Our theme for this month: “Life on this side of the cross”

Our Bible verse for today: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Thanks to Jesus we always have the promise of better days ahead.”

Today is the day we call “Good Friday”. It’s the anniversary of the day that Jesus was crucified. It seems strange that we would call such a day “good” because what was done to Jesus was not good, it was bad, very bad. He was falsely accused, unfairly convicted, tortured, and executed in a cruel and hideous manner. It was horrible. But we call it “good” because of the end result. Jesus took our sins upon himself and He suffered our punishment so that we wouldn’t have to. The Apostle Paul explains how that was possible in 2 Corinthians 5:21, and I will address that in the Easter sermon this Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist Church. (You can watch and listen online at www.oakhillbaptist.net).

Many years ago Tony Compolo wrote a great little book entitled “It’s Friday but Sunday’s Coming!” It was all about how, on that Friday, it appeared as if Jesus had failed in His mission to redeem the world. But that was Friday and Sunday was coming. In other words, Jesus snatches victory out of the jaws of apparent defeat. What seemed like a failure was actually just a prelude to victory – demonstrating very powerfully that with Jesus there is always the promise of better days ahead.

Lamentations 3:22-24 is a beautiful Old Testament affirmation of this same truth. In that case, the city of Jerusalem had been overrun and destroyed. The prophet Jeremiah was walking the streets of the devastated city weeping and mourning the incredible loss of life and property and freedom. But, as this passage explains, he knew that with God there is always hope for a better day. God is good and His plans are perfect, and today is always leading to a better tomorrow for those who love Him and who are faithfully obedient to Him.

Are you struggling with doubt and despair today? Do things look dark and grim and hopeless? Hang in there. All is not lost. There is hope. Better days are ahead. It’s Friday, but Sunday is Coming!

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Life on this side of the cross”

Our Bible verse for today: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Live long and live well, but don’t fear death.”

Recently I lost a good friend to cancer. J.D. was one of the leaders in our church. He served on our Church Council and was therefore one of my closest advisors, one of the men I turned to for help in thinking through difficult situations.

For two long years J.D. fought lung cancer. He loved life and he lived it fully, and he was determined to fight the cancer as long as he could. He tried every treatment they offered, he did his part to stay as healthy as he could for as long as he could, and he milked every ounce of joy from every day that he had on this earth. But he was also at peace and ready to die whenever the time came. J.D.’s faith was strong and he was ready for eternity. Therefore, as he approached his death, he did so with courage and dignity – just as I have seen so many other Christians do.

It’s interesting to me that we’re approaching the worst of the coronavirus pandemic in the week leading up to Easter. During a time when so many people are living in fear of death, we’re celebrating the fact that Jesus defeated death. And because He defeated death, so can we. That’s what Paul was writing about in 1 Corinthians 15:54-55. In John 11:25-26 Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Just as my friend J.D. did, we should do everything we can do to stay as healthy as we can for as long as we can. We should also resolve to live fully and to live well every day that the good Lord allows us to go on living. However, we don’t need to fear the prospect of dying. Although the actual process of dying can be unpleasant, the moment this body ceases to function your spirit is released and you are instantly in the presence of the Lord. You then enter into an eternity that is better and more glorious than you can possibly imagine.

By all means, live long and live well. But don’t fear death. If you belong to Jesus there’s no need to fear it.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Life on this side of the cross”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not fear; for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Trust God and be obedient”

Health experts in infectious disease control tell us that we have now entered the most dangerous period of the coronavirus pandemic here in the USA. The predictive models tell us that infections and deaths from the virus will soar, peak, and then begin to decline over the next 14 days.

That being the case, many people are even more fearful now than they have been up to this point. I was speaking with a doctor the other day who is in his 60s and has some health issues of his own. He admitted that he is worried about his own safety and that he is approaching this upcoming peak period with an underlying sense of fear always nipping at the edges of his thoughts. And yet, he keeps doing his duty because he feels it is his responsibility to do so.

There’s an interesting scene recorded for us in chapter nine of the book of Acts which is a New Testament example of the Old Testament promise given to us in Isaiah 41:10. There we find the man Ananias receiving a vision from God telling him to go find a man named Saul of Tarsus and pray over him and restore his sight. Ananias immediately realizes that this is the same Saul who has been leading the murderous assault against Christians everywhere, and he can’t believe God is sending him directly into the presence of this evil man who is persecuting Christians. It would be like telling a Jew in Nazi Germany to go find Hitler and pray for him.

But God explained that through the obedience of Ananias He was going to heal Saul’s blindness, and that Saul would then become an instrument of ministry to achieve God’s purposes. God told Ananias to overcome his fear and to go do what needed to be done. So Ananias went, he did what he was supposed to do, and sure enough, it turned out exactly like God said it would.

During these worst days of the pandemic the natural tendency for all of us will be to hunker down at home, shut out the world, and hopefully shut out the virus too. However, not everyone can do that. There are still shut-ins who need food and medicine delivered to them; there are still vital professions such as healthcare professionals, and law enforcement, and store clerks that need to continue doing their jobs; church leaders still need to go and record worship services; trash needs to be collected; banks need to remain open, etc. We can’t all retreat into our homes and shut out the world. Instead we need to take the best precautions we can and then go do the things that need to be done.

I encourage you to not allow fear to overcome your obedience. Do the things that others are depending on you to do. Be smart, take precautions, trust God, and do what you are supposed to do.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Life on this side of the cross”

Our Bible verse for today: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Stay close to Jesus and you won’t live in fear.”

Those of you who have known me for a long time have probably heard me quote and explain Matthew 11:28-30 more than a few times. That’s because it’s one of my personal life verses. A “life verse” is a passage of scripture that’s especially meaningful and helpful to you and which you recite, think about, and mediate on frequently, and which you make an extra effort to apply in your life. I have several other life verses as well.

In this passage Jesus used a metaphor that His listeners in that day would have easily related to. He pictured a team of oxen yoked together and working in a field. His listeners would have understood that in every team of oxen there is a lead ox, which is bigger, stronger, and more experienced, and there is a follower ox, which is younger, smaller, and less experienced. The lead ox carries most of the load and provides the direction. The follower ox walks alongside the lead ox, sharing in the load but following the lead ox.

In this parable Jesus was saying “Let me be your lead ox. Yoke yourself to Me and let’s walk through life together. I will carry most of the load and I will provide all of the direction. You just stay next to Me and we will do this together.”

The point of the lesson is that life is always better with Jesus than without Him. And that’s true regardless of the circumstances of that life. Whether you are rich or poor, healthy or sick, living in the USA or in a remote part of Africa, whatever the circumstances of that life are, life will always be better with Jesus than without Him. He will walk with you through your days and He will help you with strength, direction, courage, and assurance.

That truth is especially important during times like these. We’re living in unsettled and uncertain days right now. The coronavirus pandemic is a serious and dangerous thing. And as was noted in yesterday’s devotional, it’s especially insidious because it is invisible and you don’t even know it’s there until it’s too late and you are already infected and it’s making you sick. Additionally, our nation is in an economic tailspin because of this. The economy is essentially shut down and we don’t know how long this is going to last or how bad the impact will be.

We all need strength, comfort, peace, and assurance from Jesus. We need to be close to Him, walking through this with Him. I encourage you to stay very, very close to the Lord during these times. Stay yoked to Him and He will get you through this.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Life on this side of the cross”

Our Bible verse for today: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Draw close to Jesus”

One of the most frightening aspects of the COVID 19 virus is that it is invisible. You can’t see it and you don’t even know it’s there until it’s too late. The similarity to demonic activity is amazing. You can’t see demons either, and likewise you usually don’t realize the severity of their attack on you until it’s too late and you are already experiencing the results of it in your life.

When dealing with demons, even though we can’t see them, we take it on faith that they are there and we do the things the Bible tells us we must do in order to protect ourselves from them (Ephesians 6:10-18). The situation is similar for the coronavirus. We can’t see it either but it is there and we do have the instructions we need in order to be prepared to protect ourselves and our loved ones. We need to simply have faith and do our part.

The experts in infectious disease control, along with our government leaders who are all tracking the progress of this pandemic and who are paying close attention to the forecast models, tell us that the worst is yet to come. Over the next couple of weeks, we’re likely to see a dramatic spike in the number of infections and in the death rate. Therefore, a lot of people are living in fear.

In 1 Peter 5:6-7 the apostle Peter told us what to do about that. We’re battling a deadly invisible foe and we need the Lord’s help. We can’t see demons, but God can. Likewise, we can’t see the coronavirus, but God can. More than ever, this is a time for all of us to be on our knees in humble submission before the Lord, asking for His protection and trusting in His goodness and His grace. Peter assures us that if we will do that, we will find that we can cast those cares upon Him and then trust in His care and protection.

You don’t need to live in fear – fear of demons or fear of the coronavirus. I encourage you to humble yourself before the Lord. Draw near to Jesus and trust in His love for you and your loved ones. Ask Him to protect you and then trust in His goodness and grace. We’ll think more about this tomorrow.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Life on this side of the cross”

Our Bible verse for today: “But Naaman got angry and left, saying, ‘I was telling myself: He will surely come out, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the skin disease.” 2 Kings 5:11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “God normally works in low-key, subtle ways.”

There’s an Old Testament story which helps to illustrate the New Testament principle we were considering yesterday about the Christian life being “a long obedience in the same direction”. We find it in 2 Kings chapter 5 and it involved an army commander by the name of Naaman. Naaman was the commander of all the armies for the king of Aram, and he had leprosy. He was told there was a Jewish prophet in the land of Israel by the name of Elisha who performed amazing miracles. So Naaman received permission from the king to travel to Israel and to seek a miraculous healing from Elisha.

As 2 Kings 5:11 reveals, Naaman was expecting to experience a big dramatic miracle. Instead, Elisha didn’t even come out to meet the great General. He simply sent word via a messenger that Naaman was to go to the river, dip himself seven times, and he would be healed. But Naaman was thinking, “That’s it? He’s telling me to go take a bath? What kind of miracle is that?” He felt disrespected and disappointed and so he stomped away mad. Fortunately for him a servant convinced him to just do what the prophet said, and sure enough when he did, he was healed!

Oftentimes we expect to experience God in spectacular ways and if we don’t, we believe we haven’t experienced Him at all. But nothing could be further from the truth! Although God does sometimes work in sensational ways, more often He is subtle. I once knew a man who had advanced prostate cancer. It was confirmed three times. But after a time of intense group prayer over the cancer, suddenly it simply wasn’t there anymore. The doctors were stunned and couldn’t explain it. That was more than twenty years ago and the cancer never came back! It was a healing miracle and it was spectacular. But more often in such cases God uses medical science, applied slowly and progressively over time, to bring about healings like that. It’s a still from the hand of God, and it’s still a miracle, but it’s much more subtle and less dramatic than the cancer simply disappearing before any chemotherapy could even be applied.

Likewise, sometimes in a worship service we sense an overwhelming movement of the Spirit of God in our heart and the next thing we know, we’re kneeling at the altar with tears flowing down our cheeks. That’s powerful and it happens sometimes. But most worship experiences are not like that. More often our experience of God is a subtle sense of peace and joy as we encounter Him in the act of worship. It’s still an encounter with God, and it’s still nurturing and renewing and it’s pleasing to both Him and to us, but it’s not like those other more dramatic experiences.

God’s normal interaction with us is usually low-key. Part of our spiritual growth involves learning to recognize and appreciate God’s work in our lives even when it is quiet and subtle.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Life on this side of the cross”

Our Bible verse for today: “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “The Christian life is a long obedience in the same direction.”

I believe it was pastor and author Eugene Peterson who originally coined the phrase “a long obedience in the same direction” to describe the Christian life. What he meant was that for the most part, the Christian life consists of simply doing the right things over and over and over again. Those things are usually not spectacular or even noteworthy in any special way. Instead they are mostly small things (but the right things), incorporated into our daily lives and then accomplished faithfully as a matter of routine.

In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul was describing an example of a long obedience in the same direction. In that case he was referring to the process of sanctification in the life of the Christian. Sanctification is the process whereby, over the course of a lifetime, the Holy Spirit slowly and progressively molds you and shapes you into the man or woman God wants you to be. For your part, you must cooperate in that process by incorporating into your daily life the basic disciplines of the Christian life. Those disciplines would include things like prayer, Bible study, scripture memorization, worship, fellowship, acts of service, etc. The more those practices are a regular part of your daily life, the more you are placing yourself in a position before God whereby the Holy Spirit can transform you. That’s a long obedience in the same direction and it’s what Paul was describing in that passage.

In a similar but slightly different way, that same principle applies to all of us right now as we work our way through this COVID 19 pandemic. There are some basic things we all need to be doing, some rules and guidelines we all need to be faithfully following, to get us through this time. We need to stay home as much as possible; we need to cough and sneeze into our sleeves so the germs don’t spread to others; we need to wash our hands frequently; if we feel sick we need to immediately seek medical treatment; and in the middle of it all, we need to remember to bless and encourage others as we seek to help them through this time as well. And also, we need to honor God by the way we conduct ourselves in the middle of this trial.

It’s a long obedience in the same direction that’s required of us right now. We have to patiently exercise basic disciplines, over a period of weeks or perhaps even a couple of months, and if we do, this will pass and we will be through it.

So please, be disciplined, be patient, and do your part.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Life on this side of the cross”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.” 2 Peter 1:12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Repetition is the key to learning”

“Repetition is the key to learning” is a basic educational principle that every teacher is aware of, and it’s what Peter was referring to in 2 Peter 1:12. The more often and the more ways an important truth is taught, the better the learner will learn it and retain it.

As we turn the corner into April, and as we continue our theme of “Life on this side of the cross”, I want to pause and review some of the most important truths we have learned thus far. My approach has been to present the fundamental truths about life on this side of the cross in a sequential and progressive way, beginning with the incarnation of Christ and what that meant for the human race. Here are some of the key verses and topics we have considered so far:

• Jesus ushered the world into a new and final age of human history. This age is different from any other there has ever been. There is now an entirely new way of being in relationship with God that was never possible before. (Matthew 13:16)

• On the cross there was a great substitution that took place with Jesus getting all of our sins, and us getting all of His righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

• We need Jesus to be our Savior, but we also must follow Him as Lord. (Luke 6:46)

• We spent multiple days considering the tremendous impact the presence of the Holy Spirit makes in our lives. (Acts 2:1-4)

• We learned about why God has left us here on planet earth instead of taking us straight to heaven once we were saved; and we learned about our role in His kingdom-building work here on earth (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)

• We spent multiple days considering the impact the followers of Christ are having around the world as we minister to lost and hurting people in His name. (Matthew 5:13-14; Galatians 5:22-23)

• We learned that despite the opposition we face from Satan and his demonic hordes, even the devil’s best efforts cannot stop us. (Matthew 16:16-18)

• We spent multiple days considering how we, the followers of Jesus, can and should be making a powerful difference for the cause of Christ in the middle of this worldwide COVID 19 pandemic. (Romans 8:28; Philippians 2:4; James 4:17)

• We also considered the amazing truth that in Jesus’ own estimation, the combined efforts of His followers working in the world on His behalf would ultimately add-up to doing even greater works than He did when He was here on earth. (John 14:12)

• And finally, we spent several days considering whether or not God Himself created and sent the COVID 19 virus upon the earth as some form of punishment, and how the pandemic relates to End Times prophecy. (Galatians 6:7; Matthew 24:36-39)

We actually covered much more than that, but there’s a summary just to remind us of the highlights of what we’ve learned so far. If you missed any of those lessons, or if would like to study them again, let me know and I will be happy to send them to you.

There’s much more to learn about life on this side of the cross and so tomorrow we will get back to it.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim