. Amen

The LITTLE CHURCH in the PINES
  MACKS INN ~ ISLAND PARK, IDAHO
June 28, 2020
Pastor Tom Shanor
“The Man Who Feared Everything - but the Right Thing – GOD

PROVERBS 9:10 says to us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Basically, this verse teaches those who care, that the fear of God is foundational to true wisdom in the spiritual realm, and all other types of learning would be greatly enhanced if the person who recognizes this truth has that true wisdom on which to build.
     He considered himself bigger than God. After his classmates made fun of him, Howie threw away his hearing aids. He lived the rest of his life with an incessant ringing in his ears. It nearly drove him insane. When his prayers for relief went unanswered, he set his credo for life: if you can’t depend on God, you have to be your own God.
   Fearing the bacteria (the entrance of fear) the bacteria that bred in the dampness of Houston, Howie’s hypochondriac mother sent him to live in dry Southern California. There, he discovered the two real loves of his life; Hollywood and aviation. Lost in the magic of a movie, he forgot the ringing in his ears. Soaring high in an airplane, it stopped altogether.
     Then his parents died, making him the world’s wealthiest orphan. Howie boasted. “I’m richer than God!” He became king of Hollywood, producing a string of films. Along the way, he engaged in sexual affairs that led him to contract incurable syphilis. But that didn’t stop him from becoming king of the skies or from building history’s largest airplane, called what? “Spruce Goose”
     The world was stunned when he flew to Paris in half the time it took Charles Limberg....and then flew around the world in three days. He made a fortune in World War II as the biggest supplier of airplane part. After he purchased shares in Trans World Airlines, he became the first multi-billionaire in history. Howard Hughes now bragged that he was more powerful than God. A-O...bad things usually happen when people say this!
     So, on we go. Yet his bravado masked his spreading syphilis. His old fear of germs returned with a vengeance. He moved to Las Vegas for the clean air, purchased a hotel and casino, and lived like a hermit in a sanitary bubble on the top floor. His agents then bought up for him the surrounding casinos to extend his so called safe-zone. He spent millions bribing the president of the United States to stop nuclear testing in Nevada lest he be exposed to radiation.
  He funneled a fortune to the CIA stop Russian from unleashing biological warfare. Howard Hughes had become the ultimate control freak, and freak he was becoming more and more every day.
     Towards the end, he was downing hundreds of pills every day. He would eat little besides green peas, and he had each one measured so he wouldn’t choke to death. He kept a team of doctors on full-time alert, wore surgical gowns only, used Kleenex boxes for shoes, and would not allow anything to touch his exposed skin. If a flu or cold epidemic hit Las Vegas, a private jet would quickly whisk him away.
     In spite of all his precautions, he fell into a coma when he was seventy and died in transit to the hospital on April 5, 1976. He was the richest man in the world, but his six-foot four frame had been starved down to ninety pounds, his body covered by filth and his arms riddled with hole. X-rays showed broken needles lodged under his skin. The autopsy revealed a brain eaten by syphilis. He was so unrecognizable that the FBI took fingerprints to conform his identity. The story of a man who thought he was bigger and richer than God screams a warning to all of us who try to control our world. We might relax more if we remember this:
“Fear and worries don’t come from thinking about the future but from wanting to control it.”
Today...many of us live-in constant fear of that which we cannot control. Yes, we can take precautions using good sense, using what tools are available to us, but to not be able to take a step without fear is letting that fear control us and stifling our lives directly. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge God....and He will take care of you.”
     Cast your burdens upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22

85% of the world’s population professes a belief in God. At one time along with that profession, there was with that belief, both a love and fear of God. Today, we hear most often of God’s all-embracing love, but seldom fear of God. This fear that has been left behind helped keep sin in check, and helped us as a society sustain a modicum of behavior, that gave us a better balance of law and order.
      Many other Scriptures speak on the fear of God: Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 14:27; 15:33 just to name a few. Before we can understand how the fear of the Lord leads to wisdom, we need to define what the Bible means by “fear” in this context.
     In our Bibles, the word translated “fear” can mean several things. It can refer to the terror one feels in a frightening situation (Deuteronomy 2:25) “Today, I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn and run.” Now that’s cool if you are a Jew at that time, but if an enemy of the Jews, very frightening. God has been known to cause some rather intense repercussions to those who upset Him.
     It can mean “respect” in the way a servant fears his master and serves him faithfully. Things have turned around in this next situation as Joshua is speaking to a rebellious Jewish people. “you are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.” O,k, ...I would not want to be a Jew at this time.
     Now we come to Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5, where he is sensing deeply his own smallness in the presence of God, as he is being asked directly to do something for God. He has a good sense of his place. “Woe is me for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. In the real presence of God, he finally sees who he is and is humbled.
~ THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS A COMBINATION OF ALL OF THESE ~
Without the fear of God....the God who loves us and gave us life, whether it’s terror, respect or humility....we are in trouble. There today is a whole generation unaware of the love, power and fear of God. That is, if they even believe in God, which most no longer do. It is not a matter of who is at fault for this, but all of us wear some of the responsibility, and some of us a lot of the responsibility. We are right in preaching, talking and educating about the LOVE of God, but forgetting that He is can be jealous, angry at unrighteousness and misrepresentation of who He is in His fullness or completeness! He is a “HOLY” God.
     This generation in the broad stroke, not believing in or fearing God, believe self-righteously that there is no accountability for their actions, for they are right and can do no wrong in their own eyes....hence the confusion, anger and rebellion that exists across our land and the world. I am trying not to broad-brush a whole generation, but a significant portion of it that has little real-life experience; yet telling us what is permissible and acceptable to get what they want, not caring about or understanding the consequences of their actions fully.
                  Without that reverential fear no holds are barred.
Fear of the Lord can be defined as “the continual awareness that our loving heavenly Father is watching and evaluating everything we think, say and do.
Matthew 12:36 “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word...and work.
Revelation 1-2. “I know what you do, for nothing escapes My attention.”
     In order to develop the fear of the Lord, we must recognize God for who He is, not looking just at the aspects of Him that we want to acknowledge and think that is His totality. We must glimpse with our spirits the POWER, MIGHT, BEAUTY, AND BRILLIANCE of the Lord God, the ALMIGHTY! Those who fear God have a continual awareness of Him, a deep reverence for Him, and a sincere commitment to OBEY Him....as the Lord Himself through His life and teachings has shown and taught us how to do.
Romans 1:21-22 speaks of those who “neither glorified Him as God no gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” This is a description of people who try to obtain wisdom while ignoring God....in all His manifestation and requirements of us.
     The link between the FEAR of God and WISDOM means we cannot possess wisdom if we attempt to RECREATE God in our own image or imagination. It cannot be done for the simple reason that God is God and cannot be changed by us in any way. I AM THAT I AM....for both He and Jesus used that phrase describing who they are....beyond question or imagination.
     Too many people want to “tame” God into a non-threatening nobody, neutered and kumbaya, If we redefine the Lord as a god that makes us feel comfortable, a permissive “buddy” who exists simply to bless us and give us what we want, we will not fear Him in the way He deserves to be feared. The Lord God ALMIGHTY, who is the SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER.
     Until our hearts are in a right relationship with God, in harmony with who He is and who we are in relationship to Him, we are worshiping a different god. One of our own making. This is basically idol worship.
     Without the fear of the Lord, our decisions are made on faulty human understanding. When we incorporate the healthy fear of the Lord into every moment of our lives, we make decisions based upon His approval and live with the knowledge that the CREATOR of the Universe is intimately involved in our every thought and action. He sees, knows, and evaluate all our choices, for we will one day answer to Him.
       Our then respect for God in all His Majesty, causes us to honor Him with our words, actions and thoughts.....every day, all day. Our gratitude for His mercy causes us to serve Him well. Psalm 2:11 “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” Therefore, the understanding that our God of love is also a God of accountability should inspire in us enough healthy fear, to walk in truth and righteousness....or right living.
      This.....is Wisdom. Howard Hughes and others like him stand at the pinnacle of both human achievement and failure.
      “Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord and HE will lift you up.
                                                             Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
Macks Inn, Island Park, Idaho
   Compassion, both receiving and giving!
Pastor Tom Shanor
June 21, 2020

Compassion....sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. Example: “the victims should be treated with compassion”
Our Lord was steeped in compassion, and as an example I will read from Luke 7:11-7 READ   Matthew 14:13-21 READ
These are just two examples of the many times Jesus showed compassion. Usually to the poorer, least educated and needy people He worked with and encountered every day of His ministry.

On a bit of a lighter nonetheless a deep need, in the life of a child, a needy child, here is a real-life example of compassion.
One morning before coming to my office, I happened to catch a video clip on NBC of the need of a little girl who had difficulty identifying with other children of her age, and therefore also had difficulty in forming any friendships.
Andrea was 8, it was Christmas Day and she was opening the few presents that lay under the Christmas tree just for her. The box, a rather large one was the last one she was opening....in the box was by brand name an ‘American Girl Doll’, that looked a lot like Andrea. That alone surprised her a great deal, and (American Dolls are not inexpensive) but as she continued to unwrap the doll, she suddenly started crying then sobbing.  My own thoughts were, “how sweet” but as she exposed the rest of the doll to the camera, I could see it was fitted with a prosthesis on its leg.....just like hers, which I had not seen. She cried and cried...holding on tightly to the doll which was somewhat of a replica of herself, loving with all she had within her this amazing gift.
Through her tears, she said to her mother, “you have no idea how much this means to me.”  (though of course her mother did). Her bond with that doll changed her life. Being able to hold, identify with and love the doll as she did, opened her heart to feelings other than rejection and loneliness.
The American Doll Company which is large, volunteered to fill that loving mother’s unique request at no cost to the family, going out of their way to show compassion to one little broken hearted and lonely eight-year-old who needed some deep identification and acceptance that was able to identify with her own condition.

Some of the synonyms associated with the word ‘compassion’ are mercy, tenderness, heart and clemency. This is what Jesus felt towards the crowd, which is mentioned as 5000 whom He fed miraculously by multiplication, with the little boy’s fish and bread.
In Biblical times (as a side note) only men were counted when counting took place, and women and children were not. My reason for bringing this up is that the true count would have been closer to 20,000 people, which ties into verse 14, for in the middle of all of these events, Jesus also received word that John the Baptist had been beheaded, and all Jesus wanted to do was get away to think, mourn and pray. Yet, He put aside His own desires and as Scripture says, “when Jesus went out, He saw a great multitude, and he was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Part of compassion as illustrated here, is putting one’s own desires ahead of our own, and doing just as He did no matter how He personally felt. A beautiful thing!

Question…..how would you rate yourself in this arena, let’s say 1 out of 10? I too had to ask myself the same question. In reading the story that I read on Friday, and will read to you at some point, again on compassion where immediately I felt the rush of tears….tears of compassion, but also with those came a quickening of my spirit, that I need to be more open to doing, instead of congratulating myself on my ability to feel compassion. It is good to know that I do feel, thereby proving to myself I am at least not a sociopath or psychopath, but Lord I asked, show me what I can do, so called sacrificing some of my time to do unto others as you have them do unto me.
We are to be a giving people, just as Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brother and sisters of mine, you did for Me!” So, compassion given as a Christian to anyone has a double blessing. The blessing coming to us from giving and a blessing to the Lord, for whatever we do in deeds such as this, also bless Him.
Most of us know that it was Christianity brought about the conquest of the Roman Empire, but it did not come through the power of the sword, but the power of the Gospel…. joined with Christian acts of compassion.
Here is the story.
In the middle of the 3rd century AD, there was a terrible plague in the Roman empire, bringing with its overwhelming death. Citizens and physicians (as such) left the cities in droves, getting as far away as possible from the dreaded disease.  However,…. many Christians stayed behind to help those who were ill and dying, many of them dying themselves. Eusebius, a church historian, states that because of the compassion of the Christians in the midst of the pandemic, the Christians, and this is a direct historical quote) “the Christians deeds were on everyone’s lips, and they glorified the God the Christians, for such acts of compassion, convinced the pagans that these Christians were devoutly religious and truly reverent to God.” End of quote.
So…after all that being said, we now understand the deep compassion in the heart of our Lord, that when suddenly, instead of a quiet time alone with the Father, He finds Himself thrust compassionately into being the “Servant” He was…..and is, setting an example for us as how to be more like Him.
There is a simple praise song that speaks to this, and it goes as such:
  Lord, I want to be more like You
Lord I want to be more like You
I want to be a vessel You work through
I want to be more like You……………….
There is a key word in this chorus that is critical to the outworking of the deed, and that word is “want.” He will never, never, never force us to do anything, but His desire is for us to want to do for Him by being like Him.
Time for that story I was talking about……
The story is called “From Libya with Love”
Mohammed Bzeek is one of the many immigrants who make America better. This bearded gentle giant who hails from Libya is one amazing story. His wife to be, Dawn, was already taking in foster children when he met her, and they continued to care for foster children after they married. But lots of folks open their homes to foster kids. (though not enough) Mohammed and Dawn were different. In the mid-1990’s, they began taking in kids who were not only desperate for a home, but desperately terminally ill children who could not see, hear or talk. This couple had a simple vision that they could fill the short lives of these dying children with as much love as it was possible to give. Since taking in these children, they have buried ten.  But his heart never broke more than when he watched the love of his life, his wife Dawn die from blood clots in her lungs in 2015.
   Bzeek was determined to continue her vision to care for the most vulnerable. Nothing demonstrates that commitment more than watching him care for his then most severely disabled foster child, Renea, a six-year-old tiny girl who was born with microcephaly. She is unable to see, hear or talk. She lies helpless for twenty-four house a day, hooked to breathing tubes and wires. When no one else was willing to care for her, this man from Libra took her in. He recently told a People Magazine reporter, “The only way I can communicate with Renea is by touch. So I hold her. “ I want her to know that someone is here for her. Somebody loves her. She is not alone.” Because Mohammed sleeps on a sofa next to her at night, she is never alone.
A lesser man might have said, “It was Dawn’s vision” and walk away.” When folks ask him why he still does it, Mohammed replies. “Even if these children cannot communicate, see, or hear, they still have a soul. They need somebody to love them. I tell them, ‘It’s okay, I’m her for you. We’ll go through this together.”
Mr. Bzeek would surely agree with something Mother Teresa said: “One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody.’
1 THESSALONIANS 5:14 says to us, “Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.” Everyone? Everyone.
What Mohammed Bzeek recognized, was that the greatest miracle of all to him, and to all of us alive, is life itself. The fact that we can walk, touch, feel, think, love, see, smell, interact, have food to eat, air to breathe, sky to experience, beauty to grasp and hold in wonder…..the sound of waves washing ashore. Holding a newborn baby, a love, a dad, a mom, brother, sister, friend….and so much more. That our every-day experiences are tangible, real and touchable ‘miracles.’ Life is a miracle and how we choose, and we do choose to give and live this great and astounding gift….is mostly up to us.
Choose this day….this day, not only whom we will serve, but how we will live out our lives. Self-centered or giving? Showing compassion or judgment? Reaching out as Jesus did, as American Doll did, as Mohammed Bzeek did….or as you have the opportunity to choose.
Our Lord, Savior and Friend, Jesus the Christ….one man born of God and woman…a lone figure crying the wilderness…. changed the course of history in a multitude of ways for the entire world, if only, if only. His miracle message of love, hope, compassion, forgiveness, grace, faith and so much more…. reaches out beyond our world into the universe with a universal message unlike any other…and we are blessed. May we remember daily…. WE ARE BLESSED.  X2
                                                                 Amen

** Adapting, Change, Transitions, Patience, Stewardship, Peace **
Message by; Connie Funkhouser
subbing for Pastor Tom
posted per requests
June 07, 2020
Most of us are not good at juggling tennis balls or bowling pins. Now imagine trying to juggle while jumping backwards … and wearing high heels.
This perhaps illustrates what it is like trying to live a “new normal,” where life is drastically different than what we have been accustomed to and will not change for some time or may never will change. Our heart and mind are still in the life we just left, yet our present beckons. This new normal could be life after a loved one had major surgery & never fully recovers, the passing of a spouse, bad news about our health, or prolonged unemployment. It could be re-locating to a new city or learning new skills @ an advanced age. Some of these circumstances are planned and others come without notice, but all result in a forced change/or an unexpected transition.
Sometimes “new” can be desired and exciting, but other times it is not. James 1:vs2 & 3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing the testing of your faith produces patience.” Most of us want to live out James 1:2 & 3 and persevere through trials, but day-to-day living can instead be a roller coaster of pining for the past, trying to live in an unfamiliar present, doing our best to establishing new comfort zones, praying for patience, all while trying to maintain our peaceful spirits.
Why is adapting to change so hard? How do we walk through these canyons of life?
A new normal pose various challenges:

Theological questions – Questions can abound when trying to reconcile what we believe with our experience. If God is good, why did my spouse or child die? Am I not a good Christian if I do not rejoice always? Am I being punished for something I did?

Emotional strain – We are made to know and be known. When close relationships end and new ones are not as deep, it hurts. Work and functional independence give us some sense of value, dignity, and self-respect, and when those are taken away, we might feel worthless or question our purpose. Whether what we have lost is regarding relationships, work, familiar routines, or health, we simply do not feel like ourselves let alone complete.

Practicalities – New is scary, and if we are not careful, we make unfair comparisons between the known past and the unfamiliar present. So how do we move forward while honoring what we have lost? Who can we talk to, especially when what we lost is so much a part of how we think and live?

Ultimately, adapting, change, and transitions dramatically alters foundations of our life. So, what can we do?
Amidst all the questions, emotions, and feeling out of sorts, there is something that can provide us with the space needed to process our questions and emotions yet provide wisdom for practicalities. It lies in approaching our new normal as a matter of stewardship—not in just a financial sense, but stewardship on a broader level. When all is said and done God will ask, “What did you do with the people, talents, places, resources, and yes, hardships, I placed before you? How have you reflected my character and loved others through all this?” (Matt. 25:14-30; 2 Cor. 1:3-5).
Approaching a difficult transition as a matter of stewardship helps us to be deliberate, careful, and realistic. More specifically, by viewing our transition as a matter of stewardship, we can enlist into our trial:

Direction, structure, and guard rails – Our mind goes places while adapting/changing and we do need space to process and mourn. But we do not get to think, feel, or do whatever we want. All of life is lived before God (Ps. 139).

At what point does all this processing become unhelpful to us and others? Time will give us more clarity on that question and answers will vary with each person. But for now, some potential ways we can steward our thoughts, emotions, and actions in a world of unforeseen circumstances are to:

Think biblically and accurately about the past and the present.
Cultivate gratitude for past and present good gifts, rather than demand them or harbor resentment for the new.
Think and speak about what is helpful for building others up in the faith—there can be a way to talk about loss which offers a portrait of godly grief mixed with hope and faith (no matter how small).

Grace, nuance, and patience – Viewing a new normal as a matter of stewardship pushes us towards spiritual aspirations of growth in godliness while also being realistic about what life will be like. Whether for ourselves or as we help others, stewardship offers a lens to work through the nuance and gradual nature of trying to live out black and white truth . . . because:

Transitions take time. We will slip up and idolize the past. We will make unfair comparisons and place our identity and security in something that was never meant to bear that weight (Ps. 103:15-18). That does not mean we are not trying to pursue godliness.

Sanctification is a matter of degrees. Where we derive our worth and security is rarely an all-or-nothing proposition. Yes, it needs to be foundationally based on the person and work of Christ, but we still find value and comfort in our relationships, work, and routines. It is about gradually holding more and more tightly to identity in Christ.

How foreign, how uncomfortable, and how disorienting it must have been for the Son of God to become man, to bear the weight of our sin, and subsequently face His father’s rejection on our behalf (Is. 53:1-12; Phil. 2:5-8)!
Yet, Jesus Christ willingly experienced a new normal for over 30 years.
And therein lies the rationale, example, and hope for walking through a difficult new life. The story of the Gospel is the story of a new normal—a relationship with God through the work of Christ. A relationship that came at a heavy price.
And so, can be with our new transition/altered existence. Out of the ashes can arise beauty. Out of the groaning comes the payoff of being a display of God’s splendor (Isa. 61:3). Out of the longing for the comforts of the past comes the chance to testify to a watching world that Jesus is our Lord and that His love is better than life (Rom. 12:1; Ps. 63:3). Not just through our words, but through our mourning, our hoping, our service, and yes, even our new normal.
Read Romans 12:1-2 . . . . .
Paul is calling believers to consider their whole life as a sacrifice dedicated to God and His purposes, a “living” sacrifice, both holy and single-minded.

How has God worked through hard life transitions in the past? How might that encourage us right now?
We cannot walk this road alone. If we do not have deep relationships with people at church, at our workplace, within community, and most importantly with our immediate families. What can we do to cultivate such relationships? Or how can we help facilitate relationships for those who do not have them?

Living wisely with the love of Jesus, impacting each relationship we have. The Grace of Jesus is what reaches those who do not believe. We can make the most of every opportunity to share His love without hesitation. Live the change Christ has made in our life’s and speak His promise of new life. Ppl are hungry for acceptance, stability, love, not constant reminders of how unworthy they are. Hearing that Jesus forgives them and accepts them right where they are is life changing.

In the 6 yrs. @ the JCC I cannot remember how many times that was the foundation of our Sunday messages - elaborate. . . .

When the world is trying to regain an economic footing, the only peace is in Christ. When evil smears disease throughout the world, He is the only peace. To experience His peace continually, we remain in Him. Waking each morning with the determination that living in the Presence of God is our priority. We pray. We digest His word. We train our thoughts not to listen to the enemy, but to believe as Jesus has spoken, as He has promised.

I read about this dear old lady who for years had boasted about her trust and faith in God’s promises and assurance of Heaven.
When she was close to her final hours, she had been talking about how sweet it was to trust the Lord, how wonderful His promises were.
An unbelieving neighbor came by to see her and said, “I want to ask you a question. Suppose after you die, you find that the promises of God are not true, that you are not really saved after all, that you have lost your soul?”
The dear lady said, “Well, I may lose my soul, but God would lose much more.”
He said, “Oh really. . .what would God lose.”
She said, “God would lose His Honor.”

When God makes a promise, He puts His very character and reputation on the line. Far too many ppl are sitting on the premises when they ought to be standing on His promises.
“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can
be trusted to keep his promise” (Hebrews 10:23, NLT).

There are going to be times when we find ourselves in the midst of life’s dark storms, of change, transitions, adapting, testing our patience, and certainly disrupting our peace. God is Jehovah Jireh, our provider. He provides sustenance in our desert place. A revelation in His Word to give us hope – a friend to encourage us. The Lord gives us just what we need to inspire us that He is doing something new. Life can cloud our ability to recognize His provision. We must open our spiritual eyes, and fortunately ask to see His promise of something new.

Fortunately, as believers we can rally back to the peace from within. To the residence of the Holy Spirit in our very soul. When we tap into His peace we are not @ the mercy of the world around us, but can continue to navigate through change, transitions, with a confident heart that trusts. When we are in control, we have no definite answers. When God is @ the helm, we are not responsible for the outcome. He is.

As faithful Stewards we are His disciples. We do not carry the problems of the world. He does. Continuously living in His presence, is peace. Peace believes in His promises. We have no time for what we can accomplish anymore. May we yearn for what He can accomplish through us. Our confidence in our Lord can be our motivation.

Friends believe Him and yield to the Holy Spirit’s peace. We are over-comers in Christ. We are His beloved. Remain in Him. Be His instrument, His apprentice. By doing so you will bring joy to Our Father, Our Creator, and a sincere peace to those who you cherish most.
Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
May 31, 2020
SERMON ~ Are you CONTAGIOUS?
Pastor Tom Shanor

EPHESIANS 1:17-18
I ask….the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of glory to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing Him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is He is calling you to do…………..
Mark 1:17 tells us ONE of these things He is calling us to do………………….
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said,
and I will send you out to fish for people.”
~ Fish for people! Lets’ put it this way……if you are going to fish, really fish, your intent is to catch. Some you catch, and some you lose. If you are new to fishing, you have a lot to learn. You need to be intelligent about it, perhaps having the right equipment will help, but most of all, along with a good instructor, comes experience….and an intuitive sense grows by grasping what is important and what is not. Along with this (once caught up, your-self that is, in the magic of fishing) grows the desire to fish more, which then can become an obsession and even contagious, as you want good friends to feel what you feel, although some may never feel what you feel.
~ The same can be said in “fishing for people,” in bringing them to the knowledge of the Lord. Even in doing this there are right ways and wrong ways. This ability could also be intuitive (as the Holy Spirit draws people to Christ) and we have the privilege of reeling them in. The emotion that comes from having so called, reeled one in can be rather addictive, but not for the sole purpose of a long string of people (so to speak), but for the purpose, unlike with fish once caught ,in our catching them, we are actually setting them up to set them free from, as Scripture says, “sin and death,” and into a deep and personal relationship with Him.
~Of course, I am speaking about evangelism, (that is what it is called) and in the case of most of us who are not ministers or evangelists by calling, all of us are called to share our faith in an everyday manner. This is called ‘lifestyle evangelism’. Now the Apostle Paul was called to at least six, what are called the church then and today, offices, or official positions in The Faith. Those six Paul was called to, are Apostle, Evangelist, Missionary, Teacher, Prophet and Pastor. Being called means that He literally was chosen by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit to fulfill these and more roles.
~ You, for the most part being extra-ordinary, everyday people, fulfilling our variety of roles on this planet, for someone(s) has to take care of we who are called to ministry, (someone has to pay the bills so to speak) in other words support those who are called, to go into all the world preaching the Gospel. You though are also called to lifestyle evangelism. Lifestyle evangelism simply means just that. You talk, walk and act like Him, thereby, by what non-believers observe in us, are drawn to Jesus through us. We are to be examples in our lives of who He is.
~ When our lifestyles are different (and in the eyes of some, better) than perhaps our neighbors, (not our intention) two responses might happen. One is they should be drawn to who, and what we are and have. The second option they have is they become upset, do not like us because, subliminally we come across as better than they, and that makes them angry. It is not our intention, but it can be an outflow of who we are in Christ. Therefore, sometimes we become a focus of derision and even a backlash.
~ We must therefore keep our eyes and ears open to see if, and when either of these responses occur, because both responses are an opportunity to witness about the Lord to them. I see them as set-ups by God Himself, and how we respond or do not respond is important.
~ Where does the word “evangelism” comes from? ‘ev’ means Good, and the ‘angel’ means messenger. So together, the word means ‘good-message-ing,’ and what we are sharing in evangelizing is The Gospel. The word ‘Gospel’ comes down to us from the Anglo-Saxon word, ‘God-spell’, which itself signifies “Gods-spell,’ or ‘God’s story.’
~ In the 70’s there was a musical named “God-spell,” and within in it was a short little chorus I remember to this day.
                                  O dear Lord
                                  Three things I pray,
                                  To see Thee more clearly,
                                  Love Thee more dearly,
                                  Follow Thee more nearly,
                                  Day by day, by day………………….
~ That little chorus says it so clearly and simply.
~ In evangelizing we are witnesses to and adherents of the Gospel. The word ‘witness’ is a translation for the Greek word ‘martus’, from which we get our English word ‘martyr,’ or ‘one who witnesses with his or her life…circling around again to the term, ‘Lifestyle Evangelism.’
~ There is a legend that has been around for quite a while, about when Jesus returned to Heaven following His death and resurrection. Upon His arrival the angels gathered around Him in amazement. They gazed at the wounds in his hands and feet, shuddering as they recalled his suffering and death.
~ After a lengthy time, Gabriel finally and tentatively spoke: “Master, you suffered terribly, beyond belief by the hands of your oppressors on earth. Do those who did this to you, now understand the extent and meaning of Your great sacrifice for them?
~ “No,” said Jesus, “not yet. Right now, only a handful of my closest followers know and understand, yet even they not fully, but the time will soon come when they do. Then, what will they do to help others everywhere fully understand?
“Peter, James, John and the others will spread the word. They will tell others, who will tell others, until My message spreads to the end of the earth.”
But Gabriel, knowing well the nature of we human beings, asked, Lord, “what is plan B?”
~ “I have no plan B.” replied Jesus, there is not alternative strategy. I am counting on them and them alone! and those who follow them.”
Twenty centuries later…. this is still His plan, plan A. Yes, there are evangelists, missionaries, pastors, but most of all,\ He still is counting on you, by what you say and how you live to draw the majority of people to Him, and that’s the truth, plain and simple.
~ Will others come to Him because of both yours and my lifestyle of living by helping others, reaching out to the hurting, the hungry (both physically and spiritually) because we fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure and lovely and admirable. Putting into our minds that which is excellent and worthy. Whatever we put into ourselves church family, is what others will see flowing from us. In doing so we become contagious in the good sense of the word’s meaning.
CAN AND WILL OTHERS CATCH WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE? WILL THEY? DO YOU WANT THEM TO? IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU? LIKE A VIRUS, MOST CONTAGIONS ARE CAUGHT BY BEING AIRBORNE….AS ARE OUR WORDS.
It does us good on occasion to hear an actual account of what the emphasis in this sermon is speaking of.
~ There was Alice, crotchety, and angry ‘old’ Alice. Quite a piece of work, and mean it seemed to the core. She was a terror to the entire neighborhood, especially the children who dared step on her property, or God forbid, a ball or etc. would end up in her yard, not that it was much of a yard, though she thought it was.
~ Her face was sour and surly, and she would wave her garden trowel and hedge-clippers like weapons in the face of anyone, who for whatever reason might by chance or choice try to stop by.
~ When James and Jean Mader moved next door, they mustered their courage (hearing of her reputation) to speak to Alice one day about the Lord, but she cut them off. “I’ve been a member of my church all my life,” she snorted, and I do not need anyone quoting the Bible to me!
~ The Mader’s prayed and looked for ways of befriending Alice, and slowly the relationship thawed just a little. Still, Alice wanted nothing to do with hearing what they wanted to share with her.
~ During a community evangelistic campaign put on by their church, they became involved in a ministry called “Operation Andrew,” (ever heard of it?) based on John 1:42 about Andrew the Disciple, introducing his brother Simon to Christ. The Maders listed ten people (practical planning) to pray for, and then to invite them to meetings held in their home. Of course, Alice’s name was at the top of their list, but she continually spurned their every attempt to have her attend.
~ One summer evening, returning from their vacation, the Maders found Alice’s house empty. She was in a nursing home, having suffered a stroke. They visited her regularly, bringing flowers and sharing news from the neighborhood. Alice was unable to speak, but one day when Jim asked if he could read the 23rd Psalm to her, she nodded her agreement.
~ Visiting her regularly, always reading Scripture to her, Jim and his wife Jean noticed that Alice began fixing her gaze on him as he read, instead of staring straight ahead as she had previously done. One day Jim asked her straight out, but gently, “do you want to ask the Lord for forgiveness of your sins and “give you peace with God, and thereby peace within your heart, mind and spirit? Alice indicated by nodding slightly that she did want to, and bowing her head as much as she could, prayed silently as Jim led her.
~ When she raised her head, her eyes were wet with tears. Alice, for the first time in her entire life…. was bathed in peace, as it appeared in her eyes which shone with joy. It had taken perseverance, acceptance, love, and prayer…. then forgiveness through the faithful and loving care from Jim and Jean…. twelve years of simply being there with and for Alice. Twelve years of never giving up.
~ There are many Alice’s, both men and women all around us who NEED their bottled-up pain of multiple kinds released, freed from, and the resultant anger will go. I know, because at one time I was one of them.
~ We should believe this is so….and if we do not, we need to reevaluate our faith. Are we a follower, a disciple of Christ, or are we simply religious, finding a measure of comfort in our religion through ceremony and ritual?
~ Either He is real and personal to you as revealed in the New Testament, or He is just an iconic religious figure that gives you in some ways a measure of, as I stated above, comfort.
` My own faith at times is up and down…….I have high moments and low ones, sometimes very low, where I question my personal depth, but I keep coming back to the One to whom I cannot seem to get far away from, even when I try, and I have at times tried. Having been an agnostic, also a disciple of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for several years, then turning to astrology and numerology, coming this close to accepting some others that I am not going to mention, as I said above, I kept coming back to the One who walked on water….and the One who would just not let me have peace, except in Him, where I found and find unconditional grace, acceptance, love and forgiveness, compassion and understanding….arms always open, GRACE UPON GRACE.
~ There is a gift that the Lord gives us while we live out our lives in this world, and whether we accept it or not is in our hands. That gift is found in John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift, “Jesus says, “peace of mind and heart, and the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give you. So, don’t be afraid.”
~Whether it is a pandemic, an illness, a car accident and a myriad of all the things that can happen to us and those we love….Jesus says, we can (after the initial encounter) walk with peace in our minds and hearts. When a gift is given, we have the choice to accept or reject it. Accept it and pay it forward because bringing peace can be contagious.                      Amen

The LITTLE CHURCH IN THE PINES
MACKS INN, ISLAND PARK, IDAHO
MAY 24, 2020
“SHAME ON SHAME” (used as manipulation)
by; Pastor Tom Shanor
  ROMANS 8:1
“There is now….no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Confess whatever is making you feel shame, guilt and regret.
  How many of us sitting here this morning have ever been shamed, felt shamed or made someone else feel shamed? And, how does it feel? Is shame ever justified?
     How many of us have been shamed by someone in the church because that by their standards, we had failed to live up to their expectations of behavior, thereby in their eyes sinning?
     What was their intent in attempting to shame you or even someone you knew and cared for?
     Was it to restore you, make you a better person, or just to show you that they were the last word on the way the truth and the life, and in following their standards or expectations, shaming you was a way to bring you around to what they considered was right, and also for the pleasure of seeing you and perhaps others seeing you in your potential embarrassment.
      Shame can be a terribly debilitating and controlling emotion, and in the skilled hands of the so-called superior being, damming. Strong people who have a sense of value of themselves as sons and daughters of God, along with knowledge of Scripture, cannot and will not succumb to such manipulations. They are aware of the scheme of lies and desire for control that a person who is a “shamer,” is attempting to do, knowing that wrongful shaming is not of God and that being sons and daughters of God, “there is therefore now (at that moment) no condemnation for those who truly are in Christ Jesus!”
     Can shame be legitimately used? Yes, but never with the intention of negative shaming, but perhaps of correctional, and helping someone turn around from going in the wrong direction after having done something they should not have done….and there is a difference.
      I will later give you an example of how to get someone turned around from damaging or damming behavior without shaming. This and others were done by Jesus in several examples in the New Testament.
  Shame, having experienced it myself on too many occasions, is an unpleasant to say the least, with self-exposure, typically associated with a negative evaluation of the self by someone else, or even ourselves; withdrawal; and feelings of distress, exposure, mistrust, powerlessness and even worthlessness, are just a few of the descriptive words used here. (BODY POSTURE OF SHAME)
     Shame naturally, especially in whatever way it is delivered has a negative bearing on us, but if we (even when wrongly put on us) the experience can help to define for us boundaries of positive pursuits in some cases.

The definition of shame is, it is a basic emotion, described as a moral or social emotion that because of potential social or even family and or church relational consequences, can drive us to hide or deny real wrongdoings and even perceived wrongdoing…sometimes called sin.
The focus of shame is on the self or the individual; it is the only emotion that is dysfunctional for the individual, but functional by necessity within a group if well hidden.
In different cultures and even in different churches, where behaviors that are shamed by some may be acceptable in others. Within cultures and countries over periods of time, social progress (as it is called) will change its definition and standards of what is acceptable and what is not, though often there is an overlap period full of discourse and struggle, sometimes reaching a pinnacle of great conflict, but, CHANGE WILL COME.

     As a pastor, I encounter wonderful people on a regular basis, and on occasion some not so wonderful. Many of these folks, often interested seriously in God and some committed followers of Jesus, have inherited harmful narratives about Him Because of this shame, which often gets the final word when it comes to a part of their identity. If we hear, and many do from the pulpit, that they are sinners, always will be sinners and unless they walk in the way that (in their particular church) is the only godly way, they are dammed. Going to Hell, plain and simple. You would be surprised how very many of these types of denominations and churches that exist. Who through shaming and control slowly, deliberately and often for a lifetime hold people captive by shame? This type of lifestyle sucks the truth and spirit right out of good people as it becomes a part of their identity, wearing it like a coat.
     Whether we like it or not, our world, our culture, organizations, families and churches of course, all influence how we perceive God, often giving us false images of who God is.
      One of the greatest and deepest idols of certain large numbers of American Christianity, is the abiding and maintenance of shame/guilt inducing narratives.  CONTROL BY GUILT! For many of us who grew up in a church culture, the reason shame is so pervasive is that we grew up with lists of spiritual behaviors and musts that defined us by our following or rejection thereof of who and what is right or wrong. If ruled wrong (for there is no deviation permitted) out you go, and not gently, being called backslid-den or second-rate but REJECTS!  That is something that once stamped on an individual’s forehead, it is like in our forefather’s pilgrim days, we are deemed anathema! Excommunicated!
So, a great number of Christians spend their time feeling shameful about who they are, even after years following their initial rejection, coloring their lives forever. This is a terrible and wrong approach to faith by control and subjection.
     Christianity professes to be the religion that preaches, and supposedly lives and gives grace, unlike any other religion on the planet. The tragedy is that so many of us live more in shame than in grace, never understanding what grace is, (though we hear the word being used often)
“for it is by grace you (all) have been saved, through faith---and this is not from yourselves for it is the gift of God, not by works of good, so that no one can boast.”
Here are six tips the next time (however it comes) you find shame in your lives.
Bring shame into the light, thereby examining it through the gift of grace.

Untangle what you are feeling and ask Jesus to come through for you.
Unhitch what you do from who you are.
Recognize your triggers.
Make trusting helpful connections with at least one other person you can talk to honestly and openly.
Lastly but in hope, believing, pray.
The example I spoke of in the beginning can be found in the narration of Jesus talking to the woman at the well, a cursed Samaritan to boot. John 4:4-26
This story is a perfect one to remember, both when someone attempts to shame you or you feel tempted to shame someone else.
READ…… John 4:4-26 (those of you reading this on our website or at home)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What I am about to narrate takes place before the return of Jesus to Galilee. Some Jews regarded the Samaritans as foreigners and their attitude was often hostile, although they shared most beliefs, but some did call them Samaritan Israelites. These two though at one time were one people group, they had drifted apart noting their differences instead of their likeness.
As I read this, keep in mind where the possibility of shaming could have, but did not come in. It is not the way Jesus worked and works to this day, though unfortunately many Christians and their leaders (having been taught to) do.
On His way back to Jerusalem Jesus had to go through Samaria. He came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by His journey, was sitting by the well but had no bucket that could reach the water below. It was about noon.
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.” The Samaritan women said to Him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews share nothing with the Samaritans, nothing.
Keep in mind first, that this is a woman and therefore the Jews deemed her as little more than property, and in her case an intensely disliked Samaritan. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is asking you, ‘Give me a drink’, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?”
Jesus said to her, “Everyone wo drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”  The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water. (this at this time, was beyond her understanding) but she would come to believe.
This continued discourse suddenly becomes very personal, and I have tried to imagine what and how many Christians today would have approached her with shame and guilt if they knew her lifestyle, but not the Lord who knew all about her already.
Jesus says to her, gently confronting her with her sin, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” The woman answered Him, (truthfully) “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for the man you are living with is not your husband. What you say is true!” The woman said to Him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but You say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. (but in your life and heart)
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. BUT (daughter) the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in sprit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship Him, for God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”  (acknowledging her truthfulness with Him by her confession.)  Later we can read where the disciples themselves arriving back were astounded that He was talking one on one with this Samaritan woman, and not only that, revealing to her the keys to the Kingdom of God.
The woman said to Him, “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called the Christ). “When He comes, He will proclaim all things to us.”
Jesus said to her, “I am He, the One who is speaking to you.
Here…He has approached this woman as an equal, speaking to her as He would both as to a man and to a Jew. This, I’m sure, was astounding to her in itself…that He continued to dialogue with her, telling her without condemnation where she was in life, also astounding her. Then He proceeds to open-up to her, not only knowledge of the Kingdom, but who He Himself was by telling her quite clearly who He was.
The end-result, (hoping He finally got His drink of water) was that not only she, but the entire town who upon hearing her, came out to meet this man, asking Him to stay, and the whole town became believers.
No condemnation…but love, acceptance and forgiveness.
Her culture influenced her picture of the Messiah, as our church culture influences both for right and wrong, our picture of who Jesus is. Do we always do it right? That depends on how well we know the Scriptures, to know when we aren’t and when we are.
Many Christians today are ashamed to be called Christians. Why? Often because both the professional and social medias take the worst examples of who some of are by manifesting intolerance in a mean and hateful manner, and they put them forth as the norm. Sometimes they get it right (sadly so) but most often get us wrong. For many of them, it is because we colored their lives with a bigoted Jesus, an angry and vengeful God, some from their own childhood. I hear it from Christians I know, who hold and proclaim biases and prejudices that Jesus does not have and never will.
We live now in a globalized world whether we like it or not, and what we think we say and do in the dark, can go around the world in a moment, showing aspects of who we are that we all too often have no legitimate right (according to the Gospel) to proclaim. This does not mean we capitulate to cultures, our own include, in areas and things we should not, but HOW we respond in word and in deed is indeed so especially important. Hate, shame, condemnation, but the greatest of biases should be the bias of love, acceptance and forgiveness, love, yes love….just as Jesus responded. Yes…just like Him.
So, when we have an opportunity to shame or lead by the examples Jesus set for us. Which will we choose?  Please….when too often, we lead by our biases and prejudices and religion, it is heartbreaking that many will walk away still in their pain and personal rejection and where there was a chance to find wholeness, love and acceptance, we failed them. I’m not shaming you here, I am desperately trying to get you to see all people as Jesus sees them, as He look through the heart of the cross.
We should think about this as we encounter the world and its people, His people, every day just as Jesus did.
Selah, pause and think about it….

The Little Church in the Pines
Macks Inn, Island Park, Idaho
“END TIMES”
May 17, 2020
                 Good Morning again all of you awesome friends. Well, I do not know how to exactly say this, but you are in for it today. I have taken it upon myself to sort through some difficult Scriptures today and am not quite sure I will have accomplished what I have set out to do.
For the first time in over 20 years of preaching/teaching, I am attempting to give to you a reasonable, thoughtful and sensible understanding of Matthew 24, where Jesus is speaking on then current and end-time events, that directly pertain to two events in the life of both the church (you and I) and the world as a whole.
Every time there is a major earth event such as a larger than normal hurricane as an example, an earthquake where there hasn’t been one before, or such an event as we are currently and sadly going through, there are those “Christian” spokespersons who rise up out of nowhere or even somewhere and some we know, that manage to attempt to scare the hell out of those who will listen to them, as they claim, and therefore blame God because of His deep displeasure of people and cultural/moral, or any number of things that they themselves conjure up. Not always, that God is perhaps not pleased with some of these things, people, and events, but to, as in the case of earthquakes, hurricanes and volcanos exploding, tsunamis and much more. But…to say that all of these things are the result of sin, and therefore the hand of God will wipe out the innocent along with the sinners, and claim every time that these are the sign of the end of the world has ticked me off.
Some of these things are spoken of in Matthew 24, and I am going to attempt, and I say, attempt to sort through just a small portion of this on-going assault on our understanding of Scripture in context and even spirit.
Our world is experiencing a rash of what could be called biblically birth pangs these days. It is not up to me to declare the day the Lord will return. Scripture tells me that quite clearly, but over the millenniums many have tried, and all they spoke of happening failed to bring about the second coming of the Lord. We do know this much: it is the beginning of the end and the beginning of new beginnings with the beginnings having begun on the day of Christ’s resurrection and then ascension.   Jesus tells us that Calamities and catastrophes must occur before the birth of the new world, yet calamities and catastrophes have been with us since the beginning of both the world and with humanity.
The idea that natural disasters are THE “signs” of the end times is nothing new; for you will find many claiming (false prophets) this that we are going through even today is one of those signs, and after each natural disaster or even local disaster, no matter when or where they occur around the globe is the beginning of The End.
When we combine the frequency of these end-times claims, with the general biblical illiteracy of the church in America, especially the evangelical and Pentecostal, it is understandable…yet horribly tragic - that so many
Christians blindly believe it…no matter who or what pastor or so-called prophet says so.
History is replete with pastors and self-proclaimed prophets who both blame and claim whatever bad things happen to us and the world, are directly from God, because of our state of personal and social sin. God gets blamed often and deeply for most bad things that happen. I do not know how He feels about that.
My question today for these so-called prophets is; if God is good, why do so very many of the innocent suffer alongside the sinners who allegedly are responsible for all these things that are occurring in the world today?
The truth? Natural disasters are not the signs that we are in the “end-times.” as they are called, yet there is partial truth in these words that I will get into.
In fairness, the belief that natural disasters and other events will proceed the “end” is not something pulled out of thin air, but it is an idea that comes from a very specific passages in Scripture: the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24. In this passage Jesus is quoted in part, as saying the following: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come. For nations will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.   All these things are the beginning of birth pains.” There we are again, in the birth-pangs and the beginning of something God is up to.
For those of us who were raised within an end-times framework, it’s easy to read into the Olivet Discourse, especially quoting isolated parts such as what I just quoted above, and to ignore the context entirely, in order to make it fit with what we who again were brought up biblically in this mind-set, were taught about the future of the world ending. It is also easy to read into these words things that are not there, while ignoring some important things that are there.
Like a horoscope that is written so general, it can apply to anyone when we isolate statements such as “there will be wars and rumors of wars” it’s quite natural to say, “aha! I can see that now” but, those two things have always been with us.
So…here are the critical things you need to know about Matthew 24, and here’s why modern natural disasters are NOT, THE “signs” of the end of the world.
I will say that in this discourse….as on other occasions, Jesus mixes two or more event into one in his dialogue. In this time and place He is doing so, and it takes some study and understanding to separate them. Not being a Rhoads Scholar or a member of Mensa, I had to take some real time to make sense of the sequence.

Jesus is not predicting the end of the world, as he responds to the first question the Disciples put forth to him in the very first verse. As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished with not one stone left atop another!”

2. Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives and his disciples came to him privately and asked; “Tell us, when will all this happen. (first question) What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” (second question)
The first question applied to the destruction of the Temple, while the second applied to the second coming of Christ, and the end of the world as we know it.
When Jesus answers he moves from the first to the second, and back to the first on more than several occasions.
Everything Jesus says in this passage is a direct answer to these disciples who with their specific questions want to know.
The prediction of war, famine and earthquakes would be pointless predictions if talking about the far-away future, because there would be no way to know which famines or earthquakes would be “the” ones, for there has always been famine, always been earthquakes and always been wars and rumors of wars. Furthermore, the people Jesus was talking to were not concerned with the end of the world so much as the more imminent destruction of the Temple, which at that time directly affected their lives.
Jesus did tell them to “stay alert’ to these signs – but there would be no point in telling them to stay alert to events that were not scheduled to occur for thousands of years. However, thee signs become both helpful and relevant if (and he was) speaking about the immediate or near future. In verse 16, Jesus, tells them why they should be alert, for when they were to witness some specific signs, they were to run to the mountains and wilderness in order to survive what was about to happen.

He claimed these events specifically were related to the destruction of the Temple and NOT the end of the world, saying in verse 34, “This generation will not pass away or die (a generation is 40 years) until all these things take place.”

While contemporary end-time pastors/prophet -seers today jump through hoops to place these two events and any other things they can throw into the mix together and define “this generation” and the events in some truly bizarre ways. The grammatical reality is that “this generation” always means the generation the speaker is talking to at that given moment.
The question(s) for us today is, when will the end come, and will there be a host of wars and natural disasters before the “end of the world”? Well, we know that everything is finite, and if we believe everything Jesus says, everything, we therefore believe it will, and are given some indications and signs as to when and how. It is likely that two things will be present, for humanity in some areas having made great progress, while in others its’ quest for power and domination only seems to increase, as our population dramatically expands.
Having said that, I believe that only by the Second Arrival of Jesus, will we survive as a people, so intent are we by our fallen nature bent it seems, for self-destruction. Humanity has proven over and over, and over again, that on our own, we cannot achieve peace on earth and good-will toward man, with literally millions, many millions, and those mostly innocent have been killed and slaughtered.
Look at the 20th Century alone….
We entered the 20th Century with the Second Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902
World War 1, the war to end all wars - 1914-1918
World War 2, 1939 – 1945
Korean War – 1950-1953
Vietnam War – 1960-1975
Bay of Pigs invasion = 1961
Grenada – 1983
US Invasion of Panama – 1989
Persian Gulf War – 1990 – 1991
Intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina = 1995-1996
Invasion of Afghanistan – 2001 to Present
Invasion of Iraq – 2003-2011
War in Northwest Pakistan – 2004 – present
Somalia and Northeastern Kenya intervention – 2007 – present
Operation Ocean Shield – 2009 – 2016
Libra – Syria – Iraq - Yemeni and those are just wars and rumors of wars that we as a nation have been involved in, not mentioning all the other nations and their wars and skirmishes. Peace like a river…. I wish!
Wars and rumors of wars…. always. Natural disasters…. always. Earthquakes…. always! In various and unexpected places…always.
So…what are we to look for as THE signs as to the coming of the end of the world?
The real key is this, after all that…we are to be ready for His arrival at any given moment, meaning that we are to live today as our Lord would have us live. Good and right-living lives. Honest, moral, doing good, not holding grudges, forgiving others, not seeking vengeance, giving God in Christ his due…and his due is simply our lives lived for him and for each other, and that my friends is TRUE WORSHIP.
Matthew 24-36-44
Jesus finishes with these words……………
“Whenever you hear of all these things do not worry, “for concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, not even the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be at work, one will be taken and one left. Two women will be also working; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Therefore, you MUST be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
We hear ministers and so-called prophets today, yesterday and tomorrow, blaming this and blaming that for this and that. We hear that all these things and events are pointing to these days as the end of the world. There are false so-called prophets, usually after the fact, stating that this happened because that happened…etc., etc., etc. Most of these, mostly men, are simply looking for recognition and power having not heard from the Lord but using their own status to be seen and heard as prophetic. This has been going on for over 2000 years and will perhaps go on for 2000 or more years to come or will end tomorrow.
Here is what Jesus said we are to be aware of and on guard about, also found in Matthew 24, which I believe He found painful to speak of. Starting in verse 10, “And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end (as I spoke of above) will be saved. And the Good News about the kingdom will have been preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then, the end will come.”
There are those today and have been for centuries who have focused so deeply on the end-times that they have lost the gift of living in today. Obsessed with signs, wonders and events that have caused unhealthy and erroneous thinking and actions. It is almost like a form of possession, causing peril to their souls,
and even peril to the souls of those who listen to and believe them.
We are to seek balance in our lives with healthy thinking, reasonable living, loving and caring for one another, even the strangers in our lives. God desires we be people of mercy and justice and grace. Forgiving and restoring and therefore following the footsteps of our Lord and Savior. Being like Him. If we do that simple thing…we will have accomplished all that we are here on earth for.
Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
May 10, 2020
Sermon ~ In “everything” give thanks!
Tom Shanor, Pastor
Pandemic 2020 has filled and changed our lives, to the extent we will know only as time goes forward. As for now it fills the news, fuels rumors, causes divisions and strife, bringing out both the good and ugly in people.        Paranoia reigns amidst all of this and more.
        AND YET…these words of Paul’s resonate through it all. “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
        Our joy, our prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances. I have heard and experienced many examples of ordinary people who through their belief/faith came through some horrendous and even extraordinary circumstances, managing to be and do all three of these. Doing so often goes against or very natural inclinations. When we make a conscious decision to do what God in Christ tells us to, is always for our benefit and often the benefit of others. In being obedient, however, we will begin to see not only our circumstances, but people in those circumstances with a new perspective. A spiritual and godly perspective. Not that we are joyful in the suffering of others and our own….but joyful in that God knows our pain, our fears, our hopes and even dreams, but avoid circumstances such as we are in now, we can’t, and our attitude through it all will often influence and even determine our outcome.
         A well-known stress researcher named Hans Seyle claims though his research results, that two attitudes more than any other, influence the quality of everyday life, and on those two emotions “depend our peace of mind. Our feelings of security or insecurity. Of fulfillment or frustration, in short, the way we make our way through life.
         The most destructive emotion is revenge but in contrast, deep contrast, among ALL emotions, there is one which more than any other, accounts for the absence of stress in human relations; and that is the choice accompanied by feelings of gratitude.
Speaking of a different person here, Victor Frankl, a researcher who studies the history of the Nazi death-camps, discovered writings of many of the Jewish prisoners to be uplifting, where they spoke of taking the time to be thankful…. and to count their blessings. He wrote that these prisoners dreamed at night about a certain set of things more than other things, and those things were from the everyday common things in their lives prior to their imprisonment. Bread, cakes, warm baths, beds, feelings of comfort and relationships, etc.
Frankl said that the prisoners appreciated beauty in the ordinary as never before. In one especially poignant paragraph he wrote: “if someone had seen our faces on the journey from Auschwitz to a Bavarian camp, as we beheld the mountains of Salzburg,” no one would have believed our faces were those of men and women who had given up all hope of life and liberty. Despite this, or maybe because of it, we were carried away by the natural beauty we were beholding which we had missed for such an exceedingly long time.”
~ In the devotional “Springs in the Valley” the author tells of men who found a barn where Satan kept his seeds ready to be sown in the human heart. He found that the seeds could be made to grow almost anywhere. But when Satan was questioned, he reluctantly admitted that there was one place in which he could never get them to thrive. “And where is that? Asked the man. Satan replied in anger, “In the heart of a grateful person”
In everything give thanks,
In everything give thanks,
For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus,
Concerning you….
1st Thessalonians 5:18 (again)
~ Please note that this verse does not say for everything but in everything.
~ To give Him thanks, in the midst of this very real situation we are living every day, shows that we are reaching out and up, simply saying and asking….God, I need you now, perhaps more or equal to (though different) any situation I have ever been through. I may not understand, but that is because my understanding is limited and finite, and Yours is seeing the beginning to the finish. Infinite!
~ Living this life that we have been given, comes with risks, daily risks both great and small. Since the fall of mankind, sin and its consequences have pervaded, yet not overwhelmed the earth and all that is on it. In my opinion, it has broken down the walls of purity that once had been established in the beginning, and the results were and are Illness, disease, disagreements, wars, pollution and as you know, so much more. The unexpected can and will continue to happen and as a result, often painful and distressful….sometimes to the point of death events occur. That is the reality we live in and with.
~ In my understanding and opinion, God does not point His finger at you and say, “I am giving you cancer, or I am going to cause you to be in a deadly accident. Or, I am going to bring about this hurricane, killing both the innocent and guilty together because of Gay marriage, or any number of social changes. That is not the God I have come to know these past 74 years. That is life in its sometimes-stark reality. Bad things happen to “so-called good people,” and good things happen to “so-called bad people.” But what He does do….is allow (for now) the earth and all who inhabit it to live in and under the consequences of how the natural world functions.
~ Yet…in those, and the circumstances of today, as difficult and even awful as they may be….He desires that we call on Him in those, so that He being invited by us to walk with us through these things and we, then know that we do not walk alone. That His strength can be our strength, His wisdom our wisdom, His patience our patience and so much more.
~ We can join in prayer, giving thanks for what we do have, and where we have been that brought us to where we are today. Together, when we suffer sorrow, together we can find comfort and even a measure of Joy. The literal touch of His hand…through one another’s hands.
~ If we start our day with the Lord in an attitude of giving thanks our day will be so much better, in every way……like giving thanks for a warm bed, food in the cupboards, heat, clothing, bathrooms, showers, friends and family to interact with, perhaps a job (especially today) or retirement that allows us to live without stress….how about the magnitude of medical facilities and physicians, nurses, etc. A place where mountains, forests, lakes and wildlife all come together in one area in which we can find joy during anytime of the year.
~ We…are blessed!
~ A woman named Gerta Weissman was among the prisoners in Auschwitz. She recalled an episode one spring morning when she and her fellow inmates stood at rollcall for hours on end, nearly collapsing with hunger and fatigue. One woman noticed in the corner of that bleak, horrid, gray place, that the concrete had broken, and a single flower had poked its head through. One by one those thousands of women took great pains to avoid stepping on it, as it was the only spot of beauty in their ugly and heinous world. They drank it in, and it nourished their souls.
~ Though I do not know the circumstances of your lives, I do know some things that for some of you are very difficult and your heart aches. Please, instead of continual worry, offer up words of thanksgiving and words of prayer, trusting that all things will work together for the good for you.
~ We all know that life itself unexpectedly can change in a moment. A month ago, our economy was full steam ahead, vibrant, expanding, people were traveling, planning vacations, buying things, enjoying for the most part a very real prosperity. In one month look at our world today. It has been shaken to the core. During this time, we (I hope) once again realize what we had and now have. Fear could be what we move and live and have our being in…. but instead, using of course caution and common sense, we can move in thankfulness, joy and prayer. Loving, supporting and encouraging one another in the Lord every day and during this time of uncertainty.

~ Please….as you leave today, leave with a grateful heart.
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now,
Let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us”
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks unto the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son
                                      Amen

The Little Church in the Pines
MACK’S INN, ISLAND PARK, IDAHO
May 3, 2020
SERMON – “HOPE”
“a vital part of our lives”
Pastor Tom Shanor
Romans 15:13
“I pray that God, the source of HOPE, will fill you completely with joy and peace, because you trust in Him. Then…. you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

     In time of uncertainty…..and this is certainly one of those times, HOPE, depending on our given state of mind and faith, can be difficult to grasp because we are so deeply invested in the circumstances that surround us, but….since, as Romans 15:13 says, God is the source of HOPE, our first directive is to go to God for what we need, asking Him through our Lord Jesus to give and extend to us this gift of HOPE. How?…..by and through the power of the Holy Spirit!
     What we must do is pray, quietly, introspectively seeking. Take some time apart when our emotions are not running rampant…. but in quiet thoughtful sincerity ask Him specifically what you (we) are to HOPE for specifically, and He will tell you. HOPE carries with it optimism, that God will give you what you are seeking. It is based on an expectation of a positive outcome, with respect to the events and circumstances in our lives….be they deeply personal or as big as the world.

  There is a brief song written by Hillsong that has these lyrics.
My life is in you Lord,
My strength is in you Lord,
My hope is in you Lord,
In you, it’s in you.
I will praise you with all of my life
I praise you with all of my strength,
With all of my life,
With all of my strength,
All of my life is in you, it’s in you!
~.~
That church….is the answer to all our questions and needs!
A life totally submerged in Him.

This morning perhaps you came with a measure of HOPE that God would watch over and protect us all, given the circumstances that we are by choice making just to be here. Along with that hope comes the responsibility of doing what we have been told to do, and for good reason. HOPE is not blind HOPE, it is thoughtful HOPE. That is why I said what I did above, that we are to seek the Lord Himself in seeking HOPE.
     You see, we humans have been given by God the ability to reason, think and weigh the benefits or the consequences of our choices. We are unique in that way of all living beings on this planet. The fact that we can even entertain HOPE is distinctly human.
     In the New International Bible, the word HOPE is used 180 times. In its everyday usage, its depth is measured by the emotions that lie beneath it.
     There are many kinds of HOPE…such as:
1. Desired HOPE
2. Christian HOPE
3. False HOPE
4. Fulfilled HOPE
5. Many others
     HOPE is not an excuse for making bad choices, but sometimes in our lives, our desires or needs are a vital part of our faith in making choices that we would otherwise not pursue. Again, that is why we need to seek the Lord in those choices. It is true, that let us say two people seeking an answer for the same question may come up with two totally different responses. Is God behind both? I have found the answer to that at times is yes. The whys I cannot say, but I have seen it happen and have also seen that in both instances, each has been blessed.
      Today, we HOPE and PRAY for a cure not only for this Covid-19 virus, but for so many others, diseases that can decimate us. In some ways the world is more at peace now than it has been for years. Why? Because we are united in fighting a common enemy. We are ALL HOPING, and HOPEFULLY all praying for science to (by hard research) find a cure. What would help (in my opinion) is that we would ALL pray, not just a little throw it up to heaven prayer, but a united, authentic, deep intercessory prayer. If we desire and HOPE deep enough, I believe we will have positive results, and that goes for many other of our HOPES as well.
     On the downside in any given moment----I may have had HOPES that have not been fulfilled, some because of my own doing, and others due to the doings of others. Those unfulfilled hopes have often been difficult to deal with, but not having the ability to see down the road, my HOPE has been that it was in the long run for the best. That is where my faith fills the gap, and for that I am incredibly grateful.
     There are also HOPES that have been a part of my life for many years, which are unfulfilled to this day, and (by God) I am not giving up HOPE on those, they are that important to me. Through the fulfilled HOPES and the unfulfilled HOPES I have never blamed God, but have instead held onto HIM as my continual source of solace and grace, and goodness and mercy, and kindness and most of all HIS LOVE…..that through it all He ENDURES FOREVER. Amen
I have HOPE, Hope for us here in LCIP….that God will watch over and protect us….and will accomplish here in us, and in this chapel….a deepening of our walk with Him, brighten our light in this community…..and in each of us individually….transforming us into a special people of God…by humbly taking on the role of servants to one another and beyond, in this place where we live and move and have our being….and in doing so will bring Joy to Him and honor to His name.
                         Can you say amen?
     C.S. Lewis, who wrote so m any wonderful book, including the Narnia Chronicles, Screwtape Letters and so many more said about HOPE: “HOPE, is a continual looking forward to the eternal world to come.” X2
      Dale Carnegie said: “Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying, while there seemed to be no HOPE.”
     Cicero wrote: “While there is life, there is HOPE.”
     G.F. Watt has a famous painting entitled “HOPE.” It pictures a woman going through deep and difficult times. Her eyes are bandaged so that she cannot see ahead. In her hands lay a harp, and all the strings are broken but one. Those broken strings represent to her, her shattered HOPES, her bitter disappointments. She named the last unbroken string, her last HOPE. She strokes the string and instead of a singular sound, comes a glorious melody that floats out over her life, filling her dark skies with stars, taking away the darkness and filling her heart and life with JOY. Her outward circumstances had not yet changed…. but her heart now sang instead of despair…. now, with newborn HOPE.
     Psalm 42:11 “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disillusioned within me? HOPE IN GOD, (FOR IN THE MIDST OF MY DESPAIR) I shall yet PRAISE HIM…the help of my countenance and my God.”
      Psalm 31:24, “Be strong and let your heart take courage, all of you who HOPE in the Lord.”
      We all…at times need New Beginnings under-girded with HOPE. To do so, we need to keep our faith alive, real and growing. That my friends, takes at times an act of our wills, based on our love and HOPE in God. An act of our wills in that we actively pursue our relationship with God in Christ.
THE ATTITUDE AND HOPE OF A LITTLE BOY……………………………………
A man was out for a walk one afternoon and seeing a baseball game going on stopped to watch the young boys play. He asked one of the boys in the dugout what the score was? The boy responded enthusiastically, “eighteen to nothing and we’re behind.’
The man said to the little guy, “I’ll bet you are very discouraged, aren’t you?”
The boy responded, “why would I be discouraged?” We haven’t even been up to bat yet!”
So…let’s pick up our bat and join in with the attitude of that little guy…though right now things look very bad…..In HOPE and PRAYER and FAITH and TRUST and anticipation….look forward to what the Lord will do.
That is my HOPE, backed with prayer….”this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it….not forgetting or pretending the situation is not as bad as it seems….but let HOPE and all those other descriptive attitudes become paramount in our HOPE for good things to come.
                                           Hallelujah…Amen!

Little Church in the Pines
From the Office of Pastor Tom
Macks Inn, Idaho 83433
April 26, 2020
"The Birth and the Life of the Church (part II)"

Good morning and welcome to the continuation of “The Birth and Life of The Church.” You are in for a bit of an unusual ride, not that you have not heard or read the Scripture stating the events that unfolded that power-packed day. Being obedient to Christ they were in gathering-together, to wait for the Power from on high, not knowing what Jesus meant. Still, they did not passively sit in a circle talking and visiting, but instead were earnestly praying, being of one accord in their desires to seek what Jesus told them.
    The Lord recently, well, here is what we are told happened. Having given his last directions to them…He led them to Bethany, and lifting His hands to heaven, He blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them….and was taken up to heaven. They then returned (you can imagine the excited conversations that they were having on the way) to Jerusalem as He said. With great JOY they spent most of their time in the Temple, praying and not knowing what was about to happen to them.
    Ok…so, what we are about to hear is way beyond what most of us have experienced…way beyond. So much so that it seems myth-like and possibly (as some scholars have stated) they were so hyped up, that they saw things and heard things that really did not happen. Me, I believe they did, and why do I believe they did? Because I have experienced two of the same manifestations of the Spirit myself. It is hard to argue against something that has been experienced by someone at least with that person. Such as me.
    Those two are tongues (speaking a language with observable (syntax) which is the arrangements of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language. The other is prophecy. I have not personally prophesied but have been the recipient of prophecy spoken to me, that came to be borne out as true as time passed. A pretty-cool thing, really!
    Let us take a break for a moment…………………………… a moment.
    Now, if you have the time and desire, please read the narration from Acts 2:1-21, and then later through verse 41.
    Another sign of this infilling of the Power of the Holy Spirit takes visible place in the personage of Peter, a man proven impetuous, speaking out of turn, often letting his bravado be his downfall, even denying that he knows this Jesus, just a short time before. Now, a new bold and powerful speaker, his confidence again, coming from the Spirit, who made him in that moment and beyond, a dynamic speaker, concise, factual, and focused. So much so that at his first public speaking Scripture reads as such; “those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to The CHURCH that day…about 3000 in all. Now that is some power-filled preaching!!
     If you care to read it…. because it is rather remarkable, you will find it his message in Acts 1:14-41.
     Before Peter spoke, many drawn to the noise and excitement of what was happening thought these men and women were drunk. Seems logical, except Scripture says that these disciples were speaking human languages that they themselves did not know. The reason for this was that this was the Festival of Pentecost, that had drawn men and women from all over who spoke Greek, Egyptian and other regional known languages, and they were hearing in their own language about this Jesus and about God.

So…we have not only tongues of flames, prophecy, tongues of different languages and the sound surrounding them like the roaring of a mighty wind, and it filled the house (the sound that is) as there was not actual wind,” but that sound must have made everyone deeply unsettled and frightened, even without being physically impacted.
Then this one, very visual. “Then what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared, and actually settled on them,” apparently not burning them. And everyone present was filled or as described in baptism, immersed in the Holy Spirit…and then,
Again, they began to speak in other tongues or languages.

    Of Peter’s example in preaching, he did not know what he was going to say when he spoke to the growing crowd, but instead as Jesus said to his disciples, not to worry about what to say when in a difficult or new situation, or need, the Spirit would give him, (us too) words to speak as needed.
     Is a baptism such as this with all these manifestations a necessity for salvation or as a sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit? NO, although there are some denominations that say yes, it is. I say, no it is not but, if the Holy Spirit chooses to manifest His power in the same manner as this on an individual or group it is totally up to Him. I believe that He at times, and to this day, still chooses to do so, and there is always a legitimate reason for doing so.
    Now this is my opinion; that the surest way to determine that a Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit is manifest first and foremost by his or her love of Christ in God, and his or her love shown to the world. Love is the ‘modus operandi’ of your or my life. Another sign for me as to the validity of a Spirit filled life we find in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the Holy Spirit (in you) produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Yeppers…that is my opinion!
   I have seen and heard false prophecies, false tongues and other manifestations that were totally from the flesh because the lives of those claiming to be of God….were not manifested in the actions and words of their lives when not on stage. In religion…. there is always the genuine and the false. People often get trapped in the false because of the charisma of the person and because of the seeming power being manifested.
1st. Corinthians 12:11 reads, “It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts” He alone decides which gift or gifts each person should have, if any.
     Many cults, sects and possibly some denominations and independent churches, have singled out Scriptures to use them to isolate themselves and make themselves out to be the ‘one true church’ through false leaders. This has happened from the very beginning of The Church. I have said before though, that churches, denominations and even sects, as well as independent churches that have adopted