The Pastor’s Garage December 31st, 2019

Here is the Pastor’s Garage. Hot off the desk of Pastor Mike. God bless.

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As I sit in my office on this New Years Eve, its hard to believe a year has
come and gone since starting my role as associate pastor of Grenfell
Apostolic Church. One of my goals upon starting this position was to
personally visit each member in their home or have them over to ours. Most
of you probably think I achieved that goal, but a few of you know I didnt,
and for that I apologize! Trust me, it was not due to any personal
orchestrated plan, I’m not that bright! A calendar year just seems to come
and go quicker and quicker as I age and I didnt get that goal achieved.
Those I missed will be a priority in the upcoming new year!

This gets me thinking about the ever famous New Years resolution.
How have you done on the ones you set 365 days ago? I will be the first to
admit that I have not achieved any of the ones I set! This can definitely
lead to feelings of failure and get one discouraged! Do you feel victorious
and optimistic today or not quite so much?

Over the Christmas holidays we were at my inlaws for a few days
and I made it my goal to read a book. Not any specific book for any
specific purpose, but just read a book for the sake of reading a
book!(something I used to really enjoy but haven’t seemed to get
accomplished in the last number of years) I looked through my inlaws
bookshelf and my eyes rested on a book called Fallen Angels. It’s a
fictional story, set in the great depression, about a man running from the
law accused of murder, and three abandoned children who came together
seeking refuge from a storm by breaking into a church in the middle of the
night. In the morning they awake to a circle of parishioners who mistake
them for a newly arriving pastor and his three children. They were showered
with gifts and shown to the fully equipped parsonage, something beyond any
of the dreams of the average drifter in the dirty 30’s. Initially Jeb(the
aforementioned man on the run) planned on continuing fleeing at the first
opportunity and definately before he was expected to speak the next sunday
morning. Through a series of events he ended up staying and assuming the
role of the new pastor. While initially out of deception and greed, God
began to touch his heart and convict him. He began to increasingly speak
on sundays about impostorship, deception, and the love of God, mainly out
of his own struggle with his conscience. His congregation began to grow! It
was at the very sunday he had determined to confess and come clean that the
actual pastor showed up leading up to a interesting turn of events!

I wont lie to you, most of the time I feel like a impostor as well.
My thoughts are for the most part not very pastorly! The time and money I
spend could also be spent for the most part on more worthwhile things. I
have moments, days and seasons of failure and discouragement! I can relate
to Jeb! Yet the reason his church began to grow during that season is
because we all can! We are weak vessels, prone to wander, prone to leave
the God we claim to love! Take comfort in the words of Jesus as He
responded to criticism over spending to much time with sinners, “When Jesus
heard this, he said to them, “‘Those who are healthy have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners who recognize their sin and humbly seek forgiveness'”(Mark
2:17). Do you feel lost in any area of your life, take comfort in the words
of Jesus from when he went the notorious sinner Zacchaeus’ house, “for the
Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”(Luke 19:10)
These are the words given to the apostle Paul when he was struggling with
his own weakness, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made
perfect in weakness.”(2 Corinthians 12:9) God is a God of second
chances!(and third, fourth, fifth, and so on) His Grace IS enough for you
and any weakness or doubt you may have! You have NOT fallen through the
cracks! You have NOT been forgotten! You have NOT been rejected! You
haven’t strayed too far! Hear the Father calling you today, He awaits with
open arms!

I want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year. It has truly been a privilege functioning as your associate pastor
over the last year. I have enjoyed it, your a good church and I love you as
a family!

Pastor Mike