Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain east of it.” Ezekiel 11:23 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Has the glory of the Lord departed from your life?”

 

In chapters 10-11 of the Old Testament book of Ezekiel the prophet records for us one of the saddest events in the history of the Jews. It’s the record of how the glory of God progressively departed from the people and from the nation, and they didn’t even realize it.

 

In 10:3-4 we read of the glory of the Lord moving from the altar within the temple to the threshold of the temple and then hovering there. Then in 10:18-19 the glory of the Lord moves further away, this time from the threshold of the temple to above the temple. Then in 11:23 we find that the glory of the Lord moved away from the temple altogether, left the city of Jerusalem, and hovered briefly over the mountains east of the city before departing entirely.

 

Now please don’t miss the point that in these chapters there is no indication that the people were aware this was happening, or that the glory of the Lord eventually departed from them altogether. In fact, just the opposite was true. In chapter 13 Ezekiel tells us of false prophets who were circulating among the people professing to have had visions from God and who claimed to be bringing the people encouraging words from God. And the people believed them.

 

How could the people of God have become so spiritually dull that the glory of God could depart from them and they didn’t even miss it? The entire book of Ezekiel answers that question. The people made a shallow show of worshiping God but their hearts were actually devoted to virtually everything but God. Their hearts were captivated by money and possessions and comfort and pleasure. They had filled their lives with things and activities that had become more important to them than a deep and genuine relationship with God. Their religion had become little more than a show.

 

What happened to the ancient Israelites in the time of Ezekiel also happens to modern Christians in our day. The glory of God departs from their individual lives, from their homes, from their churches, from their cities, and from their nation, and they don’t even miss it. They have become so spiritually dull and so superficial in the practice of their faith that they were unfamiliar with the glory of God to begin with. Therefore once it is withdrawn from them they don’t even realize it’s gone. Like the people of Ezekiel’s day they just continue on with their showy but fake religious games, assuming everything is fine. But it isn’t.

 

A life that is spiritually prosperous is a life that is so used to experiencing the glory of God that any diminishing of His glory in your life would be noticed immediately, and would be a cause of alarm and concern.

 

Has the glory of God departed from your life? Would you know it if it did?

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Sometimes God must rearrange things in your life.”

 

Yesterday I told you about a difficult period in my own life that was scary and uncertain. But I also explained how it was that over time God reached into the middle of that deep and dark situation and brought some good and beautiful things out of it. In order to do that God had to rearrange some things in our lives. The major health episode Linda suffered wasn’t caused by God, but it was what God used to bring about some very good things for us – He just needed to make some adjustments in our lives in order to do it.

 

The Apostle Paul had several situations like that in his own life. In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 he wrote of one such situation. There he tells of a “thorn in his flesh” that he was to carry with him for the rest of his life. We don’t know exactly what Paul’s “thorn” was but we do know it was debilitating in some way and in Paul’s own words, it hindered him to the point of “weakness”. Many Bible scholars believe it was eyesight that was so bad that Paul needed others to read and write for him.

 

However, as Paul explained in that passage, the thing that he saw as his “weakness” actually turned out to be a major source of Paul’s success. For one thing that “thorn” created within Paul a sense of humility and dependency that never existed in him before. Our impression of Paul (Saul the Pharisee) before this was of a strong-willed, overly-confident, and somewhat harsh man who was hard-charging and unyielding. But after this he would always need to rely on trusted assistants such as Barnabas, Timothy and Silas. Paul needed them simply to function in daily life and to minister effectively.

 

This turn of events in Paul’s life, which certainly seemed bad at the time, ended up being the turning point that led him into a season of life, and a record of achievements, that never would have happened otherwise.

 

The lesson we learn here, from the example of Paul today and from mine and Linda’s story as related yesterday, is that God often uses bad and even tragic situations in our lives to move us on to the next great thing He has in store for us.

