Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” Proverbs 3:27 (NRSV)

Our thought for today: “True strength and compassion leads us to actions on behalf of those in need.”

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of my heroes of the faith. He was a great example of strength and compassion lived out in daily life. Born the son of a wealthy merchant, Francis chose as a young man to leave his life of privilege and ease and to spend it instead in service to others. For centuries his example has been an inspiration for multitudes of other Christians. The Order of the Franciscans was founded by him; the current Pope is named after him.

One of Francis’ most memorable and inspiring writings is what has come to be called “The Prayer of Saint Francis”. It reads like this”

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that I may not so much seek to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

This is what Solomon was writing about in Proverbs 3:27. It is within our power to do good to others, whether that takes the form of a word of encouragement, a helping hand, a listening ear, or a bag of groceries. As the people of God we are called upon by God to be a blessing to others.

I believe our willingness to do that is a direct measure of how much strength and compassion we have allowed the Holy Spirit to develop in us. It’s not easy to live and love like Francis and Solomon described. It must be something supernatural at work in and through us.

Are you strong? Do you have a deeply ingrained sense of compassion? Then do all the good you can for all the people you can for as long as you can – because real strength and true compassion will lead to action on behalf of others.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “We can be inspired to strength and compassion by those who are strong and compassionate.”

Paul and Jesus were activists. They didn’t just talk about faith they lived it in their personal habits and in their service to others. Jesus set the standard by His own conduct. In John chapter 13 we find Him on the night before He was crucified, performing a tremendous act of humble service by washing the feet of His disciples. In verse 15 of that chapter He then said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

This is what Paul was writing about in 1 Corinthians 11:1. He followed the example of Jesus, served others in a sacrificial and humble way, and then he urged his readers to do likewise. They were inspired to be stronger in their faith and more compassionate towards others by Paul’s example of serving like Jesus served.

One of the reasons I love going on mission trips to Peru is so I can spend time with my friends, American missionaries Bud and Laura Lenz. They run the El Arca Children’s Homes in the city of Cusco in the Andes Mountains, and in Puerto Maldenado in the Amazon Jungle. In my opinion they are shining examples of strength and compassion. Spending time with them always inspires me to want to be stronger and more compassionate too.

You know people like this also. Chances are your church has a fair share of them. Ours does. I encourage you to spend time with those people. Join them in their acts of ministry. Learn from them. Be inspired by their example – and then go and do likewise.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “I testify that, on their own, according to their ability and beyond their ability, they begged us insistently for the privilege of sharing in the ministry of the saints.” 2 Corinthians 8:3-4 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Strength and compassion will result in generosity.”

This morning I want to return to the subject we explored in yesterday’s devotional message about our understanding of wealth and possessions and how that corresponds to strength and compassion.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 8 the Apostle Paul wrote about the sterling example of the Christians in the church in Macedonia. They were going through severe times of trials and testing of their own but even so, individually and as a church they gave a large and very generous offering to help other Christians in other places who were enduring even worse times. Paul said that their giving was according to their ability and even beyond their ability. In other words, they gave sacrificially.

This was a great example of strength and compassion demonstrated financially through generous and sacrificial giving. Sadly this kind of giving is often missing in today’s church. A recent study published in “Relevant” magazine reported that:

“Only 10 to 25 percent of the typical American congregation tithes (that is, gives the biblical starting point of 10 percent) to church, the poor, and Kingdom causes.” The report went on to say that, “If the remaining 75 to 90 percent of American Christians began to tithe regularly, then global hunger, starvation, and death from preventable disease could be relieved within five years. Additionally, illiteracy could be eliminated, the world’s water and sanitation issues could be solved, all overseas mission work could be fully funded, and over $100 billion per year would be left over for additional ministry.”

Think for a moment about how much stronger our churches would be if all American Christians obeyed the Biblical command to tithe. Think about how much additional compassionate ministry could be conducted in the Name of Jesus and for the sake of His Kingdom.

We lose so much in terms of strength and compassion by clinging to what we have and by striving to acquire even more, instead of giving freely and generously to God’s Kingdom-building work. The way God has chosen to finance His work here on earth is through the faithful giving of His people.

The strength of the church, and the amount of compassionate benevolent ministry the church can accomplish in the world, is directly related to your generosity and mine.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “Such is the end of all who are greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.” Proverbs 1:19 (NRSV)

Our thought for today: “An obsession with wealth depletes your strength and hardens your heart.”

I believe Jim Carrey is the Jerry Lewis of our generation. Truly, he is a great comedian and an unusually talented actor. Although many of his routines are painfully silly, there can be little argument about his remarkable skills at physical comedy. Jim Carrey is also very famous and fabulously wealthy.

But I read an interesting quote from him the other day about his fame and wealth which will probably surprise a lot of people. He said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Jim Carrey is talented and famous and rich beyond his wildest dreams, but none of that has made him happy.

As Bible-believing Christians that news about Jim Carrey shouldn’t surprise us. There are few things the Bible teaches more about than money and possessions and the overriding lesson is that great wealth does not equate to great happiness.

In Proverbs 1:19 Solomon (the richest man in the world in his day), began his book of Proverbs with this note about the danger of becoming preoccupied with money and possessions. He essentially says that such a preoccupation will become a drain on your life. The pursuit of it will sap your strength and harden your heart.

The fact is that God has blessed us with money and possessions so we can then use them to bless others and to further His work here on earth. Yes, we can enjoy our wealth and possessions too, but we are not to become greedy, stingy, or preoccupied with money and things. Doing so will distract us from the things that really matter and we will end up spiritually, emotionally, and relationally impoverished. This is what Jim Carrey and so many others like him discovered.

It’s true – an obsession with wealth and possessions really does sap our strength and harden our hearts. The way to correct that is to correct that is to focus more on God and people, and less on money and things. More about this tomorrow.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “We can help each other to become stronger and more compassionate.”

As I write this it is Friday morning. The weekend is about to begin and Sunday is coming. Of course, as a Pastor, my thoughts are focused on the gathering of the saints on Sunday morning. And that being the case, I’m drawn once again to the guidance given to us by the writer of the letter to the Hebrews in 10:24-25.

It’s crucial for Christians to gather together. We miss so much when we’re absent from the gatherings of our church family. For one thing, we’re being disobedient to the commands of Scripture when we don’t gather together as God instructs us to. But also, we’re spiritually weaker for not being there.

In terms of strength and compassion, we gain strength from being around those who are strong and we cultivate compassion within ourselves as we’re exposed to the compassion of others. When a healthy church family comes together, there will be an abundance of strength and compassion present and we will each be positively influenced by it. I will be encouraged and inspired by your strength and compassion, and hopefully you will draw some from me too.

Author Eric Greitens once wrote, “The world requires of us – of every one of us – that we be both good and strong.”

Yes, we must be both good and strong, and we help each other to become that way. But in order for us to do that for each other we have to be together. This is why the New Testament is so emphatic about the importance of believers coming together. When we do, we offer our strength and compassion to each other and we spur one another on towards love and good deeds.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. Let’s grow stronger and more compassionate together.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “… whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life – a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Serving others makes us like Jesus.”

We are most like Jesus when we serve others. I’m convinced this is true. Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and when we serve others we are being like Him. When it comes to the spiritual attributes of strength and compassion, no one was stronger or more compassionate than Jesus and if serving others makes us more like Him, then serving others makes us stronger and more compassionate.

We have two shining examples of this great truth here in our town. Ralph and Connie Regan are the founders and directors of the Bread of Life Rescue Mission. Both Ralph and Connie have tremendous servant’s hearts and both of them exhibit great strength and compassion, but I want to focus on Connie’s example.

A Rescue Mission is tough work. Daily you must deal with people who have hit rock bottom in life and who are struggling just to survive. Some of them have substance abuse issues; some have recently gotten out of prison and have nowhere to go; others are mentally ill; some are families who have lost all sources of income.

Worse, not everyone is honest. Some come to the Mission with legitimate needs and just need a little help at the moment; others would help themselves if they could but they’ve been unsuccessful at getting themselves back on their feet and now they don’t know what to try next; and then there are others who are scamming the system. They make a living just cycling from one church to another, from one helping agency to another, getting all the handouts they can.

Watching Connie serve in the middle of this is a wonder to behold. She is sweet, loving, kind, compassionate, and very, very, wise. Over time she has learned to discern the truth about situations and she has developed the strength and boldness to deal with them appropriately. She treats everyone with love and dignity and respect. She is kind, compassionate and generous, but she is also strong enough to say “no” when that is what needs to be said.

How did Connie develop this great combination of compassion and strength? By serving others. Her entire life is centered on serving others in need and doing it in the Name of Jesus. She seldom thinks of herself or of her own needs. Her focus is always on the person in front of her and how she can be a blessing to them – just like Jesus.

When we serve others we discover that we have the power to make their lives better. When we realize that someone else’s life has been changed (even just a little), and that they have experienced some happiness and maybe even gained a little hope as a result of our act of service, it changes us. We become stronger and our sense of compassion for others has developed a little more.

When we serve like Jesus we become like Jesus. I encourage you to serve someone today.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:17-18 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We have to grow in strength and compassion”

The Apostle Peter wrote his two letters (first and second Peter) to Christians who were experiencing persecution for their faith. His audience was a widely dispersed group of Christians, many of whom had been chased from their homes and were therefore living as temporary residents in strange places. Others had lost jobs; some had been beaten; others were in prison.

As he closed his second letter, he offered three words of caution and advice to his readers. First, be on your guard. In other words, pay attention and be smart. Second, don’t allow yourselves to be negatively influenced by a sinful culture. And third, exercise spiritual disciplines which will result in you growing in grace and knowledge. That way you will be strong enough to face your situations with faith, courage, and confidence, but also with grace.

In yesterday’s devotional I wrote about the importance of training ourselves now for the things we are likely to face tomorrow. The message was built upon the Apostle Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Today we find Peter teaching a similar lesson. Throughout the month we will find that the same lesson is repeated numerous times, all throughout the Bible, by many different writers. That’s because it’s a common need which applies to all of God’s people, in all places, at all times. We will face adversity as a result of being faithful to Christ and we must prepare ourselves to be ready for it.

Many people believe that when the challenges come (as they will), they will be able to reach deep within themselves and “find” the strength and compassion they need to meet the situation courageously and in a God-honoring way. The problem with that thinking is that strength and compassion aren’t “found”, they’re developed. That’s why Paul told us to “train”. It’s why Peter urges us to “grow”.  Just as a weight lifter exercises his muscles so they will get stronger, so too we must exercise spiritually so we will grow strong in the Lord. And we must do it now, in the quiet and peaceful times, so that we will be ready when the situation isn’t so quiet and peaceful.

Tomorrow we will consider a couple of examples of people who have grown in strength and compassion, and they did it by means of a spiritual exercise which might surprise you.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion:

Our Bible verse for today: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training …” 1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Train yourself today to be strong and compassionate tomorrow.”

I was once a crewmember on a U.S. Navy ship that was on fire. I don’t mean a little fire either, it was big! A main engine room erupted in a huge fireball. The explosive gases and fire then spread upward and outward through the uptakes, to the smoke stacks, and set adjacent rooms on fire. At one point we had a raging out-of-control fire in the engine room and smaller fires in thirty-two other rooms as well. The aircraft carrier was actually in danger of sinking right there off the California coast.

As a junior officer in the Engineering department I was responsible for leading one of the firefighting teams. I can tell you that when you’re in a situation like that, dressed-out in heavy firefighting gear, your face covered with a large rubber oxygen mask, no lights, dark heavy smoke, the heat is intense and the danger is real, it’s tough to think clearly. You’re scared, the adrenaline is pumping, your heart is pounding, and your mind is racing.

That’s when your training kicks in. This is when all the hours of practice and drilling pay off. Your mind and body go into auto-pilot and you just automatically start working down the checklist and going through the right motions. Former Navy Seal Eric Greitens writes about this in his book “Resilience”, “People like to imagine that they will “rise to the occasion.” (But) … people rarely do. What happens, in fact, is that when things get really hard and people are really afraid, they sink to the level of their training.”

Yes. You sink to the level of your training. That’s why we train. We identify those actions which must be taken in difficult situations and we train them until they become second nature.

Yesterday I told you that I believe we Christians in the USA are headed for turbulent times. Culturally, things are changing rapidly, and Bible-believing Christians are going to have their faith, courage, and compassion tested. When those tests come it will require a strong faith to stand firm on Biblical truth, and it is going to require a deeply ingrained sense of compassion to do so in a Christ-honoring way.

We must train for that now. We must prepare ourselves now for what we are likely to face then. This is what Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. He was talking about spiritual training that will strengthen the believer to be strong, faithful, confident, and compassionate in all of the different situations life brings to us.

All this month we will explore the idea of how to be both strong and compassionate in the face of difficult times. I look forward to training with you.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”

Our Bible verse for today: “Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “We need strength and compassion to handle tough times in a God-honoring way.

I probably stopped too soon as I quoted the verse above. I should have included the next three verses as well: “For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

“They will not tolerate sound doctrine.” “They will turn away from hearing the truth.” “They will multiply teachers for themselves.” Those times are here my friends. We live in a day when Biblical truth is no longer welcomed in the public square and those of us who contend for it are increasingly being portrayed as narrow-minded intolerant bigots. Just the other day I heard Republican Presidential candidate Marco Rubio publically declare that he’s convinced Christianity is under attack in our society and that the only beliefs that are no longer tolerated, are Christian beliefs. I think he’s right.

Culturally we’re headed for rough waters in the years ahead. These will be trying times for faithful Bible-believing Christians. But this is actually nothing new. For 2000 years Christians in every society and in every culture have always found themselves to be “counter-cultural”, meaning that there has always been a clash between Biblical values and the values of the world.

The answer for us is the same as it has always been for Christians everywhere, in every culture, throughout history. We are to be strong, we are to be faithful, and we are to do it with love and compassion. We must know what we believe, we must know why we believe it, and then we must simply stand for the truth. Even if we have to take our lumps while standing for the truth – still, we stand.

In order to do that, we have to be strong. But, we must also be compassionate. Lost sinners are exactly that – they’re lost. They’re confused. They lack an understanding of Biblical truth. And we’re not going to win any arguments (or converts) with angry rhetoric and mean-spirited attacks. If we want to win people for Christ we have to do it the way that Jesus did it – we have to love them into the Kingdom. We must stand for truth – courageously and unapologetically, but we must do so with love and compassion.

Is it possible to be both strong and compassionate at the same time? Not only is it possible, it’s essential. We will spend this month devotionally considering how to be both strong and compassionate for the sake of Christ.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Worry”

Our Bible verse for today: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I put my hope in Him.” Lamentations 3: 22-24 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “With the Lord there is always hope.”

If ever a man had good reason to lament, it was Jeremiah. He was a mighty man of God who had dedicated years of his life to warning God’s people about coming judgment and urging them to repent before it was too late. But they didn’t listen. So eventually God allowed the Babylonian army to sweep into Jerusalem – and the destruction was extreme.

Now, as Jeremiah surveyed the devastation, he was grieved to the point of wailing. Rubble lined the streets; the temple was in ruins; people were homeless and hungry; many others had been led off into captivity. The pain and despair was overwhelming and not only was Jeremiah despondent, but he was worried. How in the world were they supposed to go forward from here? Where would they live? How would they feed themselves? What did the future hold for them?

My friend, I know you have problems, but I doubt if they’re as bad as what Jeremiah and the Jews were facing at that time.

Amazingly, in the middle of all this pain and despair and hopelessness, Jeremiah utters one of the most profound statements of faith found in the Bible. In Lamentations 3:22-24 he writes about God’s faithful love for His people; he reminds his readers that the mercies of the Lord never end; that they are in fact new every morning; and He says that the Lord will be his portion and the source of his hope.

The people must have thought Jeremiah had become unhinged, that he was delusional. In the middle of all that carnage, as they thought about the wrecks their lives had become, Jeremiah told them not to worry because there was still good reason for hope. He went on in verses 25-26: “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord.”

Then he sums it up nicely in 5:19 where he writes, “You, Lord, are enthroned forever; Your throne endures from generation to generation.”

Look, no matter how bad things might seem in your life right now, the truth of the matter is that Jesus is still on the throne and you’re still saved. Beyond that, He is sovereign over all the situations of your life. Even if things don’t look so good right now, Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28 are still true, God has a great plan for your life and even in the worst of situations He is actively working for your good.

When it comes to worrying about the future we can simply trust God. As the old saying goes, “God is large and in-charge.”

God Bless,
Pastor Jim