Think

Looking Back

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Isaiah 63:7
“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses.”

I recently attended a communion service where we were encouraged to think back upon who we were and where we we going. My mind immediately took me back to being a carefree young man, who gave no regard to the things of God. I allowed myself to imagine what my life would be like had I continued on that course. I could see myself walking down a road in pursuit of pleasure, only to find that road leading to vanity. We were then encouraged to think about all Christ accomplished for us, and to reflect upon the things He has done in our lives. My mind immediately filled with images that would never have been there had I not said yes to Jesus. I reflected upon my marriage, family, and ministry. Soon my heart began to burst forth in praise, I could hardly contain the thanks I felt for my redemption and the sweet but painful experience of sanctification. Like Isaiah, I wanted to mention the loving-kindness, goodness and mercies of the Lord.

Take some time this morning to reflect upon all God has done for you. Think upon the cross, and upon the fact that while you going through life, He was drawing you to Himself, by the work of His Spirit. Look back at all the ways He has shown Himself good to you, and begin to express praise. Perhaps it would be of value to write out a list of some of the ways God has shown His unfailing love to you over the years.

Pastor Jim

 

A Terrible Thing To Waste 

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Nehemiah 5:7
“After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said…”

Nehemiah serves as an example of godly leadership. He mobilized the people to finish a seemingly impossible task, and did it in record time. He was a man of the Word, as well as a man of prayer, but those things did not mean he wasn’t also a man of careful thought. This is perhaps one of the most neglected weapons in the arsenal of the Christian. It is wise for us not to forget, Jesus told us to love Him with all our minds.

Over the years I have encountered many Christians who make big, life altering decisions based entirely upon their emotions. When asked for justification for these choices, they will often claim it is “the Lord”; almost as if that was a trump card overriding all other considerations. While I am not in any way suggesting the Lord does not speak to His people, I am saying not everything God receives blame for, is actually His fault. I think many bad decisions could be avoided if we were to slow down and use our minds. Consider what His Word already declares about the subject.

If you are in the midst of the decision making process, allow me to make a few suggestions. First, take time to pray. Ask God to speak clearly to you and to direct you. Ask Him to make His plan apparent, so you might follow it. Second, keep in mind, God answers prayer through the counsel of His Word. Prayer was not designed to be exercised apart from the Word of God, but in line with it. The proper model would be to pray and search out the Scripture for direction.

It is high time we began to use our minds to love the Lord.

Pastor Jim

 

It Stands To Reason 

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1 Samuel 12:7
“Now therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and your fathers . . .”

After a great battle in which the men of Jabesh Gilead were rescued from certain destruction, the nation of Israel gathered in Gilgal to inaugurate Saul as their king. As part of the process, Samuel the prophet, now an aged man, stood before the people to persuade them to continue to follow the Lord. To influence their decision, he did not seek to stir their emotions, but to incite their reason. He suggests that it is reasonable to believe in, follow after, and serve the Lord.

Webster defines reasonable as, “not extreme or excessive”, or as the use of “sound judgment.” Some words synonymous with reasonable are – rational, logical and sensible. Essentially, Samuel is suggesting the most reasonable thing a person can do is trust in, and follow after, the Lord. We might go a step further and say it is unreasonable not to do so.

Using a telescope to examine the vastness of the universe, or a microscope to uncover the intricate details of nature, it is unreasonable to conclude that such design could exist without a designer. Looking at the words of Christ and His impact upon humanity, it is unreasonable to conclude that He is anything but “other worldly”. Looking at the lives of those who have surrendered to Christ and been transformed by Him, it is unreasonable to conclude He will not do the same for you, if you surrender your life to Him. Looking at His love, mercy, grace and righteous acts, it is unreasonable to do anything short of offering yourself to Him, as a living sacrifice.

Romans 12:1
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

As you consider Christ, use your intellect, consider Him, His Words and His ways. Take the time today to look at the promises of Christ and determine to give your all to Him.

Pastor Jim