John Kenneth King

            Revelation is a powerful book that some people avoid because of the bizarre teachings people have read into it.  But within its graphic imagery there is a theme of grappling with faith’s questions.  Chapter 6 portrays a host of martyrs before God’s throne crying out, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (v. 10).

            Faith legitimately asks questions of God.  No, not with defiance, but honest gut-wrenching questions.  “Why does God appear to be so absent when my life is hurting so badly?” is not just Job’s question, it is the question of many other people who have spiritual integrity.

            Many of us have to honestly acknowledge that we aren’t comfortable being around someone who is in a crisis that prompts him/her to long for the answers to such questions.  Some of us are uncomfortable because our faith isn’t real enough to believe that God will hear those questions.  Others know only a God who would destroy them for being so brazen as to be honest.  And still others are afraid that the person asking such questions might turn to us for answers and we don’t have a clue.

            The worst thing we could ever do is imply that such questions are illegitimate.  That somehow they imply a lack of faith.  They exhibit incredible faith and they arise out of recognition that while Jesus has already won the victory over death, the fullness of His resurrection is not yet our experience.  Life comes with true hurts, disappointments and losses.  God is not shocked to have us cry out that we want it to be made right.  That’s what Jesus died to do!

John Kenneth King

If I give that other person non-toxic feedback then I have to listen to what he/she is saying and I will attempt to understand the feelings in addition to the facts.  Too often, though, our actions indicate we assume we know what the other person is saying before they’ve even finished.  But if I put my understanding in my words and ask if that is what was intended, then I find out whether or not what I assume is accurate.

Active listening is hard work.  Maybe that’s why we don’t do it often.  Humans have a propensity toward laziness.  We don’t want to listen carefully.  But we can sure get riled with someone who won’t listen to us.

“Why that receptionist wasn’t listening to me!  I had to tell her three times that I couldn’t make my doctor’s appointment on Tuesdays or Thursdays!”  “He heard the words, but didn’t pay any attention to how serious this matter is!”  Those are two statements that reveal the speaker felt like listening had not occurred.

Do you listen to your spouse?  Your children?  Your co-workers?  Do you give feedback to gain clarification and to communicate to your friend that you really do understand what is being said?  If you honestly have to say “No,” then I want to remind you of the Golden Rule—“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  If you want to be understood when you are speaking, invest the time and energy to understand the other person.

John Kenneth King

Possibly it was an apple tree or cherry tree with the sweetest fruit you ever ate.  For some it might have even been a neighbor’s fruit tree and the fruit was somewhat “forbidden” because you didn’t have permission to take any.

Perhaps it was a huge shade tree with a tire swing that you spent long summer afternoons under it playing, reading, and/or napping.  It was so large the family cookouts could be eaten under its cool shade.

“What do trees have to do with heaven?” someone wants to know.  John’s vision of the New Jerusalem included some special trees (Rev. 22:1-5).  These are very unusual fruit-bearing trees.  Rather than having only one crop per year, each has a different fruit per month.  Just imagine a peach-pear-apple-date-banana-plum-orange-lemon-lime-grapefruit-fig-persimmon tree.  (If you don’t like this month’s fruit, just hold on till next month!)

But wait, there’s more, these twelve-fruit fruit trees have special leaves.  It is said, “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”  Harkening back to the Garden of Eden, these trees are life giving.  They grew on both sides of “the river of the water of life.”  They are the “tree of life.”

While your conception of heaven might not include trees, in biblical times trees were very important.  Wood was a crucial commodity for construction of homes and furnishings in those homes.  Their fruits were an integral part of the diets of the people.  But there is another important function that we rarely think of today—olive trees were a fuel source for oil lamps.  Fruit-bearing trees were so important that God forbade the Israelites from cutting them down to use in siege-warfare when they entered the Promised Land (Deut. 20:19-20).

In some ways, heaven may be strangely familiar.  But there will be others where it is uniquely different than anything we’ve seen before.  More important, though, heaven is being in God’s presence.  Don’t you want to go?

John Kenneth King  

Each craft artisan was asked to complete a form so the organizers could evaluate the experience.  One question that stuck in my mind basically asked, “What was the most rewarding (excluding sales) part of the fair?”  My answer was “Interacting with the other craft artisans.”

I met Arlene Knaack, Mike Jones’ mother who had been on our prayer list several years ago.  Also, I met Ruthie Martin’s parents. 

The Clevelands came up while Mr. Martin was demonstrating turning a wooden bowl and identified him as Ruthie’s dad.  I was able to speak to him later and he was real appreciative of how much our youth group had meant to Ruthie and he asked me to go down and introduce myself to Joan, Ruthie’s mom.

Joan reminded me that she too had been on our prayer list because of a serious auto accident.  While the doctors hadn’t expected her to walk again, she was walking.  But the most interesting part of her story was when she told me about her pottery.

Joan had thrown pots for years prior to her accident.  But damage to her right hand prevents her from maintaining the constant pressure needed to do her pottery.  She persisted anyway because she thought it provided good physical therapy.  But one night she found her attempts particularly frustrating.  She left the malformed pot on the wheel and prayed to God, “Lord, I don’t know what you have in mind for this, but I am going to trust You anyway.”  The next morning she woke up and could just visualize a face in the malformed area.  Now her pots have incredibly expressive faces that have grown out of her injury. 

While I didn’t make much money, I count the weekend a valuable learning experience.  Sometimes good things come from apparent defeats.  Faith, perseverance and creativity are things I learned about.

John Kenneth King 

 Have you ever made a statement like that to a surgeon or attorney, teacher or mentor?  Perhaps you expressed that sentiment to someone who was your tenth-grade best friend or college roommate.  Maybe it was your mother or father, sister or brother.  I suspect we’ve all made those sincere declarations.

But here’s the tough question:  Have you carried through?  The emotional expression of gratitude for kindness comes easier than remembering to pay back—or perhaps to pass along—similar goodwill when circumstances change.

Way back in 1867, Columbia, South Carolina, was trying to get back on its feet after the devastation of the Civil War.  The New York Firemen’s Association learned the city was still using bucket brigades to fight fires.  So New Yorkers raised money to buy Columbia a fire wagon.  When it was lost during shipment, the same people took up yet another collection and sent a second one.

City officials spoke with one voice to thank New York for its gift and vowed never to forget so great a kindness.  A former Confederate Col. Samuel Melton was so dumbfounded by the generosity of men who had only a few years earlier served in the Union Army that he spoke on behalf of South Carolina’s capital city and promised to return the favor “should misfortune ever befall the Empire City.”

In the aftermath of September 11, students at White Knoll Middle School led a drive to raise the $354,000 necessary to replace one of the fire trucks lost that day.   Spurred on by the historical anecdote just related, the South Carolina Remembers Fund received a total of $510,000.

During the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York last week, four students made good on Columbia’s 134-year-old promise.  “When we presented the check [for $354,000] to Mayor Giuliani,” said Staci Smith, “he just had the biggest smile on his face.”  The extra money will be used to upgrade the truck or to buy other firefighting equipment needed by the New York Fire Department.

Spend a few minutes today going through your personal life history for any outstanding debts you owe persons for kindnesses received.  If something specific comes to mind, let the story of some middle-school children remind you to carry through in some practical way with your promise never to forget.

Rubel Shelly

Your response to those of us who serve as shepherds was refreshing.  Over $13,000.00 has already been pledged and we anticipate that amount will rise since several of our members were not present yesterday.

As I scanned the financial commitments you’ve made, several things struck me.  Some whose finances will not allow the gift of money have pledged time to assist the project.  Individual amounts ranged from $20.00 to $1,000.00.  Combined over $500.00 was pledged by teenagers. These young people continue to challenge us through their example.  As has been noted on numerous occasions, they are not the church of tomorrow, they are the church of today.  I praise God when I think of you.

Two powerful testimonies were given to God’s providence.  Needed funding for a lift and the gift of a second child to a loving family are no small blessings.  To hear two dads give God glory for the ways He provides was a powerful experience.  I praise God when I think of you.

In themselves, fresh paint and new carpet may not be worthy of much consideration.  But as a response to God’s goodness and an expression of stewardship, they bear testimony to faith.  Many are trusting God to provide the way to make the money available.  Some are giving out of their wealth and others are giving out of their poverty.  But all are giving as an act of faith.  I praise God when I think of you.

A “Can Do” attitude is building at this congregation.  Personal involve-ment and a willingness to take on large tasks are developing.  I praise God when I think of you!

John Kenneth King

P.S., If you haven’t made your commitment to this project yet, please contact one of the shepherds to inform us of your willingness to bring it to a completion. 

Timothy fits into the later category.  He is not as well known as his mentor—Paul, but there is enough information that looking at his life is very beneficial.  As you examine his life you gain insight into the role his family and a community of faith played.

This young man entered ministry via a recommendation from believers in Lystra and Iconium (Acts 16:2).  Something about his faith life caught the attention of these Christians and made them think that he would be a valuable member of Paul’s company.  They laid hands on him and conveyed a gift to this young man through a prophetic message (1Tim. 4:14).

Are there any Timothys among us?  Are we watching the lives of our young people to see where and how God is working?  Do we create opportunities for them to be involved in ministry so they can discern how God would use them?  What should we do if we recognize God has gifted certain individuals and that he is calling them into ministry?

We are currently studying 1Timothy and 2 Timothy on Wednesday evenings.  These are some of the questions we have encountered.  I find it exciting that at the same time we have received requests from some of our young people about their need for support to go on summer campaigns.  Will we help them have these types of opportunities while they are young enough to realistically consider dedicating their whole lives to ministry?

Once a young man or woman has a family and significant financial commitments it becomes very hard to follow such a course.  Let’s help now.

John Kenneth King   

Individualism has been identified as a pervasive product of our American culture.  We’ve idealized the “Lone Ranger” image of the solitary person making his way without any need for community.  Nothing could be more foreign to the biblical world.  Nothing can be more foreign to communion.

Please carefully consider the following words I sent to an individual who was being critical of singing during communion because it interfered with her time reflecting on the cross:

“Your comments reflect an individualistic rather than a community perspective.  Church is not about God and me.  God called us into a community.  Many of our fellowship’s problems are rooted in our practices that prevent the development of real community.  If you need quiet time reflecting on the cross, do that before you come to the gathering.  God didn’t call us together to have us sit in isolated worlds.  We are to commune with Him and all who gather in the name of His Son.”

Paul’s directives to the Corinthians don’t make sense when viewed in the context of typical practice.  He told the Corinthians, “So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other.  If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment” (1 Cor. 11:33-34).

Communion is about being with other believers.  Consideration for others is so important that if you have individual needs, then you should attend to them earlier so you can do what is important for the group.

Get up fifteen minutes early on a Sunday and read and pray regarding Jesus’ love before you come.  Then you can enjoy the sense of “us” together before the Lord.  Don’t kill community for rank individualism.  Church should be more like a family reunion than a meal in a restaurant where you might know a few of the names of other diners, but everyone stays in their own little booths!

John Kenneth King