 

I don’t know what’s going on in your life today but I do know that God is sovereign over those events and that He can and will use them for your benefit and for His glory. Whatever it is, I encourage you to commit it to God and ask Him to redeem it for your good and for His glory.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Lord, how do you want to use this for your glory?”

 

On March 3, 2007 my wife Linda had a major stroke. I found her in bed unable to move or speak. She had had a brain stem stroke. The left side of her cerebellum was swelling. It was pressing against her brain stem and shutting down all life functions. She was airlifted to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, TN and the next day she underwent brain surgery to remove the swelling side of her cerebellum.

 

For three days we didn’t know if she would survive. Once it became evident that she would live, it was quickly apparent that she was going to have major, life-altering disabilities. And, I realized that our lives had just changed forever. Nothing would ever be the same again. Frankly, I was scared. I had no idea what the future held or how we were going to handle it. If you would be interested in reading the details of that story and how we handled it, you can go to my website at www.JimMersereauBooks.com, click on the tab “Free Articles” and download the essay “I’m a Survivor Too”.

 

One late night in the hospital, totally exhausted and emotionally drained, I prayed Proverbs 3:5-6 over the situation. It was already one of my life verses but now it took on special meaning. I committed the entire situation to God. I affirmed that I had complete trust in His goodness and His grace, as well as in His watch care over us. I knew that He loved us, would provide for us, and would get us through this. Essentially I asked Him, “Lord, how do you want to use this for your glory?”

 

Little did I realize at that time the amazing ways in which God intended to redeem that situation. I look back now after almost eleven years and I stand amazed at all God has done. Linda did end up with significant disabilities but her positive, upbeat, can-do attitude about it has been an inspiration to me and to everyone else. Our marriage, which was always pretty good, actually got even better. We are closer as husband and wife now than ever before.

 

God also opened the door for me to leave my profession as the Vice-President of an International Humanitarian Relief Agency. That needed to happen because the job required a lot of travel and time away from home, but I needed to be home with my wife. Instead God allowed me to become the Pastor of Oak Hill Baptist Church. That has turned into one of the great joys of my life. Being the Pastor of this church is a deep and rich spiritual experience for me. We have an amazing church family who we love deeply and who love us in return.

 

During these years I have also developed a writing ministry, publishing two books, numerous magazine and newspaper articles, and a daily devotional series. I could go on for many pages about all the amazing things God has done in our lives over these last eleven years but my point is that a situation that began as a great tragedy has been redeemed by God and turned into a series of amazing blessings that continue to unfold even today. Paraphrasing Joseph’s words in Genesis 50:20: “Satan meant it for evil but God used it for good.”

 

Whatever situation you are facing in life today I encourage you to consecrate it to God and ask Him to redeem it for His good purposes. Meditate on Proverbs 3:5-6. Believe it. Claim it. And then go forward, trusting that God is at work behind the scenes and that He has good things planned for you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result – the survival of many people.” Genesis 50:20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Invite God to redeem your circumstances for His good purposes.”

 

Joseph was a young man who suffered horrible injustices. His brothers hated him and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Joseph then spent thirteen years first as a slave in a rich man’s house, and then as a prisoner in jail. But he never lost faith in God and he invited God to use his circumstances, even the worst of them, for some good purpose. Eventually Joseph was released from prison, elevated to a position of high authority and influence, and used his situation to be a blessing to the very ones who had mistreated him. You can read his story in Genesis chapters 37-50.

 

Likewise, yesterday I asked you to prayerfully consider inviting God to use even the worst of your situations as a means of accomplishing His good purposes and also as a means of blessing others. This attitude is a key to living a life that is truly blessed and prosperous in all the important ways. Attitude is everything. This morning I want to share with you a few important observations from author Jack Alexander in his book, “The God Guarantee”:

 

“As children of God, we can bring him anything and everything – our jobs, our children, our marriages, our gifts, our addictions and weaknesses, our time, our finances – to be used according to his purposes and open to his blessings. God can make every part of our lives holy if we invite him to do so.”

 

“Over and over, I’ve seen God bless the people, decisions, and opportunities I’ve consecrated to him. He desires to redeem not only the big things and the major moments but also the seemingly unimportant details.”

 

“When we reverently invite God’s power, presence, and purposes into anything, something shifts in the heavenlies … too many people leave consecration out of their daily lives … very simply, consecration is inviting God and his holiness into the details of our lives.”

 

We have now entered into the key element of living a life that is blessed by God in all the most important ways. It’s the issue of consecrating all that we are, and all that we have, and all of our circumstances, to God to be used for His purposes. Like Jack wrote, “When we do that something shifts in the heavenlies.” We will spend much of our remaining time this month exploring this very important truth.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “He comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:4 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Give it to God.”

 

Yesterday we considered the terrible predicament the prophet Jeremiah was in. The city of Jerusalem had been overrun by enemies and was lying in rubble. Most of the people had been taken off into captivity. Jeremiah and the Jews were at the lowest point of their lives and there seemed to be no hope. But in the middle of it all Jeremiah penned one of the greatest statements of hope and faith found in the Bible. You can read it in Lamentations 3:22-26. God has then used those words of Jeremiah, written in the middle of tremendous despair, to be a source of hope and encouragement for countless millions of people down through the ages.

 

In 2 Corinthians 1:4 the Apostle Paul writes in a similar vein and for a similar purpose. There we find one of the keys to living a life of purpose and hope even in the midst of adversity and struggle. Paul essentially tells us to take our eyes off of ourselves and our own troubles, give the situation to God, and ask Him to redeem our circumstances in such a way that He can use them for His purposes and as a means of blessing others. When we do that not only do we bless and help others, but our own situation improves because our attitude about it improves.

 

As a Pastor a big part of my ministry consists of entering into other people’s difficult life situations. I can tell you from personal observation in hundreds of cases that there is a big difference between those who are completely self-absorbed and focused on themselves and their own problems, and those who have surrendered their situation to God and invited Him to use it for His purposes. I’m thinking of sick and dying people who remain upbeat and positive, and who are a blessing to those God has sent to care for them – such as nurses and doctors.

 

I’m thinking of people who have lost their job and view it as an opportunity for God to bring them into something new and better. I’m thinking of cancer survivors who now visit with and assist others who are battling the disease.

 

Our deepest struggles in life can become opportunities for God to bless us and others – if we surrender the situation to Him in faith and with a willingness to be used by Him for good purposes. Whatever it is you are dealing with today, give it to God and ask Him to redeem it by using it for His good purposes.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him. The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord.” Lamentations 3:22-26 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Even in the deepest darkest valleys of life, God is there.”

 

Sometimes life can be hard. Even those who know the Lord well and who serve Him faithfully sometimes go through troubling and difficult times. That was certainly true for the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. He served the Lord long and well, he served sacrificially and at great personal expense. But when it came time for the nation of Judah to be punished by God, Jeremiah suffered along with them.

 

The short book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah as he sat in dust and ashes amidst the ruins of the city of Jerusalem. The walls had literally come crashing down upon them and all seemed lost.

 

But in the midst of the devastation and despair, Jeremiah penned these beautiful words of faith and hope. He knew that God was still faithful and that He would bring them through the valley. Even in the depth of what appeared to be total ruin, Jeremiah still experienced the mercies of God every morning. His hope was in God, His faith was in God, and he knew that if he would just wait patiently, in quiet faith, deliverance would come. And eventually, it did. When God’s purposes had been achieved, the nation was delivered from the valley of despair and they once again experienced the blessings of God. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah record that part of the story for us.

 

Sometimes we all go through deep and dark times in life. That’s just life. It happens to all of us. But God is faithful, He will sustain us in those times and in His way and in His time He will bring us through it. We just have to wait quietly and faithfully as we put our trust and hope in Him.

 

A life that is truly prosperous in all the ways that really matter includes a faith that is deep and which carries us through the troubling times of life. In the days to come we will talk about how we can change our thinking and restructure our lives in such a way that helps to deepen our faith and improve the overall quality of our lives – even during those times when life is hard.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go up to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Church is an important part of living a truly prosperous life.”

 

Sunday is the best day of the week. I mean that. It’s my favorite day. I look forward to it with a sense of eagerness and expectation. Sunday is the day I get to gather with my church family, most of whom I haven’t seen for an entire week. It’s always a time of joy and laughing. There’s lots of chatter and good natured kidding, but there’s also a lot of deep sharing as people talk about the things going on in their lives. It’s great to be with people who genuinely care about you and with whom you enjoy spending time.

 

If you’ve ever been part of a really good church family then you know exactly what I’m talking about. The early church in the book of Acts was like that. It was filled with people who loved each other, who cared for each other and helped to meet one another needs, and they were people who truly enjoyed being together. An experience like that is one of the great joys of life. Gathering regularly in a faith community like that will go a long way towards enhancing the overall quality of a person’s life.

 

That’s the kind of thing King David was describing in Psalm 122:1. David was a man who truly enjoyed the experience of worship. He loved it. But beyond that, he loved just being with God’s people. I encourage you to do a character study of the life of David sometime. Trace his story through the books of 1 & 2 Samuel. Read his poetry in the book of Psalms. You will discover that David understood the value of being together with God’s people and he benefitted from it.

 

This is why in Hebrews 10:24-25 the writer urges his readers to not neglect gathering together with other believers. In that passage he essentially says that if the doors of the church are opened, you should be there, “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

 

Being fully involved in the life of a good church family is one of the most enriching experiences you can have. If you don’t have a church home then I want to invite you to join ours. Visit us and check us out. Oak Hill Baptist Church is located at 3035 Genesis Road in Crossville, TN. We meet for Sunday school at 9:00, Worship at 10:00, and our Sunday evening service is at 6:00.

 

We would love to have you join us! If you do then it won’t be long before you too will be saying, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go up to the house of the Lord!”

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Still others fell on good ground, and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown. Anyone who has ears should listen!” Matthew 13:8-9 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Keep the soil fertile.”

 

In Matthew 13:3-9 Jesus told His famous parable of the sower and the seeds. In this parable a farmer sowed seeds on various types of soil. Some seed fell on hard soil and the birds of the air came and ate it. Other seed feel on rocky ground where there wasn’t much good soil. The seed sprang up for a short time but because the soil wasn’t good or deep, the crop had no root and quickly withered and died. But other seed was sown in good soil. It took root, flourished, and produced a bumper crop of good fruit.

 

Jesus’ point is that the hearts of people are similar to those different kinds of soil. Some hearts are hard and the seeds of faith never penetrate at all. Some are shallow and therefore the seeds of faith are superficial and don’t last. But other hearts are fertile soil for faith. In those cases the seeds take root, grow deep, flourish, and produce abundant spiritual fruit.

 

Most of you reading this are already Christians and therefore the seeds of faith have taken root in your heart and there is some fruit already. The question for you is “how fertile is the soil of your heart and how much spiritual fruit is being produced in your life? How deep do your spiritual roots go?”

 

The answer to that question is determined largely by how much time and effort you put into nurturing your relationship with the Lord. The most common problem most Christians face is the competition for their time. We allow the demands of life to crowd out our time with God. Rather than getting up early for prayer and Bible study, we sleep late. Rather than going to church on Sunday for worship and fellowship, we go to the lake or something similar. Rather than participating in ministry activities we use the time for hobbies. You get the idea.

 

When we allow that to happen the soil of the heart turns dry and dusty and that then greatly reduces the spiritual fruit that will grow in and through our lives. This matters more than we realize. If there is one thing that should be clear now at this point in our study of “a prosperous life”, it is that a truly prosperous and fulfilling life is not produced by jobs, hobbies, or possessions. It comes as a result of a deep and rich relationship with the Lord. But if your heart is not fertile soil, your relationship with the Lord will not be flourishing and fruitful.

 

Today is Friday. Sunday is coming. I encourage you to plan to attend church this week. Go there with a sincere desire to encounter the Lord in the act of worship. Doing so will help to make your heart fertile soil where the seeds of faith can flourish and grow.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A prosperous life”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “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.” John 15:5 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Jesus wants to use your life for His purposes.”

 

Yesterday I made the point that in order to live a life that is truly prosperous according to God’s standards, we have to make sure that our relationship with God is the number one priority in our lives. Nothing else in life can be more important to us. I then said that if we do that, we will live the best life we could ever have. In today’s verse Jesus helps us to understand how that can be.

 

In John 15:5 Jesus compared our relationship with Him to the relationship a branch has with a grapevine. The branch grows out of and is attached to the vine. The vine then lives its life out through the branch. The life of the vine flows in the branch and the fruit of the vine is produced through the branch. As long as the branch remains firmly attached to the vine good fruit will be produced. But if the branch becomes separated from the vine the life of the vine no longer flows in the branch and the fruit of the vine ceases to be produced through the branch.

 

Jesus teaches here that that is a perfect picture of our relationship with Him. As long as we remain in a healthy relationship with Him, firmly attached, His life is in us and His fruit is produced through us. He will actually live His life through you. He will speak His words out of your mouth; He will produce His acts of kindness, compassion and mercy through you; He will answer other people’s prayers by using you as a conduit through which His blessings will flow to them. His fruit will be produced through your life – as long as you are attached to Him by means of a deep and healthy relationship.

 

But should that relationship become fractured, should it be broken, that will restrict the flow and the fruit. If you were to separate yourself from Him you will be of no use to Him at all in terms of producing His fruit.

 

There is no higher purpose in life than to be a healthy branch on the vine of Christ, producing His fruit, and being a conduit for His blessings to flow to other people in a broken and bleeding and hurting world.

 

Jesus wants to use your life for His purposes. I encourage you to let Him. Stay close. Stay healthy. Stay productive and prosperous for the cause of Christ.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do.” Deuteronomy 29:9 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Make sure God is number one.”

 

The words of Moses in Deuteronomy 29:9 were spoken to the nation of Israel right at the end of their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. They were eager to move forward to take possession of the Promised Land. They had visions of fertile land, new homes, and large flocks of sheep and goats and camels. It was going to be a good life.

 

While it was true that some or all of those material riches were in store for them, it was also true that those things would be empty blessings if they drifted away from the God who was providing those blessings. So here in Deuteronomy 29:9, through the words of Moses, God reminded them that the best life they would ever have is the life that is lived within the Biblical boundaries established for them by God. If they would carefully follow His commandments, live within His established boundaries of good conduct and right living, they would prosper. If they strayed from the Lord’s commands they would suffer – and that would be true regardless of the material riches they had.

 

Jesus reiterated this important lesson for us in His own teachings. In Luke chapter twelve Jesus used multiple illustrations of people who were preoccupied with thoughts of material possessions. Their obsession with money and things was damaging their relationship with God and with others. So in Luke 12:15 He warned “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”  And in 12:21 He said, “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

 

As Christians we know this to be true. On an intellectual level we know that the most important things in life are not things, and that no amount of things can take the place of peace with God. We know this. And yet living in a material world as we do, we are naturally drawn to material things. Therefore in actual practice the majority of our thoughts, time, attention, and energy could easily focus on our desire for money and things. We have to be intentional about making God the number one priority in our lives. This takes discipline. We have to want it and we have to work for it.

 

In the coming days we will consider specific actions we can take to make sure we are keeping God number one in our lives. Money and things are nice to have, but they will never be better than a rich and deep relationship with God.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim