Deovtional for Friday January 3rd

Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Change”
Our Bible verse for today: “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Jesus is in the process of changing you.”
Yesterday we spent some time thinking about the change that occurs when an individual opens his or her heart and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior. They are “born again” – they become a brand new spiritual creation. That’s the most important change any person can ever experience.
But it’s just the beginning. From that moment forward the Lord begins a process of transformation which theologians refer to as “sanctification”. Sanctification is a fifty-cent theological word which simply means that the Holy Spirit is at work transforming you from the person you were, into the person Jesus wants you to be.
While it’s the Holy Spirit who brings about the change, we have a role to play in the process too. The spiritual disciplines are the practices we engage in which place us in a position before the Lord whereby He can change us. By means of prayer, Bible study, scripture memorization, meditation, fasting, worship, service, fellowship, and a variety of other practices, we give God the access to our lives which He needs in order to change us. The more of those practices we engage in, the more access to our lives He has and the more change He can bring about.
What kind of changes are we talking about? The changes will be many and they will vary depending on the individual, but in Galatians 5:22-23 the Apostle Paul listed nine that are pretty standard and which are evident to varying degrees in every life surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. He called them “The Fruit of the Spirit”: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” The more you allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life, the more those virtues become evident in you.
I don’t know about you but I want as much of those things as I can get.
It’s true, Jesus is in the process of changing you into the man or woman He wants you to be. But it’s not all up to Him – you have a role to play in the process of sanctification too. In fact to a very large degree how much change occurs, and how fast, depends on how cooperative you are, how faithful you are to do your part.
As we begin this New Year I encourage you to establish a daily routine that includes plenty of time for the basic disciplines of the Christian faith. If you do, by this time next year I believe you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of change the Lord has brought about in your life.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Thursday January 2nd

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Change”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “The most important change a person can experience is being born again.”

The most important thing about any person is who or what they place their faith in. What we believe to be true about the spiritual realm, about God, about salvation, and about eternity determines virtually everything else about us. Our faith constitutes the very core of who we are and therefore will ultimately determine what we think, say, and do.

That being the case, the most important change that can ever occur in any person’s life is the change that occurs when a decision is made to place their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. In that moment they become a brand new spiritual creation. They are “born again.” It’s what Jesus was referring to in John 3:3 when He said “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (HCSB)

Being born again occurs in a moment of time when a person makes an intentional decision to invite Jesus Christ into their life. By means of prayer, you simply ask Him to come into your heart, to forgive your sins, and then to take control of your life and to begin changing you into the person He wants you to be. It’s an intentional decision which instantly results in being “born again” – you become a brand new spiritual creation.

If there has never been a moment like that in your own life when you have made that intentional decision to open your heart and invite Jesus into your life, I encourage you to do it now. It will result in the best and most important change you will ever experience.

God Bless, Pastor Jim

 

Devotional for January 1, 2014

Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Change”
Our Bible verse for today: “I am the Lord, and I do not change.” Malachi 3:6 (NLT)
Our thought for today: “We are in a constant state of change, but the Lord never changes.”
Change is inevitable. As human beings we are in a constant state of change, even if we don’t realize it. Nothing ever truly stays the same. Sometimes change comes upon us quickly as the result of some cataclysmic or traumatic event, but more often it occurs very slowly over time. People change, seasons change, the world changes. As you sit there reading this, your body is changing. You may be perfectly motionless at the moment as you sit in front of your computer, yet your body is rapidly changing as old cells die and new ones are created. We are in a perpetual state of change.
Many changes are good and positive, such as a new and better job, or the results you’re going to get from that new exercise and nutrition program you just started. Other changes are bad and negative, such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or a natural disaster. Good or bad, change is part of life.
The question isn’t whether or not change will come – it will; the question is in how we handle it. Many people don’t like change, good or bad. They’re set in their ways and they resist anything new or different. For such folks life will be hard. Those people are usually reluctant to initiate needed change and they’re poorly prepared to handle unexpected change. On the other hand, those who are proactive about change tend to do better. If you’re the kind of person who recognizes the need for change and then takes the initiative to implement it, you’ll be happier and healthier than those who don’t. Psychologically you are also more likely to receive unexpected change in a more positive way – embracing it and dealing with it constructively.
All this month we will consider the fact that change is one of the great constants of life and we therefore need to be well prepared to deal with it. In the meantime, I want to leave you with this comforting thought:
“Although we as individuals are always in a constant state of change, and although the world around us is also constantly changing, Jesus never changes. He is the one constant in all of creation and therefore He is our Rock, our Anchor, and our Firm Foundation that keeps us grounded and steady in a world that is not.”
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Tuesday December 31st

Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Celebration”
Our Bible verse for today: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Knowing that God has a great plan for you is a good reason to celebrate”
As I write this it is the morning of New Year’s Eve 2013.  Traditionally most of us use this time of year to review the old year, and to make plans for the new one. Taking stock of where we’ve been and where we’re heading is actually a helpful exercise. There are a couple of old, time-honored sayings that come to mind and which apply here. One is, “If you keep doing what you’ve always done you will keep getting what you’ve always gotten.” And, “If you aim at nothing you’re sure to hit it every time.”
So, it’s helpful to reflect on the old year. Did you have goals you wanted to achieve in 2013? Did you achieve them? Why or why not? What were some of your best moments in 2013? What were some of your worst? And, what actions did you take that brought those good or bad things to pass? (We are all responsible for the consequences of our choices be they good consequences or bad. Going through life with a victim mentality and trying to blame others for your problems is a sure path to sorrow and failure.)
Now, what about 2014? Have you set realistic goals? Do you have a plan for achieving those goals? Again, if you aim at nothing then that’s probably what you’ll accomplish – nothing.
It’s true that God has a wonderful plan for your life and that He is in the process of bringing that plan to fruition. However, don’t neglect your personal responsibility. The burden is not all on God. He expects us to cooperate with Him. We are partners with Him in this. So I encourage you to prayerfully ask God to help you set goals. Ask Him to guide you as you make plans for 2014, and then ask Him to help you be diligent and persistent in walking them out.
On this New Years Eve I hope you are thankful for 2013 and find yourself celebrating what God has done in your life. I also hope you’re looking forward to 2014 with eagerness and anticipation. I pray all the best for you in the New Year.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Monday December 30th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Celebration”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
 
Our thought for today: “Laughing is good for you.”
 
I love the sound of laughter – especially in the church. I think God’s people should be the happiest people on earth and the church should be the happiest place on earth. I know, I know, you thought that was Disneyland but no, it’s actually the church that should be that happy place. To this pastor’s ears there isn’t a sweeter sound than to hear the people of the church laughing and enjoying themselves. I often wish I had a greater gift for humor just so I could make people laugh more. Stuffy straight-laced religious people make me nervous.
 
Richard Foster once wrote, “So poke fun at yourself. Enjoy wholesome jokes and clever puns. Relish good comedy. Learn to laugh; it is a discipline to be mastered … Only those who are insecure about their own maturity will fear such a delightful form of celebration.”
 
My advice to you today? Laugh. Laugh a lot. And after that, laugh some more.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Saturday and Sunday December 28-29

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Celebration”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” Psalm 133:1 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Peace within the family of God is a reason to celebrate.”
 
Last Sunday night in our Bible study group there was a comment made about how little conflict or dissension we experience in our church family at Oak Hill Baptist, and how pleasant it is to be part of a group of mature believers who love each other and who get along well. It’s what King David was writing about in Psalm 133:1.
 
I personally believe that how easily a person is offended is a measure of the depth of their spiritual maturity. The more spiritually mature an individual is the more likely they are to just shrug things off. Potential offenses to them are like water on a ducks back – it just rolls right off. But when a person is thin-skinned and easily takes offense, that’s an indication of spiritual immaturity. Get a few of those individuals in a church and it won’t be long before people are yipping and yapping and snapping at one another.
 
Years ago author John Bevere wrote a wonderful book entitled “The Bait of Satan”. The premise is that Satan uses the potential for offense as “bait” to try to turn an individual Christian into a self-absorbed whiny little snot with a victim mentality; someone who is always finding fault and who expects to always have things go their way. A person like that can wreck havoc in a church fellowship. A spiritually mature person will simply refuse to take that bait.
 
King David recognized and savored the wonderful experience of living in harmony with a spiritually mature group of God’s people. As the pastor of a small, but mature and peaceful church family, I can join with David in saying “Amen!”
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Thursday December 26th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Celebration”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:22-23 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “A job well done is reason to celebrate”
 
God expects us to live productive lives that make a meaningful contribution to society. A job well done provides a sense of fulfillment and it is a good reason to celebrate. Some of the happiest people I know are those who are fortunate enough to work in a profession they truly love and which provides them with a great sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. It’s a wonderful thing to spend your days doing something you love and getting paid for it as well!
 
However, many others aren’t as fortunate. Many people have to simply take whatever job they can get just so they can put bread on the table for their family. Still, the Lord expects us to work hard and well, as if we are performing that task for Him. We’ve all had the misfortunate of having to work with slackers who don’t enjoy their work and therefore don’t do it well. It’s an especially bad testimony if they profess to be followers of Christ but they perform poorly at work.
 
Those folks seem to always be scheming to find ways to get out of work and they’re always making excuses. Nobody is fooled by their excuses, it’s hard to have respect for someone who acts that way, and such behavior certainly does not honor God. But for those who approach a disagreeable task with a good attitude and therefore do it well, we do respect them, we do enjoy working with them, and their conduct honors the God whom they profess to follow.
 
Whether you love your job or not, the Lord wants you to do it well. A job well done honors Him, gives you a sense of accomplishment, and it is a good reason to celebrate. For an expanded teaching on this subject refer to chapter thirteen of my book “Walking with Paul”. You can get a copy at http://www.JimMersereauBooks.com.
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Tuesday December 24th

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Celebration”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.” Luke 2:10-11
 
Our thought for today: “Christmas is a celebration of Christ.”
 
This morning, on this Christmas Eve morning, I want to share with you some thoughts from Billy Graham about Christmas:
 
“Christmas is a time of joy, but we must make sure that it is not pagan joy generated by the expectation of receiving gifts or engaging in revelry. The real happiness of Christmas is in the fact of the Incarnation, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.”
 
Even as Christians we can easily get caught-up in the secular aspects of this season that have little if anything to do with Christ. Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, eggnog, Christmas cookies, frenzied Christmas Eve price-slashing at the local WalMart … you know what I mean. It’s busy, loud, obnoxious, and Christ-less.
 
Tonight at 5:30 at Oak Hill Baptist Church we will celebrate our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight service. Frosty the Snowman won’t be there – but Jesus will be. It will all be about Him. I want to invite you to join us if you’re close by. If you’re not, then I encourage you to attend a similar service in your own town.
 
Here’s another thought from Billy:
 
“Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream – it is a glorious reality. For from that manager came a Man who not only taught us a new way of life, but brought us into a new relationship with our Creator.”
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Monday December 23rd

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Celebration”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” Psalm 95:6 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Reverent worship is a form of celebration:
 
Psalm 95:6 is actually part of the lyrics from one of my favorite contemporary worship songs “Come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our God our Maker …” In this verse the psalmist does a good job of combining the ideas of worship as both celebration and reverence. This balance helps us to guard against becoming too restrained and subdued, or too superficial and cavalier.
 
As I write this we are deep into the Christmas season. Tomorrow night at Oak Hill Baptist we will have a Christmas Eve candlelight service. It will be a time of both celebration and reverence. We will recall that on the night Jesus was born a multitude of angels sang glorious hallelujahs – it was a great celebration, while the shepherds came to bow before the newborn King and to worship Him. Then there was more rejoicing and praising as the shepherds went on their way to spread the good news about all they had seen and heard.
 
I realize that many of you reading this are scattered around the country, but many others are right here in Crossville, TN. For those of you who are close, I invite you to join us for the Christmas Eve candlelight service at Oak Hill Baptist at 5:30 PM. For those of you who aren’t close enough to join us, I encourage you to find a similar service in your own town.
Celebration can include both reverent worship and joyful praising. Come, let us worship and bow down …
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Devotional for Saturday and Sunday December 21-22

Good Morning Everyone,
 
Our theme for this month: “Celebration”
 
Our Bible verse for today: “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.” Psalm 66:1-2 (HCSB)
 
Our thought for today: “Celebration is often noisy.”
 
When God’s people celebrate together it can get noisy, and that’s a good thing. When the time of group worship truly assumes a spirit of celebration the singing is louder and more robust, hands are raised in the air, faces light up with smiles, and frequently there are hearty “amen’s!”. When the people of God are enjoying good fellowship there is commonly lots of laughing, animated conversations, plenty of good-natured kidding, and it can get pretty loud. All of that is a joyful noise unto the Lord.
 
Although I’m personally fairly quiet and a bit reserved in my own times of worship, I love being surrounded by a group of people who are animated and expressive. While you probably won’t see me dancing in the aisle with a tambourine, I don’t mind if others do. And as a Pastor I love it when our Fellowship Hall is packed with people enjoying a good meal, and each others company. I’ll often just stand back and survey the noisy scene and enjoy the sight.
 
This Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist we’ll be holding our annual Christmas worship service. It will include congregational singing of some of our old time favorite Christmas hymns; along with some special music from the choir; and a couple of numbers from our children as well. That will be followed by our annual Christmas dinner. And yup, it will be noisy. But it will be that joyful noise made unto the Lord. We would love to have you join us!
 
God Bless,
Pastor Jim