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

Our Bible verse for today: “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have conquered the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Trouble is normal.”

In John 16:33, on the night before He was to be crucified, Jesus assured us that in this world we will have trouble. Well boy did He nail that one! This is a world filled with trouble. And it always has been. Jesus spoke those words almost 2000 years ago. They were true then and they have continued to be true every day since then.

And yet, on this side of the cross we are empowered by the Spirit of God to have peace in the middle of it all. Jesus conquered the world, and by means of our faith in Him, so can we. We don’t have to live in fear, nor should we be discouraged and defeated by the challenges we face. I have often said that life with Jesus is always better than without Him, and that’s true regardless of the circumstances of your life. Whether your life is lived in a mansion in Beverly Hills, or in a hut in a remote part of Africa; whether the circumstances of your life include good health and prosperity, or sickness and poverty; whether the nation is enjoying peace and a strong economy, or if worldwide pandemic has plunged us all into isolation and a recession. Whatever the circumstances, life is always better with Jesus than without Him.

And also, the stronger your relationship with Him is the better equipped you will be to deal with whatever those circumstances are. That’s why we place so much emphasis on good discipleship practices as an integral part of the practice of the Christian faith. And it’s why, during tough times, we all need to lean into our relationship with Christ and rely on Him even more.

I began this series “Life on this side of the cross” with the intention of preparing us for our celebration of Easter. I wanted to help us better appreciate what a monumental shift in human history the death and resurrection of Jesus was. At that time, I had no idea we were about to be engulfed in a worldwide pandemic that would dramatically alter our lives as it has. Therefore, understanding the difference Jesus makes in our lives, and how it is that we are to live on this side of the cross as His faithful followers, is even more important now than it was just four short weeks ago. That being the case, I have decided to continue this theme into April. There’s much more we can learn about “Life on this side of the cross”, and I think we need those lessons now more than ever.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “I have had enough! Lord, take my life, for I’m no better than my fathers” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. Suddenly, an angel touched him. The angel told him, ‘Get up and eat.’ Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again.” 1 Kings 19:4-6 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Accept the downtime as a gift.”

Elijah was a great man of God, a powerful prophet, and he was busy, busy, busy with lots of important things to do. In 1 Kings chapter 18 we find him involved in a major confrontation with the evil king Ahab and 450 priests of the pagan God Baal. It was a titanic spiritual battle that lasted all day and which Elijah finally won. All 450 priests of Baal were defeated and executed, and the crowd of people observing the contest acknowledged that Jehovah is the One True God.

By the time that was all over Elijah was spent. He was physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually drained. In 1 Kings 19:4-6 (above) we then find that he ran away from life and was hiding in a cave in the desert. He was depressed and dejected and ready to throw-in-the-towel. So, God sent an angel to minister to him there in the quietness of his seclusion. Elijah ate and slept and prayed. Then he ate some more and he slept some more and then he was revived (proving once again that sometimes the most spiritual thing a person can do is to take a nap!)

In 2015 the Korean-German philosopher Byung-Chul Han wrote a book entitled “The Burnout Society”. Based upon an exhaustive study of western society, Han concluded that our hectic and pressured-filled lifestyles have brought us to the point that we are physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted “all the time”. Yes, pretty much all the time. That has become our state of being. Han wrote, “They are too alive to die, and too dead to live.” Ow! Anyone feeling that?

As we all continue to contend with the social distancing, isolation, and even mandatory “stay at home” orders that have been implemented in many places as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, it would be easy to view it all in a negative light. Yes, it is inconvenient. True, the kids are missing school and adults are missing work. Many people are suffering serious loss of income. Many others have no idea what to do with themselves now that they have all this time on their hands.

But I want to encourage you to redeem the time. Embrace the change of pace. In some respects, this downtime might be good for you. Get a full night’s sleep for a change. Relax. Exercise more. Read some good books. Pray. Read your Bible more. Maybe, as a society, in some way, we actually needed this downtime. Maybe in the long run it will bring about some good changes in the way we all live. Granted, that still doesn’t mitigate the bad impacts of the pandemic, but it does help us to see that there can be some good that comes out of the bad. This is happening to you whether you like it or not. So, look for the good and embrace it. Redeem the time. Accept it as a gift.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen, and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family.” Hebrews 11:7 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be ready; help others to be ready; and then live your life.”

In yesterday’s devotional I noted that there are many people today claiming that the COVID 19 pandemic is a clear sign that we are living in the End Times. In that message I cited Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 24:36-39 which drew upon the example of Noah. In that passage Jesus said first, that no one can know when the end will come. And second, even in the days of Noah people were going about their daily lives, completely unaware that the end was upon them.

I believe there are two important lessons for us in that passage. First, Jesus paints a sad picture of people who had ignored more than 100 years of preaching and warnings from Noah that God was preparing to bring judgment upon the world. Therefore, when the end did come, they weren’t ready for it. Instead, they were so wrapped up in their daily lives that they were oblivious to the peril of the times and they weren’t ready when the judgment came.

However, the other lesson is that nobody knows when the end will come. That’s true today and it was true in Noah’s day (including for Noah himself). If we do the math in Genesis chapters six and seven, we realize that from the time God told Noah to begin his preparations, until the time the flood actually came, more than 100 years passed. During those years Noah simply lived his life. He got up each day and went to work; he raised his kids; he interacted with his neighbors; and he faithfully followed the Lord’s instructions (Hebrew 11:7). Noah didn’t know if the end would come in a year, or ten years, or a hundred years, or five hundred years. All he knew was that he was to live his life as a faithful man of God, and do his part to prepare himself and others so they would be ready whenever the end did come.

That’s also what we are to be doing. God has intentionally left us in the dark with respect to when the End Times will be. He has told us to be ready at all times and to help others to be ready too, but then we are to simply live our lives and trust in His timing.

This is important. In our day there are people who are convinced that the end is upon us and therefore there is no reason to make long-term plans or to prepare for any future here on earth. I know a family where the parents were so convinced of this (for more than twenty years now and counting), that they made no plans to send their children to college, or to get them vocational training, or to prepare them in any other way for a future – because their belief was that there wasn’t going to be a future because Jesus would come back first. Unfortunately, Jesus has not come back and that thinking has left those children unprepared for the future that is now upon them.

On this side of the cross God has created an intentional tension within which we are to live. On the one hand we are to live as if Jesus could come back today, but then we are to plan and prepare as if He isn’t coming back for another 100 years. We are to be at peace with God ourselves, and we are to help others be in a right relationship with Him too; but then we are to live our lives and plan for our futures. We are to help build hospitals and schools; we are to plan for our children’s college educations; and we are to save for our own retirement. We are to live as if Jesus could come back today, but we are to plan and work as if He isn’t coming back for another 100 years.

In all probability this COVID 19 pandemic is just another in a long, long history of plagues, famines, and natural disasters that are simply part of life in a broken and bleeding world. There have been many disasters like this over the last 2000 years, and there will probably be many more in the years, decades, and perhaps centuries ahead. Rather than concluding that this must be the end of time, and then acting like it, we are to simply get on with life as faithful followers of Jesus.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows – neither the angels of heaven nor the Son – except the Father alone. As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. This is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be.” Matthew 24:36-39 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Does the COVID 19 pandemic prove we’re living in the End Times?”

I was once at a gathering of Pastors and some of us were discussing whether or not we were living in the End Times. There were events taking place in the world at that time which seemed to provide proof that Biblical End Times prophecy was unfolding before our eyes (this was twenty-five years ago). In the middle of the conversation I offered the brilliant insight that “Well, we’re certainly closer to the end now than we ever were before!”. And … there was silence. After a moment, as we all stood quietly in the awkwardness, one of them said, “Well, I suppose that is true. Today we are one day closer to the end than we were yesterday, and tomorrow we will be one day closer than we are today. Someday Jesus will in fact return and every day between now and then brings us one day closer.”

Well, duh! Look at me being “Captain Obvious”. Yes, each day that passes brings us one day closer to the Second Coming of Jesus and to the end of time. But does that mean it’s right around the corner?  Does the COVID 19 pandemic prove that Biblical prophecy is unfolding before our eyes? Maybe, but probably not. Twenty-five years ago many of us thought the events of that day were signs of the end. And we were wrong. Twenty-five years later we’re still here.

Every generation since the time of Jesus has believed there were events taking place in their world that seemed to line up with End Times prophecy. And they have all been wrong. Over the course of 2000 years, generation after generation, through wars and natural disasters and plagues, group after group has claimed that the events of their day were lock-step in-synch with Biblical prophecy and therefore the end was upon them. And they have all been wrong.

Therefore, historically, statistically, and Biblically, there’s a strong probability that those claiming today’s events point to the end of time are probably wrong too. As Jesus explained in Matthew 24:36-39 quoted above, we cannot know the time. It could be today, or tomorrow, or a hundred years from now, or a thousand. (Even Noah didn’t know the time. All he knew was that he needed to be ready whenever it came).

We don’t know when the End Times will commence. We’re not supposed to know. And that’s where we need to take this discussion in tomorrow’s devotional. Why does God not allow us to know such things? And since He has chosen for us to not know, how are we supposed to live in the middle of not knowing? There’s actually a very helpful lesson to be found in Jesus’ example of “the days of Noah” about End Times theology and about how we’re supposed to live between now and then. We’ll look at that tomorrow.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened … therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts …” Romans 1:21; 24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Did God send the COVID 19 virus?”

This morning we will continue our discussion from yesterday regarding whether or not it was God who created and sent the COVID 19 virus and pandemic.

When considering the things that God does or does not do, the actions He takes or does not take, the ways He intervenes in the affairs of the human race, or doesn’t, it’s helpful to understand the different ways in which God expresses His divine will. In general terms, the Bible reveals three different categories of expressions of the will of God. The descriptive terms for each of these categories (given to them by Bible scholars and theologians) vary, but for the sake of this discussion we will think of them as the sovereign will of God, the directive will of God, and the permissive will of God.

The sovereign will of God is the way in which God desires things to be. In a perfect world (without us humans screwing things up by misusing our free will), this is how things would be. The directive will of God is expressed by God in specific commands (You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery …) The permissive will of God is what God simply allows to happen, even though such things may be contrary to His sovereign and directive will. This is where the free will of man comes into play. In the Bible God makes us aware of what His desires for us are, and He even gives us specific commands He wants us to follow but then, by means of His permissive will, He allows us to make our own choices. But choices have consequences. And sometimes consequences can be unpleasant (this is what the Apostle Paul was referring to in Romans 1:21-24 quoted above).

Thus, the COVID 19 pandemic. As I noted in yesterday’s devotional, I’m doubtful that God created and sent the virus. Aside from the possibility that we are in the End Times (which we will talk about tomorrow but, spoiler alert: it’s probably not what you’re thinking), baring End Times prophecy, I think it is much more likely that we have done this to ourselves and that God is allowing us to experience the consequences of our own bad choices.

Scientists tell us that we’re living in a world today where “superbugs” are becoming more and more of a problem. According to the Mayo Clinic website, superbugs are “strains of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that are resistant to most of the antibiotics and other medications commonly used to treat the infections they cause.” Superbugs come first, from the massive improper use and overuse of antibiotics. Other causes include poor infection prevention and control practices, lack of proper sanitation, mishandling food (like in the Chinese markets from which COVID 19 came), and also from large segments of population groups either not receiving, or in some cases refusing, proven immunizations. Superbugs also mutate and create new strains of disease not previously seen.

The jury is still out as to whether or not the COVID 19 virus meets the classic definition of a “superbug”. Evidence is still being gathered. But we do know it is a virus, it is a new strain, it is dangerous, and it has occurred as a result of poor human behaviors. This is the world we live in today. This is the world we have created for ourselves. God didn’t do this, we did. And now, we’re experiencing the consequences of it.

I believe the question for us is not so much “Did God create and send the COVID 19 virus?” but rather, “Will He intervene and help us to stop it?” And the answer to that question I believe is “Yes, yes He will.” As proof I will close by offering a much-loved, often quoted, and very reassuring promise from the Old Testament:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Hard times often bring out the best in people. Do they bring out the best in you?”

I’m not a shopper by nature. I dislike shopping and usually try to avoid it. Especially in big-box stores. These days I do a lot of my shopping online or, if I have to go to a store, I know exactly what I want before I go in and I make a bee-line for it, I get it, and I get out. So, I’m not a shopper.

But I do like the Food City grocery store in our neighborhood. I like it because it is bright, clean, well-organized, and upscale. But what I like about it even more is that the majority of the workforce are senior citizens who live here in our retirement community. I suppose some of them are working to earn a little extra cash, but most of them are just looking for something to do with their time and they enjoy being of service to others. That being the case, the staff at this store are always smiling and chatty and eager to be helpful. They enjoy themselves as they provide a needed service.

Yesterday I was at the check-out counter and I asked the elderly lady working the register if she was concerned about having so much close contact with people during this COVID 19 outbreak. She smiled and said, “Oh, a little, I suppose. But I’m pretty healthy, and I’m observing all the recommended protocols. But I also enjoy being able to do this. People need groceries, even during a pandemic, and I’m doing my part to help us all get through this.”

I love the attitude. Sweet, kind, and inspiring. The fact is that hard times often bring out the best in people. When entire communities are struggling through a shared event like this, people tend to come together and find ways to help each other. A giving and even sacrificial attitude often emerges and spreads, and suddenly examples of kindness and compassion are all around us. I’m especially proud of our community here in Cumberland County, Tennessee for the way people have responded to the inconveniences and challenges of this pandemic. To be sure, there are a few knuckleheads, but overall people have used common sense without panicking, and they have shown real concern for neighbors and a willingness to help others.

Ideally, not only should that be true of the community in general, but it needs to be true of Christians especially. Above all other groups in our community, we are the ones who should be calm and rational, kind and compassionate, demonstrating a genuine concern for others, and with an eager willingness to help.

In general, hard times often bring out the best in people. But my question for you this morning is, “Do they bring out the best in you?”

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” Matthew 25:21 (CSB)

Our thought for today: Live life fully, with purpose and passion”

This morning I want us to continue thinking about the powerful truth we learned yesterday that the meaning of your life is to help others discover the meaning of theirs. What I meant by that is that now that you know Jesus and your sins are forgiven, you have the Holy Spirit living in your heart. You are enjoying the fruit of the Spirit in your own life, and you are sharing that fruit with others. And also, you have the promise of eternity in heaven. With all of that being true about you, your primary purpose in this world now is to help others discover what you already know, and to have what you already have. Regardless of what else you also do in life, first and foremost, the purpose of your life is to know Jesus and then to share Him with others.

Any Christian who truly understands his or her mission in this world will never lack for purpose or meaning, and will always have hope for the future. That then will become the motive force that drives you, it will be the fuel that energizes you. In the Gospel of John, we find a scene where, at the end of a long day of ministry, the followers of Jesus were urging Him to eat some food. He smiled at them and said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about … My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:32;34 What Jesus meant was that His participation in the kingdom-building work of God on earth was the motive force that drove Him and which kept Him going.

I’ve sometimes heard people describe their desire to die a quiet, peaceful death, surrounded by friends and loved ones, as they “slowly slip the surely bonds of earth …” Not me! I want to live life fully and with passion to the very last moment. Rather than “slipping” into the presence of Jesus, I want to come crashing through the gates of heaven, tumbling head-over-heals, skidding to a halt at His feet, looking up at Him with a grin on my face and saying “Wow! What a ride!”, and with Him grinning back and saying “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

As this COVID 19 pandemic continues to unfold, we can easily be tempted to just shelter-in-place, curling up in a book in a book, or binge watching TV shows, while shutting out the world. I think that would be the wrong response. There’s a lot of ministry that needs to be going on in our communities right now. People are living in fear; some are in various stages of panic; some are elderly and some are sick; others are suffering financial hardship; and all of them need to experience the peace of God in the middle of these unsettling times.

Yes, we all do need to stay home to the greatest extent possible. But there are also reasons to leave the house. There are those of us in professions that require us to be out and about in the world despite the risk. In those cases, take the best precautions you can, but then get on out there and serve well. There are also many volunteer functions that need to take place right now. If you are healthy, then I encourage you to make yourself available to help those in greater need than yourself. This is what Christians do. In our County here in Tennessee our local government has even put out a call to the churches for volunteers to help with vital functions. Take the appropriate precautions, yes, but let’s be willing to get out there and be of service when that’s what’s needed.

And even if you have to stay home, you can and should still be on-mission with Jesus finding ways to minister to people in need. Make those phone calls; check on people; pray with them; encourage them; write a check to someone in need and put it in the mail. And please, avoid spreading fear and drama on social media. Resolve to only post positive, uplifting, and encouraging messages.

When this is all over, may it be that the Lord looks upon all of us and says, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “The meaning of your life is to help others find the meaning in theirs.”

A friend recently gave me a copy of a book which I had heard about for years but had never gotten around to reading. My loss. I wish I had read it many years ago. The title is “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Victor Frankl. Frankl was a Jewish Austrian medical doctor with a double PhD in psychiatry and neurology. During World War II he was taken captive by the Nazis and spent almost four years in concentration camps. Miraculously, he survived and went on to live a long and productive life in the academic world. He died in 1997 at the age of 92.

While in the camps, Frankl used his considerable intellectual skills to study human behavior under the worst of possible conditions. He sought to understand what forces could move one human being to be so unspeakably cruel to another, but also, the factors that enabled some prisoners to not only endure and survive their experiences, but to actually grow stronger psychologically and to emerge victorious despite the horror of it all.

What Frankl discovered was that those who were able to endure, survive, and emerge victorious, were those individuals who had a clear reason to go on living. They had a purpose for the present and a hope for the future. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche explained it this way, “He who has a “why” to live for can bear almost any “how.”

When a person has a clear sense of purpose for the present, along with a compelling hope for the future, they have a powerful motivating force for victorious living. For Frankl his purpose during his time in the camps was to gain a thorough understanding of those truths, and then to apply them by helping his fellow prisoners get through that experience. And then, his hope for the future was to spend the rest of his life writing, teaching, and counseling others how to persevere through their own hard times. Frankl survived the camps, and he went on to spend the next sixty years fulfilling his dream. The meaning of his life became to help others find the meaning in theirs.

Nobody has a clearer purpose for life or a brighter hope for their future than a Christian. You have already fully embraced the love of God; you have the Holy Spirit living in your heart; you have the fruit of the Spirit to enjoy and to share; and you have a glorious eternity in heaven awaiting you.

As a Christian you should seek to know God well, and to thoroughly enjoy your relationship with Him. Then, you are to share Him with others. That’s why God still has you here on earth. That’s your purpose. Regardless of what you do for a living, and regardless of any other activities you engage in as you live your regular life, your fundamental purpose in life right now is to fully enjoy your relationship with God and to share Him with others.

Any Christian who truly understands his or her call and destiny will never suffer from a lack of purpose or a hope for the future. Others need to know what you know and they need to have what you have. The meaning of your life is to help others discover the meaning of theirs.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “On that day you will know that I am in the Father, you are in me, and I am in you.” John 14:20 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Christ is in you.”

This morning we will continue our discussion from yesterday regarding how it is that, according to Jesus, His followers would go on to accomplish even greater things than He did while He was here on earth. He made that statement in John 14:12. What He meant by “greater” was not greater in power or in the performing of miracles, but greater in extent. His personal immediate impact on earth was limited to the people in Biblical Israel at that time. But the salvation he brought through His work on earth was intended for all the people of the world. The extent of the impact would be greater than it had been when He was physically present on earth because of the work of His followers down through the ages to share the Good News of the Gospel.

In today’s passage from John 14:20 Jesus takes us a little deeper into the mystery of how this happens. There He was referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit in His place, who would then live in the hearts of His followers (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and who would empower and equip His followers to carry on the work. In this verse Jesus reveals that when we place our faith in Him, we enter into a deep and intimate relationship with the Trinity which includes a life that is literally inhabited by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But actually, it’s even more than that. By means of the Spirit, Jesus actually continues to live His life here on earth through the lives of His followers. In order to fully grasp this crucial truth, we will need to carefully consider some companion verses from the New Testament which teach and expand upon this reality for believers.

In John 15:5 Jesus went on to explain, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” Just as the life of the vine is lived-out through the branches, and the fruit of the vine is produced through the branches, so too Jesus lives His life through the lives of His followers, and He produces His fruit through their lives.

In John 15:8 He carried it further by saying, “My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.” In other words, when we have submitted ourselves to the Holy Spirit, and we are allowing Him to accomplish the work of God through our lives, much fruit for Christ is produced in the world, and God is glorified.

Then the Apostle Paul took this lesson even further in Galatians 5:22-23 when He described for us what this fruit of the Spirit of Christ looks like in actual practice in the lives of the followers of Jesus, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” That’s what this looks like in your life! Not only will that be what you experience internally in your own heart, but it will be what others get to experience as a result of having been in contact with you.

A greater work than what Jesus did? Well, yes. Greater in extent. There are now hundreds of millions of walking, talking, mobile temples of God’s Holy Spirit fanned out across the world showering the world with the love, joy, peace, patience, and all the manifold blessings of Jesus. And you are a part of that!

Tomorrow we’re going to consider what kind of a powerful motivating force that truth should be in the life of every believer.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim