Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)   Our thought for today: “You can find peace in the storm.”   Our focus this month has been on good changes that could come out of this pandemic and its associated issues. We started the month thinking primarily about how this time of social distancing and isolation could result in spending more time with the Lord and developing new or better habits for the ways in which we practice and nurture our faith. That would be a very good outcome from this. There are many associated issues that this pandemic is forcing all of us to deal with but first, foremost, and fundamentally, it’s our relationship with the Lord that matters most – much more so than any of the other issues.   This is important, especially right now. We are supposed to be “in” the world – and therefore engaged in the important issues of our day, including the political, social, and economic issues; but we are not to be “of” the world – we are not to be so deeply engaged in those things that they hamper or harm our relationship with Jesus and with others. Our relationship with Jesus should impact the issues rather than the issues impacting our relationship with Jesus.   But for many Christians that’s not the case. Just listen to their conversations and read their Facebook posts about the issues of our day. Many Christians are up-in-arms about what they believe to be infringements on their constitutional rights (it is a concern); or they’re furious about the economic damage that has resulted from the shut-down of businesses (rightly so); or, on the other extreme, they’re living in real fear of the virus (it is contagious and deadly). Many of them, on both sides, are emotional and angry and making lots and lots of noise about it.   Okay. I understand. I really do. These issues are important, and as Christians we do need to be engaged in helpful ways to make a meaningful difference as people suffer and struggle through a complicated and difficult time. But regardless of what our positions are with respect to any of the associated issues, as the people of God we need to be the agents of peace and stability, rather than adding to the conflict and instability. We should be the calm ones and the voices of reason. While so many others are freaking-out we should be at peace in the midst of the storm. This is why it’s so important to stay fully focused on the Lord. Like Isaiah teaches in 26:3, God will keep in perfect peace the one who’s mind stays focused on Him.   When our primary focus is on Jesus instead of on the issues, we then remember who we are and who we belong to. We remember that God is sovereign and in time, these troubles will pass. We find that we can walk through the storm without being overwhelmed by the storm, and we can help others around us to handle it better as well.   At a time like this we need to focus a lot more on the Lord and a little less on the issues. If we do, He will give us peace about it – peace that we can then impart to others.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)   Our thought for today: “Slow down and let your soul catch up with your body.”   There’s an old story that tells of a missionary in Africa who hired a group of natives to help transport his supplies a long way to a remote location. The journey was going to take several days and the missionary was eager to get to his destination so he urged his team to move fast and to keep going, on and on and on, mile after mile after mile. Finally, in the evening, once they arrived at their camp, the exhausted tribesman dropped their loads and collapsed on the ground.   The next morning the eager missionary wanted to get an early start but he wasn’t able to get the natives moving. They took their time doing their morning chores and seemed in no hurry to resume their march. Finally, the frustrated missionary demanded to know what was going on. One of the natives then patiently explained that they had moved so fast the day before that they now needed to wait for their souls to catch up with their bodies. I think that’s true for many of us sometimes too. We need to slow down and let our souls catch up with our bodies.   The most common piece of advice the great Christian writer and philosopher Dallas Willard used to give to those who came to him for counseling was, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” Dallas would then go on to explain, “Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”   This is a challenge for many of us. Read the Gospels. Jesus was never in a hurry. If we are going to be like Him then we need to slow down and not be in a hurry either. Jesus had sufficient time to accomplish the things God wanted Him to do. Anything outside of that would have been something He wasn’t supposed to be doing anyway, and so He just ignored those things.   Also, Jesus was fully present in the moment. Whatever the task at hand, whoever the person he was focused on, that task or that person got His full attention in that moment. It has often been said that the secret to happiness is to be fully present in the moment, the now. We often waste so much emotional energy reliving the past or worrying about the future that we miss the present. Pastor and author John Ortberg once noted that we get so busy and distracted that “we just skim our lives instead of actually living them.”   Hopefully during this time of social and economic shut-down you’ve had a chance to slow down a bit and let your soul catch up with your body. That would be a good change to carry with you out of this time. We need to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. Proverbs 19:2 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “Slow down a little.”   You’ve probably noticed that in my own writing I refer to a lot of books. They’re always books that I have read, and they’re usually books that I have read recently. The subject matter of those books usually reveals something about an issue I’m working through in my own life at that time. Some of the books I’ve referred to this month include “The Burnout Society” by Byung-Chul Han, “The Freedom of Simplicity” by Richard Foster, and “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer. (Are you noticing the trend?)   That last one, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”, is something I’m especially working on. I allow myself to get too busy. I try to do too much for too many people. Also, I tend to be a perfectionist and so whatever it is I’m doing, I tend to put a lot of time an attention into doing it well. Consequently, I tend to go, go, go – always plowing through a long “to do” list.   That may seem like a good thing. I often get compliments for doing so much for so many, and for being so structured and so disciplined. But that also creates problems. For one thing, I frequently find myself exhausted and drained. For another, people can become projects to complete rather than souls to care for – and that then can lead to superficial conversations, or thoughtless comments, or overlooked needs. As John Mark Comer admitted about himself, “All of my worst moments happen when I’m in a hurry.” Uh huh. Mine too brother. Mine too.   One good thing that’s been happening for me during this COVID 19 shut-down is that I’ve slowed down a bit and become a little more patient, a little more thoughtful. It’s been good for me and I’ve decided that I like it. Going slower and being more thoughtful is a mindset I want to take with me out of this time and so (bear with me here), I’m going to spend a few more days writing about it. (This is more for my sake than it is for yours. Sorry.)   However, there’s a good reason that books like “The Burnout Society”, “The Freedom of Simplicity”, and “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”, are Christian bestsellers. Apparently, I’m not the only one reading them. Apparently, I’m not the only one who struggles with those issues. I’ll bet many of you do too. And so, more about this tomorrow.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “And if you offer yourself to (assist) the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.” Isaiah 58:10 (Amplified Bible)   Our thought for today: “Account for both sides of the grave”   In his book “Freedom of Simplicity” Richard Foster wrote, “Many today have been given a one-sided Gospel, a message offering Good News for salvation in the life to come without addressing human needs here and now. No, we need to proclaim a Good News that embraces both sides of the grave.”   I think Foster addressed a problem that has afflicted far too many of our churches for far too long. Many of our churches are predominately inward-focused. The overwhelming majority of their time, attention, and resources are focused on what occurs inside the walls of the church buildings. It’s all about worship services, Sunday school and small groups, fellowship events, building maintenance, etc. And on those rare occasions when a few of the members may engage in a church-sponsored event outside the walls of the church which is designed to minister to the lost, often it consists of knocking on doors to share the plan of salvation, or passing out tracks, or something along those lines.   Those activities are all good and needed and I don’t mean to suggest that they should stop. Afterall, discipleship is the primary purpose of the local church. We do need to take care of, teach, and equip believers. And evangelism of the lost is of course crucial too. But compassion ministry is important as well and unfortunately, meeting the physical needs of hurting and suffering people out in the world is often an aspect of church ministry that doesn’t occupy very much space in the life of the average church. That shouldn’t be the case. As Isaiah 58:10 reminds us, it has always been God’s desire for His people to be out in the world providing help and assistance to those in physical need. That’s when our light really shines. That kind of compassion ministry is a very effective springboard for then sharing the Gospel.   One of the positive changes I’ve been seeing during this COVID 19 pandemic and the resulting economic shut-down, is that churches are much more engaged in compassion ministry outside the walls of their church buildings than ever before. This is a good thing and I hope it continues after the pandemic is over. In Acts 1:8 Jesus taught that we are to be on-mission with Him out in the world. It’s my prayer that out of this bad set of circumstances God will bring a very good and much needed change in the life of the average church. We need to be much more intentional about addressing people’s needs on both sides of the grave – their needs for the life to come, but their needs in this life too.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “… 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. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “What if you have to get by with less?   In previous devotionals in this series I have challenged all of us to consider if perhaps we have allowed ourselves to get drawn into the problem of “conspicuous consumption”. I noted that capitalism is a great thing, and we in the USA are blessed by the lifestyle we enjoy because of it. But it’s also true that too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. We can get caught-up in over-consuming and we can get a little too dependent on our comfortable lifestyle.   What if you find yourself faced with unemployment, or a large loss of investments, or under-employment which results in reduced income? What if you find yourself having to get by on less? Can you still be happy and content with less money and fewer possessions? The great Christian writer G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “There are two ways to get enough: one is to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.”   In our churches we often sing songs to Jesus affirming that He is all we really need and that we find our joy and fulfillment in our relationship with Him. Is that really true? Is Jesus really all we need? Can we, like the Apostle Paul, confidently declare that we will be joyful, fulfilled, content, and complete in Christ whether we have a little or a lot in terms of worldly wealth and possessions? If you find yourself in a situation where you have less than what you have now, would Jesus still be enough for you?   The question is real and it is pressing for all of us, very contemporary. Our nation is in an economic crisis and probably will be for the foreseeable future. I don’t think we fully appreciate the extent of the damage or how far it’s going to reach or how long it’s going to last. We are all potentially vulnerable to financial loss, even if it doesn’t feel that way for you personally at the moment. What if you find in the future that you have to get by with less? Can you handle it mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? Will you feel diminished as a person because of it? Will Jesus really be enough for you then?   Let’s hope and pray it’s an issue we don’t have to face. Let’s pray that we quickly get through this and our economy comes roaring back. But still the question is valid: Is Jesus enough? Would you still feel fulfilled and joyful if you had less (maybe much less) in terms of worldly wealth and possessions? I encourage you to spend some time with the question – ask the Holy Spirit to help you work through that and settle it once and for all.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go sell your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard that, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.” Matthew 19:21-22 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you?”   Capitalism is a good thing. It’s the only economic system that makes any sense. The abundance we enjoy here in the USA comes as a result of our free-market economy. This is the understanding that the role of government is to provide just enough structure and guidance to keep things moving in the right direction, and then to get out of the way and let businesses and individuals engage in commerce. This encourages entrepreneurship and innovation, and it’s the engine that drives a healthy economy.   But as with everything, too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. Free markets depend heavily on effective advertising, and advertising in our day has become refined to such a high degree that it is essentially psychological manipulation. Advertising by nature is designed to create a sense of dissatisfaction in the consumer. Its purpose is to convince us that we need more, bigger, and better. In short, we need their product or service, we need it now, and we shouldn’t let anything stop us from getting it.   This creates the disorder known as “conspicuous consumption”. We’ve been conditioned to consume at an ever-increasing rate. We consume even when there’s no real need to consume, and we often over-consume to an unhealthy degree. People carry mountains of debt because they’ve purchased so many products and services that they either don’t really need, or which are much more than what they need, and we end up owning lots of stuff that we don’t even use.   Also, once you own all the stuff you bought, you have to take care of it. You have to maintain that big house, the cars and trucks and motorcycles and ATVs. You have to clean those guns, water that lawn, launder those clothes, organize the computer files, and on and on it goes. Soon your life is structured, defined, and hemmed-in by all the stuff you own and by all the responsibilities created by the stuff you own.   The rich young ruler in Jesus’ parable in Luke 19:16-22 wanted to follow Jesus. Jesus was glad to have him except that the guy was burdened and held back by all the stuff he owned. In his case there was so much of it, and it created such responsibilities and restrictions in his life, and he loved it all so much, that it was holding him back from going off on a great adventure with Jesus. This was the classic example of a good thing becoming a bad thing. He didn’t own his stuff, his stuff owned him – and it controlled him to the point of determining the future direction of his entire life.   Income, possessions, and all the rest that goes with this comfortable and affluent lifestyle that we all enjoy is a good thing. But too much of a good thing can become a bad thing if we love it too much and if it begins to define and control us. The rich young ruler needed to change his thinking about all that he had. He was owned by his riches, his life was controlled by it, and that ended up having a negative impact on the entire direction of his life.   My question for you this morning is, “Do you own your stuff, or does your stuff own you?”   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   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: “Do you need to get rid of some stuff?   Did you know that Americans spend $39.5 billion per year to rent storage units? The average renter pays $89 per month per unit. The total square feet of rentable storage space for private individuals (not including space for commercial purposes) is 1.7 billion square feet.   Why do we need all that storage space? What are we putting in there and why? Well, we need it because we have run out of storage space in our homes. Our closets, shelves, attics, garages, and sheds are already full of stored stuff we’re not using. So, we rent 1.7 billion square feet of additional space so we can store more stuff that we’re not using (and probably never will again). And what is it that we’re storing in all that space? Stuff. Just stuff. Old clothes, old dishes, old furniture, and old bicycles. Old tools, old files, old … stuff. It’s just stuff. It’s that exercise equipment that was going to make you look like a celebrity with a personal trainer but which you stopped using three weeks after New Year’s Day ten years ago.    And why do we keep it? Because we’re hoarders. And because we think we might use it again someday (you won’t). And because we just like the feeling of owning lots of stuff, even if we don’t use it.   Five years ago Linda and I did a dramatic downsizing of our lives. We exchanged our five-bedroom 3000 square foot home for a two-bedroom 1400 square foot home, and we got rid of approximately 70% of everything we owned. That was five years short years ago. During this time of isolation and social distancing one of our projects was to clean out our closets, shelves, garage, and shed, (I still have the attic to do). I was amazed at how much stuff we had already accumulated that we weren’t using and needed to get rid of (again).   That’s actually a story I’m hearing over and over again from numerous people. During this time of being shut-down and shut-in many people are cleaning-up and clearing-out. They’re downsizing and getting rid of a lot of stuff they no longer use and therefore no longer need. Some of it needs to be thrown away. But much of it is still usable and can therefore be used by someone else – if you would just let go of it.   As Jesus taught in Luke 12:15, your life is not measured by the quantity of things you’ve managed to accumulate over the years. The more time we spend in our homes right now the more we become aware of the fact that most of us have too much stuff and we need to get rid of some of it. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow. We’re going to talk about the disorder known as “conspicuous consumption”, and whether you own your stuff or if your stuff owns you.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “America is great because America is good”   The famous quote “America is great because America is good” is usually attributed to the French diplomat, political scientist, and historian Alexis de Tocqueville. The story goes that during his travels around the USA in the 1830s, he searched to understand the source of America’s greatness. He said he found no evidence that the greatness came from our abundant natural resources, or from our unique political system, or from our free market economy. He said it wasn’t until he visited America’s churches, and he heard powerful sermons about Biblical principles, that he discovered the source of our greatness. He said that America is great because America is good, and he meant good with a Godly goodness.   Historians debate whether or not de Tocqueville actually made that statement, but I don’t think it really matters much who said it first, it’s true none-the-less. America is a profoundly good country. Flawed in many ways, yes, but still very, very good. Americans are the kindest, most compassionate, and most generous people in the world. No nation gives as much or does as much for the benefit of others as does the USA. This is the evidence of our true greatness.   It’s during times of disaster and tragedy that that greatness really shows itself. We frequently respond in other parts of the world to natural disasters, famines, or wars of oppression. In our own country it’s often tornadoes, floods, or even viral pandemics. Americans can be counted on to rise to the occasion to bring help and relief to others who are hurting, struggling, or being oppressed. We’re at our greatest during the times of greatest need.   That’s especially evident right now during this COVID 19 pandemic. While we remain divided as a nation because of our different political and social views, we’re united in our efforts to help each other get through this. The examples of kindness, compassion, care, and concern are too numerous to mention. They’re all around us – people taking care of people.   As we continue to consider in these daily devotionals some good things that can come out of this crisis for our nation, it’s my prayer that this time in our history will reinforce our commitment to taking care of each other. I hope and pray that in that way at least, this crisis will help to foster and strengthen a renewed sense of bonding and unity as we work together to get ourselves, our neighbors, and our nation through this disastrous time.   It really is true that America is great because America is good. America is good in some deeply profound ways – the most important of which is that we help those in need. I think we should all be proud of that.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and who depend on horses! They trust in the abundance of chariots and in the large number of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel and they do not seek the Lord.” Isaiah 31:1 (CSB)   Out thought for today: “Don’t rely on Egypt”   In the days of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah Egypt was a regional powerhouse that other nations needed to be wary of. Egypt was also a prosperous nation with vast resources they were willing to share with others – if the price was right. Sometimes that price was counted in gold and silver, but other times it was measured in treaties, alliances, and political loyalties.   Egypt cunningly used their strategic, military, and economic power as they pressured and manipulated other countries for their own advantage. And there was strong incentive for those other countries (including Israel) to allow themselves to be manipulated and drawn into unholy alliances with Egypt. The economic rewards could be significant.   Does any of this sound familiar? Does the Egypt of yesteryear sound a lot like the China of today? What Egypt did then is what China does now. They use their economic, military, and manufacturing power to draw other nations in unholy alliances and to manipulate them into highly dependent relationships. Such as, for example, the way we here in the USA today now depend on China for over 85% of our pharmaceuticals, as well as for large percentages of critical minerals and raw materials. We have also allowed China to hold huge amounts (many billions of dollars) of our nation’s debt; and to purchase full ownership of U.S. businesses and properties.   We have become yoked to China in some dangerous ways and all the while, they have shown conclusively that they are not our friend and they do not have our best interests in mind. They have even recently threatened to slow down or even cut-off our supply of medicines and other important manufactured goods.   This has become such a source of concern for our nation, that President Trump and members of Congress are now openly talking about the critical need to quickly begin “decoupling” from China in terms of our dependence on them for vital supplies such as medicine. This can be one of the good changes for our nation that comes out of this COVID 19 pandemic. This current dust-up with China has opened our eyes to the dangerous and vulnerable situation we have allowed ourselves to get into.   There are some good things that can come out of this bad situation for our nation. Decoupling our economy and supply chain from China could be one of them. God has blessed us as a nation with great resources, with tremendous manufacturing capacity, and with an innovative spirit for solving difficult problems. Just as the nation of Israel should not have been relying on Egypt for such things, we should not be relying on China. They are not our friends.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.

Good Morning Everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”   Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Are you ready for America 2.0?”   Recently on television I saw an interview with a leading historian. He specialized in U.S. History. With respect to the long-term impact he is expecting from the COVID 19 pandemic he said that we all need to be preparing ourselves for “America 2.0”. What he meant is that major cataclysmic events like this always bring long-term, and often permanent changes in society. America was fundamentally different after the Civil War than it was before. The Great Depression altered the mindset of an entire generation of Americans who were forever-after characterized by frugality and caution. The hippie era of the 1960s was a cultural turning point which is still having an impact on our society more than fifty years later. The events of September 11, 2001 put our nation on a war footing in the homeland and brought about security measures that are still in place almost twenty years later.   Projections are that this pandemic may have a similar long-term impact on our nation. The changes could be in social norms such as no more handshakes and hugs; social distancing strategies may become commonplace; masks and hand sanitizer could become standard equipment for many of us; or, the changes could be even more severe and painful. There could be economic implications of this event that reverberate for decades. (There can also be some positive changes for the nation that come out of this and we will think about those on another day). The point is that in ways we probably aren’t expecting, things in America are likely to be very different on the other side of this. So how will we, the people of God, deal with that?   The reason I have spent much of the first part of this month writing about the positive changes to the practice of our faith that we should all be seeking as a result of this time of isolation, is because spiritual maturity will be the most important factor in determining how well we handle whatever it is that lies ahead. As Paul so boldly declared in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”   In Deuteronomy 31:7-8 Moses was preparing the Jewish people for a major, historical shift for their nation. They were about to enter the Promised Land. Ultimately it would be a good thing, but it would also include many difficult problems and challenges. They were going to have to go into it strong in the Lord and with a great depth of spiritual maturity.   The same is true for us. At this point we don’t know what the weeks, months, and years ahead hold for us as individuals and for our nation. But even though we don’t know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. There is nothing we cannot face and deal with effectively, as long as we are facing it with Christ.   Are you ready for America 2.0? You are if you’re walking closely with Jesus.   God Bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2020 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved.