Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Patience is better than power, and controlling one’s temper, than capturing a city.” Proverbs 16:32 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Learning to control your anger is an important life skill.”

 

So, are you still mad at me? Yesterday I accused you of having an anger management problem and I told you that it’s true even if you don’t think it is. Today I’m going to prove it to you but before I do, I want to make amends for yesterday. I didn’t mean to make you mad I just wanted to get your attention. Sorry.

 

In their excellent book, “The Anger Management Workbook”, Doctors Les Carter and Frank Minirth explain that anger is an emotion that’s common to every person and it’s an emotion that we all struggle to control. The problem is that we often misidentify anger. We picture a person in a rage, slamming doors, shouting, and using extreme language. While that is one form of anger, and it describes the most common understanding of anger, the fact is that anger is much more complex than that.

 

For many people, rather than flying into a rage their anger is much more subdued and controlled, but it is anger none-the-less and it is being expressed just the same. Some people simply withdraw and remain silent when they’re angry. Some people smile and pretend nothing is wrong, while secretly nursing a deep sense of resentment and bitterness. Some people are prone to wallow in self-pity, believing they have been unfairly wronged, and allowing those thoughts to dominate their thinking. Others get irritable and impatient as their growing sense of anger simmers and percolates just below the surface.

 

Those are all expressions of anger that are unhealthy and not under proper control, and yet they do not fit the most common stereotype that usually comes to our minds when we think of uncontrolled anger. Do any of those describe you? I’ll bet they do. If not, just sit tight, there’s more. We’ll get to your preferred expression of anger in the days to come.

 

I want to end this morning by sharing an observation with you from Doctors Carter and Minirth about anger: “Anger is an emotion that is common to every person. Because we are imperfect people in an imperfect world, we are guaranteed to regularly encounter this emotion … The first step toward recovering from anger-related problems is identifying its various manifestations – recognizing it’s many faces.”

 

We will do that in the days to come.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Anger”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated – it can only lead to harm.” Psalm 37:8 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “We must learn to control our anger”

 

Do you have a problem with anger? I do. Not the flying into a rage, storming through the house, punching holes in the walls kind of anger. No, there are other forms of anger that are much more subtle and which at first glance might not appear to be “anger” as we typically think of it.

 

The truth is that anger is a normal human emotion that has been a problem for the entire human race ever since sin first entered the world in the Garden of Eden. And it is something that we all struggle with in one form or another. I have an anger management problem and so do you (even if you don’t think you do). By the end of our study this month I hope to have convinced you of that and I also hope we will all have learned how to recognize anger in all its forms, and what to do about it.

 

As a pastor, preacher, teacher, and counselor my work is spiritual in nature and is therefore focused on helping people to grow spiritually. But in order to do that I must also be a student of the human condition. I have to observe, study, and understand people, as well as their personalities, and their problems, in order to help them bridge the gap between human nature and the spiritual nature. Therefore I’m always on the lookout for resources that will help me to help others. And in the process, invariably, I find that I learn and grow too.

 

Not too long ago I came across a wonderful study on the subject of anger entitled “The Anger Workbook: An interactive guide to anger management” by Doctors Les Carter and Frank Minirth. It’s a Christian resource which is solidly Biblical and very insightful. I’ve learned a lot from it and I recommend it to you.

 

Throughout this month I will share with you some of the lessons, observations, and suggestions that Doctors Carter and Minirth share in their book regarding anger. We’ll learn about the many faces of anger, the various ways it’s expressed, the damage it does, and how to deal with it.

 

Fair warning – some of this stuff cuts close to the bone and you might find it uncomfortably too close to home. Well, don’t get mad at me (that’s a joke), and don’t shoot the messenger. I’m just the delivery boy.

 

The bad news is that you have an anger management problem (even if you don’t think you do.) The good news is that the Bible has all the answers to the problem, and we’re going to discover them this month. I look forward to learning and growing with you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified …”

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God wants you to develop a godly character that honors Him.”

 

“Sanctification” is a fifty-cent theological word which simply means “set apart”. It means that something or someone has been set apart from common use and common standards and is reserved instead for divine use and to the glory of God.

 

In the Old Testament we read of how all the furnishings and the implements used in Temple worship were “sanctified”, they were set apart for special use and therefore not available for common everyday use.

 

As the people of God we are set apart for His special use and to bring Him honor and glory. Our sanctification takes two forms, “positional sanctification” and “progressive sanctification”. Positional sanctification takes place at the moment of salvation. Because of our position in Christ we are in that moment set apart for God and sanctified.

 

But then there is progressive sanctification. This refers to the ongoing process whereby our character is slowly transformed more and more into the likeness of Jesus. It’s a lifelong process which will never be fully completed until the day we arrive in heaven.

 

It’s God’s desire that we continually progress in the process of sanctification, becoming increasingly more like Jesus. This is the development of a godly character and it’s the subject of numerous passages and lessons in both the Old and New Testaments. It’s something we must desire and it’s something we have to work at. Although the change itself is brought about by the Holy Spirit working in us, we have to make the effort and participate in the spiritual disciplines which God uses to facilitate the transformation.

 

In 1 Thessalonians 4:3, after Paul said that it is God’s will for us to be sanctified, he immediately launched into a discussion about our responsibility to avoid sexual immorality. That is part of our responsibility in the ongoing process of sanctification.

 

Colossians chapter 3 has often been titled “Rules for Holy Living”. The entire chapter addresses our responsibility in living a sanctified life that brings about the development of godly character in us. In that passage Paul writes about our responsibility to rid our lives of such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, lies, and more. He then tells us that we must intentionally put on the character traits of Christ and clothe ourselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, peace, and love.

 

All of this is a process of learning and growing and it takes time. But it also takes effort on our parts. Again, the Holy Spirit produces the change in us, but only if we do our part too.

 

So, how does this apply to our subject this month of effective prayer? As was noted yesterday, the most effective prayer you will ever pray is the one in which you ask God for something that He already wants you to have. And as Paul noted in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, God wants you to be sanctified – He wants you to be set apart in Christ and then growing in Christlikeness.

 

So pray for a godly character. Study those passages which list the character traits God wants you to have. Memorize them. Strive to practice them. And ask the Holy Spirit to develop them in you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.” Proverbs 8:10-11 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Pray for wisdom.”

 

If you pray for something God wants you to have, you’re guaranteed of getting it. So if you want to pray effectively, pray for things you know God wants you to have. You can know what some of those things are by checking the Bible. Two of the things God has very clearly told us in the Bible that He wants us to have are wisdom and godly character. So we’ll end this month of devotions about effective prayer by thinking about those two virtues – wisdom today, and character tomorrow.

 

Wisdom is much different from knowledge. Knowledge is simply a matter of acquiring information about a subject. There are plenty of people who have lots of knowledge about all sorts of things and yet their lives are a train wreck.

 

Wisdom on the other hand, is the ability to apply Biblical truth in practical ways that makes a meaningful difference in everyday life. People with Biblical wisdom have a deep understanding of Biblical principles and a mature ability to apply those Biblical principles to everyday life. Such people are wise in the ways of God.

 

When a person has Biblical wisdom they’re able to live a life that is noticeably different from that of most other people. They may not have a lot of formal education, or a high position in a big name company, or even lots of worldly wealth and possessions, but they are known to be men and women of exceptional character, sound judgment, common sense, and they’re admired and respected by everyone.

 

God wants us to have biblical wisdom. In Proverbs 8:10-11 Solomon tells us that such wisdom is more precious than rubies or gold. James, the brother of Jesus, told us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

 

Biblical wisdom is a character trait that develops over time if it is carefully cultivated. You have to want it, you have to seek it, and you have to pray for it. In other words, you must have a deep desire to be wise in the ways of God and therefore you apply yourself by diligently studying the Bible, faithfully participating in small groups and worship services, serving in Christian ministry, and consistently placing yourself in a position before God whereby He can help you to learn and grow.

 

God wants you to be Biblically wise. So as James said, ask Him for that wisdom. He wants you to have it and so it’s a prayer He will be happy to answer.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea; “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” Lamentations 3:55-57 (NIV)

 

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

 

As we begin to draw this month of devotional thinking about effective prayer to a close, we need to revisit Lamentations chapter three because as I’ve said already, how we think about God and what we believe to be true about Him, is vitally important and will directly impact how we pray.

 

As was noted yesterday, when Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations he was in the worst of all possible circumstances. His city was in ruins, his people were in captivity, a hostile foreign army patrolled the streets and ruled the nation, and life as Jeremiah knew it had ceased (Think France in World War II during the Nazi occupation).

 

In the middle of all that, Jeremiah knew that the Lord’s lovingkindness, His great compassion, and His complete faithfulness were not in question. So Jeremiah called out to Him and as we read in Lamentations 3:57, God answered, reassured, and said to him, “Jeremiah, do not fear.”

 

That’s the God you are praying to. He is the God of Job, working diligently behind the scenes of life to bring about great spiritual victories. He is the God of Paul, always guiding, always protecting, always leading.

 

He is the God of Romans 8:28 who is faithful and can be trusted: “And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

He is the God of Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

And He is the God the Apostle Paul enthusiastically proclaimed in Philippians 4:19 when he wrote: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

 

Yes, He is there, He is faithful, He can be trusted, His purposes for you are good, His love never fails, and in His way and in His time, He will meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. That’s the God you are praying to.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.” Lamentations 5:19 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “No matter how bad your situation seems at the moment, God is still on the throne.”

 

Lamentations is one of the saddest books in the Bible. It was written by the prophet Jeremiah after the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian army and the Jews were taken into captivity. The city was in ruins, the people were enslaved, and they had nobody to blame but themselves. God had warned them repeatedly to repent and return to Him but they did not.

 

Now, as Jeremiah surveyed the devastation, he lamented (thus the name of the book “Lamentations”). It is five chapters of weeping and grieving. But even then, even in the midst of utter devastation, God was still on the throne and His people were not without hope. In chapter 3:22-26, as he looked upon the ruins and grieved for his people, Jeremiah observed:

 

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait on him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

 

Then, just two chapters later, he ended the letter of Lamentations with a word of hope and assurance, “You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.” 5:19

 

The short book of Lamentations helps us to remember that God is good, all the time, and even in the worst of times He is still on the throne and He is still in control. His character is completely good, His love for us never fails, and we can always hold fast to Him.

 

Beyond that, although we invariably focus on our immediate circumstances (as Jeremiah did), God views the same circumstances from His eternal perspective. In Lamentations 5:19 Jeremiah was reminding himself, and us, that time will pass and God’s plan for restoration will unfold. The days will turn into weeks, the weeks into months, the months into years, and over time our circumstances will change for the better.

 

This is an important perspective for us to bring into our prayer time. God is not defeated by our present circumstances, as bad as they may seem to us, and therefore we don’t have to be defeated by them either. Instead we need to look to Him, place our faith and hope in Him, and hold fast to Him.

 

No matter how bad things look, God is still on the throne.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “So Peter was kept in prison, but prayer was being made earnestly to God for him by the church.” Acts 12:5 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “When God’s people pray, things happen.”

 

In Acts Chapter 12 we read the story of the time King Herod launched a massive wave of persecution against the young church in Jerusalem. As the persecution unfolded, Herod had the Apostle James executed and he had Peter arrested and imprisoned.

 

Meanwhile, the church prayed. In this case they prayed specifically for Peter’s deliverance, and the Bible says that they prayed “earnestly”. The Greek word for earnestly is “ektenos” and it’s the same word that was used to describe the prayer of Jesus in Luke 22:44 when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane and He prayed so hard that He broke out in a sweat that was like drops of blood. Literally He was praying so hard that He was sweating blood. That’s how hard the church was praying for Peter.

 

Not only did they pray hard, but they stuck with it. The implication in the passage is that they were praying like that for an extended period of time. To do anything “earnestly” means to do it with fervor, passion, intensity, determination, and steadfastness. When God’s people come together and pray like that, and they stick with it, stuff happens.

 

In Peter’s case, while the people were praying so hard, an angel of the Lord appeared in Peter’s jail cell and there was a Holy Spirit led jailbreak. The doors swung open, the guards who were in the cell with Peter (and who Peter was actually chained to) fell into a deep sleep, the chains fell away, and Peter simply walked out of the jail a free man.

 

When God’s people pray – really pray – things happen. There may not be a miraculous deliverance from a jail cell in the middle of the night, but there could be. Or, there could be a modern day equivalent.

 

We know this to be true at Oak Hill Baptist Church. Oak Hill is one of those churches that still has a weekly prayer meeting. I make that statement with just a hint of sadness because there are so many churches today that do not have regular weekly prayer meetings. Instead, if they meet at all in mid-week, it’s a mid-week service that might include a little bit of prayer time at the end but is not exclusively, or even primarily, a prayer meeting.

 

I’m not bragging about us or to being critical of them. I only want to make the point that group prayer is vitally important, and I believe a church needs to have at least one regular meeting each week that is dedicated primarily to the ministry of intercessory prayer.

 

At our group prayer meetings we pray long and we pray hard; we pray for ourselves and we pray for others, (many of whom we don’t even know). We send people letters signed by everyone at the prayer meeting letting them know that they were prayed for. And we routinely see answers to those prayers – small answers and sometimes big answers.

 

Effective individual prayer is a powerful thing. Effective group prayer is even more powerful because when God’s people pray, things happen – and when they pray together, even more things happen.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty; The Lord is robed, enveloped in strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken.” Psalm 93:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “God is in control”

 

During those times when we do stop to think about the importance of praying effectively, it’s usually because we’re faced with some pressing need or dire set of circumstances. It’s when times are tough that we’re moved to hunker down and really pray hard, and that’s also when we most desperately want our prayers to be effective.

 

In such times it’s natural to feel overwhelmed by events and so that’s when we need to remind ourselves of the great truth David so emphatically stated in Psalm 93:1, “The Lord reigns!”

 

To “reign” means to rule and to exercise sovereign control; it is to command and dominate – and that describes God. He is in absolute and total control over everything in the universe, and that includes the circumstances of our lives. That was David’s point in Psalm 93:1.

 

In the rest of the Psalm he paints a picture of how, not only do the worst events of the world not diminish God, they actually lift Him up. The illustration David used is that of floods and pounding waves and mighty breakers of the sea, and he affirms that God is greater than it all. His reference to the forces of nature is simply an allusion to the problems of life and his point is that God reigns supreme over all of it.

 

Therefore, rather than allowing circumstances to shake him (even really bad circumstances) David instead chose to lift his eyes to God. He reminded himself that God is in firm control over all of creation, and that includes the circumstances of his life.

 

It also includes the circumstances of your life.

 

Whatever it is you’re facing today I encourage you to remember that God reigns supreme over all of it. Go to Him in prayer. Affirm you confidence in His Sovereignty. Then simply trust that He is in control.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it is in your power to act.” Proverbs 3:27 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Pray for wisdom to know who to help, when to help, and how to help.”

 

Most Christians I know are kind, compassionate and generous. They are people who truly care about others and who are willing and eager to help those in need. But the fact is that there’s a world full of need. Nobody can give to every cause and nobody can be everywhere all the time doing everything for everyone.

 

Sometimes it seems as if there’s a homeless person with a cardboard sign standing at every major intersection in town. Do you give money to all of them? If you do you’ll quickly be broke. There are hungry children in refugee camps in Somalia, church buildings that need to be built in Sierra Leone, Bibles that need to be distributed in China, and the list goes on. You can’t give to all of those causes, so how do you decide?

 

Likewise, there are endless ways in which you can invest your time and energy helping others. But you only have so much time and energy you can give. Where do you draw the line and how to you make those decisions? Proverbs 3 contains several principles that are helpful in sorting through this very common dilemma.

 

First, as a starting place, verse 27 tells us that if the Lord has brought this issue to your attention, that’s a pretty good indication that He might want you to do something about it. However, the Proverbs are mostly principles that provide basic guidelines, not direct commands intended to apply verbatim in every situation. Discretion and discernment is still needed.

 

Second, in verses 9-10, we’re told to honor the Lord with our wealth. In other words, we are to use some of what He blessed us with as a means of blessing others. I would argue that this includes not just our money, but also our time and our skills.

 

Third, verses 5-6 show us how all of this ties into the subject of effective prayer:

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

 

In other words, take the situation to God in prayer. Ask Him to help you understand who He wants you to help, how He wants you to help them, and when He wants you to help them.

 

Then make the best decision you can and just walk it out. Don’t wait for a handwritten message from God to appear in the clouds; and don’t expect an audible voice to boom out specific instructions. If the situation involves a person in need of assistance – be it money, food, or your time and assistance – it’s probably time sensitive and therefore will require prompt action on your part if you are going to be used by God in this situation.

 

So to sum up, God has brought the situation to your attention; you have considered whether or not you have the assets or the skills to be of assistance if God so directs; and you have prayed about it. Now make your best decision, yes or no, and just do what you believe God has told you to do.  And if you believe the answer is “no”, it’s ok, don’t second-guess yourself. You can’t do everything for everyone, and God doesn’t expect you to.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Effective prayer”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Seek both correction and affirmation from God.”

 

What do you do when people are critical of you or if they disagree with you on some important matter? This question is especially important if it pertains to an issue of morality and righteousness. What do you do if a person is challenging you in that area?

 

The first thing we should do in such cases is go God in prayer and ask Him to reveal to us if there is any truth in what the other person is saying. When we do that, sometimes (and much to our surprise), we discover that there is some element of truth to the criticism or challenge.

 

Maybe what the other person is saying about us isn’t entirely accurate, but many times there’s at least a grain of truth to it. If so, we need to see it and make the necessary adjustments. If what the other person is critical of me about has even an element of truth in it, I need to know that, I need to acknowledge it, and I need to correct it. King David’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24 can be very helpful in such cases.

 

But also, not only will such a prayer help us to see when we’re wrong, it can also help us to see when we’re right too. This prayer invites God to help us re-examine our position on the issue. Then, upon examination, if you find that your position is correct and justified, you have the boldness and the confidence to stand by it and defend it.

 

Unfortunately, far too frequently Christians just automatically assume that they’re right and the other side is wrong, and they don’t even make any serious attempt to let God speak to them about it.

 

What King David’s prayer does for us is it helps us to acknowledge that we are not always right and sometimes we do not see things clearly, but God is always right and He does always see things clearly. So we invite Him to search us and reveal to us any attitude or position that needs to be corrected or adjusted – or to affirm for us that we are indeed correct, and that then gives us permission and boldness to stand our ground.

 

I encourage you to develop the habit of always seeking both correction and affirmation from God.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim