goodness

Love And Obey

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2 John 1:6
“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.”

Scripture teaches, the most important of all graces is love. Jesus said it was the first of the commandments, the proof of our relationship with Him, and our most effective witnessing tool. Paul defined love in first Corinthians 13, and declared that love will outlast time. In our world, love is a very common subject, admittedly difficult to define. I think it is important we keep in mind, while the chief thing is love, the chief love, is love for God. John helps us to understand what love for God actually looks like.

“This is love, that we walk according to His commandments.”

Simply put, if we love God we will do what He says. This is not something John made up because it sounded good in a letter, but was a lesson he had learned from Jesus.

John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

John 15:10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

The truest evidence of love is obedience. Sadly, we all know those who claim to have a passionate love for Christ, yet have no desire to do the things that please Him. That is the height of inconsistency. Love will always evidence itself by seeking to please the one loved. When my children were little, I would take them out to shop for birthday presents for their mother. They always ended up in the toy section and wanted to purchase her some sort of action hero. Because of their immaturity, they could only think of what would make them happy. As they have grown, I no longer make them buy gifts for mom, they choose to go out on their own, and purchase things that they know she will enjoy. In fact, it has become hard to outdo them, because they love their mom so much and want to give what will please her most.

What pleases God, is not great sacrifice, as much as simple obedience. When we read the Bible and do what it says, we are expressing a love much greater than ONLY singing praises, or declaring empty words.

1 Samuel 15:22 “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…”

Pastor Jim

 

Attention-getters 

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Ezekiel 1:28
“Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.”

Ezekiel has one of the most amazing and yet puzzling visions of God, of any of the prophets. He saw a whirlwind coming towards him, and out of it four multi-headed beings with faces like men, oxen, eagles and lions. Next to these creatures, he saw wheels within wheels, giving them movement in all directions simultaneously, and as they moved, it sounded like the movement of an army or that of rushing waters. While we might have many questions about what that experience must have been like, and what this imagery represents, Ezekiel does not leave us wondering about how he reacted.

“So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.”

Over the centuries, God has used a variety of means to get the attention of men. Abraham heard a voice, Moses saw a burning bush, Joshua met a sword-wielding general, Gideon met the Angel of the Lord, and Saul of Tarsus saw a bright light that knocked him from his horse. While the attention grabbers may vary, the purpose is always the same. God interrupts our world to get the attention of people, in order to call them to Himself and His service. Once Ezekiel saw this vision, he fell to the ground and listened to the word of God.

I wonder, what sort of things God has used to get your attention? Maybe He has brought a coworker into your life who is encouraging you to come to church, or perhaps He has allowed things to become somewhat difficult at home or with your health or finances. Whatever means He has used, our response should always be the same. We, like Ezekiel, should bow before Him, recommitting ourself to Christ, and listening to His call for our life.

Pastor Jim

 

Renewable Energy

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Lamentations 3:22-23
“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Life is filled with things that run out. Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of running out of gas and being left stranded. Others have felt the embarrassment of running out of money and having to ask someone for help. All of us have had those times when we “ran out of steam” and could not complete the task at hand. We could go on and on with examples, like empty milk cartons in the fridge, or time expiring during a comeback effort in the big game. All these things remind us, there is a limit to our resources. How wonderful to be reminded that the resources of God are without limit. His mercies will endure forever.

This is much more than a beautiful sentiment. It is a practical truth which enables us to carry on in our walk with God. As Jeremiah penned these words, the city of Jerusalem sat in rubble caused by their disobedience to God. Rather than declaring the judgments of God were final, he reminds us, that even in the worse conditions of life, His mercies remain.

Whatever guilt you may be carrying, from whatever sins you may have committed, there is a fresh flow of the mercy of God waiting for you. All you need to do is cry out to Him,  ask for His forgiveness, and watch as He is able to restore your relationship with Him. He will begin to make something beautiful out of the ashes of your life.

Psalms 6:2“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak. O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.”

Psalms 25:16“Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted.”

Psalms 31:9“Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body!”

Pastor Jim

 

Promises

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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.”

The Bible is like a treasure chest filled with great and precious promises. It is designed to help the child of God navigate his way through life, and provide comfort during times of difficulty. While these promises are seemingly endless, there are certain ones that have had tremendous impact upon believers, down through the ages. Jeremiah 29:11 is one such promise. Written to a group of believers facing dark and difficult times, this verse is designed to provide hope, help and consolation.

Due to years of wandering from the ways of God, the people of Israel were overthrown by Babylonian forces. In accordance with the practices of the day, the defeated were taken captive to Babylon. Now, living as prisoners of war in a foreign land, where they did not speak the language or know the customs, all seemed hopeless. The natural response would be to wallow in self pity, for how they had failed God and ruined their lives. Instead of writing a message to condemn them, Jeremiah gives them a promise that includes hope for now and for generations to come. He promises them that God not only thinks about them, but He thinks good thoughts that will provide them with a future. In a similar passage, Paul wrote concerning the child of God;

Ephesians 2:10

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Those in a relationship with Christ, are now walking a path that will lead them into the plans God has designed for them. We will find abundant life and a purpose for living when we begin to walk according to the ways of God. We will begin to see crooked ways made straight, as God repairs relationships we destroyed, through a lifestyle of selfishness and sin. We will see God transform our homes, and make us a witness to others of His grace, love and goodness.

As beautiful as these promises are, they have no meaning if we are not willing to surrender our ways to the Lord. Those in Babylon who refused to trust God and obey His word, lived as those these promises were never given. They had the living Word of God at their disposal, and were unaffected by its promises. It might be worth taking a few minutes to evaluate yourself in light of the promises of God. Have you surrendered your life to Christ? Have you removed things that are not pleasing to Him from your lifestyle? Are you seeking to live a life that pleases Him? As you do, He will unwrap these promises and work them into your life.

Pastor Jim

 

Navigation 

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Jeremiah 10:23
“O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”

Human beings are the highest expression of God’s creative order. We have been fashioned in the image of God, and are fascinating creatures, with seemingly unlimited potential. We marvel at the animal creatures within the kingdom for achieving accomplishments like building their own homes, navigating their way back to the place of their birth, or working together as a pack to ward of a predator. But the achievements of human beings are so vast, they seem to be almost unlimited. I am sitting in my living room typing on a tablet with the capacity to not only store the information, but to send it around the world. At the same time, my wife is traveling across the country on an airplane. She had dinner in California and will have breakfast in Florida. In some ways, it seems, if we can think, it we can accomplish it.

All that being said, it is important to realize, when God created us, He did so with certain built in limitations designed to show us just how needy we actually are. With all our capabilities, we are not capable of going more than about a month without food, a few days without water, and a few minutes with air. We have physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs that must be met in order for us to survive. Jeremiah points out one of our needs that often goes unnoticed. He writes,

“O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.”

We do not have a built in homing beacon to always guides us in the right direction. We need a source outside ourselves to show us the difference between right and wrong, and to help lead us in making proper decisions. One of the great failures of the people of Jeremiah’s day is, they failed to recognize this and, as a result, chose to follow their hearts, which led them into sin and away from the blessing of God.

God has given us His Spirit and His Word to guide us through life. If we neglect the counsel of the Word of God, and only choose to do what we think is best, we will find we are continuously making decisions that will lead to our own hurt. This is not always immediately obvious. However, the longer we walk down that road, the farther we will get from the good ways of God.

Make it a habit to start your day by receiving counsel from God through His word. The Bible is so much more than a rule book, it is also a GPS designed to guide us through life.

Pastor Jim

That’s Refreshing 

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Philemon 1:7

“For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.”

The world honors men for many reasons. We have a Hall of Fame for most sporting endeavors. Men’s lives are immortalized for throwing a ball, riding a wave, or taking a punch. What an amazing thing it must be for a living legend to see a bronze statue of himself outside a stadium, or a street in his home town, named after him. Here, in our text, we find God is immortalizing the actions of a man named Philemon. In it we learn something very important about the economy of God.

“. . . the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.”

While we do not know a lot about this man, we do know his life was a source of encouragement for others. There are many things in life that can tear us down, wear us out, or discourage us from continuing to follow and serve Christ. However, there are also many things that can build us up and keep us going. What a blessing it is, when we find a man like Philemon who will refresh our hearts.

We are not told exactly how he did that, but a story from the life of David may shed a little light on how we can refresh the hearts of one another. The Bible tells us, David became discouraged. After being called by God and used by God, as a general and a worship leader, David was forced to flee like a fugitive, from the increasing threats of King Saul. He left his wife, home, friends and ministry. He was forced to hide away in one of the many caves in the Judean wilderness. At times, the difficulties of his life took their toll on David, and he became discouraged. On one such occasion, we are told he received a visit from his friend, Jonathan, who “strengthened his hands in God.” (1 Samuel 23:16) A phrase that is synonymous with the “the hearts of the saints are refreshed by you”

The question is, how did Jonathan refresh David’s heart or strengthen his hands? The story, told in 1 Samuel, explains that Jonathan simply reminded David of the promises found in the Word of God. Saddened, overwhelmed, defeated and afraid, David heard the great and precious promises of the Scripture and was suddenly strengthened from within. He was not alone in this experience. When Daniel was weakened by seeing the direction the world was taking, moving farther and farther from God, we are told, he heard God speak and was strengthened and rose to his feet to continue the task to which he was called.

If you find yourself weary, you may need a nap, a Sabbath, or a vacation, but you also need to sit down with the promises of God and allow him to refresh your heart. If you see someone else who is worn out, instead of rehearsing with them how unfair or difficult things may be, remind them of the promises of God, and watch as their hands are strengthened in the Lord.

Pastor Jim

 

Robes Of Righteousness 

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Isaiah 61:10
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Certain garments are necessary for certain activities. People wear football apparel to play football, a suit for the office, and a wedding gown for the wedding day. In the same way, appropriate apparel is required for entrance to heaven. Isaiah called these the garments of salvation. These clothes can only be purchased by placing faith in Christ. When we do that, our old filthy rags of self-righteousness are replaced with a robe of righteousness, and we are welcomed into the banqueting hall of the Lord. Jesus put it this way;

Matthew 22:1-14 The Parable of the Wedding Feast

“And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, “Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.'” But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.” So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?” And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

‘For many are called, but few are chosen.’”
Pastor Jim

 

Exercise 

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1 Timothy 4:7-8

“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”

If you are like me, you have probably seen a great number of motivational quotes posted on your Facebook wall. Things like “Pain is only weakness leaving the body” – “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – “It’s never too late to become what you might have been” – or “just do it”. While many of us might benefit from a little more exercise, ALL of us will benefit from a little more godliness. Paul is not suggesting that getting in better physical shape is a bad thing, but is contrasting it with the benefits of being in better spiritual shape. He speaks of the profitability of godliness.

Godliness is a term which means to be living in a way that is well pleasing to the Lord. The godly man is one who is not considering his personal happiness, comfort, or his own wishes, as the determining factor in his decision-making. Instead, he is making decisions based upon what God has revealed in His Word. Often, when faced with a conflict, an impasse, or a fork in the road, we are tempted to make our decisions solely based upon our own desires. That will often lead us away from what God has for us. The godly man will look into the Word to determine what God has to say on the subject and ultimately make decisions that will be well-pleasing in the Lord’s eyes. Paul speaks of the great benefits of living such a life.

First, he says godliness benefits us in this life. Many of the trials, pains, and scars we endure, are self-inflicted. They have been caused by getting off track and doing things our way, instead of God’s way. If we trace some of our difficulties back to their source, we will find they started with a decision to do what we wanted, instead of submitting to God’s Word. It is wonderful to know, God can always pick up the pieces of a broken life and do great things with it. We need only think of Legion, the naked, demon-possessed man who lived in the tombs, to see that God can always repair a shattered life that is surrendered to Him (Mark 5:2-15). However, it is also important to remember, much of the hardships of life can be avoided by surrendering all to Christ, and determining to live in line with His Word.

Second, he says godliness has great benefits in the life to come. While much of what heaven will be like is still shrouded in darkness, we do know that entrance into heaven is reserved for those who have trusted Christ for salvation. Jesus said He alone was the way and that no one can come to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). We also know, while entrance into heaven is a free gift received by faith, treasures are stored in heaven for those who live committed to Christ. Paul spoke of crowns that were awaiting the righteous. I do not pretend to know all the mysteries of heaven, but I do trust the words of Christ, who exhorted us to live this life in a way to be rewarded in the next.

Let’s be sure to commit ourselves to a daily exercise program that includes reading the Word, doing what it says, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and looking for ways to serve the Lord.

Pastor Jim

Where Credit Is Due

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Isaiah 39:1-2
“At that time Merodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. And Hezekiah was pleased with them, and showed them the house of his treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.”

Imagine the scene in the ancient world where nation after nation had been defeated by the Assyrian army. No matter how strong their defenses were or who they allied themselves with, no one was a match for the that ruthless nation, who not only defeated their enemies, but humiliated, tortured, and displaced them as prisoners of war. Then suddenly a tiny little country not much bigger than a large U.S. county, struck Assyria with such a devastating blow that they retreated to their homeland, and their king was assassinated for his failure. This would certainly get the attention of the nations around Judah. It did not take long before word spread to Babylon and delegates were sent to king Hezekiah to see how they had accomplished such a feet. It is interesting that he takes them to the storehouses and shows off his treasures, instead of taking them to the temple and showing off his God.

Hezekiah’s failure is a very common one. We often find ourselves aided by God, yet failing to give Him the credit or the glory. We don’t want others to see our weakness, and at times, desire to be held in high esteem. The reality is, we deserve no more credit for the successes in our lives, than Hezekiah did for the victory of Assyria. I am reminded of the words of the apostle Paul who wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:6-7,

“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”

“What do you have that you have not received?”

A proper view of life is to see things through the filter of the grace of God. Instead of boasting or exalting ourselves above one another, we should humbly exalt God for His goodness, guidance, care and provision. Why not take a few minutes to thank God for all He has done for you?

Pastor Jim

 

Bible For $100 

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Job 39:1
“Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Or can you mark when the deer gives birth?”

Job was confused. He did not understand how God could allow so much suffering in his life. When God finally speaks to Job, He asks a simple question, “How long is the pregnancy of a deer or a goat?” These are not difficult questions. They could easily be answered by observing nature. Yet, it seems Job did not have the answer. To be quite honest, I didn’t know either, and had too look it up. Why would God ask him that question? What does the birth cycle of wild animals have to do with the trials Job was facing? I think the answer is found in a question Jesus asked Nicodemus.

John 3:12 “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

Job had to realize, life is filled with concepts we do not understand. Just because our finite minds cannot comprehend something, does not make it untrue or unfair. If Job was able to look at life through God’s eyes, he would find answers to many of the questions which plagued him. Certainly, there are some things we will not understand until we step out of time and into eternity. However, many questions can be answered if we look at life through the eyes of God. We do that by looking into the pages of the Bible, seeing who God is, and how He works.

Years ago as I was watching “Jeopardy”, a contestant answered question after question correctly. I was amazed at his knowledge of history, science, music and more. But when it came to a question from the Bible, he was at a loss. The question could have been answered by most of the children in our third grade Sunday School class, but he was stumped; he had no idea what the correct answer was. Too often, we are like that man. We are confused because we fail to take time to get to know God, as He has revealed Himself in His Word.

Whatever you might be facing, take time today to read your Bible, and get to know the Author. If you are new to the Bible start reading the Gospel according to John.

Pastor Jim