Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Character and integrity”   Our Bible verse for today: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” Isaiah 5:20 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “We fell down the rabbit hole”   When we use the phrase “We fell down the rabbit hole”, we’re usually referring to the experience of Alice in Lewis Carroll’s classic story of “Alice in Wonderland”. Alice literally fell down the hole of the White Rabbit and it took her into the alternate universe of Wonderland. In Wonderland everything was upside down and backwards, the opposite of what you would expect it to be. Nothing was normal or made sense.     Welcome to America in 2022. We fell down the rabbit hole. What used to be good is now bad, and what used to be bad is now good. Boys will be girls and girls will be boys. Nobody knows what’s real news, fake news, or a Russian bot. Politicians and government officials lie as easily as they breathe, and the truth about anything can’t be located even by Google-earth.   So, it shouldn’t surprise us that there’s confusion regarding the essence of character and integrity. There are many in our society (including some Christians) who accept falsehoods, endorse lies, excuse sin, and all the while loudly proclaim that their side’s character and integrity is above reproach. This is true of people on both sides of the political spectrum and on all sides in the culture wars.   Not only is that untrue (in that such conduct is not an example of true character and integrity), but it also serves to further confuse the issue in people’s minds. When weak character is proclaimed to be strong; when an obvious lack of integrity is declared to be an example of integrity, and when lies and distortions are coming at us from all sides, people’s heads spin and nobody knows what’s real or true. This is life in a society down the rabbit hole. Nothing is as it seems and everything is the opposite of what it should be.   But as Christians we know the truth as proclaimed by God in the Bible. We know what honesty, integrity, and strong reliable character looks like because God has given us clear written instructions about this in the Bible. And therefore, as Christians, we have the call of God upon our lives to be men and women of godly character and impeccable integrity.   Our society needs this to be true of us. Somebody has got to come back up out of the rabbit hole of lies, deceit, deception, misinformation, and manipulation. It has to be us. We, the Christians, must be the people of honesty, integrity, virtue, and character. If not us then who?  We’ll think more about this tomorrow.   God bless, Pastor Jim

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Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Character and Integrity”   Our Bible verse for today: “Better a poor person who lives with integrity than the rich one who distorts right and wrong.” Proverbs 28:6 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “We need men and women of character and integrity”   In my opinion, in our society today, character and integrity are no longer the highly regarded virtues they once were. Instead, relativism and expediency seem to be the dominant operative values. Rather than taking a stand on principle, many people choose the path of least resistance. And, doing so is often seen as being smart rather than as evidence of weakness or of a character flaw.   Character, as I’m using it, refers to moral and ethical strength. A person of character has a personal code of conduct which they believe in strongly, value deeply, and which they refuse to compromise. Synonyms for this meaning of character include courage, strength, honor, rectitude, uprightness, morality, goodness, scrupulousness, and honesty.   Integrity is similar but slightly different. Integrity is the quality of having strong moral principles about which you are steadfast, and which then govern the way you conduct yourself. Synonyms for integrity include words like honesty, probity, truthfulness, veracity, sincerity, and courage.   Character is about who you are. Integrity is more about how you act. When your character is strong you then live with integrity. Being a person of strong character and absolute integrity is often described as having moral fiber and intestinal fortitude. People with strong character and integrity are the ones who have the courage to take a stand on principle, even if doing so is costly. Those who are weak in these areas lean towards expediency and the path of least resistance.   Our society needs more men and women of character and integrity. We have far too many who are morally weak rather than strong, and fearful rather than courageous. Therefore, they compromise and capitulate when they should stand firm for truth and righteousness. Sadly, this is even true in the Christian community.   All this month we will explore character and integrity as taught by God in the Bible, and we’ll consider what true character and integrity looks like in actual practice.   God bless, Pastor Jim

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Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living by faith”   Our Bible verse for today: “He has also planted eternity (a sense of divine purpose) in the human heart (a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God). Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Amplified Bible)   Our thought for today: “Trust your instinct”   As we conclude our month of devotionally thinking about living by faith, I want us to end where we began – trusting what our heart is telling us is true. To do so, I have again quoted Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:11, but this time from the Amplified Bible. The Amplified Bible is a translation that uses all the English words necessary to capture the full meaning of the original Biblical language. So, it gives us a fuller understanding of what Solomon was telling us in the original Hebrew.   God created you with an understanding that He is real and there is more than just this physical dimension. There’s also an empty place in your heart that can only be filled by Him. Nothing in all creation can fill the place in your heart that is reserved for God, and it will remain empty until you have brought God into your life.   C.S. Lewis wrote about this in his great little book, “Mere Christianity”, “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”   Instinctively you know that God is real and that there is eternal life after death. Trust that instinct. Structure your life around it. Spend your life pursuing it. The fact that you yearn for something more is because there is something more.   There is good reason to live by faith. Creation reveals God; all of human history attests to Him; and instinctively, in your heart, you know He is real. I encourage you to trust that instinct. Live by faith.   God bless, Pastor Jim

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Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living by faith”   Our Bible verse for today: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “You’re on a mission from God!”   Several times this month I’ve referred to scenes from J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic series “The Lord of the Rings”. I’ve used those scenes as illustrations of what it looks like to be part of a grand adventure and to live by faith. I love the way the unlikely heroes in the story were part of something greater than themselves. C.S. Lewis used the same literary device in his series “The Chronicles of Narnia”. We even saw it play out in the movie “The Blues Brothers”. The entire story revolves around the efforts of Jake and Elwood Blues to save the orphanage they grew up in. As Elwood described it, “We’re on a mission from God!”   May I ask you this morning, “Are you on a mission from God”? Do you see your life as being part of a grand adventure you’re involved in, something greater than yourself? You should. That is what the Christian life is. Jesus said so Himself, numerous times. We read one of those times in Acts 1:8 (above). There, just before He ascended back into heaven, He told His disciples that they would receive special power from the Holy Spirit and then they were to go out in the neighborhoods, cities, states, nations, and around the world serving others in His name and spreading the Good News of salvation. They were on a mission from God!   And so are you. That’s the grand adventure of your life. You are to be on-mission with Jesus serving others and sharing the Gospel. Perhaps your part in the adventure will be limited to your immediate surroundings of home, neighborhood, workplace, and community. That’s fine and it’s sufficient. Or, maybe your part will take you a little further, to other places in your state or nation. But if you’re really fortunate and adventurous, your involvement in the grand adventure of the Great Commission could include mission trips to other places around the world.   The point is that we’re on a mission with Jesus in this world to spread His love, to bless people in His name, and to share the Good News of the Gospel. It’s a joint effort with our fellow travelers, and it is an effort that is bigger and grander than any of us as individuals.     God has called us to be part of something bigger than ourselves. It will require faith and courage on your part, and it will often not be easy. But this is what you have been called to, and it is what God has prepared you for. You are indeed on a mission from God.   God bless, Pastor Jim

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Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living by faith”   Our Bible verse for today: “For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Ruth 1:16 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Do the right thing, and trust God for the outcome”   I love the story of Ruth and Naomi in the Old Testament. Naomi was a widow living in a foreign land. Not only did her husband die, but both of her sons died as well. Ruth was one of her daughters-in-law from that foreign land. When Naomi decided to return to her native home in the land of Judah, she instructed both of her daughters-in-law to remain there in their own country and find new husbands. But as we read in Ruth 1:6 (above), Ruth refused to leave her.   So, Ruth and Naomi traveled back to Bethlehem in the land of Judah, not knowing what to expect. They were homeless and with no means of support. But if you read the story, you will discover that it turned out pretty well for both of them.   The question for us here this morning is, “Where did Ruth find the courage to leave her home and travel with Naomi to a strange land?” And the answer is that it was an act of faith on her part. She determined to simply do the right thing and to trust God for the outcome.   In what way was Ruth living by faith? Taking care of widows is a Biblical mandate. Ruth wasn’t a Jew by birth but she did marry into a Jewish family and she lived in that setting for some number of years. So, she had probably converted to Judaism and she had probably learned the basic precepts of the faith. Taking care of widows is taught repeatedly in the Old Testament by Moses and the prophets. Ruth would have known that. Therefore, in addition to her love for Naomi, she knew she had a Biblical responsibility from God to do the right thing in this situation.   So, in faith, and in accordance with Proverbs 3:5-6 (Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.), Ruth went with Naomi, took excellent care of her, provided for her, and in return, God took good care of Ruth.   Ruth is an inspiring example of living by faith. She resolved to just do the right thing and to trust God for the rest. And that’s the lesson for us here this morning: when we resolve to simply do what we know to be right, we can trust the outcome to God.     God bless, Pastor Jim

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Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living by faith”   Our Bible verse for today: “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “We don’t have the luxury of doing nothing”   Queen Esther was a beautiful young Hebrew woman who had been forced into an unwanted marriage with the king. No one, not even the king, knew she was a Jew. But then, Haman, the evil aide to the king, conspired to have all the Jews in the empire killed. It was to be a mass extermination, a holocaust. It was brought to Esther’s attention and it was clear she needed to act on behalf of her people.   The problem was twofold. First, it was against the law for anyone, even the queen, to come into the king’s presence without first having been summoned by him. The penalty was immediate death. Second, since Esther herself was a secret Jew, and therefore part of the group that had been marked for mass extermination, by identifying herself as such she was putting her own life in jeopardy. Apparently, in order to make the king sympathetic to the plight of the Jews, it would be necessary for him to understand that his own queen was one of them.   So, Esther ordered that the people of God (the Jews) come together for prayer, fasting, and mutual encouragement, and then she would take the action necessary. It was a bold and risky plan fraught with danger. But in faith, and with great courage, Esther did what needed to be done.     For thousands of years since then the people of God (Jews and Christians alike), have been inspired by Esther’s example of faith and courage. We have often used her example as the inspiration we needed to face our own difficult and dangerous situations when it would be much easier to be quiet and do nothing. Esther could have stayed quiet – safe and secure in her position as queen and as a secret Jew. But doing so would have been a horrible wrong. The situation was such that she needed to act. She didn’t have the luxury of doing nothing.   And neither do we. The days we live in are evil, and they’re getting progressively worse. We don’t have the luxury of doing nothing. We cannot hunker down behind the walls of our little religious forts (church buildings) and shut out the world. We have to be active in the world for the cause of Christ – and even more so as the evil increases and the times become more desperate.   Living by faith means doing the hard stuff. It means doing something when it would be easier (and safer) to do nothing. We simply do not have the luxury of doing nothing any longer.   God bless, Pastor Jim

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Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living by faith”   Our Bible verse for today: “If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can rescue us from the power of you, the king. But even if he does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.” Daniel 3:17-18 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Living by faith makes us confident, bold, and courageous”   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were young Hebrew men living in captivity in Babylon. They were administrative assistants to the king. But King Nebuchadnezzar was something of a maniacal narcissist with a god complex, and at one time he ordered a ninety-foot-tall gold statue to be erected, evidently of himself, and before which everyone was required to bow down and worship.   However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to do it. They were observant Jews who took the first and second commandments seriously (have no other gods, bow down before no idols). When the king found out about their refusal to worship as he commanded, he was furious and threatened to have them burned alive in a blazing furnace. You can read their reply to him in Daniel 3:17-18 above.   Where did they get the courage to defy the king in such a bold and confident way? Simple, they were living by faith. Their faith in God was so strong that it gave them the confidence, boldness, and courage they needed to stand on their convictions, come what may.   We’ve seen other examples of that, both in the Bible and outside of it. Joseph resisted the enticements of Potiphar’s wife; Daniel continued to pray despite the king’s edict; Jesus resisted the temptation of Satan in the wilderness; the apostles defied the pharisees; Christians in Rome were burned at the stake and fed to lions; believers in China and North Korea waste away in prisons rather than deny their faith. And on and on the examples go.  The point is that when a true believer has learned to live by faith the examples of extraordinary courage and boldness are many.   Throughout this month we’ve learned many lessons about what it means to live by faith, and we have learned how to do it. Today we find that a result of learning to live by faith is that we become increasingly confident, bold, and courageous. Those are attributes Christians need in increasing measure as we live in these difficult days.   Living by faith helps us to be confident, bold, and courageous.   God bless, Pastor Jim

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Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living by faith”   Our Bible verse for today: “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” John 15:5 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Stay close to Jesus”   Jesus was a master of contemporary illustration. He explained deep spiritual truths by using examples from everyday life that His listeners could easily relate to. In the case of the scene in John 15:5, Jesus and His closest disciples were in a vineyard. At the end of chapter 14 they had completed the event we know as “The Last Supper” and they left that place. Now they are walking through a vineyard on the outskirts of Jerusalem, headed to the Garden of Gethsemane where He would be arrested.   As they were walking, Jesus pointed to the vine and the branches growing off of it and essentially said, “See the grapevine? That’s Me. See the branches growing off of the grapevine? That’s you. Just as the vine lives its life through the branches and produces its fruit through the branches, so too I will live my life through you and I will produce my fruit through you. And, just as the branch must stay firmly attached to the vine in order for the life of the vine to flow through it and the fruit of the vine to be produced, so too you must stay firmly attached to Me. I will live in you and I will live through you, and together we will bless the world with my fruit.”   And there, my friends, is the key to living by faith. Stay close to Jesus. Stay attached at the hip. Walk through life with Him. Don’t break the bond and don’t pull away. As long as you are a healthy branch firmly attached to the vine which is Jesus, His life can flow in you and through you, and His fruit will be produced in your life. It’s when we pull away from Him that we begin to wither and die (spiritually if not physically).   Sadly, there are a lot of withering wilting Christians out there. They are professing Christians who have pulled away from or broken the bond with Jesus, and consequently there’s little of the fruit of the Spirit evident in their lives, as described by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control). There should also be generosity in giving, acts of service to others, and faithful participation in group worship experiences.   All of that comes from the Spirit of Jesus living in you and through you. Don’t lose that. Don’t forfeit it by breaking the essential bond with Him. He is the vine; you are a branch. If you want a fruitful life you will have to stay connected to Him.   The key to living by faith and doing it well is to stay close to Jesus.   God bless, Pastor Jim

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Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living by faith”   Our Bible verse for today: “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.” Psalm 139:13-14 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God don’t make no junk”   I love the passage above from Psalm 139 because in it, David reminds me that God Himself formed me and knit me together in my mother’s womb. In other words, God made me the way He wanted me.   It’s helpful for me to remember that because if I was designing me, I would have done it differently. If it was up to me, I’d be tall, dark, and handsome. I’d be six-foot-four, drive a Maserati, and have a blackbelt in karate. Also, I’ve always wanted to be able to sing like Sinatra, dance like Michael Jackson, and have the musical talent of Paul McCartney. But I can do none of those things.   Fortunately, long ago, a wise mentor encouraged me to focus on the things I can do, rather than on the things I can’t. Maybe I can’t sing, dance, or play the tuba, but I can preach, teach, and write. So, my mentor encouraged me to leave the singing, dancing, and tuba playing to those who can do those things, and instead, with enthusiasm and gusto, do the things I can do. If that’s the way God created me, then embrace it and run with it. I believe it was the black gospel singer Big Mama Thornton who said, “Honey, God don’t make no junk!”    When it comes to living by faith it’s important to remember that God is sovereign. He’s all-powerful and He is perfect in His ways. He doesn’t make mistakes and He doesn’t make junk. Therefore, with your faith firmly placed in His love, wisdom, and perfect plan, accept who you are, embrace how He has created you, and then run with that.   Resolve to be the best “you” you can be. For me it means I preach, teach, and write rather than singing, dancing and making music. Okay, so be it. I’ll strive to do it well. For you it probably means something different. Whatever. Just be who God made you to be – because, as the lady once said, “God don’t make no junk”.   God bless, Pastor Jim

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Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “Living by faith”   Our Bible verse for today: “When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him out of the bush.” Exodus 3:4 (New Jewish Publication Society Translation)   Our thought for today: “It’s your move”   Yesterday we learned what it means to think of God as “Abba, Father” and why doing so is important. It’s because our faith is supposed to consist of more than just a set of beliefs about God. Instead, it should be a warm, deep, trusting relationship with God. It’s much easier to live by faith if your understanding of God is based in a close relationship with Him rather than just on a set of beliefs about Him.   In his commentary on the of the book of Exodus, Dr. Dennis Prager made an interesting and helpful observation about living by faith, and he used the example of Moses in Exodus 3:4 to illustrate it. I’m going to quote Dr. Prager’s entire note:   “God waits to call out to Moses until Moses first notices God. For nearly every human being (Abraham was a rare exception), that is how the divine-human encounter takes place: God communicates to us after, or if, we make the effort to notice His presence … this is our choice to make. If you wait for God to contact you before you lead a God-centered life, you will almost surely never lead a life with God in it.” Prager goes on: “Here’s an almost precise analogy: Shakespeare will speak to you only after you make the effort to read and understand him. And the more effort you make to understand him, the more meaningful he will be in your life. That is the case regarding God: Bringing God into your life takes effort. What worthwhile thing in life doesn’t require effort? Why should God be different?”   Prager’s point, using Moses as his example, is that the ball is in your court. God is here. He is as present to you in your circumstances as He was for Moses in the burning bush. Now the next move is yours. Will you make the effort to notice His presence and to engage with Him?   Going back to yesterday’s devotional: God wants to be your Abba, your Father – in the fullest sense of the term. But you have to want that too and you have to then willingly move into His embrace. Living by faith involves making a decision about God, and then taking the action necessary to have a close and deep relationship with Him. God is there for you and He is waiting. Now it’s your move.   God bless, Pastor Jim

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