Ken Winter
An Unlikely Witness

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The hour had come. It was very late. Jesus had led the disciples to a garden called Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives so He could pray … and they could pray with Him. Well, He had led almost all His disciples. Earlier that night, Judas had abruptly gone out from the upper room while Jesus was still speaking … apparently sent on an errand by the Master. There had been no sign of him since then.

They had all feasted well—perhaps too well—on the delicious Seder meal they had eaten earlier. Throughout the meal and the hours that followed, Jesus had taught them a lot! It was almost as if He was endeavoring to prepare them something … but they weren’t quite sure what that was. They were tired from listening and from trying to make sense of what He had said. So when they sat down on the luscious green grass in the garden in the stillness of the night, their bodies gave in to their need for rest. One by one they fell asleep.

The disciples were unaware that a teenage boy had secretly followed them to the garden and was hiding in the bushes. Here is his account of the night….

An Unlikely Witness
Ken Winter
A Covenant Renewed

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Does it seem like God is directing you to do something at a time which you believe is most inopportune? Has that still, small voice (the Holy Spirit within you) directed you to do something now that is contrary to what your conventional wisdom is telling you to do?

For thirty-eight of the forty years the Israelites spent in the wilderness, no Israelite male was circumcised.And yet, 470 years earlier, God had entered into a covenant with Abraham and his descendants saying, “I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan …  to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God…. Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised.”(1) God had given a promise to that first generation of Israelites and had entered into a covenant with them. Their part of the covenant was to obey the terms and seal it through the circumcision of every Israelite male.

A Covenant Renewed
Ken Winter
On To Our Paran

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After having camped at Mount Sinai for almost a year, the cloud lifted and the Israelites set out on their three-day journey to the wilderness of Paran.(1) (You may recall that the wilderness of Paran is where Hagar and Ishmael found refuge when Sarah had Abraham send them away.(2)) The wilderness of Paran was bounded to the north by southern Canaan, otherwise known as the Promised Land. They were in the fourteenth month of their exodus from Egypt and they were now closing in on the prize that was before them – the Promised Land!

On To Our Paran
Ken Winter
Bread That Is Sufficient

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The day God provided a ram to be sacrificed in the place of his son Isaac, Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh, meaning “The Lord will provide.”(1) That day was to be a reminder to all generations that the Lord will provide. He will be faithful to provide just what is needed at the exact time it is needed. He is seldom early; but He is never late! He seldom provides in the manner we anticipate; but He always provides in a way that is sufficient. That was true for Abraham and Isaac, it was true for Moses and the Israelites, and it is true for us today.

God promised Moses and the Israelites that each morning He would provide bread that would be sufficient for every person for the day – everyone would have their fill.(2) After the people had gotten over the shock that this “white, flaky stuff” was God’s bread for them, they set about the process of gathering what was needed for their household. God’s provision, though “packaged” in a very unexpected way, came with very specific instructions.

Bread That Is Sufficient
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

Trustworthy

The One Who Stays

The One Who Stays

Today you will KNOW that the Great I AM is the One who stays! Wherever you are standing … whatever you are walking through … and whatever you are facing in the path ahead … you will KNOW!

If there has been any question or doubt that God is with you, today that will be settled – once and for all! Today your “hope” will no longer be a “wish”; it will become a confident assurance. It will no longer simply be a longing or desire; it will become the source of your longing and desire. Today your “faith” will no longer be based upon sincere intention; it will be founded on immutable truth. Your faith will no longer be based on an idea or an ideal; it will be firmly planted in the Person of the Almighty God….

Cornerstone

Cornerstone

In the midst of everything that is going on around us, the song “Cornerstone” (lyrics below) has been playing over and over again in my head. In the midst of all of the upheaval, the song is a testimony to the assurance and hope we can have in the One who is our true Cornerstone.

For millennia, architects and builders knew the importance of the cornerstone. It was the first and most important stone to be set in place. It was the rock upon which the weight of the entire structure rested. It oriented the building and marked the starting point of its specific direction. It served as a declaration of ownership, an inscription of purpose and a reminder of its beginnings. In short, without the cornerstone the structure would lack integrity, definition, and clarity of purpose.

The architects and founders of our nation also understood the importance of the cornerstone. In the wake of last week’s events, we were reminded that the assault on the U. S. Capitol was in many ways part of a larger assault on the cornerstone of our democracy – the U. S. Constitution. It embodies the fundamental laws and principles by which the United States exists and is governed. It declares our common purpose and pledge. In short, our founding fathers knew that without it our nation would devolve into anarchy and chaos in the absence of those foundational laws to protect liberty and justice.

But we would do well to remember that there is a cornerstone that surpasses all others….

Trustworthy

Trustworthy

From the very beginning, God has chosen to work through ordinary men and women to accomplish His work. There is a quality that is glaringly consistent among all of them. It’s not that they were the smartest, or the strongest, or the richest, or even the bravest. They weren’t all the best educated, or the best looking, or the best positioned, or even the best equipped. They weren’t the most well-spoken, the most experienced, the most creative, or even the most athletic. It wasn’t their talent that set them apart. It wasn’t their achievements or their pedigree. Each of them may have had one or two of these traits, but there is only one characteristic that was true for each and every one. God looked on their hearts and saw that they were trustworthy.

They were by no means perfect. As a matter of fact, every one of them was flawed. Noah was known to drink too much. Abraham was known to lie whenever he thought it was to his advantage. Jacob was a deceiver. Moses had a bad temper. David committed adultery and even murder. Solomon was blinded by pride. Isaiah had a foul mouth. Peter denied his Lord. And Paul refused to extend grace when he should have….

Hallelujah Rising

Hallelujah Rising

Hallelujah! God be praised! As you read those words, what do they evoke within you? Yes, they are words of praise and worship spoken – or shouted – most often in gratitude to an Almighty God for what He has just done. And whatever it was, it more than likely bordered on the miraculous! What experience … or memory … or story immediately comes to your mind as you repeat those words? Was it the report that your test results came back and the tumor is gone? Or there’s no sign of cancer? Or the surgery was successful? Perhaps, it was that you had just been accepted into the school or program you applied for. Or you got the job … you so earnestly wanted … or so desperately needed. Hallelujah! God be praised!

Tied for number one on my list would have to be ….

Still i will trust You

Still i will trust You

Following Jesus doesn’t mean we won’t go through storms – just ask the disciples! They learned that storms are a part of the journey. But they eventually learned they could still trust Him – even in the midst of storms. It was true for them, and it’s true for us.

The majority of the disciples had grown up as fishermen and had sailed on the Sea of Galilee for most of their lives. They had often sailed to the other side. More than likely, they had even experienced their share of storms while they were on the sea. So when Jesus told them to get into the boat and cross to the other side that night, it was probably “business as usual” for this sea-worthy group.(1)

But the storm that night was apparently beyond anything they had ever experienced. They thought they were going to die! But instead, Jesus used the storm to teach them four truths that night – truths they could hold onto in the midst of any storm. And they are truths we can hold onto – in the midst of COVID-19 – or any other storm we encounter….

I Will Sing Because I Trust You

I Will Sing Because I Trust You

Increasingly each day, our attention is being seized by the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) around the globe. It is impacting how we travel, how we shop, how we meet, and even how we worship. Travelers are being detained and sequestered. Travel that had not yet begun is being cancelled. Cities are deploying the National Guard to establish containment areas. Financial markets are experiencing some of the most turbulent swings in history. Toilet paper has seemingly become a precious commodity. Large meetings are being cancelled. And churches are adjusting how they observe the Lord’s Supper. As few as sixty days ago, no one could have anticipated all of this. Yet it is impacting almost every facet of our lives – and there is currently no end in sight.

i can’t help but draw a parallel to the people of Israel as they camped on the shore of the Red Sea. They had just learned that the Egyptian army was rapidly approaching to capture and destroy them from one side and the sea was blocking their escape on the other. Panic and fear had set in. There seemed to be nowhere to turn.

Right then Moses announced to them, “Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the LORD rescue you”….

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