The Place of Humiliation

Walking with Jesus on the mountaintop is easy. It is in the valley where things get tricky. It is in the valley where reality hits us right in the face and we have to deal with life. We can't stay on the mountaintop because we live in the valley. But it is in the valley where the truths we learned on the mountain can be lived out in reality. As Oswald Chambers reminds us, "The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of the God."

The one thing we have to do is not lose sight of the Lord and what we have learned on the mountain. It is easier said than done, I know. But the Lord is faithful and He is our Shepherd and He will provide for us and guide us. The valley can help our faith increase and it can even help keep us humble. Humiliation is a hard thing but God doesn't like pride in our lives. Hang in there if you are in the valley today.

Be blessed and be a blessing.
Pastor Mark

Busy, Busy, Busy

Today I am taking a break from Oslwald Chamber's book to talk about something else - being busy. I recently received an e-mail from a church member that was titled "The Meeting of Satan." The point of the e-mail story was that Satan had a meeting with his demons and their basic ploy was to get Christians too busy so that they couldn't grow in their faith, read the Bible, be with their loved ones as they should, etc. I know this was just an e-mail story but there seems to be some truth there. Busyness can hinder our effectiveness even when we are doing godly stuff. Being too busy can suck the life right out of us. I am looking at everything I need to do the rest of the week and I am already exhausted just thinking about it. But I am reminded at what Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 NIV 28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Thank you Jesus for the rest you can give us for our weary souls.

Be blessed and get some rest.
Pastor Mark

Jesus Walking on the Storm

In life storms come and go. We often think that the storm is to help us grow. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't. Maybe the reason for the storm is to see Jesus walking on the storm in our life. Maybe it is to teach us to trust Jesus no matter what.

Did Jesus tells us to do something? Then why did a storm come when we obeyed? God didn't call us to "success" as the world defines success. He calls us to obey. When we obey Jesus, we learn more about Him and His faithfulness.

I don't like the storms that life tends to throw our way. I have certainly encountered my share of storms in life. We are going to have our share of trials in life and we must learn how to react when they come. Do we try to handle them our way or do we look to Jesus? As Oswald Chambers teaches us today, God's purpose for the storm is to see that He can walk on the storms of our lives. Lord, please walk on the storms that come.

Be blessed and be a blessing.
Pastor Mark

The Way to Knowledge

There is one truth that stands out about the Lord - You can't hide anything from Jesus. He knows everything there is to know about us. He knows our joys, sorrows, and sins. We may be able to fool other humans but we can't fool God. As Oswald Chambers says, "We cannot stand as imposters before Him for even one second." We can talk the religious talk with the best of people but Jesus knows whether we belong to Him or not. He knows if we have surrendered our lives to Him and received the free gift of grace or not. He also knows whether or not we may be harboring a grudge or grievance against someone else. If we are then we need to let it go.

Once we know Jesus as Lord and Savior, it is important that we continue learning to be more like Him. We do this through obedience. Disobedience leads to a lack of growth spiritually. As Oswald Chambers teaches in our devotion for today, "We disobey and then wonder why we are not growing spiritually." Spiritual growth happens through obeying the teachings of Jesus.

One of our most frequent prayers should be "Lord search me and show me anything in my life that hinders my becoming more like you." If we would have the courage to pray this, then God could do some amazing things in our lives. If we want to know more about Jesus, then we need to start doing what He asks us.

Be blessed and be a blessing.
Pastor Mark

The Doorway to the Kingdom

Living the Christian life is a challenge that believers face everyday. Many read the words of Jesus and say, "I can't do this." They are right, they can't. God calls us to a higher standard that many find hard to live up to. The problem is the power source. Many try to live under their own strength instead of the strength that God supplies through our faith in Jesus. We must come to the point of total abandonment of self so that God can have His way in our lives. Jesus was more than just a Teacher. He is the Savior that can enable us to live as He desires. As Oswald Chambers teaches us in our devotion for today, Jesus "... came to make me what He teaches I should be."

If you find yourself struggling with living the Christian life, don't try under your own strength or ability, ask Jesus to give you that ability. Surrender completely to Him. Hold nothing back and see what He does. There is success with Him.

Be blesses and be a blessing.
Pastor Mark

Dependent on God's Presence

Life is difficult and how we face each trial matters. Because we live in a fallen world, we are going to face difficult situations. But we don't have to face life without help. God has made Himself available to us. He offers wisdom, strength, and love for our journey called life. I am convinced that we need the Lord for every area of our lives. There are some who will say that God is too busy for my little problems. Nonesense. How many "little" problems turn into "bigger" problems because we didn't deal with them correctly in the first place? More than I want to think about, at least in my life.

We must commit to keep God before us and in the #1 position in our lives. He loves us and He wants to lead us and He will not play second fiddle behind anyone. This whole world is dependent upon God for our very existence and we need Him. As Oswald Chambers reminds us in our devotion for today, "Having the reality of God's presence is not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but is dependent on our determination to keep the Lord before us continually." Let us determine in our hearts that we will let nothing come between us and the Lord.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

God is there, those who look for Him will find Him.

Be blessed,
Pastor Mark

The Concept of Divine Control

I believe that one of the hardest things for modern man to do is to trust God 100%. We have no problem believing that God worked in the past. It is just hard to believe that He can work in "My" situation right now. But our God is the pre-existent One. He has worked in the past, He is at work now, and will be at work in the future. God can do anything and He is in control of everything. Nothing happens that He doesn't know about and allow. We are going to have our share of problems in the world because we live in a fallen world. But our Heavenly Father is in control and we can bring our thoughts, joys, and sorrows to Him in prayer. Jesus tells us to "ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, and knock and the door will be opened to you." Let us trust even when we don't know what is happening or we can't see the way. That's easy though, Jesus said that He is the Way. Trust and hold on tight.

Be Blessed,
Pastor Mark