Devotion

Easter is almost here. I hope you have enjoyed our Amazing Grace Lenten series so far. Easter is the day God’s grace was fully realized for all. It is a day of joy for Christians all over the world. Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. — John 19:30 

Before he died on the cross, Jesus uttered a cry of triumph, saying “It is finished.”

The Greek word here—tetélestai—had three meanings that point out Jesus’ finished work for us.

First, it was used for the completion of a task. When a son finished his work on a project, he would say to his father, “Tetélestai,” meaning, “The work entrusted to me is finished.”

Second, it was used to pay off a debt. When a person paid off a debt with the legal authorities, the document was stamped “Tetélestai,” meaning, “The debt has been paid.”

Third, this word was used to declare a person’s definite possession of a deed. When someone bought a piece of property and paid for it in full, they received the deed with the inscription “Tetélestai,” meaning, “You have the right of possession.”

When Jesus gave up his life for us on the cross, he completed the work the Father had entrusted to him so that we could be saved from sin and death. And on the cross he paid our debt in full, opening the way to eternal life for us. We have forgiveness and salvation. Because of Christ’s finished work, we have received the right to take possession of eternal life.

Jesus’ sacrifice was fully sufficient to offer us eternal redemption and full life forever!

First and foremost I’d like to say thank you for all of you generosity in starting up the pantry and with  the Busy Bags. This congregation never fails to come through when asked for something! Secondly  we are going to try something a bit different for Lent this year. We will be doing an entire series  based on the song Amazing Grace. This year marks the 250th anniversary of Amazing Grace being  written and this series ties that song together with some of the most famous people and stories in  the Bible. 

For our devotional this month I want to make a bit of a continuation of my sermon from February 19,  Transfiguration Sunday. This devotion is based on the hymn “Tis Good To Be Here Lord.” 

Fulfiller of the past and hope of things to be, We hail Thy body glorified and our redemption  see. 

“‘Tis good, Lord, to be here! Yet we may not remain; But since Thou bidst us leave the  mount, come with us to the plain.” 

What would it have been like to join the three disciples on the mountain to see the Lord  transfigured in glory? Jesus’ face shone like the sun and His clothing shimmered white as  light as Moses and Elijah appeared to speak with Him. Peter offered to set up three tents to  preserve the divine glory, perhaps providing places to stay and worship, but he was babbling  a bit out of sheer terror: “He did not know what to say, for they were terrified” (Mark 9:6).  The disciples’ fear only increased when God the Father spoke out of a cloud, “This is My be loved Son; listen to Him” (Mark 9:7b). Falling face down on the ground, the disciples were  relieved to look up and find no one but Jesus, the Jesus they had always known. No tents were set up; no one stayed on the mountain. On the way down to the plain below,  the experience changed—from the vision of glory to a conversation about suffering and  death. Jesus spoke about His death and resurrection. He talked about John the Baptist, who  had been imprisoned and murdered by King Herod. Soon Jesus Himself would be betrayed,  arrested, and condemned. He would shoulder the burden of His cross and the heavier bur den of the world’s sin. On another hill, He would die the death we deserve for our sins. Hear ing all this talk of suffering, the disciples probably wanted to go back up onto that mountain. We know the feeling. We may experience spiritual high points and a sense of God’s majesty  in moments in worship or in the study of His Word. We would very much like to pitch a tent at  that point and stay indefinitely. We want the high points to continue but, for now, they cannot  last. We follow Jesus, and that means following Him across the flat plains of suffering and,  finally, into the deep “valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4b).  

Yet just as Jesus walked down the mountain  with His disciples, He walks with us. When  we must leave those high points behind and  head down the mountain, we fix our eyes as  the disciples did on “no one but Jesus  only” (Matthew 17:8b). When we take up the  cross to walk through suffering, our crucified  and risen Lord hears our prayer: “Since Thou  bidst us leave the mount, come with us to  the plain.”

At the time I’m writing this article, we had just talked about Jesus calling his first disciples, and I guess that is something that has been on my mind. As you read this devotion keep in min that a disciple is someone who is LEARNING from a particular teacher, not just following them.

Before Jesus ascended, he explained the mission that awaited his followers after he returned to his heavenly Father.

“Go and make disciples,” Jesus says. Although this may seem to involve two separate actions—going and making disciples—a better translation of this command is “Make disciples as you go along.” It is assumed that Jesus’ followers will often be “on the go” and actively doing something. And whether they are far away or close to home, their task is to walk alongside others by teaching them about Jesus and by demonstrating, through the work of the church, what it means to serve him.

“Making disciples” does not mean just bringing others to a one-time “moment of decision.” It involves continued learning together, growing together, and increasingly understanding what God has done in sending Jesus to die for our sin and calling us to serve him. All who follow the ascended Jesus share in this task.

Because we serve the Lord of all, we regularly ask ourselves whom God has in mind for us to meet as we go along. We seek to make disciples of our children, our neighbors, our co-workers, our whole world. And when we doubt or struggle in this task, Jesus promises that the authority of heaven will support us in it— always.

How can you carry out this calling as you go along today?

We are called to call others, and to help them learn, but as disciples ourselves, we are supposed to be learning too. Jesus always has something new to teach us, so that we can teach others.

Peace,

Minister Alex

Winter is finally upon us, and I know that many of us see that as a bad thing, but I recently read a devotional that may help us to understand that winter isn’t such a bad thing.

The Slow, Healing Work of Winter

As I was growing up in a rural community, my first job was “rock picker.” The work was about as glamorous as it sounds.

A farmer would round up a bunch of kids to come to his farm and “pick rock.” It was a funny phrase, now that I think of it, because we didn’t pick just one rock. There were hundreds.

We’d sit on a flatbed trailer behind a tractor, and he’d drive straight into the field, pulling us behind as we jostled with every bump.

If we saw a rock, we hopped off, ran to grab it and hollered “Rock!” before tossing it onto the trailer. The shout was a warning so the others would jump off to avoid being clobbered in the head. (Clearly, we had high workplace safety standards.) Our team of rock pickers covered miles a day. The next year, we’d return, picking rock in the same fields because new stones always emerged.

Any farmer will tell you that rocks are a nuisance, but they simply must be dealt with. If they are left in the fields, stones can harm farming equipment.

You may wonder how rocks keep emerging. There isn’t some “rock fairy” dropping stones onto fields to annoy farmers. Instead, stones are heaved forth in the frost/thaw cycle of the earth.

My husband, a farmer, says this is winter’s way of “healing the land.” Isn’t that a beautiful way of thinking about it?

The land can’t heal without winter.

I think the same is true of us. We all need winter seasons to heal us — and to unearth rock-like burdens embedded in the soil of our hearts.

Where I live, most people want to avoid the cold dreariness of winter. We prefer the hopefulness of spring, warmth of summer and vibrancy of autumn.

In the same way, most people want to avoid winter seasons of life. I’ve never heard someone say, “I am so excited for a winter season in my soul!” We’d prefer continuously moving through spring, summer, and fall — enjoying the growth and joy those seasons bring.

Yet the wise Solomon tells us that the human experience unfolds over all seasons — not only our favorite ones. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven

…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

In Ecclesiastes 3, he writes that life is a passage through various times: a time to be born and to die, to weep and to laugh, to keep silent and to speak. Not all of those verses are the kind you would cross-stitch onto a pillow. Yet there’s little doubt we will go through all seasons — including winter.

Perhaps that is a good thing. If a field needs winter to heal, people do, too. Winter seasons compel us to slow down, reflect and give God room to “pick rock” in our hearts.

We all have rocks — the unseen burdens we haul around in our hearts like unwanted baggage. My stones are heavy:

Hurtful words spoken over me when I was a child. The secret fear that I’m not lovable.

Worries about my children, which keep me awake at night. My sins.

New, bad habits I pick up over time.

I am good at keeping old stones buried by putting the hand to the plow so I don’t have to deal with them. But hidden stones still cut our insides. What stones are wounding your soul?

Just as winter heals the land, Jesus wants to heal us. Will we let Him?

Think of your heart as a field. If Jesus were standing with you on the edge of that field, I imagine He would leave no stone unturned. Like Solomon wrote, “for everything there is a season” (Ecclesiastes 3:1), including seasons for gathering stones: “a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together …” (Ecclesiastes 3:5, ESV).

What a beautiful image — Jesus gathering stones to make your heart-field new again. There is no rock too big for Jesus. He specializes in rolling stones away, including the one in front of His own tomb.

Slow down, my friend. Allow winter to do its work. Jesus has come to “pick rock.”

Dear God, part of me resists the slow, healing work of winter. But I know that there are rocks in the field of my heart, and You are the One who can roll them away. Please come “pick rock” in my heart right now, showing me the hard places, I may not even be aware of, and till the soil so that You can grow something new and beautiful in me. Thank You that You are with me for every step of my heal- ing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

This winter is shaping up to be a cold one anyways, why not slow down and let healing take place?

I was going through an old recipe box of my dad’s the other day and came across this recipe, I
haven’t tried to make it yet, but I thought it was really cool, and very appropriate that I came across it
at this time of year. My friends let me introduce you to Scripture Cake:

This time of year, we get wrapped up in a lot of things, and many of them get very stressful.
Shopping, cleaning, gift giving, and yes even baking. We get stressed and lose sight of the reason
we are doing all this stuff. Maybe a verse should be added to this recipe to help remind us all why
we are here, and why this time of year is supposed to be a celebration, not a time for pulling your
hair out. Isaiah 9:6 reminds us of the reason: “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace.”

When you start to feel that stress creeping up on you this Christmas Season, take a breath,
remember what the last name given for Christ is in that verse, Prince of Peace, and ask God to
share a little bit of that peace with you. Then eat some cake! Doing those two things are likely to
make you feel better.

I hope this Christmas you are all blessed with peace, hope, and happiness in Christ Jesus.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself with many things to be thankful to God for blessing me with. My family, my friends, and two great congregations that I have the privilege of calling my church family. Not only am I grateful for my church families, but I am also thankful to my church family for the many gifts you give me, including all the cards and everything I received last month for Pastor Appreciation Month. With this in mind I would like to leave you all with this Thanksgiving Devotion.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

When is it easiest to be thankful? When things are going good, right? While it might be easier to praise God when you are most happy and comfortable, it is just as important, if not more important, to thank Him in the midst of trials.

In 1 Thessalonians, Paul tells the church at Thessalonica to rejoice always and give thanks in all
circumstances. This can be hard to do, especially when things aren’t going well. So why do we have to give thanks? Why can’t we give in to cynicism and thanklessness? Because God calls us to a life of continual thankfulness. It is God’s will that we give thanks.

This is not to say we need to be always smiling. Sometimes things in life are bad and we should mourn or be upset, but it is in these moments that God asks us to thank Him anyway.

The trials in our lives are not pointless. God has a purpose for everything, even the bad. We might not be able to see the good, but God can see the whole picture and we can gain hope in knowing that our suffering is not in vain, but rather, part of God’s greater purpose.

Furthermore, in Colossians 3:17 it says, “And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

No matter how we feel at any given moment, we are still in control of what we say and do, and we should use this opportunity to point our lives back to God. A defining characteristic of a Christian is how he or she responds to trials. By finding the good in the bad and giving thanks despite the negative circumstances, Christians set themselves apart from the rest of the world while simultaneously lifting their own spirits by fixing their eyes on God instead of on the world.

So, this Thanksgiving, whether you see the blessing abounding in your life or you are struggling to find anything to be thankful for, turn to God, the one who blesses you with grace and salvation daily and who longs for you to praise Him in the midst of your suffering, trusting in Him and His perfect purpose for your life now and forevermore.

This month I wanted to continue our study of the book of James. This is a devotional specifically from chapter 4.

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.”

14 Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.”

16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

17 Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it commits sin.

My kids and I like to watch a TV show about unsolved mysteries and hunts for lost treasure around the world. Sometimes it’s just fascinating to learn about faraway places and people and events we have never heard about before.

But sometimes the unknown can be a bit frightening. As the host of the show crawls through tight tunnels and scrambles through ancient ruins, the unknown can be a little scary.

James says that we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. That’s true, of course. The future is wholly unknown to us. We can plan and think that we know what we will do, but in the end, all of our planning and hoping about the future doesn’t promise anything. Even the best laid plans can fall apart. We simply don’t know what the future will hold. It is out of our control, and that can be frightful.

But what isn’t frightening is knowing that God is in control. As Jesus says when he teaches his disciples how to pray—and James echoes that here—“God’s will be done.”

And God’s Will will be done. So whatever fear you might have about the -future, you can be assured that God not only knows what will happen but is also in control of it. God holds us in his hands. We don’t need to fear the unknown. Amen.

September is here and the education of many young minds is in full swing. In the name of my own education I’ve decided to look more in depth at some of the “lesser read” books of the Bible. I am starting with the book of James. I found this devotional from the book of James gave me a lot to think about and I hope it does the same for all of you as well.

Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:5-6

God wants us to be fully His because that is the only way we can benefit from all that Jesus won on the cross for us. What we do not surrender to the Lord may cost us our salvation, because it may cause us to go back to the sinful life. Humility is the key to total dependence on the One who died in our place, while pride makes us believe that we can handle it all and do not need the Lord’s help.

The benefits of the grace we receive when we surrender it all to God, cannot be matched by anything, much less what we could gain by being our own lords.

Once we understand the attributes of grace that we have received through Jesus, it is up to us to be strong, reminding ourselves of what belongs to us and how wonderful the benefit of eternal life in Heaven is. We must build our faith on the knowledge that we are saved by the grace of God, through Christ, and not by our deeds. We have to reject any traditions and teachings which say that we may gain God’s love by keeping certain rules. Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect, we cannot add anything to improve it. We do not live a righteous life to earn God’s love, but because our hearts are transformed by Jesus. We no longer have any pleasure in the old sins we used to do or in any in new ones. Salvation only comes by the inner transformation that truly changes our hearts, resulting in good works and choices.

God does not force us to receive the grace of salvation through Jesus Christ. Salvation is the most valuable and precious gift and we should treat it with full respect. We receive it freely, Jesus paid for it in full, but in order for us to keep it, we must truly repent, crucify our flesh daily along with its lusts and live in obedience to the Lord. Living this way, in love with Jesus, we will not lack any good thing.

We will have God’s blessings, peace, joy and all His best as part of our daily lives. Even in hard times, we can find comfort in knowing that our heavenly Father will turn it all for our benefit (Romans 8:28). God deserves our love, respect, honor and faithfulness, for who He is and what He has already done for us through Jesus Christ. The life lived with Jesus as Lord is the most beautiful and the only one that is truly worth being lived.

Suggested prayer: Thank You Lord for the gift of Your grace! The debt for my sins is paid and I can enjoy eternal life in Your presence, because You died in my place. Please help me to fully benefit of Your grace, by transforming my mind and heart through Your Word so that I may live according to Your will. I want my life to please You dear Lord. I am so blessed to be Your child, thank You so very much for choosing me to be Yours and please continue to help me always be true to You dear Lord, in Jesus’ Name, amen.

Peace,
Minister Alex

Traveling Light

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. -Hebrews 12:1-3

A man named James took an adventurous, 1,250-mile journey down the West Coast of the US—biking from Seattle, Washington, to San Diego, California. A friend of mine met the ambitious biker near the cliffs of Big Sur, 930 miles from his starting point. After learning that someone had recently stolen James’ camping gear, my friend offered his blanket and sweater, but James refused. He said that as he traveled south into the warmer climate, he needed to begin shedding items. And the closer he got to his destination, the more tired he became, so he needed to reduce the weight he was carrying.

James’ realization was smart. It’s a reflection of what the writer of Hebrews is saying too. As we continue our journey in life, we need to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles” (12:1). We need to travel light to press on.

As believers in Jesus, running this race requires “perseverance” (v. 1). And one of the ways to ensure we can keep going is to be free of the weight of unforgiveness, pettiness, and other sins that will hinder us.
Without Jesus’ help, we can’t travel light and run this race well. May we look to the “pioneer and perfecter of faith” so that we won’t “grow weary and lose heart” (vv. 2–3).

By: Katara Patton

I pray that all of our hearts are lighter than our luggage in all of our daily travels.
Peace,
Minister Alex

The 5 Finger Prayer

By David Henderson

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you. Colossians 1: 3

Do you ever have trouble thinking of something to say when you are talking to a friend? I do. I have a friend that I have lunch with nearly every week and sometimes we are talking and then we are both quite for a while. Maybe we’re not sure what to say.

Sometimes that same thing happens when I am praying. I start to pray and then I just can’t think of anything to say. Does that ever happen to you? Well, today, I want to show you something that will help you when that happens. It is called the “Five Finger Prayer.”

First, I want you to put your hands together in front of you as if you are praying. Keep your eyes open so that you can see your hands. You will notice that the closest finger to you is the thumb. Since it is the closest to you, the thumb reminds you to pray for those that are closest to you. Pray for your parents and your brothers or sisters.

The next finger is called your index finger. It is used for pointing. Let this finger remind you to pray for those that point you in the right direction. Pray for your teachers at school, your Sunday School teacher, and your pastor.

The next finger is the tallest finger. This finger reminds us to pray for our leaders.

Pray for your principal, pray for those in government and please pray for your pastor.

The fourth finger is the called the ring finger. Did you know that this is the weakest of all the fingers? Just ask any one who plays the piano and they will tell you that is true. Let this finger remind you to pray for those who are sick.

The next finger is the smallest finger. The Bible says, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you should.” Let the little finger remind you to pray for yourself.

So the next time you are talking to God, and you can’t think of anything to say, let the “Five Finger Prayer” help you.

Amen.

God Is Waiting for You to Plant a Seed

By Rick Warren

“Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds”(John 12:24 NIV).

What does a farmer do when he’s got a barren field that’s producing no income?

He doesn’t complain about it. He doesn’t even have to pray about it! He just goes out and starts planting some seed, because nothing is going to happen until he plants the seed. He can pray all he wants, but it’s not going to produce a crop. He’s got to plant some seed.

Maybe you think you’re waiting on God.

You think you’re waiting on God for that job.

You think you’re waiting on God for a spouse.

You think you’re waiting on God for the windfall.

God says, “You think you’re waiting on me? I’m waiting on you! I’m waiting for you to plant a seed.”

Everything in life starts as a seed: a relationship, a marriage, a business, a church. And nothing happens until the seed is planted.

Why does God require us to plant a seed? Because planting is an act of faith. You take what you’ve got, and you give it away. That takes an act of faith! And it brings glory to God.

Jesus described this principle of sowing and reaping when he was trying to explain why he came to Earth to die on the cross. In John 12:24 Jesus said, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (NIV).

Jesus was saying, “People will be saved and go to heaven because of my death and Resurrection. I’m going to plant a seed, and the seed is going to be my life.”

Here’s the principle of sowing and reaping: Whenever you have a need, you plant a seed. Whatever it is you need — more time, more energy, more money, more support, more relationships, more wisdom — just plant a seed. If you need more time, give more time to your kids.

If you need more money, give it away to someone who needs it. If you need more wisdom, share what wisdom you have with others. Give yourself away!

It may not make sense to you to give away something that you need more of, but that is exactly the kind of attitude that God wants to bless and that will produce fruit in your life. When you have a need, don’t gripe about it, don’t wish about it, and you don’t even have to pray about it — just plant a
seed.”

The best part about the seeds our author is talking about is that they can be planted anytime, not just in the spring, and they can still yield a bountiful harvest. So plant seeds anywhere andeverywhere, all the time.

Put Spring in Your Spirit

Ask Jesus to plant fresh seeds of joy in your heart.
by Erin Keeley Marshall

“Sing to God a brand-new song, sing his praises all over the world! Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, with all the far-flung islands joining in. Let the desert and its camps raise a tune, calling the Kedar nomads to join in. Let the villagers in Sela round up a choir and perform from the tops of the mountains. Make God’s glory resound; echo his praises from coast to coast.”

Isaiah
42:10 (MSG)

SPRING, SPRING, SPRING! Can you smell the fresh breeze through my open window?

Ahhh!

I love the freshness of spring each year. I walk taller, feel healthier, enjoy more color in my face and a boost in my energy. Everything about spring breathes of life and newness. I love seeing green fields with baby calves reaching up for a drink from Mama. At home, I can’t get enough of my own children running coatless around our yard, exploring each square foot as if it were brand-new. I can’t help but lift my face to thank Jesus for the smile He gave me through His wonderful creation of springtime.

I guess that’s why I love Isaiah 42:10, which draws a picture of a world reveling in the joy of praising God. I can almost hear it. It’s amazing how God—the Ancient of Days, the Omega, the One Who Was and Is and Is to Come—is Lord not only of our past, but also of our future. He is Lord of all that will be new as he makes it beautiful in his time. (See Ecclesiastes 3:11.)

Imagine the newness experienced by people whose lives spanned the time before Jesus’ birth until after His death. The handful of His people who believed in Him back then felt not only the longing for the Messiah but also the new joy that He arrived at last!

If springlike praise has faded in your heart, ask Jesus to plant in you fresh seeds of joy.