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From the desk of the pastor:
Hebrews 2:17-”Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
I am thankful that God, in eternity past, decided to send His only Son. Christ came and took on every aspect of humanity, except for the very thing that separates me from God and that is the sinful nature. Only God can produce a sinless sacrifice, through His Son, worthy of making atonement for me and everyone that puts their faith and trust in Him.
That is the reminder and message of Christmas. Don’t let the image of a baby in the manger fool you, that baby represents God incarnate; our Wonderful Counselor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father and our Prince of Peace. Jesus is fully capable of accomplishing all His promises and the all-wise plan of redemption.
May the joy of this truth excite the hearts of all believers across the globe and may it be the message of hope for those who are in need of salvation.
Thanksgiving is a special day that our nation sets aside for being thankful and we truly have much to be thankful for. I appreciate the reminder of the apostle Paul in…
1 Thessalonians 5:18-“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Our thanksgiving to God demonstrates our acknowledgment of our reliance on Him. The Scriptures go on to remind me that:
-God ‘gives to all mankind life and breath and everything’
-His power is so great that ‘from him and through him and to him are all things’
-God’s great mercy ‘has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.’
The freedom that I have because of Jesus Christ should compel me to give thanks for all things and at all times. So dear family and friends I thank the Lord for all of you and trust that today will echo throughout the other 364 days of the year! Happy Thanksgiving!
From Spurgeon, Morning and Evening Devotions:
Isaiah 40:9a-”Get you up to a high mountain,”
Our knowledge of Christ is somewhat like climbing one of our Welsh mountains. When you are at the base you see but little: the mountain itself appears to be but one-half as high as it really is. Confined in a little valley, you discover scarcely anything but the rippling brooks as they descend into the stream at the foot of the mountain. Climb the first rising knoll, and the valley lengthens and widens beneath your feet. Go higher, and you see the country for four or five miles round, and you are delighted with the widening prospect. Mount still, and the scene enlarges; till at last, when you are on the summit, and look east, west, north, and south, you see almost all England lying before you. Yonder is a forest in some distant county, perhaps two hundred miles away, and here the sea, and there a shining river and the smoking chimneys of a manufacturing town, or the masts of the ships in a busy port. All these things please and delight you, and you say, “I could not have imagined that so much could be seen at this elevation.” Now, the Christian life is of the same order. When we first believe in Christ we see but little of Him. The higher we climb the more we discover of His beauties. But who has ever gained the summit? Who has known all the heights and depths of the love of Christ which passes knowledge? Paul, when grown old, sitting grey-haired, shivering in a dungeon in Rome, could say with greater emphasis than we can, “I know whom I have believed,” for each experience had been like the climbing of a hill, each trial had been like ascending another summit, and his death seemed like gaining the top of the mountain, from which he could see the whole of the faithfulness and the love of Him to whom he had committed his soul. Get thee up, dear friend, into the high mountain.
The spirit of prayer makes us so intimate with God that we scarcely pass through an experience before we speak to Him about it, either in supplication, in sighing, in pouring out our woes before Him, in fervent requests, or in thanksgiving and adoration. –O. Hallesby
From the desk of Pastor Hugh Diggins, Reformed Bible Church, West Rutland, Vermont:
“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Genesis 5:24
This Verse is a short and distinct commentary on a life well worth living. Enoch was a man who knew the best that life on earth has to offer is found when you walk with God. There are numerous passages that teach us how to walk. Here are a few:
“…walk in newness of life…” (Romans 6:4)
“…walk by faith, not by sight…” (II Corinthians 5:7)
“…walk by the Spirit…” (Galatians 5:16)
“…walk in love…” (Ephesians 5:2)
“…walk as children of light…” (Ephesians 5:8)
“…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord…” (Colossians 1:10)
“…walk and please God…” (I Thessalonians 4:1)
“…walk according to His commandments…” (II John 6)
When we take this composite list and apply them we will, as Enoch did, be walking with God in a way that brings us into an extreme closeness with Him. Our lives will take on a new and richer dimension that will carry us through the end of our days when God takes us home to forever be with him. It is amazing how quickly the “things of earth grow strangely dim” when we’re walking with God. Equally amazing is the vibrant life that accompanies such a walk.
Christians sometimes talk about and pray for revival, a “Great Awakening” as took place in our country many years ago. Interestingly Enoch didn’t need a special “re-viving”* because each day he experienced “viving”* that kept him alert and alive and excited and overwhelmed with the special presence of God. As one old preacher said, “Real revival is simply daily living the New Testament life”.
Do you need a little spiritual adrenaline? Need some “viving”? Don’t look for the next revival meeting in your neighborhood, look a little closer, look in the Word and look in your heart and look at your life. If the three are in accord and you set out today to walk with God you’ll experience revival as it is meant to be.
(* the words “viving” and “re-viving” were coined by a preacher from the past to illustrate a similar point)
From the desk of Pastor Hugh Diggins, Reformed Bible Church, West Rutland, Vermont:
“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah” Psalm 32:7
Most if not all of us remember playing hide and seek as children. We did our best to find a place where we hoped whoever “It” was would not find us. In this morning’s Verse we are reminded God is, for the Christian, a special place to hide. We read elsewhere He holds us in His hands and covers us under His wings. He is a Strong Fortress, an impenetrable Refuge and an unmovable Rock upon which we can stand. Hiding in Him is the safest and securest place any of us can be. There we are preserved and protected from whatever trouble may come our way. What makes this so exciting is when you consider the attributes of God such as His perfect wisdom, power and grace we know trouble may be looking for us and at times find us but we’re never left alone. We may be vulnerable but not unprotected.
What adds a special dimension to God being our hiding place and takes us beyond protection and preservation is the accompanying symphony of peace that surrounds us in His presence. “Songs of deliverance” echo and reverberate around us as we hide in safety from the distractions that fill the air with fearful noises. Words of assurance such as “I will never leave you nor forsake you” and “I never change” and “I am the Good Shepherd” are music to our ears as we rest in safety.
As always there is more to consider, another blessed truth to encourage our hearts. We are never far from this “hiding place”. It is as near as a prayer whispered quietly or a shout sounded in desperation. Reaching out to God is the door that opens to the “hiding place” where trouble cannot get to us and within are the delightful, restful, peaceful and ever so comforting songs of deliverance sung by our King, the great Deliverer and Rescuer of all who come to Him seeking safety. Does trouble lurk in the coming hours? None of us know. But we do know this, “God, you are our hiding place, You preserve us from trouble. You surround us with songs of deliverance. Selah (Pause and meditate on this)”
From the desk of the pastor:
1 Corinthians 10:31-”So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” ESV
Each day we have the opportunity to either honor God or dishonor Him. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to come together to worship (or glorify) God. Will we come to honor Him or honor ourselves?
In this verse, Paul is sharing that even in the ordinary things of life we should seek to glorify God. When we eat, we should glorify God because we have food to eat. When we work, we should glorify God because we not only have a job but also the ability to do it. When we are cleaning our homes, we should glorify God because we not only have a home but have things to clean up. When we are playing, whether fishing, hunting, snowmobiling or whatever, we should glorify God because He has given us these wonderful things to enjoy.
Why should we glorify God at all? We should because He is the One who created us for the purpose of glorifying Him. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks as the first question, ‘What is the chief end of man?’ The answer is ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.’ Ask yourself, maybe for the very first time; do I glorify God in the ordinary, monotonous and nonspiritual things of life? Take time to glorify God today in all that you have the opportunity to do!
From the desk of Pastor Hugh Diggins, Reformed Bible Church, West Rutland, Vermont:
“Help me, O Lord my God; save me according to Thy lovingkindness” Psalm 109:26
Have you ever come to the end of a particularly taxing day when “Murphy’s Law” was in full force and everything that could go wrong did? You come in the door plop down in a chair; shake your head and sigh. Maybe you try to pray but being overwhelmed has distracted you to the point where you feel there is nothing more to say, except “Lord, you know how it is, help me, O Lord my God”.
Though a short prayer that may seem a bit desperate the words, when spoken from the heart, demonstrate faith seasoned with hope. God does “know how it is”, doesn’t He? After all, isn’t He omniscient? He never slumbers nor sleeps; He knows our comings and goings, when we lay down to sleep and when we arise and every moment in between. Therefore, in faith we pray and in prayer find ourselves infused with a much needed dose of hope. Not only does God “know how it is”, He is also our “…refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
Among the many comforts that come from placing our weariness in God’s hands is the knowledge that whatever the situation there is one thing that never changes and that is God’s loving-kindness. One of the ways He demonstrates His eternal, unchanging love is by taking all the loose ends and ragged edges of life and binding them together into a perfect tapestry. With the skill of a master artisan, God weaves the events of the day that have a tendency to overtake us in a flurry of disappointments and uses them to make us complete in Him. Therefore, a simple prayer at the end of a long day such as, “Lord, you know how it is, help me, O Lord my God” is not so much a prayer of desperation as it is a prayer of acknowledgement that God is at work to will and to do His good pleasure in our lives.
From the desk of the pastor:
Hebrews 10:23-25–”Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” ESV
It is Saturday once again…another week has drawn to a close and we look forward to another eventful week. One of the best ways to prepare ourselves for the coming week is by heeding the words in the above verses. When we gather together we have the opportunity to encourage one another in the common faith that we hold in Jesus Christ.
When we gather together to worship God, we have the opportunity to ‘give’ encouragement to one another and, when we do so, we will ‘get’ encouragement in return.
I look forward to having the opportunity to encourage you tomorrow!
From the desk of the pastor:
Galatians 5:24-25–”And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” ESV
What do we choose to follow each day? Do we follow the passions and desire of the flesh or the Holy Spirit? As those who have been bought with a price and are no longer our own we should embrace the fact that things are different. Because the old self has been crucified with Christ we should not give credence to that lifestyle any more. We are no longer slaves to our sinful human nature but have been freed to serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
One of the great transforming truths in the Christian life is the ‘newness’ we have because of Christ’s work on the cross. Our passions and desires have changed. God is going to continue and finish the work that He began. God is our new master and desires the very best for us. What are some of the things that we long for that do not honor God? What appetites are we feeding that are detrimental to walking by the Spirit?
May we take the time each day to make sure that we are walking in a manner worthy of the Lord because we desire to please Him and be that effective witness for Him.
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