Jesus

The Cough Rendered Powerless

/ The Pastor / Leave a comment

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

I have been dealing with some nasty crud that has been going around here for a while. For me, it has settled in my chest thus causing me to nearly hack up a lung every other moment. Of course, as Sunday appraoched I was getting a little concerned. How am I going to make it through a sermon without coughing? People will eventually get tired of it or be so utterly distracted that they will not get anything out of it. So, I took every drug and remedy I could in an effort to suppress this cough for a while. But when I practiced the sermon on Sunday morning, I was coughing nearly every few phrases. This was going to be awful. Now what? So…

…I prayed…

…and this verse came to my heart…

…For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Wow! Indeed, I was weak. I was powerless to stop this cough. There were no more tricks I could use. I was at the end of my rope. But that is exactly where God wanted me, a place of complete trust and surrender. And that was all I had left. And so, I reflected some more on that verse and continued my morning preparations.

Worship started and I coughed a few times, but part of me still wondered how the sermon was going to go. Eventually, I entered the pulpit, muted my microphone, coughed, and sipped some water. I thought about the aforementioned verse and turned to the congregation to began. Throughout the entire sermon, about 22 minutes or so in length, I coughed…only once (according to my wife). And I needed her report because I honestly never paid attention. God’s power took over and protected my throat. God’s strength became my strength. God’s faithfulness became my peace, and there was nothing that I did. God did it all.

Silly me for thinking I could win this battle, or at least put up a good fight, especially when so much was on the line. And therefore, I write this post, boasting in my weakness so the power of Christ may can be made known and thus God be glorified.

That is my story – actually, HIS story.

To GOD be ALL glory, now and forever.

Amen!

The Light Keeps Shining

/ The Pastor / Leave a comment

“…the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” (Matthew 4:16 quoting Isaiah 42:7)

And the Light is Jesus.

He shines on you right now, this moment. He never stops shining his love on you. Whatever the darkenss, whatever the trial, Jesus’ light shines infinitely brighter. No darkness can stop his light. No amont of time will ever dim its brilliance. No sin will deflect its glow from you. His light just keeps shining and shining, though you are unworthy. But that is what makes this light even more special, because it is bathed in grace and mercy.

Cling to that truth as that truth clings to you, and give God the glory.

Prayerful Poem

/ The Pastor / Leave a comment

Father God,

For each beat of my heart, 
For each breath I do take,
For each blink of my eyes,
I give You thanks.

For this world You did make,
For the wonder You are
For this life You sustain,
I give You praise,

For the love You have showed,
For my Lord Christ Jesus
For my sins forgiven, 
I worship You.

For my hope that’s secured,
For the peace I now have,
For the joy in my heart,
I love You.

The Lamb of God

/ The Pastor / Leave a comment

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! [John 1:29]

He took your sin.
He spilled his blood.
He opened the way to the Father.
It was a way previously closed to you because of your sin and nothing of this world would tear that curtain open.
No amount of good works.
No amount of money given.
No amount of years serving on church council or even teaching Sunday school.
There was nothing that would earn your way through the curtain.
But Jesus, the Lamb of God, the perfect, spotless Lamb, came and offered himself for you.
Jesus, the Son of God gave his life because your life was condemned.
Jesus, Lord and Savior, showed his power and dominion over that which enslaved you, but it could never hold him.
Jesus, victorious King, embarrassed the enemy and made his hold look like it was done with tissue paper.
Jesus, the Lamb of God, not because you deserved it, rather because you are loved with a love that is steadfast, awesome and endures forever.
Jesus, the Lamb of God,
Behold him for he beholds you.

Belonging to Jesus

/ The Pastor / Leave a comment

Mark 4:38 ESV
But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

I like this story.

A storm is raging about and Jesus is sleeping on a cushion in the back of the boat. The storm is doing everything it can to toss that boat to and fro and thus drive its occupants to fear, but not Jesus. The disciples, scared silly, accuse Jesus of not caring, but in fact, he cares very much. He just knows something they do not.

The storm has no power over him or those who belong to him.

I can think of many times when I accused Jesus right along with the disciples even though my boat never sank. It has come close a few times, but here I am, safe and sound with the Lord. As Paul says in Romans 14:8, “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” And so with that truth, I can be at peace no matter the storm. And so…

Rage on, o storm, rage on. I belong to Jesus.

Seeking

/ The Pastor / Leave a comment

Colossians 3:1-4 ESV
[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [3] For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

What you seek, see, hear, and talk about affects your whole being.

I see a lot of political posts on social media and I find myself getting drawn in and thus worked up over the inflated or false images and rhetoric I see and read, and I do not like what it does to my being. I do not like it because none of it brings me the peace, only anxiety and discord with others.

But I want more.

Therefore, I need to redirect my seeking and not allow the world to drawn me into despair and disunity. I need and want to seek that which is from above, Jesus, and not the things that are on the earth. For that which is from the world, is sin-filled and will never last, and therefore it will never give lasting peace. Politics, that which is of the earth, will never bring unity or peace, only Jesus will. And so, just give me Jesus.

Just give me Jesus.

The Foe

/ The Pastor

Fighting a foe that I can not see,
One that is closer than I am to me.
It’s cunning and strong and tears me apart,
Striking with a lance that’s straight to the heart.
And I try and try, and try even more,
But the more that I try the more it’s a chore.
But Jesus has died and fought that big foe,
He died and he rose for New Life I may know.
Now I have Life and that foe has been smashed,
The Life I now live shall never be dashed.
But now as for me, I’ll fight the good fight,
For Jesus is Lord, my only delight.

Confessing Like David

/ The Pastor

Sinner, have you confessed your sins recently?
I mean, have you REALLY confessed your sins?
Sure, you may attend a liturgical church where you are given some lines to recite as part of the worship service, but have you confessed your sins, and not just as a passing phrase or petition in your prayers? I am talking about confessing like David…

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
[Psalm 51:1-2]

This is the heart of guilty man throwing himself at the feet of a judge who has the authority to condemn him. This is the heart of a man who knows the steadfast love of this judge. This is the heart of a man who knows he has hurt this judge through his sin. This is the heart of a man who knows he deserves nothing but condemnation. This is the heart of a man who is not rattling off some liturgical phrase or passing line in his daily prayers. This is the heart of a penitent man.

And so I ask you again, O sinner, have you confessed your sins recently? In the name of Jesus Christ – the Son of God, who died on the cross and rose from the grave all FOR YOU – I implore you:

Confess your sins like David, for the abundant mercy and steadfast love of the Father is amazing.

Tuesday Devotions ~ Psalm 44

/ The Pastor

“O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old”

I saw a social media meme recently that caught my attention:

“Many folks are praying for God to heal our land, but I think he’s still waiting for people to humble themselves, repent and turn from their wicked ways.”

I see a lot of truth in that statement. There are people crying out for healing but yet, not willing to turn to God; to repent; to leave behind their sinful ways. They have heard the stories from their parents and remember, but they want their cake and eat it too. As in verses 9 – 16, I hear people lamenting and wondering why God has turned His back on this nation. And then in verse 17, people claim they are being faithful, and have not forgotten God. But is that true?

And finally, in verse 23, the psalmist, on behalf of the people, is calling God to wake up and remember them. But I can’t help but wonder if people today need to wake up and remember God; to wake up and remember what they have heard with their ears from their fathers, to wake and remember who they are and whose they are.

So maybe the prayer is not for God to heal this nation, in the sense of taking away conflict and hate. Maybe the prayer needs to be for renewed hearts, hearts of stone being replaced with hearts of flesh. Maybe the prayer is that people would humble themselves and thus cry out in faith, “Rise up, come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!” A steadfast love that God has shown through Jesus Christ.

Yes, let us pray that prayer.

LET US PRAY: Father God, this world is messed up. We want a good life, one free of conflict, disease, hate, fighting and division. We want peace and harmony, but often we are not willing to humble ourselves and admit that we are the problem. So instead of looking inside, we look outside and point our fingers at others. Father God, send Your Holy Spirit to convict hearts and turn Your children back to You. Renew hearts to see You for who You are and to know Your love, grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. Bring healing to this nation but God, would You please begin with me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.