A Place of Safety!

In February, our family began a new adventure by raising nine laying hens from chicks. After keeping them inside for six weeks, it came time to move them to the coop. The transition to the coop is a fascinating event. For two weeks, they are locked in the coop 24/7. After the transition period, they can roam freely in the yard throughout the day. On the first evening of freedom, the most amazing thing happens. The very moment the sun dips below the horizon, all nine chicks immediately head into the coop, take their roost and can be locked in safety through the night. In two weeks, they learn of the haven they have.

As I watched this phenomenon of learned behavior, I thought of the spiritual haven we have in the Lord. The 23^rd Psalm speaks of the safety we have when we walk with our Good Shepherd. He is the one who keeps us safe through the storms of life. In the same way chickens learn, we learn of the safety God provides. As the Bible instructs parents in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Let’s all remember the safety of the Lord that we have learned, and go to him first in times of trouble.

Blessings,

Jeremy

Influenced

A while back my sister came to visit and brought her dog, Lola. Lola and Bear (our dog) quickly became friends. One day, after being let outside, Lola and bear decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood. They were shortly returned by our neighbor. This was out of character for Bear, as he's always stayed close by, even with the gate open. After Lola left, bear took off again and wasn't returned. Thankfully, after frantically searching and posting on social media, we found bear at the city pound.

This event immediately reminded me of the power of influence. We are always being influenced! Paul warns the brethren in 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Do not be deceived, Bad company corrupts good morals." This does not mean we should keep ourselves from anyone who is not a Christian, for this would go against the principle of shining the light. However, we need to be alert to what and who we are allowing to influence us. No one is immune to negative influence. Even the apostle Peter allowed the Judaizers to have negative influence on him in Galatians 2:11-12. Paul says he had to publicly rebuke Peter. In the same way, if we let our guard down, we can succumb to peer pressure.

We must also remember, as powerful as negative influence can be, positive influence is equally as powerful. We need to surround ourselves with those people who influence us to be the people God desires us to be. We also must seek to be a positive influence on others by shining our light in a way that men will see our good deeds and glorify God (Matthew 5:16). 

Blessings,

Jeremy 

Eager to share!

Recall something you have been eager to do. Maybe it was a vacation you had planned, or a movie you waited months to come to theaters. If you are married, hopefully there was an eagerness about your wedding and the life you would spend with your future spouse. Our eagerness is typically a reflection of the value we place on that for which we wait. 

In Romans 1:15, Paul says, “I am eager to preach the Gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Paul has an eagerness about preaching the Gospel. He continues to further explain the reason for his eagerness in verse 16 saying: “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The value of the Gospel is its power to save! Because of that power and salvation, Paul says he will NEVER be sorry for preaching it. Have you ever said or done something that later you were ashamed of and had to apologize for? We all have, but Paul knows that preaching the Gospel will never be something he is sorry for! 

Do we have the same eagerness that Paul had about preaching the Gospel? If the answer is no, there might be something wrong with how we value the Gospel. First, we must look at the power that the Gospel has. It is powerful because it is from God! Secondly, we must look at our salvation. Do we value our salvation as we should? The Gospel gives us the opportunity to escape the wrath of God and to live forever with God in eternity. There is nothing in this world that even comes close to the value of our salvation! I hope we all can stand up and boldly say that we are eager to share the Gospel and are not ashamed to do so! 

Blessings,

Jeremy 

"I Have to." or "I Have To!"

Growing up, when my family went to a restaurant, my parents made us order water to drink (because of cost). I hated water! Often my response would be, "I have to drink water, ugh!" It wasn't until years later that I gained an appreciation for water. It happened during wrestling season my freshman year of high school. In order to make weight for the very first match, I (In a very unhealthy decision) withheld liquid intake for over 24 hours. Upon stepping off the scale, I gasped, "I have to have water!" I didn't go for a Gatorade or a pop, I bolted for the water fountain. Experiencing and realizing the true necessity of water completely changed my attitude toward it.

In the same way, we may be tempted to have the "do I have to, ugh" attitude toward serving the Lord. It can be easy to view our service to God as an obligation over a necessity. The impression is given, in Revelation, this might be the attitude Jesus addresses with the church in Laodicea. If we view our relationship with God in this way, we will not be devoted in the way we should.

Rather, we need to develop an attitude similar to the Psalmist in Psalm 42:2 "My Soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?" Do I thirst for God, do we have an attitude that says, "I HAVE TO serve God"? We need to develop a longing and desire to serve God and His Kingdom!

Blessings,
Jeremy

Living With Joy

This time of year, we hear a lot about having Joy. Some may say the Holiday season produces much joy in them. Others may disagree with that statement. The Bible gives a unique picture of Joy we may not commonly think about.  The Zondervan topical Bible defines biblical Joy as, “"the emotion excited by expectation or acquisition of good.” However, James tells suffering Christians to have Joy even in trials, or bad circumstances James 1:2. If joy is the emotion exited by the expectation or acquisition of good, how can one have joy in bad situations?

The Greek word commonly used for Joy is Chara which means, “joy, delight, or gladness.” It is closesly related to the Greek words for grace (charis) and gift (charisma). Then, joy can be thought as the response to the gift of God which is Grace. 

When we receive gifts, we vary our reaction based on how we value the gift. Our assessment of worth may be made on monetary value, sentimental value or based on who's giving us the gift. However we value, if we find a gift worth a lot, we react in accordance. The same can be said about how we react to the gift God has given us in Christ. The more worth we see, the more joy we express!

Considering the gift that God has given us in Jesus, Joy should be the response we have regardless of the circumstances. In other words, our attitude should be in direct response to God’s gift and not the circumstance. Joy is therefore a choice we must make even when bad things happen to us. How can I have joy in a difficult time? We have joy by, not responding to the situation or circumstance, rather responding to the grace we have in Christ!  The choice should be easier knowing the blessings we have in Christ. I want to encourage us all to live a life of joy no matter what circumstances we face!

Blessings,

Jeremy  

Three Logical Steps to Effective Evangelism!

As Christians, we have responsibility in reaching the lost of this world. No matter our line of work, marital status, age, gender, etc. If we are Christians, we have a part in the great commission to spread the Gospel. Evangelism can be intimidating, and may cause feelings of being unprepared and inadequate in our efforts. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul gives a three-fold approach to evangelism which helps lessen the intimidation factor (Colossians 4:2-6).  

The first step of evangelism we all need to be involved in is Prayer. Paul tells the Christians at Colossae, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.” The prayers Paul requests have two parts; prayer for open doors, and prayers that He will be able to walk through those doors. We need to be praying for opportunities of evangelism, but we cannot forget our awareness and ability to take advantage of those openings.

Paul’s next step for evangelism deals with our conduct. He says, “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.” How we act around non-Christians is crucial in our efficiency in reaching them with the Gospel. The loudest sermon a person can preach is done with actions. Jesus tells of the importance of actions in the Sermon on the Mount when he says to practice good works so that men may glorify God (Matthew 5:16). Oftentimes, the way we conduct ourselves opens doors to spiritual conversation.

 Finally, after we have prayed for open doors and conducted ourselves with wisdom, Paul says to look at our speech. “Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” In our efforts to share the Gospel with people, we have to be willing to speak the truth to them. We must connect the lost of this world with the one who can save them from their sins. Peter tells us to be prepared to give a defense in 1 Peter. 3:15 saying: “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." Both Peter and Paul speak of how we need to have gentleness and grace In our defense. Think in terms of how Jesus spoke to lost people throughout his ministry.

The process Paul gives seems a natural and logical approach to evangelism. Once we have spent time and effort in prayer for open doors, waited with awareness for opportunities, and methodically planned our actions and conduct with wisdom, Sharing the hope we have in Christ seems to be the logical progression.  We all have a part in the evangelism of the world. No matter who we are, we can pray for opportunities, conduct ourselves with wisdom and speak the truth with grace.

Blessings,

Jeremy 

Focus and Press on!

It always saddens me when the Olympics come to an end. Over the last two weeks I have watched the Olympics every evening. I enjoy seeing the greatest athletes compete against one another on the biggest stage. I will watch any event, even the ones I have no clue what is going on! More so, I delight in the stories of athletes who have overcome various difficulties in life to reach the top. Athletes come from many backgrounds with various obstacles. Some have overcome injuries, unfortunate circumstances, poverty etc. Yet others have overcome struggles they brought on themselves by making bad choices or following poor advice. When asked how they succeeded, most give a similar response, FOCUS and press on!

 As Christians, we will face various struggles and obstacles in our lives as well. These have potential to hinder us from pressing on if we let them. It is no wonder, Paul and the Hebrew writer both compare the Christian’s life to sporting events and challenge us with the same message, Focus and Press on.

The Hebrew writer urges Christians to, “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Unfortunately even as Christians, we will continue to struggle with sin. We must keep our focus in the direction of Christ.

In a comparable way, Paul encourages the Philippians saying: “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b-14). In our life there will be situations and circumstances that threaten our forward progress. We need to choose, as Paul did, to let go of the past and press on toward the future.

In our walk with God, we will face hurdles. Some may come as a result of circumstances beyond our control, others will come from choices we make. Whatever the cause, Let us take the advice of Paul and the Hebrew writer by maintaining our focus on Christ and always pressing forward toward the goal!

Blessings,

Jeremy