Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A Fresh Encounter”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “He gives strength to the weary and strengthens the powerless. Youths may faint and grow weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:29-31 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “He is there for you.”

 

Sunday night, in our weekly group session of those participating in the Bible study “Fresh Encounter” someone mentioned that her closest times with the Lord seem to come at the lowest points in her life. This person had suffered through the early death of a spouse. She explained that during such times all the minor issues of life fade to insignificance and you find yourself focused like a laser on only those things that truly matter. In her case what mattered were her husband and her Lord.

 

As a result she had a very tender and close time with her husband as she walked with him through that time of dying, and she also had a great awareness of the Lord’s presence with them both. In the middle of all the pain and suffering, they discovered that God was there. The reality of His presence was profound and He did indeed strengthen them.

 

The truth is that God was always there, even before the cancer and the resulting death. It’s not that God suddenly showed up, it’s that they were suddenly focused on Him more intently than they had been before, and that then opened their spiritual eyes to what had always been true.

 

Isaiah 40:29-31 is a great word of encouragement for all of God’s people. It was spoken first and specifically to the nation of Israel in the days of Isaiah, but it’s as true for you and me today as it was for them back then. When we turn to the Lord and patiently wait on Him, bringing Him our pain and sorrows, our weaknesses and fears, He in turn gives us the strength to persevere and to keep going. Such times help us to develop a patient faith in God, a firm trust, and that then helps us to endure even the most difficult of trials.

 

Whatever it is you’re going through today the truth you need to cling to is that He is there for you and He will help you. That’s true whether you’re walking through a deep and dark valley in life, or if your current situation has you on a mountaintop with the sun shining and the birds singing. God is there. He is always there. And He wants you to have a fresh encounter with Him now, in the middle of whatever your circumstances are.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Fresh Encounters”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed by him.” Genesis 18:18 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “God wants to use you to bless others.”

 

The other day an old friend sent me a gift in the mail. It was a beautiful little book by one of my favorite authors, Andy Andrews. The title of the book is “The Butterfly Effect”.

 

The Butterfly Effect is a scientific theory originally developed by Edward Lorenz and presented to the New York Academy of Science in 1963. The theory states, “A butterfly could flap its wings and send molecules of air in motion, which would move other molecules of air, in turn moving more molecules of air – eventually capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the planet.”

 

Initially the theory was laughed at and rejected by other scientists. But in the half century since then it has proven to be true. All of creation is inter-connected to varying degrees. That’s why destruction of the Rainforest in South America affects weather patterns in Norway.

 

But the Butterfly Effect also holds true for people and for their individual lives. Abraham from the book of Genesis is a great example. From that one man came the world’s three greatest religions, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. And because Jesus Christ was born from the line of Abraham, the entire world was blessed through that one man.

 

But Abraham is simply an extreme example of what’s true of you as well. Your life matters more than you know. People are impacted by you more than you realize.

 

For example, your act of kindness is this moment is a blessing not only to that particular person, but they in turn could be motivated to pay it forward and to bless someone else. And then that person pays it forward, and then the next person, etc. In fact, the recipient of your original act of kindness might remember it ten years from now and be motivated then to go and do likewise. That would mean that your simple act of kindness today spawns acts of blessing and kindness ten years from now, maybe in another part of the country, or maybe in another part of the world, to people you never knew or met. And that’s just one simple example. You can use your imagination to extrapolate this out. That’s the premise of Andy’s book and it’s worth your time to read it.

 

Here are a couple of closing quotes from the book which will give you a feel for it: “You have been created in order that you might make a difference.” “The very beating of your heart has meaning and purpose. Your actions have value far greater than silver or gold.” “Your life … And what you do with it today … Matters forever.”

 

One of the reasons God wants us to be a revived people, people who have a close and intimate relationship with Him and who are living in obedience to His commands, is because He wants to use us to be a blessing to people living in a broken and bleeding world. The healthier your relationship with Him is the more use you will be to Him and the more He will bless others through you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A Fresh Encounter”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in nobles.” Psalm 118:6-9 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Trust in the Lord”

 

Who or what do you trust in? It’s an important question because the people or things we depend on the most will to a large extent shape our lives.

 

Most Christians would claim that their trust is in the Lord, but a quick look at their lives might suggest otherwise. Many of us actually trust in our career more than we trust in the Lord. Others are focused on investments and retirement accounts for their financial security rather than on the God of all Provision. Some of us trust more in our spouse for companionship that we do in the Lord. And on it goes.

 

But God is not willing to be second place in our lives – to anything or to anyone. Jobs end, stock markets crash, health fails, spouses die, friends desert us, it’s only the Lord who is always there and who never fails us. Therefore our relationship with Him must be the most important thing in our lives, and it must be to Him that we look first – for everything.

 

I love Psalm 118 because it’s such an upbeat and encouraging Psalm. It begins and ends with the exact same words, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.” For twenty-seven verses in between, the Psalmist praises and celebrates the Lord’s love, protection, provision, peace, and salvation. This was written by a person who knew God well, who had frequent encounters with Him, and who was intimately aware of God’s presence and activity in His life on an ongoing basis.

 

I believe that the kinds of “fresh encounters” which we’ve been learning about this month are reserved by God for those who are determined to keep Him in first place in their lives. When we trust in Him above everyone else, and above everything else, He touches our heart and enables us to sing with the Psalmist, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.”

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A Fresh Encounter”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “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. Woe to those who are wise in their own opinion and clever in their own sight.” Isaiah 5:20-21 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Compromise is how God’s people end up drifting away from Him.”

 

In the Bible study “Fresh Encounters”, Henry and Richard Blackaby teach that revival is restorative not normative. In other words, God’s people only need to be revived when they have drifted away from Him. Walking closely and obediently with God should be the normal Christian life. We only need to be revived and restored when we have drifted away from that which should be normal.

 

In Isaiah 5:20-21 the prophet warns us about what is perhaps the most common cause behind God’s people drifting away from Him – cultural compromise. This is the natural human tendency to go along so we can get along. When those around us begin behaving in ways that are contrary to Biblical standards and principles, and those behaviors and activities become increasingly common and accepted, the pressure on Christians to conform – to go along so we can get along – can become intense. That can quickly lead to compromise and drifting.

 

I don’t have the time or space this morning to list examples of how today in our society things that used to be known as evil are now called good; and things that used to be acknowledged as good are now labeled narrow-minded, intolerant, and unacceptable. But that’s a perfect example of good and evil being turned upside down and stood on its head. It is darkness being portrayed as light and light being portrayed as darkness. It is cultural elites who are wise in their own minds and who use clever arguments to mislead others.

 

God uses personal spiritual renewal and corporate revival to call His people back to His standards. He uses such fresh encounters to open our eyes to how far we have drifted from Him and how great our need is to return to Him and to Biblical principles.

 

The lure of the world is always strong, but we have to resist it. The way we resist it is by remaining strong in our faith and firm in our convictions. To do that we have to first have a heart that is truly seeking God and His ways. Then we must know the Bible and resolve to live by it. And finally, we must keep ourselves surrounded with Christian brothers and sisters who share that resolve and who will help us to remain strong.

 

Faithful attendance in a good church is an important way in which we remain strong and on track. I encourage you to attend church this Sunday. If you don’t have a church home then I want to invite you to visit with us at Oak Hill Baptist. Sunday school is at 9:00 and the worship service is at 10:00. At 6:00 we will continue our Bible study “Fresh Encounters”.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A Fresh Encounter”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” Philippians 1:21 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Be on God’s side.”

 

Many Christians go through life just a little bit discouraged and maybe even doubtful about their faith, because it seems as if God never speaks to them and that they never have fresh encounters with Him.

 

With respect to that dilemma author Dallas Willard poses the challenging and convicting question: “Are you and God in business together in life, or are you in business for yourself, trying to “use a little God” to advance your projects?”

 

Sadly that does describe how many of us live. We try to use God to get what we want. We have an agenda of our own that we hope God will fulfill for us and we therefore include God just enough so that He may grant us the things we desire.

 

That right there explains why so many of us experience so little of God. It’s because we’re trying to use Him to advance our own agenda, rather than simply making ourselves available to Him to advance His agenda.

 

During the Civil War Abraham Lincoln was once asked if he thought God was on the side of the North. Lincoln wisely responded, “I’m not so concerned with whether or not God is on our side, as I am with whether or not we’re on God’s side.”

 

In Philippians 1:21 the Apostle Paul expressed what was probably his life’s mission statement, “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” In other words, his sole purpose in life was to serve Christ. And he knew that when his life was over he would die and go to heaven, which would be icing on the cake.

 

In an effort to help us encounter God and have regular and meaningful communication with Him, Dallas Willard offers this addition insight: “We are more likely to hear God when we can say, “I am living for one thing and one thing only – to be like Christ, to do his work and to serve his people and him. My life is to bless others in the name of God.”

 

When you’re thinking and living like that then God has every reason to allow you to have frequent and close encounters with Him. Here’s one final helpful thought from the writing of Dallas Willard, “Ask yourself: ‘Am I using God to fix my world or am I immersing myself in God’s world and learning to live my life the way Christ would if he were me?”

 

I encourage you to resolve to be on God’s side. Align your life with His agenda.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A Fresh Encounter”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.” Isaiah 1:17 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Acts of service often lead to a fresh encounter with God.”

 

In yesterday’s devotional message we thought about how it is that God often leads us to a fresh encounter with Himself by speaking to us through His written word. Another way in which people often encounter God is through acts of service.

 

This is a truth I have personally experienced, and have seen in the lives of others, many times. When people engage in acts of service in the name of Jesus the Lord often shows up in big ways – usually, and first, in the life of that individual person. On our international mission teams I have often told our team members that the mission will probably turn out to have been more about what God wanted to do in you rather than through you.

 

This is why Christians become so enthusiastic about participating in acts of service. It’s because when you put action to your faith, when your faith clearly makes a difference in your own life and in the lives of others, you get to experience God in new and fresh ways.

 

I’ve mentioned before that at Oak Hill Baptist Church we are a service oriented church. We are actively on-mission with Jesus outside the walls of the church, and the members of our church are very enthusiastic about it. Just a few weeks ago we had our Sunday evening service at the local rescue mission (as we do numerous times throughout the year). We held a church service and then prepared and served the evening meal. There were so many of our members there that we had to find things for people to do.

 

As I write this it is Wednesday morning. Tonight at church will be an evening of service rather than our normal Wednesday night activities. We will be packing 100 boxes of food, each with enough food to feed a family of four two meals. This is for our weekend mission trip this Friday to work with our friends in the coal-mining region of eastern Kentucky. I’m sure there will be a large turn-out tonight to help with the work because our people love being involved in this kind of service.

 

We’re also in the process of planning our next mission trip to Haiti in September. We will spend a week working in an orphanage doing construction, feeding children, and providing orphan care. There are a lot of members of our church, and from other churches, who are eager to participate. It may be the biggest group we have ever taken to Haiti. This is all happening because Christians get excited and enthused when their faith makes a real difference in their own lives and in the lives of others. And, it almost always results in a fresh encounter with God.

 

Isaiah 1:17 is just one of numerous verses in both the Old and New Testaments where God calls us to put action to our faith. When we do we get to encounter Him in new and fresh ways.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A Fresh Encounter”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than a double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “The Bible offers us unlimited fresh encounters with God.”

 

The Bible is God’s primary method for communicating with us. He speaks in other ways too, and throughout this month we will consider some of those other ways, but His written word is His primary means of communicating with us.

 

One of the most important jobs of the Holy Spirit, as our Counselor, Teacher, and Guide, is to use the words of Scripture to communicate to us the things that God wants us to know. Often those things will be general Biblical principles that provide basic guidance, but other times He will use the words of the Bible to bring us something specific, something tailored to us for this moment in our lives. It could be a word of encouragement or inspiration; it could be conviction of sin; or it could be the answer to a perplexing life issue you’ve been wrestling with.

 

Hebrews 4:12 is clear that the word of God is alive. That means that the Holy Spirit takes those words, which in themselves are nothing more than ink on paper, and He infuses them with divine life, speaking deep into our mind and heart. Once that takes place, the word from God then becomes like a sharp sword, penetrating to the deepest parts of us, speaking truth and conviction, communicating promises, and providing inspiration.

 

But all of this depends on how we as individuals approach our time of Bible study. First, we have to actually have that time. And second, we must approach it with a desire and an expectation to have a fresh encounter with God. Far too many Christians force themselves to do their daily Bible reading because they think they’re supposed to. It’s little more than a religious duty. Others read for mileage. They’ve decided they want to read through the Bible in a year (a good goal), but then they put the pedal to the metal and speed through their readings just to get them done so they can put a check in the box.

 

Neither of those approaches are likely to result in very much of an encounter with God. And what a shame that is! The Word of God is alive and powerful, and through it God is ready and eager to speak deeply into our hearts. But we have to approach the scripture as if every word of it is a new opportunity to encounter God in a fresh way.

 

The Bible offers us unlimited fresh encounters with God every time we read it. I encourage you to slow down, be attentive, and think deeply about what you’re reading.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A Fresh Encounter”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:1-2 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “How do you feel about God?”

 

Yesterday our Bible verse for the day was Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” That verse expresses one of the greatest truths in Scripture – God wants to be heard and understood by His people.

 

And so, God invites you to call out to Him, to come to Him, and He in turn will speak with you. So the question then is not “How much does God desire your presence but how much do you desire His?” It’s not the condition of God’s heart that’s in question here, it’s yours. How much do you want God?

 

Psalm 42:1-2 has always been special to me. I love the picture it paints of a thirsty heart longing after God like a thirsty deer longs after a cool stream of water. Virtually every time I see a deer I think of this passage, and that then causes me to consider my relationship with God. I want this verse to describe how I feel about God.

 

I’ve sometimes heard it said that your relationship with God is the most important thing about you, and I believe that is true. Your relationship with God will determine how you think, speak, and act. The depth and quality of your relationship with God will determine how diligently you seek Him, how much time you spend with Him, and how much He impacts your life. Your relationship with God will determine everything else about you.

 

But the quality of your relationship with God is going to be determined to a very large degree by how you feel about God. If God seems to be a distant deity with whom you have little personal contact then your relationship with Him won’t have much impact on you. But if He is so real, and His presence is so enjoyable, that you find yourself longing to put the rest of life on hold so you can just savor being with Him, then those feelings will drive you to seek Him often and to truly enjoy being with Him.

 

If Psalm 42:1-2 does not describe how you feel about God then I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to make it so. Read this passage; think about it; meditate on it; invite the Holy Spirit to create this kind of longing in your heart. How you feel about God will determine what your relationship with Him is like, and your relationship with Him will determine everything else about you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “A Fresh Encounter”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “God wants to revive us.”

 

At Oak Hill Baptist Church we’re beginning a new Sunday night Bible study series entitled “Fresh Encounter” by Henry and Richard Blackaby. It’s all about personal spiritual renewal and church-wide revival.

 

In the introduction to the study Henry makes this observation, “Many churches are filled with professing Christians who are not experiencing the power of God in their lives.” He then goes on to say, “There are lifeless, powerless churches dotting the landscape which are making little difference for God’s kingdom.”

 

That’s a shame and it should not be. Many individual Christians, and consequently many churches, are not experiencing the power of God as they should be.

 

There’s actually a cyclical pattern which is easily observable and which repeats itself over and over again. First God draws people to Himself; they respond to Him; they are excited and passionate about their relationship with Him; but then their passion cools and they get lukewarm and begin to drift; God then disciplines them in some manner; they cry out and repent; they return to God; and once again He blesses them.

 

It is a sad and unnecessary pattern that’s repeated over and over again and at some point most of us go through it. But God never gives up pursuing His people and calling them back into a deep and healthy relationship with Himself.  Jeremiah 33:3 is just one of numerous passages which remind us that God calls us to Himself and when we respond, He blesses us.

 

Throughout the month of April I’ll share with you in these devotional messages some of the lessons we’re learning in our small group time at Oak Hill Baptist. Oak Hill is a wonderful little church which has actually been in a condition of slow, steady, progressive revival for the last 2-3 years. Just the other night some members were marveling and giving God glory for the healthy changes He has brought into our church life during that time.

 

But as good as those things are, we recognize that God always has more for His people. No matter how much individuals or churches have changed and grown, with God there is always something more, always something new, always something better. The adventure never ends. So we continue to seek those fresh encounters with Him and, we invite you to join us. I’m looking forward to sharing insights with you and growing together as we seek spiritual renewal and revival.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Trust”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Absolute futility, says the Teacher, absolute futility. Everything is futile.” Ecclesiastes 1:2 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Our trust must be in God alone.”

 

Last night I was watching a news program and it occurred to me how much of the newscast was dedicated to the never-ending and seemingly unsolvable problems in our federal government. It was just one story after another about arguments and debates, stalemates and political maneuvering, he-said she-said, and we the viewing public are left wondering what’s true and what’s not. All we know for sure it that not much is getting done.

 

The last Presidential election was supposed to solve all of that for us. They promised us it would. And yet, the gridlock is worse than ever and nobody trusts anybody. And that’s just on the federal level of our government. A similar scenario plays out at all levels of government and is also becoming increasingly evident throughout all parts of our society. We truly are a deeply divided nation.

 

The biggest problem we face though is the fact that we insist on putting our trust in leaders and programs and policies to fix things for us. We allow ourselves to believe that if only our candidate is elected, if his or her policies are fully implemented, if there were new and better laws, if others in our society would only see things our way and agree with us, everything would be ok. But when we do that we’re putting our trust in the wrong things. People and politicians and policies and programs are not the answer. God is the answer.

 

That was certainly the lesson King Solomon learned and recorded in the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is one long and sad record of a lifetime spent placing his trust in all the wrong things. Solomon depended on wisdom, and on wealth, and on pleasure, and on public projects, and entertainment, and government, and everything he could think of, only to finally realize that it was all futile, “a chasing after the wind”. After he had experimented with every possible solution life had to offer he finally discovered that, “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: “Fear God and keep His commands.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

 

The truth is that the President, your Senator, your political party, your career, your lifestyle choice, and your social policies are not the answer. Faith in God is the answer. As individuals and as a nation we need to place our trust in God and in His ways. That’s the only hope for us. I encourage you to put your full trust in God – in no one else and in no thing else.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim