Oak Hill Baptist Church

On the other side of the rainbow

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all future generations: I have placed my bow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Genesis 9:12-13 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “On the other side of the rainbow”

I read a story recently about a Christian man who was a helicopter pilot for a police force. All day every day he flew a helicopter for law enforcement. One time, shortly after a heavy rainstorm, he saw a rainbow right in front of his flightpath. But it wasn’t the typical arch that we’re all used to seeing. In this case it was the full rainbow, a complete circle. The sight was so rare and so breathtakingly beautiful that the pilot flew his helicopter right through the middle of the rainbow. Then he turned around and flew back through it, and then he did it again. Chuckling like a kid enjoying himself, he just flew back and forth through the full rainbow and enjoyed the beauty and fun of it all.

A rainbow is a miracle of God’s creation. Scientifically, it is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light in water droplets, resulting in a multi-colored spectrum of light appearing in the sky. But its higher purpose is as a reminder of God’s promise to bless the earth and the people of the earth. It is a sign of hope and promise, but it only appears after a storm has passed.

There’s a spiritual lesson to be learned in the example of the rainbow. Life is full of storms, but our God is a God of hope and of blessings. God’s rainbow symbolizes His many promises of hope and blessings for the future – promises like Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you – this is the Lord’s declaration – plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

There’s a famous Native American proverb which reminds us, “The soul would have no rainbow if the eye shed no tears.” Meaning that some joys, some blessings, are only experienced on the other side of the rainbow and we have to go through the storm in order to get to them.

In yesterday’s devotional we considered Jesus’ convicting question to His disciples (and to us), “Where is your faith?” We learned there that Jesus deserves your faith and trust because He has brought you through so many storms in the past. Therefore, He can be trusted to get you through the current storm as well.

For you, a storm may be raging at this moment, but storms don’t last forever. Soon they pass. They always pass. And then, the rainbow. And on the other side of the rainbow – hope and blessings. I want to encourage you this morning to trust that God has a rainbow for you.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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Where is your faith?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves. So they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Luke 8:24-25 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Where is your faith?”

In the passage from Luke chapter eight above, Jesus and His disciples were in a fishing boat out on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was asleep in the boat when a fierce storm suddenly swept in upon them. It was so bad that the boat was being swamped and they were in danger of sinking. But Jesus just peacefully slept on. Finally, they frantically woke Him up proclaiming, “We’re going to die!” Jesus got up, rebuked the storm, looked at them and asked, “Where is your faith?”

Why were the disciples frantic and afraid? Afterall, they had Jesus right there with them. Beyond that, by this time they had been present when He drove out demons, healed Peter’s mother-in-law, and healed a man of leprosy. Another time, after a full night of fishing and of catching nothing, at the word of Jesus their nets were suddenly filled with so many fish they needed a second boat to take them all in. He had healed a paralyzed man, restored a shriveled hand, cast out more demons, raised a boy to life, revealed profound spiritual insights, confounded the Pharisees time and again, and so much more. So, it was a good question, “Where is your faith?” Surely by this time, considering all they had experienced with Him already, they should have had a little more confidence in Jesus.

And so should we. Has Jesus calmed storms in your life? Has He provided for you, healed you, helped you, comforted you in the past? The question really isn’t “Did He” but, “How many times has He?” And therefore shouldn’t we, like the disciples in the boat with Him that day, remember all the times He has been there for us in the past? And shouldn’t the memories of those times serve to strengthen our faith in the present?

I can just hear Jesus asking me, “Seriously, Jim, where is your faith?”

One of the fruits of deep discipleship is that it teaches us to base our current faith in Him on His past faithfulness to us. When faced with a current challenge we should remember all the other challenges the Lord has gotten us through and instead of being doubtful and fearful, we should be confident and assured. Not confident in ourselves, but in the Lord.

I encourage you to take some time today to remember the past storms the Lord has brought you through. Thank Him for those, and then trust Him for whatever you are facing today.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

First-hand experience

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life – that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us – what we have seen and heard we also declare to you … 1 John 1:1-3 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “First-hand experience”

Do you know God, or do you just know about God? In other words, have you simply learned information about Him or have you actually experienced Him? Head knowledge is of some value but it isn’t until our relationship with God is experiential – at the heart level, that we really come to know God. That is first-hand experience and it’s what the Apostle John was describing in 1 John 1:1-3 regarding his own relationship with Jesus. John knew Jesus at the heart level. John experienced God because John walked with God. He didn’t limit himself to learning things about God, instead he lived his life with God.

Last Sunday evening, in our group session for our Bible study “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God,” our discussion centered around experiencing God by joining Him in His work. We learned of how God opens our eyes so we can see where He is at work all around us, and that then becomes our invitation to join Him in His work. Then, once we do join Him in what He is already doing right there where we are, we get to experience Him in a deeper way. We come to know Him better and experience Him more because we joined with Him in His work.

The members of our group told story after story about their own personal experiences with God by joining Him in His work. Some of those stories pertained to big things, like going on international mission trips, but most of the stories were not like that. Most of them were stories about helping a neighbor, or blessing and witnessing to a coworker, or other acts of kindness and compassion engaged in because God opened their eyes to a hurting and struggling person who simply needed a little attention. And person after person said “I received the bigger blessing.” Regardless of what they did for the other person, and regardless of how blessed and grateful that other person seemed to be, the person on the giving end reported feeling as if they had received the bigger blessing.

Why? Why do we feel as if we receive the bigger blessing when we do things like that? Because we are joining God in His work to bless and minister to a hurting world and when we do, it enhances our own relationship with God. We experience Him in a deeper way because we are working side-by-side with Him. Also, it feels good. It just feels good to interact with God like that, and it feels good to know that the practice of our faith not only makes a difference in our own life, but it also makes a difference in the lives of others who get blessed and helped by us.

When we join God in His work, we get first-hand experience interacting with Him in a real and tangible way. So, do you want to experience God? Join Him in His work.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Listen Deeply

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

Our thought for today: “Listen deeply”

Most people are not very good listeners. Usually, they’re just waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can start. In “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” Stephen Covey notes that “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” You can tell when someone isn’t really listening to you because they don’t maintain eye contact, they interrupt you before you are done speaking, and they quickly shift the subject back to whatever it is they wanted to talk about and away from what you were trying to say.

Covey teaches that one of the habits that distinguishes highly successful people from all others is that they have learned to be good listeners. The reason good listening skills is one of the habits of highly successful people is because people love to feel as if they are being listened to. It makes them feel valued. Also, we learn from others when we really listen to them, and one of the reasons successful people are successful is because they do learn from others.

Good listening skills are important in order to have healthy relationships with other people, but they are absolutely essential for a good relationship with God. But if it’s true that most of us are not good listeners in our communications with other people, it’s even truer of our relationship with God. Most of us spend much more time talking to God than we do listening to Him. But that’s backwards. It’s more important for me to hear from God than for God to hear from me.

In Psalm 46:10 we are called to quietly sit before God and just listen. When was the last time you did that? When was the last time you withdrew to an isolated and quiet place and simply sat still before God? No other people, no radio or television, no music, no cell phone, no nothing. Just you and God in the deep solitude of peace and quiet.

Periodically we all need times like that. And for most of us, our lives are so busy that if we don’t actually schedule quiet time with the Lord and then guard it (as we noted in yesterday’s devotional about guarding our wells), then we can pretty much count on it being intruded upon and stolen from us. Our quite times with God need to be intentional and protected.

Train yourself to be a good listener. Listen attentively and deeply to other people, but even more so, train yourself to listen deeply to God.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Guard your well

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” John 4:13-14 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Guard your well”

Deep wells and cool refreshing water are metaphors the Bible uses as a picture of deep discipleship that yields spiritual renewal. The person or people involved are urged to go deep with the Lord, and the result is a refreshing encounter with God and spiritual renewal.

In John chapter four Jesus had His famous encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. He asks her for a drink of water and she points out to Him that the well is deep and He has nothing to draw the water with. That then leads to the response from Jesus that we just read in John 4:13-14.

In the Swindoll Study Bible, Pastor Chuck Swindoll uses the incident in Genesis 21:22-24 to make a similar point. In that scene, Abraham’s men dug an actual deep well to access real water in a remote location out in the wilderness. After the well was dug, they then guarded it from the enemy soldiers of Abimelech who had a history of seizing wells that belonged to other people. The water was precious to Abraham and his people and access to it needed to be protected.

Pastor Chuck used that scene to teach a spiritual lesson. He notes that we all need deep spiritual wells that we can draw from, and those wells of ours need to be protected too. Those spiritual wells that refresh us can be quiet times with the Lord, group Bible study, weekly worship services, or other spiritual disciplines. We need to protect our times at those wells from encroachment by people, events, or demands on us that might draw us away from our time at the well.

Chuck writes, “Think about your well of refreshment. Think about the value of time at the well. Watch out for the soldiers of Abimelech. Guarding your well isn’t selfish. It is of paramount importance to your survival and productivity.”

One of the deep wells which provides spiritual refreshing and which we need to guard is the faithful participation in the full life of a good church. When your church gathers this weekend for Bible study, worship, and fellowship, you need to be there. Don’t let anyone or anything draw you away from that time of deep spiritual renewal. Guard that well.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Respect the wisdom of the elderly

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.” Job 12:12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Respect the wisdom of the elderly”

I think it’s a tragic aspect of our society in the USA today that the elderly get so little respect. We live in a society that is fascinated with youth and is compulsive about clinging to it. The exchange between the young man and his grandfather that I related in yesterday’s devotional is typical of our society’s attitude toward the elderly: “Grandpa, you’re too old to understand my problems.” The grandson’s attitude was dismissive and perhaps a little disrespectful, not to mention that it missed the mark because the grandfather had a lifetime of experience and hard-earned wisdom to share. The grandfather’s reply was spot-on: “Son, you have never been as old as I am; but I have been as young as you are.”

Most other societies around the world do a better job of respecting, admiring, and learning from the elderly. Asian, Hispanic, Muslim, Jewish, and African cultures especially revere and respect old age. The Bible also teaches us to respect and learn from the elderly. Job 12:12 (above) is just one of the many passages that speak of this and model it for us.

There is so much we can learn from the elderly if we only would. In truth, we know this. Even in our own culture, which is so fixated on youth, we still create and love figures like Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid movie; or Yoda and OB 1 Kenobi from Star Wars. In the Old Testament we have Father Abraham and Moses. In the New Testament we find in 2 and 3 John the elderly Apostle John referring to himself by the title “The Elder”, which was evidently a term of endearment that the people used for him and by which he was therefore recognized.

I am so grateful for the wise older people the Lord has placed in my life over the years who had such a profound impact on my own growth and development. My mother; my pastor and his wife, Oren and Louise Teel; a former pastor and deacon in my first church, Dick DeGrow; church historian Mary Henry; feisty and faithful Mary Rose Kemmer; we even have a sweet lady in our church today who is 104 years old but she is spry and full of life, and she is in Sunday school and worship service every Sunday. What an inspiration!

One of the ways in which we grow in deep discipleship is to pay attention to, respect, and learn from the wise elderly people the Lord has placed in our lives. I encourage you to develop a relationship with a wise older person and to spend time with that them on a regular basis.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Take the long view

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets … it returns to the place where it rises.” Ecclesiastes 1:3-4 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Take the long view”

The other day I read about a young man who dismissed the advice of his grandfather with the statement, “Grandpa, you’re too old to understand my problems.” To that the grandfather replied, “Son, you have never been as old as I am; but I have been as young as you are.”

Age gives us a different and hopefully better perspective on things. As I’ve aged, I have discovered that my perspective has changed about a lot of things. For one thing, I find myself getting less anxious about events unfolding in the world. I noted in a previous devotional how it is that every generation since the time of Jesus has believed they were living in the last days, and they have all been wrong. That causes me to remember all the times just in my lifetime when high profile Christian leaders were loudly proclaiming the end of time because of this event or that war or the blood moon, or whatever. They were all wrong. So, I find myself less than impressed with today’s claims of the imminent demise of all mankind.

Likewise, just in my sixty-nine years of life there have been thirteen U.S. Presidents – seven Republicans and six Democrats. In each case the other side acted like the election results were a disaster for their party and for the country. Yet, we lived through it and in time the political pendulum swung in the other direction, and here we are seventy years later. The same has been true for wars and other conflicts, economic ups and downs, social changes, and so much more. We go up, we go down, the pendulum swings in one direction and then in the other, and life goes on.

And life will continue to go on. Until it doesn’t. Until God calls us home to heaven or until He decides enough is enough and it’s time for Jesus to come back. In the meantime, we are to keep our heads; we are to view things horizontally (the long view over the course of years), and vertically (from 30,000 feet – from God’s perspective); and we are to live life. As I noted in yesterday’s devotional, we know what to do. God has told us. We are to lean into life, be on-mission with Jesus in our world, share the Good News of the Gospel, and serve people in His name.

King Solomon took the long view of things. That’s what the entire book of Ecclesiastes is about. Life ebbs and flows but always, it moves forward. And Solomon’s conclusion? “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

I encourage you to take the long view of things and trust God for the outcome.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

We know what to do

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “All the Lord has spoken we will faithfully do.” Exodus 24:7 (New Jewish Publication Society)

Our thought for today: “We know what to do”

In Exodus chapter twenty-four Moses had been conducting an extended teaching session for the people, explaining in detail the commands of the Lord and how the people were to conduct themselves. In Exodus 24:7 the people enthusiastically responded, “All the Lord has spoken we will faithfully do.” That attitude was crucial because at that point their world was still very unsettled and their future seemed uncertain.

In his commentary of Exodus, Dr. Dennis Prager explains that the actual Hebrew translation of that verse reads, “We will do and we will understand.” In other words, the people would gain understanding of God, His ways, and His plans, by doing what He commanded. They would do first and they would understand second. Doing leads to understanding. We obey first, we understand second. God told you what to do, so just go do it.

This is a lesson many Christians need to learn. God doesn’t necessarily give us understanding upfront. Instead, He gives us instructions, and He expects us to faithfully obey Him whether we understand or not. This is one of the lessons we’re learning in our Sunday evening Bible study at Oak Hill Baptist Church, “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God.” We experience God by obeying God.

As we live in this very chaotic and confusing world of ours, we need to remember the primary task God has given us. We are to be on-mission with Jesus carrying out the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. We are to go into the world, share the Good News of the Gospel, make Disciples, and demonstrate love for others in the name of Christ. We won’t have all the answers to all the questions. World events will confuse us. The future may look uncertain. That’s okay. We have our assignment and so we know what to do.

Doing leads to understanding. Just be faithful to the primary task God has given you and in time you will either gain a better perspective and understanding of things; or perhaps circumstances and events will come to seem a little less important; or maybe issues and situations will resolve themselves, fade into history, and be replaced by something new. Either way, God has given us our instructions. We know what to do.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Are these the last days?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name, and you have not grown weary.” Revelation 2:3 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Are these the last days?”

War is raging in the Middle East again. Israel has been attacked and they are at war against Hamas. The conflict is large, it is serious, and it appears to be spreading. As Christians we need to be praying for Israel, and as Americans we must insist our government provide Israel with all the help they need in order to defeat this enemy and win this war.

Some Christians are also concluding that this war is a clear sign that we are nearing the End Times and the Second Coming of Christ. Are we? Does this war signal the beginning of the end?

To address that question let me take us to the book of Revelation. God had the Apostle John write it more than 1900 years ago (best estimate is A.D. 95). It was written originally to seven churches in Asia Minor with the intent that it would then be shared with all other churches throughout the Roman Empire. In their introduction to the book of Revelation the editors of the Experiencing God Study Bible note that those original readers were living in a world of terrible oppression, under the hand of a tyrannical government (Rome), and many of them believed they were living in the last days and that the Second Coming of Christ was about to happen.

Obviously, they were not living in the last days. That was 2000 years ago and we’re all still here. The truth is that every generation of Christians since the time of Jesus have thought there were events occurring in their world that proved they were living in the End Times. And every one of those generations have been wrong. Someday, some generation will be correct but until then history will continue to unfold – and that will be true despite how desperate circumstances appear at any given time in history.

The current war is serious. However, since its declaration of independence in May 1948 Israel has fought and won eight declared wars, as well as two other major Palestinian uprisings and numerous other armed conflicts. They won them all, and they will win this one too.

Could we be living in the End Times? We could be. That is always potentially true. But historically and statistically we probably are not. How then, should we as Christians approach the times in which we do live? We find a clue in the words the Lord had John write to the church in Ephesus. In 2:3 (above) He commended them for their past faithfulness in the face of difficult circumstances. Then in verses 4-5 He said, “But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first.”

We have a job to do. Our focus needs to be less on whether these may or may not be the last days and more on simply being on-mission with Jesus in the world as it is. The Great Commission (to share the Good News and to make disciples), and the Great Commandment (to love others), is still our gameplan. Nothing has changed. Love others in the name of Jesus; tell them the Good News of the Gospel; and leave it to God to determine dates and times.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Just fill in the blank

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Deep Discipleship”

Our Bible verse for today: “I Am Who I Am” Exodus 3:14 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Just fill in the blank”

This morning I want to share with you our lesson from the Bible study, “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God” that our study group had for today. It was all about coming to know God through personal experience and it was based on Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush in Genesis 3:1-22.

In that encounter God instructed Moses to go to the Israelites in Egypt and tell them that God had sent Moses to lead them out of captivity to freedom. But Moses was afraid and doubtful. Not doubtful of God, but doubtful of his own abilities and afraid that the people wouldn’t believe the message he was bringing to them. In verse 13 Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, “What is his name?’ what should I tell them?” To that God answered Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” As Henry Blackaby explained in our lesson, “He meant ‘I am the eternal One. I will be what I will be.” God was essentially saying to Moses, “I am everything you will need in any situation you will face. Just fill in the blank for whatever your need is in any situation.”

Moses was unsure of himself and he needed to know that God was able to help him and that God would be there for him. God reassured him that He could and He would. The same is true for you and me. God is always here; He is always able; and He is always willing. He is everything you will ever need in any situation you will ever face. “I AM WHO I AM. I am everything you need. Just fill in the blank for your particular situation.”

In the lesson today, Henry Blackaby notes, “You come to know God through experience as He reveals Himself to you and you respond to what He says.” That was true for Moses, he came to know God as a result of the encounter at the burning bush – but even more so by then walking forward in obedience and doing the thing God had instructed Him to do. It was only when Moses obeyed that he actually got to experience the presence, power, protection, and provision of God. It required faith and obedience. Then, in retrospect, Moses was able to look back and see just how real and just how present God was.

The same is true for us. We come to know God by experiencing Him when we are faithful and we obey Him. Then we can look back and realize just how present and powerful and active He was in our situation. That then should increase our faith for today and for the future, and we end up knowing God better.

God is the great “I AM.” He is everything you will ever need in every situation you will ever face. Just fill in the blank.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville