Oak Hill Baptist Church

Strong faith leads to confident hope

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “There is power in hope”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Strong faith leads to confident hope.”

Biblical hope is more than just wishful thinking. Instead, it’s a confident knowledge that God’s promises are true and that we can trust Him.

Sadly, we live in a world where many people are hopeless rather than hopeful. Many people base their hopes and desires on things and on people rather than on God’s promises, and so they are constantly disappointed and discouraged. They end up living with what theologian Emil Brunner once called a deep-seated “sorrow of heart”, or what the writer Henry David Thoreau famously described as “a life of quiet desperation.”

But for Christians the experience of hope can and should be very different. Theologians teach us that the Bible includes an entire “theology of hope”, meaning that the Bible provides us with a complete and systematic body of instruction on why we can have confident hope.

In Hebrews 11:1 the writer linked the Biblical concept of hope with the reality of strong faith (the stronger the faith, the more confident the hope). In his commentary on this verse Pastor and author John MacArthur writes: “The faith described here involves the most solid possible conviction, the God-given present assurance of a future reality.”

That’s what strong faith does. It gives us a profound hope – a confident expectation and a present assurance of a future reality. Therefore, you’re certain that the promises of God are true and so your hope and confidence in a glorious future is solid and assured.

Regular participation in the life of a dynamic church family is one of the greatest faith-building activities you can participate in. The faith of others helps to strengthen our own. Your faith is strengthened and your hope is renewed by your participation in a small-group Sunday School class, and in group worship services, and by fellowship with other Christians, and by participation in group ministry projects.

I encourage you to attend church services this Sunday, and make it a point to bring someone with you. Strong faith leads to confident hope – and we can all use more of that.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Faith in God gives us hope for the future

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The power of hope”

Our Bible verse for today: “Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken.” Psalm 62:5-6 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Faith in God gives us hope for the future”

I once heard a story told by a man who grew up on a farm in South Dakota. On cold dark nights during the long months of winter his family would often sit in front of the fire looking at seed catalogues. They did that because the catalogues included brightly colored pictures of all the wonderful fruits and vegetables the seeds would produce. The man said that as the frigid winter raged outside, he and his family would enjoy the warmth of the fire and visualize the beautiful fruits and vegetables that would be theirs in the summer. That image gave them hope for the future and got them through the long dark nights of winter.

It’s a powerful metaphor. We all go through seasons of life that sometimes resemble those cold dark South Dakota winters. In the middle of it all, it’s easy to forget that better days are ahead. Nighttime passes, the darkness lifts, dawn comes, and things look brighter. Someone once said that their favorite passage in the Bible is “and it came to pass …” Those are actually encouraging words because in time, everything does pass.

In Psalm 62:5-6 King David reflected on his hope in God. If you read the rest of the Psalm you realize the context is that David was being threatened and attacked (verse 3); he was being lied about and cursed at (verse 4); there was evidently treason in the kingdom and perhaps his life was in jeopardy (verse 4). But in the middle of that he found his rest in God. He drew his strength and assurance from God and he found that God was his rock, his refuge, and his sure foundation. And as a result, David knew that better days were ahead. Despite tough times, David had hope for the future because he trusted in God.

What was true for David is also true for us. God is our fortress and our strength. He is our rock and our salvation. He is our trusted and glorious hope for the future.

Faith in God gives us hope for the future.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Don’t be an Eeyore

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The power of hope”

Our Bible verse for today: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Don’t be an Eeyore.”

Are you a hopeful person? Do you live with an eager expectation of good things to come? Is your disposition sunny and upbeat? Perhaps the answer for you depends on the context. As a Christian you should be hopeful regarding your eternal inheritance in heaven and it should show. But perhaps you’re less hopeful regarding things going on in this world, such as with the economy, or politics, or your health; and maybe about such things you come across pessimistic and even sour.

So, perhaps I should rephrase the question as, “Are you a hopeful person in general? Does hopefulness and an eager expectation of good things to come describe your general demeanor and your overall approach to life? Generally speaking, are you an optimist or a pessimist?”

To be hopeful means that you have a confident expectation that your desired outcome will happen (or at least you look for silver linings in dark situations); but to be hopeless is to be dismal and bleak. That definition of hopelessness reminds me of the character Eeyore from the Winnie the Pooh series. Winnie is a bear; Eeyore is an old grey donkey. Winnie is usually upbeat and positive, but Eeyore is always pessimistic and gloomy. No matter the subject, Eeyore finds something negative or depressing to say about it. When complimented on his tail he replied, “Well, it’s not much of a tail, but I’m sort of attached to it.” When someone said “Good morning” Eeyore replied, “Well yes, good morning – if it is a good morning, which I doubt.”

We all know people who fit the Eeyore mold. Even Christians. But that shouldn’t be – especially not for a child of God. And especially not now, as our nation and our communities are increasingly troubled. If we’re going to be effective at winning people to faith in Christ and drawing them into Kingdom life, we won’t do it by being a bunch of sour old donkeys muttering and mumbling about how bad things are. Instead, we need to show people how it is that Jesus empowers us to live victoriously, positively, joyfully, and with great hope, even in the midst of a troubled world. When Isaiah said in the passage quoted above that our hope in the Lord would strengthen us and enable us to soar like eagles, he was talking about in this lifetime, now, even with all the trouble that’s brewing around us.

All this month we’ll explore what this hope is that Isaiah was referring to, and how we apply it in a practical way in the world in which we’re living. A Christian shouldn’t be an Eeyore.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Resolve to be resilient

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Resilience”

Our Bible verse for today: “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Resolve to be resilient”

As we’ve learned over these last two months, a resilient Christian is one who doesn’t just survive, but thrives. More than just persevering and pushing on, a resilient Christian embraces life with joy and enthusiasm and lives well in both the good times and in bad, when things are easy and when they are tough. But becoming resilient and staying that way doesn’t just happen. It requires intentionality and discipline. You have to want it and you have to work for it.

We’ve covered a lot of ground in these two months in our study of resilience and it could seem a bit overwhelming, but there are really just a few basic principles underlying the concept of being a resilient person. Do your best; don’t give-up; stay focused on the Lord and His agenda; live with enthusiasm and gusto; look for joy, and share the joy; take care of yourself; and … thrive.

One of the ways to become and stay resilient is to do a deeper study of living the resilient life. Over these two months I have referred to and recommended some of the books that I’ve personally found helpful. Any or all of them would be well worth your time to read. Here’s a short list to choose from:

“Resilience” by Eric Greitens; “Toughness Training for Life” by James Loehr; “You Gotta Keep Dancin” and “Holy Sweat” by Tim Hansel; “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews; “If You Want to Walk On Water You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat” by John Ortberg; “A Resilient Life” by Gordon MacDonald; “Living with no Excuses” by Noah Galloway; and “Fortitude” by Dan Grenshaw.

We’re living in difficult times right now. We’re all concerned about the things taking place in our nation culturally, politically, economically, and health-wise in terms of the pandemic. Although being engaged in the issues of our day is important – even essential and Biblical – the most important thing we as Christians can do, and the thing that will help the most in the long run, is to be strong in the Lord and to stay focused on His kingdom-building agenda. As Billy Graham once wrote, “The greatest roadblock to Satan’s work is the Christian who, above all else, lives for God, walks with integrity, is filled with the Spirit, and is obedient to God’s truth.”

Now more than ever we need resilient Christians. I encourage you to be one of them.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Practice Sabbath

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Resilience”

Our Bible verse for today: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work … For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.” Exodus 20:8-10 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Practice Sabbath.”

The practice of Sabbath is an idea that’s commonly misunderstood in our day. First, we usually think of it as something that Old Testament Jews did. Second, if we do apply it to ourselves in these New Testament times, it’s usually thought of as attending a church service on Sunday. But Sabbath is more than that. Although God did intend for there to be one day out of seven that is set aside for worship, fellowship, and rest, the practice of Sabbath extends beyond that. More than being a day, Sabbath is a way of life. Sabbath is a mindset that helps us to remember that life is more than always being in motion – always doing and accomplishing.

This is important for us and for our study of resiliency because resilient Christians are the ones who are focused and who can be depended upon to take action – and to keep at it until the thing is done. And then, they shift their focus to the next thing. But nobody can go, go, go, all the time. If you do, you will run out of gas and soon you won’t be much good to anyone for anything.

In addition to being proactive and taking charge and accomplishing important things, resilient Christians also take care of themselves. This is where Sabbath comes in. The weekly day of worship, fellowship, and rest is essential. But more than that, the daily practice of Sabbath is perhaps even more essential. We need “God time” and we need “me time” every day. There has to be time carved out of our busy schedules for prayer, Bible study, and quiet reflection, and also time for rest, exercise, and relaxation. We need this if we’re going to be able to go, go, go the rest of the time.

It has been rightly said that the battle is won in the quiet times. In other words, the Sabbath times are the times of preparation. It’s during those Sabbath rests that our body is renewed, our spirit is nurtured, and our batteries get charged. Then we’re ready to go out and be a mighty force for good in our world, instruments of ministry in the hands of the Holy Spirit making a positive difference in a hurting world.

I encourage you to take care of yourself. If you don’t, you will become increasingly less and less effective until eventually, you won’t be much good at all. When daily and weekly Sabbath rests are a regular and non-negotiable part of your life, you will be at your best.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

The future belongs to those who refuse to quit

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Resilience”

Our Bible verse for today: “I the Lord do not change.” Malachi 3:6 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “The future belongs to those who refuse to quit.”

One of the most reassuring aspects of the character of God is that He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The constancy and the consistency of God is a source of stability and comfort for us.

Like God, we too should be constantly and consistently dependable. We’re not unchanging like God is because we aren’t perfect like God is, therefore we do need to be constantly growing, maturing, and improving. But still, we should be like God in our consistency and dependability. As a resilient Christian people should know they can count on you to be where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing, and that you won’t quit or give-up just because the going gets a little tough.

Throughout the two months of this study, I’ve noted repeatedly that resilience is more than simple perseverance. But although that’s true, it’s also true that resilience is rooted in perseverance; resilience begins with and grows out of a firm resolve to stick with the thing, to lean into it, and to push through it without giving up. Resilient Christians are the ones who are still there doing what needs to be done long after others have stopped.

The way we do that is to stay focused on the task in front of us and not worry about what others are or aren’t doing, and by not allowing ourselves to be distracted by other issues whose time is not now. There will be time later to deal with other things. For the moment it’s the thing in front of you that merits your full attention. There’s great power in focus. A laser beam is just light that is no longer diffused but is instead intensely focused. The diffused light is scattered and harmless. The focused light will cut through steel. Resilient Christians have the discipline to focus and to see the thing through to completion.

It really is true that the future belongs to those who refuse to quit. Our nation, our churches, and our families need resilient Christians who are focused and dependable, and who won’t give up.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Don’t lose your way in life

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Resilience”

Our Bible verse for today: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Don’t lose your way in life”

This morning I want to return to our discussion from yesterday about Solomon’s story, recorded in Ecclesiastes, and how he lost his way in life. As we learned, Solomon involved himself in many pursuits which of themselves, were not necessarily bad. Some of them were pretty good. But he became so involved in and so obsessed with those pursuits that he was pursing them for their own sake, rather than as part of God’s rule and reign over his life. Solomon lost himself in the secondary agendas of the world and he drifted away from the most important agenda under which all of the other agendas must fall – and that is God’s agenda.

We’re often guilty of doing the same thing. We expend enormous amounts of our time, energy, effort, and resources on things like our career, social issues, politics, hobbies, and in the process, we drift away from God’s agenda.

We often deceive ourselves by claiming that our full and passionate involvement in those things is an extension of our commitment to God – that we’re pursuing those things as part of the practice of our faith and for the sake of the kingdom of God. That would be fine if it were really true. But often it’s only tangentially true at best. In truth our passion for say, our politics, is usually really mostly about politics, and only tangentially for the sake of the kingdom. Likewise of our career, or our favorite social issue, or our hobbies, or whatever else we’ve committed ourselves to.

We also like to claim that if we successfully achieve our objective in this area it will be in the best interest of God’s kingdom agenda. We assert that some situation that isn’t good or right will become better if our politician is elected, or if our legislation becomes law, of if the social issue is resolved our way. And that may be true, but isn’t that the equivalent of treating the symptom rather than the disease? The disease is sin. The cure is Jesus Christ. Our task as citizens of God’s kingdom is to lead people to faith in Christ and to help them grow as His disciples. All of our efforts in these other agendas should be helping to achieve that ultimate purpose.

It’s a rough and tumble world out there. In Matthew 10:16 Jesus told us we need to remain sharp, aware, astute, and focused. Resilient Christians live with passion and purpose, but it’s passion and purpose focused in the right way and on the right thing. Let’s stay focused on the thing that matters most (God’s agenda), and not lose our way in life like Solomon did.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Keep the main thing the main thing

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Resilience”

Our Bible verse for today: “When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Keep the main thing the main thing.”

The book of Ecclesiastes is essentially twelve chapters of ruminations and regrets as an old man looks back upon his life and finds himself wishing he had lived it differently. Interestingly, the author was Solomon, a king, the leader of God’s people, a man who had been blessed by God with wisdom beyond anything possessed by anyone else of his day. This was not some pagan king.

Also, many casual readers of Solomon’s story in Ecclesiastes commonly (and incorrectly) conclude that Solomon’s problems were mostly just wine, women, and song. Well, that was part of his problem. A big part of it. But during those decades Solomon also lost himself in many other pursuits that would usually be thought of as being good. He pursued massive public works building projects; he assembled the most powerful military force in the world of his day; he acquired incredible knowledge about the most important subjects and sciences; he developed and implemented effective governmental systems; and so much more! But in the end, as he looked back on it, he concluded it was all futile and a chasing after the wind.

Why? We can understand that his boozing and schmoozing might be cause for regret, but what about the accomplishments? His problem was that he didn’t keep the main thing the main thing. Solomon lost himself in the agendas of the world and forgot that the rule and reign of God is the umbrella under which God’s people are to participate in those secondary agendas. And also, that we are to participate in those secondary worldly agendas only to the extent to which they contribute to God’s purposes. Solomon lost himself in the agendas of the world and that took him away from, and out from under, the rule and reign of God in his life.

We do this too. We exhaust ourselves in our enthusiastic involvement in the secondary agendas of the world such as politics, social issues, careers, hobbies, etc., and we often lose sight of, and drift away from, the rule and reign of God under which everything else is supposed to be happening.

Resilient Christians resist allowing this to happen. We learn to live as kingdom citizens working to accomplish the Lord’s agenda. As we participate in the secondary agendas of the world, we do so only in ways that respect and honor kingdom principles, and we strive to use our involvement in those secondary agendas to help advance kingdom objectives.

We’ll talk more about this tomorrow. For now, I challenge each of us to join Solomon in his reflections. Consider if your involvement in the secondary agendas of the world have become too much, too all-consuming, and if perhaps they’re taking you away from God and His purposes.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Be one of the greatest

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Resilience”

Our Bible verse for today: “So he got up from supper; laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel tied around him.” John 13:4-5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be one of the greatest”

We’re now ending our second month of devotionals on the theme of resilience. As we conclude this study, I want to spend our last few days reviewing the most important principles about being a resilient Christian. Remember, being resilient is more than just persevering. While it certainly is about sticking with a worthy endeavor, more than that resiliency enables us to live well and to thrive while we’re doing it. Resilient Christians are observably victorious and joyful, in addition to being consistent and dependable.

A resilient Christian is also humble enough, and sufficiently committed to the cause of Christ, that he or she is willing to assume the role of a servant in order to most effectively advance the kingdom agenda in a world that is often confused, angry, and hurting. This isn’t easy to do. Servants are usually viewed as being weak and unimportant. In our angry society today the temptation for Christians is sometimes to see ourselves as cultural warriors charging off into the fray. But Jesus showed us a different way.

In John chapter 13 we find Jesus and His disciples at the Last Supper on the night before He was to be crucified. In the scene recorded for us by John in verses 4-5, Jesus taught a powerful lesson about servant-leadership. Here’s how Richard Foster described it:

“When Jesus gathered His disciples for the Last Supper, they were having trouble over which one was the greatest. Gathered at the Passover feast, the disciples were keenly aware that someone needed to wash the others’ feet. The problem was that the only people who washed feet were the least. So there they sat, feet caked in dirt. It was such a sore point that they were not even going to talk about it. No one wanted to be considered the least. Then Jesus took a towel and a basin and so redefined greatness.”

This was not an isolated lesson. All throughout His ministry Jesus consistently taught us to serve others as a means of serving Him, and for advancing His kingdom agenda. He made the point repeatedly that those who were willing to do that, they were the greatest of all His followers.

Will you commit yourself to the hard and long and often difficult work of service, and then trust the Lord that in the long run that’s what will make the real difference for good? If you will, then you will be one of the greatest among us.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Your faithfulness does make a difference

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Resilience”

Our Bible verse for today: “For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Your faithfulness does make a difference.”

In recent devotionals I’ve been making the case that what our nation needs now more than ever, is for the Church to be the Church. In other words, Christians as individuals and as churches need to focus on the issues and activities that will help to build the kingdom of God on earth. Leading people to faith in Christ and helping them to grow as His disciples is the best and surest way to bring about positive change in our society.

I also made the case that we need to commit ourselves to the hard work of developing long-term solutions rather than being attracted to and seduced by the sugar-high of angry demonstrations, or snarky posts on social media, or other activities that might enthuse those who already agree with us but which actually don’t change anyone’s mind or accomplish much good. Long-term solutions like building healthy churches, helping people grow into mature Christians, establishing and supporting a crisis pregnancy center, or a local rescue mission, or a church-based after-school program for at-risk children, are all hard work, they take time, and they require a big commitment by resilient Christians, but those are the ministry activities that make the most difference in the long run.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 is an important and insightful verse of Scripture which in context, is about the end times, but which also reveals an important truth that applies to our lives right now. Paul was writing about the work of the Holy Spirit in the world and how it is that the presence of the Spirit in the world is the restraining influence on Satan. The Holy Spirit is present in the world, living in the hearts of the followers of Christ, counteracting the evil perpetrated by Satan and his demonic hordes.

However, at the end of time, at the rapture, the saints of God will be removed from the world and the work of the Spirit through them will cease. At that time there will no longer be a restraint on Satan and then there will be nothing to stop him from unleashing the full force of his evil. But until then, it’s the work of the Spirit, through you, and me, and us, which holds Satan in-check, pushing back and overcoming his evil in the world.

When I say that the Church needs to simply be the Church what I mean is that it’s imperative for all of us as individuals and as the church to be faithful and to simply live our lives and perform our ministries day-in and day-out. Our churches need to be strong in our communities; each of us needs to be faithful and true witnesses and servants; and we need to just keep-on keeping-on as we faithfully serve others in the Name of Jesus and declare the Good News of the Gospel at every opportunity.

Your continued faithfulness is what will make the difference in the long run. The best thing you can do for our nation right now is to continue being the resilient Christian you are.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim