LIFEGROUPS

It is the vision of the leadership to see everyone in a LifeGroup at LPC. These can, and do, meet at various times throughout the week. For example; Sunday evening at 7:00P.M., Brenda is hosting a Roman's Study (all welcome). On Tuesday afternoon there is a 50 + LifeGroup called (Witt and Wisdom). On Wednesday nights there is our PRAYER GROUP that meets to pray and everyone is welcome to come. There is also a book club LifeGroup that meets monthly. We will be adding other groups 2010 as we have people to lead and topics to study. We are offering LIFEGROUPS for SUNDAY AM again. Most of the Sunday AM LifeGroups from the 2009 fall session are now completed and we are beginning new ones this Sunday (or in the next few weeks). Please plan to join one if you are not in one at this time.

They as follows;

1) Neil Gillis’ LifeGroup: A general study of Bible open to everyone. Meets in the large main floor class room

2) Youth and Children’s LifeGroups: For all ages from preschool to grade 8…Come... you are welcome!!

3) Kay Arthur Bible Study on Ruth called "Kinsman Redeemer"; Marj Barron leading. NOTE: BEGINS SUNDAY

4) Men's study "Man In The Mirror" – lead by Dave C. and Lorne S. Beginning mid February at this time.

5) Video Study "If You Want To Walk On Water You Have To Get Out Of The Boat." Sharon Cunningham leading BEGINS SUNDAY!

6) Prayer team: An intercessory prayer group open to all meets in the pastor's Office. COME PRAY...

Take a min...

I was reading a website this morning and they posted this blog asking the reader to take a min and answer these questions. So I did and was blessed in the process... take a min and do the same...


Outside my window.... The beautiful frosty trees

I am thinking... about prayer and praying

I am thankful for... The people who serve so tirelessly here at work.

I am creating.... the upcoming annual meeting booklet. whewww

I am going.... to the hockey game tonight. I hope there is someone to sit with...

I am reading.... The book of common prayer Canada... lent to me by Janice Attfield. Much to think on. I am amazed at how much time and much effort people have put into bringing about strict regulations for churches to follow... wow

I am hoping..... the God will move mighty by his Spirit in His people in 2010 and that many will come to Christ

I am hearing... the sounds of children playing in LifeLand... what a great place for kids and parents to connect.

One of my favorite things... Walking with Rachelle in the mountains...
-PK

THANK YOU!!!

Pray for your Pastor

As we approach a week of prayer next week, I found this article on how to pray for your pastor. It can be found on the United Pentecostal Church International, website.

Could I ask that you read it and pray for me?
Pastor Kevin

How to Pray for Your Pastor

Behind every great leader, there is someone who is willing to sacrifice for him. This is true of the heroes of the Bible; it is just as true of today’s pastors. They need people who will intercede for them in powerful, consistent, specific prayer. An intercessor is someone who bears another’s burdens. When Moses’ hands were tired, Aaron and Hur interceded by holding up his hands, and the battle was won (Exodus 17:8-13). Likewise, we can hold up the hands of our pastors through prayer and see God win the battle in our churches and cities! Jesus called three of His disciples to go with Him into one of His brightest hours and one of His darkest hours. Each time the assignment was the same: to pray for Him. Because they were willing to pray, they had the opportunity to minister to the One who ministered to so many others. They saw Him during His struggle and they saw Him in His glory. If Jesus needed men to pray for Him, how much does your pastor want and need your prayers? If the truth were known, the hearts of pastors all over the world are echoing the cry of the apostle Paul: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:18-20).

There are three reasons why you should pray for your pastor:

#1 Love: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). When you pray for your pastor, you are helping him bear the burden of the ministry. You are showing your love for him, and thereby obeying the greatest commandment—the law of love.

#2 Humility: Intercessory prayer focuses on his needs. This kind of prayer will break the chains of pride that keep so many people from becoming what they could be in God. You will be submitting yourself to him in the true biblical sense, which produces tremendous power.

#3 Unity: Praying for your pastor—his personal and ministerial needs—will bind your heart together with his. As you promote the work of the kingdom and unite with your pastor in his vision for your church and city, you will become a vessel for the Spirit to move through. It was this kind of unity that preceded the first revival of the New Testament church—the Day of Pentecost. The burden of today’s ministers is a heavy one. But you can help your pastor fulfill his God-given call through intercessory prayer. The greatest gift you can give your pastor is prayer.

Personal Prayer Needs Humility: Pray that your pastor would walk humbly with His God, seeking His will and direction in all things (Micah 6:8). Pray that his heart would be strong in the midst of trials and accusation and that he would commit himself into the hands of Him who judges righteously (I Peter 2:23). Pray that he would learn and grow through every circumstance and that he would give God glory for every victory. Pray that he would give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.

Relationships: Personal contact is a powerful force in our lives, either for good or for evil (I Corinthians 15:33). Pray that your pastor would not be corrupted by the necessary contact with a sinful world and that his heart would withstand the influences of his wordly acquaintances. More importantly, pray that he would influence every person he meets for good and that he would be a shining witness in his personal life for the Lord Jesus Christ. Especially pray for peace in his dealings with people—his family, friends, business associates, and church members, for disharmony can produce a great deal of unnecessary stress.

Balance: “If you go too far to one extreme or the other, you’ll wind up in a ditch.” Pray that your pastor would maintain a steady, consistent walk, and that he would not be swayed by dangerous extremes. Pray that his course would be steadfast and unwavering. Pray that his character would combine the strength and gentleness of the Lord—the Lion and the Lamb.

Family Prayer Needs Relationships: A pastor’s family is usually overworked, under-appreciated, and misunderstood. There is a lot of pressure in being the family of a full-time minister. Late night phone calls, early morning trips to the airport, staying all night with a sick church member—all of these take a toll on a family. Pray for the peace of God to cover and protect the fabric of your pastor’s family. Pray that God’s anointing would ease the friction and produce a loving atmosphere. Pray that your pastor would be a godly leader of his home, giving his family the love and attention they need to grow. Pray that your pastor’s income would meet the needs and realistic desires of his family.

Protection: Satan has targeted your pastor, and that means his family is under the gun. The enemy will try to get at him through his family. Pray a covering of God’s protection over the family of your pastor. Pray against negative pressures and distractions. Pray that as your pastor abides in the presence of God that no destructive force would touch his home and that God’s angels would keep his family (Psalm 91:9-11).

Spiritual Prayer Needs Power: Pray that your pastor would be energized by the Holy Ghost for his daily pastorial duties. Pastoring means so much more than preaching, and your pastor needs spiritual vitality to help meet the needs of others day in and day out. Bless him with all the strength and power that he needs. Pray that he would be strong in the Lord and the power of His might and that he would be prepared to do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13).

Holiness: Pray for a hedge of purity around your pastor. Cover his eyes, his mind, his steps, and his heart with holiness that he would not fall into temptation or the snares of the devil. Pray for his words to be seasoned with grace and for his mind to be stayed on the Lord. Pray that he would be well pleasing in all things to God.

Accountability: God’s ministers must be accountable. Many of the attacks of the enemy can be warded off or avoided completely if the man of God is protected by being transparent with another strong man of God. Pray that God would bring such a man into your pastor’s life and that God would continue to cultivate that relationship. Pray that your pastor will remain open to such a friendship.

Warfare: Jesus said, “Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered” (Mark 14:27). Satan knows that if he can bring down the man of God, the work of God will be severely hindered in your city. Pray the armor of God over your pastor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Quote Scriptures for his protection (Psalm 91; Luke 19:10; etc.). Pray that no weapon formed against him would prosper (Isaiah 54:17), that he would not be ignorant of the enemy’s devices, and that the enemy would not gain advantage over him (II Corinthians 2:11).

Leadership and Church Work Prayer Needs In the City: Pray that God’s people would be called forth from every corner of the city and even from without the city and be gathered together to your pastor. Pray that every one that God has ordained to ministry will come and submit themselves to him (Psalm 18:44). Pray that he would be anointed to be a leader in your community.

Pulpit Ministry: Pray for God’s anointing to rest heavily upon your pastor and that God would be prepare him for that anointing. Pray that the Word of God would come alive as he preaches. Pray for a burning conviction to grip the hearts of everyone—saint and sinner alike—that is not right with God. Pray that his study of preparation time would be protected so that he can receive from God the message He has for your church. Pray that his preaching would magnify Christ in all things and that as Christ is lifted up He would draw all men unto Himself.

Vision: Pray that your pastor would receive God’s direction and vision for your church. Pray that he would be sensitive to the needs of the congregation as he leads and that he would feed the flock that which they need of.

