Getting to the Truth5/15/2024 Proverbs 18:17 ~ "The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him." How often do people embrace the quick accusations of wrongdoing without ever investigating into the matter? One of the greatest (perhaps one of the most damaging) dangers in the fellowship of the church is gossip. Without gaining both sides of a situation, lines are drawn against another because of an imagined wrongdoing. And thus, as our text for today states: "The one who states his case first seems right." Years ago, with no evidence and surreptitious accusations, men and women were tried and convicted of the ghastly crime of being—you guessed it—a witch. In the same vein, “drumhead courts” were conducted with swift collaboration and often harsh, if not brutal, judgments. These ancient forms of jurisprudence have managed to find their way into the modern vernacular, and now most everyone knows what is meant by a “witch-hunt.” Perhaps you've been wronged. I would venture a guess that all believers have experienced some form of affront from another. The church of our LORD is a family, drawn together in mutual love for Christ and one another. But that does not immediately negate the still-present condition of our sinful nature. And, like a family, there are times when the challenge of personalities, the difficulty of communication and the friction from a moment of immaturity comes crashing against us and ruffles our emotional feathers. There is a Biblical, Christ-honoring response to such situations: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:31-32). But I have found, as I am sure you have as well, that the actual first response to such an injury is to "state their case first," rather than taking the Biblical route of Matthew 18:15, "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." So, in stating their case first, the hope is to gain a valued set of allies who will embrace them with sympathy and pity. Whispers of gossip begin to flow like a breeze through the fellowship and then, without the other party knowing why, a bevy of hatred and mistrust has stirred up against them. Beloved, if you have been given such intriguing information about another, step into the second half of our text today and do some diligent research. Examine the matter. With only half the story, there will be no means of proper discernment and understanding. Paul was concerned about this for the church in Corinth. "For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder" (2 Corinthians 12:20). Do not become a party to an accusation against another without actually examining the matter. 1 Peter 4:8 gives us clear instruction, "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." If you have been wronged, if you were on the receiving end of another person's malice, then do as Christ did and love them. Cover over their sin with the love of Christ. Do not let your heart be overburdened with the bitterness that comes with unforgiveness. Release it unto Christ and trust that as you willingly love the person who wronged you, the LORD will use that love to heal the rift in your fellowship. And, dear ones, if you are a willing vessel for receiving gossip, then repent of such a hunger. Be, rather, as the LORD instructs, a peacemaker. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." What a blessing it will be for you and for the parties involved if God should use you to bridge the rift between two of His children. In His Grace, Pastor Michael
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The Solid Foundation5/14/2024 Ephesians 2:20 ~ "...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." The entire church is built upon a solid foundation established in the LORD Jesus and provided through His word. As we consider our text for today, it begs the question: what foundation do you stand on? There are many in this world that will tell you of various elemental so-called "truths" that exist: humanism, secularism, post-modernism, and a host of other "isms" that portray themselves as foundational philosophies for mankind. But all of them will fail in the trial of life for they have no true substance that is capable of holding the weight of living. Consider morality for an example. God has established a moral standard, a solid and certain foundation for mankind. Remove God's standard and all you have left is mankind trying to determine for themselves what true moral virtue should look like. So, rather than one solid rock where all can find footing, there are now seven billion independent pebbles trying to self-determine a moral code. The Bible would refer to that as "shifting sand" (see Matthew 7:24-27). And yet, is that not what we have seen happen throughout history and even today? And this condition of instability is found in all aspects of the disciplines of life. Ethics, morality, education, business, industry, family, and any other situation that humanity finds themselves faced with becomes unstable for the lack of a solid foundation. Concerning the nation of Israel, the Apostle Paul addresses their unwillingness to submit to the LORD. We read in Romans 10:3, "For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness." Though this text in Romans deals with the salvation of the Jewish nation, it conveys the same idea that they prefer their own standard rather than the standard of righteousness established by God. Jesus confronts this as well in John 3:19, "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." From our text today, we learn that God has established a foundation for His people, those who belong to Christ. This foundation starts with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone. The cornerstone of a foundation was the primary stone upon which the rest of the foundation would be measured. The ancient architects would set the first cornerstone and make sure it was square, for the remaining foundation stones would be set against it. If the cornerstone was off, everything else would be useless. And Christ is the perfect and proven cornerstone. 1 Peter 2:6 states, "For it stands in Scripture: 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'" Jesus is, beloved, our absolute source for all things pertaining to life. All who believe on Him, who obey His word, will find Him to be a solid rock to stand on. Then, connected to Christ are the Apostles and Prophets. The words of the apostles and prophets would be of no use to anyone if they did not connect back to Christ. How thankful that they do! The LORD Jesus appointed the apostles for this very reason, to write down for us the foundational truths that all believers need to walk in faithful obedience to Christ. The LORD Jesus prays for those who would believe in Him. John 17:20 says, "“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word." Consider that statement: those who will believe... through their word. The foundational teaching of the Apostles is a necessity in every Christian life. Along with the Apostles are the Prophets, those Old Testament writers who conveyed God's work to His people. Jesus addresses this in John 5:39, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me." All the Old Testament points to Christ, and all the New Testament is concerning Christ. Thus, the Word of God is the foundation for the Christian. Not unlike the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream where the feet were mixed with iron and clay (see Daniel 2:42), there are Christians who mix the foundation they stand upon with worldliness as well as the word of God. If this happens, it will be a weak and unstable place to stand. You will do well, my friends, to stand firmly on the Word of God in order to have a secure foundation for your life. The first thing to do is to believe on the LORD Jesus. Climb upon the Rock of your salvation and trust Him. Then stand firm by learning His word and putting it into practice. You will discover that if you do this, even if the world collapse into chaos, you will remain stable through it all. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Genuine Interest in Christ5/13/2024 Philippians 2:21 ~ "For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." There is a condition that affects all mankind, a disposition that is endemic to the nature of every person on the planet, and that is a condition of willful self-interest. It finds itself in colloquial statements like: "look after number one" or "if you don't take care of yourself, nobody else will." Even Christians face this constant companion of self-interest. The Apostle Paul expressed it in Romans 7:15, "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." Those things that are hated by believers will be anything that departs from our love for the LORD Jesus. And yet, does it seem to you that it is impossible to depart from that willful self-interest that plagues mankind? In our text for today, Paul was referring to the young man, Timothy, as an example of someone who departed such interest and sought to serve the LORD. In Philippians 2:19-20 he states, "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare." Timothy was concerned about the things that concerned the LORD, and that example of such determined faithfulness is the target of our consideration today. There are two questions to ask from our text: what are "our own interests" and what are "the interests of Christ?" The first question is relatively simple to answer. Our own interests are whatever we desire outside of our fellowship with Christ. An example of this will be the situation after the resurrection where Peter and the other disciples determined to go fishing rather than wait for the LORD in the place He commanded (see John 21:1-14). There is nothing sinful about fishing. But to go fishing when the LORD told them to meet Him at a different location begs the question why? Simple: because they wanted to. It could be that Peter was impatient with having to wait, it could be that it seemed that returning to his former occupation was all that remained for him. No direct reasons were given, but it was a departure unto willful self-interest. Are there things that we do which are built upon such self-interest? Of course there are, and it is the fight within our hearts to battle those desires. They may not be sinful longings, and they may be well within the parameters of a normal life in this world. But are they of the LORD? Surely the sinful things are obvious to every believer. Paul references these things in Galatians, chapter five. And we do well to avoid the works of the sinful nature. Let us also, then, evaluate the rest of what we do against the revealed will of the LORD in His word. Which brings us to the second question: what is the interest of Christ? That can be varied depending on the situation, but it all comes down to your desire to love the LORD and love your neighbor (see Luke 10:27). For Timothy, we discover that he had a genuine interest in Christ because of his genuine concern for the welfare of the Philippian church. Jesus said, "And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me'" (Matthew 25:40). Again, in the Gospel of John, chapter 21, Jesus asked three questions--all with the same focus: do you love me (see John 21:15-17). And that is the question Jesus asks us in every situation that we encounter: do we love Him? Because it is love for Christ that delivers us from the self-interest that dominates our thinking. What things do you do that are built upon your love for Christ? Often we go to some of the basic things: gathering with the church, serving the underprivileged, reading the Scriptures, praying. All these are absolutely of great interest to the LORD and you will do well to practice them. Then there are those moments when it seems unclear what is of interest to the LORD. At that point, come back to the Scriptures and seek His wisdom. Through His word, the LORD has given us what we need to walk in this world in faithfulness to His will. Two questions might benefit you in those times of uncertainty: how does this love the LORD and how does this love my neighbor? Today, let me encourage you to reflect upon those things that captivate your interest, evaluating them to see whether they are of self or of Christ. In His Grace, Pastor Michael A Heritage of Faith5/12/2024 2 Timothy 1:5 ~ "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well." 2 Timothy would be the Apostle Paul's final letter before he was executed for being a Christian. His final words are sent to a young man who journeyed with Paul, served the LORD with the aged apostle, and proved to be a faithful and trusted companion and minister of the gospel. As Paul begins his last letter, he is reminded of a heritage of faith that was passed down to the young Timothy by two others: his grandmother and his mother. We know from Acts 16:1, Timothy's mom was a Jew and his father was a Greek, "Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek." We know nothing more of Timothy's father, but the statement made in our text today speaks volumes of the faith of the other two, portraying devotion to Christ as it is passed down from generation to generation. We do not know how Eunice and Lois came to know Jesus Christ by faith. By the time of Paul's second letter to Timothy, he had already ventured into the area where Timothy lived (see Acts, chapter 14), and perhaps had shared the gospel in the synagogue where Eunice had heard the message. Then, having believed, she passed down the faith to her daughter, Lois. And then it came to rest in the heart of Timothy as well. What we do know is that by Acts chapter 16 it must have been believed by the grandmother, then the mother, and finally it was believed by Timothy. In countries around the world there is a celebration called "Mother's Day" that gives emphasis upon that singular class of people: moms. And there is no better gift that a mother can bestow upon her children than a heritage of faith, poured out from her heart to the heart of her children. The value of a mom cannot be dismissed--for it the nurturing quality of motherhood that often brings about the catalyst that stirs the heart of her children toward love for and faith in Christ. And look how Paul describes their faith in our text for today. It was a "sincere" faith. Literally, it means, "without hypocrisy." Let your heart consider that for just a moment. It was not a "perfect" faith, it was sincere. And let that be a comfort to you as you strive to pass down the faith you have in Jesus Christ. Let it be without hypocrisy. Don't try to portray yourself as a "super-saint" who has all the answers and never wavers in trembling doubts. The generations to come do not need to see some form of Christian showmanship, but your real and sincere faith in Jesus Christ. And, beloved, I want to also remind you that the LORD Jesus must be believed by each individual. Paul did not say to Timothy, "I see you trusting in the faith of your grandmother." There are no "coat-tail" Christians, those who do not believe on the LORD Jesus for themselves, but trust to the faith of those who have gone before. Each individual must have, as Paul stated, a faith that dwells in them. So, dear ones, do you have a sincere faith in the LORD Jesus Christ? Has He brought you into His salvation? Do not hold onto someone else's faith as if it will save you in the day of judgment. You must believe on the LORD Jesus. A good example of trying to hang onto another person's faith was the seven sons of Sceva. Acts 19:13 illustrates, "Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, 'I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.'" They did not believe on the LORD Jesus themselves, but tried to ride the faith of the Apostle Paul and perform a work in the name of Jesus. But true faith must dwell in you and it must be sincere. There is a generation behind us, beloved. It is a generation that needs to see in us that sincere faith in the LORD Jesus. For those mothers who pass on the heritage of faith to the coming generation, as the Apostle Paul remembered both Eunice and Lois, so you are remembered as well. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Hearing the Voice of Creation5/11/2024 Psalm 19:1-2 ~ "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge." There is a constant voice from creation declaring with unwavering truth the magnificence of Almighty God. Much is made of creation, and there are those who try to use the elemental nature of things to dissuade others from believing that God is truly the Creator. But, for all their constant effort to use creation against the LORD, the handiwork of God continues to speak volumes concerning the One who made everything. My question to you, are you listening? I have the privilege of living in an area of this world where I can enjoy a multitude of different locations. Grand mountains are but a short journey, and the roaring Pacific Ocean is near to my own doorstep. Dense forests dress the rolling hillsides and pristine lakes dot the landscape. Storms echo with thunder and when the sky is clear, there is little to compare with the beauty unveiled. It is a veritable chorus of wonder and delight for those who are willing to recognize it as God's handiwork. Look up to the heavens, my friends, and see if you can count the stars. The vast expanse of the heavens is filled with splendor. And that splendor declares the glory of God. In fact, all things are made for God's glory. You are, as well as I, are created that through us the LORD God will receive glory. Hebrews 3:3 gives us a view as to the reason why, "For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself." God is the builder of all that there is--nothing in creation exists except that God has created it. All of the great inventions and developments of mankind are simply the using of God's creation. From the very fabric of creation to the vast measure of the greatest stars in the universe, all things are made by Him and for Him. Consider Colossians 1:16, "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him." Why does an artist paint a picture, or why does an architect create a structure? In order that others will see it. And God Almighty is the greatest artist, the most profound architect, the Designer of unlimited creativity. And HE has created all that there is so that it can be seen as His handiwork. Not only is His creation on display to showcase His handiwork, but to draw men to Himself. Consider Acts 17:27, "...that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us." We are told that because of creation, men are without excuse when it comes to their knowing about God. Romans 1:19-20 tells us, "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." As our text for today states, day to day they pour forth speech. There is a constant and clear revelation of the Almighty God that comes in the voice of creation. Many have plugged their ears and shaded their eyes from actually seeing and learning about God Almighty. The LORD Jesus came into the world, the very Creator walking among His creation, and they failed to recognize Him as well. John 1:10 says, "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him." Authors receive awards and artists are recognized in their galleries, but when the One who created all things came to His creation--He received no honor and was given no recognition by the world. But for those who believed, He was (and is) glorified. So, beloved, let me encourage you to open your eyes and see, open you ears and hear and discover the power and glory of the LORD Jesus through His creation. The splendor and beauty of this world brings with it a voice of testimony concerning God. He would have you look upon all that He has made and listen with your heart to the wondrous voice proclaiming to you: The Almighty God--He has made it all! In His Grace, Pastor Michael Well Remembered5/10/2024 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 ~ "We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." As Paul addressed the church in Thessalonica, with an abundance of thankfulness, he reminded them of how well they were remembered. There is an exuberance of joy pouring forth from the apostle for this church. First, he was always thankful for them. What a tremendous testimony of gratitude. And not only was he always thankful, but he was constantly mentioning them in prayer. Truly Paul prayed for all the churches he founded in Christ. But this constant mentioning in prayer was more than just the habitual praying that many believers do. Paul was deeply moved by the Thessalonian church, and his thankfulness welled up in his prayers. Take a moment and think about how precious it must have been for the Thessalonian believers to receive such a letter as this. Here is Paul, letting the church know that he was telling God about them. If an illustration would help, consider this: It is the foreman of a construction company, going to the owner of the company and constantly telling the owner how wonderful his team performed their work. And then, that same foreman writes a letter to the team and tells the team that he constantly informs the owner that they are excellent in their tasks. And thus, Paul lets the church know that their efforts are well reported before God. There are three qualities of the church that Paul remembered before God and they ought to mark our Christian walk as well. They are a work of faith, a labor of love and a steadfastness of hope. These three make up for every Christian the expression of effort that is born of faith in Jesus Christ. James reminds us that faith, without work, is dead (see James 2:26). And the church of the Thessalonians embodied that expressive effort. The first is their "work of faith." This was not merely a religious effort from the church, but the outward pursuit of faithfulness to Christ. That "work" they performed burst forth like an artesian well from their faith in Christ. They wanted to serve the LORD, wanted to pursue with obedience those commands given by Christ. For the work of faith is not merely religious work, but the dedicated effort to do that which Christ commanded. Menial or magnificent was of no consideration, they just worked to faithfully serve the LORD and each other. The second is their "labor of love." The term "labor" also means weariness or fatigue. They loved Christ and one another even unto utter exhaustion. In truth, our LORD gave us that same charge when He exclaimed the heights of true Christian love. Jesus said in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." To love someone, at the risk or cost of your own life, is the ultimate labor of love. And that is the love Jesus showed on the cross--having gone all the way to death for the sake of those He loved. The final one is their "steadfastness of hope." It is hope that gives the Christian the willing endurance to continue on. If hope was more a wishful notion rather than an absolute certainty built on the promises of Christ, there would be cause to give up and not press on. For who would press on if there was no real hope. But when hope is real, the church will continue until the end--knowing that this hope must be fulfilled. Consider what 1 Corinthians 9:10 says, "Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop." Endurance would end if there was no real hope. Let me ask... have you not seen these three qualities of Christlikeness before: Faith, Hope, Love? This is the trifecta of Christianity. It is our faith in Christ that causes us to strive in faithful effort. It is our love for Christ that gives us the tenacity to labor unto fatigue. It is our hope in Christ that keeps us steadfast in our endurance. These are the qualities that Paul remembered before God our Father--and these are the qualities that should mark the believer still today. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Empowered Witness5/9/2024 Acts 1:8 ~ "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Believer in Christ, you have a testimony to share. The LORD Jesus has empowered you for this very purpose, that you should be a witness concerning Him. Let us first consider what a witness is meant to be. We get our word "martyr" from this term, and it conveys one who is willing to testify to that which they have seen or heard. It soon grew into a definition of those who were hazarding their lives for the sake of that truth--even risking their lives for Jesus. You have been given something that others need to know. If you were called upon by a court of law to bear witness to a set of circumstances, all you would be expected to do is share what you know. And that, dear friends, would be the limit of your testimony. No judge would allow you to pontificate on hearsay evidence, or to carry on a lengthy hypothesis concerning your opinions on the situation. You are a witness of events--and that is all. So, let me ask you, what do you know of Christ Jesus? What have you come to know concerning Him? Because you are not just a witness, you are to be HIS witness. Many Christians go on and on about their own experiences, circumstances and travails of life--bearing witness of themselves. They will say things like "I believed" or "I placed my faith in Jesus" or "I confessed." These are all true statements, for you must believe, place your faith in and confess Jesus Christ as LORD. But are they bearing witness of HIM? You might be thinking, as others have, that you haven't actually witnessed the work of Christ. But are you sure? Have you found the Scriptures to be a true account of the life and work of Jesus? Have gone to the Gospel of Matthew and listened to the Sermon on the Mount or have you found your way to the Gospel of John and heard Jesus command Lazarus to rise from the grave? These are two things that Jesus did and you can bear witness of HIM by testifying to what He had done. Beloved, go to the cross and the tomb and see His death and resurrection--and then testify to what HE did. There are those who think that what a believer must do to be a witness of Christ is to be able to convince others that the gospel is true. But that is not what a witness does. A witness testifies to what they know is true, but it does not mean that the others will be convinced. Consider what king Agrippa said to Paul in Acts 26:28, "And Agrippa said to Paul, 'In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?'" If you want a clear witness testimony of the LORD Jesus simply read Acts 2:22-36. And the one testimony you can definitely bear witness to is His salvation in your life. If you are born-again, the LORD Jesus opened your heart and your understanding to the truth of the gospel and quickened you to believe. If your faith is anchored to Christ, then it is good to show people the cable of your faith, but it is better that you expose them to the Rock which holds you fast. For salvation is found nowhere else--only Jesus. And this is why He empowers you through the Holy Spirit. The power that He gives is the efficacious power, the power that gives you the strength to do the work of being a witness. And truly we need His power to be a witness for Him since we live in a world that genuinely hates Him. He does not empower you to your own tasks or intrigues. Have you told of Jesus Christ? Have you pronounced His work of redemption on the cross and His resurrection from the dead? Dear believer, use your testimony of salvation to leap-frog into magnifying the person and work of Christ. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Overcoming Affirmation Addiction5/8/2024 Romans 2:29 ~ "But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God." Many years ago, early in the days of ministry, I knew a man who possessed great abilities as a solid worker in the church. He was a skilled carpenter and gardener, and generally would perform his work with determination. Until one day he declared with absolute resolve that he would no longer serve the church in any capacity. When asked why, his reasons were thus: "Why should I do all this work--nobody ever even notices?" What he wanted was a constant stream of praise, a vocal trophy wall from the fellowship for all his hard work. He was an affirmation addict. Is it wrong to give and receive praise? Not at all. God's word is clear on this when, in Proverbs 27:2 we read, "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips." Again, in Romans 13:7 it says, "Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." It is good that we lift one another up, to give honor and praise to those who have strived to serve the LORD with faithfulness and courage. Paul repeatedly praises many by name throughout his letters in the New Testament. We must never go around boasting about ourselves, or praising our own name. But when another rejoices in your faithfulness, receive it as a glory to the LORD. But what if there is no one to give you glory and honor for serving? What if no one notices that you are striving to be faithful? Will you throw up your hands in despair and decide that it's just not worth it? Could it be, then, that you might fall under the category of an affirmation addict? Consider our text for this day. Paul was referencing the outward sign of circumcision as the marker for those who were Jews. It was an external sign, done when a boy was just an infant, and it was a testimony of the covenant between God and Israel. But the real circumcision, the one that mattered most, was the inner one--a matter of the heart. Consider what Deuteronomy 30:6 says, "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." Remember what God told Samuel when choosing a king--that the LORD looks at the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7). And then our text today says this: "...his praise is not from man but from God." Is it enough for you that God is honored in the service you render to the LORD Jesus? There is so much striving today in the world for the various "atta-boy" praises, but let that not be the condition of the church. Jesus warned against such desires. In Matthew 6:2 we read, "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." A key phrase is: that they may be praised by others. If you never hear another voice in this world tell you "well done," is it enough to do well, knowing that your Father in heaven looks down upon your good works and is glorified and will reward you with honor in His presence? When the master of the house returned and found his servants faithful in Matthew 25:21 we read, "His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’" Beloved, do not fall into the down-trodden disposition of those who must receive a continual stream of affirmation. That streambed will run dry soon enough, for it cannot sustain such a thirst. But if you seek the praise that comes from the Almighty, and long to be pleasing to Him, there is then a river of life to drink from and it will sustain you with joy in His service--no matter if it is noticed by others or not. Even now there are those who are serving the LORD with unwavering faithfulness, anonymous in the world but seen by God. Their delight is in His glory and they serve that He might be made known. Let that be said of us as well. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Joy in the Morning5/7/2024 Psalm 30:5 ~ "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning." A tremendous malady falls upon the heart of the Christian when, in the willful acts of sin, we find ourselves in the displeasure of the LORD. It is a sorrow unlike any other when we find that God has seemingly departed and we are bereft and alone. A grief born of the anguish of loss--not the loss of salvation, but the loss of fellowship with the LORD and a loss of the joy He brings. We can endure any suffering if we know that God is pleased with us, but who can stand up in that moment when the anger of the Almighty is heavy? David cried out in his distress of sin as he called upon the LORD for His cleansing mercy. His desperate plea was simple and he concluded his petition by asking this: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Psalm 51:12). He longed for that joy again, the ever-sustaining joy of the LORD which is our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10). What misery it is as we walk in this world if we are absent the joy of Christ's salvation. It is an ever-present reminder that sweet fellowship with Christ is broken, and it is all due to our sin. (Let me lay out a caution before we move further on--if you are joyful in your sin, if there is no grief from God's anger toward sin, if the salvation of Christ is to you more doleful than the entertainments of the world, you may not be truly saved.) As we look upon our text for today, let us remember that God's anger is but for a moment. He is slow to anger, abounding in love, delighting to show mercy and pardon to those who truly repent. Consider the name by which He revealed Himself to Moses: "The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, 'The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation'" (Exodus 34:6-7). The LORD's anger is real. And those who are under the heavy hand of God's discipline will find that their joy has turned to sorrow and their peace has turned to grief. And that brings weeping. This weeping that lasts for a night is the grieving heart of the believer for the sins committed against the LORD. A believer sins against the very grace that saved them. Many who have come to know the mercy of God, and received His salvation and pardon for sin still stumble in their former wickedness. Let it bring a godly grief to your heart that will cause you to weep in grief for your breach of faithfulness. Paul describes it in 2 Corinthians 7:10, "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." And it is this weeping that lasts for a night which brings true joy in the morning. When sins are again cleansed through God's great mercy (see 1 John 1:9), when our feet are washed again by Christ Jesus (see John 13:1-11), then there is great joy--a joy that breaks forth like the dawn of a new day. Beloved, understand that sorrow must give way to joy even as the night must give way to the dawn. Your weeping over sins will bring the cleansing showers of mercy upon you from Christ and that, my friends, is a joy that will never fade. Remember, His mercy is new every morning (see Lamentations 2:22-23). Our text declares that God's favor is for a lifetime whereas His anger is but for a moment. Have you sinned? Then quickly run to the Father who is rich in mercy! Plead for His grace through Christ Jesus and make no excuses for sin. Do not trifle with sin, and do not let it linger. Let weeping come in repentance. And though it may last for a night, the forgiveness of God will break forth like the dawn and His joy will shine once more upon you. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Humble Yourselves5/6/2024 1 Peter 5:6-7 ~ "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." If ever there was a condition that magnifies the sin of man it is pride. And yet, this clear command is given that we must humble ourselves. But what does it mean to be humble? In truth, it is a disposition of low consideration of self. Not in the modern view of "low self-esteem," meaning a morose view of one's life, but a recognition of who we are in comparison to the Almighty God. We are the creature, He is Creator. We are exceptionally limited, He is all-powerful. We are ignorant, He is wisdom itself. In all ways, we look to the LORD Jesus and see in Him absolute perfection in all His being and we see in ourselves the frailty of our limitations. Jesus expressed our limitations when He said that we could not even make one hair white or black (see Matthew 5:36). Let us first look at the location of our humility. We are to humble ourselves "under the mighty hand of God." It will not take long, dear ones, to recognize the limits of our own superiority. We tend toward pride and arrogance in our thinking, believing that we can find our own way, trust our own instincts, believe our own truths and exalt our own selves. But, believer, you are not under the authority of your own will, you do not submit to your own notions. We are to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and trust that He will govern our way. It did not take Job long to learn this lesson. When God confronted Job during the patriarch's great trial, the Almighty does not come to the man with tender terms but with the absolute declaration that the LORD is God (see Job, chapters 38-41). And it is under that mighty hand that we must humble ourselves. We cannot change the course of the weather, make the rains come or go, set the stars in the heavens or even bring about the growth of one single leaf on a tree. Yet the arrogance of mankind is so vast that they will dismiss the Almighty in favor of their own notions. Let it be not so with us, dear ones. Let us humble ourselves under God's mighty hand. But for how long? What is the limit of our humility? Peter tells us to humble ourselves continually, until that proper time: "so that at the proper time he may exalt you." We humble ourselves until Christ deems to exalt us. The LORD Jesus has purposed to set on high, to seat with Himself those who have surrendered to His salvation and have yielded to His rule. Even as a king enthrones his bride as queen, so the LORD Jesus, the King of kings, will set on high His bride, the church. The proper time is coming, but it is not up to you or I to determine the timing of it. Our humility may last a lifetime, but let it be so, knowing full well that Jesus will do exactly what He promised and exalt His people. James 4:10 tells us, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." It is a promise handed to those who belong to Christ--those who have humbled themselves before the LORD and with one another (see 1 Peter 5:5). How many of the arrogant souls who stand before God, boasting of their own greatness will be cast down and removed from His presence forever. The words of Matthew 7:21-23 speak of those who will brag to the LORD about all they did in His name, yet the King will cast them away as strangers to Him. Why? Because God's salvation only comes to the humble of heart, to those who truly fear the LORD and tremble at His greatness, those who run to His love and receive His mercy. Never will those who stand before God in boastful declaration of self-worth find any footing before the LORD. So, then, what do we do in the meantime? How do we live this humility? Simple: by "casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." Did you know that holding onto anxiety is a sign of not trusting in the sovereignty of God? We cast all our anxieties on Him because we cannot carry them ourselves. We hold onto our anxieties because we believe that we can find our own solution. But look at the tender mercy and loving grace of our LORD Jesus--He cares for you! He knows the hardships faced, He understands the fear, and He calls upon you to trust Him in the face of it all. Knowing the trials faced by the recipients of Peter's letter, this encouragement would be tremendous. And it is for us today as well. Persecutions, hardships, hatred and sufferings are part of the experience that Christians face. And, in all those things that bring you to an anxious disposition, cast it upon the LORD and trust His care. Humble yourselves and wait, beloved. If you belong to Jesus, your exaltation is in His hand. He will lift you up in due time. And though that time might not be on this earth, it will then be all the more glorious when you and I find ourselves in His presence. Until then, cast upon Him your anxieties and trust His care for you. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Glory of the House of God5/5/2024 Haggai 2:9 ~ "The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts." In the early days of Israel, when they had departed Egypt and sojourned through the wilderness, God commanded them to build the Tabernacle, a gathering place for the people of God to draw near to Him. Time progressed, and generations passed, and David became king in Israel. Anointed by the LORD through the prophet, David was a valiant man of faith and through him the LORD brought Israel deliverance from their enemies. David had a palace built for himself, a grand abode fit for the king of Israel. In his heart, he wanted to build a place for God, a temple that would honor the LORD and gather the people to worship. And though David was not the man to construct the Temple, his son, Solomon, was (see 2 Samuel 7:4-17). And Solomon's Temple for the LORD was a grand edifice--a magnificent house to bring glory to God Almighty. And God was pleased with Solomon and the house built for the Name of the LORD. 2 Chronicles 7:16 says, "For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time." It was not long after that the rebellion of Israel took them away from the LORD and the LORD sent them away from their land. They were captive, enslaved by the nations around them, and the city and the Temple fell into ruins. In time, according to God's word, the people returned and began rebuilding the Temple (see Ezra 3:8-13). But, in response to the rebuilding, some of those who were old enough to remember the former glory of the Temple wept. Why? Because the Temple under new construction was not as glorious as Temple built in the days of Solomon. The LORD, Himself, spoke of this in Haggai 2:3, "Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?" And, now, as we come to our text for today, what does it mean: "The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former?" Oh, beloved believers in Christ, we are looking for a city who's architect and builder is God. Consider what it says of Abraham in Hebrews 11:10, "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." Dear Christian, the latter glory will be so much greater than the former, even as the day is so much brighter than the night. There may be dim illumination from stars, even a full moon might cast its illumination upon the earth, but the daylight is gloriously bright. And so it will be for all who are in the home where Christ dwells. Here on this earth we only see a dim view of what will be. The current glory is shaded and we can only see as through darkened glass (see 1 Corinthians 13:12). Here on earth, we enjoy the fellowship of the saints. Yet for all the joys and delights of such fellowship, it is only a dim reflection of what will be in heaven. Here we experience but moments of worship, filtered through our own sin-wrecked hearts. And though we desire to worship in a way that is more honoring to Christ, we struggle here on earth. But our worship of Christ there will be unencumbered by any limitations of our life here. My friends, the eternal house of the LORD, the heavenly dwelling of all who believe, will be far more glorious than anything we could experience here. Revelation 21:23 speaks to the glory of the house of God, "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb." Unlike in the days of Haggai, where enemies harassed and threatened the people of God as they rebuilt the Temple, unlike the days wherein we live as the world strives against the faithful redeemed of the LORD, the place of the presence of God Almighty, where His glory fills all things, is also a place of peace. Wickedness will not strive within the Christian, nor will there be enemies who terrorize the church. Even as it says in the final part of our text today, "And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts." Let this, beloved, be your daily hope until it becomes your eternal home. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Value of Sound Doctrine5/4/2024 2 Timothy 4:3 ~ "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." Which would you rather hear: solid truth, though it may challenge your view or simple teachings that confirm your own opinions? This is always the dilemma that people face when it comes to solid, biblical doctrine. Most people in the world would rather have their opinions confirmed by the words of another, even if their opinion is wrong. They gather into clusters that is akin to an echo chamber of like-minded voices and then, as they hear their own ideas expressed through others they hold ever tighter to them. But "group-think" does not mean accurate understanding. There has to be a basis for what is understood, a foundation of information that people stand upon. And if that foundation is not the solid rock of truth, it will eventually prove to be fatally flawed. When that happens, my friends, the truth of Christ and His Word will be the truth that survives. Jesus said in Luke 21:33, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." But you may wonder, as even I've been asked: do you think the Bible is true because you believe it, or, do you believe the Bible because it is true? In absolute candor, I believe the Bible, God's Word, because it is true. There are many reasons I could give for the accuracy and historic relevancy of the Scriptures. The Bible has stood the test of time and the overwhelming scrutiny of its detractors. Its primary character, the LORD Jesus, is the focus of the Old Testament and the fulfillment in the New Testament. The authors who wrote the letters were eyewitnesses to the veracity of His claims. And, in truth, I am one of many for whom the LORD Jesus prayed, "“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word" (John 17:20). It was through the Scriptures, and the willing testimony of those who already believed, that I came to know and believe on the LORD Jesus. And I will lay this before you: if you believe on Jesus outside of the Word of God, you are in grave danger. And this brings us to our text for today. There are many--multitudes even--who do not hold to the sound doctrine of the Scriptures, but flock to those teachers that will tickle their ears with what they want to hear. Paul says it this way: "to suit their own passions." And, so, in our world there will be teachers who seize the opportunity tell the crowd whatever they want to hear in order to gather great hordes of people around them. And they will gather--they will flock to the voices that agree with them and forsake the truth. Yet the charge to Timothy is to "preach the word" (see 2 Timothy 4:2). It may not be the popular message of the time, nor will it be agreeable to those who prefer their sins, who desire a soft, pliable message that will conform to the standards of the current trends. But there must be sound doctrine for the believer to have a strong place to stand. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24). There is great value in sound doctrine. It is the foundation of our stability. It is the focus of our direction. It is the means by which the LORD will correct us and sanctify us (see John 17:17). Concerning the Scriptures, Psalm 19:11 says, "Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." Let me ask you a hard question. Do you have "itching ears" and look for those who will teach you want you want to hear? There is a wealth of people who will gather around those who will merely tickle their ears. I would urge you, do not be one of them. Seek out those places and those teachers who stand upon the Scriptures as the source of truth and who proclaim Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Live by the Spirit5/3/2024 Galatians 5:25 ~ "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." Do you live by the Spirit? Does the Holy Spirit govern your life? Many people have a notion of what that is supposed to look like, bringing out the ideas that there are meant to be the continual supernatural expressions of Divine power manifesting through those who truly live by the Spirit. A constant desire for signs and wonders displayed, however, is not a mark of the desire to live by the Spirit. There is a danger, however, to the constant drive to see signs and wonders. First, it is condemned in the Scriptures. Jesus said in Matthew 12:39, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." It is an evil and adulterous generation seeking such things. Yet, the demand for signs from God continue with the saints still today. Look to the resurrection of Jesus, my friends. That is the ultimate sign. Why demand lesser ones? Second, there is a warning attached for those who seek after signs. Mark 13:22 states, "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect." Do not be easily persuaded by signs and wonders for they can come as evidence not of the Spirit but of the enemy. So, with false signs being performed, how then can a Christian learn to live by the Holy Spirit? Well... not by signs and wonders. And this brings us to our text for today. To live by the Spirit, beloved, is keep in step with the Spirit. In other words, it is to walk in a way that shows a willing obedience to Christ. You do not need to see a sign in order to know what the Holy Spirit would have you do. What you need is the Word of God and a desire to glorify Christ. Put those two in your heart and step out by faith. In context of our discussion today, we need to look to Galatians 5:16-26. If you read the context, it will be like the sun coming forth from a cloud--very illuminating. We see in verse 16 that to walk in the Spirit is to not gratify the desires of the flesh. The passion-driven flesh desires that which is contrary to Christ. And the Holy Spirit enters our lives for the express purpose of bringing glory to Christ (see John 16:14). Then, my friends, to live by the Spirit is to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). Many seek after the gifts of the Spirit, and, truly, God Almighty does bring forth His gifts through the church by the working of the Holy Spirit within each believer. But what we must seek is to bear much fruit (see John 15:8). The fruit of the Spirit is in contrast to the workings of the flesh. In Galatians 5:19-21, the evidences of "fleshly" living, that is, living only for self, are made clear. And yet, those who are born-again, who have the Spirit of Christ within them, will bear forth fruit that is contrary to worldliness. I would urge you, don't go seeking after some manifestation of power to prove the working of the Holy Spirit. God does work, He is absolute in His power. He still works miracles according to His own will and purpose. But those are not the things to strive after in order to prove the working of the Spirit in your life. Look to see if Christ Jesus is glorified. Look to see if the flesh is crucified and the desire for righteous living is present. If there is a hunger and thirst for righteousness, if there are evident spiritual fruit that is born of your faithfulness, if there is true humility and a love for Christ, then, dear ones, you are living by the Spirit. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Effective Christian Life5/2/2024 2 Peter 1:8 ~ "For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." When you consider the means of being effective as a believer in Christ, what are the elements you look for in yourself? Before we get to that, ask yourself a question: what does an effective Christian look like? For in our text today, Peter tells us that we are to be kept from being ineffective and unfruitful. These two conditions are the result of a passive Christian life. For, to be "ineffective" is, in essence, to be lazy, unproductive and without effort. And to be "unfruitful" is to be barren or profitless. And, if there is anything about following Christ that is needed, it is the desire and the drive. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:13, "...for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." We are to "will" and to "work." And that willingness to strive in obedience to Christ is the work of the Father through the Spirit who empowers us to a life of faithfulness. To avoid the unfruitful and ineffective Christian life, there are qualities that must be present and they are to be growing. We plant an apple tree and rejoice when, in its infancy, it produces fruit that are small and few. However, in the years to come the expectation is that the tree has grown and increased its harvest of fruit, becoming strong and stable so that much fruit can be upon it. So it is with the Christian life. In our infancy with Christ there is little expectation for much fruit. But let the believer grow and mature and there should be, even in our own hearts, the expectation that much fruit will be produced to the glory of God (see John 15:8). What qualities does the Apostle Peter refer to? They are found in 2 Peter 1:5-7. "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love." It starts with faith. And then added to that faith are the various qualities of Christlikeness. And these are the qualities that, as we add them, keep us from becoming ineffective and unfruitful. And, these qualities are added to each one, stacked upon each other to grow a towering structure of Christian living that reaches its greatest expression when true, sacrificial love is added. However, there are those who seek to add to their Christian faith elements of a more worldly design. Instead of virtue, it is willfulness. Instead of knowledge, it is philosophies. Instead of self-control, it is self-indulgence. Instead of steadfastness, it is vacillation. Instead of godliness it is tolerance. Instead of brotherly affection it is isolation. Instead of love it is bitterness. Let it not be said of us who love the LORD. Rather, let it be seen in our lives that those qualities of Christlikeness are not only being added, but increasing in potency as we walk in faithfulness to Him. As we consider what it takes to be both effective and fruitful, let us also understand that our effective fruitfulness must be founded upon the knowledge of Christ. These qualities are of greatest worth when grown on the vine of Jesus. In fact, our LORD told us that apart from Him we can do nothing (see John 15:5). Our Christian lives should be so set to make Christ known, that these qualities, growing in our lives, give increasing evidence of our LORD. So, beloved, if you have faith in the LORD Jesus, then let your pursuit lead you to adding these qualities in increasing measure--growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Savior--becoming effective and fruitful for Him. In His Grace, Pastor Michael What do You Imitate?5/1/2024 3 John 1:11 ~ " Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God." It has been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. There is a sense in which, in the Christian life, this holds true. For there are those who, looking to others, will want to emulate their walk of faith. And though every Christian walks by their own faith as they follow Christ, it is important to note that the LORD has established godly examples for all who are striving to live for Jesus. This is not an unheard-of experience in the Scriptures. We are told by Peter that our LORD Jesus has left us an example, that we should follow Him (see 1 Peter 2:21). God has given leaders to the church to set the example of faith, as Hebrews 13:7 states, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." The Apostle Paul recognized the importance of his own walk by faith as a means by which others could find their steps as well. He says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." In our text for today, we are commanded not to imitate evil, but good. The word, "imitate," means to mimic or to emulate that which you consider to be a preferred method of life. And there are only two views to consider: good or evil. The Apostle John gives two direct examples to his friend Gaius: the evil example of Diotrephes (verse 9) and the good example of Demetrius (verse 12). Even today there are those in the church who will either be one or the other. When it comes to the two expressions of life, either good or evil, the standard of evaluating those two conditions is God Himself. We know that there is no one good but God alone (see Mark 10:18). We are told to be imitators of God in Ephesians 5:1, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." With this, the Apostle John tells us that "Whoever does good is from God." This does not mean that someone who simply does a good deed, as in some humanitarian cause or altruistic endeavor, is from God. There are many in this world who do good deeds. This "does good" statement means a continual condition of the heart that expresses outward goodness. Before God, the sinner unsaved cannot do good. Romans 3:12 says, "All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." We are reminded in Isaiah that, outside of God's redemption, our righteous deeds are but filthy rags (see Isaiah 64:6). But those who are from God will have a disposition of doing good. Why is this? Because faith and good works go hand-in-hand. James tells us that faith without such works is dead, "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead" (James 2:26). And then, those who do evil have, as our text indicates, "not seen God." Some might argue that no one today has seen God. In fact, the Almighty told Moses that no one could look upon Him and live (see Exodus 33:20). But to "see" God in this context is not to visibly behold His glorious presence, but to discern His ways or to perceive with the understanding who God is and how He would have us live. Even as Hebrews 12:2 says, "...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Though we cannot fix our eyes directly upon Him, we can, with our comprehension, look to the Word of God and understand His ways. Thus, those who do evil--that is, to have a disposition that desires evil--are those who have never come to understand or comprehend the ways of the LORD. Psalm 36:1 states, "Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes." So... who do you imitate? And, perhaps a greater question--is your walk with Christ something that others can imitate to God's glory? If you are born-again, beloved, you probably already have those around you that are watching to see the goodness of the LORD in you. It is good if they do. Don't shy away from striving to be an example for other believers. In so doing, you may just grow in the goodness of God as well. In His Grace, Pastor Michael A Plea for Repentance4/30/2024 Daniel 4:27 ~ "Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity." How many have it in us to do as Daniel did and plead for the repentance of those who are close to us? Daniel's plea to Nebuchadnezzar reminds us that we also must heed the word of God and plead with those we love to forsake sin and turn to the LORD. Let us consider a few things from our text today. First, who is Daniel talking with? This is the king of the most powerful nation in the world at the time. Nebuchadnezzar had conquered farther than any monarch of his era. He was ruler and Daniel was a slave. Truly Daniel had been elevated to a position of prominence, even of great influence, and yet he still was a captive. And being captive and subservient to the king of Babylon, Daniel did not assert authority over the king to give commands. He entreated Nebuchadnezzar to consider his words and heed his counsel. There are times when we have an opportunity to speak to someone that they should leave behind their sins and turn to Christ. But we have no real authority over them and cannot command them to repent and turn to the LORD. Yet, with words of wise counsel and a heart of compassion, we can entreat others to seek the LORD, to repent of sin and turn to Christ. Daniel was pleading for the very man who took him captive and enslaved his nation. This hearkens us to the command of our LORD to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (see Matthew 5:44). Because Daniel was well acquainted with the king, he did not give a general plea for repentance, but specifically spoke about how such a repentance would look. He did not merely say, "king, you're a bad man and you should repent." Daniel pointed out two very clear categories of Nebuchadnezzar's condition: his "sin" and his "iniquities." Those two terms correspond to both his private and public sins. And his repentance would relate to those conditions: by practicing righteousness and by showing mercy to the oppressed. Jesus gives us instruction on how to go to someone when we know they are in rebellion against the LORD. In Matthew 18:15-20 we are given the necessary steps to call someone back from sin. One of the great truths of this hinges on the knowledge of the offence. Let speculative accusations and hear-say confrontations be dismissed by all of God's children. We should never be party to such gossip. But if you know the truth then let the words of Galatians 6:1 govern your approach, "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." And if they are to repent, what might that look like? It looks like a person who has made a shift away from sin and toward righteousness. Paul gives us a clear example in Ephesians 4:28, "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." We hear it from John the Baptist as he called on people to repent. "Soldiers also asked him, 'And we, what shall we do?' And he said to them, 'Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages'" (Luke 3:14). Dear friends, our God is rich in mercy and relents from sending calamity (see Joel 2:12-14). Daniel knows this. The prophet pleaded with Nebuchadnezzar that he should repent and discover the abundant mercy of the LORD. And the LORD God was patient, giving the king a whole year before His judgment fell, giving Nebuchadnezzar time to repent. Ultimately, it was the heavy hand of God that brought Nebuchadnezzar to his knees. Let it not be so with us. If there is a sin harbored within your heart, beloved even now repent and turn away from it and practice righteousness. Find in the Scriptures where God speaks plainly about your sin and then how He would have you repent of it. God is slow to anger and abounding in love, He will forgive all who turn away from sin and turn to Christ by faith. Perhaps you are in that season now where you've heard the call to repentance. Don't wait until the hand of God is heavy upon you. The Apostle Paul said in Acts 26:20, "...but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance." Let us all heed these words as well. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Covered by God4/29/2024 Genesis 3:21 ~ "And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them." At the very outset of our rebellion against Almighty God, the two creatures formed from the dust of the earth forsook their love for God and chose, rather, love for self. At that moment the LORD might have immediately struck them dead. The pinnacle of creation became the progenitors of sin. And that sinful condition now would be passed along through the generations to follow. Mankind's innocence was soiled in wickedness and only God Himself could provide the remedy for humanity. So, why didn't God eradicate the race? Did God have a need for man to exist? I've heard it said that God was lonely and wanted company. There are not many more foolish statements made than that! God created angelic beings who hold court before Him, ever rejoicing in His presence. God is Triune--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is within His own sphere of fellowship and is, by His own nature, never alone. God does not need mankind; God needs nothing at all. Why didn't God destroy humanity? Because God, in His perfection, is merciful. Tremble, dear ones, at the very nature of Almighty God. Every attribute of the LORD is always in perfection--His justice, righteousness, holiness, and all other qualities of the nature of God are absolute and His wrath is perfect as well. But God is also perfect in love, grace, mercy, kindness and gentleness. And so the first act of the Divine Creator after the curse was to cover the man and his wife with clothes. He did not first send them out of paradise, which was just. He clothed them with garments of skins, which was merciful. Consider Psalm 86:15, "But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." Adam and Eve attempted to cover themselves. "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths" (Genesis 3:7). The man and woman tried to hide from the LORD. "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden" (Genesis 3:8). And this is mankind's response still today. We want to hide our shame and sin, and with worldly hands try to fashion some form of covering that will at least conceal our wickedness. Or, when that fails, we try to hide ourselves from the One who created us, running for cover lest we be found out and it be exposed that we are sinners. The fig leaves of human effort are of no value and hiding will never work. Isaiah 64:6 says, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment." But God is tender and compassionate and He will cover our sin and shame. And, my dear friends, if you find yourself hiding from the LORD God because of your sin, cry out to Him for He is more gracious than you are wicked. He will do as He promised and clothe you in garments of righteousness. He will cover you with the blood of Christ who paid the penalty for your sins. Listen to the words of Romans 3:23-24, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Perhaps you're thinking that there may not be enough mercy remaining for you? That, after all these eons, the LORD Almighty has reached the limit of His grace? Let me remind you that God is rich in mercy (see Ephesians 2;4). He has a wealth of mercy stored up for all who call upon the LORD Jesus and trust Him for salvation. He delights to show mercy, and will do, even as He did for the first man and woman. If you trust Him, your sins will be forgiven in Christ and you will be covered by God. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Man's Cry and God's Call4/28/2024 Joel 2:32 ~ "And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls." The great tug-of-war between the absolute sovereignty of God in the salvation of man and the necessity of man placing faith in God is found harmonized throughout the Scripture, and truly found in this grand text for today. And though I cannot fully reconcile both ideas with all who may read this, I want to bring you to understand that both are true and necessary for salvation. If you are born-again as Jesus has commanded (see John 3:7) then you have experienced the sovereign work of the Almighty LORD and have also expressed the necessary faith from your heart. In truth, no one escapes the wrath of God unless the Almighty release him and no one flees the coming wrath except that they "pick up their heels" and run to Christ. So we see, in our text today, that those who call upon the name of the LORD are saved... and yet it is those whom the LORD calls. Let us start from the point of God's sovereign will. Our text does say that among the survivors shall be "those whom the LORD calls." The survivors of what? I'm glad you asked. The preceding text tells us that it is those who are the survivors of the coming day of the LORD--the day of darkness and dread that will fall upon the whole earth (see Joel 2:31-32). All who are saved from God's eternal judgment are those whom God called to salvation. Not only is Christ the object of our faith, He is the Author of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 states, "...looking to Jesus, the founder [author] and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." And, being the "Founder" or Author of our faith means not merely being the One whom our faith is fixed, but being the One who originated our faith in the first place. It is God's own sovereign will that we should believe (see John 1:13). People will ask, then, where does my "free will" come in to the conversation? And that is the problem with all mankind--our will is not free. Every person ever born has their will captive to sin, lost in the darkness with no possibility of producing light on their own. God must illuminate the darkened heart; He must give life to the dead soul. So we come to the second: man's necessary faith. Our text reads, "everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved." This is the response of faith that God requires. It is the humble and penitent soul who will bow before the God of Heaven and cry out for salvation in Jesus Christ. The world has, for the most part, dismissed the salvation of Christ--looking to Jesus as a rebuke against their love for sin (see John 7:7). But then there are those who are convicted concerning their sin. Consider what happened at the preaching of Peter on the Day of Pentecost. "Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:37-38). Do you see it? I'm sure you do--both are working in this very text. The sovereign work of God in convicting those who heard and the call to faith by Peter through repentance. Beloved, have you ever been cut to the heart for the sins of your life--especially the sin of unbelief? Then, dear one, you have been moved by the sovereign work of God Almighty. Do as the Apostle Peter told the crowd that day and call upon the name of the LORD (see Acts 2:21). Do not harden your heart against the conviction of sin. Embrace that conviction as a gift from Almighty God and run to the LORD Jesus who will save all who call upon Him. Let us all, then, give thanks to the LORD Jesus for His salvation--a work of His sovereign will that moved us to believe. And, having believed and called upon the Savior, trust that His promise is forever certain--that all who call upon Him will be saved. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Doing Good in Times of Need4/27/2024 Acts 11:29 ~ "So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea." The life of the church is marked by a willing determination to do good in times of need for those who are in distress. And this is seen so very clearly in the church at Antioch. We have seen before how this church, of all the fellowships that had been born through the preaching of the Apostles, was first to be called "Christian" (see Acts 11:26). The behavior of this group of believers in Christ stood as a strong example to the world of what a fellowship of saints ought to do. It's a tragedy of sorts when church gatherings give up the very elemental instructions of the LORD to conform themselves to a more cultural conception of the gathering of the saints. The simplicity of faith working itself out in love is lost and complex designs and programs take its place. Paul laid this truth out in Galatians 5:6, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." But it is this simplicity of faith that found expression through the church at Antioch. After hearing of a famine that would come upon the people of Judea, the disciples of Antioch--a city approximately 300 miles away--took to heart the presented need and did something to aid the challenged saints in Jerusalem. From our text today, this is the first thing we must see--they "determined" to do this. That is to say, the made a willful and conscious choice to set aside resources to aid another church facing a time of crisis. Many Christians today will debate, discuss and let things "die in committees" before they determine to actually do something to send relief to those who are hurting. Let us hear the chastisement of James 2:16, "...and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?" We are commanded to not love merely with words, but with action and with truth (see 1 John 3:18). The second thing to see, the church members did not give except according to their ability. It is a terrible tragedy to demand from those who are already poor and destitute of resources to give beyond their means. If the LORD persuade them to make such a sacrifice, all is well. But let no such demand fall from the lips of those in the church! Jesus rebuked the scribes for stealing widows' houses. Consider Luke 20:46-47, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." We are to offer help according to our means. Let not the rich become miserly nor let the poor become barren, for we are expected of God to give according to what one has, not what one does not have (see 2 Corinthians 8:12). Finally, we see the third lesson from our text: the relief was sent by the church and to the church, for they sent "relief to the brothers." There is no knowing how the church in Jerusalem used the resources given, if they parsed it out to those who came asking for help, or if they gave first to the needs of the fellowship. But the Antioch church knew that the one group they could trust with the resources raised would be their fellow believers in Jerusalem. Galatians 6:10 teaches, "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." We are to do good to everyone, but our first response is to the needs of our own body--those who are of the household of faith. Many believers render aid through governmental programs and worldly institutions, but I would encourage you to first know that God has commanded us to give relief to those who belong to the church. It is true that some fellowships receive resources to horde it upon themselves. God will judge them for that. But let us not be faithless to the Word of God and defect to the world to give our resources to agencies outside of Christ. May the LORD Jesus bless us with the means to do good to those who belong to Him. In His Grace, Pastor Michael For Such a Time as This4/26/2024 Esther 4:14 ~ "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?" You were not "born out of time." I've heard this from several who look to their lives and think about times long ago, romanticized and seemingly more beneficial than the days wherein they live. Nor is there a future (outside of heaven) where you would fit in better, a time where some utopian society has grown out of the ashes of this one. You were born in this day and hour and God did not misplace you. Acts 17:26 states, "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place." God has already determined your allotted days. David said that all our days are already written in God's book (see Psalm 139:16). In the days of Esther, a great persecution rose up against the Jewish people living as captives in Persia. Haman, chief official of the king, despised the Jews and sought to rid himself of the entire race through a cunning plot that would have had the entire population authorized to annihilate them. (see Esther 3:13). Mordecai, who raised Esther, looked to her position as queen to be the means by which the LORD would bring deliverance to the Jews. However, as we look to the text for today, we see that Mordecai knew that the LORD would deliver His people: "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place." There is a real confidence of faith that Mordecai shows concerning his understanding that God will preserve His people. And, that, dear friends, is where we need to stand as well. Do you have that same confidence that the LORD Jesus will keep safe those who belong to Him? It is not necessarily a safety from earthly circumstances or deliverance from negative moments, but a confidence that God will preserve His people and deliver them according to His promise. Are you facing persecution? And could it be that God has actually put you into that circumstance for "such a time as this?" That you, being faithful to the LORD, will have the courage to stand and do what God has commanded and in so doing will shine a light so bright for the LORD Jesus that others will see and believe on the LORD Jesus Christ. Truly, most of us will never have the moment before us where our lives can rescue an entire nation from peril. But all of us will have moments given by God where our faithfulness can be used of Him to bring about a deliverance for someone. Paul told the Ephesians, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). There are good works laid before you, and it requires a willingness to walk by faith that you should fulfill them. For Esther, it was an "all or nothing" moment of faithfulness. She needed to enter the king's presence without being summoned, and that alone could cost her life. Esther 4:16 says, "Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish." Oh that we should have such a faith as this young woman! Let us all strive after that willing obedience to God, though it takes us into harm's way. You are, beloved, born for such a time as this. With the rise of wickedness and hatred of Christians today, the need for courageous faith is paramount. And the LORD created you in this time, and saved you in this time and you are still here--for such a time as this. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Do Not Give Up4/25/2024 Galatians 6:9 ~ "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." I am convinced that every Christian will face that moment--or multiple moments along the way--where they believe that all their effort is of so little value that it is like planting dead seeds into hardened soil. But, I want to take this moment today to encourage you to do as the Apostle Paul writes and not give up. It is hard for us to fathom the idea that we have little control of the results of our effort. We work, strive and labor for the Lord Jesus in this sin-sick world and then look to the potential harvest that will be reaped in the near future. We give our time to the service of our King and expect--perhaps even demand--that the sprouts of life will quickly spring up from our efforts. But that lost person still walks away, that difficult person still strives in chaos and those harsh circumstances of life are just as troubling. The sinner remains unrepentant and the way is still fraught with peril. We sigh, groan and wonder why the LORD allows us to labor in such seeming futility. But is it really futile? Are there no evidences at all of the LORD working through your labors? The first thing to see is that the LORD is pleased with your sacrificial effort. Hebrews 13:16 states, "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." In truth, the pleasure of God Almighty ought to be enough to satisfy the heart of every believer. Knowing that God looks with delight upon your willingness to do good and share what you have must be the first spark of fire that ignites the blaze of faithfulness to the LORD. Dear ones, you don't do well because you have been successful, you do well because you have been faithful. Jesus our Lord told us this in Matthew 25:21, "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'" The second stanza in the chorus of perseverance is to realize that the world does take note of your faithfulness. They may not like it--or even want to see it--but they do take note of it. Peter reminds us of this in 1 Peter 2:12, "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." There will come that day when the LORD Jesus returns. On that day, your testimony of faithful perseverance in this world will stand as a rebuke against them, for they saw in you the willing faithfulness to the LORD despite the antagonism and difficulties that you experienced. Romans 12:20 says, "To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.'" Beloved, there is a "due season" coming. A harvest will be reaped. It may not happen while you're doing the work of planting seeds or watering (see 1 Corinthians 3:6-8). Paul says that "we" will reap. It is a joint effort of labor, both the planting and the harvesting. You may reap the harvest of another servant's planting. Others may reap the harvest of yours. But the planter and the reaper will rejoice together, for it is the work not of one individual, but of all who belong to Christ. Jesus told us in John 4:36, "Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together." So, do not let your heart be troubled with the weariness of despair. There are times when rest is needed (see Mark 6:31). But, my friends, do not give up. God sees your labor and is pleased with your faithfulness to Him. Let His delight over you ever sustain you in the work that He has given. In His Grace, Pastor Michael God Will Repay4/24/2024 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 ~ "...since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflicted you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels." Someday, beloved, God will avenge His people. There is a disparity of life for most Christians. We look at the world and the continued rise of wickedness seems to be unabated. Persecutions against the saints of the LORD seem to be the only unrestricted hatred that happens in our world. In Revelation 6:10, beneath the altar of the LORD, the saints cry out, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" The increasing global hatred for true believers comes from those who, otherwise, would proclaim a level of tolerance for all other members of society. The Psalmist cries out in Psalm 73:3, "For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." And there are many today who see the increasing power and prosperity of the wicked in our world and, perhaps, grow envious of them still. Jeremiah asked a similar question as the psalmist in Jeremiah 12:1, "Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?" But, my friends, let me encourage you to not look upon the worldly increase of the wicked as if that is a situation that will last them forever. The church of Thessalonica suffered greatly from persecutors and Paul looked to them as the steadfast example for other churches. Consider 2 Thessalonians 1:4, "Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring." Yet their willingness to remain faithful to Christ in the face of such hatred was evidence that they belonged to Christ. For true faith must be tested and when it is, it will bring glory to God and confidence to the believer (see 1 Peter 1:7). But even as God will use the persecutions that come against His church to strengthen and refine His people, He will also repay those who persecute believers with the afflictions that they had caused the church to suffer. Romans 12:19 states, "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'" Christian, God has never once overlooked the sufferings that you have endured at the hands of the world. He has seen every hatred, has heard every slander against you and knows that you have been greatly distressed in your faith. Hear the word of God from Isaiah 35:4, "Say to those who have an anxious heart, 'Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.'" But you might ask, "when will this take place? When will God repay the wicked and grant relief to His saints?" The time is soon... sooner than we might believe. In our text, we are encouraged with the knowledge that the day of Christ's return will be the day of final and full relief for those who are born again, and ultimate repayment for those who rejected the LORD and persecuted His people. The Day when our Lord Jesus is revealed is a twofold promise: a promise of full redemption for those who belong to Christ, and also a promise of final judgment for those who despised Him. So, beloved, hold out hope until that day even as we are told in Hebrews 10:23, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." 1 Peter 4:19 reminds us, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." So let us be patient and continue to do good. Soon, God will bring a just repayment for His people. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Cost of Faithfulness4/23/2024 1 Chronicles 21:24 ~ "But King David said to Ornan, 'No, but I will buy them for the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing.'" How do you count the cost of faithfulness to the LORD? Incited by the enemy of God, David sent Joab to survey the nation of Israel and count the people (see 1 Chronicles 21:1-2). The intent of such a survey would more than probably be to underscore the strength of the nation, noting how many fighting men there were in both the northern and southern portions of the kingdom. This, however, angered the LORD for it looked to the strength of men rather than the power of God to secure the land. David, in repentance, cried out to the LORD and was given the opportunity to worship God at the threshing floor where the destroying angel was commanded to halt the judgment of the LORD. And I want to highlight this truth: we have opportunity to worship the LORD at His willingness not at ours. If God will not receive your service, if He rejects your worship, then, beloved, you are out of fellowship with Him and must repent of any known sins and seek the mercy of the LORD. Consider what the LORD said in Malachi 1:10, "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand." So, you might ask--what is acceptable? David tells us in Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." It is humility that God receives, a heart that is broken and contrite before Him. Arrogance and pride must be cast off as we come to offer our sacrifices to the LORD. So, in our text today, David had humbled himself before God (see 1 Chronicles 21:17). And now the king of Israel is commanded to come before the LORD and offer to God a sacrifice of worship, an burnt offering and a peace offering. But Ornan wanted to give to David all that which was required to make the acceptable sacrifice--and David refused on two grounds. First, David said, "I will not take for the LORD what is yours." David was no robber-king, and he would not take from another and present it as if it were his. As king of Israel, it may seem as if David would have the authority to take it--and it was freely offered. But to offer such a sacrifice before the LORD would, in truth, be an offering of Ornan's and not David's. Second, and this is to our main view today, David would offer no sacrifice before the LORD that cost him nothing. What a tremendous truth this is! There is a cost to our faithfulness to the LORD. David knew this, for he wanted to make sure he paid full price for all the required necessities of the offering. In truth, a sacrifice that comes without a cost is not really a sacrifice at all. If I wanted to give to you a gift, but then go and get that gift for free, given to me by another, and then pass it off to you, the value of such a gift is emptied--for it cost me nothing. Do you have this mindset? Are you of the frame of thinking that you will only give to God what is convenient without a cost? Let us all embrace the wonderful opportunity to give to God what He deserves: our very lives. Jesus told us to "count the cost" in Luke 14:28, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" But, be of good cheer my friends, God will not impose on you a demand beyond your ability. 2 Corinthians 8:12 states, "For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have." It is often, however, not our abilities that hinder us but our unwillingness that gets in our way. So let me encourage you, beloved, to consider this text and remember what David the king said. There is a cost to faithfulness--let your willingness cause you to rise up and offer to God what He requires. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Blessing of Affliction4/22/2024 Psalm 119:71 ~ "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes." It is not an easy thing for people to embrace their afflictions as if they are a blessing. But, my dear friends, it is a good thing that we undergo the affliction of the LORD. In a culture rich with the pleasantries of life and the ability to receive almost immediate satisfaction with the various needs and wants that fill the human experience, it is a difficult thing to imagine that there are benefits to the sufferings we endure. But, in truth, there are ample blessings received along the rough road, benefits that would otherwise be missed if our way was filled only with comfort. So, as we look upon our text today, the Psalmist described his affliction as something "good." The term means beneficial, and can even be translated "beautiful" on some occasions. Imagine that--something beautiful born out of suffering. Ask any woman who has gone through the travail of labor and she will describe the end result of her pain as a tremendous blessing. Hear the words of Solomon from Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He has made everything beautiful in its time." What was the king of Israel concerned with in that chapter--that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity, both the good and the bad, and the Almighty God can make even the hard realities of life a thing of beauty when we look to Him. And consider the end result of the affliction. The Psalmist says, "...that I may learn your statutes." Did you know that there are lessons of truth that can be earned only through the crucible of affliction. Our Lord Jesus endured suffering. Read it in Hebrews 5:8, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered." Did you think that you could possibly learn obedience to the will of God in any other way than how our Lord, Himself, learned obedience? I do believe that we forget at times that we are sinners and we must learn the precious truths of God Almighty in order to walk in His holiness. Intellectual awareness of truth is good, but experiential knowledge is transforming. And we need to be transformed. Hebrews 12:10-11 states, "For they [earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he [Almighty God] disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hear what the Psalmist said in a verse preceding our text for today, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word" (Psalm 119:67). We easily divert from the "straight and narrow" without the disciplining hand of the Almighty God. And, dear Christian, we ought to love such discipline. In fact, if we do not undergo God's discipline, it tells us that we are considered "illegitimate children" (see Hebrews 12:8). Consider a man who has never undergone discipline. They go through life with the foolish expectation that it all should be measured out for his benefit. And then the harsh reality comes crashing down around him and he rails against all those who would not embrace his folly--especially the LORD. Proverbs 19:3 tells us, "When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the LORD." Dear ones, children that never undergo needed discipline will find that the folly of their youth is never transformed into the wisdom of maturity. Beloved, take a moment and think back to the times of trial that you went through. Could it be that you learned more about Christ, about true faith and real love during those times than during times of ease? Comfort is no sign of God's providential blessing and suffering is no indication of His anger. Let us close out with a word from the Apostle Peter, "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7). Perhaps, when we see the difficulty for what it is, we can say with the Psalmist that it was good for us, also, to be afflicted. In His Grace, Pastor Michael A Greater Joy Awaiting4/21/2024 John 14:28 ~ "You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I." Dear Christian, do not tremble too much at death. For those who belong to Christ have a greater joy awaiting than any transient delights on earth. Consider our LORD as He quickly came upon the final days of His life. As He gazed forward toward the suffering that would bring us peace with God, and the horrific experience of what was going to be His greatest triumph for the salvation of those who believe, He rejoiced. Hebrews 12:2 says, "...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." In our text today, the LORD reminded His disciples that He was going away. Jesus had told them on many occasions that there was coming a cross for Him, a suffering at the hands of sinful men and, ultimately, His death. But the LORD continued to remind them that His resurrection would follow. We see this in texts such as Matthew 16:21, "From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." But now Jesus also tells them that there is going to be a departure of His physical presence from them for a period of time--that He was "going away." When the payment for sins was complete and His final instructions spoken, the LORD would depart from this world and return to His Father. And, for that, He looked forward with joy. He even told the disciples that it was to their advantage that He depart. Jesus said in John 16:7, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." Consider this from our text today, Jesus said that if they loved Him, they would rejoice at His departure, for He was going to again be with the Father. Oh how difficult it is for us to grasp this! To love Jesus, and all those who belong to Jesus, is to rejoice at their departure to glory. Please don't mistake me, I do not set aside the grief of loss or the pain of the vacancy of a loved one who departed. But, can we not also rejoice because they departed--and because we love them are we not blessed to know that they entered into that greater joy that awaits all who belong to the LORD? As the Apostle Paul considered the matter between remaining here to serve the LORD or departing to be with the LORD he said this in Philippians 1:23, "I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." Dear ones, don't hold so tightly to the temporary joys of this transient life. There are blessed moments and great opportunities to serve the LORD and find joy in the journey, but there is a greater joy awaiting. There is a heavenly joy--an eternal glory. It is a blessed thing to have a long and fruitful life in serving the LORD while we are here. And even the Scripture teaches of the blessing of years in this life (see Psalm 91:6). But let us hold fast to the truth that the presence of our LORD is far greater, and to depart to be with Christ is a glorious reason to rejoice. And, my friends, I know this: the day when God has determined it is my time to depart and be with Christ, I will exceedingly rejoice. In His Grace, Pastor Michael From the Mountains to the SeaEvery step we take on this journey called life ought to be used for greater understanding. I've lived from the mountains to the sea, and this blog is my personal thoughts and observations with a desire for Biblical understanding. Welcome. Archives
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