Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Bless those who curse you.”

On Wednesday June 17^th, at approximately 8:00 PM, a mentally disturbed twenty-one year old white man by the name of Dylann Roof entered a prayer meeting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The members of the all-black congregation welcomed him and invited him to participate in their prayer meeting and Bible study.

For almost an hour he sat quietly in the back pew watching and listening, not saying anything. Then around 9:00 he got up, pulled out a loaded handgun, and proceeded to murder the Pastor and eight other church members. As he was doing so he reportedly made racist remarks and accused blacks in general of “raping our women”.

It was a horrible tragedy that rocked our nation and took the lives of some very good people. Two days later, after Roof had been captured and appeared in court to be arraigned, members of the church were present in the courtroom and they were allowed to speak to the murderer. What they said shocked many people.

Instead of angrily condemning him or tearfully accusing him of his vile crimes, the members of the church said “Dylann we forgive you.” “We’re praying for you.” “We’re asking God to bless your family.” “Jesus loves you Dylann”.

Yes, they spoke words of forgiveness and blessing upon the one who had inflicted so much pain and heartache upon them. It’s not what anyone expected and it grabbed a lot of people’s attention. In fact, their response was the lead story in television news casts across the country and it was the front page headline in many newspapers.

This is the kind of thing Peter was calling for in 1 Peter 3:9. It’s what he also wrote about a few paragraphs earlier in 1 Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though you accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

During his murderous rant Dylann had wrongly accused the people of “raping our women”. The people in that church of course had done no such thing. He wrongly accused them; he visited great evil upon them; but they responded to him with forgiveness and blessings. And their response brought glory to God.

It’s not easy to respond the way those church members did. It takes extraordinary spiritual strength and a highly developed sense of compassion to speak and act like that in the midst of your own pain and despair. Where does that ability come from? It comes from the Holy Spirit. It’s the fruit of a mature faith. It comes from lots of prayer and from a refusal to harbor bitterness or hatred. And it comes from a willingness to let God be the Judge.

That kind of strength and compassion is extraordinary and in fact, it is other-worldly. But it’s what God calls for from us and it is what the Holy Spirit empowers us to do if we only will.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!” Habakkuk 3:17-18 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “The Bible teaches us how to be a hopeful realist.”

This morning when I read the above passage from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, it reminded me of something else I read recently from Scott Sauls’ book “Jesus outside the Lines.”

Scott writes about the fact that far too many Christians attempt to portray what he calls a “pie in the sky”, “happy clappy” brand of Christianity. Regardless of how bad things are, they paste a phony smile on their face and they rely on superficial “Bible Band-Aids”. They say things like, “Well, God is good all the time; and all the time God is good!”

Well, yes. Ok. That’s true. But is that really how God expects us to respond to obvious hardship, pain, and suffering – with a phony smile and empty clichés? What do you do then with Bible passages like David’s mournful lament in Psalm 13:1 “Lord, how long will You forget me? How long will I store up anxious concerns within me, agony in my mind every day?” Or how about Jesus’ cry from the cross “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

No phony smiles or happy clappy nonsense there. That is real, raw, honest anguish from suffering people. So apparently then, it’s ok to be real and honest? We don’t have to pretend everything is just fine and dandy when it really isn’t? Yes, it’s ok.

This is what we read from the prophet Habakkuk. Things weren’t fine and dandy. They were a mess, and he said so. All four chapters of his little book record a time of suffering and fear for the people of Israel, and of confusion and frustration for Habakkuk. But he also records his unfailing trust in God and his hope for the future. Habakkuk learned what another Old Testament prophet had also recorded for us, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him.” Nahum 1:7

What we’re about reading there is hopeful realism. It’s an honest declaration of how things really are, alongside an acknowledgement that God is sovereign and good and that we can trust Him.

The Bible doesn’t teach us to rely on superficial Bible Band-Aids or empty pie in the sky clichés. We are not to be phony people with fake smiles. We are to be realists … but “hopeful” realists.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “The one who walks with the wise will become wise.” Proverbs 13:20 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We can learn to be strong and compassionate by being with those who are strong and compassionate.”

I’m so grateful for the people God has put into my life over the years whom He has used to model Christian character for me and to point me in the right direction. While I am personally responsible for my own character flaws and weaknesses, if there is any good in me I have to give the credit to those whom God used to influence me in good ways.

In Proverbs 13:20 Solomon says that if we want to become wise we should spend time with those who are wise. When he writes of wisdom he’s not referring to an accumulation of knowledge, but rather the ability to see things for what they really are and then to make good decisions based upon common sense, sound reasoning, and most importantly, Biblical values. We learn to be wise like that by spending lots of time with other people who already are.

The same lesson holds true for strength and compassion. We learn to be strong and compassionate by spending time with those who already are. We listen to them, observe their lives, and join them in ministry activities. In most churches there is usually a small group of people who fit this description. I encourage you to seek them out and make them your companions.

Another way to spend time with the strong and compassionate is to read about them on the pages of the Bible. I’m speaking of important Biblical figures like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Jesus and Paul. The great thing about reading the Bible is that it enables us to enter into the lives of the people we read about. We may not be able to spend time with the physical Jesus, but we can thoughtfully and prayerfully spend time with Him on the pages of the Bible, imagining ourselves right there with Him, learning from Him and then striving to conduct ourselves like Him.

If you want to be Biblically wise then spend time with others who already are. And likewise, if you want to learn how to be strong and compassionate in the way the Bible portrays strength and compassion, spend time with people who have already learned to live that way.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “The kind of strength that matters is the kind that comes from God.”

Yesterday was Father’s Day. In churches all across the land sermons were preached about what it means to be a godly man. Much was probably said about character and integrity, faithfulness and dependability, grace under pressure, God-honoring homes, strong marriages, and much more. And certainly, in many of those sermons, there was probably some teaching about the virtues of strength and compassion.

All of those character traits are important and they’re commonly found in good godly men. But contrast that portrait with the man in the lyrics of an old song by rock singer Bonnie Tyler. In her hit “I Need a Hero” she sang,

“Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?

Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need.

I need a hero. I’m holding out for a hero
‘Til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong
And he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight.
I need a hero …”

The man Bonnie Tyler sang about is the myth-man perpetrated by modern culture. He’s the GQ model in stylish clothes driving a fast sports car and vacationing in exotic locations.

Unfortunately he is also the man many women seek, and who many men pretend to be. But he is a myth. And usually women discover that too late. Usually it’s only after they have been hurt and abandoned, sometimes to raise the kids alone, that they begin to realize there is actually a different kind of man who makes a much better husband and a much better father. He’s the godly man. He’s the man who loves Jesus. He’s the man who reads His Bible, takes His family to church, and who genuinely strives to be a faithful follower of Christ.

Our churches are filled with women who have experienced life with both kinds of men. Ask them which they prefer. Ask them what matters more to them now, GQ stylish, or faithfulness, dependability, kindness, consideration, and compassion.

Go ahead, ask them. I think I know how they’ll respond. They found their hero – but not on the pages of GQ magazine. They found him in church.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion:

Our Bible verse for today: “If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.” James 2:15-17 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Real strength shows itself in acts of compassion to those in need.”

Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time in gyms that cater to serious weight lifters – especially on military bases. As a result, I’ve come to know a lot of men who are physically very strong. Most of those guys are fine men who are simply trying to stay physically fit. Unfortunately some of them are macho meatheads who are entirely too impressed with themselves. In their cases their great physical strength has resulted in what I consider to be serious character flaws. They may be physically strong, but they are weak in the much more important area of character development.

Similarly, for the last twenty years I’ve spent a lot of time with a wide variety of Christian leaders including pastors, missionaries, authors, deacons, etc. Most of them are fine Christians who faithfully and humbly serve Jesus and other people. Unfortunately some others are dogmatic, overly-opinionated, and unnecessarily confrontational. These men and women have developed a very narrow perspective of the Christian faith that doesn’t allow room for anyone who sees things differently than they do. Usually these people are pushy and overbearing, cold and demanding, and often they think of themselves as being very strong in the faith. But like our muscle-bound meathead friends, these hard-shell Christians are actually weaker in the faith not stronger.

The model of Jesus and the teaching of the New Testament actually call us to a different kind of strength. This is a strength that results in compassionate service to others. It is a strength that is clothed in a quiet sense of humility and a genuine desire to bless others. It is strength in the way that Jesus was strong.

This is what James was writing about in James 2:15-17. Words are cheap, it’s action that matters. If our faith is genuine and strong it will prove itself through compassionate acts to those in need. The easy thing to do in such cases is to mutter some empty and meaningless words of “blessing” and then quickly be on your way, leaving the person no better off than they were before you met them. In a spiritual sense, in terms of living your faith, this is a sign of weakness. The harder, but more Biblically correct action is to actually do something to help them.

Rather than speaking words of blessing I encourage you to be the blessing. A strong faith proves itself through humble acts of compassion to those in need.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Making a lasting difference usually takes time.”

 

At CERT International we have been sending small medical and dental teams into the restricted region of the Amazon Jungle to conduct free medical and dental clinics for the Machiguenga Indians for more than 15 years. Although the healthcare was needed, and it did make a difference, our ultimate goal was to share the Gospel and lead people to faith in Christ. That, however, proved to be extremely difficult.

 

One of the restrictions the Peruvian government places upon our teams in order to go into the restricted region is that we can not openly proselytize. If the Indians initiate the conversation by asking questions about our faith, then we are free to answer their questions. But we cannot be the ones to start it. As a result, there was very little spiritual progress made for most of those 15 years. Or so we thought.

 

In February 2015 our team discovered a new spiritual openness among the Indians which we had never seen before. They did ask questions, there was an interest in the Gospel, and the mayor of one village even encouraged us to talk to his people. In that village they are now constructing a small chapel.

 

It turns out that over all those years the Holy Spirit was using the faithful and compassionate service of our team members to make an impression on the hearts of the Indians. And in time, their resistance faded and the fruit was reaped.

 

Author Eric Greitens, sharing his own observations about work in long-term refugee camps wrote, “Great things are won and lasting things are built not in a flash of action but in a long, slow, quiet series of everyday acts performed over a lifetime of steady effort. It is, in fact, the courage to do the thing that we must do, day after day, that enables us to meet the greatest challenges. Lives flourish and justice is done by the steady force of human beings who proceed with a quiet, persistent courage.”

 

It’s easy to get discouraged when it seems as if our best efforts are producing little. But many times it’s simply a matter of keeping at it and in time, the results will come. I encourage you to hang in there and keep doing the thing God has called you to do. Whatever it is, don’t give up. Do what you need to do; do it with strength and compassion and persistence; and trust the Lord for the outcome. Making a lasting difference usually takes time.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For God did not give us a spirit of fearfulness (or timidity), but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Doing the right thing is often hard and it takes courage.”

 

Sometimes compassion doesn’t look compassionate. Sometimes, to the person on the receiving end, it can be painful and seem harsh. A good example of that is tough love. Tough love requires us to take strong actions (such as disciplinary action) in an effort to address the wrong and potentially destructive behavior of someone we love and care about. Our actions may seem harsh to the recipient, and yet it is driven by love and concern. It’s an act of compassion but it probably doesn’t feel that way to them.

 

It takes strength and resolve and even courage to love someone enough to do this. I read a great statement about this just the other day. The writer said, “Real love stands against that which would destroy the beloved.”

 

Yes, if someone I love and care about is taking an action or exhibiting behavior that is wrong or is going to harm them, I’m going to take a stand against it. But doing so probably won’t be easy. I will have to be strong and determined, and I will have to do it even though it might not seem loving and compassionate to the other person at that time.

 

This is what Paul was trying to teach young Timothy when he wrote 2 Timothy 1:7. God empowers us with the strength to stand against those things which might harm or destroy those we love and care about.

 

Speaking truth, taking disciplinary action, and engaging in tough love, are actually acts of genuine compassion, but it’s compassion with a hard edge and it requires strength and courage. Don’t be afraid and don’t be timid about it. God will enable you to say what needs to be said and to do what needs to be done.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Be intentional about becoming progressively stronger and more compassionate.”

 

How do we become good at anything? By practice. The more we do something the better we become at it. The same is true for the virtues of strength and compassion. The more we intentionally cultivate them, the more they will be evident in our lives.

 

In Philippians 2:12-13 Paul exhorts us to “work out” our salvation. He didn’t mean that we have to work “for” our salvation but that since we are saved, the evidence of that salvation should become more and more apparent in our lives. And when he writes that we are to work it out “with fear and trembling”, he’s not talking about being afraid and shaking in our boots. He’s writing about the Biblical fear of God (an awareness of His majesty and a healthy respect for His awesomeness). Paul’s meaning is that we are to work out our salvation on a daily basis with a clear understanding that it is Almighty God Himself who is working in us and leading us to accomplish His purposes.

 

Part of that “working out” of our salvation will include an intentional effort to be strong and compassionate. This is something that is practiced and which grows day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month, and year-after-year. It is the accumulated effect of sustained growth over long periods of time. It’s something we desire, pray about, and intentionally strive to incorporate into the practice of our faith. The ongoing development of strength and compassion then becomes a way of life.

 

Patient and faithful discipleship over time leads to a stronger and more compassionate follower of Christ. I encourage you to be intentional about becoming progressively stronger and more compassionate.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “Then the king promoted Daniel, gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.” Daniel 2:48 (NRSV)

Our thought for today: “Being strong and compassionate has a positive influence on those around us.”

The story of Daniel is a great illustration of the kind of influence we can have on others by demonstrating strength and compassion over a sustained period of time.

Daniel was a slave in the empire of Babylon. He had been assigned to serve in the palace of the king and was expected to follow the lifestyle (an unhealthy and unholy one) established by the king’s administrators. But rather than defile himself, he courageously asked to be allowed to remain faithful to the practices he believed to be right and true. He promised that by doing so he would excel in the king’s service. And he did. Ultimately he was promoted to the highest levels of government and served as a key advisor to the king.

If you read the story of Daniel you find that he was a strong and courageous man who was also fair and compassionate. Throughout the telling of the story, which spans decades of time, we consistently see Daniel displaying strength of character. Never do we see him falter and never do we see him acting in an unkind or unfair way. We also never read of him abusing his power or using it for his own benefit.

He was strong in the ways that mattered, and at the same time he was also compassionate and kind. As a result, Daniel had a tremendous amount of influence over everyone around him. People noticed the kind of man he was and they were impressed.

The same can be true for you and me. You may never be an advisor to a king like Daniel was, but when the people around you see that you are a man or woman of integrity, a person with the strength of character to courageously take a stand for what is important to you, and that you have a deeply ingrained sense of fairness and compassion, your influence upon them will be real and significant.

God can use such men and women. They are the ones who have the greatest influence for good in their homes, in their neighborhoods, in the workplace, and in the church. Society is a better place because of the Daniel’s among us. Becoming one is a worthy goal.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

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: “Pray for strength and compassion.

In one of the articles he wrote for “Christianity Today” magazine, Philip Yancey made an interesting and somewhat surprising personal confession. He wrote of how at one point in his life he took stock of where he was in terms of Christian maturity. When he conducted that honest self-assessment he was startled to have to admit that he was, in his own words, “selfish, joyless, loveless, and lacking in compassion.”

As a self-assessment tool Philip used Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23. Those are the character traits the Holy Spirit brings out in the life of a Christian as that person grows in spiritual maturity and progressively becomes more Christ-like. When Philip honestly assessed himself in that way he had to admit that with the possible exception of self-control, he lacked evidence of all nine of the fruits in his life.

Deeply convicted and somewhat ashamed, Philip adopted the practice of praying Galatians 5:22-23 everyday. On his knees before the Lord he specifically prayed that God would develop these character traits in his life. Philip wrote of how he came to realize that the fruit of the Spirit cannot be developed in the life of a person by an act of that person’s will. In other words, you don’t get the fruit just because you decide you want it. It’s not something you can do for yourself. The development of those character traits comes about as the Holy Spirit is given free reign to work in your life and to develop your spiritual maturity. And so, Philip prayed. And in time, the growth came.

What does this have to do with our theme of “strength and compassion”? Go back and read that list of fruit of the Spirit again. When we talk about strength we’re not talking about physical strength but spiritual strength. We’re talking about a person who is strong in the Spirit. And compassion – that comes in increasing measure as the Spirit works in and through us. The character traits listed by Paul in that passage describe a person who is spiritually mature, strong, confident, kind, and yes, compassionate.

I encourage you to make Galatians 5:22-23 a regular part of your prayer life. Ask God to develop those traits in you more and more.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim