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Ramblings from Retirement: How should a Christian vote? By Lee Hemen (Retired Pastor) October 21, 2020 I have always found it kind of humorous when people get all excited about voting as a Christian simply because your definition of what makes a “Christian” might be quite different form another’s definition. If we can’t agree on who to vote for what makes you think we will agree on what the definition of Christian is? So like any good editor, writer, or researcher we must define what being a “Christian” is and there is no better place to begin than the Scriptures. (Bible for those of you who think that any mystical writing is “Scripture” and it is not.) The very first place where we find the word “Christian” being used is in Acts 11:25-26 where Paul is describing a man named Barnabas who was a godly man that helped Paul with new churches: “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the ...

What do you know about God? -- John 5:39-47 by Pastor Lee Hemen January 11, 2015 I have known a lot of folks who were penny-wise but pound foolish. They knew a lot about a lot of stuff but did not have wisdom. Wisdom and knowledge are two different things. Kind of like those who say they know God, but what they think they know and what they actually know are two very different things. And what many actually think they know about God is what they actually feel about God rather than the real truth of who God is. So, let me ask you, what do you know about God? The Jewish people thought they knew a lot about God, but what they thought they knew was not true! They forgot what God had actually said and promised them and how he works within his creation and with his people. Jesus had just gotten through accusing his detractors that they had "never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor [did] his word dwell in [them], and the reason for this was simply that they did "not believ...

Show me your faith! - James 2:14-26 By Pastor Lee Hemen October 13, 2013 AM Some adult believers have the wrong idea about faith and works. Some feel good works are necessary to maintain their Christianity. Thus, they always try to keep busy doing something good and feel guilty if they feel they are not doing enough. They do not understand their salvation is secure on the basis of faith, not good works. For other Christians, this security creates a different problem. Their attitude can be, “I don’t need to do anything I don’t have to do.” They are content to enjoy the blessings of salvation now and to look forward to heaven one day. They do not understand genuine faith always leads to good works. James understood that believers who perform good works for the wrong reasons and those without good works need to evaluate themselves to see whether their faith is real. God wants us to do good works that demonstrate our faith in Christ. Some Christians are far to content to let others perform...

Malachi 2:17-3:6 – Being hopeful! By Pastor Lee Hemen January 8, 2012 AM Being a parent is tough, but I cannot imagine being a single parent. When we were kids my mother, after a particularly hard day, would tell us, “You kids are going to wear your old mother out!” Looking back on this I find it kind of humorous since at the time she was only about 35 years old and she had the backup of my father! Perhaps it was the constant care she had to give to two young active little boys who were always on the go? Being a good parent can, at times, make one feel a little worn out. I wonder how God feels when his constant care of his children wears on him. Not that God can be worn out, he is God after all. However, when his children continually distrust, disobey, and disrespect him, God tells us he becomes “weary.” Malachi tells the Israelites that God has grown weary of their endless spiritual platitudes. Who were they trying to fool? They did not trust God. We discover that Malachi’...

Your Giving Reflects Your Heart - Mark 12:41-44 By Pastor Lee Hemen December 12, 2010 AM The human heart is an amazing organ that pumps literally hundreds of thousands of gallons of blood through miles of blood vessels night and day for decades. Yet it can be stopped by the smallest of obstructions. The spiritual heart can be an amazing thing as well. When it is truly given to the Lord it can produce a wealth of goodness, greatness, and joy. However, it too can be hampered by the smallest of obstructions. Obstructions of greed, selfishness, an unforgiving spirit, or narrow-mindedness can stop the beating of the spiritual heart. There is a cure though and it is found in a life of sacrifice. A heart that reflects Jesus is strong in him. Here in Mark’s gospel we find Jesus and his disciples back in the temple, specifically in the Court of the Women. As they sit there they notice those who come and go as they give to the care of the temple. In these few verses we discover a won...

The Church, Part Five – 1 Timothy 5:23-25 By Pastor Lee Hemen July 13, 2008 AM Recently, on one of the web blogs, someone asked what people thought about Christians drinking alcohol. After reading comment after comment that tried to make all kinds of excuses as to why some thought it was perfectly okay to drink as a believer but not get drunk, most failed to address the real issue: If you have to make excuses as to why you should be able to partake in something of the world, as a believer in Christ, then what does that tell you about it? This is exactly what Paul is trying to convey to Timothy. Evidently Timothy had made some mediocre choices as a young pastor and he needed to rethink his Christian witness before he continued in his ministry. Timothy, like all Christians do, needed to realize that Christ comes first in life, not making excuses as to why you as a Christian should be able to join in the world’s activities. It is Paul’s continued instruction on how the church should be t...