Good Morning Everyone,

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

Our Bible verse for today: “So Lot chose the entire Jordan Valley for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities of the valley and set up his tent near Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning greatly against the Lord.” Genesis 13:11-13 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t drift away from the Lord.”

If you’ve read the book of Genesis then you are probably familiar with the story of Lot. Lot was the nephew of Abraham and since his own parents died when he was young, Lot was raised in Abraham’s household.

When Lot got older he chose to move away from Abraham and he settled in the vicinity of two very evil places, Sodom and Gomorrah. He went there because the grass seemed greener and he thought it was an appealing place to live.

At first he simply pitched his tents “near” Sodom. But as we follow the story we discover that before long he moves into the city itself. Then he becomes increasingly comfortable there, making friends and establishing a nice life. Over time he became so integrated into the community that he arranged marriages for his daughters with young men from that evil place.

There’s no indication that Lot himself ever actually participated in the evil practices of Sodom, but he clearly became very comfortable with all that was going on around him. Even when the angels sent by the Lord to destroy the place urged Lot to gather up his family and to flee to avoid the coming destruction, Lot lingered. He was so attached to the place that he had to be prodded by the angels to get out. In the end Lot lost his wife, his home, all of his possessions, and he became involved in incestuous sexual relations with his two daughters.

Lot’s primary mistake was that he slowly but surely and progressively, drifted away from the secure and supportive community of faith he had enjoyed when he lived with Abraham. Had Lot at least stayed close to Abraham, had he made it a point to have ongoing and continuing fellowship with Abraham, he probably would have avoided getting sucked into the evil environment of Sodom.

The lesson for us? Stay in church! Don’t drift away from your safe, secure, and supportive community of faith. The Lord’s strong presence is manifested among His people. When you drift away from your church and begin spending your time out there in the world, you open yourself up to all the things Lot found himself surrounded by. People who drift away from church typically rationalize it by saying, “Well, I still read my Bible and pray.” That’s nice, I’m sure Lot did too.

The Lord’s presence and His strong influence in our lives is often manifested through other Christians. We all need to be in church.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

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

Our Bible verse for today: “God set’s the lonely in families.” Psalm 68:6 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “The Lord’s presence is often manifested through other Christians.”

The poet John Milton once observed, “Loneliness is the first thing which God’s eye named not good.” He was referring to the creation account in Genesis. As God’s creative endeavors progressed and new elements of His creation came into being, He declared them all to be “good”. The first thing His eye fell upon which He declared to be “not good” was the fact that Adam was alone (Genesis 2:18). And so God created Eve to keep Adam company and to make his coffee, prepare his meals, clean his house, and, well, you get the idea.

Seriously though, God created us as relational beings and therefore it is not good for us to be alone, at least not for extended periods of time and not on a continuous basis. We need companionship.

Yesterday we considered the reality of the ongoing, never-ending presence of the Lord. The truth is that He is always with us and therefore we are never really alone. But we also need the presence and companionship of other people. Spouses, children, grandchildren, and other blood relatives are often an excellent and much needed source of companionship. Close friends too. But not everyone has a spouse or children or grandchildren. Some people don’t even have friends. And that can be a lonely existence.

This is where the church becomes so vital. The church can and should be the place where the lonely are welcomed – the place where they find a family and friends. When David wrote in Psalm 68:6 that God set’s the lonely in families, I’m not so sure he was talking about biological or adopted families. I think he meant church families. I think he meant that God sends lonely people to the church to find brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, the grandchildren they never had, and good friends.

Does that describe your church? More than just being welcomed into your Sunday morning worship service, are the lonely reached out to and drawn into the full life of the church? Are they invited out to lunch, and into your home? Close-knit biological families can often become insular and difficult for an outsider to become part of. Church families can sometimes be like that too.

But the church is intended by God to be the place where the lonely find a family. And it is often through the openness, the friendliness, the kindness and compassion of Christians, that Jesus manifests His presence in the lives of sad and lonely people. I encourage you to make sure that is true of you, and of your church. God places the lonely in families – and it could be yours.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

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

Our Bible verse for today: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “As a Christian you are never truly alone.”

The most important companionship we have as Christians is the companionship of the Lord. Through the presence of His Holy Spirit living in the hearts of His followers, Jesus is always with us. We are never truly alone.

This is what Paul wrote about in 2 Timothy 4:17 when he told of how everyone had deserted him and he was left to face his accusers alone. And yet, he was not alone – the Lord Jesus stood with him and gave him strength and courage. This is what Brother Lawrence wrote about hundreds of years ago in his little book “The Practice of the Presence of God.” Lawrence was as aware of the Lord’s presence when he was in the kitchen washing pots and pans, as when he was in the cathedral on his knees in prayer.

It’s true that the Lord is always with us and therefore we are never truly alone. However, in our devotional lives we must do the things necessary to cultivate an awareness of His presence. He is always with us, but because of inattention and spiritual dullness, we may not be aware of and sensitive to His presence. Regular practice of the spiritual disciplines helps us to become and stay spiritually sensitive and attuned.

As we approach the New Year do you have a plan in place for spiritual growth in 2015? Will you read the entire Bible, pray more, engage in regular times of prayer and fasting, be more faithful at church, or participate in new ministry activities? If you would like to brush-up on your knowledge and understanding of the basic disciplines of the Christian life I recommend Richard Foster’s classic book “The Celebration of Discipline”.

Jesus is always with us, but we are not always aware of His presence. And it’s mostly our own fault. He wants to be known by us and He longs for fellowship with us. For our part we have to pay attention to Him. I encourage you to set a goal and to have a plan for spiritual growth in 2015. If you join us at Oak Hill Baptist you will find in-depth sermons, challenging Bible studies, prayer meetings, support groups, rewarding ministry opportunities, great worship experiences, and good fellowship – all designed to help you grow in your awareness of and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Come and visit us.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

Our Bible verse for today: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Shine the light and show the love of Jesus.”

In the course of this study I’ve made reference to some books which were instrumental in shaping the thinking and establishing the strategies which have led the gay community to achieve their goals. Similarly, today the Christian community has a wealth of good literature available which is helpful and informative. But in terms of approach and strategy, two of the most helpful that I have discovered are “Love into Light” by Peter Hubbard, and “Same-Sex Marriage” by Sean McDowell and John Stonestreet. These two books provide a roadmap forward for the Christian community similar to what the other books did for the gay community.

As we conclude, I want to offer a few insights shared by Hubbard in his book and by McDowell and Stonestreet in theirs. First of all, culture is shaped, formed, and moved from the bottom up, not from the top down. Cultural elites can make suggestions and promote ideas, but it is average people like you and me who ultimately form and move culture. As the Church our job is to model and promote healthy and happy traditional marriages. Each of our individual examples will make a difference, and collectively we can move culture and change society.

Also, Peter Hubbard urges us to remember that gay people are in fact people. He writes, “We often forget that the vast majority of our fellow citizens who identify as homosexual … are everyday people with jobs, hobbies, family and to-do lists. What they want may be wrong and more harmful than they know, but our tendency to overlook their humanity has hampered our ability to communicate with them effectively and to convey the love of Christ.”

In 2012 Dan Cathy, the CEO of Chick-fil-A, caused a nationwide controversy when he commented to a reporter that he believes marriage is between a man and a woman only. In response Shane Windmeyer, a well-known leader in the Gay and Lesbian community organized a nationwide boycott of Chick-fil-A. He staged protests, “Eat-ins” and “Kiss-ins” at Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country.

Dan responded to all of this calmly and with great grace. At every opportunity and in every interview he affirmed his position without apology or compromise, but he also expressed his genuine concern for gays as people. Dan also called Shane on the phone and they spoke for over an hour. Then Dan invited Shane to be his personal guest, all expenses paid, to the Chick-fil-A college football bowl game. Shane sat with Dan in his private corporate box seats.

Later Shane wrote a magazine article entitled, “Dan Cathy and Me: My Coming Out as a Friend of Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A”. In the article Shane described his encounter with Dan. He wrote that Dan shared stories of his own life and family, and he asked many questions about Shane’s life and family, including about Shane’s husband Tommy.

Dan and Shane ended up spending many hours together just getting to know each other and enjoying each others company. Neither of them ever changed their views about sexual ethics or gay marriage. But they did gain a new respect for each other and they agreed that they could disagree on this issue without vilifying each other. Shane then called off the protests and the entire controversy faded away.

As we the Church move forward into this new cultural setting which is developing all around us, let us not lose sight of the fact that gays are people who are not very different from us, and we gain nothing by being unkind or insensitive. We must remember that our real battle is spiritual and the real enemy is Satan. We must resolve to simply be the Church, we must speak the truth with hesitation and without compromise, and we must love people (all people) in the Name of Jesus and in the power of His Holy Spirit.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

Our Bible verse for today: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “We must take actions to protect ourselves and our churches.”

It’s a tough world out there and so Jesus instructed His followers to be smart and to protect themselves. We are to be pure and holy, innocent of wrong doing and wrong motives, but we are not to be doormats or punching bags, allowing culture and society to unload on us or to take unfair advantage of us. Even the apostle Paul used the protections available to him as a result of being a Roman citizen (Acts 25:11)

As the moral revolution of sexual ethics continues to unfold in our nation, Christians and churches will likely find themselves increasingly at odds with society; and we will perhaps find ourselves facing the necessity of engaging in civil disobedience for the sake of Biblical principles. Dr. Jim Garlow, a well-known pastor and author recently wrote,

“A time is coming when the government will demand that churches accept and promote an understanding of sexuality and gender that directly opposes God’s Word.”

That time is here. It is already happening. Yesterday I mentioned the case where pastors in Houston were ordered to turn over their sermons, Bible studies, and private communications with church members. Here’s another example. Chai Feldblum serves as a Commissioner on the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He was recently quoted as saying,

“There can be a conflict between religious liberty and sexual liberty, but in almost all cases sexual liberty should win …”

That comes from a high ranking Federal official who has great influence over what happens in workplaces all across this country. We are already seeing the impact that kind of thinking is having on Christian businesses and ministries. Soon attempts will probably be made to apply it to churches as well.

We have all heard much talk in recent years about the Constitutional guarantee of the “separation of church and state”. We commonly think of it as a guarantee that the church has a right to function in the public sector, outside the walls of the church building. That is true, but the original intent of the provision was actually more focused on keeping the state out of the church. It’s about preventing the state from getting inside and intruding into church affairs. We have now come to the point in this country where churches must erect strong walls of separation to keep the state out of the church. There are still legal protections that exist which we must ensure we are taking full advantage of.

“The Alliance Defending Freedom” is a Christian legal association which assists individual Christians, Christian business owners, and churches in defending religious freedoms. They provide guidance, resources, and legal representation. Recently they published a very helpful guidebook entitled “Protecting Your Ministry from Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Lawsuits.” The book addresses everything from Church Constitutions and By-laws, to statements of faith, to marriage and wedding contracts, to facilities use agreements, and much more. Every church should have a copy of this book and should modify their existing governing documents to ensure the church is fully protected under existing law.

Tomorrow we will conclude our study of sexual ethics with the story of a high-profile Christian whose name you will probably recognize. This person found himself immersed in a national scandal as a result of defending Biblical principles and he handled it very well.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sexual Ethics”

Our Bible verse for today: “But Peter and the apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Sometimes we have to engage in civil disobedience.”

The Bible is clear that Christians are to be good, law-abiding citizens in whatever society they live in. The “laws of the land” differ greatly depending on “the land” that you live in. No matter, Christians are still to be the best citizens of whatever society they’re part of and we are to obey the laws whatever they are – unless those laws conflict with Biblical principles. Then we are to engage in civil disobedience. That’s what Peter was saying in Acts 5:29.

With respect to sexual ethics and the associated cultural issues, Christians in the USA are increasingly finding themselves faced with the prospect of engaging in civil disobedience for the sake of Biblical principles. But that disobedience always comes with a cost. Christian pharmacists have been fired for refusing to dispense abortion-inducing drugs. Christian medical students have been dismissed from medical school for declining to be trained in abortion procedures. Christian business owners have been sued for refusing to photograph or bake cakes for a same-sex wedding. Christian pastors were ordered to turn over to government authorities any sermons, Bible studies, and private communications with church members that had anything to do with gay and lesbian issues or which made reference to that city’s lesbian mayor. Those pastors faced the potential of going to jail for failure to comply.

This is nothing new in Christian history and in fact, is rather mild compared to what other Christians in other places have endured in the past, and continue to endure today. In China pastors aren’t considered to be fully qualified or fully trained for the ministry until they’ve spent at least three years in prison for their faith.

As the cultural shift in America continues, Christians can expect to experience more opposition, and perhaps even penalties for being faithful to Biblical principles. While we aren’t inviting or seeking the persecution, we should not fear it or shy away from it either. They opposed Jesus in His day and He assured us that they will likewise oppose us in our day.

The answer for Christians today in the USA is the same as it has always been for Christians everywhere in every age – we are to faithfully stand for Biblical principles. If that means we have to take our lumps, then we take our lumps. God is faithful and He will get us through it. We have read the last chapter of the last book, so we know how this ends. Just be faithful and trust God.

But we are not to be doormats either and we are not to simply roll over in the face of opposition and persecution. Tomorrow we will discuss some specific steps churches need to take to protect themselves as things continue to change in our society.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim