Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “This is the territory that remains (to be conquered): all the regions of the Philistines … Joshua 13:2 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “The lack of self-control can have long-term consequences.”

 

In Joshua Chapter 13 we read about Joshua, as an old man and nearing the end of his life, being told by God about the parts of his assignment that had yet to be completed. Joshua’s task as a young man was to lead the nation of Israel in the conquest of the Promised Land. He did do that, but not completely. The nation did end-up taking possession of large portions of the land, but then they settled-down, settled-in, got comfortable, and stopped. They never conquered the rest of the land.

 

The failure to follow through on what God clearly told them to do resulted in some bad long-term consequences for them. For instance, the land of the Philistines was never conquered. Consequently the Philistines ended up being a major source of conflict and heartache for the Jews throughout their entire history, right up to present times. That portion of land is known today as the Gaza Strip and if you’re up-to-date on current events in the Middle East, then you know that more than 3000 years after the time of Joshua, Palestine is still a hotbed of conflict for the Jews.

 

Just like doing something we shouldn’t do represents a lack of self-control, not doing what we are supposed to do is also an example of a lack of self-control. And like the example of the long-term consequences suffered by the Jews for not fully conquering the Promised Land, the lack of self-control can produce long-term consequences we never anticipated either.

 

As we conclude this month of considering the spiritual discipline of self-control, let me take us back to where we started. Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It’s a character trait that the Spirit develops in our lives which results in us becoming more spiritually mature, and slowly becoming more and more like Jesus. Self-control is also something we can desire, seek, pray for, and work at developing. It’s something that God wants you to have and it’s therefore something the Spirit will develop in you if you will cooperate with Him and do your part.

 

I encourage you to spend extra time in prayer today. Ask God to help you identify one or two areas of your life in which you need more self-control. Then identify some practical steps you can take to do your part on becoming more self-controlled in that area. If you will do that, then in the days, weeks, and months to come, as you pray about it and as you do your part, the Holy Spirit will do His part in bringing about that transformation and you will become a more self-controlled person.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the Lord. Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.” Joshua 9:14-15 (NLT)

 

Our thought for the day: “Take the time to pray first.”

 

In Joshua Chapter nine we find the nation of Israel in the process of occupying the Promised Land. God had told them that as they went forward, taking possession of the land He had given to them as a gift, they were to completely wipe-out the current occupants of that land. The reason God issued such a draconian degree is that those nations were tremendously wicked. They engaged in evil practices that were very offensive to God, and so as punishment He decreed that they be completely wiped-out.

 

When the people of the land of Gibeon heard what was happening they were afraid. They realized that Israel was unstoppable and that they themselves would be wiped-out. So they devised a scheme to fool Joshua and the Jewish leaders. They sent a delegation to meet with them and they pretended to be from a land far away. They claimed that they had heard of the greatness of the Jews and of their God and they wanted to make a treaty with them. They claimed that since they lived in a land far away, God’s decree to destroy the evil current residents of the Promised Land didn’t apply to them.

 

It was a lie, a ruse, and Joshua and the other leaders fell for it. Why did they fall for it? Verse 9:14 tells us that they didn’t pray about it first. They made their decision without consulting the Lord. As a result they ended up with very close neighbors who were among the evil people God had said were to be wiped-out. Those evil neighbors ended-up creating all sorts of problems for the Jews for generations to come.

 

We do this all the time too. How often do we rush right into making a decision without even bothering to pray about it first? Certainly we do it many times every day on all sorts of little issues, but we do it with big issues too. How often do we stake-out a position on something based upon emotion or stubbornness, a position that’s really petty and small, a position we would never have taken if we had prayed about it first and truly sought God’s will on the issue?

 

One of the most beneficial aspects of self-control we can develop is to slow down long enough in our decision-making to pray about it first. Doing so would save us from all kinds of poor decisions and many unintended and unpleasant consequences.

 

Take the time to pray first.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10 (Amplified Bible)

 

Our thought for today: “Life lived according to God’s Word is the best life.”

 

I recently read a great illustration which helps us to understand why God has given us so many instructions for living in the Bible. The author asked, “What does the highway patrol in your state require of motorists? Stay within the speed limit; don’t endanger others; keep your car under control; don’t drive without a license – simple things designed for the well-being of all. Would you say that the highway patrol is heavy-handed and unfair to make such demands of motorists, or that their intent is to ensure that everyone is able to use and enjoy the highways to the fullest? The latter, of course.”

 

God is the author of life and He knows exactly what’s needed in order for us to live a safe, full, rewarding, and enjoyable life. So in the Bible He has given us written instructions for living the life that Jesus came to make possible for us.

 

Satan, of course, hates God. And since you and I have been created in the image of God, and since we are so important to God, Satan hates us too. Satan is also a master deceiver. He uses his great skills in deception to draw us away from God and into patterns of living that are sinful, and therefore offensive to God. That’s why things like illicit sex, and over-indulgence, and the love of money and possessions, have such a strong appeal for human beings. That’s Satan’s work in our lives, deceiving us into desiring things that God forbids, or to use good things to excess.

 

The solution for us is to know God’s Word – to know it very well – and then to live our lives in a way that conforms to the instructions He has given us. Doing that will always result in the best life you can possibly have.

 

God’s instructions to us are not overly restrictive and they are not heavy-handed. Instead they come out of Divine wisdom and are designed to protect us and to lead us into the fullness of life that God wants for us.

 

When it comes to developing self-control in your life, begin with diligent study of God’s Word. Then prayerfully invite the Holy Spirit to identify those areas of your life that need work. Through the Spirit’s transforming power at work in your life, combined with your own best efforts, you will move steadily in the direction of developing the life God wants for you.

 

I want to leave you this morning with the words the Lord spoke to Joshua (and to you) about the importance of knowing and obeying His word: “This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in what you do. Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:4 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Dry seasons can result in deeper roots.”

 

Did you know that some of the strongest, most durable trees in the world are those that grow in hot, desolate regions? The reason is because since there is so little water available on the surface, those trees have to send their roots deep into the soil in search of any moisture that can be found. As a result the roots are thick and tough, deep and far-reaching, and that tree is solid and strong. Even the strongest desert winds can’t knock it down.

 

There’s a spiritual metaphor in that example. The same thing happens to the people of God when we go through extended dry seasons in life. I’m talking about the tough times when difficult problems seem to last forever. It’s during such times that we have to dig deep in search of spiritual refreshing that will keep us healthy and strong. But that requires the discipline of endurance and self-control. It requires a determined effort to continue praying, to continue your Bible study, to continue your faithful attendance at church and your participation in ministry, and you do it in spite of the fact that life is tough at the moment.

 

If we do that, then when the dry season ends we find ourselves to be much stronger than we were before. Our spiritual roots are deeper and we are a stronger and more durable Christian as a result, one who is better prepared to weather future storms. And also, because you are stronger and healthier, more stable and more durable, you are also more fruitful. Your life will be better and more productive because you persevered through the dry seasons of life.

 

However, as James implies in James 1:4 above, this must be an intentional act on our part to use the dry seasons in life to dig deep so that we can grow and become stronger. We have to be self-controlled and determined to endure and to stay close to God through it all.

 

Not everyone does that. Some people allow the tough times and the dry seasons to draw them away from God rather than to Him. Some people get bitter and even angry at God, to the point of walking away from Him. When they do that not only are they sacrificing God’s help and blessings in the moment, but they’re also missing all the potential growth in their personal lives that could be occurring, and which would bear great fruit for them in the future.

 

James’ point (and it’s a point that the Apostle Paul and Jesus also taught), is that the storms of life present us with the opportunity for great spiritual growth. But you have to take advantage of the opportunity. Control yourself. Endure. Make sure you’re drawing closer to God and not away from Him. The dry season will pass and when it does, you will be a stronger, better, more durable and more fruitful Christian, because your spiritual roots will be deep.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Be careful you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His command – the ordinances and statutes – I am giving you today.” Deuteronomy 8:11 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Don’t get spiritually lazy”

 

The Old Testament book of Deuteronomy was intended by Moses to be his final words to the people of Israel. He was about to die, and they were about to go forward into the Promised Land. So in Deuteronomy Moses summarized the essential instructions they would need to remember in order to live in a way that honored God.

 

The Old Testament Law of Moses contained a lot of detail that applied only to them in their day and not to us in our day. But in Deuteronomy Moses also issued several important general spiritual truths that do apply to us, and which we would do well to pay attention to.

 

In Deuteronomy 8:1-18 Moses warned the people that they had better not let the good life in the Promised Land cause them to get spiritually lazy. He reminded them that when they were wandering in the wilderness and were faced with frightening enemies and hard times, they relied heavily on God. But once they were in the Promised Land and they had comfortable homes, and steady incomes, and plenty to eat, and life was good, they would be tempted to ease-up on their spiritual disciplines and not pay as much attention to God.

 

Moses warned them that if they did that, God would eventually withdraw the blessings in order to draw them back to Himself. If the only time they would be faithful and attentive to God was when they were in suffering and in great need, then God would keep them in suffering and in great need. His point was that “If you can’t enjoy your blessings and be faithful to God at the same time, God will withdraw your blessings”.

 

Ouch! Anybody out there feeling convicted? How many of us, when life is hard and we’re in great need, rush to church and plead with God for deliverance? How many promises are made in the middle of suffering but then when things change, and the problems are resolved and life gets better for us again, we start to get spiritually lazy?

 

This is not uncommon. When a person is struggling with difficult life issues it’s not uncommon to see them right there in the front row at church, Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, paying attention and taking notes. But once the storm passes and life is good again they get lazy and become less faithful. It’s as if since they’re not hurting now, they feel they don’t need God as much.

 

The lesson Moses taught to the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 8:10-18 is an important spiritual truth that applies to all of God’s people in all places at all times. If you can’t enjoy your blessings and remain faithful to God at the same time, God will withdraw the blessings. If that’s what it takes to bring you back to full and passionate seeking of Him, then that’s what He’ll do.

 

When times are hard, seeking after God with passion is easy – we’re naturally drawn to Him in such times. It’s when times are good that we have to exercise the self-control to be diligent in the spiritual disciplines.

 

Don’t put God in the position where He has to withdraw His blessings in order to get your attention.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Then Moses summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.” Numbers 30:1-2 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Keep your word.”

 

Not long ago a politician was being interviewed on national television. The reporter challenged this person regarding some of the outrageous campaign promises the candidate had been making. The reporter asked the candidate if he really expected to be able to follow-through on the things he had been promising if he were to be elected.

 

In a somewhat surprising bit of candor and transparency for a politician, this candidate admitted that his promises may or may not be kept. He said that as far as he was concerned everything is negotiable and that when it comes right down to it, he might or might not stick to his promises – we would just have to wait and see.

 

While it’s true that politics is the art of compromise, and that in a democracy like ours the only way any legislation wins approval is through the give-and-take of negotiation, it’s also true that we expect our leaders to have foundational principles upon which they base their promises – principles that are so important that they won’t compromise on them. And, we expect people to keep their word.

 

In generations past a popular motto commonly held by men and women of integrity was “My word is my bond.” It meant that “I am a man (or woman) of my word. If I give my word, I keep it.” Of course written contracts existed and were used too, but they were much less necessary than they are in our day.

 

Today we’re cursed with the malady of “situational ethics”. It means that a person’s ethical conduct varies from situation to situation depending on what’s in it for them. It’s the concept of situational ethics which has led us to the point where people so frequently and so easily break their promises and don’t keep their word – and apparently aren’t bothered by it in the least.

 

In the Bible we’re taught to be men and women of our word. God keeps His word to us and He expects us to keep our word to Him, and to others. Your word needs to be your bond. That’s what Moses meant in Numbers 30:1-2 when he instructed the people to “do exactly what you say you will do.”

 

Jesus addressed this too in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:37 He told us, “Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes”, and your “No”, “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” In other words, “Say what you mean, mean what you say, and let the chips fall where they may.” The Apostle James gave us this exact same counsel in James 5:12.

 

As the people of God we have to have the self-control to limit our words to what is actually true, and the character and integrity to keep the promises we make. I encourage you to be a man or woman of your word. Let your word be your bond.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?’ Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.” Numbers 20:10-11 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “A lack of self-control can lead you to do the right thing in the wrong way.”

 

The nation of Israel was wandering in the wilderness. God had miraculously delivered them out of captivity in Egypt. He parted the Red Sea to provide an escape route; He visibly demonstrated His presence to the people in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night; and every morning the people would wake-up to find a new supply of manna, the bread of heaven, miraculously delivered by a kind and merciful and loving God.

 

And yet, despite all their blessings, despite all the miracles performed on their behalf, they complained. Oh my goodness did they complain. These were fickle and half-hearted people who quickly forgot their many blessings and who endlessly whined about discomfort and inconveniences. That’s what was happening in Numbers chapter 20 and Moses was sick of it. He had listened to all the whining and grumbling he could stomach. So he went to God in prayer and told Him that this time the people were complaining about a lack of water and Moses didn’t know what to do about it.

 

Being the kind and gracious God that He is, the Lord arranged to meet the people’s needs for them once again. He told Moses to take his staff, assemble the people in front of a certain very large rock, and then in the name of the Lord Moses was to tell water to come out of the rock. He was then to watch as God provided for His people once again.

 

But Moses was exasperated with the people. He was fed-up with them and so he stomped out of his meeting with God, yelled for the people to “Get over here, now!” And then rather then gently reminding the people of how much God loved them, and simply speaking to the rock and standing back to watch as God brought forth water from the rock, Moses yelled at them. He challenged them with the question “Must “we” (Moses and Aaron) bring forth water from this rock for you??!!” And then instead of speaking the words God told him to speak, Moses angrily struck the rock twice with his staff.

 

And sure enough, God brought forth water from the rock. He did it because His people needed water. But Moses didn’t do it the way God wanted it done. God wanted a message of love and provision communicated to His people, not one of anger and frustration. God wanted His people to receive the water they needed, but He also wanted them to see that it was coming to them as a gift from their Father in heaven, not as a result of some miracle angrily performed by Moses.

 

So God blessed the people but He punished Moses. Because of his actions, Moses would not be allowed to live long enough to enter the Promised Land with the rest of the nation. That’s a pretty steep price to pay for a moment of anger and a lack of self-control.

 

Moses did the right thing but in the wrong way. He did gather the people and he did speak to them, and the water they needed was provided, but due to a lack of self-control he did it all in a way that dishonored God. Losing self-control in crucial moments can be like that. It can accomplish the intended objective, but in a way that also produces unwanted and unforeseen consequences.

 

This is why we must be intentional about striving to develop the spiritual discipline of self-control. We must want it; we must ask God for it; and we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He works with us to develop it. A lack of self-control can lead us to do the right thing in the wrong way, and that will always end badly for us.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Your actions affect other people.”

 

No man is an island. No person lives in isolation. Your actions, be they good or bad, impact other people – especially those who are close to you. Your self-control, or lack of it, affects not just you but those around you as well. Can I get an “Amen”?

 

Did you know that the children of divorce are twice as likely to end up getting divorced themselves? It’s true. So when a husband and wife give-up on their marriage instead of working it out, they pass the curse of divorce on to future generations. Your actions affect other people.

 

If you don’t take good care of yourself physically you will get sick. You will live a life that is less active and less enjoyable than it could otherwise have been, and you will probably die at a younger age than you otherwise would have. Tough luck for you, right? Yes. But tough luck for your spouse too, and your children, and your grandchildren, and your family members, and your church family, and … well, you get the picture. Your actions affect other people.

 

Do you have an anger control problem? Your actions affect other people. Are you living on the public dole when you could be working and supporting yourself? Your actions affect other people. Do you secretly view pornography thinking that it’s nobody’s business but your own? Well what about the women and children who are trapped in the pornography industry so you can have your cheap thrills? You actions affect other people.

 

It’s true that repetition is the key to learning. If you want a lesson to stick then you need to repeat it numerous times and in various ways. So let me say it again that your actions affect other people. No man is an island. No person lives in isolation. Your self-control, or lack of it, affects those around you.

 

Therefore God calls His people to exercise the self-control needed so that we are living holy lives that honor Him and which bless those around us rather than causing pain and harm.

 

I encourage you to spend some extra time today talking to God about the areas of your life where you need to develop more self-control because … your actions affect other people.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Finally brothers, what ever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise – dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “How you think matters.”

 

Perhaps the most important area of life we need to gain self-control over is how we think. Patterns of thought have a huge impact on how we act and on our overall quality of life. Therefore the things we allow ourselves to dwell on are vitally important.

 

Many people are prone to patterns of negative thinking. They tend to expect the worst in every situation and then in their mind they create elaborate scenarios of how they think it will play out in real life. In their mind they have lived the event before anything actually occurred in the real world, and it was all bad. But that kind of thinking darkens a person’s personality and sucks the joy out of life.

 

Other people tend to focus their thoughts on the things they don’t have, rather than being grateful for what they do have. But this leaves them in a perpetual state of discontentment, always longing for something more. This too sucks the joy out of life and it is also an offense to God. He has filled your life with many wonderful people and things for which you should be thanking and praising Him.

 

In Philippians 4:8 the Apostle Paul shows us a better way of thinking. There he provides a laundry list of examples of the kinds of things we should intentionally focus our mind on. First and foremost he urges us to think about what is true – as opposed to what is not true. In one sense that can be about resisting the lies and deceptions of the world, but in another sense it also means resisting the temptation to engage in imaginary fantasy scenarios in your mind.

 

He tells us to intentionally think about things that are honorable, pure, just, lovely and commendable. This could take many forms. It could include memorizing and reciting passages of scripture. It could include singing along with your favorite praise songs. It could mean intentionally counting your many blessings over and over again.

 

In the book, “The Traveler’s Gift”, God has our time traveler David Ponder on a trip through history to meet seven historical figures, each of whom will teach him an important life principle which is essential if a life is to be lived fully and well. His fifth stop in history involves an encounter with the young woman Anne Frank, the author of the famous book “The Diary of Anne Frank”. The life principle Anne teaches David is, “I choose to be happy.” She told him, “David, happiness is a choice. I can choose to think thoughts and engage in activities that bring me joy. I choose to be happy.”

 

Amen sister.

 

The truth is that how you think matters – it matters a lot. Living the full and fruitful life God wants for you involves developing the self-control to manage your thought patterns so they are constructive rather than destructive, helpful rather than hurtful.

 

You can do this. Be intentional about how you think. You might want to start by memorizing Paul’s list of suggestions in Philippians 4:8.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Give the following instructions to the people of Israel …” Numbers 5:5 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “A holy life is the best advertisement for Christianity.”

 

In the previous devotional message I wrote of how the book of Leviticus was intended to provide the people of God with the instructions they needed in order to live a life that was clearly and distinctly different (and better) than the lives of the pagan people around them.

 

In the book of Numbers we find more of the same, only now God is preparing His people to come out of their isolation in the wilderness and to actually live among the pagan nations. The reason God wanted this was so that His people would be a visible example to the world of what holiness looks like when it is lived-out in the lives of everyday people. His people were to witness to the world with their lifestyle. Only as Israel’s pagan neighbors saw their godly lifestyle would they be influenced to look to God themselves.

 

What was true for the people of God in the days of Moses is equally true for the people of God in our day. God has you and me exactly where He wants us. He has us in the country, state, city, neighborhood, and work place that He wants us to be in, and our role is to be the same as that of the ancient Israelites. We are to live among the pagan nations and show them a life of holiness that brings honor to the Lord.

 

And, just like with the ancient Israelites, God has provided us with very specific written instructions on how He wants us to live. Please note Numbers 5:5 above. It’s a simple statement designed to serve as a lead-in to a specific instruction. The books of Leviticus and the book of Numbers are filled with such lead-ins. So is the New Testament. Therefore we, the people of God, need to study the word of God, so we will know how to live a life that brings honor to God.

 

And if we don’t, then we need to remember the other purpose served by the book of Numbers. Numbers is also a chronicle of divine discipline which shows the painful consequences suffered by the people of God when they disobey the commands of God.

 

Obedience to God requires self-control. It requires us to first of all know the commands of God and second, we must be intentional about obeying the commands of God. That takes effort and self-control, but the end result is a holy life that is distinctly different from that of a pagan culture. A holy life is the best advertisement for Christianity.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim