Answers

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Proverbs 26:4-5 “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest  he be wise in his own eyes.”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2014/12/img_1254.jpgSometimes, determining what God wants us to do can be quite difficult. We can have opposing principles, which can be found in the pages of the Word, applied to the same situation. That is the case with the advice Solomon is providing here. On the one hand, it is folly to attempt to correct a foolish man. Since his thinking is irrational, it is impossible to rationalize with him. The conversation becomes nothing more than a vain argument. On the other hand, if he is not corrected, he will continue on the same path with no hope of escape. When faced with these encounters, we are forced to make a split second decision, seeking God’s best for the situation. Many times we walk away having a much longer conversation with ourselves than we did with the other person; talking out all the things we should have said. Allow me to give just a few tips.

First off, since we do not know what encounters await us around the corner, we must prepare in advance. We will be prepared by spending time with the Lord and walking in the Spirit. I cannot express strongly enough, how often my morning devotions have prepared me for the encounters I face throughout the day. I have almost come to expect, I will have a conversation where I am able to draw from my morning reading. I have found, daily Bible reading puts me one step ahead of the situations I will face. Prayer is also a critical factor in being ahead of the game. Taking time in the morning to devote myself, my day, and my time to the Lord, will get me in the right frame of mind to be available when ministry opportunities arise. When Paul addressed the Ephesians, he wrote of “being filled with the Spirit.” Morning prayer time is the place to make that happen. As we begin the day pouring out ourselves and our needs to the Lord, we find we are filled with His love, power and Spirit.

Finally, when Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus he said, “the wind blows where it wishes, we do not know where it comes from or where it goes. Such are they who are born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) Walking in the Spirit involves making myself available to the Lord and looking for His leading in my life. A chance encounter at the market, park, or school recital may, in fact, be a ministry opportunity. Often, taking the time to listen to someone and prayerfully considering how to answer, may provide the open door we need to see a person come to faith in Christ. Walking in the Spirit involves not being driven by emotion or circumstances, but being open to and looking for ways to be used by the Lord.

Pastor Jim

 

Do The Right Thing

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Zechariah 7:3
“Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

/home/wpcom/public_html/wp-content/blogs.dir/b9a/30989304/files/2014/12/img_1253.jpgThe people in Zechariah’s day were beginning to realize their lifestyle was unacceptable to God. They concluded, the solution to unrighteous living was to fast on certain days. Prior to implementing their new religious program, they approached the prophet for guidance. He declared what they really needed to do was obey the Word of The Lord.

Zechariah 7:7
“Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets…”

There is something about the nature of all men that when we become convicted of our sins, we want to perform religious deeds. We think we need to go to church, recite a prayer, or be involved in some other religious activity. While these activities are very important and must play a role in our lives, our greatest need is to return to the Lord and live in obedience to His written Word.

Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). He declared to the disciples that if they loved Him they keep His commands (John 14:15). The truest evidence of repentance is a change of behavior. Albeit, there are times when that is very difficult and almost impossible to do. I am reminded of a man with a deformed hand who met Jesus in a church service. Jesus asked him to do the one thing he was incapable of doing. He said “stretch forth your hand” (Luke 6:10). Rather than giving excuses, or even good reasons why he could not obey, the man simply trusted and obeyed. His obedience was met with the power of God, and his deformity was healed.

If God has revealed areas in your life that need to be corrected, don’t settle for a few religious activities. Instead, turn to Him with your whole heart and receive His power to live obediently to His word.

Pastor Jim

 

Merry Christmas

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Zechariah 6:12-13
“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place He shall branch out… And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”

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The Bible speaks of the riches of the grace of God. Grace is a word that refers to God’s giving nature. James 1:17 puts it this way, “Every good and perfect gift comes from the father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” Certainly, life is filled with gifts given from heaven to earth. When we gaze into the face of nature, or a new born child, we cannot help but think of the grace of God. Nevertheless, every other gift pales in comparison to the gift given on the first Christmas morning. God wrapped His Son in human flesh and gave Him to mankind to be Savior and Lord. The young child who was born in a stable, and laid in a manger, would grow to become what the apostle John called, “the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only but the sins of the whole world” (1John 2:2). As the years went by, He would move from a manger to a cross, where He would die, to pay the debt of sin and reconcile man to God. As you give and receive gifts this Christmas, it is our prayer you would receive the greatest gift ever given and put your trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.

Merry Christmas, Pastor Jim

 

Using Your Influence

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Proverbs 24:11
“Deliver those who are drawn toward death,
And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.”

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Salvation is a free gift given to man from God. Jesus Christ became a man and offered Himself as a willing sacrifice on the altar of Calvary, in order to pay mankind’s debt and wash away all sin. This salvation, while freely given, must be received. John wrote,

John 1:12
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name”

When we recognize we are sinners and Christ is the Savior, and we put our trust in His work on the cross to save us, our sins are washed, and we become the adopted children of God. This is an individual decision. It is not something we can make for another. Parents cannot receive Christ for their children or children for their parents. As much as we may desire for our spouse, siblings or neighbors to receive Christ, we cannot force them to make that decision. Coercion, manipulation, nor brute force, are the methods that will save a soul. That being said, Solomon exhorts us to do what we can to deliver those who are heading toward death and destruction.

There are many things we can do to influence the decision of another. First, we must make the decision ourselves. A very common, and unsuccessful parenting method, might be called the “do as I say, not as I do” method. Often, parents put standards on their children which they do not follow. A parent who commonly uses profanity, will chastise a child who uses it. However, that parent will find, as the child grows, they will talk much as their parent does. The same is true of relationship with Christ. Jesus explained, we are the light of the world. People are watching, and as they see a life committed to Christ, they too, will be drawn to Him.

Second, we must pray for those who have not yet decided to receive Christ. Prayer is the most powerful and least used weapon in winning others to Christ. It is through prayer we will see hearts soften, doors open, and the message of the Gospel take root. When praying for our loved ones, pray that whatever the enemy is using to blind their eyes to their need for Christ, would be removed. Pray, just as you saw your need for Christ, they would see their’s. Pray they would come to church or outreach events with you, and they would make a decision to surrender to Christ. Pray right now!

Third, we must share the truth. Paul explained that the Gospel is the power of God that will lead to salvation (Romans1:16). It is important to be loving, kind, friendly, considerate, compassionate and relatable, but if we do not share the message of the cross, people will have no idea why we are the way we are. Paul declared, he desired to know nothing among others except Christ and Him crucified (1Corinthians 2:2). In other words, it was of the highest importance to him, to explain to others the way of salvation. Sometimes, the best way to do that is over a meal or a coffee. Other times, it may be through inviting someone to church, or after church to invite them to bring their questions to the pastors. We might send them a CD of a morning message, or a link to a live feed or last weeks Bible study. Whatever door the Lord opens, be sure to take it.

While salvation is the decision of every individual, let’s be sure to do our best to influence them to decide for Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Fly Away

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Proverbs 23:4-5 “Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”

IMG_1246.JPGRiches are not evil in themselves. The Bible does not teach that money is the root of all evil, but that “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1Timothy 6:10). Throughout Proverbs, Solomon listed instructions that will increase our chances of being successful. He speaks of honesty, integrity, and diligence, while warning against folly, laziness and getting involved with the wrong people.

That being said, Solomon also warns against thinking that money will solve all of our problems. He writes poetically of the inability of riches to really meet our deepest needs. He states that riches make wings and fly away. Have you ever watched a young child attempting to catch a butterfly? With each step the child takes toward the winged creature, it simply flies off to the next bush. Step after step, she thinks she almost has it, but again and again it simply flies away. Riches are like that. In one sense, they are aloof, but we think with just a little more work we will finally catch them. If memory serves me, it was Rockefeller who, when asked how much money was enough, responded, “just a little more than you have.”

There is another sense in which riches have wings. Not only are they difficult to catch, but riches will never provide what they promise. Often, we think that the solution to our problem is cash. If we had a few more dollars we could get out of debt, take that vacation we always wanted, replace the hunk-of-junk car we drive, or a host of other things. While I would agree that having is more fun, than not having, we all must realize riches have wings and cannot satisfy the real issues of life. The headlines remind us of that. We often read of wealthy actors, entertainers, athletes or business men, who have marital or substance abuse problems, are on anti-depressants or even take their lives. The reason is, riches have wings. They are unable to meet the deepest needs in the heart of man. In contrast to this Solomon writes,

Proverbs 23:18 “For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.”

The real solution to the issues of life, is a spiritual one. We need to realize, we will only be satisfied when we are in a right relationship with God. Jesus promised, all who received Him would have torrents of living water rushing through their lives (John 7:38), providing peace, joy, and love for God and others. We need to be sure, while we are in pursuit of “getting ahead,” we do not neglect to make investments in our relationship with the Lord.

As the new year approaches, resolve to accept Christ as your Savior and Lord, make daily investments in your walk with Him by reading the Word, and commit to regular attendance at a good Bible teaching church.

Pastor Jim

 

Problems And Solutions

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Zechariah 2:10
“ Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord.

IMG_1244.JPGThings looked bleak for Israel. After their defeat in battle, Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish people were taken as prisoners to Babylon. An entire generation arose who had never set foot in the promised land, and who ignored the voice of God, when called upon to return and rebuild. For those who did return, morale was low, as the daunting task of rebuilding a nation amidst constant opposition bore down upon them. Zachariah records the words he spoke to the people, to encourage them to continue on in the work of the Lord. One of his greatest promises is recorded here,

Zechariah 2:10
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord.”

Heaven’s solution for what ailed mankind was a visit from God himself. Years later, this promise would be fulfilled, when, in a stable outside Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. This tiny Child, whose first bed was a cleaned feeding trough, would grow to become the Savior of humanity, and change the course of human history. No man can match the influence this tiny Child has had upon the world; and his work is not yet completed. He desires to continue to impact the world, one life at a time. No matter how dark things may seem in your life, you can break out in song knowing that Jesus Christ desires to dwell within you and change your world.

Pastor Jim

 

Walk This Way

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Proverbs 22:3
“A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.”

IMG_1243.PNGPrudent means to be wise or even shrewd. The prudent man is the one who looks carefully down the road he is walking, in order to avoid falling into sin and away from the Lord. The simple, or foolish man, keeps walking, never aware of the danger he is in until after it has overtaken him. Obviously, Solomon is exhorting us of the need to be watchful. The Greeks were expert story tellers. They had established a vast system of gods, heroes, and villains, to help explain the unexplainable, and instruct the generations to come, regarding morality. One of my favorite stories is of a man whose name means forethought, who was given guardianship of a box that contained all the evil of the world. On one occasion, he left the box in the care of of his brother, whose name meant afterthought, and instructed him to not allow his wife, Pandora, to look inside. After his brother departed, Afterthought was influenced by Pandora to open the box, allowing evil to spread throughout the world. It was not until after he had allowed her to open the box, he realized the danger of his decision. There is a modern proverb that declares much the same truth,”fools rush in…”

If we walk through life not aware of the dangers, pitfalls, snares, and sins that await us around the corner, we will be destined to fall, time and time again, into the same sins. Paul exhorted the Ephesians to “walk circumspectly” (Ephesians 5:15). That means we must be aware of the dangers surrounding us if we are going to avoid a fall. The prudent man realizes how slippery the slope is, in which we walk, and travels carefully.

I have some friends who enjoy backpacking. They take vacations to hike along mountain ridges. I have noticed, before they go, they are certain to purchase the right equipment. Instead of marching out in sandals or ice skates, they purchase proper hiking boots. If they are going to be in the ice or snow, they even use crampons, to ensure they will have  firm footing. We can be no less cautious when it comes to walking with the Lord. Looking around at how others have fallen, or looking back at how we have stumbled in the past, is more than enough empirical data to prove the dangers the narrow road contains. Success in our walk will be closely connected to behaving like the prudent man and avoiding evil before we face it.

Pastor Jim

 

Troubles In Marriage

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Proverbs 21:9
“Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,
than in a house shared with a contentious woman.”

Proverbs 21:19
“Better to dwell in the wilderness,
than with a contentious and angry woman.”

Proverbs 19:13
“. . . the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.”

images-1.jpegSolomon seems to be an expert on dealing with a contentious wife. He speaks of living with her as being like a dripping faucet, or a leaky roof. He suggests that it is better to find a corner of the housetop to live on, rather than be in the house with her. He later states, you are better off homeless and living in the wilderness, than remaining in the home with her continual nagging. Solomon’s statements serve as a good illustration of what not to do in a marriage.

First, we find clear application for the wife. Simply put, do not be contentious. The word contentious means to be argumentative, quarrelsome or even combative. It speaks of someone who is always finding fault in what another is doing. Paul explained that the role of the wife is to honor and support her husband. A wife should be actively involved in building her husband up, so he can become the man God intended him to be. Constant nagging, belittling, and opposing, undermines the work God wants to do, rather than accomplishing it. Peter put it like this,

1 Peter 3:1
“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives”

Second, we find application for the husband. It may be true that living on the roof or out in the wild is better than living with constant contention, but it is also true that it is much better to live in a house without it. If we examine the life of Solomon we find that perhaps he was the cause of the contention. Scripture instructed the king to have only one wife. That was always the plan of God for mankind. Solomon ignored the Word of God, as it related to marriage, and multiplied wives unto himself. In addition to his many wives he also had a long list of girlfriends. It is no wonder his wife was contentious. If a husband does not treat His wife the way the Bible describes, he has little to complain about when she does not treat him the way he desires. Instead of multiplying wives, Solomon should have been multiplying the expression of his love toward the wife he had. In the same way, a husband should not be looking at what is wrong with his wife as an excuse to mistreat her, but instead should be desiring that his wife be the most loved woman on the planet.

If husbands will seek new ways to express love to their wives, and wives will seek to build up their husbands, we will have a whole lot less contention in the home, or men living in the wilderness.

Pastor Jim

Old Testament:
Zephaniah 1- Privacy Please
Zephaniah 2- Meekness

 

Privacy Please

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Zephaniah 1:5
“Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops;
Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord, But who also swear by Milcom”

IMG_1238.JPGZephaniah was commissioned by the Lord to warn the people of coming judgment. In order to prepare the people for what was ahead, he explained the reason they were facing judgment. His message was both clear and simple, they must change their ways if they were to avoid what was ahead.

The first infraction the people were guilty of was worshipping the hosts of heavens on their rooftops. In ancient times rooftops were considered a part of the house and were used for family gatherings. It was on a rooftop where Bathsheba bathed, Peter rested and had a vision from heaven, where husbands are exhorted to flee from a contentious wife, and where the people of Judah were practicing idolatry.

Zepheniah’s ministry took place during the reign of King Josiah, who had brought about great reforms in the nations. Much of the idolatry that had plagued Judah for generations had been removed from the public sector. The problem was, while these idols had been removed publicly, they still remained in the private life of the people. God’s judgment would come because public reform was not affecting private living.

We are told the people continued to worship Baal, the sun, moon and stars, and Milcom, the false god of the Ammonites. Essentially, they were turning worship into syncretism by blending the worship of the true God with idols. Tragically, this is a common practice today. Many who claim to be followers of Christ, seem to pick and choose verses they like while ignoring others. By doing so, they are essentially creating a god of their liking, rather than submitting to the God of Scripture. This synchronistic idolatry ultimately caused Judah to turn back from following the Lord. When public commitment does not change private living we will ultimately turn our backs on the Lord as well. It is in private where the real roots of the Christian life are developed.

What you do with your early mornings will chart the course for your entire day. Jesus rose a long while before daylight, departed from others, and spent time alone with the Father. His life was a pattern set for the rest of us to follow. It is important to begin each day with the Lord, in His Word, allowing Him to remove from your private life anything that does not belong.

Pastor Jim

 

Who Is Mr. Clean

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Proverbs 20:9
“Who can say, ‘I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin?’”

IMG_1236.JPGSin is a plague that has infected every man. As Paul explained to the Romans, it was by one man (Adam) that sin entered the world, but that sin spread to all men because all have sinned (Romans 5:12). David, looking out at the world, and looking in at his own heart, declared, there were none righteous, not even one (Psalm 53:3). Most of us are familiar with the story of the woman who was caught in an adulterous relationship and brought before Jesus. After hearing the charges brought against her by her accusers, Jesus responded by inviting those in the crowd who were without sin, to throw the first stone. One by one her accusers dropped the rocks and departed, for they were all sinners (John 8:3-4). The truth that we have all sinned, makes Solomon’s question all the more striking. Is it possible for anyone to proclaim that their heart is clean, and they are pure of all sin? Scripture boldly declares that it is.

When Jesus hung on that rugged cross, He bore the penalty for all sin, and shed His blood to provide atonement. It is at the cross where the sinner can be cleansed of all sin. No matter how deeply we may have been submerged under the weight of sin, it is at the cross where the weight is removed and we are washed and forgiven. David rejoiced over the blessedness that comes with the forgiveness of sin when he declared,

Psalms 32:1-2
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

Forgiveness and cleansing from all sin, can be found at the cross. No matter who we are, or what sin we are bound by, when we come to the cross, the blood of Jesus washes us white as snow, and we are forgiven. It is then, and only then, that we can proclaim, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure of all sin.” Sadly, many make the mistake of ignoring, justifying or explaining away sin, rather than coming to the source of cleansing. We are not made clean by our own declaration, but by receiving the One who washes sin away.

Will you come to the cross today? Will you confess your sin, and allow His blood to wash you clean? If so, then you can declare, “I am pure from my sin.”

Pastor Jim