Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Transformation occurs slowly and progressively over time.”

 

There’s an old story about two men, members of the same church, who hadn’t seen each other in a long time because one of the men had stopped coming to church. One day they met on the street and the first man said to the second, “I haven’t seen you in church in a long time, how come?” The second man answered, “I decided it was a waste of time. I sat in church for years and during that time I listened to hundreds of sermons, but two days later I couldn’t even remember what the preacher had preached the previous Sunday. It had no real impact and so it was a waste of time.”

 

To that the first man responded, “I’ve been married for forty years. During those years my wife cooked a meal for me every day and I honestly don’t remember most of those meals. However, each of those meals nourished me at that time and kept me well fed and healthy. My body would have ended up in pretty poor condition if I had not had those meals.”

 

The point of the story is that every time you pray; every time you read your Bible; every time you attend worship services or participate in an act of ministry, your spirit is nourished and you grow a little spiritually. If you deny your spirit that regular nourishment it will wither and become sickly, just as your physical body would if you skipped meals each day.

 

The path to excellence in life is paved with numerous, seemingly small but very important, good daily habits. That’s true physically as well as spiritually. If you want to be spiritually healthy, if you want to keep growing spiritually, you have to do the things that facilitate spiritual health and growth.

 

That’s what Paul was writing about in Romans 12:2. Christ-like transformation occurs as the result of regular and steady spiritual nourishment. The term “Christian” means to be “Christ-like”. We become more and more Christ-like slowly and progressively over time as we consistently place ourselves in a position before God whereby He can mold us and shape us, slowly transforming us into the men and women He wants us to be.

 

Daily prayer and Bible study, along with regular and full participation in the life of a good church family, are essential elements for spiritual health and growth. The transformation will occur, but how much and how fast will depend to a large extent on how much spiritual nourishment you get.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “A cheerful disposition is good for you and for those around you.”

 

I remember two men I used to work with. Both were Christians and both worked in a Christian ministry. The first man was intense. Well, that’s an understatement really. He was high-strung, temperamental, and often harsh. But he did get things done. He was usually extremely focused on the task-at-hand and when it came to producing results, he did. But he sure was tough to be around.

 

The second man was almost the polar opposite. He was relaxed and easy-going, usually happy and laughing. In truth, in didn’t accomplish anywhere near as much as the first guy did, but he sure was nicer to work with.

 

Now, which man was living an “excellent” Christian life? Well, neither, or both, depending on your definition of excellence. They both had strengths and weaknesses. If you’re looking for results then I guess you would have to vote for the first guy. If you’re thinking about which of them could be counted on to bring a smile to your face and make your day a little better, then hands down you would prefer the second man.

 

Biblically I would vote for the second guy. While getting things done is important, blessing people and making them smile is more important. There’s an old saying that goes, “God created us as human beings, not as human doings.” In other words, God is more concerned with how you are than with what you do.

 

Looking at Solomon’s Proverb in 17:22 above, the second guy had a joyful heart that was good medicine for himself and for those around him. The first guy was productive but relatively joyless. A broken spirit and dried up bones describes him fairly well actually. And, sadly, he had a way of making others feel that way too.

 

Ideally we want to be both joyful and productive – but with extra emphasis on the joyful part. As you go about your day today, establishing your priorities, checking things off your to-do list, and getting things done, don’t allow your push for productively to steal your joy.

 

A cheerful disposition is good for you – and for those around you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “God is most interested in the condition of your heart.”

 

I recently read a statement by an anonymous writer which said, “When God measures the greatness of an individual He puts the tape measure around the heart not the head.”

 

By that I believe the writer meant that God isn’t so interested in the amount of education and intelligence we have, nor the size of our bank accounts, nor our career accomplishments, and not even necessarily our religious rituals. Instead He looks to see what’s in our hearts.

 

This was the theme of the greatest sermon ever preached – The Sermon on the Mount. That sermon, preached by Jesus, is recorded for us in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5-7. Jesus began the sermon, in Matthew 5:3-12, by describing the heart attitude God is looking for in His people. These attributes have become known as “The Beatitudes”, sometimes also known as the “Be-Attitudes”, or, “Let this be your attitude.”

 

In that passage Jesus calls us to be gentle and peaceful, to thirst for righteousness and to show mercy, to strive for purity of thought, and to be humble. These are all matters of the heart. From there He then explains that He also wants us to be active in our world by being salt and light (5:13-16), and He wants us to conduct ourselves according to the Law of God (5:17-20). He also wants His followers to make extra efforts to bless others by doing things for them (5:38-42). But first we have to get our heart right.

 

That is so much the case that although three small sections of the Sermon on the Mount address activities Jesus wants us to engage in, the entire rest of the sermon is all about what takes place in the heart, including avoiding sinful thoughts, not giving into anxiety and worry, not being judgmental, how to pray, and much more.

 

The point in all of this is that an excellent life in God’s estimation is much more a matter of what’s in your heart than it is a matter of the things that you do. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day did a lot. They were always busy with religious rituals and loud public prayers, as well as dramatic displays of charitable giving so others could see them doing it. But spiritually they were as lost as could be. What mattered to God was the condition of their hearts, not their showy religious activities.

 

Doing things for God is certainly important. But having a heart that is right with God is much more important.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Detest evil; cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We are to live by God’s standards.”

 

I once saw a bumper sticker that read, “It’s the Ten Commandments, not the ten suggestions!” The obvious meaning being that in the Bible God has given us clear and absolute instructions about how He wants us to live. Those standards are fixed for all time and we are not free to fudge on them.

 

All this month we’ve been considering the concept of “excellence”, but excellence as defined by God in the Bible, rather than how it is understood and defined by the culture around us. There’s a difference. God’s commandments are absolute and they apply to all people in all places at all times – regardless of the age of history you live in, and also regardless of what the current cultural trends might be in any given society at any given time. The people of God are to live by the word of God – all the time, always.

 

We are also not to have any accommodation or cooperation with evil. We are not to go along with things that are contrary to the Word of God, and we are not to turn a blind eye to them and act as if we’re not aware it’s going on. This requires us to be vigilant and strong.

 

We live in a society which has turned the concepts of good and evil upside down. Biblical values, which were once universally understood as being good and best, are now ridiculed and even legislated against. Practices which are clearly identified in the Bible as being evil are now called “good” by society, and are even being forced upon those of us who still consider them to be evil. God had something to say about that in Isaiah 5:20:

 

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

 

Yes, woe to them – and woe to us if we go along with them. I encourage you to get a Bible Concordance and do a word study to see how many times in both the Old and New Testaments God clearly commands His people to detest evil, to avoid evil, to flee from evil, to oppose evil, and to have no accommodation, cooperation, or partnership with anything that has been identified by Him as being evil. You might be surprised to discover how often this command is repeated by God.

 

To live in a manner considered to be “excellent” by God, we must first of all be very familiar with the Bible, and then we must resolve to live by it. And we must do that regardless of the demands or pressures put upon us by whatever society we live in. The expectation of God for His people is always the same and was stated very well by Peter in Acts 5:29, “We must obey God rather than men.”

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.” Habakkuk 1:5 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Just be faithful.”

 

In recent days we’ve been considering lessons from Old Testament prophets regarding how God’s faithful people can live with excellence even when their society is crumbling and falling apart all around them. Today I want us to consider one final lesson from the prophet Habakkuk.

 

Habakkuk was living and ministering in the land of Judah in its final days before they would suffer total destruction at the hands of the Babylonians. Habakkuk saw the calamity unfolding all around him and he was incredulous that God would actually allow it to happen. In 1:1-4 we read of how he cried out to God in frustration and confusion. He simply could not believe that God would allow the evil Babylonians to have victory over His chosen people.

 

Then in 1:5 and following, God answers Habakkuk by telling him that not only is the devastation coming, but that the nation is going to crash and burn in such spectacular fashion and it will be a sight to behold.

 

Habakkuk, still unable to accept that this could possibly be God’s final answer, decides that he is going to simply go before God in extended prayer and wait until God gives him more clarity about what’s happening, why it’s happening, and how it’s all going to turn out. We read of that in 2:1. Beginning in 2:2 God answers him with a long narrative that goes on for 19 verses and which describes how in the future, when the time of punishment and correction of God’s people is over, it will be time for the Babylonians to be punished and for God’s people to be restored.

 

There are three key verses in that narrative which provide all the guidance we need for dealing with our current cultural and political situation in the USA. Verse 3 says, “This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” Verse 4b reads, “But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God”, and verse 20 tells us, “But the Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.”

 

So there it is right there. As we, the people of God in the USA today, watch our society slowly but surely deteriorate, we are to remember that God is sovereign over the affairs of nations, and that in His way and in His time His plan for the nation will unfold. And while that’s happening, we’re to be patient and continue to be faithful.

 

The instructions we received from Jesus in Matthew 5:13-16 that we are to be salt and light in our society still apply. We are to be actively engaged in the affairs of the nation; we are to advocate and work for righteousness and for Biblical principles; we are to oppose evil; and we should vote. But we are not to despair if things don’t appear to turn out the way we hoped they would.

 

God is still sovereign over the affairs of our nation, and nothing is happening that is out of His control. Our job is to be faithful and to trust Him.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”
Our Bible verse for today: “Gather together – yes, gather together, you shameless nation. Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls and the terrible day of the Lord’s anger begins … perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you – protect you from his anger on that day of destruction.” Zephaniah 2:1-2; 3b (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Don’t give up hope and don’t stop trying.”

 

In recent days we’ve been considering some lessons from Old Testament prophets regarding how God’s people can live with excellence in the midst of a rebellious and sinful society that is decaying and dying.

 

Yesterday I told you about Habakkuk and how it was that he preached to a nation that was close to the end of their existence. I also mentioned that during the time of their steady drift away from God and towards destruction, God had repeatedly sent messengers to warn them to change their ways.

 

One of those messengers was Zephaniah. Like Habakkuk, he also ministered in Judah. However, unlike with the ministry of Habakkuk, the words of Zephaniah did have a positive impact and for a short while, under the reign of good king Josiah, there was a spiritual revival in the land. Consequently, for a while, the hand of God was stayed. The change didn’t last and in time the nation began drifting away from God again, but for a while there was revival and it did make a difference.

 

That story is not an isolated instance in scripture. We read of the same thing happening to the nation of Nineveh under the ministry of Jonah. The people of Nineveh did repent, they did change their ways, and God did relent by not bringing the promised destruction upon them. Their reprieve lasted for more than 100 years until they fell away from God again, and then the promised destruction did come. But the point is that as evil as that society was, they did listen, they did repent, and God did grant them a reprieve.

 

The same can be true for the USA. There’s little doubt that our nation today is very much like Old Testament Judah in that we have drifted far from our godly Biblical roots; and as a nation we have become lukewarm to the things of God. In many ways we have even become downright hostile towards Him. In some respects we have also become like the evil pagan nation of Nineveh in that some of our practices (such as abortion) are very pagan and very evil.

 

But there is still hope. Revival can come. The hand of God can be stayed. It’s up to the people of God to first be faithful to God in their own lives, and then to boldly proclaim the truths of God to this broken and bleeding society we live in.

 

There was revival in Zephaniah’s day, at least for a while, and it can happen here too. So don’t give up and don’t stop trying. There is historical Biblical precedent for even the worst societies to turn around and come back to God.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength.” Habakkuk 3:18-19 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “This is how the people of God live with excellence in a very troubled world.”

 

The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk was distraught over the condition of his country. Things were really bad for the Jews. The nation of Judah was literally dying. For generations they had been ruled by corrupt leaders, their religious officials were sinful charlatans, and as a nation the people had drifted far from God. Despite repeated calls to repentance delivered by a steady parade of prophets and messengers from God, the nation continued in its sinful ways.

 

So, God gave them over to the consequences of their own poor choices. He removed His blessings and protection from them. Slowly but surely their society rotted from within and then, the Babylonians came. This longtime enemy brought a mighty army, crushed the army of Judah, and took the entire nation captive. Now, in Habakkuk’s day, things were worse than they had ever been for Judah and the end of their existence as a nation was near.

 

But as bad as things were, Habakkuk had strong faith in God and he called the people to do the same. Here’s how he ended his short letter:

 

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:17-19

 

The lesson from Habakkuk applies to us too. First, no matter how bad things get in our country we need to always remember that we are citizens of the kingdom of God first, and citizens of the USA second. Our real home is in heaven and we’re just passing through this world as we journey to our real home.

 

And then, the way the people of God live with excellence in the midst of a very troubled world is by remembering that God is Sovereign over the affairs of nations, and over the affairs of our individual lives. No matter how bad things seem, Jesus is still on the Throne and you’re still saved. That’s reason enough to be positive. It’s also a really good reason to sing His praises and to remain joyful.

 

Like Habakkuk, we the people of God are to simply keep preaching and teaching Biblical truth. We are to live as godly examples in a corrupt and dying world and we are to call people to repentance. Our message is simple: “The society around us may be going to hell in a hand basket but Jesus is still on the throne, I’m still saved, and you can be too.”

 

As the people of God we are to be engaged in the affairs of the nation – salt and light in a dark and decaying society – but we are not to despair or give up hope just because things seem to be going badly in society. The affairs of men are simply the back story. It’s the ongoing work of the kingdom of God in the middle of the affairs of men that really matters. And on that level, in the spiritual realm, Jesus wins.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I said, ‘Listen you leaders of Israel! You are supposed to know right from wrong, but you are the very ones who hate good and love evil. You skin my people alive and tear the flesh from their bones.” Micah 3:1-2 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “We must demand that our leaders behave with honesty and integrity.”

 

Right now in the USA we’re hot and heavy in the middle of a Presidential election cycle. And, sadly, it’s a particularly mean-spirited and ugly election cycle. Dirt is being dug up, mud is being slung, wild and preposterous accusations are being made by both sides, and many Americans (myself included) are disheartened by the poor choice of candidates.

 

One part of our problem today is that as a people we’ve become far too willing to ignore, accept, or sometimes even endorse bad behavior on the part of those who aspire to the highest positions of leadership. Because we disagree with or dislike one candidate, we’re willing to overlook and make excuses for the poor behavior of the other.

 

Doing that is always wrong. If an individual is prone to corrupt, immoral, and self-serving conduct to begin with, and then their supporters wink at or make excuses for their unacceptable behavior, it only encourages their belief that they can get away with anything, and that then leads to even worse behavior in the future.

 

Not only do we as individual Christians have a God-given responsibility to strive for good behavior in our own lives, but we must demand it of our leaders as well. And when they fail, when they engage in conduct that is wrong, they must be held accountable. If not, then we end up with a situation like what Micah was writing about that existed in Old Testament Israel. The leaders were corrupt, they were disreputable, they were immoral and greedy, and the people let them get away with it.

 

But not Micah. He didn’t let them get away with it. He boldly called them to account. He publicly challenged and reprimanded them. He didn’t rationalize, excuse away, or in any other way cut them slack. Instead, he reminded them of God’s standards. He warned them of judgment and punishment if they continued in their unacceptable conduct, and he did it regardless of other considerations.

 

That’s a pretty good model for us. Regardless of which party you support or which candidate you want to see win, when the conduct of our leaders (or those aspiring to positions of leadership) is unacceptable, it’s up to “we the people” to say so – loudly and often, until they are pressured to change.

 

Unfortunately many people continue to voice loud and enthusiastic support for their preferred candidate regardless of how bad his or her behavior is. That’s wrong and dangerous. When this election is over one of them is going to be the next President. Considering the deep character flaws of both of the leading candidates, whoever that person is, they are going to need to be kept on a very short leash by the American people. Don’t give either of them a free pass on unacceptable conduct now, during the election. Doing that leads them to believe they will be able to continue to get away with it once in office. They need to hear from you that their conduct is wrong and won’t be tolerated.

 

Please, please, please, do not shrug off or in any other way accept or offer excuses for the poor behavior of our would-be leaders. Hold them accountable.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “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 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Just keep moving forward.”

 

The Apostle Paul had a lot in his past that he surely regretted. In an earlier chapter of his life he had been known as the Pharisee Saul and he was the biggest enemy of the Christian faith. As such, he made it the passionate purpose of his life to persecute Christians by hunting them down, having them beaten and imprisoned, and sometimes even killed. A lot of people suffered because of Saul.

 

But, the past was past and there was nothing he could do to change it. All he could do was draw a line in the sand and move forward, resolved that he would be a better man than he had been. Paul’s focus was forward, on the things God had called him to do for the cause of Christ.

 

That needs to be true of us too. Many people live life shackled to the past. Regrets over past actions become like an anchor which holds them back and prevents them from moving forward towards better things and better days. To live a life that is “excellent” in the eyes of God we must be focused on the present and moving forward into the future. Ours is to be a life of learning and growing, a life of ongoing transformation as we progressively, day-by-day, become more and more like Jesus.

 

That being the case, as we assess ourselves (and others), we need to consider how much change for the better has already occurred. Henry Ward Beecher once wrote, “We should not judge people (or ourselves) by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started.”

 

There’s an old saying that goes, “I may not be the person I want to be, but thank God I’m not the person I used to be.” It’s true that you aren’t perfect, none of us are, but you do need to recognize how much change has already taken place in your life.

 

And then, be sure you’re actively and intentionally doing the things every day that place you in a position before God whereby He can continue to mold you and shape you into the man or woman He wants you to be. Spiritual growth, and the resulting transformation, is a process that unfolds little by little over time. As long as that is occurring, you should stop being so hard on yourself. Focus on where you’re headed, not where you’ve been.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Excellence”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “You drink wine by the bowlful and perfume yourselves with fragrant lotions. You care nothing about the ruin of your nation.” Amos 6:9 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “An excellent life should include the discipline of moderation.”

 

Recently I’ve been studying the Old Testament book of Amos and I’ve been stunned by the parallels between Old Testament Israel in the days of Amos, and our own country today. In the words of the editors of the Daily Walk Bible, “Israel had grown fat, apathetic, and proud, choking on its own luxury.”

 

In verse six Amos writes of how the people were no longer satisfied with a simple “glass” of wine, they had gotten to the point where they were drinking it by the bowlful.

 

Wow! Can I get a witness? That’s us! “Can I supersize that for you?” “Would you like to try the Ultimate Supreme Half-Pound Bacon Double Cheeseburger with an extra large order of fries?” “And how about a half gallon of Coca Cola to wash it down?”

 

We’ve become a society that’s obsessed with conspicuous consumption. We’re taught to always want bigger and more. And it shows. Obesity is now a nationwide health crisis. The average family is drowning in debt. People stand overnight in long lines in hopes of being the first to get the latest version of the newest iphone. More, more, more … newer, bigger, better. More is never enough.

 

But that’s not the way of Jesus, and it shouldn’t be the way of His people. The Bible teaches us to live in moderation and contentment. Here’s just one passage that teaches this concept: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out. But if we have food and clothes we will be content with these.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8

 

I want to share with you a devotional thought offered by the editors of the Daily Walk Bible in connection with the lesson Amos was teaching:

 

“Luxury-loving Israel was so “owned” by its possessions and materialistic lifestyle that God had become the “previous owner.” Enjoying things from God had replaced enjoying God himself. You may proudly think of your house, your car, your boat, your (whatever) as being “owned by me,” but never forget it is actually “loaned by God.” Wouldn’t now be a good time to consider a transfer of ownership? Close your eyes and you will see everything you actually possess.”

 

An excellent life must include the discipline of moderation. I encourage you to examine your life. Ask yourself, “How much is enough and how much is more than enough?” Then consider if perhaps some changes are in order.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim