Oak Hill Baptist Church

Are you listening?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Are you listening?”

One of the greatest truths in all of Scripture is that God wants to be heard by His people and He wants to be understood. That’s why He gave us the Bible. It’s also why He speaks to us through prayer, through the circumstances of life, and through other Christians. Throughout history He has also spoken through a burning bush, and out of the mouth of a donkey, and in the whirlwind of a storm, and in an infinite number of other ways. God wants to be heard and He wants to be understood.

As a case in point, as I’ve mentioned in a previous devotional in this series, every month God always gives me a theme to write about. Then throughout the month He brings to my attention passages of Scripture, examples from life, quotes from books, and numerous others sources and ideas which all apply to that theme. God has something to say about that topic and He has innumerable ways of getting His point across. Recently I became aware of John Eldredge’s new book, “Resilient: Restoring Your Weary Soul in These Turbulent Times”. I’m reading it now and with respect to our theme of learning to live without anxiety and despair, it is very rich and very helpful.

Jeremiah 33:3 is a great illustration of the truth that God wants to be heard by His people and He wants to be understood. There are hundreds of other such examples in both the Old and New Testaments (an entire body of Biblical literature that teaches this important truth).

Call to Him and then listen for the answer. But remember, God can and does speak to us in many ways and so we do have to pay attention. We have to remain aware and attentive. We must be seeking the answer and we should expect Him to answer. Going back to my example from the November 1^st devotional regarding how I go about researching and writing these lessons, this is why I keep the theme for the month playing in the back of my mind and it’s why I keep a notepad handy all the time – it’s so I will be aware and ready when God brings things to my attention that pertain to the answer I need. I encourage you to try that for the answers you are seeking.

It’s always true that God will speak to you (in His time and in His way). That’s especially true when you’re battling anxiety and despair, but you must be listening for the answer. My question for you this morning is, “Are you listening?”

We’ll think more about this tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

We need God-given purpose and plans

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse of today: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)

Our thought for today: “We need God-given purpose and plans”

James Allen was a British philosopher and writer in the late 1800s and early 1900s. His most popular (and in my opinion most helpful) book was published in 1903 under the title “As A Man Thinketh”. It’s based on Proverbs 23:7, which maintains that the things we hold most dearly in our heart are what will shape us as a person.

With respect to our topic of dealing with anxiety and despair, I’m convinced that much of the anxiety and despair some people experience comes from the fact that deep in their heart they see little hope for today or for the future. I’m further convinced that one of the most effective ways of dealing with that is to have a God-given purpose and a plan to achieve that purpose.

With respect to that, Allen wrote, “They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles, and self-pityings” But there’s a way to deal with that problem. Allen goes on, “The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities. Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not long remain so if you but perceive an ideal and strive to reach it.”

What Allen is advocating for is having a purpose in life and a plan to carry it out. I believe that’s essential for every person, at every stage of life. Far too many of us are simply existing – just getting through our days, enduring our circumstances, and then doing it again the next day. That’s a recipe for despair and it’s not what God wants for us.

We need to have God-given dreams and purpose – along with a plan to keep us moving in the direction of our purpose. It doesn’t have to be some grand scheme to save the world. It can be as simple as a plan to get more education, or to learn a new skill, or to volunteer for a new ministry in your church. It could be to implement a new diet and exercise routine.

If you have aspirations for what you would like to achieve in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead, and you are actively working a plan to do so, it will take your focus off of what you perceive to be the hopelessness of your current circumstances.

It’s true for Christians in all stages of life. To live well and to live with hope it’s essential to have a God-given purpose and a plan.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

God Bless the USA

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 33:12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “God Bless the USA”

I love the song “God Bless the USA” by country singer Lee Greenwood. I met Lee once. It was in the mid-1980s. I was a Navy officer serving on the aircraft carrier the USS Kitty Hawk. One of my responsibilities was to stand watches as the Officer of the Deck (OOD). The OOD is the one who stands on the bridge of the ship and gives orders like “Helmsman, right standard rudder, steady on course 090”, and cool-sounding stuff like that.

One time our ship was at sea off the coast of southern California and Lee Greenwood flew out on a helicopter to perform a mini-concert for the crew. But first, he came to the bridge to meet the ship’s captain and to watch the bridge team operating the ship. I was the OOD at the time and Lee came over to ask some questions. I offered him the opportunity to issue orders to the helmsman to alter the course of the ship and like a grinning kid, he did. Then he went down on the hanger deck and sang “God Bless the USA”.

Today is election day in our nation. It’s an important day and one to be celebrated. The privilege to vote is a precious constitutional right and it’s an essential part of the greatness of our nation. If you haven’t already voted, please do so.

During this time when there’s so much anxiety and despair in our land, I remain convinced that America is still the greatest nation in the world and we still have much to be proud of and to feel good about. I want to leave you this morning with some words from one of our greatest Presidents, Ronald Reagan:

“We cannot escape our destiny, nor should we try to do so. The leadership of the free world was thrust upon us two centuries ago in that little hall in Philadelphia. In the days following World War II, when the economic strength and power of America was all that stood between the world and the return to the dark ages, Pope Pius XII said, “The American people have a special genius for splendid and unselfish actions. Into the hands of America God has placed the destinies of an afflicted mankind.” Reagan concluded, “We are indeed, and we are today, the last best hope of man on earth.”

God isn’t done with America. We are still a great nation and we still have a great destiny, but it’s essential for Christians to be actively involved in society and in the political process. We have to vote and we have to elect good leaders. Do your part today and vote, and may God continue to bless the USA.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Be calm; cast your vote; honor God

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Be calm; cast your vote; honor God”

Tuesday is election day in the USA and so it’s time once again for every citizen of this great nation to exercise their right to vote. We’re blessed to live in the greatest nation in the world, with the best and most successful form of democracy. We need to keep our democracy strong and vital by utilizing our vote to elect good leaders.

Christians should be the best citizens in whatever land they live in. That’s especially true in this nation, which was founded on Biblical principles and which has relied on the Judeo-Christian ethic as the principle which undergirds and guides our civic life. With such a heritage, how could Christians excuse themselves from exercising their right to vote?

We live in a time when there’s a lot of angst and despair with respect to the direction in which our country is going. As a result, there’s also a lot of anger, bitterness, and conflict – even coming from Christians. But I don’t believe such attitudes and expressions are helpful, nor do they benefit the cause of Christ in this land over the long-term. Angry political rhetoric and bitter combativeness won’t convince anyone to place their faith in Jesus.

I love the tone Paul sets for us in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. It speaks of calm, level-headed Christians who pray, intercede, and give thanks, even for pagan kings and authority figures who are unbelievers. Paul links those attitudes and that approach with the understanding that God wants everyone to come to faith in Christ and to come to the knowledge of the truth of God. There isn’t even a hint of anxiety or despair in that passage. Just a clear focus on the cause of Christ, and a determination to be a good citizen of that land we live in.

We’ll think more about this tomorrow, which is officially election day. In the meantime, for today, as our nation prepares to receive the results of another hotly contested election season, I encourage all of us, the followers of Jesus Christ, to be calm voices of reason in the midst of all the anger, bitterness, and even hysteria.

Do your part. Be a good citizen and vote. But also, be sure to honor God by the way you interact with your fellow citizens who see things differently than you do.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Contentment is the secret

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know both how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content – whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.” Philippians 4:11-12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Contentment is the secret”

To be content means to be happy and satisfied with what you have or with the way things are. I love the list of synonyms for content: “Satisfied, gratified, pleased, happy, glad, sunny, cheerful, relaxed, peaceful, tranquil, at ease, easygoing, carefree, and unworried.” That’s what learning to be content brings us.

And please note, in Paul’s description of his own ability to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12 above), he stressed twice that he had “learned” how to be content like that. In other words, it didn’t come naturally for him. Remember, in his former life, before becoming a follower of Jesus and then an apostle, Paul had been a Pharisee. He was a member of the religious elite, with all the perks and pampering that came with that exalted position. So, he was used to affluence and comfort.

In his new life as a traveling preacher, teacher, evangelist, and church-planter, Paul still had it pretty good at times. He had rich friends. He was sometimes the guest of important people. He was often honored and blessed and well-provided for. But there were other times when the opposite was true. There were times when he was oppressed, beaten, imprisoned, hungry, thirsty, and penniless. Paul experienced the extremes on both ends, and everything in-between as well.

But somehow, over time, he learned that his outward circumstances were not the determining factor for his sense of contentment, peace, tranquility, or satisfaction. His peaceful, cheerful, easygoing, carefree and unworried demeanor didn’t depend on what was happening on the outside, but instead what was true on the inside (in his heart). In verse 13 of that passage he wrote, “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Remember the old gypsy woman from yesterday’s devotional? This is what she was talking about too. Jesus was enough. Everything else was incidental. It’s not that outward circumstances didn’t matter, they did. It was just that outward circumstances weren’t allowed to have the final say in her life, or in the life of the Apostle Paul.

Learning contentment is vital to learning to live free from anxiety and despair. What’s happening inside your heart is much more important than what’s going on with outside circumstances. This is a learned skill, and we will talk more about it in the days and weeks to come as we continue to explore ways in which we can bring an end to anxiety and despair having an outsized influence in our lives.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Just don’t obsess about it

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we have told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “Just don’t obsess about it”

Once when I was leading a mission team to the Transylvania region of Romania, there was a day when our team was holding medical and dental clinics in a small gypsy farming village tucked away in a remote valley in the mountains. Since I’m a pastor and not a healthcare professional, and since they didn’t really need my help in the clinic that day, I spent the day visiting in homes in the village.

I remember visiting with one elderly Christian lady. Her small home was very old and made out of concrete and wood. It was sturdy and snug, but small and sparse. It was adequately furnished, but the furniture was simple and old. We sat in her combination kitchen, dining room, sitting room, drinking tea, eating cookies, and conversing through a translator.

What impressed me then, and the memory that sticks with me all these years later, is the serene sense of contentment the old gypsy woman had. She was peaceful, calm, content, and very gracious. She spoke often and openly about her close relationship with Jesus and how He consistently provided for all her needs over all the years of her long life – even during the darkest and most difficult years under communist rule. Her faith sustained her, and it was always enough.

The passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (above), is one of the Apostle Paul’s contributions to the body of New Testament passages which encourage us to focus more on the Lord and less on our concerns about money and possessions. Paul’s teaching is an extension of Jesus’ teaching on the same subject, which we considered yesterday.

The point in all of those passages is not that we should never strive for higher education, or success in business, or promotions at work, or to have a nice home and a retirement fund. It’s that we’re not to fixate on and obsess about such things. We do have a personal responsibility to work hard, earn a living, and to support ourselves and our families. And yes, this world does need doctors and lawyers and government officials, as well as butchers and bakers and candlestick makers. The point is not to rid ourselves of all aspirations for achievement, but to let go of our obsession with money and possessions.

This is an important distinction and so we’ll think more about this tomorrow. It’s good to work hard to do well in life, just don’t obsess about it.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

There’s a reason Jesus taught so much about this

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “There’s a good reason Jesus taught so much about this.”

So, do we believe the words of Jesus, or don’t we? Is Luke 12:15 true, or not? How about Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”? Or Luke 19:20-21, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded of you. And the things you have prepared – whose will they be?” “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Jesus taught about the danger of money and possessions in 11 of His 39 parables. That’s more than 25% of His total teaching. By some estimates, He taught more about money and possessions than about any other single topic. But why? Of all the important topics He taught about, why was the danger of money and possessions so high on the list?

It’s because we are material people living in a material world and we have to have money and possessions in order to survive. That’s just a reality of life and it’s true no matter who you are, where you live, or what age of history you live in. Even Robinson Crusoe, stranded and living alone on a deserted island, needed food, shelter, and clothing.

So, the need for money and possessions isn’t the problem. It’s our obsession with money and possessions that is the problem. First, we fear we won’t have enough. Second, we’re convinced that the more we can get, the better off we will be. Well, with regard to the first concern, whether or not you will have enough, read Matthew 6:25-34. God knows your needs and He will provide for you. You just be faithful and trust Him. And with respect to the second issue, the belief that if some is good then more must be better, read Luke 19:13-21. Some is good but too much is often a problem.

Few things in life cause us as much anxiety and despair as our preoccupation with money and possessions. It’s such a problem that Jesus taught about it in 25% of His parables. If we could manage to just relax a little regarding this key issue it would remove a lot of the anxiety and despair from our lives. So, we will come back to this again tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

Why are we so dejected?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 43:5 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Why are we so dejected?

Have you ever had a fantasy about winning the lottery? Most of us have. The jackpots these days are typically in the hundreds of millions of dollars but seriously, I don’t need that much. I’ll gladly settle for say, four or five million. That should do it nicely, thank you.

But did you know that the majority of people who win those lottery jackpots actually end up worse off than they were before they had all the money? It’s true. Multiple studies have shown that most jackpot winners end up worse off not better. The winners report an endless stream of relatives, friends, and strangers begging for handouts. Also, there are scammers trying to entice them into investment schemes; charitable organizations (legitimate and not) asking for large donations; and lots and lots of arguments, fights, and broken relationships. The winners often end up bankrupt, divorced, estranged from family and friends, and addicted to drugs and alcohol. The studies show that over 70% of them encounter such problems!

But that wouldn’t happen to you or me, right? We would handle it well, right? You and I would withstand the pressure, make wise decisions, bless people, and honor God, right? Well … maybe. Or maybe it would ruin us too. Having lots of money and lots of stuff doesn’t necessarily make for a happy life.

To prove the point, today in the USA we have the highest standard of living any middle-class has ever had in any nation of the world. We have higher incomes, better housing, more access to good food and safe water, better healthcare, a better social safety net, and more financial security than anyone, anywhere. So, (think winning the lottery), we should be the happiest people on earth, right? Well, we’re not.

According to “The World Happiness Report”, the USA ranks 16^th in the world in terms of overall happiness (that’s up from 19^th last year). We’re behind such countries as Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Israel, Canada, and even Costa Rica and the Czech Republic.

Approximately 12% of the adult population (over 30 million people) report experiencing serious to moderate depression. Almost 50,000 committed suicide last year. I’m not telling you this to depress you (further?), only to illustrate my point that money is not the answer to our problems. I once heard a wealthy person say, “If anyone thinks having a lot of money will solve all their problems, they obviously don’t have a lot of money or they would know better.”

Now, having money is typically better than not having money (up to a point). And yet, there apparently must be more to leading a happy life than just having money and stuff, right? We already have more than anyone else in the world. Lottery winners have more than all of us. So, as the Psalmist asked in Psalm 43:5, “Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil?”

We’ll think more about this tomorrow.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

We’re not done yet

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:17-18 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “We’re not done yet”

Two developments occurred last month as I was writing our devotional series about dealing with anxiety and despair, which I can’t ignore. The first had to do with the abundance of material and ideas the Lord brought to me throughout the month about this topic, and the second had to do with the response from readers.

With respect to the abundance of material, once I select a theme to write about for the month, that theme is then always playing in the back of my mind. I keep a 5×7 notepad handy because the Lord brings to my attention passages of scripture that apply, or illustrations that can be used, or items in the news, or examples from people’s personal lives. Ideas often come from books I am now reading or have read in the past, as well as from magazine articles, items on the internet, and things people say to me.

Almost always I end up with more material than I can use – but last month was exceptional in that respect. At the end of the month, I still had several pages of scriptures, ideas, illustrations, and personal examples about dealing with anxiety and despair. Why was there so much resource material available on this subject? It’s because anxiety and despair are such a big problem for so many people. It’s one of those topics God addresses more than one hundred times and in multiple ways all throughout the Bible, Psalm 34:17-18 (above) is just one of them. And there are endless examples from everyday life.

The second thing that alerted me to the fact that this theme was different from others is the response from readers. There was a lot of it. Apparently, the topic resonated with many of us and is addressing a need in our lives. So, I sense the Lord prompting me to continue exploring this issue in November. Evidently, it’s not time to stop yet.

Psalm 34:17-18 is true, God cares very much about the fact that we struggle with the issues of life, and He is ready and willing to help us. So, let’s see what else God has to teach us about this. We will never be completely free from anxiety and despair, but we can learn to deal with it more effectively. It doesn’t have to dominate our thinking and it shouldn’t control our lives.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

The greatest miracle in the world

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month” The end of anxiety and despair”

Our Bible verse for today: “For it was you who created my inward parts, you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:11 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “The greatest miracle in the world”

This morning I want to continue our examination of Psalm 139 which we began yesterday. Psalm 139 is one of the most affirming and comforting of all the Psalms. Probably no other Psalm (besides perhaps Psalm 23) so clearly communicates the heart of God and His overwhelming love for you as an individual. I encourage you to slowly and devotionally read and think deeply about the following words from verses 11-18:

“For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.
My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.
God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is! If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; when I wake up, I am still with you.

In 1975 Og Mandino released a very helpful and encouraging Christian book. It was a small paperback with the title “The Greatest Miracle in the World” and it was based on Psalm 139:11-18. (It’s still in print so can easily order a copy for yourself, and I encourage you to do so).

The greatest miracle in the world? It’s you. You are God’s greatest miracle. He designed you. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. He lovingly formed you into the unique individual you are. There has never been another like you, and there never will be again. In the New Living Translation of Ephesians 2:10 the Apostle Paul says that you are God’s masterpiece. Psalm 139:11-18 explains why that is so.

Whenever you find yourself struggling with anxiety and despair, maybe even feeling discouraged and depressed, I encourage you to spend some devotional time slowly reading and thinking deeply about Psalm 139. God is always with you, and you are more precious to Him than you realize. To God, you are His greatest miracle.

God bless,
Pastor Jim