PastorBlastor

 Ramblings from Retirement – Disagree with God? By Retired Pastor Lee Hemen March 30, 2021 Can you disagree with God? Some folks erroneously think that you can never disagree with God but this is simply not true. Why would I say such a thing? As I was sitting here watching two raccoons trundle by my living room window I starting thinking about how raccoons are often seen as rascals and this probably is more about their natural masks and antics than their actual inherent behavior. But it also got me to thinking about how we can be rascals with God and if we can disagree with Him. We first find Moses arguing with God in Exodus 4:1 when he begins to argue that he is not the man to be used by God to turn the Hebrews back to Him and lead them out of enslavement in Egypt. Moses whines that the people may not listen to him, that he doesn’t have any skills, and that he has no proof to show the people that God really did entrust him to lead them into freedom. God gives him answers for every...

Reflections on 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 - Thanks--giving By Lee Hemen (Retired Pastor) November 26, 2020 "Since the "Mayflower" had left England nine weeks behind schedule, the New World's harsh weather threatened their very survival... Winter took its toll. Journal entries feature the same melancholy theme week after week, for months on end: "... Aboute noone, it began to raine ... at night, it did freeze & snow ... still the cold weather continued ... very wet and rainy, with the greatest gusts of wind ever we saw ... frost and foule weather hindered us much; this time of the yeare seldom could we worke half the week." That winter more than half the heads of households perished. Aboard ship only five of eighteen wives lived through the ravages of scurvy, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. An entry for March 24th reads: "This month thirteen of our number die. And in three months past dies halfe our company ... Of a hundred persons, scarce fifty remain, the ...

How God grows his church! – Ephesians 4:11-16 By Pastor Lee Hemen February 9, 2020 Family is important. It is important because it is the foundation for a stable society. This is why families that are secure, stable, and functional are a necessity. And it explains why our society is so fractured, insecure, and dysfunctional. Healthy relationships and a healthy view of self is where and how we as individuals have healthy lives, learn to function, and mature. It is how we grow. I have shared before that the church is a sacred thing that we as Baptists often take for granted. The reason we do is because like most evangelicals we think that church is about us and that is should meet our needs and make us feel better when in fact that is not what a church is supposed to be at all. Church is not a social club, fraternity, or a secret society. It is where we as believers are to develop a healthy spirituality, learn to function, and mature. Let’s learn how God grows his church… READ: Ephesians...

A good servant of Jesus! -- 1 Timothy 4:8-16 By Pastor Lee Hemen January 7, 2018 People will spend money for gym memberships, take time to run every day, or make sure that they eat only certain things in specific amounts. What is interesting though is that these same folks who spend so much time and effort on some of these things do not spend the same amount of effort, time, or personal investment in their relationship with the Lord. Just as regular exercise for the body is good so is regular spiritual daily exercise with Jesus. Paul knew that his mentorship with Timothy included his investment daily in spending time with the Lord. Paul had studied the Psalms and he knew the question David asked: “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?” and how David answered it: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.” (Psa...

Hebrews 5:11-14 – You’re the immature one! By Pastor Lee Hemen August 19, 2012 AM The other day when I went swimming at the lake two young women, who were cooling off by standing in the water, were talking to one another about a mutual acquaintance. You could not help but overhear what they were saying because they were not very silent. One remarked, “She is so immature!” The other readily agreed and then they proceeded to act like a couple of junior high girls and gossip about the person they thought was “so immature”! None of us is immune to such childish behavior. I caught myself at the Fair the other day acting like a tired, hungry, and cranky toddler! What is truly sad are folks who claim faith in Christ and supposedly have been Christians for years who still do not understand basic biblical concepts. Recently I interviewed a young couple who although had been missionaries in the field, they did not comprehend the basic concepts of church membership, how their de...

Proper Christian Behavior -- Titus 2:1-10 November 2, 2008 AM By Pastor Lee Hemen “Behave” is kind of a strange sounding word. I mean, listen to it as you say it slowly: BE…HAVE. It comes from Middle English “behaven,” meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Perhaps this is why “to have and to hold” was originally inserted into our marriage vows? Could it have meant to “behave,” to have or to hold onto someone else? To mind them? The Old English was “behabban” and it meant to keep oneself in check. We get the word “behavior” from this. My mother used it to mean we were to reign ourselves in and be good. She would say, “Behave!” and we knew immediately what she meant. If we did not, there would be consequences. Proper behavior is important and this is certainly true for the believer as well. Proper Christian behavior is important for the believer to understand its “consequences” for their lives and the blessings it brings. God loves us and desires we live holy lives for Him. Going back to his i...