Vacation; what a restful word. But isn't it odd that the very same word triggers different anticipations in each of us? The professional driver looks forward to being a home body for the duration of his time off work. The stay at home mom likely thinks happily ahead to long days on the road going somewhere, anywhere other than "here".

The truth is, God has built into the apex of creation a strong need for rest. Doing without sleep is harmful to us beyond what we yet comprehend. Working seven days a week without time off for rest will burn any person out in a hurry.

And rest doesn't necessarily always mean a total lack of activity. Once in a while we just need to spend time doing something other than what we do each day of our lives. Even God in His wisdom rested after the frenetic six days of creation. "And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy...", says the book of Genesis. We don't know exactly what He did on that seventh day, just that He did not continue with the project in which He had been involved. He rested.

If God took time out to rest, shouldn't we? The writer feels that God rested more to set an example for us than to catch up on His own weariness.

With the convoluted and hectic schedules most of us keep, it is important that we deliberately take time to rest. Sunday should be a sacred time for us to worship and spend quality time with family. This allows recuperation from whatever our week held. Similarly, it is necessary now and then to take some time off away from the pressures of the every day world for vacation. Maybe this is the year for a "stay-cation". Perhaps the family budget has no room for a long trip to any of the incredibly expensive popular vacation destinations. But with enough planning there are many things close to home that can be wonderful day trips with loved ones.

Enjoy your work but take time off for rest.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Richard Orrell

CELEBRATE FREEDOM

Memorial Day is such a special day in the lives of Americans!    I choose to celebrate our Freedom each day of the year and not just on this one single day, but Monday is the official celebration in the USA.   So enjoy the holiday on Monday - and be thankful for AMERICA.

John 8:36 New Living Translation (NLT)

^{36  "}So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free."

As Memorial Day approaches each year, I think of my Uncle who gave his life in WW II in the Coral Sea Battle.    I think of the literal thousands who have died to provide America it's freedom.

I recall my Navy days as we  circumnavigated South America on a 1968 goodwill cruise, sharing America's bounty with others.

Then in 1970,  I  served aboard the U.S.S. Josephus Daniels off the coast of Vietnam, and thank God that our crew was kept safe by our Creator, as we served our country in an attempt to provide freedom for others.

Today I'm thankful for all who served in our military, and also for their families, who served with them by supporting them and being here for them when they returned.

And a "Special Thanks" to those who are serving in our military during this time when so little honor and respect is given for their sacrifices.  Let's let them know we appreciate them every chance we get.    A firm handshake, a hug, a smile - let our Vets know you appreciate them this weekend!

As Christians, the SON has set us free!  As Americans we are free by God's grace and the sacrifice of many who have served.  

Freedom is NOT free.    Jesus and our Veterans paid the price for our freedom.  Thanks to all who served, and thank You Jesus for salvation, healing and protection provided by Your sacrifice on Calvary!

GOD BLESS AMERICA and bring revival again to our thirsty land.

Love ya,  Pastor Phil      

Ask any sailor who has served aboard one of our navy’s fine ships. He will quickly say that the most important survival technique is to keep what is outside the vessel from getting inside. Probably a bit of over simplification in his statement but you get the idea. As long as the beautiful cobalt blue of the ocean’s depths remain outside, the vessel will stay afloat, complete its mission and return home safely.

Hmmm…Reckon there might be something here we could apply to our daily life with Christ? Yep. Thought so.

So…One can successfully navigate the dangerous depths through which we sail simply by keeping the things of the world outside? Yes. Loudly and enthusiastically yes.

The heart filled daily with the wonder of His presence will have no room for questionable entertainment choices. The life brimming over with the Word of God will scarcely have appetite for some vile tidbit offered by the spiritually bankrupt media through which we sail. Friendship with Jesus and His lovely people leaves a flashing “No-Vacancy” sign at our heart’s door. He who has tasted and seen that the Lord is good can easily recognize the skull and crossbones emblazoned on the world’s chalice so enticingly offered.

Batten down the hatches. Secure everything that might have gotten loose in easier times. We may be headed for a storm as the End Times develop before our very eyes. But as long as we keep what’s outside from getting inside, we can weather ANY storm

Sail on!

Pastor Richard Orrell

One old song uses the acrostic MOTHER to spell out how the author felt about his own mother. 

Using the same method may shed some light on motherhood in general. 

Mature

Other-centered

Thoughtful

Hard-working

Embracive 

Redemptive

All-in-all, our mothers have accepted their God-given role as the first one to teach us about life and how to live it. They have made no attempt to be our chum nor our best buddy. They have exemplified maturity laced with much love and laughter. We wound up with the choicest piece of the old red rooster while they seemed content to take the lesser cut.  No question was too simple nor could mom be stumped in those early days of "why". If she didn't know the answer she made a learning moment out of it for the one with the question as well as for her own inquiring mind. Oddly, mother was the first one up and the last to bed at night.  Most of us grew up thinking, "Moms don't require much rest, do they?" Only later did we accept her as the definition of stamina. And how refreshing it was to bring a friend home from school and discover mom's loving embrace invariably expanded to include whomever that might be. No matter the strata of society to which they belonged, when they were at our home, they were included.

One of the really important lessons we learned from mother was that everyone was worth the investment of time necessary to effect positive change in their life.  As a school bus driver, mother assigned the toughest kid with the worst reputation to help her back the long yellow monster as she turned it around at the end of the route. No doubt she could have done it without his "assistance". But she was looking for some means to raise his dismal opinion of himself. Too long he had been told how worthless he was. He just needed a calm gentle voice to say, " I couldn't have done it without you! Good job!"

Oh that we all might be wise enough to emulate the finest and best character traits we saw in our mothers! They showed us how it is done. Now let's get busy and carry the torch. 

It's our turn...

Lovingly,

Pastor Richard Orrell

One favorite scripture says, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that ye ask or think…”

My heart is encouraged when I read these marvelous words.

The fact that God is “able to do” suggests that no matter how daunting today’s crisis might appear, there is Someone who can handle it. His resources tower majestically higher and stretch infinitely wider than any mountain His child may face.

Considering the fertile imagination resident in most of us, for scripture to say that God is able to do so much more than we ask or think crowds the load limits of our minds. It would seem that the limitations of prayer’s possibilities are self-imposed by our failure to dream and believe commensurate with God’s limitless power. So go ahead and fire up your imagination. Dream big. Believe big. Ask big.

A wise old country gentleman once said; “Better to aim at the moon and hit a fence post that to aim at a fence post and hit the ground!”

See you at the altar!

Lovingly,

Pastor Richard Orrell

He Is More Than Enough

Saturday evening I visited a young patient in the ER. 

Monday morning early it was ME in the ER, concerned that I may have a life-threatening event.   Thankfully I was diagnosed with a mild case of Bell’s  Palsy instead of the feared stroke.

Is this affliction inconvenient and irritating?  Yes, but we know that God works all things out for good for those that love Him and  follow His commands and serve Him.

I know that many folks held me up in prayer this past Sunday evening and Monday as I walked through the evaluation of what was wrong with me—I fully believe God answered prayer.  So until the Lord takes all the symptoms away, I’ll look a little different, but praise Him, I’m able to function and Worship Him for His goodness to me.

Trusting Him and believing His promises is a very real part of each of our lives.  Daily we are called on to put our trust in Him.

So whether it is healing you need, protection, employment, improved relationships,  ANYTHING and EVERYTHING we need, and must have in life, comes from the Lord.

Friend, God’s got your back!    He is never ‘early’, but I know from experience He is not ever ‘late’ either!

Trusting Him for our healing, a new job, Divine direction, whatever the need is, He’s more than enough to take care of all of our needs, according to HIS riches in Glory.

So why do we have our daily struggles?   That’s not our business, we must leave that in God’s hands and trust His plan for our lives.

Our job is to pray.   God’s job is to bring the right answer that falls in line with His Divine Plan for each of our lives.

As the old song says, “We don’t need to understand, we just need to hold His hand”.

So here we are “Trusting Him”.   Please join me in trusting our mighty Lord for all my needs and yours. He is more than enough!

Love ya,  Pastor Phil      

V1 is that moment in the takeoff of an airplane when weight and mass, lifting power, engine thrust, speed, length of the runway and many other variables coalesce into the decision to continue with the takeoff or abort. If the captain delays just two seconds the aircraft will hurtle off the end of the runway sustaining damage and potential injury or loss of life. Once V1 has been reached the decision to stop the takeoff has been removed from the table. It must continue as well as it may. The throttles must remain at their maximum. The control surfaces must remain set for takeoff. There can be no waffling or indecision. The commitment has been made and there is no possibility of turning back. 

For us as believers we are at V1. "I've come too far to look back", as one old gospel song says it. Another one expresses V1 this way, "There's nothing to go back to!" Jesus suggests there is a fatal flaw in the reasoning of the one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back. 

Church, we cannot afford to back off on the power at this late date. We are at the most critical point of our walk with God. The end of our takeoff run looms ahead. Success awaits those who continue doing the things that make for a strong run to the finish. It is imperative that we keep up with our prayer life, Bible study, Christian fellowship, and regular church attendance. We must continue our scriptural giving and allow the fruit of the Spirit to blossom, bud and be borne in our lives. We are far beyond the decision point. As one old country preacher said; "ya just gotta keep on keepin' on!" 

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9 

In Christ's love,

Pastor Rich Orrell

God Takes Care of His Kids

Psalm 37:23-25 (NLT)

^23 "The Lord directs the steps of the godly.     He delights in every detail of their lives. ²⁴ Though they stumble, they will never fall,
    for the Lord holds them by the hand. 

²⁵ Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children  begging for bread."

We struggle daily against temptation, unbelief and discouragement,  These are tricks of the enemy to destroy God's children.

The secret to living a triumphant Christian life is to believe daily His promises, to remind Him of all the promises He has made to us and to claim them for ourselves.

Last Easter Sunday began a year-long journey for our family in which we had to trust God for the outcome of a situation over which we had absolutely no control.   As humans, we tend to want to 'fix' whatever is wrong in a quick-fix mode, we don't like to leave things in God's hands to bring the ultimate correct outcome.

But God tells us to put our cares in His hands.

This Easter Sunday evening, just one year after the journey began, God confirmed His perfect answer to the situation that had weighed so heavily on the Illum family.

Can't share all the details here, but I do want to confirm that God has been faithful, He worked His plan and He has done all things well!    The outcome is perfect!

Even if we are tempted to try to tell God how to work things out, we need to hold our peace, and just trust Him.   He says, when we've done all we know to do, we're to STAND, and let Him take care of the solution.

We want to thank everyone who has prayed with us during this year for our extended family.   We stand AMAZED that God loves us so much that He died for us and He cares for the things that burden us.   He is so faithful!

God's never late, and once again He has shown up "Right On Time".   When we say "Jesus", He speaks peace to our souls.

Love ya, 

Pastor Phil  & Twila

Good Friday stirs memories of somber church services laced with ritual and homilies reminding us of the fact of humanity's brutal slaying of the Lord of life. But for our family it also holds sacred thoughts of the culmination of two weeks waiting for the inevitable words, "she's gone". Kind nurses and care givers fluttered about fluffing pillows or administering other kindnesses designed to make Mother comfortable as her 95 year old body slowly ground to a halt. We had sung everything we could think of and quoted or read all of Mom's favorite scriptures many times over.

It was during one of those precious times when she was awake but weak. We had sung another collection of sacred songs with Mother faintly mouthing familiar words with her waning strength. Someone began Bill Gaither's marvelous song, "Because He Lives".  Mother rallied, and for the last time we heard her deep throaty contralto belt out: "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives!" It was Thursday, April 12, 2001. No one else in the room realized what tomorrow held, but I'll always believe Momma  did. After yet another long night spent doing whatever we could for our dear Mother, Good Friday was upon us. As the day progressed we could see she would be leaving soon.  We were all there praying, singing and just being together as Mother "faced tomorrow". All fear really was gone. And when the time of her passing arrived she just went quietly and quickly to sleep.  Jesus' resurrection had changed everything.

Hopefully all of us can face all of our tomorrow's...because He lives. Without the resurrection Good Friday isn't good at all. Without the miracle of Easter's vacant tomb Jesus' death that terrible day was just another sad, sick premature death of a fine young man. But with a flourish, the Angel said, "Come see the place where the Lord lay. He is not here. He has risen as He said!" Because He lives, we can face tomorrow!

Anticipating the resurrection!

Richard Orrell, Pastor 

Palm Sunday stands out in my mind as a signpost pointing to the following week’s celebration of the heart of the Gospel; the resurrection. But it also holds its own place of great excitement and deepest reverence for us as it reminds us of the settled fact of Christ’s return.

How the crowds must have thrilled that day as He sat astride the little donkey fulfilling scripture coming into Jerusalem being hailed with cries of “Hosanna!”

Although they were a couple of thousand years early the cries were well placed recognizing Him as the only hope for our little sin-cursed planet. They couldn’t know the horrors that awaited the Lord of Glory submitting to the beating that paid for our healing. Nor could they grasp the savage death He would die for our sins. They just recognized the majesty and divinity of God’s Messiah cloaked in the trappings of the common man.

The Church stands on spiritual tip toe looking and longing for the return of the loving and gentle Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary, son of David, son of Abraham, Son of God.

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout!”

Look up! For your redemption draweth nigh!

In anticipation of Christ’s return,

Pastor Richard Orrell