Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”

Our Bible verse for today: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:28-29 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Unity in Christ is what really matters.”

It’s amazing how many things are allowed to come between and divide people. We are divided by national origin. And so there are Africans, and Europeans, and Americans, and Chinese, etc. We are divided by race. There are Whites, Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, and more. We also divide ourselves by language, religion, economic status, political affiliation, and even sports team loyalties.

But Christians should allow themselves to be divided by none of those things. As a follower of Jesus Christ you have a spiritual bond with all other believers which is higher, more important, and longer lasting than any artificial manmade issue that could possibly come between us.

African Christians and American Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ. Christians in Hong Kong and Ho Chi Min City have a spiritual bond with Christians in Katmandu and Kalamazoo. The unity believers have in Christ should even transcend the differences between Republicans and Democrats!

You’ve probably heard it said that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. That means that we’re all equal in the eyes of Jesus. On the one hand, you’re not more important because you have a big income, and I’m not less important because I don’t. It means that in the eyes of Jesus the President of the United States has no higher standing than the cashier at Walmart.

But that saying also reminds us that as Christians there is only one thing about us that really matters and that is our faith in Christ. Everything else about us is of lesser importance – much less importance. And since we have that one, most important thing in common, there is nothing else about any other Christians which should be allowed to come between us.

It is unity in Christ that matters.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”

Our Bible verse for today: “You cannot serve both God and money.” Matthew 6:24 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Be careful not to worship the god of money.”

The common everyday language of Jesus’ day was Aramaic. Hebrew was the language of the Old Testament. The official language of the government was Greek. It crossed cultural boundaries and was therefore known by most people regardless of where they came from. Therefore most of the New Testament was written in Greek. But the everyday conversational language of the people of Palestine in that day was Aramaic.

That being the case, when Jesus spoke the words of Matthew 6:24 during the Sermon on the Mount the word He would have used for money would have been the Aramaic word “Mamonas”. In the King James Version of the Bible it is translated as “mammon”.

“Mammon” is a concept which represents the Aramaic understanding of a preoccupation with riches and worldly wealth that leads to unrighteousness and evil conduct. When Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and mammon He was using the concept of mammon as a god that is worshipped and served.

Author Philip Yancey, in his book “Rumors of another World” had an interesting insight about this passage. “Jesus saw money as something to guard against, not desire … He portrayed money as a negative spiritual force, a god named Mammon that pits itself against the kingdom of heaven.”

This is why in 1 Timothy 6:10 the Apostle Paul writes that “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” It is the love of money, not money itself, which is the root of all kinds of evil. Kept in its proper place money, and the things that it can buy, are neutral, they are just tools to be used for a purpose. But when you become preoccupied with the desire for money and for the riches of the world, it then takes on the persona of the demon Mammon and it becomes the driving force for all kinds of evil.

This is a special challenge for Christians who live in the USA. Christians in this country have the highest standard of living of any Christians anywhere in the world. And my goodness, we do like our creature comforts. We do like our big houses, our fancy cars, our refrigerators full of tasty food, our recreational activities, etc. We’re spoiled and we’ve come to expect it as the norm. Therefore we need lots of money in order to continue maintaining our very comfortable lifestyles.

That being the case, money as a neutral tool which can be used for good purposes can easily morph into the demon Mammon who drives us to become preoccupied with an unhealthy lust for more, more, more.

I encourage you to push back against Mammon and his evil intent to be first in your life. I encourage you to intentionally resist his subtle allure. Keep first things first in your life by making the kingdom of God and His righteousness your preoccupation and pursuit. Make Mammon bow before and serve the only One who deserves to be on the throne.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”

Our Bible verse for today: “For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” Ephesians 6:12 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t forget who the real enemy is.”

Welcome to Monday morning! I hope you’re looking forward with eagerness and anticipation to a productive and successful week. If you’re like me, then you probably have a full schedule of tasks, meetings, responsibilities, and yes, challenges, lying before you.

Chances are that not all of those activities are going to go smoothly or well. In all likelihood you will find yourself dealing with unexpected situations, unhelpful or even difficult people, and there will probably some frustrations and disappointments to contend with.

And if you’re like me, your tendency will be to focus specifically on the issues and people who are giving you problems. That’s natural, but it’s also wrong. The truth is that we spend most of our time focused on our struggles in the physical world, when the underlying cause of our difficulties is almost always spiritual.

As you lean into those difficult situations you are surely going to face this week, and as you push through them, I encourage you to remember Paul’s helpful caution in Ephesians 6:12. He reminds us there that we are involved in a spiritual battle. People are not your enemy, not really. There is an enemy of our souls, the devil, who wants us to struggle and fail. Even if he can no longer lay claim to your soul (because you belong to Jesus), he can still harass you and do his best to make you ineffective and miserable. And you can bet that he will!

Paul goes on in that passage to instruct us on how to deal with Satan. He tells us to pray; read your Bible; keep in mind what you are really involved in and who you’re really contending with. The battle is spiritual and the enemy is the devil and his demonic forces.

So in verse 13 Paul tells us to be prepared. In verse 14 he urges us to stand strong. In verse 18 he instructs us to pray at all times. Also in verse 18 he reminds us to stay alert and to persevere. The clear implication is that if we will do that, we will win the battle that really matters, the one that takes place in the spiritual realm. That then will give us victory and success in the physical world too.

As you go through your week I encourage you to remember who the real adversary is, and remember also that the Lord has prepared you and equipped you to be able to deal with him. Your battle is spiritual and your victory will be found in and through Jesus.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first.”

Our Bible verse for today: “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:2-3 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Avoid petty squabbles.”

Have you ever wondered who Euodia and Syntyche were, and what it was they were fighting about? We don’t know anything about them other than that Paul knew them and he was aware of the fact that they were on opposing sides of a public conflict. They were probably the cause of the conflict, and perhaps even leaders of opposing factions within the church.

So in this letter to the church in Philippi he calls these women out publically, and urges the church to help them resolve the conflict and to be reconciled to one another. Paul was also pretty explicit in pointing out that they were not keeping first things first.

In verse two he reminds them that they are Christian sisters and therefore they have to strive for unity and agreement in the Lord. Second, he reminds them that in the past they worked alongside each other, and with Paul, and with the other Christians, for the sake of the Gospel and for the cause of Christ. But now they were obviously allowing some petty secondary issue to disrupt the unity of the church and to distract themselves and others from the things that really mattered.

It was so much of an issue that Paul felt the need to address it in this public record which would ultimately be preserved for all time in the Bible. Ouch. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer to be remembered for other things rather then for being petty and small.

This Sunday, as we gather with our church families, I encourage all of us to give careful thought to the things we will focus on and to how much importance we will assign to them. Only one thing really matters and that is to exalt Jesus and to advance His kingdom. Everything else is small potatoes.  I urge you to keep first things first.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”

Our Bible verse for today: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:33

Our thought for today: “Keep God first in your life and trust Him for everything else.”

We here in the USA are known as a nation of workaholics. The average workweek is now 47.5 hours but it’s not uncommon for some people to work 60-70 hours a week. The recommended maximum number of working hours in order to maintain a balanced and healthy life is 37.

Americans typically take less than two full weeks of vacation each year, and many people leave unused vacation on the books. Studies indicate that a full-time employee really needs three weeks of vacation per year in order to fully decompress and renew, with four weeks being optimum.

Why do we work so hard? Well, to make more money of course. And why do we feel the need to make more money? So we can buy more stuff. And why do we need more stuff? So we can sell it in a yard sale five years from now when we finally come to the point of admitting that we never actually use it.

In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus shows us a better way. In that passage He reminds us that our Father in heaven is fully aware of all our true needs – and He will meet them for us, if we will only make Him and the advance of His kingdom our first priority.

The truth is that we don’t need to kill ourselves working ridiculous hours trying to earn big paychecks just to fill the garage with big boy toys. We don’t even need to fuss and fear about our basic needs. God has us covered. We are to simply put Him and His kingdom interests first in our lives, utilize our time and resources accordingly, and trust Him for everything else.

I encourage you to take your Bible, get away to a quiet place for 15 or 20 minutes, and prayerfully study Matthew 6:25-34. It will give you a new perspective on the things that really matter.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first.”

Our Bible verse for today: “God has made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” Ecclesiastes 7:29 (TEV)

Our thought for today: “If the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy.”

Not too long ago my wife and I came to the conclusion that it’s time to make some significant changes in our lives. For one thing, I’m way too busy. I’m the Pastor of a healthy and dynamic church; and I work for a mission agency planning and leading international mission trips; and I have a jail ministry assisting men with substance abuse problems that are destroying their lives; and then there are household projects; and yard maintenance; and hobbies; and I try hard to be a good husband, and father; and … well, you get the picture. In fact, that probably sounds a lot like your life.

“But those are all good things”, you say. And you’re right, they are. In fact, we can fill our lives with so many good things that we end up missing the God things. Not every good thing is necessarily a God thing – it’s not necessarily something the Lord intends for us to be involved in. Pastor Rick Warren teaches that if you’ve become so busy that you can’t get it all done, then you’re busier than God intends for you to be.

Additionally, we occupy a house that is twice the size we need. To maintain it we probably spend twice the money on living expenses as is really necessary. Two people just don’t need 3000 square feet, 5 bedrooms, and 2 ½ baths. Much of it is wasted space and wasted money. And so, we’re selling it and moving to something smaller, cheaper, and easier to take care of.

I love the way Today’s English Version (the old Good News Bible), translates Ecclesiastes 7:29, “God has made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.” Yup, that describes me. But with Linda’s patient help I’m in the process of correcting it.

Are there some adjustments you need to make in your own life? It really is true that if the devil can’t make you bad, he will settle for making you busy. Either way you end up out of synch with God and less effective than you would otherwise be.

Keep first things first. Don’t let good things get in the way of God things.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”

Our Bible verse for today: “Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do what is good or to do what is evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. After looking around at them with anger and sorrow at the hardness of their hearts, He told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” Mark 3:4-5 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “People matter more than ritual.”

The Pharisees were rule keepers and fanatical observers of ritual and tradition. In their minds observing the rules and abiding by the traditions was the ultimate in religious piety – even if it meant neglecting the needs of people.

Such was the case in Mark chapter three. Jesus entered a synagogue on the Sabbath day. There was a paralyzed man who needed healing. But healing was a form of work, and work was forbidden on the Sabbath. So according to the logic of the Pharisees, it would be better for the man to remain paralyzed, perhaps for the rest of his life, than for Jesus to heal him (thereby performing a kind of work and breaking a religious rule).

But to Jesus this was absurd. The Pharisees had twisted and distorted the meaning of God’s command to observe the Sabbath. They had turned it into something very different from what God intended. The Sabbath, and the prohibition against working on the Sabbath, was intended to be a benefit to people not a hindrance to their healing. In another similar instance Jesus would address this same issue with the statement, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees had it backwards. They were allowing lesser important things (observing rules) to get in the way of more important things (caring for people).

I love the true story of Pastor Chuck Smith, the founder of the Calvary Chapel system of churches. In the late 1960s, as a young pastor, Chuck started reaching out to the Hippies hanging out at the beach in their southern California town. As he won them to faith in Jesus they started coming to his church on Sunday mornings. But the deacons didn’t like it. The Hippies were dirty and they smelled bad. Worse, their dirty bare feet were soiling the nice carpets.

The deacons complained to Pastor Chuck and insisted something needed to be done about this. Chuck agreed. And so the next Sunday, when the deacons arrived for church, they discovered that their precious carpets had been removed and there was now nothing but a cement floor. Needless to say, Chuck didn’t last much longer as the pastor of that church. But he did go on to have a powerful ministry that started literally hundreds of other churches, a Bible college, a television station, a Christian record label, and much more. Well, so much for petty religious rules.

When it comes to keeping first things first we need to remember that people matter more than ritual.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”

Our Bible verse for today: “But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.” Revelation 2:4-5 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Return to your first love.”

I love spending time with new Christians; their enthusiasm and sense of wonder is so encouraging and infectious. The Holy Spirit is at work in their lives, the Bible has come alive to them, there seem to be new spiritual revelations coming to them faster than they can take them in, and they have all the wonder and joy of a kid on Christmas morning.

I remember what that was like. You probably do too. Those early days when we were new in the faith were times of eager discovery. I felt like I had wasted most of my life up to that point and I was eager to make up for it – I couldn’t stop reading the Bible and I wanted to be in church every time the doors were opened.

But like many Christians, in time the sense of enthusiasm, wonder, and discovery started to fade. I found the practice of my faith starting to become a matter of routine and consequently, a bit dull. I probably would not have described it as having lost my first love, but evidently that is how Jesus would describe it.

Jesus spoke the words of Revelation 2:4-5 to the church in Ephesus. They were Christians. But they had allowed the cares of life and the busyness of daily living to blunt their sensitivity to the things of the Spirit. Their awareness of and their appreciation for the awe and wonder and discovery that should be the norm for Christian living had grown dim and dull.

We need to guard against this. We must keep first things first. Jesus must remain the most important person in our lives. Caring for our relationship with Him must be the most important thing we do every day. Prayer and Bible reading first thing in the morning are more important than that extra 30 minutes of sleep. Meeting with your church family and fully participating in the life of your church is more important than recreation or hobbies or whatever else you might be tempted to do with that time instead.

Like any relationship, our relationship with the Lord will grow stale and weak through neglect. I encourage you to keep Him first in all things. And if He has slipped from that position in your life, the I urge you to return to your first love – your most important love.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction. For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers, by members of Chloe’s household, that there is rivalry among you.” 1 Corinthians 1:10-11 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We must not allow small things to become big things.”

We have been commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ to be salt and light in the world, to be “fishers of men”. But there’s an old adage about this which is very true. It says, “When fishermen don’t fish, they fight.” It’s true of fishermen and it’s true of Christians.

Our primary purpose in the world, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to be on-mission in the world helping to build His kingdom. We are to minister to people in need and share the Good News of the Gospel. That’s the main reason Jesus left us here after He saved us. At the moment of salvation He could have immediately whisked us off to heaven, but He didn’t. He left us here on earth to carry on His work for Him. We are to minister to others, tell them about Jesus, and draw them into the kingdom too. Jesus called it being fishers of men.

But if we don’t stay focused on our primary task, we end up focused instead on frivolous things which don’t really matter and which don’t deserve our attention. Sadly, just like those fishermen, when Christians lose sight of what they’re really supposed to be doing, they inevitably find things to fight about.

It’s disturbing how many churches fight and ultimately split. There was another one in our town just a couple of months ago. I think that makes five in the last five years (and we’re a very small town). The fights are seldom over things like “Why aren’t we baptizing more people?” More often it’s about the color of the carpet, or who ate the last piece of chicken at the potluck, or some equally inane nonsense.

A church fellowship is a fragile thing and can be easily broken if it isn’t properly cared for and handled gently. Some of you reading this right now are members of churches that have split, or are in danger of splitting, or are currently fighting about something. It’s all too common.

All this month we’re going to talk about the importance of keeping first things first, and how we can avoid allowing small things to become big things.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first.”

Our Bible verse for today: “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a blanket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We must stay focused on the things that really matter.”

We live in a world that is quite literally “going to hell in a hand basket.” All around us every day there are broken families; we see lives destroyed by substance abuse; there is crime and corruption; people suffer from sickness, disease, hunger, and social injustice; and we see moral decline beyond anything previous generations could have imagined. And, everyday innumerable souls are lost to an eternity in hell.

God’s answer to the horror of the human condition is His Church. The followers of His Son Jesus Christ have been commissioned to go into all the world, bless people with acts of mercy and compassion in the Name of Jesus, and tell them the Good News of the Gospel. God’s answer to the problems of the world is you and me – the Church.

Unfortunately many churches, and many individual Christians, are focused on other things, often silly things. Much of their time and attention is focused inward on their own lives and on their own church life. In their personal lives they’ve allowed themselves to become overwhelmed with the busyness of daily living. When it comes to church life they’re often preoccupied with personal preferences, styles of ministry, social events, and many other minor issues, while the world around them is dying.

Today more than ever it is crucial for individual Christians to stay focused first and foremost on the things that have eternal value, rather than on the temporary and less important issues of daily life. In our church life we have to ensure that we don’t allow ourselves to become little more than a social club with religious overtones; and we have to guard against allowing silly issues, personal preferences, and petty squabbles to disrupt the fellowship and distract us from our first and most important priority of shining the light of Jesus in a dark and dying world.

We will spend our time together this month thinking about what it means for Christians to keep first things first.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim