Year: 2015

Roller Coaster 

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Judges 2:16
“Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them..”

The book of Judges records a reoccurring cycle in the life of the young Israeli nation. Over and over, as the story unfolds, we will read of sin, suffering, supplications and salvation. The people will disobey the Lord, becoming involved in sinful and worldly practices. These practices will lead to suffering, and their suffering will cause them to cry out to God for help. Again and again, the mercy of God is revealed as God raises up judges or deliverers to rescue the people from the bondage their sin has caused.

This pattern is one which has sadly been repeated many times over in the life of believers down through the ages. We, like Israel, make compromises with sins that should be removed from our lives forever. As time goes on, we find these compromises have led us into practices we are ashamed of, and have a difficult time overcoming. Praise God, His mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), and we can once again cry out for His forgiveness and strength.

If you are riding the roller coaster of compromise, it is time to learn the lesson of Judges. Remove forever those things that lead you away from the Lord. Victory ultimately came to Israel when David took the throne and made the Lord the center of national life. Put God first! Give Him your early morning, and the end of your day. Keep Him at the forefront of your thoughts, as you walk through life. Consider His ways when you are facing dilemmas or decisions.

Pastor Jim

 

Parting Words

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Joshua 23:2

“And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them: ‘I am old, advanced in age.'”

 

The sun is about to set in the life and ministry of Joshua. After spending years being mentored in ministry by Moses, he ventured out as Israel’s leader. He led the nation as they furthered the kingdom of God, and became established in the land. Now that his time is coming to an end,  Joshua will give his final message to the people he has so faithfully served. His message could be divided into four main points of exhortation that would lead to their continued success. 

 

Joshua 23:6

“Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left.”

 

Step one, they needed to read and obey the Scriptures. Clearly, the lifestyle, as well as the daily struggles of an agrarian society of thirty-five hundred years ago, would be drastically different than the challenges we face today. However, regardless of what we face, reading and doing what the Bible says is the secret to success. Set aside a time, daily, to be in the Word. 

 

Joshua 23:8

“But you shall hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.”

 

Step two, cling to the Lord. Clinging implies closeness; it is impossible to cling from a distance. The secret to clinging to Christ is to remove anything from our lives which creates separation. David learned that compromise placed a wedge between him and the Lord. The one who once experienced sweet fellowship with God, found that unconfessed sin put a distance between him and the Lord. If you are hiding some sin, it is time to bring it into the open. Tell the Lord about it, and confide in a trustworthy believer who will pray for you.

 

Joshua 23:11 

“Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God.”

 

Step three might be step one. God created us to be in a love relationship with Himself. Jesus told us the most important of all  commands is to love God. We love Him by placing Him above all else. When my desire is to please God above even my desire to please myself, I am expressing true love and devotion. When we allow other things to stand on the same platform as the Lord, those things will begin to vie for our time, devotion, and obedience. Perhaps it is time to take inventory and remove anything which has been exalted to that place in life which only God should have. 

 

Joshua 24:14

“Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!”

 

Step four is to serve the Lord. Without a doubt, there is a common denominator in the life of every successful follower of Christ. The common denominator is that they have gone from simply believing, to beginning to serve. This was true of the original followers of Christ, and it is equally as true today. If we want to see our Christian life begin to take off, we need to get involved in regular service. It is there, we will find healthy relationships that will encourage our growth, and where we will find ourselves in daily dependance upon the help of the Lord. 

 

The generation that heard Joshua, continued to follow and serve the Lord. Sadly, his exhortations were lost on the next generation, and they soon began to drift from God and experience defeat in life. 

 

Pastor Jim 

  

 

Timothy

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Acts 16:1 
“. . .  a certain disciple was there, named Timothy”

The Scriptures are filled with men and women who had a tremendous impact upon their world for the kingdom of Heaven. Timothy is one of those men. We are first introduced to him here, in Acts 16. He is described as a disciple who was well-spoken of throughout the cities of Lystra and Iconium. The word disciple means, a learner and a follower. It describes a person who has chosen to surrender to Christ, follow Him, and allow the Word of God to write upon the tablet of his heart. The disciple lets God’s Word direct his private life, public life, family life and church life. Timothy was a disciple of Christ, and set an example for the believers around him on what it meant to follow Jesus. As we continue to follow Timothy’s story, we find he became a traveling companion of Paul and Silas; bringing the Gospel throughout Asia minor and into Europe. Later we learn he became the pastor of the church in Ephesus, and was the recipient of two New Testament letters.

What an amazing life this young man lived; and what an impact he had, and continues to have, for the Kingdom of God. How did he become such a man? Notice, he grew up in a mixed household, with two contrasting influences. His mother was a believer and his father was not. It can be very difficult for children living with two completely different standards. Mom does not allow certain behaviors because she is a follower of God, but dad allows them, and the children become very confused. In many such cases, we find the children grow up only to conform to the ways of the world, and struggle to follow God. Timothy was different, he went on to follow the Lord and impact the world. How was he able to overcome the dual influences upon his life? What did his mother do to influence him to follow God?

We know that his mom made a bad relationship decision. She, being a Jew, defied the Word of God, and got involved with a man who was not a believer. Whatever course they followed, they ended up married and having a son. But she did not allow that bad decision to keep her from turning back to the Lord, and making godly decisions. We read later in Scripture, how she raised her son on the teaching of God’s Word. From his earliest childhood days, Timothy was raised on a healthy diet of Scripture. Moses instructed parents how to teach the Bible to their kids. Instead of lecturing them, he said they should first live it, then use everyday experiences to teach it. Timothy grew up with a mom who lived it. We are also told of the great influence his grandmother had upon him. Instead of her being devastated by her daughters poor relationship choice, she determined to have a positive influence on her daughter and grandson (2Timothy 1:5). The result of forgiveness, godly choices, and the Word of God, was a young man who wanted to follow the Lord.

Regardless of your past, determine today that you are going to make positive godly choices in pursuit of following the Lord. We never know what a great influence we may have upon those around us.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Pastor Jim

 

Serve God 

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Joshua 24:14
“…Serve the Lord!”

Years ago Bob Dylan wrote a song that included the phrase, “You’ve got to serve somebody.” Centuries before, the Psalmist declared, we will become whatever we choose to serve. He stated, if we serve false gods we become like them, but if we choose to serve the True and Living God, we will become like Him. Our lives will be determined by what masters us.

Romans 6:16
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

Sin is a reckless master. It makes promises it will never fulfill. When we choose to disobey the Word of God, getting involved in practices He forbids, it is not long before we are controlled by the very things we thought would be pleasurable. Drugs, alcohol, sexual promiscuity, are all harsh taskmasters, destroying the lives of those who serve them.

With his final breath, Joshua pleads with Israel to serve the One who will transform their lives, and who promises to give them life. All those who stood before Joshua on that day have long since passed from this life. They found the exhortation of Joshua to be true. They came to realize the brevity of life and the length of eternity. Won’t you follow their lead, and choose today to serve the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Pastor Jim

 

It seemed Good

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Acts 15:28-29 
“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”

A great controversy arose in the early church as a result of the Gentiles coming to faith in Christ. Some of the church leaders in Jerusalem were suggesting that after coming to Christ, these new converts must be circumcised and keep the ceremonial laws. I think their motives were probably sincere. They wanted to see these new believers behaving correctly, and determined the best way for them to do so, was to make rules. We see the same thing happening in the church today. A young woman may come to Christ, and still dress the way she did before she believed, so the church is pressured to have a dress code. Or a young man comes to Christ and still listens to the music he did before coming to Christ; the church wants to establish a ban on secular music. Now it is true, there are people who dress inappropriately, and listen and watch things that they shouldn’t, but the question is, what is the best way to help them grow? The legalists, from Jerusalem, thought it was through the establishing of a system of rules to keep them in check. The apostles came up with a different plan, they wrote a letter exhorting the Gentiles to abstain from three things.

Abstaining from things offered to idols was important because they had been saved out of idolatry. In a sense, they are being encouraged to stay away from things that would lead them back into sin. Too often, a new believer will hook up with the friends they ran with before coming to Christ. That road leads them back into the activities from which Christ had set them free. If we want to succeed in following Christ, we need to stay away from the things that lead us to sin.

Abstaining from blood or things strangled was important because once they put faith in Christ, they became part of a family. The Jewish Christians were their brothers and sisters. To the Jew, eating something that had not been killed properly, or eating blood, was an abomination. If the Gentile Christians ate like they used to, they would offend their brothers in Christ. Essentially, this letter is encouraging them to follow the law of love, which requires us to do nothing that would cause someone else to stumble. We have great liberties in Christ. Some Christians may be able to partake in activities with no temptation, but if that activity causes someone else to sin, we must refrain. We need to be more important to one another, than our liberties are to us (1 Corinthians 8:4-13).

Finally, abstaining from sexual immorality was important because it is clearly forbidden in the Word of God. The legalist were adding rules not found in Scripture. These rules would suck the life out of Christianity, and distract believers from obeying the clear commands of Scripture. The Pharisees had that problem. Remember when Jesus rebuked them for tithing their spices and neglecting the weightier matters of the law (Matthew 23:23)? We can put rules on each other that distract us from doing the things that are well pleasing to the Lord. Also, sexual immorality was rampant in the Roman world, as it is today. It is a sin that carries with it grave consequences. Whenever two people are involved sexually, it clouds their ability to look at their relationship properly. They become connected in a way that is difficult to break. They end up emotionally attached to someone who is perhaps not best for them. God’s ways are better than man’s. If we choose to live well pleasing to Him, we will find that life is better.

Let’s be sure we are staying away from sin, things that lead to sin, and things that cause others to sin.

Pastor Jim

 

Separation 

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Joshua 22:26-27

“Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, but that it may be a witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, “You have no part in the Lord.” ’”

 

The tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh chose to separate from the rest of Israel and live east of the Jordan River. Although the Jordan is not a large river, and crossing it during the dry season would not be a difficult endeavor, this division would prove to be very costly.  It is clear from the event recorded in Joshua 22, the effects of this separation were felt immediately.  Once they returned to their land, they attempted to create a connection with the rest of Israel by erecting an altar that resembled the one in Shiloh. In their minds, this would keep them connected to Israel, even when the Jordan separated them. Their actions were considered to be idolatrous by the other tribes, who pleaded with them, that rather than building an altar, why not cross the Jordan and join the nation. A religious symbol is not the solution for a wandering heart. 

 

Idolatry is strictly forbidden by the Lord, because erecting an image gives us a false sense of the presence of God. When we begin to drift from Jesus, we do not need to get a larger bible or wear a religious symbol around our necks. What we need is to get back to spending time with the Lord in the pages of His word, and putting what we read into practice. Jesus explained that the secret to success for the Christian is to abide in Christ. He said, just as a branch derives its life from being connected to the tree, so the Christian will have a constant source of life, when he remains connected to Him (John 15:5). 

 

It is important we do not let anything, no matter how small it may seem, create separation between us and the Lord. A little bit of compromise can have a large impact on our relationship with God. 

 

Pastor Jim 

  

 

 

 

A Place To Stand

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Joshua 21:45
“Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”

A lot of my childhood was spent on the ocean. From as far back as I can remember, my dad had a boat and we would spend the summers taking vacations to Catalina Island. It was a great way to grow up. We would spend day after day on the boat, fishing, swimming, diving and exploring. When the vacation finally came to an end and we made the 27 mile journey back to the mainland, I experienced an interesting sensation. After so much time rocking back and forth on the boat, the ground seemed especially solid.

Life can seem like a journey at sea. We seem to get hit by unexpected waves, and the ground we are standing on is moving. If we are going to get through turbulent times, we need to have some solid ground to stand on.

After a lifetime of following the Lord through some very turbulent waters, Joshua confidently exclaimed that not a single promise of God had ever failed him. No matter what the obstacle, Joshua had learned by experience,  the promises of God are like a solid rock upon which he could stand.

I have found, for every experience of life, there is a promise to cling to. When facing the challenges of life, it is vital that the child of God look into the Word, find the appropriate promises, and then hide in them, like a bunker from the storms of life.

Some of the promises which have been particularly encouraging to me include:

2 Timothy 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Philippians 4:7
“. . . and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 13:5
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

Isaiah 54:17
“‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me’, says the Lord.”

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

2 Corinthians 3:5-6
“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

In response to this blog a good friend sent me the following note.

“When I was diagnosed with an illness, a close friend gave me a list of “promise” verses. Honestly, at the time, I read through them and tucked them away, but that was about it. In the last 3 years, I can’t tell you how many times I pulled out that list and allowed the Word of God to comfort, strengthen and encourage me.

To your list I would add Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 61:1-4, Psalm 55:22 and so many more.”

Praying His Word will be like a safe harbor, and like solid ground, in the midst of the storms of life.

Pastor Jim


They So Spoke

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Acts 14:1
“Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.”

We read, they spoke in a way that resulted in many believing in Christ; which in turn, results in eternal life. It is worth noting that there is a way to speak which will have an impact upon others for eternity. Their speaking included at least three things:

First, they spoke with boldness. Having experienced persecution in Cyprus and Antioch, Paul and Barnabas refused to cower, but confidently continued to share Christ with the people of Iconium. For some reason, people react to the name of Jesus. Many receive Him gladly and watch as He transforms their lives. Others become angry, even hostile, once the name of Christ is mentioned. Any who have attempted to share Christ, have experienced this hostility in one form or another. If we want to speak in a way that results in people coming to Christ, we must be willing to endure the backlash and persecution.

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” Matthew 5:11

Second, they spoke the Gospel. Paul later wrote to the Roman Christians and declared that the Gospel is the power of God that results in salvation (Romans1:16). When people hear the truth (that they are sinners separated from God, but that God loves them, and Jesus died for them), something stirs in their hearts. There is a realization, that although they may have never heard the Gospel before, they know it to be true. Faith is being ignited as a result of hearing the Good News of Christ. Too often, when we are attempting to win someone to Christ, we allow ourselves to get sidetracked. We end up arguing over politics, origins, or the church. If we want to win others with our speech, let’s be sure to share the simplicity of the Gospel.

Finally, their speech was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Paul was a brilliant man. He was well educated, not only in the Scriptures, but in the philosophy of the day. He was also, what the Victorian era referred to as a gentleman. Later, when he spoke in Lystra, they compared him to Hermes, the Greek God of oration. Yet, even with all of these natural abilities, Paul did not rely upon his human wisdom. He wrote to the Corinthian Christians about how to speak when sharing Christ.

“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

When sharing Christ, we can be confident that God will show up and provide us with words that are able to penetrate the heart, stir up faith, and lead a person to decision time.

If we want to speak in a way that leads people to Christ, we must step out in faith, unhindered by the opposition we may receive. We can be sure, sharing the simple truths of the Gospel, and relying on the fact that even if we are not sure what to say, the Holy Spirit will give us what we need.

Until the whole world hears…

Pastor Jim

 

City Of Refuge

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Joshua 20:5
“Then if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unintentionally, but did not hate him beforehand.”

Many of the cities throughout Israel were designated as “Cities of Refuge.” This meant, if a person accidentally caused the death of another, he could flee to one of these cites for protection from the revenge of the victim’s devastated family. The rules governing these cities were simple. If death was caused accidentally, the guilty could flee to the city, and remain safe within its borders, until the death of the reigning High Priest. After his death, the crime was completely forgiven and the individual was free to return to his normal life. This law was designed to curb vengeance, but also serves as a picture for us of the work of Christ.

The Bible declares, there is a haven where the guilty sinner can run, in order to hide from the vengeance of God. That place is in Christ. We are told, all our sins are covered by His blood, and because of the cross, we will not face the judgment of God. Just like the Cities of Refuge, the death of Christ, our High Priest, provides complete atonement for sin. Unlike the Cities of Refuge, we can hide in Christ for accidental, as well as deliberate sins.

No matter what we have done wrong, we can flee to Christ and be forgiven. As we hide in Him, the wrath of God is appeased, and we are given a brand new start.

Come to Christ today. Ask Him to forgive you of your sin, and to transform your life. There is life found in Jesus you will never find anywhere else.

Pastor Jim

 

Greatness

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Joshua 17:14

“Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, ‘Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the Lord has blessed us until now?’”

 

The tribe of Manasseh felt as though they had been ripped off when the land was distributed. They looked at their inheritance with disdain because it seemed small, and they considered themselves a great people worthy of so much more. Joshua explained to them that the land was theirs for the taking and their greatness would be proven as they overcame the obstacles that stood before them. It seems pretty clear, Joshua and Manasseh had very different views as to what greatness really meant. 

 

A few years ago, I was speaking to a group of Christian leaders in West Africa. During a break-time, a young man approached me, declaring he had received a promise from God that he would become a great man of God and be used mightily for the kingdom. I immediately sensed, while this promise may have been from the Lord, he was very confused regarding what it meant to be great in the eyes of God. We began to walk through the Scriptures together and see how Jesus defined greatness. 

 

Mark 10:43-45

“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

 

In the eyes of Jesus there is nothing greater than patterning our lives after His. When we will take the low place, and seek to exalt others and their needs above our own, we have begun to walk the path of greatness. It is those who humbly walk with Christ, not seeking their own glory, but His, who will accomplish great and eternal things. Perhaps the biggest deterrent to true greatness is self. Self-will, self-protection, self-ambition or plain old fashion selfishness, will always stand in the way of serving Christ and others. 

 

Joshua went on the explain to Manasseh that greatness was theirs for the taking.  All they had to do was trust God and walk in the inheritance placed before them. I wonder what “great things” God might have for us, if we will set our own ambitions and fears aside, and simply walk as Jesus walked. 

 

Pastor Jim