Bible

The Champion

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Genesis 32:28
“And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.’”

2015/01/img_1338.jpgThe Bible is filled with fascinating stories and amazing promises. I think it is safe to say, the most amazing events ever recorded are written in the pages of our Bibles. Of all these stories, this one records perhaps the most striking statement of them all,

” . . . you have struggled with God and prevailed.”

The same truth is recorded later

Hosea 12:4
“Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed. . .”

It does not surprise me to read that Jacob fought with God; that is an all too common occurrence. All of us have had times when God has instructed us to do something and we have resisted Him, to our hurt. I have found, when I fight against God, not only will I lose, but sometimes, I will bear scars from the battle. How is it that Jacob fought with God and came out victorious?

I think the answer is quite simple. Victory was achieved, not by the fight, but with the surrender. It was when Jacob stopped fighting and gave in to God, that he became the champion and received the spoils. We will never win a battle against the will of God, or the ways of God, but we can come out victorious if we are willing to surrender to God. Years later, when the book of Hebrews was written, the writer refers to the heroic faith of Jacob, who leaned upon his staff. The reference is to the victory won when his knees bowed in submission to the the Lord.

Whatever stage of life you may find yourself, it is high time for a victory. The losing streak needs to come to an end. Why not give in to the ways of God, and begin to experience the blessings of a champion, rather than the agony of defeat.

Pastor Jim

 

Gates Of Hell

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Matthew 16:18-19
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Webster’s Dictionary defines ‘prevail’ as,

“to gain ascendancy through strength or superiority, . . .to triumph over.”

2015/01/img_1337.jpgThis verse has always fascinated me. Jesus is promising He is the one who will build the church. Since the church is not a building, but people, He is saying, He will add the living stones to the church of God. Jesus is also telling us, the devil and his forces seek to prevail against the church. The Bible gives us just enough insight into the realm of the spirit to know there are spiritual battles that take place. The battle is between the forces of God and the forces of Satan, and they are fighting over the souls of men. Jesus said He came to give us abundant life, while the devil is trying to steal, kill, and destroy us. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church. You can have great confidence this morning that the forces of Heaven are far superior to the forces of hell.

It also strikes me, the weapon which Jesus refers to the devil using, is a gate. In all of my experience, I have never heard of an army or even an individual soldier, going into battle carrying a gate. I have heard of people with guns, knives, swords, pitchforks and other farming tools, but never a gate. You see, a gate is not an offensive weapon, but a defensive weapon. A gate would be used to enclose the city and keep people in. Jesus is giving insight into what the devil is trying to do. He wants to keep people in bondage to sin and death. Jesus is also giving insight into the role of the church. We are on a mission to rescue people held captive to sin and death, by declaring to them the message of Christ.

Take a few minutes this morning to pray for your sphere of influence; your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors who have not yet come to Christ. Pray that the gates of hell would not prevail, and that they would listen to the Gospel and be saved.

Pastor Jim

 

God In My Pocket

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Genesis 31:34
“Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them.”

2015/01/img_1336.jpgLater in Israel’s history, the Law of God will be imparted, and idolatry will be forbidden. One of the main reasons is,  a manmade icon cannot adequately represent an infinite God. No matter how skilled the worker, or how beautiful the image, it will be a poor representation of God. The actions of Rachel reflect that idea, as she sits on her gods to hide them from her father. Any God small enough to fit in your pocket, is certainly too small to aid in time of need.

While it may not be common in our culture to fashion stone or metallic icons and call them god, it is very common for us to lose sight of the wonder of God, and reduce Him to something we can figure out. Paul spent three chapters of the book of Romans discussing the sovereignty of God. His conclusion was simply,

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Romans 11:33

When we are face to face with things about God we do not understand, we cannot dismiss them because of our lack of knowledge. Nor should we accuse God of wrong doing because we cannot see the whole picture. Instead, we should humbly sit before Him, and adore a God who is way too vast to fit in our hip pocket.

Pastor Jim

 

Ministry Principles

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Matthew 15:36
“And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.”

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It is against the law to give away what you do not own. If it does not belong to you, it is not yours to give. That is one of the most basic principles that governs when serving Jesus. If we want to help others walk with the Lord, we must first receive from the Lord. The story of the loaves and fish illustrate that principle quite well. The disciples took what they had, brought that to Jesus; He multiplied it, and they distributed it to others.

If we want to be involved in serving the Lord, it starts with taking what we have and making it available to the Lord. Perhaps the most important commodity that we possess is time. When we make time to serve the Lord, He will always give us something to pass on. Over the years, we have seen this principle in action time and time again. Someone will venture out in faith and step into an area of service, they have an overwhelming sense of being unqualified, but as they spend time seeking the Lord and moving forward, God always provides more than what they needed to serve effectively.

We cannot neglect to take what we have and give it to the Lord, nor can we neglect to spend time with Him, if we want our service to be successful.

Pastor Jim

 

Plotting And Scheming

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Genesis 30:32
“Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages.”

2015/01/img_1334.jpgAfter faithfully serving Laban for twenty years, Jacob decided it was time to return to Canaan. As he prepared to depart, Jacob and Laban met together to discuss his future wages. They determined that all the speckled and spotted sheep would belong to Jacob and the rest would remain with Laban. Later, in Genesis 31, we find this idea was given to Jacob in a dream where the Angel of the Lord appeared to him. We find with Jacob, a vivid illustration of the promises of God being pursued in the arm of the flesh.

Rather than trusting that God would provide whatever number of sheep He wanted him to have, Jacob went about to organize one of the most bizarre schemes in Scripture. He decided to put a backdrop of Poplar, Almond and Chestnut trees before the flocks, thinking that would make them conceive spotted lambs. I am no geneticist, but I highly doubt that what a pregnant sheep looks at while eating will determine the hair color of her offspring. This seems to me, to be another of Jacob’s carnal attempts to acquire the promises of God. He had done it before when he cheated his brother out of his blessing and birthright, instead of simply waiting on God to fulfill His promises. And now he seems to be doing it again.

Oh, what wasted time and energy is spent trying to accomplish, in the arm of the flesh, what should simply be received by faith. How often the child of God strives so intently to do, what God simply wants to give. Instead of straining in our own energies, why not simply trust in, and pray through, the promises of God. This is a truth that is particularly relevant for those serving in the ministry. One of the great promises that must serve as part of the foundation for any minister, is that Jesus said He would build His church. All our energies should be spent seeking to do what He tells us to do, rather than running about trying to build a church for God.

Pastor Jim

 

Dysfunctional

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Genesis 29:26
“And Laban said, ‘It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.’”

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All families have some level of dysfunction, but Jacob’s household was a mess. What started with a surprise unveiling the morning after the wedding, grew into a family with two wives competing for the love of one husband. As time moved on, things got worse rather than better. Children were born into the family out of wedlock, and his wives were making back room deals as to who was going to spend the night with Jacob. It is little wonder, when these kids grew up, they had emotional issues and were willing to sell a brother into slavery. What happened to this family to create such chaos?

Genesis 29:26 “And Laban said, ‘It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.'”

Tradition can be a good thing. We have a 30 year old tradition in our family, of meeting at my wife’s parents house for Monday night dinner. In many ways, it is the highlight of the week for the kids. But when traditions are contrary to the Word of God, they are a bad thing. What was acceptable, and even expected in culture, caused Laban to trick Jacob into marrying both his daughters, and violating the ways of God. Marriage was designed by God to be between one man and one woman; and to last a lifetime. Jacob turned his marriage into two women, and two “other women”, and what followed was confusing to say the least.

It is not culturally accepted in America to have two or more wives simultaneously, but it has become acceptable to treat marriage as disposable. It is even common to hear couples, who are having difficulties in marriage, decide to call it quits “for the sake of the children.” We need to keep in mind that God designed marriage, and difficulties are not reasons to end a relationship, but to work on the relationship. Buying into the current cultural ideas of what a marriage should look like, or when a marriage should end, is wrong, and has long term affects on the kids. No matter how much we try to convince ourselves, a bad marriage or a broken marriage, will negatively affect the growth of our kids.

The answer is to stop looking at the world to define marriage, but to begin to look to the Word of God. God did not design marriage to be miserable, but to be a joyous relationship that would reflect the love He has for the world. If your marriage is less than that, perhaps it is time to look into the Bible for the blueprints of a healthy marriage. These texts were designed to help: Ephesians 5:22-33, 1Peter 3:1-7,  1Corinthians 7. Get together with your spouse and read through the Word, making any and all appropriate applications. Keep in mind, we cannot change another person, we can only change ourselves.

Pastor Jim

 

Terms And Condition

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Genesis 28:20-21
“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.'”

2015/01/img_1331.jpgJacob has made a mess of things. His own ambitions have driven a wedge between himself and his family, he has been forced to flee for his life, and is now, just about homeless. With his head resting on a rock, he develops his own covenant with God. “If you will do these things for me, then you will be my God.”

I find it fascinating, that people will debate with themselves, whether or not they will choose God. It is as though they make a mental pro-verses-con list, to determine whether He is worth it or not. While the debate rages within, I think it is worth noting, God is not on His throne in heaven, questioning whether or not He wants you. That question was answered long ago, when He sent His only Son to make a way for us to be forgiven and go to heaven.

Instead of putting ridiculous requirements upon God, why not look at all He has done to show His unfailing love and amazing grace. Stop debating and start following; abundant life awaits.

Pastor Jim

 

Why Do You Doubt?

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Matthew 14:31
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

2015/01/img_1330.jpgAs Peter’s eyes left Jesus and began to focus on his surroundings, his great faith failed and he began to sink. In desperation he cried out, “Lord, save me” to which Jesus replied, first with a stretched out hand, then with gentle rebuke.

“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

If I were in Peter’s place I might have responded, “I am doubting because what I thought was a good idea, in a moment of great courage, I am now thinking was not such a great idea.” I am doubting, because the wind is boisterous and the waves are large. I am doubting, because of the law of gravity, and I do not swim that well. I am doubting, because it is night, dark, and I do not want to drown. I am doubting, because what I asked to do is humanly impossible, and I am now suffering the consequences of that decision. In other words, Peter had many reasons to doubt; however, he had many more reasons to trust.

Just before his doubt, he had witnessed Jesus walking on water; a humanly impossible task. We might argue, Jesus was more than human, and defies the laws of the universe that control us. However, just before this event,we read that Jesus looked to the disciples to feed a great multitude. “They do not need to go away, you give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). When they responded that all they had was five loaves and two fish, He said “bring them here to Me.” Jesus was teaching them a vital principle for Christian living: what is impossible for man, is possible for God. The same God who can multiply fish and bread, can keep you afloat in the midst of the storm.

Rather than focusing on the problem, which leads to doubt, fear, and despair, let’s focus on the Savior, who not only walks on water, but is able to help us do the impossible.

Pastor Jim

 

It Must Be The Lord

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Genesis 27:20
“But Isaac said to his son, ‘How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?’ And he said, ‘Because the LORD your God brought it to me.’”

Unknown-1.jpegIsaac was ill and thought death was at his doorstep, so he sent his son Esau into the field to hunt and make him his favorite meal. It was his intention, at the meal, to pass a blessing on to Esau. When Rebekah heard his plan, she came up with a scheme of her own. She knew God intended this blessing for Jacob, so she got an animal skin, prepared a meal, and attempted to deceive her husband. Jacob dressed for the part and brought the meal to his father. When questioned as to who he was and how he had acquired the game so quickly, he replied, “it is me Esau, and the LORD brought it to me.”

Let’s examine that statement. Was this actually the LORD ? There is no question, it was the LORD’s intention for the blessing to be given to Jacob, not Esau. However, the way these events transpired was anything but the LORD. Lying, deceiving, and manipulating are never the pathway leading to the will of God. Instead of scheming, the proper response should have been praying, trusting, and submitting to the Word of God.

It seems to me, many are guilty of these same sins today. We realize God has made us promises, but rather than trusting and obeying, we stray from Him, in order to get what we desire. This is most common in relationships. A lonely Christian will venture out, get involved in an unhealthy relationship, and convince himself it must be the LORD. Circumstances, emotions, and coincidence, are inaccurate tests to determine God’s best for our lives. Looking into the Word, and living in obedience, is a much safer approach to walking in the will of God.

Be careful not to go your own way, then blame the results on God.

Pastor Jim

 

Shining Like The Sun

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Matthew 13:43
“Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

2015/01/img_1327.jpgWhile explaining the Parable of the Tares, Jesus spoke of the harvest at the end of the age, when all humanity will be gathered together. In Revelation 19, we see this event unfolding. We see all of humanity standing before the throne of God, and the books opened. The first book we might call the ‘book of works’. It contains every sin committed, every idle word spoken, every vile thought we’ve had. The second is the Book of Life. When we receive Christ, not only is our name written in the Book of Life, but all that was in the ‘book of works’ is erased. Paul spoke of “the handwriting of ordinances that was against us has been erased, having been nailed to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). Those, whose names are found in the Book of Life, will be escorted into heaven, where they will forever be with the Lord.

What a glorious future awaits the child of God! Jesus goes even further. He tells us, not only will we be in heaven, but we will shine in heaven. This reminds me of the words of Daniel 12:3,

“Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.”

The stars of today are those who act, sing, play sports, or make a great deal of money, but the brightest stars in the kingdom of heaven, are those who lead others to Christ. Pray today about how God might use you this week to win someone to Christ

Pastor Jim