Devotional for Saturday and Sunday March 7-8

Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Confidence”
Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.” Hebrews 4:16 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Thanks to Jesus we can enter into God’s presence with confidence.”
I love The Amplified Bible and use it frequently in my own study. The Amplified Bible is a translation of the Bible which uses all the English words necessary to capture the full meaning of the original Biblical languages. Doing so often results in clumsy and complex sentences in English, but the benefit is that all the English words needed to fully communicate the intended meaning are used.
In the Amplified Bible Hebrews 4:16 reads like this:
“Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy (for our failures) and find grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it).
In Old Testament times the people of God approached Him with fear and trembling. So much so that once each year, when the High Priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies (the inner most sanctum of the Temple), they tied a rope around his ankle and bells to the ends of his robe. The purpose of the bells was so that the other priests, waiting outside, could hear him moving inside the Holy of Holies and therefore they knew that God had not struck him dead. If the noise of the bells stopped, they knew he was dead and then the rope could be used to pull his carcass out without anyone else having to risk their own lives by going in to retrieve him.
But in the New Testament Jesus has made it possible for the people of God to approach God with boldness and confidence. We are welcomed at the throne of Grace. God the Father smiles at our approach, opens His arms, and joyfully welcomes us. Jesus made that possible for us.
As you go to your private times of prayer, and to the gathering of your church family this Sunday, do so with the sure and confident knowledge that God welcomes you and He is glad you have come.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Friday March 6th

Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Confidence”
Our Bible verse for today: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)
Our thought for today: “Just get started and then have confidence in the Lord.”
Zechariah was an Old Testament prophet who was part of the group who returned to Jerusalem after King Cyrus of Persia granted the Jews permission to rebuild the city and the temple. He was a priest and a leader among the people. He was also one of those responsible for supervising the building of the second temple which came to be known as Zerubbabel’s Temple.
If you’re familiar with the story then you know that the Jews were faced with a monumental and extremely difficult task. The city and the temple were in ruins, they were surrounded by enemies who did not want them to succeed, and the Jews were small in number. But the Lord told them to simply start the work, be faithful in it, and trust Him to help them complete it. They were to have confidence in Him, not in themselves or in their circumstances, and also not in their resources.
Their story is our story. We too are often faced with seemingly impossible challenges. But just like the Israelites in the days of Zechariah, we too must have confidence in the Lord. This morning I want to offer you four great Bible verses which I hope you will find encouraging as you faithfully push forward in dealing with the challenges you face:

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
“It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)
“I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Thursday March 5th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Confidence”

Our Bible verse for today: “God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “God is your refuge and strength.”

Psalm 46 is not only a source of great assurance for those faced with difficult circumstances, but it’s also a confidence-builder. Let’s take a closer look at it:

In verse one the Psalmist reminds us that even in times of trouble (maybe especially in times of trouble) the Lord is our refuge and our strength. That means that we’re not dependent on others or even on ourselves for protection and strength. God’s got your back!

Then in verses two through nine the Psalmist recites a list of examples of the kinds of dangerous and fearful circumstances a person could find themselves in. He writes of earthquakes and storms, of raging seas, riots, and wars. But then in verse ten he gives some of the best advice Scripture has to offer: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

That’s it, “Just be still, be quiet, and remember who I am.” He is the God who reigns supreme over all creation. He is the God who placed the stars in the sky, filled the sea with fish, and He hung the sun and the moon. This is the God who parted the Red Sea, raised Jesus from the dead, and numbered all the days of your life even before the first one began. He is the God who hears the cry of a newborn baby and sees a single sparrow when it falls from the sky. And He is the God who is sovereign over every event in your life. Not only does He rule over all the events of your life, but He is aware of them and He has complete control over them.

So your confidence should not be in your own abilities or in the resources available to you; and it also should not be in other people. Your confidence should be in the Lord.

The Psalmist ends us in verse 11 where he started us in verse 1, with the assurance that God is always with us and He is our protector, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

Amen and Amen.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Wednesday March 4th

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Confidence”

Our Bible verse for today: “When it was day, He went out and made His way to a deserted place. But the crowds were searching for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving them. But He said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.” Luke 4:42-43 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Sometimes we have to have the confidence to say “no”.

As I read the Gospel accounts one of the things I find amazing about Jesus, and which we often miss, is how many times He essentially said “no” to people. In the case of the scene in Luke 4:42-43, the crowds insisted that Jesus stay with them and continue to meet their needs. But He said “no” and walked away. There were other things He needed to do and so even though there were still sick people who had yet to be healed, demoniacs who had yet to be delivered, people to be taught, visited, etc., Jesus left those things undone and moved on.

This isn’t the only time He did that. Despite the expectations and demands placed on Him by others, and even though their needs may have been legitimate, Jesus had the confidence to say “no” to the good, so He could focus on the best. And even though He probably left behind people who were disgruntled and grumbling because He didn’t visit with them, or didn’t do for them the things they thought He should have, Jesus shrugged it off and moved on.

Pastor and author Max Lucado tells about a time in his own ministry when he was so overwhelmed and so drained that he was seriously thinking about giving it all up. So he sat down with a wise friend to try to think through “why” he was so overwhelmed and drained. First they started by considering what Max’s strengths in ministry were and what things brought him the most joy and fulfillment. In Max’s case those things were studying, preaching, teaching, and writing. Those are the things God has called and equipped Max for.

Then they considered Max’s calendar from the previous six months to see how he had been spending the majority of his time. It turned out that his time had been consumed with committee meetings, building issues, church financial matters, and countless hours filled with counseling sessions, home and hospital visits, as well as all sorts of administrative duties.

When the friend asked Max why he was allowing so much of his time to be consumed by things other than the primary work God had called him to and equipped him for Max said, “Well, people expect me to do those things.”

Fortunately for Max he learned an important lesson from the example of Jesus. He quickly realized that he needed to have the confidence to focus on the things God had called him to and equipped him for, and leave the other activities to other people. Yes, some people grumbled about it, but they grumbled at Jesus too. Nobody can do everything; nobody can be all things to all people; and so we need to focus on what God has called us to and equipped us for, and leave the other things to other people. Even if it means that those other things don’t get done at all.

Sometimes we have to have the confidence to just say “no”.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Tuesday March 3rd

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Confidence”

Our Bible verse for today: “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” Mark 6:31 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Being well-rested will increase your confidence.”

Have you ever gotten to the point where you were so busy for so long that you were physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually drained? You were running on fumes, scraping the bottom of the barrel, feeling like you had nothing more to give? What did that do for your confidence level?

Do you sometimes feel as if you are trying to do so many things at once that you no longer have enough time or attention for them all? When that happens, you end up doing a lot of things poorly rather than any of them well. That then leaves you feeling guilty, dissatisfied, and it saps your confidence.

Interestingly, as busy as He was, even with all the demands and expectations placed on Him, we never read of this happening to Jesus. Somehow He always seemed to have it all together and He never got flustered. Yes it’s true that He was God in a human body, but there’s more to it than that. He may have been God in a human body, but it was a human body after all, and so He still had physical limitations just as you and I do. His secret? He rested.

In Mark chapter six we find Jesus fully into His ministry years; traveling from village to village; swarmed by crowds everywhere He went; an endless stream of sick people wanting healing, demon possessed people in need of deliverance, critics needing a good slap (just kidding); and thick-headed disciples who needed to have lessons re-taught to them over and over again. Not only would such a regime be wearing on Jesus, but it would be exhausting for those working alongside Him too.

And so in Mark 6:31 Jesus gathers up His disciples, leaves the pressing crowds behind, and He takes a short vacation. He deserved it; He needed it; and so did those working with Him. And this wasn’t an isolated incident. The evidence in the Gospels leads us to understand that Jesus frequently gave Himself and others plenty of time to rest and recuperate.

This is instructive for us. We need to take breaks and get away from it all. If we don’t, not only will we end up out of gas and therefore ineffective, but it will impact our confidence as well. Taking the breaks you need in order to be well-rested and recharged is one of the best things you can do to help keep your confidence up.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Monday March 2nd

Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Confidence”
Our Bible verse for today: “For you are my hope, Lord God, my confidence from my youth.” Psalm 71:5 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Be confident in God.”
How confident are you, and in who or what does your confidence lie? Some people are very self-confident. In fact, they’re so confident in their own skills and abilities that they become over-confident, to the point of being cocky about it. God has a word for such people, it’s found in Proverbs 16:18 and it reads like this: “Pride comes before destruction and an arrogant spirit before a fall.”
On the other end of the spectrum are those who are deeply insecure and lack confidence altogether. God has a word for them too. We find it in Isaiah 41: 10: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you: I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.”
That’s what the Psalmist was talking about in Psalm 71. Verse five is merely a snippet of the profound truth he expresses for twenty-four verses – his faith and confidence is in God not in himself. He had learned from his earliest days as a child that as long as he was walking closely with God, it was neither his own strengths nor his weaknesses that mattered. God was his strength, his guide and his protector. Therefore his confidence was in what God could do, not in what he could do. 
If you see yourself as a muscle-bound Charles Atlas, capable of handling everything and holding up the world, you’re deceived and headed for a fall. If you see yourself as a meek and mild, sniveling and cowering Casper Milquetoast, capable of nothing and afraid of everything, you too have lost sight of what’s true. Walk closely with God, rely on His strength and on His ability and your confidence will be in Him, not in yourself.
All this month we will explore the theme of confidence – what it is and where we get it. I look forward to learning and growing with you.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Saturday February 28th and Sunday March 1st

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Success”

Our Bible verse for today: “You are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God.” 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

Our thought for today: “Real success is fulfilling God’s purpose for you.”
Today we conclude two months of devotional thinking about living a healthy and balanced life, and what it means to be successful according to God’s standards. It has all been about simply being the best “you” you can be. The goal is not to be perfect, nor is it to become like anyone else. Each of us is to be so in synch with God that it is His good and perfect plan that is being fulfilled in our lives.
In 1 Peter 2:9 Peter tells us, the people of God, that we are a chosen people. God has selected us to be His priests, His ministers, a holy nation. And the reason He has done so is so that we can show others the goodness, the greatness, of God. In other words, the world around us is to learn about God by listening to and observing us.
This is when we are at our best. When the light of Jesus shines through us; when the goodness and grace and mercy and compassion of God is evident to the world through the words and actions of the people of God; then God is glorified and we have fulfilled our true purpose.
What does this mean for you as an individual? Let me say it again, “Just be the best “you” you can be. Take care of yourself. Stay as healthy as you can for as long as you can. Discover your uniqueness. Seek out and develop the gifts, skills and abilities that God has given you, and then spend your life using them to bless others and to honor Him. Be intentional about your spiritual growth. By means of prayer and Bible study, service and fellowship, place yourself in a position before God everyday whereby He can mold you and shape you into the person He wants you to be.
Forget the lies of the world regarding money and possessions, accolades and status. Real success means fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. If you’re still a little confused about what that might be, or if you would just like to explore it a little more fully, I invite you to join us at Oak Hill Baptist Church on Sunday evenings at 6:00 beginning Sunday March 22nd. As a group we will spend six weeks studying “What in the World Am I Here For?” This is the updated version of Rick Warren’s “The Purpose Driven Life”. It’s going to be a great time of discovery for all of us. Please plan to join us.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Friday February 27th

Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Success”
Our Bible verse for today: “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, knowledge in all kinds of crafts – to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.” Exodus 31:2-5 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Every skill and ability can be used for the glory of God.”
The story is told about the great sculptor and painter Michelangelo. He was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint a small scene on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican. However once Michelangelo got started on the work, he became so engrossed in it that he couldn’t stop painting. He ended up painting for four straight years, over 400 Biblical figures, and he created one of the greatest pieces of Christian art there has ever been.
Michelangelo had artistic skills which he utilized to the best of his ability for the glory of God. His story reminds me of another. A church I used to Pastor in California was located on the corner of the busiest intersection in town. Every Christmas we held a Live Nativity Scene that included a full size manager, costumed actors, and even live animals.
Over the years of putting up and taking down the big manager, it had become loose in the joints and was a bit unstable. A man in the church with superb carpentry skills decided he was going to build a new one. I helped. (Actually I stood there and passed him the nails).
I was amazed at the precision and attention to detail he applied to the job. The man explained that although there were many things he could not do, carpentry was a skill he did have and he was therefore determined to use that skill for the glory of the Lord (and he was satisfied with nothing less than his own best effort.)
Whatever your skill is, whatever it is that you do well, I encourage you to identify that thing and then utilize it for the glory of God. You are needed. Your skills are needed. Whoever you are and whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. That is what it means to be truly successful.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Thursday February 26th

Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Success”
Our Bible verse for today: “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work – this is a gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 5:19 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Enjoying what you do is a mark of success.”
Do you enjoy your work? Many people don’t. It’s estimated that two-thirds of Americans are in the wrong job for their skill-set, and one-third report that they actually hate their job. Many others succeed in the work world in that they get promotions and make money, but they’re not fulfilled, satisfied, or happy. Most suicides occur on Sunday nights and most heart attacks occur on Monday mornings.
That’s pretty sad stuff considering that the average American will spend something like 83,000 hours on the job over the course of their working years.
In Ecclesiastes 5:19 Solomon reminds us that if you are content and happy with your work you should recognize it as a gift from God. (Amen!) But wait, does this mean that God chooses to bless some people with happy and satisfying careers and everyone else is just out of luck? “Too bad, so sad, better luck next time.”?
No, I don’t think so. Please remember from previous devotionals in this series that God created you as a unique individual with specific skills, abilities, and talents. Remember the lessons about finding your “sweet spot”, the thing you love to do and which brings you great joy and satisfaction. Sadly, most people never do discover that sweet spot; or they never pursue it.
When I was a young man a very wise career counselor gave me some great advice. He said, “Jim, discover the thing you love to do then figure out a way to get someone to pay you to do it.” It was great advice. (Did I mention that as you’re reading this I’m in a boat on a river in the Amazon Rainforest? It’s a wonderful adventure and they actually pay me to do this!)
Success in life is not a matter of making a lot of money or attaining prestigious positions. The key is finding happiness and contentment in what you do. That’s true whether we’re talking about a job, a hobby, a volunteer position at church, or any other activity. Find the things you are good at and enjoy doing, then apply yourself to those. Then you will be successful in the ways that truly matter. More on this tomorrow.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Wednesday February 25th

Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Success”
Our Bible verse for today: “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Success begins with taking delight in the Lord.”
I love the promise of Psalm 37:4, the Lord will give me the desires of my heart. Yea! I have lots of desires in my heart and I’m looking forward to the Lord giving me all of them!
But wait, that’s not exactly all that the verse says and it’s also not exactly what it means. The Lord will give me the desires of my heart, yes, but first I am to take delight in Him.
The dictionary says that to delight yourself in something is to derive great pleasure and joy from it. Synonyms for delight include enjoy, appreciate, love, relish, revel in, indulge in, and feast on.
So … I am to enjoy, appreciate, love, relish, revel in, indulge in, feast on, and derive great pleasure and joy in the Lord, and then He will give me the desires of my heart. But wait, there’s more. The editors of the Holman Christian Study Bible explain that the Hebrew words used here mean that, “When there is close fellowship with Yahweh, a person’s heart’s desires will match God’s will and purposes.”
Putting all of this together I discover that when I am completely enraptured with God, in such close fellowship with Him that I am delighting in Him with love and relish and all the other descriptive words used above, the desires of my heart will match God’s will and purposes. “Then” He will work to fulfill those desires because they come from His will and purpose.
So the end result is not that God has finally come around and agreed to give me what I want, but my heart has changed and the things I want are now consistent with God’s will. And it all grew out of me delighting myself in Him.
A successful life isn’t a matter of me getting the things I want. A successful life is a matter of me wanting the things God desires to give me. It’s all about me (and you) being in synch with God. We have to spend time with Him, think about Him, worship Him, take delight in who He is and what He’s like, giving Him glory and praise. When your heart is His, He will change your heart. And from that will flow a life that is truly successful in the ways that matter to God.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim