Your Journey Is Yours

    Good afternoon. Well it's been a day or two since I posted anything, things have been busy with a new hobby and work. I'm doing crafts in my spare time - walking sticks, bottles with fairy lights, carving spoons, making a table, basically piddling around in my shop/storage shed. 

    

   I saw a show on T.V. called "Money For Nothing," and it got me to looking at things I could try and re-purpose. I guess my stuff isn't that popular, I really haven't sold anything. I guess that's okay, I've made walking sticks for my sisters, a wall hanging for my mom and one of my sisters.I carved a set of spoons and a spatula for my daughter. Now I'm working on Christmas presents for my sisters, sister-in-law, for my wife and daughter. I really enjoy my time in the shop, it is so relaxing. I take my blue-tooth speaker out and listen to audio books or music and I'm out there for three or our hours. 

   I'm still the pastor of a baptist church and I enjoy most of my jobs, truthfully there are a couple of jobs I would like to pass off, but hey such is life of a small congregation church. I really am blessed, I get to work on sermons and then preach them every Sunday. And I was able to help out in various capacities during our Vacation Bible School. Life for the most part is good. I still miss our son so badly that it hurts, but there is the some comfort in knowing I will see him again one day.

  Since I had my leg amputated I cant ride my bike. And I can't run, not that that was a thing for me. I can walk okay, although after about an hour I'm tired out; but I don't know if it's because of my leg or just because I'm fat. I also preach sitting on a stool now. Yes, there are things I can't do that other amputees do like skiing, or playing sports. I could sit and fret about what I can't do, but why? My journey isn't the same as another persons, my journey is mine. I've got a friend, we make up a one-legged support group for our area. Anyway he refurbishes furniture and that is his journey right now. 

  What I'm trying to get at is this don't worry if your life isn't progressing like another amputee's. You may have to use a walker or scooter to get around and that's okay. You may have to use the motorize carts in the store and that's perfectly fine. You use a cane to get around no problem. Your journey is just that, your journey and in someways it will be like all amputees, but in other ways it's going to be totally different. And even as your life goes along your journey is going to have side roads, detours, and maybe even a set back or two. But press on and live your life your way, not always comparing it to someone else's. Remember what Jesus said in John 10:10 - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Live life abundantly, doing the things you like. 

 This is my prayer for you on your journey: "'"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." ' (Numbers 6:24-26).

A Panhandle Pastor
 
    

    

Spiritual Check-up

  

Good evening and welcome to the Panhandle. Something to think about - every so many miles you have to change the oil and filters in your vehicle. It's just basic and regular maintenance. If you have cattle you doctor them regularly to keep them healthy. If your a farmer here in the Panhandle you have to make sure your irrigation lines are in good working order or you could have crop failure. I don't know about y'all but at least once a year I have a heath check-up. Check-up and regular maintenance is good thing, in most cases it keeps everything running smoothly. 

Our spiritual lives are no different. We constantly need to check and make sure our lives line up with God and His Word. In this crazy world with so much information and choices bombarding us we can quickly get off course. To that end I want to ask you a series of questions.

   Question #1: Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." (Romans 10:13). This question is the most important question a person can be asked. The answer is no less important. Why? Because where you spend eternity is at stake.

   Question #2: If you are a Christian, what place does God hold in your life? "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5). Is God first and foremost in your life or is He like the distant relative that you hardly ever think about? 

   Question #3: If you are a Christian, is prayer your first line of spiritual defense or a last ditch option? "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 18:19).

   Question #4: If your a Christian, can people tell it by the way you live your life? "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35). And "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16).

   Not trying to judge or cause doubt, these are just a few questions to think about, don't wait for the "Check Engine" light to come on in your spiritual life. Make sure your spiritual compass is pointed to Christ Jesus.

Thank you for dropping by and thank you for taking time out of your busy scheduled to read my blog. And may: "'"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you 
and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." ' (Numbers 6:24-26).

The Return of the True King

   Good afternoon and welcome to the Panhandle. Wow! What a crazy month we've had. the temperatures have been unseasonably warm, with very little moister and high winds. This led to some big fires in the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. Praise the Lord they are finally out. 

  This afternoon I want to post the short article I wrote for our newsletter. I tried and tried to think of something to write and then I looked at my sermon title again, "Follow The King." And it made me think of the title of the third book in the trilogy "Lord of The Rings." That book is of course "Return of The King." Some day our Lord, Jesus Christ is going to return.    

"Jesus will return with power and glory to raise the dead, judge the wicked, defeat God’s enemies, and restore creation to its intended state. This return will be unmistakably visible and public—not hidden or secret. However, the timing remains unknowable; no one can predict when it will occur. Instead, Christ will arrive suddenly, described as coming “like a thief in the night.” J. Scott Duvall.

   “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." Matthew 24:30-31.   

    Yes, Jesus is coming back someday and are you going to be ready? The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. (Matthew 25:3). 

   You can say you don't believe in any of this Jesus stuff, it doesn't matter He's still coming back and you'll be judged. You can claim to be a Christian and not live like one and you'll be judged. You can play at being a Christian without being saved and you'll be judged. You can be an active follower of Jesus Christ and you will be judged. Yes, everyone is going to acknowledge Jesus as Lord: For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:11-12). Saved and unsaved alike. 

   The big difference here. For all who have truly asked Jesus to be their Lord and Saviour they will be invited in to experience all that God our loving Father has to offer. For everyone else, well how does "outer darkness" sound? Folks don't reject Jesus as Lord and Saviour! He could return any minute and it won't go good for you. For those claiming to be Christians and not living a Christian life it is time to get real and quit playing. Please don't play with your salvation, be sure of it and be sure of your eternal destination. 

Numbers 6:24-26 "'"The LORD bless you 
and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you 
and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you 
and give you peace." 

 Bro. Orden

The World Needs You

   Good afternoon and welcome to the Panhandle, I'm glad you can join me.  I was reading one of my devotionals the other day, Words of Wisdom: Daily Teachings on Pursuing God – A.W. Tozer. The reading as you will see was on holiness in an unholy world.
   “The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence.” – A.W. Tozer
   But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. (1 Peter 1:15). 
   The world needs God, and the Church must be the beacon of His presence. While we are in the world, we must not become so caught up in it that we forget who’s we are. A lighthouse doesn't blend in to the ocean, sea or lake; it stands tall so that it can be seen even at a great distance. 
   Tozer emphasizes the importance of holiness— not as a moral achievement but as a way to draw near to God and reflect Him to others. 
   1 Peter 1:15 reminds us of our holiness or calling to be set apart in all we do. Not as a bunch of "holier than thou" people, but as a sinful people saved by grace and made a new creation by God. 
   Pursuing holiness is not about perfection but about devotion to God’s will and purpose. Take time today to examine your life and commit to growing in holiness. 

Thanks again for dropping by and may: The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.'   
(Numbers 6:24-26)

Bro. Orden

Varoom, Varoom - I'm Behind The Wheel Once More

   Good morning and welcome to a cool Panhandle. I'd like to start out this morning praising the Lord. Praising Him for His faithfulness even when I get in a hurry and wonder what's going on. Case and point -me being able to drive again.

   As some of you know I broke my fibula and tibia on my right leg. Dr. Riley tried to pin them back together but because I had softening of the bone (Charcot). The pinning didn't work, Dr. gave it a good try, but she had bad bone to work with from the start. I ended up getting infection and Dr. Riley had to take my leg five inches below my knee. The surgery went great and in about a month and a half I was going to Mahaffey Orthotics and Prosthetics. The folks are great there and after a couple of practice prosthetics I was able to get my current prosthetic. 

   After sometime I decided I was getting around well enough to start try and start driving. At first I tried to drive with my prosthetic. That didn't work out well, in our car my foot kept getting hooked under the break and one time trying to park the car in the garage my foot got stuck and I barely got the car stopped before I hit the workbench in the back of the garage. Now I can drive the van with my prosthetic sort of, I have to look down to make sure I'm on the right peddle and I have to lift it between the break and accelerator. Not a long term solution that's for sure. Next I tried to drive with my left foot, and that was a no go. I wear a size 15 wide and I couldn't get my right foot over far enough for my left foot to the accelerator. 

   Since I couldn't drive without assistance I started looking at driving apparatus to modify our car. I found what looked like a good one on Amazon, but when I talk to a local mechanic about putting it on he recommended a different type. The equipment he recommended let my wife drive normally, she wouldn't have to learn to drive with the modifications. My wife and I really liked that idea and so I started looking into it. This was in late March and early May. My sister who had to have some modifications made to their van to accommodate their handicapped son told us about Newby Vance Mobility on S. Shields. I went by to talk to them and after talking to them found out that they couldn't install the equipment until I took driving classes and got a new license. They gave me the names of some places I could call and get setup for the classes.

   I got a hold of Brock at Decisive Drivers and went about setting up a consultation and it was then that he told me about the Department of Rehabilitation Services. DRS is a government agency and also uses some state funds to help people who have disabilities get on with their lives. They help with all kinds of things so a person can get a job or be able to continue doing their job. I've never dealt with a government agency, well that's not quite right; I did try to get food stamps when I was a college student in Ca. but that's another story. When we heard the cost of the classes and the equipment we decided to give DRS at try. The Lord blessed us by letting us find a DRS office in Guymon and a great staff there. Melissa handled our case and was after some time able to send Lisa a specialist to come and look at our car to make sure it qualified. Melissa and Lisa were great to work with and I'm afraid we may have worn them out with our texts, calls, and e-mails. 

We finally got the approval for the drivers classes this pass September and so the scary and fun moments of driving began. 

I had three great driving instructors from Decisive Drives and after three days of classes I was ready to take my driver's test. I gotta tell you I was a bit nervous, I hadn't taken a driver's test in quite awhile. My first test was back in 1976 and then about 6 or 7 years ago I took the test to get a CDL so I could drive a school bus. Parallel Parking - those two words bring a chill of fear to me, I'm not a good at parallel parking. My best friend Kevin, now he could parallel park and not with the little cars like today, but with the big battle wagons we had in the 70s. Sure enough when I tried to parallel park the first time I didn't do so good, nerves and all. When you take the drivers test they start with that dreaded task, but I was shown mercy when I didn't do so good the first time. The second try was picture perfect and the test went smoothly from there, not. When I got ready to turn on to the road and tapped my turn signal bar it flew off and into the tester's lap. When she asked if I wanted to go on or go back and fix it, I said, "I'm stressed enough, we're going on." The rest of the test did go good after that and when I got back I passed my test with a 95. I want to go record thanking my driving tester, she let me know well enough in advance when to turn so that I could let off my hand unit to hit the turn signal in plenty of time to get back on the hand unit and make my turn.

   This last week after dealing with Jeff and Sam, both great guys and a lot help we got the new equipment installed in our car at Newby Vance and I was able to drive really drive for the first time in almost 16 months. My wife still drove on the highway, but I drove the rest of the way home after we got off the interstate.

   And so an adventure that began in the last of March and the beginning of April came to a close here in January. And again I praise God for His hand in all of this. He put all the right people in our path to help us along the way. Just as He has done since I broke my leg. Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15).

I know my story is a bit long today, so thank you for stopping by and for reading it. And when the road seems long and you start to grow weary: Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah

Have a blessed day,

A Panhandle pastor 



   
  

              

The Greatest Christmas Gift Ever

 Good evening and welcome to the Panhandle,  I'm sure glad you dropped by. It's Christmas time and I wanted to take a minute to look at Advent. On the first Sunday traditionally a purple candle is lit to signifies Hope. The second week another purple candle is lit to signifies Peace. The third week a pink candle is lit to signifies Joy. The fourth candle to be lit is white to signify the Light of the World. One site calls it the "Christ Candle." We don't light the candles at our church but we do celebrate Advent.

What is Advent? Is a season observed as a time of waiting and preparation for both the celebration of Jesus's birth at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, often referred to as Advent Sunday. The name comes from Latin adventus ('coming; arrival'), translating the Greek parousia from the New Testament, originally referring to the Second Coming. 

On this the 13th day of December let's remember that what started in a manger led to a cross, and to an empty tomb. And someday it will culminate with the return of Jesus Christ. This is the hope that all who know Him as Lord and Saviour can bank on. In this sometimes overwhelming season and all year long for that matter, it is Jesus Christ who gives us peace: And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7). Joy - joy is more than just being happy, it's more just being in a good mood. Joy is more a state of being than an emotion; joy is a choice. You get to choose to be joyful. The "Christ Candle" Jesus Christ was born under the light of the Christmas star, why? Because He is the light and life to a dark world: In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:4-5). Jesus said of Himself in John 8:12: Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 

Jesus is the hope, peace, joy, and light to all who will seek Him and start a personal relationship with Him. You can do this by first admitting your a sinner, don't worry your in good company because you see we are all sinners even those of us who are Christians. The only difference is we have admitted we are sinners and ask Jesus Christ to forgive our sins. The next thing you need to do is to believe that Jesus is God and that only He can forgive your sins: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Romans 10:9-10). Finally ask Jesus Christ into your life by asking Him to become your Lord and Saviour. Do this and you will receive the greatest Christmas gift ever. Eternal life with God: and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4). 

Merry Christmas to you and yours. And - The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’ 

Bro. Orden - a Panhandle pastor

 

Celebrate! God's Got Ya Covered

 Good morning and welcome to the Panhandle, I'm glad you were able to stop by. Well, here it is just two days until December and I don't know whether to write about Christmas or the end of an old year and the beginning of a new year.
   People almost all around the world celebrate Christmas in some form or another. They may not celebrate the birth of Jesus, but they do celebrate. Isn't it funny that as humans we will celebrate just about anything just so we can come together and have a great time. 
   I guess that's a rabbit to chase some other time. Or maybe not. People celebrate Christmas without understanding the great thing it represents. Or maybe they do and don't want to admit it. Maybe that is why they have changed the name to "Winter Celebration" or "Winter Holiday" or just "The Holidays." In truth it is none of these; it is a celebration of a birth that would change the world. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.(Luke 2:10-11).
   So whether it happened in December or not, doesn't matter. We don't celebrate the day, we celebrate the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
   Because we celebrate what Jesus has done for us then we can look forward to the New Year. Why do I write this? Because I know that God is already there, Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2). And listen to what the writer of Hebrew says - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). 
   The great thing about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is they are all present, all powerful, and all knowing. What that means to you and me is that God can never be surprised, never taken off guard, and there's nothing that He can't handle. So while we may have a tough time of it, God will have our back, and He will go before us. The God who spoke all creation into existence, who was, is and will be; loves us so much He sent His Son so that we can face tomorrow, and next year, and so on until Jesus comes back for us. And He is coming back! Until then Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! And may, The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, 
And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.'        (Numbers 6:24-26)

Brother Orden