Bible

Walk This Way

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Deuteronomy 13:4
“You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.”

John 3:16 is the most famous verse in the Bible because in twenty-five words it captures the entire message of Scripture; there is a loving God who will freely give eternal life to all who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 13:4 is similar in that its twenty-eight words capture so much of what it means to walk with with God. Moses gives six steps that will lead to success in following Christ.

“You shall walk after the Lord your God . . . ” 

The first step in following Christ is following. In other words, we need to go where he is going. Too many believers fail because they continue to go where God is not going. We often hear of college students who attend fraternity parties where drinking and other activities are rampant. They convince themselves they will attend and not participate, but not long after, the pressure of the crowd become too great to resist. We hear of married men who spend too much time with a co-worker, establishing an unhealthy relationship which leads to a weak moment, devastating a marriage and a family. Remember, these things and others like them, can be avoided if we walk where He is walking.

“. . .fear Him . . .”

Fear is often looked at as a negative emotion. We learn early in life, if we are to succeed at anything, we must overcome our fears. There is, however, a healthy side to fear. Being afraid of falling will cause us to be more cautious when climbing, being afraid of illness will help us to avoid certain foods when traveling, and having a healthy fear of God, will cause us to avoid practicing things He has forbidden. This kind of fear is the fear of relationship. We do not want to disappoint the One who loves us so much and has given all, that we might be saved. Instead of viewing factors and circumstances as whether or not they will bring us pleasure, we should view them as whether or not they please God.

“. . . keep His commandments . . .”

The surest way to success, in our walk with Christ, is to read the Bible and do what it says. The Bible is designed, not only to guide our lives, but to redirect us when we get off course. The surest way to stumble, is to either ignore the Bible completely, or to read without action. We should consult the Word daily, allowing it to cast light unto our thinking, our behaviors, and our way of life.

“. . . obey His voice . . .” 

One of the great benefits of being in a relationship with God is that He will speak to us. When Elijah fled to the caves of Mount Horeb, he heard God speak to him in a quiet voice. It seems God is still in the practice of speaking to His children in a quiet voice. I have found, He will prompt me to send a text to someone out of the blue, only to find it was an opportune moment for ministry. I have learned, His voice of warning is to be heeded, as He has prepared me in advance, for what is coming. Be quick to listen to the quiet voice of God.

“. . . you shall serve Him . . .”

Just yesterday, a woman approached me and said, “I have become so confident in who I am in Christ since I began to serve Him”.  Service makes us defendant upon the Lord, and that dependence leads to getting to know Him at a deeper level. One of the surest ways to get in a spiritual rut is to fail to have an outlet of ministry. No matter what your comfort level might be, get involved in your local church. Listen to the needs that are presented and commit your time, efforts, and energy to serve. You will find your relationship with Christ will explode.

“. . . hold fast to Him . . .” 

Ever heard the phrase, “hold on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride”? Well, following Christ can be like that. We must cling to the Lord in times of darkness or difficulty. Instead of allowing hard times to cause us to accuse God of wrong, we should use those times to cling to Him, find His strength, and learn His ways. Some of the greatest stories in Scripture happened with the darkest of backdrops.

Pastor Jim

 

 

  

Promises

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John 14:1
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

We live in troublesome times. Many face the fear of cancer or some other illness. The economy has shattered the comforts we once thought we had, or would enjoy. And after thousands of years of written history, the heart of man has not improved. We read of nations on the brink of war, violent crime haunting even the most peaceful communities, and global acts of terrorism on the rise. All this, and sadly much more, cause us to fear for our own safety, and for the future for our children and grandchildren.

 In the midst of this, Jesus gives us His great and precious promises. This chapter begins with a simple exhortation that is followed up with promise after promise, which makes the exhortation possible. Jesus says,

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

A troubled heart is one of the most common ailments men face. When our hearts fail, it is next to impossible to press on. We find ourselves weakened and filled with fear. The promises of Jesus are the cure for the troubled heart.

“I go to prepare a place for you.”

“I will come again and receive you to Myself”

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father”

“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

“I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth”

“I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Cling to the promises of God and watch Him replace fear and worry with confident obedience. John said:

“Greater is He that is in you than He who is in the world”

Pastor Jim

 

What Did You See?

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Deuteronomy 11:7
“. . . but your eyes have seen every great act of the Lord which He did.”

There is no question, the children of Israel made mistakes. Their years in the wilderness were marked by complaining, doubt, fear and outright disobedience. Yet, things could have been worse. They could have remained in Egypt, never experiencing any of the great acts of the Lord. Moses reminds the people of what they saw because they were willing to follow the Lord. He recalls the parting of the Red Sea, their provision in the wilderness, and the judgment of those who rebelled.

I wonder, what does your list include? When you look back over your Christian experience, where has your willingness to follow the Lord led you? Can you remember times when you stepped out in faith to serve or follow the Lord, and found that He was faithful to His promises? Can you think of a time, when your heart was beating through your chest, you were being prompted by the Lord to share the Gospel with someone, and when you did, they received Christ. Can you remember setting aside your vacation time to go on a mission trip, and bring Christ to those in another land? What does your past say about your experience of Christ?

Whatever your past might say, it is important we do not live in the past. The great works God did in the wilderness were not the end of His works. In Israel’s future, was the parting of the Jordan, the walls of Jericho, defeating giants, and becoming a great and mighty nation. Whatever your past might say, your future remains filled with opportunity to serve and follow Christ. Be sure, today, to walk in the ways of God.

Pastor Jim

 

Foot Washing

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John 13:10 
“He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean;…”

Living in Israel at the time of Christ, it was impossible to walk the streets of Jerusalem without getting dirty. Open-toed sandals in a desert climate made for dirty streets and dirty feet. One solution was the custom of foot washing. Whenever a guest entered a home, the host was responsible for ensuring that the feet of the guest were washed. When Jesus gathered with the disciples for the Passover meal, he took on the role of the host, and began to wash their feet. As expected, Peter had something to say about the actions of Jesus. First he resisted, to which Jesus explained,

“If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

In response, Peter replied,

“Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

To which Jesus said,

“He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean;…”

The washing of the disciples’ feet serves as a great example of serving one another, but it also illustrates something about the Christian walk. Just as it was impossible to walk the streets of Jerusalem and not get dirty feet, so it is impossible to live in our world and not get a little dirty. Even when we determine to live committed to Christ, we come into contact with things that defile us, and even trigger the desires of the flesh. It might happen sitting in a waiting room, glancing down at a magazine with a seductive photo on the cover; or in the break room at work, when someone decides to share a crude or off-color joke. One way or another, we get the mud of the world on us.

The solution is not to isolate ourselves completely from the world. After all, Jesus sent us into the world as witnesses of the resurrection. No, the solution is foot washing. I am not speaking of reinstating the custom of washing feet, but of what I believe it represents in our walk with God. Paul spoke to the Ephesians about “The washing of water by the Word of God” (Ephesians 5:26). God’s Word has a cleansing effect in our lives. When we get the muck of the world splattered on us, the solution is to sit down and let God’s Word wash it away. How refreshing it is to sit with our Bibles, and allow him to give our minds a cleansing.

Just as there is no better way to start the day than with God’s Word, there is also no better way to end the day.

Pastor Jim

 

Game Day

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Deuteronomy 9:1
“Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven”

Imagine being on a team that has lost most of its games. Time after time, no matter who your opponent was, you figured out a way to lose. Now, imagine your team is about to face the best team in the league. How confident do you think you would be as the coach begins his pep talk in the locker room?

Israel’s 40 year journey through the wilderness has been marked with loss after devastating loss. From the very beginning they lived with fear, failure and defeat. They complained at the lack of resources, lusted for the fantasy life of Egypt, committed heinous sins with the golden calf and the women of Moab, lived in unbelief, refusing to enter the land of Promise, then watched as a generation died in the wilderness. Now, after what might be viewed as “pre-season games,” they are on the verge of entering the land where they will face “nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven.”

Based on their past, their future looks bleak. Moses exhorts them not to look at themselves and their failure, but at the Lord, and the work He desires to accomplish in and through them. He declares,

Deuteronomy 9:5
“It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

The righteousness of Israel was not the driving force behind their victories. Instead, they were to be ever mindful of the faithfulness of God. Much of what we struggle with is too great for our personal weakness. Praise the Lord, He will fight for us. He will drive out what is too great and mighty for us to defeat in our own strength.

Take time today to cling to the promises of God and walk with the confidence that it is He who will bring you to victory.

Pastor Jim

 

Winning Daily Battles 

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Deuteronomy 7:17-18
“If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them? ’— you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt . . .”

We often feel like the struggles of our flesh are too great to ever overcome. Since we have been fighting the same battles our entire Christian life, it is easy to become discouraged, and even to allow things that should be removed, to remain. Knowing that this would be the case, Moses instructed Israel what to do when they became overwhelmed by the magnitude of the battles they were facing.

“…remember well what the Lord your God did…”

They are instructed to look back at the things God accomplished for them in the past. Notice he writes, “remember well.” It is essential that we have an accurate memory of the power and faithfulness of God. It is important to keep in mind our salvation, our deliverance from sin, and our relationship with God. These were all a result of the supernatural work of God. The God who was able to provide salvation, is the same God who will also provide victory for the daily struggles of the flesh.

Don’t stop fighting, but start looking to the Great Deliverer to provide you with the strength to overcome.

Pastor Jim

 

Difficulties With People

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John 11:3
“Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

One of the great struggles of life is how to reconcile a loving God with the difficulties of life. Every day, all over the world, people are confronted with tragedies. Difficulties hit like a storm and wreak havoc on their lives. It is not until we find ourself facing one of these trying times, that we are undone by it. It is at that point, we begin to ask, “How could a loving God allow my brother to suffer like that?” or “If God loved me, He would not have taken him from me.”

There is no question we face difficulties, and the illness or loss of a loved one is one of the greatest trials we will ever face. However, these trials are not without purpose. Notice the response of Jesus to the situation His loved ones were facing,

John 11:4
“This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Death is not the ultimate purpose of life. We are not here to simply live, work, pay taxes and die. The trials of life have a purpose, and that purpose is the glory of God. One of the most freeing thoughts is realizing that our lives belong to God. He created us, redeemed us, and did so with a distinct purpose in mind. The things we face that are beyond our control, have been designed by God to bring Him glory. If we will stop in the midst of the tragedy, and seek the Lord for His purpose, we will find that our life, like that of Lazarus and his sisters, will be used for the glory of God. Later we read concerning him,

John 12:9-11
“Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.“

How cool is that! The hardship they faced led many to  believe in Christ. We know the result of a person believing in Christ is that their sins are forever forgiven, God takes up residence in their lives, begins to transform them from the inside out, and gives them eternal life. There is no greater reward in life than to be used by God to positively effect someone’s eternity.

Together, let’s live for the glory of God, even in the midst of our difficulties. Life is short, eternity is forever.

Pastor Jim

 

10 Commandments

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Deuteronomy 5:22
“. . . and He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me.”

The commandments of God were given to the people of God so they had a standard by which to govern themselves. These laws were given the highest place of honor in the nation. They were placed within the Ark of the Covenant, in the Holiest place within the Tabernacle. Years later, when the Tabernacle was replaced with Solomon’s Temple, the only articles remaining in the Ark were the two stone tablets containing the commands of God. We need to understand, God’s design for His people was that He be at the center of their personal, and their national lives. The center of the nation was the Temple, the center of the Temple was the Ark, and the center of the Ark was the Word. The people of God must always be governed by the Word of God.

As the years passed, and the decades became centuries, the people of God lost sight of the Word of God. Religious activities continued to be practiced in the nation, but without an understanding of the basic principles of who God was, and what relationship with Him was like. During the reign of King Josiah, while doing some renovations on the Temple, they stumbled across the Word of God. When it was read to the King, he realized the real problem with the nation was a failure to observe the Word of God. Josiah elevated the Word to its rightful place, and saw a movement of the people back to the ways of God. It was actions like his that preserved the nation for another century (2 Kings 22:8-20).

It is high time we give the Word of God it’s rightful place. Certainly, we should pray to see the commands of God hanging in courtrooms and classrooms across our nation. However, the chief place we need to see the Word elevated, is in our own lives. Are we willing to become a people governed by the Word of God? That, my friends, is what will transform our nation to the utmost.

Deuteronomy 5:1
“Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them.”

Pastor Jim

 

His Word, Our Lives

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John 10:21
“Others said, ‘These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’”

Those struggling to determine if Jesus is truly the Son of God and Savior of man, are influenced by both His words, and the lives of those who believe in Him. Certainly, the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, but the believer is the light of the world, casting light upon the Gospel of God. Jesus exhorts us to let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

It has been my experience that people are most often drawn to the Lord by the lives of others. One family member, co-worker, or friend influences another, and that influence creates a willingness to listen to the Word of God. The more we allow Jesus to impact our life, the greater influence we will have on lives around us. Many of the great works Jesus did in the lives of individuals, were the result of their exercising extreme faith. They believed God to do the impossible in their lives, and the result was impossible things were accomplished. Maybe today it is time to trust that God will do in you what cannot be done any other way. Perhaps you have been struggling with drinking, smoking, pornography, gossip, or some other sin that is holding you back. If that is the case, why not exercise extreme faith; trust God to help you overcome. Not only will you find victory in your personal life, but you will have a testimony that will draw others to the Words of Christ, the very Words that are capable of saving the soul.

Let’s live out loud!

Pastor Jim