Daily Devotions

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Current Study: First Peter

Today’s Topic:  He Is Our Shield

Today’s Scripture:  1 Peter 1:3-5  …through faith [we] are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 

In June of 2008, Deputy Malachi McCoy of Tampa, Florida, was reading the Bible and came upon Psalm 28:7. It reads, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.” He was immediately drawn to one line in the verse: “The Lord is my shield.” Using a silver paint pen, the son of a preacher inscribed those words on the black steel plate of his bulletproof vest.

Later that same week, during a gunman’s rampage in northwest Tampa that left three people shot dead and two county sheriff’s deputies wounded, his “shield” did its job. McCoy said his faith — and perhaps the Bible verse he wrote on his vest — has helped him through the ordeal. “I just thought it would be kind of neat to write that on the steel plate,” he said.

Deputy McCoy serves as an example of having the proper object for our faith. Ultimately, his faith is in the power of God, who is His eternal shield. Practically, in everyday life, he wears a bulletproof vest.

There is a great battle going on all around us, and it involves us. Bullets are flying fast and furiously from the number one criminal of the universe, and they are aimed at those whose faith is in Christ and not him. But this one thing is guaranteed – none of those bullets can end our spiritual lives. Through faith in Christ’s redeeming sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, we are shielded by God’s power. We are eternally His!

However, we can be wounded, as were the two other deputies in the Florida shooting spree. They were wearing vests, but the bullets struck them in unprotected areas. Fortunately, their wounds were not lethal.

Every day we walk into a world that is filled with flying bullets and flaming arrows of temptation and sin. It is our choice whether to walk into it fully protected or not. In the case of police officers, they have chosen to protect the vital organs, hoping to survive a wound to a non-vital part of their body. But sin is not like bullets, which damage only the part they hit. Sin is progressive, and behaves more like a deadly virus. It spreads to areas we thought were protected, because it gets in behind the shield. While it can’t end our eternal life, it can and will destroy our physical life.

God has given us all the armor we need to be fully protected from the deadly effects of sin. His Word is filled with instructions about putting on our armor, and with warnings about what will happen to us if we don’t. Here’s an example. Paul is writing to Timothy and says, People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 

Later He writes again and says, Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Those are just two of the admonitions to live behind the shield and be protected from Satan’s traps. He will trap us with money, and he will trap us with pride in our position. Every day our enemy is setting traps for us in an attempt to destroy our faith in Christ and our public witness for Him. We must take action. We must guard against complacency based on the security we have in Christ for eternity. We must be on guard continually against the attacks of the enemy. It should not be enough to simply wait for the day when we will be finally rescued from this sinful world – we should be living the joys of heavenly victory today, and every day.

So take up your shield of faith, and get every part of your life behind it. Don’t let down your guard for a minute. Any and every part of your life you allow to be exposed to the enemy will be wounded. It will become infected. It will spread. If it already has, then repent and ask for God’s forgiveness. You will be restored. Then trust in Him and not the world. He is your strength and your shield!

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Current Study: First Peter

Today’s Topic:  We Will Rise

Today’s Scripture:  1 Peter 1:3-5  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 

Life gets pretty tumultuous at times. This morning is a perfect example. I arrived at the office and sat down to start my devotions when the phone rang. It was my wife, and she sounded a little bit frantic. “What are you doing for the next hour or so? I really need you to come home and help. I have to take Liam to Urgent Care.” Liam is our youngest grandson, and he’s sick with some kind of virus that produces a lot of congestion, and this morning he was have a lot of trouble breathing.

I jumped in the car, raced home, and helped get Liam and his brother ready to go to the doctor. Now any of you who know me know that I can get pretty focused when an emergency arises. I go into serious problem solving mode. Not just normal serious mode, but extreme, high energy, tension-filled, hurry up and let’s get moving mode. I would not have been a good ER doctor.

Just as we were preparing to leave, another daughter-in-law called, and when she heard what was going on she volunteered to watch Liam’s brother at her house. That was a blessing. So I took off in one direction with one boy, and Denise took off to the doctor with little Liam. After I dropped Aidan off at his cousin’s house, and as I drove back to the office, my favorite new song from Chris Tomlin came on the radio and brought me back to a place of emotional balance. The Holy Spirit’s timing was perfect, not only for this morning, but also for the application of the truth I would present in this devotional.

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, we have been guaranteed an inheritance that can never be taken from us, no matter what the circumstances of life and how hectic they get. We have been born again into a living hope that is being shielded by God’s power, and that fact brings us to a place of unfathomable peace.

That’s what the song reminded me of – the anchor for my soul found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I hope the words to “I Will Rise” will be just what you need for today as well.

There’s a peace I’ve come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There’s an anchor for my soul
I can say “It is well”

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There’s a day that’s drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
“Worthy is the Lamb”
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
“Worthy is the Lamb”

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Monday, April 20, 2009

Current Study: First Peter

Today’s Topic:  Mercy

Today’s Scripture:  1 Peter 1:3  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

When I woke up this morning and prepared to start my day with some exercise on the treadmill, I noticed that the pain in my elbow was worse than usual. For the last year, I have had some rather severe tendonitis in my right elbow. I’m not sure what caused it. I’ve been told it was from too much golf and softball. I argue with those who tell me that.

Anyway, as I began to stretch the muscles of my forearm to try to relieve the pain, I discovered that my attitude wasn’t all that great. I was frustrated that I haven’t found anything to relieve this problem and give me hope that I will be able to play golf and softball again. My precious Lord was right there to correct me. I was immediately overwhelmed with the words of First Peter 1:3. Why was I grumbling about my lack of hope in golf when I could be praising God for my permanent and living hope in Christ?

I think one reason that we tend to focus on the bad things of this life rather than the blessings of our living hope is because we don’t fully understand or appreciate God’s mercy. Mercy can be defined as “not receiving the condemnation one fully deserves.”  Follow me here…to be fully appreciated mercy must be understood in light of our worst offenses. Satan knows this as well. When we reach a point of full admission of our offenses, where mercy can be received, Satan energizes our pride. If we succumb to his temptation, we will choose to focus on the bad, resulting in shame and self-hate. We will grumble about what we think is hopeless rather than praise the One who has given us hope. Our pride convinces us that the pity we generate from such behavior will somehow satisfy our need for attention and recognition. We have chosen to believe that focusing on the bad will bring some form of good.

I was struck by a statement I read this morning from the author of an article in Christianity Today. In her article entitled Too Deep for Words, Thelma Hall wrote, “Most of us seem to assume that union with God is attained by laboriously ascending a ladder of virtues, which finally fashion our holiness and make us fit for him. In truth, the reverse is far more accurate: the great saints have been those who fully accepted God’s love for them. It is this which makes everything else possible. Our incredulity in the face of God’s immense love, and also self-hate or an unyielding sense of guilt, can be formidable obstacles to God’s love, and are often subtle and unrecognized forms of pride, in putting our “bad” above His mercy.”

In contrast to our usual attitudes, I want you to notice the Apostle Paul’s attitude towards all of his “bad”. He had this attitude because he understood mercy. Read carefully the following contrasts between sin and mercy, and see if they don’t challenge your attitudes as they did mine.

 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7)

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.  (1 Timothy 1:13-17)

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:3-7)

Now, let’s adjust our attitudes so that we begin expressing praise for the life we have in Christ because of His mercy, rather than grumbling about what’s wrong with life. Golf is not my glory – God is!

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Current Study: First Peter

Today’s Topic:  Abundance

Today’s Scripture:  1 Peter 1:2  Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Would you classify your spiritual life as one of abundance? Would you in any way use the word abundance to describe the state of your relationship with Christ? Well, according to F. B. Meyer, author, pastor, and evangelist of last century England, “the reason may be that you do not distinguish between praying and taking. There is a profound difference between asking for a thing and appropriating it. You may admit that God’s abundant grace is near you through Jesus Christ, and yet you may not quite see the necessity of learning how to take it. Some people are always telegraphing to heaven for God to send a cargo of blessing to them; but they are not at the docks to unload the vessel when it comes in. How many of God’s richest blessings for which you have been praying for years have come right close to you, but you do not know how to lay hold of and use them!

In Romans 5:17 we read, “how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” Take note of something important as explained by Meyer – The emphasis is not on grace, not on abundance, but on receiving it; and the whole grace of God may be around your life today, but if you have not learned to take it in, it will do you no good.

In this day and age, our grace and peace are being put to the test. We must receive all that God has for us in abundance or we will soon fall prey to the ravaging beast of social unrest. We may think we are already full, but we do not yet know the abundance of what God has for us. We have some grace and some peace, but is it really ours in abundance? Here’s a mental experiment you can do to test your understanding of abundance.

Select a large box to represent your life, and place in it as many cannon balls as it will hold. Some will state that the box is full. However, it will hold more if smaller items are placed in it. Bring a quantity of marbles; very many of these may be packed in the spaces between the larger cannon balls. Some will now believe the box to be full. The truth is there is an abundance of space still left unfilled in the box.

Bring some bb’s and pour them into the box. Literally thousands will be needed to fill the spaces between the marbles. Now for sure the box is full. Or is it? Bring some fine sand and let it slide down into the box. Much will be needed to fill the space that still exists between the bb’s. Now we are done, right. Not!  Grab a bucket of water and start filling the box, and it will soak into all the space between each grain of sand. When the water begins to overflow the box, you have filled the box. That is abundance.

It may seem that our lives are filled with grace and peace because we measure abundance by the big events. But when we carefully evaluate every minute of every day, we will see that our lives are abundant with unfilled spaces. There are far too many moments when grace and peace do not abound. But it doesn’t have to be so. We can be filled with the abundance of grace and peace. It is ours for the taking. God extends limitless grace and grants peace that passes all understanding. We just have to receive it. We’ve made application for the benefits many times in prayer; now it’s time to appropriate those benefits. Let the water of the Word of God flow into every nook and cranny of your life so that grace and peace are yours in abundance.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Current Study: First Peter

Today’s Topic:  The Chosen Ones

Today’s Scripture:  1 Peter 1:2  …who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood…

News of a man named Jesus was spreading like wildfire. It all started when the prophet named John, who was living in the wilderness, declared, “Look! There He is! The Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world.” After that day He was seen teaching in the synagogues of Galilee, and people were amazed at what He had to say. Then He was seen in Nazareth, and while in the synagogue there, He read from the prophet Isaiah and declared Himself to be the One upon whom rested the Spirit of God and would bring the good news. But when He mentioned that the good news wasn’t only for the Jews but for Gentiles as well, He was driven out of town.

As He travelled back to Galilee, he began casting out demons from people and healing people who were sick and diseased. Everywhere He went the people wanted Him to stay in their town, but He told them that He must go to all the towns and preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. His fame was growing.

One day crowds of people gathered around Him, listening to Him teach. To make it easier for everyone to hear, He got into a fishing boat and pushed off from shore. The boat belonged to a fisherman named Simon. After Jesus got done teaching, He asked Simon to take him out into the lake and go fishing. Simon was tired from fishing all night, and argued at first. But He had heard about this man, and now He had heard Him teach. He recognized the authority of Jesus and responded by calling Him “Master”. Even though He had already cleaned and stored his nets from the fishing expedition of last night, he agreed to obey the Lord’s request. Not only did they catch fish, but they caught so many they had to call for additional boats to help them haul the fish to shore.

It was at this point that Simon Peter first saw himself in the light of who Jesus was. He declared to Jesus, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Then Jesus said to Peter, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.”  One of the other authors of a Gospel relates that Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Jesus chose fishermen to be His disciples.

Peter understood what it meant to be chosen by God. He may not have understood all of the theology of it yet, and I’m not sure I do either. But Peter most certainly knew what it felt like to be selected by the Lord. Here was the Son of God, already famous in Peter’s homeland, and He has chosen a lowly fisherman to join the inner circle of men who will be taught the workings of the Kingdom of God. Peter didn’t know it yet, but he would become the one who would preach the first sermon under the power of the Holy Spirit that would result in the formation of the church of Jesus Christ. But Jesus knew, and His choice was in obedience to God’s sovereign will.

Now, years later, Peter wants all of us to understand the splendor of being chosen to participate in the glorious Kingdom of God. We are in Christ because God chose us to be and we have surrendered to His choosing. He has sanctified us (set us apart for His purpose) by the power of the Holy Spirit so that we might obey Jesus as our Lord. He has sprinkled us with the blood of Jesus so that we are forgiven for our sins and stand justified before the Father in heaven.  While we were still in our sin, fishing for fulfillment from the world, God chose us, pursued us, and called us to leave the world behind and follow Him.

In our pride we have deceived ourselves into believing that somehow we are responsible for our salvation. The belief that we chose God causes us to believe we can control what we do with God. If we believe we chose Him, then we will begin to believe we can un-choose Him whenever it’s convenient or for our personal benefit. We can decide which parts of our lives to surrender and which parts to control. When we believe we chose God we tend to use God to serve self.

We need to fall on our faces as Peter did and cry out for mercy. “Go away from me, Lord; I am sinful.”  It is at that point of brokenness and humility that Jesus remove our fear and we will hear Him say, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you into what will truly fulfill you.”

I remember as a young boy the first time I was chosen first out of the lineup of boys who wanted to play baseball. I remember it so well because for I had been chosen last so many times before. It felt great to be wanted. It feels great to know that God wanted me, too. In fact, according to the Apostle Paul, God chose all of us first.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…

Praise Him! You are blessed because you are chosen! You have been adopted as a permanent member of Christ’s family. Praise Him!

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Current Study: First Peter

Today’s Topic:  Be Strange

Today’s Scripture:  1 Peter 1:1  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…

After a long morning of hospital visits and meetings, I am sitting in the sound booth of our church listening to a young man from our music ministry play a concert for our senior citizen ministry. With some beautiful video backgrounds of nature, he has relaxed my heart and brought me into the presence of God through the free stylings of very well-known hymns.

What is also special about this event is that in a couple of months, this young man will be leaving for Africa on a short term mission trip with one of our supported missionaries. He will be conducting music seminars to train the native people to bring the glory of God to their cultural music. His purpose will be to help them write songs for worship and play their own music in ways that glorify God.

For two months he will be a stranger in a land filled with people who look a lot different than he does. He will stand out just because of the color of his skin.

Regardless of the color of our skin, we who are followers of Christ should stand out in our world. We are to be strangers wherever we are, no matter how long we have been there. The only reason not to be a stranger is if we have already won our world to Jesus so that we are all known to God and thereby known to each other.

Strangers. None of us enjoys being one. Some of us have a head start because we are already strange. But in the opening sentence of his letter to the followers of Christ dispersed all over the world, he calls them strangers. Many of them were strangers because they had been forced to move to a different land. All of them were strangers because in Christ they did not identify with the world.

What a challenge that is to me as I listen to the seniors sing a hymn with Andrew right now called, Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go. The love of the world will fail. The love of people will fail. No matter how familiar and friendly we become with them it will not last. Only the love of God will never fail, because God will not let us go. In Christ and by Christ we have been placed into the hand of God and He will never let us go.

When we come to Jesus for salvation, we become the friend of God. No longer are we strangers to Him. No longer are we on the outside longing for what only those on the inside can experience. In Christ we are included in the great company of faithful servants of God who have discovered the wonderful abundance of life found as God’s friend.

Never again will we be called a stranger to God. But as the friend of God we must be considered a stranger to the world. Much energy is wasted trying to be the friend of both.

As for me, I desire to be strange to the world, so that I might be strong for Jesus.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Monday, April 13, 2009

Current Study: First Peter

Today’s Topic:  He Is Risen

Today’s Scripture:  1 Peter 1:3  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…

All over the world people are celebrating Easter Monday today.  It’s a national holiday in 117 countries of the world. It is traditionally a day set aside to spend relaxed and recreational time with family and friends. In Canada, people eat Easter eggs and enjoy time outdoors. In Germany, they go out into the fields early in the morning and hold Easter egg races. In Guyana, people fly kites, which are made on Holy Saturday. In Leicestershire, England the people of Hallaton hold a bottle-kicking match and Hare Pie Scramble. In the Netherlands, people eat a festive breakfast and go hiking or cycling in the countryside. After yesterday’s incredible celebration of the resurrection of Christ at our church, I can understand the need for a holiday on Monday.

WOW! In all my years of ministry, and in all of my attempts to make Easter special with unique aspects to the service, yesterday was more special than any of them. Why? Because the Holy Spirit of God was there. Not that He never has been before, but this was different. It was not based on an expectation of His presence through our planning and program. We had no Easter cantata, no dramas, no videos. We simply had a crowd of people celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. They did it through music as they joined their voices in worshiping God. They did it through participation in the preaching of God’s Word as the Holy Spirit moved them to actually clap twice during the sermon, punctuated by numerous amen’s throughout.

But the most exciting time of the service for me, and I think for many others, was the baptism service. Three people who had come to Christ for salvation in the last two months stepped into the water and gave testimony to the saving power of Jesus Christ to transform their lives. You should have heard their testimonies. The Holy Spirit used them to move the people of the congregation to tears as they celebrated the resurrection of Christ in the lives of these three people. In all my years of ministry, while every baptism has been significant, I think the testimonies I heard yesterday were the most powerful ever. From the mouths of a husband and wife who have been through the worst of tragedies came a message of hope. It was hope not based on anything this world has to offer. It was hope that is out of this world. It was hope that comes from a living and powerful Savior – Jesus Christ.

Today we begin a study of the New Testament book of First Peter. We are going to dive into it verse by verse starting tomorrow. But for today, let me give you a synopsis of the first nine verses that will assist you in continuing the celebration of the resurrection on this Easter Monday. Read the verses first:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Here’s a simple outline for you:

        R is for regeneration. In Christ we have been given a new birth

         I  is for inheritance. We have been born into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade, and is being kept in heaven for us.

        S is for security. By faith in Jesus Christ we are being shielded by God’s power until the coming of Christ.

        E is for endurance. Even though for a time now we have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials, our faith is being refined so our lives bring glory to God.

        N is for nearness. Though we do not see Him, our faith in Him fills us with an inexpressible joy – the joy of His presence in our lives.

He is risen! He is risen indeed! And because He lives, I too shall live. But it is not me living. It is the resurrected Christ who lives in me! Hallelujah! May we celebrate His resurrection every day, because we live in it’s power every day!

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Current Study: A to Z

Today’s Topic:  One More “Z”

Today’s Scripture:  Hebrews 12:22-24  But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

The next four days are the most significant days of celebration in the Christian faith. Tonight many will gather and celebrate the Last Supper. Tomorrow people will stream to churches and auditoriums to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. Early Sunday morning there will be those who attend sunrise services to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. Others will attend worship at the normal time, but the service will be far from normal.

This Sunday at our church we will be celebrating the new life found in Christ by witnessing three people get baptized by immersion as a statement of their faith in Jesus Christ. All three are new followers of Jesus. All three now understand that faith is not just a religion, but a relationship with the living God based on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. His work fully satisfied the wrath of God against our sin, making it possible for us to be forgiven and declared “not guilty” by a righteous and just God. The resurrection of Jesus guarantees that God’s forgiveness results in eternal life. One day, when Jesus returns to the earth to gather together all those who belong to Him by faith, we will see Him face to face and behold Him in all of His glory. HALLELUJAH!

God is a just God, and all sin must be punished with death. The holiness of God and His wrath against sin and sinners is to be feared above all else. In the Old Testament when the people of God under the leadership of Moses came to the mountain God had set up as a meeting place, they were terrified. Moses himself said, “I am trembling with fear.” But in Christ all fear is gone. We will never stand on a mountain where God judges sin. Read with rejoicing the words of Hebrews – But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Because of the blood of Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant of forgiveness and grace, we who believe and receive have been saved from God’s wrath and will live forever with Him in Zion.

One of the people being baptized on Sunday wrote the following testimony on the blog site where they track the progress of their son who suffers from some serious medical issues. She gave me permission to reprint it here. This is what the death and resurrection of Jesus are all about.

First of all I promise not to complain about being tired one little bit later today.  So let’s get to why in the world I am updating Caring Bridge just after midnight.  The reason is because a few hours ago I began reading a book.  I finished it just now.  Why would I, a mother who values sleep (a tricky thing to capture in this house some nights) stay awake reading when clearly I could put the book away and resume reading tomorrow?  The answer simply is that the story is so profound and relevant that I was compelled to finish.  There is nothing left to chance in this world.  The book that was placed in my hands today, the book that I needed to read before my life this Easter week could continue was: “He Chose the Nails” by Max Lucado.  It took me on a walk to Calvary.  It painted pictures in my mind about what that walk would look like; what the pain may have felt like, and most importantly…why it happened and for whom it was meant.  There is nothing left to chance.  He chose the cross for you and for me, but left us with the will to choose for ourselves.

Jordan and I are to be baptized this Sunday at Calvary Baptist.  To be honest when Pastor John asked if we’d consider doing it on Easter Sunday we both were unsure.  Not because we weren’t sure that we had accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation, but because the day itself is so meaningful.  I can’t speak for Jordan of course, but after reading this book tonight I understand that being baptized this Sunday is the only day that makes sense for me.  My salvation originated from Jesus dying in my place on that cross on the hill called Calvary.  All of my sins I lay at his feet and with tears that can only be described as gratitude (because my human words are inadequate) I pray that I can live my life in a way that pleases Him; draws Him closer to me; and never allows me to forget that He “chose the nails” for me.

( http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jeffreybergeman)

She has come to Mount Zion and found the grace of God. So has her husband. So can you. Do not let this Easter celebration be a mere religious holiday. Do not just go through the motions of a new dress or suit and a nice ham dinner. My prayer is that you will discover the cost of the cross – the life of Jesus who died for your sins, and that you will discover the reality of the resurrection by inviting the living Christ to live in you. He’s alive…and because He lives, we too shall live!

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Current Study: A to Z

Today’s Topic: Zeal

Today’s Scripture:  Romans 12:11-13  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Many years ago Eugene Ormandy was directing the Philadelphia Orchestra. Suddenly something terrible happened. In his enthusiasm over the music, and his burning desire to bring out the best in the musicians, he dislocated his shoulder. I don’t know what they were playing. Certainly not Mozart. Perhaps Stravinsky. But at any rate, he was giving all of himself to it!  

In the Bible, such burning desire is called zeal. The very word zeal means “to be hot.” It is translated in a variety of ways in the New Testament, but always has to do with strong desire and passion for something or Someone. As I read the story of Mr. Ormandy, I asked myself, “Have I ever been so passionate about something that I’ve dislocated anything, even a necktie while preaching?” 

I looked for some examples of zeal this morning, and I think I’m getting a good idea of what it is. My understanding started to grow when I read this prayer from a country preacher in Red Rock, Mississippi. “O Lord, give Thy servant this mornin’ the eyes of the eagle and the wisdom of the owl; connect his soul with the gospel telephone in the central skies; ‘luminate his brow with the Sun of Heaven; possess his mind with love for the people; turpentine his imagination; grease his lips with ’possum oil; loosen his tongue with the sledge hammer of Thy power; ’lectrify his brain with the lightnin’ of the word; put ’petual motion on his arms, fill him plum full of the dynamite of Thy glory; ’noint him all over with the kerosene oil of Thy salvation and set him on fire. Amen!”

That’s zeal! To be set on fire. To burn hot with passion for a purpose or cause. And who has a better cause for which to be zealous than the cause of Christ? What other mission can ‘lectrify the brain like sharing the Good News of Jesus? What other outcome can compare to the miracle of rebirth in the life of a sinner as we watch God transform their life before our eyes?

Unfortunately many have never experienced zeal. The nuggets of knowledge they collect about God never become a blazing fire of activity for God. Instead of the unsaved being warmed by the love of God burning in the Christian’s life, they are driven away shivering with the coldness of condemnation. So many Christians live life like Luigi Tarisio collected violins.

Luigi Tarisio was found dead one morning with not a comfort in his home. As they looked through his house, they found 246 exquisite violins which he had been collecting all his life. They were crammed into an attic, and the best one was in the bottom drawer of an old rickety bureau. In his very devotion to the violin, he had robbed the world of all that music because he treasured the instrument rather than burning with zeal for the music they make.  His greatest treasure was a Stradivarius that had not been played for 147 years.

Many of Christ’s people are like old Tarisio. In our very love of the church and with a displaced zeal we seek to protect ourselves from the world rather than sing out the Good News to the world. In our zeal for the truth we forget to publish it. When shall we all learn that the Good News needs not just to be cherished, but needs to be told? All people need to hear it.

I challenge you to read carefully again these words from the Apostle Paul:  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.  Take these words to heart. Let them be the embers that start a raging fire in your heart to bring the love of God to a lost world. Be zealous for Christ!

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Current Study: A to Z

Today’s Topic: Yield

Today’s Scripture:  Ezekiel 34:26-27 I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. The trees of the field will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the LORD…

When I learned to drive a car, I was not living in Wisconsin. I remember distinctly the first time I was told to use an entrance ramp to get on to a freeway. The instructor reminded me of the merge rules we had studied in class. He said, “Use the ramp to accelerate to freeway speed while checking your mirrors for freeway traffic. Signal your intentions, and then merge into the flow of traffic.” There was even a sign at the end of the ramp that said “Merge”. Years later, after moving to Wisconsin, I noticed the signs on all the freeway entrance ramps said “Yield”. I still haven’t figured out the logic of that. I still get frustrated with the people who do it. I know – it’s my problem.

The word yield carries a negative connotation for me. It seems like most of the time, when we talk about yielding, it has to do with giving in to someone else. None of us really enjoys doing that. That attitude even carries over into our spiritual lives. For example, last Wednesday as I was teaching my Next Wave guys (That’s the leadership training course I teach at our church) we were talking about the importance of prayer. I had laid out for them the acrostic of the word pray and we were talking about each element of a powerful prayer life – Praise; Repent; Ask; Yield.

As we got to the last point, the emphasis was on surrendering to the will of God. It is accurate and advisable to pray with such surrender, as Jesus did when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on he night He was betrayed. Remember what He asked? “Father, if it is possible, don’t make me go through this.” But do you also remember how He finished His prayer? “Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.” That’s yielding. That’s hard.

But this morning I thought about yielding from a different perspective. I guess I’ve been a city boy too long, because I had almost forgotten the other meaning of the word yield – to produce. In fact, of the 23 times the word yield is used in the New International Translation of the Bible, 19 times refer to the produce of crops rather than the surrender of self. It seems to me that I’ve been looking at yielding the wrong way.

Again, yielding to God in surrender is essential, but imagine how our prayer lives would change if we used both definitions of yield at the end of our prayers. How much blessing are we missing when we simply focus on what has become the negative attitude of surrender and forget to embrace the positive attitude of harvest? I am just a little bit excited about this. Every prayer we pray should end with the expectation that God is going to produce a bountiful harvest of glory as He accomplishes His will, and we get to share in the harvest.

Just look at what God said to us in Proverbs 8 – I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold;  what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.

Using those truths of God, maybe it’s time we start ending our prays with faith by saying, Lord, as I yield to your will, let the fruit of your life and your glory be yielded to me in abundance. Let’s begin praying with the expectation of God’s yield.

Pastor John