Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up on the top of the hill. While Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hands down, Amalek prevailed. When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword.” Exodus 17:10-13 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We all need help, and we all need to give help.”

 

In his book “The Sender”, Kevin Elko offers a powerful lesson regarding the symbolic meaning of the account recorded in Exodus 17:10-13. The nation of Israel was doing battle against the Amalekites. Moses stood on a hill observing the battle. As long as Moses had his arms raised in a gesture of blessing, the Israelites were powerful and prevailed in the battle. But when his arms became tired and he had to lower them, the blessings ceased to flow and the tide of battle turned against them.

 

Aaron and Hur, observing this, came to Moses’ assistance. They got a big rock for him to sit down on; then they stood on each side of him and held his arms up for him. Consequently the blessings flowed and the battle was won.

 

From this story Elko derives three symbolic lessons about prevailing over life’s trials. We have to win the battle on three levels:

 

1. We have to win the spiritual battle. The lifting of the arms is symbolic of lifting the spirit to God in prayer. We must keep God engaged in our battle and we do that by consciously seeking Him and inviting Him into it.

 

1. We have to win the physical battle. In the case of the Israelites in Exodus 17:10-13, they had to actually go down into the valley and fight the Amalekites. In the case of Charlie, the fictitious main character in the book, he had to submit to the medical procedures which would help him fight the cancer. He also had to watch his diet and he had to force himself to exercise as he was able to. There was a physical battle he had to engage in and win.

 

1. We have to win the relational battle. Not only do we have to be humble enough to allow other people to help us, but we have to help others as well. Even in the middle of our own struggles (maybe especially in the middle of our own struggles) we have to focus on being a blessing and an encouragement to others.

 

If you read the book “The Sender” you will find that in his battle against cancer, Charlie’s greatest victory came when he made the decision to take his eyes off of himself and his problems and to find ways to bless and encourage others. Specifically, Charlie made it his mission to lift-up and hold-up the arms of other cancer patients. He decided he would help to hold up the arms of those who could no longer hold them up themselves. It was what the Hebrews called a “Haphak” moment and when it comes to living a life of service, this is the turning point. We will talk more about this tomorrow.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Proverbs 12:25 (NIV

 

Our thought for today: “You can serve people by encouraging them.”

 

I’m reading a wonderful little book right now called “The Sender” It’s a story about when words make all the difference. It was written by Kevin Elko and although the story as told in the book is a work of fiction, it’s based on the true story of Chuck Pagano, the Head Coach of the Indianapolis Colts. In mid-life and in mid-career Chuck was suddenly diagnosed with an aggressive and deadly form of cancer. He then had to endure an extensive, debilitating, and prolonged regime of chemotherapy which ravaged his body.

 

One day, as he was enduring the treatments, and at one of the lowest points in his life, Chuck suddenly began receiving anonymous daily notes of encouragement and motivation designed to lift his spirits and to give him hope. Chuck said that not only did those letters encourage him at a time when he desperately needed it, but they gave him a whole new vision for life beyond the disease. Encouragement made such a big difference in his own life that Chuck decided to spend the rest of his life being an encourager of others.

 

Eventually it was learned that the author of the notes was Kevin Elko, a close friend of Chuck’s, and since the notes of encouragement had had such a dramatic and beneficial impact on Chuck, Kevin was encouraged to turn them into a book about the importance of encouraging one another. That then led to “The Sender”.

 

I personally believe that encouragement is one of the most important things we can do for each other. Life is hard, and we often find ourselves in deep valleys of disappointment and heartache. A kind word spoken at the right time is medicine for the soul. It can make all the difference to a struggling person.

 

As we’re considering the idea of living “a life of service” would you consider the possibility of your service being that of an encourager? You could be the person who sends the notes, makes the phone calls, gives the little gift, or offers a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. A life spent as an encourager of others would be a live lived well – a life very well lived.

 

Encouragement is such an important act of service that we’re going to spend several days considering it. Tomorrow I want to share with you another powerful lesson from “The Sender”.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever.” Psalm 89:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “A life of service comes from a heart on fire.”

 

Yesterday I had the privilege of performing a wedding for a middle-aged couple, each of whom had suffered tragedies in life and each of whom had wondered if they would ever again have a partner to walk through life with. And then, God brought them together.

 

It’s always fun to watch older couples smitten with new love and acting like teenagers. In the pre-marital counseling sessions I always encourage them to somehow capture that joy and enthusiasm about their relationship, put it in a bottle and hang onto it, because in order for a relationship to stay vital and fresh, it must be nurtured. We must never take it for granted and we must not allow it to grow stale.

 

As part of the pre-marital counseling I also require the couples to study the article I wrote entitled “A Biblical Model for Marriage” based upon the Apostle Paul’s teaching in Ephesians chapter five. There Paul instructs us on how to develop a marriage relationship based upon the Biblical understanding of “mutual submission”. That then leads a husband and wife into a relationship that is one of lifelong service to each other. You can download a free copy of the article at www.JimMersereauBooks.com, or see chapter eleven of my book “Walking with Paul”.

 

What’s true for human relationships is also true of our relationship with God. In order for our relationship with the Lord to stay fresh and vital it has to be nurtured. Just as a married couple must be intentional about doing the things necessary –everyday – to keep their marriage relationship healthy and vibrant, so too with our relationship with God. If we do that, then our heart will be on fire for Him and we will live our days seeking ways to please and serve Him.

 

Today is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday. Sunday is the day we as the people of God set aside to come together as a church family to worship the Lord and to nurture our relationship with Him. It’s one of the most effective ways we have of keeping the passion in the relationship. I encourage you to attend church tomorrow.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Then Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life … He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough Lord, take my life …” 1 Kings 19:3; 4 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Take a nap.”

 

I’ve always found the story of Elijah’s struggles, as recorded in 1 Kings Chapters 18 and 19, to be instructive and helpful. Elijah was a prophet of God and he was committed to a life of service. Like so many who are passionate about their life of ministry, he had a tendency to overdo it. That then led him to become physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. He then had a tendency to become maybe just a little melodramatic, “I have had enough Lord, take my life …”

 

Uh huh, I can relate. In Elijah’s case he had just engaged in a mighty spiritual battle with King Ahab and the prophets of Baal. Empowered by the Spirit of God, he won a great victory. But as is so often the case after a prolonged time of intense ministry activities, he was exhausted.

 

Long story short, Queen Jezebel made some threatening remarks about Elijah, Elijah got scared, and he ran away into the wilderness. Then he sat down in a sulk and said the words we just read. God responded by sending an angel to minister to Elijah. Elijah took a nap, had a meal, received some spiritual nurture, and he was good-to-go again.

 

Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is to take a nap! Seriously, sometimes we just need to rest. Unfortunately, like Elijah, many of us are not good at that. Some of us (ok, I’m talking about me) act as if the work of the kingdom of God on earth will come to a halt without our direct continuous involvement. We (I) seem to think people can’t continue with their own lives without us (me) constantly hovering and watching to make sure they’re ok.

 

And so we (me) end up like Elijah – overly tired, a little bit melodramatic, and maybe a little sulky. The solution? Take a nap! Get some rest! Sometimes it’s the most spiritual thing a person can do.

 

This morning I begin two weeks of vacation. I may sleep for the whole thing (just kidding), but I do plan to rest, and I am anticipating some long motorcycle rides on winding country roads.

 

I’ll probably still send a devotional message each morning because writing them is a joy for me and it’s also somewhat therapeutic (I just spilled my guts in this one). But if I happen to sleep-in and miss a morning or two, please forgive me. The last thing any of us needs is a sulky and melodramatic devotional writer.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!” Romans 10:14-15 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “A life of service includes sending and going.”

 

Not only do I write daily devotional messages, but I also use daily devotional books in my own quiet time with the Lord. This year, as a bedtime devotional, I’m using a little book entitled “This Day in Christian History”. Each daily devotional is about some significant event out of the 2000 years of Christian history.

 

The other evening it occurred to me how many of those significant events out of Christian history involved missionaries. That thought then caused me to think about my own personal library. It contains approximately 1500 books and more than 100 of them are biographies. Of the biographies, more than 50 of them are about famous missionaries, and that number doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of the number of biographies that have been written about missionaries.

 

Missions are the heartbeat of the cause of Christ on earth. This is what the Great Commission is all about. It’s what Jesus meant in Acts 1:8 when He said “And you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

 

Both long-term and short-term missions are a vital part of spreading the Good News about Jesus. The Great Commission applies to all Christians, whether we actually physically go on missions or not. Our participation in it begins at home and in our own neighborhoods, but it is intended by the Lord to then spread out further and further until each of us is either going on missions, or at least playing a role in helping to facilitate mission work worldwide.

 

The reasons the Lord requires this of us are many. For one thing, history proves that when someone travels a great distance to share the Good News of the Gospel it is a powerful testimony. Even if the Gospel is already being preached in that region, when someone comes from a great distance to serve and witness, people are more apt to pay attention. Also, participating in missions expands our understanding of God and His ways. It takes our thinking outside of our own little cultural box and helps us to see a bigger picture of God at work in many varied cultural settings. Finally, missions help God’s people to share resources for the sake of the Kingdom – the haves share with the have-nots.

 

Paul explained in Romans 10:14-15 that in every mission effort there are three key groups of people. There are the “goers”, or those who actually go on the long or short-term mission; there are the “receivers”, those who receive the mission team; and there are the “senders”, those who make it possible for the goers to go.

 

When it comes to living a life of service the Great Commission is our guide (the entire Great Commission, not just the local part but the whole thing). Therefore if we aren’t among those who are going to go, then we do need to help send. The Great Commission belongs to all of us. If we’re not a receiver then we need to be a goer. And if we’re not a goer, we do need to be a sender.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “When Jobs three friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him … Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.” Job 2:11; 13 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “You can serve people by simply being with them.”

 

Most of the book of Job centers around Job’s inspiring faithfulness in the midst of tragic circumstances, and also on the lack of compassion on the parts of his three friends. But, his three friends started off well. Even though their words to Job quickly became unhelpful and even mean-spirited, they did start out well.

 

We read in Job Chapter two that when the friends heard about the cascading series of casualties that had befallen their friend Job, they quickly dropped what they were doing, packed a suitcase, and went to visit him. Then when they got there they didn’t do or say anything; without words they simply entered into his time of grief with him. This is empathy. They empathized with him and they shared in his grief. It was good. It was very good.

 

Sometimes the best thing we can do for a person is to simply be with them. You don’t have to do or say anything. Instead you can just comfort them with your presence. It’s a way of showing how much you love them and how much you care about what they’re going through. We call it “The ministry of presence.” You bless people just by being with them.

 

Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “Do you value life? Then value your time because time is the stuff life is made of.” I’ve restated that quote in modern English, and so that’s not exactly the way Franklin said it, but his point is the same: You only have so many years, months, weeks, days, hours and seconds allotted to you. Once each segment of time has passed, it has passed forever and you can’t have it back. Time is the stuff life is made of. So when you give a person some of your time, you have given them a little piece of your life.

 

Think about that: One of the greatest gifts you can ever give a person is some of your time because when you have given them some of your time, you have given them some of your life, and it’s a part of your life you can never have back. That’s what makes the ministry of presence such a special thing.

 

When it comes to living a life of service, sometimes the best way to serve someone is to simply be with them.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Then Jesus told him, ‘Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.” Matthew 4:10 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Spend your time doing things that matter.”

 

So much of life is taken up with things that don’t really matter. Americans today spend huge portions of their lives staring at the television, or playing computer games, or on social media sites. If you added up all the hours spent like that, I believe many people would find it startling and disturbing to discover how much of life is often spent on such mindless activities.

 

I read a challenging statement the other day in the Daily Walk Study Bible. It said: “We must ask ourselves how much of eternity is in what we are doing.”

 

Ouch. “How much of eternity is there in the things I do?” In other words, “Do the activities I spend my time on make an eternal difference for me or for others?” And conversely, “How much of my time is spent on things that really don’t matter at all?”

 

In the grand scheme of things, life is short. The Bible says that in terms of eternity life is like a puff of smoke that is here one moment and gone the next. Job tells us that life passes quicker than the beam on a weaver’s shuttle, a quick pass and it’s over. But eternity, well that’s forever. So the wise person will consider how he or she can spend their time now, on things that will matter forever.

 

What are some of those things? Consider this: There are really only two things that last forever, your relationship with God, and people. People last forever. Every person has an eternal soul that will spend eternity in either heaven or hell. So people last forever.

 

And your relationship with God is eternal too. Be it a good relationship or a bad one, it will continue, in that good or bad condition, for eternity. So since it’s only people and our relationship with God that last for eternity, that should be the dominate focus of our time now. We should be focused primarily on nurturing our relationship with God, and serving others in His name so they can have a good relationship with Him too.

 

So back to the opening question: “How much of eternity is in what you are doing?” Are you spending your time in ways that will make a difference forever, or are you frittering it away in meaningless, mindless, and even wasteful ways?

 

I encourage you to spend you time in ways that really matter.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Just do it.”

 

The primary difference between those who achieve meaningful things in life and those who don’t is that under-achievers and non-achievers talk about what they’re going to do, while the achievers just go out and do it.

 

Living a life filled with meaningful accomplishments isn’t rocket science and it’s not reserved for those special few who seem to have been born with great abilities. Achievement in life is primarily a matter of getting off the couch and actually doing the thing you’ve been talking about.

 

Non-achievers talk about getting additional education so they can get a better job; the achiever works all day to pay his or her living expenses, and then goes to college at night to get that degree. Some people talk about losing weight and getting in shape; others just go to the gym and start eating right.

 

It’s true in the Christian life too. Many people plan to help at the church workday, but something always seems to get in the way. Others just show-up and do the work. Lots of people talk about one day going on a mission trip to an exotic place; but then there are those special few who just sign-up, raise the money, take vacation time, and go.

 

One of my favorite quotes on this subject was spoken by one of my favorite Presidents, Teddy Roosevelt. He said,

 

“It is not the critic that counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but he who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great devotion; who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

 

I want to encourage you to do things. Don’t just talk about them, do them. Pray, ask the Lord for insight and wisdom and direction, and then go live life.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act, making your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like the noonday.” Psalm 37:4-6 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Listen to your heart.”

 

The other night I came across a great story about a life of service that was directly connected to the loves and passions of the individual involved. His name was Wilfred Grenfell. He was born and raised in England in the late 1800s but ended up spending his life as a missionary doctor in Newfoundland.

 

As a teenager Wilfred had a great love of sports (especially fishing) and dreamed of spending his life involved in the sporting world. But then at the age of eighteen he discovered another interest that would develop into a lifelong passion as well, medicine. It happened when a local doctor showed Wilfred a human brain preserved in a jar of chemicals. Wilfred was intrigued and immediately decided to go to medical school so he could learn more about the human body.

 

Then one night Wilfred noticed a large tent erected on the edge of town and crowds of people going into it. He thought it was probably a circus and so he decided to go see for himself. The event turned out to be an evangelistic rally being held by the famous evangelist D.L. Moody and that night Wilfred gave his heart, and his life, to Jesus Christ.

 

After medical school the three passions of Wilfred’s life – sports, medicine, and God, led him to volunteer with an organization then known as “Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen”. It involved travelling on a small hospital ship to circulate among the fishing boats along the Newfoundland coastline and minister to the thousands of fishermen who made their living there.

 

Wilfred loved the work and it evolved into a lifelong calling for him. Over the course of his life he ended up establishing hospitals, clinics, orphanages, schools, and numerous churches among the fishing communities of Newfoundland – and all because he prayerfully and obediently listened to his heart and followed his God-given passions.

 

The story of Wilfred Grenfell helps to remind us that God creates each of us as unique individuals and endows us not only with spiritual gifts, but also with skills, abilities, interests, and passions. All of that combines to make us who we are in Christ. Don’t discount any of it. The things you love to do are part of how God has made you. So as you’re considering how you should be serving the Lord and others, be sure to listen to your heart!

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A life of service”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Everyone needs to be in service.”

 

At Oak Hill Baptist Church we have an annual tradition which goes a long way towards helping every member to utilize their God-given gifts and abilities in acts of service. First, as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, every follower of Jesus is given at least one spiritual gift which they can and should utilize in acts of service to the Lord and to others. At Oak Hill Baptist we have a “Spiritual Gifts Inventory” tool that helps our members identify their spiritual gifts. God has also developed in us skills and abilities (such as carpentry, or bookkeeping, or mechanical skills), which can be used in acts of service.

 

Second, we ask our members to identify at least one spiritual gift, skill, or ability they have which they can and will use in a ministry activity in the church, and then commit to it for one year.

 

Then each summer at the end of the church year (the new church year begins in September), we give our members two months to think and pray about how they would like to serve in the coming church year. By asking them to only make a commitment for a year we’re giving them the opportunity to either renew their current ministry commitment or to change ministry activities and try something new. There are literally dozens and dozens of ways in which a person can serve in a church and while it’s helpful and appropriate to stick with one thing for a long time, it’s also fun and sometimes refreshing to change things up from time to time.

 

By approaching it this way we accomplish several things. For one thing, everybody knows that they have been equipped by God to serve in some way. Second, we end up with almost every person in the church actively involved in at least one ministry. And third, the church is alive with people who are serving well and loving it.

 

My main point in today’s devotional is that every follower of Jesus has been equipped by the Holy Spirit to serve in at least one way and therefore we all should be. We all need to be in service to Jesus and to others.

 

Also, our service to the Lord and to others is to extend for a lifetime. Since you’re still alive, the Lord has a purpose for you. Over the years your ministry activities might change, but everyone should always be involved in some form of serving. As a follower of Jesus ours is to be a life of service.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim