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

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

Our Bible verse for today: “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “This is how the work is greater.”

As we now move into the first weekend of social distancing and the resulting canceled activities that come with it, and as our thoughts turn towards the worship services we would normally be attending on Sunday, I want to take us a little deeper theologically into the theme of “Life on this side of the cross”.

In recent devotionals in this series, I’ve been urging all of us to consider how we can use the troubling circumstances being caused by this COVID 19 pandemic as an opportunity to shine for Jesus and to bless others in His name. I’ve made the point that the Holy Spirit will empower us to do that. Let’s go a little deeper with that by considering what it means, how it happens, and what it looks like for the Holy Spirit to engage us in this “greater” work.

In John 14:12 Jesus made what appears to be a strange and even impossible declaration. He said that once He returns to heaven, those who believe in Him would stay behind and accomplish even greater things than He did when He was here on earth. How could that be? How can we possibly do anything that would be greater than what Jesus did?

First, Jesus was referring to the totality of His work. He was saying that once it was all finished and He had died on the cross, risen from the grave, ascended back into heaven, and the Holy Spirit was given in His place, then something even greater would begin to occur.

Second, by “greater” Jesus did not mean greater in terms of power and performing miracles. He meant greater in extent. He meant that after His part in God’s plan was accomplished in its totality, what He had begun in the land of Israel among the Jews would then begin to spread and would eventually encompass the entire world. This is what He was referring to when, in the moments prior to His ascension He told them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

What Jesus accomplished during His time here on earth was incredible and miraculous – it was truly “great”. But His immediate impact was still limited to that area and to those people. However, Jesus came for all the people of the world. The Good News of the Gospel needed to spread everywhere and be heard by everyone. That part of the plan was to be carried out by His followers after He was gone. And that of course, includes you and me in our day. The “greater” work is the ever-expanding and growing nature of the kingdom of God as more and more people learn about the love of God, have their sins forgiven, and receive the promise of eternity in heaven.

However, as helpful as that explanation may be, it is still incomplete. There’s more we need to consider in order to fully understand what is happening in the world now as a direct result of your participation in that “greater” work. We will continue our discussion of this tomorrow in a special “Sunday edition” daily devotional.

(Also, make sure you listen to Sunday’s sermon. We will be continuing our study of the Gospel of Matthew and we will be in chapter nine. Just go to www.oakhillbaptist.net, click on “listen” and select the sermon for March 22, 2020.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James 4:17 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Rise to the occasion and shine for Jesus.”

Yesterday morning I went to the grocery store near our home to pick up a few items that we needed. I noticed that most of the store workers seemed frazzled and a bit jaded, but the store had only recently opened and the day was just beginning. As it turns out, the previous week has been something of a nightmare for them. Crowds of people have engaged in panic buying and when the items they were looking for were out of stock, some customers expressed anger at the store workers, as if it was their fault the items were out of stock.

Such conduct is totally uncalled for. And panic buying is completely unnecessary. The only reason there is a shortage on things like toilet paper is because people are giving-in to fear and acting foolishly. But worse, some of them are getting mean and selfish. Sadly, that’s the way of the world sometimes.

But that’s also why God has us, the followers of Jesus, out in the world. It’s one of the reasons He didn’t take you straight to heaven the moment He saved you. Instead, He left you here so you can share the love of Jesus with hurting, frightened, and struggling people, and so you can be an agent of peace and calm and clarity in the middle of chaos. Christians are to be forces for good in a world that is often bad.

That’s what James was writing about in James 4:17 when he taught us that it is a sin to know the right thing to do but then to not do it. Doing good in the name of Christ is why God has us here. In Proverbs 3:27 the great King Solomon expressed the same thought this way, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”

I want to encourage you to actively look for ways to be a help and a blessing to people during these difficult times. If you’re looking for it, you will see a hundred opportunities every day. It might be something big, like bringing groceries to an elderly shut-in; or it might be something small, like smiling at a frazzled store clerk and thanking her for her patience and service. The opportunities for acts of love and kindness are endless on a normal day, but especially so during a time like this.

Brothers and sisters, this is our opportunity to really shine for Jesus. People are scared, some of them are now out of work, some of them are sick. It’s time for the Church to rise up and seize the moment. Perhaps God has you right where you are, right now, for a time such as this.

This is your moment to shine.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Look out for the needs of others”

Prior to the current outbreak and massive community response to the COVID 19 pandemic, we had already been considering this month what life is supposed to look like for Christians on this side of the cross. In other words, once Jesus ushered the world into a brand new age, and since on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to earth to live in the hearts of the followers of Christ and to continue Christ’s work on earth through the lives of His followers, what does that mean for those of us who live in this age? How then should we live?

Throughout the almost 2000 years since the coming of the Holy Spirit, one of the hallmarks of the conduct of the committed followers of Christ has been acts of compassion and kindness towards those who are suffering. Whether the situation was famine, plague, natural disaster, political upheaval, or hard economic times, Christians have always waded right into the situation, bringing help and healing in the name of Jesus Christ – and almost always, at great sacrifice to themselves. Many thousands of books have been written chronicling the great humanitarian services of Christians throughout the ages.

That work continues today. Recently a town adjacent to ours was devastated by a tornado. The response from the churches was overwhelming as more help immediately pored into that community than they could use. I have a couple of friends who are both medical professionals. They serve on the Samaritan’s Purse (SP) medical disaster relief team. They are some of those special individuals who, when a disaster strikes anywhere in the world, they put their own lives on hold, get on an SP plane, fly to the disaster scene, set-up a medical camp, and spend weeks or sometimes longer serving sacrificially in a high risk environment. They are both currently serving with an SP team in northern Italy in the middle of one of the worst outbreaks of COVID 19 anywhere in the world.

Here at home, in the middle of the pandemic as it exists in our own communities, there are many opportunities to be a blessing to others who are in need as a result of what’s going on, and who might be less able to help themselves than you are. Doing so would be in the best tradition of our great and noble Christian history of humanitarian relief in the midst of a crisis. Tomorrow we will consider some practical ways in which we can all that.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

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

Our Bible verse for today: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “There are blessings to be found in the middle of bad situations – find them and share them.”

Romans 8:28 is one of the most comforting passages of New Testament scripture for those who are dealing with a crisis and facing an uncertain future. The verse does not say that all things are good, because of course, many things are not. What it does teach is that God can and does reach into the middle of bad situations and He brings good things out of them for those who love Him, for those who trust Him, and for those who turn to Him for help in such situations.

Good and blessings can come in many forms and in unexpected ways. And even though the actual trial might not immediately go away, and even if there may still be pain and suffering to be dealt with, God is there and He is working quietly behind the scenes to comfort and bless.

The other day an old friend shared a poem on Facebook that I believe speaks beautifully to this issue precisely as we all find ourselves having to cancel activities, avoid crowds, and stay home more. It’s not an explicitly Christian poem, although it clearly does reflect the truth of Romans 8:28. I want to share it with you this morning:

“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal. And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.” – Kitty O’Meara

As bad as this COVID 19 pandemic is (and may still get), there are also good things that can come out of it. There will be blessings to be found – and shared. As was noted in yesterday’s devotional message, Jesus calls us, His followers, to be salt and light in a confused and panicked world. We are to be agents of peace and voices of reason who shine light into the darkness and who bring order into the confusion. We can help others see God at work in the middle of it all. There are blessings to be found in the middle of bad situations. I encourage you to find them and to share them.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim