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

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