December 2009

Prophecy: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Fulfillment: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).” (Matthew 1:23)

If you were to look in our hymnal today, you would find this song found among the pages: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. What makes this song so unique in our evangelical hymnal is the fact that this song is actually a Plainsong/chant dating back to around the 13th century. This song which is a major part of our Advent preparations for the coming of Christmas has been sung by believers since the 1200’s! The text was originally written and sung in Latin (Veni Emmanuel) (“Come God With Us”).

This song brings with it the same sense of longing and hope that the prophets of the ancient Jewish people expressed for the coming of a Messiah. As we sing it, you can almost feel the same pull at the heart for the need for God to visit us, as He did wrapped in human flesh in the baby Jesus.

What is so marvelous about this very ancient song is that it is full of the many titles ascribed to the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. We only have four verses found in our hymnal, but originally there were many more of these “verses” or “antiphons” that came before the last refrain. He is called Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14), Lord of Might (Exodus 19:16), Rod of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1), Day Spring (Luke 1:78b – 79a), and Key of David (Isaiah 22:22, Isaiah 9:6).

There is so much hope in this ancient hymn, preparing us for Christ’s first coming and our celebration of Christmas – and His second coming – when He will return to reign and rule at His rightful place on David’s Throne.

May the Messiah of Christmas bring you hope as we wait for His return.

Pastor Leslie

November 2009

26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
(Mark 4:26 – 29) ESV

It’s really sad that we don’t sing songs of Thanksgiving as often as we should. As Christians we should be singing songs of thanksgiving to the Lord every day, not just around our nation’s celebration of Thanksgiving Day. But I am grateful that in our nation, we set aside a special time for the sole purpose of giving thanks to the Lord of the harvest for all His goodness to us as a nation.

The songs we traditionally think of as “Thanksgiving Songs” are really some of the most powerful images of God’s love for His people. One of my favorites is the old hymn, Come, ye thankful people, come. Written by Henry Alford (1810-1871), this hymn was originally found in Psalms and Hymns (1844).

The title suggests Thanksgiving, but this harvest time is about the final judgment when the good grain will be garnered and the tares thrown into the fire. It is based on Mark 4:26 – 29 and Matthew 13:36 – 43. We thank God for this year’s harvest and the abundance of food and other good things the Lord has blessed us with. But Thanksgiving, as this song reminds us, is a time to reflect on our own lives and pray that we will be wholesome and pure grain at the Final Harvest.


1. Come, ye thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest home;
all is safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide
for our wants to be supplied;
come to God's own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.

2. All the world is God's own field,
fruit as praise to God we yield;
wheat and tares together sown
are to joy or sorrow grown;
first the blade and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may

3. For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take the harvest home;
from the field shall in that day
all offenses purge away,
giving angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast;
but the fruitful ears to store
in the garner evermore.

4. Even so, Lord, quickly come,
bring thy final harvest home;
gather thou thy people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in thy presence to abide;
come, with all thine angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest home.


I pray that you will join me in praising and thanking the Lord for His goodness, and also seeking His face and spending time in His Word, to test and try our own souls. Are you ready for the final harvest?

With a heart full of thankfulness,
Pastor Lew

October 2009

This month, two very special events will be taking place for the Lakeside Baptist Church family. On Sunday, October 25th we will be holding our Fall Ingathering. This year’s Ingathering Offering will be designated for resurfacing our parking lot. It’s a big job, but it is one that needs to be done. Everyone in the church will benefit from the completion of this project. Please prayerfully consider what part you can do to make this Ingathering Offering a success.

This October’s dinner will be a potluck. The Deacon’s are asking every family to supply a main dish and either a salad/vegetable/side dish or a dessert. The Deacon’s will supply beverages for the meal.

Immediately after our Ingathering meal, the children will be dismissed for child care while our members gather for our Quarterly Business Meeting. This meeting is particularly important because the Constitution Committee will be presenting a motion to place the new constitution on the January ballot for a vote of affirmation. Copies of the updated constitution will be made available throughout the month of October.

As in the past, if you wish to express and ideas or concerns about the proposed constitution as presented, the Constitution Committee asks that you present your questions or ideas in writing so that there is no misunderstanding in what you are suggesting.

This business meeting is very important in that we are dealing with an issue that directly affects the governmental policies of Lakeside Baptist Church. The Constitution Committee has worked long and hard to be sure that the document they present is firmly based on biblical principles of church leadership and does not try to say more than necessary. It focuses on our articles of faith and a church covenant which speaks of our mutual commitment to each other in the Lord.

I anticipate October 25th to be a great day of rejoicing in our church’s life. Let’s serve our Faithful, Supreme, and Gracious Lord together throughout the month of October!

Seeking to Treasure Christ more and more with you,

Pastor Lew

September 2009

I’ve been enjoying watching the Detroit Tigers play baseball this past month, when all of a sudden I started seeing commercials for the upcoming football season. Summer is surely swiftly passing us by and a busy fall season is quickly approaching.

An important issue for our church this October will be our deciding on placing the proposed constitution on the January ballot to be voted as our governing document. The constitution committee, which is made up of congregationally elected representatives from every board and at-large members has been diligently working on this important text over the past many months, studying Scriptures as well as various constitutions from other Baptist churches that have an elder led congregational system. I’ve been very proud of the work our committee has done, not only because of the time they have given, but also the spirit with which they have worked. Each meeting has been filled with discussion, prayer, and consensus on what a new constitution should look like.

It is important for every member of Lakeside to remember that ultimately the constitution is placed in the hands of the membership to be approved, edited, or disapproved. To help answer any questions about the proposed constitution, the process in coming to it and the plans for implementing it, the committee will be holding a “Town Hall” meeting on Sunday, September 13th at 7:00 p.m. We want to be sure that everyone has the opportunity to understand the language and tenor of the proposed constitution before it is placed before you for a vote.

Lakeside Baptist Church has 128 years of rich heritage which we honor and celebrate. But we also must look toward the future and how we can best minister in the neighborhood where God has placed us. I believe that we can best serve the Lord by honoring our past while focusing our ministry for the future. Please make every effort to come out on September 13th so your voice can be heard and also gain a clearer understanding of what this new constitution would bring to our church government and ministry outreach. Join me in prayer as we seek to serve and honor the Lord in all that we do at Lakeside.

Seeking the Lord’s will with you,

Pastor Lew

August 2009

As many of you know, I spent some quality time in the hospital this past month. Battling pneumonia is never pleasurable, and even though I was in the right place to be helped, it was far from a comfortable experience. To be sure, the doctors, nurses, and the entire staff were wonderful and did everything they could to help me through the healing process. But it still was no vacation. It was not a time of rest. I remember as I fought for each breath, and all the labor it took to inhale and exhale; not getting enough oxygen in my system; that feeling of everything closing in on me as I struggled to breathe.

I thought God was supposed to make me feel better! How could I serve Him if I’m laid up in a hospital bed feeling just miserable, thank you? God uses times like this in our lives to make Himself known to us. I remember one evening as I lay there hot, unable to sleep, and unable to get a deep breath into my lungs, God talked to me. I mean, I didn’t audibly hear His voice, but He spoke just the same. The question that kept going through my head went something like this: “What means more to you, Me, or My healing you? What do you treasure more, your health or God?” I came to the tearful conclusion that God had to mean more to me than my health. If God chose to keep me ill for the rest of my days on earth, does that mean I should give up on God? Or do I only want God to give me “stuff” including health, to make me happy.

Anything and I mean anything that we put before God is idolatry. Even the good stuff God gives us can easily become an idol. What means more to you than anything? Your kids? Your spouse? Your career? Your home? Your computer? Your Face Book friends? Your health? Your traveling? What else? You can fill in the blank. If I’m not willing to sacrifice any of these for the glory of God, I’m an idolater. And so are you.

I’m reminded about Abraham’s faithful commitment to God when he willingly brought his son, whom he loved, Isaac to Mt. Moriah to be sacrificed. Are you and I willing to do that? Are we raising our children so that they will have successful careers or are we encouraging them to be completely, one-hundred per cent sold out to God? How can we if we truly aren’t making Christ our supreme Treasure, worth more than anything else we may possess?

Just some thoughts from a hospital bed.

Seeking to honor Christ with you,

Pastor Leslie

July 2009

Watching the news hasn’t been a lot of fun these past few weeks. On the international scene the chaos and bloodshed in Iran is certainly heartbreaking and frightening. And the saber rattling of the North Koreans has Americans in our 50th state wondering if they will see another Pearl Harbor. On the national front the polarization of conservatives and liberals seems to be growing wider, as legislation and court orders keep changing in regards to a whole host of issues. Mistrust is growing. Many executives at financial corporations bailed out by the federal government have just decided to increase their salaries by 50% to make up for the bonuses they are not allowed to take. To quote Brian Williams, “They just don’t get it.” While some pundits are trying to put a positive spin on the economy, men and women are still losing jobs, especially here in west Michigan. That all doesn’t even take into account all the individual lives that are being impacted by illness, troubles in their homes, and the daily struggles of life. Times are tough and it can be discouraging.

What are we to make of all this? Are you living in fear of what the future may hold? Do you find it difficult to just get through the day? You are not alone. The prophet Jeremiah lived during a time of great upheaval for the people of Judah. In fact, their nation crumbled and the people found themselves taken captive by the powerful Babylonians. Things couldn’t have been worse for the nation. And on top of all that, Jeremiah, the spokesman for God, was personally attacked and hated for simply telling the people the truth. It is no wonder that Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet.

But Jeremiah knew the Scriptures and he knew the God of the Scriptures. That is why he could say, just as the psalmist had, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD” (Jeremiah 17:7). This word “blessed” speaks of one who is “filled with God-defined benefits. Only trust in God motivates confident obedience in times of crisis.”

I don’t know all that you are personally facing today, but I do know that God is faithful and our call is to steadfastly obey Him and honor Him. Nations will rise and fall. Laws will be passed and change. Even our health and homes may be lost to the flames, but you will be blessed if you put your full trust in the One who is the Beginning and the End. His faithfulness is assured. For that, we can continually praise and thank Him!

Trusting our Faithful God with you,

Pastor Lew

June 2009

This past month I passed a particular “milestone” birthday. I know it’s not really “old” but I can now be an official, card-carrying member of the AARP. I well remember my thoughts when my mother reached her 50th birthday. I was overwhelmed by the reality that she had lived for a half a century. Half a century! That means she was around in the “olden days!”

Now that I’ve seen five decades go behind me, I have thought more about the future. What do I have to look forward to? Does life go downhill from here? I know that many of you look at my age and think, “You haven’t seen anything yet, kid!” Well, I agree. None of us knows what our future days on earth will hold, but I do know that there is a great promise in Scripture that we can cling to, “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come (Psalm 71:18).

I just finished reading a remarkable little book edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor entitled, Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints. The five contributors to this book each tell their story and help shape a biblical understanding of what it means to “finish well.”

In his contribution, Piper plainly states
Getting old to the glory of God means resolutely resisting the typical American dream of retirement. It means being so satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Christ that we are set free from the cravings that create so much emptiness and uselessness in retirement. Instead, knowing that we have an infinitely satisfying and everlasting inheritance in God just over the horizon of life makes us zealous in our few remaining years here to spend ourselves in the sacrifices of love, not the accumulation of comforts. (Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints, John Piper & Justin Taylor, General Editors, Crossway Books, pg. 37).

I would like to recommend this book and its message to every follower of Jesus Christ. Whether you are 18 or 88, this book has a message we all need to hear and to heed. It’s my prayer that the church family at Lakeside would continue to “fight the good fight” and “endure to the end.” Until the day that the Lord calls us to be with him, we are to be soldiers on active duty. There is no retirement on this earth for the Lord’s soldiers.

Fighting the good fight with you,

Pastor Lew