Pastor's Devotions by Tim Harris

As many of you know, I spent last week with my son Jonathan in Nicaragua.   Although there are some great challenges and difficulties taking place in the country there, we had a wonderful time doing ministry and spending time with the people with whom we have worked since 2011.   It was wonderful to see them after all they have been through this past year.   And, they were so glad to see us.   One of the highlights of being there is being able to minister in the two churches pastored by the pastors we work with, Obed and Adele Anton.   And, we have gotten to know and love many of the people in their churches.   On this trip, Jonathan greeted the people, played his guitar, and led the people in a song—an older one that they really love.   I preached through my translator and then led a time of prayer at the altar. The people were so responsive to God’s Word and to prayer. Especially now as they are facing all kinds of challenges a...

Right now I’m in Leon, Nicaragua with my son Jonathan. It’s been a year since I’ve been down here. It’s been 4 years since he’s been here. (Jonathan lived here for a year teaching at Promise Christian Academy from July 2013 - July 2014.). It’s been a reunion of sorts for us with the people with whom we have worked for the past eight years. In fact, our first night here they hosted a Nicaraguan dinner to welcome us! What an encouragement that was to us. What a welcome we received! Our time here turns out to be very special, considering the difficulties the nation and the people have faced this year. In fact, Jonathan and I were supposed to come down in May, but due to situations here in the country, we were unable to come. Protests, roadblocks, and many other happenings have greatly affected the economy and people’s lives. Even the hotel that we had a reservation with and where we have stayed since 2011 was closed upon our arrival! (Thankfully, we found another hotel that h...

--> Recently, I purchased a new set of Bluetooth headphones to wear when running or working out at the gym. It’s great not having to plug them into my phone or iPod to listen to my music.   There’s no need to have a wire that seems to constantly get in the way.   Just hook up via Bluetooth and you’re good to go. Such is the case as well with the music I play in our home.   There’s no longer any need to have wires all over the place to connect a bunch of speakers to a stereo system or whatever music device one is using. Now our speakers can be hooked up simply via a Bluetooth connection.   And, then there is WiFi. No need to plug in one’s computer via a cable to connect to the Internet; just connect via WiFi.   It seems to me that we are moving more and more towards life without wires. In the end, however, life with or without wires is ultimately about the connection. After all, if we couldn’t connect well enough without the wires, we would ...

So, we’ve made it through the 2018 Christmas Season. The trees and decorations are coming down. Except for a few leftovers, the cookies have been eaten. The company is gone. The normal routines of life have begun to resurface. Yes, it’s now officially “after the holidays.”   So, what’s next?   Unfortunately, as many people pack away their lights and decorations, they also seem to pack away joy, generosity, and the spirit of the season. The world around us can seem to fall into the bleakness of midwinter.   After the holidays, everything can seem to become so mundane. But such ought not be the case. After all, the reason for the season still exists: Jesus the Savior is still Emmanuel, God with us!   The love of God is still the same for you and for me.   And, the life that Jesus came to bring is still available to all who will believe!   When the Apostle John wrote about the coming of Jesus into our world he said, “In him was l...