Storms Do Pass

I have been living in Colorado for about 2 1/2 years now. I have come to really appreciate the beauty of God’s creation here like never before.

One thing I really appreciate is the first sunny day after a snow fall. We just came out of a couple days of snow storms and today the sun is shining and everything looks so fresh, clean and beautiful. The snow capped mountains glisten against the sharp blue cloudless sky.

Sights like this help get me through the storms. When it is snowing I choose not to get frustrated with how the storm is interfering with my life today. Instead, I look forward to the first sunny day after the storm. The beauty of that first sunny day makes the storm worth it.

Life is kind of like that, too. We all face storms in our life, but all storms do pass. And when they pass they usually leave us with a new perspective, a new sense of the beauty God has placed all around us, the beauty that we typically take for granted.

So if you are facing a storm in your life right now try not to focus on the negatives of the storm at hand. Instead, try focusing on that first sunny day that is to come after the storm has passed.

Every cloud has a silver lining and every storm will pass, giving way to a beautiful sunny day.

Serving Christ and His Family,
Pastor Ken Lawrence

Happy New Year

The year 2008 is one of those years that many people are glad to see end. With the economic melt down leading the news throughout the year, most people are ready for 2008 to be over with the hope that 2009 will be better.

In some respects I am one of them. I approach every New Year optimistically. I see it full of potential, like a blank canvas just waiting for a master piece to be painted on it. That is how I approached the start of 2008. I had big hopes and dreams for 2008.

It did not take very long for my plans, focus and perspective to change. I began 2008 fluctuating between 200 and 205 pounds and experiencing some annoying health symptoms that I could not explain. Two weeks into 2008 I discovered what was causing those symptoms. I was told I had heart disease.

With the New Year not even a month old all my plans and dreams for 2008 suddenly took a back seat to getting my health under control. I was able to accomplish some of what I had hoped, but my number one priority was my health.

Many people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and start exercising but seldom accomplish that goal. While I never made those part of my “official” New Year’s resolutions, I did have those as goals for several years. I wanted to lose a few pounds and get in better shape, but I never did anything to accomplish it.

But something happened in 2008 that finally made those goals come to pass. I am pleased to say that I am starting 2009 in much better physical shape than I did 2008. I’m down to 165 pounds and am much more health conscience than I ever have been in my life. So why was I able to accomplish this goal when I did not start out the year with that as part of my plans? My beliefs changed.

Once I found out that my eating habits and sedentary life style had led to my acquiring heart disease I believed that a proper diet and exercise was a necessary part of living a long, prosperous life. But the change did not come simply by my newly found belief. That belief needed to be accompanied by the corresponding action to bring about the real change I desired.

In other words, I needed to live what I believed. Many people believe that they need to eat better but few people live that belief. We would all do better if we would “just live it.” If we would just live what we say we believe we would accomplish so much more with our life.

This is true not only in our physical life but in our spiritual life as well. Most Christians know what the Bible says. Most Christians know the difference between right and wrong and how the Lord has called each of us to live the Christian life. We believe what God’s Word tells us but our actions do not always follow that belief. We need to “just live it!” Just live what we believe and our life, our community, and our world would be so much better.

Let me give you just one example of how to “just live it” in 2009 that can help you reach the full potential that lies ahead of you in this New Year.

Chances are that someone hurt you in 2008. Someone did something to cause you pain, to hurt your feelings, to cause you economic stress, or commit some offense against you. You have been carrying that hurt and animosity against the person who caused it with you through 2008.

As Christians we know what the Bible says about the need to forgive those who hurt us.

Matthew 6:14-15 says, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Luke 17:3 says, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

And Colossians 3:13 tells us, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

To “just live it” in 2009 we need to lay the hurts from 2008 aside, forgive those who hurt us and start 2009 with a clean slate. Don’t let the hurts of the past continue to torment you and distract you from reaching your full God-given potential in 2009. 2009 is here! 2008 is behind us. It’s time to move forward.

There are many other ways we can “just live it” in 2009. As the New Year begins, full of potential let us take what we believe and put it into action in all areas of our life. In 2009 let’s just live it!

Serving Christ and His Family,

Pastor Ken

Merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful time last night at our candlelight communion service. Most of our family was involved. Heather ran the sound board and projection system, Robert placed the baby Jesus in the manger while Thomas recited Isaiah 9:6. Zack played the piano for the Christmas Carols and for my special “Mary Did You Know.” I also sang “O Holy Night.”

I was blessed to be part of an ensemble from the community choir that performed a special number. Four of us from the group also did the scripture readings from Luke 2 and John 1.

The highlight was the candle lighting at the end of the service. Watching the light spread from the one Christ candle around the room until 73 people stood holding the light of Jesus was an awesome sight.

Several people commented on how special the service was. It was a real community gathering. We had 51 from our church, 19 from the community and 3 from out of town.

Watching the light of Jesus spread around the room reminds us of our mission to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our family, school, workplace, and our community. If we don’t do it, no one else will.

God has given us an awesome responsibility. He has called us to be the deliverers of His gift of love and forgiveness to a hurting world.
At Christmas we see that Jesus is the one Christmas gift that truly does keep on giving.

Keep the light spreading where God has placed you, not only at Christmas but all year round.

Merry Christmas and may God bless you and your family in 2009!

Pastor Ken Lawrence

Christmas Surprise

When I stopped by the church Saturday I was surprised to find a very large Christmas package on the platform along with a note that read “to be opened by Pastor Ken during announcements.”

It never crossed my mind that it might be for me. I had the feeling that one of the elders, who just happened to be out of town this weekend, had left it as something special for the church family. I tried reaching him on his cell phone but he did not answer and did not return my call.

My next plan was to ask the chairman of the elders on Sunday if he knew anything about it. But it turned out that he was out of town as well.

Having been the brunt of many a practical joke in my life, I was a little hesitant to open an unknown package from an unknown source in front of my church family. But after being reassured by a few of the church members that it was alright I went ahead and opened the package.

As I began to open the package the praise team began singing a song about “pastor has a new chainsaw.” Only then did I realize that this package was for me. When I finally got the box opened I was surprised to find a brand new Stihl chainsaw. I was shocked and actually speechless (a rare state for me.)

The church family shouted “Merry Christmas, Ken!” What a terrific gift. I recently went out with a dear friend from church to get some firewood. We brought back two trailer loads of Aspen logs but I have not had the time to cut them up into firewood yet. I’ve needed a good chainsaw as mine is not in the best of shape. This Christmas surprise was the perfect gift.

Thank you to my church family at Norwood Christian Church. You will never know how much this gift means to me. It’s more than just a chainsaw. Your thoughtfulness in meeting my family’s needs at just the right time is incredibly generous. I can’t thank you enough for all you have done and continue to do for me and my family.

Merry Christmas to you all!
Pastor Ken Lawrence

A Post Election Prayer

Heavenly Father, we recognize that You are God, creator of the universe, all powerful, all knowing, all loving. We know our country is in Your hands. Your Word says “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings.” (Daniel 2:21). Likewise, Your servant Paul wrote in Romans 9:17, “For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’”

Father we accept the results of this election trusting that You are in control and You know what is best for us. We trust that Your will is being carried out through all those who have been brought to power and that You will hold each one accountable for how they use the power that You have entrusted to them.

As Your church, we accept these results. If they are Your punishment for our failure to be Your salt and light in our community, for our allowing our society to turn from Your ways, we humbly accept Your punishment, knowing that You are just and we deserve much worse. Please forgive Your pastors who have been tickling the ears of congregations with flowery speech that is full of “feel good” messages but void of Your purifying truth. May Your Holy Spirit convict us to preach Your Word from now on.

If this be Your way of waking up Christ’s sleeping church and getting us actively involved in the political process again, as our founding fathers were, we heed Your call. May Your Holy Spirit stir the fires of revival in our hearts such that we can no longer sit idly by and watch our Christian nation turn away from You. Forgive us Father for tolerating the perversion of our country. Forgive us of our complacency. Revive us again as in the days of old. Make us soldiers again in Your mighty army.

If this be the sign of the beginning of the end times, we eagerly await the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Give us strength to endure what we must endure, the courage to fight the good fight, and accept Your will for the church in America.

Father, it is our prayer, that though we may not like the results of this election, we accept them as Your will. Whether it be for our chastisement, our awakening, the first trumpet blast, or a combination, we trust You with our life, with our families, and with our nation. Because, in reality, they are not ours at all, they are Yours. We humbly yield to You and Your sovereign will in all things.

Father, we now move forward and offer a prayer of blessing on our newly elected officials.  May You watch over them, protect them, and guide them in the way You would have them lead us, Your nation.

We pray all this in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior,

Amen.

May this prayer bring you and your family comfort and courage in this post election time.

Serving Christ and His family,

Pastor Ken Lawrence

Rustic Morning

I felt very rustic this morning.  We woke up to a 19 degree morning here in beautiful Norwood, CO.  No snow yet even though it was predicted for Sunday.  I got up around 5:30 a.m. and lit a fire in the wood stove.  It didn’t take long to get the house nice and toasty.

The pinon pine trees have been bursting with cones loaded with pine nuts this year.  For the past few weeks we’ve been having fun collecting them by the cans full.  This morning, once I got the fire going in the wood stove, I decided to use the heat for more than just warmth.  I put some pine nuts on a cookie sheet and set it on the wood stove.  In about 10 minutes we had delicious roasted pine nuts.  They smelled so good roasting on the stove.  It reminded me of the Christmas song, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”

God has provided us with a free, healthy snack and we are stocking up for the winter.  Hopefully this time next week we’ll be stocking the freezer with fresh deer meat, enough to get us through another year.

God continues to provide for us at Norwood Christian Ranch (www.NorwoodChristianRanch.com) allowing us to provide a nice, quiet place for pastors, missionaries and their families to stay.  For the last three weeks we have had at least one family visiting with us.  A family of three just arrived this evening.  The are missionaries to France.

Just another rustic morning in beautiful Norwood, CO.

Serving Christ and His family,

Pastor Ken Lawrence

P.S.  October is Pastor Appreciation Month.  Check out www.NorwoodChristianRanch.com for a great gift idea for your pastor.

North American Christian Convention

We had a great time at NACC in Cincinnati a few weeks ago. It is always an encouragement to meet together with thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ. The worship services are so uplifting and the messages so inspiring. I came back energized and ready to continue the battle of seeking and saving the lost.

It is important for Christians to take time away to be re-energized and refocused. It’s easy to get distracted by the day to day demands of life and lose our focus on what is really important. I encourage everyone to take time away. Find a Christian retreat – mens retreat, womans retreat, family retreat, parent-child retreat, etc. – or just find a quite place to get away for a couple days to reconnect with the Lord and allow Him to re-direct your path and your priorities.

One of the primary weapons the enemy uses against us is to bombard us with stuff to take up our time, to keep us busy on less important things (although he makes them seem vital at the moment). Our best defense against busyness is a day of rest. In fact, God commands us to take a day off every 7 days.

We would all do well to heed our creator’s instructions. So take a break and get re-energized and reconnected with the Lord.

Serving Christ and His family,

Pastor Ken Lawrence