Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear …” 1 Peter 3:15-16 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be the adult in the room”

The image that comes to our minds when we think of the Apostle Peter is usually one of a big gruff fisherman who was impetuous and a little volatile. Peter was the one who reprimanded Jesus for predicting His own death; he was also the one who drew a sword and chopped a man’s ear off in the Garden of Eden. Peter boasted that he would stand by Jesus, protect Him, and even die for Him, but he then, when the moment came, denied three times that he even knew Jesus.

Peter was big and boastful, a little mouthy, and definitely impulsive. So it’s a bit surprising that he’s the one who teaches us to tone down our rhetoric and to learn how to contend for Biblical truth in a kind and respectful way. That’s what he was teaching in 1 Peter 3:15-16 cited above.

In yesterday’s devotional I made the case that in this angry and divided society of ours, if we are going to live a life that’s grounded in the love of God, we will have to have our priorities in proper order. We need to be more focused on honoring God and building His kingdom than in promoting our favorite politician or political position. And, we need to do it in a kind and respectful way. We accomplish no good thing if we add to the angry and bitter rhetoric.

In 2018 I published a book about this. The title is “Getting Along Without Going Along: Biblical Sexual Ethics in An Age of Controversy and Conflict”. Although the primary focus of the book is sexual ethics, the overriding lesson is how to contend for Biblical truth with boldness and confidence, while at the same time treating others with respect and kindness. If you would like to have a copy of it, send me an email at pastorjimmohbc@gmail.com.

When it comes to speaking truth boldly but kindly in the midst of an angry and bitter society, Christians should always be the adults in the room. If you are living a life that is grounded in the love of God, then you will help to make things better rather than adding to the problem with more nastiness.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “… but our citizenship is in heaven …” Philippians 3:20 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Remember where your loyalties lie.”

For two months now we’ve been exploring the theme of “living a life of love”. I chose that title to emphasize the practical aspect of God’s love. God’s love is more than just an abstract theological truth, it’s a practical reality that should make a real difference in our lives every day. That’s why we’ve been thinking about how to live a life that is grounded in the love of God.

As we conclude our study, I want to focus on the cultural environment that we find ourselves living in today. Many political commentators, social scientists, and historians are in agreement that our nation is probably more divided today than at any time since the Civil War. The political and social divisions are so deep, and there is so much anger and divisiveness between groups of people, that we truly are a nation divided. How do we as Christians live a life grounded in the love of God in the middle of so much anger, controversy, and conflict?

First, we need to remember where our loyalties lie. We are citizens of heaven first, and citizens of the USA second. That was Paul’s point in Philippians 3:20. As we’ll see on another day, the Apostle Peter teaches that same lesson in one of his letters.

This is important. It’s a crucial understanding for Christians. It’s a truth we all probably agree with, I’m sure, but in actual practice many of us act as if we’re citizens of the USA first and citizens of heaven second. We talk more about politicians (those we like and those we don’t) than we do about Jesus. We get more worked up about political and social issues than we do about Biblical issues. We put more time and effort into arguing for our political positions than we do in sharing the Good News of the Gospel and trying to lead people to faith in Christ.

But we ‘re supposed to be citizens of heaven first and citizens of whatever country we live in second – and we need to actually live that way. While we should be good citizens and obey the laws, and we should be involved in the political and social issues of our day, first and foremost we need to be about our Father’s business of blessing others and helping to lead them into the kingdom of heaven.

Living a life of love that’s grounded in the love of God, regularly sharing the love of God, and helping to lead people to Jesus, is a higher priority and should therefore supersede our political affiliations and our positions on social issues. We need to remember where our true loyalties lie. We’ll think more about this tomorrow.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-3 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Preparations are being made now for what is to come later”

I love the picture Jesus paints for us in John 14:1-3. There He describes Himself in heaven preparing a special place for each one who belongs to Him. Additionally, we get the sense of the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the angels, and those people who are already in heaven, eagerly awaiting our arrival there.

It reminds me of a pregnant mother lovingly and patiently preparing for the arrival of her baby. She prepares a nursery, complete with furniture and decorations. She buys baby clothes, blankets, and various supplies to care for her baby. And then, once everything is ready, she waits. She waits for the day when her baby finally arrives, and what a great day that is!

That’s how it is as Jesus prepares that special place in heaven for each one who belongs to Him. Author Leighton Ford explains that there are two realities about heaven that make it special for us: place and personhood – we have a place to go to and we have a person to be with. There’s a special place prepared just for us, and there’s a special person (God) who we will enjoy being with for all eternity.

We’re being prepared for this now. That’s what the Christian life is all about. It’s the time during which Jesus is lovingly preparing that special place for us in heaven, and it’s the time during which the Holy Spirit is lovingly forming our souls and growing us spiritually so we will be ready for eternity in our Father’s presence.

We should live now with the understanding that eternity is going to be great. It will be a paradise beyond anything we can imagine. In love and with eager expectation God is preparing us now for what is to come later.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses.” Luke 14:16-18 (NLT)

Our thought for today: “Don’t use the gifts from God as an excuse to stay away from God.”

In my devotional reading this morning the author I was reading shared an insight into the parable Jesus told in Luke 14:16-24. It was an insight I had not considered before. In this parable Jesus told of a generous man who prepared a great banquet and then invited people to come and enjoy it with him. The man holding the banquet intended for it to be a time of fellowship between him and his guests. But instead of accepting the invitation, many of the invited guests made excuses instead. They all decided they had other things they wanted to do instead of spending time with the generous banquet-holder.

Jesus intended this story to illustrate how it is that God invites us to have fellowship with Him but many of us come up with lame excuses for not doing so. But here’s the really interesting part of the story: the excuses the people used in Jesus’ parable to get out of spending that time with the generous man, were all based upon blessings from God. One person had been blessed with the purchase of new land and felt he needed to go inspect it instead of coming to the banquet. Another said that he had just gotten married (a spouse is a gift from God) and wanted to stay home with his wife instead of coming to the banquet. And don’t miss Jesus’ real lesson here: The people were using the gifts of God as an excuse for not being with God.

That’s actually pretty common. Just as one example, I once knew a young family in the church I was the pastor of who were guilty of this. They were an attractive, healthy, and active family – Dad, Mom, and four children. They enjoyed outdoor activities together and they would frequently skip church on Sunday in order to go to the beach, or the lake, or the park, or hiking, or to athletic events. Now, family is a gift from God; good health is a gift from God; money is a gift from God; nice sunny days are a gift from God; and there’s nothing wrong with any of those things. But this family regularly combined all those gifts from God and used them as a reason to skip worshiping God with their church family.

In your own mind I’m sure you can think of endless other examples of the same kind of thing. We take the blessings of God and then use them in ways that actually move us away from God.

The blessings of God come to us as a love-gift from our Father in heaven and they’re intended by Him to draw us closer to Him. I encourage you to consider how you’re using the gifts of God in your life. Are they drawing you into a deeper relationship with Him, or are you using some of them in such a way that they are actually leading you away from Him?

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “If you love God, spend time with Him.”

A relationship only becomes and stays healthy if both parties in the relationship spend the time necessary for it to be so. A new relationship will only grow if the individuals spend time together. Likewise, an established relationship must be nurtured or it will wither and die.

The only way to nurture a relationship, a new one or an old one, is to give it time and attention. That’s true whether we’re talking about a relationship between a husband and wife, or between a parent and a child, or between friends; and it’s also true of your relationship with God. If you don’t give it time and attention, it will wither and die.

Time and attention to nurture a relationship doesn’t necessarily have to include activities, and it might not even involve talking. It could consist of nothing more than just being together and enjoying the fact that the other person is with you. My wife and I can ride in the car together for hours without talking much, and we’re both okay with that. We just enjoy being together. (Seriously, after forty-four years as a couple we’ve pretty much already said most of what can be said anyway, lol.)

When my children were young there were plenty of times when one of them would climb up onto the couch, snuggle up next to me, and just sit there – not saying anything, just snuggling. Those are some of my fondest memories as a father.

Our relationship with God can be like that too. We don’t have to always be jabbering away at Him in prayer. And we don’t have to always be listening to Him talk back to us through the Bible. It’s okay to sometimes just sit with Him, think about Him, and enjoy His presence, without saying much of anything. In our church we have a beautiful stained-glass window in the front of the sanctuary. It depicts Jesus with His arms wide-open in an inviting gesture, reminding us that He said: “Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Sometimes I’ll sit in the empty darkened sanctuary, with a single light turned on and shining through that stained-glass window, just gazing at it as I relax and enjoy being with God.

Every relationship needs time and attention in order to be healthy. That’s especially true of your relationship with God. If you love God, spend time with Him.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24 (RSV)

Our thought for today: “Cleave to God.”

The word “cleave” is an old-fashioned word that we seldom hear anymore. It means “bonding together” and is used in Genesis 2:24 to illustrate the relational bonding that describes a godly marriage. A man and woman come together as life-partners, walking through life together, sharing their lives with each other, and doing so until death-do-they-part.

In its purest and best form this cleaving of a man and woman, this bonding of their lives together, is the closest thing we see in human relationships to the agape love of God. It is much deeper than the infatuation of new moonstruck lovers. Instead it’s the deep commitment of two lives joined together in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in abundance and in scarcity, in good times and in bad.

We’ve all witnessed examples of this, especially in older couples whose marriages have endured for forty, fifty, sixty years, and who, late in life, remain in love and fully committed to one another. They have walked through the fires of life together, never giving up, leaning on and into one another, never drifting apart.

Such human relationships are a picture of God’s never-ending and unconditional love for us. However, since our relationship with God is a spiritual one rather than physical, and since we therefore experience it by faith rather than by sight, it can be subtle and sometimes difficult to visualize. So He points us to the example of the marriage relationship done right, as an earthly picture of a heavenly reality.

God will never leave you nor forsake you. His love for you is unconditional and never-ending. God cleaves to you, are you cleaving to Him?

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch?” All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.” Colossians 2:20-23 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “God has given you freedom to make choices”

Over my years as a Pastor I’ve had many conversations with people who were seeking the Lord’s direction pertaining to some issue in their life. Usually they were looking for, and expecting, some detailed guidance from the Lord, or a burning bush of some sort, to show them exactly what to do. But that’s not usually the way in which God guides us. Sometimes it is. Sometimes He does have a specific and very detailed plan that He wants us to adhere to. But usually not. More often he gives us Biblical boundaries to stay within, along with a general direction to move in, and then he gives us a gentle pat on the back and prods us to move forward in life.

In Colossians 2:20-23 Paul was writing to the Christians in the city of Colosse about the freedom they have in Christ. In their case they were struggling with Old Testament dietary restrictions. They thought they needed the Levitical list of strict rules and regulations to provide a menu of what was okay to eat and what wasn’t. Paul’s message to them was that God no longer deals with His people like that. In the New Testament Age, He has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us and He has given us the freedom to make well-informed choices of our own.

This is a common New Testament theme that’s taught repeatedly in different passages and contexts. God is like a loving parent who raises His children to think for themselves and to make good choices of their own. He provides us with the Bible to provide us with the parameters or boundaries that we must live within but beyond that, for the most part, we can then consider the choices before us, make our own informed decisions, and move forward. We usually don’t need specific step-by-step instructions from our Father about what to eat, or what to wear today, or even what job to take or where to live. In those cases where He does have a specific direction for us, He has plenty of ways to communicate that to us. But usually, like a loving parent, He wants us to be able to make good decisions of our own without having to rely on His constant intervention and guidance.

So be prayerful, and be Biblical, and then go live your life.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” John 10:10 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t let the thief steal your gifts from God.”

Satan is a thief. He is a destroyer. His goal is to steal and kill and destroy all that is good and holy – anything that comes from God. The great love that God has for you, and the peace, joy, and abundant life that comes with it, are good and holy, they are gifts to you from your heavenly Father. The devil would like nothing more than to steal those gifts away from you. If allowed to, he will kill your experience of God’s love; he will destroy your peace and joy; and he will ruin your life that should be abundant.

Are you going to let him get away with that? Are you going to allow him to steal your gifts from God?

When it comes to my home and family, I take intentional steps to protect them from bad guys. I own guns and I keep them loaded. I know how to use them and, if necessary, I will use them to protect my home and loved ones. I also lock my doors. And, I have dogs too. (Okay, they’re eight-pound sissy dogs, a Maltipoo and a Yorkie, but they do make a lot of noise!)

The point is, if a thief tries to break into my house to steal what is mine or to hurt those I love, he will meet resistance. Shouldn’t the devil meet with at least as much resistance if he comes into my life to steal my peace and joy, and to damage my experience of God’s great love for me?

But does he meet with resistance? How much resistance do I really put up? Do I easily give-in to pessimism and negative thinking, or do I train my thoughts to stay focused on positive things like Paul teaches us to do in Philippians 4:8-9? Do I allow myself to fret and worry about worldly wealth and provisions, or do I trust in the God of all provisions, as Jesus taught us to do in Matthew 6:25-34?

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of doing the things necessary to nourish your soul and to keep your relationship with the Lord strong and healthy. That’s exactly how you stay strong in the Lord – by being intentional about nurturing your relationship with Him. Then you will be able to resist Satan –  that thief, that hater of your soul.

Will you sit by and allow your gifts from God to be stolen by this vile intruder from the pit of hell?  I hope not! The gifts are yours. They belong to you. They were given to you from your Father in heaven who loves you very much. I encourage you to resist the devil. Fight him. Don’t let your gifts be stolen!

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water. It sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Stay healthy in the Lord.”

I love the little retirement home Linda and I live in. There are many positives about the house and the community but one thing I don’t like so much is that the house behind us is pretty close to my property line. The neighbors are very nice but still, a little too close. So I’m attempting to grow a large hedge of Foster Holly trees along the property line to provide a little more privacy. When mature, the trees will be 12-15 feet high, 5-6 feet wide, and very thick. It will be a high thick wall of green.

However, we recently we had a terrible drought here in Tennessee. For about two months we had hot temperatures and no rain. And dummy me, I failed to take care of my trees. I didn’t water them very much and now they’re brown and withered. The drought is over, and I am working diligently to nurse the trees back to health, but they really suffered during that dry spell. If I had only watered them, they would still be healthy and flourishing.

That’s the picture Jeremiah paints for us in Jeremiah 17:7-8 except, it’s about our souls not trees. He says that the person who keeps his or her soul properly nourished by trusting in the Lord and nurturing their relationship with Him, will be like a healthy tree planted by a good source of water. Their roots will be deep and when the heat of life’s trials comes, they will remain healthy and flourishing, they will not fear, they will not doubt, and they will continue producing good fruit for the Lord.

That needs to describe us. And if you don’t drink long and deep of the Lord’s goodness every day? Your soul will end up like my trees – unhealthy and withered!

Yesterday I told you about my friend who is battling terminal cancer but doing it in an admirable and inspiring way. What’s the secret of his strength, courage, and great attitude? He’s trusting fully in the love, watch-care, protection and provision of God, and he’s doing all the things necessary, every day, to stay spiritually healthy and strong.

The hard times in life can feel like a terrible drought with blistering heat and few things to soothe or refresh us. Those are the times we need the Lord more, not less. Those are the times to draw closer to God not pull to away from Him. God loves you, and He will take care of you through the times of trial, but you need to stay close to Him. You need to stay healthy in the Lord.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our theme for this month: “Living a life of love”

Our Bible verse for today: “We also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “You can experience God’s love in the middle of suffering”

I have a friend who is currently battling a serious form of cancer which is very advanced. The doctors tell him that at this point there’s no chance for a cure, but they may be able to beat it back and give him more months, or perhaps a couple of years, of additional life. He has already had extensive radiation treatments. Now he’s going through a regime of chemotherapy.

How is he handling it? Like a champ! He is upbeat and positive and he pushes himself to live life as fully as he can under the circumstances. He rarely misses church or any of the church social events. He greets people with a smile and a firm handshake. Ask him how he’s doing and in a strong voice he will tell you he is blessed and doing fine. And that’s not just happy-talk either. He means it. He is grateful for another day of life; he thanks the Lord that he lives in the age of medical science when we do have therapies like radiation and chemo; and he knows that as long as he is alive, the Lord has a purpose for him. Rather than feeling sorry for himself or allowing himself to give-in to despair, he makes it a point to bless others, to show interest in them, and live life fully.

My friend is determined to handle his very serious health struggle with dignity and grace, giving glory to God and allowing God to use his example as a means of inspiring and encouraging other people. I hope if the day comes that I’m faced with a serious illness like that that, I will handle it with the courage and grace and dignity that my friend has.

The Apostle Paul was a man who knew a thing or two about dealing with struggles, and like my friend, Paul chose to see the hand of God and the love of God in the middle of those struggles. That’s what he was writing about in Romans 5:3-5. God isn’t absent in our times of struggle. In fact, His presence is often more real and more profound to us during those times than at others. But we have look for it. If we determine to bring Him honor and glory through our times of trial, we will be much more likely to experience His presence, His power, and His peace in the midst of those struggles.

Life happens to all of us. Struggles, problems, sickness, the death of a loved one, our own impending death – it happens to all of us sooner or later. And when it does, we have a choice to make about how we will view it and how we will handle it. My friend has chosen to focus on the great love of God and to see God at work in the middle of his struggles. And he has chosen to exhibit strong faith, courage, dignity, and grace as he deals with it. I hope that will be true of you (and me) as well.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim