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April 20, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius One of the things I've had to deal with in my life is a soft heart for people less fortunate than me. When someone experiences a calamity of some kind, often it is my heart's desire to lend a helping hand. I think to myself, “There, but by the grace of God, go I.” Sometimes I think to myself and wonder what I would do if money was not an issue. How would I help people if I was as rich as Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos? Both of whom have more money than a lot of countries. In Psalm 50:10 we are told, “God owns the cattle on a thousand hills.” Just to be funny, I say, “These guys own the rest of them.”😊 John Wesley, the founder of the original Methodist Church, once said this. “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” If all the world lived like that, what a better world it would be. In Matthew 26:11, Jesus said, “You will always have the poor with you.” So, even though I will help others in need as much as I can, it seems to me that if I spend all my dream money on the poor trying to raise them up out of poverty, there will still be poor people in the world. On the other hand, if I can proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the masses, though they be poor, at least some will be saved. Knowing Jesus will help many to recognize their own self-worth and thereby being encouraged by Christ, they will lift themselves up to a better life. For sure, if more people knew about Jesus there would not be such a high crime rate in our land, there would be less hate around the world. So, if Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos calls me to ask how to spend their money, I am going to tell them over a cup of coffee, to spread the word of Jesus. Of course, I expect that they will pay for my coffee. 😊 On the other hand, so that I am not in their debt, maybe I'll buy their cup of coffee. As you look at your own priorities in spending your money, are you spending it wisely to help evangelize the world? None of us may be as rich as the richest among us, but with the little we have, we can accomplish so much for God's Kingdom. Giving to God isn't as much about lifting others up as it is being obedient to the word of the Lord. “Bring all your tithes to the storehouse...” (Malachi 3:10) Blessed be the name of the Lord! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved
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April 13, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius I like to think that I'm a practical, pragmatic, no nonsense kind of guy. Common sense is a priority in my life, black is black, white is white. I often offer my grandsons a course in common sense, especially when they do something, not smart. Of course, they laugh at me when I offer up my antiquated advice, things I've learned through the School of Hard Knocks. Believe me, in that school, sometimes I had to take a class more than once. Common sense tells me to do things right the first time. To do it once, and then again, a second time, is a waste of time. Common sense tells me to always know where my shoes are in the house. What if a tornado is coming and I need to run for my life to the basement? I can't be spending precious moments looking for my dad-gum shoes. Common sense tells me not to parachute out of a perfectly good airplane, even if jumping in tandem and harnessed to an experienced skydiver. It's easy enough to die without even trying. Common sense tells me not to go scuba diving with sharks. Why? Same reason I don't go parachuting. When the elevator door opens, common sense compels me to look and make sure there is a floor there before stepping onboard. Think about it. Here's another no brainer. It's better to spend eternity in heaven than hell. I shouldn't even have to explain that one. On the other hand, there are people who use no common sense and are oblivious to what lies up the road ahead. There is always a fork in the road just ahead. Common sense would tell you to take the fork that leads to heaven. However, there are a lot of people who have no sense at all and take the turn that leads to hell. If you're looking for a book of common sense, read the Book of Proverbs. It just makes sense.😊 If you need more common sense, ask me. I got plenty. Has anyone seen my shoes? 😊 Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved April 6, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Be it high school graduation or college graduation, the season is soon upon us. I think about those who might be blessed to be the valedictorian of their class. For sure, I was not one of them 😊. I was just one of the plain ordinary guys who graduated in the class of 1967. I graduated not with credentials of high standing, my letter jacket not weighed down with trophies for my athletic prowess, but for some reason as I walked down the aisle to the band playing Pomp and Circumstance, with a classmate I didn't even like, I felt this sense of accomplishment for things of the past, and a sense of anticipation of things to come in the future. With graduation, every valedictorian is given the honor of presenting a speech to the class. Today, I have no idea what the speech was that my class valedictorian, Valerie, gave to our 1967 graduates. It was probably like most speeches from one classmate to another. If I were to summarize all of the valedictorian speeches, it probably would be something like this. “Lookout world, here we come!” Though Valerie’s 1967 graduating class speech may have been important for the moment, 25 years later at a class reunion, one of the common folk, like me, gave the most memorable speech. Each of us stood up and shared our life journey. Then it was Karen’s turn to share her story. As her story unfolded the room became quiet. She told us that she had cancer and was soon going to die. There were many tears, mine included. As she closed, she said something like this. “We were together for 12 years of our lives. You are all my friends. Jesus is my Lord and Savior and I'm not afraid of dying. I know I will be in heaven with Him. When you die, I want you to be there with me.” Gulp… “Karen, though 30 years too late, I thank you for your brave witness.” If I were to write a valedictorian speech today, it would focus on the end of the journey and not the beginning. When it is all said and done, only what's been done for Christ will last. Come to Jesus! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 30, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius You can hear his breathing, a deep, haunting kind of gasp. His very presence raises the hair on the back of your neck, tingles down your spine. Like the wavy, shimmering heat on a summer afternoon that you see on the hot asphalt up ahead, you know that it is there, but when you get there, it is not. Like a parched desert your mouth is suddenly dry. A voice within you tells you, “This is wrong, turn and run!” All of these things, a warning to you, danger lies ahead! The Holy Spirit within you rising up to tell you that he with whom you are about to battle, is unseen, elusive, deceptive, cunning, ruthless, and that if you continue on course, he will claim victory over you as you willingly surrender that which is most precious and dear, your soul. Don't move, stay where you're at, like one caught in quicksand, there is no escape. Are you caught in the web that you have weaved, no matter the fight, there you are trapped? Soon, the spider comes out from his hidden place to spin his web around you, to claim you as his own. He, the spider, is the one whose presence you felt but could not see. The warning signs were all about. The snare had been set, the cage prepared, but the sweetness of the lure, all too tempting. Realizing the gravity, the seriousness of where you find yourself, you look for an escape, and there is none. Thrash around in the quicksand, the more you sink. As you try to free yourself from the web you have weaved, the tighter its grip. You cry out, “Is there any escape, any rescue?” Try by your own power, your own might, your own ingenuity, there is no escape, no rescue. However, there is One Who holds the key to free you from the cage, the sin, in which you are trapped. His name is Jesus. Call upon Him and He brings the sweet aroma of freedom and salvation. The Lord Himself will deliver you from the spider who so wants to devour you, to claim you as his own. Only Jesus can lift you out of the bowels of hell to the glory of heaven. What are you waiting for? Hating the spider, Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 23, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Growing up on the farm in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s gave to me a treasure hoard of memories that few children today will ever experience. Instead of being lost in the black hole of the Internet and playing some sort of video game with no real reward, I was outside chasing chickens, raising rabbits, slopping hogs, and when I wasn't doing my chores, I was playing in the barn. One of my many chores was to throw bales of hay down from the haymow for the feeding of the cows. There was only one danger in that chore. I had to be careful not to slip and fall down the chute, twenty feet to the cement floor below where the bales of hay landed. In spite of being hot in the summer and cold in the winter, the haymow was the best place to be. It was there you could swing on the hay rope as if you were Tarzan. If you could hang on, with a hoop and a holler from one end of the barn to the other, you could swing. There were treasures in the haymow to be found. Shh… do you hear the muffled meows of the new kitty litter? Move a few bales, and there you would find them, all scrunched together to keep warm. Play with them for a few minutes, and the next day look for them all over again. Mama cat, once her litter was found, always moved them to a new hiding place. It was in the haymow that you could catch pigeons in the dark of night. Quietly climb high into the rafters where they roost, shine a bright light into their eyes, reach out and they were yours. “Gotcha!” Put them in a cage, feed them, take care of them, and soon they were my friends. Often, I would intentionally leave the cage door open. Some flew around during the day and came back in the evening, while others never returned. Now that I'm older, of course I do not play in the haymow any longer. You can't even find a barn anymore. But like searching for newborn kittens or blinding pigeons, today I search for lost souls who have hidden themselves in their sin. I shine the bright light of Jesus, not to blind people, but for them to clearly see the freedom and salvation that Christ brings. If you come to Christ, the door to His nest is always open. Choose to live in the lair of Satan and the door to your prison is never open but always shut and locked. Jesus is the only escape. Living life to the full! Reaching out to those who need to be saved. Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 16, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius So, I've been thinking about my name, Allan Redenius. As for my first name, Allan, there are only about fifteen ways to spell it. There is Alan, Allen, Alyn, and of course the spelling my parents gave to me, Allan. OK, maybe the number fifteen is an over exaggeration, but you get the point. Invariably, when someone else, other than me, spells my name, it is always wrong. Now, if you want to write me a check, out of the generosity of your heart, I'll cash it no matter how you spell my name. 😊 Over my lifetime, I've been called a lot of names, and when compared to those, I think I'll stick with Allan. Now, as for my last name, who in the world would ever pick the name Redenius? Even Armona, when we got married, tried to convince me to change my last name to her maiden name, Frank. If I had done that, there certainly would be much more ink in the world today. My grandfather migrated from Germany with that last name. My grandmother’s maiden name was Huisinga. My mom’s maiden name was Stecker. Her dad, my grandpa, was born in Germany too. His first name couldn't be more German, Folkert. So, since I’m German, the name Redenius fits my heritage. A man from Germany once told me that the name Redenius means, “redneck.” Maybe my ancestors have a story to tell? On the other hand, he may have been the redneck and was just pulling my leg. At any rate, I know who I am. No matter my name, I am a child of God. I am in the lineage of Jesus. And to think, I didn't even have to pay $100 to ancestry.com to figure that out. Jesus even knows my name. “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; You are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1) Do you belong to the family of Jesus? Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 9, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Let me tell you about my recent near-death experience. We've all used the phrase at some point in our life, when experiencing some sort of pain, “I think I'm going to die.” Or, we might say something like, “I think it's the big one, Elizabeth!” Those expressions, I no longer take lightly. While getting ready for dinner a couple of weeks ago, I really did think it was the big one and that I really was going to die. Suddenly, without warning, it felt like my lung was being pulled out of my chest through a keyhole. After Armona took my blood pressure, and seeing that it was through the roof, she said, “I'm taking you to the hospital right now!” Of course, macho me, said, “I don't need to go to the hospital. This will go away.” She was insistent, packed me in the car, and raced to the hospital. Thank you Armona, for saving my life! (Maybe she would have driven slower if I had a big life insurance policy 😊) What I did not realize at the time was that I was experiencing a pulmonary embolism. If you don't know, that is a blood clot in your lung which oftentimes lodges in your heart, causing death. After my emergency care and, at my internist for a follow up, she said to me, “Do you know how fortunate you are to be alive?” Indeed, I am blessed to share this experience. As the first wave of pain came on, my first cry for help was not to Armona, but to my Lord. It went something like this. “Help me Jesus!” Like pulling your hand off a hot stove, crying out to Jesus was not something I had to think about, it was automatic. This near-death experience causes me to wonder, to whom do people cry out for help who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior? I am now more acutely aware that you can die in a nanosecond. For some, there is no time to cry out for help. One moment alive here on earth, the next, standing before the Lord in judgment. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) If you haven't cried out to Jesus during life for Him to help you and save you, it will be too late for you to cry out after you're dead. Just giving you a little advice to live by…eternal life is Jesus’ gift to you! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved March 2, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius When I was in 7th and 8th grade, I delivered the early morning Des Moines Register newspaper. Up before 6:00 AM, hop on the bicycle, then bee-line it to the park bench where the newspapers could always be found for delivery. Zing around town in rapid fashion to complete my route before school started. I don't know how I inherited that job, but more than once I tried to quit, but my dad said, “It's good for you to have a job and some responsibility.” In the long run, as with most things, he was right. I guess I should have been thankful for this paper route, which I started at 6:00 AM. At least it was a couple of hours later than starting at 4:00 AM to deliver milk around town from the Creamery. I can still hear those milk jars clanging together as I carried them, two in each hand, to the milk boxes scattered around town. It was there, in the quiet of the early morning, that I began to make weather observations and predict the weather. A breeze from the east was a sure indicator of rain to follow. If there was no dew in the grass, it generally meant rain ahead as well. Green, stormy clouds meant, hail is a-comin’. My weather forecasts, back then, were just about as successful as weather forecasts today, about 50%. To think I didn't have computers, radars, nor a degree in meteorology. Have you ever thought that those who forecast the weather are themselves in a prophetless business? What the prophets of old forecasted, always came to be. Not so with the weathermen today. My experience and observations of my youth still compel me to be watchful of weather indicators today. Now my observations see a new storm on the horizon. I'm not sure as to the date when the Lord might return and rescue us from that soon approaching storm. I still get up early every morning and ask of the Lord, “Is this the day?” One thing I know about the weather. You need to be ready for whatever comes. Are you ready for the certain return of Jesus in the not-too-distant future? Keeping an eye on the Eastern sky. It is there we will first see Jesus walking on the clouds coming for us. Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved February 23, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Oftentimes our memory plays tricks on us. Things that were obviously disassociated sometimes blur together as if happening simultaneously. Here is a for instance. As a little boy of maybe six or seven, I remember being on the roof of the house with my dad as he shingled. Not that I was that much help I'm sure, but I was there. Based on my age, the memory then would be about in the years 1955 to 1957. So, here's the disassociated memory that doesn't quite fit into that time slot. As my dad was pounding the nails through the shingles, my brain remembers that the song Johnny Cash made popular, Ring of Fire was playing while we were up on that roof. As I investigate, Johnny Cash didn't release that song until 1963. Besides that, there was no such thing as a transistor radio at that time to carry up onto the roof, even to listen to music. So, this is my quandary. Which memory is correct? Was I even on the roof? Why is that song associated with that memory? Here is another memory that just doesn't quite make sense. We lived in an old farmhouse and my bedroom was upstairs. In the morning, instead of walking down the steps, I floated down the steps. Instead of Aladdin and his magic carpet upon which he rode, it was Allan walking on air. I know, I know that gravity makes this an impossible memory. But it's my memory and I like the idea of once doing what no one else can. Here's another memory that sometimes reappears when the mist clears. Not far from our farmhouse, a bridge collapsed. My recollection is that it folded as the letter “V.” At the bottom of the folded bridge, the “V”, there was an old Ford Model A car. Is this memory real or is it an overactive imagination? I need to go now. There are men in white suits coming to take me away 😊😊😊 Praying, I brought a smile to your face! Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved February 16, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius As I write this reflection, it is February 1, 2025. It is the 62nd anniversary of the death of my grandfather, on February 1, 1963. For me it is a day that will live in infamy, never to be forgotten. He was a man tall in stature, wise in the world, and one who had, to me at least, no faults. Although, I do remember him going to the pool hall to play cards with his friends😊 But, this was his most important quality. He loved Jesus. He is living proof that a testimony about Jesus given during life, lives beyond death. I give him credit for speaking the blessing of ministry into my life. At about 11 years of age, he said to me, “If you become a pastor, I will buy you a gold watch.” Over 60 years later, I remember well the words he spoke into my life so long ago. Obviously, his words spoke louder into my life than any gold watch ever could. On the morning of his death, while in school, I heard the church bell toll. Instantly, I knew that the sound of the toll was to honor him. I still could recite to you every detail of the day of his funeral, from sobbing through the old hymn How Great Thou Art (whenever I sing that song even today, a tear comes to my eye), to the teardrop that fell on his lapel from my eye as I said my final goodbye, to wondering why we were leaving him all alone in the cold at the cemetery, while we drove away. There are men and women in your life that leave a lasting impression upon those whom they touch. My grandfather was such a man. Probably, a bigger man today in my memory, than the day he died. Because he loved the Lord, I love the Lord. My prayer today is that I could be such a man for my grandsons…for you. As the end of my life draws near, one of the many joys of entering heaven will be the homecoming, the family reunion I celebrate with Jesus and that great cloud of witnesses of family and friends that have gone before me. If you come there after me, you will find my grandpa, and the rest of my family and friends, bowing at the feet of Jesus. It is there you will find me too. Love in Christ, Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved February 9, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Sometimes it is fun to think of something weird, something that stretches my recollection and my imagination. Whenever I do this in a spontaneous manner, sometimes it causes people to laugh. At times, what I say is bizarre. After one of my quips, one of my friends often says of me, “He's not quite right.” I am perfectly fine with that compliment. Why? Because I like to keep people guessing and smiling😊 There are two momentous events in everyone's life, birth and death. The first, no one can remember, and the last, no one lives to talk about. But, isn't it the story that lies between each of these events, that really matters? The dash on the tombstone between date of birth and date of death screams out, “I was here! Remember me!” That is part of the reason I write these reflections. So that you, and my children and grandchildren, might remember that I was here after I'm gone. My prayer is that by my living, and later by my writings, you and they might remember my life. And if along the way, I bring a smile to your face, I'm happy! 😊 But more importantly, if I bring salvation in Jesus Christ to your household, well then, I'm ecstatic! It is then that the dash on my tombstone will have real meaning. Whoa! That is way too serious. As to my first recollection, my first retained memory in life, it is at the age of four. You see, I started kindergarten when I was four. One day, Mom dressed me up as a pumpkin in flammable orange crepe paper for my kindergarten Halloween party. We lived in the country and as I boarded the bus, I'm sure there was giggling from the older kids at the back of the bus. There may have been some heckling, but that was not my major concern. The bus driver was a smoker, and as he flicked the ash off his cigarette, my worry was that a spark off his cigarette, would ignite me into a burning pumpkin. Picture it. If that should have happened, the only thing that the dash on my tombstone may have meant was that he went out as a flaming pumpkin😊 Of course, like everyone else, I won't be able to tell you of my last memory on earth. However, even now as I live, I can tell you about my first memory in heaven. It will be seeing Jesus face to face for the very first time and hearing Him say to me, “Well done good and faithful servant. Welcome home!” Now, if I could only remember who I am...Oh yes. See what I mean? I like to keep you guessing and smiling. Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved February 2, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Right now, as I write this reflection, the wind chill is about -20°. I really don't know why they came up with wind chill factor. After a certain point, it just can't get any colder. By the way, do you know the difference between being hot and being cold? Hot is uncomfortable, cold hurts. As long as it's winter and I'm thinking of it, let me tell you about a few of my snow adventures.
Life is the same way; you need to be prepared for whatever comes your way. It doesn't hurt to have a corn scoop along with you😊 Pastor Allan 2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved January 26, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius My friend is dying of a debilitating lung disease. He lives in Simi Valley, California. So, recently, Armona and I flew out there to see he and his wife. Understand that his disease has confined him to bed and he is pretty immobile. Not only that, he is on oxygen 24/7. He’s able to talk and we had a wonderful visit about times gone by, family, and best of all, God. As we flew out there, this was my thought. “What if there’s an earthquake while we are there?” Day one, was uneventful…until evening. No earthquake, but the Santa Ana wind began to blow and like the wolf in the three little pigs fairy tale, I thought it would blow the house down. The next morning, we awoke to the news of the terrible fire storm only miles away. Unimaginable! But to continue, the electric company shut off the electricity. By God’s grace, my friend had a generator to run his oxygen machine. Off to the gas station we went for gas to fire up the generator. Try to find a gas station at night when there is no electricity. Then, once procured, we’re up at 3:00 AM to fill the generator. There’s a whole memorable story about that experience without electricity. But one of my funniest lines—according to Armona—was saying to my friend, “If I had to spend 4 miserable days with someone, I’m glad it was you!” My friend is a collector of antique bullet pencils. If you don’t know what they are, they are a pencil that looks like a bullet. Every farmer used to carry them in their bib overalls. So, on the last night that we were together, my friend said, “Take a couple of these bullet pencils to remember me.” I put two in my jacket and hugged him with a “Love you and see you later.” (I never say good-bye.) Then….I cried. Now we’re at the airport. TSA scans my jacket, which is in a bucket. Instead of it coming through, as did our other carry-on items, ZING, my jacket is whisked away to the other side of the security area. I knew right away, I was in trouble. The TSA guy searched my coat and pulled out what he thought were bullets, I texted my friend this message. “O.K.---the bullet pencils got me pulled over at TSA. The officer had never seen a bullet pencil before. I said, ‘I hadn’t either but my friend gave them to me.’ The police should be at your house soon.” 😊 Here's my advice, don’t take a bullet pencil to the airport and always say, “See you later when leaving a dying friend.” I know, I’ll see my friend again at the throne of Jesus. See you later…. Pastor Allan ©2025 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved January 19, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Since I broke my wrist, it has been very difficult for me to write. There is a pain in my ulnar nerve that precludes me from having legible penmanship. Although, Armona would tell you that my penmanship wasn't that legible before I broke my wrist. 😊 Prior to October 22, 2024, at 9:32 AM, I would always “long hand” my sermon manuscripts and other writings. In order to continue my musings and writings, I am now forced to improvise and do something new. I have since learned to dictate my thoughts using Microsoft 365. Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes says, “… there is nothing new under the sun.” Well, this new mode of communication is something very new to me. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. I've also learned to use my left hand for things I never believed possible. As a matter of fact, now what I used to do habitually with my right hand, I now do with ease with my left hand...except write. One of the things that I've learned through this period of healing is to be more sympathetic and understanding of people with physical disabilities. What used to take only minutes to accomplish, with a disability, a simple task becomes a time-consuming challenge. Even the simple tasks of tying your shoelaces, or buttoning your shirt is a challenge that many disabled people face daily. Yes-sir-ree, an unexpected fall can certainly change your life in a hurry. I've come to learn the meaning of the old phrase, “The sun don't shine on the same dog’s rump every day.” (For those of you who are scratching your head on that grammar, I know the word “don't” is improper use of the King's language. Even Microsoft Word is flashing warning signs at me. Great…now I have the computer AND Armona telling me that my grammar needs improvement.) Nevertheless, “the sun don't shine on the same dog's rump every day,” sounds better to me. Maybe I hit my head when I fell. 😊 😊 Pastor Allan ©2024 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved January 12, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Have you ever had those times of nostalgia, days of reminiscing? Sometimes, I think too much of days gone by. Of course, of those days, I cannot change. I am today part of my decisions made yesterday, whether they were good or bad. So, my thought for today is this. What decisions would I change if I had life to live over again? I think ultimately the answer to that question, “what would I change,” revolves around two words, more or less. Hopefully, prayerfully, if I had to live life over again, I would make more good decisions and less bad decisions. Here's a list of the “less of” things I would change if I could. Wait a minute! I'm not about to tell you about my frailties, weaknesses, and poor decisions of the past. Like most people, I am more than willing to tell you of my good decisions that have made me into the great person I am. O.K…the word “great” might be an over exaggeration. Obviously, grandstanding is something I need less of and humility is something I need more of in my life. 😊 If everything boils down to two words, “more or less,” then I believe I can sum up what I would change in my past life rather succinctly. They are;
See what happens when you get up at 3:00 AM and think too much? On the other hand, did not Jesus arise early to pray and be with His Father? Try sleeping less and praying more. Zzzzzzz Pastor Allan ©2024 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved January 5, 2025
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius I like numbers. When I was ten years old, I had to change from writing 1950 something to 1960 something. Every decade since then has been a change to get used to. I like writing numbers, except for the number 8. The older I get the more the number 8 begins to look like the number 6. This year I look forward to writing 2025. In three years, I will have to face the dreaded number 8, when I begin to write 2028. When it comes to the numbers in my bank account, I like for the decimal point to be as far to the right as possible. Maybe even as far as the $500 billion Elon Musk has at his disposal. Just so you know, 500 billion looks like this, 500,000,000,000. If he only makes 2% a year on his wealth, he earns over $27 million a day. Let me repeat that… $27 million a day. This man has more wealth than most countries in the world. He earns more money in one day than almost everyone earns in a lifetime. I dream of all the good I could do in my community and in the world if I had the wealth of Elon Musk. For sure, I could build a platform big enough, buy a microphone loud enough for people to hear me talk about Jesus. Of course, many people would come to me for all the wrong reasons. Many came to Jesus just to be healed, not necessarily to hear His salvation message. Here's the difference between Jesus and me, besides the fact that He is God, and I am not. Jesus could do miracles and deliver the salvation message. I can only tell you about Jesus and His love for you. So much love that He died on the cross for your sins and that, if you believe in Him, you will be saved. Rich as he might be, Elon Musk and I are so much alike. He is just a man. As a man, he puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like me. One day, like me, like you, he will stand before the Lord to face his final judgement. I pray that he is saved. I pray that you are saved. I know that I am saved. In Christ’s Love, Pastor Allan ©2024 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved December 29, 2024
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Another year has raced by, and suddenly we stand at the cusp of a new year. How I still remember sitting at my grandma's pink polka dot kitchen table, eating one of her sugar cookies with a cup of tea, and asking her, no, maybe complaining, “Why does time take so long?” I remember well, her reply. “Just you wait. When you get a little older, time will go by a lot faster.” At that moment, I didn't appreciate the wisdom of her answer. Now that I'm older, I certainly do understand what she was telling me. Yes, as we get older time does seem to go by faster. But the fact of the matter is, time ticks by one minute at a time as it always has. I do have a theory about time, however. Most of us think of time as a horizontal continuum that the measure of time travels upon, one tick of the clock at a time. I see time, not as a horizontal continuum, but as a spiral, shaped like a funnel. Time still advances one tick of the clock at a time. But the closer time gets to the bottom of the narrowing funnel, the faster it travels. The measure of time still travels at the rate of one tick of the clock at a time, but because of the narrowing of the continuum upon which it travels, the faster it seems to go by. That's why as we get closer to the end of time, Bible prophecy seems to be happening in a more rapid succession. The speed of time has not changed, but the speed at which events are happening certainly has changed. There are a lot of events that must happen in the short amount of time that remains. As I look back, it was only yesterday that I was with grandma sitting at her pink polka dot table. As I look forward, it will be as if tomorrow, I stand with her in glory in the heavenly realm. I wonder if there are pink polka dot kitchen tables in heaven? There has to be sugar cookies. 😊 Pastor Allan ©2024 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved December 22, 2024
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius Christmas greetings to all my fans from around the world, near and far. It's been a busy, busy year once again here at the North Pole. Every year seems to get busier than the last, either that, or I'm getting older and slowing down. Mrs. Claus believes it to be the latter. At any rate, things are almost ready and in place for my annual race around the world. Though I might be slowing down, the guys on my team remain young, energetic, and are ready for our annual Christmas Eve trek. This year they've been on a high protein diet to lose weight and hopefully move faster with a little more agility than last year. Do you know that there are some naughties out there who shoot their missiles even at Santa’s sleigh? Where's the Christmas cheer in that? In fact, recently I received an application from a new reindeer by the name of Stealth. He promises to get me through areas of the world where missiles are flying when the only thing flying on Christmas Eve should be me with my sleigh. If you're wondering why I'm even contemplating taking on any new reindeer, it's because Dasher and Donner are asking about early retirement. Do they live in a fantasy world? But I think I'll be able to talk some sense into them once they find out that it’s always open season on unemployed reindeer. Besides, there is no hay stored away in a retirement plan for any on the team. But I need to tell you this little bit of history. I was there on the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Those fleet-footed shepherds beat me to the manger door by only a couple of hours . I heard the glorious voices of the angels as they sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” As I closed my eyes to visualize peace on earth, the shepherds made haste and ran to see baby Jesus. Truth of the matter is that while I had my eyes closed a deep peace did fall over me. I fell asleep. What is the moral of this story? Jesus is real. My reindeer and I are just a story. Pastor Allan ©2024 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved December 15, 2024
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius I am reading a book, something I don't do enough of. The premise of the book is how to interject comedy and humor into my preaching. That alone should make you laugh. This book on humor tells me that as I preach, “I should be comfortable in my own skin.” Now let me ask you, …duh… “What other skin should I choose?” As I read, I am directed to invite you into my world. Wasn't the world made just for me? Now if God put you in my orbit, then you have a special meaning and purpose to me. In my way of thinking, you all are players God has placed into my world in which to evangelize. Wait a minute. If you are in my world, then I must be in your world. Each of us sees through different eyes the purpose for which God has placed others in our world. I pray that you see my purpose in your life as one to not necessarily bring humor into your life, but one who brings the gospel good news of Jesus Christ to you. Here is the problem with trying to be a comedian. People might not laugh at your jokes or your humor. After the punch line has been delivered, sometimes there is this awkward silence. That lack of response can mean only one thing. You are not that funny. As I turn the page in the book I'm reading, the next chapter is entitled Stop Trying to be Funny. Is that an omen? So, I just finished reading this book about being funny and introducing humor into my preaching and writing. This is what I learned_________________________! Now that's funny! Pastor Allan ©2024 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved December 8, 2024
Reflections from the Heart of Allan Redenius I've been thinking about the cars I've had over my lifetime. When I was in high school, the kind of car you drove, spoke to who you were. As for me, I really didn't have a car in high school, just the occasional use of the family vehicle, a 1954 green Chevrolet. In the language of the 1960’s, it was not a “cool” car. Not until I was ready to leave for college, did I purchase my first vehicle, a 1956 Oldsmobile. Again, not a “cool” car. But for $75, I wasn't looking for anything flashy, just a mode of transportation to give me a little independence. This monster of a car was built like a Sherman tank, took one full acre to make a U-turn, and when I stopped at the gas station, I always said, “Fill up the oil and check the gas.” Of course, being a clunker of a car had its advantages. When parallel parking, if someone parked too close in front and behind, just put the transmission in low and push the guy in front of you out of the way. Sure as the world, you can't do that today with plastic bumpers. Once I was engaged to Armona, that beater of a car that served me so well was traded in for a 1970 Chevelle. Suddenly, I had a vehicle that could accelerate from zero to 60, not in 60 seconds, but in six seconds. Now, this was a “cool” car. Then along came children and I had to succumb to being more practical in life. So, like all the soccer moms of today who drive a minivan, I drove a station wagon. By the way, if you have that old white station wagon and are wondering why the paint is all sticky around the windows, it’s because I sprayed mosquito repellent on the paint around the windows at the drive-in movie theater. I don't remember if my ingenuity kept the mosquitoes out, but I do remember the movie, Star Wars. Of course, there were other impractical cars along the way, a couple of convertibles, a Trans Am with a six speed on the floor and a Corvette engine. What have I learned about cars along the way? They are a means to get you where you need to go. The one thing they won't do for you is drive you to heaven. Looking out the window as life goes by. Pastor Allan ©2024 Allan Redenius, All Rights Reserved |
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