Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God wants us to live with passion for Him.”

 

Psalm 63 is one of my favorite Psalms, especially that first verse. In this Psalm King David expresses a passion for God that energized his whole life. David’s thinking about God, and his feelings for God were the motive force that drove his life and what we end up with here, is a picture of what the Christian life should look like.

 

David lived life large and he lived it with passion and enthusiasm. But it was a largeness of life that came from a God-given vision of what his life was supposed to consist of, and it was passion and enthusiasm that grew out of an awareness of the fact that he was indeed living the life God had chosen for him.

 

What we’re seeing modeled for us is a general rule for living well and living big in the kingdom of God. Vision, passion, enthusiasm, a searching and seeking after God – these are the things that motivate great men and women of God. A life of faith that is lukewarm and mediocre is missing something vital at its core.

 

And please note that nobody gets to live life in a bubble. Nobody floats through life in some sort of detached, other-worldly state of nirvana. People like David are real people who have to deal with real problems. They have highs and lows, good times and bad, joys and sorrows, trials and temptations. In other words, their lives look a lot like your life and mine. And yet … they train themselves to walk through life with passion and enthusiasm, seeking and searching after God. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews described it as “keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.”

 

Here’s some more of Psalm 63. As you read it pay particular attention to David’s attitude:

 

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

 

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

 

On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”

 

Are you consumed with thoughts of God? Do you long to know Him better, experience Him more, and find satisfaction in Him? A lukewarm Christian is missing something vital in his or her relationship with God and none of us should ever be satisfied with such a life. David wasn’t, and I pray you won’t be either.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God expects His people to exercise self-control.”

 

Let’s take a moment to consider Galatians 5:22-23 as translated in the Amplified Bible:

 

“But the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit (the work which His presence within accomplishes) is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence).”

 

So, one of the fruits of the Spirit (one of the virtues He develops in us as we mature in Christ), is the ability to exercise self-control. This is the ability to voluntarily restrain ourselves from giving into the impulses of the flesh.

 

Obviously there are numerous examples of how our ability to employ self-control could be seen in our lives. Self-control can apply to the issue of sexual purity; or to the avoidance of gluttony; or to impulse-buying that leads to bad stewardship in financial matters; or to any number of other life issues.

 

Going back to the subject of our previous devotional message pertaining to how we deal with other people, self-control should also apply issues of taking offense and of getting angry. The more spiritually mature we are the more self-control we will have in how we deal with people and the less likely we will be to take offense, or to lash out in anger, or to pop-off with inappropriate responses.

 

Self-control is a character trait the Spirit develops in us over time. So does that mean we can just sit back and wait for the Holy Spirit to do His job and develop increasing measures of self-control and restraint in us, while we just continue on with our current habits? No. We have a role to play in this too. While the results are produced by the Spirit, the effort must be ours.

 

We have a responsibility to frequently and continuously place ourselves in a position before God whereby the Spirit can do His work within us. Specifically, with respect to self-control, we admit to God the area of life in which we are lacking in self-control. Then we make that issue a matter of prayer, but we must also make an effort to be disciplined in this area. Then, working in conjunction with us, the Spirit does His work and over time, He develops in us the spiritual fruit of self-control.

 

What does all of this have to do with our theme of “Playing by the Rules”? Just that God expects His people to exercise self-control. Our habits are to be submitted to, and brought under the control of, the Holy Spirit. When we do that the Spirit helps us to avoid a lack of self-control that results in unhealthy or sinful excesses.

 

But don’t be discouraged. None of us are perfect. We all struggle with the issue of self-control to varying degrees in different areas of our lives. It’s the work of the Spirit to help us gain control over those issues.

 

I encourage you to identify the areas in which you struggle with self-control and honestly admit them to God. Then submit your struggle to the Spirit asking Him to help you gain increased measures of self-control in those areas.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, to have legal disputes against one another is already a moral failure for you. Why not rather put up with injustice?” 1 Corinthians 6:7 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Your ability to shrug off an offense is a measure of your spiritual maturity.”

 

In 1 Corinthians chapter 6 the Apostle Paul was teaching a lesson about spiritual maturity. That might not seem obvious at first reading, but that is what the passage is really about. To make his point, Paul used the example of believers suing fellow believers in civil court. Evidently that was happening among the Christians in the city of Corinth and Paul said it was an embarrassment to the cause of Christ and it needed to stop.

 

But there is an underlying Biblical principle in play here that is actually the larger and more important point. A mature Christian is not easily offended and even when they are, they can shrug it off rather than making a big deal out of it. Consider carefully the deeper meaning of this verse offered to us by the Amplified Bible translation:

 

“Why, the very fact of your having lawsuits with one another is a defect (a defeat, an evidence of positive moral loss for you.) Why not rather let yourselves suffer wrong and be deprived of what is your due? Why not rather be cheated (defrauded and robbed)?

 

Spend some time with that Amplified explanation. Think about it. The very fact that a Christian would get caught-up in or consumed by thoughts that they have been wronged is according to Paul, a defect in that person’s spiritual maturity. It represents a defeat, a moral loss. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we are to simply ignore wrongs done to us, but it does mean that we don’t carry our response to extremes. If you want a “Biblical” model for dealing with an offense from a fellow Christian, read the words of Jesus in Matthew 18: 15-17. There you will find His answer for conflict resolution.

 

Now, go back again to the Amplified Bible’s translation of Paul’s words. “Why not rather let yourselves suffer wrong?” He’s saying here that rather than making a big deal out of what is probably only a small deal, why not just let it go? Are you a big enough person to do that? Have you grown spiritually to the point where you are not easily offended and you can simply shrug things off without making a big deal out of it?

 

This is a matter of “Playing by the Rules”. In the Bible God shows us how to properly handle conflicts and offenses, so that is how we are to do it. First, consider just letting it go. Most things that bother us really don’t matter all that much and we should be able to simply shrug them off.

 

Second, in those cases where a wrong does need to be addressed, do it Biblically. Don’t get petty about it. Don’t wallow in self-pity feeling sorry for yourself. Don’t sit around licking your wounds and feeling resentful. Address it like Jesus taught us in Matthew 18:15-17. Go to the person and talk to them about it. Then, if necessary, ask a couple of other mature Christians to join the discussion to help you achieve resolution. Then, if those two steps don’t resolve the issue and if the issue is really important enough, assemble the church and ask the group to help work through it.

 

But remember, first and foremost, your ability to simply shrug off minor offenses and annoyances is an accurate and revealing measure of your spiritual maturity. In most cases that should be the way it is handled.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 14:20 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “You become like those you associate with.”

 

All this month we’re giving thought to the important principle of “Playing by the Rules”, or more precisely, “Living according to God’s rules.” This morning we come to a basic truism about human nature in general, but which is also a Biblical principle and which is restated and illustrated numerous times in the Bible. It is the fact that “You become like those you associate with.”

 

Yes we do. If you hang around with people who use foul language all the time, it won’t be long before you’re talking that way too. If your friends all do drugs, you will too. If those closest to you continually listen to a particular kind of music, you will probably learn to like it and listen to it as well. The old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together” is trite but true.

 

It’s also true that numbers matter. If a group consists of one or two non-believers and many Christians, that’s good. If the group consists of only one Christian but numerous non-believers, that can be bad.

 

More than once I’ve attempted to work with a “former” drug addict to help them stay clean and out of trouble, only to have that person begin re-associating with people still in that lifestyle. Inevitably the former addict ends up being drawn back into the world of drugs and crime. In 1 Corinthians 15:33 the Apostle Paul cautioned us about this when he wrote, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.”

 

The opposite is true too. Hang around with good people who are upright and moral, and they will rub off on you. That’s what Solomon meant in Proverbs 14:20. If you want to become wise, surround yourself with wise people. Listen to them; learn from them; and in time you will become like them. If your life is a mess but you want to turn it around, find people who already have the kind of life you would like to have and spend as much time with them as you can. Over time you become like those you associate with.

 

As I write this it is Friday morning. If you’ll allow me to trade on an old book title from Tony Compallo, “It’s Friday but Sunday’s Coming”. What will you do this Sunday morning? More importantly, who will you be with? Churches all around your town will be meeting for worship, study, and fellowship. They will be filled with good people, nice people, people who love Jesus and who love you too. They are people who would be happy for join them.

 

We become like those we associate with. It’s more than just a basic truth about human nature it’s a Biblical principle and a rule of life. Choose your friends and associates carefully. A good Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church filled with friendly and caring Christians is a great place to start.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Samuel said … Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord? ‘But I did obey the Lord,’ Saul said.” 1 Samuel 15:17; 19-20 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Partial obedience is disobedience.”

 

1 Samuel chapter 15 records one of the saddest chapters in the life of King Saul. He was instructed by God to lead the armies of Israel to completely wipe out the nation of the evil Amalekites. It was to be a scorched earth campaign. God said the Amalekites were so evil, they were such an offense to Him and such a plague on the earth, that they were to be completely wiped-out, every man, women, child, animal, building, crop – all of it.

 

But Saul didn’t do it. Not completely. Saul spared the life of King Agag, and he led the army to selectively hold out for themselves the best of the plunder. Then, when confronted by Samuel the prophet regarding his failure to fully obey the command of the Lord, Saul lamely attempted to rationalize and justify his actions. He tried to make his partial obedience look like full obedience and then he tried to make the case that it really made sense for him to do it the way that he did, rather than the way the Lord commanded.

 

In their commentary on this passage the editors of “The Leadership Bible” challenge us to consider the question, “What’s your price? What will it take to get you to disobey God and do it your way instead of His?” For Saul all it took was his desire to save the life of a fellow king who he liked, and the opportunity to acquire a little bit of plunder.

 

If you read the history of the nation of Israel you quickly realize that they always had a price. There was always a point at which they decided to do it their own way rather than God’s way. And they always suffered for it. Whenever Israel obeyed God, He never failed to bless them. But whenever they disobeyed Him, He never failed to punish them.

 

So, what is your price? At what point will you decide, “I want what I want and I’m going to do what I want, regardless of the fact that God has clearly instructed otherwise.”?

 

I want you to know that’s it’s impossible for a child of God to intentionally disobey God without suffering for it. There are always consequences. Those consequences may come fast or they may come slow, but they will come and they will hurt.
God has made it clear to us what His standards are and what He expects from us. We have to play by the rules or we will suffer the consequences.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you.” 1 Samuel 12:23 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “God’s people are to be praying people.
The story is told of a church which, when they heard that a bar was going to be opened in their neighborhood, the people of the church organized a protest movement and petitioned the city council to deny the business permit. After a lot of heated debate the city issued the permit anyway and the bar opened.

 

The people of the church then shifted tactics and began praying that nobody would patronize the bar and that it would go out of business. And sure enough, that is what happened. For some reason, no matter how he advertized or what kind of specials he ran, the bar owner was not able to attract very many customers and he quickly went out of business.

 

Enraged, and convinced that it was the fault of the church, the bar owner sued. In court he made the case that it was because of the prayers of the church that his business failed. The people of the church however, afraid that they might lose the case and suffer a financial judgment against them, insisted that their prayers had nothing to do with it. After considering the claims of both sides the judge observed, “It seems to me that the bar owner believes in the power of prayer but the church people don’t”. Wow. May that never be said about you or me!

 

Let me ask you, “Do you understand how prayer works?” Well that’s ok, neither do I. All I do know, from Scripture, from history, and from personal experience, is that when God’s people pray, things happen. For reasons all His own God has decided that He would work here on earth in concert with the prayers of His people.

 

That being the case, since prayer is so important, it’s one of the rules God imposes upon His people – we are to pray. Examples of the prayers of God’s people are woven all throughout the Bible. Jesus Himself prayed and He taught us how to pray. The Apostle Paul told us to pray constantly and in all things. Samuel told the people of his day that he would have been guilty of sinning against God if he did not pray for them.

 

Our church, Oak Hill Baptist, has a reputation as being a praying church. In our prayer meetings we write prayer letters, many times to people we don’t even know but who have come to our attention by means of a prayer request. We have prayer for that person and then everyone in the meeting signs the letter, just letting the person know that we had special prayer for them.  We then mail it to the person. I can’t count the number of times a recipient of one of those letters responded just to tell us how touched they were by the thoughtfulness of the letter. Recently one of our members gave this testimony, “It’s so comforting to know that this is a praying church and that when you say you will pray, you really do.”

 

I want to encourage you today to pray. Pray a lot. Pray about all things. And when you say you’re going to pray, actually pray. Things can happen in other people’s lives as a result of your prayers for them. That makes prayer both a gift and a privilege. It’s also a responsibility. Since God enables us to pray, since He listens to our prayers, since He answers our prayers, and since He has chosen to work in conjunction with our prayers, He expects us to pray.

 

Praying is one of the rules in God’s kingdom.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for by doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 2 Timothy 4:16 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Make a positive impact on others.”

 

God calls us to live lives that honor Him and which have a positive impact on all those around us. It’s a common Biblical theme which is restated frequently all throughout the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments.

 

To show us what that looks like, in the Bible God also gives us examples of such men and women to serve as models for us. Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, Ruth, Samuel, Elijah, Esther, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus of course, Mary, Paul, James, and Timothy, just to name a few.

 

In each of their cases the way they lived brought honor to God and had a positive impact on those around them. People were paying attention. They were watching and listening and being influenced by the way those godly men and women conducted themselves.

 

This past Sunday in our church we took a few minutes to honor one our men who has had a significant impact in our community. He is an ordained minister who makes his living as a High School teacher and he is the head basketball coach for the boy’s basketball team. The previous week he had celebrated is 100^th win as a coach. But more than just being an effective and winning coach, he uses his position to build into the lives of the young men on his team. He takes the time and makes the effort to really get to know them and to build a deep relationship with them. He offers them counsel about life issues, and he models for them how a godly man conducts himself.

 

The Apostle Paul had a relationship like that with young Timothy. Timothy was Paul’s protégé. Paul built into Timothy’s life. He taught him, counseled him and modeled for him how to live a life of integrity which was pleasing to God and which would impact others in a positive way.

 

This is what God expects of His people. We are to be salt and light in the world interacting with others, blessing them, and modeling for them how a godly man or woman lives. This is one of the primary ways God draws people to Himself – through the good example of those who already belong to Him.

 

One of the rules for Kingdom living is to live in such a way that your words and your actions bring honor to God and have a positive impact on others.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Employees and employers both have a responsibility to honor the Lord.”

 

As I write this it is Monday morning and so, the beginning of a new work week for most folks. As we continue our discussion of “Playing by the Rules”, let’s think about what that should look like on the job.

 

The Christian writer Henry Crowell once wrote, “A man’s (or woman’s) business is not chiefly his way of making a living but his altar where he serves the king.” That’s what Paul was getting at in Colossians 3:23. Whatever it is you do, do it with all your heart as if you were doing it for Jesus and not just for your boss.

 

How we conduct ourselves in all areas of life can be, and should be, an act of worship. Our goal should be to please God and to bring honor to Him in all that we say and do. That includes on the job.

 

A Christian should be the best employee the company has. In terms of faithfulness, dependability, respect shown to superiors, kindness and compassion shown to fellow workers, and in terms of striving to do the best job possible, a Christian should be an exceptional employee because the Christian is performing that work as an act of worship in an attempt to please and honor the Lord.

 

But that attitude of excellence, and the virtues cited above, don’t just apply to Christian employees, they apply to employers as well. If you are a Christian, and if the Lord has allowed you the privilege of serving in a leadership position in the workplace, your attitude should be the same as that of the Christian employee. You should conduct yourself as if you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in the manner in which you exercise your leadership responsibilities. Your position of leadership in the workplace becomes a vehicle through which you can be a blessing to those who work for you.

 

Of course you have a responsibility to the company or organization, you must ensure those under you work well and do their part to accomplish the mission, but that can and should be done in a godly manner, consistent with Biblical principles.

 

If you would like to read an expanded teaching on this subject please see chapter thirteen of my book, “Walking with Paul”. There you will find an exposition of Paul’s teaching in Ephesians chapter six which deals with Christian employees and employers, and how we are each to conduct ourselves in the workplace in a manner that honors the Lord.

 

If you don’t have a copy of that book you can get one at www.JimMersereauBooks.com, or visit us at Oak Hill Baptist Church and I will be happy to give you a copy as a gift.

 

Employees and employers both have a responsibility to honor the Lord in how we conduct ourselves in the workplace. It’s simply a matter of “Playing by the Rules” that God has given us.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure – pressed down, shaken together and running over – will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Give generously to others and God will give generously to you.”

 

Jesus was a master at explaining profound spiritual truths in contemporary language and by using examples from everyday life that the people could easily relate to. Such was the case in Luke 6:37-38.

 

In this passage Jesus was teaching about the virtue of having a big, kind, heart and a generous spirit. He taught that God will treat us as we treat others. He told us that we are not to have a judgmental spirit towards others, otherwise God will judge us. He said we are not to condemn others for their mistakes and short-comings, and we ourselves will not be condemned. He tells us to forgive if we want to be forgiven. And then He says we are to give if we want to be given to. It’s the law of sowing and reaping. You reap what you sow.

 

To illustrate His point he used an example from the marketplace that the people would quickly have recognized and understood. It was an example of a generous and kind-hearted merchant selling flour or grain. For the sake of our illustration let’s say it is flour.

 

First, the merchant uses a “good” measure. A “good” measure is a fair measure, it’s an accurate measure – as opposed to a “bad” measure which would be inaccurate and would cheat the customer. So the good measure of flour is poured into the sack. But then the kind merchant presses it down, compresses it so he can pour in more, then he grabs the sack by its sides, shakes it up and down, pounds it on the table to compress it even more, and then with a smile and a chuckle, he continues to pour in even more until the flour is overflowing and pouring over the sides of the bag. It was as much as the sack could possibly hold, and then some.

 

That’s how God blesses His faithful and generous people. Jesus says that not only will you receive a “good” measure of blessing in return but beyond that, it will be pressed down, shaken, compressed, and more blessing will be poured in, and more, until there is so much blessing you can’t take it all in and it’s spilling over.

 

Sound good? Would you like to be blessed like that? Well, “With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” – said Jesus. If you want to be blessed generously you must bless others generously.

 

Is this all about money? Not necessarily. Money and provisions are certainly part of it. You can’t out-give God in that respect. But even more than money and provisions this is about spiritual blessings. This is about the fruit of the Spirit experienced in your life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23.

 

Give generously to others and God will give generously to you. That includes giving money but even more than that, it involves giving blessings. Be a blessing to others and in return God will bless your socks off. Pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing. It’s a rule of the Kingdom. It’s the law of sowing and reaping.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Playing by the Rules”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother – which is the fourth commandment with a promise – that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. “Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Children are to honor and respect their parents.”

 

As we continue our discussion of living life according to the Bible, or “Playing by the Rules”, I would like for us to think about what the Bible teaches with regard to relationships between parents and children. And I don’t just mean children in the sense of minor children, this pertains to adult offspring as well.

 

The Bible is clear that children are to honor and respect their parents. When children are below the age of adulthood and still living under the parent’s roof, they are to obey their parents. Once a son or daughter reaches adulthood and is living independently, the relationship necessarily changes and should become less about obedience and more about honor and respect.

 

Now or course there are exceptions to this. Not all parents are worthy of obedience and respect. Some are abusive, negligent, or even criminal in their behavior and therefore more deserving of prosecution and incarceration rather than obedience and respect. But as a general Biblical principle, children are to obey, honor, and respect their parents.

 

But this is a two-way street. Parents are to honor and respect their children as well. Instruction and discipline is to be fair and reasonable. Love and kindness should characterize the relationship. In Ephesians chapter six Paul begins by telling children they are to obey and honor their parents, but then he also tells parents to conduct themselves in a loving and godly manner towards their children. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children: instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

 

The Amplified Bible brings out even greater depth of meaning from that verse: “Fathers, do not irate and provoke your children to anger (do not exasperate them to resentment), but rear them (tenderly) in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord.”

 

In addition to the general Biblical principles Paul provides us in Ephesians chapter six, in other places the Bible provides even more specific guidance for the relationship between parents and children (minor children and adults).

 

As with yesterdays teaching about the Biblical model for marriage, there is much more that needs to be said on this subject of relationships between parents and children – more than can be covered in this single devotional message. If you would be interested in reading more on this subject, please refer to chapter twelve of my book “Walking with Paul”. If you don’t have a copy you can get one at www.JimMersereauBooks.com. Or visit us at Oak Hill Baptist Church and I will be happy to give you a copy as a gift.

 

Children are to obey, honor, and respect their parents. The Bible tells us so. But it also provides plenty of guidance for parents to properly love, honor, and respect their children. The Bible is our guide for good relationships between parents and children. We all need to play by these rules.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim