Watch Out for Bad Breath

by David FortunePastor's BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

By now most of you have realized the worst part about wearing a face mask; you can smell how bad your own breath is! Most of the time, we aren’t aware of our halitosis.  We have no idea what other people go through when leaning into speak with us. Now we are in the unique position of smelling what we have been breathing out onto other people. I’m sure that sales of breath mints and gum must be going up. It’s an opportunity to consider something else that comes out of our mouth without us much thinking about it; our words. Some people have spiritual halitosis and the evidence is in the words they speak which are often offensive, ugly and mean. We are encouraged to consider our speech lest it stirs up strife, jealously or hatred. It’s possible to be breathing in good clean air and yet breathe out evil towards others. Jesus said, “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. (Matthew 12:33-35) I don’t think there is a mask available to catch our words but we can watch out for what we are putting in our spirits. When we pray, “Lord, give us clean hearts” it also leads to life-giving speech rather than all that bad breath.

The Masks Are Coming Off

by David FortunePastor's BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

There’s a fair deal of controversy in many parts of the world over whether or not people should be wearing some kind of face mask to help control the spread of COVID 19. It has become a particular issue in many churches. I confess that I don’t understand all the hype. After all, Christians have been wearing masks to church for years and years. That’s right. I’m calling you out. Long before the coronavirus came along you were already wearing a mask at church. You put on your best face to try and disguise the real you. You wore a mask to show others what a good Christian you were. You used a mask to hide your hurt and disappointments. You covered up your weaknesses and you presented an image to people of who you wanted to be. We all do it. We all put on our best face for others but especially in church. But the masks are starting to come off. That happens when people are under stress, cracks appear and the real you begins to show through. It is often ugly but at least it is honest. Under the current stress our tempers are short. We demand our own way.  Selfishness rules the day. We are frustrated about the things we cannot control and we can no longer hold onto the mask that we have used for so long. Jesus said, “You can’t keep your true self hidden forever; before long you’ll be exposed. You can’t hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.” (Luke 12:2 The Message) It’s okay to be stressed out in this environment. It’s okay to acknowledge that we are fearful and feel like life is out of control. It’s okay to be honest about what is really happening in our homes under the stress we are in. This is a time that calls for real transparency and real honesty about who we are and what we are experiencing. It’s only when you take the mask off that you can receive God’s help, strength and forgiveness. It is only with his assistance that you can be transformed and changed into the person He created you to be. When you take the mask off you invite him (and others) into your life. Wearing a medical mask might save a life but wearing a religious mask could cost you your life.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

by David FortunePastor's BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

About this time every May, when I was growing up, we would start planting our family garden. We lived out in the country and so the garden was a large one. My father would get the soil ready by running the rototiller over it a few times and breaking up the land. When the time came for planting it was all hands on deck, the whole family had to help out.   The largest section of the garden was for potatoes since it was the staple vegetable throughout the winter months. Then there were carrots, peas and beans. Tomatoes never seemed to be overly successful because they were more dependent on good weather. The vegetable I liked the least seems to be the most productive, zucchini (aka courgette). From only one small patch the zucchini vines would take over whole sections of the garden and keep producing fruit until the first fall frost. There is something exciting about watching a garden grow and yield its fruit. It’s a sign of life. It was always amazing to me how from a few dead seeds we were able to have an abundance of vegetables throughout the winter. That’s how life works. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24) This is important to remember as we pass through this season of the coronavirus. While things look bleak it is not hopeless. God is at work in our hearts and lives. He has planted seeds that will bear fruit in the months to come. So look after the garden that God has given to you at this time. Watch it carefully because soon you’ll be able to see some little green sprouts popping up from the ground. That’s the first sign of life returning.

Time To Clean Out

by David FortunePastor's BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

Earlier this month, Paul Willis, a hog farmer in Iowa, received a post card from his sister, Annie. She mailed it 33 years ago while visiting the Grand Canyon. That’s why they call it ‘snail mail’.

There Will Be A Time

by David FortunePastor's BlogPosted on Comments are Disabled

We are in a season – a time – we don’t understand. It will be many more days, perhaps months or years, before we come to understand the purpose of this season we are in.