Oak Hill Baptist Church

Is it more than just a countdown to the end?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time”

Our Bible verse for today: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Is it more than just a countdown to the end?”

One of the problems with a preoccupation with end times theology is that it’s little more than a countdown to the end, and therefore it devalues the individual days of life. Christians with a fascination about the end times seem eager for it to arrive, looking forward to it with anticipation. Sometimes they even seem eager for others to face judgment. An excessive preoccupation with the end is unhealthy for many reasons, but one is that it takes our focus off of the present.

We often see that same mindset as people age. Some people are excessively focused on their advancing age, commenting on it frequently, complaining about it, and dreading what they believe it’s leading to.

In John 10:10 Jesus said that one of the reasons He came was so we can have life and have it fully. He meant that in the most complete way. He was referring to eternal life in heaven, but it also means life now, in this lifetime. And in that sense, He meant both the full span of our years, and the individual days of our lives. All of it is to be lived fully and lived well – each day and each moment embraced and appreciated for the gift it is.

In a church I was the pastor of many years ago, there was an elderly lady named Jane. At that time, she was in her late 70s or perhaps even early 80s. She was perky, joyful, and full of life. She was present at church virtually any time the doors were opened. She served as the Sunday school director and as a women’s teacher, and she was involved in many community activities as well. Jane seemed to be here, there, and everywhere, always bubbly and smiling, always ready to engage in whatever was going on, always looking for someone to help or to encourage. I’m pretty sure Jane regularly made Jesus smile and say, “Yes, that’s what I’m talking about, life to the full.”

The days of our lives are more than just a countdown to the end. Each day is a gift from God, and He intends for us to live it fully. I encourage you to do that today.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

It was just another ordinary day until …

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time:

Our Bible verse for today: “There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and was a widow for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.” Luke 2:36-38 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “It was just another ordinary day until …”

Anna was an elderly widow who was also a devout godly woman. The passage in Luke 2:36-38 tells us that “She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers.” That probably means that she lived in some sort of widow’s apartment in the temple complex, and perhaps served as an aide or temple worker.

In the character profile about Anna in the Experiencing God Study Bible, the editors include this statement about her: “The greatest day in Anna’s life occurred on a seemingly ordinary day when she kept her spiritual eyes open and responded to God’s activity around her.”

What they’re referring to is found in the verses before and after the ones cited above. The scene was of Mary and Joseph presenting the baby Jesus for dedication in the temple. Anna was there to witness that, and in verse 38 we read, “At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”

The point is that it was an ordinary day in Anna’s life. She was simply where she was supposed to be, doing what she was supposed to be doing. But she was alert. As she went about her daily routine there in the temple, her spiritual eyes were opened to the activity of God around her. And as a result, an ordinary day turned into the most special day of her life.

The fact is that most of life consists simply of being where you’re supposed to be and doing what you’re supposed to do. Eugene Peterson once described it as “A long obedience in the same direction.” He meant that most of life is not a mountaintop experience. Instead, it’s simply about being faithful in the small things and the ordinary routine of life. But if we do so with our spiritual eyes wide open, aware that God is with us and at work all around us, even in the ordinary and mundane, it is possible that any moment can become an extraordinary moment.

Anna was faithful. She showed up; she was where she was supposed to be; she was doing what she was supposed to be doing; and she was paying attention. May that be true of all of us today.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Get started; keep going; don’t quit

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal …” Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Get started; keep going; don’t quit”

The person I was speaking with sighed and asked, “How do I make myself do it, Jim? I know I need to do this, and I want to do it, but I just can’t seem to get started. And even when I do start, then I don’t stick with it. What’s the answer? How do I do this?”

I’ve heard similar versions of that question more times than I can count. In fact, I’ve been guilty of saying it myself. Whether the speaker is referring to losing weight and getting in better shape; or adopting better spending habits; or a hundred other life issues that we want to clean up, we often have a problem getting started and sticking with it.

Usually when a question like that is asked it’s with a hint of hopefulness that I know of some revolutionary new product, or an amazing new diet program, or a magic pill that can be taken, or a reset button that can be pushed, and presto-chango, the problem is solved.

Sorry. There is no magic pill or bright red reset button. There’s only doing. You just have to do it. And then don’t stop. And I’m not talking about doing it tomorrow, or next week, next month, or next year. I’m talking about doing it now. Don’t procrastinate any longer. Stop making excuses. There is no magic. There’s only doing.

