Oak Hill Baptist Church

Count your blessings

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Praise the Lord, O my soul; and forget not all his benefits.” Psalm 103:2 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Count your blessings”

I wonder how many blessings we miss simply because we’re not paying attention. It’s not that the blessings aren’t there, they are. It’s just that we fail to recognize them for the blessings that they are. We’re so used to them that we no longer pay attention to them. It’s kind of like living in beautiful eastern Tennessee (which I do), and getting so used to seeing the mountains and lakes and lush green fields every day that they’re no longer special. Or like living on the pristine Gulf of Mexico (which I used to), with its sugar-white beaches and clear blue waters, and being so used to it that it becomes commonplace.

Or maybe its like living in the United States of America, with the highest standard of living in the world, with the best healthcare system in the world, with more food and better housing and more creature-comforts than anyone else in the world, while billions of others around the world live in deep poverty and millions more are starving, but I’m sitting here being whiny and grumpy because the internet is slow this morning. (First world problems!)

I wonder how many blessings we miss simply because we’re not paying attention, or because we’ve become dull and insensitive. I wonder how many blessings we miss simply because we don’t take the time to savor them and to thank God for them.

There’s a wonderful little exercise described for us in the old Christian hymn “Count Your Blessings”. You can Google it for the full lyrics, and I hope you will, but here’s the chorus: “Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done. Count your blessings, name them one by one; Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.”

I encourage you to take some time this morning to count your blessings. Consider the many ways (big and small) in which God has blessed you. Think about your blessings. Savor them. Thank God for them.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Consider the brevity of life

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “O Lord, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath, his days are like a fleeting shadow.” Psalm 144:3-4 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Consider the brevity of life”

There are many things about Facebook that I dislike. It’s often misused by people in wrong or unhelpful ways. But there is some good to it as well. For one thing, it helps people who otherwise would not be in touch with each other to have an ongoing relationship that is often real-time and even visual (with pictures posted).

For instance, Facebook allows me to be in contact with people in my hometown with whom I grew up but haven’t seen in fifty years; as well as old military buddies; and people from churches I served in decades ago; and old team members from around the country who have been on international mission teams with me; and relatives who live in other parts of the country; and so many more.

One thing this contact with people from my past has impressed upon me is the brevity of life. For instance, I’m amazed at how many of my old friends from my childhood and teenage years have already died – some in their forties, fifties, and early sixties. Likewise, old Navy buddies from decades ago – so many have died young.

The brevity of life is a subject the Bible refers to frequently. Just a quick search of “The Topical Bible” listed forty-eight scriptural references from both the Old and New Testaments. If God returns to a subject that often in His written Word, He must be trying to tell us something. He must be calling our attention to the brevity of this life.

He is, and the reason He does is so He can then call our attention to eternity. Life is short, eternity isn’t. Eternity is where we spend forever and therefore where we spend it matters. Sadly, many people are concerned primarily with trying to get the most out of this life (which is so short and passes so quickly), and they spend little or no time preparing for eternity. How foolish! Death is certain, and eternity is a long, long time. We have to get this right.

Our theme this month is about savoring our time. It implies an unhurried, deep, and thoughtful focus on the things that truly matter. Like your eternal destiny, it matters. It merits some time to consider it. I encourage you to join us this Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist Church as we consider life after death and eternal destinies. Join us in-person at 10:00 if you can, or online for the live-steam on the Oak Hill Baptist Church Facebook page, or later for the recorded version at www.oakhillbaptist.net.

Life is short. Eternity isn’t. I encourage you to consider the brevity of your life.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Go deep with God

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me. The Lord will send his faithful love by day; his song will be with me in the night – a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:7-8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Go deep with God”

Psalm 42 is a study in contrasts. On the one hand, the writer describes his deep unsatisfied desire for God as being like a thirsty deer longing for a soothing drink from a cool stream (1-2). He also writes about having a dejected and depressed soul immersed in turmoil (5-6). But then, with boldness and confidence, he declares that the Lord will send His faithful love by day and the song of the Lord will be with him in the night (8). He concludes the Psalm with a great statement of faith and encouragement when he writes in verse 11, “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Verse 7 is the linchpin upon which the entire Psalm turns. “Deep calls to deep …” God is deep, and He calls us to go deep with Him. Even as the breakers and billows of turmoil, dejection, and depression are washing over us, our deep God calls us to meet Him in deep places.

In his book, “Intimacy with the Almighty” Pastor Chuck Swindoll writes, “Deep things are intriguing. Deep jungles. Deep water. Deep caves and canyons. Deep thoughts and conversations. There is nothing like depth to make us dissatisfied with superficial, shallow things. Once we have delved below the surface and had a taste of the marvels and mysteries of the deep, we realize the value of taking the time and going to the trouble of plumbing those depths. This is especially true in the spiritual realm. God invites us to go deeper rather than to be content with surface matters.”

Going deep with God requires time. It requires us to slow down, stop, sit, and spend time with Him. Going deep with God also happens when we participate in group worship services. Good music, good teaching, and good fellowship can be profoundly worshipful experiences as we encounter God in the middle of them.

I encourage all of us to set aside time this weekend for meeting God in a deep place. Go deep with God.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Intentionally joyful

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Intentionally joyful”

This morning I want to give a shout-out to Brooke Foster. In a previous devotional this week I encouraged you to view a video clip of “The Snoopy Dance”. It was simply my way of encouraging all of us to be intentional about choosing joy. Brooke responded and shared with me a video clip of another song and dance that I think makes the same point, only better. It’s the song “Happy Dance” by the Christian music group MercyMe. I have attached a link for it below and I encourage you to take a moment to watch it.

It’s a great song, along a clever video montage. The song is upbeat and sings about many of the reasons we have to find our joy in the Lord. The dance video is fun and funny, but pay attention to the lyrics too. The meaning of the song is essentially the same thing the Old Testament leader Nehemiah was saying to the Jewish people in Nehemiah 8:10 – be intentional about being joyful. If you read that story, you’ll discover that in that moment they were faced with big challenges and there was much going on that they were justifiably concerned about. Nehemiah told them to find joy in the Lord anyway. Their day would be better if they did.

You can choose joy. At any time and in any moment or in pretty much any set of circumstances, there is still joy to be found in the Lord.

I have attached a link for the music video below and I encourage you to take a moment to watch it. It will lift your spirits, cause you to smile, and it will get your day off to a good start. If you’re reading this on a computer, simply put your mouse pointer on the link address below, hold down the “control” button on your keyboard, and left click once on your mouse. If you’re reading it on a smartphone, just tap the link on the screen.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xbxt55eHBA&authuser=0

Slow down and simplify

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

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: “Slow down and simplify”

In 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 the Apostle Paul offers us yet another example of the theme we were thinking about yesterday, appreciating and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. In this passage he gives us an image of an entire life that is simple and quiet, focused on simply living a good life that honors the Lord and making a positive impact on those around us. There was nothing flashy or overly ambitious pictured here. Just an honest simple life.

I’ve already told you a bit about the story of pastor and author John Mark Comer, as described in his book, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”. John was the lead pastor of a multi-site mega church. On a typical Sunday he would preach and teach five to six times in a single day. The rest of the week was crammed full of meetings, obligations, and responsibilities. He said he felt more like a high-strung stressed-out corporate CEO than a shepherd of God’s people. Finally, he decided he needed to do exactly what Paul was describing in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 – he needed to simplify and slow way down. So, he gave up his high-profile position, became the pastor of a much smaller church, and he simplified the rest of his life as well. He said he restructured his entire life around a few basic and simple goals that involved God, family, and serving other people – and the quality of his life went up exponentially!

John’s story reminds me of a similar book written many years ago by another high-profile pastor about his own life. The pastor was Chuck Swindoll and the book was called “Intimacy with the Almighty”. Chuck’s story was similar to John’s, and so was his solution. In the book Chuck quoted Ecclesiastes 7:29 which in the TEV reads, “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” That described Chuck’s life, and it also describes many of ours. Most of us are not a high-profile pastor of a multi-site mega church, but our lives are still too busy in their own ways. We have indeed made ourselves very complicated.

There’s a lot to be gained in life from slowing down and simplifying. Seldom if ever does life improve as it gets busier and more complicated.

I encourage all of us to slow down and simplify. Let’s give ourselves space in life to truly savor it.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Appreciate and enjoy the simple pleasures

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Appreciate and enjoy the simple pleasures”

As I write this it’s an early summer morning in June. Dawn is breaking, there’s a gentle rain falling, and the birds are singing. The windows are open and the sound of the falling rain is soft but clear. I love the sound of a gentle rain, especially in the early morning. I find it soothing and I’m grateful for such a peaceful way to begin the day.

Actually, I should be working by now. But the moment is too good to pass up. I choose to sit here and savor it. My thoughts have also drifted to the time, just a week and a half ago, when Linda and I were at our son’s house in Texas to visit our new grandbaby. He’s the cutest and best grandson in the history of the world (he really is) and as I sat there holding him, with his little head resting on my chest, he seemed perfectly content to just lie there and bond with grandpa. I was content too. Deeply content. And I didn’t want the moment to end.

In 1 Timothy 6:6-8 the Apostle Paul was teaching his young protégé Timothy (and by extension us) to learn to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Pause for them; sit with them; enjoy them; savor the moment. I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying that “The best things in life are not things.” That’s what Paul meant. The best times in life usually consist of special moments with God and with special people.

Yesterday I shared a little wisdom with you from one of my favorite contemporary philosophers, Snoopy, the dog from the Peanuts comic strip. This morning we’ll end with a little more. Snoopy says: “Enjoy the little things in life because one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.”

Yes, godliness with contentment is great gain. Savor the moment. Enjoy the simple pleasures.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Choose joy

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “A joyful heart makes a face cheerful, but a sad heart produces a broken spirit.” Proverbs 15:13 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Choose joy”

I’m a disciple of the contemporary philosopher Snoopy. I’m speaking of course of Snoopy the dog, from the Peanuts comic strip. Snoopy is indeed wise. He is observant and insightful, an astute student of the human condition, and as a result, he often has helpful advice for Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Pigpen, and me.

Take for instance, the Snoopy Dance. Are you familiar with the Snoopy Dance? You should Google it. Seriously. Take a moment, type in the search bar “Snoopy Dance”, select the YouTube video that comes up, and enjoy. It will take less than a minute.

What you’ll see is Snoopy dancing. Fast. Joyfully. His little paws are just pattering away (Snoopy stands and walks on two legs like humans). His head is back, his face is lifted to the sky, his eyes are closed, his arms (front paws) are extended wide, there’s a smile on his face, and he’s just dancing. He’s doing the Snoopy Dance. He’s thoroughly happy and joyful, and he doesn’t seem to have a care in the world.

Now, the question is “What brought on such an expressive explosion of joyfulness?” And the apparent answer is “nothing”. In the scene there doesn’t seem to be any special reason for his joyful dancing other than that he decided to be joyful and dance. It kind of reminds me of Psalm 118:24, “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Do we really need special reasons to be joyful? Can’t we simply embrace the moment and enjoy it for what it is, a gift from God? Can’t we simply choose to be joyful and then be intentional about expressing it?

Seriously, take a moment and watch the Snoopy Dance. You’ll be glad you did. And if you’re having a down day and it’s tough to be joyful right now, then go one step further and watch the follow-on clip “Snoopy dances with the bunnies”. Snoopy was having a down day too but some dancing bunnies helped to draw him out of it. Maybe they’ll help you too. Or maybe, by doing your own version of a Snoopy Dance (you don’t really have to dance, just be joyful and express it), maybe by doing so you will end up being someone else’s dancing bunny and you’ll help them to be joyful too.

I encourage you to choose joy today. Do your version of the Snoopy Dance.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

You need the Sabbath

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “That Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You need the Sabbath”

In his book, “The Relentless Elimination of Hurry”, Pastor John Mark Comer includes an excellent chapter about the value and importance of observing the Sabbath. First of all, he points out that the word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat” and literally means “to stop”. It means that we are to cease normal activities in order to worship and to rest.

Doing so is so important that God commanded us to do it. Comer points out that observing the Sabbath is the only spiritual discipline included in the Ten Commandments (it’s the fourth). There God commanded us to remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy. It’s the only spiritual disciple that made it onto the list. Not fasting or Bible reading or even prayer. “Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy.”

We are to work six days and to observe the Sabbath on the seventh. God Himself even modeled it for us in Genesis 2:3 when He took the seventh day to rest and admire His creation. But of course, God wasn’t actually tired. He didn’t need to rest. He did it as an example for us. Stop your labor, your chores and errands, your relentless rushing through life, and just worship and rest. That’s what the Sabbath is for.

What Jesus was teaching in Mark 2:27 is that God created the concept of Sabbath for our benefit. The Sabbath was made for man. We need it. The regular rhythm of our lives needs to include coming to a full stop once a week for the specific purpose of worshiping God and resting our bodies. Comer writes, “The Sabbath is how we fill our souls back up.” That’s true because observing Sabbath is renewing and refreshing. It’s how we recharge our physical and spiritual batteries so we’ll be at our best the rest of the week. This is why God called the day blessed and holy.

Think of Sabbath as a weekly holiday. It’s Christmas, or Easter, or Memorial Day, or Labor Day once every week. It’s a special day for celebrating, feasting, resting, and for company. It’s filled with worship, rest, and fun. So don’t miss it! You need your Sabbath!

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Three miles an hour is a good pace

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” 2 Peter 3:8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Three miles an hour is a good pace”

This morning I want to continue our thought from yesterday regarding the pace of our lives. I noted that too often we blow through our days, just skimming the surface of life rather than slowing down and going deep with people and situations, savoring the moments of our lives.

Kosuke Koyama is a Japanese Christian and a professor of theology. He once wrote a book with the title, “Three Mile an Hour God.” The title comes from the fact that the average human, when not in a hurry, walks at approximately three miles an hour. That’s the average speed of a leisurely but steady stroll. It’s the speed at which we notice, appreciate, and enjoy our surroundings. We’re moving, but we’re not rushed.

Koyama’s premise is that God Himself is never in a hurry, and He seldom pushes us to hurry either because under normal circumstances, hurry is neither necessary nor helpful. Instead, He walks with us through life at the speed that is best for us – three miles an hour. Moving, but relaxed and enjoying the trip.

Read the Gospels. Jesus was never in a hurry. And if our Lord didn’t allow Himself to get frantic and agitated, rushing from here to there, and if our goal is to be more like Him, then perhaps we need to back it down a bit.

Peter’s point in 2 Peter 3:8 (above) is that God is outside of time. Time doesn’t apply to Him. Time is a construct God created within which human affairs unfold and are measured, but God is eternal and He is unaffected by time. Therefore, a day is the same as a thousand years to Him, and a thousand years is like a day. God has eternity to work with and therefore He doesn’t need to rush. And actually, the same is true for us. In reality, we have eternity to work with too.

So, do we really need to rush so much? In fact, since God walks with us, and since our best speed under normal circumstances is a leisurely three miles an hour, I can picture God with His hand on my shoulder saying, “Whoa, slow it down a little, Hoss. What’s your hurry?”

Good question. What is my hurry? Three miles an hour through life is a good pace.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Don’t just skim the surface of life

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Savor the time”

Our Bible verse for today: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Don’t just skim the surface of life.”

I’m currently rereading a book I’ve come to value and appreciate very much. The title is “The Relentless Elimination of Hurry” by Pastor John Mark Comer. This is the third time I’ve read the book in the two years I’ve owned it. It’s really good. And helpful. Throughout this month I’ll share some of John’s thoughts with you.

The basic premise of his book is that hurry is a thief. It distracts us from the things that are most important, it causes us to miss precious moments in life, and it steals our joy. Hurry makes it impossible to truly savor moments, people, and events that should be special to us. Hurry also makes us insensitive to other people, and it causes us to miss telltale verbal clues that might have alerted us to the fact that someone else is having a bad day or is need of a hug or a kind word. Speaking of himself Comer realized, “All of my worst moments happen when I’m in a hurry.”

Amen brother.

Philosopher David Zach once referred to such a life as “hyper-living” or, “just skimming the surface of life.” We move through life at such a pace that we just blow by people and situations that really do deserve and should receive our focused attention. We greet people and ask “How are you?”, without actually listening to how they are. We speed past a beautiful view of meadows and mountains, without actually seeing the meadows and the mountains. We’re just in too much of a hurry. We’re skimming the surface of life.

I love the picture Solomon paints for us in Ecclesiastes 3:1. There’s a time for everything and a season for every activity. It’s a picture of a leisurely stroll through life, stopping to smell the roses and talk to the neighbors and pet the puppy. No hyper-living in that picture.

I encourage all of us to slow it down, take a breath, and enjoy the moments of our lives today. No hyper-living. No skimming the surface of life. Instead, take the time to pay attention and to go deep with people and situations. Truly appreciate and enjoy the gift of this day that the Lord has given to you. Savor it.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim