Winter 2008

March 9, 2008

Do you love God? For those of us who are Christ followers, the answer is immediate and passionate -- Yes, of course! It's really not much of a miracle to love God. That's a "no-brainer". Our God is awesome in splendor, glorious in holiness, and all together lovely. When we do not love God, it indicates a problem with our heart. As God reveals Himself to us, it's the most natural thing in the world to love Him. To love people, is the real miracle. John tells us we are liars when we profess to love a God we haven't seen and don't have love for those for those we do see. We need the fruit of the Spirit flourishing in our lives. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Is your life painting a picture of our unseen God?

Pastor Mike Rothwell

March 2, 2008

When God speaks, we answer Him with our lives. When we pray, read and study the scriptures, we open ourselves to His voice. The most important question to ask as we read is not "What does it mean?" but "How can I live it? --- Is my life fruitful as an ambassador for God's kingdom?" The ultimate aim for the orchard or vineyard is to produce a crop which provides for the hungry. So too with our lives, unless the life-giving sap flows freely, our harvest will be stunted or nonexistent. When that happens, few if any are fed from our lives. We must ask ourselves, "Am I allowing the Master Gardener to cultivate my life in such a way that others can feast on the results?" The psalmist cried out, "O taste and see that the Lord is good!" Is your life a buffet of His grace?

Pastor Mike Rothwell

February 24, 2008

Have you ever been on a guided tour; maybe at the museum or an exhibit or a state park? The guide is able to bring information and depth and texture to a place we would otherwise walk through, yet remain unaware of much of the obvious. Without the tour guide, we don't fully see what we're seeing. If you think about it, you and I are called to be a kind of "tour guide: for the Kingdom of God. We carry a responsibility to point out the beauty of the unshakable Kingdom in the midst of the "hell" most people endure. As Romans 10:14 puts it, "How can they hear if nobody tells them?" -- They can't -- unless we walk through life with them. Are you showing anyone where you've been?

Pastor Mike Rothwell

February 17, 2008

"If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't have love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

                Love never gives up
                Love cares more for others than for self.
                Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
                Love doesn't strut,
                Doesn't have a swelled head,
                Doesn't force itself on others,
                Isn't always "me first",
                Doesn't fly off the handle,
                Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
                Doesn't revel when others grovel,
                Takes pleasure in the flowering of the truth,
                Puts up with anything,
                Trusts God always,
                Always looks for the best,
                Never looks back,
                But keeps going to the end."

                                     First Corinthians 13 (The Message)

Pastor Mike Rothwell

February 10, 2008

Do you have a "junk drawer" at home? It's the "catch-all" for the stuff that's too valuable to throw away, but not important enough to have a designated location. It can really pile up over time. My wife Saunie was doing some mid-winter, spring-cleaning, when two keys were discovered in such a drawer. We have no idea what they open. At one time they were important enough to keep, but now they simply clutter the space. I started thinking about those keys. Who knows what they could open? Sometimes we neglect the relationships in our lives which, if properly maintained, can open wonderful doors of opportunity. The most important of these are our marriages. If we're not careful, the responsibility we carry to cultivate this union can become a misplaced key. Doors that should be opened, remain closed and locked. What a shame. How sad. May you and I treasure those whom God has placed in our lives, and look for opportunities to open doors. Now where did I put my keys...?

Pastor Mike Rothwell

February 3, 2008

It's that time of the year again! It usually occurs sometime around "Super-Bowl Sunday". We've entered the drudgery of fulfilling our new year's resolutions. The euphoria of going to the health club five days a week is beginning to wane. We're becoming the average member who rarely participates after the enthusiasm wears off. That's why hundreds, even thousands can join a health club that has space for only a fraction of it's membership. New members can continuously sign up because of the dramatic drop in participation of those who quickly lose their passion to burn the fat. Often church membership becomes like that. We become part of something that we do not take part in. As a member of the church, we've not simply joined the community of Christ, but also the CAUSE of Christ. May you and I renew our passion to not simply be identified with the church, but to live as HIS church.

Pastor Mike Rothwell

January 27, 2008

Have you been to the emergency room lately? I hope not. The doctors and nurses rush around. Too much demand, too little time! The chairs are filled with patients who wait, and wait, and wait. God forbid you have an actual emergency. It seems we've lost the focus of the place. Sounds like most churches to me. Twice I've been sent to the emergency room (over the phone, by a doctor) for something less than an emergency. Once for a severe sore throat and another time for poison ivy (I'm very allergic to it). "Go and get a shot, " I was told, "it'll get you on the road to recovery." Recovery--yes, survival--no. I wasn't going to die! On one of those visits, I left without seeing the doctor. I felt guilty. I was taking time from people who really had an emergency. It was life or death for some of them. In Matthew, chapter nine, Jesus said it's the sick who need a physician, not the healthy. I think we've lost our focus as the church. There are life and death emergencies all around each of us every day, but we're consumed with our sore throat. As you and I decide to bring the Great Physician to the scene of accidents, it's surprising how He extends His hand to us and heals us as well.

Pastor Mike Rothwell

January 20, 2008

"He's a Christian" or "she's saved". We've all used these phrases at one time or another. But why? How do we know? Is it because he shows up at a building each week that has "church" in the name on the sign? Is it because she repeated a certain prayer, came forward in a service or was dunked in a tank of water? Is it because he studies the Bible or she attends a prayer meeting? Although all of these could be called Christian activities, none of them are accurate in identifying a Christian. In John 13, Jesus tells us we will be known as His followers when we display love as He did, a love which manifests itself in sacrifice for those around us. We are known as His by the love we show others. Actions of love will not make us a Christian, but Jesus said they indicate if we are one.

Pastor Mike Rothwell

January 13, 2008

Those who weight upon the Lord...(no it's not a typo). Though the words sound the same, we know Isaiah wasn't thinking of excess pounds when he spoke these words. In many of our lives, weight is not far from our thoughts. Experts say America has entered an epidemic of obesity. This occurs when we burn fewer calories than we take in. Ask any parent of young children and they'll tell you about this non-stop, calorie-burning action that fills their days. Bringing others into our world can be exhausting--there's a constant demand for useful calories. That's true for us spiritually. Ask yourself--are the spiritual calories you take in being converted to lean muscle or do they turn to fat from lack of use?...It really depends on the others we bring into our world. The "wait" that Isaiah spoke of dealt with expectancy, not apathy--and it produced strength.

Pastor Mike Rothwell

January 6, 2008

Do you know anyone who enjoys going to the dentist? I don't. I hate leaving with the feeling of half your face numb, sometimes for hours. I suppose it's better than the pain, but it makes you feel "un-real", out of touch. I wonder how often you and I live this way spiritually? It's easy to do. We leave home each day somewhat numb to the pain of this broken, fractured world around us. Yeah, we're protected, but also a bit out of touch -- "un-real". The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus, the most spiritual man to ever walk this earth, is easily touched by the pain of others. Could it be, the more in tune we are with the heart of God, the more in touch we are with the pain around us?

Pastor Mike Rothwell

December 30, 2007

"I'll think on it..." Most of us have said this, but few of us make times of reflection a normal part of our lives. That's a shame. Over 265 times the Scripture speaks of remembering. It helps keep our lives in proper alignment. It's at the very heart of the Sabbath. The emperor Julius Caesar began the calendar system in which the first month is named for the Roman god Janus. Janus had two faces, one looking backward and the other looking forward. Entering a new year provides a valuable time to ponder the past while anticipating the future. Hymnist Frances Ridley Havergal penned these words for the new year in 1874:

Another year is dawning: Dear Father, let it be,
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee;
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Pastor Mike Rothwell

December 23, 2007

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..." the mellow sound of Bing Crosby crooning these lyrics is familiar to us all. It's part of the season. Although, it doesn't happen often around here, a fresh white blanket of snow on Christmas morning is magical! There's something refreshing and renewing about waking up to such a winter wonderland. It's clean, crisp and bright. The prophet Isaiah speaks of it, revealing the heart of God when he says; "Come now, let us reason together", says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool..." (Isaiah 1:18). This is my prayer for all of us; as we celebrate the birth of Christ, may we also know His power to cleanse as "white as snow". May the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit awaken our hearts to this newness of life.

Pastor Mike Rothwell

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