Counseling: Pray that God’s wisdom would flow through your pastor as he deals with the problems of people. Pray that he would be protected from the pressure of sinful, negative, and antagonistic spirits that he may encounter during counseling. Pray that he would be anointed to give beauty for ashes and the oil of gladness for those that mourn (Isaiah 61:3).

Finances: Pray for wisdom in handling the church finances and for strength to bear the pressure of financial responsibilities. Pray for God’s blessings on your church that you might be the head and not the tail. Pray that the church’s stewardship over money would glorify God and help establish the work of God in your city. Be assured that praying for your pastor is both necessary and biblical. It is also a source of blessing in your own life, if you labor and faint not. God Himself will reward your labor of love as you follow the biblical mandate to support leadership.

Produced by World Network of Prayer, United Pentecostal Church International.

Getting it Right

I came upon this great post from Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. ( who serves as the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in the USA)Read it and tell me what you think....
Bless you today!!
-PK
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Where Does the Story of Christmas Begin?
As the celebration of Christmas fast approaches, our attention quickly goes to the familiar words of the infancy narratives found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. This is a healthy reflex. After all, the Gospel of Jesus Christ rests upon the historicity of the events that took place in Bethlehem as Christ was born. Our understanding of the identity of Jesus Christ is directly rooted in these narratives and our confidence is in the fact that Matthew and Luke give us historically credible and completely truthful accounts of the events surrounding the birth of Christ.

A closer look at the narratives in both Matthew and Luke reveals a richness that familiarity may hide from us. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Christ, demonstrating the sequence of generations as Israel anticipated the birth of David's Son -- the Messiah. Luke, intending to set forth "an orderly account" of the events concerning Jesus, begins with the anticipation of the birth of John the Baptist and then moves to tell of the virgin conception of Jesus.

A careful reading of Matthew and Luke reveals both the elegance of detail and the grand expanse of the story of Christ's birth. Matthew gives particular attention to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The virgin birth, the birth of Christ in Bethlehem of Judea, the Herodian massacre of the innocents, the flight to Egypt, and the role of John the Baptist as forerunner are all presented as the fulfillment of specific Old Testament prophecies.

Every word of the Old Testament points to Christ. He is not only the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies concerning him, he is the perfect fulfillment of the law and the prophets -- the entirety of the Old Testament Scriptures. The Christmas story does not begin in Bethlehem, for Israel had been promised the Messiah. As Luke reveals, Simeon beheld the baby Jesus in the temple and understood this infant to be "the Lord's Christ" -- the Davidic Messiah. Simeon understood this clearly -- the Christmas story did not begin in Bethlehem, or even in Jerusalem.

So, where does the Christmas story begin? In the Gospel of John we read: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made." [John 1:1-3]

The prologue to John's Gospel points to creation and to Christ, the divine Logos, as the agent of creation. Yet, with language drawn directly from Genesis, John begins his gospel "in the beginning."

In other words, the Christmas story begins before the creation of the world. As we celebrate Christmas and contemplate the Christmas story, we must be very careful not to begin the story in Bethlehem, or even in Nazareth, where Mary was confronted by Gabriel with the message that she would be the mother of the Messiah.

We must not even begin with Moses and the prophets, and with the expectation of the coming Son of Man, the promised Suffering Servant, and the heralded Davidic Messiah. We must begin before the world was created and before humanity was formed, much less fallen.

Why is this so important? Put simply, if we get the Christmas story wrong, we get the Gospel wrong. Told carelessly, the Christmas story sounds like God's "Plan B." In other words, we can make the Christmas story sound like God turning to a new plan, rather than fulfilling all that he had promised. We must be very careful to tell the Christmas story in such a way that we make the gospel clear.

Christmas is not God's second plan. Before he created the world, God determined to save sinners through the blood of his own Son. The grand narrative of the Bible points to this essential truth -- God determined to bring glory to himself through the salvation of a people redeemed and purchased by his own Son, the Christ. Bethlehem and Calvary were essential parts of God's plan from the beginning, before the cosmos was brought into being as the Son obeyed the will of the Father in creation.

The Christmas story does not begin in Bethlehem, but we appropriately look to Bethlehem as the scene of the most decisive event in human history -- the incarnation of the Son of God. Even as we turn our attention to Bethlehem, we must remember that the story of our salvation does not begin there. That story begins in the eternal purpose of God.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." That is where the Christmas story begins, and John takes us right to the essence of what happened in Bethlehem: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." [John 1:14]

Let's be sure to get the Christmas story right, start to finish.

Canada and Prostitution

I am not sure if you have heard but the laws surrounding prostitution in Canada are being asked to be removed. here is a great article by a man named Royal Hamel. You can find his Blog here.
A smart man and worth reading...

"Did you know that legalized prostitution may soon be the norm in Canada? In 2007 two cases began working their way through the court system, one in British Columbia and the other in Ontario. Both cases seek to have the laws limiting prostitution overturned. To be sure no one knows how the judges will rule in these cases. But activist judges in Canada have certainly played a major role in reshaping societal mores in the past.

Justice Ted Matlow, who is presiding in the Ontario case, has recently created some controversy by disallowing two conservative Christian groups from participating in the proceedings. The Christian Legal Fellowship and the Catholic Civil Rights League argued that prostitution is damaging to society, and that there are good reasons why communities might want to restrict it. But Justice Matlow quashed their application to take part because, in his words, the Christian groups hold views that, “reflect the views of only small segments of Canadian society.”
Whoa, hold it right there. I know that Canada holds liberal views on many subjects. But I find it impossible to believe that only Christians would champion the view that prostitution is inherently harmful and degrading. Are we to believe that secular humanists, plain atheists, and agnostics have no moral code? Are people like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens lining up with their daughters hoping to get them into one of the better brothels? It’s far more likely that Matlow himself holds elitist views that would not resonate with the average Canadian. Even with the moral bankruptcy of our times, I do not believe that the majority of my fellow citizens are going to applaud a decision to yank the prostitution laws in Canada.

In fact, I’m hoping against hope that Canadians will stand up and shout, “NO-WAY” to legalized prostitution. Let no one be confused about this. When prostitution is fully legalized and the sex trade industry has the entire stigma washed away from it, there is no telling how far the ripples of damage will spread. Will our high schools begin to feature courses like “Soliciting 101” or “How to run your own Bawdy House?” or “Pimping made Profitable”? Will unemployed women under a certain age be forced into job interviews with brothel owners if they want to keep receiving employment insurance? (Before you laugh an incident like this actually happened in Germany in 2005)

So why am I so exercised about this issue? It’s simple: I care about people, all people, prostitutes included. And I hate and abhor the practice of prostitution because of the hellish harm that it inflicts on women. The violence, the virtual slavery by brutal pimps, the rampant drug addiction, the actual danger of being murdered by some deranged john, the wide spread sex trafficking that occurs—I could go on and on.

Advocates claim that these are the very reasons why we need to legalize and regulate the practice. But they are wrong.

Countries like Holland that have had legalized prostitution for years are finally scaling back and passing new laws to discourage and limit the practice. They discovered that legalization didn’t guarantee safety; they learned that it only caused more unregulated street prostitution; they saw how organized crime came into the scene; and they saw that the foreign trafficking of women was all part of the scene. In short the people in Canada who are calling for legalization because of supposed harm reduction are dead wrong. They need to do their homework. Here’s hoping Canada will look at the negative, harmful experiences of other countries that opted for legalization and now wish they hadn’t.

I am hoping and praying that Canadians will be shocked and appalled so that there will be an outcry against the whole idea of treating women as meat to be bought and sold. But I’m afraid that we may now be at the stage where we are so morally challenged that we won’t give it a second thought. Please prove me wrong—let your voice be heard!
Just remember that if prostitution is legalized the brothels will have to be staffed. I can guarantee that those girls will be somebody’s daughters. Whose daughters? I assure you that they will be the trafficked and helpless daughters of some poor peasant in a far off country, or they will be our own daughters. I hope that either prospect makes you thoroughly sick to your stomach."

PRAY... and write our MP

-PK

THANK YOU!

Today I stood and watched the good people of LPC serve, as unto the Lord, at the funeral of Herman Dotschkat. I was SO proud of this church as we had about 275 people come for the funeral. THANK YOU to those of you for serving, singing, playing, providing SO much food, cleaning, setting tables, more cleaning, washing clothes and dishes and SO MUCH MORE
"1 Corinthians 3:8 says The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor."

God was honored, Sharon's family was blessed, LPC rose to today's ministry with GREAT skill and grace and poise. THANK YOU!

Your proud pastor...

-K

A Changed Life

Sometimes I forget how Christ can change, transform really, people's lives. In these days that we see so few people come to Christ it seems, that we forget the power of God in a life that has chosen to surrender to the Lord.

Last week I was doing some study on a famous sermon called The Expulsive Power of a New Affection . This, I discovered, was a famous sermon by 19th-century Scottish preacher Thomas Chalmers. When I say the sermon is famous, I mean that it is reprinted even today in the books of great sermons. More on this sermon in another blog.

When looking for this sermon I ran across a blog titled from Beer to Eternity. It is a personal blog of a guy named Gary Morland. He is a DJ for a Christian radio station in the USA. He is a great writer... fun to read....

As I read... I was caught up in his story of how he came to Christ. Let me give you a taste of what he says in another blog, one connected with his work.
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"I didn't play baseball. I did get drunk -- every day when I walked out of that building [where he used to work long ago] at 3:30 I would stop at a liquor store and get three quarts of beer. I'd drink one on the way home and another when I got there. Then I'd fall asleep, wake up later and drink the third quart. Sometimes it was a six-pack or two, but that was the basic routine.

For twelve years. Every. Day.

That was a lifetime ago. You know how it says Jesus makes you a new creation and the old goes away and the new comes? That's what he did. Totally radical. Another planet radical.

And then a lot of time goes by and you forget more and more of the old planet stuff and then you see a picture and you suddenly flashback to the old planet and feel it right next to the new planet and you see how they're not even in the same solar system. And you go, was I really once a creature on that planet?

So now I sing a new song, which doesn't have a melody yet:

As for me, I was dead in my transgressions and sins,
in which I used to live
gratifying the cravings of my sinful nature
and following its desires and thoughts,
by nature an object of wrath.
But because of his great love for me,
God,
who is rich in mercy,
made me alive with Christ even when I was dead in transgressions—
it is by grace I have been saved."

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Ya!!! His life is a model of "The Expulsive power of a new Affection". A new affection for Jesus and how the is Power in that new Love that can transform us!

Thank you Lord... and help us to NEVER lose sight of our mission to see people fall in love with you... and be changed...

To read more of Gary's life... click here!

-PK

Oh Happy Day!

Yesterday, for those who were able to make it to LPC due to the freezing rain weather, I told you about this song... here it is for you to listen...

Maybe we can sing it soon?

-PK

Christocentric?

I wanted to share with someone what the Lord has been revealing to me about my speaking. So I decided to post it on our Blog to see what I get for a reply.

If you have been at LPC for the past few weeks, you would have heard a little of this already.

I have been preaching on becoming Christocentric when we read the Bible both the New and Old Testament. It is easier to do when we read the New Testament because it starts with Christ's birth. Sometimes we forget, as I feel I have done, to see Christ in all the OLD also.

I have been taking some extra Bible Classes online and one class I have been taking is on the Subject of "Finding Christ in the Old Testament". It is deeply affecting me. I was reading that preaching can fall into three categories when we preach the old testament.
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The “Moralizing” Approach. A very typical approach to personal change among orthodox and conservative Christians can best be called the “moralizing” approach. Basic analysis: Your problem is that you are doing wrong. Repent! This focuses on behavior—but doesn’t go deep enough. We must find out the why of our behavior. Why do I find I want to do the wrong things? What inordinate desires are drawing me to do so? What are the idols and false beliefs behind them? To simply tell a [depressed] person (or yourself) to ‘repent and change [your] behavior’ is insufficient"...’

The “Psychologizing” Approach. A very typical approach to personal change among more liberal religious groups can best be called the “psychologizing” approach. Basic analysis: Your problem is that you don’t see that God loves you as you are. Rejoice! This focuses on feelings, which seems to be “deeper” than behavior—but it fails to go deep enough. We must also find out the why of our feelings. Why do I have such strong feelings of despair (or fear, or anger) when this or that happens? What are the inordinate desires that are being frustrated? What are the idols and false beliefs behind them? To simply tell an [depressed] person (or yourself) “God loves you—rejoice!” is insufficient..."

The “Christocentric” Approach. Basic Analysis: Your problem is that you are looking to something besides Christ for your happiness. Repent and Rejoice! This confronts a person with the real sin under the sins and behind the bad feelings. Our problem is that we have given ourselves over to idols. Every idol-system is a way of works-salvation, and thus it keeps us “under the law.” Paul tells us that the bondage of sin is broken when we come out from under the law—when we begin to believe the gospel of Christ-salvation. Only when we realize in a new way that we are righteous in Christ is the idol’s power over us broken.

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Please pray for me that the Christ of all the Scriptures open my eyes to see Him everywhere as Jesus did to His followers in Luke 24 "he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself".

-PK