Luke 9:62

“Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'” (Luke 9:62, NASB)

In Jesus’ day, everyone understood farming. Plowing a field was hard, exhausting work. You grabbed the plow handle, and you kept your eyes fixed on a point ahead of you—a tree, a rock, a distant landmark. You focused on that point and kept moving forward. Because if you looked back, if you got distracted, if you wavered, the plow would veer off course. The furrow would become crooked. The work would be ruined. A farmer who was distracted wasn’t fit for farming. He couldn’t do the job. However, Jesus isn’t talking about farming. He’s talking about discipleship. He’s talking about following Him. He’s talking about Gospel work. He’s talking about the Christian life. And He’s saying this: if you’re going to follow Me, you have to keep your hand on the plow. You have to keep moving forward. You can’t keep looking back at what you’ve left behind. You can’t keep wondering if you made the right choice. You can’t keep questioning whether this is worth it. You can’t keep being distracted by the things this world has to offer. Because the moment you take your eyes off the Him, the moment you start looking back with regret or doubt, you lose your way. The furrow becomes crooked. Your life becomes a mess.

Now, Jesus isn’t saying you should never reflect on the past. He’s not saying you should never learn from your mistakes. What He’s saying is that you can’t long for your past life. You can’t be so consumed with regret, fear, doubt or “what if” that you lose focus on the present task. Looking back means questioning your commitment. It means thinking, “Maybe I made a mistake. Maybe I should have chosen a different path. Maybe this isn’t worth the cost”. Looking back means allowing discouragement to convince you that you should quit. Looking back means letting the difficulty of the present moment make you forget why you started in the first place. And Jesus says: if that’s where your heart is, you’re not fit for the kingdom. Because you can’t serve God with a divided heart. You can’t follow Jesus while constantly wondering if you should be following someone or something else.

But I want to acknowledge something: maybe you’re reading this and you’re genuinely exhausted, discouraged, or struggling to find the energy to push forward. Maybe you’ve been serving the Lord for decades, maybe just a few years.  Either way we all go through times where our commitment to the Lord and service to Him becomes difficult work.  I wish it was easy all the time!  But we all know that part of the human condition is that we are prone to weakness. And maybe in that time of weakness you’re wondering if it’s worth it. This is the reality of living in a fallen world where hard work is required and rest is scarce. But here’s the thing: Jesus isn’t calling you to keep your hand on the plow because He’s cruel. He’s not asking you to push through when plowing the path ahead becomes hard and filled with stones because He enjoys watching you suffer. He’s calling you to keep your hand on the plow because that’s where blessing is found. The farmer doesn’t plow the field because plowing is fun. The farmer plows because the plowing leads to a harvest. The exhaustion of the work is temporary. The fruit of the work is eternal. And that’s true in your life too. The exhaustion, indifference or discouragement that you’re feeling right now is temporary. But the fruit of your faithfulness, the fruit of your obedience, the fruit of your refusal to quit—that’s eternal.

Here’s what happens when you keep your hand on the plow. When you refuse to look back. When you keep your eyes fixed on the goal ahead. First, you discover that the Lord’s strength is perfected in Your weakness.  You rely more on the Lord than you do on yourself.  You seek the strength that only comes from the Holy Spirit.  And you will find it.  And in this moment you hear Jesus reminding you, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Second, you discover that the work itself becomes meaningful. When you stop questioning whether you should be doing it and just commit to doing it well, something shifts. The work that felt like drudgery becomes purposeful. The exhaustion that felt like burden becomes sacrifice. And sacrifice, when offered to God, becomes worship. Third, you discover that the goal ahead becomes clearer. When you stop looking back and keep your eyes fixed forward, the destination comes into focus. You remember why you started. You remember what you’re working toward. You remember that this exhaustion is temporary, but the fruit is eternal.

But let’s be honest about what happens to people who do look back. Who do question their commitment. Who do wonder if they should have chosen a different path. They become unstable. They become unreliable. They become people who start things but don’t finish them. They become people who commit but then withdraw when the cost gets too high. Not only are they unfit for the kingdom—they become miserable. Because they’re caught between two worlds. They’re trying to follow Jesus, but they’re also trying to hold onto the life they left behind. They’re trying to move forward, but they’re constantly looking back. And that divided heart creates internal chaos. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve watched people start this Christian life with enthusiasm, and then halfway through—when the work gets hard, when the sacrifice becomes real—they look back. They think about the “easier” life they could have had. They wonder if they made a mistake. And suddenly, they’re not all in anymore. They’re half-hearted. They’re distracted.

So here’s what I want you to do this week. When exhaustion hits—and it will—when you’re tempted to look back and become distracted, I want you to do something simple; fix your eyes on the goal ahead. Not on the difficulty of the present moment. But on the goal. On the harvest, on the reward of heaven, on the joy of fellowship with God. On the fruit of your faithfulness. Remember why you started. Remember what you’re working toward. Remember that this exhaustion is temporary, but the fruit is eternal. And then keep your hand on the plow. Because you’re fit for the kingdom. And the kingdom needs your faithfulness.

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor John   

 Romans 13:8

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8, NIV)

In Romans 13 Paul is writing about something that we all understand very well. Money. Paul’s instruction is simple; pay your taxes, pay what you owe, always settle your accounts. In short, clear your debts. Get square with people. But in the middle of this lesson on biblical stewardship he stops and says something life changing: Pay off everything you owe…except one debt. There’s one debt you will never pay off. The debt of love. This isn’t poetic language. This is the most practical instruction you could receive about how to live a life that doesn’t corrode and rot from the inside out. Here’s what most of us do in relationships: we keep a ledger. We’re not always conscious of it, but it’s there. I did this for you. You didn’t do that for me. I gave you grace. You gave me criticism. I showed up. You were absent. And over time, that ledger becomes a weight on the soul. The imbalance grows. The resentment builds. And eventually, bitterness takes root.

This happens in marriages. A spouse serves faithfully for years, and the other spouse takes it for granted. The serving spouse begins to think, I’ve given so much. When is it my turn to receive? And when that reciprocation doesn’t come, disappointment hardens into bitterness. It happens in friendships. You show up for someone through their crisis. You listen to their problems. You offer counsel and support. And then when you’re struggling, that friend is nowhere to be found. The imbalance stings. The hurt deepens. It happens in church. A pastor pours out his life—counseling the hurting, praying for the sick, preparing sermons, visiting the lonely. And then criticism comes. Gossip spreads. People who were supposed to be brothers and sisters in Christ turn on him. The weight of that betrayal can crush a soul. It happens in families. Parents sacrifice for their children for decades. And sometimes those children grow up and never acknowledge the cost. They never understand what was given up. The parent waits for gratitude that may never come. And here’s where most people break: they stop giving. They say, “I’ve given enough. Now it’s their turn.” They pull back. They protect themselves. They harden their hearts. And in doing so, they become bitter.

But Paul offers a different way. Not only is there a debt that you can never pay off, it is a debt that we actually owe to others.  A debt that should always remain outstanding. The debt of love. Think about what love actually is. Love is not transactional. Love is not conditional. Love is not keeping score. Love is what God does. God doesn’t love you because you’ve earned it. God doesn’t love you because you’re lovable. God loves you while you’re still a sinner. God loves you before you ever loved Him back. God loves you with a love that cost Him everything—the life of His own Son—and He asks for nothing in return except that you receive it. That’s the love Paul is talking about. That’s the love you’re called to live. When you understand that you’ve been loved like that—infinitely, sacrificially, unconditionally—you can’t help but recognize that you will never be able to repay that love to God. You can’t give Him anything He doesn’t already have. You can’t do anything that would make Him love you more or less. That debt is eternal. It’s un-payable. And that’s exactly as it should be.

And because you can’t repay that debt to God, you extend it to others. You give love that you don’t expect to get back. You show grace that may never be reciprocated. You offer forgiveness that might be thrown back in your face. You serve people who may never acknowledge your service. Why? Because you’re no longer keeping a ledger. You’re no longer waiting for your investment to pay dividends. You’re simply responding to the love you’ve already received from God by passing it on. This is what Paul means by the “continuing debt.” It’s not a debt that diminishes over time. It’s a debt that grows. The more you love, the more you realize how much more love is needed. The more you give, the more you see how much more you have to give. The more you forgive, the more you understand how much forgiveness we all need.

It’s a beautiful, endless cycle of grace.

I made a very important decision many years ago.  One that has kept me faithful in ministry despite all manner of mistreatment: I have decided that I will always give more than I receive in every relationship.  And because of that, I have been protected from bitterness and resentment. Think about it. If I go into a relationship expecting reciprocation—expecting that if I love someone, they’ll love me back; if I serve them, they’ll serve me; if I show them grace, they’ll show me grace—then I’m vulnerable. The moment they fail to reciprocate, I’m disappointed. The moment they betray me, I’m devastated. The moment they gossip about me after I’ve poured my life into them, I’m crushed. But if I go into a relationship knowing that I’m going to give more love, more grace, more forgiveness than I’ll ever receive in return, then I’m free. I’m not waiting for them to come through. I’m not dependent on their response. I’m simply loving them the way God loves me. Does it hurt when someone mistreats you? Of course. Does it sting when someone you’ve served turns on you? Absolutely. But it doesn’t destroy you and it doesn’t cause you to turn on them. Because you’re not building your emotional survival on their reciprocation. You’re building it on the love of God that you’ve already received and that you’re freely giving away.

This is not weakness. This is not naiveté. This is not allowing people to walk all over you. This is spiritual maturity. This is understanding that your peace doesn’t depend on people treating you fairly. Your peace depends on you treating people with love, regardless of how they treat you. A true disciple is known by this. Not by how much they receive. Not by how well they’re treated. But by how well they love. By how they forgive. By how they keep giving even when they’re not getting back.

But I need to tell you the hard truth: loving like this is costly.

When you decide to give more love than you receive, you will be taken advantage of. Someone will use your kindness. Someone will mistake your grace for weakness. Someone will gossip about you despite your faithfulness. Someone will hurt you despite your love. That’s not a maybe. That’s a certainty. Because we live in a fallen world, and there are people who don’t know how to receive love without exploiting it. There are people who will see your generosity and take it for granted. There are people who will interpret your forgiveness as permission to keep sinning. And when that happens, you have a choice. You can harden your heart and stop giving. You can pull back and protect yourself. You can keep score and demand reciprocation. You can become bitter. Or you can remember the cross. You can remember that Jesus loved people who didn’t love Him back. You can remember that Jesus forgave people who didn’t ask for forgiveness. You can remember that Jesus gave everything for people who would reject Him, deny Him, and crucify Him.

And you can choose to love anyway.

This is the hard truth of the gospel. It’s not comfortable. It’s not safe. It’s not what the world teaches you. The world teaches you to protect yourself. The world teaches you to keep score. The world teaches you to demand reciprocation. But Jesus teaches you to love. To forgive. To give. To serve. To lay down your life for others. And the only way to do that without becoming bitter is to understand that you’re not doing it to get something back. You’re doing it because you’ve already received everything. You’ve already been loved more than you could ever deserve. And now you’re simply passing it on.

So I’m asking you this week: Are you keeping a ledger? Are you waiting for reciprocation? Are you protecting yourself by pulling back your love? If you are, I want to invite you to something different. I want to invite you to the freedom of the endless debt. I want to invite you to stop counting and start giving. I want to invite you to love people more than they deserve, to forgive people more than they ask, to serve people more than they acknowledge. It will cost you. It will hurt sometimes. But it will also set you free. Free from bitterness. Free from resentment. Free from the exhausting work of keeping score. Free to love the way God loves you. That’s the debt that never gets paid off. And thank God for that. Because the day you finish paying it is the day you stop growing in grace.

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor John   

Psalm 19:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Stop for a moment. Step outside. Look up. What do you see? Clouds moving across a blue expanse. Stars scattered across darkness. The sun breaking through after rain. The moon rising over the horizon. These aren’t accidents. They aren’t random. They are declarations. They are proclamations. They are worship happening all around you, whether you notice it or not. And here’s what the Psalmist (David) wants you to understand: when you notice these things when you truly see them—you are worshiping. 

We’ve reduced worship to a single hour on Sunday morning. We gather in a building. We sing songs. We lift our hands. We call it “worship time.” And yes, that matters. Corporate worship is real and important. But if that’s the only time you worship, you’ve missed the point of true worship entirely. True worship is what happens when you step outside on a crisp autumn morning and watch the sun paint the sky orange and gold. It’s what happens when you hold your newborn child and feel the weight of that tiny life in your arms. It’s what happens when you’re driving down the highway and notice the way light filters through the trees. It’s what happens when you pause—really pause—and remember that all of this, all of it, is the work of God’s hands. This is worship. Not because you’re singing. Not because you’re in a sanctuary. But because you’re beholding the work of God and your heart is responding with awe. The psalmist says the heavens declare God’s glory. Not occasionally. Constantly. Every sunrise is a declaration. Every storm is a proclamation.  Every drop of morning dew a reminder. Every clear night sky full of stars is a testimony to the power and wisdom of God. The creation never stops worshiping. The question is: are you joining in? This is where your faith becomes practical. Worship isn’t something that happens to you in a church building. Worship is something you do when you train yourself to see God’s handiwork everywhere.  Think about your day. You woke up this morning. Your heart beat without your asking it to. Your lungs filled with air. Your mind became conscious. That’s the work of God’s hands. Do you pause and acknowledge that? Or do you rush into your day without a second thought? You ate breakfast. Food grew from soil and seed and rain and sun—all orchestrated by God’s providence. Do you thank Him? Do you marvel at the complexity of it? Or do you simply consume it? You looked at a loved one’s face. The intricacy of human features, the miracle of sight, the gift of relationship—all of it comes from God. Do you worship in that moment? Do you let your heart be gripped by gratitude for that person’s existence? This is what everyday remembrance looks like. It’s not complicated. It’s simply the practice of stopping—even for a moment—and acknowledging that what you’re seeing, what you’re experiencing, what you’re beholding is the work of God’s hands. And in that acknowledgment, you worship.

But there is an even greater acknowledgment and climax to our worship. Yes, the heavens declare God’s glory. Yes, creation proclaims His power. Yes, everyday remembrance of His mighty works is worship. But the greatest work of God’s hands is not the creation of the universe. It’s not the design of the human body. It’s not the miracle of life itself. The greatest work of God’s hands is the cross of Jesus Christ. Think about what happened there. God—the One whose power created galaxies—emptied Himself and became human. The One who sustains all things with His word allowed Himself to be arrested, beaten, mocked, and crucified. The One who deserves all worship poured out His life as a ransom for sinners. For you. For your sin. For your rebellion. For your turning away from Him. This is the work of God’s hands that demands your deepest, most profound worship. When you consider the cross, you’re not just contemplating an act of power. You’re contemplating an act of love. You’re beholding the moment when God said, in effect, “I love you so much that I will die in your place. I will bear your judgment. I will take your shame. I will pay your debt. All so that you can be reconciled to Me.” That’s not just a miracle. That’s redemption. That’s grace. That’s the gospel. And if everyday remembrance of God’s mighty works is worship, then contemplation of the cross—the deepest, most costly work of God’s hands—is worship in its truest and most transformative form.  The heavens are constantly proclaiming the works of God’s hands and praising Him for it.  Look around you, even at this very moment you are beholding the handiwork of God.  Let’s all make an effort to join the song of worship that creation sings everyday!

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor John   

Scripture opens our eyes to a paradox that the world cannot fathom: the way up is down. Jesus made this shockingly clear when He said, “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). Not the most accomplished. Not the most educated or eloquent or successful. The most humble. Humility is not a virtue among virtues; it is the posture from which every other virtue grows.

Consider why. Spiritual growth requires change—real, costly change. But change demands that we first admit we are wrong, broken, insufficient. A proud heart cannot do this. It defends itself, justifies itself, protects itself, and makes excuses for itself. It says, “I have it mostly figured out. My way is working fine.” And in that self-protection, it locks the door against transformation. The proud person cannot receive correction, cannot learn from failure, cannot be shaped by suffering. He is closed.

Humility opens the door. When you kneel before God and say—truly say—”I am weak, I am wrong, I cannot save myself, I cannot sanctify myself,” something breaks open in your soul. You stop trying to earn God’s favor and start receiving it. You stop defending your reputation and start caring about your character. You stop performing for an audience and start listening to the Spirit. This is why Jesus taught humility, and why all great men of the faith understood humility as the beginning of all wisdom. Augustine wrote of it. Spurgeon implored it unceasingly. Wesley preached it relentlessly.

Here’s what this looks like in real life: A man comes to church angry at his wife. He sits through the sermon on forgiveness and feels the Spirit’s conviction. Pride says, “But you don’t understand what she did. You don’t know how unreasonable she is.” Humility says, “I am a sinner in need of grace, just as she is. I have hurt people too. I need to repent.” In that moment of humility, he becomes capable of reconciliation. Without it, he remains locked in his grievance.

Or consider a woman who has served faithfully for years, and suddenly someone else receives recognition she expected. Pride rises: “After all I’ve done, this is how I’m treated?” Humility whispers: “My service was never meant to earn praise. It was meant to serve Christ. His approval is enough.” And in that surrender, she finds peace her accomplishments could never give her.

The scriptures teach that spiritual renewal—real, deep, transformative renewal—begins when we stop trying to defend ourselves and start admitting we are indefensible.  When we confess not just our sins but our bankruptcy. When we come to God not as a customer presenting a complaint but as a beggar presenting an empty hand. This is the narrow gate through which all genuine growth passes.

So ask yourself: Where am I defending myself instead of examining myself? Where am I protecting my image instead of pursuing my transformation? What would change if I stopped trying to prove I’m right and started asking God to make me righteous? That question, pursued with honest humility, is where renewal begins.

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor John   

 Listen to what Moses tells Israel in Deuteronomy 10:12–13: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”

Notice the phrase at the end: for your own good. Not “for God’s benefit.” Not “because God is arbitrary and demands submission.” But “for your own good.” This reframes obedience entirely. God’s commands are not chains. They’re not restrictions imposed by a distant tyrant. They’re instructions from a Father who loves you and knows what will actually make you flourish.

Think about a parent teaching a child not to run into the street. The child experiences this as a restriction. “Why can’t I go where I want?” The parent’s answer isn’t “Because I enjoy controlling you.” It’s “Because I love you, and I know what will kill you.” The command protects. The command is an act of love.

This is what Israel needed to hear—and what we need to hear. We live in a culture that frames obedience to God as oppressive, as if following His commands means surrendering your freedom and joy. But Scripture teaches the opposite. Psalm 119:45 says, “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” Freedom comes through obedience, not despite it. The person who follows God’s commands about sexuality, generosity, honesty, and rest is not a slave. He’s free—free from shame, free from the destruction that sin brings, free to experience the life God designed him to enjoy.

Consider the command to rest on the Sabbath. Our culture sees rest as laziness, as something you earn after you’ve proven yourself productive enough. So we work ourselves to exhaustion, sacrifice our families, damage our health—all in pursuit of more. And God says, “Stop. Rest. You are not defined by your productivity. You are defined by your identity as My beloved child.” That command isn’t a burden. It’s a gift. It’s God saying, “I love you too much to let you destroy yourself.”

Or consider the commands about forgiveness. Jesus tells us to forgive those who wrong us, to let go of bitterness, to seek reconciliation. Our flesh screams that this is unfair, that we deserve to hold a grudge, that forgiveness lets the other person off the hook. But God knows what bitterness does to a human soul. He knows how unforgiveness eats you alive from the inside. His command to forgive is not punishment. It’s rescue. It’s Him saying, “I love you too much to let you poison yourself with hatred.”

God’s law is good. Not arbitrary. Not oppressive. Good. The Westminster Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?” and answers, “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” Notice those two things together: glorify and enjoy. They’re not in tension. When you obey God, you glorify Him and you experience the joy and blessing He designed you to experience.

So when you’re tempted to see God’s commands as burdensome—when obedience feels like sacrifice—pause. Ask yourself: What is God actually protecting me from? What is He inviting me into? Often you’ll discover that the command you’re resisting is the very thing that would heal you, free you, restore you. God’s commands are not chains. They’re the blueprints for a human life lived as it was meant to be lived.

That’s the heart of Deuteronomy 10:12–13. Not “Obey because God demands it,” but “Obey because God loves you, and His way is the way of life.”

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor John   

Genesis 2:15

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 

We live in a culture that increasingly devalues the importance and Godliness of hard work.  We are always looking for the easy way, the quick way, and for many, a way out of doing even the most basic work necessary to provide daily sustenance and shelter.   Unfortunately, welfare entitlement has crept into the lives of millions resulting in the poisonous mentality of the sluggard.  It is much easier to lay in bed, than it is to get to work!  Even those who do work often find themselves grumbling and complaining and only finding misery in their employment.  Today we must be reminded of a very important truth…God created man for the purpose of work.  To work with joy, purpose and out of obedience to His design for mankind.  After God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, His very first directive to Adam was to cultivate and keep the garden.  Very simply, to work.  This directive was given before the warning to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, before God created woman, and before man’s fall into sin.  Which brings us to a very important reality, work is not a result of sin, laziness is!  Before the fall, man desired to obey God in daily work, after the fall man desired to disobey God in daily laziness.  Laziness and a life devoid of work feeds the flesh, while daily productivity feeds the Spirit. In short, daily work is not an option, but a wonderful privileged and obedience to God filled with many blessings.  The blessing of work is in the work itself and no other blessing is needed.  Work provides wages to feed ourselves and our families, it provides shelter and all other necessities of life.  Beyond this, it teaches us discipline, resilience and a spiritual readiness to go to work wherever we are needed.  A good work ethic allows us to be a blessing to others and to be faithful in giving to God’s Church.  All of these things are real, tangible blessings built right into work.  And while work has built-in blessings, laziness has built-in curses.  The sluggard struggles to pay for even the most basic of human needs such as food, shelter, clothing and provision for their families in any way.  The sluggard is never a blessing to others but rather a drain on others and upon the Church.  And above all, they lack the basic spiritual discipline and readiness needed to be useful in the hands of God.  Excluding those who have reached an age where work is no longer a physical possibility, work is not an option, it is one of the most basic requirements of a healthy life both physically and spiritually.  Therefore, be encouraged in your work this day!  It may seem mundane, menial and even at times a struggle, but the Lord has given us clear instruction and a wonderful blessing in the work of our hands.  Mothers, your work is tedious and trying at times, but the reward of raising children, keeping a home, and providing the care needed for your family to thrive is of primary importance to your children and husband.  Fathers, your work provides more than just the funds necessary to provide the basics of life, it teaches resilience, obedience, discipline and honors the Lord by protecting and nurturing your families!  Even for those who are single, work provides all of the same blessings and meaning that is required for a productive and meaningful life in Christ.  We may be called to different types of work, but it is all for the same purpose.  It is God’s way of providing all that we need to thrive physically and spiritually while we are here on earth!  There is coming a day when we will work for the Lord in eternity and there won’t be the terrible laziness of our flesh to get in the way!  But until then, let’s lay down our own fleshly desires and put our hands to the plow both in our daily work and our Kingdom work…they are more related to each other than we may think!

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor John   

 Psalm 37:4

4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

One of the truest and most sobering tests of our faith is to apply this verse to our lives.  First, Beloved, let us all ask ourselves this question; “what are the desires of thy heart?”  The answers that you give will reveal much about the condition of your heart, because it will expose where your true delight is found.  We are told to take delight in the Lord, and then the Lord will give us the desires of our hearts.  But why is delight in the Lord foundational to the fulfillment of this promise?  Well, very simply, the desires of the heart of a man or woman who’s delight in is the Lord look far different than the desires of the heart of a man or woman who’s delight is in the flesh.  What are the desires of the fleshly minded man or woman?  Money, power, clout, stature, possessions, leisure, pride, selfishness, and every lust of the flesh.  Is it God’s will to grant men these things?  May it never be!  But many professing Christians not only live as if it is God’s will to grant them these carnal desires, they teach others the same.  How many times have we heard that God wants us to be wealthy, healthy, powerful, prominent, and living life with an abundance of possessions and leisure.  But this gives rise to a very important question, and one that will expose the desires of our hearts this day.  Does a true Christian desire these carnal things above all?  Very simply put, the answer is “no”.  The man or woman who’s delight is in the Lord has been transformed from a heart full of carnal delights to delights in the things that God delights in, and much more than this…a delight in God Himself.  The true Christian delights in truth, selflessness, humility, love, grace, peace, self-control, and mercy.  More than this, we delight, not in what this world offers, but in the incredible knowledge of God Himself.  We delight in His beauty, power, majesty, grace and benignity.  Also, notice that Psalm 37:4 does not promise us that God will gratify all the appetites of our bodies and the whims of our own fleshly desires, God promises to grant us all the desires of the renewed and sanctified heart, and all the cravings of the sanctified soul.  Obedience, surrender, trust and faith.  These are the desires of a Godly man.  When all is said and considered, the most basic desire of the heart of a man or woman who delights in the Lord is to know, love, live for God, to please him and to be pleased in him.  The considerations of the flesh pale in comparison to the joy of the delight we have in our Heavenly Father.  Let us all find our delight in Him and in Him alone this day.  To love what He loves, to serve how Jesus served, and to sacrifice all we have so that we may find rest in His surpassing greatness and glory.  The Lord has promised to provide for the basics for the flesh, so, let us move past those carnal desires and desire to know, love and trust Him more today than we did yesterday.  

Yours in Christ,

Pastor John

 Joel 2:23

 23 Be glad, people of Zion,  rejoice in the Lord your God,

for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful.

He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

Oh what a blessing it is to know that the Lord is faithful!  To trust in His never-ending care, peace and rest!  What an unassailable promise we have in the refreshing of our hearts, minds and souls by the power of our Almighty God!  Beloved, in this Christian walk we face many days of great turbulence and struggle.  There are times when worry and fear sneak up on us like a thief in the night and threaten to steal away the simple joys of serving our Faithful God.  It seems that we make much of the Lord’s faithfulness in the midst of great struggle and fear.  And rightfully so!  The Lord is faithful in our struggles, of this there is no doubt!  But we must also make much of God’s faithfulness through times of great peace!  Today, let us remember that the Lord is equally faithful to send us times of great peace and joyous rest!  Like the autumn and spring rains refresh, soften, and prepare the earth for times of growth, and rejuvenation, so too does our Precious Lord prepare our hearts and lives to receive this same blessing when we need it most.  Be glad people of God!  Rejoice in the God of your salvation!  His rest is never far off.  He always stands on the ready to give His encouragement and peace to those who need it most, when they need it most.  There is a time for sorrow, a time for mourning and a time for sadness, but my prayer is that it is not this day!  Even if your circumstances are difficult, dire or uncertain, we can still find deep, soaking and refreshing rest in Him.  Remember this day, dear Beloved, to find your refreshment in the faithfulness and care of the Lord.  “Soak” your very soul in His precious Word.  Allow the deep, penetrating rain of the comfort of our Heavenly Father to penetrate your heart as you seek His fellowship in prayer.  Let the showers of gladness fill your mind with the remembrance of the Greatness of our God as you worship the Lord with your lips and with your whole being.  Sing to the Lord all ye people!  Shout to the Lord with gladness and joy!  Today is a day of refreshing!  May a calm, steady, soaking “rain” of gladness fill your life as you rest in Him.

Yours in Christ,

 Pastor John   

John 14:27

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 

One of the greatest enemies to a thriving Christian faith is fear.  Not a fear of God, but a worldly fear.  The fear Jesus warns us against is a fear that robs us of our peace, comfort, trust, hope, faithfulness, love, joy, patience and even paralyzes us in disobedience.  How many times has fear prevented us from sharing the Gospel, or prevented us from seeking reconciliation?  Maybe fear has caused you to live in isolation from the body, or prevented you from confessing a sin.  Fear can cause us to become irrational, inconsolable, and even cause us to fall into the depths of a terrible depression.  Many people have lived in such fear that they have feebly attempted to control every situation of life.  Constantly fearful of what might happen, or what could happen, they seek to control every outcome, which of course is impossible, which only accelerates their fearfulness.   Ultimately, if we are not careful to keep fear in check, it will eventually rob us of our very security in Jesus Christ.  In short, fear is a terrible companion.  And if you have ever lived in fear, then you know just how terrible of a companion it is.  So, what is the remedy then?  Let us consider Jesus Christ.  When Jesus spoke these words, He was on the eve of His crucifixion and yet, He did not fear.  He didn’t fear man, He did not even fear sorrow, pain, suffering, trouble, or even death.  He stood firm as the storm around Him swelled and eventually swallowed up His very life.  What was Jesus’ secret in such a seemingly hopeless situation?  He understood that His life was not His own.  It belonged to the Father.  No matter, where the Father led Him, He would never lead Him astray.  Jesus would never find Himself in a position of hopelessness and despair, because He was always right where the Lord wanted Him to be.  Dear Christian, the reality of life is that we will never know exactly what lies before us.  There may be illness, death, loss of income, suffering, or many other toils ahead.  However, in spite of all of this, Jesus says something very interesting, “Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”  The scriptures tell us that the Spirit of God within us is a Spirit of power, love, and self-control.  Walking in the Spirit never produces fear.  Jesus says that He has given us a Spirit of peace, and if we find ourselves living in fear it is only because we have allowed fear into our lives.  We have looked upon the situation or circumstance that lay before us and we have surrendered to the enemy of fear, and we have done it willfully.  We must remain strong as to never let fear control us.  Do you want true, lasting peace?  Well, peace begins with this most wonderful and peace producing truth; our lives are not in our own hand, or under our own control.  When we come to terms with this reality, that is when we can finally, and truly live in a lasting peace.  Our lives are in the hands of the Living God!  Our days are in His hands, the circumstances of life are under His watchful care, and His promise is that no matter what may come, He will use all things for our good and for His glory.  What a freeing truth!  I may not know what the future holds, but I know the One who holds it!  And I know that He is faithful, trustworthy, wise, powerful, loving, and good.  Even if our suffering leads to our own death, we know, that even then, we have no fear, because death has lost its power over us.  Even in death we have joy, peace, and life…and it is eternal!  And so, the Christian truly has nothing to fear, except for one thing; the Christian should be very afraid of being afraid. Dear Beloved, today is the day to let go of any fear that has gripped your heart in recent weeks or months.  Do not let your hearts be troubled any longer, do not give in to the temptation of fear, reclaim the spirit of peace by letting go of your feeble attempts to control life.  Let go of your unproductive anxiety and fix your eyes on Jesus Christ.  Even in the midst of uncertainly, trouble, and suffering, the truth is that every day is full of meaning, hope, encouragement, purpose, and joy.  You may not see it, or even understand what God is doing now, but in His time, He will reveal His purpose to you.  And that truth is enough to set our hearts and minds at ease! 

Yours in Christ,

Pastor John