Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:33 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Serving others helps us overcome our own problems.”

I have always loved the passage in Matthew 6:25-34. It’s often referred to as the “Do not worry” passage and it comes from the Sermon on the Mount. It’s my wife Linda’s favorite passage from the New Testament.

In this passage Jesus talks about daily life issues that we must deal with including the need for food, shelter, and clothes. These are common basic necessities of life, and Jesus cited them simply as examples of the kinds of things we typically worry about. Much of our time, attention, and energy is spent dealing with the challenges of life. Often we put so much of our focus on those things that we neglect other areas of life, especially our relationship with God and the needs of other people. We become so consumed with thoughts of ourselves and our own issues, that there’s not much room left for anything else.

Jesus’ lesson for us in this passage is that our Father in heaven is fully aware of the challenges we are facing in life, and He is committed to caring for us and providing for us. For our parts we are to focus on serving Him and serving others in His name.

Now please don’t misunderstand that. This does not mean that we no longer have a responsibility for helping to solve our own problems. As was noted in yesterday’s devotional, ours is to be an active faith. We have a responsibility to be actively involved in overcoming our own challenges.

But the point of Jesus’ lesson here is that we are not to become so consumed with our own issues that we neglect God and others. Exactly the opposite is true. The more we focus on the Lord and on others, the less consumed we will be with thoughts about our own problems, and therefore the less anxiety and worry we will experience.

When faced with difficult situations or big challenges try taking your eyes off of yourself for a while and focus instead on helping and blessing others. Even secular psychologists tell us that one of the best things a depressed person can do to help break out of their depressed mood is to get out of the house and go do something to help someone else.

Serving others actually helps us to deal with and overcome our own problems.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

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Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James 2:18 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Overcoming requires an active faith.”

In yesterday’s devotional message we considered the example of the boy David fighting and defeating the giant Goliath. The key to David’s victory was his faith in God, and we learned that that same kind of faith will be required of us if we are to overcome the challenges we face in life.

However, please note that it wasn’t just plain faith that David had, it was active faith. David didn’t just pray about the situation and then sit back waiting for God to wave a magic wand and reduce Goliath to a sobbing quivering wimp. No, David acted on his faith. David gave the situation to God, but then he went forward and fought Goliath. He had faith that God would help him, but he also did his part to deal with the challenge he was facing.

Returning to our example from a few days ago regarding how Joni Earackson Tada dealt with the accident that left her a quadriplegic for life, she didn’t just pray about it and stop. She prayed about it, and then she did the hard work of learning how to paint holding a brush in her teeth, write books using voice response software, speak to crowds of thousands at Christian conferences, and all the rest that she has accomplished in her life. She had faith, but it was faith that included action on her part.

Michael Morton, the man I wrote about the other day who was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and who spent twenty-five years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he didn’t just place his faith in Christ and then turn the entire situation of his false imprisonment over to Jesus. He did that, but then he also did the hard work of actively cultivating his relationship with the Lord. He led Bible studies in prison, he witnessed to other prisoners, he wrote encouraging letters to those on the outside, and he did the hard work of learning how to forgive those who wrongly convicted him so that he would not live with bitterness and resentment in his heart. He had faith, but it was active faith.

This is an important lesson for you and me. Our faith in God has to be an active faith that results in positive steps on our part to effectively deal with our own situations. God will do His part, but we also have to do our part. Whatever it is you are facing, trust God to help you, but be sure to do your part too.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “David said to the Philistine: “You come against me with a sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” 1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Overcoming is spiritual.”

In his book “Overcomer”, David Jeremiah refers us to examples, from the Bible and from modern life, of people who were overcomers. One of the examples from the Bible is that of they shepherd boy David who confronted the giant Goliath.

Goliath was a muscular giant, by some estimates almost nine feet tall. He was a seasoned warrior in the Philistine army and he was considered their champion. In 1 Samuel 17 we find the armies of the nation of Israel lined up against the armies of the Philistines. Each day Goliath came forward and challenged the Israelites to send out just one man to fight him. Instead of the entire armies engaging each other, the battle would be decided in a fight between Goliath and whoever the Israelites sent out.

But Goliath was a formidable foe and there was no comparable warrior in Israel to oppose him. Each day Goliath came forward shouting his challenges, mocking Israel and mocking the God of Israel, but no one had the courage to face him.  When David showed up on the scene he was astonished to discover that nobody responded to Goliath’s challenge – not even when he mocked their God. So David, even though he was just a boy, decided that he would face Goliath and, long story short, David won. You can read the rest of the story for yourself in 1 Samuel 17.

The lesson for us is that the key to David overcoming the challenge he faced from Goliath was spiritual not physical. It certainly appeared physical, but it was really a spiritual issue. As David Jeremiah points out in his book, if you read the passage in 1 Samuel 17 closely you discover that the three characteristics used to describe Goliath were all physical – they were size, sight, and shout. He was big, he was frightening, and he was loud. The three terms used to describe David are all spiritual – they were conviction, courage, and confidence. Goliath was relying on his physical attributes. David was relying on God. And it was no contest.

This is true for us too. In our own power, as mere men and women, we can easily be defeated by the giants we have to face. But when we turn the battle over to God we can face the situation with conviction, courage, and confidence.

The story of David and Goliath is in the Bible for a reason. It’s there as an example for us. Ultimately your situation (no matter how big and bad it seems) is a spiritual issue much more than it is a physical challenge. Turn it over to God and trust Him to help you deal with it.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “This is the perspective of an overcomer”

I had a different daily devotional planned for this morning. I had planned to write about something David Jeremiah taught in his book “Overcomer”, but I’ll get to that tomorrow. This morning, in my personal time of Bible study, the Lord showed me something in 1 Thessalonians 1:3 which I want to now share with you. In that single verse I believe Paul shows us three aspects of the perspective maintained by those who are overcomers in life.

In verse 3 Paul wrote that in prayer he frequently remembered the strong faith of the Christians in Thessalonica, and that their great work was a product of their great faith. As we learn in Hebrews 11:1, faith is a choice we make to believe something we cannot see. We believe in God because we choose to, not because we can see Him. I can’t see God and I can’t touch God but I choose to believe in God. His marvelous creation, the great truths of the Bible, the impact that Christianity has made in the world over 2000 years, the lives that have been radically transformed because of faith in Christ, all convince me that God is real. That’s faith. I believe because I choose to. Paul says the great works of the Thessalonians was a product of their great faith.

Then he wrote that their labor was motivated by love. It wasn’t just that they believed in God, but that they had experienced God’s love in their own lives and they were committed to sharing the love of God with others. That’s what got them out of bed in the morning, it’s what motivated them throughout their days, and it’s what drove them on to do the things they were doing. It was all motivated by the love of God.

And then he concludes his short testimony about the great example of these Christians by noting that their endurance was inspired by the hope they received from the Lord Jesus Christ. As hard as life might have been for them at times, they kept going because they knew what Jesus was preparing for them. They knew that they could be have victory in Jesus in this lifetime, but even more, they had a great eternal reward being prepared for them by their Lord. It was their hope and their promise and it kept them going.

Christians who are overcomers have strong faith and we are motivated by the love of God. We also endure through the tough times. We lean into it, we push through it, we just keep on keeping on, and we can do so because of the hope we have in Jesus. This is the perspective of those who have learned to overcome.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “… 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 3:13-14 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Leave the past in the past and get on with life.”

In 1987 Michael Morton was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. It happened in a small town in Texas. His wife was found brutally murdered and Michael was arrested and charged with the crime. There was no physical evidence linking him to the crime and there were no witnesses. The jury convicted Michael on flimsy circumstantial evidence and he was sentenced to life in prison.

Michael repeatedly denied his guilt. After many years in prison he was offered the chance for parole if he would only express remorse for his crime, but Michael refused. He said he would not confess to a crime he did not commit. Finally, in 2012, after twenty-five years in prison, DNA evidence from the original murder scene linked another man to the crime. It was further discovered that at the time of the trial the District Attorney had withheld evidence that would have exonerated Michael. As a result, Michael Morton spent twenty-five years of his life in prison for a murder he did not commit.

You would think Michael would be bitter and resentful about what was done to him, but you would be wrong. Although he acknowledges the terrible injustice done to him, and the awful cost of spending twenty-five years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, Michael is not a bitter or resentful man. While in prison he came to faith in Jesus Christ. He spent most of those twenty-five years cultivating his relationship with the Lord. The circumstances were terrible, but his relationship with Jesus was strong and fruitful.

When Michael was finally exonerated and released from prison he quickly resolved to move forward in life with joy and great expectation for what lies ahead. He resolved that despite what had happened to him in the past, he would not allow the past to ruin the present or steal his future. Michael drew a line in the sand, put the past behind him, and moved on to live with victory and joy. Michael Morton is an overcomer.

Far too many Christians allow themselves to remain shackled to their past. When we do that we allow the past to ruin the present and hinder the future. We’re not able to fully enjoy today, and we have little hope that the future will be any better. What happened to you back then continues to hurt you now and impedes your progress forward.

The Apostle Paul counsels us to leave the past in the past. Enjoy today, look forward to tomorrow, and get on with life. Overcomers don’t dwell on the past. We live fully for today and we look forward to tomorrow.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” 1 Corinthians 15:57 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “You can overcome it!”

One of the most inspiring stories of overcoming that I’m aware of is that of Joni Earackson Tada. As a teenager in 1967 she had an accident when she dove into shallow water in the Chesapeake Bay. She broke her neck and became a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down. For a long time after the accident she was angry, depressed, and suicidal. She was convinced that her life would now be miserable and meaningless.

However in the midst of her misery, Joni gave her life to Christ and trusted Him to help her live through and overcome her terrible circumstances. She soon learned to paint pictures by holding a brush in her teeth. Her art was so good that some of it is in art galleries. She also became a motivational speaker at Christian conferences. She has also written over forty books; and she has an international radio program focused on encouraging others to overcome their own perceived limitations in life; and she heads an international ministry that provides assistance to disabled people around the world. The most impressive thing about her success is that she has done it all without the use of any part of her body below her shoulders.

Joni’s story inspires me because if Jesus can help her to overcome her challenges in life, surely He will help me to overcome mine too, and the same is true for you. My friend, there is nothing you are facing in life that Jesus cannot and will not help you to overcome. It’s true that life can be hard. We all have times that are dark and scary and uncertain. But in the middle of such times the Lord can and will help us to find strength, courage, peace, hope, and even joy. With Jesus you can be an overcomer.

One of the ways Jesus ministers to us in the midst of our struggles and helps us to overcome the things we are dealing with, is by the ministry of the church. Through the music, the sermon, and the fellowship with other Christians, the Lord will often speak words of comfort, peace, strength, encouragement, and guidance to us. We often find the help we need at church.

Today is Saturday. Tomorrow is Sunday. I encourage you to attend the church of your choice. If you aren’t already a member of a good church then I invite you to visit with us at Oak Hill Baptist. Part of the sermon tomorrow will be about how it is that God uses us to minister to one another in our times of greatest need so that we can be overcomers.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:9 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “We learn from others.”

We learn from others. That’s just a fact of human nature. Most of what we know we have learned from others. That’s what the Apostle Paul was referring to in Philippians 4:9. He had been a preacher, teacher, counselor, mentor, and guide for the Philippian Christians and they had learned a lot by listening to his words and by observing his example.

Although our primary source of instruction from God comes to us through the Bible, it’s also true that He uses other people to teach us and to set examples for us. We learn from the experiences of others. As we spend time this month learning how to be an overcomer in life, much of what we learn will be based upon the examples set for us by other people.

The best and most impactful examples from other people come from those with whom we have personal contact. But there is also much to be learned from the examples of others that are recorded about them in books. That’s part of the great value of the Bible. In it we find the inspiring examples of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, David, Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and others. They were all overcomers in life.

Likewise, the inspiring examples of other Christians down through the ages often come to us through books. In David Jeremiah’s new book “Overcomer”, he draws on the examples of people from the Bible, and from other contemporary Christians, to illustrate and model fundamental lessons about being an overcomer in life. Books are used by God to communicate important lessons to us.

However, many people today are not readers. Either they’re so busy that they just don’t have much time to read, or they simply have little interest in reading. For whatever reason, reading for pleasure and for learning is becoming less and less common, and this is to our great detriment. Reading is an important source of learning.

That’s one of the primary reasons I cite and draw from so many different books as I write these devotional messages. I do have the time to read. Therefore I read a lot and I love to share with you some of the best and most helpful lessons I find in those books. You may not have the time to read David Jeremiah’s book “Overcomer” for yourself. But if you’ll spend a few minutes each day reading these daily devotional messages throughout the month of November, I’ll make sure you get the most important lessons he teaches in that book.

Each of us can be an overcomer in life, and we can learn how to do that from the examples set for us by others.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Overcoming”

Our Bible verse for today: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “You can be an overcomer.”

I have long admired and been inspired by the ministry of Dr. David Jeremiah. I first became aware of his work in the early 1990s when I was living in San Diego, CA. At that time I was retiring from the U.S. Navy and entering my second career as a pastor. David was already well-established as the Pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, which was also in San Diego, and which was located directly across the street from the seminary I attended (Southern California Bible College and Seminary).

David is also a popular Christian author and conference speaker. He has now written over fifty books, he is the host of the popular radio and television show “Turning Point”, and he continues to speak at Christian conferences around the country and around the world.

Another thing about David Jeremiah that I find inspiring is the fact that he is an overcomer. Over more than fifty years in ministry David has had to deal with more than his share of professional and personal challenges (including stage four cancer – which almost killed him more than twenty years ago but which he fought through and survived).

Today David is seventy-seven years old. He still serves as the full-time Pastor of one of the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention (Shadow Mountain); he continues to travel the world speaking at Christian conferences; he still broadcasts his daily radio program and his weekly television program; and he continues to write books.

He was one of the speakers at a conference I attended recently and he explained his longevity (and continuing effectiveness) with the statement “I just get up each day and I do whatever the next thing is, and I do it to the best of my ability. Then tomorrow I get up and do it again.”

That’s it. He just does whatever the next thing is, he does it to the best of his ability, and then he turns his attention to whatever the next thing is after that, and he just keeps doing it. He doesn’t allow obstacles or discouragement or sickness or even failure to stop him. He just keeps getting up each day and does whatever the next thing is for him to do. David Jeremiah is an overcomer, and he has a lot to teach the rest of us about being overcomers too.

All this month we will explore the theme of being an overcomer. As one of my sources I’m going to draw on some themes and lessons David teaches about overcoming in his new book “Overcomer”. It’s a good book with some important and powerful lessons that will be helpful to us all. I look forward to sharing them with you.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Our mailing address is:

Our theme for this month: “Telling the truth”

Our Bible verse for today: “So then, have I become your enemy because I have told you the truth?” Galatians 4:16 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Speak the truth, but do it in love.”

A couple of weeks ago, during a time of discussion in a Bible study group, somebody asked the question if a lie is always wrong, and if the truth must always be told. The answer isn’t as obvious or as easy as you might at first think.

First of all, a lie is always a lie. Either something is true or it isn’t and if you say something that isn’t true, then you have told a lie. But is a lie always wrong? And does the truth always need to be told?

The ninth commandment clearly instructs us not to lie. But in the Bible we do find examples of a lie being told and evidently it was not a bad thing. In Exodus 1:15-22 the Pharaoh ordering the Hebrew midwives to kill all the Hebrew infants at birth. The midwives didn’t do it and when Pharaoh demanded to know why, they lied to him. They told him that the Hebrew mothers kept giving birth before the midwives could arrive and kill the baby. From the context of the passage it’s clear that the midwives were deceiving and misleading Pharaoh. And yet in the passage we also find that God honored and blessed the midwives for their actions.

Likewise, in Joshua chapter two we find the harlot Rahab hiding the Jewish spies in Jericho and then lying to government officials about it. And in this case too, she was honored and blessed by God for doing so.

Those are examples of what is sometimes called a “righteous lie”. It is lying for a righteous purpose. A more modern example would be if you lived in Europe during the Nazi holocaust and you were hiding Jews from the Nazis. If a Nazi officer shows up at your door demanding to know if you know where the Jews are hiding and you say “no”, but you really do know, you have told a righteous lie, and it was a good thing rather than a bad thing. However those are rare cases. The overwhelming evidence of Scripture is that lying is wrong and there is almost never a justification for it.

The other question is whether or not the truth has to be told if you could instead simply remain silent. For instance, if your very overweight spouse has lost ten pounds and is convinced she looks better already, but you know there really is no noticeable difference yet, do you have to tell her there is no noticeable difference or can you simply compliment her on the fact that she has lost ten pounds and let it go at that? I would say that sometimes remaining silent is the better part of wisdom, and just because something is true you don’t necessarily need to volunteer that information in every case.

Perhaps sometimes a “righteous” lie is in order. At other times it might be better to simply remain silent rather than saying something that does not necessarily need to be said. But most of the time, speak the truth when the truth needs to be spoken but be sure to do it in love.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

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