Author name: Paul Cannings

The little boy may have enjoyed catching fish — but what made the day unforgettable was being with his grandfather. The lake, the boat, the rods, the bait — none of it belonged to him. The wisdom, direction, and provision all flowed from his grandfather. Yet the boy’s greatest delight was not the fish; it was the fellowship. His request to cook and eat together reveals what truly mattered: shared experience. That is the deeper question for us.  Each day we “go out” with God. We step into responsibilities, meetings, deadlines, conversations, and decisions. But is our focus on productivity — or presence? Are we more excited about what we accomplish, or about walking with Him while accomplishing it? Like the boy: We did not choose the “lake” of our circumstances. We do not own the “boat” of our resources. We rely on the Father’s instruction for effectiveness. Our success is rooted in His provision. Yet how often do we treat God as an assistant rather than a Father? Sometimes we ask Him to bless our plans instead of seeking to join His. Psalms 34:1–7 reminds us that the greatest blessing is not the removal of difficulty but the nearness of the Lord. “O magnify the LORD with me…” Notice the invitation — with me. Relationship. Fellowship. Shared joy. Jesus promised that the Father would not leave us alone. In John 14:16–30, He assures us of the Helper — the Holy Spirit — who teaches, guides, and comforts. And 2 Peter 1:1–11 reminds us that everything we need for life and godliness has already been granted through knowing Him. The boy’s day was great because he shared his grandfather’s day. Our lives become spiritually rich when we share the Father’s day. So the real question is not: “God, will You help me catch fish today?” But rather: “Father, can I go fishing with You?” We have a great Father. Walk with Him. Ask questions. Listen closely. Enjoy His presence. The greatest catch of the day will always be deeper fellowship with Him.

Amid all the hate and division in our culture, where is your heart as a believer? Is it rooted in ideologies, cultural basis, political party affiliations, or the scriptures? One of the many things I admire about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech was not just to stop racial prejudice, but also that all people be evaluated not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I love this statement because it is no different than what Christ advocated, as the scriptures delineated. He did this because He came to die for the world (John 3:16; He charged the disciples to go into the world; Acts 1:8). When we all stand before Him, it is not about our skin color or earthly achievements. He will separate us as sheep from goats (Matthew 25:31-46), rewarding us for our actions, whether “good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). God modeled this in the Old Testament when He accepted a non-Jew, named Rahab, to become a part of those who entered the Promised Land and be in the line of Christ. God became upset at Miriam when she responded negatively to Moses marrying a Cushite (Numbers 12:1) and Christ sent Stephen to share the gospel with the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), which were the same people that Zephaniah called worshippers of God (Zephaniah 3:10). This is because throughout the Old Testament people of African descent are everywhere. Paul traveled to Corinth, Rome (1st and 2nd Corinthians and Romans), and many other European countries. There was no need to spend much time going to African nations because they were already engrossed in Judaism and Christianity. So, it is undeniable that our culture or our politics do not influence the Godhead.  They came to save all of their children since every child is a gift from God (Psalm 127:3), and everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). “…… since He Himself gives all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” (Acts 17:26) Peter puts it another way, “….I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” (Acts 10:34-35) To hate is to display the true nature of our relationship with the Lord (Matthew 22:36-40). Beyond the great worship services and the pleasant hellos, it describes how well the Lord has shaped our hearts (Romans 12:9-21). “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, …… But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; ……….” (1 John 2:9-11; NIV)

On April 6, 2000, Ricky and Toni Sexton were taken hostage inside their Wytheville, Virginia, home by a fugitive couple on a crime spree. Toni had taken her poodle outside when Dennis Lewis, 37, and Angela Tanner, 20, roared into her driveway, pointed pistols, and yelled at her to get back inside the house. Inside the house, the Sextons turned their hostage experience into an opportunity to demonstrate Christian love. The Sextons listened to their captors’ troubles, fed them, showed them gospel videos, read to them from the Bible, and prayed and cried with them. During negotiations with the police, Ricky Sexton refused his release when Lewis and Tanner suggested that they might end the standoff by committing suicide. The standoff had an unusual ending. Before surrendering to the police, Angela Tanner left $135 and a note for the Sextons that read: “Thank you for your hospitality. We really appreciate it. I hope he gets better. Wish all luck & love. Please accept this. It really is all we have to offer. Love, Angela and Dennis.” (Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion – – Perfect Illustrations: For Every Topic and Occasion.) This kind of love is displayed in God’s love story for man. Even if, by world standards, we were considered good people before we were saved, God said that our righteousness was as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). He said that we did not desire Him (Romans 3:11). We were born in sin (Psalm 51:6) and did not have any hope of experiencing heaven as Gentiles (Ephesians 2:12). We were all destined to hell. It is God who “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). This is why the Bible says, “for love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-9; NASU) This kind of love makes a difference in the individual receiving it and in the individual sharing it. W. Farrar tells how, when Dwight L. Moody was an ignorant, ragged, shoeless boy in the streets of Chicago, he found his way to a Sunday school by one of those unseen providences that men call chance. He was shy, sensitive, and very nervous lest the other boys laugh at him because he could not find the places in the Bible. The teacher observed his embarrassment and, with gentle, silent tact, saved him from shame by finding the place for him. But for that little nameless act of love and sympathy, Dwight L. Moody might have lost a career of memorable beneficence to the world. Dwight L. Moody became a well-known preacher and founded the Moody Bible Institute, which serves people worldwide. Love may seem like a small act that makes a person vulnerable, but when God controls it, it is an act that can change the world, and true love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Are we believers only because we accepted Christ in our lives, or are we true believers because we are in love with God? To love God is to keep His commandments (John 14:15). So why is giving to someone we love such a struggle for some believers (2 Corinthians 8:7). If an individual says they love their family, they go home and seek to be faithful to their family. No one has to make them come home or be responsible for those at the house because they are in love with them. The same should be true for God. No one should have to make us come to God’s house or be responsible for what God says He wants His family to do. Our love for God and our giving are directly connected. Christ says, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34). So if we are not willing to give or say we cannot give, there are a few issues. Welack ability and are not willing to make the necessary adjustments like the Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8:1-6), or we love money (we do what it empowers us to do; Matthew 6:24), and it is therefore our master so God cannot tell us what to do with it, or we love the world and the things of the world (1 John 2:15-17).  Therefore, God does not control what we do with our resources. Not responding to God’s command can also expose our unwillingness to trust God. True love directs the heart of a person, not just our lips. “Ah!” said a woman who, in her poverty, had done much for Christ and who had a significant sum of money willed to her, “I cannot do as much as I used to do.” “But how is that?” someone asked. Said she, “When I had a nickel purse, I had a silver heart, but now I have a silver purse, and I have only a nickel heart.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths Copyright © 1995, 1998 by AMG International, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.) Our desire to love God, demonstrated by our service and gifts, allows God to love us with His gifts (Proverbs 3:9-10; 10:22; 11:24-26). Otherwise, instead of being blessed financially, we are disciplined by the Lord. “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”  (Luke 6:38; NASU) ‘KEEP HIS COMMANDS’ (John 14:15)  Abide in His Word, and He blesses our desires (John 15:7).

I found this Shakespeare story in a book, which is good to reflect on. “Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name?” Sometimes it’s more than meets the eye. Take the word “steward,” for example. Originally, it came from two old-English words “sty” and “wart” or “ward.” A sty-wart or sty-ward was a person who looked after the animals on a rich man’s estate. In time, it came to mean the person who managed the entire estate. Still, later, it became a family name, sometimes spelled Stewart or Steward. One family bearing this name became the ruling family of England. Tradition has it that Mary Queen of Scots changed the spelling to Stuart because the French pronounced Stewart as if it were spelled Ste-var (Cranford, Clarence W.: Cups of Light: And Other Illustrations. Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1988). That is quite a climb for a word— from an animal pen to a monarch’s throne. It reminds us that God wants us to lift our stewardship above the level of an unpleasant duty to where we enthrone it as a privilege in our lives. A Stewart or steward does not own the estate he manages. He manages it as a trusted servant of its owner. This is the basic principle of stewardship. It begins by recognizing God’s overall ownership (Psalm 50:10). God entrusts us with His estate for a time, so we must acknowledge our responsibility to care for it as stewards. Our lives are God’s, also. God wants us to love Him so much that stewardship ceases to be a burden and becomes a way of showing gratitude for the privilege of working with God.1] We must see ourselves as managers of God’s property. Whether it is how we take care of our bodies (1 Corinthians 3:16-17), use our spiritual gift (1 Peter 4:10), manage our homes (1 Timothy 3:4; 5:14), manage our time (Ecclesiastes 3:1-9; Ephesians 5:15-16), manage how we speak (Matthew 12:36; Colossians 4:6) or managing our money (Luke 6:38). Being godly stewards is not something we must do, it is who we are in the eyes of God. “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.” (1 Corinthians 4:1-3; NASU) It is for this reason when Christ was preparing His disciples for His death and resurrection, He told the story of a man who was going on a long journey, so he gave his servants talents (Matthew 25:14-30). When the master returned, he expected his stewards to give an account of his property. Even though he left his property with them, they did not own it. “The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.”  (Psalm 24:1; NASU) This is why Job said; He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21; NASU) It is our faithful stewardship that determines our blessing (Matthew 25:21).

Why is giving so challenging to do?  I believe it is because there is a tug-of-war between what we want and God’s demand for us to trust and love Him.  The things we love can compete with God.  A true love for God requires sacrifice.  An example is a mom giving birth to a child.  On one hand, she would love to keep her figure and not put herself through so much pain.  On the other hand, she wants to be a mother (as God has blessed her to be) and develop a family with her husband.  But it calls for sacrifice.  Another example is a hard-working parent who tirelessly toils daily to support a child through college or prepare them for the prom. For a moment, let’s evaluate the things we must do to express godly love. “If you love me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)  Loving is obeying God’s Word (1 John 2:3-6) because we are committed to thinking the way He does (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25).  When we decide to think biblically and obey His Word, our love is transformed into Christ’s love.  This is the means by which we can genuinely and actively love God and each other.  When Christ’s love overflows in us, we deny ourselves, pick up the cross, and follow Him. (Luke 14:27) The Bible describes love this way: “Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous, loves does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all thing.  Love never fails…” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) Because loving God’s way requires patience, we can resist the emotional impulse to buy things and wait. Because love is not jealous, we don’t have to envy what someone else has and purchase something we don’t need. Because love “rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things,” we will accept God’s challenge and trust Him for our daily needs because love always hopes. Giving can be difficult because it is in giving that we are letting go of the world.  (Matthew 6:24)  It is when we let go of the world’s way of “making it” that we demonstrate faith and experience God’s way of living. “…you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.”  (Deuteronomy 8:3)  “And the world is passing away, and (also) its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:17) Giving in worship expresses our love and trust in God.  This is why it is worship.

A class of little girls was learning to spell. They spelled several small words, such as “pig,” “cat,” “dog,” “cow,” and amused themselves by imitating the sounds that these animals make. Then little Mary was asked to spell “love”.  She didn’t stop to give the letters, but ran and threw her arms around the teacher’s neck, and kissed her on the cheek. “We spell ‘love’ that way at our house,” she said. The girls laughed, but the teacher said, “That is a beautiful way, but do you know another way to spell ‘love’?” “Oh, yes,” cried Mary, “I spell love this way,” and she began to put the books in order on her teacher’s desk. “I spell love by helping everybody when they need me.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths Copyright © 1995, 1998 by AMG International, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.) Love is an act of obedience to God; “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15-16; NIV) It is when we keep His commandments that we experience God’s love; “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in His love.” (John 15:10-11; NIV)  God’s Word is His covenanted love for man (1 John 2:3-6). Two little boys were each given a box of chocolates by their grandfather. The first boy took the package into his bedroom, tore into it, and stuffed the candies into his mouth until he was one big mess of smeared chocolate. Because of his love for his grandfather, the other boy unwrapped his package there in front of his grandfather. He opened the box and looked at all the candies. Then he raised the box to his grandfather and said, “Thank you for giving me this candy. Here, you have the first piece.” (Source: Morgan, Robert J. Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, & Quotes p341) “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Love is an act. Acts of love make the word love, when spoken, substantive. Those around us know what we mean by what we do. It is the same with the Lord. Loving God is more than singing a song (1 John 3:18) or attending church. It is obeying Him by serving (1 Peter 4:10), by loving others who may not, but someone’s standards, be lovable (Matthew 22:36-40; 5:43-48; the Book of Hosea), and by giving to Him from our very best. “…….Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver…..” (2 Corinthians 9:6-15)  This is because a sincere giver obeys God (John 14:15) and therefore experiences His love (John 15:10-11). Giving is an act of loving appreciation to God, which is why it is an offering (Exodus 35:20-29). Prayerfully, when offered, God accepts it (Haggai 1:2-11). Giving is a matter of the heart.

God has graciously allowed me to serve as your pastor these 31 years. Seeing God establish leadership, strengthen His vision, expand His ministries, and grow and mature His saints has truly been a blessing. When God’s faithfulness manifests itself so powerfully, all one can do is continue to press for the mark of the high calling (Philippians 4:14). It does not mean that everything has been peachy throughout all these years, but seeing God’s faithfulness has undoubtedly been the strengthening factor for our perseverance. Charles Spurgeon once said; “By perseverance, the snail reached the ark.”  Robert J. Morgan put it this way; “We must never forget that the word persevere comes from the prefix per, meaning through, coupled with the word severe. It means to keep pressing on, trusting God, looking up, doing our duty—even through severe circumstances.” “Greg Asimakoupoulos tells of a commuter flight from Portland, Maine to Boston. The pilot, Henry Dempsey, heard an unusual noise near the rear of the small aircraft. He turned the controls over to his co-pilot and went back to investigate. As he reached the tail section, Dempsey was tossed against the rear door when the plane hit an air pocket.  He quickly discovered the source of the mysterious noise.  Someone failed to latch the rear door properly before takeoff, and it flew open, instantly sucking Dempsey out of the jet. Seeing the red light that indicated an open door, the co-pilot radioed the nearest airport, requesting permission to make an emergency landing. He reported that the pilot had fallen out of the plane and asked for a helicopter search of that ocean area. After the plane landed, they found Henry Dempsey holding onto the aircraft’s outdoor ladder. Somehow, he had caught the ladder, held on for ten minutes as the plane flew 200 mph at an altitude of 4,000 feet, and then, at landing, kept his head from hitting the runway. It took airport personnel several minutes to pry Dempsey’s fingers from the ladder. Things in life may feel turbulent,” said Asimakoupoulos, “and you may not feel like holding on.  But have you considered the alternative?” (Leadership Journal, Summer 1991, 49). The purpose of our trials is to teach us perseverance: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:1-5). The focus of trials is never to test God’s faithfulness; trials prove it (John 10:27-30). I do not know what this year may expose us to as a church body, but Christ’s question is always before us; “when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) His faithfulness should inspire us to trust His Word. We must press on, no matter the challenges we experience.  

If you are reading this pastor’s corner, it is because you have made it to 2025. This means that the Lord has preserved you in good and difficult times. He has protected you, healed you, whether known or unknown, and provided for you (you may have a job and skills to work it, but you had to breathe to get there, drive there, and have a mind and health to get it done); in other words every day no matter what is taking place in this world the Lord God is still good, perfect, loving, kind, gracious, holy, eternal and forever powerful. Therefore, how should you and I now respond in 2025? His faithfulness should cause us to focus on ‘running the race He has set before you,’ meaning commit to stop waiting on God before acting and start acting based on His Word, knowing He will be God daily. “Faith is what we hope for and the evidence….” (Hebrews 11). We have the evidence….. We have faithfully taught you sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:1-5). Challenge each person to discipleship and to love each other (John 13:34-35). Now, does all that has been taught translate from sound doctrine, to walk it out so that the Word becomes ‘a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path?’ (Psalm 119:93, 105; Proverbs 6:23; Psalm 119:33-40). As John would say, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory (God in His full excellence), …….., full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) This Word that was preached through the Old Testament (Hebrews 1:1-3) in the New Testament became a light to the world (John 1:6-9), an example you and I must now walk in (lifestyle; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Peter 2:21-25) so that we become the light (Matthew 5:13-16) in our homes, communities, and world. This process nurtures the development of the Holy Spirit in you, creating genuine fellowship (1 John 1:5-7; Matthew 22:36-40), as the Holy Spirit continuously transforms you each day (Philippians 2:12; 1 Peter 1:13-16). While on vacation, I attended my grandkids’ soccer games. The coaches always expected the players to follow their instructions during practice, but the issue was how they applied all this in a game. This year, you and I need to live out how the Word of God relates to the issues we experience daily; this way, we do not become short-sighted or blind when faced with struggles (2 Peter 1:3-10). This way, amid daily challenges (Philippians 4:13), we become conquerors while transforming to be like Christ, impacting others for His glory (Ephesians 3:14-21).

By the grace of God and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we have completed another year. No matter the challenges or the pain of losing loved ones, the Lord has provided the strength and wisdom to make it through. I would like to thank the elders, deacons, staff, ministers, ministry leaders and all those who served faithfully all year long. I would also like to thank those who faithfully by way of their finances and prayers supported the Lord’s ministry. It is your faithful service, giving, and prayers that have blessed us to make it all year long. Being faithful does not mean that everything in these individual’s lives went well, by no means! This is why the Apostle Paul describes faithfulness as a ‘pressing to the mark’ (Philippians 3:12-16), ‘the fight of the faith’ (2 Timothy 4:8), and the writer of Hebrews would say is a ‘race to run’ (Hebrews 12:1-3).  Faithfulness takes courage to remain obedient during life’s challenges, commitment to the Lord’s vision, and a willingness to endure suffering while using one’s spiritual gifts to bless others. It is for this reason faithfulness provides great eternal rewards. Everyday we go to work and receive a temporary paycheck, it can consume our lives. Like I said repeatedly when teaching Revelation, Satan cannot stop those who are saved from going to heaven, but he can use the challenges of this life to take away our heavenly rewards. This is why after taking us through the ‘Hall of Faith’ in Hebrews Chapter 11, the writer instructs us ‘to keep our eyes fitted… .’ Paul remained so purposeful he said, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 2:21) This is not a temporal gain, it is eternal and does not require any more work once earned. There is so much to gain; the ‘Crown of Life,’ (faithfulness through trials; James 1:12; Revelation 2:10; 3:11), the ‘crown of righteousness,’ for ‘fighting the faith of the faith’ (2 Timothy 4:8), the ‘incorruptible crown,’ (1 Corinthians 9:25) for being discipled to apply God’s word daily in the midst of life’s rat race, and the ‘crown of glory,’ for faithful elders (1 Peter 5:4). Not only do we receive crowns, for all those who faithfully served, they will wear white robes (Revelation 3:5,18; 6:11; 7:9,13), and not be naked, and poor (no rewards; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15) in heaven (Revelation 3:17). Those who remain faithful despite numerous trials, will sit with Christ on His throne as overcomers (Revelation 3:21-22; 21:5-7). This is why Paul says, “discipline my body and make it my slave, so that ….., I myself will not be disqualified.’ (1 Corinthians 9:27). Thanks to all of you, including your children and youth who did not hesitate to serve the Lord. I pray that God blesses you and your family, especially as we approach this new year!! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!