Philippians 1:12-14
Rather than complaining about what he has endured, Paul points to the Lord’s purpose for all that he had gone through — the furtherance of the gospel. He could have whined about a huge list of his trials and tribulations over the years. But instead Paul finds joy in the fact that through it all, God used this as an opportunity to preach the gospel.
Paul was there, chained in prison, for Christ’s sake. His chains are what opened the door to speak to people who would not otherwise have given him the time of day. He was chained to a Roman solider 24/7 and every six hours when the guard was changed, he had a new “captive” audience.
And the guards weren’t the only ones being ministered to. “Most of my brothers in the Lord have become confident because of my chains, boldly speaking without fear.” Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm, zeal inspires zeal, and Paul’s focus to serve Jesus inspired the church to “speak without fear.” Which would motivate you more, a leader who said, “Forward! Go get ’em guys!” or one who stepped out and said, “Follow me!?” Paul was a “follow me!” leader.
Pastor Doug Hardin
Romans 6:6
Having been set free from the bondage of sin, we are no longer to walk in it. Our former self has been crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be destroyed. However, we often allow a part of the old man to stick around. We tell ourselves that it isn’t that bad or that we have it under control; we try to train it like it’s our little pet.
The reality is there is no part of sin that is good, sin wants to enslave and oppress you. Jesus died so that sin might be destroyed in our lives and we would be set free from it. As followers of Christ, we need to see to it that we are putting sin to death in all areas of our lives. Yes, there will still be times when we fall into sin, but when we do we are to pick ourselves up and continue to press on towards Christ. The ways of sin are enticing, but the more we walk in the freedom of Jesus, the more that body of sin is done away with.
For the King,
Pastor Daniel Batistelli
Ephesians 1:15-16
Prayer is an amazing thing the Lord has given us to communicate with Him as well as see our heart change. Something that we can miss out on are prayers of thanksgiving. In hearing about the faith and love of the church of Ephesus, Paul is moved to thanking the Lord for their faithful hearts.
Spend some time today thinking of those in your life and abroad that have been faithful and loving and thank God for them and lift them up! You will see your outlook for today be transformed and be grateful for the current working of the Lord in the church.
Resting in Him.
Pastor Sean Boehm
In looking at this verse we need to keep in mind Jesus is speaking to believers, those that are in Him. The works of our flesh produce nothing, but the work of the Spirit brings fruit. That phrase “takes away” can also be translated as “to lift up off the ground.” We are branches, heavy with leaves that need to be dealt with. Even trees that do bear fruit need to be pruned now and then.
This Scripture came to life for me as I watched my mom in her last day on this earth dying from cancer. She was barely a heart beating and lungs breathing. It came to me that when we’re born, God begins His pruning of our sinful nature and He continues to prune and refine through our whole lives until, in the end, there is that last snip of our flesh and we enter into eternity. Let God have His perfect work in you today so you can bear more fruit for the kingdom.
Bringing in the shears,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
Acts 10:14
One of my favorite people in the Bible is Peter. It’s not because of his faithfulness or his stature as an apostle, but because he’s a reminder to me even the best of us mess up and Peter did it frequently.
In Acts 10, Peter was on the roof praying and had a vision from the Lord of unclean animals being lowered in a sheet. The Lord told him to kill and eat the animals and that’s when Peter answers, “Not so, Lord!”
What a great reminder to me that if I truly believe God is Lord then I shouldn’t be telling Him, “No!” There are many difficult parts of the Bible to follow – loving my enemies comes to mind – but if God is truly my Lord then I should be telling Him, “Yes” when He asks me to do these hard things.
Maybe you’re struggling in your faith because you keep telling God, “Not so” instead of Isaiah’s answer of “Here am I! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8). Peter eventually learned this lesson, hopefully we will too!
Send me, Lord!
Pastor Ron Kitchell
John 4:34-35
Jesus made this comment to His disciples when they had returned from Sychar in Samaria to pick up food for lunch and returned to find Jesus talking to a woman at a well outside of town. When the disciples urged Jesus to eat, He spoke to them of the real food for life. That was accomplishing the will of His Father, which, in this case, was sharing the good news of His Coming with a woman battered by life and rejected by most. Though the disciples viewed Samaria as a hostile place filled with enemies, Jesus told them they needed a change of attitude and the perspective that the fields were ripe and ready to hear the gospel. His example was this woman, who came to believe and find life.
Who are you seeing today as out of reach, someone who would never come to the Lord? You use resistance, assume the worst and so turn away without offering words of life. Look again, Jesus says the fields are ready….
Are you ready to be used in the fields?
Pastor Jack Abeelen
Hebrews 13:2 (NIV)
I love to greet people. Whether it is welcoming them into our home, at church, or in the grocery store, it’s one of the things I miss most from this past year of social distancing. There is just something about offering a warm hello that brings a sense of human kindness and love. I find myself wanting to offer a handshake or even an unmasked smile.
In the verse above, the writer of Hebrews encourages us to show love, not just to our brothers and sisters, but also to strangers. The words “keep on” and “do not forget” seem to indicate that these acts of kindness were a part of the early Christians’ everyday life. From the first century to today, the practice of hospitality continues to be an integral part of following Jesus.
So, as you go about your day, even wearing a mask or looking through a plexiglass window, on the phone or on a computer screen, think about how your presence can impact another person in a positive way. Ask God to give you eyes to see neighbors, colleagues, and strangers the way He sees them.
Pastor William Del Casale
2 Samuel 7:8-9
God is reviewing the hand He has played in David’s life. Over the years, David had gone from lowly shepherd boy to the conquering king of Israel. It was God who won David’s military battles and who made David’s name great. The power of God was displayed in David’s life. We too have the power of God available to us, but often do not lay hold of it because our human nature wants to rely on our own strength in order to handle things on our own.
Ephesians 1:19 refers to the, “exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 3:20 mentions, “Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” And Colossians 1:9 says, “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy.” God wants us dependent on Him and promises His power in our lives. Rather than doing it on our own, let us be diligent to enter His rest, for God promises a rest for His people (Hebrews 11:9-11). God has a peace not available anywhere else. Through the power of Christ’s blood, we have peace concerning our eternal security and, while we remain here on earth, we have peace as we walk with Him in dependence on His power in our lives.
Jeff Mericle
When I really believe, understand, and remember that God is good, it will change the way I live!
When I read David’s words in Psalm 34:8, it reminded me of the story of Joseph who must have had a “God is Good” t-shirt on under his tunic, because he definitely lived his life knowing that. And it affected the way he lived.
In chapter 40 of the book of Genesis, we see Joseph sitting in prison, having been falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife. He was probably still thinking about how his brothers had sold him into slavery. How did he handle all this? Well, we don’t see anywhere in the scriptures where he complains about his life or feels sorry for himself, like I might have. Despite all Joseph went through, he didn’t lose sight of the fact that God is good.
You might be going through a tough time where people have treated you poorly. You’ve been doing your best, but things just don’t seem to have worked out. Well, God’s plan and will for your life will make sense one day when the story is complete. And when you see the whole story, you will say, like David and like Joseph, “God is good!”
Trusting in Him,
Rich Kikuchi
Psalm 62:11
The pursuit of power is funny because all of man’s effort to seek power and exercise it are always chasing an illusion. Power gives us this idea of freedom because we think it grants us control. If you can control people or systems, you have power, or so one would think. But in reality, you don’t actually have power, what you do have is the opposite of power.
To be in bondage simply means to be controlled by something or someone else. And to those that think they are in control exercising power, they are ultimately being controlled by fears or lusts that are at the root of their desire for power. Those include fear of failure, fear of looking weak, fear of the unknown, or lusts for pleasure, lusts to be revered, lusts of all sorts that require a form of “power” to acquire these lusts or conquer such fears.
If we don’t have power, then who does? GOD! Power belongs to God and God alone. And for us to operate in any real power, is to submit to God and rely on His power to achieve or accomplish. That means our power comes in the form of submission and humility and power gained through any other means is bondage in disguise.
It is an easy thing to fall in to the trap of thinking you have power whether it be in your job, your marriage, or at church, so guard your heart and remind yourself regularly that ALL power belongs to God.
Pastor Jason Witt
