Fall 2007

December 16 , 2007

I wonder as I wander out under the sky, how Jesus the Savior did come for to die (Appalachian Christmas Carol). I've heard wonder explained as a word to wonder about. It contains a mixture of messages: something marvelous and miraculous and surprising. Years ago John Ruskin, the English critic, wrote, "I would sooner live in a cottage and wonder at everything, than to live in a castle and wonder at nothing." Ravi Zacharius puts it this way -- "The older you get, the more it takes to fill your heart with wonder, and only God is big enough to do that." I wonder...do you?

Pastor Mike Rothwell

December 9, 2007

True spiritual maturity is not the ability to define everything the future holds. It is the willingness to move forward when all you know is God. In Galatians 6:9, we are encouraged to guard against growing weary and giving up because so often that is our natural tendency. The word "persevere" comes from the prefix "per" (meaning through) coupled with the word "severe". In other words -- through severe circumstances. Mother Teresa was correct when she said, "God calls us to faithfulness, not to success."

Pastor Mike Rothwell

December 2, 2007

Don't you hate interruptions in your daily plans? It's interesting to study how Jesus dealt with them. The gospels portray almost constant interruptions to His day as he ministered, traveled and preached. Yet He responded as if the interruption was part of the plan . I recently read of Dr. Vincent Senna who was enjoying a wonderful dinner at the Coconut Grove, Saturday night of Thanksgiving weekend, 1942. In the middle of his meal, he was called to the hospital because one of his patients had gone into labor. Grumbling, he rushed off to deliver the baby...and save his life. Because after he left, for still unknown reasons, the Coconut Grove burst into flames and over 490 people died. The interruption that ruined his evening also saved his life. How many inconvenient interruptions are we faced with which might contain the potential to change someone's forever? Think about that as we gather in His grace. Let's worship!

Pastor Mike Rothwell

November 25, 2007

"I promise..." - We've all said these words, we've all been let down by these words. How long will you trust in a promise? It really depends on who made it; their ability and willingness to fulfill it, and our patience. It canbe difficult to trust in a promise when everything around us defies its fulfillment. When it comes to the promises of God, we have two options. We can take the perspective of Jacob in Genesis 42:36: "All these things are against me...", or that of Paul in Romans 8:28: "All things are working together for good...". There was a 400 year period of silence between God's promise of the messiah's messenger and the birth of John the Baptist. That's a long time to wait- but it was worth it! What are you waiting on?

Pastor Mike Rothwell

November 18, 2007

Matthias Claudius had no intention of writing a hymn. A German journalist, he simply wrote a poem about a group of peasants gathering for a banquet at the house of a generous friend. In 1861, Jane Campbell, a British music teacher, translated and contributed the poem in song form to a new hymnal.

We thank Thee then, O Father,

For all things bright and good:

The seedtime and the harvest,

Our life, our health, our food.

Accept the gifts we offer

For all Thy love imparts,

And, what Thou most desirest,

Ou humble thankful hearts.

(Verse 3 of "We Plow the Fields")

Pastor Mike Rothwell

November 11, 2007

What does it take to cause you to be thankful? How much is required to produce gratitude in your heart? If we're really honest with ourselves, we might be ashamed with our answers. Viktor Frankl learned to be thankful while in the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz. The prisoners in the camp would dream at night of a certain set of things more than anything else; bread, cakes, and a nice warm bath -- things we take for granted. He realized the prisoners around him began to appreciate beauty as never before. He wrote of one instance in particular; "If someone had seen our faces on the journey from Auschwitz to a Bavarian camp as we beheld the mountains of Salzburg with their summits glowing in the sunset, through the little barred windows of our prison carriage, he would never have believed that those were the faces of men who had given up all hope of life and liberty. Despite that factor -- or maybe because of it -- we were carried away by nature's beauty, which we had missed for so long." How much does it take to produce praise to God in your life?

Pastor Mike Rothwell

November 4, 2007

Stress! It seems to be synonymous with most of our lives. It would be difficult to go through an entire day and not deal with stress in our life or the lives of those around us. The famous stress researcher Hans Seyle claims that, "Among all the emotions, there is one which more than any other, accounts for the absence or presence of stress in human relations: that is the feeling of gratitude". The Bible instructs us to "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". Could it really be as simple as developing an "attitude of gratitude"? Why not set your heart to live a life of thanks in all things? Robert Louis Stevenson said, "The person who has stopped being thankful has fallen asleep in life".

Pastor Mike Rothwell

October 28, 2007

In the book of James we read these words; "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father." Our Heavenly Father delights in blessing us with both "good gifts" and "perfect gifts". All the material things we enjoy such as food, clothing, cars, money, computers, and even HD TV's are good gifts. They are useful and provide for our temporary needs and enjoyment, but they're certainly not perfect--they are consumed, wear out, break, go out of style or get lost. A perfect gift is one which can't be stolen, keeps on working without fail and actually increases with use! The only force in the universe which qualifies is God's perfect love. In order to truly enjoy the good gifts, we must also walk in the perfect gift--God's Love. Love only becomes love when it gives. Until then, it's simply a wonderful theory.

Pastor Mike Rothwell

October 21, 2007

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells a story contrasting the life of a faithful servant with an unfaithful one. At the close of His parable He says this:"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more". The United States contains around 6% of the world's population, yet we consume 40% of it's resources. If you own a car (maybe two), you're better off than 92% of the world. This morning one billion people began their day without clean drinking water. 800 million will fall asleep tonight having nothing at all to eat. Experts estimate it would require twenty billion dollars to provide people with clean water, basic health care and nutrition. That's the amount Americans spend on ice cream each year. The challenge you and I face as Christ followers is to be good stewards over all we are blessed with. We must ask ourselves, "Am I living to consume or invest? Do I work to sustain myself, or advance God's Kingdom?"

Pastor Mike Rothwell

October 14, 2007

Why? There's alot contained in this simple, single word question. It can be full of hurt, frustration and anger over an apparently unjust situation in our lives. It could be pregnant with the defiance and rebellion of welf-will and pride. Then again, as the continual request of a three year-old, it might truly be a longing for answers that produce growth. But as Christ followers, the "why" must lead us to an even more powerful one-word question-- "How?" Once the dominating question becomes "how", creative juices begin to flow. If the question in our lives, as the church, remains "why", it means we have not embraced the purpose of God! "Why" deals with the essence. "How" deals with the implementation. Has your expression of the life of Jesus moved from the formation of "why", to the action of "how"? There's a hurting world and a loving Heavenly Father waiting for that to happen.

Pastor Mike Rothwell

October 7, 2007

We're all familiar with the Colgate-Palmolive Company. It's one of America's oldest, having begun two hundred years ago. What most may not know is the story behind this great company. It all began with William Colgate who at sixteen was forced to leave his home because of poverty. No longer able to support the boy, his father sent him away to make a living for himself. As he carried all he owned in a bundle, he met a canal-boat captain. William explained his need for work but lack of skills except making soap and candles. As God would have it, this captain was a man of faith who invited William to kneel with him in the street and pray. then, rising up, the captain said this: "Someone will be the leading soap maker in New York. It can be you as well as anyone. I hope it may be. Be a good man; give your heart to Christ; give to the Lord all that belongs to Him of every dollar you earn." William Colgate took the old man's advice, dedicating 10% of all he earned to the Lord. Soon he began giving 20%, then 30%, then 40%, then 50%. Late in his life he had become so successful that he devoted the whole of his yearly income--100%--to the Lord! Even today, this very morning, 20 years later, many of us washed our face or brushed our teeth with products from that young man's factory. WE CAN'T OUT-GIVE GOD!

Pastor Mike Rothwell

September 30, 2007

As a young boy, my family had an unspoken tradition; Sunday morning before going off to church we would eat breakfast together. We would gather around the table, give thanks for God's provision and dig into a bowl of hot oatmeal with fresh banana siced in it. I remember wondering about that funny looking Quaker on the round "box" of oatmeal. I've since learned that I was only one of millions blessed not only by the cereal, but also by the man behind the round Quaker "box". Henry Crowell, founder of the Quaker Oats Company, received Christ as a young man. When he began his business career in a small Ohio factory, he promised God he would honor Him in his giving. He reached the place where he was living on 40% of his income and giving God 60%. After four decades of living as a giver, Mr. Crowell said, "I've never gotten ahead of God. He has always been ahead of me in giving". Oh the joy of our journey!

Pastor Mike Rothwell

September 23, 2007

In the book Tortured For Christ, Richard Wurmbrand tells of his many years in communist prisons because of his faith in Jesus. He was beaten, tortured and nearly starved to death, yet in the midst of intense suffering he honored God with his tithe. His only provision was dirty soup each day and one slice of bread each week, but from those, he faithfully gave. Every tenth day, he gave away his sop to a weaker prisoner and every tenth week, he brought his slice of bread to one of the needy around him. The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, spoke of such a giving heart this way--"Giving to God is no loss; it is putting your substance into the best bank. Giving is true having, as the old gravestone said of the dead man, 'What I spent I had, what I saved I lost, what I gave I have.'"

Pastor Mike Rothwell

Back to Points to Ponder Main