Stand Watch

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Habakkuk 2:1
“I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.”

IMG_1235.JPGEven for those who have committed themselves and their ways to the Lord, life can be tricky. We face difficulties that create confusion in our lives, and even darken our view of God. Hymn writer Edward Mote wrote of times when darkness veils God’s lovely face. Habakkuk was experiencing one of those times. The conditions of life were causing him confusion, and he did not know how to reconcile what he was experiencing, with what he knew to be true of God. He writes this book to explain what he did in his trying times and what he learned from the Lord.

First, let’s notice how Habakkuk responded when life confused him. We read, he set himself in rampart to watch. This is a reference to the job of a watchman. In ancient times, cities were protected by high walls and guarded night and day by watchmen. Their job was to keep their eyes focused on the horizon for anyone who might be a threat to the well- being of the city. Habakkuk declared, he would set watch spiritually, and wait for instruction from the Lord. He expected to hear from God and to be corrected by Him. Learning to wait on the Lord is an important part of our relationship with God. We must understand that He wants to instruct us, but also wants to use the time to teach us to trust and listen. Waiting on the Lord is not a passive activity, but should include prayer, reading the Word, receiving counsel from godly friends, and keeping our eyes open for ways to be used by the Lord.

Second, notice that God answered Habakkuk. He instructed the prophet to write down the message he was about to receive. This message was not for the prophet alone, but for every generation that would follow him. His message was both simple and profound. God explained that in the midst of confusion, the just must live by faith.

There are two theologically-filled words in God’s statement. The word ‘just’ refers to the person who has had their sins forgiven and is a relationship with God. This happens today, when we trust Christ as our Savior and Lord. The second is the word ‘faith’. This word means to trust. Habakkuk is being told, the solution to his confusion will be found in trusting in the person, promises, and ways of God.

Whatever you might be facing, keep in mind, God is forever faithful. He may allow things into our lives we would never choose for ourselves, not because of a lack of love for us, but as an expression of His unending love. One day, our trying time will come to an end. Until then, let’s sets ourselves in ramparts and wait upon the Lord.

Pastor Jim

 

Impulsive

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Proverbs 19:2
“Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, and he sins who hastens with his feet.”

IMG_1234.JPGMarketers have realized that people are impulsive by nature. As a result, it is common to find a variety of “impulse items” located near the checkout stand in just about every store. These items are things we did not plan to purchase, but bought on a whim, and include items like gum, candy or DVD’s. For the most part, these are not high dollar purchases, and getting caught up in the moment, will not break most budgets. Buying an unplanned Snickers bar on the way out of the convenience store, will probably not have long lasting economic repercussions on your life. If however, you purchase big ticket items, without giving adequate time to consider all the ramifications, that can be very costly.

The same is true with all decisions in life. You do not need to call a church prayer meeting, or spend time fasting, when you are determining whether to order chicken or fish. The big decisions, like who you will spend the rest of your life with, should however, be considered slowly, carefully, and with wise counsel. Solomon is reminding us, when we rush into things that we should walk slowly towards, we will end up in sin.

“Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, and he sins who hastens with his feet.”

Notice the contrast he makes between impulse and knowledge. Knowledge is something acquired over time, with careful study, examining correct resources. I remember a cartoon as a child where Bugs Bunny spent the day explaining the story of the founding of the United States to his nephew. He told wild stories of rabbits influencing the greatest moments in American history. His nephew was an avid student, hanging on every word Bugs shared. The next day he came home from school with a dunce cap on his head. It was not that he didn’t acquire knowledge; it was that he went to the wrong source. The same can happen to us. If we want to avoid making foolish, hasty and impulsive decisions, we need to look into the Word of God for guidance. It takes time to uncover the path God would have you walk, but it is worth the time it takes. Before making another big decision, and perhaps another big mistake, take time to consider the Word and to get some healthy Biblical counsel.

Pastor Jim

 

Jealous

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Nahum 1:2-3 “God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; the LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The LORD has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.”

IMG_1233.JPGNahum gives us essential insight into the true nature of God. He declares that “God is jealous.” Jealousy is a common term in our vernacular; usually used in reference to relationships. The dictionary defines jealous as, “feelings of envy or suspicion.”

We have all felt the effects of jealousy in ourselves, seen it in others, and even read about it in the pages of our Bibles. We know that both Joseph’s brothers and Saul were plagued by jealousy, which caused them to do things harmful to themselves and others. The Hebrew word for jealous literally translates as, “becoming dark red”, and illustrates the emotions that stem from jealousy. Psychologists tell us Jealousy is birthed out of concern for self, is often coupled with possessiveness, suspicion, and commonly produces rage, and even a desire for revenge.

Without question, jealousy is a character flaw, yet we read, “God is jealous.” In order to properly understand what Nahum is saying about God, we must realize, the jealousy of God is quite different than the jealousy of man. God is jealous, not because He is selfish, but because He loves us so much, and wants what is best for us. God’s jealousy is not a character weakness, but strength. It does not cause Him to be resentful against us, but reveals His deep love and desire for our best. We read much more in Scripture regarding the Jealousy of God.

First, He is Jealous for his glory or His name.
Exodus 34:14 “. . .for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God, . . .”

As a result, He will not allow false worship, because false gods cannot save sinners. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Second, He is Jealous for His law.
Exodus 20:5 “You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”

Sin is destructive to the individual committing sin and to those within his or her circle of influence. When a man commits adultery, he, his partner and his family, are all drastically and negatively effected by his actions. God must judge sin for the sake of those who are impacted. Like a doctor removing a cancerous cyst, God must deal with sin lest it continues to destroy.

Finally, God is Jealous for his people.
Zechariah 2:8 “For thus says the LORD of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.”

2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

God will not tolerate infidelity. We are His alone; we may not have other ‘gods’. We are to love Him first. It is because of His great love toward us that He is our best, and wants what is best for us.

Pastor Jim

 

Friends

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Proverbs 18:24
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

IMG_1230.JPGFriendship is one of the most important parts of life. We were not designed to live in isolation or face all the struggles of life alone. We have some wonderful examples of friendship in Scripture. We are told that when Jonathan met David, he loved him as his own soul. He expressed this love by taking his armor and giving it to David (1 Samuel 18:4). As the son of the king, this action showed he believed David was chosen, by God, to reign in the land. From that time forward, Jonathan lived to encourage David to be the man God had called him to be. His actions illustrate Paul’s words to to the Philippians.

Philippians 2:3
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

Barnabas, in the New Testament, is also a great example of friendship. When Saul of Tarsus first met Christ, no other Christian would have anything to do with him. The church basically thought his conversion was an elaborate ploy to get close to Christians, in order to imprison or kill them. It was Barnabas who risked it all and befriended Paul. After meeting with him and seeing he had, in fact, given his life to Christ, Barnabas stood up for Paul to the other church leaders (Acts 9:26-27). Later, Paul was given opportunity to serve the Lord alongside Barnabas.

Both of these examples reveal the benefit of godly friendships. All of us long to have someone in our lives who would act like a Barnabas or a Jonathan. Solomon gives a practical tip as to how to develop and keep godly friendships. He writes,

“A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

If we desire friendship, we must be friendly. Instead of looking for someone who will come alongside and support us, we should be looking for those whom we can come alongside and support. One of the simplest ways to do this is at church. It is not uncommon for people to enter a church, sit by themselves, and leave without ever making contact with any other believers. After weeks and weeks of this, they may start to think the church is an unfriendly place, because no one has reached out and befriended them. While that may be true, it is equally true, they have not reached out to anyone else. One of the best ways to establish friendship, is to look for someone who is sitting alone and join them. Ask them if they want to grab a coffee or get a meal after church. I am not suggesting you use the church as a place to get a date, but as a place where you can establish godly friendships, which will help you walk with the Lord. instead of looking for someone to be the friend you need, look to be the friend someone else needs.

Pastor Jim

 

I Will Arise

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Micah 7:8
“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.“

IMG_1229.JPGI have heard a a lot of exercise mantras designed to motivate behavior. They often read a bit like Micah’s declaration,

“Believe you can and you are half way there,”

“I cannot be stopped,”

“Stop saying I can’t and start saying I will.”

The big difference is, Micah does not claim that the strength to succeed is found within. He realizes if he Is going to rise above his current condition, he will need to rely upon the strength provided by the Lord.

The prophet Daniel was a man who faced big challenges and had even bigger successes. We read his journey began with resolve. He determined he would not allow himself to be pulled down by the world he lived in, nor by the compromise of others. Instead, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself (Daniel 1:8). His success began with determination, but it did not stop there. Later, we read of a different spirit that resided in Daniel. That spirit enabled him to overcome obstacles and accomplish great things. In other words, Daniel was filled with the Spirit of God, and given Heaven’s strength to overcome earth’s obstacles.

If we want our walk with the Lord to succeed, if we want to be people who are no long falling prey to constant wiles of the devil, the secret is found in accessing the power of God, made available through the Spirit. Take time today to ask God to fill you with His Spirit and His accompanying strength. When you face an obstacle, do not rely upon yourself, but pray for strength and see if you too, will rise above.

Pastor Jim

 

A Happy Heart

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Proverbs 17:22
“A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones”

IMG_1226.JPGSolomon is contrasting the physical effects of joy and sorrow. He explains that joy is like a medicine to the body, actually providing a healing element, while deep sorrow can negatively effect our health. Solomon is making this observation, not as a medical professional, but from watching others, as well as from his own personal experience. He came to realize that a joyful heart is much healthier and more productive than a broken one. I think we would all agree. If we had to choose, we would rather be merry than broken. The question is, “How do we avoid a broken spirit and gain a merry heart?”

Paul declared, the fruit of the Spirit is love and joy (Galatians 5:22). A merry heart is the bi-product of a life connected to Christ. Jesus said, when we abide in Him, we would bear fruit in our lives that remains (John 15:16). If we want a heart that is filled with joy and merriment, the first step is to receive Christ, and the next is to walk step by step with Him. The more we invest in our relationship with Christ, the more this joy will fill our lives, replacing sorrow and becoming in us, a well spring of life.

In one sense a broken spirit is important, even necessary for the believer.

Psalms 34:18
“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

Here, the broken spirit refers to one who has realized his sins, and is coming to God for pardon. That is critical. Without being broken, we can never be saved. Solomon is speaking of another kind of brokenness, though. Not the brokenness caused by realizing we have sinned, but the brokenness caused by being in sin. Sin causes sorrow because it breaks fellowship with God. Jesus said He came to give us abundant life. The devil, on the other hand, came to rob us of that life. Whenever we choose to be involved in the things the Bible forbids, we are actually robbing ourselves of joy, and taking steps toward a broken spirit and dried up bones.

The closer we walk with Jesus, the more our hearts will be filled with the healing medicine of merriment.

Pastor Jim

 

Peace On Earth

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Micah 4:3
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

IMG_1225.JPGAs we approach Christmas day, we cannot help but be reminded of the great promise surrounding the birth of Christ. The prophet Isaiah declared the Messiah would be a prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6) . The angels filled the skies with exuberant praise as they sang, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace toward men” (Luke 2:14). Later, we read that kings came from distant lands to crown the young Child, as heaven’s gift and earth’s highest king (Matthew 2:1-2, 11).

It seems quite striking to note, Christ’s life appeared to be marked by anything but peace. Hundreds of children were murdered on the day of his birth, his family was forced to flee to Egypt to escape the tyranny of King Herod (Matthew 2). By all accounts, it seems Jesus lost his father at an early age, and grew up in poverty. Once His ministry began, he faced constant conflict from spiritual forces, religious leaders, and even infighting among His own disciples. As much as his life was marked by turmoil, his death was more so. He was betrayed, arrested, beaten, condemned and killed. Even after his body lay lifeless in the tomb, people still fought over Him, and a band of soldiers guarded the burial site of Christ.

Over the last two thousand years, the world has known very little peace. The history of humanity is a history of war. Rome fought to keep the appearance of peace within the Empire, while leaders vied with one another for power, and external forces sought to overthrow the kingdom. Battles, conflicts, invasions and wars have been going on around the world ever since. Some of you are old enough to have lived through WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and a continual conflict we call the war on terror. Mixed in with all of this are, social conflicts, including school shootings, and constant occurrences of domestic violence. One has to wonder, “Where is the peace is that was promised?”

Let’s keep two vital things in mind when we considered the peace Jesus promised. First, it is an inner peace that is greater than any circumstance we will ever face. Jesus was a realist who declared, in this world we will face conflict, but He would give us a peace that, apart from Him, we could never find (John 16:33). Paul called it a peace that surpasses understanding and works as a guard on the heart and mind (Philippians 4:7). As long as men live in rebellion against God, the world will be marked by conflict, war, hate, corruption and violence, but in the midst of the chaos, the child of God is promised a heavenly peace.

Micah declared that one day, this peace will rule well beyond the heart of the child of God. The same Christ who was born in a barn outside of Bethlehem, will one day return in glory and reign in peace. When heaven’s King sits on earth’s throne, the world will finally experience the peace that God intends. Weapons of warfare will be discarded, and energies once spent on developing implements of war, will be given to agriculture.

Oh, how our hearts long for the day when Christ will come and reign. Demonstrations, taking place around the globe, remind us that God has created us for peace. Scripture tells us, this peace will only be found when we allow Christ to sit, first on the throne of our hearts, and finally upon earth’s throne, at His return.

Pastor Jim

 

Thoughts

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Proverbs 16:3
“Commit your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established.”

Paul referred to the believer as a soldier, and compared the Christian life to a battle ground. One of the reasons the Christian life is often difficult, is because we are fighting on two fronts. A large part of our battle is seeking to see others impacted for the Kingdom of God. We enter the arena to fight whenever we pray for the unsaved or the backslider. Scripture tells us our weapons are not carnal but they are mighty and able to pull down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4). The weapons we have been given are prayer, the Word of God and our personal testimony. When those are used together, we will find that we become effective in impacting others for the kingdom of God.

The other front on which the Christian engages in battle is within. We are told the devil shoots fiery darts into the mind of the Christian (Ephesians 6:16). The darts often take the form of fear, doubt, lust, envy, covetousness, pride or even self-loathing. If we are going to succeed in our walk with the Lord, we must win in the battlefield of the mind. Solomon’s insights here give us a tactical advantage.

“Commit your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established.”

Jesus explained that our actions will be produced by what is in our hearts (Matthew 15:17-19). Solomon adds, our actions will produce what goes on in our minds. If everyday, you choose to drive by the new car lot and stare at the cars on the showroom floor, it is no wonder you will have a great longing for a new car. You will find yourself unsatisfied with your current mode of transportation and preoccupied with how to get that new car. Choosing a different route to work, where you do not see the new cars everyday, will lessen the temptation. Wanting a new car is not necessarily sinful, but it illustrates the principle Solomon is presenting. If we are going to win the battle against temptations of the flesh, we must win the battle in the mind. If we are going to win the battle of the mind, we must make some changes in our actions. If we are constantly filling the mind with images that produce the desires of the flesh, we will never win that battle.

Let’s make sure that today we,

“Commit your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established.”

Pastor Jim

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Fully Charged

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Micah 3:8
“But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord,
And of justice and might,
To declare to Jacob his transgression
And to Israel his sin.”

Two things caused Micah to stand out from the false prophets who filled the pulpits of ancient Israel. First, he had received a message from God and second he was energized by the Spirit of God. These are as necessary today as they have ever been. If we want to effectively serve the Lord, we need a message from God and the power to deliver it. The question to ask is, where will I find these things?

Micah’s message came from two places. First, it was found in the pages of God’s Word. He could scan the scrolls and see what was being proclaimed in the pulpits, and practiced by the people, were a violation to God’s written Word. Second, his message came by direct revelation, requiring him to learn to hear the voice of God. We will not hear new messages from God, but we do need to learn to sit quietly and hear Him apply His Word to our lives and circumstances. Jesus said His sheep will hear His voice (John 10:27).

Under the old covenant, God was very selective as to who received the power of the Spirit. Certain individuals, for limited times, were filled with the Spirit. We know both Samson and Saul had the Spirit for a while, and then it was taken from them. In contrast, Joel promised, under the new covenant, the Spirit would be poured out on all flesh without distinction (Joel 2:28). The Spirit is received when you trust Christ for Salvation, but there remains a need for the continual filling with the Spirit of God. Jesus explained that we would receive the Spirit when we ask with persistence.

It is important that we see the need to be used by God to deliver His message to the world. Paul declared that people cannot hear without a preacher (Romans 10:14). It s also critical that we take the time to ask God to give us a message, an opportunity, and the gifting of the Spirit to share Christ with others.

Pastor Jim

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Watching you

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Proverbs 15:3
“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

I have always been fascinated by the comment Jesus made to Nathaniel when they first met; the Gospel of John records:

John 1:47-48
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!’
Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’
Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’”

The possibilities are endless as to what Nathaniel may have been doing under that tree, but we know for sure, whether it was good or bad, God was watching and loved him, regardless.

I wonder, “How are you spending your time when it seems that no one is watching?” How might those times change if we kept in mind,  the eyes of the Lord are always upon us?

Pastor Jim

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