Morning devotions

Shut up and be at peace

/ The Pastor

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:6-7]

When I get anxious about something it is usually because I am worried about the outcome or worried about my performance in a certain situation as I face unknown and uncontrollable circumstances.  Sometimes it is a very busy schedule as I wonder how I will get everything done and/or will things get done well. At  times, I worry about expectations from others and myself.

And when I really get anxious, my chest begins to hurt. Sometimes this pain causes more anxiety, but generally I consider this chest pain (heartburn) a gift from God. It’s a little alarm system that God has equipped me with to remind me to calm down, shut up and pray. And with Lent coming up, I anticipate that alarm going off (as it usually does) so hopefully I am paying attention to what I am writing now.

Oh God, I believe, help my unbelief.

The apostle Paul tells the church in Philippi not to worry about anything but rather tell God about it and then trust that everything is under control. This does not mean you become lazy but rather trust that you are not alone. Trust that God will give you what you need and the strength to do it. But most of all, let that trust be a source of peace for you; something that will guard your mind and heart from Satan’s attacks.

A lot of worry and anxiousness stems from a mistrust of God (unless you are dealing with a medical anxiety disorder of some sort). When you get anxious and worry you are saying that God is not big enough or strong enough to handle the situation.

REALLY? Not big enough or strong enough?

Seems silly to think such a thing but this is really what is going on; seeing a problem and thinking it is bigger than it really is or thinking that nothing can help you. Instead, we need to remember that we have a bigger God. This reminds me of something I have seen passed around on social media; a quote that says:

Don’t tell God how big your problems are but tell your problems how big your God is.

I like that except that you should tell God how big those problems are and as you do so remember how big your God is and be at peace. Never believe problems are bigger or stronger than God. And as you are at peace, laugh at Satan and say, “nice try”.

When you become anxious; shut up and listen; shut up and remember; shut up and be at peace. God has overcome this world through Jesus Christ and thus, through faith in Jesus Christ, victory is yours.

So be at peace as you face this day head on with the knowledge that you have a big God going with you.

May God be praised in all you say and do. And may people see your faith being lived out as you face everyday problems and challenges.

Praise be to God!

The Pastor -|—

Naked ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor

And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord .” [Job 1:21]

Creator God…

I praise you that you wonderfully knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you that you brought me forth to enjoy this creation.
I praise you that I know you and that I can worship you.

Father God, I praise you that all I need is you and that even if everything were taken away ~ food, clothing, shelter, family, friends ~ I would still have everything I need. You have blessed me with these things and people but most of all you have blessed me with Jesus Christ that I may have hope beyond this life.

But even though I see this now and praise you now, I know that the tempter will swoop in to place before me gods and pathways that lead away from you. And I will follow. The tempter will entice this flesh and mind and heart to seek that which will not last. And I will follow. What a wretched person I am. 

Father God, forgive me

Grant me strength
Grant me faith
Grant me the wherewithal to turn to you in moments if temptation

I came into this world naked and will leave the same way; for you have given all the blessings in this world and will eventually take them all away that I may see the true blessing of Life ~ Jesus.

So I praise and worship your holy name, for You are worthy. May I have the faith to remain faithful; may I have the faith to live “naked”. In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen!

May God bless your day as you bask in the knowledge that He gives to you as you need and blesses you to be a blessing. May you seek God with all your heart and may the love of Jesus radiate out from you that others may be lead to praise and worship God.

Have a great day 🙂

The Pastor -|—

Love of money

/ The Pastor

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” [Hebrews 13:5-6]

And then you have Paul’s admonition from 1 Timothy 6:10 ~ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

You see, money itself is not evil, it’s just how we relate to money. Jesus never said that a rich man will never get into heaven, only that it would be difficult.

Why? Because this money god is a powerful god.

This god dictates our priorities and decisions; and we’ll do anything to protect this source of peace. Money also is used a status symbol. The more we have the more we can buy. The more we can buy the better we look in the eyes of others. The better we look in the eyes of others, the more money we want so to look better yet. It’s a vicious cycle.

When you worship money you are saying no to God’s provision. You are telling God that you don’t trust that He can take care of you. When you worship the money god you are clinging to a false sense of peace that will eventually let you down. But worse yet, when you place your faith in the god of money, you are on the fast track to eternal death. Money may be able to buy you happiness for a while but it can not finance eternal joy.

Don’t get me wrong, though, I am not saying that if you have a lot of money then you’re in trouble. What I am saying is that there is greater temptation to see that money as your savior rather than God Almighty through Jesus Christ.

It is all a matter of where you put your trust. Will you praise God no matter what? Rich or poor? Healthy or sick? A big house or a cardboard box? A fancy car  or a bicycle? Is God your God or is it something else?

May the Lord be your helper that you may not fear anything this world throws at you or takes away from you. May the Lord be your provider in this life and in the Life to come.

May God bless your day. Amen 🙂

The Pastor -|—

The Law is good

/ The Pastor

Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. [Romans 3:31]

Yesterday we explored the awesome grace of God as we briefly surveyed the 10 Commandments and found that we definitely stand condemned, but by the mercy of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, we have salvation.

Praise be to God!

The question before us now (and one that the apostle Paul answers) is this:
Now what?

If we are saved by grace apart from the Law, does that mean that faith in Jesus nullifies the Law. 

Basically, the implication here is that since we are saved by grace through faith, why worry about the Law. Why obey the 10 Commandments when God will forgive anyways? Why bother learning these Laws? The apostle Paul, in response to these questions, would slap you you up across the head and say ” You idiot” (but say it with all love of course) it’s because we are saved apart from following the Law that we are free to obey the Law with all joy in order to show love to our neighbor and to God.

You don’t abandon the Law because you are saved, but rather follow the Law because you are saved. Just read Psalm 119 and you will discover the joy the author has in learning and following God’s Law. He’s not seeking salvation but rather wants to learn more and glorify God.

Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors. (vs 24)

The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes. (vs 64)

Teach me good judgement and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. (vs 66)

And there are many more such verses. The Law of God convicts us of our sin and therefore our need for a Savior (Jesus Christ). But the Law also shows us how to love God and neighbor. As Tom Brokaw once said, They are not called the 10 suggestions. They are Commandments. This is a holy tension; this grace and Law thing, but one that makes sense through faith.

If your faith is truly found in Jesus Christ, then said faith will find joy in obeying God for God is worthy. When one foolishly tosses the Law away because they are saved it makes me wonder if they are really saved at all.

So give praise to God for salvation through Jesus Christ and then seek to learn God’s righteous decrees more and more. Seek to know Him better through His Commands. Seek to honor God more through your obedience.

May God be praised and obeyed; served and worshiped; honored and glorified; always and forever. Amen.

May God bless your day 🙂

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions (a little late) ~ Awesome grace

/ The Pastor

[It’s Friday and therefore my day gets thrown off a little bit (in a good way). Being this is my day off, our family sleeps in and takes our time getting ready in the morning. But now the kids are sleeping and I get some quite time. Praise be to God.]

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. [Romans 5:20-21]

Let’s take a moment, shall we, to ponder the Law. More specifically, let’s examine the 10 Commandments.

The Commandments state that:
~ We shall put nothing before God or fear anything/anyone more than God.
~ We are to refrain from misusing God’s name but rather use it in praise, worship and thanksgiving.
~ We are to remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy; separate/different than other days.
~ We are to honor our father and mother; for they have been called by God for a holy task.
~ We are not to kill in any way, shape or form.
~ We are to hold and speak of sex and marriage in all purity and honor; and husbands and wives are to remain faithful to each other and to God.
~ We are to refrain from stealing in any way and help our neighbor defend what is his.
~ We are to speak of people in the best possible way.
~ We are not to covet what God has blessed others with.

This is a tall order to say the least. And if you are honest with yourself, you have to admit that you are guilty of violating every single Commandment. I could go into detail how but that would have to be a series of other blog posts. The short of it is that we are sinful and disobey God every single day; single hour; every single second. According to Romans 3, all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.

And for me (and hopefully for you) the more I meditate on the Law and my shortcomings, the more amazing God’s grace in Jesus Christ is. I mean, we sin; all the time; over and over; repeating the same sins; and God still forgives. We turn our backs on God’s holy Law and God still forgives. We worship other gods and God still forgives.

The Good News is that when we run to him in faith in what Jesus did on the cross, then forgiveness is ours; every – single – time.

WOW, THAT’S AMAZING!!!

That should blow you away.
That should humble you.
That should drop you to your knees in worship.
That should lead you to thank God every single day.

God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ is incredible, especially when we think that without Jesus, we would be expected to follow the Law without fail in order to earn salvation. But instead Jesus took our sins to the cross and crucified them that we may have the hope of the resurrection to eternal life.

So ponder the Law. Think about your sinfulness. Confess your sins and know the amazing grace of God; giving thanks and praise to him always and forever.

May this awesome news of grace and forgiveness drive you to your need for a Savior and may you know a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Have a blessed day living in the glow of God’s glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Good but short

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” [Mark 8:4]

Much like me, these disciples have good but short memories. In chapter 6 they witness the incredible miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000 men (add in the women and children who were there and you have close to probably 10,000 people). But numbers aside, this was an awesome miracle and display of God’s power through Jesus in which the disciples were amazed, but I wonder if they were really paying attention.

Now they are back in the wilderness with Jesus and have been there for three days with 4,000 people on some kind of retreat, as it were. Apparently there was no food committee because at the end of three days the people were hungry. But being the compassionate person Jesus is, he wasn’t going to send them home hungry, lest they faint on their way.

What shall we do? [of course Jesus knows]

Jesus, how can one possibly feed these people in such a desolate place?

Really? Did they just ask that question? Did they just wonder if Jesus is able to provide for a group of people much smaller than the one he fed earlier? Do they not remember the feeding of the 5000 (and then some)?

But we shouldn’t come down too hard on these guys because really, we’re no different. I mean, think about it. Aren’t there times you wonder if God will actually forgive you? Don’t you ever wonder at times if God is actually with you? Don’t you have moments of fear and anxiety over a situation, wondering if God will provide? Do you ever worry or doubt?

Of course you do.

And this is nothing more than sinful people forgetting about this awesome God of ours. You see, sin has a way of shortening our memories of the Gospel and therefore leading us astray. When we forget about God we turn inward and become selfish. When we forget about God we disobey and wander. When we forget about God his awesomeness and holiness becomes nothing more than a theological concept.

So what does one do? More fish oil to improve your memory?

Not exactly.

Rather you spend time with God every single day.
~ Keep His Word in front of you.
~ Set your mind on the things that are above.
~ Surround yourself with other believers.
~ Make sure that the Gospel is being proclaimed to you on a regular basis.
~ Ask someone to listen to your confession and pronounce the Gospel of forgiveness to you.
~ And, of course, read your Bible and pray.

Do these things and more on a regular basis to help with short-term Gospel memory loss. But be careful and don’t lose the sense of wonder. The disciples may have forgotten about the feeding of the 5000 but they had a chance to be amazed all over again. Don’t let familiarity with the Gospel take away the wonder.

Be amazed that God, through Jesus Christ, would forgive a sinner like you.

May you bask in the glory of God. May you remember his love and compassion. May you always know the hope of the resurrection through faith in Jesus.

And may God bless your day 🙂

In Jesus name, Amen!

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ Flesh vs Spirit

/ The Pastor

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. [Romans 8:6-8]

The prosperity gospel…

[Oh no, here goes the Pastor again :-)]

…tries to convince people that peace is found in this life; through the flesh. It says that in order to “have your best life now” all you need to do is get your flesh in order. Meaning ~ thinking right, believing right, dreaming right, saying the right things and doing the right things. All of this, they claim, will curry God’s favor and therefore you will live “your best life now“. In essence, the prosperity gospel is trying to sell peace when it is actually bringing the wrath of God.

Those trying to sell this crap (excuse my language but this is what it is) have their minds set on the flesh and not on the Spirit and therefore they themselves are really not at peace. But when you are in the midst of what you believe is “your best life now” you don’t know you’re really not at peace. The flesh has a way of shielding one’s eyes from the truth.

So what is true peace if it is not found in this life? That answer seems pretty simple: By keeping your mind set on the Spirit which is faith in God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
~ A mind set on the flesh thinks only of this life; but a mind set on the Spirit thinks of the promised life to come through Jesus.
~ A mind set on the flesh can only achieve a temporary peace; but a mind set on the Spirit receives true, everlasting peace from the only true peace-giver: Jesus Christ
~ A mind set on the flesh can only achieve a fleeting happiness, that comes and goes and comes and goes; but a mind set on the Spirit has a joy that is not fleeting.
~ A mind set on the flesh CAN NOT please God; but a mind set on the Spirit has salvation.
~ A mind set on the flesh lives in death; but a mind set on the Spirit lives in Life.

And you probably get the point. When you have true faith in God through Jesus Christ then you submit to God’s Law and follow him in complete joy, for God is worthy. Your focus is on pleasing God, not the flesh. The prosperity gospel does not get this and therefore will never preach this. The true Gospel is understanding we can do nothing to achieve peace in this life but rather its submitting to God who is the only peace giver. It’s placing your faith in Jesus and believing your best life is yet to come, not now.

So set your mind on the Spirit and be at peace.

May God grant you a peace that totally blows your mind so that you may see and experience true peace in Him. Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ Such a time

/ The Pastor

For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” [Esther 4:14]

Haman has unleashed an evil plot to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom, but Mordecai finds out the plan. Upon his discovery he tells Queen Esther (a Jew herself) but she is unwilling to go and tell the king. You see, there is a law on the books that states: if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. (Esther 4:11) And at this point Esther had not been called in to see the king for 30 days. So Esther fears for her life. But Mordecai reminds Esther not to be so foolish to think that she will escape this judgement, besides, who knows whether she has been brought to a time such as this.

Long story short, Mordecai finally gets through and Esther agrees to help. She secures an audience with the king and Haman’s plot is revealed; where he is eventually hanged on the very gallows that he was going to hang Mordecai (the man who earlier saved the king’s life). God DID bring Esther to a time such as this and therefore millions of lives were saved.

Have you ever wondered what God is doing in your life? Have you ever wondered why you were in a certain place at a certain time? Have you ever wondered why you were called to suffer in a certain way? Well, maybe you were called to a certain place and time for such a time to bring glory to God. Maybe, just maybe, God had His reasons and was using you to do something special and amazing.

Esther’s story is pretty incredible and maybe God won’t call you to save millions of lives, but he might call you to save one. I believe in the depths of my heart that God calls us to moments to share the Gospel and with a particular person, in order to bring that person to faith. But how many times do we miss those moments or not trust God to be faithful. I also believe that God calls us to suffer in order that we may witness to others. What a powerful way to witness when you do so through suffering; a time when many people would curse God or turn away from God. What an opportunity to proclaim God’s love and faithfulness and the hope of the resurrection through Jesus Christ.  Maybe you have been called to such a time.

So instead of wondering why God is doing what He is doing or wondering why here, why now; just witness. Make the most of the opportunity and situation to bring glory to God. Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ; that through his death and resurrection you can have forgiveness of sins and thus eternal life. Live your faith and show your trust in God because who knows, someone might hear the Gospel for the first time and be saved.

And thus God using such a time for His glory.

May God open your eyes to see opportunities and may you have the faith to accept God’s call.

Praise be to God, always and forever. Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ Wisdom

/ The Pastor

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. [James 1:5-6]

God directed Solomon to ask for anything. He didn’t ask for riches or good health or long life or the death of his enemies but rather, asked for wisdom. Being a young king, he was concerned about how to rule such a people as God had directed him, so he asked for a discerning mind to lead God’s people. God was thrilled and pleased to grant such a request.

James , here, also directs Christians to ask for that which people might not think of asking. The conventional thinking and the ways of this world is to ask for success or good health or many friends or purpose in life or the athletic success of our children. But hearing this text, one may even be tempted to think ~ if I ask for wisdom then I can kill two birds with one stone; with my wisdom I can become successful and rich and have lots of friends and buy the best coaches for my kids. I think I got it. God, please give me wisdom.

Nope, still missing the boat.

God is pleased to grant wisdom (and a discerning mind) but wisdom in this sense is not something that is selfish but something that will glorify God. God is not opposed to people being successful and rich and the like. What saddens God is when God does not get the glory.

It’s one thing to be intelligent but a completely other thing to be wise. But it is one thing to be wise and a totally other thing to be wise when it comes to God. Godly wisdom glorifies God and leads people into deeper understanding of the ways of God. And a truly wise person knows that God can never be fully understood in this life so the wise person continues to pursue God; knowing that that pursuit is what gives true peace through Jesus Christ.

So when you ask God for wisdom, believe that God will give it.
Believe that God will lead you into greater understanding.
Believe that God will take you deeper.
Believe that God will help you grow closer to him.
Believe that your heart will be changed.

And believe that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ you have everything you truly need to know ~ The forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life.

So ask and believe. God’s wants nothing more than for you to know Him better in Jesus Christ.

May God grant you wisdom and draw you closer to Him. May God give you peace in knowing His love. May God give you opportunities to share the Good News and may God give you a discerning mind to see those opportunities.

Praise be to God, always and forever. Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Morning devotions ~ Wait

/ The Pastor

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. [Matthew 24:42]

I can only imagine that when my kids get older and start going out with their friends, I am going to be one of those worrying parents. I imagine that I will be staying up until they get home; and especially if they are past curfew. I can’t imagine that I would fall asleep and not wait anxiously until they are safe and sound in their bed. I am going to want to see them face to face whether they are late or not.

Jesus uses an image, in chapter 24, of a master of a house and if they knew when a thief was coming to break in, they would stay awake and wait. Nobody would be so lazy as to fall asleep, right? I think I would be anxious. I can imagine I would make sure the doors are locked, and then checked again. I would lower the blinds and pull the curtains. I would check on my family and make sure they are safe; and check again and again. I might even call the police and let them know I am afraid something may happen tonight. And then I am going to stand watch and be ready for the thief. I can’t imagine I would become lazy and complacent and be taken by surprise.

And yet, when it comes to Jesus, many people do just that. It has been so long since Jesus walked this earth that many people take Jesus for granted. Oh, he’s not coming in my lifetime. I’ll get ready later. But whose to say that Jesus won’t come before you finish reading this devotion.

stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

~ Parents anxiously await for their children to return home.
~ Children anxiously await for Santa to bring their presents.
~ Some sit by the phone and anxiously await the arrival of some news.
~ Maybe you sit by the window and wait to the postal worker to deliver a package.
~ A master of a house prepares and waits for a known thief to come.

And so as Christians doesn’t it make sense to wait for Jesus; for he comes to bring the great gift of all: Eternal life for those who place their faith in Jesus. I for one can hardly wait until that day. What will the trumpet blast sound like? Will I fall to my knees? Will I dance for joy? Will I weep tears of happiness? But as the song goes, “I can only imagine”. What a day it will be.

Oh God, may I be “awake” and ready.

Don’t let him find you lazy. May Jesus find you preparing for his arrival. May he find you anxiously awaiting his glorious return. May Jesus find you ready.

My friends, Jesus IS coming. Just wait and see 🙂

Praise be to God and Amen!

The Pastor -|—