PT and the Liberty Line

Traders and PUSHers in 2011

2011-02-08T09:13:00.001-08:00

A new post. Amazing! How time flies. If you will notice the date of the last post, you will see that I stopped posting new stuff when I started driving school bus. Yep, I am still the pastor of Liberty Worship Center, but in order to help out with the church finances, I took a part time job driving bus. And, so far, it has worked out fine. The church is keeping up with it's bills, barely, but it is. I am maintaining my sanity. The ministry is going forward. And I am getting to know a lot of new people. Some of those new people are even coming to church with us now. Yes, I am blessed!!! God is Awesome!

It is now February, which is traditionally one of the worse months for the church. The weather has been terrible, but this February may prove to be an exception. We have had many guests in January and February, some of them are returning, and some may even make this their church home. God's grace and blessings seem to be with us. For this we are extremely thankful. God is Awesome!

I hope, as before, to update this post more frequently. I hope you (whoever you are) will check out my blog and be blessed. As I have recently been preaching. Be a Trader and a PUSHer in 2011. Trade in your old life, your life of complacency, indifference, selfish, self-centered living (whatever is not Christ-centered) for the exciting, fulfilling, thriving life that Christ has for you. Seek to do His will and work first and foremost. And, Pray Until Stuff Happens. PUSH and never give up.

God Loves you! I love you! Be blessed!

Pastor Tim

Do What?!

2010-08-17T13:56:00.000-07:00

Right now a lot of people are experiencing big changes and facing huge challenges. Kids, young people, and young adults are starting a new year at school. Some are going to College for the first time. They are getting ready to tackle new subjects and learn new information. Some are seeking employment, while others are starting, or even restarting new jobs. I, for one, am going to take on secular employment while continuing to pastor in Edwardsville. This is the first time I have had to do this in over 25 years of full-time ministry.

I am thankful for a God who knows our limitations and is able to help us in all of life's trials and challenges. Even when the task seems as big as building an Ark that is bigger than a football field, and as tall as a 4 story building, God is able to see us through gloriously.

With all that I have been seeing and even experiencing, allow me to offer these few tidbits of advice - advice I am reminding myself of.

First, have faith in the Lord! (Matt 21:21-22 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.") Go forward believing that whatever is before you is not too big for the Lord to accomplish through you. Through faith in the Lord, the mountains in your life can be moved, or climbed over, or tunneled through! There is nothing that you are going through that God isn't already prepared to take you through.

Second, be positive, which comes with faith. (Phil 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.") Ask the Lord to give you a good, optimistic and positive attitude towards life, the challenge you are facing, and the people around you. This really does make a difference. Negativity is usually due to exaggerated thoughts and unconstrained words that have been allow to dream up the worst possible outcome in the situation you are facing. Be warned, what you think and say can have a self-fulfilling way of becoming reality. Fortunately, things seldom turn out as bad as you first think. Being positive and optimistic really is more realistic, more often than not. Why get yourself all upset unnecessarily?

Third, determine to influence others with your faith in God and your positive attitude. (1 Thess 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.") Be a contagious person. Help those around you to have faith and be more positive and optimistic. Faith filled, optimistic, people are able to encourage others without hardly even trying. Be determined to build others up. Encourage them to trust the Lord. Shower them with warm smiles, and optimistic ways of seeing things. If you look carefully and with eyes of faith, you will see the good in things and in others. Then help others to see what you see, and what you have faith for. Remember Heb 11:1
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Situations can seem bigger than life. But God is WAY bigger, and nothing is impossible when God is with you. Have faith, be positive, and influence others.

Enjoy this humorous and fun video clip about Noah and his wife.

Mephone

2010-08-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

We all need to ask this question: "What is important to me?" Think about it, longing for the things of the world is foolishness. It just doesn't make sense. The things of this world are all passing away. In other words, they fail, rust, fall apart, and are destroyed or stolen. And, they are all a part of a temporary world and a temporary life. Why not be much more concerned about eternal life and the things of life on the other side? Why not accumulate for yourself treasures in heaven where rust and moth do not destroy, and, where you will live forever to enjoy them? Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

And don't think that you can have both. . . . The Bible says that you cannot serve both God and money, or God and the things of this world that money can buy. (Matthew 6:24) But if you make the right choice and pursue the things of God, God will bless you, even with the things of this world. The things of this world, like cars, houses, computers, etc, are not evil in and of themselves, it is the love of them that leads to selfishness and evil. Furthermore, if you have set your heart on things above rather than on things below, whatever God gives you is more than you expected and better than you thought.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 ? "But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Enjoy this humorous video. It is called, "Mephone."

Motives - Ten Shekels and a Shirt

2010-07-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

This is a meatier word that has to do with our motives. In Judges 17 there is a story of a Levite (priest) which Micah paid for in order to attempt to win the favor of God. The Levite sold out, but God is not one who can be bought. Knowing and having God in our lives is much more a matter of the heart, and not works, money or religious observances. Remember, God told King Saul, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." And, Ps 51:17 says, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." God wants our trust and obedience to Him because we love Him and have faith in Him. God wants us to love Him and have faith in Him because He is worthy of it, not necessarily because we will benefit from it. God doesn't want to be used anymore than we do.

The good news is this: When we love Him and come to Him for the right reasons, or should I say, with the best and purest motives, God blessings flow to us. Being blessed by God is part of being near Him and being a part of Him. God wants to bless us and care for us. He calls Himself our Heavenly Father, and He loves us even more than an earthly father possibly can.

Maybe you came to Jesus because you wanted to be saved from sin and condemnation - I did! But, grow in Him and get to know Him. You will see that there is more, way more. There are purer and more honorable motives that last longer, motivate us stronger, and cause us to be more blessed, than bargaining with God will ever do.

Watch this video clip and chew on this for a while. Let God open your heart and understanding to the truth of what this preacher is saying. Love and serve God because He is God. You won't be sorry you did.

Handling Disappointment

2010-07-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

It isn't very often that everything goes just as planned. In fact, these days you can count on things not going as planned and having to make constant adjustments as you go forward. So, how does one cope with disappointments, especially when they involve matters of faith and the Lord? What do we do when it seems like the Lord isn't coming through for us the way we thought that He would?

There is a great little book out called, "The Prisoner in the Third Cell" by Gene Edwards. It talks about John the Baptist. Even though John was a humble and totally committed servant of the Lord, surely he must have had ambitions and aspirations concerning what he was going to do for the Lord. But, once Jesus actually came on the scene and began His public ministry, John's ministry took a dive. First, he began losing his audience. Then his disciples started following another (Jesus). Soon after, he found himself in prison and lost his life. John's ministry was relatively short and it ended on a downward slope.

Along the way to the end, while John was in prison, he sent a messenger to Jesus to ask Him a question. Luke 7:18-19 "John's disciples told him (John) about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" John sent his disciples with this question after he baptized Jesus with water, after he heard the voice of the Father saying, "This is my son in whom I am well pleased" and he saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus as a dove. This was after John proclaimed to everyone that Jesus was the One, the Messiah, the One who was before Him and the One whom he was unworthy to untie his sandals. This was after John heard of all the miracles that Jesus was performing.

When we go through difficult times it can be very hard to see clearly or understand how things are working for good. In this case, John questioned his own faith and understanding of what was going on. Things just weren't going like John planned or thought they would.

Jesus' response to John's question ends with a very startling statement, Luke 7:21-23 "At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, "Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. 23 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."

"Blessed is the man who does not fall on account of ME (Jesus)." In other words, blessed is the one who simply hangs on to the faith that saved them and don't give up or quite when God doesn't meet their expectations. It isn't uncommon for God to do things His way rather than ours, after all, He is omniscient and we aren't. Hebrews 12:2 says, "Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith," and not on the circumstance or situation. God is faithful and He will not fail us. His will is good, perfect, and pleasing, even if it is different than what we thought it was going to be. Never doubt what God is doing, and never forget that His will is good, perfect and pleasing. Keep pressing on, and NEVER GIVE UP!

Land of the Free?

2010-07-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

We just finished celebrating the birth of our country. And, on this historic date, July 4th, the predominate characteristic attached is that of freedom. We are said to be the land of the Free. And, I suppose that if you compare us to many other nations, we would find this to be comparatively true. But, are we truly free? I declare to you today that no nation is truly free where their is no God. AND, there is no god but the God of the Bible. (I know that sounds narrow minded, but it is the truth none the less.) Unfortunately, secular America has been trying to kick the God of Christianity out of the mainstream of society for nearly 50 years now. And even worse, the American church, in general, is losing their passion for the faith that this nation was once built upon.

Freedom, as many seem to understand it, is becoming an indulgence in selfishness and self-centeredness. Furthermore, there is no true freedom where people have not mastered the control of their own lusts, selfish and evil desires, habits, and the strongholds of their mind. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Spirit lives in us, and God gives us the desires of our heart - right, good and godly desires. When we allow Christ to crucify our fleshly and worldly desires, He replaces them with good, godly and righteous desires. Consequently, we become truly free. When Christ is truly Lord of our heart, mind, and life, then there is no need for laws to control us, whether those laws are secular or religious. Furthermore, whether we live under a democratic government or a dictatorship, we are still free in the ways that really matter. People who are given freedom but don't have the Spirit of Christ and the Word of God to guide them are easily drawn into things that enslave them, such as lust, anger, alcoholism, self-centeredness, fear, covetousness, and the like.

If you truly want to be free, whether you live in America (as back-slidden as it is becoming) or in Iran, give your heart and life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In Him you will find the peace and freedom that truly makes you free. Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set you free." John 8:36 "He whom the Son (Jesus) sets free, is free indeed."

Food for Thought

2010-06-29T11:20:00.001-07:00

One of the greatest challenges and the greatest joys is to truly discover what God's perfect will and plan for your life is. It is both general and specific. It is consistent and ever adjusting. But to know it can give you such a peace about life and living.

I believe that God is revealing to me a greater revelation of His plans and purposes for my life and ministry (which are one and the same - my life and ministry). Nearly 20 years ago I felt that God gave me some insight into what He was going to use me to do for the Kingdom of God. I believe that I am beginning to see it start to come into being. If so, I will be very excited about the future, even though right now we seem to be going through some sort of desert, or wilderness experience. By that, I mean that we are seeing God move and do some wonderful things, yet at the same time our provisions are drying up. We are awaiting for God's manna from heaven, or water from a rock kind of thing to start happening. Until then, I (or should I say we, because we are never alone in the Kingdom of God) need to avoid grumbling and complaining. We need to learn to be content with what God is doing, and allow our faith to be stretched and expanded because the land of milk and honey is not far away and the trials of the day are not too hard to endure.

Always remember, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" And God is indeed for us, that I do not doubt.

The Times We are Living In

2010-06-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

The times we are living in are distressing, to say the least. Natural disasters, man-made disasters, financial disasters, well - you already know. But the worst disaster is that Christians in America are giving in to the fear and stress. Rather than rising up, doing more, working harder, praying more, and fasting, church attendance and giving is going down in America. I am afraid that too many Americans have bought into the whole prosperity teachings of Christianity to one degree or another. Don't get me wrong, I believe in a good, generous, and loving God, but I also believe that He doesn't intend to spoil us or completely protect us from the trouble and difficulties that we face in this world. Like it or not, we grow and mature under pressure far more than when everything is perfect and good.

Let us not forget, the primary reason for being a Christian is so that we can be forgiven from our sins, saved from being condemned from those sins, and brought into a personal relationship with the God who made us and saved us. This is because of His great love, grace, and mercy. All the blessings we get are extras from God, and God is glad to give them to us when it is for our good. But, true Christians are willing to work, suffer, and sacrifice for God and His cause and purposes on the earth. True Christians will love and serve Him no matter what!

If we will trust in the Lord, and remain faithful to do His will, we are going to be fine. Things might get uncomfortable before they get better, but ultimately, by faith in Him, we WILL be able to give God the glory He is due.

Back in the Saddle Again.

2010-06-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Kim and I are back from vacationing in Texas. Believe it or not, it was cooler in Texas than it was here. Go figure! We had a great time as we seemed to have successfully balanced rest and activity. We spent 1 week in Corpus Christi, and 1 week in San Antonio. Kassi went with us. No one got sick or injured. Basically, there were no problems. Just good times and good memories.

But, we are back and ready to get busy doing the work and will of the Lord through our wonderful church. Did everyone get to fill out the survey our Church Health Committee distributed while we were gone? I'm looking forward to reading your responses. We are totally interested in doing whatever is necessary for us to have a healthy, growing church. Your input and participation is important.

Also, have you become a fan of Liberty Worship Center on Facebook? Check it out and join the community.

PT

Release the Blessings of God in Your Life

2010-06-08T12:21:00.001-07:00

God WANTS to bless us! His blessings are not locked up and hidden from us. Therefore, God has given us the keys, or principles, needed to be able to release His blessings into our lives. One reason why people have trouble releasing the blessings of God is because the don't know what God has said in order for us to release them, but, once we know what they are, we must practice, or do, the principles God has revealed to us. Sometimes it is as simple as asking God for some kind of blessing or for a need to be met. Other times it is more. For example: If you have financial needs, but you aren't giving to the Lord at least a tithe (10% of your income) and an offering (something more, above the tithe), then you are robbing God according to Malachi 3:8-12 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.
"But you ask, 'How do we rob you?'
"In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty.
To expect something when you give nothing is also a violation of the law of the harvest. You reap what you sow, but, if you sow nothing into the harvest field, you can expect that you will also reap nothing. 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
This past Sunday I preached concerning the first and most important of all the Keys to releasing God's blessings into your life, and that is to give your heart and life to God through Jesus Christ. All good gifts come through Jesus Christ. In fact, He is the greatest gift of God that any of us could ever receive. Because Christ purchased our salvation, we not only have a relationship with God as sons and daughters, but we can also approach His throne of grace with confidence and make our requests known to Him.
Salvation through Jesus Christ is like having the key to the vault where all the safe deposit boxes are. Once we are in the vault, there are hundreds, even thousands, of blessings available to meet our every need. Future messages will reveal other keys needed to releasing the blessings of God. In one respect, these are the secrets of the kingdom, but, since they have been revealed to us in God's Word, the Bible, I (as well as others who are helping me) will only be revealing to you what God's Word says. Once you know them, do them, and you can expect to be blessed by God, one way or another.

May you be blessed, abundantly!

The Day of Pentecost

2010-05-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

The Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2 was one of the most important events to happen in the history of humanity. It was the day in which God fulfilled His promise to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, or, as many as will receive Him. It was the day in which God was able to do with His church what He wanted to do with Israel. God gave all believers the right and the ability to be a kingdom of priests and prophets for His glory. Among other things, this marks the day, or the event, where God inaugerated His church and began the greatest move to save humanity and establish His Kingdom on the earth. These are the last days, and this is thought by most Bible scholars to be the Latter Rain, or the days in which God is pouring out His Spirit liberally to prepare for His return.

And yet, as prophecied in the scriptures, these days have also been days where believers are falling away. The divide between good and evil is both being blurred and defined. The war between satan and Christians is growing more and more intense. In this country, we are moving away from God rather than towards Him. Even the church in America (in general) is growing luke warm. God! We need another Pentecost! We need one more outpouring of the Spirit of God. We need the revival fires to burn in America once again. Shake us Lord! Move us! Once more show us your glory and wake up your lazy, sleeping church.

Update - 05-11-10

2010-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Board Meeting tonight. Never a problem. Christians CAN work well together.
Did some visiting yesterday. Enjoyed it. Need to do more.
We need more discipleship and relationship building opportunities in our church.
We need to accept and like God's desire to stretch our faith and cause us to grow. Anyone know first hand what I'm talking about? Or, should I say, Is there anyone who doesn't know what I am talking about?

I'm Back, I think.

2010-05-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't updated this since December. Shame on me. Now I am sure that I have no readers. This will be like starting all over again.

More is on the Way

2009-12-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

In one day 2 separate people prophesied that the Lord was getting ready to do some awesome things through our church. One of them, not knowing anything about our church, said, "Stop worrying about the church mortgage. God is going to take care of it." He said, "You planted a seed, a large seed in another man's ministry, and the seed is more than big enough to meet the need." The mortgage payment is something that I have been concerned about and I have been dealing with (in a positive way) the past couple days.

In fact, as a testimony, God is using people to work things out so that we will be borrowing money at a lower interest rate and paying the loan off much sooner. If things work out as expected, the church will be saving $150,000+ in interest payments. You can also help by putting in a little extra in the offering and designating it as "debt reduction." This will be applied to the principle amount owed to the bank. With each principle payment we save a considerable amount in interest. In other words, if you give $100 extra, it saves the church hundreds in interest.

BUT, the most important thing is, that we are totally focused on the ministry of this church. We are growing in attendance, the nursery is already branching into a third group, Children's church and the youth are starting to get crowded and will soon be needing a bigger place to meet.

Now that the building is completed, we need to continue to take full advantage of this facility, get as many people as possible to come in the doors, and present them with the life changing, amazing, message of the Gospel.

Keep praying and keeping serving and obeying the Lord. Find your place in the body and be as active as possible. What you do here for the Lord earns you eternal rewards worth more than money can buy. Furthermore, what's even better is that what you do here affects, improves, advances, and changes the church and people's lives now and for eternity.

Live a big life - a life that is about God, His Kingdom, and others, and God will take care of you!
More power, more anointing, more saved and changed lives, more influences, and more of God is on the way!

PT

Shock and Awe

2009-10-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

What a shock, 2 entries in the same month. It is still very busy here at the church, but I am trying to make more time to communicate with people on all levels and through various methods.

It is going to be a surprise for some, but we are going to have our first service in our new sanctuary this Sunday. We just met with the plumbing inspectors to get the final. They are nice people, and I guess they need to be concerned about everything, but what a pain. I know that they are just doing their job, but I guess I can't complain. We have to add some more things in order to be up to code, so we will get'er done.

Hope everyone is having a blessed and Jesus filled day.

Disappeared

2009-10-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

WOW! It has been so long since I have made an entry that I bet no one has been looking to see what I wrote. It probably looks like I disappeared. But, I will start posting again and the word will get out. God is still doing a lot of great and amazing things.

We have been meeting in the foyer of our new church since May 3, 2009. We are just days away from being able to get the occupancy permit for the rest of the building. We have a ton of outreaches and events planned from now until next year, including John Jacobs and the Power Team, as well as Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames. We have been running over 100 on Sunday mornings. The bills keep getting paid. Things are going well!!!

Looks like I will be taking a short sabbatical starting around Christmas. It will be good to rest and recharge my spiritual and motivational batteries.

Write me at, pastortim62@hotmail.com, and let me know that you read this. I am going to attempt to post something new once or twice a week.

PT

Times Running Out

2009-01-27T18:43:00.000-08:00

Time is running out - in more ways than one. If these aren't the end of days, I will truly hate it when the end does come. I would be tempted to think that the Lord has withdrawn His hand of blessing from our nation, but what is taking place is happening around the world. What about wars and rumors of wars? Or, is the day coming when bread will cost a day's wages? The signs of the times appear to be around us. Whether we are coming to the end or not, we need to be prepared NONE the less. Jesus could come at any time and I for one will be ready.

And, time is running out for Liberty Worship Center. Things need to come together soon if we are going to be in our new church by April 12th. We need to financing to pay for the project, the laborers to do the work, the wisdom to make the transition, and the faith to be in the middle of it all. Pray! But, don't stop with prayer, join us to make this 29 year old dream become a reality. And get ready, because the completion of this building is just the beginning.

Today, I received a little faith builder. When God allowed us to win a 60 inch plasma TV (retail $4,990.00), I felt like God was saying that God he was not only going to finish our new church, but He was going to provide us with all the bells and whistles as well. Without going into too many details, today I was able to purchase the commercial refigerator and freezer we were dreaming of having, and I bought them at 85% off. They retailed at $4,340 and I bought them for $640.

In these tough economic times, let us continue to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Let us never forget that though we live in this world we put our trust in the economy of the Kingdom of God. God WILL supply all our needs according to HIS riches in glory. The key to keeping the faith and enduring these hard times is being "FIXED" on Jesus. We walk by faith and not by sight. No matter what kind of bad news you receive, God is able to see you through.

The mess the world is in is either the work of evil one, or it is the consequences of his evil work. Either way, do not let the enemy of our life and soul bring you down, and above all, don't let him stop you from being the overcoming, warrior of God He has called you to be. You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9) And don't you forget it!

PT

Moving Forward

2009-01-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

We are moving forward on many fronts.
1. We found a company that will hang, tape, and mud our drywall for a very reasonable price. They start hanging on Friday. We also found a company to hang seamless gutters for a very reasonable price as well.
2. A business meeting is planned for Sunday night, January 18th, to discuss the finances of our building project and make some decisions to move forward.
3. We are revisiting our vision, purpose, and goals for 2009. We are excited about our ministry potential for this year. We believe that we can move into our new building on or before Easter, April 12th and we believe the move will open up a lot of new doors and opportunities for ministry when we move.

Our theme verse for 2009 is 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." We are standing in faith on whose we are, who we are in Christ, and what He has called us to do. We are excited about being used of God to declare HIS praises. Truly, these are dark times for many who are without Christ in their lives. But, for us who know Him, we consider ourselves blessed by God.

Put your trust in God through Jesus Christ the Lord! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light.

Pastor Tim

Emmauel

2008-12-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

It is the eve of Christmas (?) - Tuesday. Kim, Kassi and I are resting and relaxing, but I just can't seem to get a Chritmas thought off my mind. Christmas reminds me that the greatest news concerning the birth of our Savior is, God is with us! The angels told the Joseph that the Christ will be called, Emmauel, which means, God with us. Think about it! Is there really any greater and more encouraging news than to know that God is with us?

Furthermore, God is still with us! After Jesus ascended to the Father, He sent the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, who has made His home in the hearts and lives of every believer. If you have invited Jesus Christ into your heart and life to be your Lord and Savior, than God is still with you, always, and everywhere.

I hope and pray that all of you are having a truly wonderful and a very blessed Christmas - no matter what you get for gifts. After, God gave the greatest gift ever - Jesus.

Jesus is Lord!

Pastor Tim

Urgent Message

2008-12-18T06:15:00.000-08:00

This story communicates a message that is especially important for parents.

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door. "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man.
"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?"
"That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
"I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy."
"If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour."
"Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?"
The father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angier about the little boy's questioning. How dare him ask such questions only to get some money. After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn't ask for money very often.
The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep son?" he asked.
"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man. "It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.
The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man."Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied. "Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?"

They need your time more then we will ever know!

Waiting on the Lord

2008-12-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

Well, we have finally come to that place where we once again have to have complete faith and trust in the Lord. For now, we have run out of money for our building project. We knew that this could happen, and we are still believing the Lord that we will be able to build debt free - we shall see. In the mean time, we still have things that we can do to keep up plenty business, although for a little while, I am having to take care of administrative stuff.

This is that crazy Christmas and holiday time of year when we are more busy than ever, and yet at the same time it seems like we just don't get anything done. It is all good, but I can't wait for January to get here, in spite of the cold weather.

I was thinking the other day about Christmas. It is supposed to be all about Christ's birthday. When it is someone's birthday you usually buy them a gift and send them birthday wishes. This year, consider giving Jesus a gift above and beyond your usual giving. Here's a thought, ask Him what He wants for His birthday. I could make some suggestions, but, it might be good for you to figure this one out just between you and the Lord. Talk to Him, you might be surprised what He says.

Remember, always, always, always do what is right! And, be a blessing and you will be blessed. Make Jesus Lord of your life and He will show you how to live life more abundantly.

Pastor Tim

2008-11-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

WE FINALLY FINISHED! Our new church has a roof that measures over 17,000 square feet (8 times larger than an average house). We put the shingles on ourselves. Today, we finally finished it. THANK GOD! And it looks good too. (Let's just hope it doesn't leak.)

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I have much to be thankful for! A great wife and daughter, a rewarding career, health, comforts and things worth suffering for, and so much more. Thanksgiving also means I get a long weekend and lots of good food. BOY, do I need it. My joints, muscles and tendons are screaming for rest. Roofing is hard on the body. I got to admit, it was a little fun attempting to conquer such a large task.

I hope and pray that you all will have a blessed Thanksgiving holiday. Consider George Washington's address when he made Thanksgiving a national holiday.

"WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

"NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our sasety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us."

I hope that you will consider spending time with God this Thanksgiving Day. There would be no greater way to let Him know that you appreciate Him. Let God know how thankful you are for Him.

James 1:16-17 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Love,

Pastor Tim

2008-11-14T06:37:00.000-08:00

Life ALWAYS has its challenges. If these are the last days, and I believe that they are, than life is only going to get tougher, not easier. That doesn't mean life isn't going to get better. If we will sincerely trust the Lord, walk by faith, and stay close to Him, God will take us through every difficulty, with style. Remember, we do not live by the economy of this world, but by the economy of the Kingdom of God. God is our King, our provider, our Lord and our Savior. Those who put their trust in Him will never be put to shame. In other words, they will never be sorry that they trusted Him (Romans 10:11). God will see us through these difficult times, and He will bring us through with a quality of life that others will want for themselves.

We are moving right along with our new building project. The insulators are spray foaming the building, the builders are putting in the beams for the balcony and the canopy over the carport, the electrician is wiring away, the HVAC guys are installing the system, and several of us are nailing down the shingles (when the weather cooperates). As we expected, the project has ended up costing us more than we thought it would, but the biggest surprize was in that we didn't get the amount of volunteer help that we were anticipating. Between the two, we are short almost $400,000 ($250,000 to get in the front part of the building). Our goal is to obtain partial occupancy and get in by Easter. Please pray with us that God will supply what we need to be able to get into our building debt free. We really can't afford a loan, and we do not believe that a loan is God's will for us. We are cutting corners and making concessions as much as we can, without cutting on quality. We believe God can and will provide for us, if God's people will pray and obey.

The holidays are fast approaching. Do yourself a favor, Keep the Lord FIRST in your life, always! One mistake many people make is to put family before the Lord. As great and important as family is, not even family comes before the Lord (Matthew 10:37-39). When we put God first, God takes care of the rest (Matthew 6:33). We don't have to worry that putting the Lord first will hurt our family or hinder our relationship with them. God wants us to put Him first so that we are better people for His purposes in the world. If you are truly a godly person who is full of the Spirit you will be a much better person for everyone. God is not a self-serving, ego-maniac. - The fact that God sent His Son into the world to die for us is more than enough proof. Yet, at the same time, we must remember that God is not a creation of our own so that He can serve us and our interestes. God created us, and the right perspective is that we serve Him and His interests - after all, He is GOD (a loving, caring, gracious, benevolent God who wants to be in relationship with Him like a Father to His children).

So, keep God first in ALL your relationships, activities, celebrations, parties, and . . . well, just everything.

God Loves you and so do I.

Pastor Tim

2008-11-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

WOW! I haven't posted anything since July. I have been very busy helping build our new church building. But, it is time I get caught up with this blog to let people know what is going on with Liberty Worship Center, and myself. I will do it soon.

As it is, Wed. was church, Thur as Praise and worship practice, Fri was an outreach in the Cottonwood area, Today I am preparing for a leadership meeting, Tomorrow is church in the morning, LIFE Groups in the evening followed by a business meeting. Monday I am heading for Nashville to get trained on how to apply Perma-crete (succo). SO, I guess I will be updating this more next week.

God Bless!

Pastor Tim

July is for Jubilation

2008-07-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the name of the Lord,

Jubilation means uninhibited rejoicing in the celebration of a victory or success and July has been a very good month. Of course, every month is a good month when you put your complete trust in the Lord. Some months are awesome, and other months require more faith to be able to rejoice uninhibited. But, we know that all things work for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes.

So here are some examples of what we have to rejoice about:
1) We are still moving forward with Evangelism Explosion, although we have not had the joy of leading someone to Christ yet.
2) Sister Johnson has finally been released to attend church on Sunday mornings. She is such a blessing and a joy to have with us.
3) We had an outdoor concert with a small group called New Fire. Jonathan Firey is a member of a more famous group called FFH (Far From Home), who are taking a sabbatical right now. The weather was quite warm, but many people jumped in to help, the attendance at the concert was good, and the ministry was anointed.
4) We officially welcomed Pastor Edward Crite in as our part time Associate Pastor. He is finding His way for greater ministry to our congregation.
5) We finally found and purchased a newer bus. We are attempting to repair the old one enough to be able to sell it. Pray we find a buyer.
6) The attitude and atmosphere of the church is rising to a glorious high again. Sometimes it is easy to get focused on the negative things that go on around us. But, God is bring us through, as usual. God is faithful and there is a great deal to rejoice about. God and the life He gives us are GOOD!
7) We have had the pleasure of a higher than usual number guests in our services. Most churches don't see a lot of visitors during the summer. Our prayer is that they will feel the love of Jesus and be touched by the Holy Spirit so that they will return and choose us as their church family. Already God has blessed us by adding to our number some wonderful people.
8) The new building is still moving forward. We have had a few good work days and many volunteers came out and did what they could. Presently, we are finishing our work on the garage, which is quite nice. The floor in the sanctuary has been poured and the walls for the sanctuary are being erected. The electrician has done as much as he can do for the moment. Dan Steele is putting in the plumbing so our builder can pour the rest of the floor. Dan plans on hooking up the water and septic as soon as the ground dries up later this week.
9) Our new website; www.lwcedw.org, is still growing and developing, thanks to Johan Bester. For example, our online store is up and running, as well as our prayer center. If you purchase your Christian music or books by going through our store button, you will be taken to Christian Book Distributors, and we will receive 10% of your purchase. And, if you need prayer, you can go to our prayer center and make your need known. Your request will be forwarded to Pastor Crite and he will be sure that your needs are bathed in prayer by our prayer warriors.

On the other hand, we are still trying to get the county to approve our use of the MAPS RVers ministry. Time is ticking away and our window of good weather is slowly closing. RVers don't like the winter months. Please being praying about this. We desperately need their help and ministry. There have also been several people who have had, or are going to have, surgery this month. Thank God none of it has been life threatening, and everyone has been recovering well so far. Finally, Pastor Josh and Charity have had some disruptions in their living situation and are in need of a place to live sooner than they expected. With the baby on the way, and them just getting started as our youth and children's pastor, pray that this situation is resolved so that they can prepare for the arrival of their son and they can move forward without such worries.

So, here is the latest update. Kim, Kassi and I are doing great. We hope, pray, and trust that things are going wonderfully for you as well. Always remember, Matthew 6:33 "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things (your needs) will be given to you as well." Seeking after God, His love and His daily presence in your life, as well as being in a right relation to Him, is the prerequisite to receiving from God all your needs in life. And it is nothing but pure joy to know God and live according to His will and His Word.

God Bless!

Building the Kingdom

2008-07-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

We are moving right along. In addition to building our new church facility, we started our Evangelism Explosion ministry. Last Sunday we went out to share the Gospel.

We have been having some awesome services on Sunday nights and we have been experiencing the presence of God in powerful ways. We have been just soaking in the presence of the Lord and waiting to see what He is going to do or say. It has been very refreshing and encouraging. The worship team is doing in outstanding job playing and ministering in the Spirit.

We brought Pastor Crite on staff as our part-time Associate Pastor. His primary focus of ministry is going to be in the area of prayer. He will also help with visitation, pulpit ministry, and ministry around the altars. We are very glad that God has led Brother Crite and Sister Opal to us. They have been a wonderful blessing, and we will officially receive them on staff on July 20th.

Pastor Josh and Charity have also been hard at work. They have taken over Children's Church, done a Family outreach in Cottonwood Park, and sponsored several activities with the youth group. They are also looking for a different place to live, so please pray that they find a house soon.

We are doing an outdoor concert in our parking lot on Sunday, July 13th. Liberty Worship Band will be opening (our P&W band) and New Fire will be the feature group. We will also have a bounce house for the kids and free food. It all starts at 6:00pm.

Our website is coming together and we are about to take possession of it so that we can add content and work the site ourselves. There have been some website building issues, but it is a great website!

Our building project is coming along. We are 70% finished with the garage. All the footings have been built in the new church and the last of foundation walls are being poured today. We are working hard to install the RV hook ups so that we can have RVers come and help us. Hopefully we will have them up and running in 2 weeks, weather permitting.

Kim and Kassi are doing well. Kim is enjoying her summer off, and is already preparing for next school year. Kassi is hard at work and she is anxious to start school in the fall.

I'm Back and Ready to Go

2008-06-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hey!

I'm back from vacation and ready to hit the road running. Kim, Kassi and I had a good time in Canada. We stayed in Barrie, Ontario, and visited Niagara Falls. The weather was cool, overcast and rainy the first half of our vacation, and hot and muggy the second half. Things in Canada are expensive. If you think our fuel prices are bad, theirs was a little over $5.00 a gallon ($1.28 per liter). Cheese and lunch meat was nearly $10 a pound. McDonald's combo meals started at $6.95 up to $9.99. Their sales tax was 13% on the dollar. But, the people there were very nice and friendly. All in all (2000 miles later) we had a very good time.

Well, we started our new church building. Footings are being dug for the garage. Rebar has been delivered and the assembly of the mats that go into the footings is beginning on Wednesday. We are being inspected for water retention and erosion control on Wednesday as well. The septic system is the only thing holding us up to get the permit for the church itself. The garage permit is already in hand.

I heard that everything went well while I was gone, in spite of a few technical problems like: the A/C leaking into the foyer, a couple rough storms, wind and rain, the cross and the phones were struck by lightning, Internet woes, and annoying stuff like that. I really appreciate everyone chipping in and doing their part to see to it that the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ kept going forward while I was gone. It is really nice to know I can leave and not have to worry.

I'll write more later. Right now I need to continue to get my bearings, find answers to questions and prepare for more ministry.

I am eager to serve the Lord. How about you?

PT

Building Progress and Other Good News

2008-05-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have good news to report.

First, my daughter Kassi is back from Costa Rica. She was in the Study Abroard program and spent more than 3 1/2 months there. She did an incredible amount of stuff and had the experience of a life time.

Second, MAPS RVers has accepted our project. The RVers are a ministry of retired folks who travel around the country in Recreational Vehicles helping Assemblies of God church build new buildings. They work for a $1 an hour and help save churches a ton of money. They also get involved with ministry of the church as well.

Third, our building permits have been issued. They approved everything without trouble. We are ready to begin building. We are waiting on one more thing, and that is for the Troy fire marshal to approve the building without sprinklers.

Fourth, our new Youth and Children's Pastor started last Sunday, May 11th. He is doing well and we are excited about the ministry he is going to be doing and leading.

Fifth, our new website is coming together extremely well. You can check it out at: http://www.lwcedw.org/. We are trying to load it up with all the bells and whistles. Explore the sight and you will find all sorts of fun, interesting, and exciting stuff. It won't be long and we will connected to Christian Book Distributors. You will be able to go through our website to buy all your Christian books and music needs and the church will receive 10% of everything you spend. Thank you CBD!

Also, our paypal account is up and running so that you can make a donation or give your tithes online. In a week or so they will train us so that we can take over the management of the site. Then we will be able load up much of the missing information and keep it updated daily.

That's all for now. I hope to see you in church this Sunday.

God Bless you bigtime! Pastor Tim

New News

2008-04-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here what's new.
1. Kassi is coming home today from studying abroad in Central America. She had a great time. There were no problems to speak of. It was an invaluable experience for her.
2. The excavation on our new building is completed and they are waiting for the ground to dry up enough to gravel in the driveway and parking lot.
3. We recieved our New Holland, 33 hp, tractor. The Lord blessed us with a really nice barely used tractor with a front lift bucket and backhoe for a very good price. It is in excellent condition and should prove to be very useful in building our new church.
4. We are still working away to clean out and cut back the woods on our new property. The rain keeps messing with us. But, God knows!
5. The water line was installed to our property, and power is being put in to the back so we can have temporary power during construction.
6. Josh and Charity have found a place to stay in Edwardsville. There first Sunday will be May 11th.
7. Mother's Day is going to be huge this year. Besides the fact that it is Pentecost Sunday, we are going to have a special day honoring mothers, and we are going to go to the Global Day or Prayer at Busch Stadium. We leave the church at 2:30pm. No regular evening service.
8. I had to replace my car. That is good and bad. But we do what we have to.

I guess that is all for now. God bless you REAL GOOD!

PT

2008-04-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

WOW! A new post already! BUT, there is so much to report.

First, Josh and Charity Wolfe are going to be our new full time Youth and Children's Pastor. They will be moving in May 2nd, and Joshua's first day in the office will be May 8th. Their first Sunday will be May 11th, which is Mother's day, Pentecost Sunday, and Global Day of Prayer.

Second, they broke ground this week and started digging. It looks like we are going to have 1 more day of heavy rain before they finish it. But, at least they got started. And, our plumber has run the water line through our neighbors farm field. Now there will be no conflicts when it comes time to plant.

Third, we bought a used 33 hp, New Holland, tractor with a front loader and a backhoe. It is like new and very clean. It is the fancy model with all the bells and whistles. It even has a fork lift attachment. It will be very handy for digging footings, trenches, landscaping, mowing, snow plowing, and maintaining the property.

Fourth, some changes have been made to the building that we like. We are going to use Insulated concrete forms all the way around the sanctuary, and we are going to be able to elliminate the 2 support posts that are in the middle of the foyer. This will provide us with a large, unobstructed foyer so that we can do anything without having to consider obstacles.

Fifth, Kassi is going to be home 2 weeks from today. She has been in Costa Rica for the past 3 and 1/2 months. Her last 2 weeks will be some of the most difficult. Your prayers are appreciated.

Sixth, I am doing my most unusual wedding to date. I am officiating a ceremony in an umpire's uniform on the field of Busch Stadium this Saturday. It is for Sue Minner's son, John Laurinski. He is marrying a very nice girl named, Kellyn Starkey.

Seventh, our worship team is trying to do some new and more difficult songs. We have even used some distortion in the electric guitar and we had our first guitar solo. This is music that the youth have requested from Hillsong. We have added 3 new people to the team. Fredick Herman on the guitar, and 2 vocalists, Vivica LeAnder and Elise Nicholson. The worship team is doing a great job and they sound awesome.

So, things are getting crazier than ever and that is mostly all good. I sincerely appreciate all your prayers for myself, my family, and our church. God bless you all abundantly above what you can think or imagine!

In the service of the KING!
Pastor Tim

More Updates

2008-03-16T14:50:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

I imagine that there are very few people who ever read this, but, you never know. Since my back was healed over a month ago I have been cutting and hauling wood. To my great pleasure I have had NO back pain whatsoever. I can't say that for my arms and legs though. But my back has not given me the slightest indication that something has ever been wrong. To God be the Glory!

We have been working on the property to clear out the place where the retention pond is supposed to go. We have also been clearing out the tree line and burning tons of broken and dead branches, as well as a bunch of brush and small trees. For having so few people show up for work days we got a remarkable amount of work done. Mark Minner has worked incredibly hard and long hours and worthy of mention.

The property has been marked for the excavator to do what he needs to do. So far we have prayed away 2 separate days of rain. Now if we can only pray away what is coming on Monday night and Tuesday. Warnings say that the storms could be heavy and produce flash floods. If it rains we will be set back another week or 2. The water line is also supposed to be run in the next week or 2. Again, if the rain holds up they might be able to get in the field.

We have a strong possibility for a Youth and Children's Pastor! Joshua and Charity Wolfe. They seem like a great match for our church. We will be bringing them in on the weekend of April 5 and 6. Hopefully we will know something on Sunday night.

God bless! Keep the Faith! And work while we have the opportunity.

Pastor Tim

Healing Update

2008-02-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

I felt my healing was worth updating. Since that Sunday, my back quickly improved so that in a few days the pain completely went away. I feel better now than I have in months. An MRI showed that I have 2 small herniated discs. The Doc says that with proper physical therapy and care I should be able to avoid any future problems.

Praise God! I feel completely healed and I am trusting Him to help me avoid any future injuries. But, I have even better news. God is continuing to do things in our church for others as well. My healing has boosted the faith of others and now others are being healed also. This deserves a triple "PRAISE THE LORD! PRAISE THE LORD! PRAISE THE LORD!" It is one thing to be healed yourself, but for God to use it to glorify Himself and help others, that's beyond wonderful and its amazing. Therefore, it was worth the pain I suffered.

Please, let us not forget that we believe in the God of the supernatural. As Pentecostals we still believe that God is in the healing and miracle working business. He does that in order that He might redeem mankind and cause His will to be done on earth, even as it is in heaven. God can and does follow up with signs and wonders the witnessing lives and ministry of those who believe. This kind of stuff should be happening more often! As representatives of Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility to re-present Him the same way He presented Himself when He walked the earth. Jesus did what He saw His heavenly Father doing, and through the same power of the Holy Spirit that is available to us, He backed up what He said with signs and wonders. Marketing and Church growth principles are great so long as they don't take the place of powerful, Holy Spirited anointed ministry. Furthermore, I am wondering if we would really even need marketing and church growth principles if we had the kind of ministry going on that Jesus said we could have? It's time that we find out the answer to that question and prove Jesus' promises to be true and for us today.

WOW! Now if I can only back that last paragraph put by following the Lord and be in places where God can use me frequently. May we all be inspired and challenged. AMEN!

Seek Him! P Tim

The Pain Stopped

2008-01-29T07:24:00.000-08:00

I have been experiencing lower back pain for a couple of months. I went to the Doctor and he prescribed physical therapy and exercises. That night I did the exercises he showed me and the next morning I woke up with my left leg in severe pain. Some how I "pinched" and irritated my sciatic nerve. The pain was terrible all that day until I went to the Physical therapist. After his treatment, the pain was no longer consistent in that I could find positions to sit and lay that would bring some relief. BUT, I could barely walk or stand for more than a few seconds without a stabbing pain running down my leg that grew in intensity by the second, and I could not straighten up.

The condition persisted without change all day Friday and Saturday. Thank God for the sweet time in prayer and the peace of God that filled my heart and mind. Sunday morning I felt no change and was concerned how I would even get into the church or get on to the platform to preach. But, I grit my teeth and dealt with the serious pain finding a place to sit as soon as possible. The church prayed for me twice while I sat on the front pew, and I felt no change until I began to preach. I started preaching by sitting in a chair on the floor, but it didn't seem right to me to preach sitting down, so I kept trying to stand. I felt no relief, only being able to stand for 5 or 10 seconds at a time, until 10 minutes into my message I stood for the third or fourth time and the pain quickly began to stop. I ended up preaching the rest of my message on my feet, moving about for 30 minutes, finding no need to have to sit down. I continued to stand in the foyer as people were leaving. And, I walked to my car which Markus had parked in a lot down the street. That evening I carried on my ministry as always, including my occasional jumping with joy during the worship.

The short of it is that my healing is still in the process of being complete. I can walk nearly pain free most of the time. It is at worse only an annoyance rather than debilitating. It was wonderful for God to touch me like that in front of the congregation so that they could be a part of my healing and so that their faith might be increased. Together we will seek after God's Face that His mighty Hand will move to save, heal, and set people free from the things that bind and hinder them. We are Expecting the Miraculous and God is coming through as He promised.

God is good! He deserves all the glory, honor and praise.

Pastor Tim

The Latest

2008-01-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

The day came yesterday when we put our daughter, Kassi, on a plane to Costa Rica. She has been given the opportunity of studying abroad for a semester. We are very proud of her and happy for her, but we don't like if for ourselves. We already miss her tremendously. Communication is going to be limited because of the cost. And, it might be a few days before she can get connected and send us an email. Pray for her safety.

Our Church is having a groundbreaking ceremony this Sunday at 2:30pm. Excavators are supposed to start working next week. Both exciting and scary times. Building a new church is a huge responsibility. But, we are trusting God for wonderful people who will help us get in.

We still haven't heard from MAPS Rvers yet. Pray that God puts it on their heart to help us. It will be HUGE if they do. Also, pray we can get a cheaper septic system installed than what is presently planned. Pray we can get connected to a water source. Wells aren't a good option out there. And, pray that we can get electrical service sooner than expected. As it is it could take 36 weeks (it seems ridiculous, but it is true).

Our Christmas production was a big hit this year. Although a winter storm hit the night of our first presentation (I don't like using the term performance for something that is supposed to be ministry). Our attendance could have been better, but both times we presented it went great. It was a unique creation of our own that the Lord laid on our heart and mind to do. We are looking forward to doing it again next year, with exciting changes and improvements.

We are starting off the new year well - good services, visitors, good offerings, optimism is high, and prayer meetings have been good. We are expecting an excellent year as we believe that God is not going to make us wait in 2008. This is going to be a year of answered prayers, accelerated growth, and increased fruit for our labors. We are believing God for more love, more power and more of Him in our lives and ministry. We are going to work hard this year to be far more evangelistic, taking the Gospel to people rather than trying to get them to come to us. We are seeking God to be used in the gifts of the Spirit in greater ways, with signs and wonders following. Again, we are praying for and expecting 2008 to be great!

God Bless!!!

Why?

2007-12-04T16:09:00.001-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Jesus is the reason for Christmas and why it is a happy holiday. To take Jesus out of Christmas is like taking America out of July 4th. I guess I am slowly getting more and more worked up about the crazy stuff that is happening in our country all in the name of human rights. Christmas makes retailers a ton of money and yet they are removing everything that has to do with Christ. You would think they would be a little more grateful for Christians celebrating Christ's birthday. Here is something to think about, Let's tell the world we are going to cancel Christmas if they don't put Christ back into it. I bet an idea like that will get some attention. I'm sorry, but I don't believe that the celebration of our Savior's birth is offensive to Atheists or anyone else. Rather, I think that it causes them to face what they know in their heart to be true - there is a God - and that is what makes them so upset about Christmas.

I don't understand why "God" is offensive or politically incorrect? It is amazing to me that atheists want us to remove God from the public arena, yet many of the same people and judges who rule against Christian anything want to promote homosexuality in every arena they can when this practice is offensive to Christians and is clearly unnatural and sinful according to the Bible. If they have it their way, they will attempt to force practicing, unrepentant, homosexuals into our pulpits, yet Godly people aren't allowed to do things like pray before high school football games even though the vast majority of those present at the games believe in God.

Also, it didn't surprise me that the Muslims in Sudan were furious and wanted to kill a school teacher for allowing her students to name a teddy bear after Muhammad (I will refrain from further comment about Muslims). But, what does surprise me is the amount of effort the world is making to try not to offend Muslims. When was the last time people were concerned about offending Christians? Muhammad was just a prophet, a man like you and me, but Christians content that Jesus is the Son of God and people use His name as a form of cussing and swearing all the time.

And, why isn't there a term like "anti-Semitism" for language or actions that offend Christians or are intended as persecution? Thousands of Christians are martyred every year and no one even notices. Maybe it's because true Christians are not violent and therefore allow this junk to take place without saying much. Or, maybe it's because there are so many people who hate God and even the very idea of Him is repugnant to them.

I'm sorry for airing my frustration, but I just thought I would bring up a few things that have been on my mind lately. God is good. What Jesus did for us was incredibly gracious, merciful and good.

Looking for Answers

2007-10-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, are you looking for answers? Aren't we all? There will always be questions and I certainly don't know all the answers. BUT, I know someone who does - Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 10:10). Put your trust in Him and He will bring you through, all the way to glory. That's not only what God's Word promises us, it is my experience as well.

OH, did you come to find the answer to the riddle I sent you.
What is greater than God,
More evil than the devil,
The poor have it,
The rich need it,
And if you eat it, you'll die?

The answer is: Nothing.
Nothing is greater than God,
Nothing is more evil than the devil,
The poor have nothing,
The rich need nothing,
And if you eat nothing, you will die.

Have an awesome, God filled day!

Tim

Time Flies

2007-09-15T14:03:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine that September is half over? And what have we accomplished? If you are anything like me, MUCHOS! Really! We have been working feverishly to complete the construction drawings for our church, and we have made a lot of decisions and changes along the way. We have done several outreaches and promotional events. We are working on a new logo for our church, as well as the color scheme for the exterior of our new church and garage. I'm taking the time to disciple a few people. We have also been working on building a garage on our new property. Who knew that a garage would take so much work to prepare (I guess it isn't an ordinary garage). We finally finished the Permenant dedication marker on our property (I will take a picture and post it on our website www.firstassemblyedw.org). We are researching and getting bids to purchase a tractor for building and maintaining the property. We bought a used 15 passenger van for hauling materials and people. It was a good deal, but it needed some TLC. And, we are gearing up for a missions convention and a Christmas Program. Getting the MAPS RVers approved is proving to be a challenge (this is something I didn't expect). I am all healed after having some minor surgery and I'm back to working out (a little). All in all I have faith, but I am a little blown away by everything thing. I have bitten off more than I can chew, but at least it tastes good.

Kim is HARD at work with her new teaching job. She is the teacher for an alternative teaching class in Collinsville Middle School. This is her first year and there is a tremendous amount of work to do. Last year's teacher left her with nothing, and it is a fairly new program. But, she is mastering it and doing great (working 80 hours a week does help).

Kassi is back at Evangel University and loving it. It looks like she has this whole year taken care of financially. She is getting approved to study abroad in Costa Rica next semester. We couldn't be more proud of her.

I'm keeping it short this time. Still much more to do. PLEASE be praying for us, our church and our building program. Put Jesus first in everything, work like their is no tomorrow, and spend time with family and friends like you got all day. Then, give God all the glory cause He deserves it.

Pastor Tim

Happy Preacher

2007-07-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

My daughter won a scholarship and she got a promotion at work. My wife had a long waited answer to prayer. I had surgery and it was a breeze. My car broke down, but the warranty covered it. God is GOOD!

LIBERTY WORSHIP CENTER, is our church's new name. It sounded good at first, and I like it more and more every time I say or hear it. It fits what we are doing and who we are becoming. I believe this name is going to serve us well.

We are starting to get down to the fine details of our church building project. Colors and materials on the exterior of the building, type of ceilings, design of the water feature/baptismal tank in the foyer, placement of the solar panels, lay-out of the kitchen, and so forth.

We also have an opportunity to invest in and become part of 2 church plants with Jay Covert in Washington Park, IL. One of the churches will be Hispanic.

My final word for today is, spend time with Jesus and He will give you true happiness, peace and joy.

PT

Update

2007-07-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Time to Update! And there is a lot to tell you about.
First, vacation was Awesome. We took our first cruise to the Caribbean and it was great. The food was good, the ship was awesome, we didn't get sea sick, the places we visited were cool, and generally we had an excellent time. We also spent a week in Titusville, FL, which is where the Kennedy Space Center is. The Space center was really "neat," the ocean was exhilarating, and the down time was peaceful. (Have I used enough adjectives and adverbs yet?) The Kennedy Space Center sits on a wild life preserve and along with other things we saw alligators, Tortoises, and Manatees. The temperature was mild (upper 80's most of the time), and we managed to avoid heat exhaustion and sunburns until the last day. Over 2500 miles later, we are home and happy. It was a wonderful trip.
Second, we, as in our church, finally figured out what our new name was going to be and last we week we voted and approved, Liberty Worship Center. We are calling ourselves "Liberty" because we are free in Christ, and because there is a school near by called Liberty Middle School. And, we are using the term "Center" because we want people to understand that we trying to be more than a "Sunday go to meet'n" church. Our vision is to be a center for ministry and family life. We have big hopes, dreams, and plans. We will phase in the name over a period of about a year and a half.
Third, we just had an awesome and successful Kid's Crusade. Ned and Joan Way did a great job entertaining and teaching the children with illusions, tricks, juggling, and stories. Everything went very well and everyone had a great time.
Fourth, we are taking the next step in our building program. The preliminary drawings phase is complete. It looks like our zoning permit is going to be approved for a garage and church building. So the plans are now going to engineers and and construction draws which will take about 3 months. At this rate we are still hoping to break ground in October.
Fifth, tonight, Sunday, July 15th, we are having a Property Dedication Service. We are meeting at the property (8025 Goshen Rd.) where we will dedicate the property to the Lord with prayer, worship, scripture readings, a permanent marker (a 13 foot cross and planter), and corner pins.
So, as you can see, we are very busy about living and doing the work and will of the Lord. We are having a great time, even though everything isn't running perfectly. We are trusting the Lord to continue to carry us to new heights in Christ as we endeavor to point people to Him.

God bless!!!

Father's Day

2007-06-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

I hope that all you fathers, and the fathers in your life, had a wonderful Father's Day. Kim and Kassi were great, even though Kassi had to go to work at 1pm. :( Being a father is an honor and a privilege with HUGE responsibilities. It is scary to think of the power a father has to affect their children's lives for good or for evil. We can motivate and empower them to become something great, or we can crush their spirit and make them bitter and discouraged.

Thank God for His Spirit and His Word which teaches us and guides us in all our ways. Proverbs 3:5,6 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Don't forget to honor your heavenly Father, especially since it is Sunday.

God Bless!

Progress!

2007-05-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Family,

I'm sorry that it has been so long since I last updated this blogspot. But, none the less, here is what has been going on in my life and the church I pastor.

We are making progress. There is so much to do, but we are plotting along and things are getting done in good time.
1) We are in the middle of our Building Fund Campaign, which we are calling, "Building a Doorway to Our Community." This coming Sunday will mark our third week, culminating on May 20th. We have been sending out a lot of great information and people seem genuinely excited about everything. We already have a $15,000 and $10,000 commitment towards a goal of $150,000.00 over a three year period. Jim Lucatorta, our Campaign Consultant, will be speaking in the service this Sunday, May 6th.
2) The floor plans for the building are being tweaked. We hope to have something to present to the congregation for approval sometime this week. If you haven't seen them, the building looks like a B2 Stealth bomber from an aerial point of view. Presently, it is 16,500 Sq. ft. More can be learned about it on our website; http://www.firstassemblyedw.org/.
3) We should we getting a Master plan to be able to pursue the zoning variance needed to put a church on land zoned agricultural. If everything goes as planned, we hope to break ground in late August or early September.
4) Our parking lot plans have been approved and we are getting estimates to have the job done.
5) We have been pre-approved to get help from the RV ministry of the Assemblies of God. This is a group of retired people who travel around in RVs assisting churches with their building programs. There is the potential of saving the church a huge amount of money in labor costs. This will be needed with what we are going to attempt to build. We still have to do all the paper work to make this happen.
6) We have also been working on what we are calling a single Mother's Celebration. Again, more can be learned about it on our website, but it is basically our attempt to bless 30 single mothers from our area with coupons, savings, and services.
7) We also have a concert this weekend with a fantastic Southern Gospel Group called, Cross 4 Crowns. In addition to this event, we are planning a "Friends Day" on June 10th, and a Children's Crusade on July 12th - 14th.
8) Don't forget Mother's Day this weekend, we haven't.
9) District Council is coming May 21-23. Johan Bester will be speaking on the Wednesday I will be gone in Peoria, IL.
10) Recently, we were blessed by having 4 weeks in which all of our general offering was matched dollar for dollar. We gave $12,300.00, giving us a total of $24,600.00 for one month. PRAISE THE LORD!

Well, that's what's going on in the church. Kassi is coming home for the Summer this Friday. Kim's cough and shoulder are doing better, but she still needs your prayers. I was hoping to get the yard all cleaned up and ready for the warm season, but it is raining all week. I'm not sure if I am upset or happy.

Remember, Jesus is Lord of all, and those who put their trust in Him are never put to shame. (Although, sometimes we put ourselves to shame.) In other words, you will never be sorry if you put your trust in Him. I Love you all!

Pastor Tim, or whatever I am to you.

God is Amazing

2007-02-24T17:29:00.001-08:00

I know, I know! It has been forever since I updated this blog spot. But so much has been happening, I can barely keep up. If it wasn't for a guest speaker tomorrow morning (Rev. Rich and Debbie Crabb) I wouldn't be doing this now. Building committee Meetings, the removal of the church annex, putting in a parking lot, changing the church name, the annual business meeting, putting together 2007's schedule and outreaches, meetings, meetings, meetings.

Beside all this, it looks like we sold our present facility. And we won't have to vacate until we are ready to move into our new facility. Although God has given us a huge amount of money to build with, we are planning a Capital Funds Campaign to raise money to fully equip the new building. We are planning to build a multi-ministry facility that will be available to the community. We (I) are hoping to include a Day Care, meeting rooms for community groups, a large foyer and coffee bar, as well as making the facility a "Green" building (environmentally friendly and efficient).

We are also working on changing our name, but NOT our affiliation with the A/G. We love being A/G. But, we want to create a name that says something about what we do and who we are. We also want to drop the denominational tag, hoping that this will help us have more guests. Most of our guests aren't Assemblies of God folks, and we are trying to reach the unchurched and de-church folks. We want people to give us chance and not eliminate us from their church shopping list before they even know how well we minister and what we have to offer.

I am trying to work on developing a master plan for our church - one that will take us well into the future. It includes plans to hire a Day Care Director/Children's Pastor and open a Day Care. We want bringing on staff a Chi Alpha Director/Youth Pastor, build additional phases to our church "campus," do extensive evangelism, outreach and local missions work, and more.

God is Amazing! If we do what He asks us to do - pray, evangelize, give and walk by faith, (among other things) God does amazing things and allows us to be involved with Him.

Keep the Faith! Tell the world about Jesus! And Give so that God can give back to you.

God is Amazing

2007-02-24T17:29:00.000-08:00

I know, I know! It has been forever since I updated this blog spot. But so much has been happening, I can barely keep up. If it wasn't for a guest speaker tomorrow morning (Rev. Rich and Debbie Crabb) I wouldn't be doing this now. Building committee Meeting, the removal of the church annex, putting in a parking lot, changing the church name, the annual business meeting, putting together 2007's schedule and outreaches, meetings, meetings, meeting.

Beside all this, it looks like we sold our present facility. And we won't have to move until we are ready to move into our new facility. Although God has given us a huge amount of money to build with, we are planning a Capital Funds Campaign to raise money to fully equip the new building. We are planning to build a multi-ministry facility that will be available to the community. We (I) are hoping to include a Day Care, and making the facility a "Green" building (environmentally friendly and efficient).

We are also working on changing our name, but NOT our affiliation with the A/G. We want to create a name that says something about what we do and who we are. We also want to drop the denominational tag, hoping that this will bring in more visitors. Most of our visitors aren't Assemblies of God folks, and we are trying to reach the unchurched and de-church folks.

I am trying to work on developing a master plan for our church - one that will take us well into the future. It includes plans to hire a Day Director/Children's Pastor and opening a Day Care. Bringing on a Chi Alpha Director/Youth Pastor, building additional phases to our church "campus," extensive evangelism, outreach and local missions efforts, and more.

God is Amazing! If we do what He asks us to do - pray, evangelize, give and walk by faith, God does amazing things.

Christmas Notes

2006-12-21T07:24:00.001-08:00

Christmas is almost here. A few more gifts to buy, a few more cards to write, and one more sermon to put together. I stopped and thought that in a few days the Christmas caos will be over, but it kind of has the feeling of being in the eye of a hurricane - We have a week of peace and relaxation, but when we get back - BAMMM! - we hit the road running and at a ferious pace.

But, it's good, and even more importantly, its all for God. This year's Assembly of God annual week of prayer starts January 7 - 13. We are going to do an exciting 40 day walk through the Bible on dramatized CD. Our building committee will be hard at work preparing to break ground, hopefully this summer. We have some concerts planned for this winter and spring. We have a couple of door hanger outreaches planned - Valentines and Easter. We have a Summer Kids Crusade coming in July with a professional group that does Gospel Illusions (magic) and circus type routines. We are going to conduct a building fund campaign because we have big and awesome ideas.

I am serious! If we play our cards right, we are headed for major growth and we will have the ability to reach thousands for Christ. God has given us an upper hand. We can pull back, be conservative and play it "safe" so that we will be like everyone else, or we can leap forward, get radical and walk by faith so that we will be a church on the cutting edge, reaching the multitudes and influencing the masses with the love and message of Jesus Christ. I am convinced with everything that is within me that God is leading us down one exciting path. BUT, we have to be willing to go there and without reservation.

I got to be honest, this is the most excited that I have been in a long time. The potential and opportunities are endless. This is our chance, our window of opportunity from the Lord. God is giving us the opportunity to go forward and do great things for Him. We have the chance to show chruches like Metro Community church how it is done (that isn't to criticize Metro, or to say that their aren't plenty of churches already doing what we are doing). SO! LET'S DO IT!

Pastor Tim

Christmas Notes

2006-12-21T07:24:00.000-08:00

Holidays

2006-12-14T18:53:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been too long since I have made an entry on this blogsite. My daughter finally complained. I'm glad that I know that at least one person is reading this stuff. Ever since the fire - OH - Did I tell you that the church had a fire in the Annex building? Well, it did. And, ever since the fire, I have been buried. Dealing with fires is no fun. Although, I must admit that I didn't have to do the most tedious work.

Since the last entry I made, our church has decided to tear down the Annex and put a parking lot in its place. We also decided to relocate to our new property as soon as we can get everything together and going. So a building committee is being assembled and our first meeting is scheduled for Sunday, December 17th, following the morning service. We are going to have lunch together and then get the wheels of progress turning. Nothing substantial will likely happen until after the holidays are over.

We are doing a study on Eschatology (the study of end times events) on Wednesday nights. So far it has been interesting. Since the study of end times prophecies isn't an exact science (so to speak) I hope to not only cover the traditional views, but the variant views as well. It is more important for us know the scriptures than to be able to espouse some view of them. God will show us at some point what it all means and how it will all unfold, even if it is when it all actually happens. If we know the scriptures, than, which ever way it happens, we will be ready for it.

Our study on Sunday nights is also proving to be exciting and insightful. We are doing a study called, Combating the Darkness. We are doing our best to cover and understand every aspect of the spiritual battle we are in. Our only regret is that we don't have more time.

Well, why write everything today. I'll save something for February (just kidding). If anyone is reading this, email me and encourage me to keep it up at pastortim62@hotmail.com.

God bless!

Friend Day and Fire.

2006-11-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

Sunday, October 22nd, we had a very succesful Friend Day. We had about 40 guests come to worship with us. The people of our church did a wonderful job sprucing up the church and welcoming our friends with love and kindness. Nearly everything we did went well and as planned. We even consumed all but 1 of the 10 dozen donuts we bought and nearly 2 gallons of coffee. All the video, worship and drama went well to create a wonderful time in the Lord with our friends. Our only hope is that everyone was blessed and received something from the Lord. We are also hoping that we will have a few join us on a regular basis.

Now for the fire. We would like to talk about the fire of the Lord falling in our church, but unfortunately it was another kind of fire - our church Annex caught on fire. It didn't burn down, but it did a lot of damage. Pat, a member of the church on the first floor of the Annex got out OK and is fine. Unfortunately, she will likely lose just about everything because of the fire, heat, water or smoke damage. We aren't sure what caused it, but my personal opinion is that it had something to do with electricity. There was no other source of heat that could start a fire where it appears to have originated. The church is having it investigated and appraised for damages by a couple sources. Both Pat and the church had insurance. We are all trusting the Lord that He will work this out for good like He does everything else.

church, continue to be faithful and we will see the glory of the Lord. Thanks for all the prayers and support. God IS doing great and wondrous things. Believe it in spite of what you think you are seeing.

Pastor Tim

Updates and Good News

2006-10-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since my last entry. There has been much to chew on, mull over and pray about this past month. But, a few things are beginning to happen around here.

-As of Wednesday, October 11, 2006, we now own NEW PROPERTY on Goshen Rd. The church board is earnestly praying to know the Lord's will about when we should begin building. (It might be sooner than you think.)
-We finally got our BUS back. Thank God for the Hellrung's letting us use their van. We REALLY appreciate their generocity and faith!
-Tomorrow, October 12th, is PICTURE DAY for First Assembly of God. We are excited about the prospect of having our first Pictorial Directory in over 17 years.
-FRIEND DAY is not far away - Sunday morning, October 22nd. We are anticipating a very powerful and exciting day. Believe with us for a great turn out and that people will be able to see what wonderful things the Lord is doing in our midst. May the Lord encourage us all and give us hope.
-Treasure Hunters LIFE GROUP (young and middle adults) is starting a new study; Combating the Darkness. It is a course designed to help students recognize spiritual attacks and how to appropriately deal to live in victory over them. This should be GOOD!
-Speaking of GOOD. At your request, we have added more of the cake donuts, hot water for hot cocoa and tea during our Sunday pre-service refreshments. This is available for your enjoyment prior to both morning and evening services.
-We have also added VISUAL RESOURCES to improve the communication of announcements and the Gospel. Watch, listen and see what neat and exciting things we are putting to use to make church fun and fruitful.
-The BIBLE QUIZ team, under the Usher's leadership, has their first meet on October 21. Encourage them and pray. We are proud of them.
-HALLOWEEN OUTREACH on Tuesday, Oct 31st. We are working with Rick Jones to sell Cotton Candy and Kettle Corn this year. We will also be giving away Hot Cocoa, Kids comic books and candy as well. Plenty of help will be appreciated.
-In NOVEMBER we have a Gospel Concert with a popular group called the Northmen. And on the first Saturday of DECEMBER we have our annual Christmas banquet.

There is still more to be victorious over and more that the Lord Himself is needing to do for us. Unresolved new bus issues, zoning change on our new property, hiring of a children's pastor to name a few, the need for workers (ministers), and general income finances, to name a few. God is Faithful. The question is; Are you?

Reachin' Out and Love'n It

2006-08-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well, we have had the privilege and opportunity to be involved in 2 outreaches; the DARE Car Show and SIUE. Both events went well and we had a lot of fun meeting a lot of wonderful people. At the Car show we gave away a kid's electric car that they can ride in (a Hummer). We also gave away 1 free oil change at Midas, and 1 at Dobbs Automotive, 2 free car washes at Auto Spa by Walmart, 2 - 25$ gift certificates at Jerry's Tire and Service, as well as 1 free tire rotation and balance from LRE Automotive (we really appreciate the generocity of these businesses). We also sent 200 people who registered, but didn't win a prize, a postcard letting them know that through Jesus Christ everyone can be a winner.
Today we spent 5 hours at SIUE handing out fliers, church pens, cold water bottles, and neoprene can coolers to hundreds of returning students. We also made available Gospel tracts and copies of the Gospel of John. We were one of 3 other churches that participated with 25-30 other businesses. SIUE Students were able to receive a bunch of free stuff including ice cream, t-shirts, fresh baked pretzels, candy, key chains, pens, and much more.
Well, I've made my plans to go to New York on Monday expecting to bring back our new bus. And, we vote on the purchase of new property out on Goshen Rd. on Sunday evening. We also have a huge Back-to-school picnic planned for Saturday, September 2nd, from 11am - 3pm, and a Gospel Concert on Sunday night, September 3rd at 6pm.
Also, we are excited about creating a Pictoral Church Directory by Olin Mills this fall. The photographer will be her on Thursday, October 12th. We will begin scheduling appointments in a couple weeks. Set that date aside and get your family portrait taken by one of the oldest and best companies in the business. Our church hasn't had a directory in 17 years. It will also be available online through a link and a password on our website.
Again, these are exciting days for First A/G. Be sure you get full advantage of it, and get involved. God is blessing us tremendously. He is answering prayers for the church and it's members. People are finding jobs, being healed, getting well, and being used of God in all sorts of ways. The world may appear to be falling apart, and things seem to be getting worse and crazy, but there is no doubt that God is still in control.
One other testimony. A couple months ago we were all very disappointed when another church sent their bus out to Stone Meadows and many of the young people we have been ministering to started going over there. Their church did a lot of special things over the summer and who can blame them for wanting to be a part of it. But, last Wednesday night we sent out our bus like we have been doing for 2 years now, and even though the other church had a bounce house that night and loaded up a full bus, we brought a full load as well. It would appear that with 2 churches going out to Stone Meadows, we are reaching more kids and young people than if only 1 church went.
God is good! Reaching people for Christ is what we are all about, and if our church grows because of it, GREAT!

Pastor Tim

More Exciting Stuff

2006-08-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

August 13th was a pretty exciting weekend, even though everything didn't turn out as expected. Bryan and Krystin Enlow did a wonderful job as candidates for youth and children's pastor, but it just does not appear to be God's will. They are wonderful people that God is going to use in awesome and powerful ways, but it doesn't look like God has plans to use them here. Yet, we are certain that God is going to send someone who will help us minister to and reach children and young people.

We had a great service Sunday morning. Attendance was high, worship was awesome, we took in 13 new members, we had several visitors in both AM and PM service, people were excited about what God is going, and the offering was good as well. The only thing that could have made it better is if someone got saved.

On the flip side, our beloved bus broke down. The bearings on one of the tag axle wheels froze up and actually caused it snap off. Believe it or not, it is still driveable, but not with passengers. The good news is that the people selling us our bus in New York are going to sell us a little better bus for the same price in order to get it to us quicker. It has less miles on it (18,000). God is good!

We are preparing to do 4 outreaches. 1) The D.A.R.E. Car Show this Sunday from 8am - 4pm. 2) A Welcome booth at SIUE for new students on Thursday, 8/24. 3) Back-to-school picnic on September 2nd at Center Grover Park from 11am - 3pm. 4) Gospel Concert on Sunday night, Sept 3rd, with a Group called "Sunday Edition." Its alot to do in such a short amount of time, but we can do all things through Christ who gives us Strength!

I'll write more in few days. Live for Jesus 110%! Its fun and exciting!

Pastor Tim

Going to the Next Level

2006-08-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

We are taking things to the next level in Christ and for His glory. We did the concert with WIBI and it was a great success. Over a thousand people came. People were ministered to by Phil Wickham, WIBI, by our own people with cold water, tracts and free can coolers, and of course, by God. Only God knows for sure what good will come of it all. Jeremiah Beck and I are excited and discussed the possibility of doing this again very soon.

We signed a contract to buy land on Goshen Rd. The congregation will vote to approve it on August 13th. If everything goes well we will close on September 8th, and the property will be ours. Oh, did I mention that we will be paying cash for it.

On August 13th we are also going to be taking in at least a dozen new members. It has been a while since we have done so, but God has been bringing us many wonderful new people. It is exciting to add them to our membership list and include them in our efforts to discern the will of God for our church and ministry.

Also on August 13th, we have invited Bryan Enlow and his wife Krystin to be with us for the day as he candidates for the position of Children and Youth Pastor. They are a young couple excited about full-time ministry and serving the Lord. They will share a few words with us in the morning service and then go downstairs to minister to the children. In the evening they will attend LIFE Groups and spend time with our young people. Following LIFE Groups, Bryan will also be bring us a short message from God's Word. Finally, we will give Bryan and Krystin a chance to answer some questions posed by the congregation at large. If all goes well, we will soon have a Children and Youth Pastor again.

The church has been advertising in the Intelligencer, the Edge, and the Alestle. Have you seen the ads? We also put a deposit on a bus. The heat wave is slowing down our progress to get the bus, but we should have it in a couple weeks.

Well, I pray that you are going through a time of blessing even as we are. If not, let us know and we will pray for you. Either way, take it to the next level in Christ and for His glory!

Pastor Tim

We are Going Forward!

2006-07-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

It looks like we are going to buy a bus out of New York. It's a little bigger than our present bus. It's like new and has very low mileage. We are seriously interviewing a candidate for our children's and youth pastor position. We have taken out several advertisements in the Intelligencer and Alestle. Our tracts and t-shirts have come in (they look great!). We are the sponsor church with WIBI for a concert in Edwardsville's City Park on Friday night, July 28th at 8pm, with Phil Wickham. We have purchased some can insulators with our church info on them to pass out (250 of them). And we are going to reach out at SIUE when the students come back opening day.

We have had a steady flow of new and wonderful people and families visitor our church lately. Although I THANK GOD for this church family and those who regularly attend (they are so wonderful and incredibly important) it is also awesome to ministry and be a blessing to new people as well. And, that is our earnest desire, that we minister the Word of God, and that we are a blessing. We truly want to be used of God to help people and see them find the Lord and be saved.

Kim, Kassi and I are taking a couple of mini-vacations this summer. First, we are going to Branson for 4 days in July. Then we will be going to Wisconsin for a weekend to a Brautigam family reunion (my mother's side of the family). Shortly after that, Kassi heads back to Evangel. It's hard to believe that the summer is almost over and she is leaving again. BUT, life keeps going forward, as it should, and God gets the glory!

So, Pray, especially for Israel right now. Draw close to Jesus. Be prepared, because He could come back sooner than you might think. Be a good witness. Stay cool and hydrated. And, see you in church, ministering and being ministered to.

Pastor Tim

Prospects and Possibilities

2006-07-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

This is the third time that I have tried to make an entry into this blogsite. It seems that I find myself in a miserable place called, the waiting room. Life seems full of prospects and possibilities, yet not much is happening. Hopes, dreams, plans, and ideas are all waiting to become finds and realities.

Fast then slow, up then down, round and round we go - life often feels just like a roller coaster. The problem is that all too often we seem to end up right where we started and all that has happened is we have gotten a little older and we have a few tales to tell. Some how we have to break free from this cycle and race down a new track. Some how we must turn our prospects and possibilities into finds and realities.

So what is holding us back? Fear! It's the fear of getting hurt. Fear of failure. Fear of commitment. Fear of not being accepted, or a dozen other things we are afraid of when it comes from doing something different, something else, something we haven't done before. There is one thing about roller coasters, as fast and wild as they are, they are safe. Unfortuneately, life and ministry isn't always safe. It isn't set on a rails and we aren't strapped and harnessed in. Unless, you give your life to God.

It's a thing of faith and yet often we get to participate in the decisions. God puts us on His all-knowing rails and sets our life whirling through the most incredible thrill ride. In Christ life can be pretty radical and exciting, but we have to be willing to stay on the ride with Him. It may seem like there is nothing holding us in, but that's the way of faith. Also, at times, He seems to give us the choice to go faster, or not. Other times we want to go faster and He slows us down.

Whatever you are going through right now, fast or slow, up or down, don't be afraid. Trust God and turn your prospects in finds. Work, dig and search for the gold (what is important) in your life, God will help you find it. And turn those possibilities, even the long shots, into realities by optimistically going for it by faith, believing in the God of possibilities.

Looking Ahead

2006-06-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

The ministry is about seizing the moment, and planning for the future. Trying to find the balance between the two is often the challenge. We are given numberous opportunities that need quick and decisive action - witnessing , prayer, sales, meetings, and all sorts of things. Other times we need to plan ahead, which involves scheduling, estimating, predicting, and faith - lots of faith. In our fast and ever changing world, looking ahead is like trying to make plans on a roller coaster. It seems that God is the only One who really has any clue about the future, all we can do is pray hard, listen close to what God is saying, and do the best that we can.

We are attempting to make some Christmas plans, SIUE outreach plans for the fall semester, and a church picnic/outreach on the Labor Day weekend, find a new bus and replace our old one, find and purchase land that will put our new church building in a good and visible place, find and hire a childrens/youth pastor that will compliment and blend well with us, and determine the best way to reach our city for Christ with what we have. At the same time, we must still carry on with the day to day and week to week commitments to minister to one another and to those whom God brings our way. To all this I say, "WE CAN DO IT!" WHY? Because its not about us, but about God. We didn't appoint ourselves, but God called and appointed us. And it's not by might, nor by power, but by God's Spirit declares the Lord. AMEN! Listen - follow - obey and let God be God. That's what we are called to do, and we can do just that.

By faith we look ahead, and what do we see? If nothing else, one thing is for sure, we will always see God. We serve the God of the past, present and future. He's here right now and He already where we need to be. He's showing us the way, and He's waiting for us to get there. Look ahead, there's nothing to fear, God is already there.

Updates

2006-06-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I made my last entry. Life has been quite busy. I am glad to say that it has been busy with mostly good things, but busy none the less.

On Wednesday nights the adult class has been going through a teaching series about witnessing. It is called, The Way of the Master, and of course the Master is Jesus. Each night we watch a DVD that lasts approximately 30 minutes or so, and so far the teaching has been nothing short of amazing. Really, there is nothing new being presented. Instead, Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort are presenting and applying the things we already know in such a way that it is convicting, eye opening, and inspiring. After watching lesson 2, the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I thought to my self, "why didn't I see this before?" I guess the title of lesson 2 is very appropriate, Hell's Best Kept Secret. There are 8 lessons in all, and if the next 6 were lost or destroyed I would be completely satified that I got to see and hear just the first 2. They are really that good!

We also made an investment in church T-shirts. Natural colored t-shirts with the message; Putting Jesus 1st @ First Assembly of God, Edwardsville, Illinois. They advertise our website. They will also have our church name on the front left pocket area and our most recent slogan, Blending Tradition With a Contemporary Style. Our hope and desire is that our people will buy these shirts ($6) to help us recuperate some of the cost and then proudly wear them around town to be a witness for the Lord and an advertisement for our church. We will also be using them as prizes and gifts to get as many of them out there as possible.

We have been working on a tract and magazine rack for the foyer. We hope to fill it with free, useful, witnessing items, and literature. We also wish to get rid of the little table some of that stuff is presently displayed on.

The Bridge Builders and Evangelism Committee met this week with a representative from the Intelligencer Newspaper who explained options were for advertising. We are also going to meet with WIBI, FM 91.1, to discuss radio advertising options. We are excited about these opportunities as well. OF COURSE, we must remember that our personal invitations are the best form of advertising for Christianity and for our church. People may see our ads and and want to come, but personal invitations are the most effective.

The church board has also voted to replace, and hopefully upgrade, our church bus. The current bus served its purpose well, but it has been a bit costly to maintain. Pray we find a heavy duty, 24+ passenger diesel bus with a wheel chair lift, made after the year 2000 and close to Edwardsville. They are a little harder to find than you might think.

Finally, our hearts are made heavy with the passing away of Sister Charmane Barnell. A couple of years ago she was diagnosed with brain cancer and fought hard, but could not beat it. It is hard to understand these things sometimes, but we must continue to believe that God loves us, and that He truly is in charge. Surely, He has His reasons for not healing her of this disease while she lived on the earth. Surely, if it was best, He would have done it. But, in His infinite, all-knowing wisdom, God let her go to heaven. Our prayers are with Mike and children.

Pastor Tim

Life is FULL of Good and Bad

2006-06-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we had 17 teenagers in youth group, THAT'S GOOD. But we didn't have any of our Missionettes come. This past Wednesday was the third Wednesday since school let out and the bus has been as full as ever. In fact, last Wednesday we had 6 new kids come to church, taking our bus list to over 45, that's also very good!

But, now for something really bad. A brother and sister who come to church on the bus lost their mother. Apparently she had a seizure while in a hot tub. She was found Thursday morning. The children were staying with their father and grandmother. Our hearts are broken for them and we are praying that the peace of God will come upon them, and that the comfort of the Holy Spirit will strengthen them.

God created a perfect world, but sin has corrupted it and caused all sorts of painful things to deal with. But, God has not forsaken us. Rather, He did what He could to fix the problem by sending His one and only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. His death was the price paid for our redemption that we might be forgiven. If we will receive Him into our heart and life, He will forgive our sins, make us new, restore our relationship with God, give us His Holy Spirit to teach us and be with us, and He will work in us to make us perfect us. Finally, when our bodies ultimately die, we will go to live with Him forever. WOW!

This life will always be FULL of good and bad, but God has done something about it. He is the answer. He truly is the Way, the Truth, the the Life! He comes to give us life, and life to the fullest, in spite of the bad. If you haven't done it already, give Jesus your heart and life and see what is to belong to Him.

Pastor Tim

Global Day of Prayer - June 4, 2006

2006-06-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday evening we participated with the Global day of prayer via the internet. We were able to connect the Dallas venue and project it on to our big screen through the projector. Even though the temptation is to participate like someone watching a TV show, our congregation seemed to be able to enter right in. There was a definite connection through the Holy Spirit that made a feel like we were one with what they were doing.

What's more, the prayer meeting lasted for 3 hours, 7 - 10 pm and it wasn't too much. They mixed it up with praise, worship, group prayer, individual led prayer, sermonettes, and a couple video reports. They also had a up and down in our seat alot which helped prevent us from getting sleepy.

I felt that there were times when the power of the Spirit was as powerful as any time I have experienced. More than once I almost fell to the floor under the anointing. Tears, shouts, and uncontainable joy flowed from my spirit to my lips.

I was very glad that we set this up and look forward to doing it again next year.

Pastor Tim

I Had a Dream Last Thursday Night

2006-06-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

The God of New Beginnings - Pastor Tim Broihier

Those of you who know me know that I believe in all the things of the Spirit and the supernatural as much as anyone. But, I’m not one who is prone to believe just anything. I believe that if it’s God we will know it, undeniably. Of course, there are plenty of people out there who will deny anything that has to do with God, and I’m not one of those either. But, last Thursday night, I had a dream that I believe was from the Lord. First, I’m not aware of most of my dreams. When I am aware that I’ve had a dream, I seldom ever remember them, but I remember this one very clearly. Second, the dreams I do remember never make any sense, but this dream seemed to make perfect sense the moment I woke up.

I walked out into a field behind some houses and was standing on something like platform that was level with the ground. It was made of natural and man made materials. Part of it looked like the old red carpeting that used to be in our church sanctuary, and the rest of it was old, rotten wood and dirt, which was moldy and slimy. It seemed to be covering up some sort of partially dried up swamp or tar pit. While I was standing there it began to buckle, shake, and bubble under my feet, so I moved off of it, and as I did it began to slide down the side of a small hill and sink out of sight. Once it was gone I noticed that the fields all around me were covered with ripened, golden, wheat and the wind was blowing the wheat so that it was swaying back and forth. Suddenly, the wind and the wheat began to blow in my direction. It came up the hill where I was standing and when it passed over me I fell to the ground under the Spirit’s power. I laid there for what seemed like only a short time. When I got up I saw what looked like video screens of worshippers to my left and to my right, and there before me was an altar with fire on it, the kind of fire that covered the burning bush of Moses. Others also started gathering around in awe of what they were seeing and I said several times, “I didn’t start the fire, God did.” So we lifted our hands and voices in worship, and as I looked around I saw that we were standing in a large unfinished sanctuary (you could still see the seams and mud on the unpainted sheetrock walls) and the presence of God filled that place.

When I woke from that dream I felt like God was saying that He was breaking up the foul ground from under our feet. The things of the past that have been holding us back are soon passing away. God is renewing us and our ministry. The harvest is ripe and through the power of the Spirit God is going to bring it in, even through us. There is coming an anointing upon this church that God Himself will start and we shall see a harvest of souls for His glory. Surely, God isn’t finished with us yet. In fact, it might be said, God’s just beginning with us, AGAIN. Praise the God of New Beginnings!

Picnic

2006-05-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

The church picnic went well! Lots of food, good music, kids everywhere, and even though it was hot it wasn't too bad. I want to thank everyone who pitched in and helped. I could make a long list, but you know who you are, God knows and so do I. You will be rewarded, this is my prayer.

It was also good to see some of our new families at the picnic. You all are awesome and we are SO glad to have you with us.

Hey, we got the property money transfered to our investment account where it is now beginning to earn us interest. COOL!!!

Don't forget that we're;
The Church that‘s: Going Places!
Doing Things! Start Believing it!
Glorifying God!

Pastor Tim

News Letter Post

2006-05-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks,
I wanted to be sure you were fully informed about our most recent events. So, here it is:
Annual Church Picnic – This SUNDAY May 28th, 4 – 7 pm, HERE at the
church. The Church will provide the meat and drinks, and you all can bring
the fix’ns. Please park in the alternate lots. Food, fellowship, games, music,
bounce house for the kids, and more.
Global Day of Prayer – Here at the church, next Sunday night after LIFE
Groups, starting at 7pm. We will have a live feed on the big screen from the
Dallas venue to lead us.
A New Wednesday Night Study – Witnessing – The Way of the Master.
Starting June 14th through August 9th. We will go back and finish our book
studies (the books of the prophets) when we are finished.
Corporate Prayer Meeting – Every first & third Monday of the month,
7 – 8pm.

God Bless You!

Finally!

2006-05-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened. We closed on the sale of the property the church owned out on Hwy 157. It took 2 years, and a lot of uncertainty whether it was really going to happen or not, but finally it did. The money is in the bank waiting to clear so that we can transfer it to our investment account.

Several fun and exciting things will now begin to happen;
1. We will begin to look for a Youth and Children's pastor.
2. We will begin to get aggressive with advertizing, evangelism and outreach. Already we have purchased 1000 invitation cards for our people to hand out to everyone they meet. Bumper (window) stickers should be available for your car before long. We are starting a Care Card Outreach Ministry. And many other plans projects are in motion.
3. We will schedule a FANTASTIC Kids Crusade for late September.
4. We will also be looking to bless some missionaries and support some other projects.
5. We are going to begin the first stages of a building project. We are presently searching for property. We made one unoffical offer and 1 official offer, but no success yet, and are continuing to look. We estimate that the planning stages for building will take at least 2 years before we break ground.
6. And, we will continue to bring in some great musical groups and ministries on Sunday nights.

Anyway! There will probably be more, but things should be getting pretty fun and exciting around here.

God Bless!!!!

Pastor Tim

Blogging - Who would have ever thought.

2006-05-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hey, I have just opened a blog account - who would ever thought. But, this sounds interesting. I guess this is like a journal others can read. I can see some interesting uses, but only if people go to it and use it.

I don't know. We shall see!

Pastor Tim, Tim, and Dad