pastormilan

On January 2 in a football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, Damar Hamlin tackled Tee Higgins.  Then he stood up, stumbled, and feel backwards.  Trainers and medical staff rushed to him not knowing what was happening.  Everyone could see that this injury was not a normal injury but was life threatening. As everyone watched and waited the medical personal worked on Damar as a unity of concern enveloped everyone watching.  Players from both teams knelt on the field to pray and even announcers prayed.  For a…

Calling all ministers!  Our annual minister’s meeting is March 11 – 9 AM – 2 PM at Riverchase Community Church.  We need you to at this meeting because we will be approving pastors, approving churches, and voting on ministers to be licensed and ordained.  Karl Vaters, author of “The Grasshopper Myth “and “Small Church Essentials” will be speaking to us in two sessions on “What’s Working in Churches that are Thriving’ and “Three Ways a Small Church can be an Effective Church.”  You do not want to miss this…

Father, as I close this last year’s chapter of my life I thank you for the blessing of your presence in every moment of every day. When I was troubled or frightened or anxious or afraid you did not abandon me. You gave me confidence and strength to walk into and through the storm.  In the normal, regular, every day moments you were walking with me even when I was not aware of your presence.  When I was joyful or happy or peaceful you rejoiced with me.  You…

I received a smart watch for Christmas.  Why do they call it a smart watch?  It is truly amazing and smart.  It will do everything. It measures my heart rate, counts my steps, tells me the weather, tells me when my phone is ringing, tells me when I get a message, alerts me to appointments, it has GPS and can trace my steps and dozens of other tasks I do not know about.  Oh, and it tells me the time.   I wonder now if…

I had a dream.  In this dream, I was translated into the very presence of God and, being there, he was privileged to witness a great heavenly convocation.  All the members of the heavenly order had gathered around the great throne of God, and, from every direction, the angels and arch angels came riding in upon the wings of the wind.  The atmosphere was electric as though something of cosmic significance was about to transpire.       Suddenly, a great voice spoke from the throne of God, voice filled with…

GOD LEADS A PRETTY SHELTERED LIFE Billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God's throne.  Some of the groups near the front talked heatedly -- not with cringing shame, but with belligerence.  "How can God judge us?" said one.  "What does He know about suffering?" snapped a brunette.  She jerked back a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp.  "We endured terror, beatings, torture, death!"  In another group a black man lowered his collar.  "What about this?" he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn.  "Lynched for…

I love Christmas stories.  Stories that highlight The Christmas Story of the birth of Jesus the Christ. So I will be sharing with you some of my favorite Christmas stories I have collected over the years.  You can use them in sermons or just enjoy them for the joy and peace they bring to this season.  The first one is a story I would hear every year in elementary school when a lady would come to Apison Elementary School and tell this story to us.  It had a great impact…

On our first Christmas after we were married, I wanted to give Barbara something special, something she would never forget. So, I asked her, “What special gift can I get you that you will remember this Christmas?” She thought for a minute and said, “Surprise me.” I can do that. Christmas morning dawned with our expectations of giving and receiving special gifts. She gave me a very nice briefcase. She asked me what I had for her. I told her it was a surprise and…

What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.  1 Corinthians 14:26 I was visiting a small church with maybe 25 people attending.  The worship service started with a man from the church getting up and welcoming everyone.  A lady got up to lead a song with no music but just her clear, wonderful voice.  The…