Devotional for Thursday March 6th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Never forsaken, never alone.”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished.” 1 Chronicles 28:20 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “God will enable you to accomplish what He calls you to do.”
 
Young King Solomon was faced with a huge assignment. It fell to him to lead the nation of Israel to build a temple for the honor and glory of the Lord God. This was no small job. God is awesome and majestic, and His temple needed to be too. In 1 Chronicles chapter twenty-eight King David, nearing the end of his life, has handed off the kingship to his son Solomon and David is now in the process of describing Solomon’s first, and most important assignment from the Lord – build a temple fitting and appropriate for the God of the Universe.
 
Uh, ok. Do you think Solomon might have felt a little over-whelmed and under-qualified? I sure would have. To David’s credit he did get his son off to a good start. He gave him some instructions and he made some pretty substantial donations of gold and silver and other building supplies out of his own resources to help get it started.
 
But probably the best thing David did for Solomon occurred in verse twenty of chapter twenty-eight. There he reminded Solomon that there was no need to be afraid or discouraged. David said that Solomon could approach this monumental task with strength and courage. Why? Because the Lord God was with him. The Lord God would prepare and provide and direct as necessary to enable Solomon to accomplish this daunting task. In verse twenty-one David even assured him that God would bring other capable people to assist him.
 
Can you see the practical application of this lesson for our lives? We are often faced with difficult tasks that at first seem like “Mission Impossible”. Or we have problems that are so complicated, so frustrating, and even so painful that we wonder how in the world we can ever successfully navigate our way through such a mess.
 
The words that David spoke to his son Solomon are true for us too. “Be strong and courageous, and do the work.” That’s right, just put one foot in front of the other, start walking it out, and do what you know you need to do. Because: “The Lord God, my God, is with you”. He won’t leave you or forsake you. He will hang in there with you and He will get you through it. He will provide and guide and abide with you until He brings you to the achievement of what He has called you to. God will enable you to accomplish what He calls you to do.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Wednesday March 5th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Never forsaken, never alone”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; Your rule is for all generations. The Lord is faithful in all His words and gracious in all His actions. The Lord helps all who fall; he raises up all who are oppressed.” Psalm 145:13-14 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Remember God’s faithfulness in times past.”
 
Psalm 145 is called a “Davidic Hymn”. The purpose of the writer was to remind the reader of God’s greatness, but also of His past faithfulness. He writes of how he (the writer) and the people of Israel, have a long history of experiencing God’s goodness and grace (v 7-9); His compassion and mercy (v 9, 15); His strength for the weak (v 14); His help for those in distress (v 19); and His provisions for those in need (v 15).  He also writes about the actions God takes against the wicked (v 20).
 
Reminding God’s people of God’s past faithfulness is a common theme among the Biblical writers. Moses, David, and all the prophets did it. So did Paul, Peter, and Jesus. The writings of Moses – and the Psalms especially, go to great lengths to review and celebrate God’s past acts of deliverance, provision, protection, and answered prayers.
 
Why so much emphasis on what is essentially history? It’s because we learn from the past. The Bible provides us a record of what God has done among, and in, and through, and for, His people in the past. But it is also a model – an example for us, designed to help us understand how God deals with His people in all ages of history. God is still at work among us today, and He will be tomorrow too, and the day after that, and the day after that.
 
Never forget what God has done for you in the past. The past can provide comfort for the present, and hope for the future. You are never forsaken; you are never alone. God is faithful. He will bless you, provide for you, protect you, and guide you in the present and in the future, just as He has in the past.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Tuesday March 4th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Never forsaken, never alone.”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the Lord your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “You will never enter into any situation where God is not already there.”
 
Going to strange places, meeting new people, facing an uncertain future – those are all examples of situations which can cause us anxiety and fear. Recently I’ve been visiting with three different young men, in three different jails. Each of them were raised in Christian homes, each of them strayed from the Lord and ended up involved in things they shouldn’t have been, and each of them is now potentially facing an extended period of incarceration. Their immediate futures are uncertain and scary.
 
I know several other Christians who are currently unemployed and in desperate need of a job. Every day they find themselves walking into new offices and job sites, interacting with people they don’t know but who have hiring authority, and trying to make a good enough impression on those strategic people to convince them to hire them. There are others whose marriages are on the brink of failing; others have financial problems and are close to bankruptcy; some have wayward children addicted to drugs or engaged in other high risk lifestyles.
 
In the book of Deuteronomy Moses was preparing the nation of Israel to finally cross over the Jordan River and take possession of the Promised Land. The people were worried. It was a land filled with giants and strong armies, fortified cities and strange geography, new cultures with strange customs. But what did Moses tell them? Be strong and courageous … The Lord your God goes with you … He will not leave you or forsake you.”
 
When the Israelites arrived in the Promised Land they discovered that God was already there waiting for them. He had gone ahead of them and prepared the way. And, He was prepared to fight the battle for them. It’s true that they would still have to do their part – they would still have to put one foot in front of the other, cover the distance, storm the ramparts, engage in the fight, but the outcome was predetermined. God had promised victory.
 
Whatever difficult situations you are facing, whatever giants are staring at you from across the horizon, know that God has gone before you and He will already be there when you get there. You will never walk into any situation where God is not already there. This is a wonderful and powerful truth: “God will never leave you, He will never forsake you.”
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
 

Devotional for Monday March 3rd

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Never forsaken, never alone.”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Lord, I seek refuge in You; let me never be disgraced. In Your justice, rescue and deliver me; listen closely to me and save me. Be a rock of refuge for me where I can always go.” Psalm 71:1-3 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “You can always go to God.”
 
Psalm 71 is a great affirmation of God’s faithfulness in times of trouble. On the one hand, the Psalmist writes about the various trials and tribulations he has experienced throughout a long life. He tells of oppressive opponents who have attempted to deal with him unjustly; powerful and wicked people who sought to do him harm; and enemies who have plotted against him.
 
But then he declares that through it all God had always been there for him. He speaks of how God consistently delivered him from the schemes of the wicked; he declares that he has come to know that God is his rock and his fortress; he writes that from the earliest days he has depended on God.
 
And all throughout the Psalm he weaves in words of hope and confidence and praise for his God. “But I will hope continually and will praise You more and more.” (v 14); “God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still proclaim Your wonderful works.” (v 17); “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You because You have redeemed me.” (v 23); “Therefore, my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm will be disgraced and confounded.” (v 24)
 
Psalm 71 was written by a man who knew from experience that God would never forsake him nor leave him alone. More than that, he had learned that when he intentionally turned to God for help, strength, or refuge, God provided it. The same is true for you and for me. God has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. He has offered to be your refuge and your strength. He will protect you and guide you. And, through it all you will come to know Him in a much deeper and more personal way, just as the writer of this Psalm did.
 
Psalms like this have been included in the Bible for our instruction. This isn’t just an historical story of how God protected and provided for one man. It’s intended instead as a model, an example, of how God cares for us as well. Through this Psalm God is speaking to you: “I will be your rock, your strong fortress, your rescuer, your deliverer. I will give you peace, and assurance, and hope. I am here for you.”
 
In your times of trouble go to God and then be patient. He will be there fore you and He will help you.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Deovtional for Saturday and Sunday March 1-2

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Never forsaken, never alone”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
 
Our thought for today: “Christians are never forsaken by God and we are never really alone.”
 
One of the greatest fears most people have is the fear of being left alone. The thought of losing a loved one and the idea of being alone in the world is frightening. Whether the reason is the break up of a relationship, the death of a loved one, conflict with a long time friend, or moving to a new location, the thought of being alone is unsettling for most of us.
Perhaps the worst form of feeling alone is the loneliness that comes with having been abandoned. The spouse you love leaves you for another; the children you bore and raised now want little to do with you; the friend you depended on and trusted has betrayed you; or maybe worst of all, a child is abandoned by a parent. Not only does that abandonment disrupt comfortable patterns and create gapping holes in our lives, but it also damages our sense of self-worth. It’s at times like that when Satan moves in and begins whispering lies about us being unworthy of love or friendship.
 
But our heavenly Father will never abandon us. Jesus is a friend who is closer than a brother. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just walk alongside us, He lives within us. The great truth is that with God we are never alone and we are never abandoned.
 
All this month we will explore the truth that God will never leave us and He will never forsake us. That being the case, a close relationship with God will provide us with the comfort and stability that no relationship on earth ever can. When everything around us seems to be falling apart God will be a source of strength and stability. When those closest to us, the ones we depend on the most, are no longer there or no longer dependable, God will be there and He will be dependable. The great truth is that Christians will never be forsaken by their Heavenly Father and we are never really alone.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional extra for February 2014

Hello Everyone,
 
Although we’ve completed our month of devotional studies on the theme of patience, today I was writing a few extra devotionals on that subject to be included in a book I’m writing, and I just couldn’t resist sharing this one with you. Hope you find it helpful:
 
Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Patience”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “God, deliver me. Hurry to help me, Lord!” Psalm 70:1 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “It’s ok to tell God to hurry up.”
 
What do you think about that? Is it really ok to tell God to “hurry up”? Well, evidently it is. Here in Psalm 70 that’s exactly what King David did. In verse one he very emphatically called on God to get a move on it and deliver him from his troubles. Then in verses 2-4 he recited what some of those problems were. And he ended the Psalm in verse 5 by repeating his call for God to hurry up, “I am afflicted and needy; hurry to me, God. You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.”
 
All this month we’ve been considering the Biblical virtue of patience. We’ve even noted that patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit which Paul wrote about in Galatians 5:22-23. We’ve considered how important it is to have patience and how it is that, when God allows circumstances into our lives that try our patience, that is a form of spiritual exercise which is in fact actually strengthening us and making us more patient.
 
But there’s also a tension here. The Bible teaches that as we’re in the process of being patient, it’s also ok to urge God to pick up the pace a little in getting that answer to us. That’s what David did in Psalm 70 as well as in some of the other Psalms. And if you think about it, it kind of makes sense. I mean God already knows that we’re impatient for an answer. We’re not fooling Him if we pretend to be patient but secretly we’re practically wetting our pants while we’re waiting for Him to act. So why not just be honest and talk to Him about how we really feel?
 
Jesus frequently taught that we are to ask our Heavenly Father for the things that we want. James wrote that one of the reasons we don’t get what we want from God is because we don’t bother to ask Him for it. So if you want an answer to your prayer, and you want it now, then tell Him so. That doesn’t mean it will happen that way, and you may still find yourself having to patiently wait, but for pity’s sake, be honest with Him. That’s what David did and we be can too.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Friday February 28th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Patience”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Patiently live by faith.”
 
This world sure is a mess. Wars are raging across the globe. Multiple millions are starving. Weather patterns have shifted causing flooding in some places, droughts in others, and widespread suffering. The global economy is weak. Political divisions in our country are more pronounced than ever.
 
But perhaps the greatest challenge for Christians is the fact that unbiblical values are being promoted as normal and we’re under great pressure to agree with these new cultural trends. It’s now being demanded that we embrace them and even help to perpetuate the notion that these ideas are not only normal, but good – even though they run counter to what God teaches in the Bible.
 
However Christians are called to view the world and all of life not from a cultural perspective, but from a Biblical perspective. Cultural norms change from place to place and from generation to generation, but the Bible never changes. Societal standards of ethics and morality change all the time, but God’s standards never change – they are the same for all people in all places at all times.
 
And so, despite whatever new thought or idea or behavioral patterns society is currently promoting as good and normal, as the people of God we turn to the Word of God as our sole reference for what is good and right and acceptable. Doing that will often put us at odds with whatever society we live in. That’s ok. That has always been true for God’s people. Whether we’re talking about the Israelites as they attempted to live as a holy people surrounded by pagan nations, or the early Christians living among Romans and Greeks, God’s people, in all places, at all times, in all societies, have always found themselves out of step with the worldly values and behaviors being practiced and promoted by others.
 
The answer has never been to give in and go along. The answer is, and always has been, to be a people apart – a people distinct and separate – a holy people who live by the Word of God regardless of current cultural trends.
 
As we conclude this month of devotional study on the virtue of patience, I encourage you to patiently live by faith. Trust that for God’s people, God’s Word is the only legitimate standard for how we are to live. Know it, trust it, and then patiently live by it.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Thursday February 27th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Patience”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “…so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.” 1 Timothy 2:2-3 (NIV)
 
Our thought for today: “Just be patient and live a good life.”
 
It’s easy to get caught in the trap of thinking we have to do big splashy things for God in order for our lives to be meaningful. Many times we can feel that if we’re not caring for lepers in the gutters of Calcutta, or witnessing to drug addicts in the dirty back alleys of New York City, then we’re obviously not doing much for the cause of Christ.
 
But that’s just not true. God doesn’t call most of us to be career missionaries in some remote corner of the world, or even to inner-city ministry right here in the USA. For the most part, for most of us, we’re called to live quiet and simple lives right where we are, but to do so in a way that clearly marks us as the people of God. We’re to be faithful witnesses making a difference in our homes and neighborhoods and work places.
 
The editors of “The Mission of God” study Bible, in their introduction to the book of Romans, as they’re explaining Paul’s purpose for writing the letter, write this: “Here is your part in God’s mission: live as one transformed.”
 
That’s pretty good. You are to live – right where you are – as one who has been transformed. Everything about you should be different from the world around you. Your quiet sense of peace, joy, and serenity; your obvious displays of kindness and compassion; the way you use your words to build up and encourage others; the fact that you are known as a man or woman of integrity, one who is completely dependable and trustworthy. Your lifestyle itself is a witness to the world around you. That’s your part in God’s mission.
 
Don’t get frustrated or impatient with yourself because your life isn’t the subject of inspiring magazine articles or movies. It isn’t supposed to be. There may be times when you will go overseas on a short-term mission trip; or on a weekend trip to Eastern Kentucky to minister to impoverished people living in a remote region of coal-mining country; or to your local rescue mission to serve a meal. But most of the time, for most of us, we are to patiently and faithfully live quiet and godly lives that are a living testimony to the love and compassion and mercy of God. Be content to patiently and faithfully live a good life.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Wednesday February 26th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Patience”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “May God be gracious to us and bless us; look on us with favor so that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all the nations.” Psalm 67:1-2 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “We have been blessed so we can be a blessing.”
 
In Psalm 67:1 the Psalmist prayed for God’s blessing to be upon the people. That’s nice. We all want to be blessed by God. But wait, what was the intended purpose of God’s blessing upon His people? Was it simply so they could sit back, relax, and enjoy a comfy lifestyle? No. In verse two he makes it clear that the purpose of the blessing that was asked for in verse one, was so that God’s ways could be known on the earth, His salvation among all the nations. God’s people were being blessed so they could then be a blessing.
 
It’s a common theme all throughout the Bible. God blesses His people so they can in turn bless others in His name, and all so that His ways and His salvation will become known throughout the whole earth. We know this. Both the Old and New Testaments teach the people of God to go out into the world and bless people so they will experience God’s love and come to know Him in a real and personal way. Jesus did this, and then He commissioned us to go and do it too.
 
But this business of going out into the world and sharing God’s blessings with people can be messy and frustrating. Many times those we offer the blessings to either refuse to receive them, or don’t appreciate them, or they do receive them but it doesn’t seem to make any noticeable difference. That can be frustrating. How do we deal with it? Well mostly, we just keep on keeping on. We just patiently continue to do what the Lord told us to do and trust that in His way and in His time it will make a difference.
 
In Genesis 18:18 God told Abraham that ultimately, eventually, all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him. But Abraham never got to see it. In fact, on the front end of that promise Abraham couldn’t even imagine how it could be so. And yet, the promise did come to pass. The little nation of Israel has been the most influential nation in history. Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior, came from the line of Abraham. Now for 2000 years since then, the entire world has indeed been blessed by the spiritual descendants of Abraham, the followers of Christ, as they go out into the world sharing the blessings and preaching the Good News.
 
And so it continues. Today you and I – the people of God in this age, have been blessed and are being blessed, so we can in turn be a blessing to others. Sometimes it isn’t easy. Sometimes there don’t appear to be any immediate results from it. But be patient and do it anyway. It will make a difference. I encourage you to make it a point to be a blessing to someone today.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Tuesday February 25th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Patience”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “You get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.” 1 Peter 2:20 (NLT)
 
Our thought for today: “We must assume personal responsibility for our actions.”
 
How many of our problems are our own fault, a result of our own poor choices? If we’re honest about it we probably have to admit that much of what we suffer in life we bring on ourselves. One of the worst and least helpful things we can do is to play the victim. Way too often people convince themselves that their problems are someone else’s fault and they are the innocent victim of unfair treatment from people who are being mean to them. That’s a prescription for failure. You can’t succeed in life if you won’t take personal responsibility for your situations.
 
That’s pretty much the point Peter was making in 1 Peter 2:20. If I’m suffering as a result of wrongdoing or bad choices on my part, then I’m getting what I deserve. Now I have to deal with the consequences. Of course, there are times when we are treated unjustly by others. When that happens, God is aware of it and He will ensure there is justice in the end. For our part we’re to respond in a Biblical way that honors Him.
 
But still, and this is my primary point today, we must assume personal responsibility for our actions and for our poor choices. If you are fully or partially to blame for your problems, but you fool yourself into believing it’s really all someone else’s fault, you stand virtually no chance of fixing the situation or of avoiding a similar problem in the future.
 
The best response is to assume full responsibility for your actions and the consequences of them, and then patiently work with the Lord to fix it. Righting the wrong and repairing the damage may take some time, but the starting place is to acknowledge your personal responsibility for the situation you are in.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim