 In Lamentations 3, the author is acknowledging sufferings experienced as punishment/correction for sin. The whole purpose of this is to lead the sufferer to an attitude of repentance and acceptance of the LORD’s goodness. The change in attitude from a focus on suffering to one of GOD’s steadfastness is clearly seen in verse 22-23, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning . . .”
I have a tendency to focus on negatives more than positives. It’s something I have struggled with as long as I can remember. I find that there are plenty of negatives to focus on these days. Nothing new really. But I have a hope that is settled on that which is beyond myself and my circumstances. I find that the attitude I choose to dwell on is what makes the difference one way or the other. Today, like the poet, I choose to focus on the LORD’s steadfast love and provision for me. Any correction he has for me is for my good and betterment. How about you? Shalom, Pastor Bill
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 As we continue to go through the struggles of life during this year, how do we respond. Do we respond with fear, or do we respond standing on the promises of God. Two days ago we celebrated what I consider my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. Are we grateful for all God has done for us this year? For some this may be quite difficult to do as this year has been one of many trials. What does scripture say about giving thanks and becoming grateful.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6-7 I assure you that Jesus is still the King and our Savior no matter what happens in this life. We have witnessed ongoing chaos in America but in God we find peace and joy. Where do you choose to live, watching the world fall apart on the news or reading how God so loves us that he gave up his son for us? Rest assured in the fact that God has promised he will never leave us nor forsake us. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 This year has either strengthened our faith or caused us much grief, Isaiah 40:31 should give us much needed hope and strength for our days. But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Be thankful and put your hope in the Lord. Have an amazing day! Pastor Marty  How do we demonstrate thankfulness? For so many of us (myself included), our thankfulness to God seems to be reduced to a short prayer before meals and bedtime. Last week, I was convicted about my ways of giving thanks.
Take a minute if you would and read 1 Chronicles 16:8-36. This is a Psalm of thanksgiving. Notice that there are a few things about this passage that seem very different from how we give thanks today. First, verse 8 says: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.” The Psalmist then expresses thankfulness for the things God had done for Israel. However, it was for the purpose of “making known among the nations what he has done.” The thankfulness wasn’t and end in itself: it served a purpose. It wasn’t a simple “Thank you for the food, amen.” After thanking God for what He has done, the Psalmist then shifts gears and begins to thank God for who he is, apart from the things He has done. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t pray and thank God for all the blessings He’s given us, and before meals and before bed may be great times to do that. However, this Psalm sets a clear example: our praise should serve a purpose and should not be an end in itself. Thanksgiving is an amazing opportunity to re-focus on the things that are truly important. I pray that we would all remember to be truly Thankful! Blessings, Pastor Jared  Thank you for EVERYTHING: A pondering
by Holly Woodbridge – I have been teaching kids about Jesus for a long time. I love kids. I love their questions. I love their answers. The truth is I may have learned more than I have ever taught. Here is a question I often ask the kids, especially at this time of year, “What are you thankful for today?” A frequent answer, “EVERYTHING!” Then, I usually respond, “Be more specific” Or “Name something.” I am teaching them to count their blessings, right? But there is a scripture that instructs us, "And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20. This verse leaves us with a choice. Give thanks for everything or don’t. There is another that says, “In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 18. Apparently, in that moment of our lesson, the kids are choosing to give thanks in and for everything. So, who is teaching who? Now, I will still continue to count my blessings as it does help me to be more intentional about thankfulness, but I’ve got to tell you, kids have it absolutely right. And Miss Holly still has lots to learn. So, what am I thankful for today? I am thankful for EVERYTHING!  A Pilgrim’s Prayer When I come to this time of the year, the lives of the Pilgrims will often come to my remembrance. I try and think about what kind of folk they must have been in order to sacrifice so much in order to pursue radical lives of faith in the new world. They certainly were people worthy of my focus and attention. There are definitely things for me to learn from them. One of these things is their life of prayer. You will often find the words of their prayers on my lips during the Thanksgiving season. Here is a Thanksgiving prayer that is attributed to them. I hope you will observe the passionate nature of their devotion in this prayer that I share with you today. I hope you will pray it along with me. O my God, Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects, my heart admired, adores, loves thee, for my little vessel is as full as it can be, and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow. When I think upon and converse with thee ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up, ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed, ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart, crowding into every moment of happiness. for a full table and overflowing cup, for appetite, taste, sweetness, for social joys of relatives and friends, for ability to serve others, for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities, I love thee above the powers of language to express, for what thou art to thy creatures Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity. Amen. Pastor Donny  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29
Words What are words? Webster defines words as "verbal signals." Words can build up or they can tear down. Words can encourage or they can discourage. Words can be loving or they can be full of disdain. Words can be many or they can be few. But, words send messages or "signals" every time they leave our mouths. A lack of words can also send negative messages. A story is told of a father who took his six-year old daughter on a "date" to their favorite restaurant. During the meal, the dad did most of the talking as he told his little girl how wonderful she was, how proud he was of her, how proud he was to be her dad and how much he loved her. He told her how special she was to him and how she was such a special gift from God. After he had done what he felt was a great job of reassuring her of his love, he picked up his fork and began to eat. His daughter put her hand on his arm and stopped him with these words, "Longer, Daddy! Longer!" The father may not have finished much of his meal that day, but he certainly fed one little girl's heart. Many a home is filled with hungry hearts; hungry hearts that wait to hear those words of praise and affirmation. Hearts that long to hear the words, "Well done!”, "Good job!", "I love you!”, "You are so special!" "I am so proud of you!” I wonder how many of us miss those hungry hearts that greet us each morning across the breakfast table, wait for us to come home every night, or silently long for us to convey to them just how worthy they are. How many times do we miss those precious opportunities to reassure our spouses or children that they are really not total failures, unworthy or unwanted, but in fact, are very special to us and to God? Too many times in our society today, disrespect and put-downs are the messages our families are receiving instead of the kind of words that edify and build up. One of the greatest gifts we can give our families is a guarded tongue. In Psalms 141:3, the psalmist tells us, "Set a guard over my mouth, 0 Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips." The power of words is so great. Words are like feathers of a pillow... once shaken out, you can never retrieve all of them. Words can hurt and destroy relationships or they can build relationships. If we plant negative, destructive and critical words, we will reap a family that is negative, critical and destructive. Look for the good in your family and then let them know with loving, kind words that build up and edify. We would be wise to ask ourselves these questions before speaking: T: Is it true? H: ls it helpful? I: ls it inspiring? N: Is it necessary? K: Is it kind? I have learned over the years that it is very important to choose carefully the words I use and the way I speak. Sometimes you have to really look for kind words to speak, but once said they can be the healing balm that is needed in many relationships. Here are some thoughts for us all to consider:
Pastor Fran  But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Luke 19:37-40
I have never heard a stone cry out, and rather think I would not find it to be a pleasant experience. Do you recall the saying “silence is consent”? It is difficult to understand the thoughts that cross one’s mind while standing in a cemetery, and yet as I was standing there the thought of that simple statement challenged me to consider; what if I could hear the deafening sound of silence echoing through the wind from the individuals in residence there giving consent that Gods Word is true. From some, they would shout; I finished the race and won the prize of heaven. And yet others mournfully cried; I failed to believe even on the name of Jesus, I stopped short, I chose to go the other way and found that in doing so I lost the blessing of eternal life in heaven only to find my own choices gained the curse of eternity in hell. In every covenant God has established there is both a blessing and a curse, no middle ground, no sitting on the fence, it is as simple as yes or no, there is no maybe. Either I accept Christ as my Savior and Lord or I do not; either because I reject Him, I don’t have time for Him, or have fixed in my mind that my ways are better. But in any case, by our decision or indecision we have chosen, and one day it will be too late, even to say yes. Therefore, now is the time to no longer be silent! Therefore, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:11-13 Last Devotion Question: Do you know why David had four additional stones? Answer: David was prepared, Goliath had four brothers. Pastor Jerry  Sanctification
1 Corinthians 1:30“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God---that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” The mystery of sanctification is that the perfect qualities of Jesus Christ are imparted · As a gift to me, not gradually, but instantly · Once I enter by faith into the realization that He “became for [me]…sanctification….” Sanctification means nothing less than · The holiness of Jesus becoming mine and being exhibited in my life. The most wonderful secret of living a holy life does not lie in imitating Jesus, · But in letting the perfect qualities of Jesus exhibit themselves in my human flesh. Sanctification is “Christ in you…” (Colossians 1:27). · It is His wonderful life that is imparted to me in sanctification · Imparted by faith as a sovereign gift of God’s grace. Am I willing for God to make sanctification as real in me as it is in His Word? · Sanctification means the impartation of the holy qualities of Jesus Christ to me. · It is the gift of His patience, love, holiness, faith, purity, and godliness that is exhibited in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy · It is drawing from Jesus the very holiness that was exhibited in Him · That He now exhibits in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation. · Imitation is something altogether different. The perfection of everything is in Jesus Christ, · The mystery of sanctification is that all the perfect qualities of Jesus are at my disposal. Consequently, I slowly but surely begin to live a life of inexpressible order, soundness, and holiness— “…kept by the power of God…” (1 Peter 1:5). Pastor Dick  I am looking forward to the holidays, it's so close. In a year where so
many things have NOT gone as planned and have NOT been ideal, it will be so nice to forget about all of that for a while and focus on family, and what we're thankful for. Our "littlest worshippers" I like to call them, our nursery kiddos, have been studying about thankfulness this month. A few weeks ago we focused on being thankful for our health, but there's such a great lesson from the Bible story we talked about, I haven't been able to shake it. In Luke 17:11-19 Jesus comes across 10 lepers, he ends up healing all ten, but only one returns. Ungrateful the other 9.he literally gave them back their lives! I get to thinking about what I've been ungrateful for or have taken for granted and forgotten to thank Him or others for. I've been thinking and thinking on it the last few weeks. As I've walked the aisles of grocery stores and the Christmas items are already out and the Thanksgiving items are hard to find, I just keep thinking and praying that in my heart, I will always be thankful, in all things, through all things. I pray that after Thanksgiving is over and the push for Christmas and the "stuff" comes, I will just be thankful for THE GIFT, His gift, His gift of life. Where or for what are you forgetting to be thankful, where have you been ungrateful? Reflect in this season, but don't let it stop when Thanksgiving is over!!!! "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good..." Psalm 106:1 (ask our nursery kids to say their verse, they should be able to say it or sign it!!) Pastor Delinda  Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. —Psalm 119:105
When I am making decisions about the future, I really wish God would make it easier for me by giving me all the information I need. Sometimes I wish I had a better glimpse of the future. And since God already knows the future, why won’t he share more of it with me? It makes you wonder why God would hold out on us like that. Could it be that God is holding out, or does he have something else in mind? It’s times like this that I’m reminded of this verse in Psalm 119. When we seek God in Scripture, God will often prompt us on what to do next—particularly the next step. God offers a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Interestingly, that helps for a few steps, but no more. Most of the time we want more and more of the details. We want to know everything we can about the future. I suppose we assume that it may offer us a sense of security about what is to come. However, it would probably be more than we bargained for. God knows that we wouldn’t deal well with some of the details if we could see them coming. For example, if God had shown me what I’ve had to endure in being a pastor, I’m not sure I would have said yes to his call almost two decades ago. If God had shown me everything I’d have to do to earn a doctorate, I’m not sure I would have started down that path. What I need to understand—perhaps more now than ever—is that God’s grace is always sufficient for today. Or, maybe even for the moment. If you ever find yourself wanting more details, remember God will show you all you need to make a decision that honors him. He illuminates our paths for two or three steps, but he likely will not show us steps four, five, or six. Instead, we walk by faith, one step at a time. -Pastor Michael  John 10:11-15 (the Message)
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees the wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He is only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him. Ownership or having a personal stake in an event or situation changes everything. Three words will reveal if someone is an owner or a hireling. In Charge or responsible! When you are in charge you may be the boss, but you are not the protector. The in charge person cares little for the individuals involved and much about the results. The responsible person sees the big picture. They care about the results, but they care more about the result of the results. The end does not justify the means for the person who accepts responsibility. They know there will always be another day and another situation. Taking care of individuals placed in their care becomes more important than immediate results because tomorrow always comes. Long lasting results comes from taking the responsibility to invest in others rather than using others. If that sounds kind of spiritual, it’s because that is how Jesus modeled spiritual investments for the kingdom! Are you in charge or responsible? Pastor Holmes  In Isaiah 41:10 the LORD is speaking to the people of Israel as they are in the midst of being corrected for their sins of idolatry –“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” In Ephesians 6:10-13 the apostle Paul writes to the church, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
I recently heard 2020 being referred to as the year of fear. I believe this refers primarily to the current pandemic, and it probably has aspects of political, social and financial worries as well. I have heard of fear being expressed as False Evidence Appearing Real. Our Lord and Savior is the epitome of Truth (see John 14:6) but our enemy, the deceiver, brings fear. Scripture is very clear that there is no truth in him (see John 8:44 and Revelation 12:9) Paul also writes to the church in Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We all need to make sure our faith is in the right place. Shalom, Pastor Bill  We as a church, community and as a nation are going through a most difficult time in our lives. So I ask you, are you allowing yourselves to get caught up in the drama of the world or are you staying close to God!
The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy'" Leviticus 19:1-2 God had saved the Israelites from slavery, so he addressed them as a nation and as individuals. So as a church a family of God are we Holy? As individuals are we Holy? This was at one time what I thought to be an impossibility to be “ Holy “ as God has asked, for I am a sinful man. The biblical notion of the image of God is best understood as our special endowment, our special relationship with God, and that which distinguishes us from the rest of the created order "there is only one way God is imaged in the world — humanness! God is not imaged in the world in anything fixed but in the freedom of human persons to be faithful and gracious" Wholeness in Christ, William Gatehouse Are we as the Body Of Christ faithful and gracious. Do we represent our Father in an honorable manner. We are made in his image do we bear that? 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 Living in Holiness does not mean that we are perfect, it is a desire daily to seek him and not the world. We can live in perfection with our Father. This is difficult to do in a world full of hate and division. Are we living the fruit of the Spirit to those with whom we disagree? 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [a]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 We have to be different church, daily we must be on our knees crying out to the only one who can help us. We cannot get caught up in the craziness of the world yet find peace that only God can give. We must be light in the darkness for those who do not know him. 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 It is in this place we will find ourselves under his wings, viewing others through the eyes of God instead of our own. 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16 Have an amazing day!!!!! Pastor Marty  Read Matthew 6:25-34
This passage is one of my favorites in the Gospels. The entire passage is very encouraging: don’t worry, God’s got you covered! However, the way it ends is my favorite part. Jesus ends this optimistic passage with a very realistic, pragmatic statement. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Mat 6:34, NASB) Let that settle in for a minute: Jesus Himself, God clothed in flesh, just acknowledged the fact that today has problems! He’s not sugarcoating it, He’s not denying anything, He’s simply saying that you can rely on God to get through today, and get through tomorrow, and love Him every moment of it! Every moment of the Coronavirus, every moment of the election, every moment of everything else, God has never relinquished His sovereignty, and He’s never turned it over to any of us: He still watches the birds, the flowers, and us! Pastor Jared  Praising in Heavy Times – a pondering by Holly Woodbridge
I get the “heavies” sometimes. How about you? I know the psalmist did too. Psalm 9 says 13 Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death. So, what do you do with days like this? If you take a look at that whole Psalm you will notice David begins this psalm with thanksgiving and praise. 1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. You will also see that he follows the “heavy” verse with praise. 13 Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, 14 that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation. Personal experience tells me this is true. When I begin to count my blessings and remember who my God is then the heavies begin to lift. You might want to just give that a try today. Take a paper and list as many blessings as you can think of in 1 minute, then turn it over and write down all you can fit in of who God is in one minute. Let me know how it works for you. THANK YOU, LORD– Don Moen I come before You today And there's just one thing that I want to say Thank You Lord Thank You Lord For all You've given to me For all the blessings I cannot see Thank You Lord Thank You Lord With a grateful heart With a song of praise With an outstretched arm I will bless Your name Thank You Lord I just wanna thank You Lord For all You've done in my life You took my darkness and gave me Your light Thank You Lord Thank You Lord You took my sin and my shame You took my sickness and healed all my pain Thank You Lord Thank You Lord With a grateful heart With a song of praise With an outstretched arm I will bless Your name Thank You Lord I just wanna thank You Lord Thank You Lord  The Autumn of Our Lives Like so many of you I was out performing my civic duty last week. I’m not talking about getting out to vote although I did do that. Yes, you guessed it! I was out raking leaves. A thought came to my head as I was busy raking. Pastor Donny, you have an upcoming devotional to write. Hmm….I wonder what it should be about? What do you hold in your hand Donny? It would have been so much more dramatic if like Moses I could have said, I hold in my hand A STAFF! I could have parted the leaves throughout the entire street and the whole neighborhood would have been grateful. It was a bit more anticlimactic to say, I hold……..a rake. Give me a break, it was at least something towards a devotional idea. It was at least a start. Hmm…..think, think, think……pray, pray, pray…..rake, rake, rake. A rake….autumn leaves…..2 Corinthians 4:16 would be a nice scripture passage…..where Holly and I are in the seasons of life. It should be creative-like the way God celebrates the season of autumn with so much beauty. It should be in verse. The pleasantries should be observed. Let’s give it a title. The Autumn of Our Lives….. When the Autumn paints a carpet of orange red, and brown Crisp and crackly streets and sidewalks scintillating all around See the children play and frolic, leaves dress the wooden fence A mountain climbed, a tunnel made, their lives lived without pretense Come join me in this escapade, Our lives a work of art that must be made I told him Jesus, Come and walk with me through leaves of gold that once were green Though life’s been full, there’s so much more to be opened As the dying comes, the colors flow Jesus dresses our enamored soul inside In the Autumn of our lives When the Autumn sets a table of harvest rich with food scent of cider press, sight of swelling gourd, placid pictures of plentitude As the Autumn fills the fruits with all ripeness to the core May our lives be filled up with holiness, all this journey of life can afford Come, join me on life’s joyous travail The winds of grace have filled the skies, we set our sails Jesus, Come and walk with me through leaves of gold that once were green Though life’s been full, there’s so much more to be opened As the dying comes, the colors flow Jesus dresses our enamored soul inside In the Autumn of our lives 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
Pastor Donny  Time
Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Have you looked at the calendar lately? Its only 16 days until Thanksgiving and then in another 30 days it will be Christmas! Wow where has this year gone? Time just keeps marching on. I find myself on a constant run trying to do all the things I want to accomplish before the holidays hit. I just helped one daughter move into a new home and getting ready to help another move from Arizona. I have family coming for Thanksgiving and gifts to make for Christmas and I work 40 plus hours a week and I have things to order if I want them by Christmas and I have a new great grandson born yesterday that I want to hold, and snow is coming so I have to get things organized for that and my car needs winterizing and my house needs winterizing and I have to do…and I have to do, and I…, and the list goes on. Ever feel like that? Then it hit me on Friday when a good friend I know got up and went about her day and never made it home to her earthly home but without a good bye to anyone she went home to be with Jesus. Just like that things that she needed to do didn’t matter anymore. Her time on earth was done and only the memories are left. How many times do we hurry our lives away trying to get all the “things” done on our to-do lists, pushing ourselves with all the things we just have to get done? I started looking at my to-do list for the next 6 weeks and it became overwhelming! So instead of looking at it as a have to get done list I decided to look at it as a thankful list, a I-get-to-do this list. I was able to spend worthwhile time with my daughter and son-in-law as I helped them move. I get to be 2 hours away from my daughter from Arizona instead of 20 hours. I am fortunate to have the family I have and I am blessed to have them for thanksgiving dinner where we will be crammed around tables sharing turkey and pumpkin pie, telling the hilarious stories to the new generation. Laughing our heads off together and enjoying grandkids playing together. I praise God that I am still healthy and able to get up and go to work and work 40 plus hours a week. I feel blessed that God gave me the ability to make most of my Christmas presents and I am so blessed to have another great grandson that is healthy and grandchildren that did it right! I think it’s all in the perspective! We can look at our schedules as our to-do-gotta-get-it-done list or our thankful I-get-to-do list. Yet I still struggle with the time element as I look at the calendar and the fact that the days are ticking by. Time. What is time? I read somewhere that there are two kinds of time. Chronos and Kairos. The first is earth time, the kind of time that schedules are built on, the kind of time that runs our lives and keeps up the pressure and causes the wheels of commerce to turn with relentless urgency. Chronos gets us to work and to school and to church and sets the framework of our days. Then there is God’s time. I find it amazing how something like a worldwide pandemic make us reconsider what is vitally important and essential after all. God’s time, Kairos, is eternal and not the victim of earth’s systems, values, or pressures. I am beginning to understand our mission on this earth is to turn what Chronos time we have here in this life into something eternal. To make something “Kairos” out of the hours of time we are given on this earth, something that will transcend time and space and go on after time and space has ended. As I visit the lists of my life again. I am reminded once again to value the moments I have. To enjoy life and make a conscious choice that today isn’t just another day to be driven by my to-do list. It is the day to make something of the time and make memories that will outlive me. To make memories of the smiles and giggles of grandkids and listening to the ones that need a listening ear and making time to hang that last picture on the wall of the daughter’s new home. It is the day to make something memorable while taking time to make projects that will outlive me. It’s taking time to make a memorable thanksgiving dinner in the midst of a pandemic. It’s taking the time to pray with a child (big or small) that is hurting. It’s realizing that time is a treasure and that God’s time, eternal time is more important than the earthly time. That time spent with those we love is timeless! The rest…well some things still need to be done but some can wait. Pastor Fran Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 A Time for Everything 3 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.  Ricochet Rock
This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone. John 8:6-7 As a child and even now as an adult (adults are just children at heart with longer legs) I loved to throw rocks, improving my ability to hit the mark, or skipping flat stones across the water counting the number of times they would skip before sinking. Of course, one has to be careful of what you throw them at because some times they do ricochet off the object and come right back at you. Maybe when you or your child were young you collected small rocks that seemed like precious gems, hiding them in your pockets as keep sakes, only to surprise mother when they began to rattle around in the washer and dryer. David was a good example for us. He collected five stones, using only one to slay Goliath (Question: Do you know why David had four additional stones? Answer in my next devotion). Sin had hardened and calloused David’s heart, which without the grace of God through the Spirit both David and we are unable to return to God. Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. John 3:5 Like rocks of sin that ricochet back at us leaving their mark; they cause us to become calloused and hardened like the world. But nothing we can do or say can hide them from God. For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Hebrews 4:12 Just like David we need to confess our sin to the Lord asking that He remove them, heal our wounds and make us truly His. Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you 2 Samuel 12:13 God in His infinite mercy will acknowledge your forgiveness, but do not loose heart if there are remaining scars from the consequences of our sin. They are but remembrances for us to not enter into that circumstance again. Sin is like ricocheting rocks; before you throw one at someone else, first check your own pockets. And always remember: Jesus is the Master rock collector; collecting your sins upon himself, not one or two but all, leaving your heart free to collect his love and grace. Pastor Jerry  Spiritual Perseverance
“Be still, and know that I am God…” —Psalm 46:10 Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty.
My prayer for you today is that you continue to persevere spiritually. Pastor Dick  Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.
My son is teaching me so much, as you know. One of my favorite things is how he prays. It’s blesses my heart more than anything to hear him offer up prayers about everything, and I mean everything. He also makes it a habit when he hears about something or someone that needs prayer to pray right then. And sometimes he completely surprises me. I had a headache a few weeks ago and asked the boys to keep it down an bit. He asked me why and I said ”well because Mommy has a really bad headache”. He stopped what he was doing and prayed for me...I felt better immediately, in my heart anyway. We were talking to someone the other day and they were talking about going to the bars and some of the things they were doing, (this momma wasn’t super happy they were talking about that while sitting at our table with my one and three year old...but what do you do, we’ll make it a learning moment somehow.) Later my son asked me what a bar is. We talked a bit about it and then went about our day. We try to make sure we pray before bedtime which often looks a mess with two toddlers, but we continue to do it anyway because I think God loves our beautiful mess and someday it’s going to click with them. Sometimes the boys will say a prayer, usually to interrupt ours but we give them that space because it’s important. This time was one of those times, just as I’m finishing up he said, “And Jesus _____ goes to those bars and pwease help him to stop dat cause it’s not good and help him to do what would make God happy.” I cried. Something about that sweet three year old prayer got to me. He knew the only person that could change this guys heart was God. I know God hears our prayers and that little high pitched toddler voice went straight to His ears, and someday, I just know it, this guy is going to come to Christ and be released from his habits and it’s going to be incredible to tell my son his prayers have been answered. And you know what, he left that there at the feet of Jesus and hasn’t said a word about it since. As if he knows God’s got it and he doesn’t have to worry about it anymore. O to have a childlike faith. Pray, pray about everything, without ceasing take your requests and worries to the Father and leave them at His feet. Pastor Delinda  “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
I have a confession to make. If I allow myself, I can be a full-fledged workaholic. There is always so much needing to be done: cut the grass, fix a broken toy, change the oil in the car, clean the garage. And then there’s always ministry related tasks: reply to emails, return phone calls, check in on this family, prepare for this message. This list goes on. These things are all important, even necessary, but to have healthy family relationships, it is absolutely essential to prioritize time wisely. If I’m not careful, I can quickly allow stuff, work, and the expectations of others to dictate my time. As a result, I find that I’m not in control of my schedule—rather it controls me. It hit me the other day as I took my oldest daughter, who’s almost nine, out on a princess date: In almost that same span of time, she’ll be gearing up to leave the house. As I considered how fast my time with her has gone, I was overwhelmed with the realization that coming years would not slow down. I quickly took a look at how I was spending my time and began making some necessary adjustments. I can’t say I’ve mastered balance, but I have learned there is always one more call I could make, one more thing to check off my to-do list. But the reality is, those phone calls and lists will still be there tomorrow. That won’t always be the case with my children. Love has an old adage. “It’s spelled T-I-M-E.” Taking that into consideration, the best way I know to love my family is simply by experiencing life together: working, playing, studying, serving, or simply relaxing with them. There are some great ways to invest in our relationships, the dividends of which are immeasurable. Some questions to consider today: What does your schedule say about your priorities? Are there any changes you need to make? -Pastor Michael  He was a professional thief. Just his name stirred fear. He terrorized Wells Fargo Stage Line for 13 years (1875-1888). From San Francisco to New York his name was synonymous with the dangers of the frontier. He robbed 29 different stage coach crews without firing a shot. His reputation was enough! A black hood hid his face, fear was his name, intimidation his game. Black Bart – the terror of the Sierra Nevada’s!
Fear! One of the greatest thieves of peace and tranquility known to man. To him who is in fear said Sophocles, everything rustles! Often our answer to fear is to triple lock all our doors, doors of opportunity, relationships and hopes, and keep safely tucked away in the secure corner of inaction. Let’s be honest, if you fly, you risk crashing. If you run, you risk falling. If you walk, you risk stumbling. If you laugh, you risk appearing foolish. Indeed the shortest route to failure is to embrace running scared. Let’s not let fear win! Remember the words of Isaiah 43:1: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. Tell fear, you do not belong to its world of disability, but rather to the One who has conquered fear and the grave! Jesus is His name, love and redemption is His game! Oh yes, remember Black Bart, that terrible terror of the old west? Well he was finally caught. His name was Charles C Boles, a mild mannered druggist from Decatur, Ill. He was so afraid of horses he rode to every robbery in a buggy! Face your fear! Take its mask off and maybe, just maybe, you will discover it never was what you thought! Pastor Holmes  In John 14:15 Lord Jesus Christ tells us, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
In Matthew 24, Jesus’s disciples ask Him about signs of the end of the age. He responds with a series of wonderful teachings that continue through chapter 25. In verse 4 Jesus begins by telling His disciples, “See that no one leads you astray.” I understand this statement to be both advice and command. How this applies to us in the context of our present experiences may be of critical importance. Not just to ourselves personally, but to our nation as well. At the time of this writing it is still a few days before our national elections on 11/3/2020. No matter how the election comes out there may be – well, controversy and challenges, to say the least. Speaking for myself only, I’ve tried to determine my vote based on the issues more than the personalities of those involved. I’ve also tried to weigh the issues based on sound, Biblical principles. I hope and pray that you have too. Many appear to have been led astray by what may be empty promises and deceiving personalities. I’m sure people on both sides of the aisle may believe that about those on the other side. I will pose a question to you now that was posed to me many years ago and that I still take seriously – What are you first, a Christian or a ___________? I’ll let you fill in the blank for yourself. Our Lord commands us to not be led astray. We can be confident that the Father’s will and plan will be worked out regardless of our personal desires. Our goal as Christians should be to align our desires to His will. Shalom, Pastor Bill  It is Nov. 3rd, 2020 election day in The United States of America. In my humble opinion I do not believe the stakes have been higher as a country. We have witnessed the spiritual battle unfold mentioned in Ephesians 6. Elections do not always go the way we would like them to go and the possibility of this is very real as we watch these last few days unfold seem unreal. What do we do after this is over, we go right on doing what God has asked us to do! Glorify him no matter what are circumstances may be.
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:1-6 We are here on this earth to be the hands and feet of JESUS, loving those we may disagree with offering Love not hate. This is not our eternal home, but while we are here to bring the Love of Christ to all. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Philippians 3:12-16 Have no fear my brothers and sisters, Jesus himself has prayed for us and has called us to be unified. Let us unite for the days ahead “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” No matter what we may wake to on Nov 4, 2020, remember that God is still on his throne and he reigns supreme. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Have an amazing day! Pastor Marty  Halloween can be a fun time for families. Kids (and some parents, myself included) like to dress up and go door to door (or car to car, like at last weekend’s trunk-or-treat) and get candy and other snacks. Even if a person doesn’t dress up themselves, it can be fun to see all the little kids dressed up in their costumes, expressing their creativity and interests.
However, despite all the fun that can come along with it, Halloween is a sober reminder of the façades that we wear from time to time. If I don’t want my wife to worry about something, I don’t show worry. If I’m trying to discipline my daughter, I force myself to not laugh, even though her attitudes can sometimes strike me as funny. These are some seemingly positive examples of a façade, but I think they’re a slippery slope. How many times have we heard the story of a Christian leader that would speak about the sanctity of marriage, and then get caught in an affair, or speak against the evils of substance abuse while hiding their own addiction to alcohol? In Matthew 5:36-37, as a part of the “Sermon on the Mount”, we hear Jesus say: “And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” Here, Jesus is talking about having an honest character. Don’t be the kind of person that is not believable unless you have to verify your word through something external, like an oath. Christians are to be the kind of people that when we say something, those around us know that we mean it! This is something I’m still working on myself, believe me. Cast off your mask, your façade, and be a person of Christ-centered integrity! Blessings, Pastor Jared |
AuthorNotes from the Staff @The Woods Archives
March 2023
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