Oak Hill Baptist Church

We need wise counselors

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.” Proverbs 12:15 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Seek wise counsel”

This morning I want to take us back to our discussion from a few days ago regarding the ways in which God speaks to us. One of the most important ways is through the counsel of wise Christians. Pastors, counselors, and mature Christian friends can be an invaluable source of guidance – especially when we’re depressed and perhaps not thinking clearly for ourselves.

The story is told of the famous Saint Francis of Assisi. (He was the founder of the Franciscan order of monks and he was famous for his humility and servanthood). At the beginning of his ministry years Francis was struggling with whether or not to devote himself to a secluded life of prayer and meditation, or to engage in preaching, evangelism, missions, and service.

Although Francis was a deeply devoted disciple of Christ and very mature in his spirituality, he also knew better than to rely just on his own judgment, and he was very aware of the many passages like Proverbs 12:15 (above) which teach us to seek wise counsel before making important decisions. So, he sent letters to two trusted friends and asked them to pray about it, and to offer him their thoughts on the matter. Both of them, independent of the other, responded that Francis should be an active Christian rather than a secluded one. He took their advice and thus was born the Franciscan order (which is still active around the world to this day, almost 1000 years later).

One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is to try to figure things our for ourselves, or to make important decisions based on our own judgment. Another mistake I’ve often seen is when a Christian does seek counsel, but they seek it from those who are likely to tell them what they want to hear. (We see this a lot when a husband and wife think too much alike and then rely only on the counsel of each other. That’s very close to relying just on your own judgment).

We need wise counselors who can be depended upon to pray about the issue for us and then will give us straight talk about it, even if the answer isn’t what we want to hear. This is especially true when we’re struggling with issues which are causing us anxiety and despair. In such situations we’re almost never thinking clearly and we need good counsel from others.

I encourage you to seek wise counsel when you have important decisions to make, or when you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or despair.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Do you want to be found?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!” Luke 15:6 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Are you willing to be found by God?”

In Luke chapter 15 we find three parables from Jesus about lost things being found – the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.” All three are intended to teach an important lesson about how God feels when one of His own strays from Him and ends up “lost”. (It’s not that God doesn’t know where you are, it’s that you don’t know where God is. You have strayed from Him and are therefore lost).

In each parable the owner of what is lost is grieved and wants the lost thing back (the sheep, the coin, and the son). And in each case, there’s great rejoicing when the lost thing or person is back where they belong. This trio of parables are often misunderstood and thought to be about lost sinners who don’t know Jesus and who need to be saved. But that’s not right. In each case the lost thing belonged to the owner and was at one time in its proper place with the owner, but then strayed away and was for a time, lost. Folks, that’s you and me. This is about Christians who aren’t where they’re supposed to be in their relationship with God and who are therefore wandering, confused, and lost.

These parables show us the heart of God for those who are His but who have strayed. He wants you back. And when you are back with Him, His heart bursts with relief and joy. I encourage you to take a moment and read these three parables in Luke chapter 15 right now. See yourself as that lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. Hear the heart of God hurting for you, wanting so much to have you back with Him, safe and secure. Experience the joy of God as He embraces you and welcomes you back.

The problem sometimes is that the “lost” Christian isn’t willing to be found by God. Instead, they have intentionally moved away from Him. Anxiety, despair, troubles, and worries, should always move us closer to God, not further from Him. If you’re struggling with life right now and you have shut God and other Christians out, you are the precious lost thing that is grieving the heart of God. The way to move back to God is by more prayer, more Bible reading, more Christian music, more time with Christian friends, and more time in church.

Your peace and contentment, your sense of security and well-being, your hope and renewal, is all rooted in the overwhelming love God has for you. If you have moved away from Him, He wants you back. The question is, are you willing to be found by Him?

God bless,
Pastor Jim

God wants to be heard and understood

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God wants to be heard and understood”

In my opinion, one of the most helpful resources ever developed to teach Christians how to be aware of God’s presence, develop a deep and intimate relationship with Him, and learn to hear His voice, is Henry Blackaby’s “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God”.

In that study we learn that although God can communicate with us in an infinite number of ways, the five ways He most commonly speaks to us in our day is from the Bible, in prayer, through circumstances, by the counsel of other Christians, and through the testimony of the church. And almost always, He will speak to us in more than just one of those ways. In other words, He will communicate with us and then He will confirm it.

Yesterday we learned that God wants to be heard by His people and He wants to be understood, but we have to be paying attention. We have to seek to hear from Him and we have to be attentive as we wait for Him to speak. The Bible is the primary way in which God speaks to us. He also speaks in prayer (but this is subtle and we have to be careful not to confuse our own feelings with the voice of God). God often uses our circumstances to show us His will, and He speaks through the counsel of pastors and mature Christian friends. God also uses the church as His megaphone. That can come to us through sermons, Bible studies, music, or even congregational votes of affirmation such as affirming our call into a ministry.

God speaks to us in all of those ways, but we do have to be seeking to hear from Him and we do have to be paying attention. Here’s a prayer that Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family) often prayed for himself: “Lord, I need to know what you want me to do, and I am listening. Please speak to me through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, friends, and the things that I read.”

One of the most helpful exercises we can engage in when we’re battling anxiety and depression is to write out our fears and concerns in the form of questions to God. Ask Him for understanding and answers. Then listen in all the ways we’ve considered today. God wants to be heard and understood, and He will answer, but are you listening? If you want to get better at hearing from God, I encourage you to get a copy of the study “Experiencing God”.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Are you listening?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Are you listening?”

One of the greatest truths in all of Scripture is that God wants to be heard by His people and He wants to be understood. That’s why He gave us the Bible. It’s also why He speaks to us through prayer, through the circumstances of life, and through other Christians. Throughout history He has also spoken through a burning bush, and out of the mouth of a donkey, and in the whirlwind of a storm, and in an infinite number of other ways. God wants to be heard and He wants to be understood.

As a case in point, as I’ve mentioned in a previous devotional in this series, every month God always gives me a theme to write about. Then throughout the month He brings to my attention passages of Scripture, examples from life, quotes from books, and numerous others sources and ideas which all apply to that theme. God has something to say about that topic and He has innumerable ways of getting His point across. Recently I became aware of John Eldredge’s new book, “Resilient: Restoring Your Weary Soul in These Turbulent Times”. I’m reading it now and with respect to our theme of learning to live without anxiety and despair, it is very rich and very helpful.

Jeremiah 33:3 is a great illustration of the truth that God wants to be heard by His people and He wants to be understood. There are hundreds of other such examples in both the Old and New Testaments (an entire body of Biblical literature that teaches this important truth).

Call to Him and then listen for the answer. But remember, God can and does speak to us in many ways and so we do have to pay attention. We have to remain aware and attentive. We must be seeking the answer and we should expect Him to answer. Going back to my example from the November 1^st devotional regarding how I go about researching and writing these lessons, this is why I keep the theme for the month playing in the back of my mind and it’s why I keep a notepad handy all the time – it’s so I will be aware and ready when God brings things to my attention that pertain to the answer I need. I encourage you to try that for the answers you are seeking.

It’s always true that God will speak to you (in His time and in His way). That’s especially true when you’re battling anxiety and despair, but you must be listening for the answer. My question for you this morning is, “Are you listening?”

We’ll think more about this tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

We need God-given purpose and plans

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse of today: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)

Our thought for today: “We need God-given purpose and plans”

James Allen was a British philosopher and writer in the late 1800s and early 1900s. His most popular (and in my opinion most helpful) book was published in 1903 under the title “As A Man Thinketh”. It’s based on Proverbs 23:7, which maintains that the things we hold most dearly in our heart are what will shape us as a person.

With respect to our topic of dealing with anxiety and despair, I’m convinced that much of the anxiety and despair some people experience comes from the fact that deep in their heart they see little hope for today or for the future. I’m further convinced that one of the most effective ways of dealing with that is to have a God-given purpose and a plan to achieve that purpose.

With respect to that, Allen wrote, “They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings” But there’s a way to deal with that problem. Allen goes on, “The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities. Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not long remain so if you but perceive an ideal and strive to reach it.”

What Allen is advocating for is having a purpose in life and a plan to carry it out. I believe that’s essential for every person, at every stage of life. Far too many of us are simply existing – just getting through our days, enduring our circumstances, and then doing it again the next day. That’s a recipe for despair and it’s not what God wants for us.

We need to have God-given dreams and purpose – along with a plan to keep us moving in the direction of our purpose. It doesn’t have to be some grand scheme to save the world. It can be as simple as a plan to get more education, or to learn a new skill, or to volunteer for a new ministry in your church. It could be to implement a new diet and exercise routine.

If you have aspirations for what you would like to achieve in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead, and you are actively working a plan to do so, it will take your focus off of what you perceive to be the hopelessness of your current circumstances.

It’s true for Christians in all stages of life. To live well and to live with hope it’s essential to have a God-given purpose and a plan.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

God Bless the USA

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 33:12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “God Bless the USA”

I love the song “God Bless the USA” by country singer Lee Greenwood. I met Lee once. It was in the mid-1980s. I was a Navy officer serving on the aircraft carrier the USS Kitty Hawk. One of my responsibilities was to stand watches as the Officer of the Deck (OOD). The OOD is the one who stands on the bridge of the ship and gives orders like “Helmsman, right standard rudder, steady on course 090”, and cool-sounding stuff like that.

One time our ship was at sea off the coast of southern California and Lee Greenwood flew out on a helicopter to perform a mini-concert for the crew. But first, he came to the bridge to meet the ship’s captain and to watch the bridge team operating the ship. I was the OOD at the time and Lee came over to ask some questions. I offered him the opportunity to issue orders to the helmsman to alter the course of the ship and like a grinning kid, he did. Then he went down on the hanger deck and sang “God Bless the USA”.

Today is election day in our nation. It’s an important day and one to be celebrated. The privilege to vote is a precious constitutional right and it’s an essential part of the greatness of our nation. If you haven’t already voted, please do so.

During this time when there’s so much anxiety and despair in our land, I remain convinced that America is still the greatest nation in the world and we still have much to be proud of and to feel good about. I want to leave you this morning with some words from one of our greatest Presidents, Ronald Reagan:

“We cannot escape our destiny, nor should we try to do so. The leadership of the free world was thrust upon us two centuries ago in that little hall in Philadelphia. In the days following World War II, when the economic strength and power of America was all that stood between the world and the return to the dark ages, Pope Pius XII said, “The American people have a special genius for splendid and unselfish actions. Into the hands of America God has placed the destinies of an afflicted mankind.” Reagan concluded, “We are indeed, and we are today, the last best hope of man on earth.”

God isn’t done with America. We are still a great nation and we still have a great destiny, but it’s essential for Christians to be actively involved in society and in the political process. We have to vote and we have to elect good leaders. Do your part today and vote, and may God continue to bless the USA.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Be calm; cast your vote; honor God

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be calm; cast your vote; honor God”

Tuesday is election day in the USA and so it’s time once again for every citizen of this great nation to exercise their right to vote. We’re blessed to live in the greatest nation in the world, with the best and most successful form of democracy. We need to keep our democracy strong and vital by utilizing our vote to elect good leaders.

Christians should be the best citizens in whatever land they live in. That’s especially true in this nation, which was founded on Biblical principles and which has relied on the Judeo-Christian ethic as the principle which undergirds and guides our civic life. With such a heritage, how could Christians excuse themselves from exercising their right to vote?

We live in a time when there’s a lot of angst and despair with respect to the direction in which our country is going. As a result, there’s also a lot of anger, bitterness, and conflict – even coming from Christians. But I don’t believe such attitudes and expressions are helpful, nor do they benefit the cause of Christ in this land over the long-term. Angry political rhetoric and bitter combativeness won’t convince anyone to place their faith in Jesus.

I love the tone Paul sets for us in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. It speaks of calm, level-headed Christians who pray, intercede, and give thanks, even for pagan kings and authority figures who are unbelievers. Paul links those attitudes and that approach with the understanding that God wants everyone to come to faith in Christ and to come to the knowledge of the truth of God. There isn’t even a hint of anxiety or despair in that passage. Just a clear focus on the cause of Christ, and a determination to be a good citizen of that land we live in.

We’ll think more about this tomorrow, which is officially election day. In the meantime, for today, as our nation prepares to receive the results of another hotly contested election season, I encourage all of us, the followers of Jesus Christ, to be calm voices of reason in the midst of all the anger, bitterness, and even hysteria.

Do your part. Be a good citizen and vote. But also, be sure to honor God by the way you interact with your fellow citizens who see things differently than you do.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Contentment is the secret

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content – whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.” Philippians 4:11-12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Contentment is the secret”

To be content means to be happy and satisfied with what you have or with the way things are. I love the list of synonyms for content: “Satisfied, gratified, pleased, happy, glad, sunny, cheerful, relaxed, peaceful, tranquil, at ease, easygoing, carefree, and unworried.” That’s what learning to be content brings us.

And please note, in Paul’s description of his own ability to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12 above), he stressed twice that he had “learned” how to be content like that. In other words, it didn’t come naturally for him. Remember, in his former life, before becoming a follower of Jesus and then an apostle, Paul had been a Pharisee. He was a member of the religious elite, with all the perks and pampering that came with that exalted position. So, he was used to affluence and comfort.

In his new life as a traveling preacher, teacher, evangelist, and church-planter, Paul still had it pretty good at times. He had rich friends. He was sometimes the guest of important people. He was often honored and blessed and well-provided for. But there were other times when the opposite was true. There were times when he was oppressed, beaten, imprisoned, hungry, thirsty, and penniless. Paul experienced the extremes on both ends, and everything in-between as well.

But somehow, over time, he learned that his outward circumstances were not the determining factor for his sense of contentment, peace, tranquility, or satisfaction. His peaceful, cheerful, easygoing, carefree and unworried demeanor didn’t depend on what was happening on the outside, but instead what was true on the inside (in his heart). In verse 13 of that passage he wrote, “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Remember the old gypsy woman from yesterday’s devotional? This is what she was talking about too. Jesus was enough. Everything else was incidental. It’s not that outward circumstances didn’t matter, they did. It was just that outward circumstances weren’t allowed to have the final say in her life, or in the life of the Apostle Paul.

Learning contentment is vital to learning to live free from anxiety and despair. What’s happening inside your heart is much more important than what’s going on with outside circumstances. This is a learned skill, and we will talk more about it in the days and weeks to come as we continue to explore ways in which we can bring an end to anxiety and despair having an outsized influence in our lives.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Just don’t obsess about it

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we have told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Just don’t obsess about it”

Once when I was leading a mission team to the Transylvania region of Romania, there was a day when our team was holding medical and dental clinics in a small gypsy farming village tucked away in a remote valley in the mountains. Since I’m a pastor and not a healthcare professional, and since they didn’t really need my help in the clinic that day, I spent the day visiting in homes in the village.

I remember visiting with one elderly Christian lady. Her small home was very old and made out of concrete and wood. It was sturdy and snug, but small and sparse. It was adequately furnished, but the furniture was simple and old. We sat in her combination kitchen, dining room, sitting room, drinking tea, eating cookies, and conversing through a translator.

What impressed me then, and the memory that sticks with me all these years later, is the serene sense of contentment the old gypsy woman had. She was peaceful, calm, content, and very gracious. She spoke often and openly about her close relationship with Jesus and how He consistently provided for all her needs over all the years of her long life – even during the darkest and most difficult years under communist rule. Her faith sustained her, and it was always enough.

The passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (above), is one of the Apostle Paul’s contributions to the body of New Testament passages which encourage us to focus more on the Lord and less on our concerns about money and possessions. Paul’s teaching is an extension of Jesus’ teaching on the same subject, which we considered yesterday.

The point in all of those passages is not that we should never strive for higher education, or success in business, or promotions at work, or to have a nice home and a retirement fund. It’s that we’re not to fixate on and obsess about such things. We do have a personal responsibility to work hard, earn a living, and to support ourselves and our families. And yes, this world does need doctors and lawyers and government officials, as well as butchers and bakers and candlestick makers. The point is not to rid ourselves of all aspirations for achievement, but to let go of our obsession with money and possessions.

This is an important distinction and so we’ll think more about this tomorrow. It’s good to work hard to do well in life, just don’t obsess about it.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

There’s a reason Jesus taught so much about this

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “There’s a good reason Jesus taught so much about this.”

So, do we believe the words of Jesus, or don’t we? Is Luke 12:15 true, or not? How about Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”? Or Luke 19:20-21, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded of you. And the things you have prepared – whose will they be?” “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Jesus taught about the danger of money and possessions in 11 of His 39 parables. That’s more than 25% of His total teaching. By some estimates, He taught more about money and possessions than about any other single topic. But why? Of all the important topics He taught about, why was the danger of money and possessions so high on the list?

It’s because we are material people living in a material world and we have to have money and possessions in order to survive. That’s just a reality of life and it’s true no matter who you are, where you live, or what age of history you live in. Even Robinson Crusoe, stranded and living alone on a deserted island, needed food, shelter, and clothing.

So, the need for money and possessions isn’t the problem. It’s our obsession with money and possessions that is the problem. First, we fear we won’t have enough. Second, we’re convinced that the more we can get, the better off we will be. Well, with regard to the first concern, whether or not you will have enough, read Matthew 6:25-34. God knows your needs and He will provide for you. You just be faithful and trust Him. And with respect to the second issue, the belief that if some is good then more must be better, read Luke 19:13-21. Some is good but too much is often a problem.

Few things in life cause us as much anxiety and despair as our preoccupation with money and possessions. It’s such a problem that Jesus taught about it in 25% of His parables. If we could manage to just relax a little regarding this key issue it would remove a lot of the anxiety and despair from our lives. So, we will come back to this again tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim