Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Pastor's Corner... Halcyon Baptist 6/07-8/07

August 2007



Before & After



God has given us a great gift in the facilities that our church owns. It is such a pleasure to look on them as a thing of beauty and to see them give such glory to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have declared that this is a new time for Halcyon Baptist Church and so it is! We look forward to the future with great anticipation as our church becomes the church that is for our neighbors and friends. HBC is indeed a church for people like them. A church "For People Like You."


May God direct us into becoming a true community of faith where each person is a great treasure. We have seen many become devoted followers of Jesus Christ through salvation and baptism in the past year and we look forward to many more as we spread the Good News. Please join us as we pray for our church and its outreach every Wednesday at 6:30-6:55 PM.


CSB Acts 4:31 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God's message with boldness. 32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles' feet. This was then distributed to each person as anyone had a need.


It is amazing what God has done & will do in response to our prayers.




July 2007



It all began with the restoration of God's house!


CSB 2 Kings 22:3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent the court secretary Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the LORD's temple, saying,


4 "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest so that he may total up the money brought into the LORD's temple-- the money the doorkeepers have collected from the people.


5 It is to be put into the hands of those doing the work-- those who oversee the LORD's temple. They in turn are to give it to the workmen in the LORD's temple to repair the damage.


With these words begins the saga of a King who would not bend in following God with all of his heart. Many have said that David or Solomon is the greatest King of Israel, but God has a different view as we see in these words about the reign of Josiah:


CSB 2 Kings 23:25 Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his mind and with all his heart and with all his strength according to all the law of Moses, and no one like him arose after him.


It all began with the restoration of God's house! As we look at the history of Josiah's life and the beautiful epitaph that he was given we understand that there were several reasons that God honored him, but the first and foremost is that he honored God.


As we restore God's house may God refresh our spirits so that we continually honor Him with all that we have and all that we are.



June 2007


I am behind the camera in the pictures that I have included with this post. They are from one of the most impacting times of my life. Janet Lee, Josh and Sarah are shown playing on Kovalum beach in South India on the Arabian Sea and in a Nair village home.



What I learned during those two weeks will impact me for life. God taught me that there is only one church of Jesus Christ and only one Kingdom of God. I sat in a small house church the evening after this photo was taken and shared food and fellowship, while those around me spoke Malayalam, I sensed no lack because I did not understand the words. Each also came from various Christian traditions; Anglican, Jacobite, Coptic, Catholic and Assembly of God, yet the Spirit of God's mighty and empowering presence was tangible for each of us. How we loved one another! I heard the testimonies translated into English and realized that Christianity was as simple as living and breathing for each of them. They loved others simply because God loved them and they Him.



It is my prayer for those who visit this website and the members of our church that you find that kind of Community where you can love and be loved in return. Remember what one pastor said some years ago:

"“The disciple of Jesus doesn’t ‘go’ to church. He never ‘leaves’ church. He is never ‘late’ for church. He cannot ‘skip’ church or forget church. He is the church!”   Joe Boyd- Pastor of Apex- Las Vegas



As Rick Warren says so succinctly, "It's not about you."  When we find Community and give to it rather than taking from it we will forever be blessed and find fulfillment in life. Discipleship is a learning process, but what we need to learn is really quite simple and profoundly hard:



  • Love God

  • Love One Another

  • Love All People


May Our Lord Jesus Christ bless you on your journey to Him.



Grace and Peace,

Pastor Tim

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