However, although there may not be any magic pills to take or easy reset buttons to push, there is guidance and encouragement available. There are coaches, videos, workout partners, friends who will encourage you, and books you can read. For instance, “Toughness Training for Life” by Dr. James Loehr isn’t a Christian book, but it is a very insightful study into the natural tendencies of our human nature which often inhibit our perseverance and growth. Dr. Loehr teaches us how to get past the procrastination so we can get started, and then how to stick with it once we have started. I think you would find it worth the read.

Often, the thing holding you back from achieving what you want and need to achieve is your thinking. It’s all in your head. And here’s the good news: you can change your thinking. In Philippians 3:13-14 (above) the Apostle Paul was describing an attitude that can easily be applied to all of life. In that particular case he was writing about his disciplined pursuit of Christian growth, but the same attitude applies to any endeavor.

Now is the time to do it. This is the moment. You can train yourself to think differently and you can resolve to be disciplined and to persevere. But you have to stop making excuses. You have to make yourself get started, then keep going, and do not let yourself stop. Just refuse to quit.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Serving others makes you a better and happier person

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time”

Our Bible verse for today: “A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:7 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Serving others makes you a better and happier person”

In Exodus 31:1-6 we read that God gave the man Bezalel son of Uri the skills of a craftsman so he could create artistic designs and build things of wood and gold and precious stones, all for the glory of God. God goes on in that passage to say that He has given similar skills to every artisan and craftsman among His people, and for the same reason. As a pastor I realize how very much the church needs people like that who can make things and fix things.

In 1 Corinthians 12:7 (above) Paul reminds us that every person has been gifted and empowered by God with skills, talents, and abilities to in some way contribute to the overall work of the church, and that it is for the common good. In other words, the church, the community, and the world are all better places when each person is doing their part to make things better.

The fact is that we all can help in some way – and we need to be helping. Not only is the world a better place when we use our skills and abilities for the sake of others, not only is the church better off and our fellow Christians too, but it makes us a better and happier person as well. Just the other day I came across the results of yet another study that found that those who engage in volunteer work, and those who have found ways to use their skills and abilities to help others, are happier, healthier, better adjusted, and they report a higher quality of life overall, than those who don’t routinely serve others.

Psychologists have known this for decades. A good psychologist will tell you that one of the most effective therapies for a depressed person is to get that person to take their eyes off of themselves and to focus instead on helping others. When we stop thinking about ourselves so much and focus instead on helping someone else who is in even worse shape than we are, we find that soon we start feeling better.

Yesterday I encouraged us all to be involved in a higher purpose, something that inspires and motivates us. For the Christian there is no higher purpose than to be actively on-mission with Jesus, helping to build His kingdom on this earth. God has empowered you to do that. He has gifted you with skills, talents, and abilities that you can use to help with the work of the church in your community.

We all need a purpose worthy enough to inspire us. For the Christian, serving others in the name of Jesus is that purpose. There is no better use of your time, and doing so will make you a better and happier person.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

A purpose worthy enough to inspire you

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time”

Our Bible verse for today: “… but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “A purpose worthy enough to inspire you”

What gets you out of bed in the morning? (Please, don’t tell me your bladder). What I mean is, do you have a sense of purpose that inspires you so much that you look forward to each day and approach it with eagerness and expectation? Does it make you want to get up and get going?

Jesus had that sense of purpose. In John 4:32 He told his disciples, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” He wasn’t referring to bread and meat. He was talking about His sense of purpose for being involved in His Father’s business in this world, and accomplishing meaningful things for the kingdom of God on earth. That sense of purpose and mission drove Him – it inspired Him and kept Him going through even the most difficult of times.

That’s what Jesus was calling for from us in Matthew 16:25 when He told those same disciples, “… but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” What He meant was that when we make His mission our mission, we find that our life has purpose and meaning far beyond what it would have otherwise. Being successful in your career, owning a nice home, raising a family, building your bank account, going bowling on Thursday nights, are all things that might be meaningful and helpful, even enjoyable, but they don’t add up to the life Jesus wants for you.

Those other aspects of life do matter, but being a faithful disciple of Christ and being on-mission with Him in this world matters more. He wants us to concentrate on blessing people in need, comfort the suffering, offer words of hope to the despondent, and share His love in word and deed. That doesn’t mean you can’t go bowling on Thursday night. But it does mean that while you’re bowling on Thursday night you could also be looking for opportunities to bless other people. It’s not hard to incorporate that sense of mission into all the rest of life. Smiling, being friendly, listening to someone who might be struggling with life issues, offering some help, inviting them to church on Sunday – you get the idea.

We all have to live life. Working, playing, eating, sleeping, changing diapers, mowing the lawn, talking to the neighbors, and washing the car are things we all have to do just by virtue of being human and living in this world. But all of it can be undergirded by and inspired by a higher and worthier purpose. Having a sense of purpose that is larger than yourself will make your life richer, fuller, and more meaningful, and it will inspire and motivate you.

This is an important aspect of how we value our time and how we use the gift of time that God gives us each day. It’s so important that we will continue this discussion tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Which world will you live in

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time”

Our Bible verse for today: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Which world will you live in?”

In recent days we’ve been considering the importance of making good choices and establishing good habits, because as has been noted, we first form our habits but then our habits form us. We become what we do. So, how we choose to use our time, day-by-day and moment-by-moment, ultimately determines what kind of person we become and how our life turns out.

In Galatians 5:19-23 the Apostle Paul creates a stark contrast between life in two very different worlds. First, in verses 19-21, he paints a picture of a dark world of bad choices and serious suffering: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things – as I warned you before – that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The world Paul describes is filled with adultery, broken marriages, sexually transmitted diseases, workaholism, anger, bitterness, conflict, selfishness, addiction, and damaged relationships. People living in that world are miserable and they are not experiencing the blessings of God.

Now contrast that with life in the other world (life in right relationship with God): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” The fruit of the Spirit are the characteristics or personality traits of Jesus which the Holy Spirit progressively develops in the life of the faithful Christian. Over time, as you grow in spiritual maturity, all of those virtues become increasingly evident in your life. It’s who you become as a person. Those virtues come to define your life.

Read the list again. Those are the things everyone wants and is seeking in life. But many people are looking for love in all the wrong places; they’re seeking satisfaction in the wrong ways and from the wrong people. Or, more precisely, they’re looking for it in the wrong world. Satan can’t give you the things that only come from God. At best he can offer you only cheap imitations that are superficial and temporary.

Day-by-day and moment-by-moment we make choices about which world we are going to live in, and therefore what our life will be like. God wants to bless you. He wants you to experience the fruit of the Spirit in ever-increasing measure in your life. But the choice is up to you. Which world will you live in?

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Choices have consequences

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked; a man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Choices have consequences”

In recent days we’ve been considering the importance of habits and how it is that once we have formed our habits, our habits then form us. Over time we become what we do. Yesterday we considered how important it is to value godly character over any other achievement or possession in life, and how it’s up to us to do the things necessary to place ourselves in a position before God every day whereby the Holy Spirit can develop those qualities in us.

I’m currently rereading one of my favorite books about personal responsibility. I’ve told you about it before. It’s called, “The Traveler’s Gift” by Andy Andrews. It is fiction, but the life lessons it teaches are Biblical and powerful. David Ponder is a man who is struggling greatly in life. In fact, he’s at his lowest point ever and is even considering suicide. But in a dream God takes him on a trip through time where he has encounters with significant historical figures who each team him an important life lesson.

At one stop he has a meeting with President Harry Truman. The essence of Truman’s advice to David is that he is personally responsible for his own life and that the life he has is to a large degree the sum total of the choices he has made. Truman tells him, “You are where you are because of your thinking. You thinking dictates your decisions. Decisions are choices … Year’s ago you began making the choices that led you to your present situation … Until a person takes responsibility for where he is, there is no basis for moving on. The bad news is that the past was in your hands, but the good news is that the future, my friend, is also in your hands.”

To a very large extent what happens to us is the result of the choices we have made. And even when we’re impacted by external events that are completely beyond our control, we still make choices about how we will respond to those events and how we will handle them.

It really is true, as Paul writes in Galatians 6:7 (above), that we reap what we sow. Our thinking leads to our decisions. Our decisions are choices. Choices determine actions. Actions become habits. And over time, our habits form us – we become what we do. That being the case, give careful thought to what you do – especially to what you do habitually, day-in and day-out. Choices have consequences.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

What do you want God to do for you?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time”

Our Bible verse for today: “At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?”” 1 Kings 3:5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “What do you want God to do for you?

In 1 King 3:5 King David had recently died and his son Solomon had ascended to the throne. Solomon was a young man and at this point, like his father David, Solomon’s heart was still after God. Solomon had a strong desire to be a good and wise king and he wanted to honor the Lord with his life.

So, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and offered him a blank check, “What do you want me to give you, what do you want me to do for you, Solomon? Go ahead and ask.” Many people would have been tempted to ask for selfish things like riches or health or victory over their enemies. Instead, in verses 7-9 we read Solomon replying to God with this, “Lord my God, you have now made your servant king in my father David’s place. Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership. Your servant is among your people you have chosen, a people too many to be numbered or counted. So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”

Of all the things Solomon could have asked God for, what he wanted most was good character. He wanted to grow into a wise man of God and he wanted to be able to be a blessing to God’s people. As we read in later verses, Solomon’s response pleased God and so He granted his request.

Now take a moment to consider the desires of your own heart. What is it that you most want God to give you or do for you? Do your deepest most passionate desires revolve around possessions, achievements, or character? As you consider that question, think back to yesterday’s devotional about the importance of habits and how it is that at first we form our habits, then our habits form us. What do your habits reveal about what is truly most important to you?

How we inhabit time – how we live – will depend to a large extent on what it is we want the most. I believe God is waiting for us to ask Him for the right things, something that He can and will eagerly grant.

Here’s one possible prayer: “What I want you to do for me, Lord, is to make me into a wise, just, disciplined, patient, joyful, kind, and compassionate man or woman of God.” Then develop the daily habits of prayer, Bible study, fellowship, and service that will place you in a position before God each day whereby the Holy Spirit can do that transforming work in you.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Wax on, wax off …

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time”

Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Wax on, wax off”

In his book “Overcoming Apathy”, Uche Anizor reminds us of a scene from the iconic movie “The Karate Kid”. Daniel, a somewhat scrawny misfit new kid, is being bullied without mercy by a group of boys at school, even being beat up by them. Mr. Miyagi is a quiet, mild-mannered, unassuming older man who just happens to be a karate master. He takes Daniel under his wing and begins to train him in the martial arts.

But much to Daniel’s surprise and disappointment, his early training consists of doing menial chores, seemingly for Mr. Miyagi’s personal benefit. For instance, Daniel is instructed to wax Mr. Miyagi’s car – and to do so with precise movements, applying the wax and removing it in exact repetitive motions described by Mr. Miyagi as “wax on, wax off”. After a while Daniel complains that he’s wasting his time on menial tasks when he’s supposed to be learning karate. It’s then that Mr. Miyagi shows Daniel how it is that the “wax on, wax off” motions are actually key self-defense moves and that in order to become proficient in karate, these movements have to become second-nature to him.

Anzior uses that story to help illustrate how important simple daily habits are in forming us into the people we are in the process of becoming. The fact is, we become what we do. Overtime, your habits form you. Therefore, give careful attention to the little things in your life. Especially the little things that have become habits. Are they good or bad? Are they progressively forming you into the kind of person you want to be, or are they taking you in the other direction?

It really is true that first we form a habit, then our habits form us. An action repeated becomes a habit; habits overtime form character; and character determines your destiny. So, pay attention to the little things, the daily habits. How you inhabit time moment by moment – especially when it comes to habits that have morphed into sustained patters of living, determines the person you will be.

That’s the point Paul was making in 1 Corinthians 9:24 (above). Here’s what he had to say in the rest of the passage: “So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

We become what we do. So, establish good habits instead of bad ones and then, “wax on, wax off; wax on, wax off; wax on, wax off ….”

God bless,
Pastor Jim

It was day one of Chapter One

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time”

Our Bible verse for today: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “It was day one of Chapter One”

The other day a friend and church member passed away. Pete was ninety-one years old and had lived a long and good life. He was in law enforcement his entire career – a homicide detective. For the years that I knew him he was a church member, friend, and an encourager of his pastor.

Sadly, the last few years of his life were spent battling Alzheimer’s disease. And yet, right at the end, the Lord graciously granted Pete renewed clarity and peace. When I saw him the day before he died, he recognized me, smiled, conversed for a bit, and shook my hand as I was leaving. His final day was spent with his wife, children, and grandchildren by his side. At one point we gathered around his bed, read Scripture, talked about the promise of life after death, and prayed.

C.S. Lewis ends the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia series with a touching scene that speaks a great truth about our passage from this life into eternity. In the story, all the battles were over, evil was defeated, Aslan reigned over his kingdom, and the adventurous heroes were safe and sound in the eternal kingdom:

“And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the story. All their life in the world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

That’s what John was describing in Revelation 21:4 (above). This life is just the beginning of our eternal existence. It’s just the cover and title page. Real life, new life, the perfect life, doesn’t begin until we arrive in heaven. That is day one of Chapter One of a story that goes on forever.

Last Thursday, very early in the morning, when Pete’s body of flesh and bones finally ceased to function, his spirit was immediately released, crossed over, and entered into the real story – the “Great Story”. This life was just the beginning, just the cover and the title page. For Pete, Thursday was day one of Chapter One of a story that will go on for eternity.

God bless,
Pastor Jim