Oak Hill Baptist Church

There is a great falling away happening

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

Our Bible verse for today: “Let no one deceive you by any means: for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NKJV)

Our thought for today: “There is a great falling away happening”

In multiple sermons, Bible studies, and daily devotionals over the last year, I’ve addressed the fact that there is a great falling away occurring in the Christian church in the USA. Fewer and fewer Americans are self-identifying as Christians; Biblical values and principles have less influence than ever before in our history; and church attendance has been in steady decline for many years. Even among those who do continue to attend church on a regular basis, many of them attend a church that teaches a form of “Christianity-light” which is superficial and often unbiblical in doctrine and practice.

And all of that was before the COVID 19 pandemic. During the pandemic many churches across the land were closed for long periods of time. Some closed their doors forever. And now that we’re entering the post-pandemic era, few churches have regained their pre-pandemic numbers, vitality, or scope of ministry. Most churches are at 50-70% of what they were pre-pandemic. Beyond that, many members who fell away during the pandemic may not return to the church at all.

All of this is consistent with what Paul was describing in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 regarding what it will be like as we approach the End Times and the stage is set for the appearance of the Antichrist. There will have been a great falling away from the faith and from the church, with entire societies across the globe rejecting Biblical truth. That will pave the way for an easy entrance for the Antichrist onto the world stage.

So, what are we to do? How do faithful Christ-followers live in the midst of this great falling away? First, we redouble our personal determination and commitment to be faithful. We make extra effort to strengthen our own relationship with the Lord so that we will not be drawn away and slip into the easy-believism of Christianity-light. Then, we do our part to strengthen our churches. We faithfully attend the gatherings, we participate in ministry activities, we give generously, and we trust the Lord to bless and multiply our efforts.

In recent years we have experienced a great falling away in this country, and it is continuing. Perhaps it’s a sign of the rapid approach of the End Times; or maybe it’s just the continuing deterioration of society in the USA; or it could be the residual impact of the pandemic. Whatever the cause, the falling away is a reality. But as individuals we don’t have to be a part of it and we don’t have to accept it. We can each resolve to be strong Christians, and we can each do our part to keep our own churches healthy, vibrant, and thriving.

I strongly encourage you to be present at the gathering of your church this Sunday. You need to be there for yourself, and you need to be there for your church.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Let’s cancel cancel-culture

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

Our Bible verse for today: “Many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.” Matthew 24:10 (NKJV)

Our thought for today: “Let’s cancel cancel-culture”

In chapter seven of his great book, “Where Do We Go from Here?” David Jeremiah addresses the issue of cancel culture. He points out how pervasive it has become and how it could be an indication that we are rapidly approaching the End Times. In the introduction to that chapter he writes, “It is one of the great ironies of our age that while we are living during a time when almost any behavior is celebrated no matter how sinful, we are simultaneously living in a time where any small misstep, public or private, could be the catalyst of our own social and financial ruin.”

He’s right. We live in a time when everything is tolerated, and at the same time, nothing is tolerated. On the one hand, the most outrageous and despicable behaviors are declared to be normal and even good, but on the other hand even the smallest indiscretion can incite an online mob of condemnation, ridicule, and ruin. People everywhere are perpetually offended, and their judgments are arbitrary and capricious. In Matthew 24:10 Jesus warned us that the closer we get to the End Times, the more the spirit of offense will reign. We’re certainly seeing that in our day.

However, Christians should not get caught-up in that (or feed into it). We should not be part of the perpetually offended cancel-culture mob mentality, nor should we engage in the silly, angry, overheated rhetoric that comes with that kind of thinking. As David Jeremiah said, “It makes me cringe to see Christians losing their tempers trying to share the truth. We can’t avoid the culture wars, but the tone of our conversation is critical. Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be gracious as well as sensible, for then you will have the right answer for everyone (TLB).”

Likewise, 1 Peter 3:15-16 instructs us, “Be ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who ask you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and respect.”

I’ll leave you this morning with one more thought from David Jeremiah, “That is my challenge for you as you seek to navigate the troubled waters of cancel culture. Don’t be frustrated. Don’t get angry. Don’t let yourself become caught up in the silly arguments or escalating conflicts that are increasingly common. Instead, ask God to fill you with His wisdom. Ask in faith, believing the truth of His Word. Pray for discernment, and He will give it to you.”

Let’s cancel cancel-culture by refusing to be a part of it.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Is social media a blessing or a curse?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

Our Bible verse for today: “The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Is social media a blessing or a curse?”

As was noted in yesterday’s devotional, I’m ending our study of personal responsibility by sharing some highlights with you from Dr. David Jeremiah’s excellent book, “Where Do We Go from Here? How tomorrow’s prophecies foreshadow today’s problems.”

In the book David seeks to show how some of today’s most troubling events and trends could be a sign that we are rapidly approaching the End Times. In chapter two he addresses the issue of globalism and he reminds us that in the End Times, the Antichrist will have succeeded in uniting the world under a one-world government, or there will at least be a method for him to achieve worldwide influence to an astonishing degree.

So, could social media be the vehicle that allows for that? The answer of course is “yes”. Social media is perfectly suited for exactly that. So then, should we as Christians treat social media as a tool of Satan and should we avoid it altogether? To answer that question, David Jeremiah defers once again to Dr. Albert Mohler:

“The church, when it is faithful, always thinks in global terms. The world now thinks of globalization as a great economic, technological, and political fact. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ understands global mission as a command and as a mandate from the Lord. While the world may debate globalization in terms of economic and sociological effects, the church must see globalization as an unprecedented opportunity … The current generation of Christians has unprecedented opportunities to proclaim the name of Jesus in all of the world and to see people of all tribes, tongues, and nations bow the knee to the King.”

Is social media a blessing or a curse? It depends on who is using it and for what purpose. Perhaps it can be a tool in the hands of Satan. But it can also be used by the followers of Christ to spread the Good News of the Gospel further and faster than ever before. Social media, properly used, affords us a greater opportunity to reach the world for Jesus than any generation has ever had before us.

Social media simply “is”. In other words, it already exists and it is therefore a fact we have to deal with in the world we live in. So, what will we Christians do with it? How will we use it and what will we use it for?

Is social media a blessing or a curse? It depends on how you use it. So, let’s resolve to use it for good.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

God is not a socialist

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

Our Bible verse for today: “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “God is not a socialist”

In his excellent book, “Where Do We Go from Here?”, Dr. David Jeremiah demonstrates how the creeping acceptance of socialism could be an indication we are approaching the End Times. In 2020 a poll showed that 40% of Americans had a favorable view of socialism, and that number goes up to 61% in the age group 18-24 years-old.

But socialism is all about control, and taking away God-given freedoms. The history of socialism proves over-and-over again that it ruins initiative, diminishes productivity, and destroys economies. All of that is unbiblical. Dr. Albert Mohler is the President of Southern Seminary and one of the most influential thought-leaders in evangelical Christianity today. About socialism he wrote:

“The Bible reveals several important economic principles. Scripture affirms the dignity of work (Ephesians 4:28) and the fact that those who refuse to work should not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The Bible clearly affirms private property (Exodus 22:7) and condemns theft (Exodus 20:15) and covetousness (Exodus 20:17). Saving (Proverbs 13:22), thrift (Proverbs 21:20), land ownership (Acts 4:34-37), and investment (Matthew 25:27) are all honored in Scripture, and the Bible teaches that the laborer is worthy of his wages (Luke 10:7). Socialism contradicts or subverts every one of those principles.”

Socialism is unbiblical. So, as it continues to gain in popularity how should we, as Great Commission Christians on-mission with Jesus in this troubled world, confront it? First, we need to be careful that we ourselves do not fall into socialistic patterns of behavior by being takers instead of givers. We need to carry our own water, do our own work, support ourselves and our families, and not become de facto socialists ourselves by being overly reliant on government and social programs.

Second, once we are not acting like socialists in our own behaviors, we need to preach, teach, and model Biblical truth about personal responsibility in such matters to others. We must also show that Christian charity is a better answer to helping needy people than are endless and wasteful government programs. The Bible doesn’t call for the government to use authoritarian power to take from those who have and redistribute it to those who have less.

Instead, the Bible teaches and models charity based on the kindness, compassion, and generosity of God’s people. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have to pay taxes, or that there shouldn’t be some basic social safety nets to provide assistance to the neediest in society (a hand up rather than a hand out). But socialism always goes far beyond that. It creeps and grows and quickly becomes a massive government intrusion and overreach.

The fact is that God is not a socialist, and therefore we shouldn’t be one either.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

This is no time to be timid

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

Our Bible verse for today: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “This is no time to be timid”

In yesterday’s devotional I posed the question, “What do we do now?” and I answered it by quoting the words of Jesus as He gave us the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. The Great Commission is the answer to the question.

I also suggested it would be helpful to go to the Oak Hill Baptist Church website (oakhillbaptist.net) and listen to the sermon for February 20^th about the Great Commission. I ended that sermon with a quote from Dr. David Jeremiah in his book, “Where do we go from here?” That quote is, “We cannot be discouraged, not a bit! There’s no room in these days for defeated Christians.”

This is what Paul was referring to in 2 Timothy 1:7 (above). I like the way the Amplified Bible translates this verse, using all the English words necessary to capture the full meaning of the original Greek: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but (He has given us a spirit) of power and of love and of sound discipline (abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control).

This is important because our attitude regarding how we will approach the difficult issues of our day is crucial. God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity. Instead, He has given us a spirit of courage and boldness and conviction. He has also given us the ability to interact with difficult people and difficult situations in a calm, reasoned, balanced manner, maintaining self-control and combining conviction with love. The question, of course, is how do we get that spirit? How do we put aside the fear, the doubts, the hesitancy, and live boldly and courageously on-mission with the Lord?

We intentionally cultivate it. In advance, we think about the people and situations we are going to have to interact and engage with. We pray 2 Timothy 1:7 over it and we claim the promise to be true of us. We imagine what our best response would be in that situation, we pray for that, and then we go and act that way instead of in some other way.

We live in challenging times (maybe the end times). So, this is no time for timid Christians, nor is it a time for out-of-control Christians (Christians who are not calm, reasoned, and self- controlled). Don’t miss the fact that in 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul didn’t just mention power and courage, but also love and self-discipline. We are to fearlessly love people, and this is no time to be timid about it.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

What do we do now?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

Our Bible verse for today: “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Our thought for today: “What do we do now?

At Oak Hill Baptist the way we approach our study of the Bible on Sunday mornings is, I select a book of the Bible that I am going to preach through, then we start in chapter one, verse one, and we study every major theme in the book as it comes up. So, whatever the next major theme is, that’s the subject for this week’s sermon. By approaching the Bible in that manner, we don’t pick and choose what we’re going to study and what we’re going to skip. We just take it all, exactly the way God gave it to us.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve been studying the Gospel of Matthew. This past Sunday we completed that study with a sermon on the last passage in the Gospel, Matthew 28:18-20 – the Great Commission. If you would like to watch that sermon (I encourage you to), you can find it on the Oak Hill Baptist Church website (oakhillbaptist.net).

These are difficult and perilous times we’re living in. Many people believe we’re living in the end times. Are we? I don’t know. Maybe. The fact is that every generation since the time of Jesus has believed they were living in the end times and that there were events taking place in their world which proved it. But all of those generations were wrong. They were not living in the end times. So, are we? Again, maybe. But it doesn’t really matter. Our job today remains the same as it has been for every generation of Christians who have lived in the two thousand years since Jesus first spoke the words of the Great Commission. We are to be on-mission with Him in the world, helping to build and spread the kingdom of God on earth.

We are to live each day with a sense of urgency that Jesus could come back today, and therefore people need to hear the Good News of the Gospel, and they need to hear it now. But we are also to plan and work as if Jesus isn’t coming back for another 100 years. We are to start new churches, send out missionaries, support Bible colleges and seminaries, and we are to plan for kingdom-building work for decades into the future.

For the remainder of this month, we will conclude our study of personal responsibility by thinking very specifically about what it looks like to be on-mission with Jesus in the world that we live in today. We will address some of the most difficult and challenging issues of our times, and we will consider how Christians must engage with those issues.

In the meantime, I encourage you to take thirty minutes, go to our church website, and watch that sermon.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Are you infectious?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

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 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: “Are you infectious?”

This morning I want to pick back up where we left off yesterday, by thinking about Eugene Peterson’s concept of living a simple life that’s “a long obedience in the same direction.”

Perhaps you’ve heard about the old deacon who was in the grocery store when he encountered a younger man who used to attend the same church but whom the deacon hadn’t seen there in a long time. The deacon asked the other man where he had been. The younger man said that he had stopped going to church because he felt he wasn’t getting much out of it. He said, “Over the years that I was in church I can’t count the number of sermons I’ve listened to, and I honestly can’t remember any of them. So, what’s the point?”

To that the deacon replied, “I’ve been married for fifty-seven years. My wife has prepared a meal for me every day of those fifty-seven years and honestly, I can’t remember most of them. But each one of them nourished my body and helped to keep me healthy.” He went on, “Sermons are like that. Each one of them nourishes my soul and helps to keep me spiritually healthy. Even if I can’t remember them, they accomplished their purpose at the time and I’m spiritually healthy today because I was there in church every Sunday.”

For a long time afterwards that other man considered the words of the wise deacon. He also thought about how much he admired that deacon for the man he was – wise and kind, a man of character and integrity. Finally, he decided that if faithful church attendance over all those years helped to make that deacon into the man he was, then he was going to return to church and be faithful as well.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll once wrote, “Few things are more infectious than a godly lifestyle. The people you rub shoulders with every day need that kind of challenge. Not prudish. Not preachy. Just crackerjack clean living. Just honest-to-goodness, bone-deep, non-hypocritical integrity. Authentic obedience to God.”

The deacon in our story was a faithful man with an infectious godly lifestyle. How about you? Is your faith infectious? Do people observe you and decide that they want what you have? Such faith begins and continues as the result of a long obedience in the same direction – just being where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to do, day in and day out.

I encourage you to attend your church this Sunday.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

This is your primary responsibility

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “This is your primary responsibility”

Have you ever read the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes? If not, you should. The entire book is one big powerful lesson. Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest man of his day. The King of Israel. Blessed by God with wisdom, position, power, and wealth. And … it wasn’t enough. For twelve chapters Solomon writes that despite all God had given him, he still wasted decades of his life chasing after sex, drugs, and rock and roll (or the Old Testament equivalent).

But he had started out so well. Like his father King David before him, Solomon was a man after God’s heart, and God was very pleased with him. But then he lost his way. He became bored with a godly lifestyle and began dabbling in the ways of the world. He married hundreds of wives and had a haram of hundreds more concubines. He indulged in every sensual pleasure from sex to alcohol to food to wild entertainment. He accumulated works of art, stables filled with horses, and all sorts of other toys and baubles. More was never enough. In fact, there didn’t seem to be any such thing as “enough” for Solomon.

Finally, he realized that it was all empty and meaningless, “a chasing after the wind” he said. And after all of those wasted decades, he ended up right back where he started – humble and submitted to God. That’s what he was writing about in 12:13 (above).

Pastor and author Eugene Peterson once described the Christian life as “a long obedience in the same direction.” What he meant is that day-in and day-out we are to simply apply ourselves to the basic disciplines of the practice of our faith. We are to live quiet, simple lives based in prayer, Bible study, worship, and service to others. We are to remain faithful to the Lord and just live life. That’s our primary personal responsibility.

Life isn’t supposed to be a constant pursuit of one fun moment after another, one party after another, or one sensual pleasure after another as Solomon did. Even for those who are living faithfully, life isn’t supposed to be one ecstatic spiritual epiphany after another. Instead, it’s a simple and quiet life of faithfulness, like Paul described in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

That’s it. Just live a faithful life that honors God and blesses others. As a Christian, this is your first and primary personal responsibility.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

It’s like having a spiritual sweet tooth

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

Our Bible verse for today: “In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “It’s like having a spiritual sweet tooth”

Do you like Twinkies? I like Twinkies. I also like donuts, cake, cookies, and ice cream. In fact, my appetite for those things is so strong that I have to discipline myself or I will consume way too much. I have a sweet tooth, and the more sweets I have, the more I want. For me, sweets are addictive. I like them so much and find them so satisfying that I could easily get in the habit of consuming them all the time.

Blessing others is like that too – it’s addictive. The more you do it the better it feels, and then the more you want to do it. It’s kind of like a having a spiritual sweet tooth.

For more than twenty-five years, as a Pastor and as a mission team leader, I’ve had the privilege of leading groups of Christians to participate in a wide range of service projects and mission trips. Those activities have spanned the spectrum from simple acts of service caring for church members in need, to projects in our community like helping at the local homeless shelter, to short-term mission trips to places like the coal-mining region of eastern Kentucky, to multiple international mission trips to remote locations like the Amazon Jungle.

One comment I’ve heard over and over again, from hundreds of Christians involved in a wide range of service and mission activities is, “I received the bigger blessing”. No matter how big the sacrifice they made to be a blessing to the other person, the giver ended up feeling like the blessing they received was better than the blessing they gave. That’s what the Apostle Paul was referring to in Acts 30:35 (above) when he quoted the words of Jesus, and it’s what my friend from yesterday’s devotional was referring to as well. “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

Blessing others is addictive because it feels so good. It helps you realize that the practice of your faith is making a real difference not only in your own life, but in the lives of other people too. That just feels good – and it makes you want to do more of it. It’s like having a spiritual sweet tooth. I encourage you to get in the habit of blessing others. The more you do it, the more you will want to do it. It’s addictive, and therefore, habit forming.

It really is more blessed to give than to receive. Try it and see.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

What are you hungry for?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Personal Responsibility”

Our Bible verse for today: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:34 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “What are you hungry for?”

I was speaking with a friend the other day who has a passion for serving the Lord and for blessing others. God has blessed him with a successful business and significant resources, which he then uses to support a vast array of Christian work. He’s also instrumental in drawing others to participate in service projects to help and bless those in need.

During our conversation he commented that he feels very blessed to be used by God to be a conduit for resources to flow to those in need, and that the equation is out of balance, with him receiving a much bigger blessing that he is giving.

What my friend was describing was similar to the truth Jesus was teaching in John chapter four. There we see Jesus and His disciples traveling through the region of Samaria. They were on a long trip from Judea in the south, up to Galilee in the north, and they were passing through the region of Samaria to get there. At the end of a long day of traveling, Jesus stopped at a well outside of town while the disciples went into town to get some food. While He was there, Jesus struck up a conversation with a Samaritan woman who was an outcast because of her sordid past. Long story short, Jesus leads her to faith in Himself and into a right relationship with God.

When the disciples returned, they offered Jesus some food but He responded in verse 32 by saying, “I have food to eat that you know nothing of.” Then in verse 34 he further explained, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me.”

Being involved in the work of God was so satisfying and so fulfilling to Jesus that it was more important to Him than anything else in life, including food. It’s what got Him up in the morning, and it’s what kept Him going through the day. This was the thing that Jesus was hungry for beyond anything else.

And how about us? What is it we’re really hungry for? What is it that gets us out of bed in the morning, keeps us going through the day, motivates and inspires us – the thing that we find most fulfilling in life? As we learned from Samson’s example yesterday, our appetites can control us. Therefore, we need to give careful thought to what it is we’re really hungry for. And is it possible to control that? Is it possible to perhaps cultivate those appetites so we’re hungry for the right things? Yes, it is, and we’ll think more about that tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim