March 2021
Message from Pastor Tom:
In bringing you this month's blog, I came across a photograph by Dan Miller, which was taken in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Indian Legend states, Once upon a time there was a great flood, which covered all but the top of Manitou's Mountain. When the water subsided, the Great Spirit turned the floating carcasses of the drowned animals into sandstone, and rolled them down into a garden valley below where they remained as mute evidences of the Great Flood.
In the picture Pikes Peak is the snow capped mountain, but below the peaks is where we see the site of that supernatural catastrophe, which can still be seen today. In this special valley you'll discover rock formations with names like: Balanced Rock, Cathedral Spires and the Kissing Camels, and it is known as the Garden of the Gods. I was able to visit this magnificent area when I was a child living in Colorado, and then again fifty years later. While I was astonished how drastically the surrounding areas had changed, I was pleasantly surprised and still in awe of the unchanged beauty and history of the Garden.
The Indian lore surrounding this magnificent place was a source of fascination to me. The Southern Ute Indian tribe native to the area considers it to be the Garden of Eden. They believe the creation of their people occurred at this sacred place. The Great White Mountain (Pikes Peak) was the center of their world. They believed on the summit of this thunderous peak stood the Western Gates of Heaven and there dwelt the supreme Manitou, (meaning in Native theology, “spiritual and fundamental life force, omnipresent”). The holy garden pictured above inspired reverence and the Ute's formed a spiritual connection with the reddish, sandstone formations. While the legends of the Garden of the Gods is interesting, my Christian belief that God is the Creator of all things, the Garden brings to mind the passage in Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns” (NLT).
So I ask you this, are you bringing the Good News from "your" mountaintop? Are you living in peace with the Lord and reigning under His salvation? We are all God’s messengers, and we should have the love and beauty for Jesus Christ in our hearts much the same as the magnificent beauty we see in the Garden of the Gods. Our lives may drastically change from one season to the next, much like the area surrounding the Gardens as I spoke of earlier, but our hearts over time must stay the same for Jesus Christ as the day we first believed. We should be obedient and share the Good News as Jesus commanded; yet I think it also goes much deeper than mere obedience. As a Christian we should only want to do that which honors God and brings Him glory. We cannot help but to respond with loving obedience, but this is a direct result of our encounter with Christ.
Jesus is the most perfect example of an evangelist, who for the time He walked upon this Earth with twelve handpicked Disciples, demonstrated He was into quality rather than quantity. He was dedicated to living with His Disciples and teaching them by His own example. Jesus ministered to the very souls of His Disciples so they could mature in their faith and become as much like Him as possible. Jesus made sure they were equipped to bring the Gospel of Christ to life for all eternity. After His resurrection He gave the Great Commission (Matthew 28:12-20), which was no more than what He had already accomplished with His Disciples by equipping them to share the Good News with everyone. Therefore, the Great Commission fits the category of evangelism.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV).
Heidi and I continue to ask you join us in praying for peace throughout our country, wisdom for our leaders, and compassion for all those who are persecuted racially and spiritually worldwide. Until next month, may God richly bless you and keep you, may His face shine upon you always.
Blessings from a pastor and his wife.
