Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Healthy Living”

Our Bible verse for today: “Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually.” 3 John 2 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God wants us to take care of ourselves.”

This Sunday evening at Oak Hill Baptist (January 4th), we are going to begin a group study of Rick Warren’s program “The Daniel Plan”. The Daniel Plan is a “whole life” Bible study which is designed to help us to get and stay healthy in all areas of life. The five main areas of emphasis are faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends.

As Rick explains in the book, he realized the need for such a study on a day when he was baptizing a large number of people. In the middle of doing so it occurred to him that the majority of the people were overweight, many of them seriously so, including himself. Now please note that when Rick made that observation he was not being critical, it was simply an observation of fact. I’ve met Rick several times and I can tell you that he is an extraordinarily nice and kind man. Weight control has been a struggle for him his entire life and he freely admits it’s as much of a problem for him as it is for others.

Rick points out in his book that obesity has become such a problem in our society that now, for the first time in history, as many people suffer from consuming too much food as do from malnutrition. Seven in ten Americans are overweight; diabetes, heart disease, and other life-style based diseases now kill more people than infectious diseases do.

It was out of that realization that the Daniel Plan was born. But Rick also realized that just being physically healthy isn’t enough. As humans we are body, mind, and spirit and therefore in order to be truly healthy, we must be healthy in all of those areas. So he assembled a group of subject-matter experts and they went to work to develop this plan which simply and effectively addresses the whole person.

In order to support and reinforce what we will be learning in our study, the Daily Devotionals for this month will all be drawn from the Daniel Plan. I hope you will join us for the study. We will meet every Sunday evening at 6:00 at Oak Hill Baptist.  You can find more information, and the associated resources, on the Daniel Plan website at http://www.danielplan.com. The study guide, daily journal, and Daniel Plan book are also available on the shelf in all LifeWay bookstores.

Also, for the next six Sunday mornings at OHBC the sermons will all be on subjects related to healthy living.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The Lord’s Presence”

Our Bible verse for today: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” Romans 8:35 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Nothing in all creation can separate the Christian from God.”

Romans 8:35-39 is one of the most reassuring passages in the New Testament. Picking it up in verses 37-39: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.”

Please don’t miss Paul’s progression in that passage. He begins in verse 35 by posing the question, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” He then mentions some typical challenges we all face in life such as trouble and hardship, persecution, hunger, danger, etc. And he quickly rules them all out. Surely such simple, transitory, and temporary things like that could never move us out of the realm of being loved and cared for by our Savior.

But then Paul’s rhetoric really takes off as he tells us that beyond those common trials and tribulations of life which are routinely experienced by everyone in the physical realm, there is also nothing in the spiritual realm that can get between us and God. Angels can’t and demons can’t. In fact there are no powers that are strong enough to snatch us away from our Lord. There is no height high enough, no depth low enough, nothing that exists in the present, and nothing that will ever exist in the future, which will be able to take us away from Jesus.

Paul says that once you are “in” Christ (once you belong to Him), He will never ever let you go. You are His and there is no circumstance, no power, nothing in this world and nothing in the next, which can do anything to change it. He gave His life to save you, His Holy Spirit worked hard to draw you to Him, and now that He has you He will never let you go.

Any time you are feeling alone and wondering where God is, remember this passage in Romans. God is with you even if you aren’t aware of His presence in that moment. You are His and He will never let you go.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The Lord’s Presence”

Our Bible verse for today: “Those who know Your name trust in You because You have not abandoned those who seek You, Yahweh.” Psalm 9:10 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God rewards those who seek Him.”

One of the great truths revealed to us in the Bible is that God desires to have fellowship with us. If we will simply seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us. In Jeremiah 29:13 we read, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

In Jeremiah 33:3 God says, “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you did not know.” In 1 Chronicles 28:9 King David instructed his son Solomon regarding the Lord’s presence, “If you seek Him, He will be found by you.” And in Psalm 9:10 David affirmed how pleased God is when His people seek His presence. He does not abandon those who place their faith in Him.

The truth is that God greatly desires fellowship with us. He is always working to get our attention and draw us to Himself. If you sincerely seek Him you are sure to find Him because it’s what He wants to begin with.

Your Heavenly Father loves you more than you can even begin to imagine; nothing gives Him more pleasure than for His children to simply be with Him. As a father myself, I can relate to that. I can remember many times when my children were young that one of them would climb up on the couch, snuggle up next to me, and just sit there. They didn’t want anything, they weren’t interested in doing anything, they didn’t even necessarily want to talk – they just wanted to be close to me. Even the memory of it warms my heart.

God is like that. He just wants you to be with Him; He just wants you to want Him as much as He wants you. If you seek Him you will find Him because He wants to be found by you.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The Lord’s Presence”

Our Bible verse for today: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8

Our thought for today: “We have a responsibility to stay close to God.”

You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker which reads “If God seems far away, guess who moved?” It’s a cliché but there’s also a lot of truth to it. The implication is that if God seems far away then it’s probably your own fault. The testimony of Scripture is that God wants to be close to us and He wants us to be aware of His presence. For the most part, if we’re not experiencing the presence of the Lord it’s either because we’re living in sin, or because we’re not doing the things necessary to cultivate an awareness of the Lord’s presence with us.

Admittedly there are times in every Christian life when God allows us to go through periods when He seems far away. Saint John of the Cross was a sixteenth century Christian mystic who wrote the classic work “The Dark Night of the Soul”. John was a Carmelite monk living in a monastery in Spain. His entire life was devoted to practicing the presence of God. He spent many hours every day in prayer, Bible reading, and worship. But still he went through periods when God seemed very distant. He called these times his “dark night of the soul” and he concluded that God allowed such times into our lives in order to create within us a deeper longing for His presence. It’s the old notion that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

So yes, sometimes God does withdraw our awareness of His presence for a short period just to remind us of what life is like without Him. But those times are the exception and usually they are rare.

Much more often, if God seems distant it’s because we have allowed unrepentant sin into our lives or we are not engaging in regular spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, worship, and fellowship. We have a responsibility to place ourselves in a position before God whereby He can cultivate within us a deep awareness of His presence. That’s what James meant when he wrote, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

Do you have some goals for your spiritual growth in 2015? When it comes to incorporating spiritual disciplines into our lives we have to be thoughtful and intentional. Also, from time to time we need to shake things up just to stay fresh.

Beginning next Sunday evening, January 4th, at 6:00 at Oak Hill Baptist we will begin a group study of “The Daniel Plan”. It is a plan designed to help us achieve a healthy balance in five key areas of life, including how we practice our faith. If you study with us you will get some fresh ideas regarding how to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence. I encourage you to join us.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The Presence of the Lord”

Our Bible verse for today: “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.” Psalm 27:10 (NLT)

Our thought for today: “We need never doubt the presence of the Lord.”

One of the saddest and most common stories people tell is about losing someone close whom they depended on. A spouse bails out of a marriage; a parent deserts a child; siblings fight and don’t speak to each other for thirty years; friends let you down.

There are few people in life we can truly count on to be there for us no matter what. But God can always be counted on. He will never leave us. This is one of the most common themes repeated over and over again all throughout both the Old and New Testaments. In Psalm 27:10 it was King David affirming the Lord’s dependable presence. In Hebrews 13:5 it was the writer to the Hebrews. In Matthew 28:20 it was Jesus Himself assuring us that He would be with us always.

Being left alone by the ones we depended on, and feeling lonely as a result, can be a troubling and depressing situation. But the Lord will be there for us to fill that emptiness with an awareness of His own presence with us.

As we approach Sunday, I want to remind us all of an important truth that has already been addressed in a previous devotional message on this subject of the Lord’s presence. Very often the way the Lord manifests His presence to us in through other Christians. One of the reasons God places us in church families is so that we don’t have to be alone. This is what Jesus was talking about in Mark 3:34-35 when He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! Whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”

He was talking about Christians.

If you don’t already have a church family then we invite you to join us at Oak Hill Baptist. Sunday school begins at 9:00 and worship is at 10:00. It could be that the way He intends to hold you close to Him (Psalm 27:10), and experience His presence with you, is through the warm embrace of a good church family.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The Lord’s Presence”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “God is with you and He will help you do what you need to do.”

As we approach the New Year many of us will be thinking about making New Year’s resolutions or incorporating some changes into our lives. Usually we’re aware of our need to change in some area of life but the challenge of doing so just seems too big and daunting.

Perhaps we need to lose some weight and exercise more so we’ll be healthier. Maybe our faith-life needs a kick-start. You may need some new financial habits so you will be a better steward of the money God has entrusted you with.

The truth is that all of us have areas in our lives which could use a tune-up. New Years is a great time to evaluate where we are in life, identify areas which need improvement, and then set some goals and make some plans which will help us in those areas.

This Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist the sermon will be about getting 2015 off to a good start by doing this very thing. We will consider some encouraging words from the Apostle Paul and we will discuss some strategies for change and growth. I will also introduce “The Daniel Plan” by Rick Warren.

The Daniel Plan is designed to help us make the needed adjustments in key areas so that our life is balanced and healthy. The key areas of life that the plan addresses are Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus, and Friends. It involves daily study and activities individually, and a group meeting on Sunday evenings. Please join us this Sunday, December 28th, at 10:00 to learn more. We will actually begin the Daniel Plan with a group meeting on Sunday January 4th at 6:00.

All of us have areas of weakness in our lives which we need to improve upon, and there is nothing we’re dealing with that God cannot and will not help us with (see Isaiah 41:10 above). Our God is with us and our God helps us. That wonderful truth should give us a great sense of hope for the future.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The Lord’s Presence”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name Him Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “The incarnation of Christ is the greatest miracle in history”

On this Christmas Eve morning, as we’re preparing to celebrate the birth of the Christ child, I’m reminded of what the writer Jerry Bridges once wrote: “God’s plan and His ways of working out His plan are frequently beyond our ability to fathom and understand. We must learn to trust when we don’t understand.”

That would certainly pertain to the birth of Jesus. The fact that God Himself, in the person of the Son, would leave the glory of heaven, place Himself within the body of a human infant, and actually become one of His own creations, is just too much to wrap our minds around. How that could be possible, and that God would actually do such a thing, is beyond our human understanding.

And that is the problem. The incarnation is just too much for some people to believe in. But God knew that would be so and therefore to make it a little easier for us to accept the fact of the incarnation, God provided us with proof. Writer Josh McDowell calls it “Jesus’ address in history”. He writes:

“God wrote an address in history to single out His Son, the Messiah, the Savior of mankind, from anyone who has ever lived in history – past, present, or future. The specifics of this address can be found in the Old Testament, a document written over a period of a thousand years, which contains more than three hundred references to His coming. Using the science of probability, we find the chances of just forty-eight of those prophecies being fulfilled in one person to be right at one in 10 to the 157^th power (a one followed by 157 zeros!)”

As difficult as it might be to believe that God would do this for us, the fact is that He did. The birth of Jesus is an historical reality that is provable and well documented. As we celebrate His birth we do so with the sure knowledge that the incarnation is the greatest miracle in all of history.

Tonight at Oak Hill Baptist we will celebrate this miracle with a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. It will begin at 5:30 and we want to invite everyone to join us as we celebrate the great truth of the incarnation of Jesus; Immanuel – God is with us!

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The Presence of the Lord”

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord was with Joseph.” Genesis 39:2 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “The Lord is with you even in (especially in) the most difficult of circumstances.”

The Old Testament hero Joseph is a powerful and encouraging example of the presence of God. The story is told in Genesis chapters 37-50. The short version is that Joseph endured many years of unfair treatment, extreme trials, and plenty of suffering. But he did so with a firm resolve to honor God with his conduct and to trust God for the outcome. God was pleased by Joseph’s faith and obedience and blessed him with protection, provisions, a sense of peace, and a great awareness of His presence with him.

Although Joseph wasn’t happy about his situation, he realized that God was Sovereign over all the circumstances of his life and he determined that he would honor God no matter what he was faced with. He did so with such integrity and with so much loyalty to his God that everyone around him noticed.

As Joseph’ story on the pages of Genesis unfolds, we come to realize that his times of trial and testing were actually God’s way of preparing him for what was to come. God had a great role for Joseph to play in the history of Israel, but before he would be ready for it he had to develop the toughness, the perseverance, and the wisdom that would be learned in the fires of adversity.

Joseph’s disciplined life allowed him to live with God through the ups and downs of daily life no matter how tough and difficult it got. And the more he did that, the more real the presence of God became to him.

If you are going through the fires of adversity in your life right now, I encourage you to look for God in the middle of it. He is there. Resolve that you will honor Him in how you handle yourself; trust that He will walk with you through this; and stay aware of His presence with you.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The Presence of the Lord”

Our Bible verse for today: “The mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then My faithful love for you will remain.” Isaiah 54:10 (NLT)

Our thought for today: “Be Jesus to someone who is struggling.”

As we begin the week of Christmas there will be much celebrating and festivities. Most people will be in high spirits – but not all people. For many, Christmas is a time of increased loneliness and depression.

Some have lost loved ones over the past year and the thought of going through this season of celebration without that loved one is almost more than they can bear. Others live alone and are lonely as a daily reality all throughout the year but at Christmastime, with its increased emphasis on family gatherings and fun times with good friends, the fact that they don’t have family or friends becomes increasingly obvious and even more painful.

It’s easy for people in those situations to feel unlovable and deficient in some way. They begin to feel as if since everyone else has family and friends and they don’t, there must be something wrong with them. And if everyone else can be so happy but they can’t, they feel that their life must be of a lower quality and of lesser value. This is why there are so many suicides this time of year.

The truth is that every person is of inestimable value to God and is greatly loved by Him. He wants to be present to them in a real way and He wants them to be aware of His love for them. But has been noted so many times before, the love of God is most often manifested in real and tangible ways through the people of God. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. It is through us that He ministers to the hurting, provides for the needy, and comforts the lonely. This is the work and the mission of the church (maybe especially at Christmastime when it is needed more than ever).

Look around you today; consider the people the Lord has placed in your path; ask Him to make you aware of someone who is sad and lonely and struggling through this season of festivity and joy. I encourage all of us, as the followers of Jesus, to show the love of Jesus to someone who is hurting at struggling. You may be their lifeline. It could be through you that that person realizes God really is with us.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “The Presence of the Lord”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “Being with Jesus makes all the difference.”

 

Throughout Scripture we read of how when someone had been in the presence of God, it made all the difference in their lives. In Genesis 26:28 it was said of Abraham, “We have clearly seen how the Lord has been with you” (HCSB). Over and over again we read in the story of Joseph that the Lord was with him and it showed in how he conducted himself even in the worst of circumstances.

 

In Exodus 34:29 we read of how when Moses had been in the presence of the Lord his face shone to the point that everyone noticed. The prophet Isaiah had an encounter with the Lord which altered the course of his entire life (Isaiah 6:1-13); and Daniel and his three friends were so in-tune with God that they stood head and shoulders above their contemporaries (Daniel 1:15).

 

Acts 4:13 is just one of the many instances recorded in the New Testament where the presence of the Lord in a believer’s life made a startling and undeniable difference. This should be true of us too. The presence of the Lord in our lives should be obvious and undeniable. This is what Jesus was calling for when in Matthew 5:16 He told us to let our light shine among men.

 

How does it happen? It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. It’s not something we can manifest in ourselves through an act of our own will. It’s what Paul was writing about in Galatians 5:16 when he urged us to live by the Spirit. When we do that, it is the fruit of the Spirit which begins to show in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). This is the observable and undeniable proof that we have been with Jesus and that His Spirit lives within us: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

 

Can people see Jesus in you? Is His presence in your life an observable and undeniable reality?

 

This Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist we will celebrate the reality of the incarnation of our Lord – “Immanuel: God with us”. We would love to have you celebrate with us. Sunday school is at 9:00 and the Christmas Service, beginning with two baptisms, a special presentation from the choir, and a Christmas message, all begin at 10:00. On Christmas Eve we will have a candlelight service beginning at 5:30. The incarnation is a wonderful reality which deserves to be celebrated. Please join us.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim