Ken Winter
Chosen to Serve

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There is no such thing as a perfect church. That statement does not come as a shock to any of us, whether we are a part of a church … or not. However, i do believe that those of us inside the church often tend to want everyone to believe we have it all together. We have a tendency to hide the “real me” behind a mask and cover up the things, the hurts, the doubts, and the imperfections that we don’t want anyone else to see. (It’s similar to the way most of us – believers and non-believers alike – tend to portray ourselves on social media.)

i also believe that those outside the church often project that false impression – that we think we’re perfect – upon the church, and enjoy highlighting the downfall of those within the church when they fall.

No, the church isn’t perfect, but then again, it never has been! But we endeavor to worship, follow, and follow the example of the only One who is and ever was perfect.

Chosen to Serve
Ken Winter
Perilous Times

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We live in a day filled with upheaval, confusion, and uncertainty. It therefore comes as no surprise that the rates of depression, anxiety, and fearfulness about the future continue to reach new highs  among adults in the U. S. according to a Gallup poll published in May 2023.(1) But as followers of Christ, we can take heart that the perilous times in which we find ourselves are also indicative of the days to come that Jesus described two thousand years ago. We can embrace the hope we have through the promises and assurance He gave to His disciples—and through them, to us.

Jesus was sitting on the slopes of the Mount of Olives with His disciples telling them about the perilous times that would signal the end of the age and His return.(2) The disciples, in turn, asked Him three questions:

1.    When will all this happen?

2.    What sign will signal Your return?

3.    What sign will signal the end of the world?

Perilous Times
Ken Winter
His Face Was Set

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The New King James translation of Luke 9:51 says “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Jesus to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” The timeframe of this particular journey recorded in Luke 9 was well over a year before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. He still had much yet to do, messages yet to preach, and miracles yet to perform. But in this verse, Luke is reminding us that Jesus never lost sight of why the Father had sent Him. No matter what was on His “to do list,” His face was always set, His eye was always focused, and His stride never wavered from His ultimate purpose.

Sometimes, as we remember the events of Holy Week, we can fall into a trap of thinking that Jesus’s crucifixion was the result of Judas’s betrayal, the Sanhedrin’s envy and hatred, Pilate’s spinelessness, and the soldiers’ cruelty. We can be lulled into thinking His death was involuntary. And salvation was the result of God taking something that the enemy meant for evil and using it for His glory and our good.

His Face Was Set
Ken Winter
Thomas (A Story of Guilt and Shame)

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NOTE: This week, just like last week, as we prepare for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, i want us to look at the events leading up to those days through the eyes of the second of two of Jesus’s disciples. But in so doing, i want us to see how the sin they both harbored in their hearts kept them from seeing the truth of God in those events.

Too often, the sin we harbor in our hearts keeps us from seeing God’s truth. Instead of confessing our sin, we justify it, and thus we fall headlong down the slippery slope. This week let’s see if we can learn from the second of the two men who despite his personal walk with Jesus became blinded to truth. And let’s see if we can learn from him.

Though elements of the story you are about to read are fictionalized, the ultimate truth it reveals is very real!

Thomas (A Story of Guilt and Shame)
Ken Winter
Judas Iscariot (A Story of Selfish Ambition)

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NOTE: This week and next, as we prepare for Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, i want us to look at the events leading up to those days through the eyes of two of Jesus’s disciples. But in so doing, i want us to see how the sin they both harbored in their hearts kept them from seeing the truth of God in those events.

Too often, the sin we harbor in our hearts keeps us from seeing God’s truth. Instead of confessing our sin, we justify it, and thus we fall headlong down the slippery slope. Let’s see if we can learn from two men who despite their personal walk with Jesus became blinded to truth. And let’s see if we can learn from them.

Though elements of the story you are about to read are fictionalized, the ultimate truth it reveals is very real!

Judas Iscariot (A Story of Selfish Ambition)

Following Jesus

His Face Was Set

His Face Was Set

If you would prefer to listen to this post as a podcast, CLICK HERE.

* * * * *

The New King James translation of Luke 9:51 says “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Jesus to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” The timeframe of this particular journey recorded in Luke 9 was well over a year before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday. He still had much yet to do, messages yet to preach, and miracles yet to perform. But in this verse, Luke is reminding us that Jesus never lost sight of why the Father had sent Him. No matter what was on His “to do list,” His face was always set, His eye was always focused, and His stride never wavered from His ultimate purpose.

Sometimes, as we remember the events of Holy Week, we can fall into a trap of thinking that Jesus’s crucifixion was the result of Judas’s betrayal, the Sanhedrin’s envy and hatred, Pilate’s spinelessness, and the soldiers’ cruelty. We can be lulled into thinking His death was involuntary. And salvation was the result of God taking something that the enemy meant for evil and using it for His glory and our good.

The Choice Is Ours

The Choice Is Ours

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We are a people who thrive on choices, and in our culture of consumerism and self-gratification, there is no shortage of choices. Though the breadth and variety of those choices has broadened throughout the years, it’s not a new concept. The ability to choose dates back to the Garden of Eden. It is an integral part of who we are as God’s creation. Our Creator gave us the ability and capacity to choose. But as our Creator, He knew our frame. He knew He needed to give us guardrails to help us make the right choices. But the downside of our ability to choose was – and is – our capacity to choose to function outside of those guardrails and make wrong choices. So it was in the Garden … so it is today … and so it was for the people of Israel as they made their way to the Promised Land.

Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense

Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense

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During the three years the apostle Peter walked with Jesus throughout Galilee and Judea, the Lord often told him to “Follow Me.” And that’s what Peter did – he kept his eyes on Jesus and followed Him – through storms, through the many encounters with people experiencing overwhelming needs, and even through his extended times away from his family. Time and again he saw Jesus do the miraculous, the completely unexpected, and from an earthly perspective, the unexplainable. But, through it all, he had confidence … because Jesus was right there with him leading each and every step of the way.

Then the time came when Jesus was arrested and crucified, and for two days Peter and the rest of the Savior’s followers didn’t know what to do. Their world had been shaken. The One they had learned to trust and look to was no longer there with them. And even though Jesus had told them what was going to happen, it still didn’t make sense to them. All they could feel was fear, loss … and shame.

Jesus Is Missing!

Jesus Is Missing!

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Have you ever been so caught up in what was going on in your life that you failed to keep your eyes on Jesus? And when you did come around to looking for Him it seemed like He was missing? If so, there are some lessons to be learned from Mary and Joseph.

Other than the advent of Jesus as a baby, there is only one other event pertaining to His first thirty years on this earth that is recorded in Scripture. As we look at that event, let’s be mindful that Jesus came and journeyed on this earth so that we might know how to live (His life and ministry), we might be able to live (His crucifixion), and we might be empowered to live (His resurrection). The truth of what took place on this specific journey goes a long way toward teaching us how to live in our life journey. As such, we will look at this event through the eyes of Jesus’s traveling companions….

A Journey Home

A Journey Home

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Have you ever been rejected by the very people you thought would stand by you no matter what? If so, you’re in good company!

Nazareth was Jesus’s hometown. He lived the majority of His life in that small village. Like most small towns, everyone knew everyone – and everyone most definitely knew Jesus! They had watched Him grow up. They had seen Him always treat His parents with love and respect. They had seen Him as a caring big brother to His half-brothers and half-sisters. In recent years, since the death of Joseph, they had seen Him care for His mother, as the head of His family. As a capable carpenter, He had probably performed carpentry work for many of His neighbors. He was a good son, a good brother, and a good neighbor….

Fully Devoted To Whom?

Fully Devoted To Whom?

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Imagine what that day was like. In Acts 2 we read that three thousand believed, repented and were baptized.(1) They comprised the very first church – “The First Church of Jerusalem”. And after that – the Lord added to their fellowship daily. Let’s take a few minutes and look back at that first church.

All the believers devoted themselves….(2) The word “devoted” means “given over to”, “ardently enthusiastic and loyal”, and “placing the needs of the object of your devotion over your own”. We often refer to sports fans as being devoted….

Peace Be With You

Peace Be With You

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Do you find yourself in the midst of a situation that looks bleak? Are you at a place facing the unknown where you have more questions than answers? Is your situation causing you to be anxious or fearful? If so, you have a lot in common with Jesus’s closest followers.

This was the first time that all of them, with the exception of Thomas (whose absence is a curiosity), were back together since the night of His arrest.(1) They had secretly gathered, and the door to the room was locked. It was risky for them to be together in one place. They were still fearful that they might all be arrested at any moment and punished … or worse. But they had secretly gathered because a few of their number were sharing the most extraordinary news. The room was abuzz!

Jesus Doesn’t Do Random

Jesus Doesn’t Do Random

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As the twelve disciples walked with Jesus, they followed Him from one experience to the next. Jesus taught them through each one, and His next teaching always built on the previous one. Some of those teachings occurred in the midst of some pretty harrowing experiences. For example, the disciples learned in the midst of a frightening storm that Jesus could still the winds and calm the waves simply by speaking a word. Matthew records in his Gospel that the disciples were amazed. Mark writes they were absolutely terrified. Luke, ever the one to include all the details, says they were amazed AND terrified. i think all three of them in this instance had the gift of understatement. The disciples were freaked out!

They also had already seen Jesus heal the sick on multiple occasions….

3 Things You Never Want To Hear Jesus Say

3 Things You Never Want To Hear Jesus Say

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Most often when we think of Jesus, we think of Him as our Loving Savior. He and the Father loved us so much that Jesus came to this earth to pay the penalty for our sin. Jesus, Himself, said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”(1) He was not only pronouncing His love for us; He was calling us His friends.

We also often think of Jesus as the Gentle Servant, who lived humbly and served selflessly. But we water down the Gospel when we fail to recognize Him as the Righteous Judge. Though we see Him most often in the Gospels as the Loving Savior, we see Him upon His return in the Book of Revelation as the Righteous Judge. And just as He, as our Savior, has extended His salvation to each and every one of us – each and every one of us will stand before Him as our Judge….

The Forgotten Disciples

The Forgotten Disciples

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If someone was to ask you to name the twelve disciples who followed Jesus, how far could you get on the list? Many of us could think of Simon Peter, the outspoken fisherman who denied Jesus. Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus, would also probably come to mind in light of his treacherous act. We may think of Matthew and John, since they both wrote a Gospel account. (And, no, just in case you were wondering, the other two Gospel writers, Mark and Luke, were not two of the disciples.) The other two names that might come to mind may be Andrew, the one who introduced his brother, Simon Peter, to Jesus and James, the brother of John.

If you named those six, you get to advance to the head of the class, because you have named more than most of the rest of us. But there are six more men on the list, whose names are more difficult to recall. Since little was written about them, their names tend to fade into obscurity in our memories….

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