Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Remaining enthusiastic will sometimes mean doing nothing.”

If you’re enthusiastic about something that means you’ll be busily involved in activities related to that something, right? Not necessarily. In fact, sometimes exactly the opposite is true.

Lately my own life has felt a lot like the Disneyland attraction “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”. It’s just been a twisting, turning, whirlwind of activity. But most of the activity has been for things that are important to me, much of which I enjoy. Serving in the church, preaching, teaching, leading a mission team to Haiti, writing, and even moving into a new home and selling the old one. (Ok, the moving part isn’t so enjoyable but still, it is important to me.)

So if you’re involved in all sorts of things you enjoy and which are important to you, and if you’re level of enthusiasm is high, then you’re good-to-go, right? Well yes, maybe, for a while. But even Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride only lasts for a short time and then the twisting and turning stops, you get off, and you return to a more balanced and stable state of equilibrium. If you didn’t, the twisting and turning, swirling and whirling, would soon make you sick and you would then no longer be very enthusiastic about the ride.

This morning, as part of my morning devotional time, I began re-reading one of my all time favorite devotional books, “Intimacy with the Almighty” by Pastor Chuck Swindoll. The book makes the case for stopping the ride and regaining your balance by spending extra quality time with God. Deep time. Quiet time. Slow time.

But wait, you don’t have the time to spend extra time, quality time, deep time. The ride is spinning too fast and there doesn’t seem to be a chance to get off. Yup. Been there, done that, got the tee shirt.

But the truth is that you can make it stop. You can get off. Just do it. If you don’t you’ll get sick, or tired, or both. Then you’ll no longer be effective and you certainly won’t be enthusiastic.

I like roller coasters, and whitewater kayaking, and sky diving and yes, even Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Those things are fun and adventurous, and they give me an adrenaline rush. I like it. I look forward to it with eager and enthusiastic anticipation.

So too, a life filled with lots of meaningful and challenging activities can be a good thing. But not endlessly. Sometimes the ride needs to slow down and even stop. Even though your busy schedule is filled with things that matter and which you love – things you’re enthusiastic about – you need interludes of peaceful inactivity, times when it’s just you and God – quiet, slow, renewing and refreshing.

Remaining enthusiastic about life in general, and about important things in particular, will sometimes involve doing nothing for a while – and that’s ok.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “When Solomon finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the Lord, he got up from kneeling before the altar of the Lord, with his hands spread out toward heaven, and he stood and blessed the whole congregation of Israel with a loud voice: ‘May the Lord be praised! He has given rest to His people Israel according to all He has said. Not one of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses has failed.” 1 Kings 8:54-56 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Passionate prayer fuels enthusiastic faith”

Have you seen the movie “The War Room”? It’s a great Christian film that vividly portrays the power and effectiveness of enthusiastic, passionate, heartfelt prayer. The movie serves to remind us that when God’s people pray, things happen.

In 1 Kings Chapter eight the nation of Israel, under the leadership of King Solomon, has just completed building the temple of the Lord. Now they are in the process of dedicating it and in chapter eight, we find the king on his knees at the altar in an extended time of prayer. In the prayer Solomon reviews the history of the nation and the faithfulness of God to them, and he pleads for God’s continued blessing upon the nation. Then, he stands and addresses the people. I like the way The Message paraphrase of the Bible renders this passage:

“Having finished praying to God – all these bold and passionate prayers – Solomon stood up before God’s Altar where he had been kneeling all this time, his arms stretched to heaven. Standing, he blessed the whole congregation of Israel, blessing them at the top of his lungs.”

This was an inspiring and motivational time for them. It was followed by a magnificent worship service complete with extensive sacrifices and special offerings.

Solomon was a God-fearing and dedicated servant of both God and of the people. His enthusiastic leadership was fueled by deep, passionate, extended prayer. Prayer – sincere and meaningful and passionate, can have that effect.

I encourage you to see the movie “The War Room”. It will inspire you to pray more and better. I also encourage you to read the book. The book tells the story in even greater detail and so there’s more we can learn from it than from the movie. And then, pray. Pray a lot. Pray with enthusiasm and pray that God will increase your enthusiasm.

Finally, if your church family meets for regular times of group prayer then I encourage you to participate in it. If your church doesn’t have group prayer meetings you should start one. At Oak Hill Baptist our regular prayer meetings are Wednesday night at 6:00 and Sunday morning at 8:30. We would love to have you join us. It will boost your enthusiasm.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “A song to our strong God! A shout to the God of Jacob! Anthems from the choir, music from the band, sweet sounds from the lute and harp, trumpets and trombones and horns: it’s festival day, a feast day to God!” Psalm 81:1-3 (The Message)

Our thought for today: “Worship with enthusiasm.”

For the last half of 2015 I’m reading through “The Message” in my personal daily devotional time. “The Message” is a paraphrase of the Bible which is designed to capture the essence of the Biblical passage in colorful and poetic language.

My reading today included Psalm 81, which is essentially a picture of a joyful and enthusiastic worship service. As I read it I was reminded of a scene I witnessed and participated in on my recent mission trip to Haiti. On both Sunday mornings that our team was in Port-au-Prince, we participated in the four hour early morning service in the mother church in the district of Waney. The church meets in a large tent because the church building had been damaged by the earthquake five years earlier.

The place was packed to overflowing and spilling out into the ally. The 2000 – 3000 people were joyful and animated in their worship. There was even one lady who brought her own trumpet (she was not in the band, just one of the worshippers). Periodically throughout the music service she would start playing along with the praise band from her seat. She would stand, tilt her head back, raise the trumpet towards heaven, and just wail away on that thing – as an act of worship.

This is the kind of scene being described in Psalm 81. It was loud, it was animated, it was joyful, and it was from the heart.

I’m not necessarily advocating for church members to bring their trumpets to church. In fact, I’m not making a case here for any particular style of worship service. But what I do hope to illustrate, both from the excerpt of Psalm 81 and from the example of the worship service in Haiti, is the importance of giving ourselves fully to God in the act of worship.

If for you that means raising your hands, blowing a trumpet, or doing summersaults down the aisle, that’s fine (as long as that’s appropriate in your worship setting). Or maybe you are more reserved like me and while you’re not very demonstrative outwardly, in your mind and heart you are fully engaged. Whatever the case, I encourage you to focus fully and enthusiastically on worshipping our strong and mighty God.

When we participate in worship we’re in the presence of God, interacting with Him in a manner intended to convey our heartfelt love, adoration, and thankfulness. We should do so enthusiastically, with our mind and heart fully focused on Him. I encourage you to worship Him with enthusiasm.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “The slacker does not plow during planting season; at harvest time he looks, and there is nothing.” Proverbs 20:4 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Nothing kills enthusiasm like procrastination.”

Over the years I’ve known many enthusiastic people who had big dreams and lofty goals. When they talked about the things they wanted to do and achieve they would glow with eager anticipation as they painted a wonderful picture of a full and successful life filled with adventure and accomplishments.

But over time it became obvious that it was just talk. Their big dreams were actually pipe dreams. Their lofty goals were more like wishful thinking. The glow of eager anticipation was a fantasy rather than a realistic likelihood.

But the reason for their lack of achievement wasn’t that they “couldn’t” do it. The reason was that they “wouldn’t” do it. They procrastinated. When it came to actually walking-it-out and taking the action necessary to achieve the things they were dreaming about, they would find excuse after excuse to put it off. It was the Scarlett O’Hara syndrome, “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” Or more precisely, “I’ll start on that tomorrow.” But of course when tomorrow came there was always another reason to put it off for another day.

The end result was a life of unfulfilled dreams and unachieved goals. And again, the reason wasn’t because they couldn’t have done it. The reason was that they simply didn’t do it. They didn’t even try. They procrastinated endlessly until finally their eager anticipation of what could be, slowly morphed into sad remorse of what could have been if only …. If only. If only they had done it instead of just talked about it. If only they had stopped making excuses and started making progress. If only …

Nothing kills-off enthusiasm like procrastination. Put a thing off long enough and your zest and zeal for it will slowly diminish into a dying ember of long lost dreams and unachieved aspirations.

If you’re enthusiastic for something now, then just do it now. Start walking-it-out. Take the first steps towards achieving it. Then take the second step, and the third, and then keep taking steps forward. The more forward progress you make the more you will feed your enthusiasm for it and the more progress you will continue to make. But the more you put it off and procrastinate, the less likely you become of ever achieving it.

The slacker in Proverbs 20:4 would surely have liked an abundant harvest, but he didn’t do the work in order to get an abundant harvest. So when harvest time came, he had nothing.

Don’t be that guy. Don’t be the slacker. Ask God to give you enthusiasm for the right things, and then act on that enthusiasm.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord also spoke to Moses: “Look, I have appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for mounting, and to carve wood for work in every craft.” Exodus 31:1-5 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Do the things God created you to do.”

Yesterday we considered the truth from Colossians 3:23-24 that even when we’re faced with unpleasant tasks which we would rather not do, we can still do them with enthusiasm and excellence if we realize we are doing them for the Lord Jesus and not for men. That’s an important and helpful truth for us to keep in mind.

However, if given the choice it is always better to do the things you love, the things God designed you to do. That’s when you will be at your best and happiest. It’s also when you will feel the most fulfilled.

In Exodus 31:1-5 we read of a man named Bezalel whom God endowed with the skills of a master craftsman. Bezalel then employed his God-given talents in the construction of the Temple for God’s people to worship in. That was a worthy effort on his part and probably brought him great joy and a sense of fulfillment.

What are the things God has designed you to be good at? I praise God for the Bezalel’s in our church. They are men and women with the skills of craftsmanship and art and interior design. They love what they do; they’re good at it and they keep our church facilities functional and looking nice. Our church family is blessed by their ministry efforts.

Others have the gift of music, or teaching, or serving. They utilize those skills for the glory of God and as a means of blessing others. And, they themselves are blessed and fulfilled and happy in the process because they’re doing something they love to do.

The same truth holds with respect to earning a living. Far too many people go to work everyday to a job they hate. How much better-off they would be if they had taken the time to identify their true heart’s desire and then received the education and training to make their living in a profession more suited to their skills and interests. I can tell you from personal experience that a job becomes a joy when you’re doing the thing God has called you to and equipped you for.

Whether we’re talking about a profession, a ministry activity, or a household chore, it’s a lot easier to be enthusiastic about it if you’re doing something God designed you for. I encourage you to discover the true desires of your heart, the things God has designed you to enjoy and be good at, and then throw yourself into doing those things.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Jesus deserves our best effort.”

Why should Christians approach all of life with enthusiasm and a strong determination to excel? The short answer is “Because the Bible says so.” Bible scholars agree that Paul probably originally wrote this passage in Colossians with actual Christian slaves in mind. Because they were slaves, and therefore had nothing to personally gain from their labor, they were often lazy and tried to get away with doing as little as possible. So Paul exhorted them to change their attitudes and strive for excellence in all they were doing.

But this is also a command that applies to all Christians, everywhere, all the time, regardless of your station in life and regardless of what your particular activity is at the moment.

Please note how Paul began his command in verse 23: “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically…” He didn’t single out specific acts of what we commonly consider to be “ministry” as the things we need to do enthusiastically. He said “whatever” you do, do it enthusiastically. That means teaching your Sunday school class on Sunday, and it means helping your co-worker on Monday. It means cleaning the windows in the church buildings during a work day, and it means mowing your lawn. It means paying your tithe, and paying your electric bill. Do it all as if Jesus Himself were the direct recipient of your actions.

The Amplified Bible is a special translation which uses all the English words needed in order to capture the full meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words used in the original writing of the Bible. Using all the English words can sometimes result in clumsy and cumbersome sentences, but it does help to impart the full meaning of the text. Here is how the Amplified Bible translates Paul’s command in Colossians 3:23-24:

“Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as (something done) for the Lord and not for men. Knowing (with all certainty) that it is from the Lord (and not from men) that you will receive the inheritance which is your (real) reward. (The One Whom) you are actually serving (is) the Lord Christ (the Messiah).

Scripture is clear that life is a gift from God and not only is it to be cherished, but it is also to be lived fully and well. So be enthusiastic, and whatever you’re involved in do it well.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “God has great plans for you.”

Why should Christians be positive, enthusiastic, and hopeful? Because God has a purpose and a good plan for you, that’s why. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my personal life verses. It helps me to remember that God has a plan and a purpose for my life and that the Holy Spirit is always at work guiding and directing me to fulfill the purposes of God.

Granted, I have to cooperate with Him. I have to be sensitive and obedient to His guiding and directing but when I am, it will be the plans and purposes of God which unfold in my life. That’s something to be excited about it. It’s a cause for hope and eager expectation. It’s the primary reason we should approach life with enthusiasm. God’s plan is always best. It might not always be easy, but it is best. The safest place for any of us to ever be is right in the middle of God’s will. That will always lead us to the best life it is possible for us to have.

I’m in full agreement with the great singer and actress Ethel Waters who once said, “Honey, God don’t sponsor no flops!” In other words, if you are faithfully living the life God has chosen for you then you are a raging success story. That being the case, you can approach everyday enthusiastically, knowing that you will be walking the path God has chosen for you.

Do your best to prayerfully seek the will of God for your life. Then enthusiastically and faithfully walk it out everyday. You might not have full understanding and a crystal clear path forward. Just do your best and trust Him to guide you. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us:

“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.” (NIV)

God has a great plan for you, and you should be excited about it!

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again. But I’m in the very presence of God – oh, how refreshing it is! I’ve made Lord God my home. God, I’m telling the world what you do!” Psalm 73:25-28 (The Message)

Our thought for today: “The more we rely on God, the more we realize that He is all we really need.”

Those of you who were at Oak Hill Baptist on Sunday October 4^th for the mission trip report from our Haiti mission team, or if you viewed it online on our church website (www.oakhillbaptist.net), you know that during my message I used Psalm 73 in it’s entirety as my text.

I did that because it so vividly portrays what is true about the Christian community in Haiti. Even though those believers live in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, and even though most of them live in plywood shacks or even tent homes, in a nation where the average annual family income is only $1600, they have a joy in the Lord and enthusiasm for His work that is truly exceptional.

How is it possible for Christians in such desperate circumstances to be so happy, so focused on God, and so enthusiastic about being involved in His kingdom-building work? Psalm 73 explains it well. In verses 1-2 the Psalmist declares definitively that God is good –always, all the time and in all circumstances. Then he recounts a time when he had shifted his focus to the things of the world instead of the things of God and when he did, he lost his joy – he found himself being envious of the rich and bitter about his own circumstances. But then he entered the sanctuary of the Lord and returned his thoughts completely to God and God’s kingdom and when he did that, His whole attitude changed. His joy returned.

Please note, his circumstances had not changed at all. But his heart did. He shifted his focus from his circumstances to his Lord and when he did that, his joy and his enthusiasm returned and he was able to proclaim, “I’m in the presence of God – oh how refreshing it is!”

Enthusiasm for the Lord and for His agenda in the world is a matter of heart and mind. It’s a question of priorities and what we choose to focus on. When we come to the point where we can honestly declare with the Psalmist, “You’re re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth”, we’ll discover that our circumstances, whatever they are, matter a lot less.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve of the heart, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.” Acts 11:23-24 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Enthusiasm is encouraging.”

I love Barnabas. He was known in the early church as “The son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). The people admired him for his generosity, his integrity, his willingness to be a friend to those who were shunned by others, and because he was a great encourager in the church. So much so that in Acts chapter 11 we find the leaders in the mother church in Jerusalem sending Barnabas to visit a new church in Antioch, which evidently needed a shot-in-the-arm of encouragement and enthusiasm.

I love the way “The Message” translates these verses. “The Message” isn’t an actual translation of the Bible, it’s a paraphrase. The author’s intent was to use colorful and poetic language to capture the essence of what transpires in the Biblical scene. Here’s how he described this scene with Barnabas in the Antioch church in Acts 11:23-24:

“When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on things. As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging them to stay with it the rest of their lives. He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit’s ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master.”

What a great picture of an encouraging and enthusiastic person having a profound impact on a church. He saw that God was at work among them and so “he threw himself in with them,” “got behind them”, “urging them to stay with it …” And the result was that “The community grew large and strong in the Master.”

What impact are you having on your church? Are you an encouraging and enthusiastic force for good? Is your church alive and dynamic and growing as a result of the way God uses you and works through you in that congregation?

Barnabas is a great example of the truth that enthusiasm is contagious and encouraging. When you gather with your church family this Sunday make it a point to follow the example of Barnabas by being an enthusiastic encourager.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Enthusiasm”

Our Bible verse for today: “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We become enthusiastic by being around enthusiastic people.”

I have recently returned from leading a mission team to Haiti. Again on this mission trip I witnessed two truths that prove themselves on every mission trip. The first is that the mission often ends up being more about what God wanted to do in you rather than through you. As a team member on a short-term mission God will certainly use you to be a blessing to those He sent you to minister to. But often the greater works ends up being in your own heart as a result of what you experience on the mission trip.

The second truth, which is directly connected to the first, involves a promise that we at CERT International frequently make to pastors of churches here in the USA. “If you send your church members on a short-term mission trip with us, we will bring them back to you as better church members.”

Haiti is by far the most impoverished nation in the Western Hemisphere, but spiritually it is rich. The Holy Spirit of God is doing a mighty work in Haiti. There is revival in the churches and spiritual awakening across the country. The churches are filled to overflowing and the Christians of Haiti are on-fire. There is a passion and enthusiasm for the things of God that is startling and exciting. And that brings me back to the two truths I referred to above, and it also brings us to the subject of our devotional theme, “enthusiasm”.

I for one was greatly impacted by the enthusiasm for God and for His kingdom-building work that I experienced in the worship services in Haiti. My heart was stirred and I was quickly caught-up in it. I myself became more enthusiastic as a result of being around all those enthusiastic people. God worked in my heart and I came home changed.

The fact is that enthusiasm is contagious. We become more enthusiastic by being around others who are enthusiastic. If you want to become more enthusiastic in your relationship with God and for His kingdom-building work, just hang-out with people who are already enthusiastic like that.

This is what the writer to the letter to the Hebrews meant when he wrote in 10:24-25 about Christians encouraging one another and spurring each other on to love and good deeds.

This Sunday morning at 10:00 at Oak Hill Baptist Church our mission team to Haiti will give their mission trip report. We’ll show pictures and tell stories of what God did, and of how we were impacted by being a part of it. If you want to be inspired and encouraged, if you want your own level of enthusiasm for God and for His kingdom-building work around the world to receive a boost, I invite you to join us.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim