Speaking Truth in Love7/15/2024 Ephesians 4:15 ~ “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” There are many who will read a verse such as this and then surmise that they are commanded to say whatever they have upon their minds, believing that it is a truth to be told. I have known, and I am fairly certain that you have too, those who bring harm by speaking their opinion—though they believe that they are speaking a truth that must be communicated. It is a dangerous practice to harness a text to some personal persuasion without comprehending the full measure of what it says. So, as we venture into our text for today, let us not stray from the context in which it is provided. So let me encourage you to take a moment and read Ephesians 4:11-16 before we venture further together. There are two key statements in the verses that precede our text for today. In verse 13 it states, “of the knowledge of the Son of God,” and in verse 14 we read, “carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” In the context of our passage today, we discover that the truth to be spoken is the truth concerning knowledge of the Son of God—that is, the LORD Jesus Christ. And, thus, to be avoided are those other winds of doctrines that are based not upon Christ but upon the cunning and craftiness of man which distort the truth of Christ. It is imperative in the church that there is unity—but that unity is to be in the knowledge of the Son of God (see Ephesians 4:13), and to find that unity, the church is given the responsibility of speaking the truth of Christ in love. And this is the first thing we need to see today—that the truth we are to speak, is the truth concerning Christ. There are many opinions of Christ. Jesus asked the question to the apostles concerning that very thing. Matthew 16:13 reads, “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’” There were many observations concerning Christ, but none of them were based on Divine revelation but human speculation (see Matthew 16:14). Several will talk of subjective experiences, but do those experiences hold the same authority as revealed truth? They must not, for it is only in the Scriptures that the truth of Christ is revealed. Even Peter, with all of his supernatural encounters in his walking with Christ, made this observation in 2 Peter 1:19, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” So, as we speak the truth, we come to the next thing we need to see—what is the qualifier of speaking the truth? Simple: we speak the truth in love. Understand, this love is not human sentimentality or worldly agreement. Many believe that there is no love where people disagree. But it is not disagreement that we must avoid, but hostility against another. There is no room in the Christian heart to hold the truth with anger or hatred toward anyone. We speak the truth with the same love that Jesus spoke the truth. We offer to those who are around us the very truth that Jesus offered to us. It does not mean that the truth won’t hurt, or even offend the one who rejects it. But we must not pursue speaking the truth with the intention of causing harm but bringing life. It is a tremendous grace to have in your life those who are willing to help you avoid the ledge of sin by speaking the truth in love. Let us be thankful for those times when we have been lovingly chastised by the truth of God’s word. Many times, the simplicity of a reminded Scripture has prevented me from slipping into some danger. Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” And beyond warning of the dangers of sin, such truth spoken in love can be that lift of encouragement that someone else needs in order to press further in faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” And finally, let us briefly see the results. There is a maturity that comes when we speak the truth in love. As our text states, “we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” We are to grow up—that is, we are to see an increase in our conformity to Christ. There is a family resemblance that God is creating in each of His children, and that resemblance is to bear the image of His Son. We are to be like Him, in character and conduct, in all our views and values, we are to become more and more like Jesus. Let me encourage you, dear Christian, to speak the truth—but do so in the qualifying condition of love. Have in your heart a true desire to see the one to whom you speak grow Christ. In His Grace, Pastor Michael
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Avoid Grumbling7/14/2024 Philippians 2:14-15 ~ “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” How quickly the inner core of an individual is revealed the moment a murmuring, grumbling disposition is released into a conversation. Jesus warns us in Matthew 15:18, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” The world is filled with back-talkers, those who bite and devour another in the company of people who are eager to hear the slander. Let it not be so in the church. And, in truth, anyone with a grumbling spirit has very little concern for anyone outside of themselves. As we consider our text today, it is a good moment to examine where some of those grumblings are hidden within your own heart. Repent of them, leave them out of your consideration when it comes to how you interact with those people who are in your life. Dear Christian, you and I have a distinctive privilege to do things for the sake of Christ. There is not one aspect of your life that is separated from being faithful to Him. It doesn’t matter what “doing” is to be done, let it all be acted upon with the same love and devotion you have for Jesus. And this is the very first element of our text today: “do all things.” This is a tremendously large, and rather ambiguous expression, for it does not give us any specifics that must be done, but that we are to consider anything that we do with the same love and grace. Both things we don’t like or things we are pleased with, those things that are mundane or those that are magnificent, are found in this qualification of “all things.” Consider what Paul said to the Colossians, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). The great qualifier in our text today is to do all those things “without grumbling or disputing.” And this is where the test comes so often in the hearts of God’s people. We grumble when we believe something has happened outside of our best interest or is being done without our approval. The Israelites grumbled against the LORD. In Numbers 17:10 we read, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.’” The church grumbled against the apostles. Consider Acts 6:1, “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint [grumbling] by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.” It often doesn’t take long before our hearts are grumbling and our mouths disputing over some real or imagined slight against us. Dear ones, this grumbling disposition is a sin, and if you possess it, then I implore you to repent. But we are not without a motive to cease our grumblings and respond to each other with the love and grace that we have received in Christ. We live in the midst of a “crooked and twisted generation” that is growing more so with each passing year. And in such a generation, the church—that is, those who belong to Jesus Christ—are to shine like stars in the night. So, let me ask a “for instance” question to bring this to clarity. What will the world see from you when you’ve been wronged? Will they see retaliation or forgiveness? What light are you shining in the eyes of others who need to know that the mercy of our LORD Jesus is alive in you? Consider Colossians 3:12-13, “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” It is a spiritually deadly poison to let a grumbling, disputing disposition grow within your heart. If you’re uncertain about that, consider 1 Corinthians 10:9-10, “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.” But if you respond to those around you with the patient grace and love of Christ, you show yourself to be, even as our text declares, “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish.” So, let me encourage you to continue doing all things without grumbling or disputing. It is a testimony of your faith and a light of Christ in the eyes of a sin-darkened world. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Bad Influences7/13/2024 1 Kings 11:4 ~ “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” How long does it take for the influences of those within the circle of our lives to move us in a new or different direction? For Solomon, when he was old, there was a definite change of direction. Perhaps a better question might be asked—who do you invite into the circle of your life to have an influence over you? The Scriptures are filled with instruction about those we hold close. Proverbs 13:20 states, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Paul reminds the church of this principle in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” And in our text today, we discover that even the one who was given great wisdom was turned aside because of the close companionship with those who were of the world. But for Solomon, where did it start? Consider 1 Kings 11:1-2, “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, ‘You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love.” Despite the command of the LORD to not enter a marriage with a foreigner, Solomon “clung to these in love” and rebelled against the God of Heaven. And, because he did love them, he was swayed by their foreign worship, and led astray into their idolatry. After a lengthy time of being influenced by those who worshiped false gods, the aged king gave in. Dear reader, consider those that you have around you that will influence your life. Let me ask a simple question: are they leading you toward or away from following the LORD? They may be those whom you love. They may be someone who is so close to you in heart that it is nearly impossible for you to imagine that they have anything but your good in mind. Surely they don’t mean you harm, even though they want you to participate in those things that are forbidden by the Word of God. But you must understand that the enemy of God does not deceive with obvious lies or hostile opposition, he is the one who masquerades as an angel of light and his servants are disguised as agents of righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). The key to our text for today is this: “and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God.” This is where everything went wrong for Solomon. With 700 wives and 300 concubines (see 1 Kings 11:3), the king was surrounded by those who did not follow the LORD but worshiped the false and wicked gods of the world. And without a heart set to be wholly true to the LORD, the only place that he would go was downward. In a bit of irony, Solomon had instructed the people to do the very thing at which he failed. Solomon commands the people in 1 Kings 8:61, saying, “Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.” It is a safe bet to think that at the time of Solomon’s proclamation to the people, that his heart was true to the LORD. But time, and the influence of his many wives, eroded away his stand and eventually he crumbled under the weight of all those who surrounded him. And, perhaps you are in a position now where you believe that your heart is fully and wholly devoted to the LORD Jesus Christ. Peter thought he was when he declared, “Even though they all fall away, I will not” (Mark 14:29). And yet, in the time of testing, Peter denied Jesus three times (see Matthew 26:75). It is a daily thing, a moment-by-moment determination of the heart to be wholly devoted to the LORD. And we must not let the world hold sway over us to move our hearts away from Jesus Christ. Take a moment as you read this and note the influences you have in your life. Do they exalt the LORD Jesus? Do they encourage you to walk in faithfulness to His Word? Have you noticed if they are attempting to drag you away from your pure and sincere devotion to Christ (see 2 Corinthians 11:3). Let me encourage you, my friends, to have in your life those who love and serve the LORD, that they will continue to motivate you to walk in loving obedience, with a whole-hearted devotion to Jesus. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Convenience or Obedience7/12/2024 1 Chronicles 13:9-10 ~ “And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God.” Let me encourage you to read 1 Chronicles, chapter 13, as we consider the text for today. David wanted to bring back the ark of the covenant to the city of Jerusalem. Uncertain as to how this could be accomplished, the king went to those he considered leaders of men, those who might have some wisdom or at least a valued opinion as to the manner in which they could deliver the ark to Jerusalem. In 1 Chronicles 13:1 we read, “David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader.” They came up with a convenient plan, put it on a new cart. And this was a plan that satisfied the whole crowd of those gathered as we see in 1 Chronicles 13:4, “All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.” But that is not the question to be asked—does it please the people. The better question to answer is this: is it right in the eyes of God? Is your desire to serve the LORD based on convenience or obedience? So they came toward Jerusalem, following their own plan and with great fanfare and celebration they seemingly worshiped the LORD with all their heart. 1 Chronicles 13:8 says, “And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.” But, beloved, just because there is excitement and everyone seems to celebrate the LORD does not mean that the LORD is pleased. There are many gatherings who come together in the name of Christ that have nothing to do with truly worshiping the LORD. Consider the words of Samuel to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” If we are to worship the LORD acceptably, we must worship Him in obedience and not presumption. And this brings us to our text for today. The oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out to steady the ark of the covenant. Surely it was not supposed to fall upon the ground. Certainly, the man meant no disrespect to the LORD merely by trying to steady the falling artifact. Yet, when Uzzah reached out and touched the Ark, he did what was forbidden by the LORD. Consider the rule set by the LORD in Numbers 4:15, "And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry." Even the manner in which the ark was returning to Jerusalem was done in disobedience to God’s Word. In Exodus 25:12-14 we read, "You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them." This was the only method by which the ark was to be carried. No human hand was to touch the ark, for it was the very place where God had promised to meet with His people (see Exodus 25:22). Even if Uzzah's motives were generally innocent, it was a presumption to do what he did. There was a lack of the fear of God with Uzzah in such a presumption, believing that it was only a casual thing to touch the very object that represented the LORD before the people. Uzzah did the very thing that God warned against, and the moment was used by the LORD to set the precedent against such presumption or casual indifference to the commands of God. David learned from this dreadful mistake and understood it when in 1 Chronicles 15:13 he says to the priests, "Because you did not carry it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us, because we did not seek him according to the rule." What a statement—we did not seek Him according to the rule. They went back to the Word of God, the very commands as to how to bring the ark forward and carry it in honor of the LORD. We cannot settle into our hearts any such presumption when we come before the LORD. Let our worship of Him be reflected in our obedience to Him. Let His Word be the rule by which we establish the means by which we honor the LORD. Then we will know that God is truly glorified. In His Grace, Pastor Michael (For this devotional, I want to thank the elders of Faith Community Church, men of God who helped talk through this text during one of our meetings. The title for this devotional graciously provided by Milt Cantellay.) Leaving the World Behind7/11/2024 Ruth 1:16 ~ “But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.’” Disaster had struck the family of Naomi. Due to a famine in Israel, she, her husband and two sons departed from their home and settled in the land of Moab. Her husband died, and both her sons married Moabite women. It may have seemed that there was a settled life before her, but then her two sons also died and she was left without heir or support. In her desperate grief, she needed to return to the land of her birth. Naomi sent both her daughters-in-law back to their families and was set to sojourn alone back to Israel. Except, her daughter-in-law, Ruth, was not willing to be parted from her. And this brings us to our text today. Ruth was passionately unwilling to leave Naomi, and her statement draws us into an illustration that reflects upon our departure from this world for the LORD Jesus. Let me ask this: are you passionately unwilling to depart from the LORD? Does not the hardship of following Christ encourage you to return to the comfort of the world and leave Him behind? For this is the situation with Ruth—she was unwilling to return to her former life and her statement must be the echoed desire of all who belong to Christ. First, Ruth pleaded with Naomi to not send her away as she said, “Do not urge me to leave you or return from following you.” What desperation from the heart of Ruth to plead with her mother-in-law, but she loved Naomi and so to depart from her would be a separation that was unbearable. And let that be said of our love for Christ, that to separate from Him is beyond a dread or fear, it would be as if we separated from our own hearts. To lose Christ is to lose life itself. When the crowd of disciples that followed Jesus turned away from him, the LORD asked the twelve if they were going to depart as well (See John, chapter 6). Consider the words of Peter. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Despite the comfort that would await Ruth back with her own people, she determined to stay with Naomi. And, dear ones, if we are to cling to Christ, we must depart from the comforts of the world. Second, Ruth was determined to follow Naomi, no matter where it may lead. As we read in our text for today, “For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge.” You must understand that the return to Bethlehem was not going to lead into a life of ease and riches. Naomi called herself “Mara” which means “bitter” (see Ruth 1:20). Consider what Ruth was required to do in order to merely keep her and Naomi fed—she had to go after the harvesters and glean from the fields. This was reserved for the impoverished in the land. It was a form of charity to provide for those who could not afford even to purchase grain. And this might be the life we experience, for where Jesus leads is not always upon the streets of ease and comfort. Our LORD even said in Matthew 8:20, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” In essence, Jesus said that to follow Him would be to forsake all—even if it means forsaking comfort. Third, Ruth was willing to identify completely with the one she followed. The final statement is telling as Ruth stated, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” She was fully set in the faith of the people of God. And, dear Christian, let this be the testimony of our lives as we put our faith in the LORD Jesus. Let it be known that for us the people of God are our people, and the worship of God is our desire. We have no other God, no other Savior, and no other people than those who are of Christ. For some, their faith in the LORD Jesus is merely a sentimental attachment that has no distinctive absolutes to it. Yet for Ruth, there was a clear separation from the world. She left Moab behind, her people and their ways. She embraced the people of God and His authority. Let it be said of us who are born again that there is a clear separation from the world and a true identity that we have in Christ. The complete separation of Ruth from the world must be the mark of our faith in Christ as well. May we be so found in Christ that where He goes, we go. And we know that He has gone into glory. Through hardships and joys, let us follow the LORD Jesus until we arrive there as well. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Learning from the Example of Others7/10/2024 Jeremiah 3:8 ~ “She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore.” The nation of Israel separated into two kingdoms, the northern kingdom which still referred to itself as Israel and the southern kingdom now called by the name of the tribe of Judah. And yet, Israel and Judah were all still the delivered people of God—the lineage of those who were rescued from Egypt and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It did not take long for the northern kingdom to fall into great sin and idolatry. They had forsaken the LORD, the temple, the sacrifices and worship of God. Soon after the separation, Israel established idolatry in full force as they built altars to the various false gods of the nations around them. But idolatry is as adultery to the LORD for it is to take the faithful devotion and love that God deserves and give it to another—to false gods. However, God is rich in mercy and patient in His faithfulness to Israel. He called upon them to return, sending prophets to the people and warning them of impending judgment. Jeremiah 7:25 says, “From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day.” And what reason did God have for sending prophets in the land, but to continually call Israel to repent and return to the LORD their God (see 2 Chronicles 24:19). Israel, however, went into captivity. God sent her away, and all the while her sister nation, Judah, witnessed the whole thing. But, where Israel to the north was called “faithless,” Judah to the south was called “treacherous” (see Jeremiah 3:11). Why? Simply this: Judah had all the advantage over Israel, for in Jerusalem was the temple of God, His worship and the sacrifices. The priests, especially the high priest, were in Judah. Righteous kings would occasionally rule in the south, where the north had not one righteous king. And one more thing to add—Judah witnessed God’s judgment against Israel. They saw with their own eyes God’s response to the idolatry and rebellion of the northern kingdom, and it did not sway them against their own move toward sin. It is not unlike what happened to the son of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. We know that Nebuchadnezzar had been disciplined by the hand of God (see Daniel, chapter 4). Belshazzar knew what God did to his father, Nebuchadnezzar, but it did not faze him one bit. Daniel 5:22 states, “And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this.” He was a witness to the punishment of his father the king, but he willingly rebelled. And this brings us to our text for today. Beloved, let us pay attention when we see God’s hand of discipline heavy upon those who are around us. They may have sinned of spiritual weakness and we are watching God discipline them to move them to repentance so that He can have mercy upon them. Let us then take warning from what we see and also set our hearts to repentance. For if we see what happened to another, and then willingly venture into the same rebellion, we would not merely be faithless—but treacherous. You may have not yet been disciplined by the hand of God, for He is slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, even as Psalm 145:8 says, “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” When we see another under the chastisement of God, let us fear the LORD and repent. For that lack of fear, the nation of Judah fell into God’s judgment. The key passage of our text today is this: “Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear.” If you know of another who is under God’s heavy hand, do not mock or ridicule them for their misfortune, but tremble with fear and learn from what you see so that, if necessary, you quickly repent and leave your sins behind. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:11, “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” Have you learned from the example that others have provided? Does it cause you to watch and be sober in your walk with Christ? Let me implore you, dear Christian, to look through the Scriptures and learn from the examples given to us that we may find both encouragement and, if necessary, correction. And you might, then, discover this promise also being fulfilled, “Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God” (Joel 2:14). In His Grace, Pastor Michael Spurned and Despised7/9/2024 Luke 6:22-23 ~ “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” As we considered yesterday the pursuit of popularity, today we will look at the willingness of a Christian to pursue Christ no matter the cost. It is a difficult thing to be spurned and despised. Our basic nature is to find a place of acceptance, belonging with the desire to be wanted. We look for those groups and associations that will not only cater to our needs, but receive us with a genuine welcome. But our LORD, in our text for today, pronounces the blessing in just the opposite direction—when we are hated, excluded and reviled. Very few would put that on their introductory packet to their fellowship: “come to our church where we are hated by the world.” For those who are driven by popularity, it would never do. But consider the reasons why such animosity is leveled against you. The text indicates it clearly: “on account of the Son of Man.” And that is where every believer must live—on account of the Son of Man. So, with the question lingering in the air, let us ask it: how is your life lived on account of Jesus? To ask it a different way: is Jesus the “why” when someone asks you the reason for the way you live? Can you say, as the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” If the answer is “yes” (and I truly hope it is), then you will have already experienced the conditions in our text today. Why are you humble? Why are you honest? Why are you patient? Why are you loving? And each time the answer is the same: “for to me, to live is Christ.” It is a precious thing to take inventory of the reasons that you live as you do, and set them against the simple measuring line: “to live is Christ.” And this is where the blessing is found. The term simply means: to be happy or well off. Sometimes it indicates a state of being envied. Imagine that, you will be envied and considered well off when you receive the vitriol of the world against your faith in Christ. Let us remember, however, who is applying this blessing—it is the LORD Jesus, not the world. The people of this world cannot see that their wicked treatment of you as you live on account of Christ is providing you a blessing. So, why does Jesus pronounce the blessing upon the suffering of His servants? Simple: the LORD does not see blessings from the standpoint of our temporary satisfaction or our settled and peaceful state in this world. Consider what He says at the end of our text: “your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” The apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ (see Acts 5:41). The Apostle Paul said this in Galatians 6:17, “From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” And there is a response Christ describes for us: a willing reaction of joy. Imagine that, you can rejoice and even leap for joy when you are facing the great hostility of those who hate Jesus. 1 Peter 4:13 tells us this, “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” Again, Peter instructs us in 1 Peter 2:20, “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.” There is no blessing applied when your suffering is brought on by your own bad behavior. But, when you do good, when you strive in this world to be as Christ, living on account of Him, and you face the onslaught of the persecutions of this world, it is a gracious thing in the sight of God. You are living and proving out your love for and faith in His Son, our LORD Jesus. So, hang on, Christian. Soon the trials of this life will be over and your greatest rejoicing will come when you stand in victory with the LORD Jesus in that eternal place where we will be with Him forever. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Popularity Worship7/8/2024 Luke 6:26 ~ “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” How is it that so many Christians venture out upon the stage of the world in the hope that they will be well received by the mass of humanity that despises and rejects the LORD? There is a marked difference between having a good reputation and being so welcomed by the world that they consider you to be one just like them. It is a good thing to have a good reputation, for even Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” A Christian ought to bear a testimony of one who is repentant of sin and pursuing righteousness. It should be that a believer in Christ is counted the one who’s name demonstrates the stamp of belonging to Christ. So, then, why is there a condemnation spoken against those who have all people speak well of them? Simple: when “all” people speak well of a person, it illuminates the fact that the person is fully engaged in the things of this world rather than the things of Christ. Jesus stated in John 15:19, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Dear reader, it is easy to fall into the trap of “popularity worship.” That is to say, when your pursuits and inclinations, your decisions and directions are all made with the hope of garnering greater popularity with a broader collection of people. Politicians fall into the trap rather quickly when they look upon their constituents as the governing measure of how they should respond to any and every situation—that is, they look to see if the majority is for or against any given idea. But there is no “majority rule” in the kingdom of Christ. It is the rule of the King of kings that directs and determines the steps His children are to follow. Exodus 23:2 says, “You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice.” If, as the Scriptures say, the whole world is under the control of the wicked one (see 1 John 5:19), then it is easy to estimate where the majority will eventually go. But it must not be for the Christian. If you are a born-again believer in the LORD Jesus, you have one Master, one Rule, and though all the world assails you and rails against you for your faithfulness to Jesus, you must not comply with them. And, in the first word of our text today, “woe,” we hear the unutterable expression of undeniable loss. It is a statement of great grief, a statement used of Jesus when He proclaimed the seven “woes” on the scribes and the Pharisees (see Matthew, chapter 23). This is the calamity of the one who desires to please the world rather than the LORD. The loss is far greater than many might imagine. It is described in James 4:4, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” The loss of friendship with God is an eternal loss that, without repentance and true faith in Christ, a person will suffer that loss for all eternity. It also puts the one who loves popularity into the category of the false prophets. As our text today says, “for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” The world loves the false prophets for they will always find themselves in agreement with each other. God, through the prophet Jeremiah rebukes them, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes” (Jeremiah 5:31). Oh, dear friends, heed the warning in this text today and do not pursue those things that are of worldly fads or popular opinion. Jesus has already given us His word to govern our understanding of things. He has given us His commands to provide us the necessary direction we need to live in this world. Let us leave off the pursuit of popularity and hold fast our faith in Christ, following Him even if it means we do so alone. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Rebellion and Repentance7/7/2024 Jonah 3:10 ~ “When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.” The prophet, Jonah, brought to the city of Nineveh a great warning against their sin and wickedness before the LORD. The message was simple: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4). There was no mistaking the warning, for Jonah delivered it across the vast city for three days (see Jonah 3:3). Yet what a grace that God gives when He sends His word to warn us of the impending judgment against our sin. And it was His will to give Nineveh such grace. But the warning also came with a deadline, and that must give us pause to understand that the LORD will not always strive with man. He will bring judgment, and it will come soon. Let us then strive to proclaim the warning of God to a world that is in rebellion against Him that they also would hear. And what was Nineveh’s response? Jonah 3:5-6, “And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.” The first statement is the key—the people believed God. Without a real sense that God will do exactly as He promises, people will continue to rebel and forsake His ways. They will hear the words but they will not do anything about it. Many today are in such a state, always hearing but never acknowledging the truth (see 2 Timothy 3:7). Though they claim to believe in God, they don’t believe God and continue to venture down paths of wickedness without any fear of God. Just as it says in Romans 3:18, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” But the city of Nineveh did believe God, and in that conviction, responded in the only way they could—they repented. Consider what the king of Nineveh ordered in Jonah 3:8, “Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.” And this brings us to the first statement of our text today—that God saw their response to His warning. But, take heed to this truth: God watched their actions more than listened to their words. True repentance, beloved, always comes with a response. Lip-service sorrow will fall upon deaf ears, but a true turning away from sin and the rejection of that which is evil, God will see. Let me ask: do you suffer from a sin that seems to be on repeat? Is there a continual striving against a persistent wickedness? Then, dear Christian, continue to repent—daily if you have to, hour by hour if needed. Jesus commanded that we repent (see Matthew 4:17). Confess your sin before the LORD and with determined resolution, flee that sin until it dies. And what is the LORD’s response? For Nineveh, the LORD God Almighty relented from sending destruction. He withheld His judgment against that city because they believed and repented and proved their repentance in their actions (see Acts 26:20). One of the reasons Jonah initially ran from the call to preach to Nineveh was for this very reason. He said as much in Jonah 4:2, “For I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.” Jonah wanted God to punish the great city, God had other ideas—He wanted to pardon them. But God does not dole out His forgiveness upon the unrepentant. God warns, time and again He warns against rebellion. We see it in His word, from Genesis to Revelation, there is a constant warning from God to reject evil and pursue righteousness—a righteousness that is found through faith in Christ. As in the case of Nineveh, it is often true that the first cause of our repentance from sin is a healthy dose of the fear of God’s retribution. We fear punishment, so we fly from wickedness. But that is merely the initial stage. Let your love for Christ grow with such depth that you will flee from sin and rebellion merely to please the LORD. His will becomes your delight and His ways your path to follow. And so, today, we see a city of rebellion become a city of repentance. Let it be said of our hearts as well that we have forsaken our sinful ways and are a people of repentance and faith in Christ. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Hope Worth Holding7/6/2024 Hebrews 6:18-20 ~ “So that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Scriptures are filled with the continual encouragement to have hope. God wants to fill your life, not with religious platitudes that sound nice but are useless and not with empty promises that offer hope without being able to deliver. He wants you to know the reality of a life that is filled with hope, a life that is filled with the One Person who can and does deliver hope to all who have taken hold of Him—He wants your life filled with Christ. Concerning this hope, you need to see three things from Hebrews 6:18-20. Our hope is established in God alone. The very first position we must understand is that God did this. This is not a man-made conception for spiritual optimism. What a wonderful reality, what a profound and incomprehensible truth. God is acting on behalf of men who were helpless to act for themselves. God did this. What did God do? God did “two unchangeable things.” He established the promise of eternal life and confirmed it with an oath. Now that may not seem like much; many people make and break promises. True, but they are not breaking their nature—they are acting in accordance with it. God made the promise, confirmed it with and oath, and for that promise to break God would have to cease being God. What does this mean? It means that our hope is as secure as God himself. Our hope is established in the fact that God will never, nor could ever break His own word. Our hope is an encouragement for those who believe. This encouragement is only for those who have “fled for refuge.” All who reject Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior have also rejected eternal hope. They may have temporary lulls in the cyclones of circumstances, but ultimately, they have no hope. As a Christian, dear ones, you have access to all of the encouragement of God’s promises (see 2 Corinthians 1:20). However, many, are trying to make it in this world without taking seriously the promises of God. You need to open your eyes to the vast assurances that God has given for you. Even the promises of discipline and hardship comes with a promise of benefit for those who belong to Christ. Don’t let the world tell you what kind of life you are to have. At the point where you have become discouraged, examine if you have forgotten some of God’s promises for you. If you take God at His word, then flee to take hold of the hope that is in Christ Jesus. Our hope is as eternal as Christ Jesus. Jesus carried with Him, through the cross, the grave, and into the very sanctuary of Heaven itself, the hope that is for all who will believe. Our hope is complete in Him. Jesus is our hope; He is our peace; His is the sustaining power of our life. Beloved, you can have hope forever because Christ is eternal. If Christ ever changed, if He ever stopped being the Savior, then everyone would be absolutely lost. Now, according to the text, Jesus has done all of this “on our behalf.” If Christ Jesus is the holder of all hope, and He never will pass away, then we can agree with the writer of Hebrews that: “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” All believers have a hope worth holding. God established the fact that any who would come to Him by faith in Christ Jesus can and does have the everlasting hope that is found in Christ the LORD. Every Christian is firm and secure in life through Christ Jesus. The problem arises when we fail to take God at His word. Dear reader, flee the trappings of the world and hold on to the only hope that is given us. You don’t have to be discouraged, simply bring into your remembrance the promises of God and hold onto them with the tenacity of an anchor holding a ship. The storms of life may assail you, but if you are anchored in Christ, you have the hope of eternity—firm and secure. In His Grace Pastor Michael The Bible Reveals Christ7/5/2024 John 5:39-40 ~ “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” It is good to know the Bible… but unless that knowledge leads you to know the Author, you’ve missed the very reason it was given. Jesus, in His conversation with the people who had gathered, made a bold and definitive proclamation that He was indeed the Son of God. John 5:18 states, “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” The LORD expounds even more on the issue as He brings John the Baptist into the discussion, showing that even the one they considered a prophet had testified to the truth of who Jesus is (see John 5:33-34). The great dilemma, however, stemmed from the simple fact that these people were studied in the Scriptures and had missed the One to whom the Scriptures pointed. So, as we consider this text today, let me start by pointing out this truth: you need to know the Scriptures, but knowledge of the Bible alone cannot produce eternal life. There are many well-studied atheists in this world, those who know the Scriptures even better than many Christians do. But knowledge of God’s word is not enough to bring a person to everlasting life. And yet this was the mentality of those to whom Jesus spoke. They thought that by merely searching the Scriptures, they might stumble onto one thing that they could do to gain eternal life. Not unlike the rich young man who asked a telling question in Matthew 19:16, “And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” The young man knew the commandments, he knew the requirements, and yet he also knew that he did not have eternal life. Having searched the Scriptures, he found no means of gaining eternal life on his own. He must have missed it—and perhaps Jesus could point it out to him. The LORD answered the young man with the same command that He gave His apostles: follow me. Then some might ask: why is it important to diligently study the Scriptures? Because, as Jesus said, the Scriptures point to Him. As clearly as He could make it, Jesus said, “and it is they that bear witness about me.” Dear ones, Jesus is revealed in the pages of the Bible. Any deviation from the Scriptures will ultimately give you a distorted understanding of who He is and what He did. From Jesus as Creator to Jesus as Savior, and ultimately as the King of kings and the enthroned LORD of all, Jesus is made known in the Word of God. So, it begs the question: how did the miss Him? How did the religious leaders miss the Son of God when He arrived? Because they were not looking for Him the way He came. They were predisposed to wanting the LORD to arrive in power and not humility. The wanted a monarch who would defeat the world, not a Shepherd who would die for it. And, when we go looking for Jesus in the pages of the Word of God, and already have a bias as to what He must be like, we will miss Him as well. Then Jesus gives voice to the greatest problem of their failed search of the Scriptures—they refused to come to Jesus for everlasting life: “yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” But all of the Scripture is written that we might come to Jesus for mercy and grace, finding pardon for our sins through His death, and everlasting life through His resurrection. John told us clearly in John 20:31, “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Do you look at the Scriptures as a set of blueprints for your own personal agenda? Do you desire everlasting life and then turn to the Scriptures to find a formula that will give you such a life? Beloved, there is nothing more important than coming to the Word of God to find the Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ. Consider the LORD’s words in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Studying the Scriptures is of paramount importance. Just remember, the Pharisees had Jesus walking in their midst and they missed it in their study of the Scriptures. Let us strive to always seek Christ every time we open His book. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Freedom in Christ7/4/2024 Galatians 5:1 ~ “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” There is a liberty of life given through the hard-fought war against tyranny, a liberty that millions enjoy and multitudes desire. However, I am not speaking of the great freedom that was won through the determined men of the colonies, now known as the United States of America. This freedom that I speak of today, this liberty that all of mankind need, is the deliverance from the tyranny of sin. Every person who has ever lived suffered under the yoke of such oppression. For the majority of the world, however, that slavery to sin is one that is willingly accepted and, by many, desired. Jesus said in John 8:34, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” There are those who deny their enslavement, loving their sins and embracing them as if they were what demonstrated their liberty. But, to give you an illustration, imagine being imprisoned and yet walking around the jailhouse as if you were at liberty. You are, but only so far, for you cannot escape the prison. This world is a comfortable prison, but it is only the holding cell for all who are waiting final judgment and then punishment. Once a person realizes that they are enslaved to the dread master of sin, they know that there is a terrible end awaiting. At this point, there are those who will try to work a strategy of effort to find a way to deliver themselves from the coming judgment of God. Through religious effort, even as Paul described in Galatians 5:2, they hope to procure for themselves liberty from sin. Paul illuminates this 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.” And for those who recognize that such efforts will only fail, that is when they cry out for the deliverance and liberty of Christ. And so we come to our text today, that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. And what a freedom it is. We are meant to walk at liberty in a world that is bound in sin. True freedom does not mean that we can do whatever pleases our carnal or fleshly desires. It means that the shackles of sin have been severed and we are no longer bound over to that which is reprehensible to God. Jesus as come to set the captives free, as it says in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” But, beloved, I caution you not to define oppression and liberty based on the understanding of this world, but from the perspective of the LORD. For the world looks upon slavery and oppression as a man-caused condition against an individual or group that is detrimental to basic human life and dignity. But the oppression of sin and the slavery of our own depravity is what God sees, and it is that for which Christ died in order to set the captives free. He didn’t merely break us out of our rightful incarceration, the LORD paid the penalty so that we could be justly released from God’s judgment and be set free from the controlling power of sin. And, being set free, we are now commanded to “stand firm” and not to submit ourselves again to slavery. To what slavery would we submit ourselves again? To the slavery of human effort, believing that we could deliver ourselves from the bondage of sin through our own work and determination. Dear ones, you must understand that the depravity of mankind is so great, that no effort of our own would ever be able to breach the walls of God’s righteous judgment and deliver us from the condemnation deserved. We must be delivered by another, and not to be yoked to anything that keeps us bound to this world. And for that reason, it required the willing sacrifice of Christ Jesus to set us free. So, on this day when so many celebrate the liberty won against the tyranny of human oppression, let us also remember the liberty won by Jesus Christ and submit ourselves to Him for the pardon He promised and the eternal life He will provide. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Illuminating Grace of God7/3/2024 Titus 2:11 ~ “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.” Oh, the kindness of Almighty God who brought to light His grace that brings salvation. We consider on this day the richness of God’s loving mercy that brought to mankind the gospel of grace. Understand, dear reader, that the gospel is not a formula of religious observance or a set of rules that will bring the achievement of salvation once accomplished, it is the living LORD Jesus who, as the perfect man and chief representative for mankind before His Father, took our judgment upon Himself, received in full force the entire measure of God’s holy wrath, and substituted His life for ours. He died on that cruel cross as He was scorned and brutalized. And three days later He rose from the grave victorious and vindicated, and secured for all time the means and the right to offer salvation to those who come to Him by faith. And that is the grace of God which has appeared. Like the full moon cast upon the backdrop of a velvet-black sky, the grace of Christ Jesus illuminates the love of God for sinful man and brings to light the salvation He offers. It is a fool’s errand for anyone at all to look for another source of hope. There is only one grace that shines upon this sin-darkened habitation of man. And it has appeared and not been shrouded by the clouds of human works. God did not put any barrier between the eyes of mankind and His grace that shines from Christ. And God, who opens the eyes of the blind, has shone into our hearts as 2 Corinthians 4:6 states, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Dear reader, if you have not yet opened your eyes to the LORD Jesus, then turn to the pages of Scripture and read in the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, and learn of Jesus who died and rose again to redeem you from your sin. And it is grace which has appeared. There is no measure of works that you could begin to accomplish that would bring you into good standing with the Judge of all mankind. To attempt it would be to declare God a liar and believe that you have the means by which you could elevate your condition in His eyes in order to avoid the simple, and absolute need to trust in Christ. All other religions in this world, whether they are the worship of a false God or the worship of the true God in a false way, are anchored upon the premise that there is a work you can do to achieve what God would give you freely if you believe in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” But God’s rich kindness is available and a complete pardon has been paid in full through the death and resurrection of Christ. It is grace, the unearned, unmerited, undeserved favor of God given to all who yield themselves to Jesus Christ. And such grace is bringing salvation for all people. It is not forcing salvation upon any man, nor is it giving salvation to all men, but it is revealed from Heaven in Jesus Christ the LORD that salvation is available to all men. We know that not all will be saved, for there are many who reject the LORD Jesus and despise His Person, His people and His ways. And yet, with open hands the LORD has reached out upon the earth to bring salvation for all people. There is not one disenfranchised group of people upon this earth who are left out of the offer to be redeemed. Revelation 7:9 illuminates this, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” Will you be standing in the great crowd of humanity who are before the Lamb of God, giving Him praise for His redemption? If so, then even now rejoice! Let your voice be heard amongst the congregation of the saints that you are born-again and are filled with the joyful hope of everlasting life. And if you know not whether you are saved, then go to God’s word. Read of Jesus Christ. Discover who He is and what He did to pay off your eternal judgment and satisfy the wrath of God on your behalf. Then trust Him and what He did and surrender your life to the King of kings—the LORD Jesus. In His Grace, Pastor Michael A Sure Response7/2/2024 Mark 12:14 ~ “And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?’” How often was it that the religious leaders during the days of Christ on earth tried to trick the LORD into making some verbal gaff or speaking something that would remove His credibility with the crowds? Far too many to go into in this brief time. Our text today, however, is one such moment. The Pharisees came to Jesus to try and trap Him in His words and asked a question about paying taxes to Caesar. His answer was simple, direct and yet quite profound: give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s (see Mark 12:17). But there is an observation made that we will illuminate today, one that will, hopefully, help you to navigate the varied tests that people will put you through in your walk with Christ. It is a remark made by the Pharisees themselves concerning Christ, and it is the first part of our text for today. There are four observations made, and they are rather astute. First, they recognized that Jesus was true. Look at what they declared in their opening line to the LORD: “we know that you are true.” Literally, they told Jesus that they recognized Him as one who did not conceal truth—that Jesus was factual and truthful. It begs the question, then, why they did not merely stop trying to trick Him and listen to what He said. Well, the reality is, they didn’t believe Him. They wanted to take Him off guard and tried to engender themselves to Him so that Jesus might lower His guard. And this is a good lesson for you and I. You will be tested and tried by the words of those around you, even those who you might think are actually complimenting you. Stay grounded in the truth. Remain firmly fixed upon the Word of God so that when they do question you, your answers are based on God’s word and not man’s ideas. Second, they saw in Jesus that there was little concern for the opinions of men. Again, our text today reads, “and do not care about anyone's opinion.” It literally means that Jesus did not defer to any other worldly source of information. In the days of Christ, many would cling to the varied philosophies and thoughts that were trendy or common. It is no different in our day. But to defer to an opinion held by one who does not firmly hold to the truth, will lead you astray. And it will do us well to not defer to the opinions of man, but rather hearken to the Word of God. Peter warned the church that a time would come when “secret heresies” would enter into the church (see 2 Peter 2:1). And our LORD warned that we must not learn the “deep things of Satan” (see Revelation 2:24). Third, they understood that Jesus was not swayed by the countenance of those who crowded around. Today’s text states: “For you are not swayed by appearances.” Jesus did not look to the gathered crowds of men to see if anyone frowned or rejoiced. What a trap it would be for the LORD to be more concerned as to how His words were received rather than if His words were true. But, today, many modern proclaimers pander to the crowds and try to persuade them through various oratory manipulations. And, if the crowds begin to show signs of rejection, they would change their tactics to try and keep them. Beloved, let us never pander to the crowd, but be diligent to seek the approval of the LORD. Fourth, they declared that Jesus taught the ways of God truthfully. We read from our text today, “but truly teach the way of God.” Again, it takes us back to our first view—if they actually thought that Jesus taught the ways of God in truth, why not listen to Him and do what He says? Because the teachings of Jesus did not correlate to their own. They didn’t actually think that Jesus taught the truth, but tried to engineer a situation that would trap Jesus in His words. But let us take to heart the requirement to teach in truth the way of God. To pursue any line of spiritual teaching that does not hold to the Scriptures will always be contrary to Christ—no matter how good it sounds or how much we like it. Dear reader, as a Christian walking through this world of deceptions and shadowed responses from all manner of people, we have an obligation to hold firmly to the Word of God. It is our solid stone that is secure in the storms. It will keep you from hazarding into the traps and pitfalls that others will lay before you to try and ensnare you with their words. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Walking in the Truth7/1/2024 3 John 1:3-4 ~ “For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” How precious it is when we discover those whom we had ministered to, or had some impact upon, or have some influence over, to find them walking in the truth. This was John’s delight as he wrote his letter to Gaius, a dear friend and fellow worker for the gospel. Let me ask, have you enjoyed that same delight as the apostle, learning that those to whom you gave the word of Christ are now found to be walking in the faith that you presented? The underlying experience is simple: John proclaimed the truth of Christ to Gaius and at some point there was the work of Christ on his heart and new life was born. In believing, Gaius desired to walk no longer in the ways of the world but learned the truth as presented by the apostle and set his steps to obey the truth. Is this your underlying experience? Have you spent your time with those around you to instruct them in the ways of Christ? You may not know as much as another—but you do know more than someone who has not yet believed. It takes us to consider the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans as he reminded the church that faith comes by hearing the message of Christ—and that message is brought through the faithful witnesses who testify to the truth (see Romans 10:14-17). The joy of learning that someone is walking in the ways of Christ because of your influence upon them is a tremendous delight. I look back upon my coming to faith in Jesus and I still remember those who first told me of the LORD. How precious those souls are who loved Jesus so much that it was their desire to inform me. And now, that valued opportunity is mine with those who I encounter along the way. But John did not merely rejoice because he saw the faith of Gaius. It was testified by others to the apostle that the man was faithfully walking in the truth. Consider what it said of the church in Thessalonica, “For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything” (1 Thessalonians 1:8). It is important to note that Gaius did not merely obey the gospel and walk in the truth only when John was present. It was testified about him through other, faithful Christians, that Gaius’ faith was genuine and he walked in the truth. For, as our text states, “the brothers came and testified to your truth.” Gaius delighted to live the faith and it showed to all who came in an encounter with him. What a joy it is when we get word about someone who is distant, perhaps unable to communicate directly, and then a testimony is heard about them that they have embraced the truth of Christ, love the LORD, and are walking in His ways. And John concludes his greeting with such a strong statement of delight, saying, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” What parent is not overjoyed with the knowledge that their child is richly applying that which they were taught. It is a heartbreak to a father or mother to learn through others that their child has abandoned the truth and ventured into all manner of diversions. Yet, when word comes back that the child is walking in the truth, parents find their hearts overcome with joy. And that was John’s “greater joy.” Is there a greater joy when it comes to the ministry we provide to those around us? To see and hear that those to whom we once poured out time and effort and love and prayers and the word of God are now walking in close fellowship with Christ and desire to walk by faith according to His word, that brings a refreshing stream of joy upon our hearts. Let me encourage you this day, dear Christian, to consider those who instructed you in Christ. If the opportunity arises, send word to them and let them know that you still hold fast the truth of Christ and are striving to walk in the truth as you were taught. And take great joy when word comes back to you that those whom you led to faith in Christ are still walking in the truth. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Sharing Your Faith6/30/2024 Philemon 1:4-6 ~ "I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” How much of our joyful communion do we miss with Christ when we do not strive to share our faith? I would venture some speculation upon that, and think that many believers do not directly participate in actively sharing that which Christ has given, and in so doing, they miss much of the good things that God has placed within us. And, as a result, those around them are at a loss to acknowledge the good that Christ has done for the saints. As Paul greeted his friend, Philemon, the apostle opened with the warmth of kinship that they shared in Christ. He thanked the LORD in prayer, and recalled the great love and faith Philemon held toward the LORD and His church. He wanted to encourage such faithful love, knowing that the runaway slave, Onesimus, was returning. It could be that Philemon might hold some great resentment for the way he was treated by Onesimus, or that there was a residual anger held over for the betrayal he experienced. But now Onesimus was coming back, and was returning as a brother in Christ. Paul wanted to make sure that the same love and faith that Philemon held for others would be the same love shared with the one returning. And now, Paul’s prayer for Philemon turned to the effectiveness of his friend’s faith. And that effective faith begins with the “sharing of your faith.” And so it does with all of us. Understand this idea of “sharing” our faith is not just evangelism, but is more aligned with fellowship. It is the willing sharing of all that the LORD has done for you, with the idea that others around you begin to experience your faith in Christ in the outworking of your life among them. Let me ask you, how active are you in the sharing of what the LORD has done for you? This faith-sharing is not only the weekly gathering of the saints in harmonious worship (though that is definitely part of it). It is living out your love for Jesus Christ in the open, willing that others might come to know Him through you. Concerning the runaway, Onesimus, there was some deficiency regarding Philemon. For the slave had encountered the Apostle Paul and through the apostle became a believer in Christ. Philemon 1:10 says, “I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.” And though this is speculative, there is some indication that Philemon let Onesimus “slip through the cracks” and never shared his faith with his servant. Truly if there is someone who is close to us, let us not let them slip away without sharing our faith—living out our love for Jesus so that they see and hear the message of hope from the Gospel. And that, beloved, is how our sharing becomes “effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” It is a two-fold experience of effectiveness. First, it brings a greater understanding to the heart of the believer. For when we are actively sharing in our faith, we begin to experience those things promised to the saints, things like the joy of fellowship, the power of His word, the sharing of strength, encouragement and ever-increasing love for Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25 states, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Second, it brings a greater illumination of the LORD Jesus Christ through your life to the lives of those around you. When people begin to see the joy, hope, peace, love and gratitude of your life (not to mention all the other promises of belonging to Christ), they will begin to see that we have within us something good, and something far better than this world can offer. For we hold onto the everlasting life offered in Christ, and anyone outside of Christ have nothing but the dreary concerns of finality looming in their future. We go through our lives with hope—eternal hope. Let us pray, even as Paul prayed for Philemon, that we will be effective in the sharing of our faith—living out what we have in Christ until that day when we shall live with Him forever. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Overwhelming Sorrow6/29/2024 Psalm 137:1-2 ~ "By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres." The greatest sorrow I have ever experienced is not the sorrow of unjust suffering or unexpected turmoil. The greatest depths of sorrow I've ever known as a believer is the sorrow that is born of sin. In our text above, the nation of Israel is taken captive into Babylon. Their continued sins and unrepentant ways had brought God's retribution against them and they were led away into slavery. The nation delivered from slavery in Egypt now was, once again, caught in the same condition. And isn't that the way sin defeats a believer? Sin brings a true Christian down to the lowest depths of despair and anguish of soul, as if you were simply back in the same condition where God had once rescued you. And so, there by the waters of Babylon, the people of God sat down and wept, remembering the land of their past--the land of promise. In this first statement of Psalm 137, the depth of grief and sorrow of loss was echoing down the river. In their captivity, they remembered. And so do we weep when we remember the lost land of our faithfulness, the lost opportunities to glorify and serve the LORD who rescued us and wants us to live under His gracious hand rather than His stern discipline. I knew a man who sat alone in a broken house, bereft and filled with sorrow. It was there, in his Babylon that he finally wept for the condition he experienced. It was there that his tears ran faster than the rivers. And it was there when he remembered all that he lost. How precious are the tears of sorrow that comes flowing when we experience the bitterness of our sin. The nation of Israel did not weep against the LORD as if they were "weeping and gnashing their teeth" (see Luke 13:28). God had not abandoned His people, He sent them away into exile in order to drive from them a heart of rebellion and desire for sin. The people wept because they remembered. And does not the Scripture teach us to remember? Consider Revelation 2:5, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." Let the tears of sorrow for sin flow, and then let those tears be transformed into the tears of repentance. We find this grief unto repentance in 2 Corinthians 7:10, "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." In their despair, they had no song to sing. The people of God hung their lyres in the trees. How fitting it was this tree, a tree known by a different name: the weeping willow. No sturdy oak or bold cedar for their sadness to be hung--only upon the forlorn tree of sorrow was their instruments of praise retired. And when our sins have brought us into captivity, we lose the song of our heart--the song of joy that Jesus is LORD and that our Savior reigns. How many Christians remain silent when the songs of praise are raised? Oh, their mouths might offer the words, but their hearts will weep for the sadness of a broken fellowship with the LORD. And though the world might taunt the grieving Christian with a mocking desire to hear some song of joy, there will be none. But I don't want to leave you, dear reader, in a desperate state. God does send His people into times of discipline, to remove from them their rebellious ways. But that time is limited, will come to an end, and at the point of repentance, the LORD will bring the sorrowing soul back to the land of joy. Consider Psalm 126:1-3, "When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them.' The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad." In the story of the man above, the ending was wonderful. He remembered and went seeking the LORD. He found his way back to the place of hope and there, in grace and mercy, the LORD Jesus received that man--and joy was restored. There is hope and joy to be found in Christ. You may find yourself reading this today and seeing that you are again in a state much like before you were found by Christ, brought there because of unrepentant sins. The LORD had been amazingly patient with you and given you time to repent. And now you may fear that only sorrows and weeping are your expressions. You've hung up your praise in the willows, and no longer have a song of joy. Even now, look to the LORD and repent. He will lead you from exile and restore you by His grace. Psalm 130:7, "O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption." In His Grace, Pastor Michael Heed the Final Call6/28/2024 Revelation 22:17 ~ "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price." The Book of Revelation spells out for the entire world the final and ultimate judgment of God and redemption of those who have trusted Christ for salvation. It ends with a view of the glorious city of God, King Jesus enthroned and His bride, the church, with Him forever. It also reveals those who will forever be in the outer darkness of eternal judgment. And then, in our text today, is the clarion call--the last invitation to those who would hear and respond to the salvation of Christ. Two destinations are illuminated and two final outcomes of all humanity is made known. The question we hearken unto is this: will you heed the final call? There are three making their plea to those remaining outside of the redemption of the LORD to come. But "come" where? What destination is laid before the wandering soul that is of such critical need that the three mentioned in our text would beseech anyone to leave the world behind? It is to come to the salvation of Christ. To come to Jesus and look unto Him for the redemption of your soul and the gift of eternal life. The first is the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit says "come." This invitation of the Holy Spirit does not come in some sky-writing in the air, but upon the deep-seated conviction of the heart concerning sin. The LORD Jesus testified to this in John 16:8, "And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." The "he" referred to in the aforementioned text is the Holy Spirit. It is the working of the Spirit of Christ to begin the process of leading a sinner to repentance and faith in Jesus. Many who try to resist the Spirit, discount the conviction of sin in their heart and try to mollify their conscience with the idea that their sins are more acceptable to society so they must be agreeable with God. But the Spirit calls to the heart of a lost person with the conviction of sin. Dear reader, if you are not yet a true believer in the LORD Jesus, and conviction of sin has hit your heart, then know that it is the Spirit telling you to come to Christ Jesus and believe on Him for your salvation. The second is the Bride, and that would be the church, calling you to "come." And who better to call to the unrepentant sinner to come to Christ than those who have found mercy and grace with Jesus! We who have fled to take hold of the hope in the LORD surely understand that His promise is true. It is those in the church who, once they knew their wretched state before the Holy God, pleaded for His mercy and found a full and free pardon from sin through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus. It is as if one beggar found favor at a palatial estate, and the owner of that estate has promised to care for any--whether beggar or not--who come to His door and seek His grace. And we who are the church were once the spiritual beggars, for our sins had impoverished and condemned us. But we have come to find that Jesus the King died in our place and rose from the grave. And the church, the bride of Christ, is bound to Him with such eternal love and gratitude that we are eager to reach any who would heed our call to repentance. The third is: the one who hears, says come. This would be all those who have now understood that salvation is of the LORD and there is enough grace for any who would place their faith in Jesus. They have heard the Savior's call, have bowed beneath the Spirit's conviction and have trusted in Jesus for salvation. You might even now be "one who hears." For, perhaps even now you have come to trust Christ as your Savior and are filled with the new life promised to all who believe. Perhaps you're a long-tested saint, having walked with Christ for the span of your generation. You are also "one who hears," for you did hear, and still hear, that salvation is of the LORD. But to whom do we call? To everyone--and the ones who are thirsty will respond to the call to drink deep of the waters of life. Jesus is the well and grace is the water and all who come to Christ by faith and trust in Him for salvation will discover a refreshing stream ever flowing from the heart of the Savior. He will wash away your sins and refresh you with His love. The price for your soul has already been paid by the LORD Jesus. He died in your place, took your deserved punishment and received as your substitute the Father's full and furious wrath against sin. He did it all because He loves you and would have you delivered from your sins and redeemed for eternity. Dear reader, if you have not yet received the salvation offered by Christ, then do so now. And, if you are already a Christian, then be another voice with an invitation to the lost to come and trust in Jesus. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Do not Bear a Grudge6/27/2024 Leviticus 19:18 ~ "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." A great calamity that befalls the people of God is to hold any position that leaves you in a state of unforgiveness. We are, by the command of our LORD Jesus, to look with mercy upon our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 18:33, "And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?" Let me encourage you to go back and read through Matthew 18:21-35. When we do not hold our fellow servants with the same grace that our LORD holds with us, there will come that moment when you will be offended and, without His love being your guiding principle, you will hold a grudge. Our text for today is the expression of the second part of the LORD's great commandment. We find it here in Matthew 22:37-40, "And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.'" And the fulfillment of loving our neighbors as ourselves is two-fold: do not take vengeance, and do not bear a grudge. The first part of our text, forsaking the desire for vengeance, is to look upon your brothers and sisters in Christ with a desire for their benefit, even if they have in some way wronged you. Too many of God's people strike against each other for the simple fact that they feel slighted or maligned in some way. They've been wronged, and must make sure they set it right. Paul warned the church against this very attitude in Galatians 5:15, "But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another." Consider the attitude expressed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:7, "To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?" You might find it hard to hear, but I would implore you to make it your ambition to find it nearly impossible to be offended. There will be some who will say that they don't seek vengeance, that they don't strike out against another--even if they have been wronged. However, do they simmer with a bitterness of soul that corrupts their compassion toward their fellow believer? The second part of our text is to not even bear a grudge. To bear a grudge is to hold within a silent, inward disposition of anger or bitterness. But let the words of Hebrews 12:15 move you to abandon such an attitude, "See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no 'root of bitterness' springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled." The default of some is to claim that they are, by nature, a person who cannot easily forgive. But, beloved, you have a new nature! Did not Christ redeem you and have you not now His Holy Spirit dwelling within? Paul tells us that we are new creations in Christ Jesus (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). Yield yourself to the obedience of faith and let God's loving grace have its full effect upon your heart. God does not bear any grudge against you. We ought to strive after such godly character, reflecting the same gracious mercy of God. We conclude with the reason why this command is so vital--because God said so. In such a simple, but absolutely authoritative statement, God Almighty says simply: "I am the LORD." That's it--reason given. We do this because God has commanded it, provided for it, and empowers us to walk in it. Let me ask you this: what objections now can you or I make when it comes to our walking in faithfulness to this command? At every step, we are charged with fulfilling this requirement. And, if you dispense with this as something that is only for the children of Israel, as only an Old Testament law, do not forget that our LORD Jesus reiterated this command as we saw already. The only position we can take is either faithful obedience or willful disobedience. Let us do as our LORD did for us, and bear no grudge against our brothers and sisters in Christ. It will lighten the load of our hearts and free us to love our neighbors, even as the LORD has loved us. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Stand Firm6/26/2024 2 Thessalonians 2:15 ~ "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter." Your salvation in Christ gives you the strongest, most firm foundation upon which you can stand. If you were to move off the solid rock of Christ you will discover that the storms of wickedness in this world will topple you rather quickly. But those who know their salvation in the LORD Jesus, the assaults of the world cannot shake them from the confidence found in Christ. Those two little words that open our text today call upon us to look at the verses that came before, and we find in those a glorious and joyful promise of God's gracious salvation. "But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). You are beloved, chosen and sanctified in order that you may obtain the promise given to all who believe--eternal life. There are two commands in our text today: stand firm and hold. To stand firm is to remain unmovable against the assailing storms of temptation and the increasing hostility of the world. And to hold is to "hold fast" to those traditions and teachings, given in the Word of God, through faithful obedience to the truth. It is on the foundation of Christ that you must stand firm. There must be an immovable quality to your faith in Christ. Unlike the shifting sands of false beliefs, the LORD has given His word and it is on His word that we find our stability. Jesus our LORD said in Matthew 7:24-25, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock." Remember that the coming of the lawless one is with false signs, wonders and great deceptions that are embraced by those who refuse to love the truth (see 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). But true believers will find their sound footing upon the Word of God, trusting in what has been written through the apostles and prophets as the most sufficient source for life and faith. Not only do we have a sufficient place to stand, but we also have a trustworthy truth to hold. We are, as our text commands, to hold fast to those things that are passed down to us through the LORD's apostles. They were commissioned by Christ to instruct the church, passing down through the written word those disciplines and traditions that we grasp. Perhaps you're wondering about the statement from our LORD about not holding onto the traditions of men. In Matthew 15:3 Jesus asked, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?" Those traditions from the religious rulers of the day were nothing more than human efforts to maintain an external show of self-righteousness. Paul, in our text today, is concerned that the church holds onto the traditions that are established by the LORD through His apostles--those things that were passed down and required of the church. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." So, dear ones, let us stand our ground against the encroaching darkness of this world. Many have already succumbed to the deceptive workings of the enemies of God. Many have already let go their grasp on the Word of God. But you and I, beloved disciples of Jesus, must not be moved. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." Until the coming of the LORD or the day we depart this world, all Christians must stand firm in the faith. In His Grace, Pastor Michael The Corruption of Righteousness6/25/2024 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 ~ "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company ruins good morals.' Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame." Who do you hang out with? Much to the surprise of many, your friendships do shape and hone you into the person you're becoming, whether it is a person of godly character or wickedness. So you must evaluate with whom it is you desire to remain in close fellowship. It will not be the casual acquaintance or the hit-or-miss associate that brings to ruin the righteous character that God would have in you. So, as you consider the text today, ask yourself: what company do you seek? It begins with the axiom: "bad company ruins good morals." So, let us ask the simple question--who are these that comprise the "bad company?" All those who deny the resurrection of Christ are part of that collection of bad company. It is those who look at life with a futility concerning the end and determine that there is nothing better than to eat, drink and be merry (see 1 Corinthians 15:29-32). And, in truth, anyone who does not believe on the LORD Jesus for salvation, they have a destiny that awaits which is, to say the least, dreadful. For all who depart this life without the salvation of Christ only have this life to enjoy, for the wrath of God remains against them. The axiom mentioned above is preceded by a caution: "do not be deceived." There is a dangerous enemy prowling around that wants to turn you aside from the true and righteous way of Christ and divert your attentions to the more self-minded concerns such as personal pleasure, temporary satisfaction and immediate gratification. "Eat, drink and be merry" is the mantra of the nihilistic unbeliever who can only see the moment and has no hope for eternity. And, dear Christian, you must not be deceived by them. They will encourage you with the very pleasures of the flesh, tempt you to forsake your hold on the hope of everlasting life and endeavor to make you reach for the candy of this world and forget the feast that awaits you in glory. It is in such company that your moral strength is weakened, until you have no heart to remain steadfast in righteousness for the glory of Christ. It's not hard to predict the collapse of a righteous life when the company kept is worldly. They will forsake the fellowship of the saints, welcome no encouragement to stand firm, and resent any correction offered by those who love them in Christ. Ultimately, they will become like the company they keep. Proverbs 13:20 says it clearly, "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." So, dear reader, have you found yourself surrounded by friendships that no more love the LORD Jesus than do the devils in hell? Then the admonition from Paul is targeted at your heart--wake up! Literally, the command is to "sober up" or to leave off your drunken stupor of worldly delights. If your companions have been your downfall, and you are still holding them close in fellowship, it is time to cast off those friendships for ones that will encourage you and strengthen you in righteousness. And, as you break free from the corrupt fellowships, so break free from the corruption itself. As it says, "do not go on sinning." If we do sin, we have the promise of God that through confession and repentance He will cleanse us. Do not continue down that road of corruption, but turn around and follow Christ Jesus. The reason for all of this: "some have no knowledge of God." This world is filled with the spiritually dead, those empty of truth and more desirous to fulfill all their earthly appetites. If you become like one of them, how will they ever leave off their ignorance of God? If you look just like them, not in physical appearance but in character and deportment, then they will never see in you the transforming work of grace through the LORD Jesus Christ. They will remain without the knowledge of God and salvation through Jesus Christ our LORD. And, like a goad in the side, God does not hold back His disappointment but says clearly, "I say this to your shame." For those who walk with Christ and still try to walk with the world and hold close companionship with worldliness, are shameful indeed. There is no virtue in being "just like the world" when we are to be more conformed to the image of Christ Jesus. Let us leave off any pursuit of friendships that tear apart the righteousness Christ would form in us and humbly, joyfully walk in faithfulness with the LORD Jesus and His church. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Tear Down the High Places6/24/2024 2 Kings 23:15 ~ "Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah." Upon the hills and mountains of the nation of Judah stood places of worship for the false gods of the surrounding nations. They were not there from the time of Joshua who entered and conquered the land. Those high places had been built by the kings of Israel and Judah during the history of the nation. Even from the time of Solomon, these centers for despicable worship were established, "And the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites" (2 Kings 23:13). There are some who might think that religious freedom is an acceptable condition in a nation. And, truly, in a secular nation who is not the people of God, such provisions for religious tolerance could be acceptable. But let me give you a different view. This is Israel, the people of God, the nation delivered from captivity and slavery in Egypt and established to be a nation whose God is the LORD. To allow this type of religious tolerance would be like permitting in the church of the LORD Jesus Christ the idolatrous worship of the various pagan and false gods of our day. For we are the purchased ones, the saved who look to Jesus Christ and no other. We who have fled to take hold of the hope found in Jesus must have no grip on any other object of worship--and when we do, we must tear down our high places. Josiah, the boy king who took the throne at the generous age of eight years old, grew into a man of deep conviction and absolute resolve to restore the land of Judah to the worship of the One True God. A clear expression of how God viewed Josiah is found in 2 Kings 22:19, "Because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord." And though Josiah had a father whose kingship was marked by idolatry and rebellion toward God Almighty, yet the young man did not follow in his father's steps, but walked in the ways of the LORD. When Josiah was done with his reforms, the idolatry of the land was removed. He restored the worship in the temple, restarted the celebration of the Passover, and re-established the law of God in the land. It was said of Josiah, "Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him" (2 Kings 23:25). Now, dear ones, why do I tell this to you today? It is both meant as a warning and an encouragement. A warning comes from this record of Josiah as we clearly discover God's unbending anger at idolatry. The high places were an abomination to the LORD God, despised by Him and yet tolerated in the kingdom. His wrath was kindled against His people and He would discipline them. It is a call to examine yourself, and see if there is any "high places" remaining in your heart. Do you have a lingering tolerance within for that which the LORD hates? Are there old idols that remain untouched? Let us fear the LORD as the Scripture teaches and hate evil, even as Proverbs 8:13 teaches, "The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate." There is also an encouragement that is found in this epic narrative of Josiah. Josiah grew into a man of deep conviction and absolute determination to remove all that which the LORD despised. He hungered for truth, was repentant from sin, and desired above all that God should be esteemed as Holy. Let this give you great hope, for God will uphold you in your desire to remove all that which is not set to honor Him. It is not enough to merely hold an indifference to the lingering sins and idols that remain, God is mighty and will empower you to remove them. Heed the words of Isaiah 1:16-17a, "Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good." We can, as Josiah, humble ourselves before the LORD and examine every place in our own lives. And when we discover another high place, another hold0ver from our former fallenness, let us remove them in repentance and grow in the worship and fear of the LORD. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Signs from God6/23/2024 2 Kings 20:11 ~ "And Isaiah the prophet called to the LORD, and he brought the shadow back ten steps, by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz." Hezekiah was suffering an illness that would lead to his death. Warned to put his house in order by Isaiah the prophet, the king wept bitterly and prayed to the LORD. His prayer was not to be rescued from the illness or to be delivered from harm, but he prayed to be remembered by God. 2 Kings 20:3 recounts Hezekiah's prayer, "Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight." I would encourage you to take a moment and read the opening of 2 Kings, chapter twenty, so that you have a clear understanding of all that transpired. After the king prays, God sends Isaiah back to where the monarch remained and pronounced God's word that Hezekiah would revive in three days, worship the LORD and then live another fifteen years. God did remember Hezekiah, and the LORD did heal the king, and the verification that it would happen came from a sign offered by God. It was a dramatic sign--a sign that, in truth, impacted the entire world. For the sign that was given was the shadow upon the steps reversing course and going in the opposite direction. For this sign to take place, God would stop the planet and reverse the earth's rotation. It was a dramatic display of God's absolute sovereign power over His own creation. Now, before you run off looking for any variety of signs in your circumstances, remember that God sends signs for a specific purpose and those same signs cannot be mistaken. The signs sent by God are often dramatic and clearly understood. Gideon did not question it when God, on two different occasions provided dew on either the fleece or the ground (see Judges 6:36-40). Noah did not doubt the sign of the rainbow that illuminated the sky (see Genesis 9:8-17). I fear today that there are those who are chasing after signs in the hopes of discovering some untold truth from God or of finding some new means of pursuing His will. Yet, in the Scriptures, Divine and providential signs are very few--and have specific purposes governed by God alone. They cannot be demanded nor can anyone manipulate God into providing one. There is one ultimate sign that God provided, and that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our LORD says in Matthew 12:39-40, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." This same statement is also found in Matthew 16:4, Mark 8:12, and Luke 11:29. Beloved, if we believe the greatest sign given in the resurrection of Christ, let us then trust Him. As Hezekiah could trust that he would recover from his illness because of the power of God, then let us trust that we are redeemed from our sins by the resurrection of Christ. Yet, my friends, there is a sign for which we must still watch. In Matthew 24:3, the disciples asked the LORD the very question that sits upon the heart of many believers, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" As all of God's given signs are clearly evident, so this one will be also. Consider what our LORD says in Matthew 24:30, "Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." That day is coming soon, dear ones. It will not be delayed, nor will there be anyone who has the power to prevent it. As we see the condition of our world deteriorating rapidly, our hearts cry out for the coming of the LORD. He will come, and we will see Him. So, if you must seek after a sign, seek for the LORD, and watch until He returns. In His Grace, Pastor Michael Return to the LORD6/22/2024 2 Chronicles 30:1 ~ "Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel." Long before Hezekiah was king in Jerusalem, the nation of Israel was divided, with Israel in the north and Judah in the south. And this division caused no little friction between the two nations. Border skirmishes, times of war and palpable animosity grew between these two kingdoms. Occasionally, they would partner with each other in order to fend off a stronger assailant, but after the brief alliance, the strife would continue. Despite their fractious condition, they had this in common: they all were still the descendants of the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. All were included the nation delivered out of slavery in Egypt. It was the whole of the people who received the commandments in the wilderness. All twelve tribes conquered the promised land. They were, in fact, bound together in their common history. Now divided, the temple was still in Jerusalem and that was the place for worship--no other location had been designated for the national sacrifice to the LORD God, for the gathering of the tribes before the LORD, for the high priest to offer the atonement offering before God. For years--decades--even centuries--the northern kingdom of Israel had failed to join in the worship of the LORD. Remaining distant from the worship of God, they fell into idolatry and wickedness almost immediately. They forsook the worship of the Almighty and formed false gods for themselves. And so it is with anyone who sets themselves apart from the truth. Even today, there are those who are of a heritage of Christian faith but lack any substance for they have removed their heart from the solid foundation of the Word of God and established their own narratives and ideologies. Hezekiah, the king of Judah, was a man who worshiped God Almighty. He tore down the idolatry of the land, restored the worship of the LORD in the temple, consecrated the priests for the service of the LORD, and led Judah in a national repentance in the fear of God. In 2 Chronicles 29:6, Hezekiah spells out the problem, "For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD and turned their backs." But it was not enough for the king of Judah to only call one tribe back to the worship of God. All of the heritage of Abraham must needs return to the place of worship. And now we come to our text for today. Hezekiah sent letters to all the tribes of Israel. The invitation was total, the purpose was to bring back in repentance those who belonged to the LORD that the people of God would be united--not under one earthly king, but under the ONE TRUE GOD. He saw the need for repentance in his land, surely there needed to be repentance across the land. Consider what he said through the curriers in 2 Chronicles 30:8, "Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you." Hezekiah was not asking the northern kingdom to rejoin with Judah, he was calling on the people of God to return to the LORD, to give up their wicked ways and receive God's mercy (see 2 Chronicles 30:9). Now, let me ask you, all who are in Christ, are we not bound together as one body belonging to Him? Even as the nation was divided and Hezekiah sought to bring restoration of true worship of all the people, so the church today must seek to worship the LORD in spirit and truth. Many of those who call themselves by the name of Christ have defected to the world and are more in agreement with the worship of modern-day idols than with the LORD Jesus. But, even as Hezekiah called to the northern kingdom, so I would this day call all who are reading this to the true worship of God in humble repentance and faithful obedience to Christ Jesus. You may have sinned, strayed from the truth and maybe even now are delighting yourself in the practices of the world. You can repent and return to Christ. Do not let your response be as those who heard the words of the curriers in 2 Chronicles 30:10, "So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them." And yet, even though they were mocked and scorned, there were some who heeded the warning and returned (see 2 Chronicles 30:11). Will you be one of those? If you have wandered from the truth, do not let this day depart into night before you return to the LORD Jesus Christ. In His Grace, Pastor Michael How Long will it Be?6/21/2024 Habakkuk 1:2 ~ "O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you 'Violence!' and you will not save?" The prophet, Habakkuk, opens up his letter with the cry of an anguished heart. He stands in the midst of a nation plagued with wickedness, surrounded by violence and injustice. He looks to the LORD and, to the lamenting prophet, it seems as if God is standing idly by, just letting the situation grow increasingly worse. Consider what he expresses in Habakkuk 1:3-4, "Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted." And there are times that every believer gets to wondering the same thing: where is God when things go wrong. Habakkuk begins with a question: how long shall I cry for help? And, dear ones, have you not also sat in the closet of prayer crying out the same thing? So often, when we are in times of distress and find our hearts gripped with despair, our prayers go from long, pronounced orations to a simple cry for help. We become like a man drowning in the ocean--lifting up our hands in desperation and hoping against hope that someone will see and rescue. We may get like the psalmist in Psalm 69:20, "Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none." And we find that all the platitudes of positivity are merely empty words. Then, in a clear moment of grief, the prophet languishes with the sense that God will not hear his cry. It is of necessity to point out that the prophet did not say that God "cannot" hear but that He "will not" hear. His lament was not the inability of the Almighty to hear the cry of his heart, but the unwillingness to hear. And is that not our own concern as well? At times, when we mournfully sit upon our beds and cry out to the LORD, we wonder if God has closed His ears to our plea. Perhaps we fear what it says in Ezekiel 8:18, "Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them." We know that the Scripture says that God is in His heaven and He will do whatever pleases Him (see Psalm 115:3). And so we ask in our heart--what if God is not pleased to come to our rescue? But, beloved, God has never forsaken His own, nor will He leave His children in perpetual turmoil. God was well aware of the condition that filled Habakkuk's environment. He knew the rebellions that the nation had embraced--their idolatry and rampant wickedness. And, Christian, the LORD is well aware of your environment also. He knows the grief that comes from walking in a world that despises Him. Just consider Jesus our LORD and you will immediately understand that He was, Himself, despised and rejected--hated by those He came to save (see John 15:24). It may seem that God is delayed, but keep your faith fixed on Him, for He will do as He promised. In Habakkuk 2:3, the LORD responds, "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay." And as we look around our world, it seems as if the rampant wickedness and hateful disposition of much of our society is growing by the day. We cry out to the LORD when injustice happens, and yet it does not get corrected. We pray to God Almighty that He should right the wrongs that are perpetrated against His people, and time just keeps on going as it always has. But as we see in Habakkuk, we are called upon by God to wait for it. Even if it seems slow to us, God will accomplish what He has promised. 2 Peter 3:9 states, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." So, let us press on my friends to be faithful to the LORD. The day will come when God will right all the wrongs, and will enact justice against those who are unrepentant. James 5:7 says, "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains." Do not wring your hands in despair, for the LORD God Almighty is fully aware and faithfully doing what He has promised. Let us be patient, for soon we will stand before Him in glory. Let not a temporary turn of events--even events that last our lifetime--despoil us from our constant hope in Christ. 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. Featured BookArchives
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